#tailor made reader
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ilionessa · 7 days ago
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Sukuna was attached. After living in the olden days (heian obviously. am i shakespeare now?), he was still new to this modern day shit. But it’s whatever, he’s getting used to it anyways, so it doesn’t phase you much at this point. :3
He’s tryin his best to adapt to this new life without being a bloodthirsty bastard, but he just needs somethin to be occupied to, you know? and he’s picked up a smoking habit. Not good. But again, he’s a fucking— no, THE king of curse who’s killed millions of people, soo.. can’t really get mad at him.
But he’s trying he’s best for you, he really is. He’s trying his best not to smoke around you ‘n all that other crazy shit, but like… it’s soo hard. He can’t smoke between the first few hours in the morning or night. The morning is understandable, but the night?? your literally joking. Smoking out at night for him is like free dopamine— free pleasure. He likes cigs more than vapes cuz of the burning sensation. Yeah… vapes have the most yummiest yet wildest tasty air, cigarettes just hit like that, boom. They hit different — like CRAZILY different. And if he even was to vape, you’d obviously smell that pink lemonade raspberry, blueberry — whatever shit in the house and immediately go to scolding. And he doesn’t wanna hear his pretty girl yap in his ear about not smoking, not again! for the seventh time, no. He doesn’t wanna make you mad ;( cuz then it makes him sad inside cuz he made his pretty girl mad about him smokin’ again. But you know, Sukuna’s stubborn, so he’ll conceal his evidence anyways. (with endless hours of having you flipped on yer back ‘n stomach trying all new positions ofcourse!!)
“‘kuna! fuck! what did i say ‘bout hitting that nasty shit up in here— eugh—!” you swat your hand in the air, trying to get the smell of fucking— strawberries and pineapple..? in the air, quickly hurrying to the bathroom to get some air freshener.
“oh. uh… ‘m sorry?” he tries his hardest to give a damn, but nothin’s that he says is even sympathetic or worrisome comin’ put his mouth. and honestly— it’s just frustrating you even more.
“i told you to stop doing that—“ you yank him by the ear harshly, tugging on it and nagging at him. “— do you wanna fucking die, sukuna?! shit.. ‘s like what i’m sayin’ is jus’ goes through one ear ‘n out the other.” you sigh in annoyance, rubbing your fingers against your temples, trying to relieve your stress (it’s not helping at all..)
“i swear ‘m sorry, pretty girl. don’t do that..” he pathetically whines into your shoulder like a damn baby, long ‘n huge arms wrapping around your body and bringing you closer to him. he’s a bit scared. just a lil’. you used his name— something that other worthless people call him— no cute, corny or ugly nickname. now that, that shakes him to his fucking core one hundred percent.
Living in the city is kinda fun, yeah the cars are loud as shit at six in the damn morning, but there’s a lot to do that’s so close by. But then you’re getting weird looks at almost everyone ‘cause your boyfriend’s like fucking 7 feet. What the shit? But it’s not like you actually give a damn, Sukuna spoils you and treats you right soo… what do you have to worry about? He’s super gentle with you, ‘n listens to your rambles in the morning, night, afternoon and evening. (even at dusk or dawn..). Whatever comes out of your mouth, he’ll listen to patiently and eagerly. Even the stupid shit you say when he’s fucking and thrusting his cock deep inside of you, yes.. :D and it was cute listening to your little rambles anyways!!
Anyways, Sukuna is super sweet n gentle towards you and only you. He even made sure to slip in slowly n gently so that he wouldn’t hurt you!! and a lil warning beforehand as well. “it’s gonna hurt a lil bit babe, m’kay? hold onto me if it’s too rough, mhm?” nice right? > < he wasn’t scary nor evil towards you, no, never. He’s too afraid of losing his angelic n beautiful girl for allat. If anything, he was such a sweetheart n kind guy to you and spend hours with you after restlessly stretching you out for an hour or two. Or three. He’s spend hours doing whatever he could to help you or just baking some sweet stuff you liked cuz you were probably tired and hungry, so why not help you out? Sometimes he’d do your skincare with you because he loves you a lott.
“C’mere,” Sukuna beckons for you to come and lay in his arms, whatever cute romance movie playing on the TV in the bedroom providing background noise. The small drizzling of the rain tapping against the glass on the window. “don’t wear yourself out too much, princess. ‘M not allowin’ you to go to the ER for that back.” he playfully remarks, wrapping his bigass arms around your torso. “Soo comfy, princess, don’t move…” a cigarette dangled from his lips. just the sweetest moment with your boyfriend.
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silcoitus · 2 months ago
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Tailor-Made (Chp 19)
Previous chapter: Chapter 18
Tailor-Made Masterlist
Rating: Explicit. Minors DNI 
Chapter tags: Silco x Fem!Reader, Reader-Insert, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Set between Acts 1 and 2 of Arcane, hurt/comfort, fluff; vaginal fingering; hand job; blow job;
Chapter word count: 5.2k
Chapter Beta Readers: @medic-simp
Total word count: 68k
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The weekend somehow manages to both drag on and speed by; short, frantic bursts of chaos and bustling activity interspersed with dull, quiet lulls that have you almost falling asleep at the register. The only thing that manages to keep you awake during those brief moments of peace is the thought of seeing Silco again come Monday.
Seated at your stool, you look over at your dress form. Silco’s vest has come along nicely; you’ve got all the important base pieces done and now just need to finish all the finer details. The gold trim is sure to take you some time as you’ve decided to add it by hand, wanting to make sure it looks absolutely perfect. And while you have plenty of notions and enclosures from your Topside shopping trip haul, you’re still playing around with them and figuring out what pieces to incorporate and which to save for a future garment. 
Gods, I hope he likes the progress.
Read Chapter 19—Eager to Please on AO3
Stay tuned for Chapter 20!
Taglist: @averagecrastinator @mazikomo @writingmysanity @insult-2-injury @constantfragmentation @ariaud @jennrosefx @steponmesilco @leave-me-alone-silco @whatisafandom @violet-19999 @juicboxd @you-never-talk @noposwe @toripandashady @sirenofzaun @22carolina08 @roxnpens @commanderblood @Medic-Simp @cthezaunite @verdant-onyx @ursawastricked @artwithvivien @edlix @lackofhonor @spoczkot @witchypandamonium @lotus-99 @robin-the-enby @blissfulip @all-that-we-hope-to-be @zaunite-leo @silvia-elaine-hestia @nyx2021 @cccandynecklaces @another-batkid @toogaytofunctiondangit @rinkatai @mollymauksboi @pinklunarprincess @skeppy-kaxel | @rhynestonez @glitterandgoldfinds @pinkrose1422 @cloudroomblog @dad-dumpster @jennithejester @redlovett @kleinnac @quack-quack-snacks @lemononalilypad @aikoiya @deliriousfics @plufic @quinn-grey @speeb @sarynnah @k0iiz @anon-nee @helaenabugmom @ethnicallymoral @xiller0
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youreyeson1y · 7 months ago
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iv. MEET STRAY KIDS
all of the memebers are in their 3rd year; JEONGIN is a year younger than them as he started his schooling early and got admitted early into JYPA.
CHRIS is a year older as he took a gap year after finishing his high school to go back to his home country, australia, and also so that he and his friends could start JYPA together as he was very serious about their band.
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KIM SEUNGMIN: vocalist and guitarist of stray kids and simply a menace to society. is the second youngest in his band and never fails to remind his friends of that. love language is annoying the heck out of you. pretty popular around campus but only has a few close friends with whom he's really comfortable with.
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LEE YONGBOK: aka felix, singer, occasional songwriter and is the face of the group. one of those people who's sunshine-y aura is felt everytime he enters the room. felix is the kind of person to put anyone at ease; seungmin and him think of each other as their safe place and seungmin feels the most comfortable with him. one of seungmin's closest friends and also his roomate.
LEE MINHO: super talented vocalist and teaches the others choreography that they sometimes try out to make their concerts more fun. seems unapproachable at first but is the sweetest silly guy once you get to know him. although it seems like him and seungmin are always getting on each other's nerves, seungmin actually looks up to minho a lot and really cares about what he thinks.
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CHRISTOPHER BAHNG: known around campus as chan, is the leader, producer, and manager of stray kids. always the voice of reason but there is never a day without him contemplating how he became friends with such chaotic people.
SEO CHANGBIN: producer and rapper of the group. while many are scared of him because of his muscular figure, he is actually an absolute sweetheart and the group's biggest cheerleader. has a joke "thing" going on with his roommate, hyunjin.
HWANG HYUNJIN: drummer and vocalist of the group. also a super talented dancer and helps minho with the choreography whenever he has free time. is the designated drama queen of the group. is also a very talented artist and has quite a bit of cash saved up after selling his art as a side hustle.
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HAN JISUNG: is a baby girl. songwriter and rapper, and also helps chan and bin in production. called the "ace" as he's part of a million different clubs at JYPA and surprisingly ends up winning in every other random competition.
YANG JEONGIN: youngest of the group and thus babied by everyone (and makes the best use of it). super talented vocalist and self-designated stylist of the group as he's undoubtedly the one with the best fashion sense. jury's still out on whether he'll graduate or not. as they're closest in age, also one of seungmin's closest friends.
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PREVIOUS < MASTERLIST > NEXT
STEAL THE SHOW. a kim seungmin smau
SYNOPSIS — kang y/n's focus was divided between the looming competition and the obnoxious and infuriating kim seungmin. his mocking and sarcastic online jabs sparked her retaliation, entertaining the university with their petty banter. but as their online repartee became routine, curiosity supplanted irritation, threatening her priorities and composure.
TAGLIST — open! (send in an ask to be added 🤍)
@babrieeee, @starlostastronaut, @charlieg1rl, @queen-in-the-shadows, @estella-novella, @saintcosette, @chocolateislife, @yaniiiiism, @gnabnahcbby, @seungzsmin
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good-beanswrites · 1 year ago
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In the final chapter of "Lights, Camera, Sing Your Sins", you name-dropped Muu as one of the overall guilty prisoners. Now what bits of flavor might you add if you picked Kotoko?
Ooh, so the main difference is that Kotoko would carry a different type of guilt than Muu!
I tried to bring up the imagery that would haunt Es: “The tears. The screams. That final look in Muu’s eyes burned in their brain,” really creating this image of a sobbing, screaming, scared little girl. I wanted readers to feel that guilt of killing a sweet, big-eyed child. For Kotoko, though, I'd include a feeling of hopelessness – she thought she was doing the right thing. She thought she was a hero. But her “justice” only led to tragedy. And now, Es would realize that theirs did too. Instead of “oh god there's a child's blood on my hands” I may go the route of “the harmful cycles of justice and punishment continue, because of me.”
There would also be a new relief when Kotoko stands up to protect Es. Muu has a sweetness to her that lets her follow along in those ending scenes, but it's even more telling of the prisoners' love for Es if someone like Kotoko would defend her own murderer.
I’m planning on revisiting that last chapter and changing things to reflect the real ending, so we’ll see what other new and exciting forms of pain certain prisoner executions will give us post-T3 (so that I can immediately fix it by saying “and they’re all alive and well!!!!” 😂)
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orcelito · 1 year ago
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Wild that anytime I post an update a lot of people read it and are even excited about it and have their own thoughts and reactions to it that I'll never know.
Comments are only the very tip of the iceberg with it. And I am Very grateful to commenters for letting me in on it. But in the same way that I'll be excited with my friends when a fic we love updates, it's likely that Other people enthuse with Their friends when my fic updates. And it's just so strange. An experience I'll never have access to.
Everyone's relationship with my fic is unique. So many different people with so many different circumstances and preferences... and the number of people that have told me that my fic is one of their favorites, some even saying it's their Favorite favorite... every single one of them have their own relationship with my writing.
It's just interesting to me. I think and think and think on my writing. I have my plans for basically the entire fic, the way I want it to end already thought out, all the major plot beats and the relationship progressions, All of that thought out. I love my writing so very much, but I'm on the inside looking out. This is my mechanical horse, and I'm in here laying out the groundwork and pulling levers and constructing limbs, puttering away making the horse move. Forever and always, my relationship with it will be more intimate than anyone's, and yet more clinical. Because I know it better than the back of my own hand, but I'll never have the experience of reading it fresh. Of reading it without knowing everything that's going to happen from now to the end and beyond. I won't have the thrill of the plot twists I have planned, the delight at seeing things progress, the horror at seeing things go wrong...
This is my mechanical horse, and I'm making it move.
I just always wonder what it must be like to see it from the outside. I hope to others that it's a pretty horse.
#speculation nation#itnl shit#didnt mean to write this much about the concept but i really am so...#jealous almost. id love to be able to read my fic as a reader.#because it's tailor made to my tastes Exactly.#and i know it's good writing. i surprise myself even sometimes with how good things end up.#it's never a doubt in my mind that i'll make things good. even the harder things . while bringing trepitation . i know i'll figure them out.#the relationship a fic writer has with their own fic is so... yeah. intimate. but still somehow emotionally removed.#but thats how it goes with any art piece i think#the creator sees all the bits and pieces that went into it. remembers the thoughts as they made it#they know their work better than Anyone Else. but they'll never be able to experience it like an outsider.#is my fic helping someone through a rough breakup? is it something someone rereads when theyre sad?#is it a fic that people stay up way too late reading? the fic that someone discovers and consumes all within a day?#that voracious love. ive experienced it many times with other fics. but i can never experience it with my own.#but in the end. that's okay. i will just continue to do as i wish with it. and maybe people will continue to like it.#it is my goal to make a fic that people will never forget. what that may mean differs depending on the person.#i want it to be the best fic it can be. and i will make it so with every brick i lay down.#puttering about for days and weeks and months. it's Most of what i think about. it's my impact on the world.#and it's sitting for 3 hours after work in the storage room writing until im shivering but Satisfied with a productive writing session#it's writing some of my most emotional scenes while sitting for an hour on the toilet#no one else knows what the toilet written scenes are. but I Do. such is my relationship with my fic.#(the focus in the Quiet Rooms cannot be underestimated. the bathroom is indeed one of the Quiet Rooms lol)#& man. ive rambled so much now. but i just love my fic so very much#i'll never be an ITNL reader. and that's okay. because i'm its writer. & that's a status that No One Else can boast.#even those people who state that it's their Favorite favorite cant rival the intimacy of my own relationship with it.#I Am Its Writer and that means so very much to me.#i... really do love my fic y'all
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thatscarletflycatcher · 2 years ago
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I have reached the point of my WIP writing where I'm like "If only they knew my blorbos like I do, they'd love them as much as I do". And then I remember the blorbos exist, for the most part, only in my head so far.
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petrichorium · 2 years ago
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Jing Yuan would thrive in a harem im so serious
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paxopalotls · 1 year ago
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MAY I INTRODUCE YOU TO JUNG HEEWON
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I think it's unfair that dressing boys in maid outfits is more popular than dressing girls in butler outfits. There should be solidarity and equality.
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coweye · 10 months ago
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The Honda Odyssey
Logan Howlett x Reader | smut | 6k words Summary: The car fight reimagined and it only needed to be like 10% more erotic than the original.
I got carried away. I just love Wolvie so much. I'm so happy Logan is getting the adoration he deserves. Long live the Wolverine renaissance.
Warning: smut, p in v, ass play, foul language.
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If you had to pinpoint a moment when your life became the shit show it had steadily developed into, you’d say it was the moment you auditioned for X-Force.
In your tenure as besties with Wade Wilson, it's fair to say things hadn’t gone smoothly. The man was a conduit to all things fucked up, but you adored his loose morals and quick mouth. The idiot in red had weaselled his way into your heart and became something of a brother to you and more recently a roommate.
Now, if you’d have told your younger self you’d be in your late twenty’s sharing an apartment with a burn victim who regularly staples a toupee to his fucking head and a coke-head, blind, old African American woman, you’d have laughed in their fucking face.
So, you’d like to think that as these things go you are pretty damn well adjusted but traversing the multiverse was a bit of a stretch, even for you.
One moment you’re at Wade’s surprise party, the next your ass has been zapped to the TVA and you’ve been given a sacred mission; to accompany Marvel Jesus (Wade) and protect the sacred timeline.
Naturally you’re fucking mind blown, you’re a low-level mutant, fuck, you couldn’t even join the X-Men.  Your particular set of skills were a dime a dozen and your flagrant disregard of rules had made you a ‘poor candidate’.
No, the mutant powers you had been graced with weren’t extraordinary by any means. You were basically an off-brand Captain America, just without the gorgeous cheekbones, patriotism and righteous need to do good.
In layman terms, you are strong as shit and have an accelerated healing factor. Not quite the same level as Wade’s mind you. You have, give or take, an inconvenient five-minute turnaround on the more fatally debilitating wounds.
To say you were unqualified was an understatement and to say you were reluctant was a simple fact. A fact you repeated, loudly to anyone that would listen as you were bathed in rich black leather.
“I think maybe you meant to grab negasonic teenage whatchacallit… she’s great, super powerful!” You continue. “Did you mean to get Domino or Colossus or maybe one of the X-Men? “
“No Miss Y/L/N. We have not got the wrong person for the job.” The man you later find out is called Paradox, calls out as you re-enter the operation headquarters. “Mr Wilson requested your presence; he wanted your assistance on his mission.”
“Y/N/N… ten out of ten, baby girl, I one hundred percent would bang. I’m talking raw dog, Barry White on a rug, let’s go all fuckin’ night.”  Wade hollers in his own brand-new suit and even you must admit, you look fucking amazing. “Sweet angel, we’ve just gotta’ come up with a superhero name for you!”
You are enrobed in rich thick black and teal leather, your first ever hero suit and it’s a fucking good one. It doesn’t cling, but instead pulls you in securing your flesh and extenuating curves, ones you hadn’t entirely realised you had. The bottom half your face is concealed with a mask, carefully crafted to follow the contours of your nose and cheekbones.
You’d barely recognised the mysterious figure in the mirror.
“Right?! Tailor was pretty handsy though!”
“Oh yeah, ha! - that man is indeed a predator.” Wade says with a chuckle and a fond sigh.
It shames to you to say but that’s when you stopped fighting this whole thing. You looked the part of a hero; you thought that maybe the TVA knew what they were doing. That they had seen something in you and knew that you had a good heart under all the darkness that lingered on the surface.
Wrong.
You were just a demand Wade had made. He wanted his number one disciple at his side whilst he carried out his sacred mission. You were part of an attempt at appeasing him whilst they destroyed your timeline.
Little more than a pawn to be used whilst they manipulated him into a false sense of security.
Thus, you were thrown into a series of events far beyond your control when Wade being Wade decided you were hunting down a Wolverine to stabilise the timeline, only to be once again fucking zapped into some place they called the void by that little English shitbird named Paradox. It’s entirely accurate to say that you were a little less sturdy than your compadres.
Unfortunately for you, the fall from such a height into the void was fatal. When you finally awake in the desolate wasteland to the sounds of blades clashing it is disorientating to say the least.
