#the answer is 2-3 under my head and at least one on top of me

[xiaq]

B would like you all to know that this is what I look like when I read fic at night. Very flattering, I know.

[lovifie]

Lift Me Off My Feet

Chapter 6: Boundaries

Masterlist

Original Thought - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12

W: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader x Johnny "Soap" MacTavish, a bit of angst before the nasties ❤️

The good thing about the three of you doing the walk of shame together is that at least you are not the one who got it worse. Price is walking like he just came of the confessional, not a sin committed in his life; you look like you should, like you just got fucked nicely but nothing a couple of minutes laying down can't help you disguise and Gaz… poor Gaz look a bit destroyed, but he carries himself with a certain attitude that makes you think: “Good for him.” and it helps him look confident if it wasn't for a weak limp as he walks. And if you are able to tell, you are sure the rest of them can as well.

“Pay up, Johnny.” Ghost says extending his hand to Soap as they sit on the sofa. 

“Fuckin’ he'll, Gaz.” Soap answers, taking his wallet from his back pocket and dropping a £20 on Ghost's hands. 

“You made a bet?” You ask curious sitting on the floor getting your legs under the table, Ghost and Soap are sitting on the sofa, Price sits down on the armchair and Gaz sits on the armrest of the sofa.

“Yeah, about who would break the truce first.” Soap explains and turns to look at Gaz. “I thought you were stronger than this, mate.”

“What truce?” You ask, sending Ghost a quick glance to ask him to play along. He doesn't say anything. 

A beat of silence goes around the room, everyone expecting the other to talk. It is Price that breaks it clearing his throat. “Right, I'll explain it. We talked about you, about how we have been treating you and about how it shouldn't have happened.” 

Your stomach turns at the confession, and a voice screams in your head: “I told you, idiot! Giving yourself like a whore on sale! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!” You hide your hands between your thighs to hide the shaking and swallow the spit pooling in your mouth. 

“Not like that.” A warm hand on the top of your head brings you back. “Try again, Captain. So many ways to phrase it, and you choose the worst.” Ghost says 

Price rubs a hand against his face, exasperated with himself. “What I meant was… that we don't regret what we have done, we regret the way we have done it. Yeah?”

And it reaches your ears, but it doesn't get to your brain. Since the whole ordeal began, the cruel voice in your head that doesn't let you enjoy things has been scratching the walls of your head to try and make you focus on her and let her plant the seed of self-doubt in you. But you pushed her back, and the kisses and caressing of the men in front of you helped greatly. It was like seeing a shadow from the corner of your eyes, but when you turn your head it disappears; but now, hearing from Price that it shouldn't have happened, even if he was just a poor choice of words, it has made you turn your head to your shadow but this time it hasn't disappeared. Instead, it's looking at you and laughing at your face for being stupid. 

“You alright, birdie?” Ghost brushes your hair behind your ear, keeping his hand cupping your jaw and turning your face to look at him. Concern floods his eyes, eyebrows furrowed, but doesn't push it when you nod at him. 

“What we wanted to do, was do the things that we should have done before we got freaky.” Soaps continue. “Go on dates, expend time together… get to know ye. Those things.”

It only fuels your confusion. “What?” You ask looking at Price. “Dates?”

“You… you don't want to?” He asks mirroring your confusion.

“Do I have a say?” You ask, genially confused. And to you, you mean it as in “Do I have the power to choose between offers? Do I have the power to ask for you? Do I deserve more than crumbs of attention and respect?” But to them, it sounds like: “Do I have that power?”, you know, as if you haven’t gotten under their skin and you couldn't move them like puppets at your will and want. 

“I don't understand.” You mumble rubbing your face, eyes burning with tears.

“What it is?” Gaz asks sitting straight, focusing on you. 

“Why?!” You ask a bit louder that wanted. “Why me? Why do you care about me? Because I can understand that I threw myself at you and to never look a gift horse in the mouth, but what I can’t understand is why you would go out of our fucking lane to worry about the fucking shitty horse!”

The tears are flowing freely down your face by now, and you realise that they are all looking at you with expressions you can't read. You have cried in front of them before, but it was out of fear for your life, you are fine with that. But letting them see you cry because you are an idiot that caught feelings? Nah, that's too much. “I'm sorry, I… I need a moment.” You stand up, managing to get out without any of them catching your hand and lock yourself in the bathroom, in the little space between the sink and the bathtub. 

You cry your feelings out, wanting to just dry yourself out before going out, but Ghost beats you to it and knocks on the door. “Can I come in, birdie?”

“The lock doesn't work.” You mumble between sobs.

“I know, that's why I'm asking.” He says, he cracks the door open slowly and sticks his head in looking at you. “Can I come in?”

You nod, and he enters closing the door behind him. He lifts you up from your hands making you whine like a child, sits down where you were and sits you on his lap. “You got a thing for tiny spaces.” 

The TONK sound of Ghost hitting his head on the sink following the curse words makes you chuckle at the ridicule of the situation. Ghost finally settles down, and he cups your face making you lay your head on his chest. 

“What has you so upset, birdie? What is making you so sad?” He asks, the rumble of his voice travelling through your body.

You shrug your shoulders. “I just don't get it… why me?”

“I don't know, birdie… you just are.” He says caressing your face. “I can't explain it, it's just… you. We have been trained and forced to be methodical, use logic, don't get carried away by emotions, years and years of training. And now you are here, and we don't know how to act.”

You bury your face in his chest, taking in the new information, but without interrupting him. “When we entered your flat, Price saw the chair on the balcony and he almost jumped head first just to check if you were on the ground. Gaz has gone against Price's direct orders, and trust me, Gaz would rather cut his own arm than go against Price… Birdie, I'm not going to call it love and act like I know how that works. But don't bury the corpse without killing it first.”

You look up to him, and find him already looking down at you. He gives you a kiss on your forehead through the mask and asks: “Give us a chance, birdie. Please. We are all adults, we'll talk about it. Set bases and rules so everyone is happy and comfortable. But you need to let us try. Only once, birdie. That's all we need.”

Simon's words enter your head, finding the idiot voice that lives inside and slapping her across the face. After a while, you no longer have the need to cry, and even though you are elated by Ghost's comfort, it is not fair to the three men seating in the living room.

You stand up first, Ghost's hand on your back. You grab his hand to help him stand and put the other hand on the edge of the sink so he doesn't hit it again, earning yourself a chuckle from him. 

Soap is the first to see you, sitting with Gaz on the sofa. Price is still in the armchair, smoking a cigar. You walk up to him, picking the cigar from his hand and letting it down on the ashtray. You sit on the armrest of the chair, putting your deets on his lap and your hands between your thighs. 

He looks up to you almost holding your breath, like the next thing that you will say could seal or break the deal. “You don't regret meeting me, right, John?”

His face twitches, as if you had just slapped him across the face, and he quickly shakes his head bringing his arm up around you to move you to his lap keeping you close. “No, dear, no. I could never regret meeting you, I'm sorry I said it like that, I promise I'm not usually such a muppet.” 

“I wanna give it a try.” You say and look up to him. “But I'm scared.”

“You don't need to be, what's scaring you?” He ask looking at your face.

“You don't know me… what if once you get to know me, you don't like what you learn? If you get bored? Or disgusted…” You mumble, talking more and more softly as you bury your face on his neck.

“Now you are just talking nonsense, love.” Price says, cupping your face and peeling your face away from his neck. “And you are thinking too highly of us, what if you are the one who doesn't like us?”

“That's not-” You begin to say, ready to argue that it is not possible to not like them, that they look like they have come out of a firefighter calendar, that they have been nothing but kind and caring with you, that if you found something about them you didn't like it would most likely to bother you enough to break away. But you look at his face, and he has this know-it-all expression that quiets you up. 

“Exactly, love.” He says and lets you hide your face again. You sigh, tired of your feelings and start to stand up. “I'm gonna have a shower.”

“Wait!” Soap says standing up quickly and sprinting to the kitchen, coming back out with different kinds of shampoo and body skin care products. “How about a bath? A bubble bath?” He asks, happy to cheer you up and to have an excuse to mess around with the different liquid. 

You nod quickly smiling widely and watch him run to the bath. Price calls your attention with a tap on your lower back and explains: “Gaz and I need to go back to base, Ghost and Soap will stay with you tonight, that's fine with you?”

You nod again, saying goodbye to both of them, feeling too awkward to hug them because of the newly exposed feeling even if just an hour ago they were balls deep inside you. You run to the bathroom when Soap calls your name.

“Quickly, bonnie. Get in before it goes cold.” He says, satisfied with the sweet smell and bubbly water. “Do you need anything else?”

“Actually, can you lend me some more clothes? I'm pretty sure I have run out of clean clothes and underwear.” You admit, looking a bit ashamed.

“Sure, I'll bring ye some of mine. I'm sure ye'll fill in my knickers just fine with that fine arse of yers.” He mumbles in your ears, earning himself a slap on his biceps as he exits the bathroom to pick up the clothes. He drops them by a little later and lets you to enjoy your bath.

The bath truly helps you relax, of the tightness in your muscles and of the exhausting feelings in your head. It also leaves you room to think about them, to rationalize them. Simon is right, you cannot say no just because you are scared it may not work out in the end, not without trying first.

After some time, the water starts to get cold, so you drain the tub and grab the towel to dry yourself. You look at the clothes that Soap lend you, and realise he only left his briefs and a t-shirt; cheeky bastard. 

As you open the door, the smell of food floats around the whole house and it makes your stomach rumble. Ghost and Soap must be making dinner. So you walk down the hall, entering the kitchen without thinking.

And part of you blames you for it, but another part is really glad you didn't.

Johnny is on his knees, in front of Ghost, getting his mouth fucked by the late one. The wet sounds of Johnny gagging around Ghost’s dick as it hits the back of his throat almost hide the sound of your steps, but not good enough fot Ghost.

“Hi, Birdie.” He groans, caressing Johnny head in such a tender way it clashes with the filthy image. “Are you hungry? Johnny here couldn't wait for dinner.”

“I can see…” You mumble back looking at Soap, unable to peel you away. You are glad you just got out of the tub, being able to attribute your blush to the heat of the bathroom. Still, no bath can explain the way you clench your thighs together, and Ghost chuckles when he notices.

“C’mere, birdie.” He instructs, extending his hand to you. You grab it, feeling him pull you close; his hand moves to your waist, cupping your face with the other. “I really want to kiss you right now, pretty bird”

And you know what he is asking for, to break the truce; because if you initiate it, he is technically not breaking it. And it is cruel, especially to Price that you know is going to be the last one to break it, but right now, with Ghost mask up to his nose and Johnny chocking on his dick, your mind is busy. 

You get on your tip toes, urging Ghost to bend down and he gives you a quick peck on your lips. Just to seal the deal, before he pulls your head from the back of your head making you open your mouth to groan and he gets his tongue inside your mouth, turning the groan into a moan. 

It is such a filthy kiss, its only fitting for a filthy situation that you just yourself into. 

Johnny doesn't last before calling for your attention, but he doesn't call you, instead, he pulls your leg between his and starts humping his leaking dick against you. It makes you look down breaking the kiss and making Ghost look down as well, he chuckles seeing the Scotsman so desperate and grabs a handful on his mohawk making him let go of his dick with a POP sound. “Don't fuck her leg, you fucking mutt” Johnny whines when he grips his hair harder and Ghost looks up to you. You can see the gears spinning inside his head when he looks from you to Soap, both grabbed by the hair, and you are not really surprised when he says. “Get on your knees for me, birdie.”

When you drop to your knees, Ghost pushes you and Soap’s head closer to each other and Soap bites your mouth kissing you as he devours your lips. His knee on the ground is against your cunt, and when he flexes closer to you it makes you moan inside his mouth.

Soon, Soap’s tongue is not the only thing in your mouth and you feel something blunt nudge at the side of your lips. You pull apart an inch, opening your eyes, just in time to see Ghost’s dick slide between Soaps and your mouth. Both tongues getting tangled around his already wet length, Ghost moans without letting go of both of your head. Soap hands find their way to your waist, and start to help you grind yourself against his tigh. 

“She is going to ruin your underwear, Johnny.” Ghost manages to say between grunts and moans. “Better to help her take them off.”

Big hands grab you from under your arms hoisting you up, Ghost holds you against his chest with your back pressed to him and Soap helps you take off your underwear. Just when you are naked from the waist down, you feel Ghost slip his dick between your folds, rubbing your clit on his way forward. His red tips stick out from between your legs, and you can almost feel Soap mouth water and the sight of both your crotch together. “C’mon, Johnny, I didn't tell you to stop sucking.”

Johnny’s tongue is warm against your skin, and for a second when you look down, all you see is Ghost fucking Soap’s mouth through you. Until Ghost begins to thrust, and his tip keeps nudging at your clit and if it is not his tip it’s Soap's tongue running side to side on it. 

Ghost is still hugging you from behind, his face now hidden in your neck moaning little words that don't make sense, you grab his arms trying to keep yourself steady, you can barely reach the floor having to be on your tiptoes on top of Ghost's feet. 

The mix of it all, feeling almost like a fleshlight by Ghost, Soap moaning and gagging so close to your clit and Ghost’s dick rubbing again and again against your clit, has you cumming embarrassedly quickly. And if it wasn't for the way Ghost moans against your neck when you clench your thighs together, pulling Soap’s hair again to keep him from sucking him, basically edging himself not to cum yet, you would be embarrassed. Instead, you are almost ready to cum again in mere seconds.

“It looks like Johnny is a bit needy right now, doll. Do you wanna sit on his dick, hm? Suck my dick while you do? Johnny has been talking nonstop about that little mouth of yours, birdie. Been driving me crazy.” He says as he kisses your neck, leaving it wet with his spit as he barely manages to speak properly. 

Soaps, still on his knees, sits on his feet, cock free and ready for you to sit on it. You hoist his lap, getting your knees on the floor sided to his forcing you to spread your legs. You rest your hands on his knees as you lower yourself, and moan in tandem with Soap once he is completely seated. 

Ghost grabs your hands, almost picking you up, and moves them to his thighs to allow you to support yourself. Soaps begin to move, slowly, letting you get adjusted to the stretch, as he begins to fuck you almost doggy style. It pushes you forward, and you moan against Ghost’s dick making him shudder.

You start to kiss his tip, soon getting your lips around it earning a moan of your name from Ghost. He caresses your head, brushing your hair away from your face. Soap grabs your waist, helping himself fuck you faster, skin slapping against your ass making you moan as you suck Ghost’s dick.

It is almost as thick as Soap's, but it's the way it hits your throats that makes the difference. Tears prick at your eyes, slowly falling down your cheeks, and when Ghost sees them he coos at you as he smears them on your cheek with his thumb.

You can see his half-open mouth thanks to his mask being risen, and you clench your cunt when you see him bite his lips to keep his moans from spilling out. Soap hugs you from behind, bitting your shoulder and begins to piston in and out of you. His hand goes south, rubbing at your clit and you grab Ghost’s thigh sticking your nails in making him hiss almost like a moan. 

“I'm gonna cum all over your pretty face, hm? Painted like a canvas, love.” He groans grabbing your hair. “While Johnny paints you inside, all ours, inside and out, love. Our little birds, all ours.”  He keeps mumbling, taking his dick out to jack it off in front of your face. 

You stick your tongue out while looking at him, and moan when Johnny change his speed, becoming sloppy and switching the speed with slower but deeper thrusts. He moans against your shoulder, biting again hard and that's enough to send you over the edge. Johnny and Ghost following you as if they were waiting for you. 

Ghost spents end up mostly in your mouth, but you feel the hot spurts settle on your face making you close your eyes. Soap sits down, stretching his legs, and he pulls you with him, softening your dick still inside of you. 

“I wish I could send Price a picture right now” Ghost says chuckling looking down at the both of you who chuckle too with difficulty to breath.

“I think… I think we should go shower again, bonnie.” Soaps says behind you, and you can only agree. 

Once cleaned, the three of you sit around the sofa ready to have dinner, quite delicious and gracefully, not burnt. 

“So, bonnie, ye wanna go on date?” Soap asks with his mouth full.

“I was gonna ask first, was swallowing my food.” Ghost says, almost scolding him.

“Actually… I thought about it, and I think I want to go on a date with…

Hii, how are you?!

The next chapter is your choice, bam, bam, baaaammm!!

Let me know if there is any kind of date or anything like that that you would like to happen, hehe.

Also, just an explanation in case anyone was confused. As I said, English is not my first language, which means I don't really know many idioms in English, and that plus the fact that when I can remember how they are I just make up my own, sometimes they lack some sense 🤣.

When in this chapter Ghost says: "But don't bury the corpse without killing it first." I was thinking about the phrase "to sell the bear's skin before catching it", but that one is actually the opposite, it is when you are a bit too optimistic about how things are going to play out. So I don't know how I ended up writing the corpse one, and then I remember the fact that Ghost was buried alive and it just... in my mind it made sense.

Sorry if it doesn't 💗

As always, thank you so much for reading and for commenting, love youu ❤️🌸

Taglist: @pagesfalling @thevoidwriting @darkangel4121 @tf141glory @skyler-loves-rick-grimes @ghostlythots @readerofallthingss @onewattson6529 @mynameismothra @xinyiline @shadowtfpcod @infpt-zylith@renabear88@lolliepopsicle @reap3erslov3 @tooloudarts @dontworryboutitokie @cassiecasluciluce @sodavrr @missmidnight-writes @anirok2 @lilliumrorum @ladyxtiger @multy-fandom-lover @thriving-n-jiving @lotionlamp @spicyspicyliving @xxeiraxx @vampirekilmerfic @keiraslayz

[bandgie]

Who Dun It?

mystery!skzmember x fem!reader

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

warnings: MDNI 18+, dubious, finger fucking, intox implied, ruined orgasm, public fingering

780 words

It shouldn't feel good, but it does.

His chest is flushed against your back, making the room even hotter. You could blame the amount of people drunk and piling up, but it wouldn't be true. You like how his hands roam your body, how he gropes and squeezes your flesh. 

He has big hands, that's one thing for sure. This unknown man can fill his hands with your breasts, pressing them against your chest and jiggling the fat. His fingers find your pebbled nipples underneath the thin material of your top. 

Each tug makes you moan, each twist makes you throw your head back to his shoulder. You rub your legs together to get any sort of friction, but the man beats you to it.

His slender fingers make their way past your short skirt, under your panties to feel your sopping cunt. 

"Wet already huh?" His voice is like velvet in your ears. "I barely even touched you." You can hear a smirk in his words. "Or maybe you like being touched by a stranger. Do you like it?"

You nod frantically, trying to swivel your hips so his fingers brush against your clit. "Yes," it's a breathy answer. "I like it."

He leans down to your ear, lips ghosting over the shell. "Then spread your legs for me."

So you do, as much as you can at least with the crowded room. You moan when his fingers slide against your slit, gathering and spreading your slick. When he reaches your clit, he rubs it in hard circles. The pressure makes you yelp, hips shying away instinctively at the rough touch.

His other hand steadies at your waist so you can't wiggle too much. He grips you a little tighter when he finally sinks one of his fingers in your warmth. The moan you let out is crude, but the college students surrounding you two hardly seem to care. Their lack of attention is an encouragement to rock your hips against him.

The man, who you think you might fall in love with tonight, pumps his digit in you at a steady pace. You swear you can hear the perverted sound your cunt makes even through the music, but it only spurs you more.

His palm slides over your exposed flesh while he finger fucks you, never letting you forget how easily you opened for him. "Gonna cum on my finger huh?" He groans in your ear. "Dirty girl, don't even know who I am."

You don't, and you don't care. "Faster. Ngh~ you're so good,"

He moans in your ear at that, opting to not only go faster but to add an extra finger. It feels as though just two of his digits are a cock in you, hitting you deep and stretching you wide. You want so desperately to turn around and see who's touching you, but you like the mystery. You like that twinging sense of the unknown as the stranger brings you closer to completion.

With your clit being slapped consistently and your cervix being prodded, you can feel your legs trembling from your soon orgasm. It makes you scramble to find purchase on the man's thighs, on the wrist that's disappeared under your skirt. He lets you reach back and tug on his hair. 

His long hair, you note.

"Holy shit," you breathe. "I'm gonna cum. Cum, cum I'm gonna cum!"

He picks up his pace. He shoves his fingers so deep and fast you know everyone can hear it. Your toes curl, your eyes roll, your-

"COPS!" Someone shouts. "COPS!"

People around you begin to push one another, scrabbling to leave the apartment that's overly filled with smoke and spilled booze. They effectively shove the man away from you, tearing his fingers from your heat that makes you cry out in such desperation. 

More people hit your shoulders, some scream with laughter while running. 

You turn your head around, hopeful to find the man in eyesight. But all you see are the back of heads, then your friend's face amidst the chaos making her way to you. 

"We need to leave. Now."

She yanks you by the wrist, not commenting on the arousal dripping down your thighs or how your skirt is drenched in the front. 

Never in life have you been more frustrated, more distraught. Being dragged away while all you can remember is how well he finger fucked you, how beautiful his fingers looked and felt. His voice, his breath on your skin. And never in your life have you been filled with such determination. You'll find this man. Have him finish what he started. 

With new vigor, you head home.

a/n: can you guess who the mystery man is?? and im thinking about making a part 2 but I wanna see how this performs first lmao.

[sillymercury]

Make You See My Crazy

AzrielxReader

<3

Warnings: some slightly sexual themes

Word count: 7.9k

It’s split into parts only bc I can’t stop yapping

Summary: Upon joining the inner circle you expected excitement, movement, enterprise. Instead you were faced with mundane, every day was nearly the same and repetitive motion was killing you. It’s hard sneaking around the person you love but it’s inevitable when they’re the one holding you back.

Part 2 to I’m not the Crazy One, She Is

<3

I thought working with the inner circle would be action packed; missions, fighting, or infiltrating other courts. I imagined myself having serious debriefs with Rhysand and far off adventures with Mor or Azriel. But for the first year and some change it’s just been training. Every. Day.

I guess it was to be expected, I had to be thoroughly prepared; even if what I was being prepared for was the impossible.

Some of the scenarios Azriel would throw at me were absolutely off the wall; like being shrunken down and hidden under a walnut casing, being drugged with hallucinogenic cookies that make the enemy seem like friends, being eaten by a shark? It was deluded. I asked him if any of those things ever happened to him, his answer; “Unimportant. It could happen to you.”

I thought I was flying through training with flying colors, and so did Rhysand and Cassian and Nesta and Gwyn and Feyre and Emerie and Morrigan and Amren and pretty much everyone other than Azriel. He always found something to correct or have a question with no right answer. At first it was funny, but then I mastered the sword, dagger, staff, bow and arrow, and my personal favorite nunchucks. Now it’s just condescending.

The time I wasn’t preparing for the impossible I was working on strengthening my powers with Amren and Nesta. I’ve had control of my abilities for the better part of two centuries but using them for combat was different. I had mostly used them to get what I want, adopting strangers on the streets powers to make my night more interesting. Now I was using people’s own powers against them. My abilities expanded beyond what I ever thought, what I had ever attempted. I can connect with at least 3 people, stealing power from multiple sources. I can also connect over a distance but that’s only for people that I know, if I can envision them in my minds eye and envision their powers I can connect from virtually anywhere.

Ive never felt more powerful, more formidable, more like a force to be reckoned with than since I’ve begun working with the inner circle. But for some reason, a reason that edged my last nerve Azriel didn’t see it.

“I can take on anyone in this godsdamned court and hold my own, but it’s always ‘you’re not ready’ ‘you need more training’ ‘what if something terribly unlikely happens?’” I groaned at I threw myself back onto Nesta and Cassian’s shared bed. The female was perched at the top, legs tucked underneath herself, watching me with a sly expression.

“It’s because he likes you,” Nesta teased, a knowing smile making its way onto her face.

I flipped myself over and bit my bottom lip, failing at controlling my smile. “I know,” I said dreamily, I could feel my face heat as I thought of the shadowsinger. “But that’s another thing, he likes me, I know he does. But he’s also distant, not physically but emotionally. He’s holding back from me and I don’t know why. Like go king! Give me nothing!”

Nesta laughed as she slid onto her stomach as well, face close to mine, “That’s just how these Illyrians are. They only want love if it’s torture.”

I rolled my eyes at her words, “What did you read that in a book or something?”

