"I'm happy to see you too Ellie" you joked, easing her backpack off her shoulders.
"No, I just mean, he usually picks me up from school" she explained
"He was busy today"
"doing what? What's more important than me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"first of all, I love the way you think, never change it, second off all, I don't really know, he went out in a rush"
"He didn't tell you?"
"no, not really"
"oh I'm gonna have a field day scolding him about not declaring where he's going like he wants me to do"
"he does that because he loves you"
"yeah, well, it's time he gets a sip of his own love" she air-quoted the last word, making you smile.
"you little demon" you chuckled, pulling her closer as you started walking off.
"what the fuck?" you exclaimed, as you swung her backpack on your shoulders "What the fuck do you have in here?"
She looked up at you, a malicious glint in her eyes
"Have you ever heard of books?"
__ __ __
"So how was school?" you asked, as you rounded a corner to get onto the main street.
The wind was blowing but the sun was up in the sky, resulting in the perfect temperature.
The pebbles under your feet sounded with each step as the commune's buildings started surrounding you.
"useless, as usual," Ellie grumbled, her tone scarily matching her dad's.
"oh c'mon, I'm sure you learned some interesting things"
"nope"
You glared at her "Did you at least have some fun?"
A smile crossed her face "That I did" she said, "Me and Dina found a dead frog!"
"ew! gross!" you grimaced "You call that fun?!"
She laughed "I do, it was so soft and... sticky" She touched her fingers like the feelings still lingered on them, and you watched with more than a bit of terror as her eyes sparkled at the memory.
It was at times like this you wondered just how much she had taken from Joel.
"I'm gonna puke" you commented, making her snort
"Relax we didn't do anything bad, Dina insisted we gave it a funeral"
"thank god" you breathed a sigh of relief "That poor thing,"
"We buried it under a tree and gave speeches and everything, it was really moving"
"What did you say?" you asked, as you surpassed the refectory
"You know, the usual stuff" she shrugged "How good of a frog she was, how she'll be deeply missed yadda yadda yadda"
"of course" you chuckled "the usual stuff"
She smiled too now "I'm fucking starving" she moaned
"language" you reminded her, and as usual, got in return the same scowl that told you: first just how hypocritical that was coming from you, and second, that she was never gonna listen to you, and you both knew it.
"Why?" you ignored her look "Didn't you eat?"
"Today was vegetable loaf day" she responded like that was enough of an explanation.
"So what? That sounds good"
"it may sound good, but when you get that green goo on your plate I promise you're gonna change your mind"
"goo?" you made a face
"Yes. Goo." she repeated, "They say Ms. Meril dumps all the rotten vegetables into a pot and then adds a special ingredient, that I personally believe to be..."
You had stopped listening to her a while ago as your eyes stared at the image in front of you.
You would have recognized that hair from a mile away.
He was there. Joel was there.
And not alone.
Your eyes fully focused on the man and woman in front of the pub.
You could see they were talking, and not just that.
Her hand was on his chest, as she stood so close to him they could probably taste each other's breaths.
You couldn't see his face, Joel's face, your boyfriend's face, but what you could very well see was that he wasn't pushing her away or protesting in any other way.
If you hadn't known any better you would have thought they were about to kiss.
And just then, you realized that you did, in fact, not know any better.
You felt your heart speed up, as your feet slowed down, unconsciously coming to a stop.
That's why he had to leave in a rush?
To go fuck another woman?
As much as you felt the rage boiling inside of you like a fire, what really prevailed was the pain of the realization.
You stood there, watching them, as tears clogged your throat.
So much for I love you
So much for I was lost before you
You could physically feel your stomach twist and turn and suddenly you were nauseous.
All this time, you thought, and he's cheating on me
"Hey, you ok?" Ellie's voice was distant, muffled behind the wave of emotions coming at you.
When you didn't respond, she followed your line of sight, still firmly pointed at the pair.
"Oh fuck" she said quietly, making everything worse.
You had secretly wished she would have seen something else, given you an explanation, and laughed at how crazy you were being, but her tone told you everything you needed to know.
"I'm-I'm sorry y/n"
Never, had you heard her stutter.
"I can't believe this- he's an asshole, I'm gonna-" she took a breath "I'm gonna beat him up, and he's gonna regret this, I swear"
As much as you wanted to laugh, you feared the moment you opened your mouth a sob would have fled it instead.
"I can't believe this" she repeated, and the truth was, you couldn't either.
You were happy. There was nothing that didn't work, you had a great relationship, you barely fought, you loved each other's presence, everything was good... or so you thought at least.
And he had thrown it all down the drain
And for what? For some slut he just met?
No, you immediately stopped yourself, No I'm not gonna be one of those women that blames the other woman.
This is all his fault.
He's a cheating, lying bastard who doesn't deserve a minute more of my time, you decided, taking a breath.
"Let's go," you told Ellie
She frowned, confused "A-are you sure"
"let's go"
__ __ __
Ellie hadn't left your side for a second.
You were sat side by side on the couch, your gaze fixated on the chimney in front of you, as Ellie probably rummaged through her mind to think of something to say.
You were frozen. All the anger and the pain mixing together to create a seeming numbness.
"Listen I-"
Ellie's words immediately stopped when the front door opened.
"Hi, I'm home!" He half yelled from the entrance.
"Hello?" He spoke again once he didn't get an answer.
His heavy steps sounded against the floor as he started walking to the living room.
"Where is every-" he stopped once he saw you "There you are, why didn't you answer?"
The confusion on his face only multiplied once you took both your expressions in.
"what is it?" he asked, clueless "I'm sorry I couldn't come get you today something came up"
"Yeah, something," Ellie remarked, disappointment clear in her tone.
Joel frowned "What are you talking about?" he asked, "what's she on about?" he turned to you now.
You were about to speak when the girl beside you interrupted you.
"You know very well what I'm talking about Joel, don't play dumb"
The wrinkles on his forehead increased as his puzzlement persisted.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," she said "I can't believe you would do something like that, especially to y/n"
"what are you-"
"we saw you" Ellie anticipated his question "In town"
"I don't kno-"
The girl wouldn't let him speak, and you'd be lying if you said that didn't make you feel a tiny bit better.
"there's no point in lying anymore we saw you with our own eyes Joel"
He looked at you once again, and you adverted his gaze to look at the very angry girl at your side.
"thank you, Ellie, but I think I can take it from here"
She hesitated, looking between you two "You sure?"
"yes" you swallowed your nerves away "don't worry"
She shot Joel a look for far longer than necessary and then finally got up.
"alright" she nodded "I'm gonna go next door then, but if you need anything just yell," she said, starting down the doorway, but not before stopping at Joel's side "And you... I'm not talking to you anymore" she decided, getting out and closing the door behind her.
The silence that filled the room was louder than any sound you'd ever heard, except the one of your pounding heart of course.
You stood up, walking to the other side of the couch so you were facing him but you were still carefully distant.
"What is going on?" Joel finally spoke
You took a deep breath, reminding yourself that you needed to keep your cool because you're sure as hell not wasting any voice or tears over this asshole
"Joel I know you're cheating on me, or at least have cheated"
"What?"
"When I was getting Ellie home from school we saw you in front of the pub"
You watched as realization crammed his face.
"y/n that was not what you think"
"I'm sure it wasn't Joel" you rolled your eyes "Listen I don't care for any lame excuse or apology, I just need to know one thing... why?" you said "You at least owe me that. Everything was good wasn't it? What was it that made you feel the need to go and fuck some other woman?" for all your promises your voice was getting louder.
"I didn't- y/n I've never cheated on you"
"stop lying!" you burst "Be an adult and fucking own up to what you've done!"
"y/n" he stepped closer to you and you took a step back.
"stop" You put a hand in front of you, signaling for him to not take another step "Answer my question"
Now he took a breath. And god if you didn't want to punch him.
You're frustrated? You're mad? How do you think I feel?
"y/n" he spoke again, his tone more even, "I swear to god sweetheart I have not cheated on you. The woman you saw me with is Jessie, She's just Tommy's friend. Nothing happened, Of course, nothing happened baby, I love you, you know that. I would never hurt you”
“Oh please, so you're telling me all of Tommy's friends get their mouths that close to yours?"
His lips gaped open, as he struggled to find the right words.
"Alright," he breathed, convincing you you were about to get a confession.
A mix of nausea and homicidal rage electrified your body.
"She is... well, she had been- flirting with me," he said "But I've never led her on, sweetheart, I would never do that, I don't have eyes for anyone but you" he sighed, and his deep brown eyes were pained "Listen," he took a step, and this time, for some unknown reason, your feet wouldn't budge, "My brother called me about an emergency and I rushed there to help"
"an emergency at the pub?"
"just-" There was anxiety and sadness creeping up his voice "Please let me finish, I swear it's not what you think baby"
"fine" you nodded
"I helped him out and he invited me for a drink over at the pub and I accepted. We talked for a while and then when I was about to go, Jessie showed up, and she was trying to get me to go to her house, to which I said no and headed out, but she kept following me until we were outside, and that's when she cornered me and I decided it was time to stop being nice and tell her I don't want anything to do with her"
Silence fell again.
"I can call Tommy if you want, he saw all of this"
"Like he wouldn't lie for you" you commented
"You're right, but you also know how strict he is about these things"
that's true, you had to admit.
"Please sweetheart" he begged, his hand trying to grasp at yours "Y/n I love you, I love you more than anything, I'd give my life for you, I'd do anything for you" he promised "I know it's hard to believe me but I swear to anything and anyone you want that I'm telling the truth. we can even ask Jessie if you want, just please- I need you to believe me" If he sounded desperate it's because he was.
"If that's true why didn't you push her away?"
"I-" he stuttered "I didn't because I didn't want to cause a scene, I just wanted to talk like a civilized person, like you always say I should do more"
You bit your lip, trying to make some sense of the mess in your brain.
"Joel" you huffed "Are you being honest? Because I'm giving you a chance to come clean now and if I were you I'd take it"
"I am" he answered within a second "I am sweetheart, I'd never cheat on you, you're the love of my life for god's sake," he said, his hand finally grasping yours.
You looked up at him, and a dark pang of surprise came over you as you noticed the glinting glaze on his eyes matching yours.
"please" he murmured "I can't lose you y/n, not over something like this. I understand how you could have misread things, I do, but I promise that's not what happened." he breathed "I'm yours y/n, I only want to be yours"
Your eyes fell to where your fingers intertwined, all the memories rushing back like a raging river.
"You promise?"
"I promise," he said, and you believed him. because this was Joel Miller we were talking about, the man that you had fallen for since he first saved you, and kept falling for each time he saved you again. He was a good man, no, not the traditional definition of that term, but to you, he was a good man, the best man.
"alright" you decided "Seems like I'm gonna have to have a talk with Jessie"
"And I with Ellie" A small grin tugged at his lips
"Oh she's pissed alright" you chuckled "I don't know if I'd do that if I were you"
Does cherry jk and Mc go further than just analyzing her tattoo? 🥴
A/N: Obv warning for NSFW. set right after the last drabble, it's basically a continuation of it.
He's torturing you. This is legitimate torture, and you're not sure if you'll survive this- and if you do, you'll probably die later because if he's already getting you to a point like this from simple touch alone, what else is he capable of?
Maybe it's the fact that you got a major crush on him that's making you more sensitive to things like this. Or maybe you've just never been treated like this.
He seems truly enamored by your body, most of all your tits that he's currently occupying himself with, lips and tongue combining with his hands, never staying in one place too long. You never really thought about a situation like this- typically, in the past, your chest had been nothing but aesthetics to past partners, something to maybe grab on during the act, but never really anything of importance.
Never something to focus on. Sex isn't about that- or at least it wasn't, back then, and it makes you wonder. What exactly does Jungkook get out of this himself?
But you fail to really concentrate on that topic, as he suddenly puts his teeth into the mix, gently biting one of your by now horribly sensitive buds to pull and let go, chuckling when your back arches off the couch. He's licking, kissing, now even biting- and you're by now convinced that you are one of those who can indeed cum from just this.
Maybe? Or maybe not? You're unsure, and you're also getting impatient. Your underwear must be soaking by now, thighs rubbing together unashamed. He's already sucking on your tits- there's really nothing to be embarrassed about.
"Wanna eat you out." He breathes over your chest, hands still fondling your soft flesh, and you whine.
"Please..!" You ask, because at this point, you can't take it anymore.
"Do you have a hairtie or something?" Jungkook wonders up at you at this invitation of yours, leaning up again to collect his hair with his hands.
"Uhm.. here?" You wonder, offering your wrist where a simple black elastic is resting around, one he takes with a grin, tying his hair back. You're not sure why exactly, his fingers brushing all of his hair back to collect as much of it as possible, getting most of it out of his face.
"Thanks." He grins, before he moves back to push down your shorts to let them fall down this time, hands moving over your thighs. "Hm.. what if we put some ink on those too?" He purrs, palms moving in between them before he changes his mind, leaving your fluffy overknees on after struggling a bit with the straps holding them up, which are connected to a lace garter belt. "Really pretty by the way. You like lingery?" He wonders casually, finally figuring out how to unhook the straps from your socks to be able to remove your panties, and you nod.
""I.. like to feel pretty.." You admit a bit quietly, and he smiles brightly at that, pulling down your underwear- and for a second you're confused why he stuffs your panties in the pocket of his sweatpants, but you don't get to question it for long, as he pulls your legs over his shoulders, body leaning down to dive in.
You don't care how he seems to know so well how to use his tongue and mouth- all that you do care about is that you're way too worked up to last very long.
Especially when his fingers join in and push inside you, you can't help but curl your toes as you summon all of your strength as to not push your legs closed. What you don't have any control over is the way your hips move- but it doesn't seem to bother him much, as he starts to suck, one drawn out lick with the flatness of his tongue enough to suddenly make you come undone.
His face leaves your core, but the heel of his hand gently helps you ride out your high, fingers leaving you after, the way you clenched around the digits giving him ideas for future endeavors-
and also enough material to make up scenarios in his head for days.
You can see him adjust himself in his pants a little, tent fairly evident- and you're not sure what you think of it. He's not asking for it- but isn't it something you should do?
Maybe the main reason you want to is both curiosity, and the fact that he doesn't immediately demand anything in return. He's nice.
You like him.
And you also want to see him- all of him.
"Hm?" He asks, wiping his mouth with his hand, before you sit up, cringing a bit at the wetness between your thighs. You slowly look down at him, gaze focusing on his obvious boner, and he chuckles. "Wanna see? We don't have to do anything, I can just rub one out later in the shower, no worries." He casually says, but you shake your head.
"I want to do something." You say. "But.. I might not be good at it?" You worry, and he laughs.
"Practice makes perfect." He shrugs. "If you wanna, you can." Jungkook offers, moving down his pants before he pulls himself out of his underwear.
Everything he does is always so.. normal. As if this is nothing special at all- but in a good way. There's no pressure to make things as perfect as possible. It's comfortable.
When you touch him, he hisses a bit, even his dick twitching a bit, as if startled. "Sorry- your hands are cold." He laughs, and you giggle along.
"Sorry." You apologize as well, moving around to see what makes him feel good. It's not like you've never given a handjob in your life- but this time you actually don't feel like you have to, and it's making you wonder how you can offer him the same as you've received.
But your next move surprises even yourself, because this, you haven't done before.
You lean down to take his tip into your mouth, causing a faint 'oh god' to breathe past his lips above you, hand finding your head as you circle your tongue over the head, feeling the rest of him twitch on occasion. You fail to really take him and deeper, so you instead let go of his cock to spit in your hand, unsure how else really to make movement any more comfortable for the both of you.
He groans at that. It sounds almost pained.
Hopefully your hands are now warm enough as you move, lick and suck, trying to judge from the way his balls seem to tighten in your palm how close he might be-
When his hand pushes a little, fingers digging into your hair to grab tightly, head and upper body leaning back on his unoccupied hand keeping him somewhat upright as he cums, thick seed filling your mouth in several spurts.
He breathes loudly, before he lets go of your head, surprised face clearly showing a hint of worry as he inspects you, thinking he might've hurt you as you cringe a bit. His hands hold your cheeks, eyes darting around to judge if he's been a bit too rough with that push, when you look at him.
"It's bitter." You complain, and he laughs in relief, resting his forehead against yours, grinning so hard his cheeks hurt.
A/n: this one was written by my twin, @dreamiezpsycho, she will probably write a few more, so expect to hear more from her in the future
Synopsis: Charles is unable to even start the race when he discovers your life is on the line.
Pairing: Charles Leclerc X Fem!reader
Warnings; house fire, panic, detail of injury, mention of death
Word count: 3.5K
You and Charles had always had a very understanding relationship. Had always been very open with each other. And it was established early on that you were extremely bad at replying to text and remembering to message him back. So he currently wasn't concerned that you hadn't replied to his most recent ones.
You had been at the track this morning but had left a little over an hour ago to finalise the paper for your house, having sold it to someone. You and Charles still lived separately, but you were currently in the midst of forming a plan to move in with him.
