#tell me if this is Too Long and i can split up the further chapters

[smolghostbot]

Patchwork Melody - Spring

It's finally here... the first meeting story for these two blorbos. This is Chapter 1 of a 4 chapter story, so it ends on a biiit of a cliffhanger, just a heads-up. Dashes denote a POV change.

Part 2 here!

Word Count: 7k (!!!)

CWs: accidental dehumanization (Typical for this kind of story), kidnapping, accidental ableism, allusions to history of abuse, POV depiction of PTSD flashback and panic attack which are improperly handled. The worst of this lives in Part 4.

Tag List (Hopefully this isn't too presumptuous): @gt-daboss

=====

Part 1

The small figure runs, ducking behind the flower box they were digging through moments prior. Just run, just run, it already saw you!, they think, as they push every muscle past its limits in a dramatic last stand. They hear a soft voice from far above as they try desperately to flee. The ground behind them starts to rumble as they realize with fear that they've run right into a corner. Turning around with terror on their face, they cower behind their backpack, trying desperately to use their most prized belonging as a shield, if it meant they would live another day. Glancing past the bag, they stare up at the red eyes peering down at them, awaiting their doom, or worse, their captivity.

-

It was a sleepy Saturday morning as Melody walked out of her apartment. Normally, they wouldn't dream of being awake this early, but another round of insomnia decided that six in the morning was the perfect time to wake up and start the day. She had the day off work, and decided to go for a walk to wake up a bit after throwing on an old t-shirt and some jeans. While they'd love to go back to sleep, they'd already gotten in enough hot water for missing work, and couldn't afford to ruin their sleep schedule again. Literally, because an apartment with a front porch in this part of town doesn't pay for itself. After locking the door and putting her keys in her bag, Melody couldn't help but notice that the jingling noise didn't stop, just got softer.

Melody looked curiously over at the source of the noise, something within the flowerbed next to her door. What she saw was some sort of tiny creature with a mop of silver-gray hair that had a lone purple streak, large pointed ears that each seemed as long as its head, and what appeared to be a blue backpack. This strange thing seemed to be rooting around in the dirt as if looking for something.

Mel immediately felt a mix of excitement and curiosity. If she wasn't just having some sort of insomnia-induced hallucination, this was clearly some sort of elf, or other type of fae, based on its short size and ears. The backpack probably indicates sentience… could she talk to it? Learn from it?

But also… whatever this thing was, it was one of the cutest things she had ever seen. As Mel leaned in closer, the tiny creature's ears twitched, and it seemed to notice her with a look of dawning fear as it began to run away.

-

"Hey, hey, hey, don't be afraid, I don't want to hurt you, just know what you are," said the human. At least, the terrified sprite thought the being was a human. It had the height and weird rounded ears, but its eyes were a bright red, and its hair seemed to be a greenish… blueish… a color that human hair is not, at least as far as they knew.

Even aside from their hair and eyes, the human was definitely an odd-looking one, being rather tall and lanky, even by the standards of humans. They were wearing a simple gray shirt, with some sort of figure on the shirt that the sprite couldn't recognize, and a denim jacket with matching pants. Their face, staring in wonder, was somewhat pale, with a light dusting of freckles that matched the sprite's own. It was outlined by a fairly chiseled jaw, but was otherwise soft in features. Round glasses were perched on their nose, creating an odd distortion on the giant creature's eyes from the sprite’s perspective. The human was staring them dead in the eyes and leaning down even closer, before they spoke again, their slightly deep voice a soft whisper, as if afraid to hurt the sprite's ears.

"Hello? I'm guessing you're either ignoring me or can't understand me. I promise I mean you no harm, little cutie. I just want to get a closer look at you real quick... I'll let you go on your way in just a moment…"

-

Having cornered the tiny creature, Melody bent down to lift the adorable tiny thing. Her first observation was just how small it was, probably no bigger than a few inches. Held within her loose fist, the tiny thing's squirming legs didn't even reach her pinky finger. Her comparatively massive red eyes, the result of her decorative contacts, gazed at the tiny creature with fascination, watching it flail about in her hand with a raw curiosity. Despite putting almost no pressure into her grip, afraid of hurting this small creature, she couldn't even feel the struggles of the little thing. Now that it was closer and (slightly) more still, she was able to get a more detailed look at its features. Its skin had a grayish pallor that Melody wasn't sure was natural for whatever it was. Its eyes were a vibrant purple, offset by the duller purple of the bags under them. Purple eyes would help the theory that it has magic… maybe. Aside from the backpack, which she now noticed was denim, it seemed to be wearing a loose-fitting brown cloak or tunic of some sort, with one shoulder exposed, and a small green scarf around its neck, both made out of some kind of fine fabric. Definitely not silk, but not any fabric she recognized. The scarf was a bit odd, given the spring weather, but maybe its body is supposed to be as cold as it felt in her hand. Something cold-blooded? Layers would make sense, then.

The creature's squirming slowed down, as it seemed to realize the futility of its motions. Its long ears drooped down in a clear display of sadness, and its vibrant purple eyes closed. Melody attempted once more to communicate with this tiny thing in her hand.

"Are you done, little cutie? No more thrashing around? If I let go, do you promise to not try to, like, jump or anything? You would probably hurt yourself falling from this height."

-

The sprite hung their head low. Upon being asked to not resist by this massive human, they nodded their head slowly in compliance. It's true, they would survive a fall from this height onto maybe a carpet, or the grass, but a drop this tall on pavement would surely leave them seriously injured… at best. And seriously injured is not the state to be in this close to a human.

The human's face lit up at the nod, and the excitement in their voice was clear as they began rapid-firing questions. "Wait, you can understand me? What are you? A fairy? An elf? Who are you? May I know your name? Where are you from? Are there more of you? Do you know magic? Why were you in my flower bed?"

The sprite couldn't keep up with the questions, and simply stared wide-eyed at their captor as if trying to process every question at once. As this human became more passionate in their questioning, their grip absent-mindedly tightened on the sprite in their hand.

-

Mel continued asking questions, this was her chance! Their whole life has been waiting for the moment something supernatural would finally happen, and now some kind of fae literally shows up at their doorstep. They were so excited, in fact, that they forgot about their grip until the tiny creature in their hand suddenly moved. Its ears perked up in alertness as it twitched its spine in pain. Its face contorted into what appeared to be a yell or scream, yet no sound came out. Immediately, Mel panicked and loosened her grip on the strange creature, letting it rest in her open palm.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you? Let me see!" Mel immediately noticed the creature clutching its arm in what was clear pain. A terrible chill ran down her spine, worried that she accidentally hurt the small thing, and fearing how much worse she could have done if she didn't notice.

"I… I'm so sorry, let me take you inside and we can talk there, I can see what I can do for your arm, and get you some food and water too if you need them," The human said, as if the creature she held in her palm had any choice at the moment. The human wasted no time before turning around and carrying her new find back inside.

Part 2

The young sprite had never been in this particular apartment, but immediately wished they had known about it on stealthier terms. The place was packed, plants decorating most surfaces as well as the bookcases close to the two windows. Further away, another bookcase was present, this one adorned with plants that seemed to need less sun, as well as rocks, jars of mysterious dried plants, and a few tiny bottles filled with interesting colored substances. Combined with the many thick books for cover, this place would be a prime Borrowing house.

When they were finally released from their captor's hands, they found themself roughly placed in a plastic container on a tabletop, the sides of which were easily twice as tall as the sprite. After giving a cautionary check, the plastic was indeed too smooth to climb. As the scared sprite went to dig through their bag for a hook or something, the human lifted their backpack away, placing it on the table outside of the container. 

"Nope, nope, you can get this back once you answer some questions and we look at that arm of yours. I don't want you running off and getting yourself hurt, my apartment is absolutely not safe for something so small. I promise it's just for a moment," the human stated matter-of-factly. As she turned and walked towards the kitchen to retrieve her first-aid kit, she continued her barrage of questions. "So, what are you, little cutie?"

-

After bringing the first aid kit over, unsure what to really do for a tiny magical(?) creature, Mel noticed the lack of response. It definitely nodded yes to their question before... probably. But judging by its lack of response now, maybe it was a mistake? A simple motion of a struggling thing, taken out of context. She had to make sure. "You... can understand me, right? Nod yes and take... two steps sideways if you can understand me."

The creature stared at her, tilting its head in confusion. As it tilted its head, Melody couldn't help but notice how cute it was. Its oversized ears seemed to move slower than the rest of its head, reminding her of the floppy ears of a dog or a kitten, despite their pointed shape. When the creature did exactly as asked, Melody's eyes went wide with excitement, now having definite proof that it, no, HE understands her. He? Probably, it definitely looks masculine. She made a mental note that male pronouns would do unless the little thing corrects her. She couldn't make out an age exactly, but he seemed on the younger end. Maybe a teenager? His head and ears made it hard to tell, being so much bigger than a human's would be at the same scale. Melody gave another shot at speaking with the small creature. "Okay, so once again... what are you? Please tell me?"

Melody noticed the creature trying to do some sort of hand motions, but couldn't understand. Was he trying to cast magic? Is that a thing he can do? Melody watched with curiosity to see if anything would happen, only to be disappointed as nothing changed.

There was a quiet, awkward moment between them, as the tiny thing's ears drooped sadly again. Eventually, she spoke again, slightly confused. "Uh… was that supposed to do something? Whatever, that's fine, you don't have to say anything. I've got all day, little cutie. I'm not going to go anywhere until you talk."

Unfortunately for Melody, her determination to find out more about this strange little being lost out to her impatience within about three minutes. Their head laying on the table, they began to beg, their voice sounding desperate.

"Come onnnn, just say something. Anything. Give me any kind of answer. Pleeeeease?"

The sprite remained silent, appearing lost in thought.

Could this human be reasoned with? As they went to motion to their bag, the human continued speaking.

"Please? I just want to understand you, I can't help you otherwise."

-

After another moment, the sprite's giant captor stood up and walked away. They instantly became terrified. Was the human getting something to punish them for their silence? Were they finally dropping the nice facade?

Eventually, the human came back to the table with a large book. Placing it down gently, so as not to scare the tiny creature with a loud thump, they began to flip through the book.

"Okay… pointed ears say an elf, but your ears aren't really very… elven. Maybe you're a mousefolk? But you have no tail… or if you do, it's a tiny one hidden under that little robe of yours… I did find you outside of my house, and your outfit looks a bit ragged… uh, no offense, of course. Maybe you're a brownie? I have some milk in the fridge, would that get you to talk?"

They could only look at the human with a confused look. What was she going on about?

"... No wings, so you probably aren't a fairy… unless you lost your wings. Did you ever have wings, little thing?"

The confused sprite only shook their head in a slow "no".

"OK… well, I probably… uh… should have gone for something more professional than a D&D guidebook… I think I still have my old college textbooks around here somewhere… gods knows those things are way too expensive to chuck…"

The human left, and took several more books off the shelf after a few minutes of looking around. She flipped through each book, taking what felt like forever, muttering to herself as she went.

"We're miles from the nearest forest… you clearly aren't invisible… Definitely don't look human… Those clothes don't look at all suitable for living in water… it's… maybe technically nighttime? But you weren't leaving a gift… unless… you were actually planting seeds! Is this backpack full of seeds?"

The small sprite instantly went into a panic as the human looked over to their backpack, frantically shaking their head in a no, and praying that the human didn't try to dig into the bag. They already had to fix it up after… the last human they met. Luckily, this human seems to have had no plans on that and continued digging through the books, becoming more frustrated over time.

Eventually, they seem to have hit their limit, and threw their head back in agitation before speaking in a more aggressive tone than they had previously. "Ugh! Why won't you just say anything!?"

-

Melody noticed a knocking noise on the plastic container her little "guest" was in, and saw the mysterious little thing clearly trying to get her attention. As she looked over at him, she saw him frantically motioning with his hands over his neck, in an X shape. His mouth was moving, speaking in an exaggerated way, as if to make it easier for her to see that no sound was coming out of his mouth. He clearly looked scared, probably threatened by her voice raising. Her eyes lit up in both realization and embarrassment.

"Oh my gods. You aren't just being silent to be difficult… you can't actually speak, can you?" As he nodded a yes, Mel lowered her head into her hands in shame.

"Shit, I'm such a dick. That's what your little hand motions were, oh my gods you were signing! My dumb ass was sitting here thinking you were trying to cast spells or something, ugh, I'm such an idiot! Maybe not everything about this situation is silly and fantastical, Mel, maybe he's just mute and you're being insensitive like always."

Their head raised and their face shifted into a goofy expression as they began to cheer with a clearly sarcastic voice, "Yeah Mel, yeah, woo, get upset at a mute guy for not speaking, like a COMPLETE ASSHOLE, hell yeah, casual ableism, woo!!"

The human hung her head in embarrassment again before continuing to berate herself, putting her head in her hands.

"Ugh… I swear, I didn't know, if I had known I would never… I'm not some, like, prick, I swear. Oh my gods, I'm so stupid. Way to make a first impression, at least I know you can't hex me or whatever because I would be so cursed right now for sure."

If the sprite could communicate at the moment, and wasn't still terrified of this human, they would have had some strong words about how kidnapping was also not a good first impression. However, they had no intent on insulting their captor, despite the clear look of regret already on the human's face. They remained still, waiting for the human to compose herself.

Part 3

After a bit too much self-flagellation, Melody tried to think logically about the situation. "OK, so I don't actually know sign language, if that wasn't obvious. Can you write?"

After getting an enthusiastic nod and a point at their little backpack, Melody thought she understood.

"You can write, and have something to write with in your little bag?"

After getting a slow and cautious nod in response, the human gently placed the backpack inside of the plastic container and waited to see what happened. The small creature instantly pointed to a lighter part of their backpack intently.

"What are you pointing at?" As they looked closer to the tiny backpack, they noticed what appeared to be a different fabric sewn on, with some kind of… unusual symbols written on. The little thing pointed repeatedly to himself, and then the writing.

Her disappointment was obvious as she spoke her next words. "That's… your name… isn't it?"

The small creature seemed to be somewhere between excited and nervous as they hesitantly nodded, obviously seeing the lack of recognition on Mel's face.

"I…" They sigh before continuing, "I have no idea what that says, little cutie."

Melody picked up one of their books and pointed to an arbitrary passage of text, making sure the little one could see it. "Can you… read these words? Any of them?"

The tiny being's large ears drooped in disappointment and he shook his head sadly, as Melody's own expression mirrored his. This was about to make things much more complicated.

"Okay, well, I can't just keep calling you 'little cutie'... even though you totally are, you need some kind of name. Maybe I can try to guess? What about… Gilbert? Linus? Stop me if any of these are close to your name... Derwin?"

. . .

The completely blank response they got from the little being said everything Mel needed to know.

"Yeah, you're right, this is stupid. This would be so much easier if I could just read your little backpack patch…"

The human's face seemed to light up as they said that, to the confusion of the sprite.

"Wait a second… that sounds cute… what about Patch? Just- Just as a nickname. Until we can figure out a better way to communicate. If you like it, of course."

At this unexpected politeness, the sprite nodded their head enthusiastically. Truthfully, the name didn't sound that bad… especially compared to Derwin. And though there's no real magic behind them, names do have a certain power when it comes to empathy, something that they hoped would work on this human. They remember how the last human they encountered refused to call them anything other than… they didn't exactly get named.

"Perfect! Well then, it's nice to formally meet you, Patch. I guess I never introduced myself, it's… probably safe to do that. You tried to tell me your name, after all. You may refer to me as Melody, or Mel," the human stated, in a slightly odd manner, as she gave as much of a curtsy as possible while sitting in a chair wearing a t-shirt. 

Melody went to hold out their hand, before awkwardly withdrawing and brushing it through their hair, as if they were about to give a handshake but realized the complication there. They continued talking as if nothing happened.

"Okay Patch, so I can't read your writing, but you can nod. We can… we can work with this. Can I ask you questions and you can nod yes or no?"

The small sprite nodded in approval, happy but anxious to finally be communicating, and Mel began asking simple questions.

"So… do you have magic?" At this, Patch hesitated before shaking his no sadly.

"Okay, just checking. Are there others of your kind?" Yes.

“Can they, um… can they speak?” Yes

"Is it the same language I’m speaking?" Yes.

"Do they live near here?" Mel asked, before being met with a nervous look on Patch's face. Not wanting to offend, Melody quickly continued on. "That's fair, I'm sure you're supposed to be secretive, right?" Yes.

"Okay… can you say if you live near here?" Mel asked, to a nervous nod yes. "Oh, okay! I guess you could say we're kinda like neighbors then! Um, alright, if I can ask another question, how did you get here? Like… this area?"

After being met with an unamused glance at the open-ended question, Melody decided to restate it. "Did you get here through some kind of, I don't know, portal or wormhole or… or spaceship? I just can’t believe I’ve never seen any of your kind before." Patch's head tilted again in confusion, clearly not comprehending what the human was saying.

"Okay, we'll go back to that. Actually, wait, scratch that, we need to go back a lot. Are you hungry?"

Patch's response was skeptical as they anxiously nodded yes. "Don't be so nervous. Do you like, um… I haven't been to the store in a bit… I have…" Melody paused as she tapped her chin, thinking. "Some leftover Chinese food? Some pretzels? A few apples…"

Melody noticed the sprite's ears perked up as she said apples.

"Apples are good?" She asked, to confirm what she had noticed. As Patch nodded his head slowly, Melody excitedly continued, happy to have figured out a way to help the little sprite. "Perfect! I'll be right back. I'll bring some food and water, and then we can look at that arm of yours."

After a few stressful moments, Patch saw the human return with a small green apple and a knife, which they eyed nervously. Something that sharp in the hands of a human… Patch shuddered as their mind flashed back… and in a panic, they suddenly became well aware of the fact that they were trapped inside of an enclosed space, with a human walking closer brandishing a weapon bigger than they were. They desperately tried to scamper up the side of the container with a renewed fervor, but with only one good arm, the effort was hopeless. Melody noticed the movement as she spoke.

"Woah there, Patch, calm down. I'm just going to cut it first and then give it to you, okay? Just be patient for a moment."

They watched as the human somewhat clumsily sliced the apple, clearly trying to avoid cutting herself. Eventually, about a third of the apple was sliced, and gently placed next to Patch.

"Here you go, Patch. Eat up, and I'll, uh, find a way to get you some water real quick."

-

Melody was only gone for a moment, as she found a water bottle cap and filled it with water. When she returned, the apple slice was well over halfway gone, leaving only the peel, which the little being had apparently eaten around. Melody could only chuckle to herself at how quickly Patch had eaten that much. "Woah, you were hungry, weren't you, Patch?"

Melody noticed Patch's face and ears turn a bit red, as he rubbed behind one of his big ears sheepishly.

"Do you… want more?"

The little being, still looking bashful, shook his head no, and patted his stomach. Melody placed the cap inside of the plastic container and watched as Patch quickly drank the entire thing. Clearly this creature needed to eat and drink a lot more than his size suggested… unless he was particularly hungry. Looking closer, Melody could see that Patch's skin had already dramatically changed color, being more of a human-esque warm skin tone than the gray tint it was before. Was… was he malnourished? Should she insist he eat more, or was devouring that apple slice already "eating more"?

Deciding to trust the tiny creature's judgment, Melody began to cut another slice of the apple for herself, not wanting to waste the rest of it. After holding out the slice to Patch as a final offer, and receiving another head shake as a response, Melody took a bite of the apple slice, and looked over at Patch, only to see him staring at her.

-

Patch knew they should have looked away, but couldn't help but watch as Melody took a massive bite out of the apple slice. The sprite tried not to think about the fact that the bites the human took were each roughly as big as they were. While they almost believed (almost) that the human meant them no harm, they still couldn't help but panic at being reminded that they were sitting in what was technically a food container and watching the human eat. They wouldn't… right?

Memories immediately flooded back of them, the last human to have taken Patch like this, and how they would threaten the sprite. Shivering in fear, the sprite looked away, closing their eyes tightly and hoping to get rid of the memory, so they could focus on the present.

Part 4

"Okay, now that we've got you some food and water, let's look at that arm, and see what's wrong. I'm going to take you out of this container, but you have to promise me that you won't leave this table, okay? I don't want you to get hurt."

Patch nodded, but instantly regretted it as Melody's hand quickly reached down to scoop them up and place them down on the desk. While it was only for a moment, the sight of the human's hand flying towards them at such a fast speed caused them to flinch and recoil in fear.

“Okay, hopefully that was… a bit gentler, wouldn’t want to hurt your arm again,” Mel said, unaware of how much Patch was thrown about during that small trip, even with Mel consciously trying to be gentler than before. “So, I’m far from a doctor, but I get the feeling you wouldn’t want me to bring you to an actual doctor, or like… I dunno, a vet or something.” Melody immediately noticed Patch’s face grew worried as she quickly added on to her thought, “Not- Not to imply that you’re an animal, just they’re better with small things like mice, and you’re… anyways, let’s… just take a look at that shoulder. Can you, um, roll up your sleeve or something?”

Hesitantly, Patch did as they were asked, and rolled up their ill-fitting sleeve as far as possible, revealing a red and swollen shoulder. They saw the human wince as she saw it. "Okay… that looks like a sprain… at best. Obviously it hurts to put pressure on it, but can you move it?"

Thinking how to answer, Patch moved their arm a little, and then winced in pain, causing Melody to gasp slightly. "Oh no no, don't move it if it hurts! But that's something, that means it probably isn't completely broken… okay… maybe we should wrap that up? Like in a sling or something. Um… let me check my phone real quick, I'm sure I could figure out how to cut some of this tape up into a little sling for your shoulder. I'm so sorry again if I caused that, I wasn't thinking and I just…" Melody said, her thoughts trailing off as she started to research what to do about this tiny injured arm, leaving Patch to plan their next move.

-

Finally free from the container, and with their giant captor distracted, Patch instantly decided to make a break for their backpack. Quickly digging through the front pocket, they pull out their trusty rope hook before slinging the large pack over their good shoulder. Without hesitation, they immediately latch the hook to the table's edge. It's a loose fit, but they only need to get about halfway down before the fall is safe, from the looks of it. Wrapping their legs around the rope to make up for the sprained arm, they begin to descend. It's slower than they would normally go, but the ground is so close, and there's enough clutter that they can easily find a hiding spot as long as-

-

"Hey! What are you- no! You promised!" Melody cried, as she reached out to grab the little runaway, cupping him in her hands.

"Are you mad? That drop could have killed you! And trying to climb with some kind of broken arm, what were you thinking, Patch?"

After she deposited him back on the table, Melody let out a sigh. Her red eyes focused intently on Patch, as if trying to read his mind. "Why are you trying to get away from me that badly? Don't you get that I'm just trying to help you?"

I'm just trying to help you…

…

I'm just trying to help you…

"... so please, just come onto my hand. I'll take care of you, little guy. I promise."

Hungry, lost, and desperate, they find themself nodding, staring into the deep blue eyes of the figure in front of them, their smile wide. Maybe this human is telling the truth, maybe not all humans are bad… maybe the elders were wrong after all, they think to themself. 

As they reach out and touch the hand, it is as if they strike a pact with a demon. They hear that all-too-familiar laughter as everything around them darkens. Memories flood back, stinging their soul like ice cold flames. Their whole body is filled with phantom senses as the combined physical and mental impact of the last two years of their life hits them like a tidal wave. Heat, cold, pressure, pain, sights, sounds, smells, taste. Too bright, too dark, too loud, too quiet, too much, too little. They try to scream, for anybody to help, human, sprite, spirit, anybody.

But as always, no sound comes from them.

…

"Uh… Patch? Are you… okay?"

Mel's scolding tone softened as the little thing in front of her began to tear up, staring off at something. She took in his appearance, trying to figure out what was wrong. He looks… like he's breathing faster, maybe, and seems to be gripping his little backpack as if his life depends on it. Did she scare him? What did she say? Unsure what to do, Melody brought a finger gently to Patch's face, to wipe away the tears.

"Hey, little guy, I'm… it's okay, I'm not mad or anything, I…"

Melody's finger suddenly filled with pain, as she pulled it away in shock.

"OW! What the hell, Patch! Did you just bite me!? What's wrong with you!? Is that how you treat somebody trying to comfort you? You just bite them? What are you, a raccoon!? We both know you're better than that."

Mel had never been the best at reading faces, especially when the face was half an inch tall, but the emotion on Patch's face as she yelled seemed to be one of fear. He was staring at her, almost through her, his bright purple eyes completely dilated like a deer in headlights. His ears were pulled back, almost flat against the sides of his head, and Mel could tell his breathing had gotten even heavier and more uneven.

"Well? I know you can understand me, Patch, don't pretend like you can't. Why the hell did you just bite me!?"

Melody wasn't sure what kind of answer they expected, but Patch curling into a fetal position and sobbing was definitely not it. As the tiny person silently cried on her table, Melody could only whisper one thing to herself.

"Oh, fuck."

Part 5

Patch woke up from their slumber, and found themself half-covered by… soft paper of some kind. The kind usually found in human's kitchens. They didn't remember when they fell asleep, the last thing they remembered was… panic. Ah. As their mind began to wake up, they realized they must have fainted or something.

As they regained their bearings, they noticed Melody, sitting all the way across the room on a chair facing them, but clearly invested in a book. As the sprite sat up and pushed the makeshift blanket aside, the human's eyes darted up from the book.

"Uh… hey. I'm… if you're awake, I'm going to come closer, okay? Just back to where I was sitting before. I can't really see you that clearly from this far away, and I'd like to hear what you have to say. Or… see it, I guess."

After a moment, the human got up, and carried the chair back to where it was before. The human seemed… uncharacteristically anxious. What were they doing?

"I… don't know what I said, or did, to make you respond that way, but I clearly upset you. Badly. I'm sorry."

Patch was thrown for a complete loop at the tonal whiplash of how she was acting compared to her attitude before. What happened while they were unconscious?

-

When Patch began sobbing, Melody instantly knew that she messed up. Badly. That wasn't the response of somebody snapping back in rebellious defiance, that was somebody lashing out in terror. In her fascination with the strange person on her table, she completely overlooked that she was probably, like, thirty times his size. If they were in that situation, they would probably be absolutely terrified, especially if something that much bigger started yelling and shouting. And it was so obvious to them in hindsight that he was having a panic attack. Melody cursed herself for not realizing sooner. Imagine having a panic attack and then you see a car barrelling towards you, no wonder he -literally- snapped at me, she thought, cursing her lack of social skills again.

She continued to watch the poor thing, not wanting to say or do anything, for fear of upsetting him further. After what felt like an agonizing amount of time, he seemed to stop crying, but Mel noticed that he had also gone still. They looked closely, suddenly afraid of the worst, but he seemed to simply be asleep. Unsure what to do, they ripped off a small piece of a paper towel and carefully laid it over his sleeping body, being careful to avoid it touching his face. They picked up one of the more detailed books, as they figured now may be the time to look for more answers as to what this little fellow is.

-

"So… it's been about a half hour since you fell asleep. I don't know if you measure time the same way, so that may not be helpful, sorry. Are you feeling okay?"

Still baffled, Patch gave a hesitant nod yes. The human seemed nervous, as if thinking carefully of what to say. "I… must be pretty scary to you, huh?"

Patch didn't respond, unsure if this was a trick or not.

"You don't have to say it, that's fair. You're probably worried that I'll be upset. You don't seem to believe me that I won't hurt you. Has…" She stopped to think, trying to figure out how to word this gently, "I'm not the first human who's met you, am I?"

Unsure where this was going, Patch softly shook their head in a "no". Melody sighed before continuing. "And they… weren't very nice to you, were they?"

Her red eyes stared deeply at Patch, as if attempting to glare into his very soul. Patch tried their best to avoid eye contact, but it was clear what the answer was.

"I'm… sorry. For whatever that person did. You didn't deserve it, whatever it was. I know that means, like, fuck-all coming from me, though." The human sighed again before continuing their speech.

"You know, I… I'm not very good at this. At any of it. The whole emotional support thing. Not just because you're a little… whatever you are. I've always been the worst at upsetting people without meaning it. I honestly, swear to the gods, only brought you here to help you. You were injured, and I caused it. Or at least some of it. But… I probably let my excitement get ahead of me. I know, I put you in a literal plastic container like an asshole, but I was just… worried. I didn't want you running away with your arm injured. Honest. I get it if you don't believe me though."

Patch's look of confusion hadn't gone away. This human seems… like they're planning something. Why the sudden act? Are they trying to get them to let their guard down?

"I didn't want to move you while you were sleeping, but… I can bring you outside, if you want to leave. I'd… want to leave me too. Just point to the door and I'll do the rest. But, I would genuinely like to learn more about you. You may have been able to tell that, well, I've always wanted to meet somebody special. Anybody. And then I found you and just got so excited and… I'm sorry about it."

Carefully, Patch walked over to their backpack, waiting for the human to stop them… but she didn't. They hoisted the bag over their good shoulder, and walked over to the hook that was still on the edge of the table.

"That's fair. Can you please let me put you on the floor, though? I promise, no funny business. Just like… an elevator. It's the least I can do."

This is it, Patch thought. She's going to insist that I get in her hand, and then wham, into a box or cage or something. Figuring that if anything happens, it happens regardless, they shake their head in a firm no.

-

Melody's heart was breaking during this entire conversation. They finally met something supernatural, and it was pissed at her. She did literally everything possible wrong, as always, and now it was costing her the most interesting event of her life. But she tried to continue being apologetic, figuring that this wasn't about her at the moment.

"I get it. Let me at least move a chair over then? You can climb down to the chair, and then the floor. Please let me do that at least?"

There was a hesitant nod of approval, and Melody moved the chair as promised. Their tiny guest made his way down to the floor, and started walking to the door. It took a bit of time, but Mel didn't dare interrupt or interfere.

"All right, I'll open the door so you can get out. It's been… nice to meet you, Patch. Even if you don't feel the same."

She opened the door just enough for Patch to get through, to make it clear that she wouldn't follow. He climbed over the door sweep and stepped outside, before turning around to look at the human with confusion.

"... What?"

-

Patch was… confused. Did the human just… let them go? Just like that? No grabbing them? No having to escape out a window, having to climb down a brick wall in the dead of night? Just… letting them walk out the door?

They pointed and motioned in a direction, confused, hoping the sentiment of "I'm going to go now" was a universal one. It seemed to be, as Melody gave them a nod. "Yep. Go wherever you want, I'm going to shut the door… and probably go back to reading, I guess. Maybe try to figure out what you are still, but I won't follow you. You have my word."

And with that, Patch walked away. The door closed, and Melody went back to reading their book, as all of the tears that they were holding in finally came pouring out.

Part 6

It had been about two weeks since Melody met Patch. Two weeks since she made him hate her. She returned to work as normal, spending the slow days at the library reading up on mythologies, trying to learn anything about what he was. Research led down a rabbit hole of conspiracies and disinformation about the existence of all sorts of elves, fairies, and other such creatures, but somehow nothing reputable. Melody could only be baffled by this, How could they live in a city, and yet nobody has ever documented them existing? Despite this, Melody kept Patch’s existence close to her own heart. After all, he clearly just wanted to be left alone.

Before leaving for work every morning, they made sure to leave out an apple slice, and every evening, it was gone when they came home. It was probably just taken by a bird or rat or something, especially because the peel was also missing, but they wanted to believe that maybe Patch was getting them. The other option, that the little being had run as far from her as possible, was just too much to bear. Leaving out fruit was all she could do to believe she was repenting for how she treated him.

It was a dreary evening, about sunset, when Mel had to go out to the nearby alley to throw out her trash. As they were taking the trash out back, they saw something move in the corner of their vision. They turned to see what it was, expecting some kind of pest, when…

"Oh, Patch! I, uh… hello."

[gothgoblinbabe]

Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You

(chapter 1/2)

(Logan Howlett x afab reader)

A/N: Yeah, the brain rot has reached a maximum and I've completely disregarded the consequences of a digital footprint! there's a couple descriptions of style of clothing/jewelry but you can imagine that as you please, also absolutely based off of "Babe Im Gonna Leave You" by Led Zeppelin bc idk somewhere in my delusions I think Logans a Zeppelin kinda guy and its what I've been listening to. For the sake of the plot, stick with me, you've got an imaginary ex bf and his random name I picked is gonna be Danny and he suuuucks real hard okay? okay and I need you to pretend dear lovely reader that you like led zeppelin if you don't 💔[holding your face ever so gently and smooching ur forehead] and I've seen only xmen origins, x-men, X2, and Deadpool x wolverine so pls pls forgive me if some stuff doesn't canonically fit. This is kind of cringe but I wrote too much of it to get rid of it just bare with me I beg of u and it was so long I had to split it into two parts

Summary: Meeting the infamous Wolverine got you roped into a liiiitle more than what you bargained for

Warnings: swearing, you have telekinesis and telepathy (cause that's cool, c'mon), mild angst, suggestive stuff kinda, mentions of cheating (Logan does not cheat on u I pinkie promise), Logan calls you kid but you're not actually a child lol, you're a good bit younger than him but also so is anyone else who isn't borderline immortal

Word Count: 4K

Pt 2!

[credit for text post dividers here and here]

There had been muttering here and there between the students at the academy that Wolverine was coming back after a few years on his own, confirmed when Marie recognized the motorcycle now parked in the driveway of the mansion.

"Logan!"

He was immediately wrapped into a hug by Marie at the door, dropping his bags to the floor.

"Hey, kid, miss me?"

"Maybe," she smiled sweetly, tucking the white strands of hair behind her ears.

"Long time no see, huh?" Ororo's voice interrupted from behind her, earning a hug from Logan.

"Any one else around?" he questioned, hoisting his bag up over his shoulder again.

"Scott and Jean are around here somewhere, Charles as well. Oh, and there's a couple new faces you haven't met," she responded, smiling at the way Marie's eyes lit up at the chance to mention what she had been meaning to tell Logan.

Marie gasped and said your name, grabbing Logan's arm in excitement, "you have got to meet her. She joined us a couple of months ago, I think you'll really like her. She's kind of been like...our you, when you've been gone."

He quirked an eyebrow at that, looking between the both of them for an explanation as to what that was supposed to mean.

"You'll see," Ororo chuckled lightly, "oh, you will see."

"She's here now, I think, you should go introduce yourself to her!"

Logan had swiftly caught onto Marie's adorable attempt to play cupid and gave her a nod, "maybe when I settle in, okay, kid?"

She nodded in agreement and both her and Ororo watched him walk off further down the corridor.

"How do you think it will go when they meet?" the later of the two asked earnestly once he was out of sight.

"Well," Marie paused for a moment, thinking, "they'll be inseparable or absolutely hate each other."

Ororo nodded in agreement almost immediately, holding in a small laugh.

Much later in the evening, Logan had been beckoned into the study along with Ororo, Marie, Bobby, you, Jean and Scott by Charles.

He had been the last to enter, eyes immediately settling on your unfamiliar frame stood next to Marie with your back against the wall. You had plenty of rings adorning your fingers and necklaces dangling in front of your chest in the same kind of fashion he'd seen in those magazines with the Harley biker girls. You looked a little like one of them too, in well fitting jeans adorned with a belt, a band shirt and some chunky boots, except you were very much real and not on glossy paper.

"Oh! Logan!" Marie exclaimed upon noticing his arrival, beckoning him over with her hand. That turned your attention to him and he felt like the wind may have been knocked out of him when your eyes met his. You were far prettier than any of the girls he'd seen in any magazine.

"This is her," Marie whispered to Logan when he approached and nudged his arm, referring to when she had told him about you earlier.

"This is Logan," Marie said to you, gesturing towards him and leaning a little closer to you to whisper something he wouldn't catch, "and he's single, by the way."

A grin was plastered on her face when she pulled away and you rolled your eyes, "Marie - "

"I know, I know, too soon, but I just thought that was very good information for you to know," she raised her hands and stepped away a little, still intent on watching how the two of you interact for the first time.

Logan extended a hand for you to shake and you did the same. Your hands were small in his and your skin soft to the touch. It was almost hard for him to drop your grip when he did, nervous that he'd hold it even a second too long.

Nervous. Women had rarely ever made him nervous in the hundred - something years he'd been alive, and yet he could feel his heart pounding in his ears when you ran your hands through your hair to push it out of your face.

"Nice to meet you," he finally spoke, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

This may have been a good opportunity to try out your powers a little, concentrate hard enough on the handsome stranger's face to know what exactly was playing out behind his staring gaze, but you resisted the urge to do what you considered a tad bit violating.

"Same here," you responded at last, averting your gaze for just a moment to avoid inadvertently doing exactly what you had just decided you wouldn't.

Marie and Ororo had studied the small interaction between the two of you - of course - waiting for something more to happen, only to be disappointed when the both of you nodded courtly and turned away from each other.

"Well, that's not good. He'd be on her like a dog already - " Ororo started under her breath.

"No, no, I just think..." Marie interrupted, narrowing her eyes between the two of you, "I think they just need to get to know each other."

"Honey..."

"I'm telling you, I just feel like they'd be good together, they just need a chance to get to know each other!"

"Do you really think she's ready to get with another guy?" Ororo nodded her head in your direction, lowering her voice, "after all that stuff Danny pulled?"

Marie grimaced at the mention of one of the professors names, shaking her head in mild disgust, "have you seen him lately? always coming up to her in the halls and stuff, it's sad - for him, I mean."

Before either of them could further debate the topic, Charles gained everyone's attention to discuss a series of tasks he'd assigned to you all. As he spoke, you only tuned in once you heard your name.