Forcing yourself to your feet you lower your mask and gasp in the sweet strangely stale oxygen as you stretch out your newly healed spine with a groan. It was impossible to tell how long you were out as you take in the scene before you; Wade and the Wolverine are engaged in a heated battle. From the looks of it, Logan is winning this fight despite being the human equivalent of a knife block with Wade’s katanas protruding from his chest.
For a moment you pause, perhaps its head trauma that hasn’t healed (He’s fucking Deadpool, he can look after himself for two minutes) and appreciate his form, the Wolverine the two of you had kidnapped was gorgeous. Tch, as if there was any other kind.
Sure, you were biased you’d always been somewhat of a fangirl, but the Wolverine was objectively breath-taking.
You’d indulged in comics whilst growing up but when you found out he was real and looked the way he did, hell, Wolverine was your sexual awakening. He was the first man to make you feel that tingle in your lower stomach. Yes, you may have been thirteen years old, a ball of puppy fat and social anxiety but you’d been waiting for him ever since. 
You’re snapped out of your reverie when Wade loses baby knife in Logan’s shoulder blade, finally you spring into action. In good time as well as you’re not sure if even Deadpool can survive decapitation.
In the singularly most stupid act of your life you throw yourself in front of your friend’s body. “Wait, Wait! Please!”  
Wade has paused behind you, you can feel him weighing up the situation, pausing for a moment to see what you’re going to pull out of the bag.
“The TVA they can fix it, whatever you did, whatever made you the worst Logan, they can fix it! – They have the power to end universes, but they also have the power to fix yours! Help us get back there and we can fix both of our worlds! I promise, they can fix it.” You plead, it’s not quite a lie exactly, more of an Educated Wish than anything.
Okay it is a lie, but you’re sure that the TVA can most likely, probably, maybe fix his world.
Logan’s eyes lock with yours in that moment you can see that he wants to kill you both and be done with it, but that hope won’t let him. You feel a smidgen of guilt for the deceit, but frankly you’ve done worse for less. Your world was on the line it wasn’t the time to pull your punches.
Fast forward four exhausting hours, two periods of unconsciousness and one flaying to find yourself sat opposite Wade gagging down cold spoonful’s of Spam in some dusty ass diner.
You were no better than a man as you watched the Wolverine.
Those arms, those thighs, the way he had beheaded Sabretooth without even breaking a fucking sweat. You wanted him to wrap those instruments of death he called hands around your throat and fuck you dirty until the sun came up.
It had been a long exhausting day and you had been soaking wet for most of it.
Shit, could he smell that? Does that count as sexual harassment? You’d have to ask Wade.
Logan, however, was utterly dismissive of your advances in the face of what was undoubtedly utterly horrific past trauma. Something you were trying to be understanding about, but self-pity in a man, it just turned you on. I said you had some surface layers of darkness.
Unable to help yourself you gaze at him as he opens a bottle of rubbing alcohol. You are utterly entranced, watching the thick chords in his throat bob as he takes a swig.
That tanned skin where his jaw ends and neck begins, slick with sweat and dirt. You’d love to sink your canines into the strip below his ear. He must feel your stare on him as he looks up and catches your eyes dark with lust already surveying his person.
It should embarrass you, that every time he peers your way, he catches you gaping at him like a lovesick puppy, but there’s something about Logan you can’t quite put your finger on. The man heats your blood like nothing you’ve ever experienced before, maybe it’s that torch you’ve carried for him since girlhood, maybe it’s the thick thighs you’d kill to ride – who can say for sure?
In what you assume is against his better judgement, he comes to perch on the booth beside you. His broad shoulders cast an imposing figure as he gets close enough that if you were to move your hand a couple of inches to the right, you’d finally be able to touch that yellow fabric that plagued your tween dreams.
You’re burning up at the thought of him, unable to stop yourself you part your legs slightly to ease some of the pressure. Logans nose twitches, his head swivels your way and his eyes catch your own.  
Welp - at least you have your answer about him smelling your arousal.
Deciding that you were most likely verging on sexual harassment charges you decided to focus back in on the task at hand, gagging once again at another spoonful of spam.
“Be a good girl and swallow, Y/N/N, you know the rules!” Wade jokes, your chortle was your only response. What could you say? He always hit your funny bone despite the ocean that was raging in your panties.
Logan stares at Wade for a long moment before turning to your way and addressing you for maybe only the fourth time today?
“What are you doing with this fucking clown? You his sidekick? Following him round to laugh at his stupid fucking jokes whilst he gets kids killed?”
“Why I have never.” Wade is faux outraged at his words, clutching his imaginary pearls as the Wolverine throws around accusations that aren’t entirely untrue.
The Wolverine’s expression remains stern as his eyes track your face. They seem to be evaluating your character and from the flare in his nose and crease in his brow you can guess he finds you lacking. You’re embarrassed to admit how much that deflates you, so you do what you do best; you deflect.
 “I could follow you around and laugh at your jokes instead, if you like?” When you speak your voice has a sultry edge to it and there’s no mistaking your intentions.
Logan seems to think on your proposition for a second or two, before he huffs grabs his rubbing alcohol and unopened can of Spam and heads over to sit at the bar.
“Holy hot ham and cheese on rye, Y/N, you fucking slut.” Wade berates you though his voice is as light as it’s always been as he boots your shin under the table. “Trying to your holes filled by Wolvie during a world saving mission, Marvel H Christ, stay on fucking task!”
You swear you hear Logan mutter a Jesus Christ from the bar.
Though as Wade continues irritating the hero hunched against bar, you can’t help the realisation that he didn’t say no.
“You’re uh… well regarded in our world.” Wade complements, being real doesn’t come easy to him. You appreciate the effort.
“Well, I’m not shit in mine.”
“I tried to join the X-Men because of you.” You speak up finally joining their conversation. Wolverine’s back goes rigid, but he doesn’t respond. You’re not sure if he’s waiting for you to continue or hoping you’ll stop. “You made a difference to this world, made me think I could do the same. I just never quite make the cut.”
Logan doesn’t seem to have a response.
It seems your words have an effect as you catch him watching you more often. When Wade makes his jokes, he looks to you for validation of his withering looks.
You’re probably more distracted by this revelation than you should be when the three of you come across a real nasty variant of Colossus seeking out Wade for… you want to say… revenge?
The not-so-gentle-anymore-giant flips the Honda and tosses both Wade and Logan through the treeline as they advance on him as if they were little more than toys his mother had asked him to pick up.
One by one your bullets ricochet from his metal skin as he comes towards you. You aren’t built for this fight; you are completely and utterly outmatched.
All you’re doing at this point is buying yourself some time for your backup to pull themselves from the rubble, however during a particularly spirited cartwheel the metal oaf finally gets his hands on you. Colossus’ metal palm is cold on your throat, and you could swear you hear your neck snapping before you feel it.  
With a gasp you return to life to find a slightly dishevelled Logan standing above you. By the grace of god, his sleeves have been worn away in the fight, his arms, oh sweet lord, his arms are on full display.
“Thought you were a goner.” He offers you a hand when you simply stare mutely his way. Locking your fingers around his wrist he pulls you to your feet. You don’t release your hold on him and neither does he.
“Don’t throw the party just yet, eh?” You joke weakly, for a second you could swear there’s a slight raise of the corner of his mouth, imperceptible, if you didn’t know what you were looking for. In the past few hours you had become an expert on Wolverine’s face.  
Your mouth is dry as you take in his thick sweat laden biceps.
“Where’s Wade?” You query whilst rolling your aching neck as you haven’t heard his voice in a record thirty seconds, Logan suddenly remembers himself and drops your hand.
“’fraid Metal man took your clown, was pissed with him and can’t say I blame the guy.”
“Shit.” You sigh rubbing your temples as you kneel to pick up the dismembered arm of your best friend. “Well – fuck. That’ll take him a few hours at least to grow back – He’ll be so sad about his suit.”
You peel the fabric from the limb and tuck it under the breast plate of your own suit. Wade will want his glove back when it grows back.
“He say where he was taking him?”
“Oh yeah, that along with his plan for world domination...” Logan huffs as if your mere presence annoys him.
“Thought you didn’t like sarcasm.”
“I like sarcasm just fine, Bub. It’s you I don’t like.” You can’t help but smile his way at the comment made at your expense, his brows crease. “You’re a strange one.”
“Can you do your sniffy thing?”  Its impressive, you thought he’d reached the limit with his scathing looks towards Wade, yet he somehow manages to pull a deeper frown out the vault especially for you.
“Sniffy thing?” His words are spoken with such derision, it turns you on a little. You realise that perhaps you are in fact a deeply troubled individual.
“Oh, sorry.” You pretend to clear a frog in your throat. “Please, oh, please, beautiful, handsome Wolverine, please can you locate my bestest pal with your heightened sense of smell?” His face doesn’t break despite your hands clasped in front of your chin.
“You’re just as fucking annoying as that moron.” He huffs “Get in the fucking car, we’ll follow his trail.”
“You can smell him from the car?”
“The blood, Jesus Fucking Christ, there’s a trail of blood.”
“Ah.” Is all you reply as you find your seat in the passenger side and start your own one on one team up with Wolverine. Its not exactly the way you imagined it, but beggars certainly can’t be choosers.
After a few moments of sullen silence, you decide that there’s no time like the present to form a long-lasting bond.
“What’s your world like?”
“None of your fucking business.”
“Okay... What’s the first thing you’re gonna’ do if they can save your world? I bet its something boring as fuck, like team-“
“What did you just say?”
“I bet you’re gonna do something boring like-“
“No before that.”
“What’s the first thing you’re gonna’ do if they save your world?” You question, his sudden interest in your words takes you by surprise as he has been vacant from your conversation.
The breaks suddenly shriek as the car comes to a stop.
“What do you mean if?”
“I…”
“You said they could fix my world. Undo it all, is what you fucking said.”
“I mean I think they can!”
“You fucking liar.” The edge to The Wolverine’s voice is terrifying. The realisation trickles down your spine, Logan has been nice to you all this time, you’re finally meeting The Wolverine.
“I didn’t lie!” For some reason you’re ashamed of your deceit, you’ve murdered countless people and still, you’ve felt less remorse. Logan’s eyes pin you in your seat as disgust clouds his face. It hurts more than you can fathom. “Not exactly, I think they can fix your world! – I needed your help and if you killed Wade there was no hope for my universe!”
“I don’t give a flying fuck about your universe!” He spits your way; his hands are gripping the wheel in what seems like an effort to keep his cool.
“I know, but I do!” You cry back at him. “You know how to save the world, you’re the fucking Wolverine! I know how to kill people, but this hero shit, this isn’t me!”
“Ha! No shit.” There is pure hate in the man’s eyes as he stares back at you.
“Please, you’re Logan. Whether you’re the worst one or not - You’re still better than me.”
“Get out of the fucking car.” The words come from between clenched teeth and are filled with warning.
“No – fuck you.”  Your rage breaks the banks to meet Logan’s. Perhaps it’s the guilt, maybe it’s the fear for Wade but something within you snaps at his constant bad temper. “It was an educated guess and a fucking reasonable one at that, get the fuck over yourself you big bird wannabe geriatric fucker! “
He slams his palms on the steering wheel, his nose flares and his teeth clamp together.  “Fuck me? Fuck you – you sad pathetic excuse for a side-kick. No wonder the X-Men wouldn’t take you, and they’ll take fuckin’ anyone. You are a ridiculous, immature, moron who spends her days following around a fucking clown to avoid facing the reality that you are no one. I have never met a sadder, more attention starved asshole in my entire life. You were right about one thing, you’re no fucking hero.”
Its shameful the way your stomach drops, and your eyes involuntarily begin to tear. To hear your hero say the words you’ve thought about yourself whilst laying awake at night. It’s a knife to the gut.
“Nothing to fucking say, huh, Angel?” The use of Wade’s nickname for you is like sandpaper on your skin, it rubs you the wrong fucking way.
“I am going to hurt you now.” Your voice is barely a broken whisper.
“You’re going to hurt – “His faux chortle is cut short by a swift punch to his face. You’re worried you may have been overzealous with your swing when his nose begins bleeding. The Wolverine is stunned for only a moment before he grabs the back of your neck and proceeds with smashing your face into the dashboard and those concerns are quickly put to bed.
The old fucker is strong, but you don’t think he’ll kill you, yet another educated wish.
“Not so tough now…” He shouts as the radio channels change with your skull. Pulling a knife from your leg strap you embed it in his thigh and pull the lever to recline your seat whilst he’s distracted, luckily, you’re not there when he swings for retribution.
Though one of his fucking steak knives catches your upper arm slicing through the leather. Warm blood trickles down your arm, staining the beige interior of the poor Honda. 
Your legs are your strongest asset, so when he attempts to restrain you with the seatbelt, you are presented with your window of opportunity. You wrap them around his neck as you pivot your hips slamming the Wolverine headfirst into the metal of the door. Once, twice, three times - on the fourth he lands a fist to your gut, luckily, he has retracted his claws.
If he was willing to kill you, you wouldn’t stand a chance.
You’re winded struggling to catch your breath from the gut punch, but you manage pull the knife from his thigh that is nestled between your legs and thrust it into his neck, you aim for the spot you’d fantasied about kissing before he’d torn your character apart piece by piece, now you just want to bathe in his fucking blood.
It was the pain that instantaneously made his claws extend. He’s quick to move them, though he slices through the sides of your suit as he buries them in the chair behind you. Your ribs are a bloodied mess though you don’t care, in a few hours they’ll be good as new.
Logan has seized the opportunity and has your arms pinned to your sides, his blood has cooled a little more than yours, he doesn’t seem to want to murder you over an argument.
Perhaps he’s more well-adjusted than yourself, that thought alone should concern you, except it just enrages you further.
“You stupid fuckin-“The Wolverine starts admonishing you, before you swing your head forward and headbutt him.
Yes.
You really do that.
You headbutt the man with the adamantium fucking skeleton– at full strength. Its sheer dumb luck you don’t crack your own skull in the process– maybe Logan was right, you are fucking dumb.
“Fucking fuck!” You cry grabbing your forehead and writhing. Noone wins with a headbutt, except Logan apparently.
“Fucking stop that.” Your writhing has pushed your core against his crotch, and he is already packing quite the heat at what feels like half-mast. He grabs your hips to stop your movement, but it only seems to push you closer. “Stop fucking moving.”
The constant arousal you’ve felt since meeting him returns in double time, Logan’s nostrils flare and his eyes darken. It’s debased and you’re ashamed that you want him, you haven’t stopped wanting him, despite the awful fucking words that left his mouth minutes ago.
“Like … a little pain Wolvie?”
Its relief you feel, you think, when instead of answering or punching you in the face, he closes the gap.
The Wolverine’s claws retract, and he grabs at your chin. Logan’s mouth utterly devours your own, your front tooth clashes with his own as you push yourself upwards, you pull your knife out of his neck, catching his grunt of pain on your tongue as you begin licking your way down his thick throat.
The vein you’d spotted hours ago is throbbing freshly healed, you sink your canines into the flesh and its as good as you’d fucking imagine. His groan is utterly beast-like as he wraps his arms around you, pulling you flush against him.
The Wolverine’s throat tastes like salt and iron. Thick, tangy and warm on your tongue as you soothe the bite. It drives Logan wild, thrusting his hardened member against your warmth. One of his gloved hands rises to lock on the back of your neck to pull you into yet another earth-shattering kiss.  His sharp hot tongue slides against your own, exploring the expanses of your mouth like its his to claim.
You bite at him again then, your teeth catching his bottom lip sharply.  Logan groans into your mouth before you use every ounce of your enhanced strength to throw him backwards against the dashboard.
He is taken utterly by surprise as his head slams into the windscreen cracking the glass with a grunt. When he looks your way Logan’s eyes are blackened with desire, he is utterly wild.
Slowly as if afraid to make any sudden moves, you unzip your combat boots, your eyes never leaving his. One boot and then the next.
You thank the TVA’s tailor for making your suit a two piece as you shuffle backwards into the backseat, pushing the thick leather down your legs all whilst maintaining eye contact with the beast leaning against the dashboard.
“You sure you want this Darlin’?”
“Darlin’?” You question mockingly, your voice lowering to imitate his own, as you wantonly spread your legs, your bare leg resting next to the headrest. Only a pair of black cotton panties separate him from your most intimate parts and his eyes are locked on your clothed core. “a second ago it was ‘Pathetic Moron’ to you.”
Your head tilts in question as his eyes lock back on your own, you think perhaps for a moment something akin to regret passes over his face, but you’ve never been entirely comfortable with feelings, so you drop your hand into the waistband of your panties, you’ve barely circled your opening with your pointer finger before he’s on you.
“That’s my job, you fucking Moron.” He plunges two bare thick fingers into your heat. Gasping you throw your head back against the headrest, it’s a tight fit and its been a while but the slight burn eases some of the aching in your core.  “You’re fuckin’ soaking wet, you like it huh, bub? Making me bleed?”
Your grab his jaw, your nails digging into his flesh. “I’d like to bathe in-” He scissors his fingers finding that spot inside you and you let out an embarrassing noise, somewhere between a gasp and a moan. “-Your fucking blood… you mean motherfucker.”
You’re an absolute goner when he starts rubbing your clit, after a day of foreplay your body seizes, and you grab at the nape of his neck trying to find something to anchor you down. But as fast as the build was you come tumbling down just as quickly, when he cruelly withdraws his hands.
“No! - Wha- what the fuck?!” You’re almost crying as your torn from the precipice.
Logan flips you over onto your stomach before you can complain any further, your face down on the filthy upholstery as he pulls your panties from your hips. You can’t see him from this angle, though you can feel his warm hands tracing the globes of your ass.
You force your knees further apart, pushing your bare soaking pussy against the tight bulge of his yellow suit. If you had enough of your facilities about you, you’d be embarrassed that you’re currently rubbing your cunt against The Wolverine like a bitch in heat after he’d chewed you out only minutes ago.
Logan’s hand dip between your thighs, his fingers swirl along your hole, dragging your wetness along to your aching clit.
“You think I’d make it that easy?” He asks as he continues the journey back and forth. On the second pass he dips his finger inside of you for a fraction of a second before resuming its path. “What do you want, darlin’?”
You weren’t going to beg, in fact you bit your tongue to stop the traitorous words from forming, this man had already made you abandon most of your self-respect, he wasn’t having this.
“Logan…” At your breathy words the man leans forward, pressing his fabric covered cock into your ass as he folds his body over yours. One hand comes down next to your shoulder, the other explore your tits as he rocks himself into your throbbing core. It��s the perfect storm as he nuzzles into your exposed throat but somehow you manage your words. “Fuck me or don’t, I’m not begging, bub.”
He exhales through his nose in what you guess is equal parts amusement and annoyance, but you’re far beyond caring. He places a bite on the spot where your throat meets your shoulder as his body pulls back. Momentarily his hands leave your hips to deal with his own pants. You hear the clank of his belt hitting the car floor moments before you feel the head of his cock, running along your folds.
The head of his cock is thick, and it feels hot to the touch as he runs it along your slick. All of a sudden Logan pushes forward and sheathes himself inside of you with a single thrust.
