#serene just Eats money probably

[statusexile]

Michelin Star Treatment and My Body's On The Menu

Summary: You work as a naked sushi model in a high-end Japanese restaurant and professionalism was the name of the game. But when Ghost and Konig walked through the door, your composure was put to the test.

Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x Reader x Konig

Warnings: afab!reader, dub con, exhibitionist, nipple play, fingering, squirting, wakamezake, mask kink, reader goes by she/her pronouns.

Word count: 1,804 words

NSFW. MDNI!

a/n: Nyotaimori (女体盛り) is the Japanese practice of serving sashimi or sushi from the naked body of a woman. This fic probably wouldn’t be 100% accurate to the real-life practice because I’m not Japanese. Nonetheless, feedback and suggestion are always welcome, along with reblogs and likes. Thank you for reading! ❤️

Working as a naked sushi model for a high-end restaurant was never your dream. Your friends and family always find your job as peculiar. They always ask you why would you want to be a human sushi platter for wealthy people. While some people see your job as an art form and others think it’s degrading to women. You didn’t care about their opinions anyway; it kept food on the table and paid your bills and that was all that really mattered to you.

Still feeling a bit groggy from the long shift, you sat down on a bench in the fitting room and began counting your tip money. The day had been long, but the customers were generous, you are pleased with the amount of money you have made today. Even though one group of customers that you got earlier were a bunch of drunk and obnoxious business men. They’re not trying to grope you or anything, but they’re just really rowdy and it hurts your head so bad. Unfortunately, you can’t say anything because you're not allowed to speak while you're on the job.

You get up from the bench and begin tidying your hair and make-up. There’s only one more reservation for the day: a table for two people. Perhaps they’re a couple, you think to yourself. At least it shouldn't be as disastrous as the earlier group, as you walked out from the changing room into the private dining room that was booked by the pair. The interior of the room was opulent. Soft lighting and the sounds of waterfall provided a serene atmosphere, while traditional Japanese motifs of cherry blossom and zen gardens adorned the walls. The restaurant was clearly designed to create a serene and elegant ambience that would enhance the dining experience for the guests.

You took off your kimono, leaving you bare, and climbed onto the dining table, lying down on top of it. The sushi chefs began decorating your body with a variety of sushi and sashimi, placing them on top of leaves that had been sanitized to prevent direct contact with your skin. After that, they covered your nipples and your genital area with flowers. And now all you have to do is wait for the customer to arrive at the restaurant.

It doesnt take very long for the pair to arrive. They’re two tall, muscular men in military attire, and you can see the outlines of their muscles on their clothes. Both of them are wearing masks: one is wearing a skull-printed mask, while the other is wearing a draped style mask.

Your heart skipped a beat when the two men entered the dining room. You’ve always been intrigued by masked men - there's something alluring and mysterious about them. You didn’t know if they were hot or ugly underneath their masks, it doesn’t matter to you, it was the mystery that made you so intrigued and turned on about them.

They sat down on the tatami and ordered sake from the waitress; it didn’t take long for the waitress to come back with their drinks. They began eating immediately, taking some of the sushi that was placed on top of your stomach. The dinner went well so far. You could hear both men talking about their jobs in the military - the one with the skull-printed mask spoke with a deep, husky British accent, while the one with the draped mask spoke with a thick German accent. Soon you learned their names were Ghost and Konig.

They spoke about an upcoming mission, using fancy words, code names, and military slang that you didn't understand. But all you could focus on was their sexy voices - it was as if they were trying to turn you. You couldn't do anything about it - you couldn’t even move your body an inch while you were still with the customer. So, all you could do was stare at the ceiling, trying to not let it bother you.

They were nearly finished with their meals, and you felt a bit disappointed because it means they would leave soon - but you didn't know that the real fun was about to begin.

Suddenly, you felt Konig’s fingers graze your thigh. You were surprised by his sudden action - this felt so wrong that you should have stand up and called the manager at this point - but you were already so turned on at his touch. You could feel a shiver running down your spine.

“So beautiful,” Konig mutters so himself, still grazing his fingers on your thigh, “Shall we have some fun with her, Lieutenant?”

“Your call, Colonel. I’m down if you’re down.” Ghost replied while he stares at you. You could only see his eyes, but you could feel the lust in his stare. It looks like he’s going to devour you whole.

“Alright then,” Konig said as he removed the flower that covered your fold. You’re already so turned on at this point and his action made it even worse.

“Clench your thigh real tight, schatz.” You didn't know why, but you immediately complied with his command, so you clenched your thighs as tight as possible. You could see Konig pouring the sake between them. You could feel the cold liquid grazing your hot skin as you let out a soft mewl from the sensation as it’s slowly running down in between your thighs. He lifts his mask up and starts slurping the sake directly from your crotch, you could feel his soft lips touching your fold. This is so inappropriate, and you could definitely get fired if your supervisor found out that you allowed a customer to do something like this. But your body could only succumb to his action. You’re already way too deep in it anyway and there’s no turning back at point. “So delicious,” Konig said after he finished drinking, wiping his own lips with his hands. “Your turn, Lieutenant.” he added as he passed the sake bottle to Ghost. Ghost did the same thing Konig did earlier. He poured some more sake between your clenched thighs, slurping them, but suddenly after he finished drinking, he opens your legs a bit and give a single lick at your labia. You let out a moan, still trying to keep quiet, but now it’s getting harder. “She’s indeed delicious, Colonel.” he said to Konig in a satisfied tone, “Don’t worry love, we’re gonna make you feel so good” he added. Konig started to remove the flowers that covered your nipples, you could sense the chilly air gently brushing against them.

Konig and Ghost scooch over from their seats, and now their faces facing your breasts. “Open your legs real wide for us, sweetheart. Please, allow us to return the favor for your hospitality this evening.” Konig hums in your ear. Both of them slowly opens your legs, revealing your now dripping cunt that’s been covered with your own liquid and the sake from earlier.

“Shall we enjoy the dessert for the night, Colonel?” “After you, Lieutenant.”

Suddenly, both of them start latching to your nipples, as Konig’s hand starts rubbing your damp cunt with his calloused hand. You let out a loud gasp as you jerk your head back from the sudden sensation. One of Ghost’s hands pinning you down, ensuring you stay still in your place. You tried to wiggle your body, but his hand was so strong, keeping you in your position.

“Be quiet, love. We don't want anyone outside to know we're doing this, do we?” Ghost purred in your ear in between sucking your breast. You could only nod at his words, feeling absolutely lost in the pleasure they’re giving to you. Konig starts to insert two of his fingers inside you and start thrusting them. You bit your lips so hard they’re probably bleeding at this point but you didn’t even pay attention to it as you lost to the overstimulation and pleasure.

“So fucking wet for us” Konig whispered while his mouth is still latching to your breast, now he’s using his thumb to play with your clit and adding another finger inside you. You've already surrendered to them, letting them do whatever they want to you at this point. You could feel your holes stretched thin with his fingers as if he shoved his entire fist inside you because of how thick his fingers are.

Your body shudders as they keep sucking your breasts without mercy and Konig finger-fucking you relentlessly. You’re trying so fucking hard to stay quiet, only letting out soft moans and pants, making everything even more painful than it already is.

“I could feel you’re clenching around my fingers, schatz. Come on, I know you’re so close. I know you can do it.” Konig whispers seductively in your ear. You could feel your brain becoming mush. Your body feels like it's about to explode as you start mumbling nonsense words. You didn't care at this point if anyone outside could hear it, you just want to cum so fucking bad.

It only took a few more thrusts of Konig’s fingers before you cum, your body shakes violently and your vision turns static from the orgasm he gave you. He still thrusting them over and over, milking your orgasm dry. You squirted all over the table, basically drenching the entire surface with your cum.

“Ah, there you go… I know you can do it. Was für ein gutes Mädchen” Konig finally gave one last thrust and pulls out his fingers from your cunt. Both of them give your nipples on last lick after finally letting them go. Your body seems like it can't stop trembling. “So good, so fucking good...” you mumbled softly, your voice is still shaking.

“I guess we have to clean up this mess. We can’t let your supervisor know you’re doing this with customers.” Ghost chuckled as he took a couple of napkins to clean up the mess you made on the table. It takes you around five minutes before you're able to regain your composure.

Both of them stand up from their tatami. Konig pulls out his wallet from his back pocket, takes out some money, and slips it into your hands, giving you a very generous tip.

“Compliment to the chef, the food was delicious.” Ghost said as he opened the door, and both he and Konig went out from the dining room, leaving you alone.

After a few more minutes, finally manage to sit and starts counting the tip that Konig gave you, which basically covers two months’ worth of rent. You can only laugh to yourself, still confused by everything that happened earlier, but you are very satisfied at the same time.

Maybe this is the best job that you could ever have, after all.

[trsrina]

summer with zerobaseone

written in second person pov, gn reader, fluff, established relationship wc: ~1.5k

!! mentions of food

jiwoong

- the weather’s hot af but jiwoong’s hotter

- no but swimming with jiwoong>>

- idk but i have this idea that jiwoong probably doesn’t know how to swim but since he’s tall af that ability isn’t really necessary, he’s just there to sit there and look hot and make you blush over him.

- would probably attack you with water and it ends up becoming a whole water fight, his whole ‘sit there and look hot’ thing long forgotten

- he would take u window shopping (in this hot ass weather?) you’d be sweating your ass off and this menace would have his sunglasses over his head with his hands in his pocket, walking around cooly like he’s unbothered by the weather

- but still, he’d be holding a mini fan for you and helping u cool off, bring you to air-conditioned areas and spoil you by buying you whatever you want at the mall

zhanghao

- zhanghao would be like the rest of the population

- it is way too hot to go outside and so you two would spend your summers together at home, cooped up in your bed and spending lazy days with the air conditioner on, limbs tangled up together in the cozy embrace of your bed

- movie marathons every single night literally

- you guys would be binge watching any summer series or movie, you laying comfortably in his embrace as the both of you immerse yourselves in the film, his arms draped around you and your head leaning against him

- and since u have so much time on your hands, you two would attempt to bake but it always end up really disastrous, both of you covered in flour as the kitchen’s a mess, laughing hysterically and having fun together

- it’s yours and zhanghao’s world and we’re just living in it

hanbin

- hanbin LOVES going out with u and so, in this weather, going out is typically a hard task but this man would not give up

- probably brings you to one of those rocky beaches yk and walks around with you while your hands are interlocked together and probably brings you to sit down on one of the rocks, overlooking the clear blue ocean as the waves hit the surface, cool ocean breeze helping you cool off

- you were admiring the serene view while he was admiring another view in front of him, you, the most angelic person he has ever laid his eyes upon

- would try to make cold smoothies for you at home, hoping it can somehow cool off the heat

- like he would be exploring new recipes every other day, using different ingredients, trying to find the perfect formula and make your favourite drink, and sometimes u would try (keyword: try) to help but the most work you’ve done was pour things

matthew

- matthew would make u sit there in your living room, on the couch, and watch every single summer disney channel show or movie known to man like imagine watching high school musical 2 with him

- just the two of you being silly and singing along to the songs like matthew would absolutely slay fabulous and the two of you singing duets tgt like gabriella and troy who? i onky know matthew and you.

- would go island-hopping with you like him bringing you on a little trip to the countryside, just having the time of your life riding bikes around and if you don’t know how to, he would teach you and open up your inner child

- buys those bottles of bubbles and run around with you, blowing bubbles

- and dipping your feet into the warm seawater by a small beach, matthew sneakily kicking water towards you and you fighting back, resulting in the both of you soaked in water

- he would spend all of his money on food like you’re eating good this summer. like relaxing cafe dates together, just you two chatting and talking about literally anything and enjoying the day

taerae

- going to music festivals and concerts with taerae omg

- okay but music and u? the two things he loves the most? sign him up.

- u two would have the time of your lives at those concerts, singing your heart out to your favourite artists’ songs and taerae can hardly focus on the concert bc how can he when a literal angel is right next to him?

- others will be looking at the stage but he’s staring and admiring you, the sight of your ecstatic state and wide smile leaves a small lovesick smile on his face

- karaoke with taerae plz u two just vibing to summer songs like imagine dancing and singing to dance the night away by twice with taerae that would be so fun, his astonishingly beautiful voice just makes it better

- both of you letting loose and singing your heart out, letting out all emotions like imagine taerae crying while belting to some love song bc it reminds him of you and he gets emotional

ricky

- he’s young and rich so he brings u on a surprise little summer getaway to some tropical country, makes sure you get to relax throughout the whole trip and he would plan everything for you

- literally spending all day at a spa resort with him and lounging around the hotel swimming pool, getting massages and stuff

- lazing around in your hotel, cuddling until afternoon and him treating you to some fancy brunch while overlooking a beautiful view you can’t normally see in the city

- takes you out shopping and whatever you eyes land on for even just a millisecond, he’s buying it for you like an ugly and useless keychain? u want it, he buys it for u

- this is unserious but imagine ricky fanning u with those big leaves like he’s your servant yk what im saying like boy is so down bad for u

gyuvin

- walking eumppappa with him omg

- gyuvin holding onto eumppappa’s leash with one hand and the other intertwined with your hand, him staring intently into your eyes as you talk about literally any topic, he’d still pay attention and listen

- eumppappa is basically third-wheeling

- when you’re at the dog park, you watch as gyuvin plays catch with his dog although it looked more like two puppies playing together in your opinion, gyuvin excitedly running around with eumppappa following behind him, playing catch with eumppappa and throwing eumppappa’s favourite tennis ball around

- him literally caressing eumppappa’s face lovingly with his large hands, pure ecstasy and joy on his face as a smile full of adoration appears on your face

- and then he treats you to ice cream later, both of you sharing one spoon as gyuvin feeds you and tries to get eumppappa to stop trying to eat your ice cream as you laugh at the scene in front of you

gunwook

- imagine getting slushies with gunwook bc the weather is just so hot and you guys needed a beverage to cool off like you guys would share your drinks and trying the flavours each other got

- and beach date with gunwook!! imagine having a picnic on the beach with him, him literally being down bad for you and feeding you like he barely even eats he’s just there to admire you with sparks in his eyes, intently immersed in what you were chatting about

- like the both of you lying on the mat and your limbs tangled up, your head in his lap as he gently strokes your hair and admires your face

- you and gunwook would be like those cheesy couples that write your names on the sand together smth like ‘gunwook + y/n’ with a heart around it and he giggles to himself about it all day long

- also would splash water on you and play around with you, picks you up and threatens to throw you into the ocean (he’s joking i hope)

yujin

- this boy loves amusement parks so yeah he’d bring you to one. like wearing matching headbands and all

- drags you to every single ride and the whole time you’re queueing up, you’re chatting with him and the long waiting time doesn’t even seem that long anymore bc time always flies by fast when you’re with yujin

- holds your hand on rides like fingers interlocked and during the ride, he would suddenly turn his head to you and stare at you with his cute bunny smile, thinking about how lucky he is to have you

- makes sure you’re feeling well and constantly reminds you to drink some water or buy you cold drinks to make sure you’re okay

- you guys sharing a mini fan but it’s actually just yujin holding it and having it face you most of the time and you getting upset at that and pushing it towards him and you guys just argue about that the whole time

[lettersfromaphrodite]

[16.40]

― pairing : Chris x fem! reader ― content warnings : fluff, a little bit of angst, smut (but it's not too explicit), royals au, Chris is a Duke, reader is a Countess, there’s a mysterious bandit pulling those Robin Hood cards guess who could it be, medieval settings as always // main inspiration for this from Elisa di Rivombrosa ― word count : 4.489

― notes : this fic looks familiar?it is! I’m reposting ALL my works on this brand new blog and therefore please, bear with me! as always, askbox is always open and feedbacks are always welcome 💌

👑 ROYALS! STRAY KIDS SERIES

Chris // Changbin // Jisung // Hyunjin // Seungmin // Minho // Felix part one | part two // Jeongin

«Promise me you’ll only get married for love.» your mother had told you countless times when you were younger; you loved to recall her words as you peacefully stared into the small lake close to your family’s territories, your eyes losing in the majestic nature in front of you.

Your horse neighed not too far away from you, and you quickly glanced at her, just to see that she was peacefully eating some strands of grass. Shifting on the rock you were seating on, you went back fantasizing.

Sometimes, you wondered if you were really going to keep the promise you made to you mother when she was still alive, but you had to admit there were days where you thought you probably would not. You were a noble, and hardly noble people got married for love; nobles’ marriages were all about money and politic interests.

ugging your knees to your chest – as much as your gown allowed you to, you smiled to yourself as you thought about being lucky to have grown up in such a serene and happy environment; your parents met at a ball, and luckily, they quickly fell in love. Their love lasted all their lifetime, and they always made sure to make both you and your brother grow up with the same values as them. 

«Well, this is definitely an uncommon place to meet, My Lady.» an unfamiliar voice startled you, and your head snapped towards its direction.

Judging by the voice, it must have been a boy probably around your age, but you couldn’t make out said boy’s features, since he wore a mask covering the lower part of his face so that only his eyes could have been visible, if it wasn’t for the hood hiding his remaining features.

He comfortably sat sideways on your horse’s saddle, which surprisingly enough let him do it without any warning neigh; furrowing your eyebrows, you wondered how she could be comfortable when a bandit was sitting on her back with a bent knee and a short blade elegantly dancing between his fingers.

«Who are you?» you asked with a wary tone as you stood up, your blue gown falling once again around your legs until it touched the grass, and your eyes locked on the blade.

«Oh, you never heard about me?» he asked, clearly pretending to be hurt, judging by the tone of your voice. «I definitely must work harder, then.» his mischievous tone worried you, but the stranger must have been noticed your discomfort, because he put his blade away with a polite «Forgive me.» the action confusing you.

You were about to ask him another streak of question, mixed with a «Get the hell down of my horse.» in a way which wouldn’t have been considered worthy of a Countess, when he surprised you once again. His head slightly turned left, holding up a finger to silently tell you to keep quiet, and immediately jumped off your horse.

«Well, My Lady. This had been an wonderful first encounter, but I have to go.» he politely bowed towards you, «I’ll see you soon!» he added, and with that, he ran back in the direction of the woods, his cape helping him blend in with the nature surrounding him. You stood there, dumbfounded, trying to process what just happened, before you noticed a small patrol of officers clearly looking for him.

«Forgive us, Your Grace.» one of them referred to you, his strong foreign accent accompanying his army’s uniform. «Have you perhaps seen a bandit around here?» your eyes widened for a second, and the officer mistaken your expression for fear. He tried to tranquilize you, but he honestly was not making an exceptional good job, since he told you a lot of information about said boy. «The Hawk and his man have been spotted running back towards the woods.»

«Yes- yes, I saw him,» You nodded at the officer, pretending to be still shaken from the story about said terrible and cruel bandit, «he went that way.» you told him, pointing on your left, instead of pointing towards the woods.

They politely thanked you, before storming off on their horses, chasing for the Hawk in the wrong direction. Before they could realize you lied, you quickly got on your horse with a hammering heart, confused at your own actions.

Apparently, ou just saved the town’s most wanted bandit’s life, and you absolutely didn’t know why.

«How early is too early to leave?» you politely asked your brother, which was standing next to you in the Duke’s sumptuous ballroom; your eyes annoyingly studied the crowd, and you quickly noticed that, behind the people dancing in the middle of the room, there was a small group of women focused on something, or rather, someone.

«I see you spotted the Duke’s charming son.» your brother whispered as he followed your gaze.

«Hyunjin,» you giggled, «How am I supposed to see him?» you whispered back, referring to the fact that between all those people, only a mop of wavy blonde hair was visible. You and your brother shared an accomplice giggle, and talked how obviously those women were interested to his title, when you spotted a familiar figure gracefully walking towards you.

«Your beloved Countess is coming this way,» you hastily whispered to your brother, and you smiled at the fact that at the mere sight of her, Hyunjin’s cheeks tainted with a faint shade of red, «don't do anything I wouldnìt do.» «If you put it this way, I believe I have plenty of choices.» Hyunjin joked, taking a few deep breaths to hide his flustered state; the three of you entertained a pleasant small talk for a bit, and eventually, your brother asked her to dance, leaving you alone and finally giving you the opportunity to get some fresh air.

No one was on the balcony beside you, and you were grateful for your time alone, since formal balls have always annoyed you to death; you gracefully placed your gloved hand on the marble balcony, your eyes wandering on the fountain in the middle of the small labyrinth under you, when a strangely familiar voice snapped you out of your daze.

