#the ones that have a white dot next to them are ones i hadn't opened yet

[astro-inthestars]

pfft-

OKAY YOU GUYS ARE JUST MESSING WITH ME AT THIS POINTFDHASGHKKF

[luveline]

an eddie/roan/reader request <3

roan loses a tooth and reader is freaking out asking if it hurt, if she’s okay, and roan is just excited bc that means the tooth fairy is gonna pat her a visit!!!

ty for your request ♡ eddie and roan. step mom!reader. 1.1k

Eddie's trying to prove to you that he can play Master of Puppets on the guitar, but it's been a long time since he was twenty. "Ah, fuck," he says, stumbling over another chord. "What the fuck. I thought muscle memory was supposed to remember things for me." 

"I think you need to prompt your muscles into remembering," you say, cross-legged on the armchair with a pint of vanilla ice cream in your lap. "Can you play my favourite again?" 

"Depends. What's in it for me?" 

"So much. I'll scratch your back all the way through Princess Polly tonight." 

He immediately sets his fingers against the first chord of your favourite song and begins to play. Your back scratching literally haunts him. He can be on a rolling board under a truck that stinks of dirt and old oil and he'll be dreaming of your fingernails and their gentle up and down, his face on your shoulder, in your neck, buried in your thigh, whichever way he lays down. A song for an hour of your touch is easy work. 

He suspects you like doing it as much as he likes getting it. You love taking care of him. You're good beyond words. 

Eddie watches you nod along to his playing happily, a spoon between your lips, a dot of melted cream on your chin, and he knows what he has to do. "I'd ask you to marry me if I hadn't already done it," he says. 

You cut into your ice cream with a delighted jaunt. "I'd say yes for sure. You can ask me again, if you like. After the song." 

"I'll ask you as many times as you want. I'll even throw in a free song—" 

The air rips apart with a signature Roan Munson scream, which is to say, it's impossible to tell if Roan is in immense pain or having the most fun of her life.

Eddie almost chokes putting down his guitar as you ditch your ice cream on the arm, half a second behind him as he races upstairs.

"What's wrong?" Eddie shouts as he goes. "What? What?" 

"Daddy!" she shouts as Eddie throws open her bedroom door, sitting on the heart-shaped rug beside her dollhouse. "Lookit!" 

You move his elbow aside to squeeze through the doorway. "Is that a tooth?" 

"It's my tooth!" 

"Oh my gosh, princess!" you yelp, kneeling down in the plush rug in front of her, your thumb on her pale chin. "You're bleeding! Aw, sweetheart, let me see."

Eddie blinks dazedly, bending down to take the tooth Roan offers. It's tiny and white with a hole at the bottom that's darker on the inside. He rolls it around in his palm. Is she really that age? he asks himself, looking unsurely between his hand and Roan where she beams on the floor. 

"There's blood on your dress, too," you say, fingers held delicately against her cheek. 

Eddie doesn't have ugly hands, but it's different to see you touch her. You're a sweet, careful woman when it comes to mothering, a soft touch through and through. "Can I see?" 

Roan tips her head back and opens her mouth. Clear as day is the gap in her pearly white teeth, a bottom tooth now gone. 

"What did you do?" Eddie asks knowingly. 

"Nothing! It felt wobbly so I just bit on my Prince Dylan until it felled out." 

"Baby," you murmur, wiping the bloody spit off of her lips, "you hurt yourself?" 

"It didn't hurt that much." 

"Maybe let's not force them, Ro. Teeth come out when they're ready. If you start pulling them out before they're ready you might have wonky ones. And you shouldn't hurt yourself," Eddie says, kneeling down next to you for the united front effect. 

Roan looks at least somewhat chastised. "Okay. I won't pull them out until they're ready. But now the fairy comes, right? The tooth fairy?" 

Eddie grins, endeared by his devious little monster. You curl your sleeve down to press the clean edge to her gum, a frown creasing your face. Roan winces and you flinch, tucking her hair behind her ears in apology. 

"Sorry, lovely girl." 

"It's fine!" she says, flashing her first gap-toothed smile. "Don't worry, mom, it's just a small ow." 

You soften at the name and drop your hand to hers. "Okay. I won't worry… you know your first tooth fairy and your last are the special ones, right?" 

You and Eddie take to whispering as the bath runs that night, a debate of the ages. You think losing your first tooth deserves a new bike, or at the very least a new custom princess dress from the boutique in Indianapolis. Eddie thinks it deserves a kiss and a crisp twenty dollar bill. 

Roan splashes suds at your socks and tells you to stop whispering so much. 

That night, after Eddie forfeits half of his back scratching time to let you cuddle Roan, he sneaks into Roan's room with twenty dollars and a note. 

"Can we take another picture?" you whisper from behind hjm. 

"I think the flash might wake her up," he whispers back, the two of you standing still at the foot of her bed. She's clutching Teddy to her chest, curls splayed over her pink pillow, one of her feet sticking out of the sheets. "The first picture was really cute, we'll be fine." 

Roan smiled to show off her gap with her small tooth held up to lense. Eddie's gonna get it printed and maybe framed. She looks like a kid in the clothes catalogues. 

Together, you and Eddie tiptoe to her pillow to retrieve the lost tooth and replace it with her boon. Inspired by her statue-like stillness, Eddie leans down to press a kiss into her hairline, trying hard not to wake her up. 

Roan affords him no such luxury in the morning. "Dad!" she shouts, straight into his ear canal. He chokes awake. "The tooth fairy said you'd buy me a scooter! Is that true?" 

"Only if you stop yelling," he whines, burying his head under the pillow. 

Roan climbs onto the bed and over his back. He groans as his back clicks, settles when you put a hand on his shoulders sympathetically. 

"Your fault," he says. You're the one who campaigned for a new scooter. 

"Sorry, handsome," you say. 

Eddie will feel much more forgiving in a couple of hours. 

[perfectlyoongi]

DAD!JIMIN who takes your child to meet the ducklings in the lake near your house. the path to the lake was decorated with the most beautiful greens in nature and, on them, Jimin played with your kid amidst running and laughter, guiding them to a small oasis only known to you and Jimin. the spring air gently invited your child to approach the calm waters of the lake, their tiny hand always clinging to Jimin's sweater as your kid, very curiously, looked at the small yellow and brown dots in the water. with bright eyes and an open mouth, your child marveled at the ducklings and all the dances they did behind their mother, encouraging your child to dance with Jimin too. “these ducklings are your friends and they really want to play with you. just be careful because they are still very little, just like you.”

DAD!JIMIN who says the stars are waiting for your child every night when they don't want to sleep. when the games were more fun or the conversations were more fantastic, it was normal for your child to refuse to lie down, always wanting to enjoy all the time with you and Jimin. as such, Jimin thought of a small and tender solution to this problem that always created intense sparkles of hope and happiness in your kid's small, sweet eyes. “the stars are waiting for you to go to sleep so they can tell you the oldest stories they have ever seen. and who knows, maybe they’ll take you on their next adventure.”

DAD!JIMIN who ordered mud salads and stone juices on the hottest summer days. it was normal that on days when the sun was more intense and all the heat of the day accumulated in one spot, Jimin just wanted to cool off — going to visit your child's restaurant seemed the only plausible solution. listening carefully to the chief's recommendations and always questioning the various ingredients used, Jimin seriously considered his order, wanting to make sure that all the balls of play dough would be well spent on his late lunch. “i’ll have a grass and water salad and a white stone lemonade. and i also want a mud and petal salad to take to your dami.”

DAD!JIMIN who renovated a room in your house to store all of your child's legos. you had an extra room since you moved into that house and, after debating the various possibilities that could fill that room, when your child was old enough, Jimin used that room to display all the various legos made by him and your kid. various plants and houses, castles and ships, a whole colorful diversity filled endless shelves, making that room your child's favorite, as in each lego placed there lay a happy and comforting memory. “i think we’re going to need more shelves, love. you have a lot of legos on the floor and you could get hurt. do you want to choose the wood for the room?”

DAD!JIMIN who takes your child to sound checks before the show just to play with them on stage. when the microphones were tested and the band finished rehearsing, Jimin would take off his child's soundproof headphones and place them in the middle of the stage while he watched them. there were moments when the technical team played with the lights and invited your child to run like a butterfly across the stage; other times, Jimin would offer his microphone to them, encouraging them to sing Jimin's songs, performing extremely dramatic duets for the whole team to enjoy; and there were other moments when Jimin and your child played tag among the various people who hadn't yet finished their work — all adventures making your kid's laughter echo loudly throughout the venue. “one day you will be a star, pumpkin. one day you will conquer all the stars!”

DAD!JIMIN who encourages your child to live their feelings. whether it was fear or pain, joy or longing, Jimin always made a point of sitting with your child and guide them through the complex paths of emotions; always showing that they should never be afraid or ashamed to feel, Jimin made it his personal mission to make your child stronger, telling them that all the emotions they felt were human and that was what made them beautiful. “never be afraid to show who you are. it’s our emotions that make us real and you have every right to live and feel them.”

DAD!JIMIN who offers as many roses as your child’s age and keeps all the dried petals in a jar to give to them when they turn 18. Jimin didn't put much thought into what color to buy the rose, he just knew he needed one. or two. or three. or even four. the truth is that Jimin offered roses to your child every year, matching the number of flowers to your kid's age, ending up creating a small dry garden in your garage. when eighteen years of life arrived, Jimin appeared with a large vase, the glass showing all the various dried petals that used to make beautiful and vivid roses. and it was in these petals consumed by time that Jimin had placed all his love. “not all the petals that are here constitute the number of days that i loved you. but every petal holds with them a unique memory of my love for you.”

[xxn00bpwn3rxx]

woaw iz dat a pestkit fanfic ?!?!?

hai . made thiz for 1k twitter followerz celebration :3 waz zuppozed 2 be a comic but i waznt liking it and felt i could better zhow my ideaz and pest/medkit'z emotionz thru writing zo here : ) bware . fluff

Summary; Medkit has a nightmare, and Pest tries to comfort him

⠀⠀Darkness surrounded him. He didn't know where he was or how he ended up here, and he looked around, eyes wide as his eyes adjusted to the light. His hands trembled as he held on to a lantern with a small fire inside of it, illuminating everything around him with a weak yellow glow. He was holding onto the lantern like his life depended on it, he didn't even think he would be able to drop it if he had to. ⠀⠀Flies buzzed quietly around him as he stepped forward. There was a long road in front of him that led into darkness, with an occasional torch dotted here and there that didn't do much to pierce through the pitch black. Sand covered the ground on either side of the road, and he could hear small whispers in the distance. ⠀⠀He walked along the path, stopping when he saw a person. He ran up to it, calling out to them, but nothing came out of his mouth. He stopped in his tracks instantly when they looked at him with firey green eyes and muttered a garbled sentence, though he understood it clearly. "You filthy traitor." ⠀⠀Ice seemed to crawl up his spine suddenly as he looked away and started power-walking down the road again. He could hear the whispers from the darkness clearly now. ⠀⠀"I need healing!" ... "How's your eye?" ... "Do I have to work with a traitor?" ... "Help!" ⠀⠀It made his mind and heart race as he started to run, wanting to get away from the whispers as fast as he could. His feet pounded against the asphalt, sending up pain through his legs from the force of it, but he couldn't stop. He felt like something was following him, and it sent his adrenaline rushing. ⠀⠀Through the darkness and occasional light, he saw it. A house. He could hide in there! He went faster, running up through the steps and through the open door, almost flying into the T.V.s that were scattered in certain places in the room. He stared down at them, the red screens flickering. A single light source came from the roof; everything else was open and empty. There was no place to hide in here. ⠀⠀He could still hear the whispers. They were getting louder. The same thing, over, and over, and over again. And he could hear the shadowy figures walking around, their footsteps soft but audible. Then he heard a sound he hadn't heard before. A buzzing sound that was definitely getting louder. He looked over his shoulder right before a giant green slitted eye flew through the door towards him, and he let out a scream right before he blacked out, the last thing he heard from the eye being "You must kill him, to become him." ...

⠀⠀Medkit sat up straight on the bed with a loud gasp, his heart racing too fast for him to handle, his hands clammy, his mind fuzzy. He was panting heavily, and his mouth felt dry. His hands shook as he gripped the bedsheets, making sure he was still alive and fine, but grounding himself didn't seem to work as his eyes darted around the dark room. He didn't recognize where he was. And that sent more fear through him. ⠀⠀He was starting to hyperventilate, and he could hear nothing but his own heart beating at a scary pace, faster than it should ever be, and he was terrified he was about to have a heart attack. He gripped the pillow next to him, holding it with so much strength that his knuckles had turned white, and he started sobbing. Soft sobs, with a few hiccups in between, but slowly started getting louder as he smothered his face into the pillow.

⠀⠀In the other room, there was the soft sound of a water faucet running into the sink with the occasional splash of water. Pest stared at the mirror in front of him, water dripping off of his face. One of his antennae flicked upwards and twitched towards the bathroom door, something felt off. He turned off the faucet and bent over slightly, elbows resting on the counter as he listened. Then he heard it. Crying. ⠀⠀Crying again? He sighed softly, turning his gaze over to the bathroom door as he took the hand towel from besides the sink to wipe his face dry. That's the third time this week. He listened for a small bit more, noticing how it wasn't letting up. He grumbled. ⠀⠀Now, Pest wasn't one to care if somebody was crying around him, he'd ignore it. And he did the first couple times Medkit had cried near him. But three times is one too many, and he was getting annoyed. Though, what he couldn't ignore was the small sliver of empathy he had towards the demon; as much as Pest hated to admit it, he felt bad for Medkit. ⠀⠀And personally to Pest, Medkit wasn't the one to break down like he had been recently. Pest had been around him long enough to know that something had changed within the man, and he didn't know what had caused it. He didn't think too much about it though as he finished drying his face and moved over to open the bathroom door. ⠀⠀He slowly moved it open and peeked out of it, eyes moving around the dark room until his eyes met the form of Medkit huddled on the bed, face covered with one of Pest's pillows. He let out a soft growl, but ignored it as he opened the door more. As he stared over at Medkit, that feeling of empathy grew, and it confused him. He'd never felt it before. Something was telling him to suck it up and go comfort his boyfriend, but he was unsure how. So, he knocked on the bathroom door softly just to let Medkit know he was there. ⠀⠀Medkit stilled, his sobs disappearing as he laid there. He was shaking, his heart still racing. Hearing the knocks made him more scared, as he was unsure of who it was. By staying still he hoped whatever it was would think he wasn't there. Then he felt the bed dip slightly where his legs were and a low creak of the bedsprings. He breathed heavily and got brave enough to look over his pillow slightly, to be greeted with 4 red eyes staring at him. Medkit thought he would have just croaked right then and there finally from a heart attack, but something about the way the eyes were looking at him gave him a sense of safe that he didn't understand. ⠀⠀The other person shifted slightly closer, still looking at him. Medkit couldn't see much from how dark the room was, but he could recognize the shape of Pest from anywhere, and he calmed down a tiny bit as he stared at him. ⠀⠀"Are you okay?" Pest muttered out. Medkit's brain paused for a quick second, and he continued to stare at Pest as he slowly processed what he had just asked. To him, it sounded more like a demand than a question, and it dumbfounded him, especially since he was still mentally out of it from his nightmare that the question was lost on him. And he must still be in his nightmare, because Pest would never ask him that. ⠀⠀Pest watched Medkit for a few more seconds before growling. "Did you hear me?" His voice was harder this time. Oh. It really is Pest. Medkit thought, and he slowly put his pillow down to lay it on his chest. He nodded, opening his mouth to reply, but instead licking his lips to get rid of the chappy dry feeling he still had. After a couple seconds, he replied. "Y-yeah. I did." Medkit's voice was shaky, low and hoarse, and he hoped what he said was intelligible enough for Pest to hear.

⠀⠀"Then answer. Are you okay?" Pest narrowed his eyes at him, and Medkit felt a hand gently being placed on his own. It wasn't much, but that small gesture made Medkit feel warmer than he had a few seconds ago, and he instantly went to intertwine his fingers with Pest's. ⠀⠀"I... I suppose so." Medkit looked away, leaning back against the pillows. Pest moved over and turned the bedside lamp on, turning his head to stare at Medkit's face. He looked tired, which was the norm for Medkit, but somehow he looked even more pathetic like this. His one eye was shot, his hair a complete mess, and the little fluff on his cheeks were stiff with dried tears. Pest chittered, clicking his mandibles together as he took in the sight in front of him. ⠀⠀"That's a lie." Medkit frowned at Pest's response. "You look like you were run over by multiple trucks and possibly an airplane." Medkit knew Pest was attempting to lighten the mood, but it didn't work for him. ⠀⠀"Why... why would you care?" Medkit turned his head to Pest as he asked the question, and he felt guilt as he heard the way it sounded as it exited his mouth. He instantly went to apologize, "I'm-" ⠀⠀He was cut off by Pest suddenly getting up further onto the bed, moving Medkit's legs to crawl towards him like a feral animal, his head lowered, and eyes squinted at him like he was suddenly a piece of prey. "Pest, what are you-" Suddenly, Pest was laying right on top of Medkit, and he couldn't help the blush creeping onto his face as Pest wrapped his top arms around him, bringing them both into an embrace. ⠀⠀Pest stared up at Medkit, his chin on his chest. "Look. I don't care what you think of me. Just stop your crying. It's starting to get on my... nerves." Medkit exhaled softly. The way Pest spoke was harsh, not a lot of comfort, but that wasn't what caught Medkit's attention. The way Pest had hesitated on the last word gave Medkit all he needed to know about Pest's true feelings, he knew it was his own way of saying "I want you to stop crying because it's making me upset," which showed he cared. At least, that's what Medkit was hoping for. ⠀⠀Pest's mandibles tapped Medkit's chest. "Or else." Medkit stiffened a bit, wondering why he was suddenly being threatened to stop his crying, but when he looked down at Pest's eyes he saw a playful glimmer to them. That did not help matters. ⠀⠀He shifted slightly underneath Pest as he stared at him straight on. "Don't." His voice was low, a warning, but Pest did nothing but smile teasingly back at him. ⠀⠀"Don't what?" Pest replied. Medkit's heart dropped when he felt Pest's lower hands trail up underneath his nightshirt, and he blushed harder. A small thumping noise could be heard, and when Pest looked down, he noticed Medkit's deer tail was hitting the bed, and he snickered. "Okay. Now I know this'll work." He looked back up at Medkit right before he used his claws to gently claw at his fur. ⠀⠀The moment Pest's fingers did that, Medkit jolted with a soft yelp. The sensation made a million different thoughts and emotions go through his head at once and it was getting increasingly hard to not get overwhelmed or melt, or both at the same time. Medkit hissed through his teeth, "Pest. Stop it. That tickles." ⠀⠀Pest rolled his eyes and moved upwards more. "That's too bad." He bent down and started planting soft kisses on Medkit's face, bringing his hands up to lay on Medkit's chest as he did so. Pest was getting confused on why he was suddenly getting so touchy with Medkit, but it looked like he needed it so he went with his urges and showered him in affection. Medkit on the other hand, was becoming a flustered mess below him.