You try your best to hold in your incoherent moans but to little avail as he pulls back before slamming full force back into you. If you were a human woman, your pelvis would’ve shattered from the force of his hips against your ass, instead you gather your strength and push back, allowing him deeper. The both of you moan in unison at the depth he reaches.
You grab onto the foam of the seat, ripping through the fabric with your bare hands desperate for an anchor as Logan unforgivingly pounds into you from behind, once again he folds his body over yours, wrapping a palm around your clawed fingers.
“.” He grunts something incoherent into your ear as he picks up the pace, slamming into you repeatedly, slowly picking up his pace. Your core is positively aching as you throb around him, pulling him deeper within you.  If you were expecting any further explanation, you’re sorely disappointed.
The wolverine pulls back, gripping at your hips keeping you still as he resumes his powerful strokes.  Logan’s hand dips to your clit, rubbing quick circles sending you barrelling back towards your orgasm. As you begin to clench around him, he pulls your body upwards, his head brushing against the top of the car as he holds you against him his fingers never leaving your clit.
“Come on my cock, Angel.” Unable to stop yourself you clench around him, hearing him talk like that does something primal to you.
You fucking loved Logan’s mouth, you bet he ate pussy like a champion if he played the clit this fucking well.
You stopped fighting it and threw yourself from the cliff, shattering in his thick muscle veined arms as he held you up against him, his cock still viciously plundering your depths.
“You’re so fucking tight.” He whispers against your neck whispers peppering it with bites.
Logan gives you a few moments to come down from your high before he resumes his punishing pace, you think perhaps you’ve reached your limit of pleasure, that the threshold can’t possibly be topped until he whispers into your ear in that gruff voice.
“What was it Wilson said? Filling all your holes?” The Wolverine asks, his eyes meet yours over your shoulder meaningfully, asking permission as he offers you his thumb. You merely moan your approval and wantonly draw his finger into your mouth, soaking the pad in saliva.  
Logan yanks your head into a vicious kiss. It’s a messy one, filled to the brim with need. The hand not currently locked on your neck holding your face to his, travels down your back, through the valley of your bodies. The pad of his pinky runs appreciatively over the globe of your ass, before his hand dips into the crease.
Logan’s thumb runs teasingly against the tight ring of muscle, it’s a foreign experience which makes you startle slightly.
“Anyone ever fucked you here?” He asks as he bites down your neck, delicately pushing you forward until your head rests on the backseat. You shake your head as your eyes close, his cock is buried balls deep within you as he plays with your asshole.
When his thumb finally breaches your tight hole just past the nail, he begins his thrusts once more. His cock fills your pussy from behind and suddenly you feel so fucking full, Its far too much for you.
“Fuck… Logan.” You gasp almost on the verge of tears as pounds you into the back seat. It seems the ass play has gotten to him more than expected, as his pace has increases.
“Where?” He asks breathless from the exertion as he pulls his thumbs from your ass and takes a handful of the meat on your hips.
“Inside…. Please … Logan.” You practically beg though you’ll never admit it, his rhythm becomes stunted as his hips slam into the back of your thighs.
“Give me something tight to come in, Darlin’.” Moaning at his words you’re eager to obey as you reach your hand between your own legs and rub mercilessly at your clit. The unforgiving pounding, the grunting and the fingers currently bruising your hips and the burning of your now vacant ass send you sailing over the edge.
You clamp down on him like a vice, groaning unable to hold back your whimpers anymore as he finally bites your neck and pumps his seed deep inside you as far as it can go. Logan grunts like a beast as he pulses deep inside of you.
Logan collapses beside you. Dents in the interior of the van you don’t even remember making have appeared from where a stray elbow or knee has hit the metal in the throes of passion.
The Wolverine tucks his cock back in his suit. Ever the gentleman, he uses your black panties to wipe away the cum dripping from your thighs, you haven’t got the heart to tell him that when you’re commando redressed in your suit that you can still feel him dripping from you, your pussy uncomfortably slick against the leather.
After dressing, the two of you sit in contemplative silence. Neither one of you has the emotional complexity to discuss what happened and neither one of you will accept fault for your argument that led to it, so, silence reigns.
The tension is sliced in two as Logan leans forward and pushes an errant lock of hair behind your ear in an act so goddamn endearing, you melt. You still wouldn’t apologise for lying, because you didn’t lie but you can meet him a quarter of the way.
“I’m sorry for calling you geriatric.” You whisper catching his eyes, a small spark of humour leaps into them, you’ve seen more emotions from your hero in the past half an hour than you knew he was capable of.
“I shouldn’t have-“ Logan’s heartfelt apology is cut off by the lead of this goddamn story.
“Well, well, well.  Would you look at this, My best friends, Ha! I get fucking kidnapped, an arm ripped off and you’re nowhere to be found? I thought don’t worry Wade, they won’t leave you, Y/N/N will come around that corner any second."
Wade has appeared through the passenger side window; he looks a little worse for wear and has a child’s arm growing from his stump, its kind of gross to look at.
"What if Colossus had had his way with me? What then Y/N? I expect this from Wolvie, but not from you! No, no heroic rescue for old Deadpool. I have to save myself because you fuckers are too busy playing hide the adamantium bone!  Thanks for nothing guys. Now the car has old man sex stank to it, as if this hunk of shit Honda could get any worse!”
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silcoitus · 3 months ago
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Tailor-Made (Chp 18)
Previous chapter: Chapter 17
Tailor-Made Masterlist
Rating: Explicit. Minors DNI 
Chapter tags: Silco x Fem!Reader, Reader-Insert, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Set between Acts 1 and 2 of Arcane, hurt/comfort, fluff
Chapter word count: 5.3k
Chapter Beta Readers: @juniper-sunny @anon-nee
Total word count: 63k
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The following day, you can't stop thinking about Silco.
As you get changed in the morning. While you're cooking breakfast. As you wash the dishes. 
No matter what you do, you can't get him out of your mind. The tenderness of his lips. The firmness of his chest. The pull of his hands.
But it's not just the way he makes you feel, the attraction you feel to him physically.
The softness of his voice when he speaks to Jinx. The clear concern and affection he holds for her. The fact he took her in in the first place. 
You had stopped the two of you from progressing further, fearful that he would turn out to just be another Nico. But he's already shown with his words and actions that he's not like your ex.
Would it be so bad? If you enjoyed yourself?
Read Chapter 18—Slowly but Surely on AO3
Read Chapter 19 here!
Taglist: @averagecrastinator @mazikomo @writingmysanity @insult-2-injury @constantfragmentation @ariaud @jennrosefx @steponmesilco @leave-me-alone-silco @whatisafandom @violet-19999 @juicboxd @you-never-talk @noposwe @toripandashady @sirenofzaun @22carolina08 @roxnpens @commanderblood @medic-simp @cthezaunite @verdant-onyx @ursawastricked @artwithvivien @edlix @lackofhonor @spoczkot @witchypandamonium @lotus-99 @robin-the-enby @blissfulip @all-that-we-hope-to-be @zaunite-leo @silvia-elaine-hestia @nyx2021 @cccandynecklaces @another-batkid @toogaytofunctiondangit @rinkatai @mollymauksboi @pinklunarprincess @skeppy-kaxel | @rhynestonez @glitterandgoldfinds @pinkrose1422 @cloudroomblog @dad-dumpster @jennithejester @redlovett @kleinnac @quack-quack-snacks @lemononalilypad @aikoiya @deliriousfics @plufic @quinn-grey @speeb @sarynnah @k0iiz @anon-nee @helaenabugmom
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julietsf1 · 1 month ago
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Strawberry Season - Lando Norris x Reader
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summary: she was his plus-one, his accessory, his afterthought. but Lando Norris? he made her laugh before her boyfriend even noticed she’d stopped smiling (6.7k words)
content: sad/comfort, slow burn, he falls first, stuck in bad relationship (non-graphic), mutual pining, mention of fish!
AN: I was having a nostalgic day and suddenly I remembered Shawn Mendes exists. listened to Treat You Better and now boom this was made. big kiss to you all!! don't forget you deserve someone who makes you smile <3
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The Hôtel Hermitage had a way of dressing the evening in silk and scent—amber light dancing off champagne flutes, velvet murmurs weaving between notes of string quartets, the faint hush of the sea just beyond the terrace.
You arrived on your boyfriend's arm, perfectly polished, smelling faintly of oud and confidence. Your gown—a midnight blue silk with delicate beading at the shoulders—glistened like the reflection of stars on still water. He, in a tuxedo he hadn’t even ironed himself, gave you a cursory once-over, the kind usually reserved for window displays or weather forecasts.
"You clean up well. When you try," he remarked, the words soaked in backhanded charm and just enough volume to make the sommelier glance over with subtle disapproval. "Didn’t expect that dress to actually work on you."
Then he kissed your temple like one might stamp a document—detached, obligatory—and peeled off toward a group of men with hedge funds and zero personalities, tossing the comment like a grenade dipped in cologne. He chuckled at his own wit before they even reacted, already anticipating the hollow laughter of men who mistook cruelty for charisma.
You blinked once, twice, then turned on your heel and made for the bar.
"One strawberry martini, please," you said to the bartender, your voice calm and glossy, though your chest felt like it was holding its breath. The bartender gave a subtle nod and began working in quiet sympathy.
You leaned your elbow on the marble and exhaled. Your reflection in the mirrored back wall looked elegant and mildly amused. That, at least, you could live with.
"Your boyfriend’s tux looks like it’s been through customs, dry-cleaned with a rock, and ironed with a shoe."
You turned. The man beside you held a glass of something expensive and looked far too pleased with himself. He was, annoyingly, the kind of handsome that didn’t need to try. Hair—perfectly careless. Smile—dangerously self-aware. The overall vibe? Trouble, tailored in what I assume is Tom Ford.
You laughed, sharp and immediate. "Do you know I spent half the afternoon trying to convince him to iron that shirt? Offered him a steamer. He looked personally victimized by the concept of chores. Hopeless."
He looked delighted. "So this was a collaborative failure. Now I feel bad for mocking it. Sort of."
"Don’t. I made one polite suggestion and he acted like I’d insulted his entire lineage. I refuse to be held responsible for his fashion choices," you said, the corners of your mouth finally giving in to a smile. The knot in your chest loosened just a little—this was the most fun you’d had all evening.
"I can’t tie my own ties," he offered casually. "So really, who am I to talk?"
"What do you do, then? Just let your girlfriend do it for you?"
"No girlfriend, just clip-ons. Or my mate George. He’s so posh he probably learned to tie a bow tie before he could tie his own shoes."
You laughed again, lighter this time. The sound surprised you with how easy it felt.
"Well," you said, "I can't even walk in my So Kates for an hour, so I’m in no position to judge anyone tonight."
His eyebrows lifted like you'd said you walked here barefoot. "That’s borderline inhumane. Those are incredibly uncomfortable, right?"
"Horrible," you admitted, sipping your drink. "But the real perk is that I now have a perfectly valid excuse to leave this party in about thirty minutes."
He tapped his glass against yours. "To noble suffering."
"And men who can’t tie ties."
"Ouch. That was personal."
You grinned, the martini smoothing out something tight in your chest. The conversation rolled along like it had always been waiting for an excuse to begin.
"Lando," he said suddenly, extending a hand.
"Nice to meet you, Lando," you replied, taking it, your grip easy, your smile laced with light amusement.
You tilted your head slightly. "I think I recognise you—from the racing, right?"
His brow quirked, caught somewhere between pleased and intrigued. "Guilty."
You sipped your drink, eyes glinting. "Well, it’s easy to remember a face like that."
"In the positive way?"
You rolled your eyes at him. "Please."
His posture straightened just a touch. The smirk didn’t leave his face, but something about it softened at the edges.
"I’ll try not to let that go to my head," he said, a beat late, his voice just a little warmer, his eyes twinkling amused. 
"You already did."
"Unfair. That was disarming. You’re very good at this."
"At what?" you said, feigning innocence.
"Catching me off guard in a way that’s... annoyingly effective."
"I have a talent," you said, sipping your drink.
"You do," he replied, gaze lingering just a second too long before he added, "and you’re very distracting."
You arched a brow. "Good distracting or 'tripped-over-my-own-feet' distracting?"
"Bit of both. Still deciding."
You laughed, shaking your head, the edge of your smile refusing to leave.
And just like that, the night took on a different hue. The room still sparkled, but its edges softened. You talked about Monaco in winter, about awful hotel carpets, about how Lando once tried to cook pasta in a kettle. There were no pauses, no polite silences. It was ridiculous and lovely and utterly unserious.
At some point, your boyfriend reappeared in the distance, laughing too loudly with someone whose blazer had dragons embroidered on the sleeves.
Lando clocked it instantly. "Should I spill something on him? Not on purpose, obviously. But also maybe very much on purpose."
"Tempting," you said.
He set his glass down. "But we’re too elegant for that."
"Allegedly."
The music swelled, a slow turn from something glittering into something that signaled the end of the night.
You sighed and glanced at the crowd. "I should go find him."
Lando leaned against the bar with a smirk. "Are you sure? He gives off strong 'brings up his net worth in casual conversation' energy."
You smirked. "You’re terrible."
"But right."
"No comment."
As you walked away, he called after you, "Next time, I’m bringing backup shoes for you."
You didn’t turn. But your smile stayed with you, long after the violins began their last swell.
The paddock terrace buzzed with the sort of energy only Monaco could host—where money didn’t whisper, it practically shouted through linen suits and Hermès bags, and everything smelled faintly of jet fuel and overpriced champagne.
You arrived on your boyfriend’s arm, your heels clicking softly on the polished concrete, your dress catching the breeze in a way that had drawn more than a few glances already. The adrenaline in the air was contagious. You couldn’t help it—you were excited. This was your home turf, after all. Monaco at its absolute peak.
You leaned over slightly, catching your first glimpse of the pit lane just below the terrace’s glass railing. The sound, the scent, the movement—it all made your heart flicker.
“This is amazing,” you said, more to yourself than to him. “I can actually feel the vibration of the engines from here.”
Your boyfriend barely glanced up from his phone. “Yeah it’s whatever,” he muttered. “Look—those guys in the corner, that’s who I need to speak to. Go entertain yourself, will you?”
You opened your mouth, but he was already off, striding toward a group of Loro Piana-clad finance types who looked like they’d never broken a sweat in their lives. One of them gave you a cursory glance before turning his attention back to whatever new tax loophole they were dissecting.
Left alone, you drifted toward the edge of the terrace, your fingers lightly brushing the glass. You looked in the distance, taking in the beautiful track. The air that smelled like tyre smoke. Somewhere, a commentator’s voice crackled through loudspeakers.
Then you heard it—cutting through the din like it was aimed just for you.
“Hey, Strawberry!”
You blinked, turned your head.
Down in the pit lane, Lando was looking directly at you, leaning casually against the garage barrier with his helmet tucked under one arm and a grin that bordered on criminal. “Good to see you again!” he called up, already looking far too pleased with himself.
Your smile widened despite yourself.
He pointed upward, voice still carrying. “What? You thought I’d forget your cocktail of choice? Strawberry martini, wasn’t it?”
You couldn’t help the small laugh that bubbled out of you. A few heads turned to see who he was yelling at. You gave a little wave, pretending not to enjoy the attention.
"Fancy seeing you here."
“You look bored up there!” he shouted, cupping a hand around his mouth for dramatic flair. “Wanna come down and see where the fun actually happens?”
You raised an eyebrow, half amused, half intrigued.
He motioned toward the stairs behind you. “Come on, Strawberry. I’ll even let you wear the team radio.”
You glanced back toward the terrace. Your boyfriend was still deep in conversation, probably pitching himself like a startup, laughing with one hand in his pocket and the other balancing a drink he hadn’t even offered you.
So, you turned back to Lando—who was now dramatically miming putting on headphones like he was in a music video—and tilted your head like you were still considering it.
"Alright then," you called down. "But if I trip in these heels, I’m blaming you."
"I'll catch you," he yelled back, utterly unfazed. “Or I’ll sue the FIA for putting stairs in a paddock. Either way—worth it.”
You made your way down the metal staircase, the heels clicking like castanets, and by the time you reached the bottom, Lando was already holding out a pair of headphones and an access bracelet with a kind of smug reverence.
“For you, madame,” he said, bowing slightly. “Your official ticket to the chaos.”
You put on the bracelet with a smile, already feeling a little lighter.
“For the record,” he said, holding out the headset, “I don’t offer these to just anyone.”
You took them. “Oh, so I’m special.”
“Undoubtedly.”
You slipped the headphones on as he stepped back, hands in the pockets of his race suit, clearly satisfied.
“Let me guess,” you said, voice a little louder now with the headset in place, “you do this for all the guests who look mildly unimpressed by the view upstairs?”
“No,” he said, eyes twinkling. “Just the ones I secretly hope stick around.”
You gave him a look—curious, not skeptical—and he added quickly, “Because you’ve got good race-watching energy. Very calm. Slightly elegant. Makes the garage look better.”
“Right,” you said, clearly amused. “You just want me to make you look cool.”
“Impossible task,” he admitted with a grin. “But I admire your optimism.”
The garage buzzed around you—technicians moving with purpose, radios crackling, tyres getting shuffled like oversized poker chips. And yet, somehow, everything in your little corner felt... light.
“Not gonna lie,” he murmured, lowering his voice, “I like stealing a few quiet minutes when I can.”
You nodded. “Yeah. It’s a lot during weekends like this I can imagine.”
He glanced at you, thoughtful for a moment, like he wanted to ask something but decided against it. Then his expression shifted back to its usual mischief.
“Want to see something fun?”
You blinked. “Fun in a normal person way, or in a ‘you drive 300km/h for fun’ way?”
“Both,” he said, tilting his head toward the car in the middle of the garage—sleek, low, and absolutely radiating menace. “Come on. Get in. You’ve earned it.”
You blinked. “Earned it how?”
“For surviving the upstairs crowd without launching yourself off the terrace,” he said, already grinning. “Also, I feel like you'd suit it.”
You narrowed your eyes. “You just want to see me try to climb into that thing in a dress.”
“Maybe,” he shrugged, unapologetic. “But I’ll make it look like I’m being a gentleman helping you in. Good for my PR.”
You laughed but still let him offer his hand. His grip was steady, warm, guiding you in with an ease that made the whole moment feel weirdly... natural.
Inside, the cockpit felt surreal—like slipping into another universe. Tight, sharp, oddly comfortable in a way that made you sit up straighter.
You looked up at him. “I feel like I need clearance from air traffic control.”
Lando smirked. “You look good in it.”
You raised a brow. “Is this part of your usual garage tour?” He grinned. “Only the deluxe version. Very limited availability.” 
“Mm-hmm.”
He crouched beside the car, arms resting on the edge, expression suddenly playful. “Alright—race start. Lights out. Whole world watching. What’s your move?”
You pretended to think. “Adjust my lip gloss. Then floor it.”
He burst out laughing. “Unreal. No notes.”
You smiled, settling back slightly in the seat, the hum of the garage around you fading into a softer kind of focus. His eyes lingered on you just a second longer than necessary, making you feel a bit warmer than you would’ve liked to admit. 
“Okay,” you said eventually. “I like your version of fun.”
“Told you.”