“Or something,” she smirked and I chuckled at response shaking my head. “I can’t help you with your love sick yet sickeningly distant Az but in terms of putting you in the field; talk to Rhys. Tell him that you feel more than ready to have a mission of your own.”

I groaned, sneaking around Az didn’t feel right. I wanted him to see me, see what I’m capable of and want me by his side. “Okay,” I said while I picked at my nails. I peaked at the female and she gave me a pointed look, “Okay!” This time I spoke with more conviction. Standing up I stamped my foot with my hands on my hips “I am going to talk to him,” I turned my head to glance out the window, night had taken over the sky, “tomorrow morning.”

It was Nestas turn to groan, her face fell into the bed as she shook her head, “Your just as bad as Azriel.”

“Come on. It’s late, he’s probably in bed. Plus last time I went to him this late…” I shuddered. Nesta just laughed, obviously recalling the story of me winnowing into Rhys’ office and seeing my high lord and high lady in a… compromising position. “Alright,” I stretched, “I’m going home, don’t wait for me at training. I’ll see Rhys bright and early!”

Her face held mock conviction as she nodded once. I just laughed and leaned over to press a loving kiss to the females head, “Bye!!!!” I sang as I channeled Rhys from afar and winnowed myself home.

I was offered a room at the House of Wind and I stayed there most nights but I still kept my cottage. With the egregious checks Rhys wrote me every month I could afford my own little castle but this was home. A new fae had moved in next door, a very nice one, and the corner was cozier than ever before. Also with Az away, the house of wind felt… colder; I needed the warmth of my space.

I went through my night routine; stripping the leathers I had grown accustomed to wearing, cleaning my hair and skin, and climbing into bed with a shirt that Azriel definitely knew was missing. As I laid I contemplated what I would say to Rhys, he has said he thought I was ready but he still backed up Azriel. I shook my head, deciding I couldn’t wait until morning.

Rhys, I whispered into his mind. Channeling his power I was able to slip past his barriers, something he was truly disturbed to find out I could do. Rhys, I tried again a little louder when he didn’t answer.

Stop using my power against me, he spoke, frustration clear. I hate when you do that.

I giggled into his mind, finding out that mental barriers don’t work against me was a pleasant surprise for me and a source of grief for Rhys. Powers are connected to emotions so the more passionate I made someone the more control I could take over their magic. I need to talk to you.

It can’t wait? I’m… busy. I knew exactly what he meant and shivered as war flash backs played in my brain.

Ewwww, I ragged. I suppose it can. I turned in my bed, making myself comfy.

The silence didn’t last long, Never mind, Nyx just woke. What do you need Y/n?

I paused, a hundred persuasive and graceful ways to ask came to the forefront but I chose succinctness. I want to go on a mission.

He paused, from inside his mind I could hear the wheels turning but out of respect for his privacy I cast my glance away. Waiting until Az is out of town, are you trying to get me in trouble?

No! I just… I’m ready. There was nothing else to say, I’m ready. I know it, Rhys knows it, everyone in this circle knows it; it’s time for me to prove it.

I heard him click his tongue, thinking of how to deny me nicely. I filled his head with my disappointment, my hurt from being consistently passed over. A sigh was heard, and I felt his conviction break.

Okay, I have an idea. See me in the morning.

I didn’t let my excitement slip into his mind but I’m sure he heard it in my voice, Okay, okay! Perfect. I’ll see you!

I disconnected from him and rolled over, giggling into my pillow and kicking lightly under my blanket. I wondered what Rhys had planned, I tried not to let my imagination get me too excited but as I fell into rest depictions of other courts circled my mind.

-

Azriel landed in the training ring with a swift silence. His leathers were glistening in the sun, clean and shiny. He picked up the habit of cleaning them before returning right around the time you started spending nights in the House of Wind. The thought of you seeing him covered in blood unsettled him, he knew deep down you wouldn’t truly care but he wanted to protect you nonetheless.

His bright eyes scanned the ring; priestesses, Valkyrie’s, and a very loud Cassian controlled the space. No you.

She’s not here, his shadows informed him. Upon further prompting his shadows informed him that you weren’t at home, or with Rhys. His eyebrows knitted with confusion as he continued to glance around. It wouldn’t be the first time you skipped training, he pictured the time he caught you tucked into a high-end dress store when you were meant to be in the ring.

He was prepared to take to the skies, ready to find where you were hiding before his brother cut him off, “Az, honey! Not even a hello?” Cass was walking toward him with a natural ease and he couldn’t help rolling his eyes.

“Hello brother,” was all he offered. His voice was void of emotion but his heart was full, coming home to family was always enjoyable. Especially after spending time in the dark tunnels of the Hewn City, seeing someone with a smile on their face was appreciated.

Cass wrapped strong arms around Az’s shoulders, holding him tight. Azriel just returned the favor with two quick taps on his back under his wings.

“I need to go find Y-“ he didn’t make it through his sentence before Cassian cut him off.

“You need to come see these priestesses,” with an arm around Az’s shoulder he led him further into the ring. “We’ve got six more priestesses picking up swords, we have a little battalion on our hands.”

Az lightly smiled and nodded, letting his brother lead him. He figured you could have the day off, you deserve it. You had been doing amazing, you were a quick learner; swift, light on your feet, and knew how to finish strong. Your fighting coupled with your power, you would be daunting in the felid; when you were ready… when he was ready to let you be ready.

Az knew you would hold your on, connecting to his power you would be the assets he always needed but he wanted to protect you, keep you safe from that part of his life as long as he could.

The better part of the morning and early afternoon were spent with the priestesses. Helping them with their swordsmanship, correcting techniques and giving confidence where it was needed. Cass and Az felt something like pride as the watched the females taking back the power that was stolen from them. With training behind them the boys gathered around the island in the extravagant kitchen, chatting with Emerie, Gwyn, and Nesta about the progress being made. You stayed in the back of Azriel’s mind, not being at training and not showing up as the day pushed on. He tried to keep cool about it, you were sensible and strong and he didn’t need to keep you on a leash, but with training 3 hours behind him his hands started to itch at the lack of your presence. His attentive shadows kept him updated, you still weren’t at your house or any of Rhys’.

“So where’s Y/n?” He asked, trying to remain casual as he leaned forward, bracing his arms on the stone island. Lunch had came and went without a word from you. Gwyn’s eyes widened for a fraction of a a second but Emerie quickly pulled her into conversation pertaining to their upcoming book club. Weird.

Nesta just pursed her lips and shrugged coolly, a light shake of her head accompanying the motion. Cassian on the other hand was staring into the tea he that had suddenly became very interesting. That was weirder. If Cass didn’t know he would’ve came up with some witty remark like, ‘she probably found a hot male with emotional maturity’ or ‘she has your account information, probably running you into the ground.’

He stalked a little closer to his brother, Cass just dipped his head further towards his cup. Az bit his cheek, thanking the mother for his brothers inability to keep a secret or produce a good lie.

Az wrapped a wing around his brothers form and dipped down too, “If you put your nose any further into that cup, you’ll drown.”

“Huh? Oh!” Cass laughed as he stood up straighter. He cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders, trying to gain some semblance of confidence. Nesta gave him a look and he turned away quickly, unfortunately for him he turned directly toward Az. The only thing he could do was offer a nervous smile.

Az returned the favor with a saccharine grin, got him. “Where is she Cass?”

“Who?” He asked dumbly. He clenched his fist to keep from slapping his face, he was under the fire of his brothers gaze and he was choking. Az just raised his eyebrows and gave him a pointed look. “Oh, Y/n. Pfft I don’t-“ he tried to do what Nesta did, pout his lips and shrug coolly. He didn’t look cool. “I don’t know. Where is she Nesta?” His voice suddenly carried a faux confusion as he turned to his mate, attempting to take attention off of himself.

Nesta glared, “I. Don’t. Know,” she bit out through gritted teeth. Cass gulped, knowing no matter how this ended he was screwed. He just nodded, humming at her before turning to Az, offering up another lame shrug.

Az looked between the two for a second before glancing over at the other two fae. Their conversation had stopped to take in the scene, at the instant of Azriel’s eyes they quickly turned away and began speaking again.

Az just nodded, the picture of calm. Cassian gulped yet again, he knew he was the weakest link and that Azriel would press him specifically for information. Cassian’s fears were confirmed when the sick smile returned to Az’s face and a firm hand was placed on his shoulder. “Cassian,” Az’s voice was low, slow, “Where is she?” The calmness and gentleness of his words sent a shiver down Cassian’s spine.

“I don’t know, truly,” he was folding. Nesta shook her head before placing it in the arms that were folded across the counter. “She was begging and she wouldn’t let up. Said she was super determined and no wasn’t a viable answer so Rhys caved, sent her on a mission this morning.”

“Good gods,” slipped from Nestas lips. Hand braced on her shaking forehead as she looked into the distance, questioning the mother.

“What?” Az’s grip turned to iron and his brother cringed at the force. He looked between the four in the kitchen, everyone knew. Everyone knew and wanted to keep it from him, if he wasn’t losing his mind he might feel bad.

Nothing else was said, there was nothing left to say, Azriel’s pace was rushed as he pushed through the balcony doors and into the sky.

“Azriel,” Rhys breathed. If the frustration wasn’t clear in his voice, it showed in the way his hands slid down his face.

“Rhys,” he pressed, “I know I just- she just needs more time.” Rhys shook his head at his brothers words, disagreeing. He knew if it were up to Az you would never leave the safety of Velaris. “How would you feel if it was Feyre?” Az’s pushing earned him a growl.

“If you remember, it was Feyre. I had to let her fight far before she was ready. Even so, Y/n is leagues ahead of Feyre.” Az shook his head now, desperately trying to find the words to convince his brother. “If we keep her stagnant any longer the poor female will become destitute.” Azwas quickly becoming hysterical, you meant so much to him and putting you in the line of fire… Hot angry tears pooled on his bottom lash despite his best efforts to keep them at bay, continuing to shake his head as he began clenching his fist. He was fighting so desperately to take control of this situation but Rhys was hard headed and determined to try out his new toy.

“It’s not going to be easy, it will never be easy dealing with the possibility of your mate getting hurt. But if you’re just going to coddle her then what’s the point of bringing her into this circle? She is smart, and strong, let her prove it.”

Az let out a chopped breath. It was his turn to bring his hands to his face, shamefully hiding the tears Rhys was already aware of. He didn’t speak for a moment, pondering. When he brought her in he had to admit he didn’t think of this. He saw it as an excuse to have her close, bring her into the family and keep her around. But after getting close to her, learning her, loving her, he didn’t care anymore. He wanted to keep her hidden from the dark world he had come to know so well. He wished she was offered a different position even though her powers were an amazing defensive and offensive asset; he never wanted to use it.

He shook his head one more time, “I just need more time.” His pleading voice broke and Rhys softened at the sound. All he’s ever wanted for his brother was to feel that earth shattering love like the one he felt for Feyre. How could he tell him those fears were invalid? That they don’t have basis? They’re wrong? He couldn’t and when Az let out one more shaky, “Please, brother,” he couldn’t say no.

Azriel landed in front of the river house with a thud, no shadowy elegance and no preternatural silence. His heightened emotions pushed all of that out of the way to make room for his task; find Rhys, kill Rhys.

He stomped through the house, making his presence and his anger known. He didn’t bother to knock on Rhys’ office door, just blowing it wide open. His high lord sat in his large leather chair while his high lady was perched on the edge of the desk, engaged in loving conversation.

The slamming doors caught their attention as Azriel stopped short of Rhys’ desk, growling his name.

“I figured you’d show up here soon enough, do you have your mission report?” Rhys was calm as he leaned back in his chair, observing Azriel and his pristine leathers and contorted face. Az wanted to stick his eyes and shake Rhys until his head fell off.

“You know that’s not why I’m here,” his voice was low as he struggled to form a sentence and not a fist.

“Oh?” Rhys feigned innocence and Azriel’s grip slipped, fists taking place at his side. “Why are you here then brother?”

A low scoff made its way out, Azriel had to look away to collect the parts of him he could. He didn’t want to play this stupid back and forth game, he wanted to find you. Blowing up on Rhys wouldn’t do anything good for him so he bit out his next words, “My mate. Where is she?”

“Ah, yes.” Rhys just nodded as he continued to look Azriel up and down, sizing how far he could push him. Feyre on the side held a confused face as she tried to decipher the situation. Azriel’s mate? How would Rhys know where she is? A low growl reverberated through Az and his brother just clicked his tongue in response. “She’s fine Az, please-“

Azriel cut him off, walking closer to brace his hands on the desk, “I told you she wasn’t ready. She needed more time to-“

It was Azriel’s turn to get cut off as he held up a hand, “No. You said you weren’t ready. You said you needed time. I gave you time, that times up.”

Az growled again, hands gripping the desk with so much force the wood under his hands groaned. His eyes were wild and his face displayed so much fury Feyre thought he might jump over it and tear into Rhys. “Az…” she said tentatively.

“Did you know?” He looked at her accusingly, not being able to hold his rage back from her. Her eyes widened and she brought a hand to her heart, her hair slid over her shoulder as she shook it back and forth.

“Know what Az? You found your mate? That’s amazing, I-“ Feyre tried to lighten the mood, choosing to focus on the good parts of the conversation.

Az rolled his eyes away from her and back to his brother. “Yes, I did find her.” His eyes held his brothers in challenge, Rhys didn’t back down but Az would either. “It’s a shame though, Rhys seems adamant on getting her killed.” He leaned in slightly, baring his teeth on the last word.

The thought of you out there, alone, in a potentially dangerous situation made his brain fog. His whole body twitched; desperate to tear apart the entirety of Pyrthian until he found you. Deep down he knew his feelings were irrational, Rhys wouldn’t send you somewhere dangerous for your first mission, solo to boot. He knew that you were fierce in your fighting technique. He knew that the reservoir of powers you could access made you one of, if not the most, powerful fae in Pyrthian. He knew you didn’t need him to protect or guard you and that you wanted this. Knowing all of those things doesn’t make it any easier though.

“She’s not- Az please,” Rhys pinched the bridge of his nose and screwed his eyes shut, trying to will away the headache his brother was giving him. “Feyre, baby, give us a moment.”

She just nodded, eyes still examining Az as if she’d find her answer written on his face. She leaned into the kiss Rhys placed on her forehead before moseying out of the office. Rhys pushed himself away from the desk and to the large couch in his office. He grabbed two glasses and the decanter off the liquor cart before sitting down. Az watched silently as he poured two neat glasses of whiskey and sipped one while offering the other.

When Az didn’t move he sat the other glass down and stared at it before saying, “She’s in no danger brother. But you might want to have a drink before I tell you where she is.”

Az’s hands returned to fists and he just stared, zeroed in on Rhys like a deadly predator. Rhys rolled his eyes and gestured to the spot on the couch next time, insinuating he wouldn’t speak until Az at least sat down. Begrudgingly he followed his brothers instructions though sitting down didn’t display any comfort as he was still rigid.

Rhys just watched his brother, looking at him as if the right way to inform him of his mate’s whereabouts would be written on his skin somewhere. The stare only unnerved Az, his skin started to prickle at the attention he was receiving and his vague patience was slipping.

He took a deep breath before grabbing the drink, downing it in one go. It didn’t help his nerves but he let out a sigh anyway before turning back, “Where is she?” His voice was calmer now, the anger was replaced with desperation, exhaustion.

Rhys let out a sigh too, leaning back he stared for a moment longer. “She’s in the day court, where she will remain for the next month and a half.” Az’s eyes widened and with furrowed eyebrows he insisted Rhys go on, “After that she will spend a month and a half in dawn, then winter, summer, and possibly autumn. I’ve spoken with Eris but I’m not entirely sure if we’ll be able to slip her in past Beron.”

Az shook his head, trying to grasp the information being given to him. “Wait you sent her through the courts? For the next 8 months? Why?”

“More training,” he leveled a look at Az whose face still displayed confusion. “Apparently what we’re doing here isn’t enough, so she will train with our closest allies. Learn all new powers along the way and techniques even we don’t have. By the time she comes back, even you will think she’s ready.”

Azriel shot up, hands coming to slide down his face has he passed around the low table. You were gone? For potentially 7.5 months? This was wrong, so so wrong. You should be here, by his side where he can see to it that you get the training you need. The thought of someone else, potentially another male, training you… his skin felt hot to the touch.

“Rhys! I don’t- what do you mean?” He stopped pacing in front of his brother, he wanted to scream, tear him a new one but he felt too manic to focus on that now. “So she’s just gone? For months?! I don’t- how could you do this!”

Rhys poured Az another glass as he spoke, “What was I supposed to do Az? You were safe guarding her to the point it was damn near suffocating. She just wanted to do something, to feel like her time was productive-“

“It was productive!” Az cut in, “She was with me! I was training her! Sending her away like that- what if someone finds about her powers? Do you know what other courts would do to get their hands on her?!”

“Yes Az,” Rhys spoke in a tried tone, being able to tell this conversation wasn’t going to cool down anytime soon. “She knows, she’s safe guarding her powers. She won’t use them in training, just learning other courts techniques and studying their powers to bring back here and implement.”

Az scoffed and shook his head, resuming his pacing. He wasn’t convinced, there was worry and anger, and longing taking up all the space for rationality. “She just wanted to get out there, you know she’s never left Velaris?”

Az’s eyes flew to Rhys’ at the question. “Of course I know,” he bit out. He knew everything about you, everything you were willing to offer him. Late nights spent in your room- at a respectful distance- gave way to room for life stories. You indulged in your early life, family, friends, love history, hobbies, likes and dislikes. He kept it all stored away in meticulous detail, committing everything you’ve ever said to him in perfect memory. You vulnerability inspired him, encouraged him to do the same and bare his soul to you. He told you everything, except for one, or maybe two things. He was safe guarding the bond, not wanting it to influence your decision. He wanted you to choose him because you wanted to choose him, not because you thought you had too.

Rhys hummed, nodding. “Well, she wasn’t going to stop until I gave her something. She’s safe and she’s happy and she’ll be back in no time.”

Azriel rolled his eyes at his brothers hypocrisy, he would be beside himself if Feyre left for that long. He moved toward the door with determination, he was going to find you. He needed to tell you that he was sorry, you didn’t have to run or sneak behind his back. He would tell you what he knew was true and promise not to hold you back anymore. “No you won’t,” Rhys cleaved through his thoughts. “One visitation permit was issued from the courts, Im sure they wouldn’t appreciate my spy sleuthing around. Not to mention how she’d feel about it.”

Az growled at that, cutting his brother a loathsome glare before slamming the doors once again behind him. Rhys just sighed, leaning back and polishing off the drink Az didn’t finish.

-

No time, that was bullshit. The months passed like years and Azriel swears he could’ve lived multiple lives in the time you were gone. He wasn’t himself, out of step, out of sync. It was kinda crazy, he lived so long without you and after just a few hours of knowing you were gone he reverted to a shell of himself.

Some days he barely tried to train, moving through the sessions like a phantom. Other days he laid his hurt bare, taking it out on Cassian until his brother had to tell him ‘no more.’

Work wasn’t able to distract him, he had been on one mission since your departure. Rhys refused to let him go, claiming he was too frazzled to focused. Despite knowing its truth Az tried to disagree, he ended up losing train of thought half way through the conversation, proving Rhys’ point.

You had sent letters, 3 came at least twice a month. One to Rhys, giving updates on where she was and how training was going. One to Nesta, the two had grown close in her time training with the inner circle. One to Azriel, it was similar to Rhys’, she was giving life updates and telling him wonderful stories. Azriel wanted to answer, truly, but the longer he thought the more he realized he had nothing to say. You were having so much fun, meeting wonderful people, exploring new powers, and seeing Pyrthian like you always wanted. He was ashamed by the fact that if it was up to him, you wouldn’t have gone. He sat down to write how sorry he was, how excited for you he was, how he wished he could see it all with you but his letters only made it as far as the fire. He was convinced you were angry with him, that’s why you left while he was gone. He read and reread every letter so much they were a crumpled mess in his hands, some terrible part of him convinced him they were pity letters. His fears were “confirmed” when his letters stopped halfway through the third month.

He was a bit surprised when around the middle of the fourth month he felt talons tapping on his mental shield, far more polite that Rhys has ever been. He opened his shield just enough to let you in, not far enough for anything other than communication.

Hi Azriel, your voice rang through him like a church bell. He shivered at the pleasant invasion, unwittingly letting the rest of his walls down from you. His subconscious wanted you everywhere, invading every part of him, committing all of him to memory.

Hello, Y/n. He hated how timid his voice sounded. But he couldn’t help it, talking to you made him nervous, especially after ghosting your letters.

He heard you sigh into his mind and he couldn’t help himself but duplicate the sound. Hearing your voice, feeling your essence, provided much needed relief.

I’ve missed you, he spoke in his mind. The words came out as a soft whisper, tentative and unsure.

Yea? I could tell by the way you ignored all my letters. He cringed at your words, your tone was joking but he didn’t miss the thinly veiled frustration. He was silent; not sure how to respond or if he even could. His remorse flooded his head and you surely caught on, based on the way you quickly spoke again. I’m sorry, shouldn’t have-

No, he cut you off. You’re right, I should’ve responded. I just wasn’t- I didn’t know what to say. I was- I still am ashamed.

It was your turn to be silent. If he stilled his mind he swears he could feel you nodding. Your questioning voice came through, You think I shouldn’t have gone?

I thought that. But I’ve read your letters, the ones to me and the ones Rhys gave me access too. Your progress is… you couldn’t have achieved what you are now if I kept you hidden.

You were silent, Azriel could feel the contemplation. After a couple beats you spoke again. I’m sorry.

Don’t apologize, ever.

You waited before speaking again, But I am sorry. It felt wrong leaving the way I did, like I was sneaking behind your back. I didn’t even get to tell you goodbye.

Azriel chuckled lightly out loud. It’s a good thing though, I probably wouldn’t have let you go.

Oh yeah? You laugh. What would you have done? Restrain me? Your voice held a playful edge that excited something in Azriel. The lower end of his stomach began to twist and he had to control himself with you still in his mind.

It was his shadows that spoke next, let her see. Their encouragement drew back the curtain of self control and he opened his mind deeper for you. He let you into the fantasies of restraining you with his shadows. Covering your vision with wisps of darkness, blurring your senses to ensure touch was heightened.

He showed you how he would be slow, take his time with you. How he would push your body to absolute extremities, take you to your peak over and over before cradling your exhausted body. You were silent as you witnessed his eagerness, his willingness to give you all the pleasure your body could handle. He heard you let loose a breath, If I knew that’s what you’d do to me I would’ve left a lot sooner.

A dry chuckle left Az’s lips, Then perhaps your punishment should be to withhold such treatment. His smirk was evident in his voice, and you gasped out a laugh at the mention of what had become an inside joke.

You’re a tease! You shrieked down the mental bond and Azriel laughed freely.

Az stayed connected with you late into the night, speaking of pretty much anything under the sun, or in this case the moon. He talked until your voice slowed down and became soft hums of acknowledgment. Eventually your presence in his mind was peaceful, calm; the proof of your sleep

-

3 weeks.

10 days.

4 hours.

15 minutes.

The time that had dragged its feet through sand was now moving at a lively pace. It was by no means quick, you had still taken your time coming back. But with daily mental communication, daily mental flirtation, having only minutes between the two of you Azriel felt his skin buzz. His wings moved on their own, display his anticipation for the world.

Az had woken up early… earlier than usual. The sun was teasing the horizon, threatening to spill its light across the mostly sleeping city. Azriel couldn’t help the coy smile as he greeted the morning happily. Little tasks had kept his body busy as his brain counted down the minutes of your arrival. Shower, train, shower again, morning flight, cleaning, bureaucratic busy work, trip to the shops, following Cassian around for a couple hours. Azriel couldn’t sit down, if he did his leg would bounce and he would be up again in seconds.

But here he was, smoothing the already smooth leathers as he waited “casually” in the greeting room of the river house. He had cleaned up your room in the HoW when you left but he took to dusting it, changing your sheets, and adding fresh and fragrant flowers to liven up the space.

5 minutes, his shadows whispered as they danced around his ears. They reflected their masters eagerness, also unable to sit still and be patient.

You hadn’t connected with him today, most likely too busy getting your affairs in order. Azriel didn’t mind though, it added to his anticipation. For the first time in what could be ever he felt like a kid, bouncing around the room with an insatiable excitement brewing below.