Most of your very important stuff already being at his house meant you only had the last bits and pieces to pack and collect from your place. Maybe sell some of the furniture you no longer needed.
His current assumption was that you were too engrossed in something to respond to him, so he thought nothing of it knowing you'll get back to him eventually.
He pulled his focus back to his busy schedule. He had about 10 minutes before he was due to be pulled into another meeting, and wanted a couple minutes of peace before he was dragged out of the comfort of his room.
Inside the room he could hide from the chaos of the world outside, taking five minutes to breath. But the funny thing was the chaos soon materialise in his room in the form of his brother, Arthur.
At first Charles was ready to kick him out too content with the silence and comfort of his own thought. But he soon realised having someone to talk with wasn't the worst thing. Arthur situated himself in the chair opposite Charles and they fell into easy and light topics of conversation.
Charles had a habit of silencing his phone in his brief time spent in his room, so he never saw the frantic message from his eldest brother and friends.
So it was a shock when Lorenzo burst through the door, making both Charles and Arthur jump in their seats. Their eldest brother had been followed by a Ferrari worker who looked like he had been trying to stop his brother from coming in entirely.
Lorenzo looked frantic, heavy breaths left his chest and sweat dotted his forehead. He held his phone in one hand and supported himself on the doorframe with the other. His eyes instantly found Charles.
He went to say something when the Ferrari worker trued to push Lorenzo out the room by his chest. Charles didn't recognise the man, who was probably new. But his hand on his eldest brother chest trying to force him out the room only seemed to anger Charles.
" Dude let him in, he's my brother" at Charles's words the worker froze. He dropped his hand from Lorenzo's chest but still looked like he would prefer if the older Leclerc would leave the room. He looked at Charles again, nodded before he walled out. He had only vanished when Lorenzo started speaking.
"Have you heard from Y/n?" Lorenzo's words sent a cold chill down his spine. It wasn't uncommon for his brothers to question her whereabouts. She was always with Charles now and that meant she had gotten really close to his family. They loved her, sometimes he thinks it's greater than the love they have for him. But Lorenzo's tone told him this wasn't one of those times they asked out of curiosity. This was urgent. Panicked.
Charles couldn't seem to form words, they got all caught up in his throat. He manged to shake his head as he stood, about to give a verbal response when another familiar face appeared at the door to his room.
"Why the hell is your phone on silent?!" Pierre questioned, he almost sounded angry as he too held his phone in his hand. His race suit hanging around his waist. It was obvious he had run here as well, how he had gotten past the Ferrari workers this close to a race Charles didn't ask. He also didn't answer Pierre's' question.
"What is going on?" He had clearly missed something big and almost held his breath waiting for the answer. Arthur had now risen up from his chair and stood a foot behind Charles. Also looking equally as confused.
"Have you really not heard from Y/n?" Lorenzo asked again. Just to make sure Charles grabbed his phone from the desk. Still he hadn't had anything from you. For some reason this made his heart clench. Panic rose without warning.
"No I haven't. Now will someone tell me what's going on?" Charles felt like he couldn't breath, Pierre and Lorenzo looked between each other. They didn't know how to tell him the news. Charles could see it on their faces.
He felt a light tapping on his shoulder the same time Arthur whispered his name softly. Charles spun to see his younger brothers eye on the screen. They held disbelief and pain in them. Charles didn't even wait he simply snatched the phone from Arthur's hands.
On the screen was a News article. It had only been put up ten minutes ago, and it was continuously being updated. It was last updated two minutes ago. Upon reading the head line Charles whole being froze.
MONACO APARTMENT BURNT DOWN. THREE CONFIRMED DEAD.
He continued to read and the more the words seemed to blur. He felt like his world was falling apart. And it did when he read the last line.
" That's Y/n's address" He looked up from the screen in the hopes that his brother would deny it. He waited for anyone to tell him it was a joke. But no one did. No one said a word. The silence screamed at him. He needed to get out of this room.
He said nothing to his brothers or best friend as he shoved his way past them, grabbing his car keys and walking out the door. He didn't bother to respond to any of the mechanics or staff as he charged past them. He couldn't respond to them, you being the only thing in his mind.
He didn't even know where he was going. Only that he had to get to you. You needed his help, he knew you weren't one of the three dead. You couldn't be, you simply had forgotten to text him back. That was it. You were always forgetting to respond to his messages. He wouldn't accept the alternative. Knew it couldn't be true.
It was Lorenzo who caught up to Charles first. He grabbed a hold of his arm, forcing him to a stop. Charles spun to look at him.
"Charles stop. You're not thinking." Lorenzo was panting heavily. Had he been going that fast? "You can't just leave. We don't even know how badly her apartment was affected." His brother tried to reason.
"Enzo, it said burnt to the ground. That tells me all I need to know" He went to turn away again, attempting to find his car so he can drive to you. Lorenzo only tightened his grip.
"You can't just leave. What about the race? What will you tell the team?" His brother's words went in one ear and out the other. He couldn't think about racing when he didn't know if you were alive or dead. They couldn't expect him to race in this state. He could feel the panic taking root in his chest. It wouldn't be safe for him to drive a car.
Charles hadn't noticed that Pierre was standing next to Lorenzo until he started to speak.
"I'll tell them what happened. They'll understand. Go. I'll cover for you" Charles had never been more grateful for his best friend. He nodded at Pierre once before he was turning in the direction of his car, only to be stopped by Arthur this time.
"You're not driving" Arthur claimed as he snatched the keys from his fingers. Charles didn't even try to argue with his younger brother as the three Leclerc brother made their way towards his car.
Charles had never known torture like the kind he experienced in the drive to your apartment complex. The drive had never felt this long. But the smoke billowing above the buildings and the sirens going off in the distance only added to his agitation.
"Arthur, go faster" his younger brother heeded his request and pushed down more on the accelerator. The car picked up its pace. Racing through the streets so fast it couldn't be legal. Lorenzo in the back of the car had a steady hand on Charles shoulder.
The car was stopped two streets over from the apartment complex being blocked off by stopped cars. Fire fighters and police everywhere. Charles didn't even wait for the car to fully pull to a stop before he was out and running.
He doesn't remember the run through those last two streets separating him from you. And as he made the last turn onto the street he came to a screeching halt. He could only stare at the space where your apartment should be. The building was still smoking but that was the only evidence that a fire had existed. He couldn't yet make out if there was anything left after the fire, not with the amount of smoke still hanging in the air.
His thought became frantic as his mind forced his body into action again. He began moving through the crowds of service workers. He didn't seen any familiar faces. His search became one of desperation the longer he went without seeing your face.
He passed many people is various stages of distress. Some were crying in pain other held loved ones. Many were being treated by paramedics. In the back of an ambulance he finally saw a face he recognised and he raced towards it.
"Juliette" At the sound of her name being called the girl turned around. An oxygen mask sat over her mouth and nose. Her skin was covered in soot but she looked relatively unharmed.
"Charles?" You neighbour stared in momentary confusion as her eyes landed on him. Juliette was the girl who lived in the apartment next to yours. The two of you had become close friends, so she knew all about your formula one boyfriend.
"Are you alright?" He couldn't stop thinking about your safety but he had to make sure Juliette was alright as well. She nodded slightly. "Do you know where Y/n is?" This time she shook her head.
"I'm sorry Charles. I never saw her leave the building" The girl chocked back a sob as the words left her lips. The implication behind her words being too much for her after the already traumatic experience.
Without another word Charles spun back towards where the building should be. He felt helpless. He didn't know what to do. He heard Juliette call his name again, but he was already move further through the crowd. He refused to believe you had been one the three dead from the fire.
It began to feel like he had walked around the areas five times. And each time his search for you left him empty handed. There was a momentary clearing where the frantic paramedics and police officers seemed to walk around him unaware and unfazed of his presence entirely. Charles took this second to stop, he allowed his eyes to travel while his body remained stationery. He moved in a circular motion scanning over every face as he went. This felt hopeless. He felt hopeless. That was until he heard it.
He froze.
It was possible he was hearing things, but he still spun towards the sounds. Trying to pin point it's location. And there is was. There you were.
You were sitting in the back of an ambulance, hooked up to machines and oxygen mask sitting over your beautiful face. Your skin was black from the soot, it covering every inch of exposed skin. The white of your eyes stood out more then usual. But they zoned in on him none the less.
"Charles?" You said again. The fire had cause so much confusion you weren't sure if you were seeing your boyfriend or not. He shouldn't be here, having many responsibilities at the track. But as he turned you got a clear view of your boyfriend's face. "Charles" you cried loudly.
Charles watched as you unhooked yourself from the machines. And jumped from the back of the ambulance. Only when you were running did his body move on its own accord.
The two of you rushing through the crowd to reach over. When you did, your bodies collided. But you didn't feel any pain. Only relief. Charles wrapped himself around you, protecting you inside his arms. You squeezed back. You felt as he planted kiss after kiss on the top of your head. Your hair probably stunk on smoke but Charles didn't seem to care.
Charles pulled away first, keeping you at arms length as he looked you over. Checking for any visible injuries. When he found none his eyes finally met yours once more. His hand coming up to wipe away the tears you didn't realise had fallen.
"Your alright." He spoke. The words more of a reassurance to himself. The loud cry left you and he pulled you back into him.
He simply held you as you cried in his arms. The emotions of the day making their way out of you in the form of body rocking sobs.
"I'm so sorry" as you said the words through gasping breath Charles only looked on in confusion. Why were you apologising? " I should of text you. You must have been so worried, I'm so sorry"
"No no no, Ma chérie. Do not apologise, none of this is your fault" He pulled you into his chest again, bringing his hand up to stroke you hair down on the back of your head. Soothing your sobs.
Over your head he could see the paramedics who had been treating you making their way through crowd towards where you both stood. They carried oxygen with them.
It was then he realised you might not be injured physically but smoke can do just as much damage. He pushed you away slightly so he could look at your face.
"Come on, we better get to back to the ambulance so they can make sure you're alright." On cue the adrenaline seemed to wear off and your knees buckled. Almost as if they recalled how fatigued they were.
Charles reaction time being as quick as it was meant he caught you before you hit the ground.
"I've got you Chérie" Charles picked you up and began following the paramedics back towards the ambulance. He placed you down on the ledge by the doors.
He watched in concern as the paramedics placed the mask back over your face and began hooking you up to machines again. There was now a constant beep as they monitored your heart.
Only now did he take in how tired you looked. This worried him as he watch the paramedics work around you. Asking how you feel and stuff. He stood a little out the way with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched their every movement around you. Occasionally asked questions to what they were doing and why it was being done. They were mostly checking to see how much the smoke had damaged your lungs. And if you needed further medical attention.
It wasn't long before Lorenzo appeared. His face stuck around the side of the opened door to the ambulance. His face dropped into one of relief as he saw you were alright.
"Thank god" He said. You looked up sheepishly at the older Leclerc. " You gave us quite the scare" He chuckled lightly, but he smiled down at you.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to" you said. You began to play with your fingers when Charles took your hands in his.
"Where is Arthur?" Charles said as he turned to his elder brother. At his words you looked up at them both.
"Arthur is here too?" You gaped at them, shocked at the commotion you had caused. You couldn't imagine the amount of trouble Charles was gonna get in for this. Leaving like that before a race.
"Yeah, you had us all worried Chérie." He squeezed your hand in reassurance again, running his thumb over the back of your hand. "But where is he anyways?"
"He stayed with your very expensive car. I'll go and call him now to let him know everyone is alright" with that Lorenzo walked off somewhere to the left of the ambulance. On cue one of the paramedics turned to you with a slight smile on her face.
"Alright Y/n, we are comfortable with your stats. You don't need to come in, but if anything gets worse and you have any concerns don't be scared to come in to get check out." You nodded along with her words as her colleague began unplugging you from all the machines. "Have you got somewhere to stay tonight?" She asked you. Before you could even form the words your boyfriend beat you to it.
"Yeah she does. She's staying with me" the paramedic smiled between the two of you and nodded. Comfortable with the answer, she stated you were free to go and to simply take is easy.
Getting up you practically hung onto Charles side, who had an arm around you. Ready to catch you if you were to fall. He kept glancing over at you in concern.
"Charles I'm alright. I just really need sleep" He nodded at your words but didn't seem convinced. But a small smirk did work its way onto his face.
"You know, Chérie if you wanted to move in earlier. You should of just said so" you almost stopped and laughed at his words. The events of the day made you want to laugh as well as cry. Everything was so out of whack. "Was that too soon?" He questioned and you nodded. He smiled slightly as he pulled you closer to kiss you head.
"Come on Chérie. Let get you home to shower and get into bed" He said home.
Finn took a deep breath, a poor attempt to loosen his nerves. He had all reasons to be nervous, he was finally getting to see his long-time best friend after so many years. While they did speak on the phone and spent hours sending texts back and forth between their devices, it was nothing compared to the real thing. The blonde's felt his heart thump loudly against his chest, reminding him of all those moments in their youth when he was painfully in love with his friend and they had no clue.
Hah, they still don't! (Y/n), his bestie who doesn't know how they make him feel every time they speak. (Y/n) who had no idea of the lovesick gazes he would send them whenever they weren't looking. (Y/n) who was oblivious to his feelings for years, somehow never realising despite it staring them straight in the eyes. (Y/n) who remained clueless to his despair the day they announced their relationship. (Y/n) who never saw him on the floor in his room, covered with snot and ears, desperately crying for them.
Finn dubble checked his phone to make sure he was at the right address, it would be embarrassing to hype himself up only to be met with an old lady in the doorway. Geez, he knew (Y/n) would laugh their ass of if that happened and he'd rather not be ridiculed during their first reunion in so long. He smiled at the thought, god how he loved that laugh.
His friend always complained they hated it, but he found it cute and always reassured there was nothing to be ashamed of, even if they sounded like a 'dying-elephant-choking-on-its-own-trunk-while-having-a-cold-and-birthing-a-new-elephant.'
After just a few seconds after knocking on the wooden frame, the door swung open and he laid eyes on the most important person in his life.
"Oh my god, Finn!" You exclaimed in joy at the sight. "I haven't seen you like this in ages. It's great that you could come, I can't wait to show you everything I've told you about."
He giggled at your enthusiasm, it was always like this, you lifting him up and making him see the beauty in things he would otherwise pay no mind to.
You pulled Finn inside your apartment, excited to exhibit your home to him. "We've gotten a bunch of plants- to make the air in here fresh you know- and even started our own little plantation on the balcony. There are lots up on the roof, too. It's accessible to everyone in the building so we're not the only ones doing this. Oh, and there's a pool you can use! It's awesome for parties."
As the blonde man was getting sucked into your babble, one word in your speech painfully stuck out to him: We. Oh, right. He almost forgot. Your not alone living in this home.
"(Y/n), have you seen the wine? I wanted to bring it out for when- oh!" Finn looked passed you and saw a tall, handsome brunette make his way around the corner and meet eyes with him. "Why didn't you say he arrived already?" He chuckled and wrapped his arm around your waist. "Trying to make me look bad, are we?" Your boyfriend teased you.
You slapped his arm, "Of course not, just got a bit caught up in the conversation, Eric. And I put the wine in the second box in the fridge, it's behind a bunch of other stuff so it's hard to see."
"Haha, okay, was getting panicky there." Eric stepped forward to properly greet his guest. "Hey, I'm Eric as you probably already know."
"Finn." He responded dryly, but if the other man noticed, he didn't express it. Or perhaps he simply didn't care.
"It's fun to meet one of (Y/n)'s old friends, I know you two go way back." Ushering his partner's childhood friend further inside, he spoke, "I hope the trip wasn't too much of a hassle, wouldn't want this to be of any trouble for you."
Of course it wasn't any trouble, Finn wanted to snap. But he wasn't dumb enough to do that. He understood what would happen if he acted upon his feelings.
“No, there were no issues.”
The three of you sat down in the living room, pouring the liquid evenly and getting the conversation started. Finn found himself multiple times wanting to throw your partner against the wall. It was so unfair. Everything was. Why did Eric get to live with you and he didn't? He knew you way better than your own boyfriend. You two have been together since you were crawling around in diapers. What could possibly beat that?
He was there when you lost your first tooth. He was there when you first learned to ride a bike, when you got that job at the ice cream shop in the plaza, and moved out of your parents house. All the important moments in your life, he had been present. And what the hell has Eric done except watering some plants with you? It was laughable. Anyone could see he was not worthy of being your boyfriend. Finn would do anything for you and he doubted the same could be said for Mr. Gardner.
A part of him was ashamed at the unethical length he was willing to go, but on the other hand those feeling were washed away when he saw you beaming at him. It was all worth it if it was for you.
You and Eric were retelling funny stories of your time in the city while Finn was writhing in envy, glaring slightly in the other man's direction, not that you noticed of course. Dinner rolled around and you served your friend with great eagerness, you have been working on your culinary skills for a while now and it was time to see if the work had payed off. The brunette had endured as your Guinea pig and said it tasted good, but you insisted the true test was giving the food to someone else.