Just then, you heard your name.
Lando glanced up behind you, his smile dimming just slightly.
You followed his gaze.
There, at the top of the stairs, your boyfriend had finally noticed. Arms folded. Sunglasses pushed down just enough to show a flicker of something more than irritation. 
You shifted slightly in the seat, your back instinctively straightening, your smile thinning.
“I should probably head back,” you murmured, glancing up again. “Before that turns into a thing.”
Lando’s eyes were still on you.
“I don’t know,” he said, voice low and smooth. “I kind of like that I get under his skin.”
You gave him a warning look, but your smile gave you away.
“He’s... not great with this sort of thing.”
Lando leaned one arm casually against the car, just close enough that his shoulder brushed the edge of yours. “What sort of thing? Someone actually talking to you? Enjoying you?”
You swallowed. “He’s just protective.”
“He didn’t look all that interested twenty minutes ago.”
You didn’t respond.
Lando straightened up slightly, his grin flickering into something more assured, less teasing. “You don’t have to explain it. But I’m not sorry for this.”
You looked at him—really looked at him—and for a second, you forgot the tension humming above the pit lane.
You laughed softly. “You’re dangerous.”
“I’ve been called worse,” he said, grinning.
You climbed out carefully—again with his help, though he tried very hard not to smirk when your heel caught slightly on the floor.
“Thanks for inviting me down,” you said, adjusting your dress.
He nodded. “Anytime. Next time you should stay for the race.”
You paused at that, surprised, amused, and... something else. Then you turned, stepping away, the noise of the pit building back around you.
“Bye, Strawberry!” he called after you, voice light and full of sunshine. “Try not to break hearts on your way up!”
The lunch reservation was for 13:00. The cancellation came at 12:52.
“Something came up. Just a quick game at the club. Have to raincheck.”
You stared at the message like it might change if you blinked hard enough. It didn’t. The text sat there on your screen, casual and infuriating, like a shrug in Helvetica.
The maître d’ at the café had already asked if you’d like to be seated twice. You smiled politely, murmured a no thank you, and slipped out before you started feeling more humiliated than hungry.
The sky was unfairly pretty for a bad day—clear and soft, with sunbeams brushing the cobblestones as if Monaco itself had no idea someone had just bailed on you for nine holes and overpriced cigars.
You didn’t want to go home. You weren’t angry, not quite. Just tired in a way that lingered behind your ribs. So, instead, you wandered a few streets over—past a bookstore, a gelato stand, and finally, a small flower shop with wide windows and hydrangeas stacked like frosting.
You paused. Then pushed the door open.
The scent hit you first—green, sweet, almost cold from the water buckets lining the floor. Peonies, roses, lavender, tulips. All in quiet conversation. The florist gave you a gentle bonjour from behind a counter cluttered with ribbon and stems.
You wandered aimlessly. No plan. No occasion. You just needed to feel like something soft could still be held in your hands.
You reached toward a bouquet of pale pink peonies—petals feathered and ruffled, like they were mid-sigh.
“I was hoping you’d go for those.”
You turned—half startled, half already smiling.
Lando was standing in the doorway, sunglasses pushed up into his curls, a grin threatening the corner of his mouth. He was wearing a zip-up and trainers, casually gorgeous in the way some people just are when they’re not trying.
“I was going to say,” he added, stepping further inside, “you look like someone who could use a bouquet.”
“You following me now?”
He shrugged. “Just happened to be across the street. Monaco’s small and you have a way of catching my eye.”
You rolled your eyes, but the corners of your mouth betrayed you.
Lando stepped past you and plucked the peonies from the bucket like he’d been sent here by divine instruction.
“Don’t,” you started, watching as he pulled out his card.
“I insist,” he said smoothly, not even looking back. “They look like you.”
That made you pause. “Soft and overpriced?”
He smirked. “Chic, delicate, vaguely intimidating… but in a very classy way.”
You huffed a laugh and shook your head as he paid, thanked the florist with a grin that probably earned him three free carnations, and handed the bouquet to you like it was an Olympic medal.
“You really didn’t have to—”
“I wanted to.”
You looked down at the flowers, then back at him. “I was just trying to walk off a lunch that didn’t happen.”
“Rough day?”
You nodded once.
He hesitated. Then: “Come on. Let me walk you home. Or somewhere. I’m excellent at distracting people.”
You blinked. “Aren’t you busy?”
“Not even a little.”
You stepped outside together, the late sun catching the edge of your bouquet. He fell into step beside you like it was instinct.
“So,” he said, as you turned the corner, “what car would you never be caught dead in?”
You squinted. “Like… ever?”
“Yes. Immediate judgment. Go.”
You thought. “Anything that looks like it was designed by someone who hates joy. Or a Fiat Multipla.”
“Very specific. I respect it.” He nodded solemnly. “For me, it’s the ones with faces. Like, cartoon villain faces. Headlights that judge you.”
You burst out laughing. “What kind of car trauma are you working through?”
“Deep and unresolved,” he said gravely. “I once had a rental that made me feel like it wanted to eat me. Never again.”
The conversation spiraled from there—into ugly rims, hideous spoilers, the tragedy of beige leather interiors. Every few steps, Lando pointed out a car and gave it a nickname. 
"That one’s definitely a Greg. Greg works in insurance and never tips."
You laughed. Actually laughed. The kind that catches you off guard and warms your ribs a little.
And then—your phone buzzed in your bag.
You glanced down. His name lit up the screen.
Lando noticed the pause.
You looked at the call. Then pressed the side button, letting it disappear. You didn’t say anything about it, and he didn’t ask.
But he smiled. Just slightly.
It was the quietest rebellion you’d made in a while. And it felt... right.
A few minutes later, as you reached your street, you slowed.
“This is me.”
He nodded, eyes flicking up toward the front of your building like he was memorising it for later. Or just being nosy. Hard to say.
“Thanks for—well, for all of that,�� you said, lifting the peonies slightly.
“Anytime,” he replied, and you believed him.
You turned to go.
“Oh, and hey,” he called, stepping backwards down the street, that familiar grin slipping into place. “If you ever need help judging more terrible cars…”
You raised an eyebrow, amused.
He pulled something from his pocket and tossed it lightly in your direction. You caught it—his number, scribbled on a business card with Lando (flower expert) scrawled beneath in messy handwriting.
“…now you know where to find me,” he finished.
You looked down at the card, then back up.
“I do now,” you said, smiling—soft, amused, and something else you didn’t want to name yet.
And you didn’t look back until your door had closed behind you—and the peonies were already in water. 
Your birthday started with a buzz—literally, from your phone. Noon. A text.
Happy bday x
No call. No emoji. No punctuation enthusiasm. Just lowercase indifference and a kiss like a formality. Like he'd done his civic duty and could now go about his day in peace.
By the time your boyfriend actually arrived at the party—a whopping two hours late, no explanation—you were already knee-deep in hugs, flowers, Aperol spritzes, and the cake was nearly finished.
The rooftop was busy. Sun-drenched. Monaco glittered in the background like it knew it was part of the aesthetic. Friends mingled, music hummed, someone had started making mimosas in a blender for reasons no one could quite explain.
And then there was Lando.
He’d arrived on time, casually cool in a linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of sunglasses perched in his curls.
You hadn’t expected him to come, not really. But you’d invited him anyway—half as a joke, half because he was one of the only people lately who made things feel lighter. Since the flower shop, you’d been texting—mostly memes, random complaints about ugly cars, and his very intense opinions on croissants. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you’d started looking forward to his name lighting up your screen more than you should’ve.
So when he appeared with a cheeky smile and a gift bag in tow, you nearly forgot to keep pretending you weren’t waiting for him.
“Hey, birthday girl,” he said, putting the bag on the gift table. “No refunds or returns.”
You grinned. “Perfect. I was just saying how I wanted to make my own life harder today.”
“Glad to contribute.”
Your boyfriend showed up five minutes later.
No apology, no excuse. Just sunglasses, a glance around, and a distracted kiss on the cheek before he handed you an envelope.
Inside was a gift card. For skincare.
“I figured you’d appreciate this,” he said, loud enough for the people around you to hear. “Don’t want an old lady by my side, yeah?”
Someone laughed awkwardly. You didn’t.
You smiled. Thinly. The kind that feels more like a paper cut than anything resembling joy.
“Thanks,” you said quietly, folding the card and tucking it into your bag.
Lando had seen it. The whole thing. He didn’t say anything at first—just sipped his drink, eyes glinting behind his sunglasses.
A few minutes later, he drifted close, nudged your elbow lightly, and said, “Mind if I borrow the birthday girl for a sec?”
You blinked. “Sure?”
He led you away from the crowd and toward the quieter corner of the terrace, near the railing. The music faded behind you. The breeze picked up, cool against your neck.
“I really wanted to personally give this before I have to leave.”
He pulled something small from his little gift bag.
A Cartier box.
You looked at him, suddenly cautious. “Lando, what—”
“Relax,” he said, grinning. “I didn’t mortgage a yacht or anything.”
He flipped the box open with a little dramatic flair.
Inside: a sleek, elegant watch—timeless and perfectly understated, the metal catching the sunlight just enough to glow. When you looked closer, you spotted it—on the back of the face, engraved in the corner, a tiny strawberry.
You looked back up at him.
He shrugged, hands in his pockets now. “So you know when it’s time to leave,” he said lightly, then winked. “Or when it’s time to stay.”
You laughed, a real one this time, head tipped back just slightly. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I should be offended,” he murmured, carefully fastening the clasp around your wrist. “But you are right.”
“Don’t say anything yet,” he said quickly, holding up a hand. “I have a speech.”
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes,” He stepped a little closer, enough that you had to tilt your chin just slightly to keep looking at him. “Won’t say it’s well prepared, though.”
You glanced up. “No?”
He shrugged, then looked at you—not performative, just sincere with a glint of trouble behind it. “I figured you already knew. That you’re kind. And bright. And that you maybe make half of Monaco feel slightly boring in comparison.”
Your eyes caught his, something warm pooling between the humour and whatever was quietly rising beneath it.
“But also,” he added, tone shifting back to the familiar grin, “you’ve tolerated me for weeks, so I figured you deserved a prize.”
“Ah,” you said. “So it’s a pity watch.”
“It’s a prestigious pity watch,” he corrected. “There’s a difference.”
“It’s perfect,” you said, fingers brushing over the charm. “Truly.”
A few friends called your name in the distance, but you didn’t move yet.
When you finally hugged him goodbye, it lingered. A second too long. Not enough to make it obvious—but enough that you both noticed.
Your arms wrapped around his shoulders, his hand pressed lightly against your back, and neither of you made a joke this time.
And that’s when it hit you. That soft, uncomfortable, quiet truth slowly creeping up on you.
You didn’t want to go back to the party.
You didn’t want to go back to him.
You just wanted to stay in that warm, safe, ridiculous moment a little longer.
It had been one of those dinners where the wine flowed more freely than the conversation, where the seating was all wrong, and the playlist too curated to feel spontaneous. You’d arrived on time, makeup set, dress clinging just right, genuinely hoping the night might turn things around.
He had promised he’d come.
You’d waited. You made polite conversation with strangers. You checked your phone under the table every ten minutes. At 10:14pm, a message finally came.
Running late. Take a cab? x
You stared at it. The ‘x’ annoyed you most—like it could soften the blow. Like it meant anything at this point.
You slipped out quietly, offering the host a graceful excuse. No one really noticed. You walked down the hill alone, heels clicking against wet stone. The rain started halfway to the road—first soft, then persistent, warm but unrelenting.
By the time you reached the corner, you were soaked. Your jacket was thin and decorative. Your hair clung to your cheeks. A cab passed. You raised your hand too late. Another didn’t even slow.
Then headlights curved around the bend.
A sleek black car eased up to the curb, quiet and smug.
The window rolled down.
“Need a ride, Cinderella?”
Lando.
You blinked at him through the rain.
He was in a hoodie, hair damp, wearing Nike slides like he’d rolled straight out of a student flat. His smile was all teeth and trouble, curls damp at the edges, and yet he looked exactly like what you didn’t know you needed.
You exhaled through a laugh. “What are you even doing here?”
“Padel,” he said simply, “with the boys. Charles insisted we needed some cardio. Alex brought protein shakes. It was big.”
You didn’t move.
He nudged the door open from the inside. “Get in. You look like a drenched sad poodle.”
You slid into the passenger seat, wet fabric against warm leather. The door thunked shut, muting the storm instantly.
The cabin smelled faintly of eucalyptus and sweat and jasmine air freshener. It was... comforting.
Lando glanced over. “You alright?”
You nodded, even though the answer was somewhere closer to no.
“Why were you walking?” he asked.
You stared out the window. “My ride bailed on me.”
He didn’t reply right away. Just gripped the wheel a little tighter.
Then, quieter: “Right.”
You could feel the temperature drop half a degree in the silence that followed.
He turned onto a quieter road, headlights sweeping over puddles, rain tapping steadily on the roof.
Then he cleared his throat. “Padel really roughed us all up today.”
You blinked. “Aren’t you professional athletes?”
“Oh, yeah. You’d think we’re all coordinated and elite and whatever,” he waved vaguely with one hand, “but I’ve never seen grown men lose their dignity faster than when we play anything outside of racing.”
You laughed softly. “You’re telling me Charles Leclerc isn’t good at everything?”
“God, no,” Lando said, perking up. “Charles is awful at most sports. He insists though he could’ve been a pro footballer. Brings it up every time he can.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Wait, seriously?”
“Dead serious,” Lando grinned. “He once missed three serves in a row at padel, slammed the racket down, and said, ‘It’s because my reflexes are trained for football.’”
You snorted. “He did not.”
“And then there’s George,” Lando said. “Who, by the way, calls padel ‘cheap tennis for the common folks’ but still never declines an invitation.”
You laughed. “I assume this is the same George that helps you tie your bows?”
“Absolutely.” Lando continued, “And then there is Alex who has the coordination of a baby giraffe. He runs like he’s buffering.”
You were laughing now, fully, warmth curling in your chest.
“So what about you?” you asked, glancing sideways. “How much do you suck?”
“I’d like to think I’m one of the better ones in the group,” he said confidently.
You narrowed your eyes. “That’s definitely not true.”
“I’m amazing at everything, especially other sports.”
“Oh?”
“I’m a god at golf,” he added, eyes twinkling. “Elite. Practically unbeatable. Some say Tiger Woods retired just to avoid me.”
“Some say?”
“Me. Just me. But I say it with conviction.”
You grinned, resting your head against the seat, the storm outside softening under the steady purr of the engine.
“You’re good at this,” you said after a pause.
“At what?”
“Distractions.”
He smiled, but didn’t answer.
A few minutes passed like that—quiet, easy, the kind of silence that felt earned. The kind you didn’t want to break.
Then Lando turned off the main road.
You lifted your head. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he said, flashing you a quick glance. “Don’t worry, I’m not kidnapping you. Yet.”
“That’s reassuring.”
Two turns later, he parked in front of a small café tucked between shuttered boutiques. Soft orange light glowed from the windows. The sign above the door read Clémentine in fading script.
“I need hot chocolate,” he said. “And you, tragically, look like you do too.”
You laughed. “This your secret spot?”
He grinned. “Sort of. George’s girlfriend loves this place. Alex’s girl says it feels like a Wes Anderson film. Charles’s thinks they do the best croissants in Europe—which is wrong, but she’s charming so we let it slide.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Ah. So this is… an exclusive tier”
He gave a small, lopsided grin. “Yeah. You’d fit right in.”
You blinked, heat creeping up the back of your neck.
He looked over the roof of the car and winked. “Let’s go, Strawberry.”
Inside, the café was quiet and warm, the kind of place that smells like something’s always in the oven. The barista gave Lando a knowing nod.
“Deux chocolats chauds, extra cream, and an extra cookie, please,” he said as you slid into a corner table.
Your dress was still damp at the edges, and your heels had started to pinch, but the chair was soft and the lighting was kind. 
You watched him as he pulled off his hoodie—without a word—he held it out to you across the table.
“You’re shivering,” he said simply.
You hesitated, then slipped it on. It was warm, oversized, and smelled faintly like him—cologne, laundry detergent, and something like orange peel. It pooled around your wrists like it belonged there.
He dropped into the seat across from you, in a plain white t-shirt slightly creased and still damp at the collar. He looked maddeningly effortless. 
When the drinks arrived, he handed yours over carefully, fingers brushing yours as he passed the mug.
“I think you forget how extraordinary you are sometimes,” he said.
No grin. No teasing glint in his eye. Just sincerity, like it had been sitting quietly on his tongue for a while, waiting for the right moment.
You looked at him.
And for a heartbeat too long, the world went still.
Then, gently, you lowered your gaze, your hands tightening around the warmth of the mug. You didn’t reply. You didn’t need to.
Something softened in your chest. Something that hadn’t for weeks.
The invitation had come via text, in true Lando fashion.
Hiya there’s this art auction Friday. Charles’s girlfriend’s hosting. Could be fun. Come with? Low pressure, high snacks.
You hadn’t even known Lando liked art, let alone attended charity auctions hosted by the Monaco elite, but the message made you smile. You’d read it twice. Maybe three times.
He followed up, minutes later:
Bring your boyfriend, if he won’t spontaneously combust in a room without talking about stocks.
That was how you ended up on the guest list for a night you weren’t supposed to remember as the one where everything finally snapped.
You didn’t know Alexandra—not really. You’d seen her tagged in posts with Charles, always in Dior or vintage Alaïa, always looking like she’d been drawn rather than born. But the invite felt personal in a way you couldn’t explain. Like Lando had meant for you to have something nice.
You showed up with your boyfriend.
He was already half-distracted before you arrived, scrolling his phone as the car pulled up outside the villa, barely glancing at the curated sculpture garden or the warm lighting glowing out from the glass facade.
“Art shows, what a waste of time and money,” he said, adjusting his watch, not even pretending to be excited about going with you. “Hope I can do some decent networking, make something of my night at least.”
As expected, he made a beeline for the restroom the moment you stepped inside. You hated how much relief washed over you—but deep down, you just didn’t want his sulking to cloud your first impression.
But then—you spotted Lando.
He was standing near the champagne tower, wearing a charcoal jacket with the sleeves half-rolled and a grin like he’d been waiting for you.
He caught your eye and made a show of pretending to squint. “Strawberry?” he said dramatically as you approached. “Wow. Look at you, pretending not to know me in front of the important people.”
You rolled your eyes. “I was hoping you’d stay over there a little longer.”
“That’s fair,” he nodded solemnly. “But then I wouldn’t get to tell you how unreasonably hot you look.”
You gave him a dry smile. “You’re terrible at compliments.”
“And yet, somehow, you keep showing up.”
Just then, a lilting voice cut in—velvety, amused.
“Is this the infamous Strawberry?”
You turned.
She was every bit the Monaco fantasy: Alexandra, in vintage Saint Laurent, hair pinned like a Vogue spread, a glass of champagne in one hand and the quiet confidence of someone who knew every art dealer in the room—and their secrets. And yet, the way she looked at you felt nothing but warm.