Azriel rubbed his rough hands together and made eye contact with his shoes, a heavy breath left his lips and suddenly it felt stagnant. Everything stopped.

Seconds turned to hours as his head turned upwards. For a moment everything stoped, the world was lost to Azriel as he finally saw you. The sounds of the room became slow and muffled and the only sound was a soft song. A light airy melody, a beautiful blend of bells and chimes. A sweet sound made only by your presence.

The air finally left his mouth and the world returned to normal, time picked up and everything was moving again. The shadows that carried you in dissipated and the ground shook with the bellows of his family.

Cassian was first to reach you, spinning you around like a doll. He barely has time to put you down before Nesta latched on and mumbled something only you could hear. Feyre greeted you with a smile and open arms, Rhys extended a hand that you took firmly. Elaine and Amren gave welcome to your presence and suddenly it was Arziel’s turn. Even his shadows beat him to you, circling every inch- noting every tiny change within you, all the things that didn’t show though your voice in his mind every night. The lines created from muscle, the natural lightness added to your hair that only comes from saltwater and direct sunlight, the clear and unmistakable scent of raw power. Every little thing was reported back to him, the way each minuscule movement of yours was silent, the advanced lightness of each step that brought you closer, the disciplined posture you now carried. Then there was the perceptive glint in your eye, one that seemed to bore into his skin, one that traced every cell and tendon in his biology; tracking his synapses and learning his bones. One that tore apart his soul and memorized it.

“Azriel,” Your greeting was clean and simple; and it almost brought him to his knees. He steadied himself with a breath and clenched the fists that wanted to reach for you. Not yet. Not here.

“Welcome home Y/n,” all the courage that made a warrior was used as he held your eyes. You were still you, still the same female he devoted each waking thought to. But you now held an edge, a deadly aura that put even him off. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve learned.”

You smiled, all of your venom hidden behind perfect, pearly structures. “I can’t wait to show you.”

Your long awaited return was celebrated with dinner, drinks, and the promise of putting your skills to the test at first light. You celebrated and mingled, held your drink dutifully but didn’t take a single sip. Your months of watching your own back and the crippling paranoia that you would be made kept you from inebriation. Not to mention you wanted to be at your best when you displayed yourself. You casually turned in early, leaving the festivities to the ones who actually indulged. You took to setting your room up in a way only self preservation would justify. Weapons were hidden all around your space, a habit from being in enemy territory with no back up. You had to be ready for anything at any time, being caught off guard would be the difference between life and death. Once you felt confident in your new arrangements you climbed into bed, channeling Azriel’s shadows to watch you in your sleep.

-

I awoke before the sun, prepping myself in fighting leathers and a clean hairstyle. My go bag was packed and placed at the foot of the bed where it could be grabbed on the way out. It was full of all the weapons I had grown accustomed to using. Most of it was basic, knives, sabers, and folding spears. There were also more elaborate weapons unique to the courts I spent time in; light directors, specific for centralizing the power of light from the day court. Loch detonators, a device that turns powered water into intense explosives. The collection was impressive but most of it would prove to be useless today, I planned on taking the boys in hand-to-hand combat.

I pushed open the window of my room before climbing out. Scaling the monstrous house, I jumped and grabbed all the edges that would lead me to the roof. The roof was hipped into a long line, on that I ascend and landed at the apex. One foot balanced on the line while the other crossed over my bent knee. My hands stretched out on either side, keeping my center of gravity directly over the line.

The cold dusk air heightened every sense as I let loose. Thoughts escaped as my perfectly poised body found peace, my steady breath the only tether to the earth. With my mind clear and body at ease I was able to connect with every part of myself, honing every part of me for battle. After an hour of meditation I stood up and began to move. To any onlooker it would look like I’m dancing on the roof not partaking in an ancient practice of energetic redirection. I came across the art of Tai Chi in my time spent in the summer court, a friend I had made took me to her village on the southern edge and though it is a closed practice one of the elders agreed to teach the basics. I had also managed to find some scrolls on the subject in Helion’s vast library and continued my training. Now it was part of my daily exercise; balance my mind, body, and energy.

Nearly two hours and passed before I left the roof, opting to winnow in and grab my bag before making my way to the training ring. Cassian and Az were there, preparing for the day with calisthenics.

“Good morning angel,” Cassian greeted with the trademark smile that comes before saying something stupid. “Done dancing on the roof?”

I looked to your feet as a smile creeped onto my face, “Yea, ready to dance with you now.”

“Ohh, we’ll see about that,” Cassian’s face was smug but I kept smiling nonetheless. It made sense, he had no reason not to be. He’s perfectly unaware of what I’ve learned and what I’ve taught myself. Azriel on the other had looked calculating, like he was trying to note all the ways I’ve changed. His gaze was piercing, like he could figure out all I’ve learned just by looking at me. He knows all of my experiences, everywhere I was at any given time but my training was not something we had discussed in detail.

“What about you Azriel?” I tilted your head as I looked him up and down. Blatant and greedy, not even trying to hide my hunger. He had opted to train shirtless this morning, something whispered that it was a subtly attempt to distract me. “You ready to dance with me?”

Azriel smirked, stalking closer as he continued to tape his knuckles. “Hmph,” he matched my actions, eyes taking over the way your lean body contorted under my leathers. “I was born ready for you.”

I felt my body rise a hundred degrees and his words and gaze, I wanted to jump on him the same way I did in our shared visions. But I kept my composure, he was trying to rile me up. “I sure hope you mean that.” one finger made its way to his arm, tracing the tattoos there until it met the glove on his hand. I grabbed his hand and brought it to your lips, kissing his knuckles in a light teasing fashion. His nostrils flared as I looked up at him through l lashes. “Because Id want nothing more than a go at you.”

He opened his mouth but was cut off by his brother, “Good morning! I hope you’re all ready because I know I am.” Rhys strolled over with Feyre, Amren, and Mor in tow. He rubbed his hands together in a gesture that showed excitement before shoving them in his pockets.

“I hope you’re ready for a show,” Cass spoke as he stretched one last time, “Y/n plans to dance.” I just smiled in response, Rhys raised a brow and his eyes shone. He was the one receiving daily briefings. I had connected with him and let him see some of my work through my eyes. Some. The rest I kept safeguarded, waiting until this moment to show them off. Since I were essentially stealing the powers I was exposed to I didn’t have anyone to train me in their use, normally that would put me at a disadvantage but Rhys changed my outlook on that. Since I hadn’t been taught how to use them I was never put in a box, never limited to what everyone else thought was possible. I could experiment with the powers I encountered, come up with my own ways to use them, and create different techniques than those normally seen. The magic belonged to others but when I used them, the powers were wholly mine.

“Okay Y/n, who do you want to dance with first? Cassian or Azriel?” Rhys asked, the knowingly look on his face was obvious. He knew what I would say, and I wasn’t in the mood to disappoint.

“Aww, I can’t have both?” I pouted lightly, turning from Rhys to the other parts of the trio, “I’ve always wanted to take on brothers.” The tease in my voice lit a double meaning behind the words. Cass snorted and Az just ducked his head and shook it side to side, even so I could still see the small smile on his lips.

“Well what are we waiting for?” Cass said clasping his hands, “I’m in the wish granting business sweetheart.” I just nodded simply as I pursed my lips, looking them up and down once more before grabbing my bag and heading to the far end of the ring. As I was wrapping my own knuckles Nesta came over with a water bottle meant for me.

“Thanks honey,” I smiled as I took the water. “Promise you won’t hate me if I bang your mate up a bit?”

Nesta laughed, “Hate you? Baby I’ll thank you. That male needs humbled.” We both chuckled at that statement as I finished with my hands. “What weapon are you going to use?” Nesta asked as I shuffled around my bag. I hummed before pulling out a small fan and sheath to keep it in. The fan looked like any other handheld fan except instead of fabric it was made of metal that weren’t fixed, meaning they could move if struck. “This,” I smiled, strapping the fan to the outside of my thigh.

“Just that?” Nesta questioned, I nodded in response. Honestly it was a lie, I had no plans to use the fan, at least not as a weapon. I pulled it for show, it would be decoy used to distract and throw off the boys. The fan wasn’t wholly useless though, I picked up different ways to turn it into a weapon when wielded skillfully. It would be too cocky to walk in there with absolutely nothing and as much as I wanted to, I knew Cass wouldn’t recover from the ego hit he would take if I acted like I knew I could beat him with my bare hands; even if that was the plan. She tilted her head before humming as well, “What exactly did you learn out there?”

I just smiled, “I can show you better than I can tell you.” I winking before turning away from her, facing the ring to show that I was ready. I heard a whoop sound come from my friend as she made her way over to join the rest of the peanut gallery.

Cassian had chosen twin broad swords, something that would look comical in the hands of a human looked normal with the giant fae. Az had nothing in his hands but there were multiple daggers lining his pants, still no shirt. I would make sure he regretted that.

“Alright,” Rhys said bringing attention to himself “no need for idle chatter or pointless speeches, begin!”

And with that I stepped completely into the ring, focus trained on the warriors in front of me as the rest of the world disappeared. I couldn’t stop the dangerous smirk that snuck onto my lips, “Let’s dance.”

A/n: don’t hate me!!! I’m so sorry it took me so long to update. I was waking up at 12 then working from 3-11 and crashing when I got home. I work on a crisis unit so that shit is madddd draining, emotionally and physically. I felt like I had nothing left to put into my writing :/ but I finally switched to 3rd shift and for nearly my entire shift I don’t have to do anything but be there so I can write at work and I have more of my day open to relax and recharge. I’m sorry I had to split this into 3 parts but this just got so long and if I would’ve kept writing it would’ve straight up been a book. But I promise part 3 will not take as long to come out. Maybe not this weekend but soon! Anyways if you made it this far I LOVE YOU, thank you so much for giving me and my stories your time :)

Masterlist

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Quiet Ones 5

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You live a quiet life, but your peace is fractured by a chaotic man.

Characters: Lloyd Hansen, short!shy!reader

Note: I slept for like ten hours and it was fucking wild.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Asking for more or putting ‘part 2?’ is not feedback.

Love you all. You are appreciated and your are worthy. Treat yourself with care. 💖

You watch the long needle slide out from under your skin. You don’t feel it much. That man, Lloyd, loops the tube around the IV bag stand. You sit in the bed still, disoriented and dull. You can feel the tension buzzing off of him, as if he’s holding himself back. That scares you more than anything he’s done. 

Before you can say or do anything, your stomach growls. The tumble is painful as your insides squeeze violently. He looks at you and takes your hand, tugging you towards the edge as he snickers. 

“Hungry, jellybean?” He teases, “come on. I’ll make you a nice omelet.” He pulls until you shimmy across the bed. You turn your legs out and can’t help but use his strength to stand. He’s patient as he easily hauls you up. “You okay, babykins? I could carry you. Like before.” 

“N-no,” you try to wiggle your hand free but his grip is unbreakable. He squeezes and you quit your resistance. 

“You might be a bit groggy, that’s normal. The smoke, the meds--” 

“Meds?” 

“Well, I slipped a bit extra in the bag,” he shrugs as he glances over at the IV, “just so you could sleep.” 

You look at him, your horror burning from your eyes. He grins proudly and swings your arm, turning to lead you to the door. You take short steps, muscles stiff and achy, shoulders wracked from sleeping on your back. You look down at yourself and shudder; at least you’re still wearing your own clothes. 

“I’ve been doing cooking classes. I can do a florentine that will blow your tits off,” he boasts as he angles you through the door. 

The hall is airy and echoey. The house must be huge. You get that sense easily. You don’t need to go around and count the rooms. He takes you down the long hallway and you stop at the top of a set of stairs. They bend in the middle but more corning, there’s a large space between each. They’re polished to a shine and look slippery as the morning reflects off of them. 

“Just a step at a time,” he goads as you latch onto the railing.  

You put a foot down and grip both him and the railing. Another tide of wooziness comes over you. It could be what he gave you or your days of restriction, but it’s too much. The world is too much. 

“That’s it, baby,” he coos as you take a second step down.  

This is strange. It reminds you of a movie you watched as a kid with a maze and twisting and turning walkways and a taunting villain. You’ve awoken in his trap and you see no escape in sight. 

You slip on the third and let out a squeak as you feel yourself falling. He’s quick to catch you, scooping you up easily even in the narrow space. He lifts you and continues down swiftly, bringing you onto flat ground. You murmur and rub your head as you feel his heartbeat against your arm. 

You feel a tickle in your hair and hear him take a deep breath. Is he smelling you? You repress a shiver at the thought as your eyes struggle to focus on the shapes all around you.  

He carries you into another room, a kitchen, as spacious and sleek as any other part of the strange house. A white marble counter lines two walls and wraps around into full C, marking off the cooking space. On the other side, there’s glass table in an abstract, asymmetric shape with metal frame chairs around it. The whole place is out of one of those design magazines. All impractical at the expense of aesthetic. 

He sits you in one of the chairs, it’s just a rigid as you expect. He stays bent, holding you by the shoulders until your hold yourself up. He drags his hands down your arms as he reluctantly pulls away. You flutter your lashes and rub your eye sockets, trying to block out your reality. 

“My sleepy bean,” he beams and plants a kiss on the top of your head. “So how about it? Eggs florentine? Or are you in the mood for something a bit sweeter? I’ve perfected my crepes.” 

You grumble and drop your hands slowly, crossing your arms as a chill rolls through you. You feel it pricking in your chest and across your skin. You’re not wearing a bra and your tee shirt is thin. You keep your arms locked. 

You listen to him moving around. You don’t know what to do. You’re too weak to do anything. Even if you could get on the other side of the walls, you have no idea where you are. Where help could be. 

You rock as your fear bubbles up. Why is he doing this? Why does he think you want him? Why you? Of all people. You mind your business, you keep your head down, eyes to yourself... you don’t deserve this. 

You glance over at him as he starts to hum. Your lip quivers as you watch his shoulders blades stretch the fabric of his shirt. He’s a bit ridiculous in a full set of satin pajamas, the dark black speckled with a subtle grey leopard print. He’s too much. 

You turn your head straight and let it hang. You resign yourself to helplessness. You have to be logical about this. You can’t spark his suspicion to soon. You have to wait for a window and then... figure that out, you guess. You don’t like uncertainty. You have a routine and you keep to it. That’s what keeps you safe. Or so you thought. 

“...wise men say, only fools rush in...” he sings softly and you wince. The lyrics of the Elvis ballad make your skin crawl. He’s actually deranged. You don’t know him, you're strangers. 

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I know tree nuts are a no go,” he chimes as he whisks, turning to you with a broad smile.  

You blink at him. How does he know that? 

“Don’t think you’ll be needing any but I also got penicillin on the no go list and the latex thing... there’s alternatives,” he chuckles and you furrow your brow. “How’s that ticker doing? You been taking lots of iron?” 

Your body hollows out. How much does he know about you? How? You can guess he’s snooped around your medical records. Obviously, he’s a man with criminalistic leanings. Is this even his house? Has he taken you to a fortress he commandeered by force? Is there some terrified family bound in the basement? Is there a basement? 

He continues to futz around the kitchen as you curl your shoulders down and chew on your lips. Speaking of your heart, it’s beating again, racing, almost painfully. You’re a mouse trapped in the corner by the feline with his bristly whiskers. 

Your eyes wander over to the large windows and you stare out at the curated landscape. The property is beautiful and lush. You imagine a whole team maintains the perfectly trimmed hedges and colourful blooms. The stone mosaic pathway and the leafy archway over a bench. It’s like a dream, more so, a twisted nightmare painted in hues of fantasy. 

A plate clinks down before you and a sweet aroma brings you back inside. You face forward as Lloyd steps back on his heel, watching you with anticipation. You look at him then the plate. He pulls out a chair and plops himself down, planting his elbow as he cups his chin and watches. 

“Let me know what you think,” he insists. 

You take a breath and unlock your arms. Slowly, you drag them apart and take the thick butter knife and long fork. The cutlery feels too big for your small hands. You lean forward as the drizzle of dark syrup across the rolled crepe lures you in. Your stomach roars noisily and he giggles. 

“Aw, you must be starving,” he muses, “please eat, baby, I don’t want you to ever go hungry again.” 

You exhale through a ripple of disgust. You cut into the thin crepe and into the filling. Slice off the end of the roll and scoop it up with the filling. You carefully open your mouth around the fork and take a bite. Your eyes flit up to meet Lloyd’s as his gaze sticks on you. There are flames in his blue irises. 

You pull your mouth off the fork in embarrassment as he hums. He’s a weird, weird man. All of this is weird. Surreal. 

You look down at the butter knife and contemplate the gold cutlery. It’s heavy, it would hurt if you used the handle to give him a conk, but the blade is too dull to do much. It can slice through a crepe but wouldn’t do much on meat and bone. You don’t think you could do it, either. The thought of hurting others is just unnatural. 

“Is it good? Tried my own combination,” he explains happily, “dark chocolate syrup, not too much sugar, some softened cream cheese in the middle with black cherry jam.” 

You swallow and look around for something to wipe your lips. Short of a napkin, you lick your lip and clamp them together. He shifts in his chair, an act that makes you feel uncomfortable. 

“Good,” you croak. 

“Oh, wait,” he stands suddenly, “your coffee. Oopsie.” 

He struts away and your stomach mulches the single bite greedily. As much as you want to be stubborn, you’re so hungry. And it’s delicious. It’s better than your usual flavourless fare. You could gobble it all down in a second but you won’t. You carefully cut out another bite as he returns with a tall mug.  

He puts the cup down by your plate. You gulp down a forkful and set down the cutlery. You consider the mug before you take it, the white porcelain marked with the golden outline of a rose above the letter ‘Mrs.’. He has another in his hands, black but with a bowtie above ‘Mr.’. What the hell? 

“Colombian dark roast. A little less caffeine so your heart won’t mind so much,” he says. 

You nod and take the cup. The thought of coffee is enough to override your agitation. You take a sip and hold back a sigh. It’s good. You hate all of this but it’s all so good. You put the cup back and return your attention to the crepes. You pause and glance up at him. He doesn’t have a plate, just his cup. 

“Oh, jellybean, you’re so sweet,” he smirks, “I gotta keep my protein up. I’ll have some eggs and a shake soon. Right now, you just worry about you.” 

You dip your chin down and focus on eating. Small bites. You don’t want to seem too greedy. You don’t want him to see how much you need this. Does he know everything? Of course, he was watching but did he know the days you spent feeling as if your stomach was eating itself? 

He pushes his hair back, trying to tidy the long strands as he watches you, “we’ll get washed up after breakfast. Then you can get settled in and relax. I’ll take care of everything else, alright? You just need to get all dolled up when the time comes,” he explains as he drags his fingertip around the tabletop, “not that you need to do very much.” 

You just chew. What can you say or do? This man is straight up crazy. Not only are you his prisoner, he’s been stalking you. It doesn’t matter when it started, look where it’s ended. No, this can’t be the end. 

“What’s...” you speak before you can think. You shake your head and smother your question with another bite. 

“What? Go on, sugar lips, ask me anything? You wanna know my favourite colour? My favourite song?” His cheeks tint pink as he plays with a button on his pajamas. 

You clear your throat and put down the fork and knife, “what’s going on... later?” 

He tilts his head curiously. 

“The... dress and... doll up?” You repeat his words flatly. 

“That’s a surprise,” he trills as if it should be obvious. “Don’t wanna spoil it, do we?” 

“I guess,” you sit back and fold your hands in your lap. 

“You don’t gotta think about anything, sweet cheeks. You leave the thinking to me. I’m gonna take care of you,” he avows as his hand stretches across the front of his satin shirt. “You just gotta be you.” 

You feel his gaze bearing down on you. You peek up to find his eyes slipping down and you feel them centre on your tee shirt, your nipples poking against the cotton. You hunch your shoulders and cross your arms again. 

“How’s the coffee, jelly bean? You like it?” He tears his attention from your chest. 

“Good, thank you,” you murmur. 

“Ugh, I love hearing your voice,” he puts his coffee down and reaches between his legs. You blanch as he drags his chair closer as he lifts himself. He puts his hand on your knee, stroking with his thumb, “will you call me ‘honey’?” 

You stare at him. Your cheek draw tight and your lips flatten. You want to shake off his touch and scream but that foggy glaze in his eyes deters you. This man is wild. 

“Okay, er,” you gulp tightly and cough, “honey.” 

He hums into a sigh and his hand slips higher on your leg before trail back down, “oh,” he shakes his shoulders, “that tingles. Do it again.” 

You fight not to let your true emotion blaze through. You hug yourself tighter and bite down before you can muster the word, “honey.” 

“Oh, baby, that’s nice,” he winks and sits back, eyes grazing up and down your body, “you cold? You’re all twisted up like a pretzel.” 

You nod. It's an excuse you’ll gladly take. 

“Why didn’t you say something sooner, jellybean?” He stands suddenly and you notice the way he tugs on the waistband of his pants. You turn your head, blurring your vision so everything around you is vague. 

He rushes off and you wait. You don’t know what else to do. You’re still too weak to make a move. Whatever he gave you is potent. Or maybe, you’re just too scared to do more than shrink and surrender. 

He returns with a fluffy purple robe in his hands. He comes around the back of your chair and you lean forward to let him drape it around you. He curls his hands over your shoulders and bends over you. He presses a kiss to the top of your head. 

“You need more coffee, baby cakes?” He asks as he kneads your shoulders. 

“Still working on it,” you pull away from him and grab the cup, “thank you...” you let the words dangle in the silence, tension piquing, “honey.” 

He sighs and draws away with a tickle up your neck, “mmm, isn’t this wonderful?” 

[steveharringtonat3am]

Free use with Steve

kinktober masterlist!!

pairing: steve harrington x fem!reader

word count: 1.2k

warnings: roomate!steve, free use agreement (fully consensual), an allusion to sex, hair pulling, degradation, a little bit of bondage, penetrative sex, edging

a/n: shoutout to the loml @ddejavvu for helping me out with some characterization!! dedicating this one to her as 1/2 of her birthday present!! <3

When I had first seen Steve’s ad for a roommate, I hadn’t paid any mind to the lack of a rent price in the ad. I figured he would let me know if he actually wanted me to move in. So after he showed me around and we talked for a bit about all the major stuff, I asked about it. And he gave the most intriguing answer I’ve ever heard.

“Well, I’m gonna offer you two options. You could pay half of the rent, so about $900 a month or…you could-could pay nothing.” This option seems to make him nervous, as he shifts slightly in his seat.

“Pay nothing?”

“See, that comes with a catch. If you choose to pay nothing then I would cover you and…you would have to return the favour.” A hint of red colours his cheeks. While I admit it suits him, it gives me a hint as to where this conversation is going.

“And how would I do that?”

“By being a-available at all times.” He smiles sheepishly and fiddles with his hoodie strings

“Available for…what exactly?”

“Sex.” When he says it I think I’ve misheard him. But…he couldn’t have said anything else. He takes my staring as a cue to explain further.

“Well…that sounds bad. You don’t have to have sex with me, especially not right away. And you’re perfectly welcome to pay your half of the rent and completely forget about this. But I like you. And my job is…pretty stressful. So if you would be okay with me relieving that stress with you, I’d be happy to cover the full rent.” He smiles softly and I take a second to process all this. I mean, I did think he was really cute. And definitely my type.

Also, I didn’t have many other options for an apartment. This place was in a good neighbourhood, I had my own bathroom, a nice kitchen, and plenty of natural light. I would be crazy to give that up. And I would be even crazier to give up living rent-free in exchange for having occasional sex with my very hot roommate.

“You know what? Sure. You’ve got a deal, Harrington. Just don’t be a perv.” His laugh is boyish, grinning as he sips his water.

“You’ve got my word.”

So, I moved in a week later. Frankly, it was a great deal. Steve was incredibly sweet and we ended up spending a lot of time together. Which of course, had its perks.

“Holy shit,” I whisper into the hot room, as Steve collapses next to me, panting.

“Holy shit is right. I figured it would take at least another month before we hooked up.” He smiles at me and I can’t help but return it.

“I really thought the only times we would do anything would be whenever you wanna take your stress out on me,” I say as he tugs me close, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head.

“Well, I had to give you a little preview of what you’re signing up for. Would hate to condemn you to mediocre sex.” He chuckles and I smile up at him.

“I don’t think anything about you is mediocre, Steve Harrington.”