"How is it?"
Finn gasped for added affect, "It's amazing (Y/n)! You're a fantastic chef, this is definitely the best meal I've ever had." He praised, and your ego nearly boosted through the roof.
Your cheeks dusted a light pink. "Haha, well thanks. It's not that good, but I appreciate it."
The blonde man simply smiled in content. The truth was, the dish was in fact not that good. It wasn't bad by any means, however it wouldn't win any award. The past was cooked too long and the sauce had a burnt taste to it. Despite all these factors, it was without a doubt the best meal he ever had. Because it was something you had made for him with your own hands. Even the ingredients were ones you'd grown by yourself. (Partly with your sweetheart's help, but Finn pretended not to know.)
You really were his true love. Which is why it is so sad. He wasn't sure if he could love anyone other than you. After he found out about your relationship status the young man tried to make himself like someone else; not everything works out the way we wish them to and he was therefore forced to live with his unrequited love.
"Actually, there's another reason we wanted you to visit." You joyfully mentioned. "It's pretty important."
Your friend chewed his food and gave you a nod, signaling you to continue your speech. He wondered what is was. It appeared to be a big deal, but he assumed it wasn't anything bad judging from your happy expression, one that was mirroring the brunette's. A dreadful feeling formed in his gut. He didn't like this.
"Well," you started, coyly. "Me and Eric have been dating for a long time now, and we want to take the next step in our lives together."
No, he really didn't like where this was going.
"So, we made the decision to-" you could barely contain your smile, " get married!"
Something in him shattered. Married? You? To someone else. Fuck, he wanted to cry. But that would definitely set you off into a worrying mess, something he'd rather avoid. No, no , no, he thought. It can't be! Although he tried to contain his emotions as best he could, it appeared som e of it slipped passed the mask.
"Hey, you good man?" Eric asked.
This comment attracted your attention, "Huh, are you not feeling well, Finn?" Fretting over his condition only served to worsen the situation, reminding him of what he couldn't have.
In the end he had to excuse himself and lie that he did feel a bit sick, and that he had been for a while but thought he would be fine after a while. You were sad that he had to leave so soon and wished him well. Escorting him to the door, you said to him, "Sad you're not 100% top today."
"Ehehe, yeah...." he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. Technically it wasn't a lie, he did want to go and bury himself in a corner, though it was for other reasons entirely.
"Are you sure you don't want to spend the night here, it's no problem?" Oh how good willed you were, offering up space in your home to stop your friend from having to spend money on a hotel. Normally he'd love to spend the night, this time however, he didn't believe it to be a wise idea for any of you.
"Yeah I'm sure. I'll just get a hotel room not far away and then I'll drive back home tomorrow."
"Okay, maybe we can hangout before you go if you're better tomorrow?" You asked hopefully. "Just you and me like old days."
This made him smile. Just you and him. That sounded good. He agreed to your request and hugged you goodbye for the night. You waved to him from the window when he'd made his way outside and into his car. Watching Finn drive away, you felt a hand sneak itself around your waist.
"Think he'll be alright?" A deep voice sounded from behind you.
"Yes, it'll be all fine. Nothing a goodnight's rest can't fix." You assured. Though, something about your friend's reaction didn't sit right with you. He should be over the moon of your engagement, he seemed nothing like that. If anything, he looked...pained?
//////
Back in the car, the volume from the speakers were loud enough to burst one's eardrums. But that didn't matter the the driver. No he had a lot more to think about. The blaring music did nothing to ease the pain or distract him, which left him misrable.
Why the hell did you have to get engaged. Couldn't you have been fine as it was. Now, it was more serious than ever. In the beginning, he had actually hoped that you would eventually break up. That wouldn't happen now. Now it was legit. Legal papers and documents and everything. What was next on the list, kids?
Finn heaved a heavy breath, releasing a mix between a gurgle and sob. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he slowed the vehicle to a stop by the deserted road. The darkness kept people from seeing his sorry state; not that there were any out to begin with. Slamming his fist on the dashboard, he yelled his pain.
PAIRING : prince jungwon x princess reader
SYNOPSIS : when you're suddenly turned into a frog, jungwon's the first person you come to for help.
GENRE : bulletpoint scenario, fairy tale au, friends to lovers, inspired by the frog princess series and disney's princess and the frog, a tiny bit of angst, gets more fluffy towards the end
WARNINGS : heavily unedited, frequent pov changes, please lmk if you feel that there's any other warnings i should add
WC : 2.4K
prince yang jungwon is no stranger to pranks
24 HRS A DAY . 7 DAYS A WEEK . 365 DAYS A YR
he had a lifetime of experience being the butt of such jokes ( o_o)
so much experience that he could probably put it on his resume ..
if only princes needed resumes
his elder brother, crown prince jeongin’s favorite pastime was to tease him ● ﹏ ●
and his sister jiheon wasn’t much better either … she was always babying him
jungwon loves his siblings but sometimes they seem to forget he’s now an adult
HE’S OLD ENOUGH TO BE MARRIED ??
and as a close friend to prince niki, it’s safe to say jungwon never got a break
usually the doing of niki, odd things had frequently found their way into jungwon’s private corners …
all made out of ice but still very realistic in appearance
TOO REAL FOR JUNGWON’S LIKING …
elephants, peacocks, tigers, you name it & jungwon had likely woken up to to it
BUT THIS ??
this was a different situation altogether
jungwon is not at all surprised when he wakes up to a frog on his chest …
he doesn’t even bat an eye at the extravagant gown the frog is wearing
but then it moves ??
none of niki’s ice sculptures had ever moved :00
maybe it was just the wind
yeah that’s probably it
jungwon freaks out a little when he notices the windows are all closed shut (O.O ?)
but he completely loses it once the frog starts to talk . .
“hi wonie”
shocked is an understatement . he's completely flabberghasted
THE
FROG
JUST
SPOKE
AND JUNGWON COULD UNDERSTAND IT ??
someone must’ve slipped smtg into that cup of warm milk he drank before going to bed
yeah that’s got to be it because there was no way he was in his right mind currently
jungwon doesn't know how to process his current situation …
he’s frozen in place (and for the first time it wasn't bc of niki’s magic)
jungwon’s never paid much attention to gossip
but maybe the rumor abt his crazy great-great uncle was true …
and maybe it runs in the family ??
or maybe all the pranks have finally gotten to his head & he’s lost it
(◎_◎ ;)
jungwon thinks he’s good person and a relatively good prince
sure, he’s skipped a few sword lessons from time to time
and sometimes fell asleep during his history lessons
but he’s always paid attention to the important stuff and his instructors love him
so he’s not sure what he did to deserve this
he’s sure that he must have lost his mind bc why …
WHY IS THERE A FROG ON HIS CHEST ??
WHY DID IT CALL HIM “WONIE” ??
AND WHY IS IT STARING AT HIM ??
nothing is adding up ( ・◇・)?
“ IT’S ME YN ! ! ! ”
you hadn’t wanted to scare jungwon but you had been waiting for him to wake up for what seemed like forever (ㆆ _ ㆆ)
and you were growing more impatient with each passing minute
(ㆆ _ ㆆ) (ㆆ _ ㆆ) (ㆆ _ ㆆ)
unfortunately for you, jungwon looks even more confused now …
the frog sounds just like you + claims to be you
if he was being honest, its beady eyes did kind of resemble yours
BUT IT’S A FROG ???
jungwon sits up, leaning against the headboard as he gently picks you up
he makes a cup with both his hands and holds you up to his face
YOU THINK YOUR HEART MIGHT BEAT OUT OF YOUR CHEST
his eyes are completely focused on you :(( AND HE JUST LOOKS SO CUTE
☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️
STOP YOU CAN’T BE FALLING IN LOVE WHEN YOU’RE A FROG
meanwhile jungwon is having some epiphanies of his own
it had been almost a month since jungwon had last seen you, but he’d known you his whole life and you’d never shown any sign of being amphibious …
so he’s not sure why now ( ´ ・_・`)
jungwon didn’t have any magical powers or quirks of his own
but the concept wasn’t anything out of the ordinary especially among royal bloodlines
even niki had his own ice powers which he had only ever used to prank jungwon
turning into a frog though? that was pretty lame
it was almost worse than not having any powers at all
he can’t help but let out a snicker at the thought
“y-you’re a f-frog?” (jungwon, making no attempt to stifle his laughter)
“ STOP SMIRKING YOU IDIOT ” (ง'̀-'́)ง
you might actually have a heart attack if he keeps looking at you like that
ughhh why is your best friend so pretty??
it’s not fair(πーπ)
WAIT STOP YOU NEED TO FOCUS ! ! !
BE STRONG YN ! ! !
you couldn’t believe the audacity of yang jungwon . . .
( 。 •̀ ᴖ •́ 。)
YOU CAME TO HIM FOR HELP AND INSTEAD HE WAS MAKING FUN OF YOU
“o-okay i promise i’ll stop now” yeah he better stop (≖_≖)
“but seriously though, how’d you turn into a frog?”
just as promised, jungwon stops laughing and politely listens to everything you had to say
AND SO YOU TELL HIM ALL ABOUT HOW YOU HAD BEEN PLANNING TO SURPRISE NIKI FOR HIS BDAY BY SHOWING UP UNANNOUNCED
you had gone to your kingdom’s royal mage for help with the transportation spell ...
but he wasn’t available (T⌓T)
so you went with the next best thing — his apprentice, your elder cousin felix
who was clearly lacking training ಠ_ಠ & also no longer your favorite cousin ﴾ò_ó﴿
felix aka the primary reason you were now a frog had somehow messed up your transportation spell . . leaving you in this miserable state
technically the transportation spell was a success . . .
BUT YOU WERE ALSO NOW A FROG
and could no longer surprise niki for his bday in the way you had intended 🙁
jungwon patiently listens to your rant, giving you his complete attention the entire time
“don’t worry yn”
“i’ll take you to our local mage, maybe he can help”
comfortably nestled into jungwon’s pocket, the two of you quickly make your way to the royal mage’s quarters which was conveniently located in the same tower, just a few fleets of stairs below jungwon’s own quarters
*knock* *knock*
“prince jungwon! how are you?”
a very, very handsome face opens the door, greeting you both with a warm smile
jungwon introduces you to the mage, hyunjin and quickly summarizes your current dilemma for him
while jungwon speaks for you, you’re attempting to suppress the urge to ask the pretty mage if he’s single (´♡ᴗ♡`)
once he hears the entire story behind your predicament, hyunjin quickly goes to gather the necessary ingredients for a counter-spell, leaving you and jungwon alone together
“yn stop”
“won i'm not even doing anything” it’s rather hard to, when you’re still stuffed in his pocket
“stop ogling hyunjin.” jungwon whispers in your direction with a deadpan look on his face
he can’t help but feel annoyed with the mage at your behavior
hyunjin isn't even that good looking (¬_¬")
“yn i can literally see you drooling”
jungwon swears he’s much prettier in comparison
and he’s never given it much thought but he can’t see himself with anyone other than you …
so there’s no way that he’d let a stupid mage steal you from him (・`ω´・ ●)
you’re not sure how jungwon notices you staring, but who can blame you . . .
the mage is very pretty <33
and his arms looked really nice as he mixes all the ingredients together 🤭🤭
soon enough, hyunjin returns with a tiny vial filled with a bubbly, purple liquid
the mage leans towards jungwon’s pocket, meeting your eyes
“hopefully this will help”
HYUNJIN’S SMILE IS SO BRIGHT
that you think you might just faint at the sight . . .
while you remain dazed at hyunjin’s etheral visuals, jungwon takes the vial from the mage and opens it for you
he angles the vial towards your mouth and you quickly down it all, happily waiting for your transformation (๑˃̵ ᴗ˂̵)
some time passes and you continue to wait, just more nervously than before ( ′ ~‵ )
BUT THERE’S NO MAGICAL *POOF* ??
and you’re still a frog . . .
just a more disappointed frog than you were a few minutes ago
(;_;)(;_;)(;_;)
while you and jungwon are at a complete loss for words, hyunjin quickly has a realization ( ‘◇’)
“YN. MAY I?” the excitement is clear from his voice
despite having no clue what the mage is referring to, you eagerly nod in agreement
hyunjin reaches out, picking you up from jungwon’s pocket
he brings you close to his face
(〃・ω・〃)
and then sniffs you? :000
“ ahh of course, it must be love! ”
at this, jungwon’s jaw drops and yours quickly follows
HUH …
LOVE (?_?)
DID YOU HEAR THAT RIGHT?
Σ('◉⌓◉’)
WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?
was that a pickup line? maybe it was like his generation’s version of upsexy?
“hyunjin, what do you mean?” jungwon’s voice interrupts your daydreaming
“i think the mage who cursed yn must have accidentally added some sort of element of protection to the spell –”
“wait, felix did give me an extra safety potion bc i was a little nervous about doing the transportation spell by myself”
as much as you wanted to hate him for the whole FROG situation you were in, your cousin truly was a complete sweetheart
“while he accidentally messed up the transportation spell, the protection potion he gave you clearly works very well. it prevented any magical influence from interfering with you.”
hyunjin takes a deep breath before continuing his explanation
“because he used the blessing of venus in your potion — i’m afraid that the only way to undo it is with true love’s kiss”
WAIT WHAT
it’s safe to say that both you and jungwon are once again at a loss for words …
noticing the two royals freeze up, hyunjin takes it up on himself to break the silence
“yn do you happen to like anyone?”
jungwon’s eyes harden, flashing towards you, intently awaiting your response
“y-yes …” if you weren’t still a frog, you’d have been sweating buckets (•᷄- •᷅ ;)
jungwon feels his heart sink at your admittal :((
“but i don’t think he likes me back . . . ” and then it comes right back up
maybe he still has a chance at your heart
hyunjin visibly deflates at your revelation, but tries to keep his composure steady
as the eldest of the group, he can’t help but feel a strong responsibility towards the two of you
“could you please tell us who?”
WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DO NOW (T__T)
staying a frog forever didn’t sound half bad in comparison to potentially losing your best friend
“yn please. we’re not going to judge you” jungwon’s surprises himself with the words coming out of his mouth
that was a complete lie, he didn't mean that at all
NO ONE CAN STOP HIM FROM JUDGING WHOEVER YOU LIKED
so what? maybe he is a little sulky about you liking someone …
jungwon didn’t know who they were
but no one would be able to treat you better than him
no one deserved you more than he did (ಠ╭╮ಠ)
“it’s you”
“it’s always been you”
at first jungwon’s disheartened, assuming that you had been talking to hyunjin, but then he realizes the mage is looking straight at him
HUH IT WAS HIM ALL ALONG ??
YOU LIKED JUNGWON ??
mentally, jungwon was going crazy in excitement but mostly relief
physically though, he remain fedrozen in place, eyes widened in shock at your confession
immediately fearing the worst from his response, or rather lack of, you can’t help but start to tear up
you just feel so bad (˃̣̣̥╭╮˂̣̣̥)
not even a second passes before you're full-on sobbing
except you’re a frog so it just sounds like “HUEHUE *RIBBIT* IM SO *RIBBIT* SORRY”
hyunjin is absolutely horrified & completely lost on how to handle the current situation
HE‘S JUST A MAGE ㅠㅠ
HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO COMFORT ROYAL CHILDREN
luckily jungwon is quick to snap out of it once he hears you cry
“wait yn don’t cry ! ! !”
“YN I LIKE YOU TOO”
huh(;_;)
jungwon likes you too?
“really? you do?” (⚈ ⌢ ⚈)
jungwon’s heart aches as you continue pouting
“you know i wouldn’t lie about that”
“you promise?”
jungwon’s so obviously down bad for you that he’s not sure how you didn’t already know
even niki knew . . .
“i promise. i love you.”
a tiny smirk adorns his face as he carefully picks you up
“is it okay if i kiss you now?”
“more than okay” (yn, eyes wide & furiously nodding your head)
jungwon smiles even bigger, letting out a small laugh at your eagerness
all while holding eye contact with you, he places you on the table and moves closer, bending down to meet your level
and then he gives you a small peck on the head
*POOF*
OMG IT HAPPENED
YOU’RE NOT A FROG ANYMORE ( ◠‿◠ )
the first thing you do is squash jungwon in a huge bear hug
“thank you wonie”
“of course, you know i’d do anything for you” he’s so sweet :(
once you finish squishing jungwon, you face the mage to say your thanks to him too
“hyunjin, i‘ll forever be in your debt” you’re not sure what you would’ve done without him :(
both jungwon and you decide to head back to his room, giving hyunjin a chance to relax after such a stressful day
you’re both walking side by side, shoulders brushing against one anothers
and you’re just so happy and grateful for everything (๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)
until you remember what had just transpired . . .
( ^∇^) → ( ・∇・) → (°▽°)
JUNGWON KISSED YOU ??