“I’ve heard things,” she said, leaning in for a kiss on each cheek. “Mostly from this one, who dramatically insists he doesn’t talk about you, and then does. A lot.”
You laughed, surprised. “Doesn’t sound like him at all.”
Lando raised his eyebrows in mock betrayal. “Unbelievable slander in my own presence.”
Alexandra gave you an approving once-over, eyes twinkling. “You look incredible, by the way. Please tell me you’re staying for the cocktails after. We have a pianist who’ll play Taylor Swift if you bribe him with compliments or €20.”
“That might be the most compelling reason I’ve ever been given to stay at a party,” you said, grinning.
Alexandra gave you a grin from ear to ear, amused. “I’m really so happy to finally meet you! I can already tell we are going to be great friends! You should meet my dog.”
You smiled. “Oh my god! I would love to!”
“Already regretting introducing you two,” Lando said. “Feels like I’m third wheeling.”
“That’s your own fault, Norris,” Alexandra said, sipping her champagne. “You have been hyping her up for weeks, of course I’m excited.”
You looked at him. “Oh really?”
Lando didn’t even blink. “All good things. Mostly.”
Alexandra raised her eyebrows at you. “He actually tried to be subtle about it. It was cute.”
You bit back a smile. “I can imagine.”
“I’ll come find you later,” Alexandra added, brushing your arm. “Got to make sure Charles hasn’t lost Leo yet. So nice to meet you, lovely!”
She slipped off into the crowd with the grace of someone born to host art auctions and mild chaos.
“She’s my new favourite person,” you said.
“I’m going to pretend that doesn’t hurt,” Lando said. “But only because you look stupidly good tonight.”
He sipped his champagne, eyes back on the crowd like he hadn’t just said something that made your pulse tick strangely in your wrist.
You didn’t respond. You couldn’t think of anything clever fast enough.
But the flush in your cheeks said enough.
You gave him a side glance.
Laughter drifted lightly through the space, more polite than genuine, the kind of sound bred in auction houses and villas with good acoustics. You let yourself drift for a while, away from the main crush of guests and the low buzz of clinking flutes and unsolicited business pitches.
Lando had disappeared into a conversation across the room—arms folded, half-listening, already looking for an escape route. You wandered along the perimeter, letting your eyes pass over sculpture and canvas, nothing really sticking—until something did.
A Monet.
Not loud. Not the centrepiece of the evening. Just tucked off to the side, quietly luminous. The colour was soft, the light dreamlike, and it hit you all at once—how rare it was to stand still in front of something that didn’t need to impress anyone to be worth something.
You didn’t smile, but you didn’t move either.
And then, out of nowhere, a voice landed at your side.
“You’re not seriously getting emotional over that, are you?”
You blinked once.
Your boyfriend had materialised beside you, the corner of his mouth turned up in that smug, half-bored way he always wore at events that weren’t about him.
“It’s just some smudged garden scene,” he added, barely sparing it a glance. “Looks like the guy couldn’t be bothered to finish it.”
You said nothing.
He chuckled, nudging your elbow like he was letting you in on a joke. “Honestly, my niece brought home something just like this last week—finger paints, but same idea.”
You turned toward him.
And for once, your voice didn’t waiver. “Do you ever get tired?”
He raised a brow. “Of what?”
“Of being so obnoxious.”
He blinked, caught off guard. “I was joking—”
“I know you were not. You just have to be an asshole all the time,” you said, stepping back. “I’m so done with this.”
You handed him your untouched champagne without looking at him again.
And then you walked.
Not fast. Not dramatic. Just… forward. Certain.
Across the room, Lando caught sight of you. He paused mid-sentence, head tilting ever so slightly, eyes following the clean line of your exit. He didn’t know what had happened. But he knew enough.
And he didn’t see the man behind you calling your name, confusion creeping into frustration, his voice rising in your wake.
The days following the gala blurred into a haze of solitude. You hadn't anticipated the weight of ending a relationship that had, for too long, been a source of discomfort rather than joy. Even though it felt like a relief to be free, the fresh perspective you had now gained made looking back on the relationship seemingly harder, being disappointed in yourself for sticking around so long.The walls of your apartment seemed to close in, each corner echoing with memories you'd rather forget.
Then, an unexpected message illuminated your phone screen. It was from Alexandra.
Hii! I know we've only met once, Charles is hosting a yacht party this weekend. I'd love for you to come. It'll be fun, and I think you could use a night out. What do you say?
A smile tugged at the corners of your lips. Alexandra's warmth was palpable, even through text. The idea of attending a lavish yacht party was daunting, especially solo, but the prospect of genuine company was tempting. Before you could overthink it, you quickly responded you’d be there.
The evening of the party arrived with a golden sunset casting its glow over Monaco's harbor. As you approached the yacht, its grandeur was undeniable. Laughter and the clinking of glasses floated through the air, mingling with the soft strains of music. Taking a deep breath, you stepped aboard, the gentle sway beneath your feet reminding you of the fluidity of the moment.
You hadn’t arrived with a dramatic entrance, but you may as well have. There was something in the way you carried yourself—unhurried, unbothered, glowing without trying—that turned heads. The white sundress moved like water around your legs. Your hair was soft, undone. You looked like summer had chosen you personally.
"Hey! You made it!" Alexandra's voice rang out, genuine delight evident as she approached, her embrace warm and reassuring.
She beamed the moment she saw you. “You look like revenge dressed in satin. Come ruin someone's night—in a good way.”
"Thank you! I’m so excited!" you replied, grateful for her presence.
She linked her arm with yours, guiding you through the throng. "Come on, let's get you a drink and introduce you to some people."
So you mingled.
You laughed. You listened. You accepted compliments with a smile that didn’t flicker with doubt this time. The isolation of the past few days had left you sharper, oddly steadier. You hadn’t expected to feel so… grounded. You were alone, technically. But not lonely.
And then—across the deck—you felt it.
Someone watching.
You didn’t need to look to know who it was.
But you did anyway.
Lando stood near the upper rail, half-leaning into conversation with Charles and George, drink in hand, curls damp like he’d only recently dried off. His shirt was unbuttoned just enough to be suggestive without meaning to be, and he was laughing at something George was saying—until he saw you.
Then he stopped laughing.
His eyes softened. Lit up. Like you’d just stepped out of a dream he wasn’t finished having.
He didn't move immediately. Just watched. And when you finally gave him a smile—small, knowing—he excused himself, barely disguising it.
You turned back to your conversation, heart thudding quietly.
When he reached you, it was casual. Or it would’ve been, if not for the very specific way he looked at you. As if seeing you tonight had knocked the wind out of him slightly.
“Enjoying yourself?” he asked, voice easy, but with that familiar edge of amusement.
You tilted your head. “Trying my best. Alexandra told me to come ruin someone’s night tonight.”
Lando’s gaze swept over you, amused. “I’ve got a pretty good candidate.”
You met his look head-on. “You volunteering?”
“I’m begging.”
You took a step closer, just enough. “Careful. I take those kinds of requests seriously.”
His voice dipped. “I was hoping you would.”
You laughed.
He smiled, pleased.
“I was wondering if you’d come,” he said, a little quieter now. “I didn’t want to push.”
“I needed a few days,” you replied honestly. “To unpick a few things.”
Lando nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching like he wanted to say something more, something gentler, but didn’t want to risk it here.
“Want to see the good part of the boat?” he offered instead, gesturing subtly toward the back. “It’s less busy, better view of the sea.”
“Are you offering a tour or an escape plan?”
“Both,” he said. “But this is not my boat so don’t blame me if we get lost mid-tour.”
You smiled, setting your glass down. “Alright. Lead the way.”
He offered his hand this time. Not his arm. His hand. Like it was only natural you’d take it.
And you did.
The further you got from the music and noise, the more the sea became the soundtrack. The laughter and clinking glasses behind you faded into something muted and unimportant. Lando walked beside you—not rushing, not talking. His thumb brushed against yours every few steps, like a quiet question he didn’t need answered yet.
At the stern, it opened up—a wide, quiet deck, low to the water, with just enough light to see but not enough to distract from the stars. The sea lapped gently around the hull. It smelled like salt and sun.
You leaned against the railing, feeling the breeze touch your skin. Lando stood beside you, but not too close.
“Nice out here,” you murmured, looking up.
He glanced over at you. “You suit starlight. That’s unfair.”
You gave him a look. “You’re laying it on thick.”
“Absolutely,” he said, eyes warm. “I’ve been holding back for weeks.”
You laughed, quiet and real. He grinned, pleased.
But then, after a second, he sobered. His gaze drifted down, toward the water, and when he spoke again, his voice had shifted.
“You look happy,” Lando said lightly, almost teasing. “I almost didn’t recognise you without the polite ‘I’m-fine’ smile.”
You huffed a quiet laugh. “Wow. Go ahead and expose me.”
“I’m serious,” he said, this time softer. “It’s good to see you like this.”
You glanced at him, and for a moment, he didn’t try to dodge the feeling in the air. He looked out at the sea and back again.
“I hated seeing you pretend,” he said finally. “These past few months… at the garage, the brunch, the auction—you were always there, but it felt like part of you was somewhere else. You still smiled, still made jokes, still looked beautiful, but…”
He trailed off. Not because he didn’t know what to say. Just because he meant all of it.
You didn’t speak right away.
“You wanted to throw him in the harbour, didn’t you.”
A beat.
“Every single time,” Lando said, with no apology.
That made you laugh again, but quieter this time. Almost sad.
You looked down at the rail, fingers brushing the edge. “I wasn’t really fooling anyone, was I.”
“You fooled plenty,” he said. “Just not me.”
You looked away for a beat. Then quietly, “I haven’t been unhappy around you, though.”
Lando froze.
When you turned your head back, he was watching you like he couldn’t quite believe what he’d heard.
“Say that again,” he said, almost joking. Almost.
You smiled, small and real. “You’ve been the exception, Lando. You’ve always felt like... a relief. Like I could let out a breath I never knew I was holding.”
His expression cracked open at the edges—something flickering across it, equal parts surprise and affection.
“I’ve been trying not to say something,” he said eventually, his voice lower now. “But it’s getting... impossible.”
You arched a brow. “To me or to you?”
He looked at you deeply, green eyes soft but with a sparkle. “Me. Definitely me.”
There was a beat of silence, hanging between you like a held breath.
“You just keep making it harder,” he added, almost laughing at himself. “Showing up looking like this. Laughing at my stupid jokes.”
You stared at him. He raised his hands, just slightly.
“I know I joke around a lot,” he said, his voice quieter now. “It’s easy to hide behind that. But I’m not playing with this. I’m not here to push or expect anything you’re not ready for.” He paused, letting the words settle. “I just… I need you to know. I’ve been falling for you since the gala.”
The words didn’t feel rehearsed or dramatic—just honest. And they landed like something you’d been waiting to hear without realising.
You stayed still, listening.
“Since the dress,” he went on, his smile tugging softly at the corner of his mouth. “Since the strawberry drink. Since you made fun of my bow tie.”
You laughed—quiet and barely there. But it was real.
“Since you made me want to stick around,” he added, “even when you were barely looking at me.”
His eyes met yours fully now. “You’re magnetic,” he said, simple as anything. “Warm. Sharp. And really hot even when you look like a drenched puppy.” He exhaled lightly. “And I just… I didn’t want summer to end without you knowing.”
You stepped closer.
Close enough to feel the change in the air, the shift in his breathing.
You placed your hand on his chest, light but certain.
“Lando.”
He didn’t move.
“If I kiss you, is it going to be a problem?”
His answer was immediate, and sure. “No.”
Then, softer. “But only if you want to.”
You looked at him for a long, quiet second.
“I do.”
He exhaled like he’d been holding it since May. Maybe longer.
And then you kissed him.
Slow, at first. Curious. The kind of kiss that asks before it takes. His hand hovered near your waist, the other brushing your jaw with the gentlest touch—as if he still couldn’t believe he was allowed.
But the second your fingers curled into his shirt and your lips parted slightly, that control cracked.
His arm wrapped fully around you then, the kiss deepening with a sudden warmth that made your stomach twist. He kissed you like he’d wanted to for weeks. Like he'd held every grin, every brush of your arm, every stolen look in his chest—and finally let them out all at once.
You felt it in the way his hand slid up your back, in the way his mouth moved with yours like he already knew the rhythm.
When you finally pulled apart, your breath hitched.
His forehead leaned against yours. Neither of you spoke for a moment.
Then you smiled, just a little. “So… did I ruin your night after all?”
Lando let out a low, breathless laugh. “You can ruin my life, for all I care.”
He leaned in again, this time without hesitation.
And then he kissed you—like he had nothing left to hold back. Like the wait had been worth it. Like it had always been leading to this.
It was the kind of Sunday that felt like a soft breeze. The kind where you woke up to Lando already beside you, hair a mess, voice rough with sleep as he offered to make pancakes—and then promptly convinced you to go out for groceries instead. A domestic detour. A small adventure disguised as an errand. Like you had so many of these past weeks with him.
You hadn’t argued. Not really.
Now, somewhere between the mangoes and the melons in your favourite Carrefour, you were watching Lando shake a pineapple like it had personally offended him.
“That’s not how you check if it’s ripe,” you said, barely holding in a laugh.
He looked genuinely betrayed. “It’s not? Then why did that woman on YouTube tell me to do it?”
“You watched a pineapple tutorial?”
“Research is key,” he said, placing it carefully into the cart. “Anyway, I came prepared.”
“You’re such a dork.” You rolled your eyes, smiling. “You pick the snacks, I’ll handle dinner?”
He winked. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Then promptly wandered off to the crisps aisle like a man on a mission.
You lingered in the herb section, still debating parsley versus basil, when a voice behind you slid into your spine like cold water.
“Well. You look good.”
You turned.
He looked the same—your ex. A little too polished, sunglasses indoors, holding a bottle of overpriced green juice that screamed aesthetic punishment.
“Thanks,” you said simply. “I’ve been feeling better.”
It wasn’t petty. Just honest.
He blinked, clearly not expecting honesty.
You were just about to step away when—
“Oh, no. No no no,” Lando groaned from the next aisle, appearing with a look of theatrical dismay. “There’s a full seafood crime scene back there. Half the ocean’s laid out. I’ve never seen so much salmon.”
He stopped short when he saw you. And him.
His entire posture shifted.
He stepped up beside you, one hand sliding effortlessly around your waist, grounding and easy. He didn’t force it. Just filled the space.
“Hi,” Lando said, his tone calm, eyes flicking to the man in front of you. “I’m Lando.”
Your ex gave a tight nod, straightening slightly. “We’ve met.”
Lando’s gaze dipped to the man’s basket—almond milk, snack bars, and two tubs of something suspiciously protein-packed and aggressively vanilla.
“Solid haul,” Lando said, casual. Then, after the smallest pause, “Though I’d go easy on the sugar. Causes hair loss, you know. Wouldn’t want to risk it, considering your current situation.”
He didn’t smile. Just winked. Cheeky enough to pass for humour. Sharp enough to land exactly where it needed to.
Your ex blinked again. Offered no reply. Just turned back toward the juice aisle with the grace of someone trying not to trip over his own ego.
“Lovely to see you,” Lando called politely, already nudging the cart forward—his hand still warm around your waist.
You let him guide you down the aisle, heart flickering with quiet satisfaction.
“Hair loss?” you asked, giggling, once you were out of earshot.
He shrugged, eyes forward, lips twitching. “What? It was observational science.”
“You’re awful.”
“Mm,” he hummed, pressing a kiss to your cheek, then your temple. “But I’m yours.”
You laughed, soft and real, tucking into his side like it was the most natural thing in the world.
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sttoru · 1 year ago
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sukunas fav concubine being bullied by the other concubines?? maybe they push her into the fountain 👀👀👀
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·.⌇ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒. being bullied because you’re sukuna’s favorite concubine is nothing out of the ordinary. when sukuna finally notices the harassment you’re going through, he doesn’t hold back.
wc. 2.2k-ish
tags. true form!sukuna x concubine! female reader. fluff, angst (hurt to comfort). heian era. bullying. one mention of d.ecapitation. vile language. reader gets called ‘brat’. beta reading? what’s that
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“she’s got nothing going on for her,” “right? i don’t get what he sees in her,” “tch—he’s only using her for her body anyway,” “duhh. he can’t be pleased by her looks. i mean, she’s really ugly. i bet he thinks of her as just ‘nother hole to use. . .”
and the shushed gossips continue. the concubines hanging around the garden have noticed your arrival, though do nothing to stop badmouthing you. they couldn’t care less if you hear what they say.
you’re used to it by now. you’ve adjusted to this life of yours as one of sukuna’s concubines. his favourite at that—which automatically makes you a victim of verbal (and sometimes physical) harassment. the other women in the ruthless sorcerer’s harem can’t stand you.
your eyes are glued to the path you’re walking on. your lady-in-waiting doesn’t utter a single word as well, holding her head low as she follows behind you. you know that the concubines will immediately pick on you if you make eye contact with one of them.
it’s moments like these where you actually miss sukuna. his intimidating presence and (in)direct threats would immediately make the others fall silent. you wouldn’t have to hear them call you nasty names.
though, unlucky you, sukuna’s out on business. uraume is left as a temporary supervisor of the entire estate. to make sure nothing goes wrong. despite all of that, you still find yourself in an unfortunate predicament.
“hey. we’re talking to you,” a female voice rings from behind you. it isn’t your lady-in-waiting, but the brown-haired woman whom you recognise as one of sukuna’s concubines. her name. . . you can’t recall.
she forcefully pushes your shoulder with two fingers. you stumble backwards, nearly tripping over the material of your kimono. you look down at the hem and notice a subtle muddy stain on the cloth now that you’ve accidentally stepped on it.
you curse the woman out under your breath. the kimono is one of your favorites since sukuna had it made and tailored to suit your taste.
“my apologies,” you mumble politely. you do not wish to make a scene as much as you want to defend yourself. not in front of those poor servants who are simply minding their business and tending to the garden.
the lady scoffs. another one joins. soon, four of them surround you, leaving you no place to escape the situation. with every step you take back, they take one forward. it’s intimidating, though you try to make it seem like you’re not afraid of their words.
“tell me,” the blonde one speaks up and her hand trails up your arm. she twirls a strand of your hair around her index finger before harshly tugging at it. you wince, but she doesn’t budge, “tell me what sukuna sees in a worthless slut like you.”
it’s about sukuna every time. you’re getting sick of the way they treat you because of something you can’t control. you don’t know why he favors you out of all the other women at his service. the way you’re treated because of something that you cannot change is getting frustrating.
the brown-haired woman follows the other lady. she pushes you until the back of your shoe bumps against the edge of a fountain. the grande fountain in the yard that you always love to admire.
the tugs at your hair get stronger. your patience is wearing thin. you take some time to reply to the other concubines, hoping to silence them for now.
you look up at the group surrounding you—a grin tugging at your lips as you decide to taunt them. you scoff, “hah. you cannot blame me for satisfying my lord better than all of you could do together.”
audible gasps sound from the group of concubines. they can’t believe you had the audacity to talk back and be disrespectful about it. the comment you made clearly struck a nerve. or in this case multiple.