After that, he really took advantage of our agreement. He started off slow, wandering hands when I was doing the dishes, gently groping me if I was near, a lewd comment every once in a while. Honestly, I liked it. It made me feel so wanted. I found myself craving every glance, comment, and touch.

When he finally upped the ante, bending me over the counter one night after dinner to fuck me with almost no warning, it was practically a dream come true.

And boy did Steve know it.

“Fucking stupid motherfuckers.” I hear Steve cursing under his breath as he slams the front door behind him. I pause my movie, turning to look at him. He’s toeing his shoes off, furiously tugging at his tie. I know how much he hated the thing. It represented everything he hated while working at his dad’s firm.

“Bad day?” I question, finally gaining his attention. The second his eyes focus on me, they darken.

“Mhm. Very…stressful.” He crosses the room quickly. His hand gently pushes my hair away from my face before gripping it tightly. Steve knows to grab at the base of the hairs, so it doesn’t hurt as much but I still wince.

“I-I can help with that?” I peer up at him and he breaks for a second, smiling fondly.

“You’re such a good girl…turn around?” He grips the fabric of his tie in his hands, making me grin and turn. The second I’m situated, he smacks me with it. It barely stings, but the surprise makes me yelp.

“Be quiet. Don’t wanna hear you.” He grips my wrists in one hand, wrapping his tie around them. This was not a new thing, so I don’t squirm. Steve enjoyed having my hands bound while he used me.

I try not to move as he tugs my pyjama pants down just enough to expose my ass. Luckily for him, it was laundry night so I had forgone panties.

“Such a slut.” He mumbles, ever a fan of degradation. His hand runs over the fat of my ass, squeezing the flesh appreciatively. He pulls away to undo his pants, the metal of his belt buckle clicking as he drops the leather to the floor. A small part of me is disappointed. I’d been hoping he’d spank me at least a few times. It always hurt so well.

I feel the head of his cock line up with my entrance and I bite my lip hard to keep from moaning.

“Fucking hell…” He curses as he starts pushing in. He goes slower than normal, maybe trying to make this last extra long. Steve was always a big fan of spending hours bringing both of us to the edge, just to stop so that we could do it all over again.

“Please…” I whisper before I can think. He stops and I tense, ready for him to spank me hard.

“I told you to be fucking quiet.” Before I can apologize, he slams into me. I gasp, barely able to catch my breath as he starts pounding into me.

“S-such a stupid toy.” He moans softly, nails digging into me. Moans continue to slip out of me as the head of his cock slams into that spot that makes me go crazy. He doesn’t bother reprimanding though, focusing on chasing his release.

“This pussy always feels so fucking good.” He groans. I can feel my orgasm building, the coil tightening with every deep thrust. I know Steve is on the edge, so I have to cum before he does. No way does he spend extra time on me now that I made noise.

“Shit!” He curses and I feel him cum. As his thrusts slow, my orgasm ebbs away. I whine weakly but he just chuckles and pulls out slowly. Cum slowly leaks out of me and runs down my thighs as Steve leans down to whisper in my ear.

“Don’t you know? Toys don’t get to cum.”

hope you enjoyed!!

[leviscolwill]

moonlight, sunrise

pairing: trent alexander arnold x fem!reader

summary: after trent's first time captaining his boyhood club, you can't help showing him your appreciation [wc: ~700]

contents: tooth rotting fluff, established relationship, captain trent ‼️, food mention, not proofread yet 🏃‍♀️

note: needed to write a little something for my boy <3

now playing: moonlight sunrise by twice (ready to be)

you were absolutely stoked when darwin scored a late goal for your team, winning newcastle 2-1. during all the game, your thoughts went to your boyfriend, who captained his team after van dijk got red carded. you knew how much his boyhood club meant to him and how much he adored it, so being vice captain was a huge honour. after the final whistle, you grabbed your phone to send him a quick text; "congrats on today's win my captain !! can't wait to celebrate with you tonight xx". you knew he wouldn't answer right away so you got up to prepare trent's surprise.

you put on your favourite playlist, and searched for everything you needed to make some pizzas, from the dough to the toppings, you had everything you needed. trent loved your pizzas, you weren't the best cook around but it was the one dish you could never miss.

you tried shaping the dough into little hearts, colouring them with bright red tomato sauce. your addiction to 'good pizza great pizza' helped you create the best pizza with trent's favourite toppings.

while you were finishing the last couple mini pizzas, you felt someone hug you from behind.

"they look so good, you really outdone yourself with these." you heard trent's voice in your ears.

"no ! they were supposed to be a surprise... please pretend you never saw this." you say in a disappointed tone, you must have been too distracted by your music to hear trent coming home.

"alright, alright. can i help you with the last one at least ?"

"of course not, you can't help making your own gift." you refused, but trent wouldn't take no for an answer. he placed the toppings to form a smiley face on the heart pizza. you snapped a quick picture of your masterpiece before putting it in the oven.

your boyfriend set up the table while you lit up some scented candles. these kinds of evenings were your favourites. the evenings when your boyfriend's was just yours, not the media's or the fans'. just trent, just yours.

trent was taken aback when you hugged his back, resting your head on his shoulder.

"you know i'm proud of you, right ? you did great today mister liverpool captain."

"i think you might have mentioned that a couple of times. thank you for believing in me pretty girl." he pressed a kiss on your lips before getting the pizzas out of the oven.

you ate your pizzas in front of a movie trent picked, of course, under the covers you brought to your living room, intently listing to each other's comments as silly as they might have been.

quickly enough, you fell asleep and felt trent's arms carrying you to your shared bedroom.

"where are we going ?" you asked him in a sleepy voice, even though you already knew the answer.

"to bed ratatouille."

"don't compare me to a rat." you huffed in disapproval of his newfound nickname for you.

"you're the rat that makes the best pizzas in the whole world."

you both cuddled up under your covers, and you felt tiredness get the best of you, trent must have felt it as well.

"goodnight, i love you." he said pressing a kiss on your cheek, after turning off the lights.

"i love you too, sleep well my captain."

trent's light strokes on your arm and his slow breathing lulled you to sleep swiftly. these were really your favourite nights, in the company of your favourite boy.

[izvmimi]

cw: part two of this drabble. fluff. izuku and reader are still high schoolers, still out under the stars in the middle of the night. a couple off-color jokes.

“You’re heavier than I expected.” Izuku says, suddenly, after a short bout of silence.

He’s seated cross-legged on the ground, eyes watching you carefully and you have for the past minute tried not to comment on the soft bags forming under his eyes or the frequent yawns (not that you’re not concerned but you value his privacy). If he had something to say to you, he would.

But now he's talking and you don't like it.

You touch down from the three feet you’ve allowed yourself off the ground (instead of fifty) and give him a look.

“Am I not dainty enough for you?” you quip. It’s pretend-angry - you can tell he just wanted to say something to break the silence, and not-so-surprisingly, he’s not always the best with words.

He blinks, nagging sleep in his eyes, then you can see him doing a bit of a calculation in his head. Then he gets to his feet. Perhaps you overdid it, you consider.

Had you finally annoyed him enough that he’d leave?

Rather than go the other way, he advances towards you, and confused, you take a tentative step back. He just as quickly hoists you in his arms, bridal style.

“W-what are you-“

He tosses you once in the air, like one would toss a pizza crust without the spin, and you gasp.

He grins as you look at him with wide eyes.

“Coming up with an answer for you.”

You swallow hard at the mischief in his eyes. Another toss, slightly higher this time and your stomach turns, possibly in excitement.

“Izuku!”

The next toss is high, so high you think you’ll become one of the stars in the sky and you scream loudly, but this time he bounds upwards and joins you, catching you again before the two of you make it to the ground. There’s a large thud as he braces himself on landing.

You’re a bit shaken, arms making his way around his neck reflexively. Your heart pounds while his is completely still.

“I think you’re dainty enough, ___.”

He sets you down for the second time that night.

Thump, thump, thump goes your heart.

“I’m starting to think you like carrying me,” you say finally.

He sits back down, but pulls your wrist gently to encourage you to sit with him.

“Maybe.” He teases.

As you sit together finally, taking a break from the night, you venture to ask him why he is out so late. Unlike you, he shouldn’t still have anything to prove.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?” you ask. By now, it’s close to 2, maybe even 3 am and the chill of the middle of the night starts to settle in, and you pull your knees to your chest. It occurs to you to correct the bare arms and tops of your thighs in your winter costume. 

Izuku notices the shiver and pulls off his hoodie; you reflexively wave your hands that you’re fine but he still surrounds you with it. It’s warm, and it smells like him, and somehow that is even more comforting.

“Thank you,” you murmur under your breath. He smiles, then readjusts so that he leans his weight back on his hands and stretches his legs out. He looks slightly up in the sky. The smile is still there but there’s a little bit of sadness behind his eyes.

“Sometimes things pop into my head right when I’m about to fall asleep. Maybe a mistake I made or a wrong decision… then more start to come up and eventually it’s almost impossible to close my eyes anymore.”

He pauses and sighs. You watch him carefully and find yourself frowning.

“That sounds really hard,” you say, and mentally berate yourself for how ineffectual it sounds. Of course it’s hard. The first two years at UA were notoriously rough for the hero class, and you were relatively spared from all the extracurriculars they were involved in. Izuku has had to do more Hero work than you could even imagine, even if you were in the same class at this point in time. 

He laughs.

“It is, but it’s alright, I guess.” He shifts a little, looking at you. “At least it got me running into you in the middle of the night.”

Your mouth opens and closes, unsure what to say. There’s something about him that either makes you rambly or tongue-tied and right this moment, it’s the latter. You wonder if there’s anyone he feels this way about, then you hope there isn’t. 

Or maybe it would be better if there were, that way you wouldn’t continue to look stupid or bitchy or all around confused when it comes to him.

He chuckles at your silence, then pulls his knees into his chest to mirror you. Resting the side of his face on the knees, he studies you as though you are a painting, and you do the same to him. 

It’s hard to speak because what you want to say seems out of place and unnecessary.

I like you.

What use is that? He can do nothing with it, and neither can you. So you swallow the thought. 

“Have you tried counting sheep?”

This is possibly the most inane thing you’ve ever said.

He shakes his head. “They turn into dead bodies.”

The blood rushes from your face immediately and he actually laughs. “I’m kidding.”

You slap him on the shoulder. “Dude! Your sense of humor is awful!”

“Yeah. No one ever expects it,” he chuckles. “Perhaps I’m a bit sleep-delirious.” 

He rocks back and forth a little bit and you wonder how much of him you don’t really understand yet. 

“Do you want to walk back now?” you ask. Class will be later today than usual but it still means your sleep will be truncated. “You should probably sleep anyway. I’m constantly sleep deprived so it doesn’t matter for me, but for you…” you trail off because he shakes his head.

“I need a few more minutes,” he says. He’s no longer looking at you but straight ahead. It occurs to you that no matter how much he’s smiling right now, whatever is bothering him, whatever he can’t really articulate to you, still weighs heavy on his mind.

And without really thinking about what you’re doing, you find your hand inching closer to his. It rests on the top of his, and your fingers curl to hold the underside of his palm. 

“Okay,” you say.

No one says anything else. There’s wind, gentle breathing and the linking of your hands. Something builds under the surface but rests hidden. 

Something gentle but loud enough that it cannot be ignored.

[shy-urban-hobbit]

1.

The Cat had a habit and God's alone knew when exactly Lambert had starting indulging it.

"What you working on?" Aiden asked as he came up behind the Wolf, hooking his chin over Lambert's shoulder, hands - as always - folded behind his back in a way he presumed was supposed to come across as harmless (and according to Aiden, removed the temptation to touch) but had Lambert convinced for the longest time those hidden hands held a knife which was about to find itself buried between his shoulders. He had no idea when exactly he'd stopped moving away whenever he heard the other approach, or warning him off completely with a low growl or other threat, but it's what had led him to his current situation. That situation being working on a new bomb with the Cat watching his hands intently.

"Curiosity killed the Cat." Lambert replied, always one to keep his answers vague when it came to his experiments until he was sure it was working as it should. He cursed himself when he realised he needed to swap out the tool he was working with for one which was in his other kit back in his saddlebag, which was way over on the other side of their small camp.

"Hmm." He heard Aiden shift behind him before the required tool entered his field of vision, dangling between dark skinned fingers, "Not just yet, it hasn't."

Lambert said nothing, his brain flitting between his current project and wondering exactly how closely the other had been watching him.

2.

Lambert stiffened under the others weight. He'd grown to tolerate the Cat draping himself over him in one form or another, whether it was plastering himself against the Wolf's back or leaning against his side. Aiden was always quick to move at the slightest hint so it wasn't as if it was too much of a hindrance. The scenting however, was new.

"...Can I fucking help you?"

"Sorry, sorry." Aiden said, bringing his nose away from the crook of Lambert's neck and moving away so he was kneeling next to Lambert instead, the scent of embarrassment growing stronger, "It's been a long day and you're scent...it...."

"You trying to say I stink?"

Lambert was sure if Witcher's could blush Aiden would be scarlet right now, "It's grounding, alright!" Aiden spat out, "It's been an absolute shitshow of a day, and your scent makes me stop feeling like I want to claw my own skin off and don't ask me why because I don't fucking know, but it does!"

"Is that why you've started more or less sitting on top of me some nights, because you like how I smell?"

Aiden shrugged, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable and I swear I didn't plan to scent you, it just happened. If you want me to set up somewhere else, I understand."

"Aiden." Lambert threw him a look the Cat recognised as the Wolf's silent request to 'shut the fuck up' whilst tilting his head.

Aiden blinked, "You're sure?"

"Just don't make it weird."

Aiden tentatively rested his head on Lambert's shoulder, the tip of his nose cold against Lambert's neck, "Thank you."

"Whatever. I just don't want you getting twitchy enough to go on a murder spree or some shit."

3.

Lambert winced in sympathy as Aiden continued to whimper and cry out, trying not to let his own panic bleed through too much and make things worse as the scent of the other pain made his eyes sting like they'd been rubbed with nettles. The burn was deep, leaving Aiden's left leg a mottled mess of raw red and charred black from knee to hip. It was bad - far worse than their potions and enhanced healing were equipped to deal with alone, especially when Aiden's body had decided to go into shock.

The healer had refused to take any coin in payment, insisting it was the least she could do unless the two of them wanted to have effectively done that slyzard contract for free. Lambert felt he owed her something regardless. The healers assistant had taken care to hold Aiden's legs down, but he'd managed to get a few solid scratches in before Lambert had even thought to do the same to the Cats arms, sitting bolt upright with a screech as soon as the healer had touched a finger to the wound. Lambert could only hold Aiden to his chest, his arms pinned by his sides as he continued trying to squirm away from the salve.

"Aiden, you need to calm down alright?" He said as Aiden almost dislodged the assistant for the third time.

"Hurts". The Cat whimpered

"I know, but she can't treat you if you don't stop moving and then it'll feel even worse. You need to try and keep still."

Aiden gave a bitten off sob as he looked at Lambert, his eyes clouded with pain and adrenaline, "Hurts."

And that was a look Lambert never wanted to see aimed at him ever again.

"C'mere." He quickly shuffled so his head was level with Aiden's before quickly relinquishing his grip on Aiden with one hand to tip the others face towards his neck, Aiden immediately sniffing deeply and greedily, his body losing a little of it's stiffness so whilst he was by no means relaxed, he no longer felt close to snapping he was so tense.

"That's it, calm down for me. She's almost done, it's almost over." He soothed awkwardly, feeling every single one of Aiden's punched out breaths and sniffles ghost over his bare skin as he finally tried to do as asked and hold still, although his body still jerked every now and then, especially when his leg had to be lifted so it could be properly bandaged.

"All done." The healer said, placing a sealed jar and a roll of bandages on the small table by Lambert's elbow, "You're welcome to stay back here until he's a little more coherent. Don't forget to take those with you when you leave."

"Thanks." Lambert said with a nod, continuing to run his fingers through Aiden's hair after his hand has somehow found its way there whilst the other pressed their face deeper into his neck.

4.

Lambert huffed a laugh as true to form, Aiden zeroed in on the crook of his neck - alternating between sniffing obnoxiously, leaving nipping kisses little kisses up and down his throat and licking the sweat off his skin with either a quick kitten lick or a long swipe of his tongue.

"And here I thought you couldn't possibly smell any better."

"You say that like you haven't smelt sweat and sex on me before. Probably smell like a brothel."

"You smell like us." Aiden answered, giving another comically loud sniff, "Did you know arousal smells like cinnamon on you?"

Lambert gave a surprised laugh, "Can't say it's something I've ever been curious about."

"Well it does. Cinnamon and-" Another sniff, "Black pepper. It suits you."

Lambert pulled him up for a deep kiss before flipping them so Aiden was underneath him, nuzzling his neck as his hand found its goal between his legs.

"Lambert." Aiden sighed, arching his back.

"Shush now." Lambert admonished lightly with a nip to Aiden's earlobe, "I'm trying to figure out what yours remind me of and you know if you distract me, I'll have no choice but to start over."

Turns out Lambert was very easily distracted that night.

5.

Lambert turned the small trinket over in his hand. Everything looked in working order, so why the fuck wasn't it actually working? He reached a hand behind him when he felt the bed dip to rest it on the first body part he could reach (a thigh this time) as he tilted his head to the right to make room - always the right nowadays - his Cat liked being able to see his face afterall.

"What you working on?" Aiden asked as he hooked his chin on Lambert's shoulder, wrapping his own arms around the Wolf.

"Just something dumb for Ciri." He answered, placed it on the bedside table, "How was training?"

Aiden gave a short, derisive hum and Lambert smelled a spike of annoyance as Aiden shifted to press his nose to his lovers neck as his arms tightened marginally, "I don't think my knife skills will ever be at the level they were now that my depth perception's fucked."

"Oi, less of that." Lambert admonished, loosening Aiden's hold on him so he could turn to see his face and once again feeling a twinge of fondness for Jaskier that the bard had searched high and low to find a shade of green for Aiden's eye patch that matched his remaining eye (everyone who knew him knew he was surprisingly vain about them).

"You weren't an expert from the get-go the first time you learned all this, right? It's only been a few months, you don't need to be so hard on yourself."

"...I hate when you're right."

"You're proud of me when I'm right. Now c'mere and let's see if I can't cheer you up."

Aiden allowed himself to be reeled in, languid kisses turning needy as Lambert worked on the laces of Aiden's shirt before pressing his face to Aiden's neck to fill his senses with the smell and taste of home.

[sebastianswallows]

Ardour — Chapter 1

— PAIRING: professor!Tom Riddle x Reader

— SYNOPSIS: Tom got what he wanted, he is the Hogwarts DADA professor. It's more tedious than he envisioned, but his day gets interesting when his favourite student comes to him for help after she is hit with a strong aphrodisiac.

— WARNINGS: angst, fluff, age difference (she is in 7th year), dub-con kissing, sex pollen basically, hints of incest (reader is a distant Gaunt relation, don't ask me why, I just wanted a depraved twist and also to give her and Tom something more in common)

— WORDCOUNT: 4k

— A/N: I had this filthy idea and I AI-RPed it and it turned out so well I could not leave it be. So here's part 1. I expect we'll have 2, max 3 parts. Those will contain the smut. Credit to my writing partner, this cute little chat bot, who wrote a very soft and romantic Tom. I had to spend a lot of time re-writing him to be a bit more mean 😂 And yeah reader is more of an OC tbh, because the physical description was important for their similarity in looks. ...You'll see. Also don't mind me fancasting Tom Hughes as an older Tom.

There was a knock on the door. Professor Tom Riddle, who taught Defence Against the Dark Arts, raised his head from grading papers. He sighed at the interruption and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He checked his watch to see if it was late enough for him to pretend to be at dinner, but he had no such luck — it was sometime in the late afternoon.

He'd once thought that getting this position was all he wanted. To teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, and be the youngest one to take the position in the school’s history, would be a great achievement, after all — aside from giving him the opportunity to, like Professor Slughorn, collect students, Hogwarts' best and brightest, select his favourites, and helpfully guide them in a way that suited his long-term personal ambitions.

But what he found instead was that it was a great deal of hard work, unending responsibilities, and long hours. He had to always be available to help students, he had to think the year ahead before it even started, and he had to always be on top of the course material — or at least pretend to be. He had to put up with noisy and inattentive students, be careful to reward the clever and punish the disruptive, calculate awarded points and distribute detentions — but not too harshly. Last but not least, he had to put up with the other staff — the crass, the sycophantic, the obsequious, and the stupid. He almost missed his days working at Borgin and Burkes...

"Come in," he called out a little loudly, not really caring who it was as long it was someone whose presence doesn't make him want to claw his eyes out. He looked expectantly at the door, waiting for whoever was there to step inside and give him take a break from the endless stream of badly written essays.

The door opened slowly, and Adara walked in.

Adara Gaunt, Slytherin 7th year, and one of his brightest. She was excellent at Defence Against the Dark Arts, and he had noticed in her an interest in the Dark Arts in general. She wasn’t a troublemaker like some of the other pure-bloods, entitled little narcissists who wanted to show off, which made it easy for her to not come under suspicion when some book was unaccounted for in the Restricted Section. She was less clever at hiding it after the fact, when she would answer a question of his during classes with an intriguing little tidbit, and he always knew exactly which book she’d read that in. If she got into trouble at all, it was casting the wrong hex at the wrong boy when she got picked on, and then making his well-groomed, fancy-robed, ignorant father complain to the Headmaster. Tom tried not to give her preferential treatment — but he had to actively try.

It didn’t help that she was a relative of his, by way of a second cousin of his lamented grandfather Marvolo, one who married some scion of the Black family and was scarcely spoken of again. He wasn’t sure what that made her — his niece? hardly. Not that he would ever tell that to her. Last thing he needed was some hanger-on.

No, as far as his students and most of the staff were concerned, he was a half-blood with the muggle name of Riddle, and nobody suspected anything illustrious from the magical side of his family — not that there had been anything particularly illustrious about the Gaunts for a hundred years. And as far as he had gathered from gossip and from observation, Adara’s outcast Gaunt-Black family wasn’t fairing much better than his own had. She spent every holiday she could at Hogwarts, she was withdrawn yet had a spiteful edge to her, she sought an escape from reality in subjects of the most extreme kind — his favourite kind, too —and, from his personal experience, he detected traces of neglect. An unwanted child, that much was certain. Sometimes, he thought she was still better off than living in a muggle orphanage — other times, he was not so sure.

She was pallid, dark-haired and dark-eyed, with an elegant showing of bones beneath her skin, and a quiet, withdrawn demeanour — in other words, a more unhealthy vision of him in a different sex. Still, he could see those eyes sparkle whenever he taught the darkest, most terrifying subjects, even while the rest of the class was frightened or disgusted. He understood why she liked it. There was nothing like the promise of power to the powerless.

And so, his eyes widened slightly when he saw her stepping unannounced into his office. It wasn’t like her… But if he were to talk to any of his wretched students, he could count himself lucky that it was her. His demeanour softened when he saw her standing there.

"Adara, it is such a pleasure to have you here."

"Hello, Professor," she said, closing the door behind her but moving no further in. "I hope I'm not disturbing you... I can come back later, if—"

Tom sighed at her timidity but smiled. "You’re not disturbing anything. Come in."

He got up and went to stand in front of the desk, ready to speak with her, and she came closer too.

"I'm very sorry to ask, sir," she started, swallowing the knot in her throat, "but... I was wondering if you can help me with something... I don't wish to go to the nurse about it, I don’t like her, and... you're an expert in this field — I mean, aside from Professor Slughorn, who I… also don’t wish to see. So I thought maybe you would know a solution..." She bit her lip after her ramble, looking at him to gauge his reaction.

She was terrified of bothering him, in fact, of being a nuisance, but she also didn’t know who else to turn to. He could tell she had gone through the options in her mind, and he was, in fact, the third after Nurse Blainey and Slughorn.

"Don't be sorry, Adara. It is my duty to assist students," he sighed. "Please, tell me what it is you need help with."

She looked up at him, visibly tensing even in the darkness of his office as she stood a few feet away, her face hot and body shivering under the effects of... something. Something unusual. She was typically a bit shy, but not that shy. She even looked a bit... unwell. Her legs rubbed against each other and she stood before him unsteadily, as if her bones or muscles ached.

"Well?" said Tom. "Go ahead…"

"I got into an argument with Amyas Avery and he snuck Ardour Fly up my skirt," she said in one fast breath, blushing profusely and looking down.