AND YOU'RE HUMAN ??
SO HE LOVES YOU ??
“wait jungwon ! !” you halt in your tracks, grabbing him by his coat sleeve
“a-are we a thing now?” you’re so nervous what if he says no
“huh, what do you mean?” jungwon smirks, clearly enjoying the sight of you in such a flustered state because of him
“are we boyfriend-girlfriend now?” you’re even more nervous now and jungwon thinks you’re absolutely adorable
“would another kiss answer your question?” (jungwon, grinning widely as he’s finally realized the effect he has on you)
he feels incredibly smug knowing that you’re so down bad for him
( ¬‿¬ )
your crush on him was truly doing wonders for his ego
“but, that wasn’t a real kiss” (yn, slightly frowning)
forehead kisses don’t count
especially considering you had been a frog at the time
jungwon scans the surrounding hallway for any peeping eyes before responding, gently grabbing you by the waist to pull you closer to him
“should i kiss you, for real, this time then?” he whispers into your ear, so close that you can hear the smirk in his voice
he’s actually going to be the death of you …
“please” (yn, awkwardly avoiding eye contact)
jungwon tilts your chin up to face him, his other arm still wrapped around your waist
you both lock eyes and he doesn’t waste another second before kissing you
it’s sweet and awkward and a perfect first kiss
you both pull away from each other with huge smiles
in that moment, everything is absolutely perfect ♡
and together, the prince & his frog live happily ever after !!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING !! and a million thanks to my lovely moots @gfksn @seungiepup & @tnyhees for helping me with proofreading ILYSM 💗
formatting & layout inspired by @/chenle and @/soobnny ♡
-Sephy is surprisingly well versed with Christmas traditions, unlike how he is with Thanksgiving, though being a SOLDIER means he doesn't get many chances to take time off and really celebrate.
-Knows all about decking the halls, decorating Christmas trees, exchanging gifts and so on, but has only really ever gotten gifts (from Genesis and Angeal) and has never had a place of his own to decorate; the SOLDIER barracks were too small and too overcrowded with weapons for him to put up a tree.
-It is therefore your responsibility to teach him how to untangle those annoying knots that somehow always form in the Christmas lights no matter how carefully you store them. Once you give him a task, he is surprisingly proficient at it. The man managed to untangle 100 feet of Christmas lights in under 4 hours. He was very proud about it and puffed his chest out pridefully when you praised him for his good work.
-When it comes time to cook the Christmas dinner, he insists upon helping you, much like an exuberant 3 year old, and refuses to leave the kitchen until you assign him a task. Should you choose to ignore him, he will stand there in the corner and stare at you until you get so distracted and uncomfortable, you've no choice but to give him something to do, even if it's something as simple as stirring sauce or holding a tray for you.
-He's tall enough to put the star on the tree (and is probably taller than the tree itself) without a ladder. Consequently, he is now in charge of hanging the mistletoe--a power that he is abusing.
-He purposefully hangs the mistletoe under doorways and other places you're likely to stand under, just so he has an excuse to steal kisses from you.
◇Genesis◇
-To Genesis, Christmas is all about getting things and getting drunk. He has no festive spirit; he just wants to laze around, drinking all the time until it's time to open presents--and he expects lots of expensive stuff. (It's not his fault, the poor boy just wasn't loved enough)
-This dude is like Scrooge; all he cares about are things. That is why it is your duty to show him the true meaning of Christmas. Explain to him why decorating the tree is important; why you give each other gifts, and how price isn't everything--that it's the thought that counts.
-He will soon grow to enjoy Christmas traditions, specifically listening to Mariah Carey songs and helping you ice cookies. Bro may not be good at cooking or baking from scratch, but he's very talented in terms of food art. He can turn plain sugar-cookie shapes into gorgeous works of art.
-Will definitely do his makeup in Christmasy colors (red, gold, green), paint his nails to match the occasion, and wear a skintight Santa suit around the house during the entirety of Christmas day.
-When Christmas Day rolls around, he puts a bright pink bow in his hair, wears literally naught but red ribbons, and waltzes into your bedroom, declaring that he couldn't find anything you'd like, so he decided to gift you himself.
-That was a lie, of course. Not only did he give you himself for Christmas, he got you a selection of fashionable clothes so you can "dress as a Goddess should: elegantly".
♧Angeal♧
-This one knows everything, from how to properly baste a turkey to exactly where to drill a hole for the Christmas lights. Because of this skill, and his honor, Angeal can often be found outside on the roof during the entirety of Christmas Eve morning, hanging Christmas lights on the trim.
-Will definitely help you cook, bake, frost, ice, whatever you need, he'll help you with it.
-Loves classic Christmas songs like the Burl Ives Christmas songs, Frosty the Snowman, etc.
-Loves curling up with you on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and just watching movies till like 4:00 A.M.
-Angeal is living proof that you're never too old for Santa--he bakes cookies and leaves a plate out one the counter with a glass of milk, and puts a bunch of carrots on the driveway.
-Also dresses up as a reindeer and walks in hoof shaped slippers, a whole-ass carrot stuffed halfway in his mouth.
Sukuna's Roommate (a Sukuna x reader fic) Chapter Nine
The rent is cheap, that's the only reason you're moving into apartment 167 on such short notice. The rent is cheap, you remind yourself again, staring up at the four-armed monster you would be living with. (Female reader x Sukuna) Roommate AU.
Warnings: some dubcon moments and general Sukuna stuff i.e: murder.
This chapter features smut.
Chapter One: link Ao3 here: link
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AN: Sorry for the long wait, been busy at university. This is the usual self indulgent schlock, but I'm sorry if its more messily written than usual ^^
oh and I should probably mention beforehand that no matter what Sukuna and MC get up to, she won't get pregnant. I'm not interested in writing that despite some of things mentioned here possibly being misconstrued as symptoms.
@my-anime-garden (because you mentioned you wanted to be tagged)
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~ Chapter Nine ~
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It was difficult not to feel overwhelmed in Sukuna’s presence. His skin felt blisteringly hot to the touch, warmed by the lapping steam from the hot springs. That molten flesh was everywhere. On me, under me, in me.
Despite my best intentions, I was only human. I gave myself up to control in much the same way I always had- and loathed the reaction. If I were braver, daring, perhaps I could command his attention more firmly. Admittedly, Sukuna probably wasn't the man to test out any newfound desires of domination or control at that moment.
I felt my head be tugged back- a hand gripping my hair tight. Another mouth occupied my own after just a moment. I’d never been involved in a threesome or gang bang but I imagine this must feel somewhat similar. There was just so much of him at once. So many mouths sucking, licking, kissing and biting. So many hands grabbing, kneading, stroking.
Most overwhelming of all was the stomach mouth swallowing my lower-half almost completely. I felt like a sock-puppet. Every time the thick tongue buried inside my cunt would rove or undulate- my body would jolt and sway with it, held upright by a few greedy hands tugging my hips or breasts. I’d long become an incoherent mess and lost track of the orgasms- another rocking sharply through me, my toes curling in delight as it speared straight through my spine, sending me ramrod straight. I wailed into the mouth covering mine.
“Agh! Mmphfffmmnn…”
Sukuna chuckled from where he sat beneath me, occasionally just sitting back and watching me squirm. He removed the hand-mouth from my lips, my tongue still subconsciously reaching out for it.
“You’ve become a wreck. A nice sight. Bite-marks become you.”
Even in my dazed state, I knew to suck in as many breaths as possible, trying to recollect myself before he shoved another mouth somewhere. That thick tongue grew mercifully still inside my cunt and I couldn’t help but whimper, steadying myself on his chest.
“Was that a cry of loss? Want more already?” he teased.
“G-give me- a minute-“ I panted, touching my damp, bruised mouth. Saliva coated my chin. Fantastic. It took all my effort to refocus on the here and now. It felt important not to get swept away by my own pleasure for too long. The worry of making him bored lurked in the far corners of my blissed out mind.
Sukuna just grinned as he always did. Patronizing and entertained. He gave me a hearty pat on the ass.
“You're really giving this your best! Good job. Want a snack break?”
“…with you still…inside?” I asked weakly. He cut his eyes to the heavens and rolled his hips in answer.
“You’re lucky I’m this generous about prepping you.”
I almost asked what he was prepping me for- but luckily I hadn’t lost the full functionality of my brain yet, casting a furtive glance at the two dicks sitting snugly behind me.
Right.
I wasn't sure how he'd acquire 'snacks' without moving but he raised a clawed hand and waved it in the air.
"Uraume."
His white haired chef appeared in an instant, standing on the sidelines of the pool. "Yes, Master Sukuna?"
I choked, eyes flying wide. With a shriek, I tried to pull myself off Sukuna and hide- but he held me effortlessly in place.
"Bring something to snack on. Ah, and more sake- I've run low."
Uraume inclined their head, not even sparing me a glance before disappearing again.
I was quick to shove at Sukuna’s chest, snarling. "What the heck?! That was not okay!"
"Hm? You think providing snacks isn't acceptable? I guess I'll enjoy them all to myself. It's no skin off my back," Sukuna chuckled, the action sending rumbling vibrations from his chest straight down to where we were connected.
"Don't you have a shred of decency? I don't want anyone else to see me like- like this! Bad enough I'm naked, but you're still…" I blushed, covering my chest with one arm and trying to pull away again.
A hand clapped against my ass-cheek, shoving down. I cried out as our hips locked, burying his stomach tongue uncomfortably deep. My cunt practically screamed and purred all at once, clenching with a vice-grip around him. My toes curled, breath stalling.
"Ah-ah, so noisy," a deep voice sighed into my ear. "Don't forget your situation right now, woman. You think you're in a position to start yelling my ear off?"
There was no time to catch my breath before he was bouncing me anew on his stomach, that tongue roving and winding, curling and stretching as far as it pleased. The noises he ripped from me weren’t human. Combined with the mouths that appeared on his greedy hands to suck and bite at my breast, another lapping at my clit, I lost coherency again.
When another wave of pleasure crashed through my frazzled, exhausted systems- the slick organ was ripped away from inside me. There was a moment of pure, unadulterated loss, and the cry that bounced off his cavernous domain shirked like a grieving woman.
But then it was replaced with something hard. Sukuna grunted from below me. “Let’s see how you handle one.”
With one thrust- he was buried inside to the brim. My everything accepted him pathetically easily, dripping with need. I practically clung to him, sobbing with relief, cunt clamping down on him as if it wished to devour.
“Heh- eheh-ahahaha! Look at you! Don’t you have a shred of decency? I thought you cared about having an audience, but you haven’t even noticed, have you?”
It took a moment to grasp what he was saying over the slap of our bodies meeting, my mind growing fuzzy with every jolt it sent through my body. I felt boneless. My mouth was agape though I couldn't remember opening it. Sukuna’s long fingered hand curled around my chin then, turning it so that I looked to the left.
Sukuna’s chef had returned, balancing a tray of food and bottle of sake on one hand. If they had any interest in our rutting together like animals, they made no comment. I couldn’t bring myself to care, either. If anything, I grasped Sukuna’s shoulders and tried to weakly bounce on his lap, seeking my own pleasure again and again, building up, hitting that spot- and then falling off the precipice, only to start over due to Sukuna’s unrelenting thrusts.
They were muttering something, having a brief conversation while we fucked, or perhaps I fucked myself stupid on his lap. It would’ve been humiliating had I any shame left.
“Oi- open up.”
I parted my lips mindlessly, and Sukuna sat something on my tongue, only to close my mouth. I realised it was his food. Meat. Bloodied and raw. Rare steak wasn’t really to my tastes but when he commanded me to eat I did so immediately.
“Good girl,” I thought I heard him purr. He patted my cheek. “Come on, gn- more…”
I let him feed me, feeling my cheeks grow wet. Was I crying? Why was I crying? I couldn’t understand why. Something in my stomach churned, heaving, wanting to reject the food. It stung like the dull hiss of cigarette burns.
A hand clamped over my mouth then. Ruby red eyes glowered from beneath me within the haze of the hot-spring steam. There was a wickedness to them. A smile, and flash of sharp canines.
“Have your fill, greedy woman. I know you’re not full yet.”
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Everything ached.
There was a test in two days that I'd set time aside to study for- but the words continually blurred on the page. The hustle and bustle of the mall felt so far away as I gazed with glassy eyes at a music shop further below my vantage point. My mind kept wandering, focusing on the burn in my thighs and deep, yearning feeling of loss somewhere in my core. It was pathetic. Beyond that deep craving though, I kept sensing something…off.
I subtly put a hand to my stomach. I'd been hungry all day but the second I'd bought a meal- queasiness rolled in my gut. I eyed the sad burger and fries sitting on their tray. Reaching for them again, I grabbed a fry and forced it past my lips, chewing with effort. The usual delicious saltiness tasted like sand.
My phone blinked persistently, a text waiting to be answered. I knew it was Neil. Somehow he’d gotten ahold of my number. I flicked the screen mindlessly to ignore it, gazing listlessly down at the people wandering through the mall, chatting. Lovers walked arm in arm, and I observed them like they were an exhibit in an Aquarium. They were so far removed from anything I’d ever known or experienced. Soft, gentle and kindly laughing at one another.
“The maggots up to anything interesting?”
I started, swallowing with effort. My throat burned as I squinted up at Sukuna. How had he found me so easily in the city? “What?”
He smiled in that usual self-assured way, no hint of difference in him despite how depraved we’d acted just a few days ago. I hadn’t seen him since waking up sluggishly in my room, but my body was certainly still paying the price. The only reason he’d apparently stopped at ‘one’ was because he’d had a meeting to get to, otherwise I’d have taken ‘both’ in whatever hole he’d pleased. “You seemed lost in thought while watching the spread of insects infesting the mall today. Wondered if there was anything worth looking at. Any violence worth mentioning?”
“Wh- no! Nothing. And don’t talk about humans like that around me.”
“Hm? Why not?”
“Because in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m one!”
“Nah. You might’ve been once, but then you became my pet,” Sukuna helped himself to a seat opposite me, dwarfing the poor plastic with his mass and height. His jacket hung slightly loose, exposing a bare shoulder. I tried not to stare. “Now I suppose…you’re my woman.”
I scoffed, forcing myself to eat another fry. “What happened to being your pet?”
“I fuck women, not pets.”
It took all my willpower not to roll my eyes. For a man with such a vast number of textbooks, poetry and knowledge crammed right into his home- and likely his brain- he could come out with the stupidest lines sometimes.
The seat creaked as Sukuna leaned forward, resting a thick arm on the table before me. “So, are you going to share what you were staring at?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“So snappy,” Sukuna sighed, stealing one of my fries to gesture at me with it. “You’d have thought fucking you would shake that stick up your ass enough to loosen it some.”
“Charming,” I growled, staring hard at the open pages of my book. I was unable to read a single line with him grinning ferally across from me. I slammed it shut, casting an uneasy glance at my barely touched meal. No way was I confessing what was actually bothering me. “I was looking at the music shop.”
“Does my woman have musical talents? You should play something for me sometime, if you're confident you won't offend my ears, that is.”
I could’ve told him about my lengthy past with music and how it had once been the bane of my existence. It had become something much more complicated now that I no longer played for the whims of my family. Instead, I gave a shrug. “You kind of need an instrument to play music, buddy.”
“Ah, so that’s it.”
Sukuna abruptly stood, gesturing with a single ‘come hither’ pluck of his fingers. “Come take a walk," he said, throwing his half-eaten fry back onto the table and grumbling that it 'tasted like shit.'
“Wh- where are we going? Damn it.” I quickly stood and gathered my things, stuffing them into my bag and following when Sukuna casually walked off.
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The decision to follow him felt like a poor one when he approached the very shop I'd been gazing at.
"Sukuna!" I hissed, to no avail. He strolled right in, gazing at the trumpets, guitars, drums, cellos, violins and various other instruments displayed inside.
“Sukuna- you really don’t have to. Let’s get out of here," I touched his arm and spoke in a low voice, trying not to draw attention to us. Sukuna’s appearance didn't lend itself well to blending in though, all swagger and hard edges. As luck would have it, there was only an old man occupying the store behind the counter.
“Not without the instrument you need. Go fetch," he pointed into the shop boredly.
“I thought you said I wasn’t a pet anymore!”
He grinned darkly. “If you didn't bark at me like a mutt, I wouldn’t be so tempted to collar you and treat you as one.”
I growled, turning to the exit. “That’s it. I’m leaving-“
“How many years do you think the owner has left?”
That threw me off. I stopped and gave the old man a cursory glance.
“What? Uh…I don’t know? I guess 10 to 20 at a push?”
Sukuna nodded thoughtfully. “Hm. Would be a pity if those 20 were cut short to a few minutes, wouldn’t it?" His eyes glittered like the surface of his crimson pool as they slanted down to me. "That’s how long he’s got left unless you pick up the instrument you want and bring it to me like a good girl.”
I gaped, working my mouth for a moment when no words would come. "Y-you’re impossible!” I finally burst.