«Well, this is definitely an uncommon place to meet, My Lady.» you turned around at the speed of light, expecting to find the Hawk once again, but you were meet with a young, blonde boy around your age.

«Your Grace.» you politely bowed to him, and he quickly shook his head.

«Please, let’s forget formalities when we’re alone,» he chuckled, your eyes shifting between his warm brown eyes to the dimples cornering his amazing smile with your brows slightly furrowed in confusion. «I see we share a mutual dislike for balls.» he added with a teasing whisper as he walked next to you.

«I’m Chris,» he said, slightly outstretching the palm of his hand towards your frame, as you noticed you were definitely close, and you immediately took it, placing your hand in his as you introduced yourself as well and Chris briefly kissed the knuckles of your gloved hand.

For a moment you thought you were able to feel his plump lips over the layer of satin covering your skin, but you settled for ignoring the thought, and politely smile at him.

“I wouldn’t blame all those women, if they were amazed by his beauty and not only his title.”

The afternoon quickly went by, and only when you saw two butlers lightening up the candles on the balcony, you realized that you and Chris basically spent the afternoon talking on the balcony, as you helped him hide from all those “annoying women,” as he had previously referred to them.

The clear sky had slowly painted itself with dark colours, and the dim lights provided by the flames of the candles were dancing on Chris’ features, making him look even more handsome.

«Christopher?» you both heard an authoritative voice approaching the balcony, and Chris immediately pulled on your waist while murmuring a streak of apologies. 

Chris held you close to his body as you both hid next to the heavy curtain, which separated the balcony from the ballroom, and hidden by darkness, you saw a man walking few steps on the balcony, turning his head left and right. You couldn’t think straight with Chris’s soft breath gently fanning your cheeks, and you were sure there was a raging blush covering all the way from your cheeks to your chest. 

Chris’ gaze was focused on the man while his back was pressed against the marble wall and slowly, his hand reached out to partially drape the curtains over both your frames with a slow movement. Eventually, the man got tired of looking for Chris, and deducing he was not on the balcony either, he got back inside with what seemed an exasperated sigh.

«Thank you,» Chris sighed, leaning his head against the wall «If he found me, my father would had thrown me immediately in those harpies’ group.» he tightened the hold on your waist, and you realized just then that you had been clinging on his strong arms the whole time. 

Chris was attractive, and he was also a kind and gentle boy, but as much as you could appreciate his company and be attracted to him, you wondered what would have happened if someone found you like this, hugging on the balcony behind a curtain.

«Chris, we should-» you mumbled, and you believed you lost any capability to speak as soon as he looked back at you, now both fully aware of your proximity. Beside your brother, you’ve never hugged a man, let alone being alone and close like this, your noses almost touching in such a compromising pose.

«Usually, by now there would be a game of cards going on in the room next to the ballroom.» Chris said, «Care to join?» his wide smile was enough to make you nod immediately. Chris led you through the ballroom, his arm tightly linked with yours as you were accompanied by curious whispers.

«So… The Duke.» Hyunjin said with a smug smile once you both were back on your carriage leading back home.

«So… The Countess.» you remarked with the same tone, before both of you erupted in giggles.

«You’re gonna be the talk, sister,» your brother said with a sigh, «you were the only one he willingly spent time with.» You were glad to the darkness in the carriage for hiding the wide smile on your lips.

Months had passed since you first met Chris, and incredulously enough, you were now a couple. He had been nothing but gentle and caring with you, and his natural gentle behaviour quickly got your brother’s approval.

Surprisingly enough, Chris’ parents were ecstatic about him finally choosing someone, and they quickly fell in love with you. You quickly found out how romantic he was, always gifting you roses, expensive presents or sometimes, writing his feelings in secret letters you’d mysteriously find on your pillow.

No matter how many tender or passionate kisses you and Chris had shared, you’d always be a blushing mess, your heart hammering in your chest and the feeling of burning desire creeping through your body. You and Chris were free to date and to be seen as a couple in the public eyes, and so scenes where Chris had his arms tightly draped around your waist weren’t that uncommon anymore, but you still couldn’t help feeling incredibly flustered about it.

«People are staring,» you’d whisper every single time.

«I can't blame them, they must be pretty envious,» Chris would answer, «after all, the prettiest girl in town is my fiancée.» he’d kiss your forehead affectionately, leaving the warmth and the passion of your more intimate kisses only for the two to know.

Since your parents raised both you and Hyunjin to be polite with your servants, a strange habitude had been going on since you were kids; in fact, you were invited to their smaller and humble balls. You and Hyunjin had always more fun spending your nights with them and actually having sincere fun, instead of spending your time at someone’s ball pretending to have fun while being in the same room of a bunch of overdressed ladies and gentlemen.

However, you kept wondering why your servants were so happy they constantly look like they were on cloud nine since your engagement with Chris had been announced, few weeks later.

«You couldn’t find any better man,» some would say, and you’d smile at them and nodded, but still wondered why they seemed to personally know him, sometimes. Your happiness, unfortunately, wasn’t the only side of the coin you had to consider.

The people’s discontent was worsened by the injustices suffered by the authorities charged with governing your hometown, and this is where the Hawk comes in: him and his men had restlessly targeted the commander of the army entrusted to your city, and repeatedly plundered their headquarters, so as to redistribute supplies equitably among all the villagers.

The Hawk’s mysterious identity became a real enigma, and no one in the village dared to expose him, since he was helping poor people by challenging public authorities. As much as you – and your brother, secretly approved his actions, you could not help but be annoyed at the boy anytime you met him.

The Hawk proved to have the ability to show up at the most inconvenient times, and yet another time this theory had proven itself being the truth as you were quietly swimming in the small lake where you first met, the thin fabric of your white chemise was the only shield your body had in that very moment.

«We must stop meeting like this,» he said, and you totally immersed back in the water, leaving only your head out. The Hawk was there, once again seating on your horse’s saddle, as he waved at you with a gloved hand, «pretty entertaining, I must admit.» You scoffed, swimming towards him and the pile of your clothes laying on the grass.

«You must stop sneaking up on me like a pervert.» you told him, getting out of the water while fully aware that the chemise was clinging on your body at the point where there was almost nothing left to the imagination. The Hawk whistled, and you resisted to the temptation of throwing a small pebble at him.

«Care to turn away?!» you said, and he chuckled at your annoyed tone as he turned around until you were facing his back. You quickly dried yourself and re-dressed, as a rather strange comfortable silence now fell upon the two of you.

No matter how the boy managed to annoy you or rile you up so effortlessly, sometimes you could not help but feel like you already met him somewhere, you still never got to wrap your mind around it.

«I came to congratulate on your engagement.» he said, as you were striding towards his direction. «I bet the Duke’s ecstatic about it.» he added, and you mistook the malicious irony in his tone for sarcasm.

«Is that envy I hear?» you said, holding on the reins of your horse before telling him to get off your horse. «He is ecstatic about it, and I am as well.»

With another amused chuckle, the Hawk gracefully climbed off your horse, looking at your frame getting further and further away as you quickly rode away on top of your horse.

«I’m glad our marriage won’t be annoying, love.» he murmured, looking at your frame with a wide, smitten smile safely hidden under his mask.

What you definitely did not expect, was to be kidnapped by the Hawk’s men a month before your marriage, while you were headed to the village in order to choose the flowers for your bouquet.

Strangely enough, no one dared to hurt you, neither tie you up. In fact, you were sitting in their hideout, arms crossed in front of your chest in annoyance, politely waiting for the Hawk to arrive, as his man stood few steps from you, as if waiting for your outburst of rage.

«Care to tell me what’s happening?» you asked, for the umpteenth time, irritation clear in your voice. Their hideout was neatly hidden in the woods, and you doubt that any authority would have found it unless they perfectly knew the zone or followed one of them; there were few small hideouts built on the trees – which definitely blended in with the surroundings, and you wondered who these people actually were. «Do you live here?» you asked out loud, trying to calm down, already knowing that no one would have answered you anyways.

One of the Hawk’s men quickly appeared on top of his horse, followed by few others, loudly warning everyone that some soldiers had followed them.

From there, everything happened too quickly for your to realize; delicate hands – probably a woman’s, gently but firmly helped you up and guided you towards one of the almost invisible ladders hanging from the small houses, when a pair of strong arms immediately took her place, and helped you climb up.

«Mislead them and make sure you have lost them before coming back!» the man which was basically carrying you up shouted to his men, and you quickly realized that you were indeed climbing your way to the Hawk’s private den with said man following you close behind.

«Don’t you even think about it.» his low and warning tone sent a shiver down your spine, and you wondered how could he be aware about the fact that you were thinking about refusing his help and call for the soldiers.

Differently from all the times you met him, you could feel he was dead serious, and you settled for obeying him; after all, he was a bandit. You curiously watched as him and the other quickly gathered the ladders so that no one had a way to climb up unless they would roll them all the way back to the ground, and you plopped on his small mattress with your arms crossed in front of your chest.

You refused to talk for the next couple of hours, and the Hawk didn’t pay much attention to you, either, too busy spying and observing what was happening just below them.

«Care to tell me what’s going on?!» you asked as soon as the shouting below you had stopped, signalling that the soldiers effectively followed his men away from there.

«Your soon to be father in law approved the army's behaviour.» he explained, leaning against the wooden wall, after putting his bow and arrows back in their place. «If he wants to see you again, he’ll have to take his statement back, so that the town’s not going to be under their control anymore, and of course the soldiers must leave.»

«You’re kidding me, I hope!» Your eyes widened comically wide. He slowly walked in front of you, «The Duke is never going to do that.» you added with an obvious voice, and he simply kneeled in front of you.

«Trust me, he will.» he said, tilting his head to the side. «I know him better than anyone else.»

«And how could you, I wonder? You’re a rebel.» you scoffed, looking at the wall on your right.

He hesitantly took off his leather gloves, tossing them on the mattress next to you, before holding your hands in his; you tried to break free from his hold, but he was indeed too strong for you, and plus, the familiar touch let you speechless for a moment. You spent enough time with Chris so that you could recognize his touch between hundred people, but… The Hawk couldn’t be Chris, right?

With slow movements, he guided your joined hands towards his cape, in order to take it off and expose the higher part of his face.

Blonde, wavy hair and warm brown apologetic eyes met yours, and you froze; he guided your hands on his cheek, lowering the fabric which was covering his face from the nose and below, and your hands started to tremble at the sight of Chris staring back at you.

our head started to spin, trying to process the fact that the most wanted bandit in the city was your soon to be husband, the boy you loved with all your heart; your first instinct was to scream, but somehow you couldn’t find your voice. Chris didn’t move an inch, your hands still joined in mid-air as he waited for you to say something.

«You… Chris, you lied to me.» you mumbled, feeling your heart sink and tears threatening to fall from your eyes. Chris furrowed his brow in a sad expression, before nodding, adverting his gaze.

«Believe it or not, you were safer not knowing anything of this.» he answered, and your heart calmed down a bit. Chris sat next to you, as he explained everything the Hawk and his men were doing, and you couldn’t help but forgive him.

Deep inside, you knew that his intentions were good, and by now, you knew Chris well enough to be certain that he would have never hurt you on purpose. As much as it pained you to find out like this, you had to admit that knowing his identity was risky, especially since by now, there was a bounty on his head.

That afternoon, was the first time you and Chris made love, since no more lies were hidden between the two of you. Chris’ kisses were soft but passionate, and the fact that you were sprawled on his small mattress in his small wooden cabin made it feel even more intimate.

ware of it being your first time, Chris made sure to pepper your body with soft kisses, the movement of his hips slow and sweet; he’d praise you every few seconds, his raspy voice and his body pressed flush against yours while his length was moving inside you making your head spin, resulting in your nails sinking and scratching his back and Chris groaning in response right next to your ear. 

Chris waited for you to build your orgasm just to come with you, moaning next to your ear and mumbling promises that could put the most experienced lover to shame.

«Do you think your men heard us?» you asked, hiding your head in the crook of Chris’ neck as you were now cuddling and sharing much gentler and softer kisses.

«It’s probably a good thing,» Chris chuckled, caressing your spine with gentle fingers as one arm was behind his head. «So they can get used to it quite soon.»

«What?» you said, propping yourself up on your elbow to look at him. «What do you mean?»

«They’re all people you know pretty well.» Chris offered you a wide, malicious smile as he reached out to gently boop your nose. «Well, some of them are my servants, but the others are… yours.»

«Please, don’t tell me my lady in waiting is part of this, too.» you said incredulously closing your eyes while connecting all the puzzle pieces which had been laying in front of you for months, and Chris laughed, suddenly pulling you to his body while rolling the two of you around.

«Do you think all my love letters walked on your pillow by themselves?» his grin widened as he saw your narrowed eyes as you pretended to be angry at him.

«I’m really an idiot.» you mumbled with a pout, and Chris made sure to kiss it away every time it appeared on your features.

You’ve been hiding in the bandits’ den for five days, and not only you and Chris had made love for countless times, but you also met almost three quarters of your servants, diligently taking turns between working at your residence and working on their part time job as rebels.

«Now I understand why you were so happy about my marriage.» you mumbled one night during dinner, while you were seated around a small campfire, and some servants started laughing, while others deeply apologized to you. Your lady in waiting was quick to seat next to you, hugging your shoulders as the cloth, which was supposed to hide the lower part of her face, was neatly pooled around his neck.

«He had been anxious about you all the time.» she confessed, her tone low and only for you to hear. «He kept thinking that if you ever found out, your feelings would have changed.» you carefully listened to her as your eyes travelled towards Chris’ frame which was animatedly talking with one of his friends, not too far from where you were.

«Please, remind me that sentence you always say - you know, the one about your husband.» you answered, turning towards her.

«That… Men are idiots?» she asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. You nodded, your eyes once again locked on Chris.

«Yeah, he’s an idiot for thinking something like that.» you sighed, «He’s lucky, he’s cute.» and the both of you erupted into complice giggles.

Chris turned towards your group with a wide, triumphant smile on his face while holding a letter in his hands. «We did it!» he exclaimed, and you were sure that among the woods, their loud cheering could be heard everywhere.

Learning that the Hawk and Chris were the same person all along had been quite a shock, but learning that Hyunjin was aware of it all along was even worse.

«Ah! I knew it!» your brother hugged you close, affectionately kissing your hair after you and Chris – still dressed up as a bandit, had rode back to your house on his horse, his arms securely around your waist as he held the reigns. «I knew you were safe with him!»

«You knew?!» you groaned, your eyes repeatedly shifting from Hyunjin to Chris, and they both gave you an innocent smile; you sighed, settling for ignore both of them in order to finally get a warm bath.

Things quickly returned to normal, needless to say, both you and Chris grew nervous as days went by, your marriage approaching and now, being just a week away.

Chris loved to sleep at your house, even if you weren’t married, yet, and also loved hugging you from behind while both of you were watching the sunset from your small bedroom’s balcony.

«So, I was wondering,» Chris’ malicious tone made you chuckle in anticipation, as you felt his chin resting on your shoulders and his hands around your waist, over your white chemise. «Should I wait for you dressed as the Duke or dressed as the Hawk?» he joked, gently rocking your bodies around as you giggled together. 

Chris affectionately kissed the side of your head as you both waited for another day go by, waiting for the day to be officially proclaimed husband and wife.

all works © lettersfromaphrodite

Do not modify, repost, translate or plagiarize my stories. I only publish my works on tumblr & AO3.

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[shoheiakagi]

what your favorite homra boy says about you:

Mikoto: you want someone hot and masculine, but you’re also someone who’s happy with the bare minimum of being acknowledged with a grunt

Kusanagi: you want a man. a man who knows what he’s doing. a man who can wine and dine you. a man who doesn’t believe in paying 50/50 for dates

Totsuka: you like guys who aren’t afraid to be soft and serene, serenading you with his melodious voice and delicate features, while he gets away with whatever he wants. you also really like femboys

Yata: you love the angry bad boy with a soft side just for you, or you love a feisty boy who gets all red and shy when he’s squirming under you

Kamamoto: you want a boyfriend who supports your rights and your wrongs. a partner who enjoys cooking and eating with you. someone who probably ghosts you for his friends tbh

Akagi: you want a golden retriever bf with a rebellious edge. you also seem to have a thing for boys with messy hair tucked under baseball caps and a sense of adventure

Bandou: you like the brooding type with dark hair who’s also brash, insecure, and easy to dominate. the tsundere type who rolls his eyes at you with a blush on his face

Chitose: you either want to have a fun time and live your hot girl summer or you’re a masochist because you think you can fix broken boys

Dewa: you like the brooding type with dark hair (x2), but with a higher self esteem and the fashion sense of a 2013 transplant moving to nyc with their parent’s trust fund money

Eric: you like your boys to be emotionally vulnerable so that you can easily manipulate them, or you just like boys with a sassy tongue and a sharp knife

Fujishima: you value stability and warmth and would rather grow old with tons of fur babies than an actual human baby

[fanta2y]

Inherently Worthy Pt.Three

FINALLY ITS DONE HOLY SHIT.

I dont know how I feel about it, I think i like it? but i mainly hope you guys like it.

cw: talk of self-worth issues, some description of blood and gore.

word count: 2.4k

part four

Your recovery had been smooth sailing. Being told by a very stern and scary Shoko that you weren’t allowed on any missions, especially solo ones, for at least a month. And then after that, you could only go on missions with low-grade curses.

You were embarrassed to say the least, being stripped of your strength so easily. Forced to lay in bed all day, do minimal training so not to push yourself. You felt so weak, so coddled. It made you want the Earth to swallow you whole and never spit you out. 

The missions you were scheduled for were a little bit insulting to say the least, low class curses that could easily be exercised by first years were the only thing Sukuna allowed you to do. And it was always him that escorted you, he declined any and all solo missions just to be sure his schedule was cleared for you. 

It made the guilt increase tenfold, it ate away at you. Every night before bed you stared at the ceiling, sleep eluding you as you wondered and wondered. 

Everytime you closed your eyes you were met with the image of Sukuna crying, not eating, sitting by your bedside as you rested blissfully unaware of the pain you were causing. Just because you were too weak, too cocky, to exercise a stupid curse. 

The resentment, the annoyance, he must feel. Having to practically babysit you day in and day out. It irritated you that it was always him, there were plenty of other sorcerers who could accompany you. You were sure that he would much rather be off doing his own solo missions, earning the money you know he needs to take care of himself and his younger brother. 

Many nights you simply couldn’t sleep, you would find yourself pacing your room as the thoughts consumed you. You wanted to free him of you, since all you were doing was weighing him down. 

No matter how much you enjoyed his constant company and warmth, he would help you and guide you. Making sure you weren’t pushing yourself too hard and that your recovery was going smoothly. 

In any other circumstance, you might even think that he felt the same way. With the way he hovered over you, had cooked for you, even carried you home that one time on a mission where you twisted your ankle. No matter how many times you assured him you could walk just fine on your own, he insisted on carrying you all the way back. Not even thinking of letting you go until you were seated on the edge of your bed. 

It made your cheeks flush whenever you thought to hard about it, you were sure you saw a warm small smile on his lips as he took your shoes off. Gently rubbing the bruising skin on your ankle. 

But it was probably just a trick of the light. Had to of been. Too tired and your mind too muddled to properly process what was right in front of you. 

It was after that night that you had made the executive decision to avoid him. 

Every time you saw him in the halls, you would quickly move past him or simply turn the other way. You began training alone again, opting to do it within the hours when you knew he wouldn’t be awake or around. You were determined to show him that you were fine and that he was able to get back to his own life guilt-free. He didn’t need to pity you any longer. 

You currently found yourself sitting outside, just finished up an easy training session with some of the other second years. You could tell they were still going a bit easy on you, and it was probably for the best. Not that it didn’t still bruise your healing ego. 

Eyes closed, face leaned up towards the sun high in the sky. Soaking up the rays with an easy smile on your face. You stayed like this for a while, listening to the trees swaying in the wind, the birds chirping peacefully above you. It all felt serene, you could almost let your worries fly away for a moment. 

Until a shadow moved over your face, you peeked one eye open and saw the last face you wanted to see.

Ryo. 

At seeing it was him, you shut your eyes again. Humming noncommittally to his presence, hoping that if you didn’t entertain him that he would get bored and leave you alone. You didn’t really want to get up from this spot. 

“What have you been up too?” He asks, a certain strain to his voice that you wouldn’t let yourself think to much about. 

If you truly wanted him to be free of you, than you had to detach yourself as well. No matter how much effort it took you to swallow down the question of what was wrong. No matter how much you wanted to simply tug him down next to you like you would have done before. 