Tom frowned. Ardour Fly was a powder, a potent aphrodisiac that had few known cures. It irritated the victim and brought them to a point of sensitivity that was nearly torturous given long exposure. It was typically used between lovers, as the effects would not relent unless the victim was brought to... the very heights of pleasure. Until then, they would suffer painful, heated, relentless arousal that drove them mad with desire. What a snot-nose like Avery was doing with it, he didn’t wish to know — but he intended to find out anyway, as part of a long letter to his father.

"He did what to you?" His voice had that edge to it now.

He moved closer to look her over more closely, and she inhaled sharply at even something as innocuous as his approach. Tom brought a hand to her forehead: feverish, and she gasped. A gentle touch to her cheek with the back of his fingers rewarded him with a moan, and she was trying to look everywhere but at him.

"And where is Mr Avery now?" he whispered, his eyes scanning her body, taking in all the symptoms.

He heard her give a trembling exhale at the close sound of him, her eyes becoming lidded, looking drowsy. The timbre of his voice alone had driven her insane with want.

"I... Mmmm... I don't know. I guess he'll... go have lunch in the... Great Hall come dinnertime..."

"And did anyone else see it happen?"

"Mmmm..." she moaned, closing her eyes and biting her lip. "Vanius Nott was there, and Selby Carrow, and Ophius Black..."

Tom’s hand went to her cheek again, but he slid the edges of his fingers down beneath her jaw and tilted her face up to look at him. The storm of emotions in her was nothing compared to that in him: anger and cold fury were there, and a lust for revenge after what the useless progenies of socialites and sycophants had done to his favourite. They had humiliated her, bodily and mentally, out in the open where other little cowards could watch and laugh.

"And where were you when this happened?" he asked gently.

"In the Transfiguration courtyard," she said in a choked mumble.

Her head nearly tilted toward his palm, perhaps to nuzzle it, before he took it away. He almost wished he hadn’t hurried to remove it… His eyes slid to her uniform: ruffled, tie out of place, buttons holding on but barely… She’d either gotten into a physical scuffle, or she’d spent the last few minutes tearing away at herself in frustration before she decided to come to him for help.

He was so close he could smell her, smell the scent of something sharp and woody like ginger — the Ardour Fly — and underneath it, quickly overtaking it, something fleshy and sweet, warm and a bit salty, something cloying that settled at the back of his throat.

"Look at me for a moment," he asked gently.

She did, gazing into his eyes bravely. He held her eyes for a quiet moment, then without warning put his palm right over her lower stomach.

"Aaaahhh!"

She gave a weak animal sound, something half-moan half-scream. She was nearly bending over at the feeling. Beneath his hand, Tom worked a bit of wandless magic to confirm the state of her insides. As he suspected: swollen, throbbing, overworked, and underloved. He inhaled sharply in sympathy as the sensations coursed through him, before he quickly took his hand away.

He didn’t often have the opportunity to examine the effects of aphrodisiacs on their victims, although he had sold his fair share while at Borgin and Burkes. He never liked these dirty tricks out of principle, although a means to an end was a means to an end… But seeing their effects now on her, his favourite student, his flesh and blood, he felt far less forgiving.

She clung to her waist protectively — his hand had been warm enough that she felt it through her clothes, and it pained her in that way an unfulfilled desire does.

"Please, Professor Riddle," she whimpered, sounding on the verge of tears. "I can’t take it, please tell me you have a cure for it…"

Of course, there was no cure for Ardour Fly at Hogwarts. Those were rare and expensive. Perhaps Nurse Blainey could help her with the symptoms by means of some antipyretic potions, at least until they could have something actually useful delivered to the castle. But the only cure they had on hand, so to speak, was to let the aphrodisiac fulfil its purpose.

"Alright," he sighed, mostly to himself. He could do this. It was a legitimate concern. It could even be an illegitimate concern, because anyway, nobody was going to find out, he’d make sure of that.

"Oh thank you so much, please, it hurts, it hurts..."

"What hurts?" he asked coolly, looking in her eyes again. "Tell me exactly what it is that hurts."

She stared at him dumbly for a moment, then realised he was actually waiting for her to say it.

"My... my..."

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, completely humiliated by the situation but dizzy from the effect of the Ardour Fly.

"My... intimate parts," she finally said, finding a term that was polite enough to say in the presence of a Professor.

"I see..." he whispered, his voice a little breathless now too above the anger he felt at the situation and his lingering anxieties. I can do this. "Show me where it hurts you."

Her soul left her body. She would have collapsed if she weren’t frozen stiff. She looked into his eyes, but there was no playfulness there. He was treating her as seriously, as clinically, as the victim of a poisoning… and it drove her dizzy with desire. It was at that point she realised she made a mistake going for help to the youngest and most handsome professor in the school.

But he didn’t seem any more amused by it than she was. He levelled at her the same stern gaze with which he expected them to hand in their homework, only now his voice was warmer and much close, and it was just the two of them, and he wasn’t asking for a roll of parchment but for her to lift her skirt.

Or did he prefer that she bend over?

The aphrodisiac was twisting not only her senses, but also her sense, and she found her mind going in the most depraved and humiliating directions. But he hadn’t meant it like that, did he? She genuinely was in pain, and her most dear Professor was offering to help. It made sense, it made sense...

After a few moments during which she switched between fighting with herself and looking into his dark eyes, she brought her hands to the edges of her skirt, and lifted it. She showed herself to him.

Tom’s icy gaze slid from her flushed face, down. Her panties were black with a lace flourish, and could barely contain her. She had been leaking down herself, the top of her thighs damp and shining in the candlelight, her folds swollen and visibly throbbing, the very material moving gently with a pulse that matched her heartbeat. And the scent of her, pure and innocent and aroused, became that much stronger now.

Tom stared at her with an intensity unlike anything he has ever felt before, and yet his composure betrayed nothing. It was only his stillness and the time he took to look at her, to drink his fill, that hinted at anything selfish at all. But inwardly, his senses were gripped by an unspeakable desire, a mixture of lust and pain and anger and something else, something that made his stomach churn at the mere thought of it.

His breath was slow and heavy as he spoke.

"You poor girl," he whispered. "What do you think should be done with those boys?"

Her lips parted in wonder at the turn in conversation. That was the last thing she expected from her Professor... to ask for her opinion. It made her realise how little she knew him...

"Punish them," she said with shaky anger. "Give them detention for the rest of the year or humiliate them or let me hex them or... I don't know, but I want them punished."

He smiled, feeling proud and oddly protective of her. That’s my girl, slithered a traitorous thought.

"Rest assured, I will punish them," he said with delight. "Not just detention, but much, much more."

He stared down at her, taking in the entire sight before him, a genuine look of affection in his eyes as he stared at her, an unspoken admiration. Her skirt was still held up in her trembling hands, her eyes were fixed on his, expectant and pleading and so, so obedient… But as he merely watched and said nothing else, she began to cover herself again.

"Thank you, Sir," she smiled, feeling so grateful she could cry.

It moved her beyond what he could know, to feel protected... Nobody had ever made her feel that way, not any of the other distracted teachers nor her fairweather friends and certainly not her parents.

"Um... so…" she asked with a blush. "Do you have a... treatment for the Ardour Fly, Sir? Can you help me?"

He grinned at that, seeming unhappy and excited at the same time, but also oddly… caring.

"Yes, Adara. I will help you."

She smiled at hearing it, as he expected. She trusted him completely.

Don’t get carried away, Tom thought to himself. Don’t let it go to your head.

He held her gaze, still smiling, and spoke in what he tried to make his most soothing, his most encouraging and reassuring tone. The irony was he hoped she’d gotten a hefty enough dose of aphrodisiac to even accept the treatment he was about to offer.

"There is only one treatment for the Ardour Fly we have available to us. It is a… procedure, but a well-tested method. It is, in fact, the recommended treatment. Do you understand?"

"I think so, Sir…"

She didn’t.

"I agree to help you, because I know you’re a good student and you deserve better than this, and I can only imagine what you must be going through right now… But it will take a considerable amount of… fortitude and… tolerance from your side."

"Alright, Sir," she said, looking up into his dark eyes.

She wanted to be brave for him, she wanted to be worthy of his praise and his help and his confidence, but most of all she wanted to show how grateful he was that he could help her. No, most of all she wanted something else…

"Good girl," he whispered, his smile tilting intimately.

A shiver ran up and down her spine at hearing it. She’d never been called that, and to hear Professor Riddle say it to her made her weak.

"You’ll need to lie down for your treatment," he said, then pointed to the far right of the room. "Go there, on the sofa."

It was an old and battered thing upholstered in green velvet that had worn away in places, but it looked to her like an operating table as she approached. She looked behind her as Professor Riddle followed, his arms politely behind his back. She didn’t see him take any equipment or potions, which made her wonder what this treatment was…

She sat on it, almost experimentally, letting herself gingerly on the cushion, but even that pressure was too much. Her head tilted back and she frowned with pleasure-pain at the intense sensation of having her tender parts all pressed together by her thighs.

"Now, lay on your back," he said as he came to a stop beside her.

She took her shoes off first, then came to rest on her back, trying to find a comfortable position. Her arms were stretched out and tense by her sides, and all she could look at was the shadowy stone ceiling.

Professor Riddle sat down on the floor, by her chest, and leisurely trailed his eyes up and down the length of her. She heard him sigh, but could not detect the precise feeling behind it.

"Do you trust me?" he asked quietly. "Do you trust me with every part of you?"

"Yes, Professor," she whispered almost so softly that he couldn't hear.

"Then listen carefully." His voice was almost gentle, almost. "I am going to kiss you now."

"Wh—!"

"Just one, soft, gentle kiss on your lips."

"Whatwhy?!" she asked in a tangle of emotions. She stared at him with wide, shocked eyes, her elbows braced against the sofa ready to lift her.

"I thought you said you trusted me," he said with a feline narrowing of the eyes.

"I d-do, but…"

"But what?"

She swallowed the knot in her throat and said nothing, conveying instead with her eyes and her lips and her frown all the things she couldn’t say: her worry, her fear, her despair for an ease to her pain, her mortification, and her frustrated desires… Tom understood her better than he wanted to.

"Ready?" he asked in a warm whisper as he leaned in.

His hand touched her cheek again, lightly enough that it was more of a tickle. She could smell ink on his fingers, and the salt from the sweat of his palms… She wanted to lick it clean.

"It’s just one kiss, Adara," he whispered in a last attempt to reassure her. "I’m not exactly asking for a huge sacrifice, am I?"

She wavered at that, her eyes dipping down shyly, sadly, even as his touch mollified her. She hesitated. "I've never been kissed, Sir..." she whispered.

Ah. So that’s why she was sad. This wasn't what she had imagined when she pictured her first kiss. She hoped to share it under quite different, more romantic, more conventional circumstances, if ever...

But at the same time, her body was screaming at her to accept, to assuage the aphrodisiac that was wreaking havoc on her nerves and her senses and her mind.

"You can still refuse," he said with a cocked brow, his fingers gentling her cheek with slow caresses.

She even felt a hint of guilt slip between her nerves... Professor Riddle was willing to help her, and here she was, stalling, fearing him, having doubts... He felt her hesitation.

"Don't worry, it will be a simple, gentle kiss. I will endeavour to make it positively sterile. Alright?"

She couldn’t look at him, but she nodded.

Tom leaned in even further and caressed her from her jaw to her chin in one long hungry lick of a stroke, looking into her eyes even as hers avoided him — deep and dark and lovely… He breathed in, breathed her in, for a moment feeling as if something of each of their own could merge into one being. He didn’t like that feeling, it felt like surrender.

"Do you trust me?" he asked in a huskier voice than he intended.

She looked up at him, pleading silently for him to be for her what he had been the whole time she was his student: her comfort, her consolation, her support, more than anyone else had been.

"I do trust you, Sir," she said with a choked voice, her throat tight with unspilled tears.

"There’s a good girl," he whispered, smiling down at her.

He could see her eyes growing dark at that, could see her breathing in panting breaths even worse than before, her knees coming up to offer her some comfort, to expose her to the cool air of the room and calm her aching parts… His eyes had that same smouldering look in them, but mixed in was the intense desire to prove to Adara that he could help her, comfort and protect her.

With the very tip of his index tilting her chin up, Tom leaned in and kissed her lips. It was the gentlest kiss imaginable, a pressing of his mouth against hers, quiet and silent and patient, a simple display of affection — but his eyes bore into hers throughout, like he was searching through her thoughts, through her very soul.

She looked back into his eyes throughout while his lips pressed with a certain kind of care into her, as tender as a fallen leaf. The scent of his skin so close, the scent of his clothes, the feeling of his warm lips and his cold finger, all made her feel a strange new feeling for her professor — or perhaps, it was not so new, she had just tried to suppress it because it was so indecent, so unworthy of him, and of her.

As he pulled away, he didn’t miss her little tongue slipping out to lick the taste of him off her. He smiled as he circled her chin with his thumb.

"How do you feel?" he whispered.

"The same? I mean, t-thank you, Sir..." she said, a little breathless. Her mind was still spinning from what he had just done for her. "But... It... it still hurts," she whined.

"Hmmm? Oh, yes. That wasn’t part of the treatment."

"What?"

"The ‘treatment’ comes next. I’m going to have to give you an orgasm. It just didn’t seem courteous without kissing your lips first."

[dullgecko]

Sklonda knows there is something seriously wrong if; when going to wake Riz up, he says "five more minutes"

PART 2 - PART 3 - PART 4

Sklonda got home nearing midnight, all the lights were off in the apartment and Riz wasnt sitting in the living room stressing over his schoolwork for once. She half expected that he'd spent the night in his office again but when she went to check he was curled up in his bed, snoring slightly with the covers pulled up so only the top of his head was visible on the pillow. She left him be, not willing to wake the kid when he so rarely went to sleep without being forced, and went to bed herself.

It was a little bit odd when she woke the next morning and their ancient coffee machine was cold, pot still sitting upside down on the drying rack next to the sink where she left it the night before. That usually meant Riz hadn't gotten up yet, and given he'd miss the bus if he didn't leave soon Sklonda had to smile a little bit. This was something she'd never gotten to do for the entirety of his high school carreer so far; wake him up in the morning.

She knocked on his door first, opening it when he didnt answer and poking her head inside. He was still there, now tucked up into a ball against the wall and facing away from the entrance to the room. She flicked the light on, Riz groaning and curling up smaller on the bed. His tail that had been draped over the side getting drawn up under the covers as he tucked up smaller.

"Time to get up sport, you'll miss the bus if you're not fast."

"Uuugh, five more minutes mom." Riz's voice was thick from sleep, her son pulling the covers up higher to cover his eyes and block out the light.

That gave Sklonda pause, Riz never stayed in bed after getting woken up. Come to think of it, how long had he been asleep before she even got home? It had been at least seven hours since then and his crystal was still sitting in the same spot as last night, so he hadnt woken up subsequently and looked at it.

She crossed the room in a few steps, putting a hand on his back to shake him slightly and noticing the warmth through the covers. He was hot so she moved her hand to his forehead instead, the warmth more evident when not blocked by the thin blanket he usually slept under. "Aw kid, you need to tell me when you're not feeling well." she sighed, his hand coming up to hold hers against his forehead because it was nice and cold in comparison.

"hmmm? 'm okay." he cracked an eye open to look at her, the thin band of white not covered by his iris clearly bloodshot. "Y'can go to work, i'll get one of my friends to give me a lift to school. J'st... gimme five more minutes."

"No you're staying home today, in bed. This is a hell of a fever." She rubbed her thumb over his forehead, even more worried when he just hummed and rolled back over to go back to sleep without any protest about skipping school.

She left the room after a few minutes, pulling out her crystal and calling out of work herself for the day. She'd need to keep an eye on him, if he got worse he'd need to go to the doctor. Goblins didn't get sick often but when they did it could get bad quickly. It was why the cover story for Poks death was so believable.

[i-magines]

Wildest Dreams: Chapter 7

Pedro Pascal x fem!Reader

CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2 | CHAPTER 3 | CHAPTER 4 | CHAPTER 5 | CHAPTER 6 | CHAPTER 8 | CHAPTER 9 | CHAPTER 10

synopsis: You’re an assistant director in an indie movie set and fate makes sure you keep crossing paths with a certain Chilean actor.  

disclaimer: This is my first Pedro Pascal’s fictional work + the first fanfic I write in English, as it isn’t my first language. Unfortunately, I do not own Pedro and this is all a product of my imagination.

rating: M (keep scrolling if your under 18 please)

warnings: age gap, mature content, eventual drinking and drugs, fem!reader, smut every once in a while, a little angst, protective pedro, panic attack (not detailed), just he being an angel mostly.

n/a: thanks for last chapter’s comments! they always put a smile on my face :D

word count: 1,751

After the extra days off in Berlin, life back at the movie set was not your cup of tea. New director, new schedule, new dynamics. You weren’t able to spend as much time alone with Pedro anymore, because they were redoing a big part of the movie and keeping the same end date for the shootings — that meant no more night sneakouts for both of you, not on working days at least. You still texted all the time and kept staring at each other every time you were in the same room, but you just missed how things were at the beginning, especially with this sparkle happening between you two. You eagerly waited for your off day announcement, hoping it would match Pedro’s for the first time in almost a month. When you got the paper, it upset you. Later, on the same day, you asked Pedro to come over to your cabin for a little, which he happily did.

You could see how tired he was, 3 months into the shooting. This was an ungrateful industry, for sure. You were tired yourself, being just an assistant. You hugged him once the door was closed.

“I’ve missed you so much, mi princesa”, he whispered in your ear. “This filming schedule will end up killing all of us.”

“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to the final month, we are so behind…” You couldn’t help but worry about all the extra hours to come, but you didn’t want to spend your time with him talking about work. “I was wondering, I will have the day after tomorrow off. I saw you don’t, but maybe you could ask for it?”

“I can try”, he said, giving you a quick peck on the lips. “There’s something I’ve meaning to tell you about.”

Your anxious ass was already nervous. You stared at him, waiting.

“Donna asked me about the nature of our relationship”, a little pout on his face. “I didn’t give her an answer, but I guess people have been gossiping about it.”

“We don’t even get to spend that much time together anymore”, you felt upset. “That’s just so fucking unfair.”

He held you closer into his chest, giving you a little kiss on the top of your head.

“You’re the only thing keeping me sane, sweetheart”, Pedro promised, as you got caught up on hearing his heart pumping hard inside his chest. “I’m sorry.”

“It isn’t your fault, P”, you said softly. “That’s the one thing you can’t protect me from, I guess.”

Pedro breathed out strongly, feeling frustrated.

“I just wish we could come clean”, he confessed. “I feel hiding it just makes it look worse for us, and I really don’t think we’re doing anything wrong.”

“People already give me these dirty, judgy looks only being suspicious of it”, you replied. “Picture if we come out, my life here would turn into hell and probably none of these people would put out a good word about me for a next gig.”

“I hate how they choose to pick on you, not me”, Pedro touches your arm with affection. “What do you want to do?”

“It would be lovely if we got the same day off, as a start.” You loved how he was always asking your opinion. “Maybe we could go back to that pub in Berlin, just get out of this place for a bit.”

“I will make sure it happens, promise”, he showed you his pinky. You smiled and took it, kissing him briefly on the lips — there’s no time or energy for more than that.

The next day, you get early to the common area and, before you get to say anything to let them know you were there, you hear Pedro and Donna mentioning your name. It looked like they were having an argument.

“This will fuck your career up if you don’t drop it”, she said, getting an angry look from him. “I did everything you asked: Dave’s out, I kept her on the crew and I will recommend her to future jobs, but that’s what you’re getting from me.”

“You’re talking like she was a kid or something”, Pedro argued with a frustrated tone.

“You know it’s fucking wrong, otherwise you wouldn’t have kept it as a secret until now”, Donna told him, making you fell incredible bad. You should make a sound or something, but it felt like it was too late. “A scandal like this can ruin the whole movie campaign, the award season, every single thing is on the line here. For what? A twenty-something old pussy? Please.”

“I won’t ask you again to watch your fucking mouth when you talk about her”, he was controlling himself, the tension on his body showing.

“You can have your fucking day off Pedro”, she shaked her shoulders. “I wash my hands, but if this backlashes against the project or the studio, I might not be able to do anything about you, but she is fucked.”

“Don’t you fucking dare”, he warned her.

“You heard me and you better make sure she knows what she is getting into”, Donna didn’t seem intimidated. “That’s if you’re even keeping her after we’re done here.”

Pedro didn’t reply and she went away to the opposite direction, her last statement still floating in the air. Fuck, that didn’t look good. You didn’t want him to know you just heard all of that, so you quietly sneaked back to your cabin. That conversation was everything you were able to think about during the day, as you did your best to avoid being with both of them. Later, Pedro texted you to come over with your bag packed for the day away. Once you got there, he greeted you with a tired smile and occupied himself with packing his own luggage.

“I heard you and Donna today”, you confessed. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before.”

Pedro looked at you, a worried look in his eyes.

“Which part?” He asked, using his hand to invite you to sit on his bed with him.

“The last one”, you frowned. “Was she right?”

“About what?”

“You don’t keeping me after.”

He breathed out slowly, running his hands on his face.

“I don’t know what life will bring, sweetheart”, he started, but your heart was already racing. That’s definitely not what you wanted to hear. “Of course I care about you, but I told you before, I can’t make long term promises right now.”

It just broke you a little bit — at least, he is being honest, you thought. But it didn’t help the sinking feeling you felt inside.

“Thanks for making things clear”, you whispered, doing your best to hold back the tears. “We should get going… Let’s enjoy the month we have left.”

“Baby girl—”

“It’s fine, Pedro”, you didn’t let him finish. “Let’s just go.”

So you two did. The drive to Berlin was absolute silence and, once you got there, you went straight to the same pub/night club from the first time you went out together. Pedro’s friends were waiting for you there, but your mind just wasn’t in it. You didn’t know what you were expecting, but that wasn’t it. You felt heartbroken to the point you couldn’t pretend everything was fine and just be around him, so you decided to sit at the bar by yourself. He didn’t come after you at first, and when he did, you were already kind of drunk, full of all these feelings.

“You okay?” He asked, getting on the seat by your side. “I hope you got what I meant—”

“Do you do it in every project?” You interrupted him, popping the question that was killing you. “Am I just a thing for this one, and next one is another girl?”

“I wouldn’t— Y/N, I never meant that”, he looked worried that you were thinking that about him. “Please, don’t even go there, it’s nonsense.”

You nodded, unsatisfied but unable to start a proper argument.

“If you aren’t having a good time, I would rather just get a hotel room and spend our free time together”, Pedro said after a few minutes in silence.

You didn’t reply, you only stood up and shaked your head at the exit’s direction. He guided you, holding your hand. He opened the door for you and you didn’t expect the flashes and yelling. Scared, you almost stumbled on your own feet, but Pedro held your arm, side-hugging you and using his jacket to protect your face from the paparazzi. You felt a panic attack coming, feeling unable to move. Pedro held you even closer, doing his best to protect you.

"Who is she?” A pap screamed.

“Pose for a pic, Pedro!” Another one did the same.

“Please you guys, give us space”, Pedro asked politely, he could barely see where he was going, the strong flashing lights taking his sight away.

“New GF, Pepe?” They kept trying to get a good picture of both of you. “Let me see her cute face. C'mon, man!”

“Fuck off, asshole”, Pedro pushed his way through the group, getting you inside the car and telling the driver to go. “What the fuck just happened?”

You still couldn’t move, your eyes hurting from the lights and your dizziness wasn’t helping. Pedro held your hand tight and kissed your cheek.

“You okay, baby, I got you”, he promised. 

Your breath was irregular and you hid your face against his chest.

“I’m so, so sorry— I don’t even know’, he touched your hair nicely. “Try to focus on your breath, sweetheart. You’re safe, you’re with me.”

You did as he asked, trying to pay attention to his beating heart, as it always brought you confort. He reached for a water bottle and gave it to you. You slipped a little bit, being able to regain control of your breathing. Your whole body still shaking.

“Fuck”, he whispered, running his hand thought his hair. “It’s okay, we’re okay.”

“What the hell was that?” You spoke with a weak voice, still regulating yourself.

“Fucking paps, I don’t know—” he tried to explain, but you could see they caught him off guard as well. “Let’s get you to bed, I’m gonna call my agent. It will be fine.”