⠀⠀Medkit was letting out soft giggles as Pest kissed his face, he was trying desperately to act like it wasn't doing anything just because he felt stubborn, but it was not working out in his favor. Especially with his tail going 50 mph right next to them. Pest cupped his face with his hands and started kissing him more deeply, one on the forehead, another on the cheek, a gentle one on his facial scars. Medkit's ears flicked and he whined, making his lips a thin line as if to stop himself from smiling. ⠀⠀He felt like if Pest continued any longer he was gonna end up melting into a puddle, his heart felt like it was about to burst. Then Pest kissed him on the lips, and his body went completely limp, his eyes closed, and his mind went completely blank from shock. He could feel nothing but Pest's hands and arms wrapped around him, his mandibles caressing his cheeks, his lips on his, and his antennae gently tapping him as if Pest were feeling him with those too. ⠀⠀After a couple seconds of the kiss that felt like it went on for hours, Pest pulled back and looked down at Medkit, hands still cupping his face as he scanned his expression. Medkit fluttered his eyes open, making immediate eye contact with Pest. He breathed quickly through his nose, and he cheeks were a deep blue color as his lips trembled into a weak smile. ⠀⠀Pest adjusted himself so he was laying next to Medkit, and he laid his head against one of his horns as he wrapped all four arms around him fully. "There. You smiled." He grinned smugly at him, and Medkit grumbled softly. Though, he couldn't stop the smile growing on him as he nuzzled his face against Pest's neck, placing a hand on his chest. ⠀⠀"Shut up," he muttered, placing a little kiss against Pest's neck, earning a chitter in response. ⠀⠀He raised one of his hands up to rub gently at Pest's horns, which was in his own way him being affectionate right back at him. His blunted claws scratched and massaged in the little grooves, him being extra careful of the spiky parts. It didn't take long for Pest to entirely lean against Medkit, kicking his leg against the bedsheets like a little dog as Medkit continued, and he started hearing a soft rumble coming from his chest as he used the other hand to massage the other horn. They suddenly twitched, clicking together once, and Medkit had to withdraw his hands quickly to make sure Pest didn't accidentally grab his nightshirt (or hands) and rip it. ⠀⠀His smile grew as he snuggled closer to Pest, looping his arms around his neck, feeling safe in the comfort of him. After a bit, his breathing slowed down, and he found himself finally falling back asleep, his ear right up against Pest's chest as he listened to the steady rhythm of his heart. Pest went and moved his tail to push the blanket closer to him, going slow to make sure Medkit didn't wake up, and went and wrapped the blanket around the both of them as he got more comfortable in his position. ⠀⠀Medkit was already snoring softly, and Pest found his own eyes closing as he let himself finally fall asleep as well. Medkit didn't have a nightmare this time, and Pest finally got some much needed rest.

[minhosimthings]

Call him up. He comes to my bedroom. Ended up we'd fuck on the hotel floor.

Summary: you, Jay, fucking after an award show

Warnings: smut, fem!reader, MINORS DNI, Oral (recieving), some comfort from husband material Jay

A/N: ALRIGHT! First smut work! I definitely need to improve a lot but here you go my babygirls. Also first Jay drabble! YAY! im taking a break from my work and writing whenever I'm at work and just staring at fishies.

Song rec: A&W by Lana del Rey. Yes the title is a lyric from that song. My favourite lyric!

"You wanted to see me baby?" Jay Park. Can anyone in this world get more luckier that you to get Jay fucking Park.

Award shows were boring, but when you had Jay beside you, it made it worth it, for you to stare at that slightly open white shirt with that watch that you gifted him, wrapped around his pretty little wrist. Yet again, L/N Y/N had won another award for best producer of the year. Some more of these and your house will end up becoming a store for selling 'Best producer' awards. Jay's group Enhypen had won 'Best boy band of the year' award this time and you were so proud of him. If not for the slight hiccup.

Being a producer, your ears were probably the most sensitive shit on earth, which enabled you to hear far more further than most people can (I actually have this ability and it's really cool!). Which in turn allows you to eavesdrop easily. But sometimes the eavesdropping isn't always the most comforting thing on this world, and as you heard your fellow producers smoke in the bathroom stalls and say 'She just got that award because she's Jay's girlfriend.' and 'He's so delicious though. Why did he pick that ugly bitch of a whore?'. You weren't really the type of person to cry or feel insecure, I mean after all you were in the kpop industry. Someone was always prettier or more talented than you. But hey, you were raised by some pretty good people, who taught you not to let jealousy take over you. But sometimes even saints abandon their principles in time of desperation. And for you? Your co workers shit talking about you was the time of desperation. You knew being in a relationship in this industry and letting it be public was a risk. But for Jay? Oh honey you'd risk the entire universe to be with him.

"Honey what's wrong? Hey are you crying?" Jay had walked into your hotel room, after you sent a staff member to get him. The afterparty was in the same hotel and you knew Jay would be with the rest of the boys, enjoying, drinking and critiquing every person's outfit. But you just couldn't go and stand there and give fake smiles to your coworkers, and pretend that everything was okay. You needed your boyfriend right now. And Jay would do anything for you, even abandon a party to come up to your magnificent suite. "Baby what's wrong?" Jay sat down on the bed next to you and cupped your cheeks. "You weren't at the party. I brought some food for you." Hearing that only made you sob harder onto your custom made red Prada dress, a gift from the worried man sitting in front of you, wondering silently what he could do to make you feel better as he stroked your hair and put your head against his chest.

"Shh baby shh. What happened?" "I- I heard them s-saying- Jay they think I- don't have- Jay." You sniffled in Jay's chest as he quickly understood what had happened. He had seen your coworkers giggling and approaching him again and again at the party and connecting the dots, it made perfect sense. Tracing the jewels on your dress with one hand and slightly taking off his tie with his other, Jay moved you to the pillow slowly, whilst admiring your figure in that dress. He hadn't had much of a chance to talk to you or see you up close since both of you were seated at different places, far from each other, neither did he have the chance to see you before the show, so when his eyes fell upon the tightly fit fabric on your hips, oh god his entire world came crashing down.

"Jay wha- what are you doi-" "Baby where do you keep the condoms?" You shuddered back as Jay slowly cane above you. "I- I'm on the pill." Jay slowly unzipped your dress, sneaking his hand behind you as you moved your hand to his collar. "Good" he growled against your ear. "You'll see what you're capable of tonight."

"Jay~" you whine as he grinds against your figure, the fabric of your dress slowly getting destroyed and ripped off of your body. You were quick to unbutton his white silk shirt, your gift, and unbutton his pants, throwing away the belt onto the bedside table. Jay moaned lowly as he inhaled the scent of your jasmine perfume, his favourite one. "Shit baby were you always this wet for him?" He teased you as you could do nothing but only whine in response. "Jay ah fuck!" He had slipped his fingers into your cunt, rings still on. The metal of the rings rubbed your pussy so hard, pleasure seeping in and out of you. "Is this ok baby? Or does my love need my cock inside?" "Jay ngh ahh fuck!" He slips himself in at an absolutely brutal pace, that your brain goes dumb and your pussy goes wild. This was heaven like you've never seen it. Jay was angry, so angry, and as his hands felt all of your naked skin, and all of your sadness turning into pure pleasure, satisfaction filled him to the brim. "No Jay don't pull out please." You whine to Jay as he slowly goes back. "Patience baby. Patience. I'll make you feel even better yeah? Give me my belt would you?" You were quick to reach out to the bedside table, where the brown leather belt lay, waiting for its turn. Jay slowly got your hands up and tied them to the bedframe with the belt tightly, as all you were capable of doing was whine and moan for him. "Jay please" He chuckled slowly at your desperate words and made his way down to your ripped pink panties. Pressing light kisses to your pussy, Jay took in your ever sweet whimpers and as his tongue darted out ever so often to flick you cute little clit, it drove you crazy, as you begged and begged for his cock again and again. "Aww does my Y/N want her daddy's dick inside of her now?" You whimpered again as he came up to you, face right above yours, hot breath, tinted with the smell of alcohol hitting your face. "Yes d-daddy please I need it please." You whispered to him. "Anything for my princess." He kissed you with his tongue moving around in your mouth, hands touching your clit, making you moan out his name, in the dirtiest way possible.

"Ah deeper Jay go deeper please." "You like that baby? Want me to cum inside of you hm?" The belt tied around your hands was untied now, as you moved your hands to Jay's pretty neck and thrust him into you. Jay sucked on your nipple softly, love and roses filling the huge room. The bed was definitely strong, because at the rate both of you were thrusting into each other, it should have broke. But then again, the hotel you were in wasn't called the best in the country for no reason.

"Wanna get in the shower baby?" Jay finally pulled out and flopped next to you on the bed, both of your hair and makeup, a mess. "Sure baby. Round two there?" You asked him, massaging your legs. Jay, to your dissatisfaction, shook his head. "No baby. Lets get washed up. We got an event tomorrow don't we? Don't want you limping at the event do we?" You pouted slightly as you remembered the Prada event you had tomorrow and as an ambassador, you had to deliver a speech. Yep another round of sex with Jay right now and tomorrow, nothing would be on your brain other than getting your pussy filled with his cum again. "Alright oh great Park Joengsoeng. I got your lavender shampoo. Wanna use that?" You said while getting up from the bed, completely naked. "Of course baby." Jay replied.

Winning an award tonight was good but getting your actual award with Jay was even better, you thought, as you entered the hot shower, Jay caressing your hips and kissing your neck. Yep you can't wait to get married to this man.

[flowerandblood]

Sweet kiss, sweet blood (6)

[ dark vampire! • Aemond x female ]

[ warnings: sexual tension, profanation, fluff ]

[description: A centuries-old vampire lives in Victorian England, bored and discouraged. His old friend sends him a letter, inviting him to his new country house. Aemond arrives there to rest. Next to the property, there is a small chapel, visited by the faithful. It turns out that at night, a young lady prays in it. Slow burn, sexual tension, profanation, murder, blood drinking.]

I owe the idea for this wonderful series to: @qyburnsghost

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Previous and next chapters: Masterlist

______

Miss Whaterfield awoke in the morning with a severe migraine. For some reason her head was spinning, the world around her seemed strangely blurry. She pushed herself up on her hands to sit up, looking around her bed and felt an unpleasant, burning sensation on her neck.

She touched it with her hand and hissed, feeling two small wounds. Only when she looked down did she see that her nightgown was stained with blood, scenes from the night in the chapel flashed before her eyes like a haze.

His cold lips on hers, hot with desire and lust, his hand caressing her there, shamelessly slid between her thighs, giving her a pleasure that she had never known before in her life. His fangs in her neck, sucking her blood with a muffled, desperate gulp.

She thought that he was not sent to her by God, but by the devil himself.

She stood up quickly, walking over to her vanity mirror to see what she looked like. It was a truly brutal sight, as if someone had cut her throat.

She didn't remember getting home. She quickly took off her nightgown, throwing it into one of the lockers somewhere at the back. She figured she'd have to get rid of it somehow. She put on a second nightgown, clean one. She looked at her sheets which were also dirty. She thought hard about what to do, how to lie so that it wouldn't be known.

She thought hard about telling her parents the truth. There were marks on her neck, there was blood - she didn't inflict such wounds on herself. But how could she explain, what she was doing with him in the chapel in the middle of the night? And what would they do with him if they found out? She thought he hadn't killed her, though he could have. A million thoughts raced through her head. She wanted to put her fist in her mouth and scream in despair.

She was completely torn apart inside. When he kissed her, when his lips caressed her mouth so wonderfully, when his fingers massaged her womanhood, giving her pleasure, she wanted to get down on her knees before him and beg him to take her as his wife.

But then, when she felt his fangs in her neck, everything in her froze. She felt a terror she had never known in her life. She thought that was how prey felt when a predator sank its teeth into her and suffocated her before he began to devour her.

She thought with regret and irony that he hadn't killed her because he and his friend would have been potential perpetrators and both would have had to flee.

He had thought it all through.

He didn't want to marry her at all, he wanted to draw her back to the chapel to be alone with him. And he succeeded. She naively opened her heart to him, not knowing that he was telling her what she wanted to hear. He was using her. She thought she got what she deserved.

She washed her neck and arms from the blood with the water she had in the pitcher. After a while, only two small dots were visible on her neck. She covered them lightly with the powder that her mother had given her once and found that, fortunately, they were virtually invisible.

She took a letter opener and cut her hand lightly with it. She told Mathylda, who came to see her in the morning, that she had cut herself on it and soiled the sheets. The girl, a bit surprised, did not ask any questions.

Miss Whaterfield came down to breakfast white as a sheet. She walked into the dining room, sitting down in her chair without saying a word. She was greeted by her father's happy smile.

"What is this face, my child? Rejoice, men are fighting for you!" He said, buttering a piece of his bread, reaching for the jam.

She swallowed hard, looking at the food around her. She felt like she couldn't swallow anything. She could still feel his finger deep inside her, his fangs digging into her neck. She shuddered at the thought. Her mother looked at her, worried as usual.

"You're terribly pale. At least eat scrambled eggs." She said pleadingly, looking at her empty plate.

Her daughter pursed her lips and helped herself to some of the food, hoping to gain some peace. Her parents watched her closely, but she ate in complete silence. Her father swallowed loudly a bite of his sandwich.

"Have you considered Ser Aemond's proposal?" He asked suddenly, his mustache twitching in excitement as he said the words. She froze abruptly, setting her fork aside with a soft clatter.

"I will not marry him." She spoke dryly and to the point. Her father shifted in his chair impatiently, casting a nervous glance at her mother who only lowered her gaze meekly.

“So I understand you chose Pastor Smith?” He asked, his fingers restlessly loosening and tightening on the table in front of him. His daughter wasn't looking at him but at her plate.

"I will not marry either of them." She said coldly. Her father slammed his fist on the table so hard that she and her mother jumped in horror. He stood up suddenly, walking quickly over to her and leaning over her.

"Pick one, or I'll pick one for you. You're an adult now, you're going to get married and have children. Unfortunately, God has not given me an heir and all my property will be inherited by my brother, but I have resigned myself to the fact that this is my fate. It's time for you to make peace with yours." He hissed, trembling with rage. His daughter didn't even spare him a glance.

“I am sorry that I am not your desired son. I know I let you down the day I was born." She said calmly as she stood up, heading towards her room.

Her father didn't talk to her again, but she didn't care anymore. The wounds on her neck had healed and there was no trace of them. She spent the nights in her bedroom. She thought she'd just forget about it all.

Every morning she tried to pretend it never happened. That she didn't touch herself at all at night, slipping her hand between her thighs as he did, imitating his movements. That she wasn't starting to moan softly like when his hand touched her. That she didn't come hard, imagining that his fingers were caressing her.

She felt rejected by God and the whole world. As if she had always been doomed to exile and loneliness. She thought maybe this was her path. Once, at breakfast, which the three of them were eating in silence, she spoke suddenly.

“I want to go to a nunnery.” She said softly. Her father and mother looked at her surprised.

"What?" Her father asked, frowning.

"I want to go to a nunnery, father. Marriage is not for me. I want to dedicate my life to God." She said calmly, bowing her head humbly. Her father rolled over in surprise. He stroked his chin, looking at her intently.

"Well… I'll think about it." He just said, as he took a sip of tea from his cup.

From then on, her father started talking to her again. The life of a nun was something he was still able to comprehend with his mind. It would also be a good explanation for breaking off the engagement to Pastor Smith and rejecting, albeit painfully, Ser Aemond's proposal.

When Sunday came, as usual, the whole family accompanied by her elder sister and her husband set off in a carriage to the church in festive clothes. Miss Whaterfield was terrified.

She prayed that she would not meet this man from the hellish pit who had completely clouded her mind and heart. She hoped he got what he wanted and left.

They arrived at the church a few minutes before mass began, everyone was already inside. They entered the church through the main door, and her eyes darted quickly to the first pews. She swallowed hard and felt her heart stop at the sight of him, sitting cross-legged, his top hat lying next to him on the pew. He looked at her over his shoulder, his lips pursed.

She looked away, distraught. For some reason she wanted to cry, her heart was pounding like crazy. She sat down quickly in her seat, her hands clasping her prayer book. She felt him looking at her, she felt his breath on her neck. A strong shudder went through her, as she remembered the feeling of his fangs digging into her flesh.

She couldn't concentrate the whole time, her hands were shaking. She shuddered at the thought that he hadn't left. She wondered what else could he want?

Maybe he wanted to kill her?

She wondered, horrified, if Ser Criston was like him. She froze at the thought, swallowing hard. She thought there were a lot of people around her unaware of the danger they could warn. She decided that now, without evidence, they would think she was crazy.

When it was time to receive Holy Communion, her family stood up, but she was still sitting in the pew. Her father looked at her surprised, but she shook her head.

"I haven't been to confession." She said softly. Her father pursed his lips in displeasure, and moved with his family toward the line of worshipers.

She couldn't after what she'd done with him and what she'd done every night go to the sacrament with a pure heart. She looked down at her fingers, exhaling softly, his intense gaze at the back of her neck burned her, but she didn't turn to him once.

When the mass ended she was the first to get up, leaving the church quickly, wanting to be the first to get into their carriage and wait for the rest of the family there. She was startled when she heard quick footsteps behind her.

When she turned around, his pale face was in front of her. He stared at her with a mixture of anger, longing, coldness and desire that made her heart clench. She wanted to turn around and keep walking, but she heard his voice behind her.

"Marry me."

She stopped, her heart beating wildly. She felt a throbbing between her thighs at his words. Her body betrayed her, it was not worthy of any trust. She pursed her lips at his words, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"I'm going to join a nunnery." She said coldly.

An awkward silence fell between them. He stared at her, anger burning in his eye, his chest heaving uneasily. His jaw and hands clenched so tightly she thought his bones would break. People started coming out around them, her family saw them from a distance, standing in the road. He smiled suddenly, monstrously and ironically.

"Are you going to become a saint?" He asked teasingly, his gaze so intense she felt goosebumps on the back of her neck. Her lower lip trembled.

"You are insolent." She said softly, shaking her head in disbelief.

Even though she was afraid of him, she decided she wouldn't let him push her around. She had nothing left to lose. He pursed his lips tightly at her response. She could see that he was slowly losing his temper.