"You are the one I'd like to send out to complete that with Daniel."

"Could, uh, can I do it with someone else? or have him do it alone, or something?"

Logan caught the confused look Jean shot your way, tilting her head before she spoke, "You don't want to go with Danny? What happened, I thought the two of you -"

You cut her off with a sharp shake of your head, scowling, "uh-uh. Hell no. He...uh, I'll tell you about it later."

You had realized the sudden vulnerability you'd found yourself experiencing in a room full of eyes on you and cleared your throat, attempting to change the subject.

"I can hang back and keep an eye on the kids, I don't mind."

"They do love you," Ororo chimed in, "and we need someone to stay back to watch them anyway."

"They only like her so much because she allows them to break the rules," Scott remarked, earning a nudge in the arm from Jean.

You sighed, rolling your eyes, "Scott, the thing with the kids in your room was one time and it was an accident - "

"Was it? Because one of them wrote 'asshole' on my bathroom mirror with sharpie."

"They're kids, they do that kind of stuff!"

"was that really one of the kids?"

You tucked your lower lip under your teeth in an attempt to smother a laugh. Logan almost immediately did the same when you darted your eyes around the room in a guilty attempt to avoid eye contact.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me - " Scott started but Charles interrupted, holding up a hand.

"Alright, the both of you - enough. You," he continued, gesturing towards you, "may stay back with the children. Please do not allow them into anyone's personal quarters and I would advise you to hide the permanent markers for the time being, away from the children and perhaps yourself."

You nodded and hung your head low to hide the reappearing smile across your face. Logan stared inadvertently from then on, watching you twist your rings around your fingers and focusing on you intently when you spoke every now and then. When you were all dismissed by Charles and filed out of the room, you and Marie walked ahead of most of the group, almost out of ear shot.

Logan heard Jean's hushed voice behind him as she leaned into Scott, "so...what do you think happened? With Danny?"

"Who the hell is this Danny guy?" he finally asked, turning over his shoulder to interrogate the two of them.

"Well," Jean whispered your name, looking ahead to be sure you hadn't caught their conversation, "it's her boyfriend. Or was, I guess. They had a thing for awhile but they stopped hanging around each other all the sudden and she can't even stand to hear his name - she hasn't told me what it's about yet."

Logan simply hummed in acknowledgment, turning back ahead and finding his gaze caught on the sway of your hips as you walked.

"Oh no," he heard Ororo huff beside him, almost immediately following her gaze to see a guy he didn't recognize slip behind you and put an arm around your waist. Too far out of ear shot to hear the context, he watched you squirm out of the young mans grip and shake your head as you kept walking.

"Is it bad I want to get closer to hear what they're saying?" Ororo muttered, looking to the other three in her proximity.

"It's not our business," Jean reminded her.

"So, that's him?" Logan asked, gesturing to the guy still on your heels like a puppy.

"uh - huh," Ororo answered, frowning as she watched Danny make another pathetic attempt to put his arm around you.

When the two of you stopped at the far end of the hall and you told Marie it was okay to leave you, Logan, Ororo, Scott and Jean all turned the corner to the closest hallway.

"Oh, I know It's bad but I have got to know what lame excuse he's got this time," Ororo shook her head, stopping just around the corner to eavesdrop.

"Ororo - " Jean sighed, placing a gentle hand on her friend's arm, "come on."

"They're in the hallway! it's not like I'm standing outside a door," she reasoned, hushing them after so that the only voices hard were yours and Danny's.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry - "

"Danny, many times do I have to tell you I don't care? Why won't you just leave me be?"

You sounded exasperated, your voice slightly muffled when you rubbed your face with your hands.

"What do you think he did?" Scott chimed in in a hushed town, now fully invested in the dialogue.

Logan was still stood there, though he wasn't too sure why. He could have and should have kept walking - let the three of them do their weird detective work - but instead found himself leaned against the wall with the rest of them.

"I love you, you know that, sweetheart, I - "

"ugh, don't call me that. You gross me the hell out, you know that?"

Both Jean and Ororo made almost the same shocked expression.

"oh, it has to be bad," Jean hissed, frowning at the venom in your tone.

"Tell me you're not still in love with me, you know you can't, we - " Danny's voice began again and yours cut him short with a sense of finality in your tone.

"Danny. I stopped being in love with you the day I walked in on you fucking another other girl."

Jean's hands flew to her mouth to muffle a shocked gasp. Scott stood with his arms crossed, his face in a grimace.

"ooh, that is bad," Ororo whispered just as a door slammed.

Logan furrowed his eyebrows, following everyone else as they continued their path down the hall again. This Danny kid had to be a real idiot.

⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄ * ⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄

Weeks had passed and you shared small talk with Logan every now and then, sometimes making snarky comments here and there - though more often than not together and at Scott's expense. Funnily enough, the ability to piss Scott off so much made Logan like you even more. Maybe Marie was right, you kind of are like him.

You walked alongside him down the corridor one afternoon, intending to fulfill Ororo's request for the both of you to check in on some of the newer students.

"So, do you always do your hair like that?" you raised your eyebrows up at him, eyeing the peaks in his hair.

"Yeah. What, you don't like it?" He grinned, expecting you to make some smart remark about it.

"No, not that," you giggled, "it's like lil' cat ears, it's cute."

He looked down at you quizzically, stopping in his tracks.

"cat ears?"

"mm-hm. You're like a big kitty."

You bit down another giggle, reaching up boldly to touch his hair.

He gently swatted your hand away, still with a small grin on his face.

"Don't call me that."

"Big kitty?"

"Yes."

"Okay, kitty meow - meow."

He narrowed his eyes as you turned to continue walking in an attempt to hide the huge smile plastered on your cheeks that threatened to transform into a rather loud laugh.

"Uh-huh, whatever. You better not let anyone else hear you call me that," he huffed as he caught up to you rather easily.

As you were about to make another retort, your smile dropped at the sight of a familiar and unfriendly face that had come from around a corner.

"Christ," you squeezed your eyes shut in frustration, rubbing your forehead at the sight of your ex-boyfriend.

"Hey," Logan leaned down a little, nudging you gently, "I'm here, you're good. You're fine, don't worry about him. It's just us, alright? Walk past him like you don't even see him."

Though he'd be embarrassed to admit and absolutely deny it if anyone asked, he'd unfortunately (for himself) harbored a crush on you that only took a couple weeks to develop. He hadn't even really gotten the chance to know you yet, though that was precisely why he was glad about moments like these. He wanted to, even if he felt like a school kid with a playground crush.

You had simply nodded at his words, allowing him to place a gentle hand on your upper back to guide you down the hall with him. Even through the layer of a jacket and t-shirt, you could feel the warmth of his hand on you.

Logan remembered that moment in the hall on the first day you'd met, but never pestered you for details about what the hell went on before he got back. He figured when and if you wanted to tell him, that was up to you.

Keeping your eyes straight ahead, it took what felt like years to pass your ex-boyfriend. When you finally did, you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, until his voice stopped you in your tracks.

"That's my shirt."

You whipped your head around, feeling Logan slip his arm a little further around you as a protective reflex.

"What?" you furrowed your eyebrows, looking down at your attire. The shirt, a tad oversized and well worn, was so familiar that you had completely forgotten it once did belong to him.

"I want it back," he spoke again, crossing his arms.

"Do you really want it back?"

You were beyond fed up with his pestering at this point, already having decided what may make the message clear.

"Yes."

"Okay. Fine."

You pulled away from Logan and slipped off your jacket, turning around to hand it to him. He gave you a confused look, hesitantly taking it out of your hands. In a matter of seconds, you turned back around and tugged the t-shirt up and over your head, tossing it directly at Danny's chest. You turned back and took your jacket from Logan's hands, zipping it far enough to cover your bra. In the few seconds you had stood facing him, he had done his best to keep his eyes away from your body and failed miserably, looking up after to see the asshole a few feet away already glaring at him.

"What, you're just gonna walk around like that? And what are you doing hanging out with him anyway, don't you know he - "

You groaned at the sound of Danny's voice again, gently tugging Logan by the hand in the opposite direction as you began to walk away, "yap, yap, yap - just shut the fuck up."

Logan couldn't help the smirk plastered across his face as you continued to walk, finally turning a corner. Before you could apologize to him for having to awkwardly stand witness to that, Scott's voice echoed from the stairway above you.

"Hey, Charles is looking for you two. He says he has something he needs you to take care of, he didn't say what."

"Thanks for the specifics, Scott," you replied sarcastically, "but we're supposed to check on - "

"I know," he interrupted, "I got Marie and Bobby to cover you. You're welcome, by the way."

You rolled your eyes and looked back to Logan, dreading what exactly it was Charles wanted from you.

That landed you where you were the next morning, heaving your bags into the back of Logan's truck.

"If we have to take the truck like two states over, can I at least drive?"

The plane being needed for another assignment that Jean, Scott and Ororo were assigned left the two of you with Logan's truck. You'd been asked to retrieve a rare mechanical piece needed for the construction of some new device; you'd only been half-listening when Charles started to explain the details, lost in thought after he'd mentioned it would require the two of you to sleep out overnight.

Man, that had made your chest feel tight. It had been almost physically painful trying to swallow down every tell that you really liked him for the past few weeks and now you had no choice than to be each others only company for nearly 2 days.

"Yeah, in your dreams, kid," Logan scoffed playfully and brought you back to reality, dangling the keys in his hand.

You narrowed your eyes at the keyring he began to spin around his finger. In a split second, the jangle of the metal could be heard as you snatched them from his hand with only a focused thought.

You caught them in your raised palm and tilted your head, a terribly smug smile across your cheeks.

"Looks like my dreams came true, huh?" you teased, walking past a still mildly distraught Logan to get into the drivers side.

"If you dent it, I'll kill ya," he warned as he finally slid into the passenger seat, watching your every move as you started the engine and carefully reversed out of the garage.

"Uh-huh, sure," you retorted sarcastically, "I'm terrified of the kitty claws."

"What did I say about calling me that?"

"Calling you what?" you feigned ignorance, fumbling with the knob on the stereo to change the station as your eyes stayed glued to the road.

"And don't mess with everything, kid, you'll end up breaking something. She's on old girl, you gotta - "

"Dude," you interrupted, simultaneously cranking down your window and fishing a pair of sunglasses out of his center console, "I know how to drive, chill out."

"Dude," he mocked, "this truck is probably almost as old as you, you gotta be careful."

You rolled your eyes under the shades of the worn aviators you had slipped onto your nose, simply nodding and continuing to flip through stations.

"Pick one and stick with it, will you?"

"Ooh, is someone mad I got the keys?"

Before he could say something in response, you gasped at sound of the song playing on the station you had just switched to, twisting the knob almost as far as it could go.

Logan recognized the familiar thump of "babe I'm gonna leave you" by Led Zeppelin, furrowing his eyebrows when you began to nod your head and sing along.

"You like Led Zeppelin?" he nearly had to shout over the music, leaning in to you a little further.

"Yeah," you responded, reaching over to turn the music down just enough for you to hear each other and glancing at him momentarily, "How come you're looking at me like that?"

He unfurrowed his eyebrows and shrugged, keeping his gaze on the road ahead as he spoke, " just never pegged you for a Zeppelin kind of girl, I guess."

"No? What's that supposed to mean?"

You were smiling again and it was excruciatingly difficult for him not to stare when you looked so good in the spot he usually sat with his old sunglasses on.

"Didn't think you had good taste in music."

That made you giggle and you shook your head, turning the stereo back up to a booming volume.

He watched you tap your fingers on the steering wheel to the drums as you continued to drive, occasionally moving to push your windswept hair out of your face. The morning sun shining through your open window highlighted your features perfectly and Logan sighed without a thought, unheard over the music. Jesus, he had it bad.

You could feel his stare in your peripheral vision every time he looked to you and it felt far warmer than the sun beating down on you from the opposite direction. You truly rarely ever used your developing skill of telepathy, feeling it was only justified when absolutely necessary to obtain information, but his burning gaze nearly had you veering off the road at times and his prior answer to the question of why he was looking at you that way wasn't too convincing.

With a deep breath, already wondering if it was a mistake, you kept your eyes focused to the road but gradually concentrated on the man beside you. Sometimes people's thoughts would appear as inner dialogue, other times as imagined scenarios, daydreams or visuals. You were confused, then, when you only saw an image of yourself as you were now. If you concentrated too hard, your own thoughts would transfer to Logan's mind and it would be humiliatingly obvious that you had been poking around in his consciousness and so you tried to clear your mind and try again, assuming your own mind was too preoccupied with yourself to concentrate properly.

Still, you could only see the image of yourself driving from the perspective of the passengers seat, one hand on the wheel and the other in your hair as you propped your elbow on the door. This time, though, you could hear the accompanying echo of Logan's voice over the hum of the music you had tuned out.

Is her hair always like that? I like it that way. Pretty.

You swallowed hard, fidgeting with the hair that was between your fingers. It's a compliment - innocent enough, and undeniably kind of sweet. You felt guilty then for probing his thoughts and nearly shook yourself out of it, only to realize the image in Logan's mind was no longer of just your profile. He was thinking about your legs, thighs squished against the seat of the truck.

Fuck

You nearly choked on your own saliva, clearing your throat at the echo of his voice again and immediately withdrawing yourself from his mind.

"You okay?" Logan spoke aloud, putting a gentle hand on your upper arm.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," you lied, trying with every fiber of your being to just keep all focus on the road. You knew you shouldn't have done that. It was just a thought, though, nothing said aloud to change anything between the two of you, and so you pretended the best you could that you hadn't heard or seen a thing.

About eight hours, a handful of dad rock albums and a stop to switch seats later, you finally pulled into the parking lot of the nearest motel you had found didn't have a highlighted "no vacancy" sign.

"If there's fucking bed bugs in here, I will never let you hear the end of it," you warned from the passenger seat.

"I think you'd talk my ear off till the day I die anyway," he scoffed, shifting the truck into park and pulling the keys from the ignition.

"You won't die for another hundred-something years."

"Exactly my point, honey."

You rolled your eyes and slipped out of the truck as he did, pretending the nickname hadn't made your face burn. You both grabbed your belongings and once inside you looked around the small lobby as Logan checked you in, impressed with how surprisingly clean the place seemed to be.

"Hey, is that okay?"

Logan's voice took your attention from the painting on the wall you'd been inspecting and you raised your eyebrows.

"Huh?

"Uh, there's a room left but it's only got one bed."

Your face dropped and you looked between him and the poor kid behind the counter who already looked nervous as all hell.

"You're kidding."

"We can keep driving, but we've already been on the road all day and I don't think there's another place around here for a good few miles."

He was much more calm than you expected him to be and you exhaled, thinking of the literal pain in the ass caused by sitting in the car for so many hours.

"Ugh, fine."

A/N: I had to split this in two because it was so long but If anyone likes this at all I will post da other part cause I like spewing my brain rot on the internet <3

[discount-shades]

Contract Spouse Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Crashing

A/N: So Chapter 8 was split into two chapters. The series will be 10 chapters long so I am getting close to being done writing! 

Pairing: Jake Seresin/Reader (nicknamed Pip)

Warning:  Angst,  

Length: 2400 ish

Summary: Pip makes a decision about her relationship with Jake, and Jake’s feelings regarding spinach are revealed. 

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You had pizza for dinner, and you hadn’t made cookies. Jake had tried to convince you to watch a movie together but you couldn’t do nothing. The anxiety embedded in you from your childhood would not let go. 

Logically you knew Jake was nothing like your parents. He had said multiple times he was not mad at you, nothing about his actions indicated he was upset with you in any way, but you could not let it go. You hadn’t felt like this in years. The urge to smooth things over and make it better consumed you and you couldn’t shake it.

When Jake had been unable to convince you to stop he had joined you, turning the Bluetooth speaker on to Texas country. He helped wash the few dishes from dinner, humming along to the song playing. He vacuumed the area rugs while you swept. Whatever you did he was there assisting.

He finally catches your wrist as you start to reorganize the drawers in the bathroom. “Pip it's after midnight.” You stare at the hand on your wrist. His grip is gentle, thumb gently caressing the inside of your wrist. “The house is clean and it's time for bed.” 

You finally look at him and his eyes are soft, worry lingering in them. He backs up and gently tugs on your hand and you follow him. Your heart clenches at the hopeful smile and the relief on his face. He had been shooting you worried looks all night and you can see the tension leave him. You change in the bathroom, your room still under repairs from the water damage.

When you reach the bedroom Jake is still hovering by the side of the bed. “Do you want me to sleep on the couch?” 

“No Jake, it's ok.” You crawl under the covers and pat the spot beside you, feeling ashamed by your behavior all night. “I’m sorry for tonight. You shouldn’t have cleaned too. It's a ‘me problem’.”

Jake hits the light and plunges the room into darkness. You feel the bed dip as he lies down beside you. “Well you weren't stopping and I figured it would be more efficient if I helped you clean.” Your lips twitch at his words as the bed shifts. You can tell he is facing you on his side and you turn to mirror him. “You kinda freaked me out today.”

“I'm sorry,” you whisper, feeling even worse.

“I don’t want you to be sorry,” Jake's hands slide across the space between you. His fingers brush against yours and slowly tangle together like he is waiting for you to pull away. He brings your fingers to his lips and gently kisses your knuckles as traitorous butterflies erupt in your stomach. “I want you to tell me what happened. You were so upset then you were so blank and it scared me.”

“I don’t know.” You lie, unsure of what else you can say. “The interview kinda got to me.”  You couldn't explain the way your brain panicked after you pushed him and there is no way you would explain why you were mad. You wouldn’t tell him that when he called you Darlin’, your heart broke. That you were sad he didn’t love you like you loved him. It made you feel pathetic. 

It felt like the story of your life, loving and wanting to be loved by people who didn’t love you back. At least Jake was better than your parents, even though in the end he would probably hurt you worse.

“Just promise me you won’t leave me.” Jake's voice is strained in a way you have never heard before. “I don’t think I can do this without you.”

“Do what without me?” Your voice drops further, afraid that if you spoke too loudly it would break the fragile thread between you.

“Life, existing, I don’t know.” He pauses like he is searching for words. “Pip, I love you.” You fight to keep your breathing steady at his words, wishing there was some kind of light so you could see his face. He has said it before, but tonight, in the dark, he sounds different. Your heart beat increases as hope fills you. “You know me, and even after the divorce I need to know you will be in my corner. I need to know I’ll still be able to call you.  You’ll always be my best friend.”

At his final words the spark that had filled your chest dies. “Yeah Jake,” you agree, keeping your voice steady. “I’ll always be there for you.” At your words he pulls you into his arms and you go. 

Legs tangled together and his arms around you, you lie there trying to drift off, knowing Jake won’t sleep until you do. That his brain won’t let him rest if there is someone else awake in the room. Another way you know Jake like no one else does. Unwilling to move away and unable to deny yourself the intimacy you crave, you stay. After all, this is all you are ever going to get.

– – – 

You awake the next morning feeling overwhelmingly warm. Jake’s chest is pressed against your spine, his nose tucked against you and his breaths flutter the hairs at the nape of your neck. 

It’s too hot and you want to move but you don’t. Judging by the light filtering in through the curtains Jake’s alarm will go off soon and he will leave you then. It’s a Saturday so you have the day off but Jake has a training flight. 

When the alarm finally rings you wait for the inevitable loss of warmth but Jake just reaches over and turns it off before wrapping himself back around you and nuzzling into your neck, raising goosebumps. 

“How did you sleep?” you break the spell of the peaceful morning with your words. Jake hums and rolls onto his back, you shift with him so you are propped against his side but he doesn’t leave like before. 

“Good,” he tells you, “really good actually.” You smile at his admission and toss the covers off so your body can feel cool air and Jake copies you. He asks you about your plans for the day and you lie together talking about everything and nothing like you used to on the phone. 

It’s you who leaves the bed first to start the coffee and part of you feels more relaxed after your lazy morning. It had been nice to lie next to Jake and talk about your day but it made you realize what you truly wanted. You had been so caught up in your unrequited feelings for Jake that you had never taken a moment to think of what you were looking for in a relationship. And despite everything you feel for Jake you realize that while he might love you, he wasn't in love with you, and it was no longer enough. You decide it’s finally time to start letting go of your love. 

– – – 

When you look at your ringing phone and see Javy’s contact information you frown. You had spoken to the man a few times over the years but he had never contacted you for a  social call.

“Javy? What's up?” Your stomach clenches when you answer the phone.

“Hey Pip,” Javy’s voice is strained. “There's been an accident, Jake crash landed in the desert.”

“Is he ok?” you hate how small your voice sounds. 

“They’re taking him to the hospital. I’ll meet you there. Wives are allowed.” He says the last part pointedly and you know that he is hinting that as Jake's wife, you are expected to be there.

“Yeah, of course.” You would have gone to the hospital even if you weren't married to Jake. “Text me the hospital and I will meet you there.”

Traffic seems to slow the closer you get to the hospital. You can’t stop nervously tapping the steering wheel of the used Rav4 you had bought the week after moving. Your mind catastrophizes everything that might happen. Jake is paralyzed, there’s internal bleeding, traumatic brain injury. Jake dies. 

When you are able to park you sprint to the front desk. “Lieutenant Jake Seresin, he's a pilot, where is he?”

The nurse gives you a compassionate, yet reserved look. “May I ask your relationship to the patient?”

“I’m his wife.” The words fall from your lips easily. They are words you have barely spoken in all your years of marriage and have become increasingly common the last few months. 

She directs you to a different floor and when you arrive you see Javy, still in his flight suit, broad shoulders tense, pacing the waiting room. When he sees you he wraps you into a hug. “He’s in surgery,” he says, releasing you. At your look of horror he amends. “It’s for his wrist, he fractured it, probably has a concussion, but he's going to be ok.”

You sag in relief and collapse into a chair letting out a shuddering breath. You stare at your hands and notice for the first time that they are shaking. You squeeze them together until your knuckles turn white, trying to hide the trembling from Javy when he sits down beside you. You take deep breaths and slowly the shaking stops. 

“He’d be happy you are here,” Javy says and you smile. 

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” you say with a tight smile. “What happened? How did he crash?”

“There was some sort of electrical malfunction, he couldn't make it back to the tarmac so he landed in the desert.” You wince thinking about it and Javy continues. “He broke his landing gear off the plane so he must have hit pretty hard.” You nod and sit in silence, waiting. 

“He’s gotten worse.” Javy says in a low murmur, breaking the silence. You are sitting in the corner of the nearly empty waiting room but he still glances around. “After the last mission, I don’t know, he’s different, on edge, even before the investigations. I don’t think he’s sleeping.”

“He’s not.” you say before amending, “At least not well.” 

Javy sighs and you give his hand a squeeze and stare at the door to the operating rooms together. The two people who looked out for Jake while he looked out for everyone else. “He’s gotten better too.” 

You look at Javy frowning, “how?”

“After the last mission, I dunno, it humbled him.“ Javy shrugs. “Made him more of a team player, less closed off. Less of an ass.” You smile. In the few times you had met Javy he had always made jokes about how you were too nice for Jake, but you never saw it. He was never an asshole around you. “You’re good for him.”

The grin on your face turns bitter. “Spinach is good for you too, so is exercise.” 

“What’s your point?” Javy is frowning at you and though you feel guilty for bringing it up with Jake in surgery, you are so emotionally drained over the last two days that your walls are down. 

You have hid your feelings for Jake away for so long it is second nature. There has never been anyone you can tell. And there is still something stopping you from outright bearing your soul to Javy. 

“I’m not going to be someone's spinach forever,” you say following the analogy. “I want to be the gooey chocolate chip cookie that you want because it makes you happy and the bad days better, not the spinach that you keep eating because it is good for you.”

Javy is silent beside you and you begin to spin the ring around your finger again. You have no idea if Javy caught on to what you were trying not to say and a part of you is past caring. Eventually Javy breaks the silence, “Jake likes spinach, and exercise.”

You sigh sadly, “I know he does.”

– – – 

When Jake is out of surgery you and Javy both get to see him. He is groggy and doesn’t do much more than mumble hello before the doctors advise him to sleep. Javy sits with you a while before a nurse insists that only one of you can stay. Javy leaves you with a hug and you curl up into the chair next to Jake’s bed.

Part of you regrets your promise from last night, that you would never leave him. You wouldn’t for good, but after the divorce you would need to go away for a while. You are staring out the window when you hear Jake's scratchy voice. “I thought I dreamed you were here with Javy.”

You pour some water into a cup and hold the straw for him. His one arm is in a cast and the other has an IV. You hit the call button the nurse had told you to press when he woke up. 

“I’m glad you stayed.” His voice is less scratchy and still heavy with sleep, but there is a little smile tugging on his lips. 

“I’m your wife, of course I'm here.” You smile at his groggy expression and gently squeeze his hand 

“No, I want you here for me.” His smile drops, “it's not fair, but I do.” The nurse and doctor come in and you step back to let them work, mulling over Jake's words.

They keep Jake in the hospital a few days and you call out of work so you can sit with him. Mostly he sleeps but when he is awake you talk about the little things, Javy’s upcoming wedding, the house repairs, but never anything to do with your relationship. You are sitting next to Jake when Cyclone arrives. Jake goes to shift his posture and the man waves him off. 

“Are you his wife?” You frown at the brusque question but nod. “Do you intend to stay married to him?” You nod again and Jake squeezes your hand. You glance at Jake, unnerved.

“Well in that case, Lieutenant Seresin I am ordering you to attend marriage counseling every two weeks for six months, with your wife.” He drops a list of counselors on the foot of the bed. “After that, and you are cleared medically, you can fly again. If you are quick about it, most of your time in counseling will coincide with your recovery.” 

Your jaw drops and Jake nods. “You’re getting off light on this Seresin. Mess around again with another vindictive woman and it won’t go well for you.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Jake salutes from his bed and Cyclone leaves just as abruptly as he entered. 

“I think he just strengthened our case.” Jake says.

[chvoswxtch]

trouble

pairing: frank castle x fem!reader

summary: it's been almost two weeks since you've seen frank, and in his absence, you've been left in the questionably capable hands of billy russo.

warnings: swearing, angst, mentions of alcohol, brief mention of death

word count: 6k

a/n: this is part 3 of this series! i'm so so so happy that you guys are enjoying bodyguard frankie. I still don't have a clear idea of how many parts this will be, but as long as you keep wanting it, i'll keep writing it. as a reminder, this is going to be a slow burn. ;) & as always, feedback is welcomed/appreciated!

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It had been two weeks since you had seen Frank. You had found out from one of the other bodyguards that he was on a special assignment, and was due back in another week or so. It was hard not to let your mind wander about where he was, what he was doing, who he was with…if he didn’t like being away from you as much as you despised being away from him. 

He probably hasn’t thought about you once.

You shoved that thought as far back into your mind as you could, focusing back on the blank document that was currently mocking you from your computer screen. A knock sounded on your door, and as you looked up, you saw a face that you’d been seeing more and more of lately in Frank’s absence.

Billy Russo.

“Mr. Russo.”

“C’mon Y/N/N, how many times I gotta tell you to call me Billy. Mr. Russo’s so…formal.”

“Says the man always in a three piece suit.”

“I got appearances to keep up.”

Billy flashed you a charming grin as he smoothed out the lapels of his suit jacket, undoing the middle button as he closed the door behind him and took a seat in the chair directly in front of your desk.

“Are you always this hands on with all of your clients? I’ve seen you more this past week than I’ve seen my own boss.”

“Nah, you’re a special situation that requires special attention.”

“Why’s that?”

Billy leaned back in the chair as he looked at you, that cheshire grin splitting further across his lips as he let his eyes wander shamelessly over your figure. Billy Russo was one of those guys that knew he was attractive, which only made him less attractive to you. He always looked too perfect. Always dressed in the most expensive suits, not a single hair ever out of place, beard always trimmed and neat, constantly being driven around in numerous luxury cars. While he wasn’t overly cocky, there was a smugness about him that made you want to roll your eyes every time he was around. Billy owned the company that Frank and the others worked for, but you hadn’t been able to figure out why he had been coming to visit you at least once a day for the past week.

“Told Frankie I’d look after you personally.”

Frankie.

You sat up a little straighter at the mention of Frank’s name, staring curiously at Billy as your face morphed into an expression of interest.

“Why?”

“Because he asked me to. Apparently, you like to cause trouble.”

Billy’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he adjusted the Rolex watch on his wrist, never once breaking eye contact with you. Whatever hope that had been ignited by the first half of his words was immediately snuffed out by the second half.

Frank wasn’t concerned about you. He had warned Billy about you.

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, you crossed your arms over your chest as you leaned back into your chair and stared blankly at your computer.

“I’m not causing any trouble any time soon. Trust me.”

“Regrettin’ your decision that caused all this?”

Billy gestured between himself and the other bodyguards outside your office, the grin on his lips faltering as he stared at you with genuine novelty. Narrowing your eyes slightly as you stared back at him, you pursed your lips and shook your head defiantly.

“I didn’t cause anything.”

Tapping his index finger against the wood of the arm chair, Billy cocked his head to the side as he surveyed you silently for a moment.

“Can I ask you somethin’?”

“I feel like even if I say no you’re going to anyway.”

The playful smirk returned to Billy’s mouth as he held his hands up in surrender for a moment before letting them drop back onto his lap.

“You can tell me to fuck off if you want.”

Letting out a dry laugh, you rolled your eyes as you glanced around your office before focusing back on him, giving a gentle nod of your head.

“Go ahead.”

“Why did you do it?”

The faint smile on your lips disappeared at his question. You lightly dug your nails into your palms, a slight sense of enragement filling your veins as you stared blankly at the notes in front of you. People had been asking you that ever since the article came out, and you were sick of justifying yourself.

“Because I didn’t want those assholes to think I agreed with anything they stood for.”

“You did write an article praisin’ the Punisher. He took justice into his own hands. That’s what those guys think they’re doing-”

“I didn’t praise him. I wrote an article about the complexities of vigilantes and the weaknesses in the justice system. What the Punisher did wasn’t right, but he never hurt anyone that didn’t deserve it. These…these cowards, they’re homegrown terrorists. They go after anyone that doesn’t agree with them-”

“And you thought it was smart to antagonize them?”

Billy leaned forward with his forearms on his thighs, staring directly into your eyes with a look of severity you hadn’t seen in him before. Shaking your head slowly, you let out a deep exhale of frustration before meeting his gaze again.

“They took my words and twisted them to fit and justify their own fucked up narrative. I didn’t want them or anyone else thinking for a second that I agreed with, or believed in their bullshit ‘cause’. They’ve hurt and killed innocent people. I wanted them to know exactly what I thought of them. And I’d do it all fucking over again, exactly the same. I don’t regret anything.”

Maybe it wasn’t the brightest idea to offend a group that had been terrorizing New York with various bomb threats and attacks, but you couldn’t sit idly by while they used your Punisher article to justify themselves. Maybe you shouldn’t have verbally eviscerated the leader that had called into your radio interview, or write that scathing follow up piece that further dismantled his ego. It certainly would have kept him from threatening you and everyone that worked at your paper, forcing Homeland Security to get involved, and causing you to walk around with an assigned shadow the past few months. 

But what was your other option? Stay quiet and let them think you were on their side just because they were dangerous? Live in fear of pissing off some weak man with a fragile ego?

Fuck that.

Billy’s lips once again split into a wolfish grin, and his eyes almost seemed to be glowing with something that resembled pride. He nodded his head in a sign of respect, settling back into the chair as his eyes once again roamed over you.

“I see why he likes you.”

Blinking a few times, you stared in dumbfoundment as Billy’s words settled in your ears. A dark chuckle left his lips as he stood, buttoning his jacket up while he made his way over to your door. Pausing in the entryway, he lightly gripped onto the handle and looked at you over his shoulder with a smirk.

“See you Saturday night, doll.”

“W-what?”

“The gala. You’re goin’ still, right?”

“Uh…yeah. Why?”

“Who do you think is takin’ you in Castle’s absence?”

Stunning you silent for the second time in less than two minutes, Billy’s lips spread into a smirk as he dropped his left eye into a wink, closing your door shut behind him to leave you alone with a flurry of thoughts swirling around in your head like a snowglobe that had been violently shaken. 

The gala.

Fuck.

Frank was supposed to be your escort. He was the primary one in charge of your detail at all times. Billy had assured your boss and Homeland that Frank was the best of the best, and the only time he swapped out with someone else was when they changed shifts during week nights. Or when he was pulled to do something that was more important than protect you from a terrorist group, apparently. A part of you wondered if he really was pulled, or if he had requested a break from you after the shit you had pulled.

There was no denying the disappointment you felt at the thought of not getting to see Frank all dressed up for a black tie event. It made sense Billy would be the one to take his place. He would blend in a lot easier than Frank, but he wasn’t who you wanted to spend the evening with. Dragging your palms down your face, you let out a deep exhale as you picked up your notes for the article you were supposed to be working on, the words blurring together in a jumbled mess as you read over them for the millionth time. You’d had an extremely hard time focusing lately with Frank being gone, trying your hardest not to think about the look on his face when he had left, the wedding ring around his neck, or anything about him. But now with Billy’s confession echoing in your ears, it was even harder.

I see why he likes you.

»»———　　———««

Billy was having the absolute time of his fucking life, and that annoyed you to your wits end. There wasn’t a single person in attendance at the gala he didn’t know, or didn’t seem to want to kiss his ass, and since you had promised not to cause any trouble, you weren’t to leave his side at all. Which meant you had to wait for him to finally shut the fuck up whenever you were ready for another trip to the open bar. 

A tiny piece of you hated to admit that having Billy as your escort wasn’t all bad. He’d picked you up in a Rolls Royce and practically undressed you with his eyes, keeping his compliments professional but not bothering to hide the hunger in his voice. While it stroked your ego the way he kept eyeing you in your dress, you quickly remembered that Billy Russo hit on anything with tits and a heartbeat. It did make you breathe a little easier that he was such an important person though, hoping that meant no one would try anything with you while you were in his company, and that the night wouldn’t end in fireworks. 

Sipping at your third glass of red wine, you watched as socialites and powerful political figures alike mingled in their fanciest outfits. An hour into the event you’d convinced Billy to let you sit at a table in his direct line of sight, growing bored of following him around like a shadow as he networked. Lightly trailing your index finger up and down the stem of your wine glass, your mind once again drifted to Frank. He wouldn’t have let you sit at a table all alone. He’d be the one following you around. 

You wondered if he’d like your dress. It was a simple emerald green satin gown with a low cut back and a deep v line that stopped at your sternum. You’d originally picked it out with him in mind, wondering if the way it hugged your body and showed off your figure would finally get your resigned bodyguard’s attention. A dry laugh left your lips at the thought of him, knowing he realistically would’ve just grunted in response when you asked if he liked it, looking anywhere but at you as he scanned the room like a guard dog. 

You missed Frank. You wondered if you would’ve gotten him to joke with you again if he had come tonight. You thought about picking out pretentious victims from the crowd with him, making up stories about who they were, misreading their lips on purpose knowing what they were actually talking about was far more ridiculous than anything the two of you could come up with. You wondered if he would’ve danced with you if you asked. You wondered if he would’ve asked.

You wondered where he was.

You wondered if he was with his wife. 

Swallowing the rest of the bitter burgundy contents in your glass, you glanced up when Billy’s tall figure suddenly appeared in front of you. He eyed your empty glass, flickering his eyes to yours with a playful arch of one of his dark brows.

“You gonna pace yourself?”

“I’ll be fine. You’re lucky I’m not drinking tequila.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Rolling your eyes, you leaned back into your chair and smoothed your dress out, tucking a loose curl behind your ear. Billy unbuttoned his suit jacket as he sat down beside you, turning his body towards you slightly.

“You know, I’ve never seen someone look so unhappy at a party.”

“I’m not unhappy.”

“You’re not havin’ a good time. What, I’m not good enough company for you?”

“How would I know? You’ve spent the whole night being the life of the party instead of my security escort.”

Billy stiffened slightly beside you, causing you to let out a deep exhale as you turned your head to look at him with an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair. You weren’t even supposed to be babysitting me tonight. You should be having a good time for having to put up with my shit.”

Billy placed his hand on your wrist, causing you to face him again as he looked at you completely void of his usual playful charm.

“Hey, I’m not babysittin’ you. I’m here to look after you. I know Frank can be a bit too hands on, so I was givin’ you your space. Didn’t want you to feel suffocated, that’s all. But if I’m bein’ too hands off, I can change that. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable.”

The sincerity in Billy’s voice caught you off guard, and it made you feel guilty. He didn’t hardly know you, and he certainly didn’t owe you anything. He was doing all of this because it was his job, and as a favor to Frank. Glancing around at all the people in attendance, you nibbled slightly at the inside of your cheek before looking back at Billy.

“Did…did he tell you about that night in the bar?”

Billy sat up a little straighter as his lips pressed into a set line, giving a slight nod of his head in your direction.

“He did.”

“That was my fault. I fucked up. And all I’ve been able to think about since…is how any one of those guys could’ve been one of them, and that would’ve been it. I haven’t felt comfortable in a crowd since. Shit…I haven’t felt comfortable since I got that first death threat. But I wasn’t really…scared until that night. I don’t know what would’ve happened if-”

Letting out a shaky breath, you averted your gaze down to your lap, brushing your hair away from your face as you held onto the back of your own neck in an attempt to self soothe. You weren’t sure why you were telling Billy all of this. You weren’t sure why you were feeling so vulnerable and emotional. But you were suddenly feeling grateful for his presence as he took your hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Hey, nothin’ is gonna happen to you tonight. I promise. If you want me to stay with you, I will. I’ll go where you go. You want me to fuck off, I will. You just let me know what you need. You wanna leave?”