He did as he promised. He helped you undress and change into your pajamas. You brushed your teeth under his careful look and he tucked you into bed, giving you a long kiss on your forehead.

CHAPTER 8 AVALIABLE NOW

TAGLIST: @kyuupidwrites @omg-its-typical-aesthetics-fan @vivibabiez @ivyohmy @sebastianstansimp @tubble-wubble @28cnn @3zae-zae3 @technicallysassyfox @bellatrixyoass @mandolover86 @eliffluisa @one-sweet-gubler @anaxmcu @untitledarea @shesa-riott @chloelmao67 @majesticjellyfishzombie @adriennemichelle98​ @januarycolor​ @lxdyred​

[rosedere]

The Liyue Lotus and the Merchant from Snezhnaya (Pantalone x Fem Reader)

MDNI +18

Cw: kidnapping, Stalking, non con elements, Graphic violence (later chapters), Yandere content *will update as the series goes

Cross posted on AO3

Part 1,Part 2,Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6,Chapter 7: The Last dinner (you are here), Part 8, Part 9, Part 10~

Synopsis: Unfortunately, The Regerator develops a fixation with you while you are working undercover for Yelan. And there’s no one who can get in his way of his prized Lotus.

Convinced myself to like the beds I shared

While crying, going numb and lying bare

I did it all for them and more

With all my body getting sore

How could I be so brutal to myself?

Will I ever love?

You laid beside him breathless.

Of course, he wasn't even close to done; still laying down a row of warm kisses to your collarbone, signaling for another round.

You had your eyes shut trying to catch your breath.

The whole incident was strange to you, musing silently about your slain co-worker.

No other soldiers Were around from what you could observe when you both made it from the tunnel.

The only one there was Pantalone.

But from your reports he had no vision on him from what Yelan had briefed you about him; even if he had some combat experience that shot would have been too far to make from him.

You knew you had to go back, Or at least find Yelan once again without whoever was hiding around the estate possibly hunting you know that you were alone.

“Dear?” 

You reopened your eyes;His amethyst eyes glowed in the dusk-filled room, eyes meeting yours while he lay nestled against your breasts. Pantalone's hair was strewn in a mess compared to his usual tied-back hairstyle.

Pantalone's glasses were strewn on the nightstand near the sturdy bed.

“Mm—”

“You seem distracted” He stared you down scrunching his brow.

His hand began to creep from under the rustled sheets towards your cheek.

“Just a bit tired” you murmured, “I heard from Galina you've been easily exhausted” he began to rub your cheek.

“Oh that's nothing, I just assume it's from the weather” you sighed, closing your eyes once more.

He didn't respond, but he didn't stop touching you. 

“I wonder…”

You felt Pantalone's lithe hand run over the swell of your stomach.

“I wonder if someone might be…”

Your eyes fluttered open.

Fear rises in the pit of your gut.

The Archons wouldn't be cruel enough to curse you again with that same pain from those 15 years ago.

“No”

Pantalone snapped to focus on your face, previously focusing on your exposed stomach.

“I- just don't think it could happen… at my age” you muttered the last part your head low to your chin.

“Besides, you wore protection didn't you?” Looking at Pantalone for confirmation of your sentence he only kept idly tracing your stomach creating a tickle bubbling in your gut from the sensitivity in the area.

“Maybe we should take you to the doctor” he nonchalantly told you, “even if your claim is true It's not normal to be so tired princess” 

You scoffed at the mention

“Princess?” you repeated

“your beauty is of one Lián” Pantalone replied, 

You only made a scrunched-up expression as you flicked your eyes up to the larger canopy above both of you, The main structure of the fabric attached to the top of the pillars on the corners of the bed reminded you of a large night sky.

“Lián” 

You only lazily nodded in response; your eyes still focusing on the top of the canopy above.

“would you marry me if I asked you” 

oh, Archons no.

“Depends” You looked down to see him observing you with hope in his eyes, He with haste grabbed your hand aligningyour palms together in front of the two of you.

“I don't think I'm the type you should settle down with” you smiled to yourself, “After all you shouldn't put all your eggs in a basket Pantalone” 

His face immediately fell at your answer; a forlorn look of despair and annoyance. He grasps your hand once more playfully holding it to his cheek.

“I did a lot of thinking while I was away Lián” he cleared his throat “and my heart doesn't hesitate when it tells me who is destined to be my future fiancee”

“I'm not saying you shouldn't be with me” you panicked trying to quell the storm beginning to brew in his flawless face,“it's more of maybe you should just be patient” 

However, it seemed he was fuming at your words. His brows cross and the end of his mouth twitching with displeasure.

“I thought I told you when I returned I expected an answer”

His tone was now deeper, a silent rage rising.

“I even allowed you to roam in my abode to decide what you truly wanted” 

“Pantalone…”

You rolled to your side reaching for his back.

Your fingers slide to the center of his neck gently pressing into his firm back.

“I love you” you quietly confessed.

There was more silence from the raven-haired man.

“I just…” 

You hesitated exhaling as you focused your fingers into the rough spot on his back.

“I do not want to get married again” 

You felt your head lower at the mention.

In all honesty, you don't know why you were making legitimate excuses to him, you weren't going to marry him either way if he genuinely proposed, you were just an agent undercover.

It wouldn't work out anyway…

“I thought you'd never been married to anyone before” He snapped back at you angrily.

“Well… We never got to get married” you trailed off, “It didn't work out between us” The tears began to trail your lash line at the small fragment of memory.

“I just don't want to deal with that embarrassment again” 

This time it was your turn to roll yourself in the blankets and sheets turning to the left side to look out the gated balcony outside.

“What if we just try Lián”

You couldn't contain the few silvery tears dampening the pillow below your cheek.

“We can both go to Sneznyha and get married and see where it takes the both of us” He rustled the sheets, still not closing the gap between you in the bed.

“you even said it yourself you've lived your whole life in Liyue harbor; don't you want to leave to create new memories somewhere else?” 

You didn't reply, but you decided to sit up covering your chest as best as you could with your blanket.

“Where are you going?” He demanded

“I want to freshen up a bit”

“Alone” and that you did, you wandered off on unsteady feet to the bathroom where your robe would most likely be.

You didn't dare to look back at Pantalone as you shut the folding door. 

Exhaling a breath you didn't realize was sitting in your chest you immediately turned on the warm tap you had seen Galina do many times.

Ironically this was one of those times you wished she was here, or at least Fedor to muse about your current situation.

The steam began to fill the room signaling for you to get ready to sit in the tub.

Your hair was tousled, but you did your best to comb out the small hair pins that were still attached.

As you racked your hair through the top of your head your eyes widened.

It had to be a mistake, your hair was messed up from laying and sitting up but the small shining gem should still be tucked underneath your hair where you placed it from before.

Holding your hand out you tried to channel your Cryo energy.

Your fingertips collected a small amount of Cryo, but it wasn't as strong as when you first retrieved it.

Mentally retracing your steps, you were relieved to know it had to be somewhere either in the bedroom or back into the entranceway, recalling feeling the vision as you brushed up against Pantalone.

frustrated you placed the hairpins on the sole rocks next to the tub.

you grabbed your towel about to get in when you felt shaken. You wobbled back, trying to correct yourself, back and forth you felt your vision funnel around you. Stepping back to what you thought was the tub, only to feel yourself tumble backward.

Falling onto your back with a loud thud.

Your vision turned pink; you slurred trying to murmur for help.

And with a spiral-like finish, you fell into darkness.

…

Cold.

A throne room.

You were walking along the icy path leading to the tall dark navy throne in front of you in the spotlights of the windows above the cathedral-like room.

A woman was there with a dark navy veil, only silver locks fell from the side of her face as she sat on the throne.

“There you are (name)”

Her voice sounded like crystals hitting the ice.

You felt yourself stop,standing in front of the throne.

“I've been watching you for a long time” she chuckled.

You only narrowed your eyes at her.

“It seems you don't realize the true danger of this trap you have fallen into” she sighed.

She lifted her left cloaked hand extending a long manicured nail as pale as snow to the left.

Footsteps were rapidly approaching you both.

You couldn't see who it was as they hadn't reached the spotlights yet but the footsteps were small but dainty and calculated reminding you of a familiar someone.

“I apologize for the troubles you had to befall in the past and the current”

She clasped her hands, you realized the footsteps stopped.

Your eyes darted to the spotlight beside her throne.

The world felt as if it had stopped.

You couldn't react to this dream or illusion. Only spectating.

But if you could you would have died.

“I hope this gift will find you well; although the tragedy that will have to occur for you to finally carry this gift with you” 

Her words were powerful as the person—

Or the child standing in front of you in the spotlight.

She at least had to be 8 years old; tall, she wore a long fur robe around her body only being able to tell she was wearing a floor-length gown that had white and blue glittering tulle underneath.

Your complexion and similar colored eyes looked back at you, a simple smile on her fine lips as she looked towards you.

Her hair was a dark ebony color, long flowing back her chest reminiscent of mermaid waves.

She reminded you of the daydreams you had picturing him and your child occasionally.

“How can you be so cruel to me and show me a future that will never happen” you thought.

The woman only smiled as you glared at her.

“Goodbye (name)”

“I'll see you very soon”

…

You gasped— the breath returning into you.

The first face you saw surprisingly wasn't Pantalone but the tall Fatui Mage, her trademark hood in clear view as she was in front of you holding a leaf or something to your nose.

Of course, Fedor was standing beside Galina, it seemed you were on the ground of Pantalone's room.

“Lián! She's awake” Fedor announced

“I knew this would awaken her” Galina sighed a sigh of relief.

“Lián, do you remember what happened before you passed out?” Galina asked.

You didn't realize you were propped up in someone's arms until you felt Galina grab you to sit up in her arms.

“I-”

“I had a weird dream” you slurred trying to keep your eyes from shutting once more.

“It was really cold” You tried to recall the scenes only remembering the feelings.

It was like the dream was gone from your memory.

“She went into the bathroom by herself without me; I tried following after her but she locked shut the gate before I could enter,” Pantalone said from behind you.

“I heard the water turn on but I never heard Lián get in” he gestured to the tub that you didn't even notice was full, soaking the ground around the tub.

You did recall the events though, remembering getting up to go wander the estate without Pantalone. 

And your vision.

You only stayed silent nodding in agreement.

“Ironic as I'd just been scolding my princess to go see a doctor” Pantalone exaggerated a sigh.

“I guess I will call one immediately” He left the room leaving you.

he hesitated before he got up from where he was seated on the bathroom floor, and stopped very close to your ear.

“You win tonight” he mumbled under his breath.

-

“Is something missing my lady?” She parted your hair once more allowing her to form a single French braid.

“I lost one of my favorite silver trinkets earlier” you sighed, “I found it in the steam during noon and then I lost it once Lord Pantalone got home” You tucked your face into the pillow.

“don't tell me that's why you trespassed into dangerous territory lián” Galina scolded 

“That area is Fatui personnel only; you could have gotten yourself killed down there” she tsked you giving a light pat to your back.

after a few moments of silence, while she meticulously braided your hair, you still lying on your pillow resting your chin.

The thought occurred to you that this was the first time you'd truly been able to relax.

Before Pantalone had “captured” you most of your days would be from running through the bustling harbor to keep your body in shape, to having the occasional pleasure of Running into Ganyu and Keqing in their usual spot under the pavilion before you'd scurry off and train in the mountains with your bow and vision for most of the evenings.

A change of pace that you had now.

Your brow furrowed as you thought about Pantalone's proposition.

Did you want the rest of your days to be occupied with seeing Pantalone, Galina, and Fedor every day?

Lying on your side as you got dressed up all day like a doll.

oh, Archons no.

“Depends” You looked down to see him observing you with hope in his eyes, He with haste grabbed your hand aligningyour palms together in front of the two of you.

“I don't think I'm the type you should settle down with” you smiled to yourself, “After all you shouldn't put all your eggs in a basket Pantalone” 

His face immediately fell at your answer; a forlorn look of despair and annoyance. He grasps your hand once more playfully holding it to his cheek.

“I did a lot of thinking while I was away Lián” he cleared his throat “and my heart doesn't hesitate when it tells me who is destined to be my future fiancee”

“I'm not saying you shouldn't be with me” you panicked trying to quell the storm beginning to brew in his flawless face,“it's more of maybe you should just be patient” 

However, it seemed he was fuming at your words. His brows cross and the end of his mouth twitching with displeasure.

“I thought I told you when I returned I expected an answer”

His tone was now deeper, a silent rage rising.

“I even allowed you to roam in my abode to decide what you truly wanted” 

“Pantalone…”

You rolled to your side reaching for his back.

Your fingers slide to the center of his neck gently pressing into his firm back.

“I love you” you quietly confessed.

There was more silence from the raven-haired man.

“I just…” 

You hesitated exhaling as you focused your fingers into the rough spot on his back.

“I do not want to get married again” 

You felt your head lower at the mention.

In all honesty, you don't know why you were making legitimate excuses to him, you weren't going to marry him either way if he genuinely proposed, you were just an agent undercover.

It wouldn't work out anyway…

“I thought you'd never been married to anyone before” He snapped back at you angrily.

“Well… We never got to get married” you trailed off, “It didn't work out between us” The tears began to trail your lash line at the small fragment of memory.

“I just don't want to deal with that embarrassment again” 

This time it was your turn to roll yourself in the blankets and sheets turning to the left side to look out the gated balcony outside.

“What if we just try Lián”

You couldn't contain the few silvery tears dampening the pillow below your cheek.

“We can both go to Sneznyha and get married and see where it takes the both of us” He rustled the sheets, still not closing the gap between you in the bed.

“you even said it yourself you've lived your whole life in Liyue harbor; don't you want to leave to create new memories somewhere else?” 

You didn't reply, but you decided to sit up covering your chest as best as you could with your blanket.

“Where are you going?” He demanded

“I want to freshen up a bit”

“Alone” and that you did, you wandered off on unsteady feet to the bathroom where your robe would most likely be.

You didn't dare to look back at Pantalone as you shut the folding door. 

Exhaling a breath you didn't realize was sitting in your chest you immediately turned on the warm tap you had seen Galina do many times.

Ironically this was one of those times you wished she was here, or at least Fedor to muse about your current situation.

The steam began to fill the room signaling for you to get ready to sit in the tub.

Your hair was tousled, but you did your best to comb out the small hair pins that were still attached.

As you racked your hair through the top of your head your eyes widened.

It had to be a mistake, your hair was messed up from laying and sitting up but the small shining gem should still be tucked underneath your hair where you placed it from before.

Holding your hand out you tried to channel your Cryo energy.

Your fingertips collected a small amount of Cryo, but it wasn't as strong as when you first retrieved it.

Mentally retracing your steps, you were relieved to know it had to be somewhere either in the bedroom or back into the entranceway, recalling feeling the vision as you brushed up against Pantalone.

frustrated you placed the hairpins on the sole rocks next to the tub.

you grabbed your towel about to get in when you felt shaken. You wobbled back, trying to correct yourself, back and forth you felt your vision funnel around you. Stepping back to what you thought was the tub, only to feel yourself tumble backward.

Falling onto your back with a loud thud.

Your vision turned pink; you slurred trying to murmur for help.

And with a spiral-like finish, you fell into darkness.

…

Cold.

A throne room.

You were walking along the icy path leading to the tall dark navy throne in front of you in the spotlights of the windows above the cathedral-like room.

A woman was there with a dark navy veil, only silver locks fell from the side of her face as she sat on the throne.

“There you are (name)”

Her voice sounded like crystals hitting the ice.

You felt yourself stop,standing in front of the throne.

“I've been watching you for a long time” she chuckled.

You only narrowed your eyes at her.

“It seems you don't realize the true danger of this trap you have fallen into” she sighed.

She lifted her left cloaked hand extending a long manicured nail as pale as snow to the left.

Footsteps were rapidly approaching you both.

You couldn't see who it was as they hadn't reached the spotlights yet but the footsteps were small but dainty and calculated reminding you of a familiar someone.

“I apologize for the troubles you had to befall in the past and the current”

She clasped her hands, you realized the footsteps stopped.

Your eyes darted to the spotlight beside her throne.

The world felt as if it had stopped.

You couldn't react to this dream or illusion. Only spectating.

But if you could you would have died.

“I hope this gift will find you well; although the tragedy that will have to occur for you to finally carry this gift with you” 

Her words were powerful as the person—

Or the child standing in front of you in the spotlight.

She at least had to be 8 years old; tall, she wore a long fur robe around her body only being able to tell she was wearing a floor-length gown that had white and blue glittering tulle underneath.

Your complexion and similar colored eyes looked back at you, a simple smile on her fine lips as she looked towards you.

Her hair was a dark ebony color, long flowing back her chest reminiscent of mermaid waves.

She reminded you of the daydreams you had picturing him and your child occasionally.

“How can you be so cruel to me and show me a future that will never happen” you thought.

The woman only smiled as you glared at her.

“Goodbye (name)”

“I'll see you very soon”

…

You gasped— the breath returning into you.

The first face you saw surprisingly wasn't Pantalone but the tall Fatui Mage, her trademark hood in clear view as she was in front of you holding a leaf or something to your nose.

Of course, Fedor was standing beside Galina, it seemed you were on the ground of Pantalone's room.

“Lián! She's awake” Fedor announced

“I knew this would awaken her” Galina sighed a sigh of relief.

“Lián, do you remember what happened before you passed out?” Galina asked.

You didn't realize you were propped up in someone's arms until you felt Galina grab you to sit up in her arms.

“I-”

“I had a weird dream” you slurred trying to keep your eyes from shutting once more.

“It was really cold” You tried to recall the scenes only remembering the feelings.

It was like the dream was gone from your memory.

“She went into the bathroom by herself without me; I tried following after her but she locked shut the gate before I could enter,” Pantalone said from behind you.

“I heard the water turn on but I never heard Lián get in” he gestured to the tub that you didn't even notice was full, soaking the ground around the tub.

You did recall the events though, remembering getting up to go wander the estate without Pantalone. 

And your vision.

You only stayed silent nodding in agreement.

“Ironic as I'd just been scolding my princess to go see a doctor” Pantalone exaggerated a sigh.

“I guess I will call one immediately” He left the room leaving you.

he hesitated before he got up from where he was seated on the bathroom floor, and stopped very close to your ear.

“You win tonight” he mumbled under his breath.

-

“Galina” you lazily called over the massive pillow you were currently lying on your side.

She only hummed in acknowledgment as she kept braiding your hair back.

“Did you happen to see…. A small accessory anywhere?” You knew subtly was the way to ask, You weren't even sure if Galina knew what visions were anyway.

“Is something missing my lady?” She parted your hair once more allowing her to form a single French braid.

“I lost one of my favorite silver trinkets earlier” you sighed, “I found it in the steam during noon and then I lost it once Lord Pantalone got home” You tucked your face into the pillow.

“don't tell me that's why you trespassed into dangerous territory lián” Galina scolded 

“That area is Fatui personnel only; you could have gotten yourself killed down there” she tsked you giving a light pat to your back.

after a few moments of silence, while she meticulously braided your hair, you still lying on your pillow resting your chin.

The thought occurred to you that this was the first time you'd truly been able to relax.

Before Pantalone had “captured” you most of your days would be from running through the bustling harbor to keep your body in shape, to having the occasional pleasure of Running into Ganyu and Keqing in their usual spot under the pavilion before you'd scurry off and train in the mountains with your bow and vision for most of the evenings.

A change of pace that you had now.

Your brow furrowed as you thought about Pantalone's proposition.

Did you want the rest of your days to be occupied with seeing Pantalone, Galina, and Fedor every day?

Lying on your side as you got dressed up all day like a doll.

It just wasn't the life for you.

“Lián, if it's that important to you then I'll go look for it once the doctor finishes his examination”

She sounded frustrated, but her tone was the lispy-sounding caring voice she always had with you.

“No-no it's alright I shouldn't have made you worry about it I'll just buy another one” you frowned.

“I insist my lady, I'm very familiar with this whole estate If it's here it cannot hide from me” She smiled to herself, andshe grabbed an elastic tying off the end of the braid.

“There, now you're ready” 

Galina got up and approached the hallway leaving you by yourself on the bed, now empty.

Pantalone had left downstairs doing god knows what. 

You only assumed the worst, possibly trying to figure out who else to strike down while he was in Liyue.

“Miss Lián” 

You heard approaching footsteps behind you.

lazily you turned to look up at the Fatui medical agent, his long white coat adorned with what you'd heard was a delusion on his hip. 

Dendro from the looks of its unusual appearance.

“H-hello”  you replied weakly, you gulped as you saw him leave his doctor's bag on the ground beside you.

“She seems fine right now, and my subordinate took her to bed straight away to make sure she didn't wound her head or body” Galina then approached the doctor near your bedside.

“She's also been complaining of fatigue and extremely weak along with a weak stomach sometimes” Galina fussed once more.

The doctor grabbed a few tools before he began to feel around your head with his large hands, “Can you follow my fingers Lián” The doctor reached into his coat to retrieve a light flashing it all around your eyes and head as he made you look left to right several times.

“Lay back for me miss Lián” 

You rolled to your back now sprawled out the white nightgown you had on barely covering your knees.His hands pressed the sides of your stomach gauging if you felt pressure or vice versa.

It wasn't until he reached your hips that he immediately hesitated.

You felt your heart race as he focused above your belly button.

“Miss Lián have you had any cramps in this area?” 

You shook your head no feeling that horrid feeling of your neck and face being ebbed away by the sensation of discomfort that came with panic.

Watching him as he held his hand over your stomach; a green glow filling his fingertips as a bubble of Dendro energy was radiating over your naval.

And just as soon as it started he stopped.

“I may have found the issue, but I'll need to take the patterns of my energy synthesis to confirm my findings” He turned to Galina who only nodded in agreement.

“So what is wrong with My lady?” Galina questioned. “Her head and reflexes are fine, no reason for the fainting” he held the small pieces of Dendro energy in his hands. 

“I'd say once I process this in a moment I can confidently give you and Lord Pantalone a diagnosis” he got up leaving the room in a hurry.With just you and Galina in the room, you decided to lull your head over your shoulder to look at Galina patiently waiting by your bedside.

“Galina” you breathed softly.

“Yes my lady” she attentively responded.

“Pantalone isn't mad at me is he?” you felt repulsed by how heartbroken your tone sounded.

“Of course not my lady, He's just busy preparing the special dinner…” Her words faded away as she paused.

“No— I mean to say why would he be angry at you my lady” Galina corrected herself a bit too late.

“We… got in a small argument before I passed out” you sighed, “and I think he might have been a bit bothered about it” Your mind replayed the conversation once more, the fury in his eyes and face when you told him to not settle down with you.

You had hoped he'd fall out of love with you anyway but being human after all, it hurt to see someone as lethal as Pantalone to be angered by you.

Galina sat beside you on Pantalone's side of the bed only smiling a comforting smile to you.

you let your thumb find your lip as you press it nervously into your bottom lip area.

“I may have rejected him when he was confessing his true feelings for me”  You swallowed a thick gulp nervously.

“I'm lying, It was when he suggested I might have been pregnant, then I got annoyed, and then he told me he'd wanted to marry me but I told him he shouldn't just settle for me— after all, I've been hurt before and if I have another marriage fail with the man I love—”

You stopped yourself.

You heard it

And Galina had just heard your abrupt confession.

“Did–”

“You did Lián” Galina giggled

You bit down on your thumbnail hard instead of saying any more.

Galina's melodious laugh filled your brain.

“Oh Lián, you're just overthinking so many things” She lifted the side of your braid playing with it.

“You've never truly seen him mad before” she lowly whispered

“If you truly want to make it right I think you should apologize to him— if your little confession is anything then you'dwant him to know you weren't being heartless on purpose” Your braid was now the focus of her attention as she spun it around.

“Maybe I should tell him now…” you sat up letting your legs curl underneath you.

“I would wait for a little… like uh” Galina looked at her wrist under her cloak “Maybe at dinner time” she specified.

“He is very busy with something right now” 

you looked up at her and nodded.

A few seconds of silence radiated from you.

Then finally the sound of the send to the doctor came in.

“My readings show you are indeed healthy Miss Lián” he cheerfully announced.

“I did see some abnormalities in your lower stomach I will keep an eye on but for now I'm focusing on your poor nutrient intake” he reached for your arms once again poking and prodding them.