“oh, you slut!” the blonde one shrieks, clearly more than upset by your doubts about her services as a concubine. in a flash of rage, she gives you a firm push, sending you backwards until you fall into the fountain with a loud splash.
your lady-in-waiting is the one gasping this time. she looks at you with great worry in her eyes, not knowing if she needs to go fetch uraume or not. she doesn’t have much say in the matter either way.
you’re humiliated by this. you can feel the water seep into the robes of your kimono, staining the beloved material. your hair is wet as well, the water droplets falling off the ends of your locks.
“pah, you look pathetic,” one of the lower ranking concubines chimes in—giggling at the unfortunate situation you got yourself in. the others follow with their own high pitched laughs, “serves you right.”
you don’t even know what you should do. your body feels heavy because of the water wetting your clothes. your nails drag along the fountain’s surface, trying to compose yourself before you do anything irrational.
you grit your teeth and take a deep breath. you’re shaking, both because of the cold settling over your body as well as the anger simmering inside of you. you open your mouth to say something, only to be interrupted.
by someone you didn’t expect to see any time soon.
“enough.”
the deep tone sends chills down your spine. the volume of the male voice nearly shakes the ground. it’s powerful, dominant and quite aggressive. as if the owner of the voice is pissed. no, more than that.
the group of concubines freeze, not even daring to turn around and face the unexpected visitor. you notice your lady-in-waiting immediately falling to her knees, bowing at the man whom you know very well.
“my lord,” you stammer out, being the first to speak up and address him. you’re surprised to see sukuna back this early from his business trip. he normally stays away from the estate for days on end.
sukuna’s footsteps are heavy. his strides are menacingly slow. the aura surrounding him makes the others shake—one concubine being smart enough to bow to him. the king of curses is not one to be messed with, especially when he’s angry.
“tsk. have you lost all your respect while i was gone?” sukuna growls, seeing how the group of concubines are frozen in place with fearful expressions on their faces. the fact that they’re not bowing before him worsens his temper, “kneel.”
he raises one hand and they all knew what was going to happen. you squeal and shut your eyes, hearing that familiar and dooming sound of slashes around you. it doesn’t sound like they’ve hit anything, so you peek through your eyelashes.
you see how the group of women have dropped to their knees the instant sukuna raised his hand in that specific manner. everyone knew just what that meant; death to anyone who’s got their head held high in his presence.
you’ve all seen enough people get decapitated by that same action to know that the sorcerer was not playing around.
sukuna scoffs. he walks up towards you, ignoring the pleas of the other concubines that are begging for his forgiveness. his bottom set of eyes look down at them with disdain before focusing on your figure again.
he silently stands still at the edge of the fountain. his large frame looms over you and you find yourself struggling to get up from the water to bow at him as well. you keep your eyes on your lap, “i’m sorry, my lord.”
sukuna hisses at your apology. a warning for you to shut your mouth. you’re apologising when it’s not your fault and that irritates him more than anything. two of his strong arms reach down to pick you up from your vulnerable position.
the king of curses hoists you over his shoulder like you weigh nothing. he’s not bothered by the fact that you’re dripping wet. in fact, both of his left arms wrap around your torso in attempt to warm you up.
“stay. you’ll all be dealt with accordingly when i return,” sukuna harshly orders your aggressors as he turns around and walks away from the group. he carries you in his arms, not sparing a single glance at his concubines.
he doesn’t even care that he stepped on one of the women’s hands as he passed by. the high pitched shriek only serves to annoy him, which you notice by the way he squeezes your waist in response.
it’s silent between you two for a bit. sukuna steps inside of the estate, his ominous aura making you hesistant to speak. you decide to stay quiet for the sake of keeping the peace. for now.
sukuna’s breathing is a little heavy. he’s trying not to lash out or say anything hurtful. he doesn’t like raising his voice at you—but sometimes he feels like he needs to. especially when you land in situations like those.
“how long has this been going on?” sukuna asks through a heavy sigh. his red eyes are focused on the end of the hallway, where his chambers lay. the veins in his neck look like they could pop out any second now, “and don’t you dare fuckin’ lie to me, y’hear?”
you gulp. you’ve never been so nervous to answer him, ever. you attempt to respond, “uhm, for quite a while, my lord.”
sukuna breathes in sharply at the revelation. the fact that you did not specify your answer only made him think that it’s worse than you’re making it out to be. he stops in his tracks, two hands on your waist as he forces you to face him.
your body dangles in the air as sukuna makes you look at him from up close, showing you that dangerous look in his eyes. you do not dare to avert your gaze from his as he speaks.
“you should’ve told me the moment they started disrespecting you like that,” sukuna grunts. another big hand grabs your jaw firmly, squeezing your cheeks together. you whine as it hurt a little. he scoffs and releases your jaw with a light push, “pathetic.”
you feel your body get thrown into your original position once more. your head is upside down and your legs hang limply over his shoulder. you try to defend yourself in a quiet tone, “i thought you were too busy. i didn’t want to bother you with such unimportant matters.”
it’s true. as much as you wanted to tell sukuna about the mistreatment you were receiving, you knew how busy he was attending to more urgent business. you didn’t want to annoy him with your own problems that you could easily solve.
if only you could stand up for yourself.
“nonsense,” sukuna raises his voice in a moment of weakness, though remembers that you’ve probably been through enough for the day. he doesn’t need to add to that by treating you like shit as well.
he simply sighs it off, “unimportant, huh? ‘s that how you think i view you?”
you raise an eyebrow at sukuna’s last sentence. you’re at a loss for words. you know sukuna values you more than any of his other concubines—it’s the main reason you’re getting bullied for—yet you never heard him speak to you in such a surprisingly soft way.
almost like he’s disappointed that you don’t realise the extent of his favoritsm. he cares about you more than you actually think he does.
“i-i’m sorry, my lord,” you stutter. you really do not have a clue about what to say. all you can do is apologise as you’re left overthinking that one little sentence he said.
“what a brat,” sukuna quickly regains his usual stoic and stern composure. he reaches his chambers and enters his personal bathroom before putting you down on your feet. he looks down at your short stature, feeling the warmth of your body leave his skin once you’re separated.
sukuna watches you shiver. he wants to get angry at you for not telling him about anything that’s been going on while he’s not present, though he simply cannot at the moment.
he’ll let you off the hook for now. but, he’s surely going to give you your own special scolding after he’s taken care of the other concubines. the man grabs a large towel from nearby and messily wraps it around your upper body.
sukuna turns around to walk out of his bathroom, looking over his shoulder once more, “get dressed into something else before you catch a cold.”
he calls for a couple servants to tend to you while he’s away to take care of those deviant concubines. sukuna watches the three maids rush to your service, preparing you a new set of clothes as well as trying to dry you off.
his gaze lingers on you for more than is necessary, his jaw clenching at the sight of you trembling from the low temperatures you’re experiencing. sukuna’s going to make sure those other women pay for what they’ve done to you.
he leaves the bathroom after that, though not without leaving you an order to follow;
“you’re staying in my chambers tonight.”
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ahqkas · 6 months ago
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Do you think you could a reverse of you "attractive things they do without realizing" with the bat boys?
♯ ATTRACTIVE THINGS YOU DO . . . that make them go crazy ! — part 1
— fem!reader, suggestive thoughts, mention of reader’s hair
© ahqkas — all rights reserved. even when credited, these works are prohibited to be reposted, translated or modified
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BRUCE WAYNE
simply attending gala with him
the gala was in full swing, the soft hum of conversation and the tinkling of crystal glasses weaving through the grand hall. bruce wayne stood at the center of it all, the undisputed star of the evening, yet his focus wasn’t on the crowd. it was on you.
you stood beside him, your hand lightly wrapped around his forearm, a subtle yet intimate gesture that spoke things without saying a word. the way your fingers rested there, so effortlessly claiming him as yours, sent a warmth spreading through his chest—a feeling that, for once, wasn’t from the weight of responsibility or the burden of his double life. it was softer, lighter. it was you.
bruce’s sharp eyes, trained to assess every detail in a room, couldn’t help but linger on you. the dress you wore was nothing short of perfection—not that it could have been anything else. he had ensured it. every stitch, every line, every fold of fabric had been crafted with you in mind. he had selected the finest material, rich and smooth beneath the touch, ensuring it draped over your figure with the kind of elegance that turned heads the moment you stepped into a room.
the deep hue of the gown complemented his suit nicely, catching the light in subtle ways, as though it, too, was vying for his attention. the neckline framed your collarbones delicately, and the way the fabric hugged your form made it impossible for his mind not to wander to how well he knew every curve beneath. the gentle train swirled around your heels like liquid, moving with you in an almost hypnotic rhythm, every step making his heart beat just a little faster.
bruce had commissioned it specifically for you, worked with the designer himself to ensure it would fit you like a second skin—tailored to highlight everything he found most captivating about you. it wasn’t just vanity, though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t relish the way every person in the room couldn’t help but notice you. no, it was deeper than that. dressing you in the finest fabrics, wrapping you in elegance, was his way of saying what words often couldn’t: you’re extraordinary, and the world should know it.
to you, he wasn’t just bruce wayne, gotham’s elusive billionaire. he wasn’t the brooding vigilante who prowled the night. he was just . . . bruce. and in that moment, he felt more real, more whole, than he had in years.
he tilted his head slightly, glancing down at you, and his lips tugged into the faintest of smiles—a rare expression, softer than most would ever see. the subtle scent of your perfume reached him as you leaned closer to whisper something, your voice a low melody against the backdrop of the room. he didn’t even catch the words; he was too lost in the curve of your smile, the way your lashes brushed your cheeks when you blinked, the warmth of your touch radiating through the fabric of his suit.
his thoughts betrayed him, wandering ahead to a quieter moment later, when the gala was over, and it was just the two of you again. but for now, he stood tall, the perfect host, his hand moving to cover yours on his arm. his thumb brushed against your knuckles, a silent gesture of affection and gratitude. he didn’t say it aloud—he didn’t need to—but he was thinking it with every fiber of his being: you’re the most beautiful thing in this room, and you don’t even know it.
seeing you work at his office
bruce leaned back in his leather chair, the polished desk between you serving as the only barrier to his unraveling thoughts. you stood on the other side, flipping through a file with the kind of focus that made his chest tighten, utterly oblivious to the effect you were having on him. the pencil skirt you wore hugged your hips in a way that felt almost sinful, every line and contour designed to torment him. the fabric clung just right, emphasizing the curve of your waist and the sway of your body each time you shifted. and then there was the blouse—white, crisp, and perfectly fitted, the faintest hint of skin peeking where the buttons strained against your figure. it was driving him to the edge.
the sharp click of your heels echoed softly as you moved around the room, your voice calm and professional as you recounted details of a recent meeting, flipping a page in the file without missing a beat. but bruce wasn’t listening. not really. his gaze followed the way your fingers smoothed the papers, delicate but deliberate, and his mind betrayed him. those same hands . . . what would they feel like tangled in his hair, tugging him closer? or splayed against his chest, nails dragging lightly as he pressed you against the wall?
he shifted in his seat, jaw tightening as he tried to force himself back to the present. but it was impossible. the way the soft material of your blouse tucked into that pencil skirt left just enough to the imagination while teasing at everything he wanted to do to you. his mind raced ahead, envisioning the fabric bunched around your hips, your voice losing its composed edge as he silenced every word with his lips
you glanced up at him suddenly, your eyes catching his, and for a moment, his composure faltered. his sharp blue gaze was darker now, focused entirely on you with an intensity that made your breath hitch. his tongue darted across his bottom lip, slow and deliberate, as he leaned forward, elbows resting on the desk, his fingers steepled beneath his chin.
“are you almost finished?”
“just a few more minutes.”
his thoughts raced ahead, imagining the way your name would sound falling from his lips, low and rough, as he pulled you into his lap. how your soft gasps would fill the room, mingling with the shuffle of papers and the creak of leather as his control finally slipped. bruce’s mind was already plotting, already deciding just how many minutes he’d let you finish your work before he gave in.
DICK GRAYSON
the quiet hum of the city filtered through the slightly cracked window, the distant sounds of gotham settling into the night. dick sat cross-legged on the couch, his hair still damp from a quick shower after patrol, wearing a loose gray shirt and sweatpants. you were tucked into the corner of the couch, legs pulled up to your chest with your arms wrapped around them, your chin resting on your knees. there was something so effortlessly comfortable about the way you curled into yourself, the soft glow of the lamp painting your features in warm hues.
he couldn’t help but let his eyes linger, caught by the way the corners of your lips curved into a gentle smile as you listened to him recount something ridiculous wally had said earlier. it wasn’t just your smile, though it always had a way of knocking the air out of his lungs—it was the way your gaze stayed fixed on him, warm and attentive, like he was the only thing that mattered in the world right now.
“are you even listening?” he teased, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees as he tilted his head to catch your gaze more fully.
you laughed softly, a sound that melted into the quiet of the room like it belonged there. “i am,” you insisted, shifting slightly to prop your chin higher on your knees, the movement drawing his attention to the curve of your bare shoulders beneath the oversized sweatshirt you were wearing—his sweatshirt, he realized with a pang of fondness.
“good,” he said, his voice softer now, his lips curving into an easy smile. but he didn’t pick up where he left off. instead, he found himself studying the little things: the way your hair framed your face, the way your eyes glimmered with quiet amusement, the small, almost unconscious sway of your head as you rested against your knees.
“don’t stop,” you murmured, your smile widening.
dick chuckled, shaking his head. “i wasn’t sure if my story could compete with . . . well, you,” he said, his tone light but tinged with the kind of sincerity that always made your chest tighten.
“flatterer,” you teased, but the way your cheeks warmed didn’t escape him.
when you arch your back in a chair
he had only meant to grab a drink and check in with you, but the second he entered the room and saw you sitting at the table, all coherent thought vanished. he froze in place, his gaze drawn to you like a moth to a flame. you were leaning forward in your chair, your elbows braced on the table and your back arched just slightly as you studied whatever had your focus. it was innocent—completely unintentional—but to him, it was anything but.
the way your shirt clung to your frame as you bent forward made his mouth go dry, the curve of your back teasing him in ways that had his imagination running wild. his eyes lingered on the dip of your waist, the way the soft fabric stretched just enough over your hips, and he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering further—thinking about how easy it would be to step behind you, trail his hands down that arch, and pull you closer.
dick swallowed hard, forcing himself to look away, but it was hopeless. his gaze snapped back to you as if on instinct, and this time, it wasn’t just the curve of your back that had his attention. it was the way your body moved, every subtle shift of your weight making his thoughts spiral deeper. he could almost feel the press of your skin against his palms, the heat of you beneath his hands as he tipped you just slightly further forward . . .
jesus, get it together, grayson, he thought, dragging a hand through his hair and trying to clear his head. but the damage was done, and now every inch of him was on edge, his pulse thrumming in his ears. it wasn’t fair how effortlessly you drove him crazy—how just existing could send his thoughts careening into territory that made him shift uncomfortably in place.
you glanced up suddenly, breaking him out of his haze. “hey, you good?” you asked, your brows furrowing slightly in concern.
the sound of your voice jolted him back to reality, though his heart was still racing. “fine,” he managed, his voice just a little rougher than usual. he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to play it cool despite the heat simmering beneath his skin.
but you weren’t convinced. there was a hint of amusement in your eyes as you leaned back slightly in your chair, giving him that knowing smile that always made his knees weak. “you sure?”
dick’s jaw clenched as you shifted again, his gaze flickering down to the curve of your waist before he caught himself. stop it. stop it right now. but then you tilted your head, and that damn teasing glint in your eyes told him you knew exactly what you were doing.
he took a step forward, bracing a hand on the table as he leaned down, his face suddenly inches from yours. his voice was low, rough, almost a growl. “you’re making it really hard to concentrate, you know that?”
JASON TODD
adjusting your skirt
jason had been leaning against the doorway, half distracted by his own thoughts, when the sight of you adjusting your skirt snapped his attention to full focus. you were standing in front of the mirror, tugging at the waistband and wiggling it higher on your hips, a casual, innocent motion meant to get the fit just right. but to him, it was anything but casual. his eyes locked on you, darkening as he watched the way the fabric shifted, sliding up the curve of your thighs with each subtle movement.
jesus christ, he thought, jaw tightening as he tried to tear his gaze away. he failed. the small adjustment—the roll of your hips, the way your hands smoothed the material over your figure—felt like it was designed to torment him. he muttered a quiet curse under his breath, barely audible but enough to let his frustration escape.
that little motion shouldn’t have had this kind of hold over him, but it did. the way you moved, so natural and effortless, made his mind wander to places it shouldn’t. his fingers twitched at his sides as he imagined stepping behind you, sliding his hands over yours to help—not that you needed it, but damn if he wouldn’t enjoy it anyway.
you turned slightly and caught his reflection in the mirror, green eyes shooting up to meet yours as if he hadn’t been blatantly staring. “everything okay, jay?”
jason cleared his throat. “yeah,” he said, though his voice was rougher than usual, betraying him. he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning heavier into the doorway, his tongue darting across his bottom lip as his gaze flicked down again. “just . . . keep doing what you’re doing.”
you have him a look—equal parts amused and curious—but went back to adjusting the skirt, smoothing it out once more. jason bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to stay put instead of crossing the room, grabbing your hips, and showing you exactly what that little movement of yours did to him.
this woman’s gonna be the death of me, he thought, his pulse hammering as he pushed off the doorway, muttering another curse under his breath. he needed to walk away before he did something reckless—something that would guarantee you wouldn’t be leaving that room anytime soon.
when you rant to him
jason leaned back on the couch, arms draped lazily over the backrest, but his focus was anything but casual. his eyes were locked on you as you paced the room, hands gesturing wildly while you went off on a rant about something that had you fired up. he couldn’t even remember how the conversation started—it didn’t matter. what mattered was the light in your eyes, the way your whole face animated with every word, and the fire in your voice as you got lost in your thoughts.
there was something magnetic about the way you threw yourself into it, like the world disappeared except for the thing you were so passionate about. it didn’t even matter if he understood half of what you were saying—though he was trying, really, he was—but he couldn’t look away from you long enough to focus on the details. he was too caught up in the way your brows furrowed slightly when you were deep in thought, or the way your lips curved when you hit on a point you knew was good.
and that voice. it was captivating, filled with conviction and energy, a side of you that came alive when you cared about something. jason’s heart thudded in his chest as he watched you, a small, crooked smile tugging at his lips.
every now and then, you’d glance at him to make sure he was keeping up, and he’d give a small nod, biting back the urge to say something dumb like, i’m not paying attention to your words, but i’m hanging on every second of you. instead, he’d murmur a quiet “yeah,” or “makes sense,” just to keep you talking.
but, damn, the way your whole body moved when you were this invested—it sent his mind places. there was a certain confidence in it, an unintentional sway in your steps as you walked back and forth, your gestures strong but graceful. it drove him crazy in the best way, made him want to grab you mid-rant, pull you onto his lap, and kiss you senseless just to see if that fire would transfer to him.
