#they are awake they are starving and i take em for a stroll on a weekly basiss so they dont eat me alive | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gwentoryfics · 4 years

Text

Hot for Teacher, Part 8.

Genre | College Student x College Professor Smut AU (honestly tho is this even the right category anymore idk)

Pairing | Reader x Hongseok x Hyunggu (Kino) x Wooseok

Words | 14.2k (oops)

Summary | You never realized how much one drunken night could color the rest of your college experience until you discover that the handsome stranger from your cousin’s wedding is also the new professor at your university.

Warnings | Thigh riding. Fingering. Swearing. Underage drinking. Oral/face fucking (both giving and receiving). MMF threesome. Touches of exhibitionism and voyeurism. Choking. Spanking. Orgasm denial.

Parts | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 5.5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • More Coming Soon

Note | So apparently I really enjoy writing threesomes and I should maybe do that more often? Anyway, thank you as always for your never-ending patience while I take forever to update 🤗

You’re startled awake by a hand pinching your nose shut, your airflow temporarily halted by the interruption. It only takes a second for you to knock Wooseok’s hand away, and you frown. “What are you doing?”

“Your snoring woke me up,” he pinches your cheek endearingly.

“Shut up, I don’t snore.”

“Hate to break it to you, short stuff, but you do. Like a little pig.” Wooseok lifts the tip of his nose with his finger and starts snorting loudly, putting on his best pig impression.

You playfully smack his bare chest, laughing. “Stop! I don’t sound like that!”

He props himself up on an elbow as he teases you. “Is it too late for me to get you some of those nose strips for your birthday? I’m sure your roommate would appreciate it.”

In an exaggerated gesture, you roll your eyes. “I’ll hate you forever if you show up at the party tonight with a box of those things.”

“Hate me? Unlikely.” Wooseok curls his finger under the edge of the sheet that lays across your chest, and he slowly pulls it down until the fabric slips over your nipples. “I think I make you feel too good for you to ever hate me.”

You arch your back a little as his broad hand roams over your breasts. Neither of you had bothered getting dressed after your little romp in the sheets last night, and you were too tired to go home. You hadn’t really thought much about the implications of spending the night, but you don’t think either one of you minds waking up like this.

It was pretty unintentional that you even ended up over here last night, anyway. You were fully planning on just having a good night with the girls. It’s your birthday weekend, after all, and of course Nailah insisted on celebrating - never mind the fact that she’s throwing you an actual party tonight.

What you hadn’t expected was crossing paths with a certain dickhead professor. Sure, you had run into him the last time you went to Andy’s, but for some reason it didn’t occur to you that he might be there again. Maybe he’s a regular. You don’t know.

All you know is that by the time you strolled in, he was out there in the middle of the dance floor sucking face with some woman. It shouldn’t have bothered you because you’re basically over him, but it was enough to make yourself invisible for the rest of the night, even after you watched him leave by himself.

You’re basically doing the exact same thing as him, anyway, what with the way you showed up at Wooseok’s apartment last night looking for a good time. And now here you are, still naked in his bed, completely ready to get busy with him again.

You and Professor Yang have both moved on. That’s a good thing. You’re just not sure why you feel such a knot in your stomach.

Pushing all of those thoughts aside, you throw on a smile and return your focus to Wooseok. “You do make me feel good. And I want to feel good again.”

With a grin, he leans in, pinching your nipple roughly just to make you gasp. “Well then, allow me.”

Wooseok envelops you in his body heat as he pulls you in close, sliding one of his legs between yours to give you something to grind on. You don’t hesitate to kiss him hard, thrilled by the feeling of his already hardening cock resting on your stomach.

Your hips rock smoothly against his thigh as you get yourself all worked up. You’re already incredibly turned on, and you know his thigh is going to be drenched in your wetness in a matter of minutes. He seems to love how messy you get, though, so you don’t let yourself worry about it.

“I just wanna feel good,” you coo.

“Oh you’ll feel good, alright.” Wooseok’s hand travels up from your breast to your throat, pressing with his thumb and forefinger.

Your brows knit together blissfully as you keep grinding against him, almost immediately feeling lightheaded from his hand. You love that he's getting more adventurous with you, and you're more than willing to let him dominate you.