"Don't do this." He finally said, his voice strangely weak, hesitant, quiet.

She looked at him in surprise, her eyebrows furrowed in pain. As he stood before her, she thought she forgot for a moment what he had done to her. That inside this handsome man was a beast that wanted to devour her.

"Farewell." She said softly, as she turned away from him and she opened the door to her carriage.

She heard him turn tense, furious, mounting his horse and galloping off, leaving behind a light dust that hung like mist on the road. She felt tears fall down her cheeks and decided she was a stupid, foolish girl to cry for her tormentor.

When she got home, she lay down on the bed, unable to get up. Her sister and mother tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't speak to them. She didn't have the strength for it. She's already made her decision.

In the evening, while she was reading a book, she heard a knock on her door. She sighed softly.

"Come in." She said calmly, and after a moment Mathylda was standing in front of her, extending her hand to her.

"Letter for you, miss." She said softly, as she set the envelope on the table and left, closing the door behind her.

She stared at the letter, feeling cold sweat on her crotch. She knew it was a letter from him. She knew that he would try to wash her eyes again, manipulate her into doing what he wanted. She considered throwing it into the flames. She swallowed hard dropping her eyes.

Her hand reached tentatively for the envelope, her fingers trembling as she tore open the seal. She pulled out a folded piece of paper, filled with small, beautiful, masculine handwriting. She unfolded it and began to read, feeling her heart leap into her throat.

Dear Miss Whaterfield,

I owe you an apology. The damage I have caused you is beyond repair. I have nothing to justify. We both know that I was guided by my private motives and desires, which I deeply hoped that at least partly you shared. You have aroused my ardent, hot feeling, that burns my heart and prevents me from thinking clearly.

I want you to know that I wasn't born like this. I think it would also be important to make it clear that I am not hurting people. In your case too, although you had a right to take it otherwise, I had no intention of doing you any harm. I know what it looked like, and I know how terrified you must have been. I regret that I could not be with you to calm you down and explain everything.

I'm begging you, don't make any hasty decisions. Life is too short to lock up in a place like this. Thanks to you I felt life in my body. I realized that even though I had walked this world for a long time, I had been dead until you had revived me.

I'm not trying to persuade you to change your mind, because I know I'll never regain your trust. I just want to express, once again, the words of the most sincere regret and shame that overwhelms me and repeat the request that you do not close yourself in the cold, monastery walls. I pray every day for you in the chapel.

Yours faithfully Ser Aemond

_____

Aemond Taglist:

(bold means I couldn't tag you)

@its-actually-minicika @notnormalthings-blog @nikstrange @zenka69 @bellaisasleep @k-y-r-a-1 @g-cf2020 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff @chainsawsangel @iiamthehybrid @tinykryptonitewerewolf @namoreno @malfoytargaryen @qyburnsghost @aemondsdelight @persephonerinyes @fan-goddess @sweethoneyblossom1 @watercolorskyy @astral-blossoms @randomdragonfires @amirawritespoorly @apollonshootafar @padfooteyes @darylandbethfanforever9

Others: @talesofoldandnew @toodlesxcuddles @padfooteyes @iloveallmyboys

[purplecoffee13]

Gentleman*

Summary: As Gracie becomes closer with Harry, she realizes she made a mistake by rejecting him before.

Word count: 7.9k

Tropes: Friends to Lovers

Warnings: MATURE CONTENT! Jealousy, slight exhibitionism kink, kind of cheating I guess? Not really

A/N: THIS IS MY FIRST ONE SHOT EVER SO PLS BE NICE. This entire one shot is based on a daydream I had once of a guy I liked coming into the cafe I work at, so I worked this around it. Hope ya like it! Also this wasn't proof read, lol. I'll go over it some time soon.

#####

It hadn't been easy for Gracie; juggling work, school and a social life. But, she had managed it so far. Sure, the social part was a bit neglected at times, but that would usually be made up for with a very drunken night and a killer hangover.

College had begun again, and Gracie was ready to start off her last year right. The kick-off class found place in the biggest classroom on campus, providing enough space for all last year students to sit there.

As Gracie walked in there, her eyes immediately started scanning the room and soon enough she found her best friend, Marina, sitting in the third front row with her boyfriend Duke. She waved at them, slightly disappointed at the sight of him next to her, and made her way over to the couple.

Marina had been Gracie's friend since first year, where they'd met during orientation week. Ever since then, they had been the best of friends. Marina really helped her come out of her shell when it came to boys, mainly because she was so educated about the subject herself. She had always been grateful for the confidence her best friend had fueled in her.

Gracie liked Duke too, he wasn't mean or anything, but he was just always... there. Sometimes she really missed being solely with her best friend, even though it sounded a bit selfish.

"Hey!" Marina greeted happily.

"Hi." Gracie responded with a smile. "All moved in yet?"

Marina and Duke had been together for exactly two years now, and Marina really wanted to get an apartment together since the first month. Luckily, Gracie managed to convince her to wait some time at least, and after the honeymoon phase was over, her natural sense kicked back in and did the job for Gracie instead

Recently the idea had started to resurface and they'd made it a reality. Gracie was surprised to see how invested Duke was. He'd found a lovely place with lots of light, just ten minutes. He had also been driving Marina around to find the perfect furniture.

"Absolutely! We found this table that–" Marina suddenly stopped in her words, leaving her mouth open as she eyed something by the door. "Holy shit..."

When Gracie turned around to see what she was gawking at, her own eyes widened automatically.

In walked Harry Styles, a very beloved and notorious guy at the university. He was known for getting with a lot of people, and it was even rumored that professors were included in that list too. Gracie couldn’t blame them, Harry was stupidly hot and on top of that very charming. Nonetheless, she was glad to never have been a target of him and his flirty antics. In fact, she'd always done her very best to avoid any chance of that happening.

Gracie did have to admit, though, that when she saw him walking in with shoulder length hair, she secretly questioned all the choices she had ever made on the aspect that concerned him.

Of course she had known that he had been growing his hair out (Marina could not stop talking about it) but it this was great difference from before the summer. He was also wearing a pink dress shirt with white polka dots on it, paired with black jeans and Chelsea boots. It was surprising to see him dressed in such bright colors, it was very unlike the neutrals he had been wearing before.

Gracie realized that she'd been staring a little too long when his eyes suddenly landed hers, causing blood to rush to her cheeks in no time. She averted her gaze, covering up her embarrassment by looking the other way and scratching her neck.

"He looks hot, doesn't he?" Marina softly said, earning a tired glare from Duke. She smiled at her boyfriend and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Not as handsome as you of course! I was just saying it for Gracie."

Gracie turned away from the couple and their annoying PDA, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. If only Duke knew that her girlfriend had slept with Harry just a few weeks before they got together. But, he was never going to know because Gracie would never tell and Harry had probably already forgotten about it.

Suddenly, Gracie felt a presence on her left, and when she looked up she spotted Harry of all people standing there with a playful smirk on his face.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked innocently.

Gracie pursed her lips and shook her head, gesturing for him to sit down. She let out a small sigh, cursing herself for forgetting about social cues and now having created this awkward situation for herself.

The boy sat down, and the smell of his perfume instantly reached Gracie's nose. He smelled of tobacco and vanilla, and a hint of mint that stemmed from the chewing gum in his mouth.

The lights dimmed, causing everyone to stop talking, and the chancellor started welcoming everyone with a big smile on his face.

"I'm Harry." He had felt the need to lean over towards her ear and introduce himself.

"I'm trying to listen." Gracie responded, attempting to be as stern as she could be, but she wasn't very good at it.

Harry didn't say anything, only a breathy chuckle left his mouth before he leaned back into his seat. He listened to Gracie and kept his mouth shut the entire time, but she still felt his eyes burning on her the entire time. Gracie brushed it off, taking notes about deadlines and turning away as much as possible from Harry, without being confronted with the stare of her best friend.

The kick-off didn't take long, it was not more than thirty minutes, so the lights went back on pretty quickly. And when they did, it was like a timer went off inside of Harry.

"Can I talk again, miss?" He asked playfully, causing Gracie to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, you're dismissed." She murmured, putting her notebook in her bag. It was like he took the hint, because he got up and left without another word exchanged to her.

Gracie felt a bit bad, but having to talk to Harry Styles was a bit too nerve racking to keep up for too long. He intimidated her, but she didn't want him to know so the next best thing was to scare him away.

She bid her goodbyes to Marina and Duke, who both had to rush to another class, and made her way to the vending machine to get a coke. She sighed at the sight of a queue, but she really needed the drink so she joined it anyway.

When it was finally Gracie's turn, she went to grab her wallet from her bag, but couldn't seem to find it. After frantically searching and hearing an impatient huff from the person behind her, she hung her head in defeat. That was until she heard beeping coming from the vending machine, and smelled that tobacco and vanilla smell from before next to her.

"Coke?" Harry casually asked, not even bothering to look back at her.

"You don't have to–" She began, but he interrupted her by turning around and staring into her soul.

"Yes or no?"

Gracie silently nodded, swallowing at the look he was giving her. It made her palms sweat and her eyes stay wide open. He selected the drink and soon enough, he handed it to her.

"Thanks." She gave him a half-smile, before turning around and walking away to her next class. What she didn't expect is having Harry walking next to her in just under three seconds.

"What are you doing?" She asked, opening the can.

"Going to class." His features were relaxed, he even had his hands in his pockets. He was acting stupid, and Gracie couldn't help but chuckle at the confidence that this man carried within himself. "Why?"

"No reason." She peeped, taking a sip from her cola.

"Your name is Graciela, right?" He began the conversation.

"Did I tell you that?" She genuinely wondered, not remembering giving him her name.

"Your notebook did." Harry explained. Gracie's mouth shaped into an O form, embarrassed as the realization hit her.

"Right..." She awkwardly laughed.

"So, Graciela, why don't you like me?"

The comment took her by surprise, she didn't expect Harry to get to the point of this conversation so quickly. She could feel her heart beat speed up a bit.

"It's not that I don't like you, I'm just saving you time." She answered, strolling over the pavement. Harry raised his brows in intrigue.

"You're saving me time, huh? What could you possibly mean?" He teased, making her laugh too.

"You know what I mean." Gracie looked him in the eyes, and he simply shrugged, keeping up the facade. "I'm sure there's loads of girls who are more worthy of your time."

"Yeah? And who decides that?" He questioned, getting a little bit closer as they neared the building.

"I'm just saying... I know about your way with women, and I wouldn't want you to waste your time on someone who isn't interested." She tilted her head, hoping her sentence would make a bit sense.

A long silence crashed over the two of them, and Gracie got very nervous, hoping she didn't hurt his feelings or misinterpreted any aspects of his attitude towards her. But then, he finally spoke.

"Okay."

Okay?

Gracie stopped right in front of the door, frowning at Harry. What in heavens name did that mean, okay?

"Okay..." She dragged out, hoping there would be any kind of reaction from him from which she could lead what the hell he meant by that stupid, vague word. But there wasn’t. His face was as neutral as it was before and thus made it impossible to read a real meaning behind it.

They slowly made their way to class, where Harry was stopped to chat with a few friends. Gracie decided to keep on walking and just take a seat in the back to give herself some space to forget this weird interaction with the college's notorious player.

She took out her notebook and started to write down some preparatory things on paper already, when the chair beside her creaked.

Harry was now sitting next to her, slouched in his seat, with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"So, you think I'm a slut huh?"

The furrowed eyebrows and disastrous look on Gracie's face made clear that that was the last thing she thought would come out of his mouth.

"That is not what I said!"

"It's fine, I've decided we're friends now, so you can tell me the truth." He casually explained. "So, am I right? Do you think I'm a man-whore?"

"You've decided we're friends now?" Gracie repeated his words, to which he casually nodded.

"Don't avoid the question." When she didn't answer with anything but a big sigh, Harry's smile only grew. "Ah, it's true. You think of me as a cheap tramp."

"I do not think of you as a cheap tramp!" She giggled at his stupidity. "I've only heard you've gone out with many people, that's all."

Harry was about to say something, but then the professor started talking and the classroom went silent. He pretended to pay attention for half a minute, and leaned over to Gracie while she was actually listening to the lecture.

"I'll have you know that I'm a perfect gentleman, Graciela." He whispered in her ear.

————————————

When Harry claimed that he now considered Gracie a friend, she didn't think he'd be serious, but he was. He searched for her in every lecture they had together, and he had spent his time annoying her while she tried to hold in her laughter the entire week.

Gracie had tried to resist letting Harry in, but utterly failed ever since the first time he visited her work.

It was a late Saturday morning—around eleven—when he came in with a blonde petite girl. Gracie did remember Harry saying that he had scheduled a busy weekend, and the suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows filled in the blanks that he left open for interpretation. However, a cute coffee date wasn't exactly the first idea that came to Gracie's mind, she imagined more... nightly activities keeping him entertained over the weekend.

It was hard to admit it to herself, but the image of his smile flew through her mind all the way to work. She just didn’t think she’d get to see it so soon.

"Crap." Gracie muttered to herself, looking at the teaspoons she accidentally dropped onto the ground. Leaning down, she started collecting them, when her boss notified her of there being some people at the cash register.

When she got back up, she found herself standing face to face with Harry, and what Gracie assumed to be his date. Her eyes widened for a second, before her brain reminded her to play it cool. She didn't miss the look of surprise on Harry's face that he quickly masqueraded with a clearing of his throat.

"Good evening, what can I get you?" Gracie put on her customer service voice. She noticed that he looked a bit tired, the bags under his eyes were a bit prominent, and his long hair was solely pushed back by sunglasses. The blue blouse he was wearing was a bit wrinkled, so Gracie suspected he'd been wearing it the night before already and didn't have time to change.

The girl, on the other hand, looked a bit more put together. Her hair seemed freshly straightened and Gracie could smell her sweet perfume from behind the counter. Concluding that they must've stayed at her place, Gracie knew that she was witnessing the beginning of the end of a hook-up.

Harry turned to the girl, who shot Gracie a strained smile before voicing her order.

"I'll have a vanilla chai with soy milk, please."

"I'm so sorry, we don't have flavors, but I could add some brown sugar syrup if you'd like? And we also don't have soy but we do have oat or pea milk." Gracie explained as kindly as she could.

A lot of people didn't know that the cafe was a specialty coffee bar, and thus didn't have flavors. They also didn't use soy milk, her bosses had boycotted it.

"Fine." The girl huffed. Gracie's hands automatically started to become sweaty with frustration, but she ignored it.

"Would you rather have oat milk or pea milk?" Gracie asked, looking at the girl after selecting the chai latte in the cash register.

"Oat."

"Okay, great!" Gracie smiled kindly at the girl, but she kind of ignored her.

"Uhm..." Harry's confused eyes shifted from his date to Gracie, giving her a slight smile of empathy. "I'll have a flat white."

Gracie bit her lip in order to contain her smile. "Sure. Would you like to pay now or later?"

Their eyes met again, and it took Harry a few seconds before he realized that he needed to respond to that. "L-later."

"Alright, we'll bring it to your table."

With that, the pair turned around to find seats. Harry quickly looked back, giving Gracie a terrified expression that caused her to snicker and slap her hand over her mouth.

Harry and his date took a seat by a long table against the window that looked out on the busy street. Gracie couldn't help herself from glancing over there every so often, telling herself it was just because she needed to watch the entrance. After she'd finished making the drinks, she refused her colleague's offer to bring it, telling him she'd do it herself.

"... like why would she say that, right?" Was the only thing Gracie caught from the conversation before she interrupted it by putting the drinks on the table.

"One flat white and an oat chai latte with sugar syrup. Enjoy!" She announced before moving to the seat next to them, where a family had just left a whole bunch of dishes.

Gracie wasn't eavesdropping, she told herself. She just happened to be close enough to hear the conversation.

"But yeah, no that's crazy." Harry said in a rather bored tone that he was trying very hard to hide by overcompensating.

"I know right!" The girl giggled. "Hey, do you want to taste my chai? It's like the exact amount of sweet."

Harry didn't like sweet drinks a lot. Gracie had found that out when she tried to buy a coke for him to pay him back, but he refused because regular coke was too sweet for him. For some reason, he had this obsession with sparkling water, so that's what she'd been buying him ever since.

Gracie folded her lips inwards, closing her eyes as she heard him sipping at the drink and praying for him not to die inside.

But he did, he did die inside when he tasted the – to him – crazy amount of sugar. He seriously wondered if one couldn't actually get a heart attack from something this sweet.

A strained cough left his mouth, and Gracie snorted at the sound, knowing Harry would absolutely hate the taste of the drink. She heard the girl's chair shift, so she quickly grabbed the dishes and speed walked back to the bar.

After having loaded the dishwasher, she went to prepare some pastries that had been ordered, secretly looking at in the window's direction in the mean time. Gracie noticed Harry's date walking towards the bar, and shot her a polite smile.

"Where's the bathroom?"

"In the back left corner." She pointed towards the sign that said 'toilets'. The girl didn't say anything before she strolled away.

"You're welcome." Gracie muttered under her breath, looking around the cafe and spotting Harry already staring at her. He raised his eyebrows, and she tilted her head with a sympathetic frown, to which he rolled his eyes again.

Before she could even understand why she was doing it, Gracie was filling a glass with some ice cubes and grabbing a bottle of sparkling water. After taking off the cap from the glass bottle, she swiftly made her way over to the table by the window, putting the drink down in front of her friend.

"Thought you might need it after having to taste that chai." She said. Harry looked up at her, a weird tingle floating throughout his body as he looked at her and sweet smile. It was one of the few sweet things he fully enjoyed.

"Thanks." His voice was raspy and a bit unsure, but he was physically unable to take his eyes off of her. She brushed it off with a shrug and returned to her job, and like clockwork his date came walking back.

Harry had met Samantha at a party, the weekend before the last first day of uni. He'd forgotten all about her if he was being really honest, but the night after Graciela had rejected him, she hit him up.

She attended a different University so she could only meet him on Friday. He went to her place, because she didn't want to drive all the way to his, and then he accidentally fell asleep there, only to be woken up by her suggesting they get coffee together.

The last thing he'd imagined was to run into Graciela, but he couldn't say he was disappointed that he did.

"Ugh, there were like two people in front of me. Remind me to never return to this place, I mean, what kind of coffee place doesn't have flavors– hey, where'd you get that sparkling water?" Samantha started yammering the second she came back from the bathroom and sat next to him. Harry couldn't bring himself to listen though, he wasn't even sure what exactly she was talking about. Instead, he was a bit too focused on the barista who was concentrating on pouring the milk into the coffee.

"Harry?"

"Hm?" He cocked his head to Samantha, suddenly feeling very much like a dick when he saw her confused face. She turned around in her seat, trying to get a look at whatever Harry was staring at, and her confusion had switched to anger once she turned back to him.