“Thank you, I pride myself on being beyond human explanation. 117 seconds left.”
“Ah! Wait- wait!” panicking, I hurried toward the violin section. Sukuna's low laughter carried me all the way there, and I hurriedly scanned the selection. I wouldn't put it past Sukuna to commit daylight murder and I wasn't about to let an old man's death be on my conscience.
I grabbed a violin at random and was about to hurry back- only to hit a solid wall. I squeaked, peeling my face away from where it had briefly been smothered in the depths of Sukuna’s chest. "W-what? You told me to hurry-?"
"Mn, but I didn't know you were into these," Sukuna plucked the violin from my hand, studying it with more care than I imagined he would. His hands smoothed over the dips and curves with a respect I hadn't thought him capable of. Careful and appreciative. "Aren't they a little awkward to just grab on the fly like that? They depend on various factors in order to be played effectively."
I paused and sized him up. For all his swagger and brutality, Sukuna sometimes spoke like this: considerate of the proper pursuit of study. Come to think of it, he’d always give me space when I needed to cram for a college test in my room.
"Yeah, the shape of my shoulders and neck are a factor. They’d decide if this one is a good fit for me."
"Try it out."
It was impossible not to stare. Had the conversation several seconds ago not taken place?
Sukuna ‘knocked’ on the side of my head with a rap of his knuckles. "Ohoho, are you ignoring me? Heh, that's a bold move."
"I thought you wanted me to hurry or you'd kill the owner!" Growling, I leaned away from him.
"You really do take things too seriously. Makes you fun to rile up," he chuckled. "I’d get no enjoyment out of squishing that insect, so old and senile."
The caprice of his moods could sway so violently it was hard not to be swept away in the whiplash. After being his roommate for a little while now though (and getting to the point that I was comfortable yelling at him for leaving the toilet seat up) it allowed me to recover and shrug it off. Sukuna was weird. If he wanted me to perform like a little song-bird for him, I wouldn’t complain.
It would be no different than the treatment I’d received from my parents anyway.
Settling the violin against me, I took a breath. Releasing it slowly, I glided the bow over the strings, frowning softly the longer I played.
It wasn’t long before I was setting the body down and making adjustments.
Sukuna hovered over my shoulder. He didn’t say anything but I could feel his eyes on my hands all the same as I tightened the strings and tried again. There was something a little off about it, so I picked up the next one and found the weight and feel much more natural.
"That one,” he said at last, with a low decisive tone. “We're taking that."
"You want to steal it?!" I squeaked, jumping to conclusions.
He shot me a patronizing look that I was quickly becoming accustomed to. I don’t know what that said about me. "Please, I'm not that cheap. Abusing power for petty thievery might satisfy some whelps for cheap thrills, but in reality it just comes across as tacky. Like you can’t pay for your own shit,” he lifted a bored shoulder, heading toward the counter.
Strange. I never would’ve expected him to have principles, especially after the way he acted- but this was Sukuna, and I suspected most decisions came down to spur-of-the-moment deals. He just didn’t feel like stealing today.
Nonetheless, I couldn’t compute what was happening as he actually strode up to the counter and spoke with the owner of the store. I busied myself with gently plucking at some harp strings, still feeling the residue of the fries sitting heavy in my stomach. What was wrong with me today?
"Take it."
Something smooth was shoved into my hands. I quickly grabbed onto the violin case as he let go- gawking at it. Unable to help myself, I clicked open the secures and looked inside at the brand new instrument sitting inside. Polished wood elegantly carved and shaped to perfection gleamed back at me.
“What-? You’re just going to give it to me?” I asked, looking up at him in askance. This wasn’t like him. Surely there was a catch or a longer game to play?
“Tch, well I didn’t buy it just to have it languish on the mantelpiece,” he drawled, stuffing both hands in his pockets and heading for the exit. “You can play it- so play it. Whenever I want. That’s the deal.”
“Can I play outside of the hours you’d like me to?”
“Do as you wish.”
My heart did a funny flip in my chest. I couldn’t believe it. Was Sukuna being…nice? Maybe getting laid was truly good for him. If it meant the caprice of his mood perked up like this, I could see myself trying that method again in the future.
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It took a little while of walking for Sukuna to glance back at me as we strolled out of the store and back into the mall. He tsked and grinned, eyeing me strangely. “Nobody’s going to take it from you, woman. Relax the death grip.”
Only then did I notice I’d been hugging the case to me possessively like a starved orphan. Blushing and dropping my arms hastily, I walked on like a professional violin player and most definitely not a weirdo with attachment issues.
He continued on with a mocking scoff, but I quickened my pace- hurrying to walk beside him for once. “Thank you,” I mumbled.
“Hah? Didn’t catch that. Say again louder.”
“Your age must be catching up with you then, I’m not repeating it.”
Sukuna chuckled, flashing sharp teeth in my direction. He then stopped, attention apparently caught by something across the mall.
I turned to look, but could only locate a gang of what looked like would-be thugs. Bunch of young guys with cheap tattoos and a swagger that suggested they were trying too hard. They left the mall, one spitting on the ground in parting.
"You know the way back from here, right? I'll meet you at our place. There's something I need to do."
"Right this second?" I pressed, puzzled.
Sukuna's grin was more unhinged this time, wide and broad. Clamping a hard palm atop my head, he caused it to sway with the force of his pets. "I got you a nice treat. That means you should be a good girl and obey. Go straight there," he bent down close to my ear, fanning hot breath against it. "I want you to warm my cocks later, understand?"
Like a lightning bolt striking true, I was suddenly ramrod straight. Heat speared tightly through my core. Fuck.
Red eyes glittered. Sukuna barked a laugh, the sound carrying even as he strolled away.
I waited a moment and sucked in a hard breath, slowly releasing it. After making sure my traitorous, pathetic legs wouldn’t betray me, I shakily followed him out of the mall, intending to go home.
The outside world was chillier than anticipated, and I tugged my coat more firmly around me, hugging the violin case close. Downtown was as busy as ever, and I hurried along, not wanting to be stopped by some of the zealous worshippers that had cropped up ever since the Shibuya Incident.
A laugh made me stop. Sharp and distinct. I knew that laugh. I'd heard it flit through my daydreams and nightmares enough to know it instinctively.
Turning, I found myself mindlessly following it down an alley, my steps slow and careful. The alley was small and shadowed, crammed between two shops.
A cacophony of voices and laughter reached my ears, closer now. I ducked behind a stack of crates and listened.
“We were gonna go back to the club if ya wanna join? Ya seem pretty chill,” one voice was saying.
“Yeah, come drink with us!” another joined in.
“There’s women there. Their holes might not be tight but their mouths make up for it if ya know what I mean!”
Booming laughter swallowed the alley then, and I realized without seeing them that these men must’ve been the tryhard gang I’d seen just a few moments before in the mall.
“Heeh? Sounds pretty good.”
It was hard not to shiver. Sukuna’s baritone had dipped into something lower than the voice he typically used around me.
From the soft inhale made, I recognised the sound of a drag being taken. “Come then, let’s go! I’ll set you up with Nanako!”
“Just one second.”
“Eh?”
“Where’s this little bar you want me to follow you to?” Sukuna uttered, sounding lazy and bored.
“Roppongi, obviously! It’s got the best bars in Tokyo!”
“Ahh I get it. I’ve been chatting to touts this entire time,” a distinct sigh doused the air.
That was when the screams started.
I stiffened, clamping a hand over my mouth as the noises bounced off the alley walls. Shouts from the men were drowned out but I could just barely hear them.
“What the FUCK man?!”
“What are you doing?! Arghhhhhhh!”
Sukuna’s carefree laugh cut through the wet, snapping sounds of flesh and bone tearing. I heard something thud to the ground. “You were all holding your heads a little too high for my tastes. You even thought you could lure me to one of those sleazy bars. The type of shithole where the drink is cheap but spiked so you can drain me of cash or try to get me hooked on something, right? Tsk, so boring. You’re a waste of air. Better off in my stomach than wriggling around in broad-daylight where I can see you, Maggots!”
I began to back up then, heart racing. Through the slats in the crates I’d taken refuge behind, I made out the image of Sukuna slanting his mouth over another man’s- ripping his arms off cleanly with a casual jolt. Sukuna swallowed his horrified cries, only to back away slightly and bite down on the punk’s extended tongue as he screamed.
He practically devoured his face. The other men still alive either watched on, helpless and frozen, or dragged their injured bodies away.
I swallowed thickly, almost choking on my own saliva- only to realize my mouth had become filled with it. My teeth ached. I suddenly had the urge to bite. To sink needy teeth down into…something. Something full and pulsing and alive.
My stomach rumbled.
Jolting, I quickly turned and ran- fleeing from the sounds of blood-curdling madness or my own chattering, hungry teeth, I couldn’t tell. A figure took shape at the end of the alley, and I blinked the tears from my eyes enough to glimpse Uraume on my way out, who watched me pass by with a satisfied curl of their lips.
Since I hear you’re lacking in the Buck gif department
I will probably (read: definitely) send more
"And there she is," Chim cheered as you walked into the firehouse, "our new full-time firefighter!"
You laughed as Chim, Eddie, Hen, Ravi, and Bobby clapped as they stood in front of the firetrucks. "Thanks, guys!" You had just finished the last of the paperwork to go from a probationary firefighter to full-time, and the squad couldn't be prouder of you.
Except the whole squad wasn't there. You didn't see Buck.
Hiding your slight disappointment, you let the others congratulate you, your head on a swivel, looking for a sign of Buck.
"Alright," Bobby announced, his voice loud and clear, "Let's get you situated!"
"Huh?" You turned to him, and as you turned, Ravi plopped a helmet on your head. "Oh!"
"Alright, newly minted 118 firefighter," Chim sang, "Let's get you in your gear."
Again, a laugh escaped from you as your team--well, most of them--fully got you in gear.
"And here's the most important part," Eddie stepped up, clipping your radio onto your lapel, he stepped back, grinning proudly at his work, "Hope this works."
"Hope what works--" you asked, but then you were interrupted by your radio hissing, and then a voice, clear and loud, came through the feed.
"Congratulations!" Buck's voice filled your ears. "We're so proud of you!"
You pressed the button to speak back. "Buck?" You chuckled. "Where are you?"
You could practically hear the smile in his voice, "Look up."
You did. Buck was standing on the balcony, a huge grin on his face, smiling down at you as he pulled his radio closer to his face, "You look good."
Your cheeks grew warm, and you laughed as the team cooed and teased you both. They all knew you and Buck had... a thing, and after a few rounds of paperwork and a couple of talks with Bobby, well... The thing between the two of you was starting to become... more than a thing. You grabbed hold of your radio, eyes never leaving Buck, and responded, "10-4 Buckley," you grinned, "and right back at'cha."
Buck's answering grin made your heart flip. His smile was your favorite thing to see, and his happy voice was your favorite thing to hear.
You had it bad.
The radio buzzed again, and Buck leaned over the railing as he spoke, "How about a drink tonight, just you and me?"
"Okay," Hen chuckled, shaking her head, "if ya'll are about to get all cutesy in here, I'm out."
"Actually," Ravi spoke up, a finger in the air, "I should go too, I need to, um, work on some... things..." He nodded, "Yeah, so... Congrats again, Y/N!"
You barely registered him scurrying off, your attention still on Buck.
"Yeah, I've got some... stuff on the truck to check," Eddie said, already walking off.
"Mm hmm," Bobby gently pushed Chim away, "Let's get back to work while these two... do whatever this is."
"We should get those two their own channel on the comms," Chim said as they walked off, "I mean, I love a rom-com as much as the next guy, but come on..."
You giggled to yourself, at both the way your flirting cleared the room and also that boyish grin on Buck's face. "Drinks, you and me tonight," you confirmed on the radio, seeing the smile widen on Buck's face, "and what about... breakfast?" You asked. "Tomorrow morning?"
You watched as Buck's eyes widened, and then he was running down the stairs and in front of you in seconds, "YES," he breathed out, chest rising with the effort it took to move that quickly, "So, uh..." He grinned again, and you could see the joy and anticipation in his bright eyes, "...It's a date."
You grinned back, taking a step closer to him, "Yeah...
Thinking about single dad!Robby again @sensei-venus
He's probably so scared all of the time. At first, he was scared to hold his daughter but after a day, he won't put her down. If she falls asleep in his arms, she's staying there. He carries her everywhere. He read online that babies benefit from skin-to-skin contact and now that her mom isn't around, he commits to building that connection with his daughter. Someone finds him at home with his daughter lying on his chest and he's like "Be quiet, she's sleeping."
His friends come together to help him raise his daughter. The LaRussos give him some old baby stuff they don't need anymore. Sam buys so many baby clothes. The guys come around to build the nursery while Robby is taking care of his baby girl. Hawk and Miguel tease him a lot though. Demetri gives a lot of baby STEM toys and books because why not? That's important, right? Tory gives moral support in the form of telling him "Babies aren't that hard. Wait until she's older."
Robby just holds his daughter close and kisses her head. "She's not growing up."
He's so cute honestly.
He's also so tired. But he doesn't want anyone to take care of her but him, thinking he has to do this on his own. He doesn't realize it takes a village because he watched his mom do it on her own. Poor Robby. Someone help get him some help.
And Moon does.
Robby has to work, so she brings around one of her midwife friends on an unbusy day. He trusts Moon, so after meeting Reader he's okay with leaving his baby girl with them. He does check in a lot though. He texts a lot and Moon sends him pictures of his daughter and Reader, smiles on their faces as they have a nice day. It's a big help to him and he can get what he needs to do done.
After a while of working like this, Moon leaves the babysitting to Reader solely. She's all for it, too, happy to help where she can even if she didn't know Robby before this.
One day, his daughter is a little under the weather. He's apprehensive to leave her with Reader, feeling like he has to be there for her, but Reader assures him that it'll be okay. He's working extra hard for his daughter and she knows that, so she tells him to keep up the great work and she'll take care of his sweet little girl.
Well, when he comes home, he finds Reader rocking his daughter. She's fussy and red in the face, but Reader has it all under control. As soon as she sees her daddy though, baby girl Keene is ready to be in his arms. So he washes up quickly so he can spend the night with her. He knows he's gonna be up with her all night, so he gets ready for it, not realizing Reader plans on staying to help.
"You can go, thanks for the help," he says in passing, kissing his daughter's head.
Reader is getting a bottle ready, shaking her head. "What? No, no, unless you want me to go, but I'd like to stay if that's okay. You've had a long day, I wouldn't want to leave you two alone."
He stares at her a little stunned. He wasn't expecting that. "I don't wanna keep you longer than I should. I mean, you have a home to go to."
"It's an apartment," she laughs and checks the bottle. It's just right, so she passes him. "Plus, it's pretty lonely. I'd be different if I had a cat or something."
He chuckles and starts feeding his daughter, who is more than happy to drink milk. She's mostly just happy her daddy is home. "I can't argue with that."
If he's being honest, he doesn't want to send her off. He knows how it is to be lonely, those kind of nights suck. "Well, uh, thanks. I'd be a big help if you stayed."
Reader smiles and starts cleaning up. "That's what I'm here for."
As she walks to the kitchen, Robby can't help but hope that she'll be around for more reasons than just watching his daughter while he's gone to work. However, he doesn't feel like he can say anything about that. He has a baby from a one-night stand in a party bathroom, who would want him? He's a mess.
If only he knew Reader was thinking some of the same things. She thinks he's so hot, especially when he's gotten out of the shower after a long day, and lays his daughter on his bare chest as she falls asleep. Not to mention she's totally fallen in love with his daughter. She's so cute with her gummy smile and little face. She's so tiny and sweet, how could one not love her?
Now if only these two - Robby and Reader - could see they're in the perfect place to fall for each other....
He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, and I wondered if he too would be feeling the happiness that sang in my chest at that moment, like a little miracle had just unfolded before us. It was hard to find another word to describe it.
He’d found me.
After so many years, he’d found me.
✦ on this chapter: james hetfield x female!oc, dave mustaine x female!oc, oc is cliff's cousin, +18, language, slice of life, angst, grief, smut mentioned/implied
✧ Once you told me, "Look for the North Star, then you'll see" / Heavenly, I hear / Found my way to the beach / There were waves over me / I was lost at sea 'til you found me / 'til you found me ✧
May 20, 1984
Settling into the new home my parents had bought for me turned out to be easier than I’d expected, especially since my friends had moved in with me; we all shared the same space and, slowly but surely, it was shaping up to be our own little slice of paradise, buzzing with music, chatter, and laughter as we got everything sorted.
But everything felt eerily still when I arrived home on that Sunday afternoon. I opened the front door, spotting a few moving boxes still hanging out in the living room. I glanced around, puzzled, eyeing the empty space and wondering where the gang had vanished to. That's when I caught the distant murmur of voices drifting from the kitchen.
"You can't just go after him, James. It's gonna wreck our reputation, have you even thought about that?" Lars' voice carried down the hallway, tinged with irritation.