But this was better, this was what he deserved. 

He deserved someone better than you. 

You willed yourself not to wince outwardly at your own thoughts, “Training, resting, you know the usual.” You replied, hoping to sound bored. 

He sighed, and you could hear his eyebrows pinching together from where you sat. Didn’t even have to open your eyes to vividly imagine the look on his face, the emotions in his eyes. 

Everyone else thought he was a tough cookie to crack, a hard person to read. But you never understood that, his emotions always showed on his face. And if not there, then you just had to look in his eyes. And in those pools of red, you would find them swirling around in the colors and flecks of gold. 

You were always able to tell what he was feeling, how he was doing. You figured no one else looked hard enough to see him like you did. 

The shadow moved from your face, the sun pouring down on your skin once again. You had released a deep sigh at his departure, but then you felt his presence shift next to you.

He had sat down, leaning on the very same tree you were. Your shoulders brushed together, and It had been almost a week since you guys had said more than 3 words to each other. Let alone been this close. 

You almost recoiled at the shock that ran down your arm, the goosebumps that erupted along your skin. 

You felt pathetic.

“Are yo-..” 

“Im fine.” 

This time you did recoil, you cut him off with harsh words. The irritation you felt at your own patheticness spilled out onto him. Yet again pushing your issues and making them his. 

You wanted to scream. 

“What is your problem?” He asked, the anger he felt bubbling in his own stomach showing. Sukuna was always a blunt person, never had a problem telling people off when they made him angry. He always had the fire power to back up what he was saying, so he never saw a problem with it. 

“I dont have one.” You kept your eyes shut, hoping to force down the annoyance you felt. God, does he not take a hint? You were trying so hard to just push him away and he was making it the most difficult task on planet earth. 

He scoffed, “Clearly.” If your eyes were open, you would be rolling them. You and Sukuna had always got into little spats before, your kind nature and his lack there of tended to butt heads more times than not. But you both had never been mean to eachother, not intentionally. You knew Sukuna was blunt, but never harsh. Not unless it was true. 

“What do you want from me, Sukuna?” Your voice was cold, and his last name felt foreign on your lips. 

You felt him freeze next to you, clearly not expecting your words. Before you could even regret what you had said. He left without another word. You heard his stomping feet, betraying his anger, as he became further and further away from you.

The hot tears pricked at your eyes, guilt and regret pooling through you. You couldn’t even make up your mind, him hating you made things so much easier. He didn’t have to hide behind pity and obligation to take care of you. 

Then why did it hurt so much?

Why could you feel your heart shattering into sharp edges, cutting through your lungs and up your throat. Making each shaky breath feel like nails scrapping down your insides. You could almost convince yourself that you tasted blood as it pooled in your mouth, but you knew it wasn’t there. It should’ve been. Maybe it would be a proper punishment for all your failures. 

– 

You are sitting on your desk, papers strewn about as you attempt to finish the work that Gojo had assigned. Some stupid essay on techniques or whatever. You knew he didn’t actually grade them, and you were pretty sure you were the only one that did them. But the perfectionist in you that preened at the praise couldn’t stop yourself from pouring in hours of your time. 

Typing away idly at the computer, flipping through books and articles. You heard a harsh knock on your door before you could even really respond, the door was forced open. 

Your head whips back to catch view of your intruder, and at the sight of bubblegum pink hair, you felt your heart sink into the depths. You attempted to school your reaction, return your pristine poker face that you had been attempting to prefect in his presence. 

The door slammed shut behind him, and despite your best efforts you felt your body flinch. Tensing muscles curling in tight on yourself, you looked up at him with the best glare you could muster. 

~His eyes softened at the display, he intentionally softened his movements. Quelling his anger if it mean’t you wouldn’t be scared of him.~ 

“You’ve been avoiding me.” 

At that statement, your eyes flittered from his face to the hands in your lap. You tried to get yourself together and put on the show you’ve been performing for weeks at this point. 

“I haven’t.” You kept your words short, knowing that if you talked for long enough you would just spill all of your secrets. Everything you had shoved deep into a box, only letting the emotions that had formed and shifted into thick tar that coated your mind, only letting it show in the darkest of nights. That was for your eyes only. 

In the moment of your unfocus, you didn’t realize how close he had gotten. Quickly swirling your chair around to face him, a yelp of surprise leaving your lips. His arms caging you into the chair you were sitting in, his face mere inches from yours. 

You could feel his breath billowing over your face, his fingers curled around your chin. Forcing your eyes to meet his, wide with shock as the pink dusted your cheeks. The proximity of your bodies getting to your head. His eyes were calculating, searching. He was searching your face for something, you couldn’t tell if he found it or not. 

“You have.” His voice was softer, lower. It sent shivers down your spine to hear it so close, you were stunned into silence. Trying not to choke on your own saliva. 

“Suku-” 

“Not my name.” 

You were attempting to force down the blush that was crawling up your neck, turning the tips of your ears a shade of pink. A sigh bubbling past your lips, fighting with yourself on your next move. You had always called him Ryo, ever since he gave you his first name. The nickname had rolled off the tongue, and when you first said it you weren’t met with a fist in your face. So you considered that a win all on its own. 

Ever since this whole “distance” thing, you had opted to call him Sukuna. This first time you did it, in the training field. He stormed away, clearly upset at the distance he didn’t understand. His anger confused you, but you figured that if you wanted this to work then trying to figure him out wasn’t your job anymore. 

His last name leaving your mouth had always left a lingering bad taste, it felt wrong in every sense of the word. And you could tell that every time it graced his ears coming from your lips, his scowl deepened and he rarely gave you a response. Not that you were speaking to him directly much these days anyway. 

“Ryo.” You whispered, eyes wanting to look anywhere but his. Darting around the walls behind him, even focusing on a piece of dishelved hair. Your fingers itched to put it back in place, to run your fingers through the surprisingly soft locks. 

He hummed at his name, a small smile gracing his features. 

“What’s been going?” His voice still that soft timbre that made your bones feel like jelly beneath your skin. His eyes filled with so much care, so much worry. 

You felt the low voice in the back of your mind, the one you had been entertaining more and more these past few weeks, “It’s pity.” It says, its voice like tendrils curling around your mind. 

“He could never love someone like you.” It reminded you, like it had every moment since that fateful day. Since that wretched curse sunk its filthy claws into you. It almost felt like it had left a piece of it with you, taking refuge in your mind. Plaguing you with thoughts of your own uselessness. 

But you knew that the voice had always been there, always reminding you to go that extra mile in training. To do that extra set, to take on that extra mission. To ask Gojo for private training sessions every weekend, leaving you with no rest. 

It had just gotten louder, and you had started listening again. 

You attempted to push him away, trying to pull the seat out of his strong grip. But of course, you were too weak. He was stronger than you, always had been always will be. 

It was the pitiful show of strength. Him speaking to you soft and sweet, which in any other circumstances would have made you spill. It almost had. 

This time, it filled you with frustration and anger. You wanted to bite and claw and tear, you wanted to feel your nails sink into flesh and feel the warm blood pool through your fingers. Even just to prove that you could, that you were strong enough. 

But instead, all that anger, all those boiling and bubbling emotions poured into one statement. 

“Stop pretending like you care."

tag lists: @moonmalice (if anyone else wants to be added then just comment!)

authors note: OMGGG THINGS ARE GETTING TENSEEE. I wanted to characterize this Sukuna as also being a bit confused about his feelings for you, but after that moment by the tree, he figures it out. which is what prompts him to come find you in your dorm ;) but yeah, i hope you guys enjoyyyy, im thinking of doing like 2 MAYBE 3 more parts depending on how it writes. yeah thank you for readinggg!! much love <333

[ddejavvu]

Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus - Poly!Marauders x Reader (Prologue)

Summary: Of course. Of course the shitty, dusty candle you buy on a whim from goodwill summons a trio of wizards from the dead. And of course they're not the child-eaters you think they are. That was just a ruse, of course, to cover up the fact that they feed on virginity. You weren't frightened of them when you thought they'd be chowing down on children, but now that you're their prey, you're terrified. Tremendously aroused, too, but that's a problem for later.

A/N: yeah this is.. a hocus pocus au. but they don't eat kids they eat pussy - obviously this is somewhat dark, reader consents and has a good time but they are feeding off of her innocence so beware if that's not what you're into

this is just the prologue for the full fic. the full fic will be posted at midnight on halloween night. please let me know if you’d like to be tagged, and thank you for reading!

You blame goodwill. Damn them and their tempting prices, their slightly dusty shelves, and their sticky floors. You buy all of your candles there, because spending sixty dollars for three wicks is the last thing on your bucket list. Had you known the vaguely lemon-scented one tucked behind a rose-colored Happy Mother’s Day tin would be a black flame candle, you’d have ripped the wick out yourself and chucked it into the river.

Black flame candles were few and far between in Salem. For good reason, of course. The legend of the Marauders, three child-eating, humanity-hating wizards, was popularized long before you were born, and continues its legacy to this day. The story goes that if a virgin lights the black flame candle on Halloween night under a full moon, the three would appear, and ravage the town.

And unfortunately, here you were, very much sex-less and standing before the burning flame.

The sight of the fire’s darkened core twists your stomach uncomfortably. Is the legend probably fake? Was it probably made up to discourage children from playing with fire? Yes. But are you a little more of a believer under the light of Halloween’s full moon with a lit black flame candle in front of you than you are in broad daylight? Yes.

All of a sudden, the stack of horror movies on your coffee table seems less appealing. You’re less inclined to eat your caramel apple now that you’ve possibly summoned some kid-eating demons from four hundred years ago.

Your forefinger and thumb burn slightly as you pinch them around the flame, snuffing the candle out before any of the wax is even able to melt. There’s no ring of liquid around the wick, but you don’t care, you’ll throw the three-dollar candle into the street tomorrow. Wasting money doesn’t seem so bad now.

When you tuck yourself beneath the covers of your bed only minutes later it’s in cozy pajamas that do little to ease the nerves bundled in your chest. They feel tight, pulling your ribcage apart and compressing your heart until it’s beating frantically, trying to escape.

Through the haze of your darkened house you don’t catch the near silent rip of the candle, flame bursting to life once more in your living room. Your bedroom remains darkened enough to lull you to sleep, and even though you’re sure you’ll have nightmares about gnarled old warlocks with baby fat in their teeth, you welcome the rest that the night grants you.

It won't grant you that serenity for long, though, as three figures crawl from the crack in the earth your candle has created, searching only for their life force: you.

this is just the prologue for the full fic. the full fic will be posted at midnight on halloween night. please let me know if you’d like to be tagged, and thank you for reading!

[coffeethoughtsandanxiety]

Genshin characters with an Artist partner Headcannons and Small Scenarios

Characters:

Zhongli

Ningguang

Albedo

Keaya

Alhaitham

Yoimiya

This is just straight up fluff. The reader is gender neutral (if you see any point where it isn’t let me know so I can fix it!) might do more of this if people like it.

Zhongli

Loves to watch you draw, could watch you do it for days if he could

When he tells starts talking about history you can pull out your sketchbook and draw the scenes he describes

If you ever decided to look up you would see him looking at you in complete adoration.

If you draw him, he will blush and hug you tightly . (You aren’t getting out of it anytime soon so get comfortable)

He will get you a new sketchbook and whatever art medium you use with Childe’s money but anyways

You and Zhongli decided to eat at Third-Round Knockout today, as you both sat waiting for your orders Zhongli talked you through the history of calligraphy in Liyue.

While you listened to you lover, your hands were focused on capturing his appearance while he was in his element. He spoke with such a passion it was hard not to watch in awe. He went on until you food arrived and you had to put away you sketchbook, as you did Zhongli watched with curiosity during the meal you would catch looking at your bag every so often.

Finally going home for the day you collapse onto the couch exhausted. Zhongli looks at you and chuckles, kneeling beside you and holding you hand to his face.

“Love, what were you drawing today at lunch?”

You open your eyes to look at him for a moment “oh just something that interests me greatly.”

“Oh? Do you mind if I look then?” When you shake your head no he opens you bag and retrieves the sketchbook. Your eyes closed once more and listen to the sounds of pages flipping, then as it stops you hear complete silence.

You opened your eyes once more, to find Zhongli’s face completely red staring at the drawing with wide eyes. You sit up and look at the page, and then look at him smirking.

“So I take it you like it then?”

Instead of answering he sets down the sketchbook and lays his head you legs taking your hand once more, a serene smile on his face.

“Mm yes I do.”

Ningguang

Oh she loves it so much

Immediately tried commissioned you to make a piece for the jade chamber

If you say no she’ll look at you like a kicked puppy and try to bargain with you

“Are you sure? What if I raise the amount a bit? It doesn’t have to be a large painting.”

If you just make something without pay expect some very expensive pens and pencils from her. It’s not enough in her opinion, she wants to give you whatever she can to make sure you’re happy

She loves your art and keeps a few of them proudly at her desk

If you draw her she’ll be so flattered

Ningguang always has a busy day so the time you spend together is precious to her. Today you had some time on your hand and decided to stay at the jade chamber as she worked.

To pass the time you sketched Ningguang at her desk, putting great detail into her expression, she was deep in thought and looked heavenly. As your pencil moves you watch her brows furrow in concentration. As she resolved whatever was troubling her, they relaxed once more. With the way the lights hit her, she is the picture of grace and serenity. Her eyes flick to you for a moment and a small smile graces her lips before she returns to her papers.

After a while she leans back in her chair and looks at your sketch. A little embarrassed you try to cover it up, but her hands are faster and holds your own in place so she can look closer at the page.

“My, my seems you have a talent I had yet to know of.”

A blush forms on your cheeks at her praise, you whisper a quite “Thank you.” Looking down to the piece.

“I’d love to get you to make something for my office. Do you have price for selling your artworks?”

“Huh?” You look at her in confusion “ oh I don’t really sell my sketches.”

Ningguang shoulders lower at your answer “Ah, I see.”

“Um but I can make a piece for you free of charge. I probably would have made you something anyways.”

Her eyes light up at your words “truly? That sounds wonderful.”

If anyone ever asks about the frames on her desk now, she’ll tell them all about her amazing and talented partner.

Albedo

ART SWAP ART SWAP ART SWA-

Albedo enjoys having another artist around

He’s really good at giving you a second opinion on your pieces

Really likes it when you draw him (no matter the style chibi, realistic, simply three lines? Doesn’t matter. You made it with him in mind.)

He loves going out to sketch with you

Will buy you matching sketchbooks, or pens that go together

Sketching had been a pastime for both of you for months now, In fact, it part of was how you had met. One day you were sketching passerby at the Angels share and then by chance you looked up to see someone across the room with a sketchbook looking at you.

Now as you spend your time off at different places sketching whatever you decide giving each other advice. At the moment you both are sketching at windrise, you had just finished sketching out a few calla lily and decided to draw Albedo.

As you started to sketch a blonde you picked out little details you never noticed before, trying to capture the moment perfectly. As you sketched you seemed to lose yourself in the details as the world seemed to still, so much that you didn’t notice Albedo coming over to look over your shoulder until you look to where he once was to find it void of your lover.

“Impressive, you seemed to capture my likeness completely.” Jumping slightly you looked to him.

“You really think so?”

He nodded in response, “would you mind parting with it?” You raised an eyebrow.

“No I don’t but why?” His face turned slightly pink as he avoided your eyes.

“I want something to remember you by…”

Kaeya

Lays on the couch dramatically

“Paint me like one of your Fontain girls”

He is so enamored by how you can make something out of just a few lines

He likes watching you sketch during meetings.

He’ll tell you so many stories just so you always have ideas to draw

Watching you helps him de-stress from his work

Absolutely loves it if you draw a pirate

It’s was your day off and you had decided to desires by sketching at home. Today you had decided to do landscapes but slowly it had turned to poses. When you were finishing you fifth pose you heard the door open.

“I’m back!” And in walked your boyfriend. After he laid down his sword and took his boots off he simply sauntered over to you and flipped into your lap. Used to his dramatic antics, you simply picked up your sketchbook and placed it on his head.

You both stayed like this for about fifteen minutes before Kaeya sat up to look at what you were doing.

“Oh, is that me?”

“Mhm, It is.”

“That’s looks nice. Let me know if you ever want me to pose for you.”

With a simple yes and a kiss to his cheek without looking up from the paper you continued to draw him in a fighting stance.

To bad. If you had looked to him you would have seen a very obvious blush on the Calvary Captains face that made its way to his ears.

Alhaitham

He’s going to critic you art. (Gently)

“It’s looks amazing, but I think you need to raise the eye just a bit…”

He really does love your art and wants everyone else to as well

You can make a bookmark for him to take to work! (He loves it so much. Everyone is to scared to asked where he got it though)

Kaveh tried to use it for a minute while he went to get something.

Kaveh has learned his lesson about taking Alhaitham’s special bookmark.

Alhaitham simply wanted to rest when he got back, he sat in the couch for a moment but as he sat his eyelids got heavier and heavier, and sure enough he felt himself drifting to sleep.

As he woke up he could hear the quiet scratched of pencil on paper. Opening one eye slightly he saw you in sitting on a chair in front of him.

Finally opening both eyes he moved to look at you. “Are you…sketching me?”

Looking up at him you eyes widen for just a second. “Oh sorry did I wake you up? I can try to be quieter please rest a bit.”

He gave a quiet him as later back down, but he couldn’t fall asleep. Instead he stayed in position and waited for you to finish.

After a bit he heard you get up and spoke “are you finished?”

“Yes, I thought you were asleep.”

“Couldn’t, come here.”

Putting you things on the table you walked over towards him once more. Not sure what you expected but as you came he grabbed your hand and pulled you to lay down with him.

With a sigh of relief he held you close, “Just stay like this for a while, please.”

Yoimiya

She’s is so stunned when she she’s you drawings for the first time.

“I didn’t know you could draw, this is amazing!”

You get to help design new fireworks with her

She asks you to teach her a bit and she draws you a picture! (It’s of you two, awe!)

She loves it when you come around and draw as she works on an order

Yoimiya had come by to talk to you about something when she heard you talking to someone.

“…and that’s the bridge over there, a dog passed by while I was drawing so I added them to the piece.”

Hiding behind a building she looked to where your voice was as she heard a child voice speak.

“Is that Yoimiya?”

“it sure is! I have a couple more on the other page as well”

As she saw you flip the pages she could help but smile. Awe you drew her!

“Why do you draw Big Sister Yoimiya so much?”

Yoimiya wanting to know as well leaned a bit closer.

“Well I only draw things I like. So I draw her a lot because I really like her!”

“Ohhh okay!”

What ever she was going to talk to you about was going to have to wait a bit because all she could do at that moment was blush a bright as a dendrobium.

Let me know who or what else I should do!

[kjmsupremacist]

poison sweet off the vine (chan/felix)

Chan, a poor student hoping to make a little extra money while he pursues a masters in music production, lands a gig as a super rich family’s pool boy. He thinks it’s pretty sweet at first. He’ll get to stay in a fancy house and eat fancy leftovers and all he has to do is clean their pool and help out around the house. And then he meets Felix, the bratty, sharp-tongued, skirt-wearing son of his employers. He knows he could get fired for just looking at Felix the wrong way, but Felix, even with his stormy, unpredictable moods and ignorant selfishness, is alluring and beautiful.

Part 2  | prev next  mlist

Characters: Chan, Felix, other members of skz throughout

Genre: smut, eventual romance, angst, I cannot overstate how much of this is sex

Pairing: Chan/Felix

Warnings: alcohol, family dysfunction, mentions of homophobia, slut-shaming (both the fun kind and the not fun kind), feminization

Rating: Explicit

Length: 14.3k

Felix has got some shit going on in this one. It’s not, like, super serious and we don’t really get into addiction territory, but I will say it might be triggering for some people, so please just proceed with caution.

Chan wakes to his phone ringing. 

He grunts sleepily, turning over in bed and getting twisted in his sheets. He manages to wrestle an arm free and slaps around for his phone, nearly knocking it into the abyss that is the floor in the process. At last, he grips it and brings it in front of his face. 

It’s horrendously bright and stings his poor, sleepy eyes, but he makes out the caller ID—Lee Minho. 

“Hello?” he croaks, accepting the call. 

“Oh good, I’m still in your favorites,” Minho says in lieu of a greeting. “And good, you’re still not dead.”

“What fucking time is it?” Chan groans.