“No…no I didn’t…nearly have a breakdown in my bathroom because my hair wouldn’t cooperate just to leave so soon.”

The edge of Billy’s mouth curved upwards into a smirk, nodding slowly as he leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his own hair to push it back into place.

“I know the feelin’.”

Rolling your eyes, you let out a soft laugh as you stared at him incredulously.

“Oh please. Like Billy Russo ever has a bad hair day.”

“Hey, you see the finished product, not the bloodbath it took to get there.”

Billy abruptly craned his neck to look past you, furrowing his dark brows as he nodded sharply at someone before glancing down at you with a softer expression.

“You excuse me for a sec? I’ll be right back, I promise.”

“Yeah, sure. I’m gonna go find the bathroom anyway.”

Billy paused in the middle of standing up, glancing between you and the hallway that led to where the bathrooms were, lifting his brows up slightly as he looked at you again.

“I can wait for you if-”

“No, it’s alright. Besides, I know you got eyes all over this place.”

Looking up at him with a soft smile on your lips, you watched as Billy’s lips pulled into a wide grin before he winked.

“Goddamn right I do.”

Never in a million years did you think you would be baring your soul to Billy Russo, or that confessing your fears to him would make you feel lighter, but surprisingly it did. Perhaps you had been just as wrong about him as you had been about Frank. 

For the first time all evening, you felt like you could actually breathe. Billy’s words had a calming effect on you, and you didn’t feel anxious anymore as you walked alone towards the bathrooms. The long hallway was surprisingly empty and seemed to go on forever. You paused as you noticed a set of french doors at the end of the hall that were slightly opened, revealing a balcony of some kind. You walked right past the bathrooms as your inquisitiveness got the better of you.

“Where you think you’re goin’?”

Instantly freezing in place, a surprised gasp flew past your lips when a familiar deep gruff voice cut through the sound of your heels clacking along the empty tiled hallway.

You knew that voice.

Frank.

Quickly spinning around, your eyes widened considerably as you took in the sight in front of you; Frank Castle in a sleek all black suit. 

He was the most cleaned up you had ever seen him. Frank had been growing his hair out lately, enough for you to notice it had a bit of a curly texture to it, but it looked like he had gotten it trimmed recently, and it was pushed back into a neat style. There weren’t any bruises or cuts littering his face, and it looked like he had just shaved since his usual five o’clock shadow was gone. The suit somehow made him look even bigger. His shoulders looked immensely broader in the jacket, and the dark material clung to his bulging arms and thick thighs as if it had been tailored to fit him perfectly. 

The thought briefly crossed your mind that it probably had been if it had been provided by Billy for the event. 

Thank you Billy Russo.

You were all of a sudden painfully aware that Frank had been staring at you silently, essentially watching you ogle at him as he waited for your answer. His features were set in an indifferent expression that had a hint of irritation lingering beneath, one you had gotten all too familiar with, and it caused a flush of scarlet to coat your cheeks as you parted your lips to speak and tried to remember how.

“I…just…was curious. About what’s out there. I saw the door was open…and…what-what are you doing here?”

“Russo’s fuckin’ job apparently.”

Blinking a few times, you were stunned silent by the anger that bit through Frank’s words, noticing the ember of vexation that burned in his deep espresso eyes. Your brain was still trying to process the sight of him in a suit, and you struggled to figure out what he seemed to be pissed off about until Billy’s name clicked it all into place.

“Don’t be mad at him. I told him I was just going to the bathroom and coming right back. That’s…my fault. I got sidetracked.”

“Didn’t realize you two were so close.”

A muscle feathered in Frank’s jaw as his coarse voice spit those words into your ear, and you crossed your arms over your chest as you leaned against the wall and lightly shrugged your shoulders, averting your gaze to the fancy tiled floor.

“I wouldn’t say that. I think tonight is the most I’ve ever talked to him.”

“Seemed pretty close when you were holdin’ his hand.”

Flickering your eyes up to meet Frank’s, your lips parted in shock. 

How long had he been here?

You furrowed your brows slightly as you tried to figure out what he was talking about. A look of realization spread over your face when it dawned on you that Billy had held your hand at the table earlier when you had opened up about the night at the bar with Frank and your current apprehensions about crowds.

Why did he sound so pissed off about that?

Shaking your head slowly, you tucked some of your hair behind your ear as you stared down at the floor once again, unable to meet his fiery disappointed gaze.

“That wasn’t…he was just being nice. I was giving him shit about spending more time flaunting himself than looking after me. It’s…been a long week and I wasn’t…I was feeling uneasy about being here tonight.”

In a flash Frank was in front of you, his large hand lightly gripping onto your chin to force you to look up at him as his eyes frantically searched over your form.

“Why? Somethin’ happen?”

The way Frank could switch from a broody, intimidating man that could snap someone in half with his bare hands to a gentler version of himself that spoke to you and touched you as if you were made of glass in less than a millisecond nearly gave you whiplash and always left you in a daze. You stared up into his concerned eyes almost in a trance, lightly wrapping your fingers around his wrist as you let out a breath.

“No. Nothing happened, it's just…since the bar…I’ve just…been kinda freaked out. I’ve never really liked crowds, but now they make me even more nervous. It’s…it’s my fault. I did all this to myself.”

“Don’t say that. You didn’t do nothin’ wrong.”

“I put myself in danger. When I wrote those articles…when I said what I did to him…that night at the bar…I just…have a really awful habit of putting myself in bad situations, apparently.”

Frank’s lips parted slightly, as if he was going to say something, but you were caught on the way his features had softened substantially as he stared down at you. There was an emotion lingering in his eyes that looked like pity, or maybe remorse, but you couldn’t make it out. It was always so hard to read him.

“Oh, shit.”

Frank instantly turned his head in the direction of Billy’s voice, dropping his hand from your face and standing up a little straighter as his expression of annoyance from earlier returned full force.

“You wanna tell me why she’s alone?”

“She was just goin’ to the bathroom, Frankie. Relax. I got four guys watchin’ cameras, and twelve posted around the whole place.”

“I asked you for one thing, Bill. One goddamn thing.”

“Frank-”

“I asked you to watch her, personally. That means watch her. Not parade yourself around like fuckin’ royalty while she sits by herself at a fuckin’ table and wanders around the goddamn place alone.”

Billy instantly pressed his lips into a hard line, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at Frank’s irritable form. Frank looked absolutely pissed off as he glared back at Billy, and for whatever reason, you felt the need to come to Billy’s defense. Moving to position yourself between the two men, you placed your hand on Frank’s chest to get his attention.

“I asked him to do that, Frank. I didn’t feel like mingling with anyone. We thought it was a smart idea if Billy looked like a regular attendee instead of a bodyguard in case anyone tried anything, and I really didn’t want the extra attention. He made sure I was where he could see me at all times. Frank, he’s been coming by my office everyday to check on me while you were gone. Please don’t be upset, it was my idea. I just didn’t want the headache.”

Frank clenched his jaw as he stared down at you, his dark eyes occasionally flickering over your head to meet Billy’s. Letting out a deep exhale through his nose, he nodded his head towards the other direction of the hallway.

“If you’re done fuckin’ around out here, get back inside.”

Frank’s voice was so rough as it came out, it felt as if he’d physically slapped you across the face. You did your best not to let your emotions get the best of you, quickly dropping your hand from Frank’s chest as if it had burned you. Giving a light submissive nod, you swiftly turned on your heel to walk back towards the party. Billy eyed you with pity as you walked past him, and you promptly dropped your gaze, not wanting him to see the hurt that threatened to slip past your waterline. 

Bypassing the table that you had been sitting at, you made a beeline for the open bar, tucking yourself away at the furthest corner as you ordered your fourth glass of red wine of the night. The bitter taste on your tongue was nothing compared to the bitter resentment you felt towards Frank right now. He had been so hot and cold with you lately, it was driving you mad. You could never tell where you stood with him. You had never wanted so badly to look into another person’s mind to figure out what they were thinking or feeling. Frank was a brick wall when he wanted to be, and you weren’t sure if you had the patience or the strength to try to break through. 

Ten minutes later, you felt Frank’s presence beside you before you saw him out of the corner of your eye. The scent of his cologne was more intoxicating than anything they were serving tonight, and you resisted every urge to move closer to the source. 

“Might wanna consider slowin’ down. That’s your fourth one.”

So he had been here all night.

You weren’t in the mood to argue with him, so you simply slid the glass over on the bar towards him and turned around to walk back to the table. Frank caught your wrist to halt your movements, and you looked up at him with furrowed brows. His lips were downturned into a frown that tugged at your heartstrings, and the lighting above the bar cast a spotlight on the guilt pooling in his eyes.

“I didn’t say stop, just…be careful. You have a hard time findin’ your limit.”

“I know where it is, Frank. I just ignore it.”

Frank’s face twisted up with an emotion you couldn’t decipher, and as you went to tug your wrist free from his grasp, his fingers tightened to hold you firmly in place.

“Hey…look, I’m uh…I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Bein’ a dick, back there. I didn’t mean to. I…just…I asked Bill for a favor-”

“Because I’m a handful.”

Frank’s dark brows knit together in the center of his forehead as he stared down at you, features drawn in confusion.

“What? No. Cause I trust him. I know what he’s capable of, and I know he’s the only other person that could protect you as good as me.”

A fresh spell of heat pooled in your lower belly at Frank’s words, and a rosy tint rose to the surface of your cheeks.

Frank hadn’t warned Billy about you. Frank only trusted Billy with you.

“Oh…I thought…maybe you…had told him I was trouble.”

Frank cocked his head to the side while he looked at you, and suddenly a faint smirk curled at the edge of his mouth as he chuckled lowly.

“Well, that you are, sweetheart. But it wasn’t that. Matter of fact, I’m kinda disappointed you didn’t give Russo a run for his money. You only like fuckin’ with me?”

Sweetheart. There it was again.

You immediately blushed realizing Frank had been onto you, trying your best to hide your grin as you feigned an expression of mock offense.

“Frank Castle, when have I ever fucked with you?”

Frank narrowed his eyes slightly in a playful glare, arching one of his dark brows in challenge as his lips spread into a devilish grin.

“You want a list?”

Granting him a roll of your eyes, you sank your teeth into your bottom lip as you giggled, lifting your hands up in surrender as you shrugged your shoulders.

“Okay, fine. Maybe I do. Will not confirm or deny. But, I can tell you that Billy isn’t nearly as fun to be around, and I was worried that he would have an aneurysm if I derailed even a second of his perfect life.”

“Probably, but woulda been damn funny to watch.”

These were the moments it was the hardest to be around Frank. When he did let the broody facade drop. When he smiled at you, joked with you, and acted like he genuinely cared about you and that you weren’t just some assignment. Because it made it all that much harder when he inevitably switched back into your ruminative bodyguard. 

“You look really good in a suit.”

As soon as the words flew past your lips, your heart started to beat faster. Those four glasses of wine were finally catching up to you and slowly dismantling the filter between your mouth and your brain. Frank’s grin faltered, and he looked completely taken aback by your comment. He quickly cleared his throat, lightly tugging at the tie around his neck as he timidly met your eyes.

“Uh, thanks. Gotta be honest, it’s real fuckin’ uncomfortable. Don’t know how the hell Bill wears these things all the goddamn time.”

“He can’t pull off jeans and a regular shirt like you can.”

Jesus Christ please shut the fuck up.

As the heat of embarrassment flamed in your cheeks, you swiftly turned your head to look anywhere but at Frank, trying your hardest to find a new subject of conversation.

“So-”

“You wanna dance?”

Frank looked just as surprised by his own question as you did, lifting his hand to awkwardly scratch at the back of his neck before gesturing around to the party.

“Since we’re s’posed to be blendin’ in and all that. You don’t gotta, just thought-”

“I do.”

A timid smile spread over your lips as you looked up at Frank, swallowing thickly as you held out your hand for him to take. Glancing between your eyes and your hand, Frank gave a slight nod and grunted quietly in response before taking your hand to lead you to the dance floor. Your hand trembled when you raised it to place on Frank’s shoulder, a quiet gasp leaving your parted lips as his large hand settled on your waist. He clasped your small hand in his large one, his deep brown eyes glancing around at everyone over your head.

“Um…can you dance?”

Frank looked almost offended by your question as he looked down at you, cocking his head to the side.

“You didn’t think to ask me that before followin’ me over here?”

“Just curious.”

“What? Don’t I look like I can dance?”

“Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I mean you’re so…graceful.”

“Smartass.”

A fit of giggles slipped past your lips as you momentarily leaned your forehead against Frank’s chest, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before pulling back to peer up at him with a grin.

“Just don’t step on my toes, please. I really like these shoes. And I’m pretty sure you would break them considering you’re twice my size.”

“Just for that I’m gonna do it on purpose. See how much trouble you can cause with two broken feet.”

Your mouth immediately fell open as you stared up at Frank with wide eyes.

“Frank!”

His eyes crinkled at the sides as he bellowed with laughter, shaking his head slowly as he lightly squeezed your waist.

“Aw c’mon, you know I’m kiddin’.”

“Actually, I don’t. I think you would. And just for that, I’m requesting a new bodyguard.”

“No.”

“What?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Cause I said so.”

You glared up at Frank with a smug grin spreading across your lips, jutting your chin out defiantly as you shrugged.

“Not your call.”

“Actually it is. See, the guys report to me, and Bill ain’t gonna challenge me. So, as I said before, no.”

Frank tilted his head to the side as he stared down at you with the ghost of a smirk covering his lips. The look in his eyes caused a fire to erupt in your lower belly, and you rolled your eyes so that you could look away. Frank was surprisingly a great dancer, making it feel as if the two of you were floating around the dance floor together effortlessly.

“You uh…you look nice.”

Whipping your head up in Frank’s direction, you stared blankly up at him as his words translated in your ears.

“What?”

“Your dress and all. Meant to tell you earlier. You uh, look…beautiful.”

The sincerity in Frank’s voice and his gaze made your heart swell, feeling as if it had completely swollen inside your ribcage. Taking in a sharp breath, you lightly squeezed onto his shoulder to steady yourself as your voice came out quiet.

“Thank you.”

Frank grunted quietly in response with a nod of his head, averting his gaze to survey the room like it was second nature. You couldn’t stop staring at him as his words swirled around inside your head.

“You’re really good at this, you know.”

A timid smile appeared on Frank’s lips as he chuckled lowly, glancing briefly down at you.

“Was worried I’d be rusty. I ain’t danced like this in quite awhile.”

“When was the last time?”

The smile on Frank’s face was instantly torn away like a vengeful tide erasing a sandcastle. You stilled as you watched his dark eyes immediately harden, the outline of his strong jawline becoming sharper as it set roughly. The shift in the mood felt as if someone had tossed a bucket of ice cold water over you, and you fumbled to backtrack.

“Sorry, I didn’t-”

“My wedding.”

Frank didn’t meet your eyes as he spoke. The playful tone of his voice from earlier was long gone, leaving nothing but the rough gravel behind. 

“I…I’m sorry. I…it must be difficult for you. I’ve never been divorced-”

“Didn’t get divorced. She died.”

Frank’s confession knocked all the wind right out of your lungs. He said it so…casually, but with so much pain and anger layered beneath the syllables. The only reason his eyes met yours again was because he noticed you had stopped dancing. Frank’s eyes had become wild, completely blown open like a wound with shades of rage and grief. It caused a shiver to caress your spine.

“Frank-”

“Don’t.”

There was a hard edge to his voice, a warning mixed with a plea as he stared down at you. Giving a slight nod of your head, you snapped your mouth shut, unable to tear your gaze away from him. Frank stared you down silently for a moment before relinquishing his grip on your waist and dropping his hand from yours to take a step backwards.

“Bill will take you home.”

“What? Where are you going?”

“Got somethin’ to finish up.”

“Right now?”

Frank’s impenetrable glare stunned you once again into submission, and you found yourself nodding again since you didn’t trust your voice. Giving you one last final look over, Frank forced his way through the crowd towards the exit, leaving you completely stunned and all alone in the middle of the dance floor.

tags: @jwjeepers @day-dreaming-goddess @messymissy @itwasthereaminuteago @strawberry1042 @queenofthenoobs @wanda2themax @neverlandcity @charmedkim @stilldreaming666 @dark-academia-slut

[olivialau]

Shadow's Embrace Ch.15

Sukuna x Reader

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fanfiction based on the universe of "Jujutsu Kaisen," created by Gege Akutami. The original manga, anime, and characters belong to their respective owners and creators.

Notes:

This story unfolds in the Jujutsu Kaisen world, set in a slightly altered universe where Sukuna inhabits his own vessel distinct from Itadori Yuji's body, making him a separate entity.

Summary:

Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses, becomes fascinated with a female sorcerer rich in potential but lacking control. Initially seizing her for his destructive plans, Sukuna aims to bind her abilities through a contract. Yet, as he tries to dominate her, he finds himself intrigued by her strength and determination. Over time, his interest evolves from strategic advantage to a deeper, personal connection.

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CHAPTER 15 - A Dagger for the Damned

After giving you his cryptic guidance, Sukuna eyed you with an intense gaze. You were uncertain of what he was getting at, but with every moment that ticked by, his eyes narrowed further with growing annoyance.

Until they were mere splits glaring at you, as he finally spat, "Training is over, so leave." the dismissive tone in his voice making your blood boil.

You were too exhausted to get into another confrontation though, so you simply turned and made your way towards the door,

Just as you were about to cross the threshold, however, Sukuna's voice rang out, halting you in your tracks. "Wait," he commanded, the single word laced with an authority that compelled you to obey.

Turning back, you faced him once more, your expression guarded as you waited for him to speak. What could he possibly want now?

"There's something else we need to discuss," Sukuna's voice carried a certain gravity that made you tense. Him wanting to discuss something was always a bad omen.

He remained seated atop the skulls that spread the floor, speaking louder to bridge the distance, making sure his next words reached you.

"Next time, I won't be bothered to meet up at a specific time," he stated. "I despise waiting, and I loathe adjusting my plans for someone else. From now on, you won't be staying at the dorms."

His words took you by surprise, your mind racing to comprehend the implications. "What? I can't just—" you began, but Sukuna was quick to assert his control.

"You will stay here in this apartment with me outside of school hours," he continued, cutting you off mid-sentence. "This way, I can plan the trainings whenever it's convenient for me."

Panic surged through you at the thought of living with Sukuna, constantly within reach of his whims and cruelties. "No way," you protested, striving for composure. "I can't possibly live with a man—let alone you."

Sukuna's expression turned dark, his gaze sharpening like the edge of a blade. "It's not a request, brat. It's an order," he growled.

"You will tell those fools at Jujutsu High that you're moving out of the dorms."

Desperation clawed at you, seeking a way out. "But what excuse would I give? It would raise too many questions if I suddenly left the dorms. I wouldn't know what to tell them," you said, the urgency in your voice betraying your anxiety.

Sukuna's patience was clearly fraying, as he started tapping his foot against the muddy floor.

"That's your concern, not mine," he snapped, his tone cold and dismissive. "Figure it out. You have one day to sort out this mess. Starting tomorrow, you'll be under my roof, where I can keep a close eye on you. It's more... convenient for the both of us."

Your heart sank. The binding vow hung over you like a noose, forcing compliance despite every instinct screaming to resist. "Fine," you muttered, defeated. "I'll figure it out."

Sukuna's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Good. Now get out of my sight."

With that, you turned and made your way back to Jujutsu High. This would be your last peaceful night for a long while...

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Meanwhile the conservative higher-ups at Jujutsu High commenced their meeting

There was a somber ambiance in the room, as the higher-ups of Jujutsu High convened in the shadowy confines, their faces etched with concern. The dim light cast long, ominous shadows as they deliberated the unsettling developments.

"It's troubling that someone as powerful as Sukuna would kidnap a young woman and then release her unharmed," one of them remarked, his fingers drumming on the table, a clear sign of his unease.

"Indeed," another echoed, his voice tinged with the same concern. "We can't ignore the possibility that she poses a greater threat than we initially thought. It's dangerous to let her roam free."

The tension in the room thickened as the third figure leaned forward, his eyes sharp and calculating. "We need to take action. Hire someone to eliminate her," he declared, his voice a near whisper that carried the weight of a death sentence.

The others nodded. There was a chilling sense of agreement among them, no hesitation or moral quandary at the suggestion of such a final solution.

"We need someone skilled, someone who can handle this without drawing too much attention," one of the higher-ups proposed, the wheels turning in his head as he pondered the options available to them.

"Someone who works underground," another added, a barely perceptible smile suggesting the dark nature of his thoughts as he landed upon a certain option.

"He'll do anything for the right amount of money and is especially skilled in killing sorcerers."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the name of the individual unspoken yet understood by all. The Sorcerer Killer—a ruthless mercenary known for his effectiveness in dispatching sorcerers.

"Contact him," the first figure instructed,  "Make sure he understands the urgency and discretion required. This must be handled swiftly and without any loose ends."

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Back at the dorms

Morning came all too quickly. The soft light filtering through the curtains cast a warm glow on the walls, but it did nothing to still your racing mind. This was your last morning waking up in this dorm room, and the thought left a bitter taste in your mouth.

The room had been a sort of refuge, a place where you could catch your breath between the relentless demands of training and the ever-present threat of Sukuna. A place where you could be alone for once.

But now, you had to to abandon it.

No longer would you have the luxury of solitude, of being able to let your guard down, even for a moment. At the apartment with Sukuna, you would be forced into constant vigilance, under the watchful eye of the King of Curses himself.

It didn't feel much different than being a captive again.

You caught your reflection in the mirror, the deep bags beneath your eyes betrayed the exhaustion that had taken hold. In a futile attempt to refresh yourself, you splashed water on your face, as if you could somehow wash those dark circles away.

And then, with a heavy heart, you made your way to the teachers' lounge, hoping to find Gojo.

He wasn't there. Frustrated, you turned to leave, only to bump into him at the  threshold of the door.

"Whoa there!" Gojo exclaimed, a sly grin spreading across his face. "In a rush to see me? I'm flattered."

"Gojo-sensei," you began, trying to steady your voice, "I need to talk to you. It's important."

"Sure thing," he said, his tone becoming more serious as he noticed your demeanor. "What's up?"

You hesitated, choosing your words carefully. "I need to move out of the dorms. It's... it's because I keep being reminded of the night Sukuna kidnapped me. It's stressful, and I can't sleep." Maybe the bags under your eyes would at the very least lend credibility to your words.

Gojo's expression shifted, his smile fading into a look of contemplation with a hint of suspicion. "You think moving out will help with that?" he asked, his voice gentle but probing.

"Yes," you replied, your nod a bit too eager as you tried to sell the half-truth. "I need a fresh place without any bad memories, somewhere I can clear my head. But of course, I want to continue my studies here during the day."

Gojo studied you for a moment, his keen eyes searching yours. "You know, we can arrange for you to stay in a protected facility where you'll be safe. You wouldn't have to worry about anything."

"No," you said quickly, shaking your head. "I appreciate it, but I'll find a place myself. It would be too much, I'll be fine," you insisted.

You were suprised how easy all these lies and words of deceit left your lips, was Sukuna's influence beginning to erode your own morality?

As your mind wandered on that thought, Gojo finally agreed, "I'm not thrilled about this, but if you really think it will help, I can't stop you," he said, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "But just in case, I'd like to give you something."

Intrigued, you followed him as he led you to a secluded building on the Jujutsu High campus. The door unlocked with a soft click, and as Gojo gestured for you to enter, the light from outside spilled into the room, revealing a sight that left you in awe.

The walls were adorned with an impressive array of weapons - knives, swords, rifles, and more. Each one gleamed with a deadly elegance.

"These are cursed tools," Gojo explained with nonchalant air, enjoying your wide-eyed curiosity. "Each one is imbued with a curse, and has unique properties. They can be pretty handy, if you know how to use them."

It wasn't the first time you had come across one of these—Sukuna had forced you to fight with a cursed blade the first time he'd manifested his innate domain—but you were still intrigued as Gojo went on to explain the use of these tools.

Gojo crouched down, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a beautiful dagger with a crimson hilt.

"I’d feel better if you had some form of self-protection. This dagger is great for getting through defenses—curse or otherwise," he said, a playful smirk on his lips.

The subtle nuance in Gojo's words did not escape your notice. When he spoke of curse or 'otherwise'.

He demonstrated some quick tricks with the blade, moving with an ease that made the dagger seem light like a feather. "Here, give it a shot," he said, handing it to you.

You mimicked his movements, feeling the weight and balance of the dagger. Gojo adjusted your grip and stance, offering pointers. "Remember, aim for vital points. And always be aware of your surroundings."

After a few more practice swings, Gojo showed you how to stash the dagger beside your heel. "Keep it hidden, but within easy reach," he advised, his gaze meeting yours with a silent understanding.

"Thank you, Gojo-sensei," you said, genuinely grateful for his concern.

"Just be careful," he replied, his tone a mix of seriousness and warmth. "And remember, if things get messy, you can always come to me."

The rest of the day at Jujutsu High was filled with the usual rigor of training and lessons.

When the moment came to inform Itadori, Megumi, and Kugisaki of your decision to leave the dorms, a pang of sadness gripped your heart, as if each word you spoke widened the gap between you and your friends.

"You're moving out?" Itadori's voice was tinged with surprise, his brown eyes reflecting both confusion and concern.

"Yeah," you answered, feigning a nonchalance you didn't feel. "Just need a change of scenery."

Megumi's response was measured, his thoughtful gaze assessing you as he spoke. "If that's what you feel is best, then do it. But don't hesitate to ask for help if you need anything."

Kugisaki's reaction was more direct, her arms crossed and her eyes sharp with scrutiny. "You better not be doing anything stupid. And don't think this gets you out of training with us."

Their words, a blend of concern and camaraderie, drew a small smile from you. "I'll still be around during the day. Just not at night," you reassured them, as you waved them goodbye at the end of the day.

You found yourself stalling as you headed towards the apartment, wandering the streets in an attempt to savor the last vestiges of freedom. The thought of the inevitable encounter with Sukuna that awaited you there, made you nauseous.

When you couldn't stall any longer you headed towards the apartment door, thinking to yourself that you'd have to arrange your own key, so you could sneak in rather than bother Sukuna and get a rude snap or remark in return for his efforts.

When you reached for the doorbell your hand froze mid-reach. An oppressive force pressing into your back rendered you motionless, as a shadow enveloped you from behind. Sukuna stood right behind you, invading your personal space. He leaned in, his breath warm against your ear.

"Looks who's waiting outside like a lost puppy," he taunted, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down your spine. "Don't worry, little sorcerer, your owner's home now," he continued, the mockery in his tone clear as day.

His words were so repulsive that you had to resist the urge to draw the dagger from your heel and silence him permanently.

Sukuna's arm reached past you, key in hand. And as the lock clicked open, the teasing lilt in his voice vanished, replaced by an imperious command:

"Get in."

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[lolitakirstein]

Hey Neighbor Pt 9

Part 8

WC: ~1.5k

AN: I'm so worried about writing longer chapters in case they are too boring. but I hate splitting things up when I'm on a roll. ha

You watched as the man you had run into exited Toji’s house 30 minutes later. Unable to hear what the two were discussing you relied on their body language to give you some hint as to who he was. The men seemed formal towards each other yet relaxed; Toji with his hands in his pocket or across his chest, the other guy casually lighting a cigarette while showing his back to toji. There must be some level of trust between them, then. Before the man leaves, you notice him gesture towards your house. You draw back further from the window, afraid of being seen.

Once the car is out of sight and Toji returns to his house, you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. Should you ask Toji who he was or was that being too nosy? Not like i’ll get a straight answer, he refuses to tell me anything, you think, settling on being nonchalant about it.

Fortunately, you had work to keep you focused. And most fortunately, your hangover was minimal. Nothing more than a slight throb thanks to the pain meds Toji had offered you. You become robotic as you scan, sort, and shelve books and answer the same boring questions from customers. 

Before you can notice, it’s your lunch break. You sit in the small cafe that the bookstore offers, downing a hot chai latte and checking your phone. One message from the work group chat and one from Toji that was sent a few hours ago

Toji: You ok?

You fight back the urge to send, “I can’t tell you right now, it’s not the right time,” instead, pocketing your phone and playing hard to get. You clock back into work, ready to start the second half of your shift. 

 Wait, am I wanting him to chase me or something? This guy who knows things but won't tell me? Why am I trying to act like this is a dude i’ve swiped on Tindr? This guy has secrets, deep ones. Ones I probably don’t wanna know—

“Excuse me,” a soft voice snaps you out of your internal monologue. You spin around and are met with a man. His dark auburn hair is close-cropped at the sides while the top fashionably brushes just above his deep brown eyes. A soft shadow of stubble peppers his strong jaw. 

“Oh, hello. Can I help you?” you quickly revert to the robotic motions of a customer service provider.

“Yeah, I was looking for your classical section.”

“Are you looking for anything in particular,” you ask after leading him to the designated section of the store. 

“What would you recommend?” 

A question every worker hates. “Well, can never go wrong with Doestrevsky.” 

“Ah, yes, I read Crime and Punishment in school. Incredible prose,” he responds. 

Your heart lifts at finally being able to discuss books with someone. “Indeed, if you like that, you might like The Idiot. Same themes of human nature and society.” You grab a copy off the shelf and hand it to me. 

“Well I’d be an idiot if I didn’t take the advice of such a beautiful, well-read woman,” he says coyly as you walk to the counter.  You internally groan but also can’t help but blush at the compliment, though the joke was indeed awful.

“Let me know how you like it?” you say after ringing him up and bagging his purchase. 

“How about we discuss it over dinner sometime,” he cocks an auburn brown.

“Oh,” you stammer, thrown off by the sudden offer. It’d been so long since you’d been on a date you forgot what it was like to be asked out. “Sure!”

“Great I’ll keep you posted on my progress,” the man who you now know as Connor pockets his phone after you exchange numbers. “I look forward to discussing it with you and hearing your beautiful thoughts.”

Ok, he was laying it on a little thick but you don't mind. The only interaction you had had with a man for the past few months had been with Toji. And those interactions were hardly civil, much less flirty. Though Toji tended to tease, it was mostly to throw you off the topic of his secrets. 

The rest of your shift goes by quickly and you arrive home before the sun goes down. As you get out of your car, you notice Toji sitting on his porch steps. You try to ignore him but ignoring him is like trying to ignore a bear about to devour you. You give a wave, walking fast to your house. 

“You ok?” Toji asks, still sitting on the steps. Damn, he either can’t take a hint or is just stubborn. 

“Yeah, thanks,” you respond fumbling your keys out of your pocket. You drop them. Cursing yourself for being so easily intimidated by him you stoop to pick them up. Toji’s feet appear in your line of vision. You look up at the giant man standing over you. You want to feel afraid, but you can’t deny the absolute feral part of your brain at the sight of him standing over you. 

“Why didn’t you text me back?” the possessive tone didn’t help dampen the submissive part of your psyche. Damn, why do I have to be such a whore for crazy men?

“I was working,” you squeak out, picking your keys up and walking to your front steps. 

“I wanna talk,” Toji says behind you as you march up the steps and unlock your door. 

“It’s fine Toji. Nothing to talk about,” you turn around, Toji is standing at the bottom of your porch steps. 

“There is,” Toji huffs a breath. “A lot, actually.”

You were not in the mood for this. Your day ended on a good note and you intend for it to stay that way. “Look, whatever it is. I don’t care.”

“Yes you do,” Toji takes one step up. 

You shake your head, even though you were screaming yes in your head. You will not let him win. “Nah, I’m good. I really couldn't care less what your little secrets are. I don’t even know you.”

“It’s not that, it’s just—”

The notification on your phone interrupts the moment. You reach into your pocket for it and notice a text from Connor. 

Connor: I hope you had a good rest of your day. I must say, you made mine :) 

Oh, the cringe was off the charts with this guy. But you can’t keep the stupid smile from appearing on your face. Followed by a giggle. Shit I’m giggling over a guy. I need laid 

“Who’s that?” Toji asks sharply.

“No one,” you shake your head.

“No one huh,” Toji takes another step up, finally standing in front of you. “‘No one’ got you smiling like a goof?”

“You have your secrets, I have mine,” you shrug.  

“You don't blush like that for just no one,” Toji teases, he steps so close you can feel the heat off of him. “Now who could possibly be making sweet little y/n blush so much besides me?”

You crane your neck up to look at him, refusing to show he’s affecting you. “I can’t tell you. It’s not the right time.”

Finally, you manage to knock him off his game by throwing his words back at him. He steps back, putting some distance between you. A scowl wrinkles his brow and his jaw ticks as he clenches his teeth. You smirk, pleased with yourself. “Good night toji.”

Toji

Toji stares at the door you slammed in his face, stricken dumb by the sass you dished out. He had expected this to be a moment of confession, finally getting it all out in the open. Now standing at your closed door, Toji has no choice but to retreat back home.

After dinner and tucking Megumi into bed, Toji collapses onto his king-size bed. He turns his head to the window, towards your house. The lamp on your bedside table creates a soft glow from your window. He watches as you enter the bedroom. Your eyes on your phone, smiling. 

Toji clenches his jaw. Here he was ready to start having an honest conversation with you, and you were too busy with this mysterious ‘no one.’ He hated being this way, but he couldn’t deny that he felt a sense of protectiveness over you. 

He watches you throw your phone on the bed, the giddy smile still on your lips—perfect lips, soft delicate lips he’s thought about kissing on multiple occasions. With your back to the window, you remove your shirt and toss it to the chair before you begin sliding your pants down. As much as Toji would love nothing more than to watch, he has enough decency to look away, he’s not THAT much of a pervert. 

He reaches into his back pocket, depositing the contents beside him. 

First is his cellphone which he text Shiu–I need to borrow a few of your tech geeks.

The second, is a sealed envelope. No address, no street names or numbers. Just 3 words written in delicate script:

il mio agnellino

[randomgurl2326]

Andromeda and Perseus: Destined

Chapter 2: It’s the Sorting Hat, Duh

Harry Potter Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Moodboards

This chapter we will finally reintroduce our infamous Perseus, Theodore Nott! So excited, please grab some popcorn and relax as we delve in the magical world of Hogwarts…

Also, to anyone who is deterred from reading this because the mother and the father of the twins are not people of color, please don't feel so. I personally headcanon, since Voldemort is "all-powerful", it means that his children can have a different skin color than his and Bellatrix's. I will always make this an all-inclusive story for any race and religion that happens to come across the story. Of course, wizarding customs are to be added.

So please read whether you are American, Ukrainian, Indian, Korean, or whatever ethnicity. I will NEVER discriminate, and if you EVER feel my writing isn't as inclusive as it could be, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE reach out to me.

I love you ALL💚💜

The Hogwarts Express September 1, 1991

At the sound of his name, the brown-haired boy turned around, spotting his best friend sprinting at him.

“Umph!” 

Right after he turned, Theo was instantly met with his best friend smashing into him with a bone-crushing hug. The Nott boy immediately smiled widely and returned the hug with the same ferocity.

“Y/N/N! I missed you!” at his words, the younger Riddle twin nuzzled her head into the boy’s neck. “I missed you too, Teddy.”

Y/N pulled back from Theo’s neck, “Matty and Draco are getting a compartment right now… Or, at least I think they are. I just kinda,” The girl did a little wooshing gesture with her hands, “y’know.” The girl laughed a little.

Theo returned the small laugh with a grin, “I know, I kinda felt it.”

“Shut up, you love me,” Y/N said, “C’mon, let’s go find Matty and Draco. They're back there somewhere.”

The girl smiled and took the boy's hand, tugging and running through the front of the train. Their mixed giggles filled the train’s corridors as students of all ages flooded in, the two having to zig-zag between them. The two finally stopped as they finally saw the older Riddle twin and the blond-haired diva in a compartment… filled with three other people?

The best friends looked to each other in confusion. The boy decided to pipe up first, “Who are they?”

The girl looked to him, stating in a monotonous voice, “I have no bloody idea.”

The two looked to each other and nodded, the girl reached for the compartment door and pulled it open. They both walked in and sat next to each other where Draco and Mattheo were sitting. 

“There you two are! We were about to send a search party for you,” Y/N and Theo looked to Draco as he yelled as loud as possible.

“Yes, thank you for splitting my eardrum, Draco. Really appreciate it,” as Y/N sassed Draco she looked to the three faces that were there with them.

Upon further inspection, Y/N and Theo realized they did know them. The one with the brown floppy hair with an enigmatic smile was Lorenzo Berkshire–most commonly known as Enzo–he was Draco’s fourth cousin twice removed, or something of the sort. They weren’t really sure. The girl with a short, brown bob was Pansy Parkinson (Y/N knew her from some of the many soul-crushing gala’s she was forced to attend. She hung out with her when her brother, “cousin”, or best friend were nowhere to be found). The third and second boy was Blaise Zabini. Theo also knew him from one of the gala’s he was forced to attend, his father had introduced him to the Contessa Zabini and her son, Blaise. They had bonded over the fact they both had dead parents, dark but a topic of which they had bonded nonetheless. 

Y/N and Pansy smiled to each other in greeting. “Y/N, I don’t think you understand the severity of the situation Mattheo and I were in thinking you and Theo disappeared. Taking so long, almost giving me a heart attack I tell you,” the bleach-blond boy dramatically shouts, waving his hands about.