"You think I give a damn about our reputation when he's out there dissing my girl?" James shot back, his voice tinged with anger. I arched an eyebrow, definitely intrigued now as I made my way closer. I reached the kitchen door to find Lars leaning against the sink, his brow furrowed, while James, so much taller, paced back and forth, his fists clenched. "I couldn't care less. Let him yap about us all he wants, but lay off her. I'm gonna beat the crap out of him, then maybe he'll learn to keep his trap shut."
"Hey, guys," I interjected, and James halted his pacing immediately, both him and Lars shooting me a startled look, like they'd just seen a ghost. A knot twisted in my gut as I realized they were probably talking about something they didn't want me to know about. "What's the deal?"
"Nore!" Lars chirped, a bit too brightly, as he hastily snatched something off the table. I narrowed my eyes, noting it was a cassette tape he was awkwardly trying to stuff into his pocket. "Oh, it's, uh, nothing important!"
"What's that?" I inquired, nodding toward the cassette in his grasp. James shot him a pointed glare, and Lars swallowed hard.
"It's, um, nothing, really! Just..." He stumbled over his words as I closed the gap between us, grabbing his arm and snatching the tape from his grip. "Hey!"
"If it's really nothing, then you won't mind me taking a look, right?" I challenged. James shot me a worried look before striding over towards me.
"Nore, hand it over," he demanded, his tone grave, his brow furrowed. I stared at him, torn between defiance and confusion.
"No," I shot back, turning on my heel and bolting up the stairs.
"Nore!" James called out, chasing after me, but I was already too far ahead. I reached our shared room and slammed the door shut, locking it behind me. James pounded on the door, growing increasingly frustrated. "Nore! Come on, give it back!"
"Unless you've got another girlfriend, this has gotta be about me, right?" I challenged, and he grunted, kicking the door in frustration. "You’re gonna start keeping secrets from me now?"
"You don't get it. It's for your own good. Just let me in!"
I brushed off his demand, which only earned me a frustrated growl from him. Fixing my gaze on the tape in my hand, my heart skipped a beat when I spotted the band name: Megadeth. There wasn't much else on the tape besides handwritten song titles on the label. I'd been keeping tabs on the Californian metal scene enough to know this wasn't just any old tape — it was a demo. I couldn't help but wonder how Lars and James got their hands on it, and what the hell it had to do with me.
"Come on, Nore!" James's pounding on the door grew more urgent as the music began to play, the cassette inserted into the tape deck in our room. "You don't wanna hear this. Trust me!"
I stayed silent, my heart doing some churning uncomfortably in my chest as I recognized Dave's voice emanating from the speakers. I blinked in surprise; I remembered he was scouting for a vocalist for the band back when we were together, but I had no clue he'd decided to take on the role himself. Somehow, that made it all worse; I wasn't prepared to hear his voice. I wasn't ready for the flood of emotions that hearing him but not being able to talk to him, see him, or touch him brought crashing over me. I wasn't ready for the fury radiating from his voice, blazing like a wildfire, channeling all his pain into his music. And then, it hit me what he was singing about.
My only love, something I've never felt / Now you've gone to heaven and I'll burn in hell / I loved you to death!
Oh. Was that why James was so adamant about me not hearing the tape? Could that song possibly be...?
And now I'm down below / And what do I see? / You didn't go to heaven / You’re down in hell with me / And now you’re coming back / “baby take me please!” / I really think I would, if you weren't such a sleaze / I loved you once before, you kept me on a string / I'd rather go without than take what you would bring / I loved you to death!
I chewed on my lip, my stomach twisting as the song came to its end, struggling to make sense of everything I'd just heard. Suddenly, it all clicked. I understood why James had tried to shield me from it; Dave's lyrics were harsh, dripping with anger and bitterness, a far cry from the sweet and caring Dave I once knew. For a fleeting moment, I tried to convince myself it couldn't be about me — but who else could it possibly be about?
For months, I'd been wondering what he'd say if I ever found him. Would he listen? Would he let me explain? And for months, I'd been living with this fear — that he'd hate me, that he wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore. But I'd always held onto hope; hope that I could make things right, that I could clear things up somehow. Yet, that song... It crushed whatever hope I had left.
It hurt me more than I could say.
I stood up and swung open the bedroom door, finding James right there, his blue eyes filled with concern. I threw myself into his arms, trying to hold back the tears. He sighed and hugged me back.
"I warned you not to listen," he grumbled.
"And you were just gonna keep this from me forever?" I asked, my voice shaky.
"If it meant not hurting you, then yeah."
"James, I deserved to know," I said, pulling back to look at him. He reached up and wiped away a tear, his touch gentle on my cheek.
"You're right. I'm sorry," he said softly, planting a light kiss on my forehead.
"Where'd you snag this tape, anyway?"
"Our producer gave it to Lars. Said Dave's using that Mechanix song we had on our album as The Four Horsemen..."
"Those were his songs, James. He's got every right to do so."
"Why do you still stick up for him, even after all this?" he frowned, a hint of annoyance in his voice, then sighed. "Sure, he can use his fucking songs. But he doesn't get to pen this garbage about you."
I shook my head with a sigh.
"It's so not fair," I said, trying to push down the shake in my voice. "He jumped to thinking I'd just cheat on him, replace him outta nowhere. Didn't even give me a chance to explain; just up and left. And I..." James pulled me into another hug as my voice hitched, making it tough to keep talking. "I still miss him. And I wish..."
"Nore..." James murmured, squeezing me tight, and I sighed, shutting my eyes. "You miss him that much? Aren’t you happy with me?"
"Course I'm happy with you," I replied, my voice muffled against him, hugging him close and soaking in the comfort of his scent as I buried my face into his chest.
"Then stay with me ," he said, his voice gravelly, stroking my hair tenderly. "I'm here. And I would never hurt you like that. Maybe it's time to... let this go. I can make you happy, Nore. Promise."
"You already make me happy," I murmured, sniffing softly and pulling away from his embrace, wiping away the tears that insisted on falling. James cupped my face in his hands, giving me a gentle, affectionate kiss on my lips.
I loved James. That certainty had grown in my chest over the past few months until it became unbearable, impossible to ignore. But could I allow myself to forget Dave like that? Could I allow myself to move on and leave behind a love that had changed my life? Even if he hated me, my heart still beat for him. Could I allow myself to let go of that feeling?
Could I?
September 5, 1986
Ever since James and I’d started dating, James had always been warm. Warm and cozy, like a lit fireplace on a winter night, enough for me to always want to be around — always there, always comforting. As we lay together, both totally spent after spending most of the night pleasuring each other, he started planting little, lazy kisses on my neck, his hand resting flat on my belly. His blond locks tickled my cheek, his breath warm against my bare skin.
"I feel like something's off with me," I mumbled, and he stopped kissing me, his lips lingering against my neck.
"I’ll stop if you want me to," he whispered, his arms enveloping me, drawing me snug against his bare skin. James had this knack for drawing me in tighter whenever I hinted at pulling away. He just couldn't resist keeping me close, and honestly, I didn't mind one bit. "Just say the word if you need me to back off," he murmured softly.
"No, it's not that," I replied, turning to face him with a sigh. His blue eyes locked onto mine, curious. I let out another soft sigh, leaning in to plant a kiss on his lips. He responded instantly, pulling me closer, his grip firm.
"What's on your mind then?" he asked, his lips trailing from mine to my neck once more. I sighed again, closing my eyes, my fingers tangling in his hair as heat pooled between my legs.
"I don't want you guys to leave," I admitted, and he paused his kisses, pulling back to meet my gaze. I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks as I looked away. "I know it's part of your job. I know you've been on countless tours, and this one won't be any different. But... I just wish you'd stay, just this once."
James gave a nod, pulling me into a tight hug and planting a gentle kiss on my temple. The whirlwind of tours and gigs wasn't a walk in the park for either of us. Sure, it had its perks, but the constant movement, the jam-packed schedule that I struggled to keep pace with, and the long stretches of time apart definitely took their toll on our relationship. Especially now that the band was hitting new heights of success; I wanted to be there for them every step of the way, but reality dictated otherwise with my own commitments.
It hadn't been such a big deal in the past; after over two years as James's girlfriend and spending loads of time with Cliff and the boys, I was used to the drill. But this time, there was this gnawing feeling in my chest, like something wasn't quite right. It wasn't exactly that I wanted them to stay or that I wanted to tag along but couldn't; it was more like I just didn't want them to leave. I didn't want them out there while I was feeling this jittery, like something was about to go south any second.
"I'm probably being a bit selfish," I admitted, meeting James' eyes.
"Nah, not at all," he countered, running his fingers through my hair and flashing me a grin, clearly trying to lift my spirits. "I'll make it up to you, promise. I'll bring back souvenirs from everywhere we hit. What do you say? We'll be back before you know it, Nore. Trust me."
I gave a nod, a small smile tugging at my lips. There was no point in dumping all my worries on James; things would work out, somehow. I nestled closer to him, giving him a hug before planting a soft kiss on his jawline.
"Meanwhile..." he started, his lips meeting mine as he settled over me. I let out a soft chuckle, looping my arms around his neck; he leaned back, giving me a smile tinged with mischief, his hands trailing up my thighs in a way that sent shivers down my spine, anticipation building within me. "I think we should make the most of my being here while we still can. What do you say?"
"Hmm... sounds like a plan," I answered, and he chuckled, leaning in to kiss me once more.
March 13, 1987
Backstage used to be my sanctuary, but not anymore.
The buzz, the drinks, the laughter, the pounding music — those were the things that used to make me feel alive. Completely in the moment. But ever since Cliff had left us, the whole scene had just become another stress trigger. It was cruel, how I would still catch myself hoping to spot him any minute, beer in hand or puffing on a cig before hitting the stage, tuning his bass with that grin of his like he was born to rock out. Then reality would hit me seconds later, reminding me that I would never see him again.
That he was gone.
That night’s gig marked my first outing since the accident. I only agreed to go 'cause I knew James was missing me like crazy, especially after everything went down. It stung how Cliff's death had torn us apart, making it damn near impossible for us to even be in the same room despite still loving each other; it was all just too raw, too painful to wrap our heads around.
But I stuck it out for the whole show, even though my heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice seeing the band up there with a different lineup, knowing it shouldn't be that way. Jason, the new bassist, was actually pretty damn good; I knew my aunt and uncle had loved him, and knowing he had their stamp of approval made things a bit easier to swallow. I didn't know him too well yet, but he came off as friendly and laid-back. Plus, his passion for the band and music had me smiling, thinking about how Cliff would've dug having someone with that same fire taking his spot.
Once the show wrapped, I didn't stick around for the inevitable after-party. While James and the guys were all caught up sorting out post-gig stuff, I slipped out the back, lighting up a smoke with a sigh. A persistent headache throbbed away, making me regret coming in the first place.
"Miss you, you dumbass," I muttered to myself, feeling the sting of tears threatening to spill over.
If I'd known that accident was coming, I would've done anything to stop Cliff from stepping foot on that bus. I would've volunteered to take his spot, even crawled into the bed he was in when it all went down. I would've traded places with him in a heartbeat, and I would've gone to my grave with a smile on my face. 'Cause living in a world without him was a nightmare worse than anything I'd ever imagined.
And now, all I could do was wish I would wake up back in our cozy home, catching a whiff of the coffee he used to brew up and hearing his gentle chuckle as he teased Leanne about tying the knot some day, all in that playful tone that barely masked his real longing — to live . To start a family, maybe have some kids, buy a house for his folks, and grow old doing what he loved, soaking up the rewards of his talent.
But none of that was in the cards anymore.
And I had remained, an empty, unrecognizable shell of the lively girl I used to be. I didn't know a life without Cliff — he had been my rock since forever. He'd been there since day one — I mean, literally, he was around before I was even born. We grew up side by side, like two peas in a pod, and now what was left of me was rotten, alone, and meaningless.
What was I without him, if he was such a huge part of who I was?
How many more losses in my life would I have to take?
Suddenly, I remembered Dave. The first boy I'd ever really loved, that kind of love that shakes you to your core. Losing him hurt like hell, no doubt about it. But compared to losing Cliff, it was like small fry. Still, Dave was the first real loss I’d ever faced. When all my efforts to track him down hit dead ends, I had to learn to live with the hole he left behind. After all these years, I still thought about him from time to time, but it didn't sting as bad as it used to.
I couldn't help but wonder if the ache in my heart from Cliff's absence would ever dull down like it had with Dave. Or if I'd have to face an even bigger blow, something that'd make this pain seem like child's play in comparison.
After roaming the city streets for hours, I finally headed back to the hotel. When I got to the floor where the band was crashing, I bumped into Jason, standing by his room’s door.
"Hey, Nore," he said, his voice sounding rough, and I gave him a puzzled look. Was he crying?
"Hey, Jason. You all good?"
"I-I'm good," he mumbled, voice low, avoiding eye contact as he sniffled and wiped his face with his hand. Yeah, definitely not okay.
"You're not out there with the guys. What's up?" I asked, and he glanced up, his brown eyes a bit bloodshot, cheeks flushed.
"It's just... It's been kinda rough trying to fit in with the band. Especially with all these pranks they pull..." he trailed off.
"Pranks? What do you mean?" I frowned.
"Oh, it's nothing!" he rushed to say. "You know, just dumb stuff. It's just that it always catches me off guard, like now... I went back to the room to grab a jacket and found they'd messed it all… Up…" He slowly stopped talking as I brushed past him, turning the doorknob of his room and pushing the door open.
I froze in my tracks, utterly stunned by the sight before me. Jason's room was a complete disaster zone — suitcases torn open, clothes strewn all over, mattress gone, and beddings tangled up in the ceiling fan. Furniture flipped over like a hurricane had blown through. I just stood there, dumbfounded. Whoever did this wasn't messing around — it was straight-up hostility, so blatant it snapped me out of my own sadness and fired me up with anger.
"Jason, who did this?" I spun around to face him, my expression blazing, and he took a step back, clearly rattled.
"Nore, it's no big deal, really..." he started, but I cut him off.
"Whoever trashed your room needs to answer for it. This is not okay! I'm going straight to James; he'll sort this out..."
"No, please," he pleaded, cutting me off. "Please, that'll only make things worse! Don't talk to them, I'm begging you…"
I gawked at him, trying to wrap my head around what I was seeing, the pieces slowly fitting together in a puzzle that made no sense.
"Jason," I began cautiously, "did James and the guys pull this stunt on you?"
He stayed silent, which I interpreted as a confirmation. My gut twisted in discomfort. What were they thinking? That wasn't our style. Sure, we'd get a bit wild sometimes, drink too much, goof around — but deliberately messing with someone? It just didn't add up.
Just then, the elevator chimed, and out stumbled a clearly wasted James, grinning when he spotted Jason.
"Hey, Newkid!" he slurred, stumbling over his words as he came over and slung an arm around Jason's shoulders, who shot him a nervous grin. "Check out the new decor in your room, dude! Pretty rad, huh?" He burst into laughter.
"James, what the hell is this?" I demanded, my voice shaky. He glanced up, looking surprised to see me there.
"Hey, babe. You dipped out, what's the deal?" he asked, dropping his arm from Jason's shoulders and stepping toward me. I folded my arms, taking a step back. He furrowed his brow, confused. "What's eating at you?"
"You tell me. What's the deal with this mess?" I gestured to the chaos in Jason's room. James just grinned, shaking his head.
"Princess, it was just a prank... Come on," he said, reaching for my hand, but I shrugged him off, stomping heavily toward our room. "Hey, hold up... Baby!" James called after me, trailing behind.
Ignoring him, I swung open the door and grabbed my bag, hastily scooping up the scattered clothes and belongings. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall — not now.
"Nore, what the fuck are you doing?" James rushed into the room, grabbing my arm. I shook him off, backing away, glaring at him through teary eyes, my breaths coming in uneven gasps. "Babe, what's going on?"
"How can you even ask? What, you think it's funny to be some kind of bully now?" I demanded, my voice quivering. James shook his head, looking utterly baffled by my reaction.
"Nore, chill out! It was just a prank..."
"What kind of prank is this? This isn't us, James. Why are you guys messing with him?" I snapped, continuing to pack up my stuff. "Cliff would never stand for this."
James took a step back, looking like I'd slapped him. His brow furrowed, jaw clenched.
"And how would you know?" he shot back, and I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
"You think you knew him better than I did, James? Seriously?"
"Nore, it was just a joke..."
"A joke ? Really?" I shouted, tears finally breaking free. "I can't deal with this, James. What's gotten into you? He's not to blame for what happened to Cliff!"
"I get it. Nore, just try to calm down," he said, coming closer and taking hold of my wrists, locking eyes with me. "Take a deep breath, okay?"
"James, this isn't fair," I choked out through sobs. "Can't you see? We've been falling apart since he left. You're angry, and you're bitter, and you're mean , and sometimes I don't even recognize you anymore, and I hate it! And I feel like nothing — I don't feel like me anymore without him. You don't need me like this."