He releases his grip on your neck, careful not to constrict you for too long. He presses his thumb along your throat, and you dig your nails into his back as you keep rocking your hips.

His hand slips down your back, his full palm sliding over your round ass, his fingers gliding easily over your wet slit. He groans when he touches you, and you know he's amazed by just how wet you are.

"Touch me," you whisper, already desperate for his touch. "Please, touch me."

"Fuck," he moans, easily plunging two fingers into your starved pussy. "Is that what you want?"

"Mm," you hum, nodding your head. You tilt your hips to give him better access, but you keep grinding. You feel the familiar tight coil in your belly, each thrust of your hips inching you closer to the edge.

"Squeeze my fingers, baby," he murmurs. "Squeeze 'em tight, I know you can."

You bear down on his fingers with all of your might, a pleasured groan leaving you at the effort. And then you do it a second time.

"Perfect, baby, that's it." He pushes his fingers deeper into you in rhythm with your grinding.

You keep pulsing your pussy around his fingers, your hip movements becoming more and more sloppy as you continue. It's insane how quickly he gets you to the edge, but you're desperate for it.

You lean forward, biting his shoulder gently. Your moans get higher, and he knows exactly what that means.

"Come on my fingers, _____. Keep going until you come. Let me see it."

"Ah!" You moan sharply, a bolt of pleasure striking your core. You're so, so close…

Wooseok's voice gets gruffer, lower. "Fucking come for me, _____."

You squeeze his fingers again and again until your body takes over, your walls convulsing on their own as you're swept into an orgasm at full force. You're completely filled with sparkling electricity as you unravel in his arms, messily thrusting against Wooseok's thigh.

You can’t say anything for a minute, just panting as he holds you, his fingers still tucked inside of you. It's so peaceful and warm, and you just indulge in your pleasure for a moment until he presses a kiss to your hair.

"How was that?" Wooseok asks, chuckling.

"GREAT, it was great," you throw your head back, smiling widely. "I loved it."

"Me too. You're so hot."

You finally gain a little clarity, and you reach between your bodies and run your hand over the length of his cock. “You, too,” you whisper.

He lets out a groan as you make contact, and you wrap your fingers tightly around him, indulging in the way he fills up your hand. You need to return the favor.

“Let me suck your cock,” you sigh, suddenly desperate to feel him in your mouth.

He pulls back slightly to get a better look at you. “Fuck, like hell I would say no to that.”

You shoot him a sly smile. "Do you want to fuck my face?"

"I want to fuck every part of you, what kind of a question is that? Of course." He sits up a little. "Do you want me to?"

You just nod, grinning.

"Okay. Yeah, okay." He nods to himself. "Alright, yeah, let's do it."

"Are you nervous?" You ask, picking up on the subtle signs.

"Just excited." He grins.

"Good." You lay on your back, propping your head up with the pillow. "Let's do it, then."

"You are so fucking perfect, like some little sex goddess or some shit, oh my God." He sings your praises as he kneels over your chest, stroking his cock as he gets into position. "I'll go easy, but tap my leg if it's too much."

"Okay," you agree, thankful that he wants to be careful with you. You pick your head up a little. "Give me your cock."

"Fuck," he chuckles before tipping his cock down so the head meets your tongue. He groans as you lick him, swirling your tongue over the tip.

You cover his cock with kisses, sucking gently on the outside before opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue, waiting for him to enter.

Wooseok eagerly takes advantage of his commanding position, pressing his cock along your tongue as he enters your mouth. You can taste his sweet precum, and you don't know why it's taken you so long to blow him.

You close your lips around him and suck, absolutely loving Wooseok’s shaky breath. He pulls out and then slides back in, getting a feel for your mouth.

“Oh my God,” he murmurs as he thrusts shallowly.

You keep sucking, eyes flicking upward to meet his. He seems to have no trouble looking down at you, admiring the pure sin that you are beneath him. The direct eye contact is intimidating, but you keep it up as long as you can because you know how much he likes it.

You hold onto his thighs and he grabs a fistful of your hair, keeping your head still as his hips move. Wooseok’s cock completely fills your mouth, and honestly you just feel so happy to be able to take care of him this way.