Enzo scoffs and faces his cousin, “Sure, Draco. Whatever you say… Anyway, “ he turns towards Theo and Y/N, “Hello, you two. Wonderful to see you two again. Haven’t seen you since the last excruciating gala we attended. Pansy was riveting about seeing you again, Y/N. Something about girl talk? If that makes any sense.”

Pansy and Y/N look to each other and giggle, knowing exactly what the floppy-haired boy meant. “Sweet, sweet, Enzo. You have no idea what it is I was talking about. Let’s keep it that way,” as the Parkinson girl said her piece she turned to the two who had most recently joined them, “Y/N, Theo, wonderful to see you two again. Are you two excited to finally attend Hogwarts? You know I’ve been reading Hogwarts: A-”

“A History! Me too! I’ve been trying to explain to these two wankers all summer how it’s actually important to read up on this stuff! You and Theo seem to be the only ones to actually appreciate the expansive history of Hogwarts!”

Mattheo groans, “Great! Now we have three nerds who’ll be bothering us our entire academic career at Hogwarts about useless knowledge! Just bloody brilliant!”

At Mattheo’s words, the smallest boy of the group raises his hand and speaks with a voice just as timid as Theo’s, “Four, actually. You, Draco, and Enzo seem to be the only ones who don’t seem to understand.”

“Oh, please, Zabini. We understand just fine, we just don’t flaunt it about at every second.”

At Enzo’s words, Blaise raises his eyebrow, “Is that so, Berkshire? Tell me, then, what is Hogwarts’ school motto?”

“Um… Rise up? The hell I know,” Enzo turns to Draco and Mattheo, “You two know?”

Draco shrugs, “Don’t look at us, mate. We haven’t got a clue.”

“See? Point. Proven. You three know,” the small Zabini boy questioned the three who actually bothered to actually care. The three stated in perfect unison, looking straight at the three boneheads, “Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus.”

Mattheo stares at his sister, “You three are extremely creepy, I hope you know that.”

The three–still staring at them–say, “We know.”

Blaise smirks, while the trio of boys shudders at the utter creepiness of the the three.

As the group all stared at each other, they burst out laughing, not being able to keep each other seriously. For the next few hours, the seven eleven-year-olds talked nonsense. To say that these seven kids would be close friends by the end of the year would be an understatement. 

Eventually, they all simultaneously decided to take a nap. Y/N, of course, fell asleep against Theo’s shoulder while everyone else was sprawled out throughout the compartment. Theo smiled down at his girl, how peaceful she was while she slept, even if she did start drooling against his sweatshirt. In all honesty, the Nott boy would allow his Andromeda to ruin his favorite sweater a hundred times over if it would get her to smile.

———————————————————————————-

A couple of hours later, the group was up again (though, only waking up due to Draco’s incessant whining about being alone when he woke up). Currently, they were all asking each other about what house they wanted to be in.

“Well, that’s an obvious answer: Slytherin. Duh. A Malfoy ends up in Slytherin.”

Theo snorts, and says in his quiet voice, “Oh yeah? Imagine you’re the first Malfoy to end up in Hufflepuff? I’d pay a hundred galleons to see that.”

Everyone laughs and Mattheo goes next, “Well, us Blacks always end up in Slytherin,” he points to his sister before she can say anything, “I know, cousin Sirius was a Gryffindor, but other than him; all Slytherin’s.”

Oh, did I not mention that the Malfoy’s thought that having the last name Riddle would be too startling to have at Hogwarts? No? Damn, well, the Malfoy’s thought that the twins should go by their mother’s maiden name, Black to “blend in” more. Sure, as if it isn’t noticeable that two members of the Noble House of Black showed up the same year as the infamous Harry Potter. Oh well. 

“Well, maybe Y/N/N will be the second Black to break the tradition. I swear, all those books,” Mattheo’s joke made his twin swat him on the back of the head. “Haha, very funny Mattheo. We’re almost there anyway, we should go get changed. Pansy?” At the younger twins’ statement, they all gathered their Hogwarts robes and left to put them on.

———————————————————————————-

Thirty goes by and everyone is dressed in their plain robes. As the Hogwarts Express slows, a voice rings throughout the train: “We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes’ time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.”

A chorus of “cool” leaves the group as the words reverberate. Y/N smiles at Theo and takes his hand, “You ready?”

“Always, principessa.”

The group starts filing off the train and they hear a West Country accent fill the cool air, “Firs’ years! Firs’ years over here! Firs’ years!” 

The group follows the voice to the Black Lake full of tiny boats with even tinier lamps. “No more’n four to a boat!” the voice booms out again.

Mattheo turns to his sister, “We’ll meet you at the castle, okay? Stick with Theo while we’re gone, okay? Malfoy, Zabini, Berkshire, ‘n I are gonna go with Rosier. We’ll see when we get there,” the boy turns to Theo, “Keep an eye on her, okay?”

The Nott boy nods to Mattheo, “Yeah, see you later. We’ll go with Parkinson, I’m sure we’ll find someone else.” Mattheo nods to Theo and heads off with the other three boys as Pansy joins the two again. 

“I found one, just over there,” Y/N and Theo agree and walk with Pansy to a boat with a frizzy-haired girl with buck teeth.

Y/N recognizes her as the girl who was asking around if anyone had seen a Toad anywhere, “You’re the girl who was looking for the toad, right? I’m Y/N Black,” Y/N turns to her right, “this is Theodore Nott,” she turns to her left, “and Pansy Parkinson.”

The girl puts out her hand for a handshake, “Yes. Hermione Granger, pleasure.”

Theo and Pansy say hello and the four of them sit down. The loud voice of the half-giant calls out again, “Everyone in? Right then -- FORWARD!”

As the large group of excited first-years, all started to sail across the smooth waters of the Black Lake, everyone was silent; in awe. As they reached closer to the castle, they reached a cliff and the voice boomed again, “Heads down!” Once through the dark cave, they reached a dark dock where they climbed out of the boats onto dark rocks.

Theo helped Pansy, Y/N, and the now-known Hermione out of the boat. Once on solid land, Hermione went her own way as the other three went to find Mattheo, Enzo, Blaise, and Draco. While walking, Y/N asks, “Amazing, isn’t it? All of this under Hogwarts, I mean.”

Pansy answered unenthusiastically, ��I guess, I mean it’s just a bunch of rocks. Nothing especially special.” Whereas Theo encouraged Y/N’s statement, nudging her shoulder with his, “I think it’s pretty amazing.” Y/N smiles and looks to him with a glint in her eyes, Theo uncertain of what it is.

“Oy! You three!” 

At the agitatedingly high voice of Draco Malfoy, the three turn to the other four and rush towards them. Thought we lost you, again,” Mattheo voices over the other first years giggly excitement.

Pansy snorts, “You mean, lose them again.”

As the Parkinson girl’s statement is finished, Hagrid calls to the incoming students, “Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?”

At his ending remarks, Hagrid raised his fist and knocked three times on the big castle door.

———————————————————————————-

The door swung open and a tall, slim, graying witch in emerald robes stood there. A stern-looking gaze scanned the crowd of new students.

“The firs’ years, Professor McGonagall,” the half-giant said.

The professor smiled tightly, “Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.”

She opens the wide door all the way, showing the first years an expansive entrance hall. Enchanted paintings of old were hung. Torches lit up the stone walls that held the paintings, the ceiling was probably the tallest ceiling any of the children had ever seen, a marble staircase ascending to the upper floors.

The Core Four looked to each other in amusement as they joined each other with the rest of the seven. Y/N looked at each and every painting, analyzing, taking mental notes. Then, she spotted a painting of a woman with wonderfully long hair, curls encircling her long face that ran around a vast field of Aster and Baby’s Breath, twirling around with a book in hand, eventually falling into the flowers. At this painting, Y/N feels a connection with it, an unexplainable. She pokes her curly-haired best friend points to it and whispers, “That’s the painting. That’s the painting I feel. I can’t explain it, but I can feel it.”

Theo smiles at her, “I know… Let’s go catch up.”

As they catch up with the other five, McGonagall comes to a stop, “Welcome to Hogwarts,” says the professor. “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

“The four houses are called Gryffindor,” Mattheo makes a gagging face causing Y/N to silently giggle at her brother, “...Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.” Draco and Mattheo fist-bump one another. “Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. 

“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.”

The last statement clearly directed to a boy with brown hair whose cloak was all twisted and a boy with fiery red hair that had a smudge on his nose.

Once McGonnagal leaves, Y/N turns to Theo, “Exciting, isn’t it? I can’t wait, but I’m nervous at the same time. What do you think?”

“I think, that everything will be just fine, Y/N/N. Pinky promise,” Theo holds out his pinky to the girl. Y/N hooks her pinky with his, “Pinky promise.”

Draco nudges the twins and Theo, “Look. Right there. That’s Harry Potter. I think I’m going to go introduce myself.”

“Draco, don’t go making an arse of yourself, okay? Really don’t need it right now.”

“Now, Mattheo, when do I ever make an arse of myself? I’m off.”

As Draco takes two sauntering steps towards the Boy Who Lived and the boy with fiery red hair, “It’s true then, what they’re saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts.” Y/N facepalms, shakes her head, and thinks, already off to a bad start. Hushed whispers of “Harry Potter” resonate through the hall. “This is Mattheo, Theodore, and Y/N. And I’m Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.” The red-haired boy snickers at the blond’s name, Y/N sends him a glare while Draco continues, “Think my name’s funny, do you? I’ve no need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley. You’ll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter.” At this, Y/N decides to quietly intervene, whispering into her “cousin’s” ear, “I think that’s enough, Draco.” However, the Malfoy boy continues, “You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.” As he finishes his mini-monologue, Draco sticks out his hand. This time Y/N whispers more assertively, “I’m serious, Draco.”

Harry looks at the blond’s hand skeptically and sassily says, “I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks.” 

At Potter’s words, Draco scoffs and walks back to the rest of the group, Mattheo following him as Y/N stays back and tells Theo she’ll be over quickly. “Sorry about him, he doesn’t usually do that. See you around.” Potter and Weasley shoot the girl a quick “see ya” as she walks back with Theo to the group.

“Told ya not to make an arse of yourself, and what did you do,” Mattheo questions Draco in an accusatory manner.

Draco scoffs, “Not my fault, the wanker was being a prat.”

The rest of the group roll their eyes at the boy. “Seriously, Malfoy, that was pathetic. Even I saw it,” at Theodore’s words, Y/N nods and the rest of the seven–save for Draco–nod and send a chorus of agreement.

The group goes silent as the Great Hall door opens and McGonagall steps through, “We’re ready for you. Follow me.”

As the first years step through the threshold, they’re in awe of the size of the room and the ceiling. Y/N turns to Theo, “The ceiling is enchanted to change according to the overall mood of the student body at any given time. Right now it’s cloudy, so everyone’s mostly anxious or thinking hard.”

The looks in curiosity at the girl, “Really?”

“Mhmm.”

A loud voice cuts through the noise of the students, “What’s that?”

The boy whose loud voice ruminated from was pointing towards a frayed, dirty, and patched hat. That hat would certainly be thrown out the second Aunt Cissy saw that thing in the Manor, thought Y/N. Another loud voice snapped her out of her thoughts, this time from the bushy-haired girl, Hermione, Y/N, Theo, and Pansy had met, 

“It’s the Sorting Hat, duh.”

…Previous Chapter -- Next Chapter...

———————————————————————————-

I don't know how I feel about this one, please send me any feedback you can think of! I also think that this is the longest chapter of Andromeda and Perseus: destined, so far!

Thank you to everyone who has been reading this, it means a lot to me. I love you guys so much!💚💜

Taglist:

@elsie-bells @cinderellawithashoe @niktwazny303 @claranunez @hanversace @desiray562 @jetblackpayne @fandom-life-12 @trshngyn @silencionyx @c-dizzle99 @starmansirius @ssc7514 @amwhy

[ashleyrowanthewriter]

The Sign for Gold Is Ugly - Chapter 3

Previous/Next

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

Goldie wasn’t giving up on trying to teach Kayla Merslan, but was close to giving up on learning it herself. Every lesson she felt she was making less progress. It was infuriating. And maybe the only thing worse was seeing her classmates fluently using signs she had trouble with.

“Why would I even bother?” said Goldie to her sister. “It’s not like I won’t be able to speak on the shore.”

“Yeah, but would you be able to speak Danish?” asked Kayla.

“Say what now?” said Goldie thinking Kayla was joking around.

“You know, I did some research you didn’t bother to do on your own,” said Kayla. “Turns out that the onshore common language among mermaids is Danish.”

“No, no way, you’re joking,” said Goldie. “There’s no way it isn’t English! I refuse!”

“Apparently you have Hans Andersen to complain to,” said Kayla.

“But…,” Goldie couldn’t finish her sentence. Kayla showed no signs of joking and it was pointless to argue with the facts.

One day Goldie ran out of her medicine. The line in the pharmacy was very long. Goldie was bored and was looking around in random directions trying to kill time. She saw a tall woman with pointy ears and green eyes that seemed to glow. She was holding a paper with a familiar looking writing. The elf woman saw Goldie too and was intrigued by her scales and tail. They seemed to know exactly that they were there for the same reason.

“Refill day?” they asked each other at the same time and laughed.

“Yeah, the bottles aren’t bottomless,” said the elf.

“I guess bottoms will be useful for me,” said Goldie. “It will be easier to navigate.”

The elf laughed as the line was moving forward.

“I guess that’s one thing old Eri doesn’t need to tell you about,” said the elf referencing the only therian transition specialist in the city.

“What, he forgot about important details for you too?” asked Goldie.

“Don’t even make me remember,” said the elf. “The skin exchange was horrible.”

“Oh, and what can I say about Merslan?” said Goldie. “Imagine having to learn a whole new language just to be able to transition. Crazy, right?”

“You know?” said the elf. “I guess it would be nice to learn Braille before starting myself. At least if I knew about everything that would happen.”

“What? Something he forgot to mention again?” asked Goldie.

“Yeah, a terrifying story actually. Imagine randomly going bli…,” the elf didn’t finish, because it was her time to buy her meds.”

Goldie was curious about what the elf wanted to tell her about. Maybe someday she would meet her again.

Next day Goldie felt a sudden burst of energy. She felt as if she could conquer every word Dr. Rowan would throw at her. She was on fire.

When Dr. Rowan entered the classroom Goldie made the welcome sign in a blink of an eye. And suddenly she felt some strange pain. As if there were needles piercing her skin between her fingers and splitting her hands. Goldie let out a painful hiss and a high screech. Dr. Rowan quickly ran to her.

“Is everything alright?” Dr. Rowan asked. “Let me see your hand.

Goldie gave her aching hand to Dr. Rowan without uttering a word. The teacher looked at it carefully and noticed something new.

“Wow, you’re starting to grow membranes! Congratulations!” Dr. Rowan said.

“Wait, really?” Goldie was shocked.

The membranes were beautiful. They were pearl white and shiny. For now they have only grown halfway to the second knuckles. But Goldie already loved them.

“Okay, you should take a break from lessons for now,” said Dr. Rowan.

“What? Why?” asked Goldie.

“You don’t want to damage the membranes further until they grow to the end,” said Dr. Rowan. “For now go home and rest. Don’t do anything too demanding on your fingers. And make sure you put them in water often. Preferably room temperature.”

Never has Goldie’s enthusiasm fallen so dramatically in her life. She really wanted to attend the lesson that day.

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

Posting this chapter on Monday, because I'm going on vacation abroad soon. And I think I'll move posting to Mondays for good, just to have a more logical schedule. If you somehow forgot what this is, it's my fanfic of the fish HRT story by @welldrawnfish. This chapter also features @kaylasartwork (bat) and @squiretilde (elf)! I really hope they all like it...

[isalisewrites]

A ramble on writing every day in February

Another month has gone by now. I have written every day in January and every in February, which is 60 consecutive days in a row where I have written 700 words or more every day.

It's been a shitty February.

I had to have some mild surgery that put me under anesthesia for the first time. I reacted to it for weeks, but thankfully that's subsided. Unfortunately, the stress was too much and I had to drop two of my three college classes. I did this because it's highly likely that I'll have to have further surgery this year.

Somehow, I still managed to stick with my goal.

Your girl purposely woke up an hour earlier, at 4am, to reach her goal before the surgery. Neither surgery or a later ER visit could stop this determined bitch from writing. (Just the anesthesia reaction)

It has been an immovable requirement in my day, even when I'm rushing at 11:58pm to hurry and get 700 words down before Scrivener resets for the day at 12:00am. Even now, it's almost 9pm my time and I haven't written my 700 words for the day.

Rest assured, it will be done.

I did not reach the same height of success as I did last month. I didn't knock it out of the park, but I still did pretty damn good and I'm proud of the word count that I reached this month.

There's something invigorating about sticking to the goal of writing everyday. Even though it's been so much harder, even though some days my brain is mush from the physical issues I'm dealing with, I am so glad that I've kept going. It's been a VERY difficult month - both physically and mentally.

I'm so glad I haven't given up on this.

Everything else can fall around me, but writing is my anchor and my sanity. Again, I can say with perfect confidence that choosing to write every day no matter what has been the best thing that I could for my mental health.

You can see how there were so many days where hitting my bare minimum was all I could do - and that was good enough. The bare minimum is 700 words a day or 20,300 words for February. I reached 31,000 words.

Not bad at all.

I had not one, but TWO unruly chapters this month, where I had to split them into two because of how long they were getting. Arc Two had been 27 chapters in total, but it's now 29 chapters. Out of all the Arcs, I had not anticipated it would Arc Two that would get bigger. This tells me that my rough estimate for Arc Three, Four, and Five is probably very wrong.

But I managed to complete four more chapters. They're in my 'pre-edit' stage, which means they're unrefined and need a good comprehensive edit. Usually, when I go through my comprehensive edit, I add 1,000 to 2,000 words to the chapter. It's a vital part of my writing process and cannot be skipped.

This is how determined I am. This is how much I'm tracking everything. This graph here shows the magnitude of my commitment to this story.

There were more hard days than easy days this last month, unfortunately. So many days, it felt like my mind was swimming in molasses. But I still wrote, even if I didn't always like what had been written. It's good enough. Something is better than nothing. Living each day doing what is my soul's greatest joy and desire makes life bearable.

Until next month.

[starrywooyo]

treasure: five

synopsis: when y/n gets whooshed into an alternate universe, an adventure: one with pirates and monsters and much, much more

pairing: ot8! pirate ateez x fem! reader

genre: pirate au!!

!!warnings(per chapter)!! - [bellow cut!] no warnings I think? but of anyone thinks there should be please lmk!!

notes: hihi finally y'all are getting an update!! I decided to split this chapter in half so I can work on writing it a bit longer and so I can at least give you something to read since work is taking up a lot of my time so I apologise for the short chapter, I promise chpt 6 will be much longer and more fun hehe

word count: 1.1K (very short i'm so sorry-)

taglist: (if you want removed or added to the list please lmk)

@toxic-babexe , @sunnyhokyu , @cambriel

if if missed anyone again just let me know!

series masterlist | main masterlist

previous chapter | next chapter

previously:

his hands on your waist steadied you from the recoil 

the glass had shattered!!.

“better?” he whispered

you nod

“thank you” you turn to look at him his hands still on your waist

he was so close..

you saw how his eyes looked into yours, how he took in a shaky breath

“y/n I..” he whispered

you both were so close that your noses where almost touching, that you could almost ki-

a loud terrifying shriek comes from the forest.

wooyoung's quick to grab the pistol from you and aim it in the direction the noise came from

“w-what was that!?” you ask trying to steady your breathing

“the beast” hongjoong said eyes bore into you both. 

“beast?” you ask

hongjoong just nods as he too looks into the forest

“mmh didn't yeosang tell you?” he says

yeosang didn't tell you anything… though he did say it was dangerous, maybe that's what he meant.

“all he said was that it was dangerous here” you explained 

hongjoong laughed

“aye. it's a dangerous beastie alright. however i don't think it'll be bothering us for now” he says eyes heavily studying the forest. he then turns to wooyoung.

“put the gun away. and both of you head back. eat and rest up.” he says to the pair of you

wooyoung lowers the gun. “and what about you captain?” he asks

“i've got something i need to take care of” he says and makes his way further down the beach.

you both watch him till he's nearly out if your sight.

wooyoung turns to you and hands you back the smaller pistol

“ere you should keep this one” he smiles to you and then gestures back to camp “lets go get somethin to eat before it's all gone”

...

you're all trudging through the forest, have been for a good few hours at most. surrounded by nature and the sounds of nature. from the way the trees creak from the wind to the birds chirping, nesting in them.

its peaceful without the thought of a ‘beast’... roaming these parts at the back of your mind.

you're dragged from your thoughts when you  come to stop at a swamp like water, hongjoong who was at the front of the line wastes no time in dragging everyone through the water 

the water came to about mid thigh and filled all your boots making them feel uncomfortable.

the water was made your feet feel numb and when you finally exited, the squelching of your wet boots was so uncomfortable. still you continued on.

you continued walking until you came to this weird run down looking house in the swamp with a few other shacks dotted about

you all walked up the steps to the door when hongjoong turned around and pointed to you

“ah. you stay out here” he says.

your eyebrows furrow

“what?” 

“just stay out here” and then the eight of them pile into the house leaving you on the steps.

so you sit legs dangling above the water watching the little fish swim by in the water below. you don't know how long you've been sitting out here 

you were bored out of your mind then a bright light flew in front of your face. a fairy!!

having been so bored out of your mind you decided to follow it. despite being told to stay.

you walked after the creature a little ways into the forest away from the house till it landed onto a low tree branch

placing one of your hands on the same branch you looked at the tiny creature.

it was small, adorned in green clothing with white hair. it smiled up at you placing its tiny hands on your finger-

 “ouch” you pulled your hand away

“you bit me” you exclaim looking at the blood slowly seeping out from the little bite wound

“it's a pixie. little mischievous devils” a male voice laughs out

turning to the voice still holding your finger

San..

“here let me see your finger” he says walking closer to you taking your finger to examine it.

“it stings a bit” you tell the dark haired man with a pout.

“hmm i bet it does. the little rascals have pretty sharp teeth. you thought it was a fairy right?” he asks while cleaning the spot.

you nod.

“it's pretty easy to confuse the two. fairies are much sweeter though” he says with a smile as he wraps your finger with a small bandage.  “there all done” he adds, dropping your finger.

you thank him.

“come on. the others are finished now we're gonna head back” he said placing his hand on your back.

and with that you follow him back to the house, everyone is standing back outside only there's a new face. a woman?.

“i'll join you tomorrow” she says to the captain then her eyes fall on you where she squints her eyes tilting her head to the side, then she smirks and walks back inside.

strange...

...

the woman from the shack in the forest has joined you all on the ship and has been with the crew for the past few days, you wonder why she's on board when the captains ideals with you a while ago were so negative. 

you've asked the likes of San and Yeosang why she's here yet they all just brush it off saying it's 'something you don't need to worry about just now' 

so you sit legs dangling over the edge of the ship as you watch the calm waves spread out over the vast ocean. all the work and ship maintenance done before supper 

“you're not from ere are you?” 

your head snaps in the direction. its her...

“is it that obvious?” you ask her

she lets out a laugh

“no. no i mean you're not form here. this world” she explains

your eyes widen. how does she know that- if anyone else was to find out who knows what would happen!?

she again lets out a small laugh.

“the sea knows many things y/n. now if you'll excuse me, I've to help the captain with something” and she walks away.

you're put on edge from her she wouldn't say anything to hongjoong right? maybe-

“y/n.. you okay?” 

you turn to the voice, its seonghwa. you nod to his question.

“you look stressed, i was calling you to help with supper but maybe you should take the night away from helping, get some rest?” he says to which you immediately disagree. you have to help. it'll take your mind off things.

“we'll if you're sure..” seonghwa says and begins to move you both toward the kitchen with his hand on the small of your back. 

... 

at dinner you can't help but glance at the captain every once in a while hoping and praying he hasn't been told anything by that woman..

its a quiet dinner until the sound of a chair squeaking back catches everyone's attention.

hongjoong stands, placing his hands in the table, slightly leaning forward. 

“I have some news I want to share” he says 

your breath gets stuck in your throat. He doesn't know, does he??

“i have progress of our voyage for the Cromer.” he adds

everyone now gives him their full attention. 

“thanks to sedna here, we have our heading. it'll be a long, dangerous journey but I know we as a team, a crew. can manage it!! we will get the cromer before they do”

a/n: hihi so again I apologise that this part was so so short, probably not the best chapter in the series so far.. I almost didn't want to post it when i saw how quick it is to scroll through it... you could probably even just class this chapter as a filler tbh..

so I promise the next chapter is much more fun anddddd said next chapter will be posted tonight sometime after 8pm BST (hopefully after I finish work) so if you'd like added to the taglist lmk! and I hope you enjoy!

[milesdickpic]

His Little Girl | Bradley Bradshaw x Reader P. 71

Click here to see the master list

AH Besties! I am back for another post! I feel bad for being away for so long at random times. I am so sorry! I hope you are all doing well and enjoyed the last chapter! Without further a-do here is another part! Thank you all so much for being here and reading! I love you all so much! 💕 Happy reading and enjoy! ❤️

A/n: Bradley finally gets to share his big news with all of you. Phantom has more business to discuss with Bradley.

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: cursing, angst, sadness, signs of worry, some violence, but a whole lot of Love ❤️

Please don't take my work, I will find you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bradley’s POV 

Phantom pulled away from me, “This stays between us for now. It is Leia’s Day. We celebrate her today and we celebrate you Sunday.”

I furrowed my brows, “Sunday, sir?” 

He nodded, “We have arrangements for the ceremony on Sunday. Some of our other officers will be re-ranking to their new positions and we want to ensure everyone is squared away before heading onto the boat Monday night.” 

I nodded, “Thank you so much.” I chuckled. “I can’t believe this is happening.” I smiled and looked down at my tags. I split the two pieces of metal between my fingers and looked at my dad's. "This is for you old man."

Phantom patted my arm, “Best believe it, son. Your dad would be so proud of you.” We rejoined back with the guests. 

The rest of the party we celebrated Leia on her accomplishments. By the end of the night, Hangman, Phoenix, Phantom, and Evelyn were helping us clean up the house as everyone started to leave. Leia, Kaia, and Kamalani were passed out on the couches. 

Phantom came over to me, “I think now we can tell them all Lieutenant.” I looked over at you. Hangman was helping you sit in of the chairs at the dinner table. I nodded my head and cleared my throat.

 I nodded my head and cleared my throat. “Hey, everyone. Sweetheart.” I winked at you and you chuckled. 

Hangman looked at you and then to me. “Oh, I thought that was intended for me, but everyone is okay too.” He shook his head, “No biggie.” 

You shook your head and placed your hand on his. “You can be his sweetheart, Jake.” You giggled as you patted his hand.

“I first want to start off, by thanking you all for helping out with Leia’s graduation party and being here to celebrate one of her many milestones. Sweetheart.” I looked at you intensely and Hangman laughed. “Y/n, thank you baby. For getting everything together, for being the best teacher for our Leia, for getting her here, and off the the first grade. Without you, I’d be lost.” 

You blushed and looked down slowly as Hangman rubbed your shoulders and then giving you a hug. 

“I also want to thank here, Phantom.” I slapped my hand on his shoulder and pulled him under my wing. “Without you sir, I wouldn’t have been able to bring my girls home this fast. AND I wouldn’t be a Lieutenant Commander without your guidance.” I smiled at him and he laughed as he pulled me into a hug. 

Hangman, Phoenix, and your head turned to me quickly. “WAIT YOU GOT IT, ROOSTER!?”

Hangman’s eyes were wide and his hands clenched in fists. Phoenix had her hands over her mouth and her eyes wide, “Bradshaw….” She said muffle into her hands. 

“Lieutenant… Commander…?” You said the words slowly as you looked at me shocked. I turned and nodded to the three of you. 

“I am now. LCDR Bradshaw.” I put my arms out and Hangman beelined for me. He slammed against me and picked me up as he jumped.

“CONGRATU-FUCKING-LATIONS BRADSHAW!” I pumped my fist in the air as he hopped around with me in the embrace. He was hollering and slapping my thigh. 

Phoenix helped you stand up and she hugged you tight, “Oh my gosh momma! Congratulations!” She rocked you back and forth. Phoenix came over and hugged me tight, “Congratulations… Sir. Papa Bradshaw would be so proud of you, Rooster.” We both laughed and she patted my chest. “I am so happy for you, Bradshaw. You deserve this more than anyone!” 

I kissed the top of her head, “Thank you, Nix.” I hugged her tight. 

I made my way over to you and you had tears in your eyes. You cupped my cheeks and leaned your head back, allowing the tears to roll from your cheeks. “Congratulations, Bradley. I am so proud of you.” You kissed my lips over and over again. I placed my hands on your hips and rubbed them.

“Thank you, sweetheart. I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for you.” I kissed you over and over again. 

———-

Sunday morning finally arrived. I was finishing up pressing my uniforms and you were getting Leia ready. Hangman came in and was buttoning up his pants for his Whites. “LC Bradshaw.” He chuckled as he finished the last button on his pants. 

I looked up at him and smiled. “Lieutenant Seresin.”

He came over and patted my back, “You ready for this?”

I nodded as I picked up my pants and placed them on a hanger. “I’m ready to be your fucking superior, so you can finally stop giving my ass a hard time.” I laughed and nodded my head with every word. 

He came over and slapped his hand on the back of my neck and shook me slightly. “Superior or not, I’m still going to make your life hell.” He smiled slowly at me. “Hell. Rooster. Since you’re probably going to be my supervisor, I’m just going to create more work for ya.” 

I looked at him and pushed him off of me, “Fuck you, Hangman.” 

He patted my chest. “Get ready big man, We gotta straighten each other out before we head out.”

“Yea. I’ll catch up with you and Phoenix in a bit.” I started to clean my medals to put onto my uniform coat.

I hung up my uniform jacket and started to place my medals onto it. I grabbed my dad’s wings from my Officer AWG Uniforms. I placed them onto my uniform and brushed my index finger over it. “This is for you dad.” I smirked and straightened it out. My uniforms were ready to go. I hopped into the shower and took a quick one. After I got out, I stared to shave my face and trim my mustache. I fixed my hair and started to put my clothes on. I took my towel off my waist and hug it up. I threw on some briefs and my white under shirt. I pulled out my white dress shoes from my a cover bag. 

Hangman and Phoenix came into the closet. “Damn Rooster, put some fuckin clothes on man.” Phoenix laughed as she leaned against the door frame. 

I turned around, “I’m working on it, Geez.” I started to laugh. 

Hangman came around the corner, “Are you still naked in here? Hurry up LC Bradshaw. You’re gonna be late for your own ceremony.” 

I chuckled as I sat on a storage bin and slipped my white socks on and stood up to grab my pants. I started to put them on I buttoned them up and started to put on my belt. I threw on my uniform coat and started to button up my coat. Phoenix came over and ran her fingers over my dad’s wings. 

“Your dad’s aren’t they? Leia has yours.” She smiled up at me. 

I nodded, “I’m doing this not only for my family, my girls, my boys, but him too. I’m doing everything he didn’t get to.”

She nodded, “You deserve this more than anything, Bradshaw. He'll be there with you up on that stage.” 

I finished buttoning up my coat and straightened myself out. I took a deep breath and went to the mirror. I leaned over the sink and fixed a couple of my hairs that were straggled. I patted my medals down and rubbed my hand over my mustache. I stood up straight and turned to Phoenix and Hangman. Hangman handed me my hat. 

“Let’s go get you some brand new pins, Rooster. These Lieutenant ones are looking a little dull.” He patted me on my back and we all headed down stairs where you were finishing feeding Leia. 

You placed your hands over your mouth, “You always look so handsome in your whites, Brad.” You came over to me and kissed me on my lips softly. “Are you ready for this?” You raised your brows. 

“Let’s go, honey.” I kissed your temple and called for Leia. She ran to me and held my hand as we all headed out to the cars. 

We arrived to the ceremony on base. It was an outside set up with some tents and a stage. There were seating areas for all the ranking officers and another section for their families. Our base’s admiral announced the ceremony would be starting soon. So I took you and Leia to your seats with the other families. You sat with Evelyn and the girls. Hangman and Phoenix joined me in the ranking officer’s section. We all sat and listened to the Admiral’s welcoming speech. After the welcoming speech, we all rose for the national anthem. 

After a couple of speeches from the Admiral and Phantom, the ceremony began. They started with the lower ranking officers and made their way up. It was finally time for my rank. I was the only one promoting from an LT to a LCDR. I sat up straight and took a deep breath. My rank would be the last one of the day. I readied myself. Phoenix straightened out my medals and rubbed my back.

I nodded at her. “Thank you, Trace.”

“Always got your back, Bradshaw.”

The admiral called my name over the PA system.

“Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw. Call sign Rooster.” He held his hand out to me as I rose from my seat. Everyone started to clap. In the distance I could hear my little girl. 

“That’s my daddy!” Everyone laughed and cooed over Leia. A smiled cracked across my face. 

The admiral started to talk a little about my career as I made my way up to the stage. "Let's go, Dad."  

“Lieutenant Bradshaw is a naval aviator. He is a single ride pilot, he recently returned from mission NATO. He joined the navy at the age of 19. He has extended his commitment with the Navy and intends to further his career. His father Nick Bradshaw, call sign Goose was also a naval aviator. Lieutenant Bradshaw will always be remembered and saved by his son. May his legacy be carried with you forever.” The admiral looked at me. “Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw, this will be the last time you be addressed as Lieutenant. From this moment forward, you will be Lieutenant Commander Bradshaw.” 

I was standing in attention. The admiral came in front of me. “Raise your right hand.” I raised my hand. Phantom came over with the Bible and I placed my left hand on top of it. “Repeat after me, Rooster.”

I nodded, “Yes, Sir.”

“I, state your name.”  “ I, Bradley Nicolas Bradshaw.”

“Do solemnly reaffirm” “Do solemnly reaffirm”

“That I will support and defend” “That I will support and defend”

“The constitution of the United States of America.”  “The constitution of the United States of America.”

“Against all enemies born foreign and domestic” “Against all enemies born foreign and domestic”

“And I will continue to bear true faith” “And I will continue to bear true faith”

“And allegiance to the same” “And allegiance to the same”

“And the country whose course it directs” “And the country whose course it directs”

“And I take this obligation freely” “And I take this obligation freely”

“Without any mental reservation” “Without any mental reservation”

“so help me god.” “so help me god.”

He stuck his hand out to me, “Congratulations.” 

I smiled and shook his hand. “Thank you, Sir.”

“May I present to all of you, Lieutenant Commander Bradshaw.” 

Everyone started to cheer. I took a picture with the Admiral and Phantom. They handed me my new pins and certificates. I shook their hands and returned back to my seat. I wanted to wait for you and Leia to pin me of my new rank. 

After the closing statements were complete everyone and their families regrouped. Hangman and Phoenix gave me big hugs. “Congratulations, Rooster.” Hangman patted my back. 

Phoenix came and gave me a hug and she patted my shoulder. “So proud of you, Bradshaw.”

Phantom and his family joined all of us. You came over to me and cupped my face. “Oh my Bradley. Congratulations, baby.” I leaned down and kissed your lips over and over. “Thank you, sweetheart. I wouldn’t be here without you.” 

“Daddy!” Leia came running over to me. She jumped into my arms and I picked her up. “Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander.” She poked my nose and gave me a kiss. 

“Thank you, my love. I have an important question to ask of you.” I kissed her forehead.

She nodded and waited for my question, “I was wondering, do you think you could change my pins for me? Give me my new ranking, baby girl?” I raised my brows at her. 

Her eyes lit up. “You want me to re-rank you, daddy? Not uncle Jakey or Aunt Nat?” She looked at me with big eyes. 

I squished her belly, “Nope. I want my special girl to do it for me. They’ll help you.” 

She got shy and looked around. “I would love to daddy.” I kissed her cheek and let her down on the ground. I handed Hangman and Phoenix my new pins. 

Phantom and you recorded the experience I was about to share with my wingmen and daughter. Jake picked up Leia. I stood in attention. 

“Okay Leia girl, You’re gonna rip off those old stinky pins your daddy has on his shoulders and replace them with these okay.” Phoenix kissed Leia’s cheek.

Leia nodded, “Got it!” 

Hangman pointed to the pins on my shoulders, “BUT Leia Rey, when you rip them off, you have to aggressively throw them at your Aunt Phoenix after.” Hangman chuckled as Phoenix rolled her eyes. 

Leia laughed, “Okay! I’m ready!” 

I straightened out and took a deep breath. Hangman brought Leia closer to me and she leaned over and ripped off the first pin hard. She turned around and threw it hard a Phoenix. “HAH. GET THAT AUNTIE!” Phoenix laughed and handed her the new pin. She placed it on my shoulder. It didn’t snap in.

“Vapor, you have to punch it really hard into your dad’s shoulder!” Phantom called over to her showing her the movement she had to do. 

Leia wound up her arm and slammed her fist onto my shoulder, making thin click in. I closed my eyes tight and laughed slightly. She did the other side, following the same procedure. Ripping it off aggressively, throwing the old ones at Phoenix, getting the new one, placing it on my shoulder, and slamming her fist onto it with all the strength she had. When she finished Hangman let her down.

Leia put her hand up to salute me. I chuckled and saluted her. Then I picked her up and threw her in the air. “Thank you so much, baby.” I rubbed my shoulder. “You really pack a punch, Leia Rey. My shoulders hurt.” 