“About five a.m. for you, so four for me,” Minho answers promptly. “You haven’t texted for three days! I was kind of worried those rich fuckers murdered you and are slow-roasting your body for Christmas dinner.”

“Why the fuck are you up at four a.m.?” Chan asks, choosing to ignore the comment about cannibalism. 

“Calling you,” Minho says. “Look, I figured during the day you’d keep your phone on silent, and wouldn’t pick up no matter what. But at night, you probably have your ringer on for your alarm, and though it might be on DND, as long as I’m still one of your favorites, my call will come through on the second try.”

“I’m taking you off my favorites,” Chan says, though he makes no move to do so. 

“So why haven’t you texted?”

Chan pauses for a second, running the past couple days over in his head. He and Felix have been fucking every chance they can get—after dinner in Felix’s room, in the sauna by the pool, even once in the garden, Felix pressed up against a very expensive statue. 

There’s a soft knock at the door. Chan shuffles to get it while he replies to Minho. “Oh, god, I’m sorry. This job is just—super active, you know, I’m exhausted every day.”

He cracks his door open and sees Felix in a robe standing expectantly outside. Chan gives him a sort of surprised and confused look, pointing at the phone, but gestures for him to come in, opening the door wider so he can slip through. 

“Okay, well, your best friend worries,” Minho is saying, “and so does your best friend’s boyfriend, so maybe text us at least once a day.”

“Oh, I see,” Chan says, dropping back down onto the bed with his legs dangling off the side and patting the mattress for Felix to join him. “You just called me because Jisung is worried, and you love him. Not ‘cause you’re actually concerned about me.”

“I am concerned about you,” Minho says. Felix doesn’t sit on the bed. He settles between Chan’s knees at his feet. Chan gives him a look; Felix blinks back serenely. “Jisung’s just… more teary about it, and I’m the only one that’s allowed to make him cry, so.”

Felix’s hands are on Chan’s thighs. “I promise I’ll text more from now on,” Chan says. 

“Good. So what’ve you been up to?” Minho asks.

Felix’s fingers slip under the waistband of Chan’s underwear. “Uh, not much,” Chan says. “Hey, listen, I should probably just go, like, do my job since I’m up. It gets hot in the afternoons. But get Jisung, and Jeongin if you can, and I’ll call later today. Like around 5 your time?” Minho groans. “C’mon, it’ll be nice if we can all talk.” He freezes when Felix reaches into his fucking pants and wraps a hand around his cock. He hopes his voice doesn’t sound too strained. “Besides, you should be asleep.”

“Fine,” Minho grumbles. “It’ll make Jisung happy.” 

“Okay, talk later, I promise.” Felix has pulled Chan’s cock out over his waistband. “Bye.”

“Bye.” The call barely ends before Felix has his mouth on Chan. 

Chan throws his phone somewhere on his bed and hisses out a moan. “What the fuck, Felix?” Felix doesn’t reply except to hum softly around Chan’s cock. “I was talking to my friend!” Felix takes him deeper, swirling his tongue over the tip. Chan presses his hand to his mouth to muffle a moan. “What if someone saw you?” he tries again. 

This gets Felix to pull off, and Chan squashes his disappointment under his thumb. “No one saw me,” Felix says. “Abeoji is already gone, and Eomma was in the shower.”

“What if she goes to check on you before she leaves?” Chan asks. He takes the sting out of the question by reaching down and cupping Felix’s jaw. “You’re gonna get me in trouble, baby.”

“She’s not gonna check on me,” Felix says. “And even if she did, she wouldn’t care or come looking.” He huffs softly, shaking his bangs out of his eyes. “Now are you gonna let me blow you, or what?”

Chan laughs quietly. “‘Course I am,” he says. “You were just trying to surprise me, right?”

Felix nods petulantly, sinking back down on him, little hands braced on Chan’s thighs for support. Chan combs his fingers through Felix’s hair, getting a good fistful of the pink locks and tightening his grip—not enough to hurt, just enough for Felix to feel it. Felix hollows his cheeks and takes him even deeper, his face practically buried between Chan’s legs.

“Mm, god, Lix, does it ever stop for you?” Chan whispers. Felix shakes his head. “You just woke up and your first thought was, ‘I should go choke on Chan’s cock’?” Felix nods. “Jesus.” He brushes his own hair back with his other hand. “Well, if you’re gonna do it, do it properly.”

He forces Felix’s head down a little, and Felix swallows around him, gagging softly, but he doesn’t resist. His eyes flutter shut as he takes Chan deeper still, until Chan feels the head of his cock hit the back of Felix’s throat. He stops then, giving Felix a second to adjust. “Good girl,” Chan murmurs, and Felix whimpers softly. “Can’t believe how well you take me.” He reaches down and smoothes his thumb over Felix’s pinched eyebrows. “Breathe, baby. Relax. I’m gonna fuck your throat, right?”

Felix does as he’s told with a nod, breathing in deep through his nose, melting against Chan’s body. His grip on Chan’s thighs loosens, and he swallows around Chan again, this time without gagging. He looks up at Chan, pretty eyes wide and inviting. 

“Ready?” Chan asks. Felix gives a minuscule nod. “Pinch me if you need to stop.” Felix rolls his eyes; Chan gives him an exasperated look in return, tightens the fist in Felix’s hair, and first pulls him off, then pushes him back down. 

Felix can take a lot. Chan learned that quickly. But still, it amazes him how quietly and easily he can deepthroat Chan. And Chan’s a realist, he knows he’s sort of just average size, but it’s not like he’s small. He shoves his cock down Felix’s throat and the only noise that comes is the wetness of the thick saliva that has gathered in Felix’s mouth. It takes a long minute or two before Felix starts gagging, but even then he doesn’t ask Chan to stop.

A sort of haze gathers in Chan’s peripheral, and he forces himself to pull out. Felix coughs wetly, panting, as Chan jerks himself off with quick, rough strokes. He realizes Felix has started to cry, but Felix only swipes the tears away and tips his head back, opening his mouth. “Wanna taste you, daddy,” he demands, voice hoarse. He sticks his tongue out, making his eyes big and pleading.

Chan curses softly and lays the head of his cock on Felix’s tongue with shaking hands. “Gonna make me—” He can’t even finish the sentence, too overwhelmed, but Felix knows. It only takes a couple more strokes, and he’s coming on Felix’s tongue, coating the roof of his mouth with his release. 

Felix doesn’t try to swallow until Chan finally pulls out, and once he does he opens his mouth after to prove he did it.

“Fuck, you’re so good,” Chan murmurs, waiting for his heartbeat to slow. “Come here, baby, up on the bed with me. I’ll take care of you.”

Felix lets Chan pull him up onto the mattress and manhandle him into his lap. Chan scoots them back, rotating so he can lean up against the headboard. Felix hardly seems to pay this any mind, already attaching his mouth to Chan’s chest, kissing over his collarbones. 

Chan undoes the sash of Felix’s robe, and he shrugs it off, letting the fabric slip away, revealing his pretty body. Chan can see his cock, tip beading precome, glistening even in the dark. He tries not to think about how there’s probably a dark wet stain on one of the folds of Felix’s robes. 

“Baby,” Chan whispers, taking hold of Felix’s chin and forcing him to look up. “There you are.” He leans in and kisses him, letting go of his jaw so he can wrap his arms around Felix’s waist instead, pulling him in. He can taste himself on Felix’s tongue, earthy and bitter. Felix moans into his mouth, rolling his hips up, his cock dragging against Chan’s abs. 

“Mm, I, I,” Felix says between kisses. “I fingered myself open b-before I came down here. Used lots of lube, so—” Chan nips at his lip and he cuts himself off to gasp. “—so I’m nice ‘n’ wet. You can—you can finger me, daddy, please.”

“Fuck,” Chan mutters, letting one hand dip down low, circling Felix’s entrance. He’s slick with lube, just like he said, and two of Chan’s fingers slip in with ease. Chan can picture it clearly, Felix on his elbows and knees, panting quietly in the pre-morning blue dark of his room, working himself open and making sure every spot he can reach is wet and ready before clambering off his bed and wrapping himself in his robe to come down and wake Chan up.

“Told you, I’ll keep myself prepped for you,” Felix says breathily. 

“You’re trying to kill me,” Chan accuses.

“No, I’m not into necrophilia,” Felix replies immediately. 

“I hate you,” Chan mutters, suppressing a smile. He shoves a third finger in and presses up. Felix drops his forehead to Chan’s shoulder, making a noise of surprise. Chan thrusts his fingers up again, hot satisfaction settling under his skin when he feels more precome blurt out of the tip of Felix’s cock and drip down onto Chan’s stomach. 

“Yes, yes,” Felix pants. “Like that, daddy, yes.” He rocks his hips up, and if Chan hadn’t literally just come, he knows he’d be in danger. 

He fingers Felix fast and ruthless, holding him close with his other arm and murmuring praise into his ear. Felix digs his fingernails into Chan’s biceps, bouncing back on Chan’s fingers, rutting his cock up against Chan’s body. His moans are quiet—even he knows what they’re doing is a little risky—but the sounds fill Chan’s head anyway.

“Such a perfect little slut,” Chan coos. “Always wanting to be filled, trying to get off. What am I gonna do with you, babygirl?” 

Felix whines softly, biting down on Chan’s pec, low enough that a tank top will easily cover it. Chan sees the muscles in his back tense. He rarely announces it when he’s going to come—Chan almost wonders if it’s a surprise to him each time, except he can’t imagine that’s true—but Chan’s getting pretty good at figuring him out. 

“Gonna come, sweetheart?” he murmurs, leaning close and speaking into Felix’s temple. Felix nods jerkily. “Gonna come on daddy’s fingers? Lemme see it, baby.” 

Felix lets out a soft, defeated sob, and then he’s coming all over Chan’s stomach, hole clenching and unclenching around Chan’s fingers. “Fuck, oh fuck, daddy, daddy,” he babbles, muffled. It takes over his whole body; he shakes, toes curling in the sheets, fingers and arms rigid. At last he collapses against Chan, right into the mess he just made.

Chan pulls his fingers out, reaching with his other hand for the box of tissues on his nightstand. He presses kisses to the top of Felix’s head while he cleans off his fingers, then reaches down to swipe away the excess around his hole. Felix whimpers softly. 

“Sore?” Chan murmurs. “Sorry, just don’t want you to walk out of here with lube dripping down your thighs.”

Felix moans happily. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Well, I would,” Chan says, pinching his hip. 

“Mmm,” Felix hums. “Merry Christmas Eve.”

“Oh fuck, is that today?” Chan asks. “I was wondering what this was all about.”

Felix sits back, reaching for a tissue too so he can clean off his tummy. “Yeah, ‘cause I’m going to be totally booked all of tomorrow with family stuff. Tonight too. Such a drag.”

Chan nudges him. “You’ll get presents, at least,” he points out. “And it’s just a couple days. I think you can survive without my dick for that long.”

“What if I can’t?” Felix asks, but he’s grinning. 

“Then you know where to find me,” Chan replies, pulling him in for a soft kiss. Felix drapes his arms over Chan’s shoulders and kisses back with a sweet sigh. 

“Who was that on the phone?” Felix asks when they pull away. 

“Oh,” Chan says, glancing around to see his phone balancing precariously at the foot of the bed. “My friend from home. Just wondering why I hadn’t texted for the past couple days. Worried I was murdered or something.”

“Just a friend?” Felix asks. 

Chan frowns at him. “Uh, yeah, just a friend. What are you, jealous? I don’t ask who else you might be fucking.”

Felix sighs. “I was just wondering.” He pats around behind him and finds his robe, drawing it up over his shoulders. 

Chan feels bad for snapping at him. It was just a question. “Sorry,” he says quietly. “I didn’t mean it like that. Would it be a problem, if he wasn’t just a friend?”

“No,” Felix says, but it’s curt. 

“Baby, you can talk to me, you know?” Chan tries to reach up and touch his face, but Felix ducks away, expression souring.

“I said no. It’s fine,” he says. He climbs off Chan’s lab, tossing the soiled tissue in the garbage and bending to pick up his sash. “I’m going back to bed to get some more sleep,” he says as he fastens it. “It’s almost six, so you should probably head to breakfast before Maya leaves for the day. Our private chef won’t cook for you like she does.”

Right, Christmas. Maya will be off at around ten today and won’t be back until the day after Christmas. It’s just going to be Chan and the chef for the holiday. 

“Yeah, okay,” Chan agrees uncertainly. “I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah,” Felix says, pausing to give Chan a swift kiss before sweeping out of the room. 

“Merry Christmas,” Chan whispers to the closed door. 

* * *

“Chan!” Jisung picks up on the first ring, even though Chan called Minho’s phone. “I miss you, how are you?”

“Hey Jisung,” Chan replies, grinning. “I’m good. I miss you too. All of you. Am I on speaker?”

“Yes,” Minho calls, sounding a little faint, like he’s across the room. 

Chan finished his chores early and decided to take a walk around the neighborhood for this call. He’s not sure yet exactly how much he’s going to tell his friends, but he definitely wants to talk somewhere where he can’t be overheard.

“Hi Chan!” This is Jeongin. “We’re at Minho’s parents’ house for a Christmas party! We’re hiding out in Minho’s bedroom with the cats while all the grown-ups deal with the food.”

“So what have you been up to?” Minho asks, sounding much closer to the phone now. “I refuse to believe you’ve just been working. How’s Australia?”

“It’s good to be back,” Chan says. “And it’s hot.”

“It’s so weird to me that Christmas is in the summer there,” Jeongin says. “It fucking snowed here last night.”

“Sounds nice,” Chan says, wiping some sweat off his forehead. “It’s literally brutal here.”

“So, seriously, you’re just sweating your balls of cleaning some rich family’s pool, and that’s it? Do you get time off?” Minho resumes grilling him. “School hasn’t started yet, so you can’t be that busy.”

“You guys are alone?” Chan confirms. 

“Yes, we are,” Jisung says. “What, what is it?”

“So, uh.” Chan scratched the back of his head, looking around to make sure he’s alone on the street. “Well, this family has a couple of kids, right, and they’re all around our age. The son, Felix, he’s the same year as you, Jisung. And…” Chan hesitates, not sure how to explain.

“Oh my god,” Minho says loudly. “Oh my god, Chan, are you fucking him?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Chan mutters, and then has to hold his phone away from his ear as his friends erupt into shrieks of shock. 

Jeongin: “Hyung, you’re gonna get fired.”

Jisung: “Is he hot?”

Minho: “So that’s why you haven’t been texting us!”

“Yes, obviously he’s hot,” Chan says, choosing the easiest of these to reply to. “He’s beautiful, and he wears little skirts and stockings and makeup. And he was the one that seduced me, I’ll have you all know. He wouldn’t leave me alone! What was I supposed to do, tell him no?”

“Yes,” Minho says drily.

“So, like, what are you gonna do?” Jisung asks. 

“I dunno! He goes back to school in like a month, which is over in Perth so it’s not like I’ll see him after that, except maybe over Easter break.” Chan kicks at a pebble. “I like him, though. When he’s not being a little brat, he’s very sweet.” He pauses, thinking back to this morning. “A little odd, though.”

“Anyone would be odd if they grew up around that much money,” Minho points out. 

“He’s really moody,” Chan says. “Not sure what causes it, but… he’s just hard to figure out, I guess. But I like him.”

“It’s that good, huh?” Minho teases, and Chan groans. 

“Yes, okay? I wish you guys could see him, you’d understand,” Chan says. “He’s so pretty. He doesn’t look real.”

“Maybe you’re hallucinating him,” Jeongin suggests, laughing. 

“I almost wish I was,” Chan mutters wearily. “But anyway, that’s it, really. Just me making some really poor decisions. But what about you guys? How have things been since I left?”

The other three launch into updates about their lives—family drama, news from school. Chan listens, comforted by their voices and the familiarity of their struggles. The whole time he’s been here, he’s been so busy with his work (and with Felix) that he didn’t realize how homesick he was, but now, listening to his friends chatter, he feels kinda lonely. He takes a couple more turns around the block this way, chatting and laughing.

“My mom’s calling, I think we have to go,” Minho says finally. 

“Go on, enjoy your party,” Chan says. “We’ll call again soon.”

“Enjoy your fuckbuddy,” Jeongin says.

“Think about it this way!” Jisung says cheerfully when Chan groans. “At least you don’t have to worry about getting him pregnant!”

“I’m hanging up,” Chan says over their laughter. “I love you all, somehow. Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, hyung!”

“We love you, too.”

Chan waits for them to hang up, then pockets his phone with a sigh. The air is still and quiet now without their voices in his ear. He makes his way back to the house, punching in the code for the gate and slipping past, making sure it closes behind him. He goes around back, taking the staff entrance by the garage. The family is still having dinner. Once they move to the second floor, he supposes he’ll go scrounge for leftovers. 

* * *

Christmas passes. Chan doesn’t see Felix again until a couple days after, which does strike him as bizarre seeing how they live in the same house. Felix returns to him with a smile, like the weird moment they had the morning of Christmas Eve never happened. Chan chooses to ignore it, too, and in doing so, closes a door on some of his emotions swirling beneath the surface. It’s not like that will go anywhere, right? Felix has made that clear. 

And so they fall into a routine. Now that the holidays are coming to a close, Felix has realized he has some prep work for school, so he spends his mornings on that while Chan does his chores. When he finishes, he sneaks up to Felix’s room so they can fuck before dinner. Luckily, with the sparse number of staff members, they’re never in danger of getting caught.

New Year’s Eve comes before Chan knows it. The family has a party to attend after dinner, so Chan hurries through his chores since Felix will need time to get dressed. He scarfs down a lunch of cold leftovers, and then picks his way upstairs, dodging Olivia and one of the maids. They didn’t have a chance yesterday since Felix had an appointment in town—something about a magazine shoot, though Chan didn’t really get the details.

Felix is at his desk, bent over a textbook, glitter pen in hand when Chan opens his door. He looks up and immediately breaks into a smile when he sees him, capping his pen and putting it down, closing the book over it to mark his place. Chan locks the door behind him and crosses the room, taking Felix’s face in his hands and kissing him without saying hello. 

“Ugh, finally, you’re so slow,” Felix complains between kisses, letting Chan pull him to his feet and push the chair out of the way. His beautiful voice, Chan finds himself thinking. Deep and rich and smooth. “I was so bored, daddy, and I missed you yesterday, and—ah!”

Chan bends him over his desk with a hand on his back. Felix’s knees knock cutely as he grips the edge of the desk, making breathless little noises of want. His tiny skirt—white today, with a matching bralette and thigh-highs that dig into the soft skin and create a little bubble over the top—hides nothing at this angle, flipped up to reveal Felix’s pink little hole, his cock hanging between his thighs. He’s not wearing any panties.

“You’re such a brat,” Chan murmurs, hoping his tone hides the worst of his affection, pulling the chair back and sitting down in it, scooting closer and spreading Felix’s ass with one hand. 

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” Felix chants, shivering. 

“Did you get all clean for me?” Chan asks, pressing a dry thumb to his rim. 

“Yes, I saw you finishing up in the pool,” Felix tells him, breathless. “But you’re gonna have to prep me, I didn’t have time.”

“That’s fine, baby,” Chan says, and leans in, licking a flat stripe over his entrance. Felix moans again, pushing his ass back, and after a few more minutes of teasing, Chan eats him out in earnest, getting both of them messy with spit as he works to push his tongue inside.

One day without each other shouldn’t make such a difference, but both of them have clearly gotten used to getting off multiple times a day, so the wait has felt like forever. Chan’s already rock-hard in his shorts, a tent forming in the fabric over his crotch. 

Felix is dripping precome onto the floor between his feet, Chan notices when he pulls back to take a breath. It’s kind of cute and really hot, the way he hands his body over to Chan and does very little to manage the way it reacts.

Chan reaches into the second desk drawer for lube so he can actually open Felix up, drizzling some over his index finger and giving Felix one last kiss before pushing his finger inside. 

“Oh-hhh, yes, Chan,” Felix slurs, pressing his cheek to the desk. 

Chan stretches him easily, Felix’s body already used to this kind of intrusion. He finds his prostate and pets over the spot, watching Felix shake. They’ve never tried it, but Chan wants to watch him come like this, so he stays here, massaging over the spot and stroking over Felix’s perineum with his thumb at the same time. 

“Oh, fuck, feels so good,” Felix mumbles. “Mm, keep going. I feel warm, Chan, all over.”

“Good,” Chan says quietly. Felix gasps out little moans, his legs trembling. “Relax, baby, it only works if you relax.”