“Fuck,” he groans. You can tell he’s trying his hardest to keep his movements controlled, and you’re thankful for it. You’re not sure you can handle deep-throating. It’s already hard enough to breathe with his cock nearing the back of your throat with each thrust.

It’s fun to see how he reacts to your limited actions - you experiment with moving your tongue around, or sucking incredibly hard for just a second, and then completely relaxing your mouth. The slew of curses he lets loose tells you that he’s enjoying every second of it.

As he keeps thrusting into your mouth, you feel him get incredibly hard, and he hisses. “I’m so close, shit.” Then he suddenly pulls himself out, breathing heavily.

“What’s wrong?” You catch your breath and blink up at him owlishly.

“Iwannacomeinyourmouth,” Wooseok blurts out comically fast. “Can I? Please?”

You laugh. “Yeah, I want you to.”

“You’re fucking perfect.” He caresses your cheek for just a second before you open your mouth wide again, inviting him back in.

He fills your mouth again, and you cup his balls, massaging them gently. You know he’s close to the edge, and you want to help him as much as you can.

It’s not long before he’s rock solid and spilling into you, spurts of his cum coating your mouth and dripping down your throat. You swallow every last drop, sucking gently as he finishes.

Eventually he climbs off of you and collapses onto the bed next to you. “Was that okay? Did you like it?”

“I did!” You reassure him. “Seems like you did, too.”

He holds up a fist. “Fuckin’ solid, dude.”

With a laugh, you fist bump. “Fucking solid.”

You climb out of the taxi at Nailah’s friend’s apartment building and somehow manage to wrangle the heavy box of who-knows-what that Nailah asked you to bring. It’s something for your birthday party, but you’re not sure what would be so goddamn heavy. It just got delivered an hour ago and Nailah insisted that the party could not go on if she didn’t have the contents of box, so here you are hand delivering the package.

You approach the front door and place the box on the ground as you try to figure out how to use the call box. You manage to pull up the directory, but you realize quite quickly that you don’t know the name of the person whose apartment you’re trying to get to. Unfortunately, the directory just cycles through names in alphabetical order and you’re unable to search by room number.

Right as you’re about to pull out your cell phone to call Nailah, someone walks up next to you with a key in hand. You look over at him, thankful that now you can just slip inside, and realize that it’s the bassist from jazz band.

Shinwon recognizes you in that moment, too. “Oh hey, _____. What are you doing here?” He laughs quietly.

“Hey,” you chuckle. “Just making a special delivery. Do you live here?”

“I do. Come on in.” Shinwon holds the door open for you, and you pick up the box to head inside. You thank him, and you both head in towards the stairs. “Are you okay to carry that? It looks heavy.”

“Yeah, I’m totally fine.” You try to hide your struggle, not wanting to inconvenience him. “Thanks.”

“Watch your step,” he warns you as you start your climb. “What floor are you headed to? I can get the door for you.”

“Just the second, not too far.”

“Oh, that’s my floor. Who’s the package for?”

“Well it’s for my roommate, but her friend lives here. They’re throwing me a birthday party here tonight and I’m in charge of delivering the decorations.”

“It’s your birthday? Happy birthday!”

“Thank you,” you respond, not bothering to correct him. “Yeah, I told her I just wanted a small thing, but I have a feeling she’s just going to do it her way.”

“Friends are like that sometimes.” He chuckles, pulling open the door to the second floor.

As you emerge onto the second floor, the weight of the package is starting to make your arms incredibly tired. You ask, “Could you actually knock on the door for me? I’m going to two-oh-four.”

He quirks an eyebrow. “And the plot thickens. That’s my girlfriend’s room, actually.”

“Really? I don’t actually know her. Like I said, she’s my roommate’s friend. We just thought it would be better to throw a party somewhere else since we live on campus.”

“Yeah, definitely a good idea. What a small world.” Shinwon leads you to the room you’re looking for and knocks.

Nailah answers, stepping out into the hall and swiftly closing the door behind her so as not to spoil the surprise. “_____, you’re a godsend. And you found Shinwon!” She laughs as she recognizes the tall boy next to you.