"Seriously? We're on a date and you're checking out the waitress? Fucking asshole." Samantha gritted the insult through her teeth, grabbing her bag and phone from the table before storming out of the café.

Harry knew that he should probably have gone after her and try to apologize, but he didn't have the strength in him to get up. So, he poured the entirety of the sparkling water in his glass before stacking the empty dishes and moving himself towards the bar.

Gracie had seen the date's sudden exit, and she tilted her head at Harry once he arrived with the empty cups and half-empty chai latte.

"Everything okay?" Gracie questioned, taking the dishes out of his hands. She frowned a bit as she watched him take a couple of seconds before finally responding to her, he seemed a little out of it.

"What? Oh, yeah, totally. Just.. a family emergency, that's all." He stammered out the words like he was making them up right on the spot. He stared at his glass for a moment before downing his sparkling water in an impressive amount of time. He put it on Gracie's side of the bar and ignored how she was looking at him; like he had two heads.

"I'm gonna go… do stuff. Bye."

Gracie did not even have time to react to his awkward goodbye, but she realized the moment Harry shot her one last smile before leaving the café, that this friendship could become a problem in the future.

————————————-

*1 month later*

For the first time in a long time, Harry thoroughly enjoyed someone else's company. He preferred being with Gracie any day over spending time with any of his other friends.

Harry had heard her and clear when she said she wasn't interested. Now, he didn't exactly believe her, because he noticed how reactive her body was to him and only him, but he respected her word and did not go any further.

Sure, he thought about it, but not too often. He had tried making her off limits in his head, but the fantasies only got worse. So instead, he settled on a nice middle ground. Right now they were just friends, nothing more than friends. Who'd flirt occasionally, of course.

At first it was mainly Harry who'd say questionable things or accidentally got a little too close, but once Gracie started to feel more comfortable around him, she returned the favor more than him.

Now, Gracie had a problem.

She had developed a crush on Harry. It started the day he came into the café with that date of his, and it was only getting worse with each day. Nevertheless she couldn't bring herself to stop hanging out with him. Despite having romantic feelings, Harry had genuinely become a good friend to her, and she didn't want to let that go.

She felt stupid for saying she wasn't interested, but she knew that if she hadn't, they wouldn't even acknowledge each other now. She much preferred being close to him, in any way possible.

Marina had marveled at the friendship between the two, and warned her friend countless of times, while also demanding all details. She did give Gracie a big 'I told you so' when she confessed her feelings for Harry, but it didn't stop her from being a great friend.

Especially when there were chances to get over this crush.

"I don't know.." Gracie dug her head into the pillow. She was laying on Duke and Marina's bed, while Marina was pacing around the room, stocking some laundry into her closet.

One of Harry's friends, Kenny, has asked Gracie to come to the birthday party of Lucas (another friend of Harry's) with him. She told him she needed to check her schedule and that she would call him back as soon as she knew, but Gracie wasn't sure whether to go or not. However, Marina's opinion was clear.

"You know what they say. The best way to get over someone, is to get under someone else. It's the first step to recovery, babe!" Marina exclaimed, closing the closet door and going to sit next to Gracie on the bed.

"I know, but–“

"No! No buts! You can't wait around for him to be interested in you again. And if he is, who's to say that he will commit? I mean, this is Harry we're talking about." Marina's words hit Gracie like a good old slap in the face. It was evident that she realized how hard the words had hit too, so she softened the blow by adding some assuring words.

"I promise I don't want to hurt your feelings, I just don't want you to allow him to hurt your feelings, okay?" She caressed her best friends upper arm softly with an assuring smile on her face. Gracie returned the smile, taking a bit of time to think about the facts that Marina had laid on the table just now.

"You're right, I'll do it."

A high pitched squeal left Marina's mouth as soon as the last word rolled over her tongue, and she automatically shut her eyes very tightly at the sound.

The next few hours consisted of Marina helping Gracie get ready for the party. They drove to Gracie's apartment, picked out an outfit and got her ready in every way possible. Marina provided her best friend with positive affirmations to remember if she got nervous at any time, and kept reminding her how cool and hot she looked.

By the time nine o'clock came around, Gracie was alone again, waiting for Kenny to pick her up. He was only five minutes late, for which he apologized and explained that he accidentally filled out the wrong address. They laughed it off and Gracie sparked up a conversation about music which made them discover that they had similar taste.

Lucas was apparently a filthy rich guy who'd graduated years ago and was now celebrating his 25th birthday party as extravagantly as he could.

Gracie was thankful for the way she looked tonight, noticing that lucky enough, her maroon dress was just right for the occasion. It was nothing extremely fancy, just a red mini dress with long, flared sleeves and a higher boat neckline. With a few necklaces and some Chelsea boots, it made for a perfect outfit that carried a balance between sophisticated and sexy.

"Want a drink?" Kenny asked, and Gracie nodded. He extended his hand, which she took, and they made their way to the bar. Surprisingly enough, they immediately ran into Harry and his date. Gracie had hoped that she could put that off for at least a bit, but it turned out she was just going to be thrown right into it.

Harry didn't expect to see Gracie at the party, which was logical because she wasn't acquainted with Lucas. He didn't like that she hadn't told him, though, and he most definitely didn't like that she was with Kenny of all people. He had been talking about wanting to go out with Gracie for a while now and Harry had managed to put it off with as many excuses as he could come up with, but he was out of reasons to give Kenny.

"Did you come here together?" Harry asked with a fake smile, clenching his jaw when they both nodded, even though he already knew the answer to that question by now.

"Cool, cool..." He trailed off, before remembering he had brought someone too. "This is Samantha, my date."

Gracie instantly reached her hand out to the girl, trying to be as polite as possible before noticing that this was the same girl from the café a few months ago. Gracie tried her best to contain her jealousy at the thought that he liked her enough to ask her on a second date.

"Nice to meet you, again." She greeted the blonde girl, extending her hand but pulling it back when she realized that Samantha wasn't going to shake her hand any time soon. The daggers that this girl shot had Gracie believing that she accidentally killed Samantha's family.

Kenny turned around to hand Gracie her drink and took her along to meet some other people, separating them from Harry. However, his eyes didn't separate from Gracie once. He kept tabs on her as much as he could throughout the entire time that she wasn't in a two foot radius from him.

Time passed, drinks were downed, and soon enough Gracie found herself on the dance floor with Kenny and some of his friends that she'd just met a few hours before. She didn't miss the way Harry had been looking all night, and she would be liar if she said it didn't affect her. She tried to resist it, but she couldn't. She had to talk to him about this.

Gracie excused herself and walked towards her friend who was still sitting at the bar. His face relaxed the second he noticed she was walking towards him. Feeling slightly proud of himself, he let a lazy grin take over his face. But it didn't last very long.

"Could you stop staring at me?!" She shouted near his ear, her anger stemming from inner frustration and the drinks she had. "Maybe focus on your own date?"

"Don't flatter yourself, I'm not staring at you." He spit back. She crossed her arms over each other, looking at him with a raised brow. "Okay I was staring at you, but what are you doing here with him anyway?!"

"What do you care?"

"I care because you're my friend and I know he's not a good fit for you." He tried to bullshit his way out of this, clearly setting off Gracie.

"First of all, I can decide that for myself. And second, you shouldn't be talking about bad fits with that date of yours!" She accused him. That sparked interest in him, and she knew she'd fucked up when he asked what he did next.

"Are you jealous?"

Instead of immediately answering, Gracie stood there, attempting to look anywhere except for Harry's eyes as she searched for a logical alternative reasoning for her dislike to his date. But, she couldn't find one.

"Whatever, I'm gonna find a bathroom." She grumbled before taking off as quickly as she could. Harry had to process her sudden exit from their conversation, but as soon as he had, he got up to follow her, excitement brewing inside of him.

Gracie noticed the line for the downstairs bathroom and thus found a way to sneak upstairs, convinced that there must be more bathrooms there. It was awfully silent in the hallways, but soon enough she found the restroom.

She turned on the light and made a bee line for the mirror, checking if her make-up was still good while she tried to calm down her breathing from the combination of the stairs she'd just climbed in a hurry and the feelings she'd almost exposed to Harry.

Her peace didn't last, though, because soon enough the door flew open. Gracie yelped at the sudden sound, tightly holding her hand on her heart as she saw Harry walking in.

"Jesus Christ, you scared me–"

"Are you jealous?" Harry didn't waste any time. He wanted to know, no games.

"I don't– I mean… define jealous–"

"Stop avoiding the question, Graciela." He took a step closer to her, and it was like his eyes hypnotized her body and brain, because she found herself slowly nodding her head.

"Words."

"Yes." She sighed. "Yes I'm jealous, okay?"

Harry nearly couldn't contain the joy that flowed over him like a perfect waterfall. He couldn't believe she just admitted it, and he couldn't believe how quick he was to grab her jaw and plant his lips to hers.

To say the least, Gracie was surprised that Harry was kissing her, but it felt like everything that had ever seemed even slightly wrong in the world had slowly faded away with the feeling of his feathery lips against hers.

One hand stayed on her jaw, while the other pushed her backwards, causing Gracie to take a few steps back until she felt the wall behind her. But Harry didn't stop the kiss, in fact, he deepened it, which made Gracie wrap both of her arms around his neck, her right hand playing with his long curly hair.

When he finally pulled away from her, he couldn't stop smiling like a maniac.

"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that." He said breathlessly, reaching forward until their nose touched each other and he was able to brush his lips over hers. Gracie could feel his breath fan against her skin, and it made her skin burn. So much that she leaned forward for another deep kiss.

Their tongues danced around each other for a couple of minutes before Harry had gathered enough strength to pull away again.

"I really hate that you came here with Kenny." He confessed, swiping some hair over her shoulder before cupping Gracie's jaw with his hand again.

"I really hate that you came here with that girl." She shot right back at him, raising her head a bit.

"Yeah, well you don't have to worry about her." He assured her, slowly latching his hands onto her waist. Leaning over to her ear, he started whispering some things that made the heat between her legs intensify by a hundred.

"Tell me darling, were you hoping I'd be jealous tonight? Did you wear that dress with the intention of making my skin crawl?" A very soft whimper escaped Gracie's lips as she nodded her head. The way the nickname rolled off Harry's tongue made her shiver.

He chuckled at her responsiveness, and rubbed some circles on her waist with his thumbs while pulling her hips into him to create a bit of friction. Harry's leg was in between Gracie's, and he lifted it while simultaneously pushing her against it, hoping it would turn her on even more. It didn't escape his attention, the tighter grip on his muscles when he did so, and he was glad to know that he succeeded.

"You don't like Kenny, right?" Harry genuinely asked. He needed to clear the air before they could start anything.

"Do you like Samantha?" Gracie answered with another question, causing the corner of his lips to twitch upwards.

Harry didn't say anything, he just pushed his leg against her core, making her throw her head down and gasp. When she looked up again, staggered breathing making her chest rise and fall rapidly, he brushed some hair out of her face to be able to look at her properly before guiding her hand to his pants and letting Gracie feel his hard cock through his jeans. He winced at the slight friction caused by pants, and he had to refrain himself from bending her over the sink and fucking her from behind right this second.

"H- Harry, we have dates downstairs, we really shouldn't be doing this right now."

With how out of breath Gracie sounded, Harry would almost think she had just ran a marathon, instead of what was actually the case: her being a desperate whore for his cock.

"Yeah? You wanna go downstairs?" He rasped, placing his hand on her lower back and pushing her into his leg, sending some extra friction to her core. He watched, completely entrance as her eyebrows curled upwards and a strained, very soft moan escaped from the back of her throat.

She gulped and shook her head as her hand rose from his pants to the dress shirt he was wearing, digging her fingers through on of the holes in-between buttons and clamping hard onto it as she let Harry slowly guide her hips back and forth.

"No? You don't wanna go downstairs?" He tormented her, pouting like he was trying to console a child. Gracie tried to shoot him her angriest look, but miserably failed. She couldn't keep that frown up when she was looking at him. She wasn't mad, she was just desperate and frustrated.

"N-no..." She whispered, making Harry's brows raise.

"What was that?"

"No." Gracie spoke more clearly, and actually out loud this time. Harry's smirk grew even more, and he was sure that he looked like an idiot with the way he was grinning from ear to ear.

"What d'you want, baby?" He breathed, his heart beat going crazier with every second that he wasn't inside of her. To make sure she'd listen, he started sucking her neck right after his question, making her moan out in surprise.

"Fuck— you need to get me off, Harry." She pleaded, and he detached his lips from her neck just to check if it was actually Graciela saying these words, and not one of his way too often recurring fantasies. "Please?"

"Fucking hell." He cursed, removing his leg from her covered heat before crouching down and pushing her dress up, revealing red panties that matched her dress.

"Were you hoping Kenny would see these, darling?" He asked as he took the lace underwear off, signaling for her to raise her leg one by one to get them off entirely. Gracie quickly shook her head.

"Just wanted to feel confident."

"Such a good girl, dressing for no one else but yourself." Harry praised her, kissing her inner thigh. "Guess I should consider myself very lucky to have such similar taste to you."

Gracie smiled, looking down at Harry and running her right hand through his hair. She'd never felt this safe before in a position she never dared to get in with anyone else. She didn't let guys eat her out, it was just such a vulnerable thing to her, and she was very insecure about the specific transaction. But with Harry, she couldn't care less. In fact, she wanted him to eat her out.

"Speaking about taste... do you mind if I have one?" He looked up at Gracie through his eyelashes. As soon as she said that she wouldn't mind at all, he dug his face between her thighs. She let out the most agonized gasps at the new, inexperienced feeling.

His tongue collected her juices in such a rapid way, as if he had been thirsty for her. The grip she had on his curls tightened immensely when he started stimulating her clit with his tongue, flicking over it at a quick speed. Her moans began to intensify and she could feel a build-up in her lower stomach. Along with the occasional stripe over her core, he continued the fast motions until Gracie started twitching.

Then, just when her climax had gotten ready to result into an intense orgasm, Harry pulled away.

Gracie didn't exactly have time to cuss him out for edging her like that, but he got up and pushed her towards the counter, bending her forward with her only vision of him being through the mirror. She observed as he dug his hands into his pockets, and pulled out his wallet to look for a condom. Gracie frowned, she was too impatient.

"Please, just fuck me. I'm on birth control, and I'm clean." She stated, looking up at him with her big black pupils, expanded from the lust she had been experiencing.

"I'm clean too, you sure?" He asked again. He wanted to be one hundred percent certain that she wanted this, that she wanted him.

Gracie turned around in silence, undoing his pants and lowering it along with boxers. His cock sprung out the second the waist band was pulled down, and she got a bit nervous all of a sudden when met with the size of him.

"You'll be fine." He said softly. Instead of a small smile that he expected to come from her, Harry was met with a sly smirk.

"Oh I can handle it." Gracie said cockily before spitting on her hand and reaching it down towards his cock. "The question is, can you?"

With that said, she started stroking his dick, leaving Harry to be a whimpering mess under her. She slipped her tongue between his parted lips and began kissing him again to muffle the noises coming from him.

Gracie yelped, when Harry unexpectedly grabbed her waist and pulled her off the counter before turning her around and bending her over it. With a fistful of her hair, he pulled Gracie's head up so she could herself in the mirror, completely at his mercy now.

"Let's see if we can find an answer to that question of yours, Angel." He said, lining himself up with her pussy before pushing in slowly.

As he began thrusting himself into Gracie, her moans started to become louder and louder, until almost anyone downstairs could've heard it. To prevent having someone walking in, Harry leaned forward and stuck his middle and ring finger into her mouth, telling her to suck on them.

With hopeless cries and white knuckles from trying to hold on to anything she could, Gracie tried to keep her mind from becoming too foggy at how deep Harry had managed to bury himself inside of her. Especially when he hit a certain spot inside of her wet pussy, she let out a noise that no one had ever managed to get her to make, with the exception of her specifically designed vibrator.

"Is that it, darling? Are you starting to feel good?" He growled, his rhythm increasing in intensity yet keeping the same pace. It was too much to handle for Gracie, and her eyes slowly started to flutter shut as he was fucking all of her energy out of her.

"Eyes open, angel." Harry corrected her when he noticed, accompanying the remark with a playful slap on her ass which caused her to jolt forward. Gracie's cries were like music to his ears, and he had great difficulty with restraining himself from coming. But, he could see that she was very close too, so he figured with the right stimulation he wouldn't have to keep it in for much longer.

"I want you to watch yourself in the mirror as I fuck you stupid. See for yourself what I do to you, see what you do to me." At this point, he needed to hear her moan his name, to describe how good he felt, so he took his fingers out of his mouth. He couldn't care less if someone heard or even walked in, he wouldn't stop until he had her creaming all over his cock.

"Harry! I-it.. I can't!" She tried to form a coherent sentence, but the message was clear when she threw her own hand over her mouth. She couldn't keep herself quiet.

Harry stopped thrusting momentarily and reached over, cock fully buried into her, to grab both her wrists and hold them behind her back to give her no option of filtering her sounds. He slowly slid his wet dick out of her, the room already covered with incessant whining from Gracie, before driving himself into her. An unexpected scream left her mouth, nearly causing Harry to come right then and there.

"Oh- Oh! Yes! Yes! Please.." Gracie couldn't believe how much she was blabbering, he really was fucking her stupid.

"Tell me you're mine, baby. Tell me you're mine and you can cum all over my cock." Harry demanded, slapping her ass again so she would be quick with her answer because he was about to come really soon.

"I'm yours, I'm yours, I'm— Oh my God!"

And with that, Gracie came, wildly, explosively even. His possessiveness was the final straw, the last thing that sent her over the edge. But as she was trying to control the aftermath of her blissful orgasm, she realized that Harry wasn't going any slower on her.

Her exasperated sighs became hopeless cries again when he pulled out of her, turned her around to sit on the counter, and forced her to look at him as he rammed himself into her even harder than before, which she thought impossible. Her sensitive clit was now also being stimulated by his fingers, causing her to yell out at him.

"Let everyone hear how good I'm making you feel baby." He groaned as he watched Gracie's tits bounce in her pretty, red dress.

"Harry! Someone could h-hear.." she tried to warn him but she was too caught up in the indescribable pleasure he was giving her.

"Don't act like you wouldn't like that." He gave her clit a little slap, making her entire body jolt. "You would love it if someone walked in and I just kept on fucking you, show anyone that you belong to me. You're just as bad as me, aren't you baby?"