Felix whimpers but obeys, slumping against the desk and letting Chan milk his prostate. After a few more minutes, a shudder passes through Felix’s whole body, and a small spurt of release dribbles from Felix’s cock, dripping down his legs and mixing with his precome on the floor. 

“Ohhh, god, that’s so—I can’t—Chan,” Felix babbles. “More.”

Chan adds a second finger, scissoring them inside Felix to press at his walls. He is trying to prep him, after all. Once Felix’s body seems to accommodate the stretch, Chan starts again, stroking over his prostate, slow and insistent. 

He’s only seen it in porn, if he’s being honest, but Chan does his research. He tried it on himself once, but either it’s really that much better with a partner or Chan’s body just doesn’t do that, but it didn’t work—it felt nice at first, but ended up just kind of uncomfortable. He’s delighted (and honestly unsurprised) to find that Felix is capable.

Felix shudders out soft moans, voice sweet and poisonous as ever, shakily readjusting his grip on the desk. It’s obscene, Chan thinks, leaning back in the chair to take him in. His little skirt lies flat against his back. One of his thigh-highs is slipping down. There’s a puddle of his release between his feet. Chan couldn’t have imagined something hotter. 

“Daddy,” Felix whimpers, so soft, so helpless. “Think I’m gonna—feels so—” He chokes on a moan, going up on his tiptoes and bending his knees. More release drips out. He settles again, body heavy against the desk, like his legs really are going to give out at any moment. “It feels like coming,” he mumbles, “but not.”

“You look so pretty, baby, so wrecked,” Chan says softly, leaning around so Felix can see him over his shoulder. “Think you can take another finger?”

“Yes,” Felix says immediately. “You’re still gonna fuck me, right?”

Chan’s lips twitch in amusement. “Of course I am,” he replies. “We have all afternoon, don’t we?”

Felix hums, placated. “Yes,” he agrees softly. 

Chan pushes three fingers in. Felix tenses around him for half a second, and then relaxes with a sigh. Chan sinks his fingers all the way to the last knuckle, moving slow and enjoying Felix’s reactions, the way he huffs out little moans, the way his legs still won’t stop shaking. 

One of Felix’s hands slips off the desk, and instead of trying to regain his grip, he brings the dropped hand to his cock, stroking in time with Chan’s fingers. Chan doesn’t even bother saying anything. He knows even if Felix comes, he’ll be able to come again when Chan fucks him. 

“Chan, mm, god, Chan,” Felix mumbles. “Always make me feel so good.”

It only takes Chan cramming his pinky in beside the others for Felix to convulse against his desk, hips twitching as he comes. It spills over his knuckles and down his legs, soaking into the fabric of his thigh-highs. 

“Ready,” Chan says calmly, pulling his fingers out and letting Felix struggle through pushing himself off the desk and upright. 

He manages it, turning around and carefully avoiding the puddle of his release on the floor, leaning back against the edge of the desk and looking down at Chan through heavy-lidded eyes. He brings his soiled hand up to his lips and sticks one of his fingers in his mouth, cleaning himself up as he catches his breath. 

“God,” he hums. “It’s gonna be so annoying when I go back to school.” Another finger pops out clean; he moves on to the next. “Who’s gonna fuck me like this?” He turns his hand so he can lick over the back of it. “You’re gonna have to call me, daddy.”

Chan smiles. “Guess I will,” he agrees. 

“Good.” Felix’s hand is clean of come, and he reaches behind him for a tissue, then turns back around and bends down to wipe off the floor. Chan clenches his hands in his lap so he doesn’t pinch Felix’s ass, even though he’s pretty sure that’s exactly what Felix wants. Felix stands again, tossing the tissue into the garbage and giving Chan a glance over his shoulder before waltzing over to his bed. “Well? Come fuck me.”

Chan stands, tugging off his clothes and draping them over the back of the desk chair. “Just one round, though,” he says. “Your parents will be home soon, and you have your New Year’s dinner to get ready for.”

“If you hurry, we’ll have time for two,” Felix says slyly. 

Chan, now naked, strolls past him to grab a condom, one hand on his cock to start working himself up to full hardness. “Why are you so insatiable?” he asks.

“C’mon, quick,” Felix demands, pouting.

Chan tears the condom open with his teeth, rolling it on and spreading a little lube over his cock. “God, but if they find out, they’d be so mad,” he says. The fear is real, but right now it’s far away, and easy to joke about. “They’d never forgive me for corrupting you.” 

They both know if anything, it was the other way around, but neither of them mention it. Instead, Felix bends over the bed, arching his back and spreading himself with his hands. “Corrupting me?” he repeats. “Then come finish the job, daddy. Fuck me like you mean it.”

“Careful what you wish for,” Chan murmurs. He grabs his underwear from the chair and brings them back to the bed with him. “Open. You’re gonna be loud, and I know one of the maids is right downstairs.” 

Felix obeys, blinking up at him prettily as Chan stuffs his underwear into his mouth. Satisfied, Chan steps back, lining himself up behind Felix and gently swatting his hands out of the way. He collects Felix’s wrists in one of his palms and pins them against his tailbone, right over the pleats of his skirt.

For how casually he’s been acting, Chan is aching. He stops wasting time, finally pushing in with a soft groan. Felix lets out a muffled whimper, squeezing his eyes shut. Chan tightens his grip on Felix’s wrists as he bottoms out, clenching his jaw.

“So tight today, babygirl,” he grits out. “Does it hurt?” Felix nods with another tiny whimper. “Doesn’t matter how much I fuck you, does it? Just one day, and your body tightens right back up for me.” He takes a couple slow, shallow thrusts, waiting for Felix to open up for him. “Perfect,” he adds. “Made for fucking.”

Felix moans at this, barely audible through the fabric crammed in his mouth. His hair has partially fallen into his face. He looks like an angel, Chan thinks before he can stop himself. It wouldn’t matter; it’s true whether Chan lets himself think it or not. 

Chan can move with ease now, so he speeds up, thrusting in with much more force until the sound of skin against skin is loud enough to make him a little nervous. But Felix is making pleased sounds, so Chan decides it’s worth a little risk. He lets his jaw drop open, panting out sharp exhales, trying to keep himself silent as best he can.

It’s difficult, though. Felix is warm and wet around him. Pleasure is a hot, heavy stone in the pit of Chan’s stomach, and the feeling only grows with every movement. The A/C is on high, but still Chan feels sweat beading on his hairline, can feel the flush that’s crept up his neck to his cheeks and down to his chest.

Felix moans out what sounds like yes, daddy, faster. Chan obeys immediately, somehow speeding up the rocking up his hips. Felix’s eyebrows pinch prettily, his eyes finding Chan’s. He’s picture-perfect, even with his hair in his face and tears welling up quick on his waterline. Maybe especially. One tear spills over, a fat drop of water. It rolls sideways down his face, over the bridge of his cute nose, distorting his freckles. He blinks, and another tear falls, and another. His eyeliner begins to smear. 

Chan doesn’t know why, but Felix’s tears turn him on just as much as the skirts and stockings. “Oh, baby,” he murmurs. “Feels that good?” Felix manages a nod, sniffling. “Finally getting fucked like you wanted?” Another nod, followed by a muffled sob. Chan has half the mind to take the makeshift gag out, just to hear Felix’s voice. “Gonna take care of you,” he says instead. This gets him another muted sob in response, and pride glows warm in his chest. 

Chan continues to pound into him, almost enraptured by the way Felix’s tears work to ruin his careful makeup. Felix’s wrists slip from his hold, but Chan doesn’t move to take them again. If Felix wants to take the underwear out, Chan doesn’t think he wants to stop him. Felix doesn’t, though, just uses his arms to prop himself on his elbows, fucking himself back on Chan’s cock, taking fistfuls of the sheets and letting his head hang. 

Chan secures a hold on Felix’s waist with one hand, using the other to reach up and grab Felix’s hair. Felix makes a noise of want in the back of his throat the instant Chan’s fingertips brush past his scalp. Chan takes his pretty hair into his fist and uses it to pull his head back up, until Felix is arched back and whimpering. He wishes there was a mirror, so he could see the tear-tracks on his face, the red blush that colors his neck and chest, the way his tiny fingers are curled tight into the duvet. 

Felix spits the gag out, almost like a challenge. “Y-yes,” he stutters, finally free. “Chan, yes, like that. Fuck, I’m gonna feel you all night long, you’re all I’m gonna think about.”

Chan can’t help the noise that escapes him, low and guttural. He likes that a lot. Felix will be around so many rich, beautiful people tonight, but he’ll have the reminder of Chan with every step. A mark of possession. Chan might never be part of the world Felix is from, but he’ll have this. He’ll know he had him. 

Felix does seem to try to keep his noises to a minimum, despite the fact that he doesn’t have anything stopping him anymore. Either he’s just humoring Chan, trying to prove that he can be good, or he’s actually taken Chan’s warning to heart. He cries softly, the sound muted by his closed lips. 

“Staying so quiet for me,” Chan whispers. “Good girl.”

“Oh, fuck,” Felix says in a small, broken voice. “F-fuck, daddy, thank you, thank you.” 

Chan presses his fingers into Felix’s hips, wondering if he can sear his fingerprints in through the fabric of the skirt if he tries hard enough. He feels the heat build inside him, a fever threatening to eat him alive. Stars float in front of his vision, and he fights to keep an even pace. Felix hiccups out little moans, mumbling more thank you, daddys and right there, yes, pleases. Chan’s world is spinning, spinning; he makes some kind of noise, but it’s hazy even to his own ears. He thinks he feels the tension snap in his stomach.

“Mm, yes,” Felix hisses out. Chan closes his eyes, his hips still moving, though erratically now. “So warm, daddy, can feel it. Wish you could fill me up for real, wish I could keep you with me tonight, a load plugged up and hidden—”

There’s rushing in Chan’s ears, and he sways, body twitching. He thinks he lets go of Felix’s hair, thinks he can feel Felix clenching around him, can feel him writhing in pleasure beneath him, but it’s all so far away.

Chan tilts himself forward, caging Felix’s body with his arms and resting his forehead against his back, breathing deep and slow. Felix giggles softly. The noise is a little clearer, or maybe Chan’s just closer. “Are you gonna pass out?” he hears Felix ask.

“No,” he says hoarsely, then reconsiders and adds, “I don’t know.”

Another breathy giggle. “‘Cause I wouldn’t be able to move,” Felix says. “I’d—I’d be trapped here with you on top of me, still inside me.”

The world is coming back into focus, but Chan doesn’t dare open his eyes. He feels lightheaded. “You sound like you’d like that a lot,” he mutters. “Didn’t you just come?

“Yeah, but you know. Worse people to be trapped under,” Felix hums placidly. “Worse cocks to be stuck on.”

“Thanks, I think,” Chan says.

They lay there for a few long moments, just breathing. Chan doesn’t drop his full weight onto Felix—as much as Felix seems convinced he’d like it, Chan is a little worried he’s going to crush him. It is oddly peaceful, slowly floating down together in the afterglow. The room smells like sex, but Chan’s nose is against Felix’s skin, and the sweet citrusy scent all but overpowers it. He takes another deep breath.

“Felix! Olivia!” The intercom crackles to life and Chan nearly has a heart attack, snapping his eyes open and lurching off of Felix’s body before realizing Mrs. Lee’s voice is coming from the speaker, which means she has to be downstairs in her office. “We have dinner in an hour and the Hwang’s New Year’s Eve party to get to right after. Your sister is already ready. I won’t allow us to be late! Dressed and downstairs in forty-five minutes, no excuses!”

The room is silent, and then Felix buries his face in his duvet and laughs.

“How are you laughing?” Chan complains. “I think I almost pissed myself.”

“Take back what I said,” Felix says into the duvet. “Glad you have a condom on. Piss is where I draw the line.”

Chan pulls out, rolling the offending condom off and tossing it in the trash. “Shut up,” he mutters. “Well, you heard her.” Felix stands, too, reaching for a tissue to wipe his come off the bed. “You have forty-five minutes to not look like you just got fucked, so you better hurry up.”

“I’m a professional, I can do it in twenty,” Felix says. When he turns to Chan, he’s got a glint in his eye that Chan knows means trouble. “Which means we have time for one last round.” 

“Felix, she’s home,” Chan hisses.

“So?” Felix says. “We’ve fucked with my parents home before.”

“Yeah, but not on a night like tonight!” Chan says. “What if she comes up to check that you’re actually getting ready?”

Felix makes a face. “She won’t,” he says, and there’s a bitterness there that Chan doesn’t quite understand. “She’d rather be disappointed.” He seems to sense Chan is wavering, and clears his expression. “Please,” he wheedles. “One more, just one. So I can make it through this stupid party.”

“I thought you were friends with the Hwangs’ son,” Chan says, but he’s already going for a fresh condom. Felix tosses him his underwear and he puts them with his other clothing.

“Yeah, but our parents are going to be breathing down our fucking necks,” Felix says. He crawls up to the head of the bed. “You can go slow this time, so the bed doesn’t creak. Besides,” he adds with a giggle as he unclasps his bralette and throws it in the general direction of his hamper. “I think if you fucked me like you just did, I’d bleed—which normally I wouldn’t mind, but I don’t think Eomma would take kindly to bloodstains on my new suit.”

“Oh, a suit?” Chan says, raising an eyebrow, climbing onto the bed, too. Felix reaches out for his cock, so Chan moves closer, watching Felix’s little hands wrap around it. He’s sensitive, but they’ve taken enough of a break that it’s not unbearable.

“Mm, a suit. It’s white silk, very pretty,” Felix says. “This is a serious event, my parents would never let me go in a skirt.”

“I’ll always like the skirts best,” Chan says as Felix sits up properly so he can press his tongue to the tip of Chan’s cock. Chan inhales sharply through clenched teeth, the air almost whistling from the speed. “But I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a pretty suit, too.”

“Come see us off after dinner,” Felix says. “Ask my mum if she needs anything before she goes. She’ll like that, and you’ll get to see me.”

“Okay,” Chan agrees softly, running a hand through Felix’s hair.

Felix uses his hands and mouth to work Chan back up to hardness. Chan watches the clock. It takes ten minutes. He’s going to have to be quick if they don’t want to get caught. There’s a part of him that knows he should’ve said no, should’ve gotten dressed and left, but a bigger part of him is enjoying the risk. Or maybe it’s just the part of him that wants to agree to everything Felix says.

So Chan rolls the new condom on, adds more lube. Felix settles back into the pillows, spreading his legs, cock just beginning to harden again underneath his skirt. Downstairs, Felix’s family prepares for dinner, for a party, and doesn’t wonder what’s taking Felix so long, doesn’t wonder where Chan has disappeared to. Just a few floors above them, Chan pushes back into Felix’s body with a soft grunt. Felix wraps his arms around Chan’s shoulders, his legs around Chan’s waist, pulling him close. 

It’s slow and quiet, completely different from the way they are just a half an hour before. Chan stays buried deep and circles his hips, grinding into Felix, his lips on Felix’s throat, his Adam’s Apple, his jaw. Felix ducks his head so they can kiss, deep and fierce and almost noiseless. 

“Chan,” Felix whispers between kisses. “So good to me.”

Chan smiles against his lips. Here, wrapped in each other's bodies, they can’t possibly hurt each other. “Of course I am,” he says. “I want what you want.”

“Even when it’s a terrible idea?” Amusement is a shining light behind Felix’s eyes.

Chan kisses him, quick and almost chaste. “I’m here, aren’t I?” he asks when he pulls away.

“Yes,” Felix whispers. The amusement fades, replaced by something else. “You’re here.”

Chan cups his face in his hands, stroking over his cheekbones with his thumbs. His makeup is destroyed, mascara drying on his cheeks and lip gloss smudged on his chin. His nose is still red, eyes still puffy, from crying. And he’s beautiful. I’ll be here as long as you want me, Chan thinks helplessly.

He kisses him again so he doesn’t say it. Their noses bump, but Felix leans in insistently, holding Chan close, fingers interlocked behind his neck. Chan breathes Felix in, lemon and sugar and sweat, rolling his hips, dirty and deep, swallowing all of Felix’s soft moans. Chan can feel Felix’s heartbeat under his fingertips, quick like a rabbit’s. Felix holds him close like he doesn’t want to let go.

When Chan comes, he doesn’t even make a sound. It passes through his body like something washing up on the shore—slow, almost languid, final. Felix kisses him through it, clenching tight dutifully, making it good for him. 

Chan pulls out and replaces his cock with a couple of his fingers, and works them in as deep as they’ll go, then thrusts shallowly, not enough to make a lot of noise. With his other hand, he thumbs over the slit of Felix’s cock. Felix covers his mouth with his hands, eyes wide and staring up at the ceiling, abdomen tight from the exertion. 

He comes in a few weak dribbles that run down Chan’s knuckles, a tiny amount of fluid, nearly clear. Felix twists in the sheets but stays quiet, lifting his hips up off the bed as he shakes. “Good girl,” Chan murmurs, and Felix whines high and faint in the back of his throat.

There are twenty minutes exactly left for Felix to get ready when Chan hops off the bed to discard the condom and go wash his hands. Felix is working his way to the edge of the bed when Chan returns from the bathroom. He grabs his tank top and throws it on, walking over to the bed to give Felix a kiss on the forehead.

“I’ll come see you off later, yeah?” he says.

Felix nods. “I’ll see you later.” He slips down onto the floor and stumbles, knees buckling. Chan grabs him before he can fall to the floor, and Felix giggles weakly. “Oh god, you fucked me so good, hyung,” he says, voice syrupy-sweet. “Oh, shit.” Chan lets him go and he wobbles, but remains standing. “Oh, my legs feel like jelly. What if I can’t walk?” He’s still giggling when he looks up at Chan.

“That’s not funny,” Chan groans, heading back to the desk chair to put on the rest of his clothes. “If your parents find out about this because I fucked you so hard you can’t walk right, I will literally never forgive myself.”

“Kind of a great way to go, though,” Felix says blithely, waltzing into the bathroom. “Go, before they really do catch you.”

“Right,” Chan mutters to himself, tying the waistband of his shorts.

* * *

Chan goes to bed early that night. He sees the family off, watching Felix out of the corner of his eye. The suit is very pretty, a warm-toned white, oversized and draped over Felix’s body perfectly. The shirt is made of a shimmery, gossamer fabric, and Mrs. Lee reminds Felix three times to button another button. She also tells Chan to take a bottle of champagne from the cellar to celebrate. 

Chan takes a bottle but doesn’t open it, just leaves it on his desk and heads into the shower to wash the day’s sins off of his body. He finds Felix’s come crusted in his nailbeds, and hopes to god nobody noticed.

He falls asleep long before midnight and wakes sometime in the stifling darkness of the early hours to a body next to his own, warm and smelling of champagne.

“Felix?” he whispers. “What time is it? Are you drunk?”

“No, just a little tipsy,” Felix whispers back. He sounds clearheaded; he must be telling the truth. “And it’s a little past two. Your door was unlocked. I just—wanted to come say goodnight. I wanted to see you.”

He’s not in his suit. He’s not in a robe, either; instead, little sleep shorts and an unassuming t-shirt, loose and soft from wear. Chan blinks against the dark, reaching a hand up to touch his face. His hair is still damp from his shower. “How was the party?”

Felix crawls under the blankets, pressing cold toes to Chan’s shins. “It was alright. I got to see my friends, at least. I need to see you and Changbin side by side. I think his arms are even bigger than yours.”

Chan exhales soft laughter, wrapping an arm around Felix and kissing the tip of his nose. “Well, alright is better than bad, I guess,” he says. “Make any resolutions?”

“To continue being a horrible little brat,” Felix replies, giggling. “You?”

“I didn’t,” Chan admits. “I didn’t really think about it.”

“It’s just another day,” Felix says with a half-shrug. “Just like yesterday. Just like tomorrow.”

“That’s true,” Chan agrees softly, some tender feeling blooming in his chest. 

“Happy New Year,” Felix whispers.

“Happy New Year,” Chan repeats.

“I didn’t have anyone to kiss at midnight,” Felix says.

“You do now,” Chan says, and kisses him. And kisses him. And kisses him.

When Chan wakes up the next morning, Felix is already gone, but his sheets smell like champagne and lemons and sugar.

* * *

Chan is in the garden, trimming away dead leaves. Jerry went home early—a doctor’s appointment, Chan thinks he said, so it’s up to Chan to tend to the plants. The afternoon sun is punishing, beating against his back, but Chan honestly doesn’t mind it. The garden, when he’s alone, is peaceful. 