“Your body needs more water and food” The doctor held onto your hands infusing the Dendro liquid into your skin.

It was after several minutes that you felt a kick of energy in your body.

“See? Feel better?” He smiled at you letting his big hands move away from your arms

“No skipping meals and double the intake on everything you eat and drink” he reached in his bag for a bottle of medicine, the continents reminding you of small amber orbs or crystals packed full in the cylindrical bottle.

“This should keep you from any more nasty incidents like previously” He patted your shoulder, beginning to pack his bag and recede from the bedside you sat at.

While Galina and The doctor spoke beside the bedside you were able to get out of the bed; making small movements like swinging your feet back and forth, moving your head side to side.

The dizziness and illness you felt were gone.

Your mood elevated greatly you got up to walk out onto the balcony.

Passing the ornate gateway you looked over the edge of the balcony railing hitting your waistline.

The sun was still strong over the mountain but you could look down and see the misty clouds of the rocky formations below.

A part of you wished you had an anemo vision just so you could experience flying above the tall mountains and weaving through the heavy clouds underneath you.

“Oh no my lady, Not again” Galina rushed beside you grabbing you gently by the hip “You are not the Anemo archon nor have an Anemo vision” She guided you back into your room.

“Besides now that you feel a bit better It's time for me to wash you up and make sure you look presentable” Galina took you towards the open bathroom door.

-

Seated in the middle of the table was a first for you; looking across you could see the seat you usually sat at for when dinner was served.

You never guessed it was where Pantalone would sit.

“My lady don't forget to drink your water” Fedor reminded you once again from the opposite side of the large dining hall.

He stood against one of the dark wood panels, one of the various chandeliers above his head illuminating his tall figure above you.

“I will!” You grabbed your glass from across the table, letting the cold water brush past your lips.

Normally dinner would be served by now, but with Galina spilling the news you needed to eat more might have delayed the normally fast dinner.

“Fedor,” you asked

The man only stood at attention.

“Do you know why the delay with the food?”

“Not to seem picky Im just famished” you added quickly.

“I can inform the chefs to hurry if the speed displeases you, My lady” 

“But I will add tonight Pantalone requested a special Dinner for tonight” Fedor was about to exit through the one steep stone entranceway on the right side of where he stood.

“No, it's alright! I was just wondering” but to no avail, your words weren't heard as Fedor walked through the entranceway leading to the kitchen area.

you continued to sip your water in silence.

It was just you and the long brown ornate table decorated with small paper flowers of various colors on top of the red table runner.

Pantalone was still busy when you and Galina tried to find him earlier.

You were dressed now in a loose maxi gown, your bare feet exposed, preferring to roam without any shoes, your hair still in its braid from earlier but more put together. Lilac and dark grey were the colors of the dress, admiring the long flowing sleeves next to you.

Hearing the distant sound of metal and plates hitting you perked up at the familiar sound of your food arriving.

Quickly you heard the footsteps fill the room with the many fatui chefs you'd become familiar with as you've stayed here in the home. 

Eyeing the meal before you it seemed to be a fancier spread, most likely since Pantalone and his expensive taste was going to attend dinner tonight. 

You had to admit now that you had the medicine you didn't realize you had been feeling physically miserable until now.

Waiting for your plate to be set in front of you, your mind filled with hunger as you eyed the crystal shrimp and crab roe tofu towards the center of the table.

However, you got a sneak attack for the first time in forever.

You weren't aware Pantalone even knew how to make his footsteps that quiet.

Lightly grazing the apple of your cheek with a pinch and kiss before he walked gracefully to the table his black robe flowing behind. finally reaching the other end of the table just as the servants began serving the plates for this evening's dinner.

“How did your checkup go Princess” he sat gracefully in front of you, reminding you of his status in the estate, his amethyst eyes watching you.

”I'm using too much of my energy; He gave me this wonderous shot and I feel like myself again” You smiled towards him, “I didn't realize most of my moodiness was because of the lack of energy”

”Well I'm relieved you're beginning to brighten up my lotus” 

your thoughts were interrupted when you saw your plate sitting in front of you, the food steaming indicating it was hot and fresh, you began to eagerly eat, you think you even rivaled Yelan with how much food you were shoveling into your mouth.

“Lián!”

Stopping immediately you looked up to see Galina in the doorframe bedside the entrance closest to Pantalone.

”You can't be eating like you're uncivilized just because your beloved is here” she scolded you once more.

“Oh she’s fine Galina, it’s not as if there's any company here that requires it” He waved his glove before lifting his chopsticks to his mouth.

despite Pantalone’s approval you only decided to slowly pick each crystal shrimp slower than the last, as you diligently picked each one off your plate.

”Pantalone”

his eyebrows quirked up as glanced up from his bowl of rice.

”I-“

you breathed out.

”I'm sorry about earlier” Looking down at your plate you weren't brave enough to look back at him.

”your right, I should try something new in my life, after all, it’s not like any of us are getting younger” You fluttered your lashes.

”is that why you were searching for me earlier Lián?” He set his chopsticks down, a deep rich laugh escaping his lips, “you do not have to apologize to me, it should be me apologizing to you”

Looking up you were met with his harsh amethyst hues focused on your face.

”no really, I felt like I hurt you and I love you, Pantalone”

Fedor and Galina looked at each other in surprise from beside Pantalone’s grand chair.

Pantalone however only clasped his hands together before resting them on the table. closing his eyes he sighed to himself.

”To me, actions mean more than words darling” he cleared his throat, “anyone can just utter an apology” Pantalone then reached for the glass of green tea beside him, picking up the white and blue teacup as if he was going to drink it.

The steam from the tea was still billowing, not bothering to blow it.

Only, when it was going to reach his lips, at the same moment a servant was walking away. Right when her long blouse was flowing past him you watch a dark glint in his eyes before he tossed the small teacup at the woman.

The scream was gut-wrenching to hear, you stared with wide eyes as the side of her face was now scalded and red from the sweet liquid dripping down her injury.

You instinctively scooted out of your chair to go and help the poor girl, only for you to be quickly sat back down by Fedor who was the closest to you, blocking you from going to render care.

Feeling your stomach dropped you watched as she ran off towards the hallway leading back to the kitchen.

Pantalone only sat there unbothered, this time innocently picking at the remaining few pieces of meat on his plate.

”Sorry” he only monotonously said, continuing to finish his meal for the evening.

”I have said an apology but that doesn't mean I undid my actions”

Deciding now was a good time you only sat yourself silently back into your chair.

’So, what can I do to show you then?” Trying your best to not quiver.

”I promise I do want to try Pantalone” 

The hesitation before he said anything else was making you uneasy. Now halting from eating anymore from your plate.

he held a finger to his chin, but you knew it was an act from his body language, after tapping his finger to his chin he finally spoke.

"Why don't we.. go to Snezhnaya together?”

”let’s consider this our last dinner here in Liyue for a while” he smiled gingerly, “you’ll do it for me won't you my lotus?”

”you did say you love me” He softly grinned.

Note: Btw my request are open! After August I wont do any until October (shh I haven’t made a request page for genshin stuff but shoot me a ask if you want lol)

[luimagines]

You Ruffle/Pat His Hair Part 3

Masterlist

Part 1 Part 2

Part 3 will include Twilight, Warrior and Hyrule.

Content under the cut!

Twilight

“Well hello there, Darlin’. Lovely day we’re having.” Twilight strides up next to you. He’s without his layers and pelt.

You snort, half tempted to push him away. “Yes, I suppose it is, honey bunch. Any particular reason the winds decided to blow you my way?”

You looks up from what you were doing and raise an eyebrow. Twilight takes a second too long to answer and your face drops. “Don’t tell me Wild did something again... I thought we agree that he was your responsibility when he was dealing with Legend and Hyrule. If he’s with Warrior or Four, then I take the burden.”

Twilight snorts and shakes his head. He sits down next to you and crosses his ankles. “Nothing like that. From what I’ve heard he’s with Wind and Sky.”

You nod. “Oh, good. Then whatever happens will fall to Time.”

“Yup!”

You decide to relax next to him since he’s taken the initiative. “In which case, I believe that puts us both in the clear. But you still haven’t answered my question.”

“Can’t it just be that I want your company without some ulterior motive?” Twilight answers with a lazy smile.

You turn to face him head on and give him your sweetest smile. “No.”

“Ouch. Tough crowd.” Twilight laughs. “Well you better start believing it. I don’t want anything from you.”

You roll your eyes. “Then you’re hiding from someone. Who is it? I’ll yell out your location.”

Twilight puts a hand over his heart and pretends to fall backwards. “You wound me. I’m only here to enjoy the nice afternoon weather. Must it be any more complicated than that.” 

You narrow your eyes playfully. “And if I still don’t believe you?���

“Well there’s not much I can about that.” Twilight grins and lays backwards. His hand lace together behind his head and he sighs. “But if you’re really curious then I’m avoiding that Captain. So if you can keep your pretty little voice down that would incredibly helpful.”

His admission shocks you and you snort in reflex. “That bad?... Alright, alright. I won’t say anything. You’re safe here with me.”

You pat him on the head and return to what you were doing prior.

“Thank you.” Twilight sounds genuine.

Wow, it must have been really bad. Or at least very awkward.

“Do I even want to know what it is?” You tease, poking Twilight with your foot. “You’re not one to shy away from anything. And here you are. Hiding.”

“I’m not hiding.” He pouts. “I’m recuperating.”

“From what?”

“A headache.”

“From what?” You grin widens.

“From thinking about the problem Warrior no doubt wants me to tackle.”

“Rancher!” Warrior calls in the distance.

You poke Twilight again. “Duty calls.”

“No way.” He frowns. You smirk and in a deep breath. Twilight jumps up and puts a hand over your mouth. He glares. “You promised.”

Shrugging, you gently push him away. “Scardy cat.”

Warrior 

“Warrior, you’re going to collapse. Sit down before you hurt yourself.” You sigh, already tired of his shenanigans.

The man in question, grunts in reply and keeps going forward. As if to prove your point, he missteps and his foot slides against the rock. He hits his knee on the way down and nearly falls over.

“Link, please.” You put your hand son his shoulders. “This is a but much, don’t you think?”

“We have to meet the others.” He says. “We have to regroup.”

“It’ll be a lot harder to regroup if you’re unconscious.” You say, poking him in the arm.

The movement sets him off course and he stumbles once more.

“That’s it.” You grab his arm and pull him the side. “Sit. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

He tries to fight you, but he doesn’t have the strength to stand up any more when you pull him down with you. He collapses like a card tower and crumples on top of you.

You didn’t expect his weight to land on top of you, but take it for what it is. You throw your arms over him. He’s going to stay there until he either takes a nap or until he feels better. Which ever comes first.

“You are impossible.” You say, beating his side like a drum. “Do you only stop when you drop dead?”

“I can’t give up like this.” He turns his head away from you. “I need to- we need to get to the others.”

His eyes begin to close against his will. You can see him fight it. He tries to jerk himself awake. He has to stay vigilant and to completely the mission. You sigh. “This is not giving up. This is making sure we’re still held together in one piece. If we’re lucky, they wouldn’t go anywhere. I bet they’re looking for us as well. There’s nothing to gain if we injure ourselves.”

Warrior hums again, succumbing to his exhaustion. You’re tired too, to be honest. but Warrior was always an early riser and he had spent the earlier portion of the day protecting you and your belongings as you slept.

You run your hands through his hair in soft soothing motions. He falls asleep in within that very second.

“Idiot.” You shake your head.

Knowing that he’s only going to wake when he gets the sleep that he’s lacking, you ruffle his hair roughly. He would have never allowed you to that while he was conscious but it feels nice to do so now.

He grunts again and you think that you’ve woken him up for one terrifying second.

You return to petting him softly, fixing the very hair you had just messed up. “Sorry, sorry.” You whisper. “There, there. Good as new. Don’t worry about it.”

He doesn’t respond anymore.

You sigh and lean back. He let you sleep in earlier and he made sure that you were safe all the while.

It’s only fair that you repay the favor.

Hyrule

“So you take the flower like this and then, you move the stem this way, you see?” You move what you had in your hand to show Rulie the chain in your hands.

Hyrule looks at the one he has and tries to copy what you did. It doesn’t quite match up with what he sees, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to give up anytime soon.

“This is harder than they want you to think.” Hyrule mutters under his breath. “How do you do this so easily?”

“Practice, I guess.” You giggle. Hyrule had to stick his tongue out in concentration.

He still doesn’t get it quite right.

“Well then you’re going to have to show me again because I think I’m doing the wrong thing at this point.” Hyrule pouts, undoing what he just did.

Ever patient, you undo your just the same and scoot closer so that he can see what you’re doing with your fingers to get the pant to behave the way you want it to. “You need to grab it like this if you want it to twist without breaking. Otherwise it’s never going to bend the other way.”

Hyrule blows a raspberry. “I think it broke earlier.”

“That would make it a lot harder to get it right, yes.” You try to hold back your smile. you can see that he’s getting increasing frustrated but it’s just funny to you. “We can take a break?”

“No, no, no, I’m fine.” Hyrule grabs another flower and tries again from the beginning. “I can do it.”

“It’s not about whether you can or can’t.” You raise an eyebrow, Regardless you wait for hi t get the point where you are now before you show him for a third time. “Ready?”

“Almost.” Hyrule sighs, trying to get it right once more.

“You know it’s not really a big deal if you get it or not. My sister has tried for ages but the plants never seem to work with her.” You explain gently. “If anything, they always seem to fight her.”

“I can do it.” He says instead and you back off.

You still find yourself biting your lip to keep your grin at bay. It’s not working but it’s cute that he’s trying so hard to do this with you.

You pat his head. “There, there. You’ll get it soon enough, Link.”

Hyrule frowns as his pout deepens. “I’m not a child. You don’t need to pat my head in consolation.”

“Fine.” You snort, mussing up his hair. “This better?”

“If Warrior yells at me for lack of up keep again, I’m blaming you.” Hyrule sticks his tongue out again. he hasn’t even looked at you once. His full attention is on the little flower chain before him.

You shake your head, fixing his hair up anyway. “Stick in the mud.”

Hyrule turns, finally and sticks his tongue out at you. You return the gesture. “There. Did I do it right?”

You grin. “It’s perfect.”

It’s not. But he’s earned it at this point, don’t you think?

[justmeinadaze]

I Have Nothing (If I Don't Have You) Part 2 (Steddie X You)

Warnings with some notes: Soft Dom Steddie and Singer Reader, Smut and angst, reader has flashbacks of her fight with Simon from the last chapter (Domestic violence trigger!), her need to numb with alcohol and drugs is touched on briefly, Eddie alludes to his past with his dad.

This chapter does deal with some darker themes of Y/N feeling like she's nothing because toxic people have made her believe that. Please never forget that you matter and your feelings ARE valid <3.

Word Count: 4305

Your eyes snapped open to darkness as the images from your nightmare were slowly beginning to fade away. Nightmares weren’t new for you but this one involving Simon trying to hurt you was. It took you moment as you sat up to catch your breath to remember you weren’t alone in your guest bedroom tonight. 

Ever the gentlemen, even though you asked them to sleep in bed with you, both men had fallen asleep as close to the edge that they could and on top of your covers. Eddie was facing you, his arms folded against his chest as he slept. Steve’s chest gently rose and fell as his head remained angled towards the bedroom door. 

Without jostling the bed too much, you crawled out from under your blanket and headed for the kitchen to grab a glass of water. You stared at the whiskey bottle on the counter, frozen in place as the night’s events played through your mind. 

Simon was already irritable when you came back from having lunch with the guys but after telling him where you were he had gotten extremely jealous. 

“They are security, not your fucking friends. Why are you having lunch with them?!”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe cause they earned it. They did protect your girlfriend from a mob last night.”

“A mob? Seriously? You’re so fucking dramatic.”

“You wouldn’t know because you weren’t fucking there even though you said you would be!”

“Are you fucking them?”

“I’m not even going to entertain that with an answer.”, you scoff.

Simon’s arm shoots out, gripping your biceps tightly as you whine in pain. “You will fucking entertain it. Tell me now or I swear to God, Y/N…”

“Let. Me. Go.”

“Answer me.”

“Yes, Simon. Oh my god. You caught me.”, you respond sarcastically as you widen your eyes in jest. “I just met them last week and I swear…I couldn’t get them inside me fast enough. Even though I’ve been planning an album, tour, and singing at the concert I had, I still had enough time to just blow their minds. It only takes 2 minutes, right, baby? ‘In and out’ At least that’s how I refer to our sex life.”

His palm collided with your cheek hard, knocking your back into the adjacent wall.

“I have never once heard you or any other fucking woman complain. You think you’re so smart and perfect. Let me tell you, sweetie, you’re not. You’re just like every other fucking small-town whore who comes to the city to become ‘something’. There is absolutely nothing special about you, babe, and deep down you know that. That’s why you ply yourself with drugs and fucking liters of vodka. You. Are. Nothing.”

A tear escapes down your eye and you scold yourself internally for letting him see how much his words were hurting you. Abruptly, you lift you knee, hitting his stomach, and running to your bedroom as he howls in pain.

“Sweetheart?”

“Jesus!” You jump as the glass in your hand falls to the ground.

“Hey. Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you alright?”, Eddie asked, hands held up in surrender as he slowly moves towards you.

“Yeah, I…shit. I didn’t hear you come in.” As you start to step forward, his hand reaches out to lightly grab your forearm. 

“No. Don’t move. You aren’t wearing any shoes or slippers. Let me clean this up for you.”

You couldn’t help but softly giggle as he bent down to get the big pieces of glass with his hands. “Neither are you.”

“True but my feet aren’t as pretty as yours. I mean with the…”, he gestures towards your pedicured toes. 

“Are you…security guarding my feet, Mr. Munson?”

A small smirk slides across his face as he rises and throws the pieces into the trash before reaching into a nearby closet to grab a broom.

“You could say that. They are a part of you and I’m supposed to protect you so… plus I like the pastel purple color thing you got going on there.”

“It’s my favorite color. Usually my nails have to match the outfit but depending on my shoes I can have that be any color really so I always choose purple.” Eddie’s grin grows as he nods his head, finishing his task and putting everything away. “Thank you…again…for tonight.”

“Of course. Probably a silly question but how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.”, you lie. 

He nods again, his fingers tracing your arm where Simon had grabbed you. You tried not to flinch but it hurt too much. The metalhead opens your freezer and takes the first frozen, bagged item he sees before waving you to follow him as he heads for your couch. 

Carefully, he places the cold object on your bruises making you wince. 

“Growing up, when I had bruises like these, my mom would put peas or steak on my wound and tell me that it had healing powers. For a while I believed her because the next day the cuts and bruises didn’t hurt as bad.”

“Were you just a rough and tumble kid? Why did you get hurt so much?”

“My father would probably tell you it’s because I deserved it.” His beautiful brown eyes met yours, telling a story that he couldn’t just yet. 

“Oh…”

“Is everyone ok?” Steve sleepily sauntered into the living room and tossed himself onto one of your comfy chairs. 

“Took you long enough, Stevie. She’s been up for…”, Eddie glances at his watch. “…15 minutes. Give or take.” He chuckles at your shocked expression. “You were mumbling in your sleep and then kind of groaned when you woke up. That fully woke me up. I thought you were getting something to drink and then coming back. When you didn’t, I went searching till I found you staring into the void of the kitchen counter.”

“Yeah. I kind of got lost in thought for a moment.”

“Can we ask what you were thinking about?”

You turned towards the other boy, unsure if you should be honest. 

“I was going over the fight Simon and I had.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really. I’d rather talk about you guys.”

“I have an idea. Why don’t we make some breakfast, get some coffee, and then you can ask us anything you want to.”

“Ok. I don’t have many foods in here but…” Your eyes follow Steve as he stands up and heads for your kitchen. 

“Hm. I see eggs and bacon.” He starts pulling ingredients out and placing them on the counter, pausing to look at you. “Are you going to come help me or not?”

You giggle as you head his way, not noticing when Eddie smiles after you before getting up himself and disappearing down the hallway. 

“I have zero idea how to cook anything.”

“Well, thankfully, eggs are one of the easiest things to make.” Your eyes focus as you watch him work, listening to every tip he gives you. “Here, take this and I’m going to start the coffee.”

Panicking internally, you take the spatula from his hand, coping everything you had seen him do. After a couple of minutes, you felt his palm tenderly press against your lower back. 

“There you go. Pfft Miss I have no idea how to cook.” Steve grins down at you as your eyes light up at his compliment, proud that you were able to do something with the added bonus of making him happy. “Alright, let me plate this here. Ed! Food!”

Your eyes swing around the room, not realizing he had left it at all. 

“I’m comin’! Geez. I cleaned up the mess on your bedroom floor, Y/N. Later today, we’ll see about getting your door hooked back up, okay?”

“I…thank you. I could have helped you.”

Eddie takes a seat at your table as you plop down beside him and begin digging into your food. Steve brings you a cup filled to the brim with caffeine and sits across from his friend. 

“It’s no problem. He did more damage to the door and you…” You glance down at your plate as you take another small bite. Ringed fingers slide into your peripherals and tap your hand. “What did you want to ask us?”

“Are you from California?”

“Indiana actually.”, Steve answers. “Small town hidden away.”

“You said you were good at protecting people. Did you do that in Indiana?”

“At the bar in town, yeah. I used to play there with my band and on the weekends it would get a bit…rough. Steve saved my ass when some big, muscle-bound guy tried to punch me because he thought I was flirting with his girlfriend while we were playing.”

“He was but that’s beside the point.”, the other boy jokingly whispers making you laugh. 

“We also had some kids we grew up with that were bullied a lot so we protected them.”, Eddie smiled. “About two years ago, Harrington suggested we move out here to get more clients and make more money. For a while we were with this indie band but then they broke up.”

“Oof. I don’t have a band so no worries about that here. So, what’s your end goal? Do you want your own security company or…?”

“I mean technically we do have our own security company. Eddie and I are freelance so we don’t answer to anyone.” You nod your head at his answer as you take a sip from your cup. “What about you? Where are you from?”

“Haven’t goggled me yet, I see.”

“No fun in that especially when I’m sure whatever we would read would have some glaring plot holes.”

“True. I’m from a city down south. Definitely not a small town up bringing but very much a hardheaded one. My family always wanted me to be ‘something’ like a doctor or a teacher. I knew that wasn’t for me.”

“They don’t like that you sing?”

“My parents don’t get it. They see ‘real music’ as something like Johnny Cash or Dolly Parton. Since I’m not on that level I haven’t officially made it to them. I’m just fucking around on stage with a microphone.”, you roll your eyes. 

“I know Johnny Cash. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to Dolly Parton.” Your jaw drops open as you stare at Steve. 

“He’s a bit sheltered, sweetheart.”, Eddie teases. 

Quickly getting to your feet, you run to the bedroom to grab your phone, scrolling through it as you sit back down. “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton begins to play through the little speaker as you hold It out towards him. 

“On Saturday mornings, I remember waking up to my mom blaring this song with the windows open as she cleaned. The sun always seemed to shine through the windows perfectly and she seemed so happy. We would sing together while I helped her.” You smiled as your got lost in the memory. 

“I like it.”, Steve grinned as he bobbed his head. The music cut off as a phone call came through and you sighed, recognizing the ID. “Who is it this early?”

“Simon. He’s calling from the police station for me to bail him out.”

“Is that something you normally do?”, Eddie asked, huffing under his breath when you nod your head. “Y/N, he’s never going to stop taking advantage of you if you keep letting him and bailing him out.”

Anger suddenly flooded your expression as you turned on him. “Look, you don’t get it. I’m really sick and fucking tired of you two constantly pointing out how ‘weak’ I am by letting people ‘take advantage’ of me!”

“Did we say she was weak?” The metalhead turned towards his friend who promptly shook his head in response. 

“She’s definitely not weak. Scared maybe.”

“Pfft, please! What do I have to be scared of?!”

“Being alone, I imagine. Going back to being that southern little girl who was nothing.”, Steve shrugs as he leans back in his chair.

“I’m not nothing! Why do people keep saying that!?” You rise from your chair and stomp towards the kitchen, reaching for the bottle of vodka, popping the top, and chugging some of it back. 

You yelp as the bottle is yanked from your grasp and you watch as Eddie pours the liquid down the drain. “We didn’t say you were nothing. He’s saying YOU feel that way. Why is that, Y/N? Does Simon keep telling you that? Because if anyone here is nothing it’s that asshole.”