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ADDITIONAL NOTE! if you like my work , please consider reblogging and / or commenting ! thank you if you do 🤍
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mercvry-glow · 1 month ago
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All that glitters
parings. jack abbot x nurse!reader
summary. jack isn't a materialistic man, and you try your best not to be spoiled—but when your man gets flirted with, maybe it's time to flaunt the rings?
warnings. typical pitt setting, hospital drama, age gap bc i make the rules in this house (Jack late 40s, reader late 20s early 30s), secret marriage trope but the don't really try very hard to hide it, jack gets flirted with, sassy jack, reader that has hair long enough to be in a ponytail, other pitt characters, let me know if there's anything else!
notes. love love love jack and younger reader who he loves to spoil—i'll make them my mark sloan/lexie grey dream. sorta follows the stereotype of nurses getting married young with a big phat rock on their finger and reader is living her best life fr, today she's giving health icon realness! like always feedback is very much appreciated and i love all of you!
wc. 1500+
all that gleams (18+)
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There were very few perks to working night shift in the ER, but your coworkers were definitely one of them. The vibe was calmer, looser. You could play music low, crack jokes in between traumas, and snack on protein bars and green juice in peace without an intern hovering at your elbow asking if this was the “bad kind of blood.”
 More importantly though? You didn’t have to deal with as many junior staff mispronouncing meds or asking you if “NPO” was a hospital in another state.
Not that you were that far off from their age. You were only a few years ahead of most of them, and honestly? You didn’t always look like someone who belonged in the ER. You were the compression jacket-wearing, Pilates-going, smoothie-before-shift, electrolyte-during kind of nurse. Hair always in a claw clip, nails always clean and glossy, scrubs perfectly tailored and paired with a cute fleece half-zip. Your badge reel had glitter. Your tumbler was filled with ice water. You had a favorite lip balm and two glosses.
And somehow, you were married to Jack Abbot.
Not that most people at PTMC knew that.
Jack—hardass, sarcasm-laced, gruff-charm Abbot—wasn't exactly wearing a “taken” sign on his back. And you weren’t shouting it from the rooftops either. You both liked the privacy, liked having something all to yourselves in a place where everyone seemed to know everyone else’s business.
Still, the diamond on your finger didn’t exactly scream subtle. It was flashy. Big, clear, and set in a gold band that sparkled aggressively under the hospital’s harsh fluorescents. People noticed it. You’d caught more than one resident blinking at it mid-sentence.
Jack noticed it too, especially when you wandered over to where he stood, leaning casually against the wall near the trauma bay—arms crossed, mouth in a flat line, giving you that look he always did when you showed up a little too put together for the ER at 2 a.m.
You sipped your icy water and tapped your fingers against your cup. “Slow night.”
He didn’t even glance at you. “You trying to get us all booked?”
“Oh come on, I didn’t say the actual Q-word.”
“You said ‘slow night,’ which is the Q-word’s passive-aggressive cousin. We’re totally fucked now, hope you’re happy.”
You smiled sweetly, resting an elbow on the nearby table. “I brought chia pudding for later. Want one?”
He side-eyed you. “I don’t even know what the hell that is.”
“It’s gut healthy, Jack. There’s fruit in it too,”
“I don’t trust anything that you find on TikTok.”
You giggled, which only made him more suspicious. Jack’s gaze dipped to your hand as you fiddled with the straw in your drink, the ring practically glowing.
“You’re really wearing that thing tonight?”
You blinked innocently. “What, this old thing?”
He snorted. “You know it’s blinding under these lights, right? Someone’s gonna seize just from the glare.”
“Well then I’m technically doing my job,” you said, smiling. “Keeping you on your toes.”
“You’re gonna give the interns a complex. They think you’re single, you know.”
Your eyes widend in fake horror. “You don’t think I’m flirting with anyone, do you? Frank gets really chatty before he leaves for the night,”
He raised an eyebrow. “With how much you like to bug me, I wouldn’t have noticed.”
“That’s rich coming from you, you like to hover too.”
“I do not.”
“You do.”
Jack tilted his head. “Okay. A little. I’m just makin’ sure my girl’s all good.”
You gave him a light shove and took another sip of your water, just in time to hear the trauma pager start going off. 
MVC. ETA six minutes.
Jack stood up straighter like someone flipped a switch, already reaching for gloves. You grabbed your own pair from your pocket, gently removing your ring and placing it onto the accompanying chain around your neck. It’s something you and Jack had agreed to when it came to your wedding rings, minimal gore around them—”up or off” he liked to call it. He had his own of course, though most of the time he just kept his ring on the necklace while at work. 
You started bouncing lightly on your toes to get the blood flowing, not having had any action in the time since you had arrived. 
“Try not to trip over your own sparkle out there,” he muttered.
You gave him your sweetest smile. “You love it.”
He looked at you for a beat longer than he needed to. “Unfortunately.”
Unfortunately, your ass—he picked that ring out himself.
As the trauma team assembled, you took your place beside him, the two of you syncing without needing to speak. He passed you a gown without asking. You tied the back of his before he even turned around.
If anyone noticed how in step you were, they didn’t say anything.
 Jack’s hand brushed against yours as you moved into the trauma bay, just long enough for you to know he saw you. Always did.
After your first success of the night, the adrenaline had faded from the area like mist burning off in Pitsburgh morning light. You were perched back at the nurses' station, sipping from your oversized pink tumbler once again and tapping notes into the EMR system, your high ponytail somehow still intact after the trauma call. You’d already changed into your backup hoodie, the pale blue one that matched your compression socks. 
A little style, a little lip gloss, and a whole lot of not here for nonsense.
Things had quieted enough for Jack to finally emerge from the trauma bay, only for him to be flagged almost immediately by a patient coming in from the waiting room. She was maybe late twenties, long hair, fresh manicure, a barely-there scrape above her brow. Her chart said “fall on concrete.” Her strappy heels said, fall caused by attention-seeking behavior.
You glanced up briefly, watching Jack walk her to a curtained bay. She was smiling too much. Laughing too loud. He was wearing that look—the one he got when he knew a situation would be annoying and had already mentally detached from it.
“I swear,” the patient was saying, voice high and sweet, “every time I wear these I end up in trouble. Guess that teaches me for wanting to be cute on a Wednesday night.”
Jack didn’t even blink. “Sounds like unfortunate planning.”
You tried not to smirk, eyes drifting back to your screen, but your ears stayed tuned.
Inside the curtain bay, the flirting only ramped up.
“You’ve got great hands,” she continued. “Like, really strong—Are you a surgeon or something?”
“Or something,” he muttered, clearly already regretting every life choice that led to this moment.
A moment later, you stood, casually collecting a folder from the rack. You strolled over, your walk unbothered, the slight shimmer of your clear gloss catching in the overhead light. You didn’t need to announce anything. You just stepped in like you belonged there—because in reality you didn’t.
“Oh—sorry, just grabbing this,” you said lightly, nodding toward the folder tucked on the side cart.
Jack’s eyes flicked to you briefly, then away. But that flicker said a lot. You were his safety net, his distraction, his gentle way out.
The patient looked between you and Jack, then caught sight of his chain. His ring where it should be—resting loosely around his neck, the soft shine of the gold band catching the overhead lights like a quiet announcement.
She blinked. “Oh... You’re married?”
Jack didn’t miss a beat. “I am.”
You turned just slightly, giving a small, polite smile. “He’s got great hands, right? They open all my jars and everything." shifting your own necklaces ever so slightly to show off your own ring.
The patient made a noncommittal noise. You gave Jack a subtle tap on the arm—nothing big, nothing dramatic—and slipped out without another word.
Back at the nurses’ station, Dr. Shen had just walked up, sipping his Dunkin’ coffee and looking comfortable as ever. He glanced at you, then at Jack still behind the curtain.
“New patient?” He asked.
“Minor trauma,” you replied, eyes still on your chart. “Potential for eye strain, though. A lot of eyelash batting happening in there.”
Shen raised one brow. “You jealous?”
You gave a soft laugh, sliding your tumbler closer. “Nope. Just observational.”
Jack appeared a second later, walking past with his usual quiet swagger and that look of can everyone please just not say something dumb, but paused near Shen.
“Patient’s stable. Probably fine to discharge with wound care instructions and a lesson on appropriate footwear.”
Shen nodded. “Noted.”
As Jack passed you, he muttered, “You know that folder wasn’t yours, right?”
You didn’t look up. “You’re welcome.”
He leaned in slightly, dropping his voice. “You’re ridiculous.”
You smiled, too sweet. “She was hitting on you.”
“I noticed.”
“She said you have surgeon hands.”
“I noticed.”
You leaned into him just enough for your perfume to tickle his nose. “You do, you know. Big, capable. Very sexy.”
“Don’t weaponize nice compliments.”
You grinned and rested your cheek on his arm for a beat. “You’re just mad you’re the one getting teased.”
He shook his head with a sigh, then mumbled under his breath, “Married a menace in $98 leggings, and I’m the one being told off.”
And you didn’t even argue—because you absolutely are… and you did buy the leggings in two colors.
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mercvry-glow 2025
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ds-angel1 · 3 months ago
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TEACHERS LITTLE PET
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cw: SMUT(18+), teacher x student relationship, hitting it from the back(in the classroom), big age gap(ages aren´t specified), reader is a senior, i´m not american and have no idea how the school system works so please just smile and nod
wc: ~ 5.1k
a/n: tell me what you think of this dynamic and if you want more cause i have some ideas!! also this is the longest fic i´ve ever written, not my best work but atleast i managed to write something?? keep in mind i had a fever when i wrote this
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Rafe had no idea how he ended up here.
Well, if he was being honest, he did. He just hated admitting it.
He hated kids. Teenagers weren’t much better. If they weren’t whining about something trivial, they were loud, obnoxious, and bursting with opinions they thought were groundbreaking. And high schoolers? They were the worst of the lot, caught in that unbearable limbo between childhood and adulthood, convinced they knew everything and that the world had been tailor-made to inconvenience them.
He hated his job, too. But after his father had all but shoved him into college, and he had somehow managed to scrape together an art history degree through a chaotic jumble of barely thought-out course selections, he needed a paycheck. He needed something, anything, to make use of the four years he had spent drowning in essays about the Renaissance and lectures on the symbolism of Baroque architecture.
And there it was, a high school history teacher.
He was fairly certain the school had been desperate. Desperate enough to hire the first applicant who could string a coherent sentence together about the American Revolution. And lucky him, that applicant had been Rafe.
The school itself was unremarkable. Small, under 400 students, just two squat brick buildings separated by a weather-beaten schoolyard that reeked of stale cigarette smoke and teenage apathy. Five hours from the Outer Banks, he could visit home whenever he wanted. Not that he did. There was nothing left for him there, nothing worth the drive, and frankly, there was nothing for him here either.
His days were a loop, a monotonous, uninspired cycle of standing in front of rows of disinterested, hormonal teenagers, rattling off lessons about long-dead historical figures far more interesting than any of his students would ever bother to realize. He graded half-assed essays, endured halfhearted excuses about missing assignments, and spent more time than he cared to admit staring at the clock, willing the hours to pass. Then, when the final bell rang, he trudged back to his apartment, a bare, impersonal space that he never bothered to decorate. No photos, no art, and no signs that anyone lived there. Just a bed, a couch, and a kitchen table that mostly went unused.
And then there were the truly miserable days, the ones where he was roped into subbing for freshman P.E., a biweekly exercise in self-inflicted torture. Half the girls refused to break a sweat, acting as if running a single lap would somehow lead to their untimely demise. The other half of the class consisted of cocky, over-competitive boys who treated dodgeball like a blood sport. He spent most of those periods standing on the sidelines, arms crossed, blowing the whistle when things got too heated, and watching the clock even more desperately than usual.
It was a dull, uninspired existence; monotonous, predictable, and entirely void of passion. He lived his life the way his students listened to the outdated documentaries he played in class: half-awake, uninterested, just going through the motions because it had to be done.
Until you walked into his class.
The first day of school after summer break always carried a certain energy; electric, restless, filled with voices overlapping in an unfiltered rush of stories from the last few weeks. As Rafe pushed open the door to his classroom, that familiar wave of chatter hit him like a sudden gust of wind. Laughter, exclamations, the scrape of chairs against the floor—it was all as chaotic as he had expected.
With a quiet sigh, he made his way to his desk, setting his thermos down on the bleached oak surface before picking it up again almost instinctively, taking a slow sip before returning it to its place. His fingers moved on autopilot, retrieving his school-issued laptop from his bag, pressing the power button, and waiting for the screen to glow to life. His gaze lifted, sweeping across the students, his students. The same faces he’d taught last year, now a little older, a little different, officially juniors.
But one face wasn’t familiar.
You.
Rafe spotted you almost immediately, sitting in the third row, right by the window where the morning sky stretched in endless hues of soft blue. You were listening—well, nodding, at least—to Amanda, whose mouth moved a mile a minute. He didn’t have to hear her know she was spewing an endless stream of conversation; Amanda was known for filling any silence, anytime, anywhere. But his attention wasn’t on her. It was on you.
A dark navy skirt draped over your thighs, the fabric shifting in gentle waves with every slight movement. Your top, a delicate white spaghetti strap with tiny baby blue flowers, hugged your frame, lace tracing the neckline, a small bow nestled right at its center. A beige cardigan hung loosely over your shoulders, two buttons left undone as if they had never been intended for use in the first place. Your hair was pulled back into a ponytail, not rigid, not loose, just… effortless. A few strands framed your face, soft wisps that moved when you turned your head, catching the light in a way that made them seem almost ethereal.
And sure, you looked beautiful, undeniably so. But it wasn’t just that.
It was the way your eyes flickered around the room, quietly observing, absorbing. The way your lips parted slightly every so often, murmuring the occasional “Uh-huh” or “Yeah” in response to Amanda’s nonstop chatter, even as your mind seemed elsewhere. There was something in your expression, an almost hesitant curiosity, a quiet awareness, that made Rafe’s fingers pause over the laptop’s keyboard.
He had seen many faces in this classroom. Some familiar, some forgettable.
But yours?
Yours was impossible to ignore.
"Uh— okay, let’s get started. Settle down," Rafe called out to the students, his voice steady despite the chaos. The room buzzed with post-summer chatter, desks scraping against the floor as students found their seats. He rolled his shoulders, forcing himself to exhale. The first day back was always like this, full of energy, distractions, and the struggle to rein everyone in. But today, there was another battle brewing beneath the surface, one he wasn’t prepared for.
He hoped that once the lesson began, he could shift his focus, and force himself to look anywhere but at you. He clung to that hope like a lifeline, but the moment he commanded their attention, he had yours.
And when your eyes locked onto him, he was trapped. Hypnotized. His breath hitched, pulse stuttering in a way it had no right to. For what felt like an eternity, he couldn’t tear his gaze away, couldn’t shake the invisible thread tightening between you. His fingers curled into his palm, nails pressing against his skin.
Shit.
Swallowing hard, he forced himself to snap out of it, dragging his attention back to the board. He took a measured breath, gripping the chalk like it might anchor him. "Alright, I know you’re all still in vacation mode, but we need to get talking about history."
The usual grumbling came, but it was muted, fading as students settled into their seats. Good. The routine was safe. The routine was predictable. The routine wouldn’t let his mind wander to places it shouldn’t.
"Before we dive in, we have a new student joining us this year from the senior class," he announced, keeping his tone even, impersonal. His gaze flickered back to you, just for a second, just long enough to acknowledge you without giving himself away. "Would you introduce yourself?"
A brief silence. You hesitated, shifting under the weight of so many eyes before murmuring your name.
"Great," Rafe said, far too quickly. He cleared his throat, turning back to the board. "So, what do we know about American history from the Industrial Revolution to the modern age?"
The next forty-five minutes passed in a blur of discussion, textbook readings, and writing exercises. Normally, this was when he’d catch up on grading or chip away at whatever administrative work he had. But today? No. Today, his focus splintered, frayed at the edges every time he felt your presence in the room.
His eyes kept drifting.
To you.
It was reckless. Stupid. He knew it was wrong, knew exactly how it would look if anyone noticed. He wasn’t blind, he’d found students attractive before, but it had always been a fleeting thing, a passing thought dismissed before it could take root. A moment, nothing more.
But this?
This was different.
This wasn’t just acknowledging that you were pretty, though you were. Incredibly so. This wasn’t just an absent-minded recognition of beauty. No, this was something deeper. Something that twisted in his gut and settled in his bones, something that made his breath catch when he wasn’t prepared for it.
Something dangerous.
His fingers raked through his hair as he stared down at his keyboard, typing nothing. He could tell himself it was just a dry spell, that he’d been avoiding distractions for too long, that it was simply physical. But that would be a lie.
Because it wasn’t just about desire.
It was about you.
And that was a problem.
The shrill chime of the bell split the air, and the classroom erupted into motion. Notebooks snapped shut, chairs scraped against the tile, and a low hum of voices swelled as students shoved books into backpacks, eager to escape into the chaotic freedom of lunch. You swung your bag over your shoulder, weaving through the shifting maze of desks, your focus locked on the door. The cafeteria was called, an oasis of noise and anonymity where you could blend in, and where no one was analyzing your every move.
But just as you stepped forward, a voice cut through the chatter behind you.
"Hey."
It wasn’t loud, but it had weight, like an anchor dropping into the sea of departing students. Something in the tone made your stomach twist. You turned, pulse hitching slightly, to find Mr. Cameron watching you from behind his desk. His expression was unreadable, calm but not necessarily kind.
"Yes, Mr. Cameron?" you asked, hesitating.
"Can I speak to you for a moment?"
It was phrased like a question, but you both knew it wasn’t. He gave a small nod toward the door as the last few stragglers trickled out, a silent instruction.
With a quiet sigh, you nudged the door shut behind them, the click of the latch sealing you in. The classroom, so full of life just seconds ago, now felt cavernous, the quiet pressing in around you. You hesitated before making your way back to his desk, each step feeling heavier than the last.
Mr. Cameron leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the surface of his desk, fingers steepled together. "So… I wanted to talk to you about last year." His voice was measured, and neutral, but something about it put you on edge. "You were in Ms. Wallace’s class, right?" His eyes flicked to a sheet of paper in front of him, though you were certain he already knew the answer.
You shifted uncomfortably. "Mhm." A simple answer for something far more complicated. Your history with Ms. Wallace wasn’t just a class; it was a long, exhausting battle, a relentless tug-of-war between frustration, unmet expectations, and a sinking feeling of inevitability.
Mr. Cameron studied you for a moment before speaking again. "Can you tell me what didn’t work? Was it her? The material? Her teaching style? Or was it something on your end?" His head tilted slightly, voice smooth, probing.
You hesitated, suddenly hyper-aware of the way your fingers clenched the strap of your bag. "I guess I was just… kind of unfocused last year," you admitted, your voice barely above a murmur.
"Mm." He hummed, eyebrows lifting just slightly. "Just last year?"
Your stomach tightened.
"Because judging by today’s lesson, it seems like you're still a little… distracted. More interested in doodles than in history, huh?"
Heat crept up your neck, shame pooling in your chest. Your gaze dropped to the floor as if looking anywhere else might soften the weight of his words.