"A-ah! Y-yes!" She could feel her second orgasm coming down on her, and she was scared of how intense it was feeling already. "Harry I don't think I can—"

"Yes, you can! Come with me, darling, I'll cover you pretty little cries." He demanded, and as if he had complete control over her body, she instantly started coming as soon as his permission was out there. He muffled both their desperate sounds with a sloppy kiss that was difficult to maintain as Harry was also orgasming, his long hot spurts of come shooting deep into her achy walls.

It took a few minutes to calm down, to steady their breathing and mentally come back to earth. Gracie stayed sat on counter as Harry grabbed some toilet paper and cleaned her up, giving her some extra time to resurge some energy to her legs.

"Can you stand?" Harry said as he got up to stand in front of Gracie and hold her arms, breaking letting out a small chuckle at the end of his sentence. This entire situation was ridiculously unexpected and exciting, and it made them both burst out into laughter as soon as they made eye contact.

"This is so stupid." Gracie said in between giggles, hiding her head into his chest. Butterflies appeared in his stomach at the feeling of her hot breath against him, and he wished they could just stand like this forever.

"Good stupid, right?" He asked jokingly, but there was a serious undertone to it. He didn't want to walk out of this bathroom if it meant that this, whatever it was, to be over. Gracie retreated her head from his chest to look up at him with a reassuring smile.

"Very, very, very good."

Her smile, her voice and those sweet, sweet eyes made his heart melt all out once. He couldn't help himself from expressing his joy at her words and cupped her jaws before planting a soft and honest kiss on her lips.

[braveclementine]

Chapter 19

Warnings: None. (Will however be a 18+ reader book)

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own a few OCs like Elizabeth, Katherine, Stacy, and Jessie. I do not condone any copying of this.

The next day had passed uneventfully in total. You all hung out in a secluded part of the beach, playing the radio to loud. You and Elizabeth played old songs- old meaning between 2003 and 2018. Your soulmates had laughed as you two as sung along to 'Something just like This.'

Now, you were standing in Natasha and Bruce's room with Wanda, Shuri, Okoye, Carol, and Gamora as they all tried to fix you up in your wedding dress, get your makeup and hair done, and overall just prepare you for your wedding.

You hadn't seen any of your soulmates today. Maria, May, and Pepper were getting the boys sorted and organized, making last adjustments to their suits and everything in between.

"Stop fidgeting." Okoye demanded.

Damn the woman was scary. You froze in your seat while Shuri finished doing your makeup. After about an hour and a half, you were completely ready for this wedding.

You stood up, before Shuri handed you a bouquet of eleven roses. Each one matched the colour or colours of your soulmates- even though some of them had to be dyed.

Wong showed up to portal all of you down to the beach. You could hear everyone out on the actual beach, probably sitting under the constructed white pavilion that Tony had ordered should be put up so that they didn't have to sit in the sun, and fans would gently blow cool air down on all of you.

Your stomach twisted with nervous butterflies. Cassie and Morgan started wandering forward, your four bridesmaids quickly following as the music hit the right note.

You licked your lips, taking Wong's arm as he walked you down the aisle.

You could see your soulmates waiting, standing in a circle with one spot left open for you.

Loki was dressed in a green suit with a white shirt and a gold tie. His black hair had been pulled back into a man bun.

T'Challa was wearing traditional black robes with silver lining. He also had some white dots across his face, placed slightly strategically, though you didn't know what they meant. Probably something to do with marriage naturally.

Fury. . . wow it was the first time you'd seen him in something other than his black trench coat. He was wearing a light brown suit with a white shirt and a striped tie.

Rhodey was wearing a blue suit with a white shirt and a black tie. He looked slender and fit, smiling easily as you walked down the aisle.

Clint was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a purple tie. His grin was stretched from ear to ear as he watched you walk towards him.

Steve was wearing his military uniform. A simple olive green colour with a few badges over his left pocket, only one over the right. His shirt matched the suit, the tie a light shade of yellow.

Bucky was also wearing his military uniform, looking absolutely delicious. There was a tight brown belt around his midriff. The uniform was a tan colour with a tie that matched Steve's. His cap was perched jauntily on his head and he was wearing a huge grin on his face.

Sam was wearing almost a minty green that was so minty green it almost looked grey suit, with white dress shirt and a silver tie. His lips were pursed, a small smile there as he kept his hands in his pants pockets.

Thor was wearing a deep, almost inky black suit, complete with a black dress shirt and tie. And he said Loki dressed like a witch when he wore all black. Actually, Thor really looked good in the outfit with his hair cropped short.

Tony was wearing a grey and black striped shirt, the cuffs of his sleeves outlined with delicately stitched lining of red and blue. His shirt was white and his tied was gold and silver striped. His hair was messy, like it always was, and his glasses were in the front breast pocket.

Stephen was the last one, standing between the empty space and Tony. He was wearing a blue suit, white dress shirt, and black tie, all of the colours bringing out both the white streaks in his hair, and his blue eyes which seemed even brighter. He winked at you, your nerves calming a little bit as you came to stand there.

You swallowed hard as the bond pastor- who stood in the middle of your circle- started to speak. He spoke first of the past of the first bonds between the Earth and the sky who then had twelve Titan children who were eventually overthrown by Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon. (Loki rolled his eyes). And how the bonds grew more and more complicated until each was more unique than the stars in the sky. How the bonds started to change slowly from being simply one man and one woman to become more than one partner of either sex, usually both. How it was discovered that the bonds grew more in strength after a bonding ceremony after marriage and how bonds grew weaker if you consummated before the marriage ceremony. How the evils were discovered through the unbonded.

And then it grew more personal, explaining how each of our bonds represented who we were and how our bonds were more than our favorite colours, but also our unique identities. How T'Challa's meant he would be a protector at heart and how Steve's meant he would always do what was right for his country.

As he spoke, he had taken your bouquet of flowers, slowly handing out each one to the men so that they could put them in the buttonhole of their suits.

"The ritual will give each bonder to the bondee a trait of which they lack or do not possess, in a small element so as not to change their personality completely. This may be a physical trait, an emotional trait, or even a psychological trait." He moved back in front of you, giving you a rose to hold that was dyed with every colour of theirs. "And through the symbolic tribute, we bind."

The roses glowed, gold lines moving out to clasp around all of your wrists, strands of gold light attaching each of them to you. There was also silver lines (already bonded) between Bucky, Sam, and Steve as well as Tony and Stephen. A blue line (meaning family) was between Loki and Thor.

A circle of gold started to spin around your left hand, slowly shaping into an elegant ring. There were twelve small jewels imbedded into the ring, small and each one a singular solid colour to match their primary colour. Their names would be written under each one, magically carved in their, so small you'd need a microscope to see them.

"And now as we released the bond, though they stay forever in their souls, they will consummate the marriage by midnight. May they live happily forever." Then he produced the chalice that every couple had to drink from.

They started with the oldest first, so Thor, before it went all the way down to Sam. Then you were the last to drink it. It was clear, but it tasted like F/D.

Once you finished your one and only swallow, you felt the lines on your arm heat up spectacularly, though not to the point where they hurt. And then the ceremony was over.

Your friends immediately congregated around you as the bonding pastor left you guys to celebrate. His job was done.

You went through a couple hundred 'congratulations' before things finally went into party mode with food and drinks.

There were a ton of surprises as Pietro found his other two soulmates. And guess what? They just happened to be Jessie and Katherine from work.

Elizabeth also found her third soulmate, who happened to be Hogun from Asgard. I was glad. He had the man bun, which she had found adorable with Bucky and Loki. Not to mention he was Asian and she had a thing for Asian guys.

(So there's Hogun in Thor: Ragnarök, and then Thor where they go to Earth. I'm talking about that Hogun without the beard and he looks younger)

The ceremony seemed to both speed by and also go past as slow as possible depending on your thinking. Everyone was extremely happy and ecstatic. There was plenty of singing and dancing. Eating lovely cake.

Everyone was having a really good day when you guys finally decided that you should start back to the hotel. You had the deadline of midnight, after all.

Butterflies started to fly in your stomach. . . or maybe they were bees. It was very hard to tell. "Are you alright baby?" Sam asked quietly as the others laughed and talked to each other.

"Just nervous." You said.

"Nothing to be nervous about." Sam said, putting an arm around your shoulder. "Seriously, you'll see. We all love you so much and you love us. It'll be natural, I promise."

You flushed slightly.

Sam grinned down at you, "Look, it might be a little weird since there's eleven of us. But we're not all going to be in the room at the same time. It'll just be one on one, 'cept maybe Stevie, Buck and I might come in at the same time if you're okay with that?"

"Am I gonna watch you three have sex?" You questioned awkwardly. You weren't awkward because you didn't want to see it, you just asked it extremely bluntly.

He chuckled lowly. "Not tonight, but another night, I promise." He winked.

You grinned, already feeling a bit more comfortable.

"Hello pet." Loki purred in your other ear as Sam's attention was drawn away by Bucky telling him to look at a cute cat that had appeared out of the bushes. "You look absolutely ravishing in your dress."

If he was trying to make you wet, it was working. He had pranced around the wedding, not saying more than a few words to you, a sly smirk on his face, telling you that he had something up his sleeve.

"Thanks." You mumbled, cheeks burning.

"A little birdie told me that Clint was going to be your first." Loki smirked.

"You mean Sam?" You deadpanned.

His smirked got bigger, "I'll be your last my pet." He nipped your ear lobe. "All tuckered out and a complete mess and then I'll show you what it feels like to be with a real man."

He slipped away, back to Thor's side, pretending to take interest in a black cat as you nearly tripped over your own two feet at his words. Good lord.

Once you were in the hotel, you all looked at each other.

"So which room?" Bucky asked.

Tony smirked, pulling out a piece of paper and handing it over to Stephen, "We're not going to a room."

Stephen rolled his eyes, but opened up a portal nevertheless, showing you all one of those private villas that were basically a home as your hotel.

"Tony this is huge." You gasped as you stepped through the portal. The others followed behind.

"What did you expect? It's Tony." Rhodey said with a shrug.

Fair point.

You headed up the stairs, being very careful so that you didn't step on the train of your dress. Suddenly, Steve scooped you up into his arms so that he could carry you over the threshold of the villa.

"Very old-fashioned." You complimented.

He grinned down at you. "I like to stay in touch with my roots occasionally."

"Besides," Bucky added. "It's a nice sentiment. I'll carry you over the threshold of the Avengers tower when we get home."

Tony cleared his throat, "Pretty sure I own that building."

Bucky just rolled his eyes.

"Anyways," Tony continued. "You and Katniss can go upstairs and find the bedroom together I'm sure."

You blushed scarlet now as Clint just rolled his eyes, lifting you up in his arms to carry you up the stairs. You were really starting to like this carrying the bride thing. It meant you didn't have to climb any stairs in your dress or heels.

The bedroom was easy to find. It was obviously your room, fit with cream and lavender colours.

"Well?" Clint asked as he approached you. There was suddenly a wonderful tension in the air as he brushed his slight calloused hands over your shoulders. "Ready for the best part of the night, Birdie?"

You flushed a little at the slightly endearing nickname that you knew was a personal favorite of his, though he never liked using it with other people.

You flushed, looking up into his blue-grey eyes. "Yes." 

[still-a-morosexual-help]

I had a dream yesterday. And I've always had weird dreams. Creepy or bizzare or both. Though they've always told a narrative. They've always been long drawn out stories with dialogue and characters and a goal and a beginning and usually an end.

Yesterday I dreamt of walking down my street. It was dark and I was with an old friend. I knew in the dream they were an old friend, one I hadn't met since I was a teenager, maybe longer. But now, awake, I can't recall their face.

We were going somewhere to find something. In the dream I knew where we were going and what we hoped to recover. Now the details are murky.

I was apprehensive in the dream. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had tried this before, with more people, with more old friends, and that I had failed. And like a game resetting I had started at the beginning again. Except none of the others were given a second chance and I was here now with a new companion, walking back towards the same fate. My friend remained oblivious and happy. We were talking about the neighbourhoods and houses we were passing. I think I dismissed the flashing images of my 'first try' as deja vu or anxiety.

It was night when we started off from my street. No time passed, but it was bright and early a step away, on the next street. There was something safe about my small dark street with its one light, and I felt we had left that safety behind.

This new neighbourhood was idyllic. Sunny and green with little houses. But there were no people. I don't think there was any noise at all, aside from the two of us.

We passed a pair of cottages that were painted to look like little green frogs. They had one connected garden with a little fence and archways and garden seats painted to look like toadstools. I told my friend I'd like to live there. That when we got what we came for we should go see the cottages, invite others and have a lunch on the toadstools.

At the end of the street was a white wall and a large gate, behind it stood an old fashioned bungalow with a sprawling garden dotted by bushes. The bunglow's veranda wrapped all the way around it, all the doors leading to the inside of the house were open wide, and we could see a courtyard in the middle. There was antique furniture throughout the house, making it difficult to navigate through. But they made good hiding spots. We knew we needed to hide. That we weren't supposed to be there. That whatever we were taking, we'd be stealing. I think we got caught last time, my other old friends and I.

There was an older lady. A servant. I could see her from my hiding spot. She was talking to someone. I don't think I could make out what they were saying, can you hear noise in dreams? But I knew she was talking about us. Telling someone that we had come here.

I only ever saw who she was talking to through their reflection in the glass doors. Whoever it was she looked like my next-door neighbour who had passed away almost a year ago. The one who used to make little bouquets of this plant the cats liked, tied together with a red ribbon, and toss it into our garden for them to find. We never spoke much, but I miss her.

She looked exactly like her. Except her hands didn't make sense. They just kept going and going till they almost reached the ground. I didn't understand why at first. I had to keep staring at that reflection. I thought maybe something was wrong with it. That maybe it was distorted? It was her nails. It was her nails that were wrong. They were long and sharp and dirty and I knew I had felt them once, against my skin, against my flesh, tearing into me. Maybe it's just because it was a dream, but it's an odd feeling to know you had died once and you were going to die again, that even the extra steps you took to prevent it hadn't really changed anything. There was a strange disconnect to it.

We crept around the bungalow. It was really just one long circular corridor packed with furniture, with a courtyard in the middle. I think she knew we were there. I think she was hunting us. But whatever we came for it was more important than whatever fate had met my previous companions (Becoming a corpse? Becoming a meal?)

The more we stayed there, the more I just knew things. Like how that wasn't really my old neighbour. How whatever it was just looked like her. To appear safe and friendly and comforting, maybe, to me specifically. I knew why the whole neighbourhood was empty, of course. I knew what had happened to all the people. I knew why the houses were so well kept though, so welcoming, designed to draw people in.

We got what we came for. It was further than we had gotten last time. Or at least that's the impression I had. Then we ran. It, whatever it was, chased after us. We made it out of the gates and as we ran past the picturesque little houses, as we ran past the frog cottage I knew that one had been made just for me.

[money-and-dandellions]

Of cold nights, slushies and how good it is to breathe; one-shot about Sunflower Siblings.

Less than 30. Sunset is less than thirty minutes away, and the sun has already gone behind the clouds. As if it hadn't spent the whole day there.

In addition to how lazy the sun really was, other thoughts flashed through Lester's head; most often they were lyrics from songs that, with annoying buzzing in his head, played on a loop for a few hours straight.

"...It seems to me that when I die,

these words will be written on my stone...

And I'll be gone, gone tonight

The ground beneath my feet is open wide.

The story of my life..."

The finger while not thinking much about the recent events, tapped out the rhythm of the song, words of which had glued to the skull.

Speaking of skulls, then it's better not to think about them at all, because he has managed to see of too many skinless heads in the last two weeks. This experience is finished for at least three eternities. No exaggeration.

Lester swerved to the right, trying not to hiss at the sharp surge of pain in his right temple. The black-blue dots continued to dance in his view.

Well, at least they weren't tap dancing. He hoped so.

"...There'll be nothing left for me to yearn.

Think of me and burn..."

'Burn what?'

There was no such event as highly-pitched scream, thank you very much.

Meg's eyes, somehow reflecting the rapidly decreasing in availability sunlight, were shining with candle-yellow which did not go along at all with her red, dimmed by a light layer of dirt, tip-tops. Her hair were as wet as the top of her bright green dress, lovingly handed by Ms. Sally Jackson.

Despite that the rain had stopped more than an hour ago, no one would say it if only looking at his master's clothes. Weren't she asleep, like, just now?

'Why would—' A pause. They will, for sure, discuss all the ups and downs of Bastille but Lester doesn't recall what was the last time he have seen the [liquid poison] fluorescent lights of any convenient shop, so—

'Were are going to be in Arkansas in an hour, near some gas station - in 10 or so, because the road is wet, who thought it would be a good idea to... Anyway, in 10 or so minutes. Any wishes?'

'A blue slushie and fries. With salt.' Meg answered, kicking the tips of her legs together with a soft bup.

A slushie and fries it is.

And aspirin, before Lester's brain will wave a white neckerchief, wishing all the best.

———— ———— ———— ————

As it was said before, the liquid poison of lightning bulbs is the least expected thing to happen to anyone, who is crossing the United States of America, even in a company of girl with unicorn-obsession. Even, if you were a god.

Alas, the gas station's advertisment was not so merciful to every unlucky person that ever visited it would it be a mortal, demigod, or a monster.

It would be unpleasant if it would be merciful to monsters.

Sitting on the hood of the car, Meg McCaffrey was very much pleased with apple-strawberry flavour of brain-eating (okay, not the best choice of words) cheap freezer also known as a slushie. Kicking the air, she looked almost peaceful, even counting the pinkish cut on her cheek, which, of course, was already healing.

The clouds were not so peaceful. The dark-gray, wet and multiple layered mass of water looked too intimidating for simple liquid.

Everything started to have a significantly huge amount of ozone smell in it. Choking, cold and crystallized pieces of something sharp scratched Lester's chest, tightening it.

Like rings of lubricous, narrow as cut dried wax, scales that would not stop and would be very much satisfied with crushing him until the last, shaky breath—

'It's cold.'

'What..?'

'I'm freezing, let's get in the car, dummy.'

Yes, breathing is good.

———— ———— ———— ————

Five minutes, ten fries and one boring song listened after, the sun had fully sat, shining at last in the front window of the car. For the next eight or so hours, headlights are going to be Lester's best accomplices.

Meg, her fingers suspiciously shiny, put knees to her chest, head - onto the cold window. Her glasses shifted a little, sliding more onto her right eye.

From time to time, taking his eyes off the road, Lester casted a glance at her, trying to figure out if his young friend is indeed asleep.

Judging by how strong was her grip onto recently bought blanket, she was not.

In twenty or so minutes, the girl shifted, wrapping herself further in the soft cloth.

'I'll go sleep.' The mumble was almost barely audible, but it was still there.

'Have a good night.'

'Don't tell me what to do, du—' She yawned, interrupting her own speech.