“You are not my father. You can’t just throw out my stuff like that!”

“Stop acting like a child and we’ll stop treating you like one.”

In defiance, you reach in your cabinet to grab another bottle of the hard liquor but Steve blind sides you as he comes up from behind and takes it from your hands. You stomp your feet as Eddie pours its contents down the sink as well. 

As you bend down to grab another, he blocks the area with his body.

“Move, Steve.”

He matches your glare with one of his one. “Make me. Hell, I’ll even make you deal. If you can move me, you can have what’s inside and we won’t stop you.”

Growling, you try and shove at his body with your small frame but it’s no use, he’s too strong.

“Stop it, Steve! Move!”

“Oh, come on, little girl. You’re giving up that easy?” 

You continue to throw a tantrum as you fold your arms over your chest. For moment you pause as you become slightly aware that you are being more of a brat than normal. Is it because they were pushing you? As your eyes shifted between theirs you noticed that dominate air return that you had only seen in them. 

They see it to within your demeanor as you partially descended into the headspace. They knew this was a professional boundary they shouldn’t cross but it was hard to be levelheaded when your big, beautiful eyes continued to penetrate theirs with need. A need to be protected and feel loved; to feel safe.

“You don’t need alcohol to make you feel better, honey.”

“Yeah? And what do I need, Steve?”

He took one confident step forward, backing you into the island behind you. “Personally, I think you need to be reminded how important you are and how much you matter. You need to be shown how fucking gorgeous you are and deserve to be treated right.”

Eddie’s lower belly grazed your hand as he came to your side. “You deserve to be up on a pedestal, Y/N.” Your eyes flutter shut as his lips graze the shell of your ear. “That way we can pull you off of it and make you cum till you’re begging us to stop.”

Your fingers tangle in the fabric of his shirt as you pull his lips to yours. Fuck he tastes so good…

You’re both panting once you’re finally able to pull away. 

“Th-this is…we shouldn’t be doing this.”, you whisper.

“No, we shouldn’t.” Steve’s palms grip your thighs as he lifts you onto the counter, kissing you passionately as you cling to his neck. 

You growl as your phone rings again but pause when their phones ping from different places in the house. Taking your device from Eddie’s grasp, you thank him as he hands it over to you. Resting your forehead against the man’s chest, you whine as you answer. 

“Hello Sarah.”

“You need to come down here now. We need to talk about the incident last night.”

“Can we do it tomorrow?”

“No, we can’t do it tomorrow! The morning news is already talking about this and we need to get ahead of it as much as possible. Get over here now, please.”, she commanded before disconnecting. 

“Hm. Well that would be my publicist, Sarah. I should go shower.” You flash them a soft smile as you slide down from the counter. “I’m sure you noticed but I have a shower in the guest room if you guys want to freshen up or anything.”

“Yeah, looks like your agent wants us there to.”, Eddie sighs as he shows Steve the text. 

“Our morning just got very exciting, gentlemen.”

###########

“Ok, let me ask this out right because depending on how you answer is where we go from here. Are you going to bail him out?”

Your eyes shifted towards the boys as they leaned against the wall to the side of you. You did every single time something happened with Simon. No matter what it was, you were always there to bail him out but after what happened and what the guys told you about deserving better…

“Um, no. Not this time.”

Sarah makes an amused face as she nods her head. “Good for you, Y/N. Fuck him. Are you considering that your way of dumping his ass?”

“I, um, yes. I think so… I’m sorry. Its just last night was a lot and I haven’t even really had time to process it.”

“I understand, Y/N. Now I have to ask just so I can be prepared for anything he might say… What exactly happened?”

“I came home and he was angry--”

“About what?”

Her question quickly followed your statement throwing you off guard. “Um, I had lunch with some…some friends and he got jealous.” You didn’t need to look their way again to know their eyes were penetrating your body. “He thought I was cheating on him.”

“Insecure fucker always thinks that with you. Ok, and then what?”

“I told him to fuck off and he hit me.”

“And then you called these two?” 

Eddie clears his throat when you nod. “She said she needed help so we sped down there and handled the situation.”

“Ok. Ok, ok, ok.”, Sarah exhales as she leans against her desk. “I’m going to write a formal statement and give it to the press. Something along the lines of you’re safe and will no longer tolerate this kind of behavior. You…pray for him to heal and wish him all the best?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. “, you sigh as you nonchalantly wave your hand. “I feel like we could have done this over the phone.”

“We could have but we didn’t.”

***

“You didn’t say the fight you two had was about us.”

“You’re right, Mr. Harrington. I didn’t.” He and Eddie exchanged a look as the metalhead continued to drive back towards your house. “To be fair…he thinks I’m fucking everybody so…”

“Are you?”

“Excuse me?”, you ask angrily.

“We wouldn’t blame you, sweetheart. You put on that little display for us when you and Simon were fucking before you snuck out to the bar. You were in there for a while and I don’t think we heard you cum once.”

“Like men can tell when a woman climaxes.”

“We can…but that could just be because our girls are always screaming our names and begging for more.”, Steve chuckles as Eddie grins.

“Oh my god. So fucking cocky. Simon has made me cum.”

As they hit a hit a red light, Steve quickly gets out and switches to the backseat so he can be beside you. 

“He has? I don’t believe it.”

Your breath catches in your throat as he throws his arm behind your head against the seat, allowing his body to scoot closer to yours. 

“I mean… believe whatever you want…”

His fingers behind your head play with your hair as he moves it away from your face, his other palm coming to graze your thigh. 

“You seem like the kinda girl that makes a lot of noise when you cum.”

“Especially with a beautiful voice like hers.”, Eddie adds. 

Your eyes flutter closed as his nose glides along your cheek, the hand on your thigh gradually moving up your pant covered leg. You desperately wanted him to touch you more but refused to ask or even beg for it. Instead, you chose to ground yourself, placing your own hand on his knee as you clung to the fabric of his shorts. 

Steve’s lips delicately traced along your neck as his palm finally found its way between your legs. “Your so warm already. I wonder how wet you are. Can I find out?” Licking your lips, you aggressively nod your head. “Say it, honey. Use your words.”, he whispers in your ear. 

“You…you can touch me.”

His head tilts as he looks down at your body, moving your shirt to the side a bit so he can slide his massive hand under the waistband of your leggings and panties. 

“Fuck me, Y/N. You are just dripping.”

You moan as his fingers glide through your sex as he plays with your pussy, your hand on his knee rising higher. 

“Do you want to touch my cock, baby? You can.”, Steve murmurs against your skin, groaning when he feels your cunt flutter against the pads of digits. 

He shuffles closer to you as you lift your leg and place it over his own allowing him more access as one of his fingers breaches your entrance. His lips find yours, humming against them as your palm rubs his groin. 

“Jesus… Ed, she’s…she’s so fucking tight.” As he turns to talk to his friend, your mouth places feathery light kisses along his jawline to his neck. Your hooded eyes open when you feel his throat vibrate against you as he laughs. “You ok, man?”

“Yeah…f-fuck… we’re-we’re almost at her house. I need jerk off so fucking bad. Her moans are so fucking sexy.”

“You’re—mmm—you’re not gonna fuck me?”

Steve turns his attention back to you, his eyes meeting yours as he slips a second finger into your sex.

“No, pretty girl. Not today.”

Eddie parks the car in your shaded driveway, hastily unbuckling his seatbelt before turning around to face you both. You watched him with lust driven eyes as he unbuttoned his pants before licking his hand and stroking his length. 

“You…you don’t want me?” You barely even recognize the voice that just left you, sounding like a little girl who was denied dessert. What was it about these men that had you behaving that way?

A heavy sigh escaped Steve at the sound and you felt his cock twitch against your hand as you made a mental note of his reaction.

“We do, honey. Fuck do we ever… you just went through a lot last night. Your body and mind need to rest.”

As his fingers thrust faster into you, your hand tries to match his pace. “Can…can I?”

He nods, lifting his hips as you pull his shorts down just enough to free his dick from its confinement. Leaning over his lap, you spit onto his tip, and he mewls as your tiny hand wraps around him. Steve curls his fingers inside of you as his elbow locks, straightening out his arm.

“Fuck, Steve. Please.”

“Steve…tell me more—mmm—about how she feels.”

The man tried to focus to do what his friend asked but it was hard with your hand alone bringing him close to the edge. 

“Fuck, Eddie…so fucking tight. Her pussy is just gripping my fingers, man…feels…feels so good. I don’t know…how—fuck, baby. Faster—I don’t know how our…our cocks are going to fit.”

His filthy words shot straight to your core, clenching around Steve’s fingers as you came. Your free hand flew down to grab his wrist, trying to get him to stop as he continued to pump his digits inside of you. When your head collapsed on his shoulder, he held you tighter to him as his spend shot out and on his thigh.

Eddie panted as he soon followed after, throwing his head back as he cursed under his breath. 

Steve carefully slid his hand out of your pants, bringing his fingers to his mouth as he tasted you. 

“You taste so sweet, Y/N. Are you ok?”

You lazily nod your head as you tug yourself closer to his chest. This was new for you. Usually after anything sexual, you wanted to be left alone. Even with Simon, you would always recoil away when he would try to cuddle you after. Maybe it’s because you always felt like trash after he finished. Most of your sexual experience were done under an intoxicated haze or with a selfish lover who just wanted to use you to get off. 

As you listened to this man’s heartbeat, you suddenly felt extremely clingy, fearful that as soon as you let him go he would be gone forever. Eddie was already too far for your liking and you could tell he saw the panic in your eyes as his own gorgeous orbs scanned your face. 

“Hey.”, he cooed. “I’m right here, okay? We’re not going anywhere unless you want us to.”

At his friend’s words, Steve quickly craned his neck so he could look at you to. “Come on, honey. Let’s get you inside and back in bed. Do you think you can walk?”

What kind of question was that? Of course you could walk. The thing was…you didn’t want to. You wanted them to help you. You needed them to.

“Can Eddie carry me?”

The metalhead chuckles as he buttons his pants before getting out of the car and coming around to your side. “Whatever you need, princess.”

As he lifted you into his arms, you encircled your own limbs around his neck as you nuzzled his skin. After carefully placing you onto your mattress, he removed your shoes, socks, and pants so you could be more comfortable. You turned onto your side; eyes fully closed as you snuggled into your pillow. 

“Please don’t leave me here alone.”, you mumbled. 

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. We aren’t going anywhere.”

###########

@rckstrbee @melodymishahiddlestan @alienthingstwo

@siriuslysmoking @micheledawn1975 @cositaslua

@unfocused81 @paleidiot @steddieloverrr @aol19

[nishimiyachan55]

My curse boyfriend (chapter 4)

pairing: Mahito(jujutsu kaisen) xreader

Chapters: 4/?

Other chapters: 1 , 2 , 3 , 5

Danger ?

A clear sky, fade moon beneath the clouds, and sparkling stars… The street felt empty when you were walking alone at the late night. Thinking about the things happened last night…. You were tired…. Your body felt weak….sore….from his rough treatment.

On that morning, You spend hours trying to cover the hickey on your neck with makeup. But when it failed you grabbed something from your closet which covers your neck area and a hoodie over it. You didn’t like the way you looked on it but anyway there were no other choice.

When you reached to your class, you tried your best to avoid your best friend. If she sees you like this she will definitely start questioning you and if that happens you knew you will spill out what happened yesterday. And you don’t even know how will she react to all this. Maybe she will snap at you like you were trying to mock her again or maybe she will think you are trying to hide your secret relationship from her and probably gonna turn on her drama queen mode. So you thought it’s better to avoid her.

But there she was, right in front of you. Avoiding her is definitely a hard task especially when she were searching for you everywhere. The moment she saw you she questioned about your strange appearance as you thought. Also she noticed the bite mark on your finger. You wanted to cover it with a band aid but you knew it will hurt so bad, so you decided to keep it as it is. You told her you bit it from excitement when you were watching the latest episode of your favorite anime. She wasn’t convinced with your answer though.

As you kept walking and thinking about all this under the night sky, you could see a man in a suit coming from your opposite direction wearing an office suit and with a bag in his hand. Your eyes widened on the sight of the creepy looking thing hung around his shoulder. The man seems really worn out. Like the thing was feeding off his energy.

Mahito said he was a curse…. So…. These weird monsters you could see was actually curses!! And he was one of them…. But why does he look like humans?? You ignored that creepy curse on that man’s shoulder as you always do and looked away from him. At least now you know what they are.

The narrow path was really dark. The only thing illuminating was the dim street light. When you raised your head to look into the long path way you could see a human figure standing there leaning against the street light stand. Mahito tilted his head towards your side.

You never saw him after last night. When you woke up he was already gone. You knew he would come back though. He looked gorgeous under the fade light.

 You felt a tingling feeling in your stomach as soon as you saw him. Warmth rushing to your face. A feeling of happiness and excitement, you just wanted to run to him and embrace him with a tight hug. But when the memories from last night flashed in your mind, you decided to stay indignant. You were good at playing hard to get, weren’t you! You looked down to the road as you approach him.

“I was waiting for you Y/n, I told you not to walk alone at night time, don’t i? It’s dangerous here. People could hurt you….., you know” he scolded you. He was genuinely concerned about your safety…right?

“says by the person who raped me yesterday,…” You pouted with a frown setting on your face.

“huh…!!! Rape!!? I wasn’t trying to rape you, I was just making our date a memorable one remember” he tried to argue, “and…..you seemed like you were enjoying it, weren’t you?” his lips curved into a grin as he teased you.

“huh!! I wasn’t enjoying it!!,…. You perv,” You shouted at him, continued to walk. He was right though, you actually enjoyed it, right! Even if you tried to play like it wasn’t fun. Except the knife part, it really felt good. The memories of him settled on top you and making your body shake with harsh thrusts made you press your thighs together. Your face turned red thinking about it. But you tried to push away that blush formed in your face and tried to bring the anger back.

He walked next to you, looking up to the starry sky and back at your enraged face, wondering why you are so mad at him after he made your last night delightful. Walking close by your side his fingers skimmed on top of yours. His touch send a jolt to your abdomen. He gently wrapped his cold fingers around yours. He lifted your hand to his face and checked the ring mark on your finger.

“this looks cute on you Y/n” he smiled in a childish way, ignoring the fact that he made it. “I can’t wait to give you more marks like this. You will look even cuter” he gave a soft kiss on that mark. A hiss came out from your mouth from pain.

“so…. Why are you here? Are you here to rape me again, or just to spend the night with me?” Your tone was unpleasant…

“huh!? Stop comparing me with that nasty human men, im not like them….i just wanted to spend some time with you” he pouted

Your face didn’t show any emotions. He knew you were mad at him. “Y/n, I promise I won’t hurt you today, I’ll be gentle with you, after all you are my favorite toy” he gave a light pinch on your cheek.

Did he say toy!!! Great you were a toy for him, a toy that he could break anytime…..so fragile…. Shouldn’t you suppose to hate him, after what he did. But why are you still falling for him!

You pulled back your hands from his grip and held it tight around the sling of your side bag. His lips curved down into a gloomy frown but he slung his hand around your shoulder pinning you close to him. Your anger slowly started to melt from his touch. He gave a kiss on the top of your head. You couldn’t ignore that one. Your brain was telling you to keep up the mad attitude, but your body refused.

You moved your one hand to his back tugging on the side of his waist and pulling him closer. You felt a cold sensation in your stomach, heart beating faster and your brain felt frozen. Yet you tried to give a tough attitude.

His face gave a faint smile. As You looked away from him, you saw a creepy curse hanging on the top of a street light leg. You just looked at it and moved on casually like it’s nothing. He noticed your expression.

“Y/n, when did you start seeing curses?”

You peered up at him and turned your gaze back to the road. “From my childhood”

“I see….. Is that why you don’t seems scared of them?” He leaned down placing his chin on your shoulder. You didn’t give answer to that. You gave a sigh. Didn’t want to explain much to him. You continued to walk.

The memories from your childhood flashed before your eyes in a second. Your parent’s ignorance, the kid who always bullied you, the laughing of your classmates, the principal’s room….and the blood splattered on your fists and face……. Everything in a flash….

You closed your eyes and shook your head to shrug off the traumatic memories and your hand on his cloth tightened. He watched you doing this. From your face he knew your childhood was miserable. His smile grew wider on the thought of it, enjoying your mental suffering.

When you were pressing the button of the elevator to your floor, a man appeared in front of you, calling for you to stop. It was your neighbor guy, who lived on your same floor. You held the lift door open for him.

“thank you Y/n,” he stood next to you with a pleasant smile. “You look different today Y/n, are you sick or something?” He noticed your change in clothing.

From the corner of your eye, you could see mahito leaning against the elevator wall and looking at your neighbor with a menacing look in his eye. He looks disturbed. He might be thinking something bad, you can tell it from his face. Your neighbor’s voice faded as you focused on Mahito.

“Y/n??...are you listening?” Your gaze turn to his side from Mahito’s. You tilted your head to look at him and said

“oh! Sorry I was lost in my thoughts… Yeah, I have a little cold,but im fine now, nothing to worry about…” You smiled at him waving your hand.

“oh I see…you should take rest Y/n, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me” he was really sweet right. Offering you help when you’re sick. You almost see him everyday when you go to your university or the way back home. Sometimes he pop up infront of your door to give you something delicious he cooked. You also share it with him when you cook something special. He was the only neighbor you were close with.

How unpleasant for him that he couldn’t see the danger standing next to him staring at him with sinister eyes. Mahito’s unpleasant feeling grew more when you kept talking with him. You suppose to pay attention to him, not for your boring neighbor.

When the elevator reached your floor you walked out to your room wishing a good night to the neighbor guy. Mahito stayed quiet this whole time. You could see Mahito staring at the guy over his shoulder, watching him opening the door and entering his apartment. His eyes looked like he might do something bad to him. You tried to push back that thought. He wouldn’t do something horrible like that right?!

Mahito put his sneakers on your shoe rack, remembering what you told him yesterday. You smiled at it and walked to your kitchen. Opening the refrigerator door you grabbed a drink and offered one to him. He looked at the bottle for a second and took it from your hand.

You removed your hoodie and the top underneath it and throw it on the chair beside. Now he could see the marks on your skin in the sleeveless tank top you were wearing under it. It gave a wave of pleasure to his abdomen. A proud feeling of knowing that he made them on you.

He sat on the counter top swinging his legs in a childish way and he watched you taking out some vegetables from the fridge. You pushed your self up from the floor and walked to the kitchen sink to wash them.

“what do you think about me Y/n? Do you think im dangerous?”

You looked at him with hooded eyes. Dangerous? He isn’t right! Or is he? Its true that he hurt you a little, but it doesn’t look that dangerous to you, even after he pulled a knife on you. But no matter how cute he acts he still couldn’t hide that unease feeling around him.

“no, why?” You took the veggies to the chopping board and started to cut them with your sharp knife.

He jumped from the counter top to the floor and stood behind you. He put his chin on your shoulder pressing his body to your back. He placed his hands on yours, one holding on the knife and other holding the vegetable in place. He made you cut them pressing his arms on yours.

“hm, why! Why don’t you think im not dangerous? You know im not a human, and you saw what I can do, but still…….. you like me right!? Even after what I did last night. Tell me….why??” He nuzzled on the side of your neck kissing on the hickey he made.

Your eyes were focused on the knife he held in your hand. Your heartbeat started to raise when it came closer and closer near your finger. You tried to pull back your hand. But he kept it there with strong grip. You thought he was going to cut your finger along with the vegetable. When the knife touched the tip of your forefinger, he Paused.

He could hear you breath heavily. Drops of sweat falling down from your forehead to the side of your cheek and your shaking hand.

“answer me” he gripped the knife in your hand tighter. You could imagine the sharp look in his eye from your peripheral vision, his commanding tone…

“i… I don’t…. know why! I…. just…. Like you.” You spill out your feelings from the fear.

“hm, is that it!” He traced his tongue from your neck to your ear and gave a light bite on the side of your ear. It tickled your side. You closed your one eye tilting head a little and raised one side of your shoulder.

Mahito pull back his hands from yours and slowly slipped his one hand under your top. Trailing it up from your stomach to grab your breast and pull it out from your bra and his other hand settled on your hip. Your nipples hardened on his touch and with a gasp you threw your head back to his shoulder.

“so….you will continue to like me no matter what I do right? I know you will…., you are more into my looks than my ‘heart’, or ‘soul’ in my words. Good for me….if you were someone who love the inside more than the outside…….you are definitely going to hate me” he gave a light teasing laugh in to your ear.

You tilted your head to the side and bit your lower lip so hard when he started playing with your nipples. Small groans escaped from your mouth. You pressed your thighs together when wetness started forming in your clothes.

“i…I am not like….that” you tried to argue with unsteady voice. But you lost it when his hand moved from your hip to your lower abdomen under your pants. Your hand lifted from the counter top to his head which placed on your neck. You grabbed his soft hair in your fist.

His fingers met the warm slick formed on your cunt and he smeared it all over your slit. “Hmm…… your body doesn’t lie Y/n…., I bet if I take my clothes off you will make your pussy a drooling mess” he whispered in your ear and slipped his one finger inside your dripping folds.

 “Ah……!!No….i..i won’t..,,” with a loud moan, you pulled his hair so hard. But it didn’t bother him a bit.

“Oops, that’s so……loud, haha….. You should at least try to control your moan Y/n” he traced his tongue along your jawline while he put another finger inside.

“shut…. Up!!” You couldn’t control the next loud moan came from your mouth. Your drooling cunt was soaking his fingers. The only thing you could hear was the squish sound made by your hungry cunt echoing in the kitchen walls.

He pulled his hands from your tits and lifted it to your wet mouth. Rubbing your bottom lip with his large thumb, he pushed it inside your mouth and pressed on your tongue. You could feel a wiggling sensation in your mouth soon you realized he changed the size of his thumb making it so huge, almost the size of a cock.

Your mouth stretched to accommodate them. You grabbed on his hand trying to pull them from your mouth, twitching your head your eyes widened and tears started to form on the corner of your eye. The tip of his huge finger touched the back of your throat almost making you throw up. You tried to pull away from his finger but he pinned your head to his chest gripping your jaw and he pushed more further. All while he put his third finger inside your opening. You struggled to breath as he stimulated and hurt you at the same time.

“isn’t it rude to say ‘shut up’ to me….. especially when im making you feel good… You need to mind Your manners Y/n, don’t try to be bossy,” his tone changed from playful to sinister one, “behave….. or else I could kill you”. He gave a hard thrust with his fingers making your wall clench around his fingers, he changed the shape of his other fingers too, making it bigger. It made your walls stretch and pain hit your core trying to accommodate his big fingers.

You tried to scream with pain but his finger in your mouth wouldn’t allowed it, your voice only came out as a growl. Tears started to run down to your cheeks as you tried to suppress the pain.

But when your walls were ready tolerate with his huge fingers, pain gave way to pleasure. Overstimulation made your brain fuzzy. The only thing you were not comfortable with was his finger in your mouth. You just needed to breath properly.

Finally he took his fingers from your mouth. You swallowed air heavily and a loud moan came from your mouth. Your legs started to shake but you tried to give all your weight on to his chest leaning back. Your hand still held fist full of his hair. You pulled it so hard when you grind your hip against his fingers. You put your one hand on the counter top and his hand pressed on top of yours tighter. With a gushing sound your wet juices coated on his fingers when you finally released your cum.

“ooh…. That’s a lot, you made a big mess on my hand Y/n, such a greedy girl” he pulled his fingers out and licked it one by one consuming the taste of your slimy release. You panted heavily legs still shaking.

He turned you back to face him. “That felt really good, right?”. You didn’t reply to that you tilted your head looking away from him. Your clothes underneath was soaking wet that you felt really ashamed of your self.

He smiled at you and placed his hands on your waist and lifted you to press on his chest. Your shaky legs gripped on his hips and your hands wrapped around his shoulders. He took a few steps forward and placed you on the counter top. Pulling away from you, he started to take off his clothes.

Your heartbeat raised on the sight of his abs. He was right though, you cannot control your lust seeing his extremely hot body. At this point if he didn’t grab you, then you would definitely grab him close to you. He stood naked infront of you with a grin on his face.

“Time for round two, you ready Y/n?” He moved closer grabbing your thighs and pulling you forward placing himself between your thighs. Taking all your clothes down he started thrusting so hard……..