———- 

Later on, we all went out to an early dinner. We were celebrating my promotion and sending Phoenix off with a well wishes dinner. She was scheduled to leave tomorrow afternoon. We were all making conversation and hanging out as we ate. I cuddled with you and covered you in kisses. 

Phantom called me over to the open area near the bar. I gave you one more kiss and headed over to him. “Phantom.” 

“Bradshaw. Congratulations again.” He patted me on the back. 

“Thank you, sir. Is everything alright?”

He nodded, “Bradshaw, I hate to be the one to ask., but since you were just newly promoted that makes you in charge of officers below you.”

I nodded, “Yes sir. Whatever you need, I will do.”

He smiled, “I know you just got back from your two week deployment, but I am in need of another supervisor. We have one more extra Lieutenant going aboard than expected, and I need at least one LCDR per 4 LTs.”

Shit. It begins. More working hours and more time away from you and Leia. Fuck. I gulped, “I nodded. “Yes Sir, I can do that.” 

He patted my back, “Thanks son. You’ll be going out tomorrow. However, now you won’t have to go out as often. You will deploy once for two weeks every 3 months. So you’ll get some more time at home.” He smiled and shook my hand. “Thank you again, kid.”

I shook his hand. “No thank you, sir for this opportunity.”

I stayed over by the bar for a minute. I ran my hand through my hair. Shit. Shit. Shit. Here we go again. I keep leaving you with empty promises. I have to leave you again. Just when we thought we would at least get a month together, but at least I would get more time when I got home. I gathered my thoughts before I made it back to the table. 

You leaned into me, “Everything okay, baby? Talk to me, Brad.”

I kissed your temple and leaned into your ear, I let you know that I was going to be leaving again tomorrow afternoon with Phoenix. I explained the situation. You nodded and turned to me and smiled. You placed your hands on my cheek, “That’s okay, baby. I’ll be right here when you get back.” You kissed my nose.

Fuck, I was so lucky to have a wife like you. You were so understanding. You always made sure I put my career in my sights, even when I didn’t want to. “I am so proud of you, Bradley. I love you so much.”

I kissed your cheek, “I love you, baby. Thank you for always supporting me.”

You leaned back into me and I rubbed your belly.

———- 

Later that night, I put Leia to bed. I had explained to her that I would be going out on the ship again. She was sad, but she understood. “It’s your job, daddy. At least Aunt Nat will have some company with her.” She smiled up at me. 

I kissed her head. “I’ll see you when I come back okay? I love you forever, Leia Rey.”

She hugged me tight, “I love you daddy, always.”

I tucked her in and turned off the light. I went back to our room and started to repack my duffle. You helped me get some clothes together and my necessities. I hung up my whites and got them ready for the following day. I cuddled you in bed and rubbed your back. 

“I’m going to miss you, sweetheart. Phantom said that Evelyn will come over to help you when Hangman is working.”

You ran your fingers over my scars, “I’ll miss you too, but it will go by quick. It always does. I love you so much Bradley. Look on the bright side. You’ll get to be home around the boys due date. Maybe we can schedule their indiction while you’re home. So you can see them before you go out again.” 

I smiled and rubbed your bottom lip with my thumb, “I love you, baby. When I get back from these next two weeks, we are going to pick a day. I’ll make sure I am home for it.” 

I kissed your nose. “Let’s get some rest. I love you, honey, forever.”

I love you, Bradley, always.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bradley finally got to share the big news and you all got to go to the promotion ceremony! BRB I am sobbing that Leia pinned him 😭 I love their relationship so much! But he will be leaving again 🥺 Higher the rank, the more responsibility. How will we ever make it through these 2 weeks? 😭 I'll see you in the next chapter, babes! 💕

My babies are in my comments 🥰

[hesbuckcompton-baby]

Damage Gets Done - SAS: Rogue Heroes x OC - Chapter 11

Masterlist | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10

Summary: When a figure from her past is badly wounded, Diana must put herself in danger to save him

Relationships: L Detachment x Platonic!OC, Reg Seekings x OC

Warnings: Blood, gore, graphic violence, death

Word Count: 2.8k

Tags: @20th-centu-fairy-girl @6thofapril1917 @dcyllom @footprintsinthesxnd @regseekings

A/N: me? posting diana again? more likely than you'd think

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Andrew let out another groan as the car sped over a pothole, clutching at the bloody hole in his abdomen as his expression contorted in agony. Diana's gaze darted wildly like cornered prey, from the wound to the world passing by outside to a panicked Johnny in the driver's seat, trying to focus as Reg barked at him to keep driving. Her hands were entirely red, not a glimpse of flesh still visible, leaving bloody streaks in Schulz's blonde hair as her fingertips combed through it in a vain effort to soothe him.

"What the fuck are we doing here?!" She yelled, unable to fight the hint of terror that laced her voice.

"We're gonna drive to the next town and look for a doctor," Reg declared, struggling to decipher the crumpled old map he'd found in the glove box.

"Flimsy fucking plan - what if we don't find one? We just waste time until he dies?!"

"If we keep going for much longer he's dead anyway!" He barked, turning in his seat to glare back at her. For the briefest of moments, she saw that rage everyone always talked about - that violence that gave Reg Seekings his reputation, the aggression he'd never once thrown her way. She'd watched him gun down countless men - hell, she'd helped him do it. But he'd never snapped at her before. In its own way, it was somehow worse.

She shrank back into her seat like a scolded child, and for a moment he was stuck still, teeth bared in a snarl. Something flickered in Reg's eyes, as if he'd suddenly realised who he was talking to, and his expression fell. "Diana, I-"

"Save it. Find a fucking doctor."

Reg turned reluctantly, brow furrowed as he stared back down at the map, occasionally muttering directions to Johnny. Sat across from her, Andrew's legs crumpled uncomfortably across his lap, Kershaw stared, his gaze burning a hole into the side of Diana's head. She glared back for a second before her attention was ripped away by another agonised groan. Tilting her head up towards the roof of the car, she fought to blink away hot tears before they could spill. Even now, there was a part of her that was desperate not to cry in front of these men.

The breaks screeched as they sped into the next town, rolling to a sudden halt, and for a moment she could breathe again. Sliding Andrew off of her as gently as she could, Diana scrambled out of the car, wasting no time worrying about her bloodied appearance as she began to move. "Johny, keep the car running. Dave... just keep him alive as long as you can," she uttered. Reg was already climbing out as they headed further into the town, the stink of metal stinging her nostrils.

"We'll split up," He nodded firmly. "Find someone fast, bring them back here."

"If you need to leave without me, just do it. Don't wait."

She could tell he wanted to object, but she didn't intend to give him the chance. Veering down the first side street she passed, Diana picked up the pace, breaking into a steady jog, the sweat on her palms turning dried blood back to liquid again.

It was quiet here - too quiet. If she hadn't been so distracted it would've raised alarm, but all she could think was how greatly the sparsity lowered her chances of finding someone - anyone - who could help. She emerged onto another main road, the street sloping upwards slightly towards a huge house. In Cairo, it would've blended in seamlessly, but here it stuck out like a sore thumb, rising above every other building that surrounded it.

It reminded her of the military hospital back home.

If she'd been thinking straight, she would've steered clear of the place.

But Diana's mind had never been hazier. She sped up once more, beginning to run as she scaled the slope, never pausing to catch her breath as she reached the building.

Her fist came down against the door in rapid succession, the quick thud thud thud echoing out through the inside. But there was no time to wait, and when no immediate response came, she moved further around the place, searching desperately for any other possible means of entrance.

Halfway along the side wall was an opening - a long, narrow walkway extending straight from the alley to the central courtyard, and from here, she could see the palm trees inside, the fountain bubbling away. Diana tugged at the wrought iron gate, the hinges shrieking as it came open without resistance. She was staring a beast in the mouth. It was stupid. In the coming days, she would curse herself for this stupidity - curse her wretched mind for not warning her before it was too late.

But Diana could not have known what was to come. She slipped inside without a second thought, footsteps echoing against the tiled ground as she emerged into the courtyard.

Whitewashed walls rose high on all sides, the sun reflecting blindingly bright. A washing line extended across the yard suspended from opposite balconies up on the second floor, khaki shirts wafting gently in the breeze. Soldiers' uniforms. She grinned.

"Hello?! Anyone?!" Diana yelled, nothing but silence echoing back towards her. "Hello?!"

A door opened across the yard. She couldn't stop from smiling, a breath of relief escaping her. But then the figure stepped into the light. He was huge - bigger than any of the men in L Detachment, easily comparable to the brutes her father used to bring in for practice. Except there was no one to pay this man - no one to chastise him for hurting her. And above the breast pocket of his shirt, she spied the all-too-familiar eagle emblem that decorated the uniforms of the German army.

Sparing a second glance up at the washing line, she found every one of the shirts was the same. How had she been so blind?

Diana's hand reached for her belt, the blood draining from her face as she came up empty.

Where the fuck was her gun.

"Well," The soldier spoke, a relaxed edge to his voice that only succeeded in scaring her further. "Looks like we've gotten into some trouble, eh?"

She was still covered in blood, shirt still sticking to her skin in the places where it had become too thoroughly saturated to dry, even out in the desert air. She looked like hell. She looked like she'd just murdered several men with her bare hands. But if the English on her tongue hadn't been enough to betray her, the fear in her eyes certainly was.

There was no time to think. As soon as the pieces had fallen together, Diana turned on her heel, making a dash back the way she had come.

A hand seized her hair, a yelp escaping her as she was yanked backwards. She'd never expected a man of his size to be so fast. It became suddenly apparent that she was hopelessly, embarrassingly outmatched.

No one had prepared her for this.

How couldn't they have? How could her father have been so goddamn fucking stupid?

He'd trained her to fight in the comfort of her own home. Taught her using hired men, men who would only get paid at the end of the day if they drilled her in precisely the right way. All her life, without even realising it, there had been a subtle confidence in the back of Diana's mind, secure in the knowledge that - whilst these men might bruise her, scold her, humiliate her - they could never truly damage her.

That confidence was gone.

She lost her footing as he dragged her, just long enough to tumble onto her back, hitting the stone tiles with a pained groan and momentarily knocking the wind from her lungs. Gasping for a breath, Diana rolled onto her knees, narrowly dodging the first blow as a hard kick brushed past her. She lunged head first, seizing him around the middle without just enough momentum to send them both tumbling into the fountain pool, her eyes screwed tightly shut as she was momentarily submerged, scrambling to distance herself as quickly as possible.

But the fall scarcely seemed to slow the soldier down, and as Diana clambered out of the water, a sudden strike to the face caught her off-guard, eyes filling with tears the moment his fist collided with her nose. She stumbled back, but the blow had left her shell-shocked, unable to force her body to move in time before a second punch came. Then a third - knocking her this way and that until her head was spinning, her vision blurred.

How could he? How could her father have wasted her life with training so useless? How could he have deemed her ready, and sent her out into the world, only for her to crumble so fast?

He had her by the hair again. By now, she was too dazed to follow his movements, and barely had time to swallow a gulp of air before her head was forced under the water again, his fist holding her down as his other hand pinned one of her arms against her back.

Diana was panicking now, the water filling her nostrils and stinging her throat as she kicked out blindly with her legs. He pushed his body forward, knees pinning her against the side of the pool. She couldn't move.

I'm going to die here. And for what?

She opened her eyes, water pricking at her corneas, her body screaming at her to close them again. But she refused. The water was clean, clear enough to see through to the bottom, to the pipe running into the base of the fountain, pumping it with water to keep it going.

Diana blinked, squeezing her eyes shut for a second before taking another look. Yes, there it was. Every now and then, a cluster of air bubbles would rise from one of the joints, rising to burst on the surface. There was a gap - somewhere down there, the pipe had come loose.

She could feel that she was running out of time. But he had only enough hands to hold down one of hers. She reached out, desperately grasping for the pipe, pulling as hard as she could. The soldier noticed, distracted as he let go of her first hand to bend down and reach for the other.

Feeling her other hand suddenly come free, Diana groped blindly behind her until she felt skin, digging her nails in as hard as they would gold go, gouging into the flesh of his face.

He let out a cry of pain, stumbling as he raised both hands to cover his injury. She may have only had a second of freedom, but it was enough. Frantically raising her head above the surface, Diana took a hard gulp of air, so swift that it seared her throat, giving the pipe one last, fierce tug with both hands. She felt the metal give way, and suddenly the fountain's peaceful bubbling stopped, a jet of water spraying out at an awkward angle as droplets evaporated into mist in the African heat.

Before the soldier had a chance to seize her again, she had taken a swing. The pipe was heavier than she'd thought, hitting the side of his head with a loud, hollow pang. He was on the ground, still conscious, but barely. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins harder than it ever had before, blood thumping in her ears, blocking out anything but the sound of her own rapid heartbeat. She couldn't think.

And when the man moved, she hit him again.

Something in his skull cracked. He wouldn't move again.

But in the moment, this didn't seem to matter. Diana brought the pipe down against his head once, twice more, until he was just as covered in blood as she was, a ragged cry tearing itself from her chest.

"Fuck!" She sobbed, collapsing backwards onto the ground. Anyone could've found her here. Hell, Andrew could already be dead by now. But she couldn't force herself to move.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The room was spinning - the fountain, now broken beyond repair, spilling out a pool of water that edged slowly closer and closer. There was blood on her hand - on her chest, on her face, the taste of it reaching her tongue. One of her eyes was swelling shut, but even as her vision blurred, she could not tear it from the body at her feet - sprawled across the tiles, lying on his face as she sat silently beside him, leaning back on her elbows, the metal pipe in her hand leaving her palm cold and numb.

Footsteps echoed off the walls, approaching from the corridor behind her, speeding up from a stroll to a run, getting louder and louder with each passing second. But the sound scarcely reached her, the thrumming of her heartbeat the only thing that felt real. Solid. The only thing she could truly focus on.

The footsteps reached her, and she grew aware of a figure standing beside her, pausing a moment to take in the chaos.

"... Fuckin' hell."

She felt a gentle hand take her wrist, softly prying the pipe from her grip, letting it roll away across the tiles with a metallic clatter. The figure reached around beneath her arms, hands meeting across her chest as she was unceremoniously pulled up to stand, her feet feeling awkward and weak beneath her. Diana opened her mouth, heaving a few breaths before she could speak, a droplet of blood rolling out over her lip.

"... Reg?" She whispered.

"Shhh. It's okay. You're okay. I got you."

I got you.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Diana could feel sweat beading against her skin as she slowly regained consciousness, peeling open one eye, the other too swollen to go all the way. The tent walls rippled in the soft desert breeze, sand blowing in under the doorway. She took a deep breath, fighting against the headache that drummed behind her eyes as she pushed herself up on her elbows to half-sit, throat like sandpaper when she swallowed.

The tent flap was pulled back, and David Stirling crept quietly inside, brow furrowed, canister clutched tightly. His gaze flickered over her, doing a double take as he realised she was awake. "Jesus Christ," He sighed, lowering himself into the chair beside her cot. "Don't do that again."

"...How long have I been out?" She croaked. He held out the canister, and she snatched it from his hand, upturning the water to let it flow down her throat, an instant balm to her pain.

"You've been in and out for two days, but I doubt you'd remember anything. The 'in's never lasted long."

Diana nodded, another jolt of pain hitting her head as she moved it, dabbing a droplet of water from her chin.

"Do you know where we are?" David asked.

She coughed weakly. "Unfortunately."

A smile curled his lip. "She's back."

Easing herself down, she let her head sink back into the pillow.

"... Andrew?"

"Alive. Miraculously. As are you, somehow - you managed to wander into a German barracks, you bloody idiot."

"God," Diana groaned, lifting a hand to cover her face in embarrassment, flinching slightly as it skimmed across the bruised skin. "Please don't tell the others, I'll never hear the end of it."

"Oh, they already know," He nodded, interrupting before she could groan again. "They're rather impressed you made it out at all, actually."

"Bet they are," She sighed.

Letting out a grunt, David pushed himself back up to stand, heading towards the entrance. "I'll let the others know you're awake. You should get up - it'll do you good to go for a wander. I dragged Gamal up here and he figures your brain's probably still intact," They both chuckled somewhat bitterly at this, and he paused just as he was about to leave. "Oh, and - you might want to avoid looking in a mirror for the next few days. Sight for sore eyes."

"Oh, fuck off," Diana scoffed, tossing the now-empty canister after him as he went.

Alone once more, she sat up on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest as she took a deep breath.

Something was different now.

Something had shifted.

Deep down, she wasn't sure she could pinpoint precisely what it was - what was gone, what had arrived that wasn't there before.

But a part of Diana Fayed had drowned in that fountain.

That much was certain.

[jessjad]

Unexpected

Chapter 3

Summary: After a Halloweenparty Y/N actually didn't want to got to, her life seems to be turned around. The reason is a very stubborn Supe that seems to have her in his visier. Is it just a coincidance or more?

Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x Reader

Word Count: 2016

Warnings: maybe slow burn?, some language (it's a given at this point)

A/N: And here we are again. Yup, I think we'll have a little slow burn in the beginning too. But it won't stay that long, I can promise you. 🤭 Also, I'm not gonna tell you that I changed directions for this story again. No, I don't. 😌 My brain is just not braining anymore with these two. 😂 Like always, all mistakes are mine.

My Masterlist Series Masterlist

"This is ridiculous! I bought it here last week, it's already broken and now I want a refund!"

In this very split second, Y/N had to take a deep breath to calm herself down. Why was she still doing this job anyway? Oh, yeah, because she needed the money.

"Ma'am, like I said, I need a receipt. I can't find this product in our system and just to be sure that everything is done correctly, I..."

"Can I talk to a manager?"

The woman seemed to have enough of this and was trying to be her best Karen at this point. But what she didn't know, was that Y/N had also enough of this.

After everything that happen while she had a break off work, she didn't feel herself anymore. Soldier Boy really went up with her into the aparment. Eventhough she did her best to not show it, it made her feel really uncomfortable. The tall man with the broad shoulders took up so much space, she was not used to that anymore. His neutral look on his face while he was taking in her home did not help. Not that it was important to her if he liked it or not.

Y/N had needed a drink after that day and the supe helped himself to one too. He also took out a small plastic bag with some white pills in it, but that was where she had to draw the line. He obviously did not like that at all, but she told him, that this was her apartment. Again, that didn't make it better and so they compromised to joints.

"If you would live in your own apartment and not here with me during this whole... charade you could take so many drugs you want." Y/N tried to lure him, with no success.

"Yeah, I would. But my... house... is not here in New York. And it's fucking clear that I'm not gonna move into the damn Vought Tower. This is doing just fine." a smirk deep on his face, knowing just very well what he was saying.

The rest of the evening was a mere blur. Mallory would be contacting her again in the next couple of days. She would get a second phone to only communicate with Mallory if needed and to get every further details in the next time. Soldier Boy would giving her the payment they agreed on, with the apparent thought in mind, that she could not continue her job at a certain point in this story. At first that scared her a little. But now, it sounded heavenly.

"I'm the manager here. And this is not the way our policy works. I'm sorry."

"Are you serious?" the woman asked in anger.

"You can call our customer service, if you want to. They will find another possibility to refund you."

"You're unbeliveable! I will NOT be treated like this! I'm a paying customer of this store!"

Y/N wanted to turn around to call for a co-worker to help, which made the woman only more furious. She was about to reach over the counter to grasp Y/N's hair or shoulder, but she didn't get far."

"I would think twice about that." a deep voice rumbled over their heads.

With surpries Y/N turned her head and looked right into the green eyes of her looming shadow. He was holding the wrist of "Karen" infront of her who too looked with incredulously up to the man next to her. Was it already time? She thought she still had another couple of days.

"Hello, darlin'." Soldier Boy drooled in his best manners and Y/N needed a second to comprehent.

"Hi! What... what are you doing here?"

Her co-workers appered and the customers in the store started to murmer. In the corner of her eyes she heared people asking if the man was really Soldier Boy. Others were slowly pulling out their phones, taking pictures or even making a video. Now she knew they had to be quick. Soldier Boy's face signalizing the same thing.

"I'm picking you up. Ready to go?"

"Yeah! Yeah, we... can go." she turned to the young woman next to her. "Stacey, can you take over? This... this is getting serious."

Stacey just nodded, already seeing what was happening in the store. "Don't worry. I'll cover for you. You only had one hour left anyway."

"Thank you. I will call tomorow."

Y/N grabed her purse and jacket and went around the counter. The supe let go of "Karen's" wrist who was still fuming and still not believing what was happening. With an heavy arm over her shoulder her now knew boyfriend escorted her out of the store.

"I think it would be better..." he whispered into her ear. "...if you start calling me Ben now."

"... today around one o'clock. There are multiple sidings of Soldier Boy. Some pictures online went up for speculation until videos of him appeared. He was walking out of a store with a unknown woman by his side..."

The news of Soldier Boy being back went viral within minutes. The mayhem that followed was something Y/N would've not expected. She knew it would be crazy, but not that kind of crazy. People online started to argue with eachother if the pictures and videos were fake or not and the more Y/N stared at the screen, seeing herself on the side of the supe, she also tried to not believe it.

"Smile a little. There's no fucking going back now anyway." Ben chimed in.

"You think?"

To that, Ben just huffed. But he was right. This was it, now the world knew, that he was back. And that Y/N was a part of it. She had to sit down. The anxiety that started to creep up her spine was new. How would people react when they saw her on the street? How much would her life change? How big would the dangers be that surely laid ahead of her? Y/N couldn't imagine at the moment.

Her phone started to ring and the sudden sound startled her. Ben looked annoyed but didn't say anything, focusing back on her tv. When Y/N saw who the caller was she would've wished she could put it off. But she knew it was better to face it now than later.

"Hello Mum."

"Y/N? Are you ok?" The panic in her voice evident.

"Yes, Mum. I'm fine." Y/N tried to calm her down.

"Are you sure? I... I just saw the news and there were you. With this supe."

"Yeah, I know. I've seen it too."

"This... this is not real, right?"

Hearing the voice of her mother so full of worry and disbelieve she wished it would not be real. That all of this was just a cruel joke. But it was not. And she was sure it would break her mother's heart again.

"Daughter? Tell me that this is NOT real!"

"Mum, I..." she tried.

"No! I cannot believe this! Y/N... how could you?" The tears in her voice unmistakable.

"It's not that easy, Mum. I tried to stay out of it, but I didn't succeed, I quess." Y/N looked down on the floor, feeling really bad about all of this.

"Y/N, you should know better! After what happend to Jenny, this..." her voice broke completly and Y/N felt the tears build in her eyes too.

"I know, Mum. I have not forgotten about it. And I wish... I would have thought about this twice... but it all went so fast. I swear I never wanted this in the first place!"

The silence that followed was so loud and rang in Y/N's ears, that for a moment she thought her Mum had hung up on her. But a deep sigh proofed her wrong.

"Is it something serious?" Her small voice full of emotions.

"Mum..."

What was she supposed to answer now? The truth was not an option. It would only put her into more danger, than she probably already was in. But Y/N could not be to loose about the situation, since it was going to be something long term. She drew a glanze over her shoulder to the man sitting on her couch.

"Honestly? I don't know, Mum. But it feels like it."

And that wasn't even a lie. It was surreal, yeah, but it also felt serious. In more than one way. Because from now on Ben would be living here with her.

"I know, that I have no right to tell you what to do or how to live your life, but under these circumstances... Y/N, please. Be careful and take care of you! And whatever happens, you can come home to us. You know that, right?"

"I know, Mum. Thank you."

Hanging up was so hard to do. Giving up her last sliver of hope for her normal life felt so final. With a deep sigh she went over to the couch and sat down. On the screen infront of her were still pictures shown of her and Ben and the uneasiness did not leave her.

"Who's Jenny?" Ben asked all of a sudden.

"What?" Y/N returned with furrowed brows. "Were you listening in on me?"

Ben shrugged his shoulders. "Comes with the territory."

That upset her. "Okay, let's make one thing clear. I don't want you to eavesdrop on me!"

"Don't pee your fucking pantys. I can't do anything about it."

"But you could at least try! Don't make this any more difficult as it already is!"

"I liked you better, when you didn't talked to me..." Ben grumbled to himself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry that you don't like me anymore. Guess what? I don't care!"

And with that Y/N got up and stormed into her bedroom.

With dread in her eyes, Ashley Barrett watched the screen in the Vought Headquartes. Seeing Soldier Boy flashing his smile to the woman by his side was not good. She could already feel her stress level rise with each second that passed by.

"Oh well. What do we have here."

Ashley's eyes widened in shock and slowly she turned around.

"Is that really him? Soldier Boy?" Homelander asked and Ashley, could only nod.

"Did I not tell you to report everything to me, Ashley?"

"Yes! Yes, you did. But I just saw it too. I did not had the time to..."

"It's okay!" Homlander interrupted and focused on the screens infront of him. "So, he really made it out..."

With a stoic face, the blonde supe crossed his arms behind his back and went over to the window. This was definitly not what he expected or even wanted to happen. His "somehow" father, the man he had looked up to before he new the full truth, was not someone he wanted to see ever again.

But since he didn't find his body outside the Vought Tower after their fight, he had a feeling that this was not the last time he'd seen him. The question was, what he'll be doing now. Because one thing was for sure. They still had a score to settle. And this time, he would not be the one to loose.

"We need to find him." He said to himself, but Ashley felt like she needed to answer to that.

"We can observe him. With this woman he had on his side, it will probably be pretty easy to find him."

She started to scramble through her purse to find her phone and unlocked her Computer. She didn't had it in her to look up to Homelander, who had turned around, and tried to look busy. But he made his way over to her, stopping behind the woman and laying a hand on her neck.

He leaned forward and whispered. "Then you better make this your top priority right know before someone else finds him first. Or else..." he applyed a little pressure but not so much that it really hurt. "... we have to talk again."

And with that he left the room and Ashley had to fight the urge of pulling her hair again.

A/N: What do you think the world is going to do next with these news? Let me know! 🤭

@lyarr24 @leigh70 @k-slla @deadlydivergentgirl

[snippychicke]

For the Sake of a Smile (v.2) Chapter Five

Title: For the Sake of a Smile (Revised)

Overall Rating: Mature (18+)

Chapter Rating: E for Everyone? Some violence, but not much

Trigger warnings: Nothing beyond the child abuse hinted in the series, though we do explore the consequences a bit more.

Main Pairing: Balam Shichiro/Reader

Summary: Hell on earth was your motto for your job. Granted, you were pretty sure earth really was hell, considering the shit you had seen in your life. And the fact your coworker was a child. 

A child named Suzuki Iruma, in fact. A kid who’s life was decidedly worse than yours, but yet he smiled despite everything. It wasn’t long after meeting him that you decided you’d do a lot for his smile. Including summoning a literal demon and signing your soul away.

But as it turns out, hell (The Netherworld, actually) was a lot better than living on earth. Demons were more humane than a lot of humans you knew.

And Iruma’s smile wasn’t the only one that would change your life.

Masterlist | Ao3| Mairimashitai! Simps Discord

Walter park was in ruins by the time you and Sullivan arrived. Three beasts continued their rampage amongst the wreckage, easily towering over everything else. A red dragon, a blue minotaur, and then a yellow rodent-like monster. None of which you had read about in your studies of your new home so far.

“Where do you think Iruma is?” You asked, clinging to Sullivan as he flew closer. Despite carrying you carefully in his arms, all traces of the genial old man you were beginning to call 'dad' were gone, leaving a serious persona you presumed his enemies had to face. 

“Usually I can sense him, but those monster’s mana are making it difficult,” He answered, before explaining further without prompt. “Those are summoned beasts, with mana stemming from multiple individuals. It's like a fog of mana covering the whole park. making it hard to pinpoint anything from this distance. Especially someone whose own, natural, mana is as weak as Iruma’s.”

“Damn it,” You growled, clutching at the fur of his suit. “What are we supposed to do then?”

“Well, I can pick out Opera, Kalego, and Balam. They're high-ranking enough that their power stands out amongst the fog.” He sighed, “And of course, each of them are near one of the monsters. I’m confident in each of their abilities…”

“Balam!” You interrupted, remembering he had texted you stating Iruma’s phone had died. Maybe Iruma was with him!

Sullivan was silent for a moment, no doubt contemplating your words and his next actions before sighing. “Okay. But, if you’re going to be near those things…” Something shifted, and it wasn’t just Sullivan as he suddenly descended. You recognized magic swelling around you, wrapping around you like a cocoon before black marks appeared along your body, stinging like a bad sunburn as they appeared on your skin. “There. That should keep you safe.”

You studied at the harsh, sharp lines, twisting and curling around your limbs, marked by runes in open patches. “Please don’t tell me these are permanent,” You groaned. Yes, there was alway that rebellious desire for a tattoo, but not like this. And definitely not across your whole body.

“They’ll fade after a few hours,” Sullivan reassured as he touched down on the ground, helping you to stand on the broken concrete. “It’s old magic I learned from a friend, that someday I hope to teach you since Runes are one the few types of magic that humans can use. After all, it’s how you first summoned me.” He smiled slightly before pointing towards the red dragon rampaging not too far away “Now, Balam is near the carmine dragon. I’m going to go towards the panther rat since that’s where Opera is.”

“Wait!” You grabbed his hand as he went to take off again. “You really think it’s safe to split up like this?”

“I wouldn’t put you in danger if I didn’t know you could handle it,” He reassured with a soft smile, patting your cheek. “You’re well defended, but who’s to say Iruma has that same guarantee?”

His words stirred that fire in your heart, and you let go with a firm nod. You could trust Sullivan. Besides, you weren’t completely sure that Iruma was with Balam, or if he was with one of the other groups and Balam was just relaying the message.

Hopefully, if he wasn't with Balam, he'd be with Opera. 

You weren't sure if it was the magic or your frantic desire to see your adopted son safe and sound that gave you the boost of energy. You ran across the debris, the path becoming more rocky and treacherous the closer you got to the rampaging dragon. You soon met demons fleeing the other way, though thankfully none tried to stop you.

"--children, can you believe that?"

"--not even their own, why?"

"--crazy, all of them. I mean--"

"--blue hair--"

The last comment made you skid to a stop and turn towards the demon who had overheard. "Wait! What about blue hair?!"

The demon looked startled by your intense expression. "Uh! Well! A group of children were trapped, and some boy with blue hair swore he was going to rescue them! Even though it has nothing to do with him!"

That was Iruma, alright. And you didn't know if you were proud, worried, angry, or all three at the same time. "Where?" You snapped, grabbing his shirt.

He pointed shakily towards the dragon, and you continued your run without another word. It wasn't long before you were caught in its massive shadow as the dragon towered less than a few meters away, still causing chaos without an apparent target.

Then a blast lit up the sky, making you falter and instinctually cower. You glanced up at the sky, stomach turning as you recognized the blond and pink haired demons in the sky above you.

Sabnock and Asmodus.

And wherever Az was, there was Iruma.

"Az!" You screamed up at the pair. "Sabnock!"

You not only garnered the two students' attention but also the dragon's. It roared as it twisted towards you, its claw a blur as it swept towards you.

Oh. Fuck. You didn't know what else to do but brace for the inevitable, hands protecting your head. The massive paw struck like a raging bear.

A bear you somehow withstood. Knees shaking, arms trembling as you felt its claw press down, but the only thing that buckled was the concrete itself. The runes burned, making you hiss, but it was minor compared to what it would have been like otherwise.

Like being squashed to death. Instead, you were stuck at a standstill, sandwiched between the ground and the dragon.

Could you push it back?

You screamed with determination as you pushed against its scaley claw. You didn't exactly push the dragon back, but shifted the claw enough it slammed to the ground beside you causing a tremor to shake the ground.

The dragon apparently didn't like the fact it was unable to crush you, and roared again…except now its mouth was filling with white-hot flames. Even as Asmodeus and Sabnock tried to distract its attention away from you, their familiars now by their side, you feared you had pissed it off too much.

Would the runes protect you against that? Or would they fail? You looked for shelter, but everything nearby had been reduced to piles that had no place for you to hide.

The fire crackled like a raging wildfire, giving you a brief warning to brace one more time for the inevitable.

Except there was a gust of wind instead of fire, The flames roared around you, casting off intense heat but otherwise harmless, the familiar swell of mana casting over you much like Sullivan's. You opened your eyes, and saw nothing but a dark shadow before you.

Eventually the blast faded away, letting you see more than a shadow as Balam glanced back at you, his expression indiscernible.

"Hi," You breathed out, more than a little stunned by the impressive display. "T-thank you."

“What are you doing here?” He finally spoke, sounding frantic and worried. “How? Why! Do you realize how dangerous it is right now?”

“And you think I could stay away when Iruma is in danger?” You shot out of reflex moments before the dragon roared. You could barely move as the dragon fired a blast once more, but Balam's reflexes proved quick enough as he pulled you close, a cocoon of magic wrapping around you the same way his arms were.

“I suppose right now isn’t the best time to argue,” He admitted, barely audible over the flames despite his mask brushing against your hair.

“Agreed," You replied, fighting the invasive thought from being so close. Instead of being warm, he felt nice and cool, shading you from the heat.

“Now that the children are safe, I’ll step in,” He continued, “but you should take cover with the boys over in that building.”

“Sounds like a plan, just…” You paused, looking up at him, meeting his gaze. "Be careful, please." You wanted to blame the adrenaline for the odd thumping of your heart as he gently touched your face. It was a very brief moment, yet felt far more significant than any touches in the past.

“You too,” He finally spoke as the flames died. “Now, run.”

You didn’t look back as you sprinted towards the half-demolished building. Your heart lightened when you saw Iruma waving at you. Him, Agares, and half a dozen small kids meeting you near the entrance.

“Mom!” Iruma crashed into you with the same intensity you crashed into him. “What are you doing here?! Are you okay?!”

“Am I okay? Are you okay!” You pulled away to check for any injuries, though found nothing more than some mild scratches. The boy did have inhuman reflexes at dodging, but it still felt like a heavy boulder was lifted from your chest as he gave you a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said, glancing towards the others. "We're all okay, I think."

Once you were satisfied he was unharmed, your attention moved to the other kids. Agares was fine, if looking mildly annoyed that he had to share his cloud with the young children. All of which looked terrified, still covered in dirt, a few scrapes but nothing serious. Still, that maternal instinct urged you to clean the dirt off their faces. “Are you kiddos good?”

“Yeah,” They each sniffed, nodding their heads. You smiled reassuringly as you fussed over each one, checking for yourself for any injuries. More than a few ended up silently clinging to you, desperate for a reassuring touch. 

"Iruma!" You looked up to see Asmodus and Sabnock approaching, the taller demon looking like he had taken the brunt of one other dragon's fire attacks. Iruma tackled Asmodus in a hug, and you shifted your attention to the golden haired demon.

"Are you two okay?" You asked, wishing you knew more than the basic first aid for small cuts and minor burns. Or maybe just first aid for demons. You weren't sure if what you knew applied to them, considering every human you knew would be near death looking like Sabnock, but the teen was (mostly) upright and grinning.

"Yeah, we're fine!"

"Liar! Neither of us can barely walk!" Asmodus shouted from behind him, still holding Iruma tight. "Let alone use any kind of magic right now!"

"Yeah, but we're alive aren't we? And so is Ms. Suzuki and the kids Iruma saved! And we looked absolutely cool while doing it!"

Relief washed over you in a brief moment as the two bickered, and you could see Iruma's smile reflect the same emotion. Agares groaned and grumbled about the two being too loud, and the children just watched with stars in their eyes, as if meeting real super heroes.

Though, in a way, they were. All of them.

And you couldn't be any prouder.

The earth rumbled again, cutting your thoughts short. You feared the red dragon had set its sights on your group again. But instead, a second dragon now stood guard between the shelter and the scarlet beast. The new dragon looked more like a creature that dragged itself from the depths of a swamp than an actual dragon, with a mane like seaweed from head to tip of its tail.

And, barely able to be seen, was Balam hanging down from vines that seemed to make up the dragon, using his clawed feet to hang on.

"Is that Professor Balam’s familiar?" Iruma asked with the same awe you felt.

"Actually, I think that’s Nigyul," Asmodeus answered. "I've heard rumors that Professor Balam had a Nigyupnil dragon as a pet named Nigyul. Nigyupnils are related to the nigi-nigi weed, except they grow with mana instead of water. They're nearly impossible to find, and I admit, until now I thought the Professor taming one was just a rumor."

And until now, you hadn't really seen Balam as the demon he truly was. After all, he was so nice, so kind, so eager to learn, and hardly seemed to want to harm anything or anyone.

But as you watched the two dragons fight - Nigyul easily overpowering the carmine dragon - you realized that there was definitely a powerhouse behind his usual demeanor.

But, also, you realized that you weren't quite in a safe place as Nigyul wrapped vines into the other dragon, causing it to begin to thrash violently. The surrounding buildings shook as if an earthquake had hit, rubble once more raining down. "Let's get out of here before something happens," You urged, helping Sabnock despite his reluctance.

You expected the tussle to last a while, especially as the carmine dragon used its fire breath. Except the fire seemed to pass over Nigyul as harmlessly as it passed over you and Balam earlier. Nigyul shaked off any embers that managed to catch its mane before he lunged forward, tackling the carmine dragon and digging in his claws, teeth, and vines.

The carmine dragon's roar of pain was choked off a thick bundle of vines. Its massive maw snapped at the air, claws pinned to keep it from scratching at the noose. It took a minute before the dragon started to waver, slowly collapsing onto the ground - as if in slow motion - before landing heavily.