“You know Shinwon?”

“Yeah, he’s dating Meka.”

Shinwon just looks at you and raises his eyebrows as if to say told you so.

“Cool, can you take this please?” Your arms are nearly shaking and you’re desperate to get the box out of your hands. Nailah grabs it from you, unfazed by its weight since she’s a muscled goddess who actually hits the gym regularly.

Shinwon takes this opportunity to back up and head down the hall. “Alright, ladies, have fun at the party, but don’t be too loud. Our neighbors get some kind of wicked pleasure from filing noise complaints.”

“Thanks for the heads-up!” Nailah calls after him.

“No problem. See you around. And happy birthday, _____!” He waves and reaches his own door, heading inside.

Nailah props the box on her hip. “Do you know Shinwon?”

“Yeah, he’s in the jazz band. He’s one of those ‘senior boys’ I went out to the jazz club with.”

“Hold, please.” Nailah cracks the door open and shouts inside, “Yo, Meka! Don’t Shinwon’s roommates play in the jazz band, too?”

A second later, Meka appears in the doorway. You recognize her as being the girl drummer that played with Shinwon, Yanan, and Changgu the night you went out with them. “Yeah, they’re all musicians. I play with them.”

“Yanan and Changgu?” You ask.

“Yeah,” she smiles at you. “And you’re that pianist!”

“I am!” You laugh. “Hi, I’m _____. Nice to officially meet you.”

“Meka. You, too.” She nods.

Nailah claps her hands together, ready to move on. “Well we have a lot to do. Head home and start getting yourself cute. I know you take forever to get ready so you may as well start now.”

“That’s fair,” you concede, and then you have an idea. “Hey, do we have room for a few more invites?”

“Sure, who are you thinking?”

You look down the hall. “I mean, Shinwon’s cool, and so are his roommates. They could be fun to have around.”

“Look at you inviting the big boys to your party,” Nailah teases you. “Yeah, go right ahead. Lord knows the cake is big enough to feed an army.”

You roll your eyes. “This is so unnecessary.”

“But I love you, so I’m doing it anyway.” She leans in and presses a kiss to your forehead. “See you tonight when this masterpiece is finally ready!”

Meka chimes in with a sing-song “Byeeee!”

Nailah pushes the box inside and they both disappear as you hop down the hall. You knock on the door, expecting Shinwon to answer, but instead Changgu appears.

“_____,” he seems bewildered. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah, so funny story, actually,” you chuckle, awkwardly stuffing your hands in your jacket pockets. “I’m having a birthday party down the hall at Meka’s place tonight, and I just ran into Shinwon, and then I found out you guys live here, and so… basically, if you’re not doing anything tonight, you guys are all welcome to come to my party. There’ll be food and music and booze…”

He cracks a smile. “Does this mean you’re old enough to legally drink now?”

You bite your lip before cracking a sheepish smile. For a moment you’re worried that he might actually be disappointed in you for disobeying the law or whatever, but it seems so arbitrary to you that you don’t care if it’s against the rules for you to drink. It’s just a little alcohol. “Well, no… that’s why we’re not having the party on campus.”

“We’ve all been there.” Changgu says, and it makes you feel better to know that he’s not weird about you being underage. “Yeah, I don’t think we had any concrete plans for tonight, so I’ll let the guys know. Probably ninety percent chance we’ll be there. I mean, I’ll be there, for sure.”

“Cool,” you giggle a little. “So I’ll see you tonight, then.”

“Yeah. See you tonight.” He smiles and closes the door.

“Shinhye!” You squeal when you see your best friend in the lobby of your dorm. She’s got a fistful of balloons and a sign that reads BIRTHDAY GIRL, like she’s a cute little chauffeur or something. “What are you doing?”

“I’m picking you up.” She smiles broadly as you approach her. “Well, technically I’m getting us a taxi, but I wanted to make sure you weren’t going to your own party by yourself.”

“Don’t you think the balloons are a little much?”

She shrugs. “I thought it was a nice touch.”

You throw your arms around her, hugging her tightly. “You’re too sweet.”

She giggles and squeezes you back. “Only for you.”