"I do need you."
"I'm fucking broken, James."
"No, you're not!"
"I am !" I burst out, my voice cracking. "You deserve someone who won't lose it over every little thing like this, James. You deserve better than me. I'm not good for you anymore. I'm not good for anyone, for anything."
"So what's the fucking deal?" he asked, his voice shaky, desperate, his blue eyes brimming with pain. "You’re breaking up with me now?"
I didn't say anything, just locked eyes with him, feeling my heart twist painfully as I realized something had broken right then and there. I loved James, but how could I love anyone fully when my pain consumed me like this, leaving little space for anything else? How could I let myself be loved when his anger kept driving us further apart, drowning out our love in all the noise?
I let out a heavy sigh, my breath trembling, and released his hands from mine.
"I'm heading back home. I'll pack up and catch the next flight..." I mumbled.
"Nore, don't do this," James pleaded, reaching for my hands again, but I pulled away.
"I can't, James. I'm sorry. Just... Please, let me go," I sobbed, burying my face in my hands as I sank onto the bed.
Not too long ago, James would've never left me like this. He would've been there, comforting me, holding me tight and never letting go. But things weren't like they used to be, and the world didn't work the way it should anymore.
So, he just walked away, leaving me alone with my pain.
Over the next few years, James and I attempted to patch things up time and time again — but it was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. We just couldn't get back to where we were before. Eventually, we drifted apart and started seeing other people, searching for happiness in different eyes, different embraces, different kisses.
But it was useless.
The ache in my chest lingered, a constant reminder of the emptiness that echoed in both of us. And no matter how hard we tried to keep our distance, we always found our way back to each other. We never went back to using those labels — boyfriend, girlfriend — but we couldn't deny the pull between us. I always found myself drawn back to James, and he always found his way back to me.
Eventually, I got used to that kind of love, a mix of joy and sorrow that felt like the only steady thing in a crazy world, a way to bury my own unhappiness. Over the years, me and the guys stayed tight, because what other choice did we have? They were my family, and I was theirs.
I tried to tell myself that maybe I'd never feel that same spark of life again, but hey, at least I wasn't totally miserable. Even though I'd lost a lot and sadness seemed to follow me like a shadow, I still had some good things left — maybe with time, I could figure out how to move forward again. Maybe this was as good as it got.
I almost bought into it.
Until Dave found me.
February 18, 1992
In the end, it was him who found me.
After all the failed attempts, all the heartache, all the rage, all the emptiness I'd been carrying around for years without him, it all came crashing down in that moment when our eyes locked. Time seemed to stand still, his hand on my shoulder sending a jolt through my body, making my heart lose any sense of rhythm.
"Dave?" I whispered, and the sound of my own voice seemed to stir something in his eyes, an old and familiar pain, but also hunger, happiness, and ecstasy.
It was really him.
It was really, really him.
"Hey," he said, and the normalcy of his answer made me chuckle. He grinned at my laughter, that old, beautiful smile, and my heart seemed to melt into pure warmth and affection.
How could I have lived so long without him?
"Hey," I replied, a smile stubbornly appearing on my face. " What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Junior's dating that Music Now anchor; she hooked us up with some tickets. David, David Ellefson," he clarified, noticing my confusion. "I ended up calling him that. Can't have two Daves in the band, and I called dibs first, so..." He trailed off, a small grin playing on his lips that I couldn't help but mirror. "Wanna grab a table? You were getting some food, right? We can catch up for a bit..."
"Sure thing," I nodded eagerly. We snagged an empty table and settled in. I poked at my food, but my appetite took a backseat with him sitting across from me. Dave seemed both different and the same, all at once. He was still as good-looking as ever, with his ginger hair cascading over his shoulders, warm hazel eyes, and that familiar crooked smile that always got me.
"So, what brings you here?" he asked.
"Oh, I work here," I answered, grinning when he raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
"Really? What do you do?"
"I act. Just landed my first lead role in a TV series."
"So you ended up in the arts, huh?" he remarked. "I remember you were tossing around the idea of studying something like that back when... Well, back when we were a thing."
I blinked, feeling the flush rise to my cheeks. I was so thrilled to see him again that, for a moment, I almost forgot how our last encounter had been a train wreck for both of us. How the end of our relationship had left us both hurting and confused. How so many misunderstandings had ruined our love beyond repair.
"Dave," I began, my voice faltering with nerves. "I know it's been forever... But there's so much I want to say. So much I need to explain. I—" I trailed off as he reached for my hand, his grasp enveloping mine, so much larger and warmer, sending my heart racing.
"No worries," he answered, his voice gentle as he kept his gaze locked on mine. "We can talk. I reckon doing it here might be a bit tough, huh? How about we pick a day just for that?"
The idea of meeting up again brought a wave of relief to my face. He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, and I wondered if he too would be feeling the happiness that sang in my chest at that moment, like a little miracle had just unfolded before us. It was hard to find another word to describe it.
He’d found me.
After so many years, he’d found me.
We chatted away for the rest of the party, mostly about work stuff. Everything felt oddly familiar yet different at the same time, and we kind of danced around the real thing: all the emotions we'd been through during our time apart, the fights and secrets that tore us apart when we still cared about each other, and whether we still felt the same way. 'Cause, honestly, I could barely look at him without feeling my whole body fill with a wild happiness, feeling alive like I hadn't felt in a long, long time.
As the party wound down, we lingered by the entrance, chatting quietly while Charlie made the rounds saying her goodbyes. We seized the moment to swap phone numbers, sharing hopeful smiles and whispered words. The night air was chilly, sending shivers down my spine. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to ward off the cold.
"Feeling cold?" Dave asked, already slipping off his blazer and draping it over my shoulders before I could respond. I looked up at him, feeling my cheeks flush, and he grinned. "You can hang onto that. Gives us a good excuse to make sure we see each other again."
The ride home flew by in a blur; I hardly paid attention to Charlotte's excited chatter about the party. Instead, I clung to Dave's coat, feeling its warmth seep into me. His scent lingered in the fabric, intoxicatingly close, like it could drive me crazy.
I must’ve been dreaming, right?
It felt like I was living in a dream. Running into him after all these years, completely by chance, seemed too good to be true. For so long, I'd convinced myself that happiness and hope were out of reach. Turns out, I was dead wrong. I had no clue what the future held — no idea what would come of this unexpected reunion. But the chance to make things right, to clear up the misunderstandings of the past, even just a little bit, felt like a gift too good to pass up.
All I could do that surprising night was hope it wouldn't all vanish by morning. Hope his voice would be there when I called the next day, because I could hardly wait to see him again.
That night, I didn't have any nightmares.
✧ if you'd like to be tagged on the next parts, let me know and I'll add you to the tag list! ❤ ✧
tag list: @killazilla777 @whatsupvic @70srogah @genswine9 @twice360noscope
A/N: i want to branch out on this blog and write for other fandoms too, so im dipping my toes in my baby poe dameron's pool
summary: you and poe are stranded on an unknown planet after a dicy shootout. and your injuries are getting worse by the minute.
warnings: probably inaccurate star wars stuff, graphic descriptions of injuries (maybe), broken bones,
"poe?" you whispered, shaky voice barely cutting through the loud wind noises rattling the loose metal of a broken starfighter.
he grunts, barely looking away from the twisted metal he's trying to bend back in shape with pure will. it's been hours, and with no working comms, and no working beacon.. it was time to start considering alternate escape routes.
"ugh - if it would just-" he grunts again, pounding his fist once against it, the sound lost beneath the other crashing titanium pieces.
"poe..." you said, again, holding onto your shoulder. it was starting to really hurt, and you could barely move your arm, you were sure it was broken, and with the adrenaline of a crash landing fading, it was really starting to be a problem.
he looked at you, lips tight and tense, none of the usual spark in his eyes. his mouth softens into a light frown when he sees you cradling your injury.
"if we don't leave soon i dont know how far i'll be able to go," you say, raising your voice to be heard over the weather.
"we don't even know where we are!" he shouts back, frustrated and angry.
"i know but..."
"how am i supposed to get you out of this!?"
but he softens even more when your lip quivers, and he knows he's being cold - but look at what he's done. he's hurt you. he's gotten you lost on some outskirt planet with no way out, and no medical supplies. he's just proven about himself what he always feared might be true ... he can't protect you.
"I'm sorry!" he shouts, he looks around, and harshly scratches his thumb on his temple. "you're right! we have to move."
"take the comlink! i'll try to fix it when we get ..." you squint, "somewhere."
he grabs it, although he doesn't believe you can fix it. it doesn't even look like scrap metal anymore. totally crushed during the crash landing. if he had just jumped instead of trying to outmaneuver, this wouldn't have happened. he could have gotten you to safety but he was so sure that they wouldn't see his flip coming, but they did... and managed to target the gun you'd been using at the back of the ship, causing a small explosion and sending you against the side of the ship and then when you weren't answering he...
he lost all control and crashed the ship. he was the best pilot the resistance had, and he crashed with the most precious thing in his life depending on him. he was a failure.
when he climbs back down from the trashed fighter, he puts his hand on the small of your back and guides you forward. you were disappointed when he let you go. usually, he'd find any excuse to keep his hands on you, but now he dropped his touch as soon as you'd started walking with him.
you walked quietly, holding the ripped fabric on the shoulder of your suit closed with your good arm and kept the other as snug to your chest as you could. you felt like you were trying to hold yourself together.
you knew this was your fault. if you had just made the shot... you guys wouldn't be in this mess. and the man you were in love with - and arguably the most important pilot in the resistance - wouldn't be stranded in this nowhere place. and you wouldn't be a limping burden. you try your best to hide it. to walk normally and disguise your wincing.
"i'm sorry," you say finally, unable to stand one more moment of uncomfortable silence. you'd never struggled to talk to poe before, normally you can't get him to shut up. "I should've been able to hit the fuel tank, i knew where it was and i missed the-"
"this wasn't your fault," he cut you off, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "none of this is your fault, it's mine."
you could barely hear him, and you were about you respond when both of you were taken by complete surprise as you yelped, your ankle giving way under you with a sickening crunch. poe heard it over the wind, and caught you before you could completely hit the ground.
you cried, trying to say something about the pain but all that came out were a few strangled syllables.
"hey, hey, hey, it's okay! i've got you!" but he's panicking. he can't support you with your arm in that condition, and he can't get you up because of the leg. he's sick. he can't breathe thinking of what's he caused. he picks you up, cradling you as close to his chest as he can as he frantically looks around for anything, anything.
a cave in the face of a rockside is all he can see, and he escapes to it's safety, at least able to get you out of the wind for a minute while he thinks. he sets you down as gently as he can, his heart shattering with each deep sob you release.
he looks around, as if help will just appear in the cave. and he stands up, watching you curl into yourself.
"poe, i'm so sorry." you sob, not noticing his confused expression as you hide your face in your arm, words coming out choked and pathetic you say, "look at what i've done."
"you can't -" he pauses, "you didn't do anything wrong, this mess is my fault."
he wants to stop and comfort you, but he doesn't have time. he has to save you, he has to save. you. he's freaking out. he's failed you, the mission, leia, all because he assumed he was better than some first order pilot.
"i have to find you some help," he says, crouching down close to you and moving some hair out of your face. the blotchy, red cheeks, and swollen eyes that hold nothing but pain behind them, made an unexpected tear fall from poe's eye, but he catches it on the back of his hand before you can see. "why can't wait these injuries out, okay?" you nod sullenly, unable to force out anymore words. "do you have your blaster? hm? can you look at me?" he asks, and you do. "i'm going to run okay? i'm going to find you some help."
poe runs for an hour, but aside from the weather finally yielding, he finds nothing. he nearly gets lost on his way back, but finds you sitting up against the hard rock wall, blaster disassembled around you, as you fiddle with the small broken comlink.
"you're sitting."
"i'm totally numb," you whisper, and you're both quiet. you both know that's not a good thing. "i don't know if it worked... but i tried to send out a signal. the transmitter looked functional enough, but the mic was broken beyond... I..." you trail off. "i hope they find you."
"us," he corrects harsher than he means to. "they're going to find us."
you smile. "you should go."
"what????"
"you can come back for me later but -"
"-no-"
"-we shouldn't both rot in this-"
"-stop saying this crap, seriously-"
"hellhole, and you're too important to lose and-"
"stop!" he shouts, crouching down to look in your eye, passion and frustration covered his face, "you're too important, don't you get that!? don't you get anything? i can't lose you too." poe's resolve falls faster than it rose, and he's sobbing before you've even really processed what he's said. "i won't survive it. if i lose you. i won't survive."
"poe?"
"i love you, you idiot."
but then you passed out. and poe is screaming your name, tapping gentle slaps on your cheek to wake you, but it's not working. he's worried you hit your head.
"what do i do!?" he's looking around, but there's nothing. he knows there's nothing. "what do i do!?"
but he hears something outside that sounds like yelling. and he doesn't care if its first order, pirates, or whatever, he doesn't care. he'd surrender himself to save you. he's only got a half broke blaster, but he's got the spark he needs to save you.
he hides behind a tree when he sees figures, waiting to ambush the first person and steal their weapon, but when he grabs them, it's finn looking out of breath and terrified.
"poe! maker, we couldn't-"
"come on!" poe shouts, ignoring his friend, letting go of the fistful of shirt he had, and taking off full tilt back to where you were. finn was hot on his trail, silent. while chewie ran not far behind, roaring in worry. no one liked the crazed look in poe's eye, especially when they knew it was bad sign you weren't with him.
when they're back to you, poe first checks your pulse, his own nearly stopping with anxiety. but however shallow, it was there, you were still there.
poe scoops you up, holds you close to his chest for a second, whispering a secret plea for you to stay with him, and let chewie take you in his arms, begging him in broken words to be gentle with you.
and then poe just sobbed as they rushed back to the ship.
you didn't wake up for a full month. poe ran defensive missions, or short trips. but he couldn't stay focused long enough for anything longer.
when he returns from a simple fetch & return for leia, he's greeted by rey and rose waiting in the hanger, chatting excitedly. at first poe is annoyed, as he takes his helmet off and shakes his hair out. how could your friends find a way to stand around and chat and smile... but when they look at him with wide grins, he hesitates to feel hope. they've said nothing but his heart is racing. he thinks it may beat clear out of his chest,
"someone wants to see you," rose singsongs, laughing as poe throws his helmet on the floor and takes off down the hallway, following his usual path straight from the hanger to the medbay.
he stops in the doorway, panting as he takes in the sight of you smiling with finn, who was sitting on the chair closest to you. he gets up when he sees poe, says goodbye, and leaves, patting his friend on the shoulder as he passes.
"you're awake," he says, taking finn's seat, and scooching it even closer to you. he gathers up your hand in both of his, and leans forward to press his forehead against the back of your hand. "please, forgive me."
"forgive you? for what?"
he scoffs, leaning back but maintaining a secure grip on your hands. "well, for nearly killing you, mostly."
"poe, i missed the shot. i had the shot and i missed it, it's my fault."
"no," he says, sternly, in a commanding voice you don't even recognize, and you listen, watching him with kind eyes. he could live in them, melt into them, stay there forever. "you saved us. you made a beacon out of a gun and a broken comlink. you're a genius, you're... you're so..." he grunts in frustration when the words get lost. "i almost lost you..." he whispers, kissing the back of your hand. he leans his forehead back onto your hand, whispering again and again how sorry he was.
you smiled sadly at him. he looked thin, had bags under his eyes. you doubted he has been sleeping, finn said he'd spent every night by your side, curled up uncomfortably on the metal chair.
"nah," you chuckle, "i always was gunna come back to you."
"and how do you know that, hm?"
you grin, winking, "because i love you, you idiot."
◌⃘ ⪩☘️⪨ ۫ ִ✮ txt.ot5% ໒꒱ WORD COUNT⇆ 613!﹒☆WARNINGS: do not condone smoking, will never smoke﹒♡﹒🔋
★◜YEONJUN...
ah yes I will actually smoke with him.
because I think he will hook me with some fine imported mary jane.
puff puff pass baby.
i would be like, yeonjun ☝️☺️ i heard for the first timer you have to pass the smoke from your mouth,,
also like of course he would consume nothing but the best of it.
his dealer probably wears some gucci set as he delivers it to him.
he won't even ask me to venmo the money back to him.
he would probably start acting like best friends though, trying to tell me his relationship problems.
like no sir
which is a con because i want to get into his pants.
sorry yeonjun im not your bro.
★◜SOOBIN...
hard no.
he doesn't even know where his dealer is from.
but dude smelled fine so maybe it's ok to consume.
but im not ready for that kinda risk in my life.
to be honest he only smokes to get some good sleep so he isn't even the best option to smoke with.
very boring.
04/10
that four is because the off chance you find him in a happy mood and got to smoke and he will actually take off his clothes and twerk if provoked enough.