Still, Nigyul waited, making sure the beast was well and truly dead before releasing his grip.

You were stunned by the display as Nigyul shrank rapidly, Balam landing gracefully on the ground, with Nigyul in his hand, no larger than a small kitten.

Minutes. Minutes is all it took for Balam to topple the dragon. You had felt the power of the dragon itself crushing down on you, nevermind the evidence of its destructive power was in the ruins of the amusement park surrounding you.

Yet, for Balam and Nigyul, it had seemed no more than a minor opponent.

Iruma, Sabnock, and Asmodeus soon crowded around the tall professor expressing the same sentiment, professing how 'cool' and 'powerful' he was.

 It was amusing to see Balam flustered, his face pink but obvious that a smile was hiding behind his mask. He looked over towards you as Asmodus and Sabnock started to argue once more, something changing in his gaze. 

You ignored the flip-flop of your stomach as you took your turn to approach the hero of the day.  "That was amazing,” You offered, feeling unusually shy. You were fully aware everyone else had said the same thing, but still, you felt like you needed to say it. 

And even then, it didn’t seem to do justice to what you had witnessed.

"Thank you," He said, rubbing the back of his head, face still darkened by a blush. "Though, I hope no one was hurt by any flying debris when the carmine dragon was thrashing around…"

"Not a single pebble hit anyone, as far as I know," You reassured, your attention drifting to the dragon in his hand. Without really thinking, you reached up to brush its wet-looking mane. It looked so cute with its tail twisting around his thumb, reminding you of an opossum baby holding onto its mother. "I can't believe this little cutie is the same beast that took on that dragon with little effort."

The small dragon sniffed your fingers carefully before headbutting them, reminding you of a cat demanding to be pet. And well, who were you to refuse the chance to pet an actual dragon? The main felt soft and damp, while his hide felt both pliable but firm, rather like the body of a vine. 

"Nigyupnil dragons feed on magic. The more magic for them to consume, the more they grow. While in the wild the largest they usually achieve is that of a hellcat, Nigyul can grow far more massive when linked to my mana." Balam explained, easily sliding into professor mode before catching himself. "But more importantly, how are you here?"

You were about to explain the rapid flow of events when two flashes of light caught your eye. You barely realized the carmine dragon itself was starting to glow when Balam shifted his stance, standing between the magical beast and everyone.

"Stay back!"

--+-- Su-Ki-Ma --+--

Opera was surprised when Lord Sullivan landed beside them, watching as Ameri fought the panther leopard. "Lord Sullivan? What are you doing here?"

"I saw the newscast and was worried about my precious grandson!" The demon lord answered, pouting slightly. "How could I stay away when my precious Iruma-kins was in danger?"

That made sense, but only very superficially. "Iruma is with Balam's group." And Sullivan should have been able to pinpoint exactly where the human was, considering both the magic of the Gluttonous Ring and the cologne masking the human scent of Iruma was easy enough to follow.

"Oh, I know," Lord Sullivan confirmed with a smile and went as far as winking at his security demon "But I have every faith the white gargoyle of Babyls can protect not only Iruma, but maybe impress my dear daughter some more while doing so."

Opera smiled faintly, their hands clasping together as their tail twitched with glee. "Oh? So Operation: Matchmaker is a go?"

"Absolutely!" Sullivan agreed with a clap. "Oh you should have seen the way she was smiling at his messages today!" Sullivan pulled out his own phone, showing the feline demon snapshots of you smiling at your phone, happiness evident on your face. "Those two are going to be so cute together!"

"Indeed they will be, sir," Opera readily agreed. They were happy that they had possibly found someone appropriately suited to be their kohai's mate; someone who wasn't perturbed by his skinship habits, or intense love of learning about anything that breathed.

You had accepted Balam's quirks readily, and even appreciated them. Opera even dared to hope that you were beginning to love him even for the supposed flaws.

Hopefully, you wouldn't be scared off by his physical quirks either. It was easy to tell you found the professor attractive, but you hadn't seen his scar yet either - or the rest of his demon nature.

"Speaking of which," Lord Sullivan interrupted Opera's silent musings. "Have you figured out which of these lovely demons have a thing for our little Iruma?"

"I'm pretty sure all of them, sir. Though Master Iruma continues to be oblivious."

“I’m glad they can all appreciate how wonderful my grandson is! Though, I have a feeling Asmodeus will be giving them a run for their money.” Lord Sullivan smiled as he watched Ameri land the final blow. “To have the honor of seeing the next era of the Netherworld develop right before our eyes, Opera, is going to be more fun than I thought it would be.”

[seospicybin]

FATAL ATTRACTION.

PART II & Epilogue.

I.N x reader. (s,a)

Previous chapter: Part I

Synopsis: Your father as the leader of the Southside must given up something as a penalty for breaking the territorial rules to the Northside leader, Yang Jeongin. It's an exchange that he can't resist, a hidden daughter of the Southside, you. (23,8k words)

Content warning: Violence, strong language, a lot of angst, Joon's charms, family dramas and 24k words, oh and a special epilogue.

BANG!

You never heard the shooting sound of a gun apart from the one you heard in movies.

It's loud and head-splitting.

And at the same time, Jeongin wraps his body around you and holds you so unintentionally hard, you believe he's doing it out of instinct to save you.

But he is too late to hide you from the horror you witnessed with your own eyes, how someone stands to cover Jeongin and takes the bullet for him.

A scream rips out of you.

You find his dark, alerting eyes and the arms around you holding you tighter, "I'm right here, you're—"

Before he can finish his sentence, there comes another banging sound and you scream in fright into Jeongin's chest.

"Get her in the car!" Jeongin shouts at someone.

You never heard Jeongin sound so afraid like that.

Another pair of hands takes you from Jeongin and leads you inside the backseat of the car. It's Joon and he gets in after you.

"Get her back to the hotel! Quick!" Jeongin tells him before closing the car door.

Everything is muffled, blurry but the gunshot sound rings in your ear until you're back in your hotel suite.

"You'll be safe here! I have a few men outside to keep an eye on you!" Joon assures you.

"I have to go and help Jeongin!" He doesn't wait for your permission, then leaves.

Warm water always help to calm you down.

After almost an hour of standing under the shower, it can't stop your hands from shaking and they are pruning up instead.

You put on a bathrobe and with your trembling hand, open the liquor cabinet and pull out a couple of mini bottles of liquor.

You fumble to uncap the bottle, once you succeed, you chug the whole content. The alcohol burns down your throat and you quickly open another one but failed.

You let it fall onto the carpeted floor and drop your head into your hands, closing your eyes so tight to push the images that keep replaying in the back of your head.

It's just so horrifying and what you saw will stick with you for a long, long time. Not only the memory but the fear and the dreadful feeling that comes with it.

You sit on the edge of the bed and cry and cry and cry.

You jolt on your bed when you hear someone comes into your hotel suite.

The adrenaline that still pumping inside of you makes you feel sick in the stomach and almost faint when Jeongin appears in the doorway of the bedroom.

You come up to him but your legs give away, and you end up falling into his arms.

"Why are you still up?" He asks, helping you to get to the bed and lay you down.

You grab his hand and pull him, asking him to lie down with you.

"Please, stay with me!" You croak.

"Okay," he agrees without complaints and lay down next to you on the bed.

You scoot closer to him, resting your head on his outstretched arm, and try to close your eyes.

"You're shaking," he mutters and takes one of your hands in his, intertwining it together then places it close to his chest.

"That could have been me," you say with a quivering voice and fresh tears roll down your face.

"Shh... you're safe now!" He murmurs with his mouth on the top of your head and the hand on your back start to give you soothing rubs.

"I could have died tonight," you say again and break into tears.

"But you're not," he convinces you.

"And they're after me, not you," he adds, taking the duvet and covering your body with him.

You nuzzle your head further into his neck, "I'm so scared," you honestly admit to him. You are scared beyond belief, it's the first time you feel like your life is threatened and death almost got you.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you," he softly mutters to you.

You cry your heart out, letting the tears wash the fears and anxiety out of you.

"I'll protect you, I promise," he says again.

And he did nothing but protect you tonight.

It could have been him as well, he was the one who shielded you with his body.

A man that you claim is your enemy risked his own life for you.

Jeongin may be a bad person but his words aren't just words.

He's a man of trust and you decide to trust him.

And slowly, your worries start to melt away and you feel safe as you fall asleep in his arms.

-

Lost and terrified.

You look lost and terrified as he holds you close on the bed and it takes him back to that night when you almost took your own life.

Your body is shaking so he holds you tighter to assure you that you're not alone, therefore you shouldn't be scared anymore.

"I'm so scared."

It's a devastating thing to hear and he can feel how shaken you are by what happened. He knows you're not going to forget it anytime soon, he can only hope that it'll not linger for far too long in your head.

After you fall asleep, Jeongin slowly lets go of you and tries not to wake you up in the process. He pulls the duvet up to your chest and lands a soft caress on your cheek, that's the only thing he allows himself to do.

He gets out of your suite and got greeted by Joon who has been waiting outside.

"So, who is it?" Jeongin asks, walking while loosening the tie around his collar.

"He's just a druggie, he said he got paid by someone with drugs and cash," Joon answers, trying to match his pace with Jeongin.

"And that someone is?"

Joon quickly swipes the keycard for Jeongin's suite and opens the door for him.

"That's the problem. The bastard is high as hell, he keeps slurring and changing his answers," Joon answers.

Jeongin stops walking and roughly pulls the tie from around his collar, and throws it onto the floor with force.

"Then make him talk!" He snaps. His voice echoed in the quiet of his suite.

He pinches the bridge of his nose, "Just do anything to make him talk!"

"Sure! Our men are working on it!" Joon assures him.

It's nothing new to him.

His life is always at risk, someone always wanted to get him killed yet none of them ever succeeded to do so.

But what makes him mad is not the fact that people trying to target him, but it's someone that has nothing to do with him.

Jeongin saunter to the table filled with bottles of liquor and fills his glass with ice cubes, pouring himself the strongest liquor there is.

He gulps it and lets the bitter aftertaste linger on his mouth, "I saw it. He's not after me..." he says.

Joon stands a foot away from him, he knows his temper well to give him space when Jeongin is like this.

"But why would they target her?" Joon asks.

Jeongin takes another big gulp and wipes his mouth, this has just hit him that to keep you close to him also means that he keeps you close to danger as well.

"Because she's close to me," he says.

Joon scoffs, refusing to believe it, "Then he should have shot me!"

Joon grabs a drink for himself and sits across from him, taking little sips of his drink, partly nervous because he failed to do his duty to protect you.

"She's a daughter of my enemy and she's close to me," Jeongin gives Joon a clearer context of his earlier remark, the job is to target you in the first place.

When it hits him, Joon leans forward in his seat.

"That someone is afraid because I'm getting close to her," Jeongin says, staring into his drink like it holds an answer to his question.

Joon puts down his glass and spills a few drops on the table, "do you think it's her brother?"

Jeongin lets out a cynical laugh, "why would her brother try to kill her?"

Joon shrugs and then accepts that his guess falls on the wrong side. He saw everything your brother said to you in the club that one time, he could recognize that genuine brotherly love he has for you because he has a younger sister.

Your brother wouldn't pay someone to kill you, he possibly would but it will be to kill Jeongin.

"Then who do you think it is?" Joon asks.

Jeongin pours more alcohol into his glass and the ice clinking as he lifts it to his mouth. He has been thinking so hard in the past few hours and concludes that someone who would happily use the excuse to kill a daughter of an enemy must be someone from his family.

And he can think of one.

Jeongin licks his lips and asks, "Have you checked on Junwon lately?"

Joon looks him in the eyes with all eyebrows raised, "I'll check on it," he says, immediately leaving his suite to do his task.

Jeongin got the private plane ready to go in the morning, he once again feel sad at the sight of you sitting across from him, he knows that you were restless inside.

If only he knows how to convince you that something like this won't happen again, that he'll keep you safe no matter what.

Back in the mansion, you stay in your room the whole day and he takes it that you need that much-needed rest.

"Keep her occupied!" Jeongin orders.

Joon gestures for the other men to leave the office, he's the only one allowed to know the task Jeongin gives to him, especially when it comes to you.

Jeongin swivels his chair around to face him, "get her favorite books, get her art supplies, let her cook dinner, do anything to keep her mind off..." he trails his words.

Joon nods in acknowledgment, he understands without him needing to finish his sentence.

"Do not let her out of the mansion until she's ready," Jeongin adds then looks out the window, at the flowers blooming in the garden.

He once asked himself if he should help you grow some thorns or if should he protect you more from the world.

Jeongin has decided and it's the latter.

-

It's getting ridiculous day by day.

The things that Joon brought to you every morning since you came back from the trip.

A stack of your favorite classic books, he threw a movie night with all the staff in the mansion, he bought art supplies for your room one morning, the next day he brought a few cookbooks and insist you try on baking some cakes.

You notice that maybe it's the effort to keep your mind off things, things that bring you back to that night.

Well, it mostly worked but when you come back to your bed and try to sleep at night.

The memory haunts you back and oftentimes, you found yourself got awaken by nightmares.

You also notice that you're no longer invited to join him, to accompany him to the club. You don't exactly enjoy just sitting next to him while he talks business with his clients but that seems better than spending the night alone in the mansion.

And Jeongin feels distant away from you.

It makes you even lonelier than before.

You plan on taking some books from the library which is located next to Jeongin's office.

You are browsing the shelf when you hear a faint conversation from his office.

"What time is it?"

"It's almost 4."

"Do I have time to make a phone call?"

"If it's no longer than an hour, we'll still make it before dinner."

"How about the gift?"

"I have it."

You walk to the glass door that separates the office and the library, listening through the tiny crack between the two doors.

"Have you checked it?" Jeongin asks.

"Yes, I have checked it just now. It's what you ordered," Joon answers.

Jeongin paces around his desk and picks up his phone.

"What about her?" Joon asks.

Your heart skips a beat at the mention of you and tries to see through the crack but can't see much, you can only see Joon standing a meter away from the desk.

"Your uncle asks you to come with her," Joon says.

There's dead silence for a moment then you hear the sound of Jeongin pulling the chair.

"Let's not force her, she's not ready," Jeongin softly says.

"Okay," Joon replies.

"But what are you going to tell your uncle?"

Jeongin gets quiet again and the silence takes over once more.

You remember Joon mentioned Jeongin's uncle a few times. His uncle is important to him because he is his father's brother but for some reason, he turned from the family and got excommunicated.

He lives far off the city but he's the closest family member to Jeongin.

And for him to ask you to come to meet him would mean so much.

Without thinking, you part the doors open and barge in.

"I want to come!"

Joon glances at you then at Jeongin, and then back at you. No one says anything, no one expects you to listen to their conversation.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I was in the library when I heard..." you stop talking and turn at Jeongin.

"I want to come. I want to meet your uncle," you say again.

Joon gets fidgety on his spot with uneasy eyes, he waits for Jeongin to make a decision.

You can see the doubts in Jeongin's eyes and before he can stop you, you decide for yourself.

"I'll get ready!" You announce and leave the office.

It takes almost 3 hours of drive to get to his uncle's house.

He lives uphill and when you get out of the car, the sun is almost fully disappearing behind the horizon. The waves that are lapping and the sound of the waves crashing against the cliff is mesmerizing to hear.

"Welcome! Welcome!"

A man with a mustache dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans comes out of the front door of the house.

Jeongin is the first to come up to him and give each other a quick hug while you stand behind him, waiting to be introduced.

"Is this the lucky charm?" The man asks as he looks at you.

Jeongin glances at you then look back at him, "yes."

His laughs are explosive and loud, you can't help but laugh back.

"Come here, darling!" He gestures at you and gives you a quick hug as well.

"Nice to meet you!" You politely say.

He nods and smiles, "the pleasure is mine!"

He invites everyone into the house where his wife is still preparing the dining table, you hurriedly put your purse away somewhere to rush to help her.

"Let me help you!" You offer.

You walk back and forth from the kitchen to the dining table and bring everything needed for dinner, you're just glad that their house is not as big as Jeongin's.

Meanwhile, all the men wait by the living room for some chat.

"She really does look like her mother," his uncle says.

Jeongin agrees that you're beautiful but he's in no position to compare you with your mother, but his uncle is the only one who saw her in flesh.

"The eyes, the smile, she's beautiful," he adds.

Jeongin can only nod in agreement but it evokes a question out of him, one that he always asked whenever he comes to visit.

"Did you regret it?"

His uncle burst into laughter and taps Joon on the shoulder, "he always comes with the same question!"

Jeongin needed the assurance that his uncle is alright living like this, in a small house and a secluded area. He can't stop feeling guilty, he ended up here because his father asked him for a favor, a favor that cost his name off the family's inheritance and being cast away.

Jeongin's father was in love with your mother but knowing that his family was against it, they planned to kill her. But Jeongin's father found out about it and his uncle took your mother away without his family knowing.

That was the favor that got him here.

"I have a new answer for you!" His uncle says and flicks the ash of his cigarette into an ashtray.

He leans forward to talk to him, "I don't regret it at all because look at her," he turns Jeongin's head toward you.

"Even though she ended up marrying that asshole, I'm glad that her daughter looked nothing like him," he finishes with a sly smile.

The dinner is finally served and everyone is enjoying the homemade meals that his uncle's wife prepared for tonight. When it's time for desserts, you help her prep the birthday cake she also made herself and help from Joon to carry it to the dining table.

The birthday celebration ends with Jeongin gifts him a present, a vintage watch, and a bottle of expensive liquor which everyone eagerly shares after the dinner.

You are having a great time just watching everyone eating so well and having fun, you help around the kitchen to clean up.

"You've been helping too much," his wife says to you.

"It's okay. I feel bad for not doing so much!" You sheepishly say to her.

"Go have fun! Have some drinks!" She insists and grabs your shoulders, directing you back to the living room.

"Joon" she calls for him after.

"Your time to clean up!"

You laugh seeing Joon reluctantly walks to the kitchen to do the dishes.

"Come here!" His uncle says to you, patting the empty seat next to him.

"I know you hear it a load of times already but you are very beautiful, love!" He says to you with his breathe tinted alcohol.

"Thank you," you blushfully smile.

He puts his index finger in front of his mouth, "shh, don't tell my wife I told you that."

"Sure!"

"Can you open that drawer for me?" He asks.

Your hand grope around the many drawers next to the sofa, "this one?"

"The bottom one!"

You pull it open and find a photo album.

"Take it out!"

You carefully take it out of the drawer and place it on the table, blowing on the dusty surface of the cover.

"What I'm going to show you is a top secret," he talks in a whisper at you.

"No one outside of here can obtain this information," he adds.

He turns all serious and you have no other but to believe him, "okay."

He flips open the album and turns out, it's childhood photos of Jeongin. You laugh at how adorable the poses he made and the cute little dimples on his cheeks.

"He's a cheeky, cheeky little brat," his uncle comments as he flips to a new page.

More pictures of him with toys, in the garden that you recognized, is the back of the mansion, on the steps of the entrance to the mansion.

"He asked for a piggyback ride if I didn't come with a toy for each time I visit," he grumbles as he sips his alcohol.

"He's very demanding since he was little."

Then there are a few pictures of him with his father.

He looked so much like him except that his father had a slim figure and a long face, but he was indeed as charismatic as you heard from people that had been working in the mansion for years.

"He can be difficult sometimes, eh?"

Difficult. That's a word you heard so many times when people talked about Jeongin. He is difficult but as you get to know him, you partly get a grasp on knowing which button to push around him.

"Yes," you sheepishly answer.

He laughs upon hearing your answer and holds your hand, "you're getting close to figuring it out, dear."

You don't get what he means by that but you smile because he's still a stranger to you yet the hand that holds you feel warm and comforting.

He lets go to flips the last page of the album and pulls out a photograph, he hands it to you.

You turn it over on your palm to see a photograph of your mother, she looked so young and vibrant with her elegant smile and twinkling eyes frozen in time.

It's been years since the last time you saw her face, your father keeps everything about her away from you and it aches you of how much you missed her.

You didn't get to know her because she died giving birth to you.

"How did you—"

"I knew your mother," he tells you, holding your hand on his lap.

"Was she—" you fight the tears coming out of your eyes but it's the first time you met someone who knew your mother other than your father and you're curious to know.

"What kind of person—" but your tears caught in your throat.

He squeezes your hand, "she was very, very lovely. Inside and out."

Your tears roll down your cheek as you put the photograph close to your chest.

He pulls you and lets you cry into his shoulder, "I bet you miss her so much," he says.

You nod.

"You are not a mistake, love! Your mother chose to give birth to you because she loves you so much."

"And you've grown so well, dear, she must be very proud of you," he says and lightly taps your shoulder to comfort you.

And it's nice to hear that.

You didn't know how much you needed to hear that until someone said it to you. You always think of yourself as not more than the cause of your mother's death just like how your father indoctrinated that into your head since you were very young.

"Uncle, I think it's time to go," Jeongin says as he steps into the room.

Then he sees you looking away and wiping your tears.

"I thought of asking you to stay for the night," he says, "but seems like you have plans for tomorrow."

He and his wife send you off, exchanging quick hugs and kisses on the cheeks before parting.

It's so bittersweet leaving them but they look so happy together, you can't ask for more but to wish that they stay that way.

"Are you okay?" Jeongin asks from next to you.

You sniffle from the crying you did earlier, "Yeah."

All this happened because of him.

If it wasn't because of him, you wouldn't have met someone who knew your mother and you never felt this close to your mother until tonight.

Your heart aches but it's filled with both happiness and sadness. You rest your head on his shoulder and hold the hand on his lap, closing your eyes.

"Can I sleep?"

"Yes."

And you feel safe in his arms.

You sleep so well that the 3 hours drive felt like a few minutes, and you wake up to Jeongin carrying you to your bedroom.

He lays you down gently on the bed and you hurriedly clung your arms around his neck.

"Don't go!" You say.

He puts your hands away but sits on the bed with you, "aren't you tired?"

You put your hair behind your ear before speaking, "I want to talk to you."

He looks into your eyes, "Okay, I'm listening."

The trip to his uncle's house has helped you to come to this decision, "I want to get to know you more."

He stays quiet and the dim light from your bedside lamp accentuates his sharp jaws.

"I want to get to know you more and maybe someday, I get to answer your proposal," you explain.

He swallows and says nothing but looks deeper into your eyes.

"And I want you to touch me," you add.

The calm on his face falters a little, he clenches and unclenches his jaws a few times to mutter an answer.

"I told you, I'm not going to touch you unless you give me permission," he reminds you.

"And I give you the permission," you say.

He lays his hand flat on the space on your bed, so close yet so far from you.

"Don't force yourself," he says.

You get up from the bed and crawl toward him, getting as close to him as possible then sit there next right in front of him.

You take his hand and press it close to your face, "I want you to touch me," you sigh as you feel the heat of his hand against your cheek.

"I don't want you to hesitate to touch me anymore," you say and rest the side of your face in his hand with your eyes closed.

Then you lean in and tenderly kiss him on the lips, "this is what I want," you say as you pull away.

You get onto his lap and straddle him, sliding his suit jacket down his arms then loosen his tie next.

Slowly, you pull it out of his collar to unbutton his shirt next, his eyes following your hand working his buttons open one by one.

You part open his shirt to reveal his toned abs and muscular arms, he's so magnificent, you can't believe that you get to see this with your own eyes and not pass out.

"But can I touch you?" You ask with eyes staring into his dark orbs in the dark of your room.

"Yes," he breathlessly answers.

After getting his permission, you run your hands down on the smooth of his skin and the ridges between his sculpted abs, Gosh, Michelangelo must be so mad for not getting to sculpt him into a statue.

"You're so... gorgeous," your voice break at the end of the sentence, overwhelmed by the sensation all of your senses feel at once.

He looks up at you and finally lay a hand on you, holding your face with both hands, he says, "and you're so beautiful."

His kiss is soft yet holds so much intensity in it, you can tell that he waited too long for this kiss as well.

He kisses you and you kiss him back, two people that get drunk with every kiss yet none wants to stop. If anything, you want to keep going and drinking in as many touches from each other.

He unzips your dress and takes it off in one go, revealing your heavenly body that he can't wait to explore with his impatient hands.

Everywhere he touches, leaves a burning feeling on your skin and somehow you want more of it, addicted to it.

"Touch me all over," you whisper into his ear as he sinks his head into your neck.

And he answers by taking your bra off of you, letting his mouth take its turn to touch your body with it.

You gasp the second his mouth meets your hardening buds wet and hot. You close your eyes and let the other senses heighten.

The next thing you know, your head is on the pillow and he hovers above you, continuing his exploration with his plush lips tracing every inch of your skin.

His fingers hook on the elastic band of your underwear and you slightly lift your hips to let him get it off of you and pull it down your legs.

You show him how much you want this by spreading your legs open for him to let him touch you there where you wanted him the most.

He looks at you as the back of his hand lightly caresses your inner thigh, so close but not enough.

"Touch me there," you breathlessly say.

You get to the point that you get shameless about what you want, you yearn for his touch as much as he yearned to touch you.

But he takes his hand away and you frown at the lost contact.

He kisses you so deep as he lays his hand flat on your stomach, fingers lightly grazing the skin as they make their way down south.

You softly gasp into his mouth when he finally touches you there, he touches you right, delicately.

He knows how to get you to squirm with his two fingers in you, finding that spot that makes you go...

"Oh my God!" You moan out loud with your hips hanging in the air.

Jeongin slows the pumping of his fingers then pulls them out of you, and doesn't hesitate to lick them all clean with his mouth.

Seeing how much he enjoyed it, you got curious and take them into your mouth next, wanting to taste yourself on him.

"Sweeter than your cherry pie," he murmurs as he pulls his fingers out of your mouth and captures your lips in a kiss again.

Your hands make their way to unbuckle his belt as he hovers above you, unzips his fly, and impatiently pulls his swollen member out of its confine.

You whimper as your hand slowly strokes his length like it's not hard enough for you.

And you're so ready to take it all in.

"I want you inside me," you mutter against his lips.

He gives you a peck on the lips, "just one second."

He gets off the bed to remove the pieces of clothing he still wears on him and climbs back into bed with nothing but his glorious body.

He slowly puts on top of you and you can feel his weight on you, his skin making friction with your skin as your bodies tangled into one beautiful mess.

Then his hand parts your legs open.

"Can I?"

"Please," you breathlessly answer.

Without further ado, he slowly pushes his length into you, carefully while he intently watches your face for any signs of discomfort.

One hand rubs your thigh as he pushes the remaining length then he lets out a satisfied groan the moment he finally buried to the hilt inside you.

He collapses on top of you with his head in your neck, groaning like he's hurting.

You wrap your legs around his waist and hold him close, you can feel his cock launches deeper inside you.

Jeongin groans so close to your ear, raw and almost primal.

His mouth places a sloppy kiss on you, "Gosh, you feel so good around me!"

You can feel the hunger in his kiss as he starts thrusting into you, slow and steady.

He cages you between his arms prop on each side of you and his eyes bore into you, making you feel more exposed than you already are.

Your nails dug into his arms and claw at them as he picks up the speed, thrusting into you faster. Moans spill out of your mouth and you pull him for a kiss to muffle them.

"Close, mmh?" His grazes your lips as he speaks.

You nod with a parted mouth.

He gives your waist a gentle squeeze then crashes your lips with his again.

He slows down and changes his pace into slow yet so intense thrusts, trying to get as shallow as possible in each thrust, and hits it right in the spot.

Your legs are trembling as the knot in the pit of your stomach tightens, your hands gripping his shoulders so hard you believe you'll leave crescent marks on his skin.

"Don't hold back, beautiful!" He sweetly says to you with a gentle caress of his knuckles on your cheek.

Maybe you haven't been with a man for quite some time but he just feels so good inside you and you're sure sex never feels this good before.

The firm grip of his hand on your waist, the soft grunts he let out through his slightly parted mouth, and Gosh, his foxy eyes just won't stray from yours even just for a second.

"Oh... my– oh!" You press your mouth onto his neck as you climax.

Eyes shut as you relish the waves of pleasures washing over you and at the same time, you feel like floating in the air and nothing can hold you down.

Jeongin allows himself a few more thrusts before immediately pulling out, using his hand he gives himself a few pumps.

Your eyes are open just in time his seed spurting out of the tip and making streaks on your stomach, warm and pearly white.

You never thought this would be this arousing.         You get a drop of it on your stomach with your finger and put it in your mouth.

"So this is what you taste like?" You ask him as he watches you while kneeling between your legs.

If it's not because the two of you just fucked, you would be scared at the smirk he gives you in the darkened room. But it does the opposite, he makes you want more of it.

You hear noises that feel like coming from inside your head but when you open your eyes, you realize that it must be the sound of Jeongin waking up next to you.

You turn over on the bed to see the maid hanging your freshly laundered clothes into your closet, "did I wake you, miss?"

The cool morning air brushes your bare skin and you quickly cover your naked chest with the duvet, "No, it's time to wake up anyway," you say with an awkward smile.

She closes the closet and stands at the end of your bed, "Do you want me to bring you your breakfast, miss?"

You don't feel like taking a walk of shame to the back garden and having breakfast there, but then again, why you should be ashamed?

It's not like you are fucking some lousy guy, he's the owner of this mansion and you want to see him, especially after what you two did last night.

"I'll have breakfast in the back garden," you finally answer.

You want to look like you just rolled out of bed but at the same time presentable, you wash your face and brush your teeth, put on a simple cotton dress and a sweater then keep the hair a little messy.

When you arrive for breakfast, you only see one person sitting at the round table and it's not Jeongin.

"Good morning!" Joon says with his coffee cup raised at you.

"Morning!" You pull a chair and sit on it.

You pour a cup of coffee for yourself and take a sip, "it's barely 9 but he's already gone," you try to sound nonchalant when you said it.

Joon stops chewing his toast for a second, "He's a busy man, you see!"

You stuff your face with a toast to prevent yourself from pouting, "why are you still here?"

He chuckles and puts down his toast, "are you perhaps getting bored of me?"

You scoff, "of course not! What makes you think so?"

"From the fact that you asked for him when I'm right here," he answers with a shrug.

You scoff again, "is it wrong for me to ask about him?"

"No, just unusual!"

"Are you jealous?" You ask with your bread knife pointing at him.

"Are you mad because I caught you getting flustered just now?" He asks back with a sly smile.

You throw a piece of your toast at him and hits him right on the chin.

He laughs and holds his hands up, surrendering.

"You have a doctor appointment today," he informs.

"But I'm not sick," you take a jam with the end of your knife.

"It's for a general check-up," he says.

The doctor is old and based on what Joon said, has been the family's doctor for over a decade. It shows how experienced he is from the way he seamlessly checks your vitals and takes your blood samples.

Then the examination continues with him asking you a series of questions related to your health, from the medicine you usually took to the last thing you consumed.

When you think the question would stop there, he suddenly says, "Mr. Yang wants me to ask you if you want me to prescribe you birth control pills."

He places his hands on the desk and calmly adds, "I also specialize in gynecology, so you don't have to worry about it."

Of course, a doctor as old as him can specialize in many things, you bet he bags a specialization in oncology as well because who knows?

"Or would you prefer another kind of contraception?" He offers and starts explaining all sorts of birth control and the effect and symptoms like you haven't heard from your former gynecology doctor before.

You willingly listen because he speaks so eloquently and you want to be polite, the doctor is simply doing his job.

You finally get out of the mansion again in your tight dress and glam make-up, Joon takes you up to the private room in the club but Jeongin is having a business deal inside.

He takes you to meet someone else in the other room, "since you got bored of me, I want you to meet my sister, Jinny!"

Jinny is so bright and cheery, she's still in her early twenties and her third year of law school. She resembles Joon in certain ways but she's more upfront.

"The family pays for my school so I don't really have much choice!" She says with an eye-roll.

"And I'll be working as a legal team for the family which means I'll be boring just like my brother," she glares at her brother.

And Joon glares back at her.

"Let's go dancing!" She says to you, pulling you by the hand despite you haven't said anything on your part.

She brings you downstairs to the dancing floor with all these bodies colliding against each other to the rhythm of the music.

Music is blasting from all over the place and Jinny is talking but all you can hear is her laughs. Being in a crowd like this triggers you, screams and shouts, and then BANG!

You close your ears together then someone put them down, "seems like you need a drink!" Jinny says to you, dragging you to the bar, and insists you gulp down a glass of alcohol.

"Another round!" Jinny orders the bartender.

She hands one glass to you, "Bottoms up!" Lifting the bottom to pour the content into your mouth.

You cough at the burning sensation of alcohol going down your throat. It works to dull your senses and she drags you back to the dancing floor, your head is spinning and your heart is beating to the thump of the music, bodies colliding, bodies on the floor, bodies... BANG!

-

Jeongin is in the middle of a conversation when he looks down and sees Joon running down the stairs.

His eyes follow where he goes and then he sees it, you break down to the floor. He instantly puts down his drink and rushes to get you.

He cut through the crowd that is oblivious to the fact that you just fainted in the middle of the dancing floor. Joon has taken you to the side and sits you in the booth.

"What happened?" Jeongin asks in concern.

Jinny laughs from behind him, "she's just drunk!" She says, a little tipsy as well.

"Did you give her something?" Joon accuses her sister.

Jinny scoffs with unkind eyes, "You know I don't do that shit," she strongly refuses the accusation.

Jeongin glares at Joon and takes you into his arms, slowly shaking your shoulder to wake you, "Are you okay?"

With your eyes closed, you roll your head at his face and burst into laughter.

"I told you she's just drunk!" Jinny says and Joon takes her away before she pisses Jeongin more.

"There's a lot of people!" You slur at him.

"Let's go home then," Jeongin says, he takes off his jacket and put it on you.

Joon makes his way to let you and Jeongin walk out of the club with ease.

"There's is a lot of people," you whine into his chest.

"I'm scared."

He holds you close as he walks you out to the exit and waits for the car to arrive.

"I'm right here. You'll be okay," he mutters on the top of your head.

You shrug off his jacket the moment you get into your bedroom and kick your shoes off of you but failed to get them off you. You collapse onto the bed with your face down on the pillow, sighing.

Jeongin patiently takes the shoes off your feet and you mumble something.

"It's so tight!"

Your hand helplessly reaches for the zipper on your dress, "so tight... can't breathe..."

"Want to take off your dress?" He asks you.

"Mmh."

He goes to take the dress off of you and tries not to get it stuck in your head when he pulls it over your head.

"So much better..." you sigh in delight then loops your hands around his neck, taking him to lie down with you.

Jeongin has no other option but to lie there next to you, brushing your hair with his fingers.

"Are you still scared?"

There's a second of quiet before you begin to speak, "the sound... I can't get it out of my head," you answer.

"When you're with me, you don't have to worry," he assures you, "I'll keep you safe."

You nuzzle your head into the crook of his neck, "yeah?"

"Yes, I'll protect you with my life," he unequivocally says without the slightest doubt.

You lowly giggle and then get quiet again.

Jeongin allows himself to kiss you on the temple, just a small, tender one.

"If you protect me then who will protect you?"

Jeongin looks down and your eyes are open wide, reflecting the moonlight that shines through your bedroom window.

"I can protect myself," he tells you.

You put your arms around him and sigh, "Then we'll protect each other."

He smiles hears your words and holds you back, gives you a gentle kiss on the top of your head.

"Let me shop for my own clothes, will you?" You suddenly grumble at him with a slap on his chest.

"These are too tight, too short..." you adorably grumble to him.

He laughs in response, "Okay, okay."

Joon catches Jeongin getting out of your room in the morning.

"Are you looking for me?" He asks.

They get to the office and Joon presents him with video footage, "the man who paid the druggie is one of Junwon's men," he confirms.

Jeongin watches the footage one more time to see the familiar face.

"Your suspicion is right," Joon says.

When Jeongin is in doubt, he always comes to his uncle for insight even though he has to drive far, it doesn't matter to him, he's the only one he can trust.

"Seems like Junwon is not giving up his coup against you," his uncle says.

The strong wind coming from the ocean blows his way, sending his tie flying around his chest, "you know that he won't stop," Jeongin says.

Junwon is determined to take the throne from him, his mother is the one that backs him up with all of his evil plans and got half of the family taking on his side.

"It would be wise if you take decisions now," his uncle says, "learned from the past, you don't want to come up with one when it's too late."

Jeongin used to think that it was stupid of his father to risk everything for a woman. Now that he got trapped in the same dilemma as his father, he understands that it was not that easy to give up either: his throne or you.

On the other hand, he has his people to look out for and people that rely on him.

And if he lets you go...

He stops thinking and lets out a long breath but strangely it's only tightening the knot in his chest.

His uncle sighs while looking far beyond the horizon, "it's like history repeats itself."

When he comes to the mansion, it's already night and he thinks of seeing you. He stops by your bedroom door and has a second thought, he turns away, then leaves for his bedroom.

The warm water that rains down on him can't wash the thoughts that rage in his head. He closes his eyes and thinks of everything that would happen if he loses either and all the different schemes that may help him find some answers.

Then he feels hands around his waist and the warmth of your body behind him, joining him inside the shower stall.

"Can you stop disappearing in the morning?" You ask with one side of your face resting on his back.

"Don't leave without telling me, please?" You plead.

He puts his hands on yours and breaks them away, turning around to face you.

"I feel so alone when you do that," you say again with a sad face.