"All this time I was finding myself, and I

Didn't know I was lost.

I tried carrying the weight of the world

But I only have two hands..."

'You too.'

Lester smiles tiredly, staring at the infinite dark road ahead.

It's going to be a long night.

[orangeinecstasy]

park: pool party, pt. two ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ eli hewson

✧: part one

paring: eli x fem!oc

summary: surprise date with eli

a/n: a little follow-up blurb for eli's birthday!!

wc: 1.02k

*reblogs, notes, and feedback are greatly appreciated!!

The music gently plays through my headphones, one of my hands twirling my pencil as I look down at my textbook. My head feels dizzy with knowledge, causing me to look out the cafe window. The leaves were finally starting to change color, beautiful reds and oranges littering their crowns.

My phone gently vibrated on the cafe table's wooden surface. A little break would be alright. I pushed the headphones off my head, allowing them to rest around my neck before flipping over my phone. A sense of relief wafted over my body as I saw a text from Eli appear on my screen. It had been a couple of months since the two of us had finally confessed and started dating, and honestly, it had been the best months of my life. But, because of my busy University schedule and his touring, we hadn't been able to see each super often. 

I slipped my pen into my textbook as I swiped the message open. 

How's the studying going?

I quickly responded; It's fucking brutal. If I read another thing about dead white guys, I might burst into tears

I'm sorry, love. Hang in there. I believe in you xx

I smiled down at my phone. Even though such a simple encouragement came from him, it meant the world. I decided not to put my headphones back on and just enjoy the sound of the cafe around me; people chatting, the rustling of the baristas behind the counter, and the soft chime of a bell that went off every time someone entered the cafe. 

The faint clicking of boots was added to the noise but soon stopped as they reached the other side of my small table. "Is this seat taken?" they said. I glanced up, but only for a second. "No, you're all good." I looked up again, trying to seem somewhat friendly, and that's when I realized it was my wonderful boyfriend. "Elijah!" I practically tackle him into a hug, his familiar smokey wooden scent filling my lungs. His arms wrapped tightly around me a smile spread across his lips. 

"I thought you said you wouldn't be back until next week," I say, arms still wrapped around him, trying to convince myself that I wasn't in a dream. 

He brushes some of my hair back, his smile widening, "Well... I might have lied so that I could surprise you. So surprise!" 

"You are so fucking cute," I kiss him gently, a feeling of pressure being released in my body after not being able to be with him for so long. 

He hums happily as I pull away, "Why don't you take a study break so we can have some fun?"

"That sounds grand!" 

By the time I was shoving all my things into my bag, everyone in the cafe had their eyes on the two of us. A group of girls about my age, maybe younger whispering to each other with wide eyes. Honestly, they could stare all they wanted. I was just happy to be back with my boy.

"Here, let me take that," Eli said, taking my backpack from my hands and slipping it over one of his shoulders. "Such a gentleman," I kiss his cheek, my arm lacing around his as we walk out of the cafe. "So where are we going exactly?" My fingers laced between his, the cold metal of his rings pressing into my skin. "It's a surprise," he said with a cheeky smile. Laughing, I roll my eyes slightly. "You are your surprises."

Once the two of us reached Eli's car, he threw my stuff into the back, and we got in and drove to the undisclosed location. The windows were rolled down, allowing the cold fall air to whip my hair around and prickle my skin. Music was blasting, the two of us singing along at the top of our lungs. Eli always looked the most beautiful when he was like this; happy, cheeks turned pink from the cold air, eyes shining like they held the universe. 

After driving for a little while, we finally reached a small park. It was dotted with people laid out on blankets or couples walking dogs together as they talked, their words forming clouds in front of them. Large trees were placed randomly, piles of leaves close by as they started to shed them as the colder months crept closer. The two of us exited the car, Eli's arm finding its natural place around my waist. "Do you remember this place? We used to come here all the time when we were kids." I nod, looking up at him and smiling. "Yeah! Ugh, we used to have so much fun." I take his hand into my own, our arms swinging as we walk down one of the various paths. 

"I bet I can beat you to that tree," I say, pointing to a big oak tree a few meters away. He cocked his eyebrow, laughing, "Oh really?" he nudged my arm. "Yep! Okay, ready? Go!" I say in one big breath, my hand breaking away from his as I start to run. "You little-!" He yells out, chasing after me. Before I could reach the tree, Eli's arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back and causing us to fall into a pile of leaves.

The two of us couldn't control our laughter. Laughing until we almost started crying. Once we settled, I shifted to get a better view of Eli. Leaves of red and yellow surrounded him, his cheeks still slightly flushed from the cold. I couldn't help but feel so in love at that moment. I moved some hair out of his face, allowing his shining eyes to become clearer. 

"I love you," I smiled, my hand cupping his cold cheek. "I love you more," He leaned into my touch, eyes never wavering from mine. "I love you most," He chuckled gently, rolling his eyes before pulling me closer. "Oh shut up," He said before the two of us melted into the most perfect kiss. 

We were drunk with love in a pile of leaves like nothing else mattered.

[drivinmeinsane]

Wild Country (Part 2)

SIERRA SIX × F!READER

Part 1

Part 2 (This one)

Part 3 (coming soon)

*Summary: Six is running on empty in more ways than one when he pulls into that gas station out west. He just wants to make sure he and Claire survive when he does the unexpected and says he'll take on the job as a ranch hand. It was a position offered rhetorically and out of frustration, but damn if he doesn't fit the bill of what you need.

*Content/tags: Slow burn, Pining, Movie canon compliant, No use of Y/N, Cowboy!Six, Adoptive Daughter!Claire, no need to have read the books

*Rating: 18+ for future mature content

*Status: Ongoing

*Author's Notes: The burn is still burning slow, but we're getting there folks.

The drive from their motel to the cattle ranch is a short enough trip, but it's an uncomfortable one. The roads are pitted gravel at best and crater pocked dirt at the worst. Any time he glances over, he can see Claire holding anything she can get her hands on. Hitting one particularly large, unavoidable rut just about knocks the air out of him and causes her to let out a yelp and grab his forearm hard enough to leave the half moon indents of her nails in his skin. He holds back the wince of discomfort.

His grip on the steering wheel loosens in silent relief when he makes the turn onto the winding driveway. They pass a couple rolling acres dotted with horses. Claire has both her hands on the window ledge now, her death grip on Six's arm forgotten as she stares out the window. He hadn't expected her to be captivated by the animals, but he supposes that it's a novel experience for her. Being the niece of a CIA handler and having a heart condition surely led to a mundane life spent locked away. Six feels a pang in his chest when he thinks about Fitz. He should be the one with Claire, not him.

The drive opens up into a dead end parking lot. On his right is a massive barn, on his left are a couple of bunkhouses, but it's straight ahead that catches his attention. You had said to park in front of the large, white house, so he does, pulling right next to a green truck that he had noticed at the gas station. The truck settles into park with the enthusiasm of a reanimated corpse finally allowed to rest again. Six pushes the door open and wrestles it closed behind him. He's greeted by a large, rust colored dog. It stands in front of him, panting expectantly. He ignores it in favor of ducking down to speak into the truck's cabin, one arm casually resting on top of the vehicle.

"Let's go find my new boss."

Claire gives him one of her skeptical looks and shoves her own door open with a dramatic sigh. He's surprised it doesn't fall off its hinges. He feels the dog's hot breath against his knees and inches around the animal to join his adoptive daughter at the tailgate.

"What's the plan? Is there even anyone here? I th-oh!" Her voice cuts off as she spots the dog. She crouches down and enthusiastically starts petting it. He supposes that the dog is pleased with the arrangement if the lolling tongue and kicking back leg are any indication.

He watches on in silence for a moment before he hears banging noises and a loud whinny from the barn. He looks in that direction and gives Claire a quiet "Hey". He makes a gesture for her to follow him when she looks up at him. The dog runs ahead of them as they crunch over the gravel before impatiently doubling back to match their speed.

───※ ·❆· ※───

You're kneeling next to one of your horses when you hear the scuff of feet and scrabbling of dog nails. You finish velcroing the sports medicine boot in place before you stand up. Your mare nudges your arm and snorts when you don't produce a treat despite having a bucket of grain with a few mouthfuls left. You absently run a hand down her face as you turn to face the people coming into your barn.

You're greeted with the sight of the gas station man and whom you presume is the daughter he had mentioned. The ranch dog is wagging his tail furiously as he stops next to the girl, pressing in close for the pets she provides him. He's clearly smitten with her.

"Come on over." You call.

The man, Six, makes piercing eye contact as he approaches. His arms are casually at his sides but there's tension in his broad shoulders. The girl is right on his heels, nearly tripping over both her dad and the dog. She's clearly nervous but there's a look of fascination on her face. Her skin is pale, almost translucent like she hasn't had much sun exposure.

Your prospective ranch hand is a formidable presence up close. He's tall enough that you have tip your head back to make eye contact. You feel a little like an insect under a magnifying glass with the way he stands over you, running analyzing eyes over your face. You brush it off and square up to him like you would to one of your cow horses. You were long since used to winning the respect of larger animals. You weren't about to squirm.

"Sierra." You say, offering your hand.

He takes it immediately, no reservations about the horse sweat and grime coating it. He says your name in the same tone you said his. His hand is warm and calloused in yours. There's strength in his grip that you can clearly feel even from such a brief clasp. You offer the same hand to the girl. She takes it. You give her a smile you didn't give her father.

"Any friend of Winston here is a friend of mine." You say brightly, gesturing down at the dog doing his best to wiggle into the middle of things.

"Must have a lot of friends then." Her response is fast. She's clever, confident through her nerves.

"Surprisingly not. You must be special." You say. "So what's your name, honey?"

"Claire."

There's a sharp intake of air from the man next to her. You cut your eyes at him. There's a flash of worry on his face that gets smoothed over so quickly you almost wondered if you imagined it. Something was off about this situation, but the girl seemed to trust the man implicitly. None of your own instincts were dreaming danger either. Strange. Winston and the mare behind you weren't agitated by his presence either.

"Well, Claire, it's nice to meet you. How about I give you two the tour and we'll go from there?"

Six gives an agreeable nod and his daughter's face lights up. You double check the quick release knot securing your horse to the tie ring. You can feel his gaze like a physical hand on your back. It takes everything in you to not involuntarily shiver under the imaginary weight. You give the black mare a pat that's more reassuring to you than to her before you turn around to meet that heavy gaze head on.

"After you." His voice is like velvet, rich and promising.

You fight down the urge to swallow thickly at the sound of his voice and begin the overview of the property.

───※ ·❆· ※───

He and Claire follow you for the better part of an hour. His eyes tend to wander more towards you than the surroundings you're explaining. There's something appraising in the way he watches you. It's nothing like the looks you've gotten from some of your other ranch hands. Their stares make your skin crawl at times, but his... well, it has you wanting to crawl in an entirely different way.

"How many others are there?"

The question catches you off guard. The three of you are standing in front of the bunkhouse you told him he would be staying in. He's been so silent throughout the tour that you had nearly forgotten what he sounds like.

"There's three. Dallas, Jimmy, and Charles. We had four, but one of them decided to light out about a week ago."

"Why did he leave?"

"Conflict of interests." There's more steel in your voice than you intended, but Six gives an accepting nod and changes the topic.

"What about my daughter?"

"Oh! Right, yes. She'll be staying in the main house with me and Suzanne, the property owner. Claire's a minor and not under contract so I don't want to toss her in with you and the other men. If that's alright with you?"

"Good." His tone is warm. "She has a pacemaker. I worry about her. Having her safe is my priority." He has a softer presence when he speaks about Claire.

"Good dad. I'll introduce you after I put you through your test. As long as you find everything suitable, I'd like to see how you are on a horse."

He agrees, and your small party tramps back over to the barn to where you left your horse waiting patiently. She rumbles when she sees you cross the threshold. Claire's interest is at its peak and she's nearly vibrating.

"Here." You say, pulling a treat out of your pocket. You press it into her hand. "Show her your empty hand and then close your fingers and offer it to her to sniff. If she bumps it with her nose, you can pet her."

She follows your directions to the letter and is soon petting the animal. You beckon her father over closer and step out of the way to give them room to interact with the mare. He's got such a tender look on his face while looking at his daughter that your breath catches for a moment.

"Claire, if you hold your hand out flat and under her nose, she'll take that treat from you now that you've gotten acquainted." Your tone is casual and you avoid looking at the man's face again

"Oh!" She laughs a bit as the horse's whisker's skim over her palm.

"Her name is Belladonna. Sierra, she'll be the horse I test you out on. If everything goes well, the two of you will be partners during the term of your contract."

He nods and that's that. You quickly swap the mare's halter for her bridle and then you and Claire are soon leaning against the indoor area railing watching Six swing a leg over the Quarter Horse's back and settle into the saddle. He rides well enough. You watch him as he urges Belladonna to a walk. His hands are gentle on the reins and he's well balanced in the saddle. He's definitely not spent long hours and days mounted, but he's not the worst you've ever seen ride. Some of your own ranch hands have been hired with a worse seat.

"Bring her to a jog and have her circle those cones." You call to him.

He raises a hand in acknowledgment and clicks to the horse. She tosses her head in excitement and gives a little cowhop. There's barely any movement or surprise from her rider, he's got a natural grace to him that automatically shifts and sways to accommodate the mare's movements. He does what you ask of him and before long you're calling him back over to dismount. His feet barely hit the ground before you're pulling the folded contract out of your shirt pocket. He turns to face you and the two of you both start speaking.

"Are you ready to-"

"I'm not too exper-"

There's a brief silence only accompanied by Belladonna's swishing tail and Winston panting happily as Claire scratches between his ears.

"You go first." Six says, encouragement in his tone.

You take a breath. "If everything is suitable to you, I would like to take you on for the season. I've got the contract right here if you would like to look it over and sign it." You hold you the paper and a pen out to him. He takes both with steady hands.

"He doesn't know how to read." Comes Claire's earnest voice.

Both you and her dad look over to see her face dripping with sincerity. He shakes his head somberly. "Don't tell all my secrets."

You have to stifle a laugh at the two of them. The man quickly scans his blue, blue eyes along the words on the page. He quickly scrawls his signature at the bottom of the page before handing the signed page and the pen back to you.

"I'm yours now."

It sounds like a promise.

───※ ·❆· ※───

Dinner is a singlesidedly noisy affair. The old woman started fussing over the father and daughter from the second you introduced them to her. She doesn't allow for any lulls in the conversation and it really starts to feels like a hostage situation. Six finally begs off with the excuse that Claire needs to go to bed. You spring at the chance to escape and show them to the bedroom that the teen will be staying in.

"If there's anything you need, just let me know." You say before wishing Claire goodnight and going back down the stairs to give them some privacy.

You need to do the dinner cleanup anyway. This old house never got updated with a dishwasher. Suzanne passes you in the kitchen with her eyebrows raised and an amused look on her face. You ignore her pointed look towards the stairs where you can both hear the muffled voice of the man you just hired. You don't want to talk about his presence. You have never let any of the other ranch hands further than the front porch, much less invited them to dinner. Granted, none of the other hands have had a child with them.

You're in the middle of rinsing off a plate when an arm reaches around you to grab the dish towel hanging by the sink. You stare for a second, taking in the rolled up sleeve and flex of his muscles underneath his tattooed skin. You can feel the heat of him against your back and your mouth goes dry. He gently takes the plate from your hands when you go to set it aside and dries it off. The two of you work in comfortable silence only accented by the sounds of water and clink of dishes. You wash and he dries. You savor the glimpses you get of his hands and his strong forearms. His hands are scarred and calloused but the way he uses his fingers is delicate. His pace is unhurried, steady. You sneak a glance at his face and it's relaxed.

Finally, when he's drying the final dish and you've pulled the plug in the sink, you turn to him. There's a breathless moment where the two of you simply look at eachother. Neither of you speak as you show him to the front door. There's a pause on the threshold, and you can visibly see him struggle with himself on what to say. You wait patiently.

"Goodnight." It's low, intimate in the glow of the porch light.

You smile at him for the first time. He doesn't return it but there's a softer curve to his lips when you do.

"Goodnight, Sierra." Your voice comes out quieter, more tender than you had meant. You flush. You hope he can't notice.

He nods, a slow include of his head, and steps out of the doorway and turns to go down the porch steps. You close the door behind him and let out a shaky breath. He is all but a complete stranger. There is no reasonable explanation for you to respond to him the way that you have been since he showed up on the property. Or, if you're being honest with yourself, since you spotted him at the gas station.

He had clearly stuck out as an outsider. A little sweaty and worn. There was pained exhaustion written in the lines of his body and despite your anger over the situation involving your deserting ranch hand, your eye was drawn to him. You watched him analyze his surroundings with a practiced eye and saw his sleight of hand. A desperate man.

You made sure to raise your voice when he came to the register. He focused in on you and your heart lept in your throat when he said he'd do the job. His gaze had been so intense, so hopeful. When he mentioned that he had a daughter, your mind was made up.

You know that you are just going to have faith in him. Somehow he doesn't seem like the kind of man who would fall short.

N E X T.

[mangio-formaggio]

Stranger Things AU for HSM

because it's (almost) the spooky season and this time last year I was obsessed with Eddie x Steve. So you know... angsty teenagers somewhat babysitting their friends and having sexuality crisis? Anyone? May ended up being a little bit Scooby Doo-ish, we will see.

- It's all starts with Wildcats leaving the evening practice and Zeke is decides to shortcut through the park in the night. And he gets caught by the Demogorgon (prob because the cookies in his backpack smells too good lol).

— The only person who knows that Zeke took a turn to the park is Ryan. Cause he may have a tiny crush on Zeke and sneaked that night in gym to watch the boys play. And when the practice was over he had to rush outside before get caught or stack at school for the whole night.

— What Ryan is totally forgot is that he was supposed to pick up Kelsi, who worked late at a new song. And she did indeed got stack in the school. And she hadn't been seen next morning.

— Sharpay on the other hand used to Zeke's attention at this point, and very confused when he's not there next morning to give her fresh bakery before classes start.

— Long story short when Zeke's and Kelsi parents are raising alarm the next morning the whole class is send to the principal's office to be questioned.

— And there's a gossip that Ryan killed Kelsi. Weird quiet brother of the most terrifying girl in school murdered someone? Makes sense.

— Wildcats aren't believe those rumors, but they figures out that Ryan could see Zeke if he was in school last night for Kelsi. So they ask.

— Ryan is pretty stressed at this point, so he absently mentions to the team about Zeke and the park. And of course they immediately decide to investigate themselves.

— At the same time, Sharpay finds Kelsi's stuff at the theater, but the new song is not there. She looks around the piano and there's nothing but wired amount of wet leaves. But it wasn't raining last night.