★◜BEOMGYU...
i think for the first time he would be fine.
but like soobin, don't expect him to know where his dealer shits from.
probably gets his shit while his dealer is getting chased by police.
which to be honestly would be thrilling if beomgyu wasn't crying half the drive.
still has the audacity to be like,, bestie you ready?!?!
as if he didn't commit to half his life crimes on the drive earlier.
bro got loser rizz.
probably tells you it's okay to hold his hands when you take your first puff.
would nod knowingly in sympathy when you shoot him a dirty look.
gets high way too fast.
you finish one puff and he's out in the corner, dazed out of his mind.
i think the quiet is fine, so yeah he will just do fine.
im not saying i might fall in love with him but i might.
and so will you.
thats why stay away from drugs kid.
★◜TAEHYUN...
doesn't do weed.
too classy for it.
i suggest mushrooms and he looks at me like i insulted that his grandmother smells like fake LV.
whatever that means.
but he is shocked, like his palm on his chest and mouth making perfect 'o'.
drinks alcohol like a real man.
maybe if you convinced to smoke with you, he will probably go into a catatonic state, like you won't know but he is not there.
mentally.
prefers edibles after hitting the bong a bit to many times despite his "irk" for it.
mannequin challenge 2k23 edition.
you push his arm and he's actually sleeping like a baby.
maybe the best one he's ever gotten.
would be a good smoking partner to be honest.
if he's awake for it of course.
★◜HUENING KAI...
best option.
just yes.
anything with him is a yes.
he would be so cool with you.
like he takes care of you.
also snatches the bong when you've done too much.
makes you eat stuff so you don't get too high and end up suffering the consequences.
kinda panics when he sees the stuff he made you eat were laced with edibles.
i want him as my best friend if that isn't clear yet.
probably gets really high off his mind.
but like very, very giggly way.
which is always the best version!
fuck weeds, id even do hard drugs with him ( i won't.)
If u havent already done it,, hcs for dethklok w a very physically affectionate s/o ? Like one that is always down to cuddle n stuff
Hello my sweet Anon! No I haven’t written anything like that yet!! I hope you like these HCs
Nathan - While Nathan himself is a gigantic teddy bear who is touch starved beyond belief. He does find the act of being propositioned with cuddles and touches to be bloody vomit inducing for several reasons. The first being that cuddles and intimate touches took just that... intimacy. And truth be told Nathan wasn't the best when it came to that realm of being. Sure he could pretend. But he hated how nervous he became when his leg touched his partner's, uncertain if the tingles of excitement he felt were ever reciprocated. He hated how sweaty his palms became holding his SO's knowing full well that they could feel just how moist he was becoming just thinking of where that could lead. Marriage and kids of course... and he hated that his mind took him down a futuristic rabbit hole that got his heart broken more times than he ever realized. But his partner... never seemed to mind. Their head on his chest during movies they listened to his heart beat and breathed with him through the panic. Kissed his sweaty knuckles and eased a hand over his bouncing knee. They whispered that they were scared too. But that was an important part of intimacy no one ever talked about. The anxiety and the fear that came with every touch the one that eased with time and with every breath shared until it was hardly noticed anymore and soon two souls became one.
Pickles - The little drummer was not a man who was overly touchy to begin with. People could thank his abusive parents and sketchy past for his fear of intimate touches. He'd duck away from a hug faster than most at the beginning of a relationship. He wasn't repulsed by touches. He'd probably even pull his partner in for hugs and cuddles. But he had boundaries he expected his partner to understand and respect just as he knew his partner had their own he would respect over anything else. There were times that he would pull his partner into his embrace all day. Most of those times alcohol or other substances were involved, other times he or his loved ones were in a heightened emotional state. He hugged people the tightest then with all his heart and soul. He held them to tell them he was there. He wasn't going anywhere. Burying his face in the crook of their neck, his beard scratching against the skin of their neck he held them tight to help them relax. And when his asthma hit and his anxiety washed over him the most was when he needed his partner to step in and return the favor.
Murderface - William likes to pretend that he is as macho as they come. And sure he pretends for a while. He pretends that he's a sexual extraordinaire, has a 20 meter defeater, and lives without a single fear in the entire world. He pretends for a while when he first meets his partner... because he never expects to catch feelings. He ever expects to see them again. But the fact of the mater is... Murderface is entirely too scared... for much of anything when it comes to anything intimate with his partner especially when he starts a relationship with his partner. It takes a long time for him to open up to his partner. To let them touch him so intamatly and with so much trust that they won't hurt him. Because the truth of the matter was that was what he was scared of most. Getting close. Comfortable. Then being discarded and forgotten like yesterday's trash. He hated that feeling. He hated it more that he had grown used to it. So when the couple were watching one of his favorite movies... maybe a boring documentary and his partner's full attention was on the screen not on their phone, not talking to some other guy... he felt himself grow comfortable... wrapping his arm around their shoulder he pulled them close kissing their temple.
Skwisgaar - For the Swede cuddling and touching came in the form of sex so often that he became complacent to the idea that cuddling only came to those in the throws of passion. When his partner tried to hug or hold him in public it sprang to life a problem the blonde had to either excuse himself to the bathroom for. Although many times he simply would try to pull his partner into the alleys and closets to get some alone time. One night when his partner comes to bed they wear the most revealing clothes they could find, crawl into bed and cuddle up close to him, their fingers ghost his skin as they lay sweet kisses across his collar bone, neck, and jaw. Just when Skwisgaar is positive he's getting lucky, his partner pulls away. Touch therapy. That's what they call it. They want to retrain his brain into learning they can touch him without always getting laid. At first he fights the idea. Then his partner cuddles close once more telling him to close his eyes. He does, not because they said so of course... but because he was getting blue balls and it hurt... But... eventually he understood. The quietness, the sensuality without the sexuality... it was nice. Comfortable.
Toki - This boy is just as touchy feely as his partner. It makes other people uncomfortable how clingy they are to each other. Stage 5 clingers would not be a stretch to describe either of them. Velcro Partners. If they're seen apart it's not because either of them want to be alone.
Hello Pebbly, I had a question I wanted to ask after reading the last chapter of Castles. What is the relationship like between Ginny and Hermione? I feel they are not as close as some people portray them in other fics. Thoughts?
hmmm. i obviously can't really comment on other people's works (although i would say that @whinlatter's beasts which i read recently does do that ginny/hermione relationship very well) but i do see them as a bit "complicated."
i think on the one hand, they're "friendly". mostly in the way that they were girls of the same age who shared a bedroom basically every summer, probably whispered "secrets" to each other until the wee hours of the morning, about boys and sex and their parents being annoying or something. the way girls do. they also seem to be quite "close" when it comes to more serious topics: we see that when ginny gets ousted from the order meeting in ootp, she's confident in the knowledge that hermione will tell her everything (although, i have always wondered whether that was just teenage bravado rather than fact). hermione also seems to know a whole lot about ginny's feelings towards harry and seems to give her advice, which obviously shows that they've probably had numerous conversations about it. when it comes to castles, ginny also clearly knows hermione well enough to know that when she goes to crash on harry's sofa after their fight, it might also be because hermione wants to mess with ron's head and make him jealous. that means they've talked about ron's feelings, there, too.
on the other hand, i also think that both ginny and hermione are people who keep important stuff close to their chests (which i know is an unpopular interpretation when it comes to ginny, who many people think is very good at talking out problems, and if that is your interpretation, then good for you, i don't mean to challenge it, i have had this conversation too many times, please let's just agree to disagree and move on) so i do think there is a bit of distance, there. whilst i think hermione might have reluctantly passed information to ginny about the order, she 1) probably filtered it into what she herself deemed "age appropriate" and 2) probably didn't pass on stuff that was personal to harry. for example, i don't think ginny ever knew about the prophecy, pre-war. she probably guessed it, cause she's not stupid, from the stuff harry said as well, but i don't think hermione would have told her. and, i don't think that post-war, hermione would talk to ginny about bellatrix, for instance. similarly, i certainly don't think ginny would tell hermione about amycus (i actually toyed with that idea for a while back when i wrote act 2, and it just wasn't working, imo).
i kind of see the two of them as circumstantial friends or "summer" friends. we've all had those. they get on and like to chat as the only two teenage girls at the burrow, but i don't think they're particularly close the other ten months of the year, when they're in school. they will talk about boys and teenage stuff like gossip, drinking, sex, etc. but i think when it comes to serious things, ginny's much more likely to confide in demelza or luna, and hermione in ron or harry. i also think that hermione finds it hard to connect with other women, probably due to the trauma of being often taunted by them, and so i think even if ginny isn't like that, hermione would sometimes find it hard to communicate.
many people have written metas about this but i also believe that especially coming out of the war, the trio have a very co-dependent dynamic where it would be hard for ginny to find her place within it. i don't buy - at all - the idea of the trio becoming a "quartet" after the war, going on double dates and all that. i think harry and ginny have the kind of relationship where it's them both, then harry and his friends, and ginny and her friends. they all "get on" but i don't think they share friends (and, that's okay. hot take but functional couples don't actually need to share everything.) and, i think ginny isn't jealous of hermione in the way that ron is jealous of harry - i don't think she has any insecurity about harry and hermione being more than "siblings", but i do think that especially in the early days of castles, when she and harry are just sleeping together and being "fun", she knows the trio, to him, is the "deeper" stuff, and that annoys her/makes her insecure a bit. i reckon it's only after she and harry establish a different kind of post-war connection that she feels less awkward about it.
i also think that when it comes to the "summer friends" hermione and ginny used to be, the war's thrown a wedge in that. even if you don't take ginny/amycus as canon, they've both had drastically different experiences of the war (both very legitimate, but still) and have both experienced things that are very difficult to talk about. they both have a tendency to self-isolate so it can be hard for them to communicate. i think that during the "eighth" year in hogwarts, there are a lot of attempts and near-misses, with them probably sometimes snapping at each other, trying to connect but never quite making it (as is actually shown in beasts). having said that, i don't think they're on bad terms. hermione is clearly very worried about ginny during her party/sleeping around phase, and during the abortion crisis, the fact that harry takes ron's side and ginny very explicitly says she will not take sides is very telling.
i think they're just very different people and frankly, had harry not brought them together, i don't think they'd be friends. ginny doesn't understand hermione's rule-abiding mentality and her coping mechanisms, and hermione doesn't understand ginny's wilderness that sometimes borderlines on self-destruction. but i also think they respect each other. ginny respects hermione's intelligence and her unwavering support of harry, and hermione respects the stability ginny's able to give harry and her place as his partner.
ultimately, i think they're "cool" with each other. but i don't think they're bffs.
Can you do one of König getting into a bar fight, maybe when he’s a few drinks in he isn’t so nervous and it openly confident?
And maybe Horangi is watching from afar, shocked at this side of König that’s he’s never seen. Also if your in the mood, having Horangi getting a little hot and bothered and just wanting to drag König back to base for a fun night. ;)
König not being social anxious when drunk? Sign me the fuck up
Horangi did not like the beer they served at the base's bar. It was some watered down stuff from Britain that tasted like dog water. But he drank the one bottle he had regardless, trying to feel just a little buzzed.
König did not seem to have his problem. He chugged the imported Austrian beer that someone had ordered, on his.... sixth? Yeah, he was a big guy but he was drinking them rather fast. He had reached the point of being drunk where the hood was on the table, his face a gorgeous red, and he was swaying slightly. This stupid grin across his face.
Horangi thought he was gorgeous. He put the hood back on though to get another two beers. Both for him because Horangi still hadn't finished his. Unlike most people, König didn't stumble when drunk. He became more surefooted, standing tall instead of slightly hunched.
Horangi checked to make sure he hadn't drooled. He leaned onto the counter and if it was anyone else, Horangi may have considered it cocky but fuck was cocky a good look on König. He could forgive it.
A man, military but low ranking if the fact he was in his uniform in a bar was any indicator, started talking with him.
König looked down at him and Horangi watched him brush him off, something he would never do sober.
The man immediately got upset, shoving him lightly. Horangi rolled his eyes, expecting König to put his hands up, stutter something about "meaning no harm" or even just look to Horangi to handle it. He was already standing to go help him.
That didn't happen. König clocked him, hitting the man's jaw so hard his head snapped back and he went straight to the floor, knocking down the stools behind him. Horangi paused and watched König stare down at him like he was nothing. He turned away from him and grabbed the beers before trying to get back to Horangi.
One of the man's friends, in an act of dick riding Horangi thought was ridiculous, tried to defend him against the 6'10 brickhouse. They immediately started to swing at König and König laughed. Fucking laughed. He put the beers back down and instead of just knocking him down, he grabbed him and they started properly brawling.
Horangi slowly sat down, watching König show a level of confidence he never saw from him. He didn't hit to win. He hit to hurt. König throwing both men around and slamming one of them through a table and making the legs of it snap.
Horangi pulled his mask up and quickly put his jacket in his lap. König didn't have his gloves so his knuckles busted, bleeding slightly. His chest heaved and...
Horangi let out a breath, watching those muscles in his biceps flex.
Someone jumped on his back and flipped him over his head and dropped him.
The bartender went around them and signaled to Horangi. Probably smart honestly.
Horangi situated his pants so his... problem wasn't too obvious and went over to König. He stepped in front of him and König grabbed him hard. König visibly paused and let go, suddenly looking sheepish.
"Ah, Mordkätzchen. Time to go?"
"Yes. Come on." Horangi didn't mean to sound so harsh but König quickly followed. They walked together with Horangi leading them to König's room.
"I'm so sorry, Horangi. Forgive me I didn't mean."
"König. That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen." Horangi got the door open. "Christ how drunk are you?"
"More than sober enough for this." König picked him up and bent him over his dresser. "You like me like this?"
"Confident. I like you confident." Horangi knew he looked flustered. He could feel the heat in the back of his neck. König's hand grabbed him by his nape and pressed him down.
He laughed at Horangi's state and pushed his shirt up and his pants down. His fingers settled on hip in a steel grip, not giving Horangi a bit of wiggle room. Horangi grit his teeth to be quiet as König touched him. The pad of his thumb pressed against his hole and it was all he could take to not hiss at the cold feeling.
"So quiet, aren't you tiger?" König purred at him. "Sometimes I want to see what I can do to make you louder."
Horangi whimpered. Immediately he bit his lip to shut up, trying so hard. He didn't even know why. Maybe he wanted König to force the noise out of him.
König paused what he was doing before the hand on his hip moved to his mouth, gently tracing his lips. As soon as his lips parted, König forced his fingers into his mouth, going as far as they could until they brushed against the back of his throat. He pulled them back slowly, saliva dripping off them. Another whimper came out of his mouth at the casual dominance of it all. The fabric of König's pants pressed against his bare skin and it drove him crazy. He tried to gently press against him so he could get some friction or even just some stimulation on his sensitive skin.
König removed his hand from his backside and Horangi whimpered, this time as a plea to get him to stop teasing. The slap caught him off guard. Horangi hadn't exactly been shy about wanted König to get rougher and his poor boyfriend had always been just a little too worried about hurting him. Pain flared through him and Horangi choked out a pretty moan, encouraging König to do it again. And he did.
His thighs and ass would be red and sore for a while, but König thought that was more that worth it. Horangi agreed. König pressed his fingers deep into him and Horangi was too blissed out to not moan like a whore.
König grabbed Horangi by his hair to force him to look at his reflection in the mirror on the dresser. "You want me like this right? Roughing you up?"
Horangi nodded as much as he could, panting softly as he made eye contact with him. König still had the hood so he could only see his eyes. His pupils dilated and König noticed. Watched as Horangi's mouth opened slightly and he clenched around his fingers desperately.
"So cute. You want me, ja?" König purred, puffing his chest out and Horangi wanted to drool. He looked gorgeous.
"Yes. Please. Please. Whatever you want to do to me, please." Horangi pleaded, not used to this.
König pulled his fingers out of him. He unzipped his pants just enough to take out his cock, keeping the rest of his clothes on. His fingers tightened in his hair as he pushed into him.
"Always so tight. Made for me, ja?"
Horangi moaned and nodded, tears filling his eyes. He started to thrust in properly and Horangi held onto the edge of the dresser. He stared at König the entire time to keep eye contact. König hit his bitch button over and over again, staring at him. His scrutiny over Horangi's body made him even more flustered.
"König..." Horangi cried out, refusing to look at himself because he knew he was probably disheveled.
The hand yanked his hair hard and Horangi came untouched, shivering a little.
König flipped him onto his back and looked down at him. A few more pumps and he pulled out to come over his chest, adding to the mess.
Horangi gathered a tiny bit on his finger and licked it clean, watching König's eyes follow his movements as he did.
He was scooped up and dragged to bed and König seemed just fine with ignoring the problem.
"Shower first."
König whined but gathered clothes, only giving Horangi one of his shirts. It would go to his knees so it wasn't too big of a deal, but Horangi noticed. They got cleaned up and König left several love bites all over him before dragging him to bed to sleep.