The first week or so of January has passed quietly. There’s only a couple weeks now before the new semester begins, and Chan finds himself looking forward to it. It’ll be nice to have other people around his age to talk to—Felix doesn’t count. 

Speaking of Felix, he thinks to himself as he moves down the row of plants, I wonder where he is? Chan didn’t see him at breakfast or at lunch. It’s not unlike him to sleep in, especially now that his break is almost finished, but Chan usually sees him before the afternoon wears on. Then again, Chan is usually around the house, not out in the gardens. 

He works his way to the center of the garden throughout the afternoon, pausing every now and again for water or sunblock. He gets to the clearing where he found Felix that first evening, and after he finishes his work there, he decides to give himself a break, dropping down onto the bench with a sigh.

He sits there awhile, answering a couple texts and checking his socials. It’s not so bad in the shade, and there’s a breeze today, so Chan actually finds himself comfortable after a few minutes of rest. He tips his head back, looking up at the trees.

He can’t imagine growing up in a place like this. This is an estate. It should be a museum. The whole property is so sterile, almost, pristine; meant for looking at, not living in. Chan honestly found it hard to believe anyone lived this way, except maybe the richest people in the world. But now here Chan is as proof—this sort of life is lived in, just meticulously looked after by unseen hands. 

Chan lets himself sit and contemplate for about a half an hour, and then begrudgingly gets to his feet to get back to work. He collects his tools and is about to move on when he hears uneven footfalls coming his way. 

Felix appears in the entrance to the clearing, wearing the tiny booty shorts and holding a nearly full bottle of wine. It’s a red today, and looks expensive. His lips are stained the faintest hint of dark purple, and his eyes, vacant and unfocused, light up when he sees Chan.

“Oh my god, there you are!” he exclaims. His crop top is slipping off the one of his shoulders; it slips further as he heads Chan’s way. Uneasy, Chan drops his tools back in the grass and pockets his phone. 

“Hey, Felix,” he says slowly, eyeing the bottle in his hand. “Is that… all you drank?” He can’t imagine it is; Felix stumbles over his own feet in the grass. 

Felix holds it up and looks at it, then takes another sip. “No,” he says, almost sing-songy. “I finished one after I got home.”

“Home from where?” Chan asks, letting Felix fall into his arms. “Careful, baby.”

Felix doesn’t answer. He’s busy pressing closer to Chan, nose against his neck. “Hi, daddy,” he slurs. “Missed you this morning.” He surges up and kisses Chan, wet and messy.

Chan raises his chin to get out of his reach. “Uh, yeah,” he says, debating the merits of taking the wine from Felix and the chances he’ll succeed. “I was working, like usual. Where… were you?”

“Oh, you know,” Felix mumbles vaguely, leaning in. Chan flinches back instinctively, and Felix frowns. “Why won’t you kiss me?”

“You’re super drunk, baby,” Chan says softly. “I’m worried about you. Here,” he says, bending down and picking up his water bottle. “How about some water?”

Felix shakes his head, and takes another swig of wine just to spite him. “I don’t want water,” he says petulantly. Chan swears the slurring is getting worse by the sentence. “I want wine, and I want you.” Another swig, and then he offers the bottle to Chan. Chan shakes his head. “‘Member how I said I want it all the time, even if I’m drunk?” He takes one of Chan’s hands with his own. “Well, I meant it.” He tries to pull Chan’s hand around his back, down toward his ass. 

“Felix.” Chan tries to pry his hand out Felix’s grasp as gently as he can, but Felix’s grip is surprisingly strong.

“C’mon, daddy,” Felix murmurs. Chan can feel the swell of one of his cheeks on his palm. “Don’t you want me?” He presses one of Chan’s fingers to his entrance, and Chan registers that he’s already loose and wet with lube.

Chan wrangles himself free, trying to ignore Felix’s gasp of pain when he accidentally bends one of his fingers. “This isn’t a good idea, Felix,” he says softly, hoping to gentle the rejection by keeping his tone light. It’s not that he doesn’t want him, he just doesn’t want him like this. “C’mon, let’s get you inside. The heat can’t be helping.” He tries to start walking them in the direction of the house, but Felix refuses to budge.

“No, please, Chan,” Felix whines. “Why not? You fucked me here before, remember?” Chan does remember. He remembers pressing Felix up against one of the statues and smothering his moans with a hand clamped tight over his mouth. There’s no way he couldn’t remember. “Why won’t you do it now?” Felix continues. “Just ‘cause I’m a little drunk? I told you, it’s fine. I’m a slut, I always want it.” He’s practically spitting the words at Chan; his voice has taken on a strange quality that Chan isn’t sure how to interpret. “I need it.”

“Baby,” Chan says softly. “I’m not gonna fuck you right now. Okay? I’m in the middle of working, and you need to drink some water and sober up, or your mum is going to lose her shit. C’mon, let me help you.”

This seems to infuriate Felix. He wrenches himself away, nearly losing balance. “If you don’t fuck me, I’ll tell her about us.”

Fear courses through Chan’s body, but he knows immediately he’d rather take that risk than do something he knows is bad for Felix. “I don’t care,” he says softly. “Tell her. This isn’t right, I won’t do it, I’m not going to fuck you when you’re drunk and clearly—upset about something—”

“I’m not upset, the only thing I’m upset about is that you don’t like me anymore,” Felix protests. “Please, Chan. I need it.”

“No, you don’t,” Chan sighs, going up to him and linking their arms together. “And of course I still like you. We’re gonna go inside, okay? And we’re going to get you some water, and find Maya, and she’ll make you something to eat. I’m worried about you, baby, okay? Will you do this for me?”

Felix grumbles incoherently, but complies nonetheless, letting Chan march him out of the gardens. Chan thinks he murmurs a good girl in Felix’s ear; maybe that’s why he keeps walking. Felix takes drinks of his wine as they go, but Chan decides that that is not a battle worth fighting. He’s going to take this small victory and run, because the last thing he needs is for Felix to refuse to come with him again. In any case, he has much bigger problems to contend with at the moment—Felix trips over his own feet every few steps, most of his weight falling on Chan to carry. 

“Chan,” he slurs, giggles. He presses a sloppy kiss to Chan’s neck, nearly toppling both of them in the process. “You’re soooo strong. How come you’re walking so straight?” More giggles, interrupted by a hiccup. “The world is sideways.”

“Just keep moving,” Chan says. “I’ve got you.”

So he lets Felix drink without saying a word as they cross the bridge, the patio, and finally make it to the back door. Chan isn’t quite sure how he gets both of them inside, but he manages that, too, closing and locking the door behind him and letting Felix use him as a support while he kicks off his shoes. They pad clumsily down the hall, Chan veering them towards the kitchen and praying Maya will be there.

She is, thankfully, cleaning up at the breakfast bar and setting out some fruit. Her eyes widen when she sees them, taking in the drunken flush of Felix’s cheeks and Chan’s strained expression, dropping her work and hurrying to meet them.

“What happened?” she asks Chan.

“I don’t know,” Chan says, lies. “I ran into him when I was working in the garden. He’s…” Chan glances at the bottle in Felix’s hand. It’s already half-empty. “I think that’s his second bottle, I don’t know. He’s really drunk, and I didn’t know what to do, so I managed to convince him to come inside to get some water.”

Maya reaches out for Felix, but he just turns his head away. “Thank you, Chan,” she says softly. “Thank you for looking out for him.” Guilt runs through Chan’s veins like ice, but he nods. “He has days like this, but we’ve survived every one. Here, can you get him into a chair? I’ll go grab some water.”

She turns to go, and Chan starts to walk, but Felix groans, hanging his head, and vomits unceremoniously and without warning onto the floor. It spatters against the hardwoods, some of it splashing onto Chan’s socks. Watered down wine, purple-red, and nothing solid. No wonder he’s so fucked up, Chan finds himself thinking as Felix sways, bottle slipping from his fingers.

Chan’s memories of the next few minutes are blurry. He manages to catch the bottle as Felix drops it, saving it from shattering on the floor. Felix continues to throw up, all liquid, coughing and gagging even when it’s all gone, his full weight sagging against Chan’s side. Chan manages to get Felix into a chair; Maya brings him water and some paper towels to clean himself up with. Chan cleans up the mess on the floor while Maya calls for Felix’s parents. Mr. Lee isn’t home, but his mother takes one look and walks out, disgusted. 

Rachael is the one who takes Felix back to his room. Chan sees them get into the elevator, and that’s the last of it, Felix’s pink hair falling into his eyes and obscuring his face, Rachael with her arm wrapped tight around him, eyes stormy. The door closes, and Chan takes soaked paper towels to the trash.

The kitchen is quiet in the aftermath. Maya sighs softly, looking at Chan over the island. “Sorry,” she says. “But if you work here long enough, you see that eventually.”

“Is he… okay?” Chan ventures, just above a whisper.

“It doesn’t happen that often,” she says. “Usually, he’ll have a glass or two once in a while, and it’s fine. But sometimes…” She gestures helplessly around her. “I don’t know. They…” She lowers her voice. “They took him to a doctor once, but they said it wasn’t unusual for a kid his age to overindulge on occasion. Mr. and Mrs. Lee agreed, so they didn’t send him back.”

“What do you think?” Chan asks.

“I think he’s sad,” she says quietly after a moment of hesitation. “More than he lets on, and sometimes this is the only way he knows how to deal with it.”

* * *

The house has a sort of haunted silence to it for the rest of the day. Chan finishes his work quickly and retreats to his room to try and escape it, only leaving to grab something for dinner in the late evening. But the silence is everywhere, hanging heavy in the air, oppressive.

Still, the next morning, it seems things have returned to normal. Rachael leaves for her internship at her usual time. Felix doesn’t come to breakfast.

Chan only sees him after lunch when he’s restocking the patio. He comes down the stairs almost shyly, taking small, calculated steps and sitting down in a lounge chair slowly, like if he moves quietly enough, Chan won’t see him.

“Thank you,” Felix says finally. “For taking care of me yesterday.”

Chan blinks, setting down a water bottle and straightening, hesitating for a moment before walking over to Felix and sitting in the chair next to him. “Yeah, no, don’t worry about it,” he says. “It was the right thing to do. And…” He looks Felix over. He’s a little pale, and there are bags under his eyes, but he looks fine. “I’m glad you’re okay. Do you… wanna talk about it?”

Felix is silent for a few long minutes. Chan waits patiently, looking out over the sparkling water of the pool.

“My parents hate me,” Felix says at last. There’s a finality to his tone that makes his words sink in like dead weight. “They’re disappointed in everything I do. And you know? Sometimes I am too.” He runs his hands through his hair. “They have an idiot for a son, who gets so drunk he throws up on their hardwoods before dinner, and who has no direction in life and no idea what he wants to be. And honestly?” He waits until Chan is looking at him before he continues. “I’d just feel bad for them, except I know that the thing they hate the most about me is that I’m gay, and I dress like—“ He gestures down at himself. He’s in a demure linen dress today, the top three buttons undone and the waist cinched tight. “—like a sissy slut.” The words come out hard as stones, and Chan understands the tone he took in the garden yesterday. It wasn’t his own voice. It was his mother’s, stealing his tongue. “They pretend they’re supportive, because they don’t want to harm my dad’s image, but—I know the truth,” Felix says. “And I’m—I’m not ashamed of it. I know who I am. But I just wish—” He breaks off, presses his lips together, looking through Chan. “I just wish they loved me,” he finishes quietly. 

Chan’s heart twists in his chest. He still doesn’t really understand—where Felix goes, why he acts the way he does, what it is exactly that he’s running from—but he does feel hurt for him. “Felix,” he says softly.

Felix looks back up at him. “You know I wouldn’t have actually told them, right?” he asks seriously.

Chan blinks. “You… remember that?” He kind of assumed Felix had blacked out for most of the afternoon.

Felix nods miserably. “Yeah,” he mutters. “It’s spotty, but… I remember trying to—to get you to fuck me, and then threatening to tell my parents when you wouldn’t. And I just want you to know that I wouldn’t.” He pauses, looking at Chan, his expression unreadable. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Thank you,” Chan says softly.

“And I’m sorry.” The words sound like they’re being dragged from Felix’s chest. He must not apologize often, so Chan is honestly touched that he’s doing it now. “For—for throwing myself at you, and for saying I’d do that. And for puking on your socks.”

Chan can’t help the laughter that bursts out of him. “It’s okay,” he says, trying to rein it in. At least there’s a ghost of a smile now on Felix’s lips. “Really, it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it. I forgive you. Do you know, the reason I don’t drink often is because I had a night like that in college?”

Felix leans in, intrigued. “Really? You?”

“Yeah,” Chan says, happy to be on a lighter topic, happy that Felix is no longer stewing in a world of self-pity. “It was my freshman year, right after finals, and I drank so much I was throwing up I swear for an hour straight. And the worst part is, it started in my friend Minho’s room, and his floor was carpeted.”

“Oh, fuck,” Felix laughs. The sound warms Chan.

“Yeah, so don’t feel bad. The cleanup yesterday was really easy,” Chan says. “Your hardwoods have a good sealant on them, don’t worry. Back then, we had to call in the poor cleaning staff, and they kicked my friends out of their room so they could shampoo it…”

* * *

“I’m gonna get lunch,” Felix says, emerging from the pool and wrapping a towel around his shoulders. “You know where to find me.”

Chan nods wordlessly, peeking up at him as he leaves before getting back to work. 

The break is coming to a close. Felix leaves first out of his siblings, going back in just a few days now. Though neither of them say it, Chan can tell they’re both making a more concerted effort to see each other as often as possible. It’s easy in some ways. Since the holidays are over, Mr. and Mrs. Lee spend most of their days out of the house, coming back late. And though all the staff members are back, which makes dodging them hard, at least Chan doesn’t have any extra work to hold him back.

So Chan finishes his work, grabs a quick lunch, and then heads upstairs. Felix is exactly where Chan expected him, curled up at his desk, busy gaming, cute round glasses on and a green Melona popsicle between his lips. 

Felix sees him when he comes in and scrambles to pause his game, pulling off his headphones and grabbing the popsicle out of his mouth. “Hi,” he says, almost breathless. His lips are bright red and glossy from the popsicle. 

“Hi,” Chan replies. He takes his time with the lock, strolling slowly over to Felix and running a hand through his hair. The roots are really starting to grow in, deep, inky black against faded pink. A measure of how long Chan has known him. “Still in your swimsuit,” he says.

“Thought maybe we could shower together,” Felix replies. He holds Chan’s gaze and licks a stripe up his popsicle. 

“Mm, good idea,” Chan agrees, bending over him and finally kissing him. Felix moans softly, his free hand coming up to grip one of Chan’s biceps, tiny fingers pressing into the muscle. His lips are cold and he tastes sweet. Chan licks over his bottom lip, then pushes in past his teeth. He’s sweet everywhere, popsicle coating his tongue.

Felix’s eyes are glazed with pleasure when they break apart. His popsicle is melting in his hand, but he seems unaware of it. Chan grins at him, bending to the side and catches a drop with his tongue. “I’m gonna eat this if you don’t,” he says. Felix just hums, holding it out to him, so Chan does the only logical thing, which is to take the whole thing in his mouth and then pull back off real slow, keeping his cheeks hollowed and his eyes on Felix. 

“You’re just as bad as I am,” Felix says with a dreamy giggle as Chan licks his lips.

“Wasn’t like this before I met you,” Chan says, which is mostly true. He kisses Felix again, pinning him to the chair. “We gonna shower?”

“Mm, yeah,” Felix says, but he keeps kissing Chan, alternating between that and taking licks of his popsicle. Chan knows he’s not helping; he reaches down between Felix’s legs and cups his cock in his palm, groping him through the thin fabric of his tiny swim bottoms. Felix lets out another moan, bucking up into Chan’s hand.

“Should really get in the shower, then,” Chan hums, but he keeps going, running his fingers up and down the length of Felix’s cock until he’s hard. Precome leaks a wet patch into the swim bottoms, the stain spreading as the minutes drip by. Felix swirls what’s left of his popsicle in his mouth, movements slow and lazy, moans muffled. “Should get going before you make a mess in your bikini,” Chan continues. 

“Mm, Chan,” Felix sighs, so pretty. “S-stop touching me, then.”

Chan hums like he’s considering it. “Do you want me to stop touching you?” he asks.

“N-no,” Felix stutters. He pulls the popsicle stick out, clean. “Kiss me.”

Chan obliges, bracing himself with a hand on the headrest of Felix’s chair. Felix pushes his cold tongue into Chan’s mouth, whimpering in the back of his throat as he runs it over Chan’s teeth. It’s messy, but Chan doesn’t care. He’ll happily lick any taste off the surface of Felix’s tongue.

They keep kissing until Felix comes, sticky white soaking through his swim bottoms and getting all over Chan’s hand, moans muffled in Chan’s mouth, popsicle stick dropped and forgotten on the floor. Felix goes limp against the chair when Chan pulls away, sighing softly. “Ohh, I felt that in my toes,” he mumbles, eyes fluttering shut. 

Chan grins, kissing him on the tip of the nose, then reaches around with his clean hand to grab lube and a condom out of the desk drawer. “Okay, definitely shower now,” he says. 

“I can’t move,” Felix complains. “My legs won’t go.”

“You’re such a piece of work,” Chan mutters fondly, readjusting his grip on the lube and then simply scooping Felix out of the chair and carrying him to the bathroom. Felix squeaks in delight, giggling softly as Chan lowers him gently onto the edge of the tub. 

“You’re seriously so strong, Chan,” he says, watching as Chan pokes his head into the shower to start the water. “I bet you could squat me.”

“I could definitely squat you,” Chan agrees. “I could squat two of you.”

“We have a gym,” Felix says, now sounding a little dreamy. “You could probably even bench me.”

“Probably,” Chan says, setting the lube and condom down on the counter and giving him a look. “But I think if someone catches us in the gym together, they’re really gonna start asking questions.”

“Oh, but naked in my bathroom is okay?” Felix asks pointedly as Chan shucks his tank up and over his head. 

“The point of your rooms is people won’t just walk in,” Chan replies. “‘Cause you might be naked. Speaking of which, get moving.”

“Point taken,” Felix chirps, untying the strings of his bikini top and letting it fall to the floor, then stepping out of his soiled bottoms and hooking them over a finger. “Hurry up.” He steps into the shower and disappears behind the steam.

Chan shakes his head, carefully folding his underwear and laying it on top of the stack of the rest of his clothes on the counter. He picks up the lube and condom and heads into the shower.

Felix is waiting under the water, scrubbing at his swim bottoms. “One sec,” he says softly, glancing up when Chan brings in a whoosh of cold air. 

The shelves are out of the way of the spray, so Chan puts the lube and condom on the highest one, holding his hand out for Felix’s swim bottoms so he can hang them on one of the little hooks on the wall when he’s done. 

“Thanks,” Felix says, a genuine, proper show of gratitude. Chan hides his smile, reaching for the shampoo.

“Turn around,” he says. “Close your eyes.”

Felix obeys, and Chan squeezes a dollop of shampoo out onto his palm, capping the bottle with a click and putting it back before rubbing his hands together. He spreads the shampoo on Felix’s wet hair, pressing the pads of his fingertips into Felix’s scalp in a gentle massage, running his fingers through the strands to make sure the soap gets everywhere. 

“Your hair’s so smooth,” Chan finds himself saying. “Even though you’ve dyed it. It’s so soft.”

Chan can hear Felix’s smile even though he can’t see it. “Thanks.” Felix leans into his touch. “Feels good.”

“Yeah?” Chan asks, slowing his movements, working his fingers in circles. Felix moans lowly, and Chan’s pretty sure it’s not even sexual. “Good?”

“Yes, daddy,” Felix breathes, and—okay, maybe a little sexual. But he does kind of look like he’s melting a little bit, relaxing under Chan’s hands. 

He remains pliant as Chan washes his hair out for him, and patient when Chan works on his own hair. But the instant the soap is gone, his hands are on Chan’s body, pressing little kisses to his chest and arms. 

“Ready for round two?’” Chan asks needlessly. “Want daddy to fuck you now?”

“Mm-hm,” Felix agrees.

Chan puts the water on super hot and then points the faucet away from them so they don’t drown, but they stay warm. “Up against the wall, then,” he says, nodding to it. Felix goes immediately, pressing himself up against the tile and sticking his cute little ass out. “Jesus, baby,” Chan says before he can stop himself. “You look like a dream.” Felix just smirks at him over his shoulder.