"You’d think," he continued, his tone carrying the faintest edge, "that after the school let you pass the year and only required you to retake this class, you'd put in a little more effort."
His words landed like a slap, sharp, deliberate. He knew exactly how unfair that was. Knew how it would make you feel. And yet, for whatever reason, he didn’t stop himself.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
“You want to pass, yes?”
His voice was low, almost teasing, each word curling around you like smoke. He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his desk, dark eyes locked onto yours with something unreadable, something that made your stomach twist.
You swallowed hard, your throat suddenly dry, and gave a quick, eager nod.
Rafe watched you for a lingering second, dragging it out just long enough to make you shift where you stood. Then, with an exhale that was almost too casual, he pushed himself up from his chair. He didn’t simply stand, he moved. Slow. Deliberate. A quiet display of control as he braced one hand against the edge of his desk, his weight settling into a lean. The aged wood creaked under him, but he didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he just didn’t care.
His focus remained entirely on you.
“And what do you think I could do to help you achieve that?”
Smooth. Measured. But there was something else beneath his tone, something just sharp enough to catch. Playfulness, maybe. Amusement. Or something more dangerous.
His gaze flickered, sweeping over you in a way that felt too quick at first, like a reflex he hadn’t meant to act on. But then, you saw it. The hesitation. The way his throat bobbed, how his fingers flexed at his sides before he rubbed the back of his neck as if trying to shake off whatever had just slipped through the cracks. But it was too late.
You had seen.
And by the way, his jaw clenched a second later, the way his lips pressed together, you knew he realized it too.
Your heart hammered. You didn’t answer him. Couldn’t. Instead, your fingers fidgeted with each other, twisting and untwisting, your bottom lip caught between your teeth. The silence between you stretched, thick and electric, heavy with something unspoken, something neither of you dared name but both of you felt.
Rafe inhaled deeply, the sound filling the quiet space between you. The air itself seemed different now, charged, like something unseen was pressing in, urging one of you to break.
He let the breath out slowly, his chest rising and falling in a rhythm that somehow felt… controlled. Intentional. And then, his eyes moved again.
This time, there was no rush. No flicker of hesitation.
Now, he studied you.
It was slow, almost methodical, th
6e kind of look that made heat crawl up the back of your neck, the kind that lingered just long enough in places that made you second-guess every inch of yourself. When his gaze reached your thighs, a nervous jolt ran through you. Almost instinctively, you gripped the hem of your skirt, twisting the fabric in your fists, your knuckles turning white.
A nervous habit.
One he noticed.
One that made his eyes darken, not dramatically, not in some exaggerated, obvious way, but just enough. Just enough for you to catch the shift, to see the amusement flicker across his face like the hint of a smirk he didn’t fully let through.
“Hm?” The questioning hum he let out brought you back to reality, back to his question, and back to the answer that you had yet to give.
“Um… I- I don’t know…” you stammered out.
His eyes flick down again, taking in your upper body, eyes practically circling in on your chest. As if your body has a mind of its own, you straighten your back, puffing out your chest.
Rafe’s eyes flickered up to yours, and for a second, he didn’t move. Didn’t blink.
The air between you had thickened, dense with something unspoken, something dangerous. His tongue flicked out to wet his lips, slow, almost pensive as if he were considering something he shouldn’t be. He exhaled sharply through his nose, a breath that almost sounded like a laugh but carried no humor, just tension.
“Yeah?” His voice was softer now, quieter like he was testing the waters, like he was trying to figure out how far this would go before one of you came to your senses.
Your lips parted, but no words came. Your throat felt tight, your skin burning where his gaze traced. You felt like you were standing on the edge of something vast, something that couldn’t be undone.
His fingers tapped once, twice against the desk, a steady rhythm that contradicted the barely concealed restraint in his posture. His body language told two different stories, one of hesitation, and another of inevitability. He was too close, and yet he wasn’t moving away.
Your breath hitched as he shifted, his body angling just slightly towards yours. It was a minuscule movement, one that could’ve been mistaken for a simple change in weight, but you knew better. It was deliberate. Calculated.
“You want to pass this class?”
The question was a mere whisper, his voice dipped in something that made your stomach twist. Your throat bobbed as you swallowed, nodding, too fast, too eager.
His lips twitched, almost smirking like he knew exactly what he was doing to you. He leaned in just enough that you caught the faint scent of his cologne, something dark and musky, something entirely him.
“Then you’re gonna have to focus.”
The way he said it—low, deliberate—sent a shiver down your spine. His words weren’t inappropriate, but the way he looked at you, the way his voice wrapped around each syllable, made them feel like something else entirely.
Your knees felt weak, your heart pounding against your ribcage as your grip tightened around the strap of your bag. The classroom, once suffocating in its quiet, now felt electric, charged with a current that neither of you dared acknowledge aloud.
Rafe exhaled again, this time slower, measured. His hand moved, not towards you, not touching, but close enough that you felt the shift in air between you.
“You’re nervous.”
It wasn’t a question.
Your breath shuddered. “I—”
His head tilted slightly, watching, waiting. His pupils were blown wide, his expression unreadable but entirely focused on you.
His jaw ticked, his fingers twitching at his side like he was fighting something. A beat of silence stretched between you.
And then, Rafe moved.
It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t forceful. It was a slow descent, a moment stretched into eternity. His lips hovered just above yours, close enough that you felt the ghost of his breath against your skin, close enough that your lips parted in anticipation before your mind could catch up.
He paused—just for a fraction of a second, just enough to give you the chance to pull away. Just enough to make it clear that if this happened, it was your choice, too.
But you didn’t move away.
Neither did he.
And before you could let a single other breath out, his lips met yours.
Soft at first. Testing. A barely-there brush that sent a sharp current through your veins, igniting something dangerous and uncontainable in your chest.
He exhaled against your mouth, and in that moment it seemed like something in him snapped.
His hand found your waist, fingers splaying against the fabric of your cardigan as he pulled you just slightly closer. His other hand lifted, skimming along your jaw before his fingers tangled in your hair, tilting your head just so.
The kiss deepened, slow but demanding, every movement deliberate, every touch igniting another spark beneath your skin. He wasn’t rushing—no, he was savoring, taking his time like he wanted to memorize the exact way you fit against him. He knew this was a mistake but couldn’t bring himself to care.
Your hands found his chest, pressing lightly against the fabric of his dress shirt, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath beneath your palms. His fingers tightened slightly in your hair at the contact, his grip on your waist firm but careful, as if he was anchoring himself as much as he was anchoring you.
The sharp sound of footsteps in the hallway shattered the fragile haze that had settled between you two, yanking you both back into reality.
Rafe was the first to react, pulling away, but only just. His forehead remained pressed against yours, his breath still ragged, chest rising and falling in sync with yours. His fingers, warm and possessive, lingered at your waist a second too long before he finally, finally, let go, stepping back just enough to put a sliver of space between you. But not enough to erase what had just happened.
His eyes searched yours, dark blue depths swirling with something unreadable, something dangerous. His exhale was sharp, tension coiling through his jaw as he dragged a hand through his hair, his fingers gripping at the strands like he was trying to ground himself.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath, voice rough and uneven. Then, with more force, “Fuck. Fuck.”
His eyes shut tight, his head shaking in frustration as if the motion itself could erase the last few minutes. When they opened again, they were filled with something even more intense. In two strides, he was in front of you again, his hands gripping your upper arms, fingertips pressing just a little too hard, just enough to make you feel trapped between the heat of his body and the reality of the situation.
“This didn’t happen, okay?” His voice was firm, but there was a slight tremor to it like he wasn’t sure if he believed the words himself. His grip tightened before loosening again, as if he was at war with himself as if he didn’t trust his restraint.
You didn’t answer. You just stared at him, your pulse thrumming wildly, your breath uneven. His eyes flickered down to your parted lips, then back to your eyes, and something in him cracked. His hands slid down your arms in a slow, deliberate motion, his touch leaving a trail of heat in its wake. When his fingertips finally settled at your hipbones, pressing in lightly, his resolve wavered even more.
“This…” he exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
His voice was different now, lower, more raw. His fingers traced absent patterns along the fabric of your skirt as his mind spiraled, thoughts tumbling into a chaotic storm. Why was he doing this? This wasn’t like him. He had met you, his student, his goddamn student, less than an hour ago, and he had already crossed every possible line. And yet, even knowing that he wasn’t pulling away. He was moving closer.
His hands ghosted up your sides, the touch sending shivers across your skin. His lips brushed against your ear as he whispered, “Don’t tell anyone. Can you do that for me?”
If someone had asked you that morning how you thought your first day of senior year would go, never in a million years would you have said this? Sure, you’d heard the whispers in the halls, and seen the way every girl’s eyes lingered when he walked past. Mr. Cameron was the forbidden fantasy, the subject of countless rumors and stolen glances. But he was also your teacher. And he had just kissed you.
You knew it was wrong. You should run, tell someone, do the right thing. And yet, as your mind battled between logic and desire, only one thought rose above the rest: he had kissed you.
Mr. Cameron, the man every girl in school lusted after, had kissed you. Had he done this before? Had he chosen others before you? Or was this different?
Even as doubt twisted itself into a tight knot in your stomach, you found yourself nodding, unable to speak, afraid your voice would betray you with the high-pitched, breathy sound of a girl who had just been touched by fire and didn’t want to step away.
“Good.”
His voice was barely a whisper, almost more breath than sound. The tension in the room grew, thick and suffocating, but you didn’t want to breathe anything else in. His fingers glided upward again, teasing over your waist, grazing over your ribs, leaving a trail of heat that made your entire body burn with anticipation.
Then, gently, with a tenderness that contradicted the fevered hunger in his eyes, he cupped your face. For one impossible moment, you thought he was going to kiss you again, that he was going to throw every bit of logic and control out the window and claim your lips as he had minutes ago. But instead, he tilted your head slightly, his breath warm against your throat.
Then his lips were on your neck, barely touching, soft and slow.
A sound, something between a gasp and a whimper, escaped you, and his hands tightened ever so slightly, grounding you, making you feel small under his grasp. His mouth moved lower, pressing another kiss, and then another, each one more deliberate, more intoxicating than the last.
You barely registered the moment he turned you around, your back now facing him. Your hands trembled as they found purchase against the smooth surface of his desk, the dark wood cool beneath your fingertips.
Then, with the kind of confidence that sent a shiver racing down your spine, he placed his hands on your thighs, massaging them slowly, possessively.
His voice, low and dripping with something dark and dangerous, ghosted over your ear.
“Stay quiet for me.”
You sucked in a deep, long breath, letting your head fall and your eyes close.
The feel of the Rafe´s fingers slid under the skirt and the pads of his fingers started tracing along your panties, each tiny motion making your body stutter and tremble.
“You´re… you´re real special, you know that?” He spoke from behind you but you couldn’t respond, still holding your breath as if letting out the air would make the situation you found yourself in truly real.
When he had had enough of feeling the warm, twisted feeling in his stomach as he let his fingers glide over your clothed cunt, he pushed your underwear aside with his thumb, letting the tip of his index finger dip into your already quivering hole. The action intensified the feeling and buried it even deeper in his gut.
As if a shock of lightning had hit you, you bolted away from his hand a few inches, clenching your thighs tightly as you finally relieved your lungs of the air they were keeping trapped.
“M- Mr. Cameron…” You started to sputter out but stopped when you felt long, gruff fingers curl around the sides of your panties before pulling the black lace material down tantalizingly slow.
A cold rush of air hit your most intimate body part, making you gasp and pant. When you heard rustling and what you could only assume was the clink of your teacher´s belt, you shut your mouth and froze as you waited for the man´s next move.
“Listen,” he whispered your name like it was a sin he committed and you were a pastor, “You understand that this stays between us, yes?” His large hands massaged your ass and thighs, cursing under his breath when he saw how soaked you were.
“Mhm,” you hummed in agreement. You weren´t sure why. He was your teacher and by the looks of it and the feel of his hands on you, apparently a pedophile. But god did you want this; you wanted it, him, so bad.
Before you could so much as even let another thought pass through your head, he thrust forward, burying his cock inside you as deep as he could with multiple rapid movements of his hips. You moaned and practically screamed, the sounds of pleasure from you making Rafe reach around and cover practically half of your entire face.
“Fuck, you´re so tight,” he muttered sharply next to your ear as he started moving inside of you again, dragging his hips back only to snap them back forward less than a moment later.
“You like that, huh? Like being fucked by your teacher. Little teachers pet.”
He knew this was wrong, you were his student, and you probably didn´t even actually want this but for some fucked up reason that made it even better for Rafe, and as the thought crossed his mind it only made him thrust into you faster. At that point, you were damn near choking and sobbing into his hand, his palm making it hard for you to get a deep breath of fresh air in.
With a sense of panic taking over you, you tried to move your hands off of the desk to claw him off of your face but your attempts proved futile when Rafe pushed you flat onto the desk, forcing you to take his cock even deeper.
His free hand which wasn´t taking away your ability to breathe, found its way between your legs, his index, and middle fingers drawing squiggly circles on your clit. At the shock of pleasure that ran through you as he teased your extremely sensitive bundle of nerves, you clenched around his pipe and arched your back. You felt that familiar coil spring up in the depths of your stomach, your body rocking slightly backward against Rafe´s to help you relive the press soon.
Rafe pushed into you harder than he had any of the other time before then, hitting your sweet spot with a force that would have made you cry out, had you had your mouth free. His fingers applied pressure to the shapes they were making on your clit. The mix of heightened attention and force made your pussy squeeze around him and pushed you over the edge, coming with tears in your eyes.
After a few more brutal thrusts into your soppy cunt, he came as well, unloading into you, his thoughts barely registering anything at that point except for you and your body bent over his desk, his cum dripping out of your used up hole and onto your thighs.
Slowly he took away his hand from your face, a trail of spit following. As soon as you got a few much-needed breaths, you collapsed onto the desk, your body falling limp. Rafe pulled out of you, not wasting any time before he pulled his pants back on and redid his leather belt around his hips. He leaned over you, his body covering all of your sweaty skin as he dressed you in your underwear again.
“You did so good, darling. So, so good."
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extinctlesspains · 4 months ago
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Hi could you do one where the salesman and the reader she would see him playing games with people on the subway.she asks to give it go when she loses she admits to not having money.she tells him he could slap her like the other people.he tells her to closes her eyes and he gives her a kiss on the lips instead.
𝑃𝑎𝑦𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 [𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑛]
.・。.・゜✭・
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
.・。.・゜✭・
ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛᴇᴅ: ʏᴇs ᴏʀ ɴᴏ
ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ᴛʜᴇ sᴀʟᴇsᴍᴀɴ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ, sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛɪᴠᴇ.
sᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: ᴀ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ sᴜʙᴡᴀʏ ᴘᴀssᴇɴɢᴇʀ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇs ᴀ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜs sᴀʟᴇsᴍᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ɢᴀᴍᴇ, ʟᴏsɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴘᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏғғᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ sʟᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ᴀs ᴘᴀʏᴍᴇɴᴛ. ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ, ʜᴇ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇs ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴋɪss ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇs ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ᴇɴɪɢᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ᴄᴀʀᴅ ɪɴᴠɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ғᴀʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs ɢᴀᴍᴇ.
ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇs: ɢᴀᴍʙʟɪɴɢ, ᴋɪssɪɴɢ, sʟᴀᴘᴘɪɴɢ.
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ 
The subway cars sped through the tunnels, the fluorescent lights above flickering intermittently. You sat in one of the worn seats by the side, headphones in but no music playing, your mind wandering. It had been another rough day—your wallet was nearly empty, your rent overdue, and your stomach growled quietly in protest of your skipped meals.
Across the aisle, a commotion drew your attention. A man in a perfectly tailored gray suit sat with a briefcase on his lap, the corners of his mouth turned up in a grin. He held two paper tiles—one red, one blue—and was flipping them against the tiled floor of the station, demonstrating some sort of game to an unlucky passenger.
"Flip it over," he encouraged, handing the other man a matching tile.
The stranger tried, snapping his wrist to make the paper land forcefully, but it didn’t budge the man’s tile. The suited man’s smirk grew. "That’s a loss."
The man hesitated, a nervous laugh escaping as he reached into his pocket for cash. The suited man waved his hand dismissively. "No money? Then pay in another way." Before the loser could ask what he meant, a loud smack echoed in the subway car as the suited man slapped him clean across the face. The man winced but laughed it off as he walked away, a red imprint blooming on his cheek.
Despite yourself, you leaned forward, curiosity sparking. Others in the subway glanced away, unwilling to engage, but you couldn’t tear your eyes from him. His grin widened when he noticed you watching.
"You want to try?" he called out, tilting his head slightly.
You froze, caught like a deer in headlights. His gaze was sharp, almost predatory, but there was an odd charm behind his smirk. Your heart thumped loudly as you stood up, crossing the aisle despite your better judgment.
"How does it work?" you asked, trying to sound braver than you felt.
"It’s simple," he said, holding up the tiles. "If you can flip my tile with yours, you win. If not, you lose. Each round has a price—money, if you have it. If not…" He let the sentence hang, his smirk telling you exactly what the alternative was.
"I’ll try," you said.
The game began. He handed you the blue tile while he used the red. You lined up your shot, snapping the paper against the floor. It made a satisfying thwap but didn’t move his tile an inch.
"Your turn," he said, flipping the tile with practiced ease.
Round after round, he won. The frustration began to mount as you lost again and again, your tile barely grazing his. By the end, your palms were sweaty, and your confidence had vanished.
"Well," he said, leaning back against the subway wall, "that’s a lot of losses. How do you plan to pay?"
Your face flushed. You didn’t have a single coin to your name, let alone enough to cover all the rounds you’d just lost. Stammering, you admitted, "I… I don’t have any money."
His expression didn’t change, but his eyes seemed to glimmer with interest. "No money?"
"I-I can pay like the others," you blurted out, feeling ridiculous even as you said it. "You can slap me."
The words hung in the air for a moment, and you felt the stares of a few nearby passengers. You looked down, embarrassed, your fists clenched tightly at your sides.
Then, he laughed—a low, almost amused chuckle that sent a shiver down your spine. "Slap you?" he echoed, as though the idea itself was absurd. He leaned closer, his voice softening. "Close your eyes."
You hesitated but obeyed, your heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the rumble of the train. You braced yourself for the sting of his palm against your cheek.
Instead, something warm and soft pressed against your lips.
Your eyes snapped open, and you found him inches from your face, his lips brushing against yours for just a second longer before he pulled back, his smirk more wicked than ever.
"Payment accepted," he murmured, his voice low and teasing.
You stared at him, completely stunned. Words failed you as your mind scrambled to process what had just happened.
He stood, smoothing the lapels of his suit as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "Here," he said, slipping it into your hand.
You looked down at the card—a simple design with a circle, triangle, and square printed in bold black ink. "What is this?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.
"An invitation," he said, stepping past you toward the subway doors. As they opened, he glanced over his shoulder, his grin sharp and enigmatic. "Call the number when you’re ready to play a real game."
And with that, he disappeared into the station, leaving you clutching the card in your trembling hand, your lips still tingling from his kiss.
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