He takes your hand and kisses your knuckles, so tenderly with his eyes closed like it's painful to do so.

"I'm sorry," he mutters.

You lean in close and kiss him, putting your hands on his chest, letting him envelop you in his body.

He is more than eager to kiss you back and gently pin you against the glass wall of the shower stall, kissing you so deeply.

It's the first time he's having you on his bed and it's the first time he doesn't feel lonely in his own bedroom.

Your moans filled the quiet of his room as he steadily thrust you from behind. His hands wrapped around your body, one hand kneading on your breast and the other holding you steady by the waist.

Your hand curved around his neck with your lips attached to his.

It's not just physical with you, it's making sweet, sweet love.

Ever since that night, Jeongin grows a hunger inside him, a hunger for you and your body, your beautiful frame, and soft edges. It's growing bigger and bigger, insatiable.

How can he let you go when you break under the faintest of his touch like this?

How can he let you go when the only place you can find safety is in his arms?

How can he let you go when he knows that he'll never find another one like you?

When the night turns into morning, Jeongin gets a clearer idea that he won't let history repeats itself.

"Hey," you sleepily greet him, catching his hand from caressing your face and intertwining it with yours.

"You sleep so tight," he says.

You smile at him and get up from the bed, "are you going somewhere?"

"I have a business to take care of," he answers.

You nod and take his hand onto your lap, "okay."

"Can I go now?"

You softly chuckle, "yes," then let go of his hand so he can go.

He picks up his suit jacket and puts it on, coming to you to give you a long, lingering kiss on the lips.

"I won't be long," he says.

"Okay."

He gives you another kiss on the head and a caress on your cheek.

"I'll see you again," you say with a sweet smile.

How can he lets you go when you smile so sweetly like that to him?

-

You're in the middle of having a peaceful breakfast in the back garden when Jinny is coming unannounced.

"Shopping day!" She suddenly announces.

Joon runs after her and sighs, "You said you wanted to go shopping so I get you a friend to shopping with," he says.

"Trust me, you don't want to go shopping with my brother!" Jinny says, taking a strawberry from a bowl and biting it.

You're not sure if you can keep up with Jinny either, she's very energetic and you have visited more than a dozen shops already.

The only reason you're willing to go shopping is that you wanted to get a gift for Jeongin, you heard that it's going to be his birthday soon. You already got an idea for the perfect birthday gift but haven't decided which one to get.

You can finally get a break when it's time for lunch.

"No wine for my sister here or Joon will blame me again," Jinny orders the server then glares at Joon.

"I'm sorry for that night," you didn't get to apologize to her until now.

"That's okay," she cheerfully says.

"But not you, I'm still mad at you!" She says at her brother and flicks her napkin at him.

You laugh looking at their dynamic and Joon looks much younger when he's with his sister, somehow it reminds you of your brother.

You push the thought away or else you'll pity your brother, there's nothing that will justify what he did to you.

"I'm going to the restroom," you tell Joon as you leave the table but head out of the restaurant.

You saw a shop that sells arts and crafts earlier, you save yourself from having Jinny comment on your shopping choices.

You cross the street and come back to the shop, taking the time to find the perfect item as a birthday gift for Jeongin.

"Can I customize this?" You ask the shopkeeper.

"Yes, sure," she replies and assists you with your need.

The gift is wrapped already and you hurriedly put it inside your purse, feeling giddy that you can't stop thinking about how he would react to it.

It's not crowded but you hear footsteps coming from behind you. Maybe the experience of getting kidnapped before spooks you a little, you turn around to see that it's only a couple of tourists discussing where to go.

You retrace the route back to the restaurant before Joon finds out that you're out of his radar.

You hear footsteps following you from behind again and instead of looking back to see who it is, you walk faster to see if they follow you.

You decide to get back to the restaurant as fast as possible but you bump into someone on the corner of the street.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" You quickly apologize only to see that it's Jeongin.

"What are you doing here?"

He grabs you by the elbows, "What are you doing here? You're supposed to stay with Joon!" His voice is tinted with concern.

"I just wanted to..."

He roughly pulls you to the side, sending you reeling, and hits a wall. Then you see that he's trying to get you away from a man with a knife in his hand.

"I give you a chance to go before one of my men comes here!" Jeongin tries to compromise with him.

You hide behind Jeongin while holding the back of his suit jacket.

"I can assure you that you don't want to know what my men can do to you," Jeongin says again.

The man won't back off and takes a step forward instead.

"I give you one more chance to get lost!" Jeongin warns him and takes a step forward as well, confronting him.

It's a risky decision to do so since Jeongin has nothing to defend himself. You stop him from going by grabbing his suit jacket, "No, no, don't!"

Looking over his shoulder, you see the man trying to strike when Jeongin is off guard and swings his knife at him.

"No!" You scream and pull Jeongin out of the way.

It's too late and the knife makes a deep cut on Jeongin's arm, blood starts gushing out of it, trickling down his arm that the drops of blood dripping from the end of his fingers. 

You see Joon and a few men are coming your way, you keep pulling Jeongin to not come at him and let his men do the rest.

Jeongin turns around to check on you, "are you alright? Are you hurt?"

You go into his arms and cry instead of answering.

You are nervously biting your thumb as you watch the doctor stitching Jeongin's wound in his office.

While Jeongin's face remains calm even though he can see the amount of blood coming from his wound on the crimson-tinted cloth discarded in the bin.

The doctor leaves him with a tube of painkillers which he eagerly takes and washes down with a liquor of his choice, not a recommended concoction but due to the situation he's in, you let it pass just this once.

You pick up the new shirt the maid brought for him and help him put it on, "is it hurt?"

He brushes your hair and smiles, "I'm alright."

You button his shirt one by one, "I told you not to come at him," you grumble.

"It's only a cut," he calmly says.

"If he stabbed you, would you say the same? It's only a stab to the heart?" you fiercely look into his eyes with your glossy eyes.

He softly chuckles and pulls you into a hug, "I told you I'm alright."

Maybe it's the tension that leaves your body altogether and makes you feel drained, you break into tears.

"It's because of me," you sniffle.

"No, it's my cousin, Junwon," he says.

You look up at him with questioning eyes.

"He wants to hurt you because, for him, you are still the daughter of the enemy," he explains.

Your eyes widen in slight shock from the new information you get from him, so the one who tried to hurt you so many times comes from his own family.

"But I'm with you, I'm no longer a part of that family," you stutter as anxiety starts to creep into you.

"I know but that's justified because you're in our territory," he elaborates.

He lifts your chin and insists you look him in the eyes, "That's why I'm asking you to marry me. They'll stop if you become a part of the family."

Now everything makes sense. He doesn't ask you to marry him based on personal interest, he has his own reasons and you only found out one of many.

He pulls you into his hug again, "but I promised to protect you so you don't have to worry."

He presses a soft kiss on your lips and that worked to help you calm down a little.

"I was out to buy your birthday present," you mutter with your head resting on his chest.

"Mmh?"

"I know your birthday is soon," you reply.

You let go of his hold to get to your purse and takes out the birthday gift for him, "you may as well keep it now," you hand it to him.

"But promise me not to open it until your birthday," you warn and place it on his open palm.

"I promise."

Now that he promised, you don't have to worry about anything else.

-

Days leading up to his birthday dinner, Jinny gives you pieces of information about the family members, there are a lot of them and it confuses you.

Which one to avoid, which one is the most dangerous, which one is okay to have a casual conversation with, and a lot more.

She despises most of them and if it wasn't because they're the ones who fund her for almost everything, she would probably hate them all.

"Okay maybe Jeongin is the least vile of them all," she says with a mischievous smile.

"I don't know if that's a compliment or...?" You ask with a raised eyebrow.

She shrugs in response.

On the night of the birthday dinner, you make sure you dressed up properly and did your make-up enough but not too much.

Again, you put so much effort to welcome a group of people who tries to kill you.

Jeongin comes into your room and you shot up from your chair.

He smiles as he approaches you, "you look lovely."

"Thank you," you mutter.

He tells you to sit with him on the bed, "my family is... Uhm, they're not going to be great people to have dinner with," he says.

"And they're most likely to say awful things to you so I want you to ignore all of that," he takes the end of your hair and untangles it with his finger.

"I never really fancy them, it's just the name... but they're not what I am," he finishes.

You get it that he wants to let you know that despite all of the crazy or vile things his family will do or say tonight, he hopes that it won't change your perception of him.

"Okay," you say to him with a smile.

He looks at your face once more and gives you a quick peck on the lips.

The guests start to come half an hour before dinner is served, you wait for them by the main hall along with Joon and Jinny with drinks in your respective hands.

"Be careful, he's touchy!" Jinny warns through her gritted teeth when a man with a mustache and a beard comes into the mansion.

"Here's the cool aunt, she comes here to get drunk!"

"The normal one in the family, he owns the publishing company!"

She keeps you entertained with all the dirty secrets.

"Here comes the trouble!" She announces.

A group of people comes through the door led by a young man with slicked-back hair and a snob's face.

"That's the guy who tried to kill you," she quickly whispers to you before they get closer.

He offers his hand for a handshake with you, "Please to finally meet you!"

"Oh, I should be the one pleased to meet you," you say back with a subtle tone in it.

He gives you a glare and then the woman who stands next to him shoots you a sinister smile, it's uncanny the smirk that they have almost resemble each other.

Jinny said that the one I should give a good impression to is the eldest, the royalty, the queen of the beehive, Jeongin's grandmother.

She comes with an assistant and her chauffeur, the only two persons that she trusts. Even the eldest knows that it's not safe inside her own family.

Jeongin personally introduced you to her and she takes a close look at you with her thick glasses on, you wonder if it's possible to see you properly that close.

She smacks her lips repeatedly and says, "she looks like her."

Her assistant comes to her side, "Sit her far away from me!"

You can feel all the mocking eyes and that sinister smiles of theirs without having to look.

You sit at the same table with Joon and Jinny for dinner, you're not expecting less than this. They probably think that you should be grateful that they keep you alive until now.

It shouldn't even be considered a birthday dinner, there's no cake, no birthday wishes, and no gifts. There are just stink eyes and throwing unkind glances at each other during dinner and of course, there's some ass-kissing here and there, one has to climb the social ladder somehow.

At the end of the night, you help the kitchen staff tidy up the dining room, then have a glass of wine with them in the kitchen.

Jeongin finds you there and everyone else going to give you some privacy.

"I'm pretty sure I made great impressions," you sneer.

He softly smiles and the dimples sunken on his cheeks, "you really did," he says.

He leans in close to kiss you and tastes the wine on your lips, "sweet!"

And it reminds you of something.

"I have something for you," you tell him.

You walk to the fridge and take out the cherry pie you made for him, you plant a few candles on them since he hasn't blown a birthday candle yet.

"Don't forget to make a wish!" You say as soon as you light the candles.

Jeongin hesitates but eventually closes his eyes and mutters his wishes to himself then blows the candles off.

"Happy birthday!" You throw yourself at him and give him the warmest hug you could ever give him.

"Thank you!" He mutters his gratitude with a kiss on your neck.

"Can I eat this now?"

"Sure. I made this for you," you answer.

Joon and Jinny find you in the kitchen eating the cherry pie together, "Hey, what about us?"

You laugh and wipe your mouth from the cherry filling on the corner of your mouth, "I have another one in the fridge!"

They race to get to the fridge first and we all end up having a small birthday in the kitchen, opening all the bottles of wine with ease and having a lot more laughs in between.

You walk hand in hand back to your bedroom, "did you have my birthday gift with you?"

"I keep it close with me," he says.

You sit down on the bed with him and tell him to open the gift, "I picked this gift very carefully and it wasn't that easy to decide on this one," you add.

He nods and looks at the small square box wrapped with brown paper.

"You may open it now!"

Jeongin enthusiastically rips open the wrapper and opens the small box to reveal the miniature of the mansion.

"I was surprised to see this then the lady in the shop told me that the mansion is one of the historical buildings in the city," you elaborate.

Jeongin trails his fingers on the miniature and how every little thing matches the details of the mansion in real life.

"Now, open the doors!" You tell him.

Jeongin places the miniature on his palm and opens the two small doors one by one to reveal the writing inside.

He has to shine a light on it to read the word 'YES'.

He snaps his head at you, a bit confused but at the same time, hoping that it's the answer he's been waiting for.

You bite your lower lip and smile, "Can you ask me the question again?"

Jeongin takes a deep breath before asking you the question again, "Would you marry me?" Then he holds his breath until you say the answer.

And this time, you will answer with a steadfast conviction, "Yes, I do."

-

What did he do to deserve this much happiness?

How can a simple yes make him happy that he could die?

But he will not die without having your lips as the last thing he tastes on earth.

Your lips, your intoxicating lips that make him drunk for each kiss he receives from you.

Your body never ceases to amaze him, soft under his fingertips and sensitive under his touch.

"Argh, you keep clenching around me," he groans into your ear.

Ignoring his words, you keep bouncing on his cock and clench around him, making him whimper against your lips.

"If you don't stop, I might cum inside you, beautiful," he coos at you.

"Then cum inside me," you let him.

Something snaps in him that he tightens the hold around you and kisses you hard your teeth almost collide with his.

"Go on then, make me cum," he says to you with a sly smile.

You feel challenged by his words and he shouldn't have asked for it when it's your plan in the first place. You keep doing what you're doing only faster, harder, and clenching around him to give him the utmost pleasure.

"You're close, huh?"

And he can't find a word to say, unable to form a verbal answer for you.

He lays back and watches you fucking him, enjoying torturing him with pleasure like this. The sly smile on your face is what gets him off.

"Oh there, yes, oh... I feel it," you slow down knowing that he just cum inside you.

"Fill me up, fill me full," you mutter as you lower your mouth on him.

He turns over and has you under him, your put your legs around him, pulling him close, "don't pull out yet."

You give him a sloppy kiss on the lips, "I want all of you in me."

And there's nothing hotter than having a part of him in you, becoming one with you. Jeongin feels so content with all the happiness that comes to him like stars that fall onto his lap.

It's one that he didn't expect yet he's eternally grateful for it.

He looks at you, at the face that he wishes to wake to every day in his life then says, "I can't wait to marry you."

Jeongin usually gets up fast and gets ready for the day, but not today, he just wants to stay in the bed with you.

He's got a plan for today but there's no need to rush to that.

He trails his fingertips down your arm then kisses your bare shoulder, "wake up, beautiful!"

You stir in your sleep but not waking up yet, he put all of your hair away to give you a series of kisses on the neck.

"That tickles," you giggle at him.

You turn on the bed to face him and smile, "Morning!"

"Morning!"

He holds your face with one hand and rubs his thumb over your lips, "we have somewhere to go today."

"Yeah?"

He nods, then he takes your hand in his, "somewhere where I can put a ring on it," he says.

You look so adorable getting flustered like that.

It amazes him how fast the news of his engagement travels in the mansion, he believes Joon shares the news with Jinny and Jinny shares the news to, well... everyone.

Everyone who comes across him congratulates him, he never had to smile this much and it's barely 10 in the morning, "aren't you happy you share the news with your sister?"

"Happy news should be shared, my friend!" Joon says with a sneaky eyebrow raise.

"I'll be going to my uncle's house after lunch," he informs.

"Okay, we'll be ready by then!"

He shakes his head, "No, it's just me and her this time."

"But—"

Jeongin stops him from talking, "I can take care of us," he says.

Joon comes up with another idea, "I know but as a precaution, I'll be following you in a different car—"

Jeongin stops him again, "We'll be okay, it's just a quick trip!"

Joon sighs in defeat, "okay but can you keep your phone close to you the whole time?"

"I'll do that!" He agrees and takes his phone with him, slipping it inside the inner pocket of his suit.

His uncle already knew about the good news and welcomes him with an enthusiastic hug.

"Congratulations!" He says as he rushes to give you a hug too.

His wife serves you tea with some cookies that she baked, "you guys look great together!" She says.

Jeongin gestures to his uncle for what he came here for and he jolts on his seat, "oh yes, of course!"

He walks out of the living room and up the stairs and comes back with a velvet box in his hand.

"I've been keeping this too long," his uncle says as he hands it to Jeongin.

Jeongin opens it to reveal a ring inside, a thin gold band with a diamond on it and it catches the afternoon shine, reflecting it to your eyes.

You look at his uncle and his wife looking at you with smiles on their faces, they're probably anticipating this moment just like you.

"This belonged to my passing mother," Jeongin says to you and takes your hand in his.

You slightly turn on your seat to face him so you can look him in the eyes.

"I want you to have it," he slips the ring onto your ring finger and watches it perfectly fit you there.

"And I want to see it on your finger, forever."

You brightly smile at him and lean in for a kiss.

The only spectators in the house clap their hands at you both and his wife opens a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

Jeongin takes a walk with his uncle outside and enjoys the summer sun that makes the surface of the ocean shimmer.

"I am not my father," he suddenly says.

"I know," his uncle says with a tap on his shoulder.

"I'll fight for it, I'll not give up," Jeongin says with eyes filled with determination.

His uncle puts his arm around his shoulder and squeezes it, "you do what you think is right," he encourages him.

After having an early dinner together, you say bye to his uncle and wife before leaving for another three hours drive back home.

Jeongin glances at you and he feels like his life has taken a new path, a better path. He takes your hand and squeezes it on your lap.

"You must be tired," he says.

You shake your head, "just a little."

Today has been exceptionally fulfilling and content, everything feels right where it belongs.

BAM!

A car comes from the side and crashes into Jeongin's car, sending it spinning on the empty road that he loses control of his steering wheel.

The car comes to a halt when it hits a tree on the side of the road.

Jeongin shakes his head to keep him conscious, his hand gropes around the passenger's seat to find you.

"Are you okay?"

There's no answer.

The pieces of glass from his shattering window are on his lap, he unbuckles his seat belt to check on you.

He grabs you by your shoulder and gently shakes you awake, "are you okay?" He asks again.

You whimper in pain and hold your head, "my head..."

He checks for any wound on your face but there's nothing.

Jeongin searches for his phone and calls Joon for help, "I can't talk much but we're having an accident..."

Someone bashes the window on your side and forces the car door open, a hand pulls you by the hair out of the car.

Jeongin gets his gun from the glove box and limps his way out of the car.

"Let her go!" He shouts at a pair of men in balaclavas carrying you by the arms.

Jeongin aims the gun at one of them, "I said, let her go!"

Someone comes out from a black van with a gun in his hand, "why don't you put the gun down or I'll kill her?"

Jeongin takes a step forward but stops himself, "I swear if you hurt her..."

You shake your head at him, "No, don't!"

"Drop the gun!" The man with the gun says to him while pressing the gun into his head.

Jeongin keeps his aim high and focused.

The man cocks his gun and is ready to fire, leaving Jeongin with no choice but to drop his gun.

"Now get on your knees!"

Jeongin hesitantly obeys and drops to his knees, the one man who holds you comes to get the gun.

Jeongin keeps his hands up but staring so intensely at each one of them, "I'll find you! I'll find each one of you and kill you with my bare hands!"

One of them turns at the other with uneasy eyes, "What do we do with him?"

The man with the gun surely holds the most powerful among them and decides for them, "Leave him! we only need the girl," they say.

Jeongin sees you crying as they tie your hands together on your back, "don't be scared, I'll come and get you... I promise," he assures you.

But the guy who picks up the gun hits his head with his gun and he drops down onto the ground, unconscious.

-

Jeongin wakes up disoriented with the lights on the ceiling blinding him.

"Where am I?" He slurs.

"Hospital!"

It's all ringing in his ears until Joon comes to his focus, "your head is severely bleeding."

Jeongin gets up too fast that his head is spinning, "I need to find her!"

"We put all of our men searching for her!" Joon convinces.

Jeongin puts his feet down on the floor and gets up from the bed, he quickly gets a grip to steady himself.

"You can't leave yet!" Joon warns him and pulls him down onto the bed again.

"I have to find her! I promised her... I'll come and get..." he picks up his shoes from the Ziploc bag and put them on.

"I know but I swear, we're looking everywhere as we speak," Joon persists with his hands keeping Jeongin down on the hospital bed.

But surely, Jeongin doesn't listen to anyone but himself. He ignores him and goes on his own to let everyone knows how furious he is.

Joon drives him to the manor, where the eldest lives and where most of his family also reside in. He lets himself in and breaks the door open, finding them in the dining room having a peaceful dinner of roasted chicken and red wine.

Jeongin comes to the end of the dining table and slams the table, "which one of you took her?"

The whole table stays quiet, unfazed by his presence.

He fists his hands and gets on the table, kicking the glasses and bottles with his foot.

"I said which one of you took her?" He screams at them.

Junwon's mother lifts her wine glass and sighs, "No one is doing anything."

He faces Junwon who calmly sits and looks up at him, "aren't you marrying her? Then I have no reason to kill her, right?"

He purses his lips for a second and continues, "I must admit it was fun but I have to stop and follow the rules."

Jeongin laughs at him, "You fucking pussy, only dare to play behind mommy's back!" He snickers and looks down at him with condescending eyes.

But one thing that he honors about his family is that they always play by the rules, no one stray out of tradition in his family. If you become a part of the family then no one can hurt you, no one hurts their own kind.

Jeongin sighs in frustration and gets off the table, "I am the leader of the Southside and I rule however I want to rule!" He says it loud and clear for everyone to hear and then looks at them one by one in the eyes.

Joon is still processing what just happened and he follows Jeongin out of the manor like someone under the influence.

"They're a group of people I haven't seen before," Jeongin says, throwing his jacket suit to the backseat.

"They surely know me but are ballsy enough to proceed," he pulls open the glove box and takes the gun, filling the chambers with bullets.

"Someone must have paid them a shitload of money to do that."

Joon stutters while trying to focus on driving, "and it's not Junwon?"

"That coward is many things but not a liar," Jeongin says.

"Then who is it?"

Jeongin clicks the chamber back until it clicked in place, "drive to the outskirts of town!"

-

Someone holds your face and observes your face, "Oi, the man said not to hurt the girl!"

"She bites me in the fucking arm!" one man from the passenger's seat says.

"Is she awake?"

"Yeah."

"Get her ready! We're almost there!" The driver says.

The car stops at an abandoned building with the neon lights flickering and a man comes to hoist you out of the car.

They drag you by the shoulder to meet a man who's waiting for your arrival, a man who probably paid to take you to him.

They sit you down on an empty chair.

"Package has safely arrived!" The man you're sure is the driver and pushed the gun to your head announces.

The man who has been waiting for you turns around and reveals himself, your brother.

He makes his way towards you and asks for a knife from one of his men, cut the ties around your hands, and carefully removed the duct tape from your mouth.

He sees the blossoming bruise on your jaw, "which one of you did it?" Your brother asks.

The driver points to the man with the upper half of his face still covered in a balaclava.

Someone brings him to your brother and he doesn't wait for a second to punch him in the face, on the same part of the face where he hits you.

"When I told you to not hurt her, I meant not even a scratch on her!" He snarls at him.

He gestures to his men to give them the money so they can scram and do whatever they want with it, he couldn't care less.

"Take me back!" You say to him.

Your brother takes a bottle of water and hands it to you, "I paid those men to take you here. Why do you want to get back there?"

He holds the bottle at you but you're not taking it from him.

"He's going to be really, really mad!" You tell him.

Your bother throws the bottled water onto the floor, sending the water splashing around and onto your legs.

"WHY DO YOU WANT TO GET BACK THERE?" He screams at you.

You hold in your tears, "because I don't belong here anymore," you meekly answer.

He calms himself down and leans against the worn-out desk, "that man forces you to marry him, right?"

So he heard the news and that's why he took you. You look at him and put your hands on your lap, shaking your head.

"Come on! There's no way you agreed to marry him," he says while laughing in disbelief.

"He proposed and I agreed to marry him," you explain.

Your brother approaches you and drops to his knees in front of you, "that's what makes me so mad! Why did you agree to marry him?" He asks.

He holds your hands and looks at you, "once you marry him, there's no way back. You'll be stuck with him forever and that's why I did this, I'm saving you."

"I didn't ask for this!" You say to him.

He laughs maniacally, "but I know that you needed a saving!"

You can see the sorrow in his eyes, but he isn't exactly saving you, he was trying to find a way to make amends with you, with himself. He wants redemption.

"You want to know something?"

He nods.

"I am the happiest when I am with him. I feel safest when I am with him. I am protected, taken care of—"

"BULLSHIT!" Your brother cuts you off and lets go of your hands altogether.

"You don't belong with him. You belong here!"

This time, you laugh at him, "belong here where exactly?"

Your brother gets quiet and looks away, he knows that the family disowned you already.

"Just let me go! Let me get back there so no one gets hurt!" You calmly speak so he understands that he's at risk for taking you here.

"No! I'm not giving you back!" He resists.

"You're going to trigger something much bigger than this," you warn him.

You know Jeongin well enough that once he promised, he'll do anything to come and get you, that includes coming here and getting you himself even if that means breaking the territorial rules.

Unless...

"Or is that what you want?" You ask.

One of his men comes with information, "sightings at the outskirts of town!"

So that's your brother's plan, he willing to start a war than let you go back to the Northside.

"You're going to risk a lot of innocent lives," you remind him.

"I don't care!" He simply answers.

"LET ME GO!" You scream at him.

He snaps his head in your direction and spits his words like they're acid, "I'm not going to let you marry that son of a bitch!"

"Please, please! There's no need for it to be like this!" You beg.

Your brother sticks to his conviction.

You get on your knees and beg at him with your hands clasped in front of you, "Please! Make the right choice!"

He starts to waver and kicks his chair out of frustration, "why do you have to marry him?"

"Because I love him!" You answer without a beat.

His eyes dart to the ring on your finger then quickly looks away as if it stings just to look at it.

His men announce a new piece of information, "he's going to cross the border!"

"I beg you! Stop" You plead harder at him with tears in your eyes.

-

"If you take one more step, you'll trigger a war!" Joon warns him.

"I promised her! I promised to come and get her myself!" Jeongin repeatedly says.

Joon has been persuading him to wait a little bit more until there's another way to get you back here to the Northside.

All guns are aimed toward them and they're outnumbered, it's all because Jeongin doesn't want to wait for his men.

"We have not much time!" Jeongin swings his gun.

Joon quickly stops him from being reckless, "at least wait until our backups come!"

Jeongin's stubbornness is unpenetrable everything Joon says to him bounces back to him.

"Jeongin, stop! Please!"

The sound of Joon's phone ringing in his jacket pocket interrupts them and he quickly picks it up.

He hears the man from the end of the line talk, then gives it to Jeongin.

"We're on the way there," your brother speaks into the phone.

"Stay on your side or one of the men won't hesitate to put one between your eyes!"

He then hangs up the phone.

Joon sighs in relief, knowing that they're so close to starting a war and far worse things.

Not long after, a car stops in the distance and two people come out of it. They talk for a while out of their earshot and when they get closer, he can see that it's you and your brother.

He stops a meter away from the invisible line that separates the Northside and Southside.

Jeongin throws daggers with his eyes at him with his hands balled into fists on his sides.

"I'm saving her from a group of kidnappers," he lies.

And Jeongin knows he lied, he's just trying to save face.

He sees how he reluctantly lets go of his hold of your hand as you make your way back to him.

Jeongin opens his arms to welcome you back and you come into his embrace, he can finally let out a breath. He kisses your head with so much love and holds you tight.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asks in concern.

You shake your head.

He sees the bruised jaw and the scrapes on your knees, but he can worry about them later, he pulls you into a hug again.

Your brother watches with disgust in his eyes and eventually looks away.

"Use this information however you want but I'm going to marry her," Jeongin says.

Your brother scoffs in response, "Just don't try and dare to cross the line again!"

He leaves without saying anything else but gestures for his men to back off, all guns are out of the way and no one gets hurt in the end.

-

You're back in your bedroom with Jeongin tending to your wounds. He intently put ointment on the scrapes on your knees then blow on them.

You see the wound on his temple, "how's your head?"

He takes your hand and kisses your palm, "stop worrying about me."

He puts the first-aid kit away and gets on the bed, "You must be tired," he says.

He sits with his back against the headboard of the bed and lets you rest your head on his chest.

"Why did you get back here?" He asks out of the blue.

You look up at him, slightly surprised by the question.

"That's your chance to get your freedom. Isn't that why you agree to marry me? Freedom?"

The chance that he might lose you forever makes him question his own decision to marry you if it's right or wrong. He had a moment of doubt a moment before crossing the line to the Southside.

"Because I love you," you enunciate the words loud and clear.

There's no way he misheard it but he needed to hear it again to confirm.

"What did you say?"

"Because I love you, Jeongin."

His heart expands and fills with nothing but warm feelings, the bad that happened earlier replaced by something far greater and more rewarding.

"You make me feel safe and happy, you make me realize that I am worth more than what they told me," you tell him the reasons why you can confidently utter those three words to him.

He places a hand on the nape of your neck and presses an endearing kiss on your lips that his heart aches, bursting with so many emotions.

How can he let go of something as pure as your love for him?

He is indeed stupid to ever thought for a second that he could let you go.

"I love you too," he says back the second he pulls away from the kiss.

"I love you so much," he says again with a quivering voice.

He holds your face in his hand and can't believe that he gets to be in love with someone as wonderful as you. Maybe that's why the world keeps trying to keep you apart, maybe the world is jealous of what you and he have.

"I want to marry you as soon as possible," he blurts out.

He may sound irrational but he doesn't care, love isn't a logical thing after all.

"Okay," you agree.

He rushes to kiss you again, to be in love and reckless. He's saving no room for regrets, not now, not ever.

"But maybe after my bruise has disappeared?" You appeal with a grin.

He chuckles at your request, "What about tomorrow then?"

Your body shakes with laughter, "Isn't that too soon?"

"That is not soon enough."

-

Jinny managed to arrange a small wedding in a matter of three days.

You must admit that she's excellent in a lot of things but lacks in likable attitude.

You've always wanted a small wedding anyway and Jeongin invited the family out of courtesy, if they come or not wouldn't matter much to any of you anyway.

"How the fuck did you shrink half an inch in one night?" Jinny says as she helps you fit the wedding dress.

"I don't know but I feel faint right now..." you breathlessly say.

"Get her a sandwich or something!" She tells one of the helpers in the room

But you're not hungry, it's coming from the nerves. You are nervous, you have been for the last three days since Jeongin ordered everyone that the wedding should be held as soon as possible.

You agreed to hold the wedding today because Jeongin has a business trip the next day and he doesn't want to wait for another week to marry you.

"We can do the adjustments later, do her hair first!" Jinny orders everyone around while you can only sit and look at your reflection in the mirror.

All of the doubts are coming back and haunting your head, you believe that you have made the right decision to let him marry you.

But thinking of what the future holds for both of you... you're not sure it's going to be an easy one.

"I told you to get a lot of sleep!" Jinny complains again as she looks at the dark circles in your eyes.

How can you sleep knowing that you'll get married to the man you once thought is your enemy?

Lastly, Jinny fixes the veil on your hair and gives you your bouquet to hold.

"The make-up is waterproof but try not to cry, okay?" She warns you before letting the veil cover your face.

But a few of the mansion staff start crying seeing you in your wedding dress as you make your way to the back garden for the wedding ceremony.

"You look very beautiful, miss!" One of them praises.

You can't help but get touched by it, they were once strangers to you but they feel so close to you now, almost like a family.

"Don't trip!" Jinny whispers one last tip before the doors open and the music starts playing.

Don't trip! Don't cry! you remind yourself.

You carefully walk down the steps one by one and try not to step on your dress, the veil is a little distracting but also helps you hide how tense you must look right now.

Your arrival is welcomed by collective gasps and coos, you try to smile and look ahead, trying not to trip on your dress.

There he is, the man who's going to marry you and give you his name.

He looks so dapper with a tuxedo on, slick dark hair, and a smile that doesn't wear off his face even for a second.

You see Joon foolishly smiles and taps Jeongin on the shoulder, he whispers something at him but Jeongin's eyes refuse to stray from you.

All of a sudden, you stop worrying about everything else, you trust this man, you trust him that he'll protect you and love you until the end of time.

You stop worrying about the people who try to keep you apart and who cares if you trip on your dress, he'll still love you no matter what.

All you want to do is come to him and let him hold your hand.

Once you arrived at the altar, he looks through your veil and mouths, "you're so beautiful."

You hold your breath and almost can't hear the words the officiant says.

For a magical moment, it feels like there's only you and him in holy matrimony.

Then he, without any shred of doubt in it, says, "I do."

And you, with all of your heart, say, "I do."

Your breathing quickens when Jeongin lifts your veil and he finally gets to see your beautiful face, he looks so overwhelmed that he stays immobile for a few seconds.

The officiant feels the need to say it again, "You may kiss the bride!"

You smile at him and hold his hand, you decide to be the one who kisses him first.

It takes him a second to return the kiss and applause erupts from the guests.

He lets go of the kiss and holds your face with both hands like you are a fragile object, smiling at you before kissing you again on the lips.

It's only after the ceremony that you notice the effort Jinny puts into this wedding, the decoration, and the beautiful flower arrangements.

This wedding feels like straight out of your dream.

But one thing that we can't always predict is the weather. It's the middle of summer, who would have thought that rain would come in the middle of the day and ruins everything?

The guests start running into the mansion while everything in the garden gets destroyed and swept by the strong winds.

Jeongin takes you by the hand to get you inside as well, running through the rain and laughing once you're inside.

He gently dabs the raindrops on your face while you fix the hair stuck to his face.

The party moved to the mansion.

Everyone warms themselves with the endless supply of wine and once the music starts playing in the mansion, everyone is in the mood to party again.

You changed into a simple white dress while Jeongin already got rid of his suit and tie, his fitted white shirt is rolled at the sleeves.

You come to sit on his lap and rest your head on the crook of his neck.

He endearingly touches the backless part of your dress with his fingertips.

"Maybe we should have held the wedding after I get back," he says to you.

You shake your head disagreeing with him, "No, I wouldn't change a thing about it."

You look at everyone who is having a great time, laughing and drinking, dancing, or just swaying their bodies to the music.

"It's perfect as it is," you add.

He angles your head to plant a kiss on your lips and plants another one, long and lingering, letting his love overflows you.

After having an intimate slow dance, Jeongin doesn't wait to carry you in his arms, and everyone cheers, watching him taking you out of the main hall and to his bedroom.

He kicks the door and closes it with his back while you're giggling with your arms around his neck.

"It's not nice leaving the guests unattended," you tell him.

He lightly shakes his head, "they can help themselves with more drinks," he coyly says.

He lays you down on the bed along with him, caging you between his arms then presses his forehead against yours, "I can't believe you're mine," he mutters with eyes closed, you believe he still has a hard time taking it all in just like you do.

You grab the collar of his shirt and bring his face close to kiss him, "I can't believe we're married," even just by saying that, it still feels weird coming out of your mouth.

Even the sex feels different.

There's no game, no hidden intention, nothing is concealed, everything is laid out in the bare.

"These lips..." he sighs into the kiss.

His hands wrapped around you as you seated on his lap, "this heavenly body..."

He hastily kisses your lips and sighs again, "you're all mine!"

You slip your hands into his hair as he sinks his mouth into your neck, dragging his lips lower to take your breast into his mouth.

With all this stimulation going all at once, you have a hard time keeping it steady, bouncing on his cock at a sloppy pace.

He slides his hands to each side of your waist and grips you there, slowly he lays you down on the bed without pulling out.

Your legs are locked around his waist and hold his hands as he lets his lustful eyes feast on your body, admiring it with his mouth parted open with low whimpers constantly spilling out of it.

"So beautiful and all mine," he mutters in disbelief.

It's the way he speaks with a soft gaze on you, no one knows that he can be as tender as this.

He makes love to you with utmost care and love, kissing you and praising you in between. He cum a little later after you with a moan that is both raw and raspy escaping his mouth.

He pushes his cock deep as he releases his seed inside you, he lays one hand flat on your stomach, then sighs, "I'm the only one who can fill you, mmh?"

You breathlessly say, "Yes."

He lowers himself on top of you and gently caresses your face, "I can't wait to make a family with you," he suddenly says.

Maybe the idea of having his child crossed his mind after cumming inside you and it's possible to breed you when the time is right and both of you have agreed to raise children together.

"We'll make our own family," he adds with a quick peck on your lips.

You move your hand to his neck and stare into his eyes, "You'll make a great dad."

He shakes his head, "No, because then I have to share you with them."

You laugh at how childish he sounded, if only anyone outside this room could hear him, they wouldn't believe that it's him who said it, the leader of the Northside.

It's often the one with the toughest shell that has the softest inside.

"Why are you laughing?"

You shake your head and say, "I'm so lucky," you say with a delightful sigh.

You feel the sweet little kisses he plants on your shoulders and neck, you faintly heard him saying something but couldn't properly make out what he said.

Then you drift back into sleep and wake up a little later, you turn to see that his side of the bed is already empty.

With the bathroom door left ajar, you hear the shower is on and you guess he must be showering.

You take time to rub the sleep off your eyes and stare at the ceiling, replaying the good memories from yesterday to this second.

And how grateful you are.

You hold your hand up and see the wedding ring, smiling because you're no longer a single woman, you're someone's wife now.

Jeongin comes out of the bathroom with the white towel hanging low around his hips and beads of water dripping from the end of his hair.

Gosh, he looks ten times more attractive than he already is.

"Is this what I'll be seeing for the rest of my life?" You tease.

He smiles at your words, comes to bed, and crawls over to you, kissing you until you slump back onto the pillow.

"Good morning, Mrs. Yang!" He greets the second he lets go of the kiss.