Chan finds the lube, drizzling a little over his fingers as he walks up behind Felix. He kisses his shoulder blade, staying close as he feels around for his entrance and pushes a finger in. Felix moans softly, the sound echoing against the walls. “God, I always forget how big your fingers are,” he says. “Can’t ever make myself feel the way you do.”

“Good thing I’m here, then,” Chan says, pushing in past his middle knuckle and waiting for Felix to relax around him.

“Yeah, but—mm—you won’t be soon,” Felix says. “I mean, I won’t be. I’m gonna fuck my way through all the jocks trying to find someone who can do what you can.”

Chan tamps down the jealousy that flares in his chest. Felix isn’t his. He can fuck whoever he wants. “Good luck with that,” he says. “You’d have better time with artists. They actually have fine motor skills.”

“Mm, that’s a good point,” Felix huffs. “Hyunjin’s always been good with his hands.”

Chan decides he’s not going to ask exactly what Felix means by that. “Besides, I bet most of the athletes’ll only last a couple minutes.”

“I dunno,” Felix says, mischief rich in his voice. “Changbin has great stamina, and my other friend Seungmin is a baseball player, and he does too.”

“You trying to make me jealous?” Chan asks. “Or do you just fuck all your friends?”

“You’re not my friend,” Felix points out. “And I’m fucking you.”

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with that,” Chan says, exhaling laughter.

“You should come visit me,” Felix says. “During a long weekend or something.”

“Your parents are gonna ask questions,” Chan says.

“You’re from here,” Felix argues. “You could just say you’re visiting an old friend.” 

“That’s true,” Chan acquiesces, retaliating by adding a second finger. Felix’s jaw drops open and satisfaction boils hot in Chan’s stomach. “Maybe I will.”

“You better,” Felix says, somehow still sounding all sharp and demanding despite the strain in his voice. “I don’t wanna wait until Easter to fuck you again.”

Chan can agree with that, at the very least. “That’s true, it’s a while to wait. And calling isn’t the same.”

“Mm-mm,” Felix agrees. “Not unless I commission a replica of your hands. Or your cock.”

“I don’t think even that would be enough for you,” Chan says, and Felix giggles.

“Probably not,” he admits. “Can’t help it. I just want you.”

Chan fits a third finger in, pumping them viciously even though it’s tight just so he can watch Felix squirm. “Yeah? Like the way I fuck you?”

“Better than anybody else,” Felix says, and if Chan wasn’t certain he says that to everyone he fucks, he’d probably do something embarrassing. As it is, his dick twitches anyway. He pets over Felix’s prostate, so familiar now with his body that he doesn’t even have to search around for it. Felix shudders, muscles in his back tensing up. “Yeah, right there.”

“Here?” Chan massages over it meanly, pressing kisses to Felix’s spine and listening to him whine.

“Too much, Chan, gonna come again,” he protests, trying and failing to escape the sensation by shifting his hips. “Wanna come on your cock.”

That gets Chan to relent. “Fine,” he says softly. “Almost there.”

He finishes opening Felix up quickly, then pulls his fingers out and runs them under the scalding water for just a second to get them clean enough to open the condom packet without slipping. He rolls it on, adding another pump of lube for good measure, and then positions himself behind Felix.

“Put it in,” Felix demands the instant he hesitates. “I’m ready. And if I’m not, and I bleed, we can wash it all away.”

Chan doesn’t need him to say it again. He pushes past his puckered entrance and slides into the sweet warmth. Felix is tight around him like a vice, and Chan only gets halfway before he has to stop. “Shit,” he murmurs. “A little too impatient.”

“Keep going,” Felix insists. “I can take it.”

“I don’t wanna hurt you,” Chan says, but he does try to push in a little more, anyway. It works, sort of, and slowly, he manages to sink in the rest of the way. Both of them let out deep sighs when he finally bottoms out, pressed close to Felix’s body, so close he’s got Felix’s trapped against the wall.

“Fu-u-uck,” Felix moans. “I’m gonna explode. You feel so big, Chan. I think I can feel you in my tummy, against the wall. Feel like ‘m getting split open.”

Chan isn’t sure about that, but the idea makes him grit out a moan nonetheless. “Guess I should spend less time on prep more often,” he manages. “So tight, baby. Feel nice ’n’ full?”

“God, yeah,” Felix breathes. “Fuck, it’s like I can feel you everywhere.” His fingers catch on the grout between the tiles but slip down the wall all the same. 

“Give you a second before I move,” Chan mumbles. “Don’t wanna do some real damage.”

“Mm, kinda want you to,” Felix whimpers. “Ruin my body, daddy, I want it.”

“Fuck, babygirl,” Chan groans. “Want me to make it hurt?”

“Yes.” The word is a breath sucked in between bared teeth. “Please.”

Chan draws his hips back excruciatingly slow, letting Felix whimper for him for a second before pushing back in, fast and hard. The force of it punches a weak moan out of Felix’s chest. “Like that?” Chan pants, doing it again, legs shaking from the exertion and the delicious drag of his cock against Felix’s walls. “Fuck, you’re so tight, feels so good.”

Felix only sobs out a moan, the sound garbled by the echoes it makes and his slack jaw. Chan spreads a hand between his shoulder blades, pressing him into the wall and using his other hand to grip his hip so he has nowhere to go. Felix slumps against the tile, pink tongue just visible over his bottom teeth, eyes drooping shut. Chan hears himself grunt, something low in the chest, gravelly, reverberating around them. He slams his hips forward with every stroke, rough and mean like Felix begged for. Every movement sends spikes of arousal dancing under Chan’s skin, almost painful with how good it feels. Felix’s body loosens around him, but even then there’s hardly enough room, and Chan’s pretty sure that if he’d used even one less drop of lube that this wouldn’t be working. 

But it’s what Felix asked for, and as Chan looks at him, he knows he couldn’t stop. Felix’s face is twisted into a beautiful expression of bliss, eyebrows pinched and mouth open in a silent scream. His fingers rest gently against the wall, hardly supporting him. Chan can’t see, but he knows his cock is hard and leaking against his stomach, an angry red.

Chan can feel sweat beading on his forehead, partially from the steam, but he can’t reach the faucet dial now. They’re surrounded by a fine mist, and it kind of makes Chan a little dizzy. But he keeps going, fucking Felix ruthlessly, pounding him into the wall with soft groans as his abdomen tightens and tightens.

And then Felix is moaning, a low string of total incoherence, and he curls over himself, convulsing weakly, head disappearing between his shoulders and hands scrabbling at the tile above them. “Daddy, daddy, yes,” Chan thinks he hears him babble as he begins to still.

“Can you last a little longer, babygirl?” Chan asks, his voice rough.

“Yes,” comes Felix’s voice, his head still out of sight. “But daddy, hurts.”

His voice is wobbly, small and pitiful, and Chan knows the face he’s making. He’s sure he’s crying, cute little nose all red and cheeks splotchy. “So good for me, so patient,” Chan soothes breathlessly. He thrusts, shallow, a few more times as the hot pleasure takes over his body at last, making his legs shake. He comes deep inside Felix, hips pressed to his ass, head tipped back and hands with a punishing grip on his waist.

They catch their breath. Chan can hardly hear anything over the soft roar of the water. After a moment, he pulls out, almost stumbling backwards to turn the temperature back to something a little more bearable, rolling the condom off with unsteady hands before going back to check on Felix.

Felix is still bent over at the waist, leaning on the wall for support, forearm braced against the tile and face hidden in the crook of his elbow. Chan looks closer and sees pinkish-red at his entrance. Blood and lube.

“Oh, shit, oh fuck, Felix, I’m so sorry,” Chan stutters, setting the condom gingerly on one of the shelves and hurrying to him. He pets down his back, wondering how painful it would be if he tried to wash him clean. “Didn’t mean to actually hurt you. I’m sorry.”

Felix looks up, dazed. “What are you talking about?” he mumbles.

“You—you’re bleeding,” Chan says helplessly with a vague gesture. 

Felix just smiles, lazy and undisturbed. “I said I wanted it,” he says, tone serene and level. He peels himself off the wall, straightening as he goes, turning and wrapping his arms around Chan’s shoulders. “Mm, it felt good. So good, Chan, I haven’t come that hard in so long. Don’t be sorry. I don’t mind a little blood.”

“Jesus,” Chan says weakly, catching him and holding him close. “I still feel bad. Let me take care of it, okay? Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Chan cleans him out tenderly, pressing apologetic kisses to his low back and the swell of his asscheeks. Felix makes little hurt noises, but there’s just as much pleasure in his voice as there is pain, so Chan keeps going until the water runs clear. If Felix liked it—then Chan has to admit it’s a little hot. Still, a sort of prickling guilt settles under his skin. His memory of those moments feels almost blurry. He isn’t quite sure what came over him—just that Felix asked, and Chan, like always, said yes. 

At last, they turn off the water. Chan collects their mess, tossing the used condom and its wrapper in the trash and setting the lube on the counter. He dries both him and Felix off, then pulls on his underwear from before while Felix goes out into his room to find himself something to wear. Chan follows slowly, placing his clothes on Felix’s desk before joining him in bed.

Felix curls into his side, pressing sweet, openmouthed kisses to his chest. “Chan,” he says, soft and dreamy. “Thank you.”

“For nearly sending you to the ER?” Chan asks wearily. 

Felix giggles. “I liked it,” he says. “Felt so good. And you always treat me so nice after.”

Chan kisses the top of his head. “Of course I do,” he murmurs. “Least I can do after taking you apart is to put you back together.”

Felix giggles again, and they lapse into silence. Chan listens to Felix breathe–deep, measured, sated. He glances out the window, stroking Felix’s back absently. The sun is bright on the gardens below, a perfect day, almost unreal.

Finally, Felix speaks. “Chan?” There’s something strange in his voice, quivering and vulnerable. Chan blinks, suddenly curious and afraid all at once.

“Yeah?” he replies.

“Do you—?” Felix cuts himself off, his voice wavering still. He’s silent for a few long moments while Chan waits, scarcely breathing. He can hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He can feel Felix’s against his chest.

“What?” he asks, after a minute has passed and Felix still hasn’t said anything.

He can feel Felix deflate, and the tension is gone. When he speaks, his voice is slow and sleepy again. “Do you think you really can come visit me at school?”

Chan lets out a breath. Whatever Felix wanted to say, this isn’t it. But he won’t push. He knows that won’t get him anywhere. “Yeah,” he says softly, brushing some of Felix’s hair back before it falls into his eyes. He looks down at him, this terrible, beautiful boy. He’s not a monster, Chan thinks. He’s not even really spoiled, or at least that’s not why he acts the way he does. He’s just lonely. Maya’s voice plays in his head. He’s just really sad. And Chan still doesn’t know why. But he does know that whether Felix ever tells him or not, he’ll be here. “Of course, I’ll come visit,” he says. “Just say the word. I’ll come.”

Felix makes a happy noise, snuggling closer. Chan tightens his hold on him, feeling his pretty, lithe body under his arms. 

His life, he knows, will be in three parts, now and forever. Before I met you, he thinks. When I had you. And after you leave. How cruel, he thinks, that the most difficult part of the three will also be the longest.

[serendertothesquad]

Seren's Studies: Wordsville's Official Release -- Is It Really an Odd Squad Clone? (Part 2)

Because Tumblr! Photo limits! Why, uh...whose dumb idea was it to put a photo limit in here? Man, that'll take a while to get used to.

Let's go on with Part 2 of my Wordsville analysis.

(Make sure you read through Part 1 first!)

If this were any other show with a reasonable episode length, I'd be fine with this. Covering all this? Essential to a mystery.

In 8 minutes, though? No. They fill out half of the columns in a rush in the first half, and then leave three open for the second half of the runtime. Read my digital lips: N. O. Not if you want your series to be good.

This is a good time to remind people they are putting out 33 episodes of this shit. That is an entire-ass season of messy pacing, rushed plotlines, and characters that I wouldn't know a single thing about if I hadn't unearthed the series' synopsis and character descriptions.

They have.

Their own.

FUCKING.

CURRENCY?!?!?!

Y'know, even Jackalope Dollars make some sense. Canadian money makes some sense. This? This is repainted Monopoly money and you can get the fuck out of my house with that because it's card-only entry.

I do so remember when WordGirl had a bit of a popularity renaissance on Twitter last year or so.

This show...is like the complete and utter opposite of that.

Ahaha...geddit? 'Cause...'cause she's an athlete, and...she's eating a brownie...which is unhealthy...

ARE YOU LAUGHING, SON? ARE YA LAUGHIN'? DO YOU FIND THIS FUNNY OH MY GOD PLEEEEEEEEASE LAUGH.

makes edible food that is meant to net customers said edible food is not for sale

By all accounts, people, these donuts are meant to be edible. So in what fuck-all world of logic would you use edible food as an advertising gimmick for a bakery? That shit will go bad within a week, and then what? You waste supplies remaking them.

Bro, get some cardboard copies. Fuck, in this high-tech universe you could probably 3D-print inedible donuts that spell "scrumptious" and put them on display!

AND THAT.

IS WHY.

YOU MAKE.

THEM.

INEDIB-

"Official Word Mystery business", "official Odd Squad business", it's all the same and you're not being slick.

You could tell me this was Otto's little brother and I honestly wouldn't even argue with you on that. I'd give you $10 and concede.

Man, and I thought Odd Squad's "Why Did the Chicken Cross the Dimension" featured abuse way too heavily for my liking, and here's this kid feeding donuts to a cat which are made out of ingredients cats really shouldn't eat, let alone digest.

Graham didn't make these treats cat-friendly. They were made for humans. And he's giving them to a cat.

As someone who worked at an animal shelter, of course you realize this means war, Gene Vet Wilder.

I'm not gonna lie to all of you.

I was legitimately going to fawn over the cat...until my eyes drifted down, and I thought the cat was wearing a feline airbag.

It's dude's arm.

...No more BIG BONG tonight.

Naming your cat "Yummy" means you have already committed at least ten cat crimes.

It's also ironic, because cats can and will eat your dead corpse.

Give dude 30 years, it'll catch up with him.

No. No. You know what sounds cute? Nyammy.

You know what doesn't sound cute? Yummy.

You know what name isn't crazy ironic? Nyammy.

Problem solved.

I think I can safely say "Crime at Shapely Manor" handled the traditional mystery a lot better than...uh...whatever this was going for.

Not animated + L + ratio'd + tour an animation school and call me back.

See, the reason why this hurts is because this just proves the entire series could be animated, in full and properly, and there would be no issue.

What we got is Sinking Ship's brand of creation applied in one of the worst ways possible, and I'm still as disappointed as when I walked in here.

At the very least, I'll give them points for not having Glory and Wilder and Graham voice themselves. Given how they weren't there when Gabby and Sly were solving the case, it would be too weird.

And this is why you don't make edible food as an advertising gimmick to get people to buy your shit aaaaaaaaand I have a headache again.

But- I- br- HOW DID BRO GET A BOX FOR THE DONUTS. H O W . NOT GONNA EXPLAIN THAT SHIT ARE YOU YA SORRY FU-

It's pretty much standard business knowledge that the advertisement-making comes first, before you serve the customer.

But this guy made his advertising while on the job. You...uh...well, you can do that, but in this particular case, that's what we call "a dumbass move".

FWIW, returning bought food to the bakery you bought it from is also a dumbass move.

I don't care if these haven't been touched. Eat them, and then help Graham make new ones. Inedible ones.

Cool!

TOSS THEM THE FUCK OUT.

Seren puts on a tight smile. "No," she utters. "No. When Odd Squad does it, it's funny. Not here."

Seren then spends 34 years eyeballing the Hollywood music industry aggressively.

In 7 minutes, with rushed pacing, and I have no idea what the hell your personality is even supposed to be.

Sly's, yeah, a little. Yours? I- no. Mm-mm.

...Okay, I don't know what the hell her personality is supposed to be besides loving gingerbread.

Seriously, this is one of the few times the sample script is actually better than what we got.

Oh fucking hell. No wonder I didn't like this episode -- it was written by the same person who created it.

And it's been a while since I've had to whip this out, but I'm going to take the criticism I had about Season 3 writers not watching Odd Squad before getting hired and apply it to here. If Christin had actually watched Odd Squad prior to writing and creating this show, I guaran-goddamn-tee we would have gotten something leagues better. And I know they've written for other SSE shows, but this is focusing on Odd Squad and Wordsville specifically.

Credits rundown to avoid hitting the photo limit:

Mia SwamiNathan plays Gabby. She also voices Zadie in Work It Out Wombats (haha Canadian actor pool, dive in suckers!), and while Zadie is my favorite character, that will not give this show any sort of a saving grace. The actress, yes. The show, hell no.

Matthew Bishop is the animation Executive Producer. He also worked on Odd Squad. Which makes the stuff in this show seem a lot more insulting.

Ah, yes. What I want all my songs for my show to be made by. A company called Daysun. (Hey, FWIW, I've seen worse.)

Wait, wait! It can get worse! Smiley Guy Studios did the animation! And y'know, I could make a "they hired people from Walmart to animate this shit?" joke, but instead I'll say how Sinking Ship has a whole-ass animation division and they couldn't animate the show themselves. If they did, it would have been a lot better than what we got.

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

So I might as well address the elephant in the room to kick off the conclusion: is Wordsville an Odd Squad ripoff, really and truly?

The answer...no. Not exactly. If anything, it's more like an inferior copy, if the word "copy" were hanging fast and loose like a shoe on an electric wire.

I'm going to use "Crime at Shapely Manor" as a direct comparison. In that episode, we get a sort of traditional mystery similar to what Wordsville gives us. We have suspects lined out, we have what they did, we have clues, we have a summation, all that jazz. The difference, though, is that "Crime at Shapely Manor" not only had 14 more minutes to flex their skills in the mystery genre beyond what spin Odd Squad in and of itself as a show puts on it (typical of police procedurals, it does have mystery elements), but they did it incredibly well. Even with the suspect being a downright fucking cliche, they still managed to do it while leaving the audience entertained and opening our minds to the personalities of "I can emote like a Discord chat server" Olive and "I do not understand financial concepts when it comes to very valuable furniture pieces" Otto. It can breathe. It does mystery well. Wordsville...doesn't. Eight minutes is not sufficient for the mystery genre. And if you want to prove me wrong by showing me a piece of media from a mystery show made for kids that is 8 minutes long, go right ahead. Enlighten me. Prove me wrong. But there my opinion stands.

I really could bore you all with the differences I managed to unearth between Wordsville and Odd Squad. I really could. Even more than that, I could bore you all with all the negative shit I found in what has to be the craziest combined 40 minutes I ever wasted of my life. But I'll boil it down to key elements only.

So first of all...the characters. The side ones are confined to a single career just based on their names, and as far as I can tell, the only trait they were all given was "serious about their jobs". (Gene Vet Wilder also does...magic, I guess? I mean whatever floats the boat...) Gabby and Sly, on the other hand...I genuinely can't pinpoint them. Best I can gather is that Gabby is the serious one and Sly is the silly one. So basically, an Olive/Otto dynamic where their little siblings take the spotlight. That's about it. Their friendship, let alone their personalities, are barely touched on in favor of shoving the mystery in your face. For an example: one episode revolves around their "Friendaversary", and them disagreeing on what they're going to do to celebrate it. Now, we already got this as an Odd Squad conflict in a similar way, and it was amazing. I loved "Happy Halfiversary"! Otis busted his ass for Olympia, and she did the same for him. We got some worldbuilding, some good old character interactions, and some funny jokes to boot. For "Uncompromising Community", what we get is a shitty plot that only serves as gift wrap for the mystery of the episode, which revolves around Firefighter Ember giving a fire safety course that Reporter Read plans to make a new story out of, while Baker Graham has a prior engagement with her. And if you're thinking "that sounds fun", then watch the episode and get back to me. That's good for an 11-minute plot. Not for 8 minutes with a full minute dedicated to both opening and closing credits.

Second on the list is the lack of worldbuilding. Lore. Basically anything of substance. Wordsville is, at its core, episodic. So's Odd Squad, to an extent. For Wordsville, if I hadn't read the synopsis of the series prior to watching it, I wouldn't know what the fuck was going on or what it was even about. I wouldn't know that the main cast are supposed to be only children, or that Wordsville is apparently a town...somewhere...on a map...somewhere. Does the Wordsville Online Detective Agency only have Gabby and Sly? Why is it online-only? Is there air? You don't know! I don't know either, and that's the thing that gets to me. I wasn't expecting anything heavy and lore-filled a la Odd Squad, but I wasn't expecting anything simplistic and bland, either. I've seen slice-of-life kids cartoons, and a lot of them are more enjoyable and have a lot more stuff to work with while also expanding on the world and telling me more about it. Wordsville...ain't it. It gives a big "fuck you" and trucks along.