— In the park Wildcats can't find any clues about Zeke. But Troy finds a girl. Scared and unable to speak. She refuses to be taken to the police station. She can lift thing with her mind and solves equations just after one look at them. All the boys can find out about her is that her name is Gabriella and she worries about her mom.

— Taylor and Martha see how Gabi solves equations an wowed. Also wtf jocks are doing around such a smart new girl? And Taylor being Taylor very quickly understands what's going on here.

— The company of other girls helps Gabi to relax and open up a bit, even if she still in shock: doesn't remember how she ended up in a forest and what's the danger is treating her and the whole East High now.

— While this group is connecting the dots and figures out how to use Gabi's power to communicate with Zeke in Upside-down, Sharpay is trying to help Ryan snaps out of anxiety and insist they should continue rehearsals.

— So twins are at the theater when Wildcats and girls are messing with a school radio. And then suddenly the lights are starts flickering, the speakers around empty school are broadcasting white noise...

— And then everyone hear weak trembling voice. Kelsi's voice. She's singing her new song. Quietly and slightly hysterically.

— Wildcats are confused where exactly the voice is coming from: they tried to reach out Zeke in possible parallel universe, not drama club, right?

— When they rushed into the theater they finds only Evan's twins on a verge of a heart attack (and Ryan is also is about to have nervous break down).

— For a couple of seconds they all are trying to sing along, in a desperate attempt to let the Kelsi know that she's heard. Next moment the lights are off completely.

— The singing stops. But they can hear Kelsi's breathing heavily. And then there's a distinct low growl. One second in speakers. Another somewhere backstage.

— Suddenly the light is on again. And fall clearly inhumane shadow appears on the side of the stage.

— The monster jumps. The kids are frozen by terror. Gabi lifts her hands and screams and the next thing everybody knows is that the speakers are broken with a loud crack, the monster is gone and everything seems back to normal.

— Expect it's not and everybody understands very clearly now what's took their friends. The jocks, the nerds and drama kids join forces. They need a plan.

— While the monster-hunting is discussed and organized, some emotional drama unravels.

— Troy is completely mesmerized with Gabi. But she doubts whether he actually likes her or he likes her cool superpowers. After all they can't even properly communicate. She's also remembers herself we'll enough to understand that her life is somewhere else and she needs to focus on finding her mother.

— Sharpay is mad because she likes to be in control. And currently is nothing can be controlled except her own sanity. She hesitant about joining the upcoming quest. She's a performer and a school princess. Not a fighter. She can't wander through the park in this shoes, thank you very much. On the other hand, she can't leave her brother, who's very determined to help Kelsi as much as he can. Lastly, even if she would never admit, she worries sick about Zeke.

— Taylor knows their plan is just absolutely terrible, dumb and suicidal idea. But she's also have a ridiculously amount of fun navigating the attack plan and investigating where the portal to Upside-down is. Also the feeling of community is so new and nice. She just can't leave those idiots on her own.

— Chad isn't jealous. That would be stupid. And what kind of jerk would be jealous of Gabi when she's evidently went through horrible trauma, apparently wanted by some shady government people and is under constant pressure of saving everybody. But it just so hard to take that in a crisis like this Troy is neglecting his leadership in order to look after his new girlfriend... Surprisingly good thing, however, is that Evans twins are actually helpful. Ryan is very easy to become friends with actually: he can handle that bat, sincerely care about this small Kelsi person and is fun to joke around. His arms are surprisingly strong, his eyes are... well, blue. Oh, and his sister undeniably was born to lead some small army or shoot some monsters right between eyes.

— Ryan is probably running on a pure adrenaline at this point. His body just can't tolerate this amount of stress anymore, so it's almost euphoric state of confidence now. He almost doesn't recognize himself. Like volunteering on a reconnaissance mission? Or agreeing to arm himself with a gigantic bat? Or talking to Chad Danforth like they knew each other for ages? And Ryan even dares to flirt? And tease? And yeah, having a crush on an another straight athlete is still absolutely terrible idea, but maybe they gonna die tomorrow so what the hell?

— Anyways... They find the portal. They find both of their friends. Alive and mostly well. They survived on Zeke's cookies.

— And Demogorgon finds them.

— The fight is unravel. Boys kicking and punching. Sharpay shooting. Taylor and Martha are evacuating Zeke and Kelsi. Gabi stays behind to close the portal.

— Everyone makes it out alive. Chad and Ryan make out celebratory. Sharpay is already planing a show based on this adventure. She would go out with Zeke the next day after he will rest, don't worry.

— Troy is brooding though. He rushes to the park like everyday since. But it completely normal trees and grass now. Nothing paranormal. So he slowly loses hope. Until one day they're having a game and the broken speakers are suddenly working again. And there's a Kelsi's song singing with the most beautiful and gentle voice he had ever heard.

— So they make a hole in theatre's wall to helps Gabi get out. Ms D isn't pleased though. They all got detention till the graduation. Can as well start to participate in musicals yk.

[xxrainshadowsxx]

Interpersonal Chapter 5

Fancy events, a brief introduction of the sister (who might be my favorite character), and an ending I think you'll be very happy with.

The next evening, you're in your hotel room putting the final touches on your makeup for the gala. You hadn't seen much of Mr. Onceler since the plane-you'd suffered a silent taxi ride to the hotel and he'd shown you to your room, but beyond that, you'd been left to your own devices. 

And that suits you just fine. You have no idea what you could even say to Mr. Onceler now that you have two highly embarrassing moments between the two of you, and this second one was much, much worse than the first.

However, you were both going to truly have to pretend neither of those events had ever occurred tonight. You were far too nervous about the company you were going to be keeping to not have his support.

You were at least mostly satisfied with the way you looked though. You doubted you'd be the most glamorous person at the gala, but you were also a far cry from the business professional you wore to work (and an even farther cry from the sweats you wore at home).

At seven on the dot, there's a knock at your hotel door. Mr. Onceler is nothing if not punctual. You stand and walk over to answer, putting the last of your small but pretty diamond earrings in your lobes as you do so. 

You open the door and blink a few times; you almost don't recognize him. He's traded his green suit for a smart black and white one, and he's even abandoned his usual sunglasses and hat. The oddest thing about him, however, is his expression.

His mouth is stuck open; he's totally slack-jawed. His eyes are roaming your body up and down like he can't find a place to land them. "Is this okay? Do I need to change?" you ask, suddenly self-conscious. You think you look okay-you're in a midnight blue sheath with a slit up your right leg and no back to speak of. It had been a gift from your sister for graduation, but you'd never had a reason to wear it until now.

"No," he chokes out, his voice rather higher-pitched than normal. He clears his throat. "No, no, you're good. More than good… you look great… I mean, you'll fit right in." His cheeks are dusted with a light pink, and you can't help but feel highly amused by how flustered he is. "Is it warm up here?" he asks suddenly. "It feels really warm up here."

"I feel fine… but you're wearing a jacket and I'm not," you shrug, deciding at the last minute to take pity on him and not tease him mercilessly. "I do need your opinion on something though. I was planning on wearing my thneed like a scarf. You think that'll work?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah, that should look good," he mumbles. You nod a thanks, and start putting on the purple thneed, wearing it in a long scarf like you'd often seen him wear himself. "Sorry I'm so out of sorts, I've just… never seen you with your hair down before," he attempts to explain.

Really? That was the excuse he was going to use? He wasn't technically wrong; you had always worn your hair in a ponytail around him before, and now it was curled and unbound, but that wasn't near enough to elicit that type of reaction from him.

"Anyway! We should go," he announces. "I have a car waiting for us downstairs." You take a deep breath, then follow him down the hall to the elevator. "Hey, chin up," he encourages as you step into the elevator shaft. "Don't worry. It can't be any worse than flying, can it?"

You let out a short, bark-like laugh. "No, it can't," you admit ruefully. "I'll still need a bit of help to make sure I don't embarrass myself or you though."

He waves his hand as the elevator opens to the ground floor. "I told you, just stick by me all night, you'll be fine. In no time, you'll be a pro at these." That wasn't as comforting as he probably meant it, but you don't say anything and allow him to lead you to the car, which thankfully isn't a limo this time.

The ride there is both agonizingly long and far too short. It's being held at a museum of some sort, but there's no room to park the car; the outside of the venue is littered with people and even paparazzi.

"You've got this," he murmurs before stepping out of the car and offers you his hand to help you out the door as well. With one more breath to steel yourself, you take his hand and are thrust into the limelight.

The first thing you're aware of is the flashing lights as the cameras go mad when they realize someone else has arrived. There's a cacophony of voices, though you're not able to make out any individual words.

Mr. Onceler tucks your arm firmly inside his own as he leads you over to the throng. "Just smile and bear it. This part will be over soon," he says directly into your ear as you turn toward the paparazzi. You do your best to fix a charming but reserved smile on your face, since you're sure some of these pictures are going to end up in the tabloids tomorrow, even if he releases a statement saying you aren't together.

But that might not even be enough. You see a few of the journalists put their heads together, and you're sure they're talking about you. Great. Just what you needed was a scandal to add to your not-so-appropriate behavior.

Thankfully, he keeps his promise. After a couple minutes, he steers the two of you away from the press. The cameras don't stop clicking, but he doesn't pay them any mind, and you force yourself to follow his example.

He starts introducing you to an impossibly large number of people. Their names flee your mind the second you hear them. There aren't too many questions asked-Mr. Onceler always makes sure to tell people you're his PA-but you do get a few odd looks here and there. You're beginning to wonder if it's an anomaly for people to bring their staff as their plus-ones.

"Mr. Onceler! Mr. Onceler!" A journalist plants herself in front of the two of you, looking like she has no intention of letting you leave until she gets at least a short interview in. Mr. Onceler obliges her, but gives very short answers as she asks about the company at first. Then she gets to the inevitable question, presumably the reason she wanted to talk to him in the first place. "And who's your date this evening?"

"This is my PA. She very graciously agreed to accompany me tonight," he replies. Out of everything this evening, this answer of his throws you off worse than anything else so far. Although he clarified your position, he didn't deny that you were his date. You almost question him, but decide at the last minute it's probably better to keep your mouth shut until you're out of earshot from the press; anything you say could easily be twisted and end up in the papers.

"Anyway, if you'll excuse us, I believe the doors have just been opened, so we really should be making our way inside," he says, expertly finagling you out of the situation. He's not even lying either; people are indeed beginning to move into the museum. "I hate it when they make me give interviews," he grumbles as you move along with the rest of the throng.

"You could have warned me about the amount of paparazzi that were going to be here," you whisper back. "You do realize that they all think we're dating, right? And that this is going to cause a huge scandal?"

He merely scoffs at that. "We're not doing anything wrong," he insists. "I've clarified you're my PA, and we're not doing anything indecent. If the tabloids want to try and make a mess of things, that'll be the easiest thing my PR team has ever had to clean up."

You're not completely convinced, but you don't really want to argue with him tonight. You wouldn't have time anyway; he seems to spot someone and starts steering you in the opposite direction. "I want you to meet Vivienne Woods. She's the lovely lady responsible for the wonderful party tonight," he says while leading you to a woman who looks to be in her forties and who's clearly had the money to age like a fine wine.

Vivienne Woods was a name you actually recognize. She's one of the most well known fashion designers in the world (which probably explained why Mr. Onceler was laying on the charm so thickly). Though she mostly worked in bridal, she did dabble in other areas of women's fashion as well.

"Oh, Oncie, stop, you're too nice," she laughs. You wonder if she noticed the slight wince your boss gave when she called him 'Oncie.' "Although I don't believe I've met your lovely companion here?"

You wait for him to introduce you again, but after a slight pause you realize that's not going to happen. You hastily give your name and explain your connection to Mr. Onceler. As you do so, Vivienne eyes your dress. "Is this one of mine?" she asks.

There's not a chance in hell your sister would have been able to afford a Vivienne Woods dress. But that probably isn't the best idea to point out. "I'm not sure," you say cautiously. "My sister bought it for me as a gift, so I'm afraid I didn't see any tags."

"Doesn't she look lovely though?" Mr. Onceler steps in. "Whoever designed it, you can't deny she wears it spectacularly."

"Oh… of course not," Vivienne says, clearly caught off guard.

"Well, we won't take up any more of your time. I'm certain you're a popular woman this evening," he laughs. "Hopefully we'll run into you later." He steers you away and finally his smile drops into a grimace. "Miserable old bat," he mumbles.

You look up at him in surprise. "Could've fooled me," you murmur. "I was convinced you actually liked her. You seemed sincere enough."

"Good, that means I'm doing my job well," he sighs. "The only reason I'm here at all is because she wants to use trufulla in one of her dress designs. Obviously the use of trufulla by anyone outside the company has to be heavily monitored, so I have to keep her happy so she'll only use it in ways we agreed on and I don't have to deal with another lawsuit on my hands." He sighs again. "And don't get fooled by this party either. The only reason she puts it on is so she can get complimented on how great she is."

You quirk an eyebrow at him. "Are you trying to pretend that flattery doesn't work on you, too?"

He finally gives you a smirk. "Okay, yes, but at least I admit that." He glances down at you with a curious look on his face. "You handled her well though. She doesn't respect anyone who doesn't speak for themselves."

"So that's why you had me talk to her. I was wondering," you say. "I'm glad you think I did well. Inside I was freaking out trying not to say the wrong thing."

"Don't worry, no one could tell," he grins. His eyes flicker to the side for a moment. "Come dance with me?" he asks abruptly. 

"What?"

"Come dance with me," he repeats a little more forcefully this time. You're completely unperturbed, but you allow him to lead you to a small dance floor where a live band is playing classical music without complaint.

He takes one of your hands and snakes the other around you to place it on the small of your back, while you rest your free hand just above his elbow. He leads you in a slow waltz for a few moments before you pluck up the courage to ask him the question that's been bugging at you all night.

"So, why am I here?" you murmur very quietly so no one but him would hear it. "I mean, did you really need your PA to come with you to something this fancy? I feel like I'm more of a hindrance than a help."

He was silent for a long while. "Do you really want the truth?" he asks in a low tone.

"I wouldn't have posited the question if I didn't."

"I wanted you to come for purely selfish reasons. I hate going to these things… but more than anything, I hate going to them alone. I figured if you were here, you might make things a little less lonely," he admits.

You swallow heavily. "And have I managed to fulfill that particular request sir?" you whisper.

"Exceptionally well," he breathes. The room is still filled with people, but at that moment, you're only aware of just the two of you, lost in your own little world together.

You were so lost, in fact, you thought you just might let him kiss you if he tried. The mood was certainly there, the tension between you just about to snap…

And then all of the sudden, with zero warning, there's people in the room again. You're not sure how or why, but both of you look away from each other at the same time. "I think I owe you a drink, don't I?" he says to try and cover up the lost moment.

You take hold of the lifeline offered. "Yes, you do. As many drinks as I want, actually," you remind him. The two of you resume the party, perfectly poised for the rest of the evening, but you can't help but wish that the two of you were allowed that little bubble of perfection of being alone, even if it was only for a minute.

Right before you're set to leave, you get a call. You're in the middle of packing your makeup, but pause when you see it's from your sister. You can always make time for her. "Hey, Rora, what's up?" you ask as you answer.

"You tell me," she giggles. "I have to say, I was a little surprised when I went to the grocery store this morning and found an article in a magazine about how my baby sister of all people is dating her mega-billionaire boss. How come you didn't tell me?"

You groan and flop down on the bed. Great. That meant that along with your tarnished reputation, Mr. Onceler would have to deal with a lawsuit which was bound to put him in a bad mood, and you'd have to bear the brunt of it. "I'm not dating him!" you exclaim, already exasperated by the amount of people you'd have to say that to. "If I was dating him, which I'd never do because of my job, just putting that out there, you'd be the first to know. All the journalists just think things because they saw us at that stupid party together-"

"Relax, I'm just teasing," she says, and even over the phone you see her signature wicked grin. "I know you're the last person in the world to do anything remotely scandalous. And to be fair, the article did add the caveat that you never actually confirmed you were dating. It just said you never denied it either."

"I told him he should have," you grumble. "I told him people were going to think we were a couple. But getting that man to do anything sensible is like pulling teeth."

"Oh," Aurora says interestedly. "So if you had it your way, you would be a couple then."

"What? No!" you squeak. "Honestly, where could you possibly get that idea from anything I said about him?"

"You forget who you're talking to," she says smugly. "I know you better than anyone else, remember? But if I needed any further proof, your instant denial did the trick. You would've laughed at me if I was wrong."

You can't even refute her. She's got you nailed, and any further objections would just be more proof in her mind that you wanted to date your boss. You don't want to date him… you've just occasionally wanted him to kiss you. Totally different.

Fortunately, you're spared from answering. Unfortunately, it's because your boss has knocked on the door. "I have to go, Rora," you say with a huff as you open the door to let him in. "The rest of my day is doomed to be spent in a flying metal death machine."

"Okay… ooh! Maybe you can cuddle with him if you get scared-" You hang up quickly before Mr. Onceler can accidentally catch any of her words. He does give you an odd look, but you assume it's from the mess of your items still strewn over the bed.

"Sorry. That was my sister. She occasionally gets in these moods where she delights in being a menace, so she was teasing me about something and distracted me. I'll be done with packing in a moment," you mumble.

"Oh… must have been some teasing," he notes. "Your face is really red."

You curse your sister to the deepest depths of hell where she belongs.

The takeoff is predictably awful, but at least this time he doesn't blindfold you with his tie; he's found a plain white cloth somewhere that he uses instead. He also doesn't whisper in your fucking ear this time, and while you kind of miss it, at least it doesn't put confusing thoughts in your head that you shouldn't be having.

This trip is much more laid back. Instead of being stupid and agreeing to sleep in the same bed as him, you've simply agreed to watch a couple movies together. You'd even done the responsible and nixed any rom-coms. You're instead watching some popular superhero movie that's just come out. You don't really understand the plot, but the mindless action is good for turning your brain off.

You're existing in comfortable camaraderie when the plane suddenly hits a giant bout of turbulence. Turbulence that's so bad you literally fly out of your seat. There's nothing in the world that could've stopped the extremely loud shriek that comes out of your mouth. Not even landing in his lap a moment later.

He jumps when you land on him, but recovers quicker than you do. You're trembling like mad, but he wraps his arms around you comfortingly. "Hey, hey, we're safe. You're safe. I've got you," he murmurs as he strokes your hair slowly and methodically. Without meaning to, you lean into his touch. You know it's not the smartest thing to do, especially not with the article Aurora told you about floating around, but on the other hand, it's not like there's anyone up here to see you.