It feels like a dream still, being his wife and carrying his name.

"Good morning, Mr. Yang!" You greet back and without him knowing, take the towel off of him.

"So sneaky!" He says, placing a ferocious kiss down your body. He throws the duvet away and exposes your body to the cool morning air, letting the morning sun kiss your skin.

It's a perfect morning and he's just perfect, his mouth knows how to pleasure you, how to make you squirm and arch your back against his mouth, how to make you moan his name and ask for more.

Your hand is in his hair while the other holding his hand, lacing it together and resting it on your stomach.

There's knocking on the door.

"Jeongin?"

It's Joon's voice and he knocks again on the door.

"He is busy!" You shout an answer.

Jeongin keeps going but his eyes looking at you, admiring your mischievous grin.

Joon stops knocking and turns to shout, "The plane is ready! You have less than an hour!"

"Okay, Joon! That is more than enough!" You shout back at him and laugh at Jeongin with his head still deep between your thighs.

He takes his mouth off and crawls over to kiss you, "You're unstoppable!"

You giggle against his lips while your hand makes its way to his semi-hard cock, slowly pumping it in your hand.

Spreading your legs open and guide him to push it in.

That earns an eyebrow raise from him, "you're going to make me delay the flight," he mutters.

You kiss him and slyly smile, "then let's not waste time!"

-

Joon barges into the bedroom with an unamused face while you're still fixing Jeongin's tie.

"I told you he's coming!" You say with a heavy sigh.

You pick up the suit jacket from the hanger and help him put it on, flatten the lapel and smooth the sleeves.

"You look good, husband!"

"Thank you, wife!" He says back and kisses you.

You can hear Joon sighing again from the doorway, "The plane is waiting! We need to go!" He reminds.

Jeongin ignores him and kisses you more until your lungs scream for oxygen.

"I'll be back soon," he says with a caress on your cheek.

"Get back safely!"

He hugs you and lastly, plants a kiss on your forehead before leaving the room.

You walk him to the front door and wait by the steps, "be careful!" You say while waving your hands at them.

"And Joon!" You call before he gets into the car.

"What?"

"Get him back in one piece, please?"

He scrunches his nose at you, "Can't promise you that!" He jokes then gets into the car.

You watch until the cars are out of your sight then get back into the house.

The staff is still tidying up the back garden from the wedding decorations, breakfast is served on the patio next to the swimming pool.

Jinny joins a little after nine with dark sunglasses on.

"How fucking wonderful! It's sunny as hell today but not yesterday!" She curses while looking at the bright blue sky.

He plops down on the empty chair next to you and starts munching on food in front of her.

"How are you feeling, Jinny?"

"I feel like shit!" She mumbles.

Probably not a good idea to poke around when she's having a hangover.

"Miss, you have a package!" A maid comes to inform you.

You look up at her, "You mean for Jeongin?"

She shakes her head, "No, miss. Your name is written on it!"

You come to the office and find the package there, a big box wrapped with brown paper and your name written on it in beautiful cursive letters.

You are curious to find out but suddenly retreat, you can't be too careful with packages like this, especially one that is sent to this address.

The maid seems to notice the horror in your eyes and says, "No need to worry, miss. Someone has checked and it's nothing dangerous!"

You sigh in relief, "Oh, thanks!"

The maid leaves to let you open the package in peace, you rip the brown paper open, and from the logo on the box, you instantly recognize who is it from.

You open the box and find two bottles of wine in it, from the faded writings on the label and the printed year on the bottles, these are vintage and probably expensive bottles from your family vineyard.

There's a little envelope in it and inside, a letter of congratulations for the wedding. And to your surprise, they invite you for a wedding celebration in their vineyard.

What are they trying to do this time? You said in your head.

You're not going to fall into their scheme again and throw the letter back inside, shut the box with so much force the table rattles underneath.

You meet a different maid outside the office, "can you please get rid of the package in the office?"

"Sure, miss!"

"Thank you!" You mutter before walking back to the patio to return to your breakfast.

-

It's funny that he used to dread coming home because it's all the same to him. But now, he can't even wait for the plane to land, he wants to see you as soon as possible.

Jeongin gets inside the car and Joon hands him a letter.

"The club receives a package," he says.

Jeongin doesn't see what's so important with a package, "And?"

"Bottles of wine and this!" Joon points to the letter.

A wedding gift from the Southside and the letter is an invitation to a wedding celebration in their vineyard.

He reads it again in his office, abruptly stopping when he hears footsteps coming and the door of the office flies open, he turns around to see you dash toward him.

"You come home and not greet your wife first?" You glare and click your tongue at him.

You have no idea how much he misses you, how he craves your touch every night when he sleeps all alone in his hotel room. He takes your hand first and kisses your knuckle, "Hello, beautiful!"

That is enough to soften you, he pulls you by the waist to give you a proper welcome, putting your hair to the side and keeping it there.

Slowly, he presses a kiss on your lips then your cheek, then your forehead, and back to your lips.

"I miss you," he mutters.

You hug him back and kiss him, "I miss you too."

The kiss feels a lot whole better than the one he's been imagining in his head on the way home, it quenches his thirst and gets rid of his hunger. He'll never get enough of it.

So he lifts you off the floor and sits you down on his desk, kissing you harder and harder, you are forced to lie down on the desk.

Your hand accidentally knocks something off the table and shocks both of you, then burst into laughter for being foolish.

You twirl the end of his tie around your hand and pull him closer, "aren't you going to take me to bed and we can..." your eyes shift to something familiar on his desk.

The same letter from the package you received days ago, "I swear I told someone to get rid of it!"

You get off the table and get away from it like it would spread disease if you get near it.

"This one is from the club," he says.

"They sent another one?"

"I think they want to make sure that any of us get it," he guesses and puts a hand around your waist.

You sigh and rest your forehead on his shoulder, "You're not thinking of accepting the invitation, right?"

He gets quiet.

You look up at him with a questioning look on your face, "Jeongin, they're plotting something, I just know," you persist.

Jeongin has been thinking of it over since he received it and read it in the car.

He understands the way you stand and that you're against them now, but Jeongin sees this as an opportunity to show them that you're better off without them.

"I want to show you off," he says but spares you from the detailed reasons.

You let out a short yet heavy sigh, "I'm not an object."

He softly laughs and brushes your hair, "I want to show them that you're way happier when you're with me," he says.

You look at him again, a bit intrigued but still skeptical about accepting the invitation.

"It's dangerous," you refuse the idea again, "I don't trust them."

"It'll always be dangerous wherever I go," he simply states a fact, it will be dangerous wherever he goes, it's part of his job.

"Don't say that!" You complain with an annoyed glare.

He lifts your chin to make you look at him, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," you answer without a beat, "but it's them that I don't trust."

He rubs your back and tries to soothe your anger down, "but we promised to protect each other, right?"

"Not going somewhere dangerous also means protecting each other," you argue back.

It's like arguing with the old you back, the you that is heavily suspicious of him and what he would do next.

"Somewhere that may be dangerous," he corrects.

You whine to oppose his idea and nuzzle your head into his chest like a fussy toddler.

"You're adorable when you're like this," he says then gives your cheek a gentle squeeze.

He takes the letter and put it in the trash bin.

"We don't have to go if you don't want to," he gives in and lets go of you.

-

After thinking about it over and over, you knew that it's a bad idea to agree to accept their invitation but not accepting also means that you're afraid of them.

And you don't want to give them satisfaction, letting them sleep in peace knowing that you're too afraid to even show up.

You clasp your hands on your lap to stop them from shaking.

Jeongin notices it as well, he kisses your temple and holds your hands, "it's going to be alright."

You're not worrying about yourself, you worry for him.

It's the first time Jeongin comes to their territory and he's vulnerable here, he refuses to come with his men and gives the impression that he doesn't have any trust in your family.

Well, you don't trust them but Jeongin insists that you show them that you come in peace and good intention, therefore, it's enough to only take Joon.

The sight of the vineyard only reminds you of the bitter childhood you had, how your father ignored you all the time that you always hide in the vineyard or the winery and played by yourself.

It disgusts you to see his face after so many years, after giving you up in exchange for your bother and most of all, for hating you while you did nothing but were born into this world.

Then there's your brother, you can see how much resemblance he has with your father when they stand close to each other.

Then there's your stepmother and your stepbrother who is probably still in his teen years, then there is your uncle and his wife who takes over the vineyard now.

"Did you like the wine we sent you?" Your father asks during dinner.

Jeongin politely smiles and answers, "it was delightful. A bit bitter but I like the earthly taste in it."

"They have been living 11 years in our basement. I remember my dear daughter liked to draw on the wine barrels," he says with a laugh.

You inaudibly scoff and wash the bile rising in your mouth with wine.

"I heard the wedding was beautiful," your stepmother says between sips of wine.

"We're very sorry for not inviting you. It was only a small wedding and we didn't invite a lot of people," Jeongin speaks for both of you again, "but we plan on having another celebration, by then, we'll make sure to invite you."

Your stepmother gasps and nods, "that would be wonderful!"

After dinner, the so-called wedding celebration moved to the living room where they prepared a cake and more wine. You exchange a glance with Jeongin because they do seem to put a lot of effort into it.

You feel a hand grabs yours from behind you, you look over your shoulder to see your brother.

"Can we talk?" He asks.

You're not exactly in the mood to talk to him after what he did a couple of weeks ago but you need to get out of the house, it's not a harmful thing to also listen to what he needs to say.

You walk to the vineyard with the moon hanging low in the night sky.

You stop walking too far from the house, "what is it you want to talk to me about?"

Your brother shoves his hands into the pockets of his pants and sucks air through his teeth before speaking, "I'm sorry for what I did," he says.

"And that is?"

"For took you and got you hurt," he shortly replies.

He doesn't sound that sincere for an apology that comes too late, not to mention, the kidnapping and almost trigger a war between Southside and Northside.

"Also, for dragging you into this mess in the first place," he adds, he swallows air as if admitting it punctured his lungs and he's struggling to breathe.

"I'm happy now, you know? He takes care of me and tends to everything I need," you try to sound calm but seeing your brother facing the hard truth is a rather sad sight. He's always been tough and he used to be the one who protects you, he broke his own rules and it broke him too from the inside.

"I am married to him because I love him," you continue, "and he loves me too."

He nods while looking down at his shoes digging into the ground, "I'm happy to hear that," he says.

He finally looks at you and forces a smile, "are you happy with him?"

"I do!"

"Does he makes you happy?"

"Yes."

"Good! Because you don't want to know what I would do if he didn't," he playfully remarks.

You let out a low chuckle, "You don't have to worry about me again. I have someone to protect me now."

He nods repeatedly, "I know."

The silence takes over and you've been away from Jeongin too long, you turn to head back toward the house.

"Where are you going?" Your bother asks, holding you from leaving by the wrist.

"I have to get back to him," you answer.

"He'll be okay, he can help himself to more wine," he says.

You try to let go of his hand, "I don't feel good leaving him alone with them."

"Them? Do you mean your family?

"Yeah, them but I don't consider them family anymore," you tell him, spitting the fact right to his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know, okay? I know that they dumped me the moment Jeongin took me in!"

Now that you said it again, you got reminded of how hurt you were that you almost kill yourself. You're changed now but it still stings at how easily they got rid of you.

"I have to get back!" You say and yank your hand from him.

"Let's take a walk around the vineyard like we used to do," he demands and pulls you in the opposite direction.

"No!" You hardly resist but he doesn't let go.

"Come on! For old time's sake!" He pleads with glints that flash in his eyes for a split second.

"Why are you keep stalling? Why do you insist on keeping me out of the house?" You ask with a suspicious tone.

He lets out a dry laugh, "I just want to walk around the vineyard—"

"This is no time for a stupid walk around the vineyard!" You shout and with all your strength, yank your hand away from him then break into a run toward the house.

It's obvious that he's pulling a scheme and that's why he lures you out of the house, away from Jeongin so they can put their plan in motion.

You kick your shoes off and run barefoot to the house, you ignore the sharp gravel path, then push through the door to the living room.

They were pouring wine into Jeongin's glass when you enter the room, without thinking, you swat Jeongin's hand, sending the glass falls onto the carpeted floor.

"Don't drink it!" You shout in a panicked voice.

Jeongin looks at you and holds your hand, "what is it?"

"They're planning something, I don't know what..." you stammer, "they probably put poison in the wine!"

Your father laughs and lifts the bottle, "we've been drinking from the same bottle of wine, dear!"

"Don't call me that!" You snarl at him, looking at him with disgust in your eyes.

Joon comes to you with widened eyes, "it's true! We've been drinking from the same wine bottle!" He confirms.

Jeongin leans down to pick up the falling wine glass from the floor and it's chipped on the rim, "but they did give me a new glass," he says.

Joon quickly takes it from him and sniffs for anything on it, "It smells..." he shakes his head, unsure of what he smells in it.

"I'm not sure but it smells so strong..." Joon trails his words, then glares at your family standing across from him.

Your father laughs again, "it's probably the wine!"

Jeongin offers the glass to him, "why don't you prove to me that the glass is not poisoned?"

Your father jerks his head away and it's only confirmed your suspicion.

"Is it you, father? You planned it, didn't you?" You accuse, taking steps towards him.

Your brother finally comes through the door and presents himself, "it's me. It's my idea."

You scoff in disbelief and rake your hair to the back out of frustration, "You fucking evil!"

You take a box of cigars on the table and throw it at him, "I regret still considering you as a family!"

You keep taking everything in front of you and throwing it at him, crying and shouting, "I hate to call you my brother!"

Jeongin grabs you by the elbows and holds you back, wrapping his hands around you, "Let's stop, mmh? Let's just go home!"

You turn around to let Jeongin hugs you, wiping your tears while Joon gathers your purse and Jeongin's suit jacket from the chair.

You stop by the doorway and turn around to face them again, the people that you once thought were your family.

You look at your brother again with your eyes red and teary, "I thought that father is the evilest of all but you!" You point at him and look him dead in the eyes.

"You're just as evil as him! You're disgusting! You might as well turn into father!"

You pause to catch a breath, "I'm glad I am no longer part of this family!"

You choke on a sob and take a deep breath to make one final statement, "I'm going to say this once and for all, you are not disowning me. It's me, I disowned this family. I am no longer related to this family as of now and forever."

You hold Jeongin's hand and lead him out of the house, not even willing to take one last look at the house you grew up in. There were no happy memories made in there, they are only nightmares and hell.

-

Jeongin was so wrong to think that you'll never be able to grow some thorns.

You did just now by bravely declaring that you officially cut ties with your family. And how proud he is with you, of what you've become.

A rose with thorns, femme fatale.

He takes off his shoes and put them on your bare, dirty feet inside the car, "you're going to get cold."

You've been quiet the whole time and Jeongin realizes that he shouldn't have persuaded you to come here.

"I'm sorry," he says to you, holding your hand but you don't look at him.

"Look at me, please?"

You cave in and look at him.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes again.

Joon turns the radio to muffle your conversation happening in the backseat.

"I told you," you croak and break into tears again, "I told you not to come here!"

He takes you in his arms, "I know. I'm sorry."

"You could have died if I was too late to get there!" You cry and hitting on his chest.

"But I'm not. I'm alright. You protect me," he says and kissing the top of your head.

"I could lose you forever," you hit him harder on the chest.

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry!" He mutters repeatedly.

"What am I going to do if I lost you?"

He understands the fear well, he would have felt the same if the roles are reversed. He would be as furious and devastated as you right now

"I'll have no one left..." you sob and your tears seep into his shirt.

Back in the mansion, Jeongin wets a towel with warm water. He brings it to the bed where you lay on the bed and takes your feet on his lap, cleaning them with the wet towel.

After making sure your feet are clean, he comes to cuddle you on the bed, hugging you from behind and slipping his hands under and around you. He tries to offer you comfort and probably, through physical contact like this might help to alleviate your sadness.

"How are you feeling?" He asks.

You don't answer until a few seconds later, "I'm just glad to be home."

It's nice to hear that you called this your home and that means you'll always reside here, in this mansion with him.

He softly kisses your neck, "You're here now, let's just forget about it, mmh?"

He places kisses on any part of you he can plant kisses on, your neck, your cheek, your shoulder, your jaw, he wishes his kisses can cure your sorrow.

When he thinks you're already sleeping, you sniffle, then ask him, "I can't be like them, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I am so afraid that I'll turn to be like them," you say with a shaky breath.

He turns you around to face him, "you said it yourself, right? You're not a part of them anymore."

You nod with a frown on your face.

He lifts your chin and forces you to look at him, "hey, do you hear me? You're not one of them anymore."

You nod with a sad smile on.

He holds both of your hands and lifts them until they are in front of your chest, "we'll make our own family and it'll be nothing like mine or yours," he says.

"It's our family!"

He emphasizes the word and lets it register to you that the family you'll build together is going to be nothing like the families you both know. You'll do better than the person who raised you both.

He gets hit by the realization that none of you have anyone else to rely on but each other. Thus, the fear of losing you becomes even more real and the importance of you has come to a new extent, and he loves you, loves you more than what his head can perceive.

He doesn't even know that he can love a person this much until now.

He places your hands on his shoulders and draws you close to him, "it's just you and me."

"You and me," you repeat while looking at him.

He holds your face and looks at you with such loving like your eyes hold his entire world in them.

"I love you," he mutters.

"I love you," you mutter back without question.

The world is so right to hate what you have because nothing can compare to the love you have for each other, the love that is bigger than the hate he has for his enemy.

And the world can only be jealous of what you both have.

-

EPILOGUE

"Can you believe it?" You ask as you come with a pair of ties and try to find the perfect one that would go well with the blue shirt.

"What?"

You choose the silk one with golden stripes and put it around the collar of his shirt, "that we've been married for a year now!" You say with widened eyes.

It's true, Jeongin has been looking at the same face every day yet he can't get enough of you, his wife, his home, and his forever true love.

This little routine of putting on a tie for him every morning seems like a simple everyday thing but to him, it's as sacred as the wedding vow he did on the wedding day.

You adjust the tie until it's perfectly settled around his collar, "there!"

Then you run your hands on his broad shoulders to smooth his shirt then smiles, "You look good, husband!"

"Thank you, wife!" He brings your face close with his hand under your chin and kisses you, tenderly like he always does because you are his precious rose.

"I have something to tell you," you mutter against his lips.

"Yeah?"

"It's supposed to be a gift for our wedding anniversary," you say with your hands on his chest.

You sheepishly smile when your eyes meet his, "but I can't wait to tell you."

Jeongin is intrigued, the last time he received a gift from you, it was the most amazing thing he can't think of any other gift that is better than this.

Nothing can top the moment when you said yes to his marriage proposal.

"You prepare a wedding anniversary gift for me?"

"Yes."

"But you don't have to gift me anything," He says, taking your hands from his chest, then kissing your knuckles with a soft gaze in his eyes.

"You already are a gift for me," he adds.

You blushfully smile and let him capture your lips for a kiss, you gasp when he lifts you off the ground and holds you tight.

The door flies open and Joon pops his head in, "The car is ready!"

Jeongin puts you down, knowing that it's his cue to get ready to leave.

"Goodness, Joon! What if you walk in on us having sex?" You complain at him with your hands folded in front of you.

"Trust me, I'd know if you guys were having sex," he casually says.

He turns to leave but stops to turn at you again, "it's loud, okay. I guess the whole mansion can hear when the two of you are having sex!"

You groan in disgust and push him out of the door, "get out of here!"

You always walk him to the front door before parting for the day, holding his hand and giving him one last kiss on the lips, watching him leave until the car leaves out of the gate.

Jeongin loosens his tie a little and clears his throat, he hesitates to ask but he needed to know.

"Is it important to gift each other on wedding anniversary?"

Joon howls and claps his hands at once, it's so loud that Jeongin almost jumps on his seat. 

"Oh! Is that why?"

"What? Why?

"I wonder why you look a bit unusual this morning," Joon says while tapping the steering wheel with his hand.

Jeongin rolls his eyes at him and lets it slide like he always does, only for him because he's his closest friend.

"So, is it that important?" Jeongin asks again. He already planned a celebration for tonight so he doesn't think it's necessary to get a gift as well.

"She already prepared one for you?" Joon asks.

Jeongin nods.

"It's not necessary but if she prepared you one then you have to get her one as well," Joon concludes with his eyes focusing on the road ahead.

"What kind of gift should I get?"

He feels grateful that no one else is joining on this car ride or else everyone will know how innocent he can sound at times.

"It's a wedding anniversary. You obviously need to get her the most special gift!" Joon emphasizes how imperative it is to get you the most special gift.

Jeongin can't think of one. Not that he can't think of anything you like, he know what you like and what not but whenever you mentioned wanting something, he would get it for you as soon as possible.

That's how devoted he is to you, he wants to give you everything you want, even the whole world if you asked for it.

The most special gift?

There are so many things he can gift you, a villa that he just bought abroad, a vintage car, a ranch he owns in the countryside, or a yacht.

But are they special enough for you?

What makes a gift so special though? He's not sure that it's the price, it's the thought that counts, right?

What makes a gift so special? He asks himself so many times during the day that he can't focus on his job.

"Just get her a piece of jewelry or something and called it a day!" Joon says to him, getting irritated by how Jeongin makes his job twice harder as it already is.

That's not special, he can buy you a piece of jewelry any day any time and you're not into lavish things.

He shakes his head, rejecting the idea.

"Then how about that painting you won from the auction?" Joon offers another idea.

"I lost it to Mr. Yamada, remember?"

"Oh yeah, you lost that one poker game," Joon slaps his forehead.

Joon orders two cups of coffee after finishing lunch, "get her a painting. She was a curator, I bet she'll like it."

Then an idea crossed Jeongin's mind.

"Is it possible to find a man in..." he looks down at his wristwatch and checks the number of hours until the wedding anniversary, "roughly 8 hours?"

"What man?"

Jeongin pulls out his phone and input a name on a search engine, when the results come on the page he shows it to Joon.

"This!"

There's an unreadable expression on his face, "are you sure he's from this country?"

Jeongin shrugs, "maybe."

Joon sucks air through his teeth until his cheeks inflated, "I'm not sure. We hardly have a name here!"

Joon knows how important this is for Jeongin and no, he's not letting it slide this time.

"Get all of our men looking for this guy!" He orders.

Joon notices how serious he is and this is a task, not a simple favor a friend asks another friend.

"Got it! I'm on it!" He hurriedly says, getting up from his chair and his suit jacket with him.

Jeongin hasn't received any results on the task he handed to Joon earlier.

You come with a glass of wine for him, "here, have a drink!"

He smiles at you, "thank you."

You put your hand on his neck and gently massage it, "We're having a party but you look so tense," you say.

"Is everything alright? Anything wrong with work, mmh?"

He suddenly feels bad for not being present on what is supposed to be a happy day, a celebration of his wedding anniversary.

"Nothing," he assures you with a kiss on your lips.

He puts a hand around your shoulder and leads you back to the living room where the party is, "Let's get a drink for you too!"

You sheepishly smile and put your hand around his waist, "No, I'm not going to drink tonight."

"Why?"

"You know how I do with alcohol," you say.

Not long after they get back at the party, Joon approaches him and says, "he's in the office!"

Jeongin can finally breathe and join in on the festivities, he takes your hand and get you out of the living room, "I have something for you," he says.

"Huh?"

"It's a wedding anniversary gift," he says.

You stop walking and he abruptly stops walking too, "you know you didn't have to get me anything," you say.

Isn't it too late for you to say that?

Jeongin has put a lot of effort to get you the most special gift and it's in his office now.

"I know," he lies.

"But I want to give you a special gift on our first wedding anniversary," He says and that's entirely true. Just because you don't ask for it, doesn't mean that you don't want it and he's more than eager to get you anything that brings you happiness.

"Come on!" He pulls you again in the direction of his office.

Joon opens the door for you both and a man is standing in the middle of the room, looking at the paintings hung around the office.

You raise your eyebrows at Jeongin but he can only return a questioning glance at you.

The man turns around in your direction and smiles.

"Wait..." you say with a laugh.

"Is this a joke?"

Jeongin's smile fades and turns gloomy, "what? Why?"

You laugh again and scratch the back of your head, "I met this man before, at an art exhibition!"

The man is coming your way and stops just enough to look at you, from the dark hair and the tiny mole under his left eye, it's the man you bragged about your painting at and then he just left.

"You mean my exhibition," he corrected.

You scoff and turn at Jeongin, "are you and Joon pulling a prank on me?"

Jeongin's face turns even sour and he's a second away from calling Joon, telling him to take responsibility for the task that he failed to fulfill.

"Aren't you looking for me?" The man says.

"Huh?"

"The Flower Field painter," he says.

You laugh out of confusion, "yes, but you are—"

"That's me!" He takes another step forward as if he's been invisible to you until he speaks the truth.

"I'm the painter H," he says again.

"The H stands for my real name, Hyunjin."

After a quick introduction and apologizing to him for so many times, you sit across from each other on the long wooden table in the private of Jeongin's office. 

It takes a lot in Jeongin to leave you alone with another man that isn't him or Joon, you can see that from how he reluctantly left the office and back to the party.

"I'm sorry for not properly dressed for a party. I was at a paint shop when they grabbed me and took me here," he says with a smile.

You wince at the imagery of your favorite painter being taken as they did with you, "I am deeply sorry, my husband has his way of..." you can't find an excuse that can justify what Jeongin did to him.

"It's alright," he says while nodding.

It's a bit strange to finally meet him in person, he is certainly not who you expect but not less than what you expect him to be.

He's just as tender as the flowers in his painting.

Also, he has a nice smile, his eyes form into crescents when he smiles and you can see that he's being genuine.

Out of nowhere, you remembered the comments you made on his paintings at the exhibition and wince.

"I also wanted to apologize for what I've said about the paintings, I didn't know that it was you back then," you say with an apologetic smile.

He holds his hand up to stop you from apologizing, "you were merely conveying your honest opinions about my paintings and I appreciate that."

You nod but stop looking him in the eyes, you embarrassed yourself enough already.

"The guy who took me here said that I am your favorite painter?" He asks.

"Yes," you answer with a flustered smile.

"Is that why you have my painting?"

"No," you take a small sip of your tea and continue, "my husband gifted it to me."

You relax when he shifts the conversation to something else, "we met for the first time because of your painting," you add.

"Or maybe, he looked up about me first and knew where I worked, decided to buy the painting then he took me here," you blabber with a smile, the memory flashed like that in your head.

He smiles listening to your story, "is it true that he is a..."

"Yes," you shortly answer because you knew he was going to ask if Jeongin is the leader of the Northside.

"This is a personal question and you don't have to answer, how the two of you ended up having a wedding anniversary?"

You crack a smile and sip your tea again, "I fell in love."

It sounds so funny to you now, how you used to hate him then poof! More than a year later, you're celebrating a wedding anniversary with him.

"I fell in love with my enemy," you say again, and can't believe how ridiculous that sounds.

"Interesting!" Hyunjin beams and sips his tea.

You take him on a tour around the house and save your bedroom for the last stop, it's still your bedroom except that there's no bed, you turn it into a reading room and make a small library for yourself.

"Come in!" You say as you flip the switch and turn on all of the lights in the room.

Hyunjin seems to hesitate to come into the room, it's like he's scared of what he's going to see in there.

After a moment, he gets into the room in big, awkward steps, then stands next to you.

"There it is!" You present his painting to him.

The Flower Field by H.

It's a pinch-me moment, looking at your favorite painting with the painter present in the room and not to mention, in your former bedroom.

It's as if he's seeing it for the first time and it overwhelmed him that he's been quiet for about ten minutes now.

"It's a love letter, isn't it?"

He snaps his head at you like you just snapped him out of a spell.

"You only make a beautiful place like that for someone you love," you say without looking at him.

He doesn't answer but turns his head at his painting again.

"I didn't mean to see this painting again," he suddenly admits.

You're familiar with artists' dissatisfaction toward their art, Monet did that to several of his paintings and so is Michelangelo with his sculpture.

And you wonder what makes him refuse to see his painting again?

"Why?"

He takes a moment to gather his thoughts to answer your question, "because I know I'll never get a reply to my love letter."

Love really is a preeminent yet mysterious force on earth and it's everywhere, in art, in objects, in movements, and everyday things like a simple hello in the morning.

He scares to see his painting again because it evokes that, feeling that he tries to hide under those strokes of paint.

You decide not to go further into it.

"I only noticed it after seeing it every day when I woke up in the morning," you say and take a step closer to the painting, pointing to a part you're curious about.

"This, here!"

You point to a speck of white on the serene blue sky, "I thought you had a speck of white paint on it. Is it intentional or...?"

He smiles and then shakes his head.

"No?" you ask.

"No."

You get back to where you stand and fold your hands on your chest, "what is it then?"

"That's the northern star."

-

Maybe Joon is right.

Jeongin should have bought a piece of jewelry and called it a day. He anxiously waits as you take the painter around the house and now, you're taking him to your bedroom.

He shouldn't be jealous, it's a gift for you and you are married to him.

He's having a party for his wedding anniversary for God's sake!

"I thought he was a model, not a painter," Joon says as he shoves a piece of grape into his mouth.

"He's pretty for a man!"

Jeongin slams his glass of alcohol next to Joon's hand in anger that it spills onto the table.

He decides that it's enough time for you two to catch up and talk about paintings, he can always invite the painter back to the house since he already knows his real identity.

He meets you right as you make your way back to the party.

"Please, help yourself to a drink and food," you tell Hyunjin and let him join everyone else at the party.

"Thank you for coming!" Jeongin politely says even though he's not technically inviting him, he forced him to come here against his will.

Hyunjin sweetly smiles and shakes his hand back, "Thank you for inviting me, and congratulations on the wedding anniversary!"

You grab Jeongin by the hand and pull him to the hallway, "I can't believe you kidnapped that man as a wedding anniversary gift for me!"

Is it a proper time to laugh it off? Jeongin can't decide so he kisses you instead.

"I want to give you a special gift," he earnestly says.

You roll your eyes at him, "yeah but the kidnapping is not it."

He hugs you and hides his face in your neck, he admits that he overdid it.

"I'm sorry. I just can't think of a more perfect gift for you!" He explains.

You hug him back, decide to see past the how and into his good intention, "thank you. It's indeed a very special gift!"

"What about my gift?"

"You want to open your gift now?" You ask, looking at him through your lashes.

"Yes."

You take him by the hand to the bedroom and sit on the bed as you take the gift out of the drawer, it's a small box. He wonders what kind of thing that would fit in that size.

"Just a warning: I hope you don't get jealous!" You say before handing it to him.

"It may be not your preferred gift but again, I want you to not get jealous," you warn again.

He gets confused with the warning you give him and the box feels light on his hand, he places it on his lap, then opens the lid.

You bit your lower lip and look at him in anticipation.

Inside, there's a music box. He opens it and it starts playing music, a statue of little cupid spinning in the center.

"What is it?" He asks, not sure if this is the gift or if he has a high expectations.

"Take the paper in cupid's arrow," you tell him.

He only realizes now that the cupid has been holding a folded paper, he takes it and put the music box down, letting it keep playing.

He unfolds the paper to reveal an ultrasound picture of...

"Does it mean...?"

You answer with a nod and a wide grin.

"Is it true?" He asks in disbelief.

You take his hand and put it on your stomach, "there is our child inside," you say.

Did he deserve this much happiness? Really?

"B-But I can't see, I don't..." he stammers, still can't believe that you're pregnant with his child.

"I'm only two months pregnant now so it's not showing yet," you say and put your other hand on his hand, caressing your stomach together.

"Oh my God!" He exclaims in disbelief.

"Am I the father?"

You chuckle seeing his nonplussed expression, "well, I hope so," you playfully answer.

The happiness that he feels is more than his head can handle, and he's having a hard time processing it. Yes, he said that he would be jealous of the child because then he'll have to share you with them but he also can't hide how ecstatic he is to raise a child with you.

He throws himself at you and hugs you so tight, "I love you so much!" He says with all of his heart that his voice is strained.

"I love you too," you say back and kiss his cheek.

"I love you so much."

He pulls away to kiss your lips, giving you the longest one that you gasp for air the moment he lets go of it.

"Just like you said," you rest your head on his shoulder and rub your belly together with his big hand on yours, "We'll make our own family."

He kisses your forehead with so much love, "our family," he sighs and he loves the sound of that still. It sounds so hopeful and beautiful.

"Our family," you repeat.

No words can describe how happy he is but he was so wrong to think that you couldn't give him a better gift than saying yes to marrying him. And now, you're telling him that he will have a piece of you that he can love as much.

How lucky he is to have you, you have been and always will be the most special gift to him. 

-

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[lealdern]

How To Stay Conscious When You Drown Ch6

Explicit content further on: Minors please DNI.

Dick x Reader She/her reader AO3 Link

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Summary: Dick Grayson is going through hard times, you see that on his face before you even know his name. You reach out a hand to offer comfort without realising he’s a man treading water.

Chapter 6: Memento

Dick is leaning against your apartment door frame with tired eyes and his clothes are already dishevelled, looking like he’s gone to the club without you before realising you aren’t with him.

“Are you ready?” He breathes out. His smile is easy and light, but you can tell he’s exhausted from his face and the way he’s near-supporting himself on the door.

“Are you?” you ask with a small laugh, “Come in, sit down, you look exhausted Dick.”

The tilt of your head is soft, but he knows you won’t budge, so after a moment he slumps in and sits heavily on your couch, head resting against the back. He’s not sure how long it’s been since he closed his eyes when he feels the couch dip next to him, but when he opens them, your high-heeled black shoes are gone, tight clad legs curled up underneath you, and you’ve got two glasses of wine in your hands and between your teeth is a leaflet for the local Chinese takeout he likes.

“Babe, no, we’ve had this planned for ages, I told you I’d take you out,” he sighs, but against his words he doesn’t move, like he doesn’t have the energy, and it’s a pointless protest. You hand him a wine glass, the wine well aired since you’d opened it a couple of hours ago while you’d gotten ready, pampering yourself for a proper date night with Dick.

“I’m a cheap date,” you smile, “Not really one for fancy French food anyway,” leaning forward you press a kiss to his lips, and you feel him lean into it, exhaustion keeping him from chasing you further when you pull back, “I prefer takeout and making out.”

It gets a huff of a laugh out of Dick and you know you’ve won: Even if you had wanted to go out, staying home with Dick, legs entwined on the couch with empty takeout containers and your favoured corner shop wine, is something you prefer so much more.

Dick can’t help but feel bad, watching you as you sip on your wine and look over the menu (he knows you’ll end up ordering the same thing you always have, you always do). He can see the effort you put into your clothes, hair beautifully styled, nails shining with fresh polish, and a little black dress with tights. As nice as you look with heels, he finds the sight of you done up so nicely without them on strangely intimate.

“I’ve let you down again.” He sighs, reaching a hand out to rest on your knee that’s only visible since your dress has ridden up to your thigh as you’ve curled comfortably.

You give him a look, eyebrow raised with a twist of a smile on your pretty lips, “You’re here, and that’s all I want from a date, Dick.” You put your wineglass on the coffee table and flop carefully next to him opening the menu for him to see as he takes a sip of his own wine. “If I get prawn toast will you split it with me? They always send too much.” The topic change is obvious to him but he lets it happen, giving into the comfortable and cozy night in with you, knowing he’ll need it before the next couple of days ahead.

Bruce had called him, wanting him back in Gotham for a mission first thing in the morning, but even while Dick himself was in the middle of interrupting a kidnapping he thought of you and told him “Not tonight… I’ll be there tomorrow.” And even with Bruces protests he’d cut short the call and headed home to get ready to take you out after he’d finished. He doesn’t know how he deserves you, but he’s glad he has you all the same.

“Yeah, I’ll split it.” He says, knowing you won’t get it if he doesn’t, and he knows you like them even if they’re not his favourite starter. Looking at you he can feel himself soften, can hear it in his voice and feel it in the way his focus is on only you, “What are you getting?”

“I don’t know, I might try the curry…” You say, eyes skimming the menu as he watches you, a gentle smile pulling on his mouth.

“Yeah?” he says, endearment colouring his question.

“Well… Maybe- No, I’ll stick with the noodles.”

“I love you.” It’s not the first time he’s said it, it won’t be the last, but the tenderness in his voice has you stilling a moment, smiling before you’re leaning into him, pressing a kiss against his lips. Even with how tired he is, he pulls you into his lap to kiss you back, large hands spread underneath your thighs as he holds you close.

“I love you too.” You hum it against his lips and it’s the sweetest song he’s ever heard.

It’s not the way you looked when you opened the door that sticks in Dick’s mind the next day as he drives to Gotham, ready for an exhausting weekend: It’s the way you’d curled against him in your comfortable pyjamas, kissing him with lips that tase a little like the noodles you’d eaten, the tang of wine on your tongue.

When he left this morning he watched you for a moment from your doorway, the sight of you sleeping soundly, is one he sears into his mind to carry with him, like a photograph in a wallet; arm stretched into the empty space of the bed having sought him out already even though he’d only been up for fifteen minutes.

He’ll carry you with him, he thinks, a home away from home.

Next Chapter

A/N: This chapter was inspired by Cheap Date by Caitlyn Smith . It's been a busy December and I hope you're all doing well. I cheated with this one because I slotted it in after already writing chapter 6 and realising it was way too heavy too quick. I wanted this to be softer, gentler, even with that sad spin I tend to put on things. Anyway, Merry Christmas for tomorrow, hopefully be back posting for new year.