Third of all, the educational aspect of it. Old-timers who have been watching the show for a long time know that one of the things that makes Odd Squad appealing is how it hides math into the plot in a way where it isn't super obvious and all up in your George Foreman grill. It's there, sure, and it does hinder the plot at times, but for me, I don't mind it. I'm still engaged. I want to know what happens. For Wordsville, the education is, indeed, all up in my George Foreman grill. It is fucking everywhere. Not hidden, just completely out in the open. WordGirl is probably the best show I can draw a comparison to, even though it's in a different demo -- while WordGirl does have word lessons, they are slipped into the plot much like Odd Squad and aren't shoved in there with an attitude I dare to even call obligatory. Wordsville is the entire opposite, and they absolutely do not, cannot, and will not miss a chance to educate you on words any chance it gets. Do not let the 4-7 age bracket fool you; this is a preschool show on something far more fucked up than "I'm having an 18-hour seizure with the cockroaches on a public bathroom floor" meth. And don't let Odd Squad's 4-8 age bracket fool you; that's a kids show people have watched while high on weed and had hella crazy trips. (And acid, in one case, which got far crazier.)

And finally, the animation, which I mentioned before but I'm bringing up more to summarize. Like I said, Odd Squad has good animation. Not 2D, though; it's CGI. It's not stellar, but it's solid. The creature designs in particular get real crazy. In Wordsville, the "animation" is drag-and-drop stuff that's half-done and has characters' heads and expressions on them for the lawl unique 'n quirky. I'm not shitting you when I said I was thinking of South Park when I was watching the animated bits. Hell, you could tell me the animated bits were a South Park parody and I'd believe you! But it's not. It's not a parody at all. And before you go at my throat saying "that is a literal child", I'd like to remind you that I know people under 18 who draw and animate a lot better. (I'm looking at a good chunk of you reading this and giving you a thumbs-up. Keep up the great work!) It's just like I said before: they had the potential to do something better, and they completely threw it away. Animation is hard. It's expensive. Sinking Ship is not a rich company. But they've done better in terms of 2D animation. They could have done better here.

What my opinion of the show overall boils down to is that I would have been happy with just the show synopsis and the sample script. I would have been happy with the one Seren's Study. Now, not only have I been proven fantastically wrong, but I've been proven fantastically wrong in the worst way I could have ever possibly imagined, because it somehow got worse than what I was expecting.

Now, I'm going to put a disclaimer out that this is my opinion. If you wanna go and watch Wordsville and decide for yourself how it is, go for it! Be my guest! No one's stopping you, and if you happen to like it then I will respect your opinion. But as it stands across these first 5 episodes, it's not my cup of tea. I think I'm better off giving WordGirl a rewatch.

Thanks for reading. See you all in the next Seren's Study!

[raydom-gamer]

Because I am a petroly bored person and Twisted Wonderland is based off in a college setting. We already have confirmation that they go on camping trips together so that leads me into the knowledge that they've done class trips as well. So going with the main 22 boys plus Grimm and MC, I went school style divided the boys into groups of fours. They are divided by their last name and first initial except silver and Grimm. They are the only ones without last names. They get thrown in the first group and are sharing a hotel room together.

Because MC can have whatever last name the player wants but I put them in the last group.

If you want you can put your MC in the room that works with their last name and first initial but that would move characters into a different room. Example characters last name is Tap. That would put character into a group 5 and put Ace in group 6. Then you'll get your own custom built chaos.

Anyway enjoy the groups of regret.

Silver, Grim, Kalim Al-Asim, Azul Ashengrotto

Ruggie Bucchi, Trey Clover, Cater Diamond, Malleus Draconia

Epel Felmier, Jack Howl, Rook Hunt, Leona Kingscholar

Floyd Leech, Jade Leech, Riddle Rosehearts, Vil Schoenheit

Idia Shroud, Ortho Shroud, Deuce Spade, Ace Trappola

Lilia Vanrouge, Jamil Viper, Sebek Zigvolt, MC

Now just imagine the amount of chaos that would end up being cultivated but these group of individuals being stuck in a room together for 24 hours.

Group one

Silver is periodically falling asleep and waking up while Grim is yelling at Azul about his so-called Investments, occasionally telling Kalim to listen to Jamil. Azul holding a 32-page deal to Kalim about how his family's money will be invested and paid back tenfold after Azul makes 400% profit first. Kalim is on the phone with Jamil who is yelling to not sign anything and threatening to drown Azul in the bathtub.

Group 2

Surprisingly very calm but very tense. Trey and Cater get along just fine. Ruggie being happy that he gets a break. Malleus is reading his book. But everything was fine until the board games came out.

Group 3

This group could go one of two ways. A hot headed grumpy conversation for about 10 minutes before an understanding of space or. A strip of tape down the center of the room where one side is for the humans the other side is for the beastmen. Leona and Jack get along decently and wouldn't have too much of a spat until they realize that Rook is sitting in the corner of the room taking notes of their habits. Leona would call Rook out. Rook would say a very roundabout way of how they are interesting but never denying that that's what he was doing. Epel and Jack would sit there awkwardly as the two go back and forth, both silently agreeing to keep their upperclassman from a cage match.

Route 4

Another group where this could go one of two ways. Humans on one side mermaids on the other. Or Riddle fighting for his life while Floyd tries everything in his power to terrorize him out of boredom while Jade is laughing and Vil has taken control of the entire bathroom to do his entire 4-Hour routine. I also have suspicion if there's only two beds that Floyd will throw temper tantrum in the hopes that he can force Riddle share a bed with him so he can squeeze Riddle all night. Riddle will know no peace.

Group 5

This group would probably behave just fine as long as Idia does not antagonize Ace. This group would probably spend the entire night playing Mario Kart and eating pizza and junk food. It would only break out in the fist fight if Idia constantly keeps insulting Ace for losing on Rainbow road. Deuce would probably get aggravated as well but Ortho would be able to talk him down.

Group 6

Because MC would be in here you could only imagine what chaos or serenity there would be. Besides Sebek who is upset that none of his Lord's guards are in the same room as him. Lilia will do his best to calm him down while laughing and watching Cater's magicam updates about the board games. Jamil would be having an aneurysm while yelling into the phone for Kalim to not sign any deals and trying to get Kalim to hand the phone over to Azul. Jamil thought just once he could just lay back and relax without concern but now he's thinking about making fresh seafood for dinner. After Sebek and Jamil both stop screaming, MC goes to laid down in one of the beds and finally got to rest without the fear of an overblot or Grim asking for tuna.

[diggerunit]

Learnings

You learn something new every day. As long as you stop and observe rather than just rushing through life.

But most importantly, the ability to get to know YOU in every single aspect is the key to a lot of positive things. For example:

Avoiding situations you’re not going to be comfortable in

Knowing when it’s time to leave, even if in the beginning you were doing well in that situation/place/job/party/relationship

Recognizing what’s really important to you from irrelevant stuff

Emotional regulation

Anticipating situations or circumstances and have a plan for it

Find enjoyment and fulfillment from doing what you love (like, for real)

Stop judging yourself and being so hard on you. It’s just not worth it. Self-kindness is non-negotiable on your quest for a serene life.

Let’s use an example: you’ve had an awful week, plenty of bad news. On top of it, you had extra expenses because, let’s say, it’s your brother-in-law birthday and the group decided to gift him a trip to Maldives in High Season. And of course you are in the group and cannot say no.

And maybe just before this shitstorm, you were planning to go and workout every day in the gym, because in 2 weeks you’re going to Ibiza and you feel like you’ve been eating too many Cheetos after dinner (guess what? you’re stressed and that’s how you cope with it). But no way your Cheetos belly can make its appearance on the Ibiza beach, so “yes! this is my week to burn this down”. 

And then the first bad news comes in. And then another one, and then the WhatsApp Group notifications and the Maldives. And the money.. “oh, man really?” you think. You even tried to speak up and make the group reconsider, but no, nobody listens. Long story short, you miss the gym a couple of times, or even 3 or 4. And it’s Friday already.

You look at yourself in the mirror and the Cheetos belly is staring back at you. So, at this point you have 2 main alternatives:

1. Go with the Cheetos, again. Because you failed, so nothing matters in life anymore. The Cheetos know you, they understand you. They are sweet and lovely. And then maybe you even get mad, and “fuck, no way, I’m an idiot, I failed”. And back to the Cheetos. And you’re trapped in this cycle.

2. You knew this would happen. You actually took a moment on Tuesday and said “hmm, this week started like shit. I’m sure I'll be emotionally screwed by Thursday, because I know me and seeing what’s coming down, I will probably fail my goal to train this week. But guess what, that’s OK. Nobody’s perfect, this week I had a meltdown and it looks like there might be more on their way. So yes, I know that training helps me and heals me, but it’s not the only thing that works. It is OK to start healing by slowing down, before going back to the training schedule”. And guess what happens with option number 2: stress release. The pressure goes down, the room seems bigger, the light brighter. Your feel even prettier. Guess what, the world did not stop nor exploded because of you skipping the gym. And I can assure you that the day you’ll go back to the training you’ll have the biggest motivation boost. 

Also, choosing option 2 allows you to make a backup plan with a clear mind, rather than being lost in wild rage against yourself. You anticipated what would happen and where the circumstances will bring you, so you were prepared, but also you know that the shitstorm won’t last forever. And that’s the moment you have to keep your eyes on.

You may not achieve your goal and bring the Cheetos belly to Ibiza? True. It this the end of the world? Doesn’t look like it. Would the Cheetos belly disappear if you went with option 1? Absolutely not, it would actually get even bigger. And we all know it. So yes, this is just a version of “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”.

Bottom line? Be kind with yourself. Be understanding, be fair. Recognize what you’re going through, its weight and consequences on you, emotionally. It’s OK to change plans to heal. And by doing so, you’re actually helping yourself recover faster and better and come back stronger. It’s okay to take some time and just be with yourself. Exit from the “performance mindset” and just be.

[skylarkblue]

WIP game: treat yo self?

This one's fun, but it didn't get super far -

THE PREMISE: Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, and Tim Drake have a yearly spa day, where they get mani-pedis and massages, eat doughnuts, talk shit about other superheroes and each by one ludicrous thing with all of Bruce Wayne's money.

(It's "treat yo self" from Parks and Rec, but with Batkids.)

Except this year, Tim can't come.

So Cass invites Jason Todd instead.

(and because this is me, it was probably going to end with Jason and Steph making out.)

Here's a snippet:

“Tim said to ask someone else to go with us,” Steph told Cass, who blinked at her, wide-eyed. Her brow furrowed as she considered the options, and she looked up at Steph, looking about as lost as Steph felt, because to be honest, they didn’t really have other friends outside of each other. They didn’t have friends who weren’t superheroes at all, and it would be hard to find people who could see the scars that littered both their bodies and not offer up judgement or concern.

Steph was broken out of her reverie by the sound of someone thundering down the hall.

“I’m not fuckin’ doing it!” A familiar voice yelled, and there was the sound of a door slamming. Steph and Cass shared a look as Jason rounded the corner, his chest heaving, clearly having just finished up in a shouting match with Bruce.

It was a tentative truce, the one between Jason and Bruce. They had come to accept each other as family again, but occasionally the years of anger between them would fester and bubble up, bursting out at the most inopportune times - like right now, for instance.

“Jason,” Cass said quietly, leaning in close to Steph’s ear. “We could ask Jason.”

“We can’t ask Jason,” Steph said, leaning back to give Cass a surprised stare, her eyebrows shooting up to somewhere around her hairline. “He’s - he wouldn’t get the point of the day, okay? He’s so angry all the time. I don’t think he’s relaxed in years.”

“Exactly,” Cass replied, munching on a doughnut. “He needs this.”

Steph looked between Cass, who was looking serene, like she’d just cracked some great code, and Jason, who was stalking towards them with rage in his eyes, and picked up the box of doughnuts.

She held it out to him, and said, “Doughnut?”

[ruchi-harvest]

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End

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[alcoholismisnotpoggers]

27/04/2023

To be honest

[2:04 PM]Going over all of the details of the last few days is going to be hell (edited)

[2:04 PM]I know what's going on in my life right now

[2:04 PM]Ever since I started Uber eats I've been excessively doing it in order to fulfill the satisfaction of earning money just by going around on a bike

[2:05 PM]It's a fun job and maybe I could do this for the rest of my life

[2:05 PM]But I was raised differently

[2:05 PM]I was given the opportunity to go to [Redacted], to come to the University of [Redacted], given money privileges in life. All of this current result in me doing a subpar job

[2:05 PM]I owe it to my parents to do well in my career so that I can take care of them when they are old

[2:06 PM]I know it's not fun

[2:06 PM]It's going to be hard especially for someone like me who's fucking lazy

[2:06 PM]But weirdly whenever I look at the lo-fi girl and the new lo-fi boy, I get a sense of serenity

[2:06 PM]I know they're not real

[2:06 PM]But let's just say that they are

[2:06 PM]They have been working consistently since 2016

[2:07 PM]It sounds stupid but they still have lives outside of their work

[2:07 PM]Maybe I could join them one day

[2:07 PM]I'm going to be 23 in a few weeks

[2:07 PM]That kind of makes me forever older brother status to some young kid

[2:07 PM]It reminds me of Jonathan Livingston seagull

[2:07 PM][Redacted], if you're reading this then Jonathan Livingston seagull is a book which I think you'll really like

[2:08 PM]Think about how I could potentially be a role model to someone younger than me

[2:08 PM]I don't want for that kid to look at me. Thinking like holy fuck this guy's a loser

[2:08 PM]I want to be able to help people

[2:08 PM]In order to do that I have to help myself

[2:09 PM]I have a class at 3:15

[2:09 PM]I should probably do the homework for that

[mary-angela]

4 Reasons to Choose a Cabin or Cottage Rental Over a Hotel

Taking time to get away is always a good idea, whether you like romantic cabin rentals or nature-themed weekend vacations to escape the rush of city life. 

According to various studies, vacations suit your heart, mind, and stress levels. It has also been found that a break can improve personal relationships. 

It's critical to press the reset button because most employed adults in the U.S. report feeling rejuvenated after returning from a vacation. Statistics show that many Americans don't even use their vacation time. 

Each additional ten hours of vacation led to an eight percent improvement in performance. Taking a break is crucial for your mental health. You can quickly get a cabin for rent in Colorado, which can be a great option to refresh your mind. 

In this blog, we will talk about a few reasons to choose a cabin rental over a fancy hotel stay.  

The Space

After a few days, hotel rooms can start to seem cramped, especially if you're used to living in a bigger house. The surroundings are frequently cold and sterile, giving you the impression that you are living in a shoe box. 

To create a cozier atmosphere, cabins for rent in Colorado are frequently designed in a homey or rustic style. They will most likely feature a separate bedroom space that you can use as a peaceful retreat. You can read and unwind or sleep if you like because, unlike in a hotel, there won't be someone pacing up and down the hall outside your door. 

During a secluded cabin getaway, you and your partner can frequently rediscover your romantic connection due to fewer outside distractions.

The Cost

The cost of cabins for rent in Colorado is low compared to that of a hotel room. However, they are often less expensive because they are reserved weekly. Additionally, you can split the cost of a larger cabin rental with family or friends to make your trip even more reasonable.

In contrast to a hotel, where you must order room service, place a takeout order, or dine out, a cabin also has a kitchen. The ability to cook inside the cabin has many advantages, including saving money on food. The price of eating out every meal quickly mounts.

The Scenery

After all, "nature weekend getaways" are so named for a reason. Outside of the city, cabins are frequently found in forests and next to lakes. You could even boat, fish, swim, bike, hike, and do much more because the cabin has waterfront and land access.

If you are far enough from the city lights, you may enjoy a campfire, cook on the grill, and even view the stars at night. Unlike staying at a hotel in a major city or sprawling suburb, everything is romantic, natural, and serene. The peace you get from a cabin can't be found anywhere else because it's situated in a secluded area, away from the crowds.

These are just a few of the benefits of vacationing in a private cabin rather than a city or hotel. For a few days or even a few weeks, you could enjoy your vacation to the fullest, save money, and enjoy all the other perks of your home away from home. 

Better for Little Ones and Pets

You've probably already grasped this advantage, but renting a cottage is a no-brainer if you travel with children or dogs. Few hotels accept pets in their rooms. If they do, they frequently have insufficient space and charge higher prices.

Kids are just as affected. Family hotel rooms are frequently small, and if your children are asleep, you must keep quiet for the rest of the night to avoid waking them. If they are found asleep in another room, you can crack open that bottle of wine in the cabin. Furthermore, having a kitchen allows you to prepare meals for your children to eat at home and store pet food. 

Conclusion 

We at Jacobs Ranch Homestead provide amazing and affordable cabins for rent in Colorado, perfect for occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and family gatherings. For more information, visit our official website.

[alohastyles-x]

So I just had a panic attack in work in front of my manager, coworkers and a load of customers (im a waitress) and I was wondering how would druig and probably makkari with him, how they'd react if they were customers at a restaurant and saw their server having a panic attack

Just cause it would be nice to see how people should react and ik druig and makkari would be amazing! xx

First of all- I hope you are doing okay love!! I served for 3 days before quitting because I had a panic attack each shift in front of everyone, so I fully understand how you feel!! Hugs to you <3 <3 Anxiety is the absolute worse and I'm so sorry you struggle with this too :(

Pairing: Druig x Makkari x GN! reader (they/them pronouns if any will be used)

Summary: You have a panic attack while working as a server. Druig and Makkari over hear/see and help you.

Warnings: descriptive anxiety attack, rude people, language.

Druig Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Marvel Masterlist | Wattpad |

Working a double shift today was the worst idea you could have imagined... but you needed the money. It was a crazy day, the busiest one the restaurant has had this week. You were running on very little adrenaline, trying your hardest to push through the rest of the shift.

"Hi, my name is Y/N, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you guys started to drink?" You asked your next table. There were two people sitting there, one a dark and brooding man, the other a light and airy female. Two polar opposites.

"We'll just have waters," the man said to you, as he watched what the lady in front of him signed to him. You smiled, before walking back to the kitchen to fill their cups with water.

Suddenly, an all to familiar feeling rushed over you as you filled the glasses. You heart sunk to your stomach, and your breath hitched in your throat. The uncomfortable feeling only intensified, but you tried your hardest to brush it off, trying to remember the techniques your therapist taught you. You took three deep breaths, before walking to the table.

"Here you go, are you guys ready to order?" You asked, your speech rushed as your face flushed from the anxiety writhing away in your stomach.

The customers in front of you began talking, but you didn't hear a word they said, as their faces blurred, your vision starting to go in and out. It felt like you couldn't breathe, and you began to hyperventilate.

"Hey, hey, hey," a soothing, deep voice suddenly spoke in your ear, as a flood of peace and serenity flooded your body. You felt your body go limp against the body behind you, as they held you closely.

"You're okay... you're safe... you're okay..." he repeated in your ear, until you finally felt better enough to lean forward to see who the affirmations belonged too. It was the dark and brooding man from your table, who was smiling at you. To your left was the girl, holding your hand, stroking her thumb against it.

"Oh my god, Y/N! Are you okay?" It was your manager. They rushed over, kneeling in front of you, worry evident in their eyes.

"Yes, I think so, thanks to..." you trailed off, pointing to the two customers.

"I'm Druig, this is Makkari," he said, pointing to the woman still holding your hand.

"Thank you Druig, Makkari, your meal is on the house, and Y/N, please just take the day off. You've been overworking yourself for weeks now," your manager said, pulling you in for a hug. You hugged them back, while glancing around the restaurant. You were thankful that everyone seemed to be minding their business, or offering you a comforting smile.

When your manager released you, you turned to the couple behind you.

"Thank you Druig, Makkari. My anxiety... it just gets really bad sometimes, and a little too out of control," you say, getting a little embarrassed.

"It's okay, I understand." Druig said and Makkari nodded.

"Why don't you join us for lunch? I'm sure you could use the break to just sit and eat, maybe make some new friends," Druig translated for Makkari, as she gave you the biggest smile she could.

"That would be nice, yeah," you smiled back, grateful for their kindness.

Please remember to always take care of yourself first <3 and my inbox is always open for anyone who needs to talk!! I hope you're having a better day today anon- you have all my love and support! <3