Whatever the reasons against it, you can't bring yourself to move off his lap, and he makes no attempt to have you move either. You're just staring into each other's eyes, creating a moment very much like the one you'd had a few nights ago at the gala. And unlike that time, there's no one around to break this moment. And it seems neither of you is all too keen on breaking it yourselves.

In fact, he's moved his hand now so that he's holding the back of your head instead of stroking your hair. His fingers are woven into your tresses, but he's definitely holding your head firmly in place.

And without giving you any chance to think yourself out of it, he lunges forward, pressing his lips firmly on yours. And you're kissing him back before you can remind yourself of the ramifications of doing so.

With a low groan, he moves his free hand to the back of your neck as his tongue impatiently swipes along your lower lip. You instantly grant him access to the wet cavern of your mouth. 

You bring your own hand up to rest on the side of his face. He leans into your touch just as easily as you leaned into his. You crane your neck at a different angle, trying to get impossibly closer to him.

You only pull back when you're in need of air. He rests his forehead against yours as you both catch your breath. "I had to do that at least once," he confesses in a low tone before pulling away, gently prying you off his lap. Before you can protest, he stands up and announces, "It looks like we've landed. We're just pulling into the terminal now." You glance out the window, and to your amazement you find he's right. You were so lost in his kiss, you hadn't even noticed the plane landing.

You don't say anything as he gathers his suitcase together. You have no idea what to say. It shouldn't have happened? You wanted more? The two sides are at war within you.

Eventually, he decides for you. Right before he's allowed off the plane he turns towards you and says, "Another thing for our never speak of it again agreement?" Without waiting for an answer, he turns and disembarks, leaving you more confused than you've ever been in your entire life.

[flynndesdelca]

For Day 23 (Overgrowth) of @chelltastic’s Portal Drawtober 2023 Challenge. As I’m not really an artist, I chose to write short pieces for the prompts.

In the end, only nature remains. Science is finished.

If she hadn't been told that this was part of the old testing track, Chell might not have recognized where she had been unceremoniously dumped.  Well, that wasn't quite true.  She had wound up jumping down into the old Relaxation Vault, which had been a familiar sight despite everything inside it being nonfunctional and aged beyond belief.  From what her odd, babbling 'saviour' had said she was looking for the portal gun - a gun that 'makes holes' in Aperture could really only be one thing.  It made sense that there were likely multiple prototypes of the thing, or it could even be the one she had been using before.  If she had been dragged back into the place, it likely had been dragged back in with her.

Once out of the vault, however, things took a very drastic turn.  Gone was the dry air with the vaguely chemical aftertaste, the sterile environment, the gleaming white walls.  Gone were the distant machine sounds.  Gone was everything that had been familiar about the facility from her time there before.  Even the prerecorded guidance system had a different voice.  She'd thought that the Extended Relaxation Chamber had simply broken down when it had announced a startling string of nines for how long she'd been in slumber, but looking around at what should have been a familiar sight and finding nothing but ruin and overgrowth was startling.  Just how long had it truly been?

She started to pick her way carefully through the hallway.  The doors were functional - barely.  They sparked and jerked instead of sliding smoothly, some of them not opening all the way and threatening to close on her, or slamming back and forth within their frames as though struggling.  The whole place had gone to the plants, it seemed, as they had burst forth or were dangling down from every structure they  could.  It seemed that the ceiling had gone in places and they had extended downward from unknown sources above.  Other times they had sprouted from the walls themselves, indicating backgrowth of a sort that she didn't really want to imagine snaking around through the wall panels.  Rather than the click of her boots on the floor, there was a soft crunch underfoot of dirt and grime, and the occasional splash of pooled water.  Were those birds she heard in the background, or was that her mind playing tricks? It really seemed somehow like she had stepped outside, that despite being in the building and in that very same testing track that she had worked her way through before she was actually in a forest far far away from that place of science.

Somehow the elevator still worked and she took it with some trepidation.  Thankfully the elevator itself was plant-free, despite the state of the chamber and the shaft.  It wasn't like the elevators she had taken before, and she still felt odd about it with its open sides and the large non-functional display panels.  There was something about it that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.  At least the ride seemed smooth and soon enough she could disembark, and make her way up overgrown stairs.

The next chamber was more of the same, though when she stopped by a nearby overgrown patch on the floor she was more than certain that she could hear the buzz of insects.  Insects! Other forms of organic life! It was hard to believe that such a thing could exist in a place like Aperture, but apparently it had been long enough that not only had nature been attempting to reclaim the place, it had brought along friends.  She squatted down to investigate the plants.  Moss blanketed the floor in places, dotted by collapsed ceiling tiles.  Ferns grew mightily, and ivy clung to any surface that it could find.  What looked like small trees proudly poked up from the floor, growing tall and strong despite the lack of anything that should be able to sustain a tree.  She brushed aside one of the leaves, sending a few small pale-yellow coloured bugs flying on tiny gossamer wings.  She'd never seen anything like them.

Somehow the actual testing elements still worked.  The buttons worked, and the portal emitters still worked, and the tiny indicator lights still winked into existence when she interacted with them.  The cube was inside what could have passed for a greenhouse with how many plants were growing inside the space with it, and as she crossed the room with the cube in her arms she was certain she could hear the squawking of crows somewhere, and the odd warbling calls of other song birds.  It really had come full circle, she decided.  Where once one would never have expected life to be able to thrive, it had not only found a way, it had become dominant.

It was a bit disconcerting to notice a large amount of storage cubes and turrets collecting on top of the elevator, and she was wondering if in fact it was simply a repurposed pneumatic tube instead of an elevator proper.  Given the status of the facility (self-destructing) it seemed odd that they’d go through the effort of turning one thing into another, but the realization dawned on her that perhaps there was no other choice and they were simply making the best of what they could with what ability they had.  The built-up cubes were gone by the time she got out of the elevator, perhaps they had gone their separate ways somewhere during the trip.  It was disconcerting that she was going downward rather than upward, but the fact that it was still green and overgrown was encouraging.  Somehow there was still light and water aplenty for the plants to grow, and the little bugs were still there too, hovering around the plants and clinging to the undersides of leaves.  It couldn't be all that bad.

It seemed like her guide had found her again.  The silence was broken with his chatter, though she could still hear the calls of birds and the vague hum of insects in the background.  There was another bug sound that she could hear and she wanted to find the bug responsible, but the little core kept begging her to go check out the pedestal where the portal gun was supposed to be.  Said pedestal was sparking and looked empty, and she was really more interested in trying to stalk this bug at the moment, but he was getting loud and demanding. The bug was likely somewhere in the large tangle of trees and ivy in the back of the room, and so she very slowly followed along the wall as silently as she could.  Any time the noise of the bug stopped so did she, holding her breath and praying it would start calling again rather than fly away.  If it could even fly, of course.  She didn't know what kind of bug it was.  Maybe it was more like a millipede, a creature of decomposition.  Was the facility far gone enough to even have those kind of bugs, now?

She was almost there when he called out again impatiently, imploring her to go over and check out the pointless podium.  She wished she could yell at him that it was empty, but she had resolved to not give any of the machines in that place the time of day.  Even ones that were potentially helpful... despite the near-tenderizing she had gotten in-transit to this place.  She almost made an aggravated noise when she saw the bug take wing at last, an odd pale blue coloured bug with a slightly iridescent shell.  Its large, thick wings buzzed it halfway across the room before landing on the empty portal gun podium.  Well, that was one way to get her to deal with it, she decided.  She changed directions, slowly starting her approach to the middle of the room instead.

She felt the give of the floor beneath her before it actually collapsed, lunging forward towards the podium as though it would support her.  It didn't, of course, the whole thing fell and she tumbled forward along with the floor and the pedestal and the little support structure it had been resting on.  The fall wasn't too long and she landed in water which was both refreshing and shocking.  Something was wiggling in her hand and she knew that she had managed to catch the bug and smiled to herself.  She just needed to find some light to see by before she let it go.  Up ahead, it looked like, and judging by the clogged-up maintenance tunnel she had landed in, that was the best way to go - even the strangely-familiar scribbled arrow on the wall to her side indicated that she should proceed that way.  She dragged herself to her feet, continuing on despite her sodden state.  Despite her fall and the echoes of her companion calling down to her, the noises of life had resumed once more.  She could see the familiar shapes of leaves up ahead, shadowed from the upcoming light, so it couldn't be all that bad.  She managed to work herself up to a rather soggy jog, holding out her hand into the chamber and watching the little beetle fly away in a flash of sparkling blue, the white accents on its wings making it look like it was flashing as it buzzed away from her.  It had large feathery antenna much like a moth, and more legs than a beetle ought to have.  She wondered if this was the only place such a strange creature could exist, some extant species that was born and lived solely in the ruins of Aperture Science.  How fitting.

Once it had taken wing and the distraction it provided was finished, it was finally time to take stock of where she was and get down to business.  Overgrown or not, she did have to try to escape, and apparently the portal gun was down here somewhere.  Even though the situation was urgent, there was something much more relaxing about the decay of the facility and the plants and sounds of life permeating everything.  If it had been like that all the time, testing would have been much more enjoyable.

[thatcoyperson]

Hi

So uh, no one asked for this, but I found an thing I wrote for a backstory for Etho a little under a year ago in my notes app, read it, and thought "Yeah tumblr can have this"

And now here we are

[CW for blood, death, and whatever CW seeing your own corpse falls under]

• -------- • -------- • -------- •

Long ago, before servers were even thought of as a system, Ancient Cities were still home to many many people. Those who lived there are known as the ones who discovered the Redstone system and perfected it over hundreds of years. Sadly, they aren't talked about much anymore, as a threat that plagued all Ancient Cities had wiped all those who lived in them out. All but one.

Etho.

Well, sort-of.

His story starts in the Redstone schools that used to reside under the center structure, that now lay only as historical landmarks, if anything at all. Growing up, all children in the Ancient Cities would go there to learn about it, to have the knowledge of generations prior passed down to them. Some would grow up and still work with the fine dust, others would move onto other roles in the city. But no matter what, all were welcomed and accepted.

Etho was one of those who continued working with Redstone as he grew up. The substance always fascinated him, how it could so easily pass a current through it to provide power to things. Whether it be to turn on a light or open a door, the white-haired man could explain how each part worked. He truly was someone to be looked up to by the children in the school. So, there he worked, helping to teach the next generations about Redstone. One of his students even gave him a headband as a gift, as his hair often got in his eyes while working. Another student, who was skilled in metal working, made a metal plate for the band that read "ETHO" on the front in big letters.

"Its so you'll always know it's yours!" The child explained, their own long white hair tied back in a pony tail.

Working with the children was truly something special, and he enjoyed every moment of it. Despite the constant need of masks to keep from inhaling the dust, Etho was able to name each of the kids he worked with off of what little of their face was visible.

Even though he was well known around the city, he never let it get to his head. No matter what he continued to remain humble and keep a level head, despite the somewhat consistent praise. Etho was beyond greatful for what he had, and would give up his life 10 times over for it.

However, the peaceful hustle of day-by-day life slowly started to come to an end, when something new began to creep its way into the city. It looked like how ancients described the night sky, dark and sprinkled with glittering dots, but grew and spread like a moss or fungus. It clung to any surface it could and fed off of energy to spread. Something the Redstone in the Ancient Cities had plenty of.

At first, no one took too much note. A few even tried to use it for Redstone work. However, those who were cautious were proven right, as it soon began to latch onto and feed off of those who lived in the city. The growth would latch onto someone and begin sapping away at their energy, then spread some more until they were coated in it. They died shortly after. It was slow, and it was miserable. Eventually, ways to make the process more bearable were discovered and used, but there was never an official cure. A growth would always end in death. Some when they discovered a growth, would take their own life in order to avoid suffering. Truly, it was a sad time for all those who lived there.

But it only got worse... at least, the day it appeared.

The day seemed normal at the start. Etho was once again working away in the school, helping children left an right. There hadn't been many problems there either, everyone seemed to be behaving well. A day with few serious issues was always a blessing. However the hope of a fully peaceful day was ruined when the sound of panicked screams rang into the school from outside.

After trying and failing to ignore it, Etho as well as some of the other teachers gathered all the kids - who were beginning to panic - into one part of the school before trying to decide who would go check what was wrong. Both a mix of curious and concerned, Etho was quick to volenteer.

Once he stepped outside, the problem was quick to spot. A large beast made of the infectious growth was rampaging through the city, seemingly attacking at random, killing anyone and anything in its path. There was no method to the madness, the monster was just going after anything that moved. It was worse than terrifying. Etho couldn't bring himself to move while watching his friends, family, and acquaintances alike get brutally murdered by this creature. He just stood frozen. Watching as the creature began to come closer. Etho only snapped back when the thing was only a few meters away. His blood went cold, and he took a scared step back towards the school.

His foot hit the ground...

And growths on the side of the creatures head lit up. Was it... listening? Etho watched in horror as the creatures attention turned to face the sound. There was something Etho noticed then that was definitly important. It had no eyes. No wonder it was attacking so recklessly, it was attacking anything that made sound.

"Shit..."

The creature charged. Any attempt to flee would have been useless, and it slammed into Etho, throwing him into one of the deepslate brick walls that surrounded the school. He was barely conscious, and the world was spinning around him. Blood dripped down the back of his head and soaking into his turtle neck, and he felt the hot sticky liquid coming from the left side of his face. But that wasn't even the worst of it. Just barely over the ringing in his ears, he heard the kids inside the school scream.

'NO!' He wanted to shout, 'GO AFTER ME NOT THEM.'

No words came out.

The ringing in his ears got louder and his vision quickly began to blur.

'No no NO! ANYTHING BUT THEM! PLEASE!' His pleas were silent.

The world went dark.

...

Next he remembers is seeing a lady standing in front of him. She was tall and had a notably bigger frame. The dress she wore was darker than deepslate, same colour as the large-brimmed hat she wore. The lady's face was framed by long dark brown hair. To top it all off, she carried a cythe with her too. Exactly how the ancients described Death.

"You're more reluctant than most to move on," she spoke before he could get any words out, "Why? Is it due to the circumstances of your death? Or is there something else?"

Etho didn't even bother answering her questions when he responded. "Please!" He begged, "You have to send me back, please I- I can't die yet!" Death tilted her head to the side, curious as he explained himself. "There are children there- down there with that- that thing! It's going to go after them and they deserve better than to die like that! Please I have to protect them!"

The pure desperation that filled his words seemed to pique Deaths intrest, "What are you willing to do to go back?" She questioned, "How much are you willing to give up?"

"Anything," Etho was quick to answer, "I'll do anything you need! Just please let me protect them! Let them lead full lives."

Death looked at him thoughtfully before answering. "I cannot control whether they will die or not, however there is something I can do for you," she heald her hand out as though expecting to be handed something, palm facing the sky. Though that wasn't quite what happened, something did appear in the hair above it, staying there briefly before falling and landing in her hand. Adjusting the way she was holding it, Death heald the small item up so Etho could see it.

"...A jar of rocks...?" The man muttered, confused as to what it would do to bring him back. Each rock in the small glass jar was a different colour and glowed slightly, and the cork of the jar appeared to be connected to a chain.

Death nodded. "Each rock in here represents a favor you have to do for me. One you can't turn down. Once all the favors are completed you will be able to move on whenever you are ready, however you will have no limbo. If you choose to decline this offer, then i will send you to your limbo until it is your time to be brought back, however I feel that you will be choosing to go back despite that."

"Yes! Yes I accept your offer!" Etho felt relief wash over. He might be able to do something to protect them after all.

Giving a nod, Death passed him the jar full of 7 small colourful rocks. "Once you are brought back, you will not be fully alive," she explained further, "you will be in between alive and a spirit. Able to interact with those around you as though you were alive, but you will have no heart beat and no need for breath. Along with that, if you take a fatal injury, you will simply pass out and wake up a short while later wherever you last slept, even on hardcore worlds."

Catching the jar, Etho listened to what she was explaining. "Right..."

"Good luck, Etho. I hope you do not go on to regret this decision. If you are to fail to save them, I'll ensure they pass peacefully."

And as quickly as it came, his vision went black before he could thank her.

...

When he awoke, Etho was back in the Ancient City with the jar worn around his neck. Blood was still dripping from the wound on his head and over the left side of his face, but neither hurt anymore, only stinging slightly if he touched them. That in and of itself was a pleasant surprise. However only a brief moment passed before Etho remembered why he was back.

The kids!

In a panic at the silence, Etho pushed his hands against the ground to push himself up and-

He froze as he felt a body below him. Terrified as to who's it was, Etho took his time craning his neck down to look at it. It took a moment for him to realize who it was.

It was *him*. It was his own bloodied corpse laying completely still on the ground. The still intact side of his face looked relaxed, which was far from how he felt at the moment of his death. The other side however, was covered in blood which had begun to pool beneath the head. The sight made him want to throw up. Etho pulled his mask down as his stomach churned, but nothing came up. This was something he would never unsee for the rest of his life.

Well, afterlife.

The way the blood poured from his body and pooled on the stone floor, a body which was so unaturally still and unmoving it sent a chill down his spine. But that wasn't the worst part. As soon as the shock of seeing his own corpse on the ground passed, the defening silence seeped into him. If it weren't for him hearing his own panicked breaths, Etho would have assumed that he was deaf.

The silence meant one of two things. One: The children were safe and hidden away, somewhere that creature couldn't reach them. Or two: it had found them, and every single one of them were dead. Option two, sadly, felt much more likely despite how much Etho wanted to deny it. Wanted to tell himself they were safe. Having last heard their screams before passing out meant that, logically, they were found. And as much as it hurt him now, Etho was a very logical man.

So, after spending far longer than he would ever care to admit stood frozen, he moved a step forward. Then another. And then another. He kept taking steps until he reached the doorway to the school. A doorway which, much to his dismay, had been broken open much wider than it was ever intented to be, bits of brick still crumbling away. The sight of that alone made his cold, unmoving heart feel as though it were about to break. Seeing the door broken so wide almost certianly meant that the creature got in. Got in and killed them all.

With one look around the corner, it was confirmed for him. The room had been torn apart, tables and chests flipped and open. Redstone components littered the floor, the red of the dust mixing with the crimson blood of the children. All of who, were dead. Bodies tossed around the room like they were another table, or chest. All limp, unmoving, and some disfigured to the point they were unrecognizable.

That. That's what broke him. Etho collapsed to the floor, hands clutching his shirt, and cried. He wanted to throw up, but the deal he had made made that impossible. The deal he had made to try and save the children. The deal he made, only to fail in the end.

He had failed.

"What do I do now..." he asked no one, voice hoarse from crying.

"I don't know," a voice - Death - answered back. "But I will tell you this; whatever answers to those questions you seek, you will not find them here," her voice was firm.

"Leave, Etho. You have no reason to be here any longer."