When you pull away, you realize what she’s wearing. Her black top, pleated skirt, and fishnets are surprisingly edgy but super cute… and then she tops it all off with Nailah’s bomber jacket. “That’s Nailah’s jacket, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, she let me borrow it.” Shinhye nudges her round glasses further up her nose. “She said it would look good with my outfit. Don’t you think so?”

“I do.” You try not to frown as you compliment her. You’ve been noticing how overbearing Nailah can be around her, but you’ve held your tongue so you don’t stir up any issues. But now you feel like you need to say something. As the two of you head out to hail a taxi, you say, “I know she can be a little much sometimes. And she seems to… I think she’s pretty fond of you. And I just want you to know that you can say no if she’s making you uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable? What do you mean?” She looks a little bewildered, sticking her arm out to call a taxi over.

“Well… I mean, I know that she’s gay and you’re not, and she’s been really flirty with you lately.”

“Oh.” Shinhye’s face starts to redden, but she brushes you off with a small wave and a laugh. “No, she’s totally fine. It doesn’t bother me.”

The taxi stops in front of you, and you get in first, scooting all the way to the other side of the back seat. Shinhye climbs in with all of her balloons and gives the driver Meka’s address before you continue the conversation.

“Just don’t let her bother you. I know it can be awkward to feel like you’re being pursued by someone you’re not into.” You try to give her some advice. “And at the same time, just try to be honest with her. Don’t lead her-”

“I said it’s fine,” Shinhye cuts you off. She doesn’t raise her voice, but you can tell her demeanor has changed into one that’s more serious. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Okay.” You soften, thinking you might have overstepped your boundaries. “I just don’t want either of you to get hurt.”

Shinhye quietly looks down for a moment, and then she fishes something out of her jacket pocket, ready to change the subject. “I brought this for you and you can’t say no this time.”

She hands you the Birthday Girl sash she tried to get you to wear on Tuesday, and you laugh. “Yeah, I guess I don’t have an excuse anymore.”

“Nope. Professor Yang can’t save you this time.” She giggles.

With a smile, you throw the sash on and blurt, “Yeah, thank God he won’t be around tonight.”

She squints at you skeptically. “Don’t tell me you’re still pissed about last night…”

Shinhye was out with you at Andy’s last night when you crossed paths with Professor Yang. Even though you didn’t interact with him, she had definitely noticed you watching him seduce that other woman.

“What’s that look for?” She had asked, noting the way you vigorously chewed your lower lip.

You hadn’t realized how obvious you were being. “It’s nothing.”

Too late. “Is that Professor Yang?” Snicker. “Man, he looks like a good kisser.”

Your blood boiled and your stomach twisted as you watched him kiss her. It’s absolutely insane that you would get so jealous, especially considering the fact that you had been hooking up with Wooseok. You had no grounds for jealousy.

Shinhye couldn’t ignore the way you stared. “You actually have a thing for him, don’t you?”

“What? No, of course not.”

“Then why do you look like you want to strangle him?”

You didn’t answer her and just downed the rest of your drink before excusing yourself. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Come on,” she frowned. “Talk to me.”

“I’ll be right back, okay?” You threw on a fake smile before speeding off to the bathroom. And when you returned, he and the woman were both gone, and Shinhye didn’t bring it up again.

So now that you’ve slipped up and brought the conversation back to last night’s events, you know you can’t avoid it. There’s no bathroom for you to run off to this time. Luckily you’re able to think up an excuse somewhat quickly. “I was just a little on edge last night because last time I ran into him at Andy’s he kicked me out.” Not technically the truth, but also not a total lie.

“What? When did that happen?”

“I don’t know, it was a little while ago. He knows I’m underage and he thought it was his duty to send me home.”

“Rude,” she scoffs. “I’m sure he had a fake ID at one time, too.”

“Right? So I just didn’t want him to see us again, because he would have tried to ruin our night.”

She nods. “I get that. You should have just said so.”

“I know.” You sigh, not even attempting to create an excuse for yourself. “But whatever, it’s just going to be us tonight, so we’ll have plenty of fun.”

“You’ve got that right!”

Eventually you pull up at Meka’s place, and Shinhye buzzes up to the apartment, announcing that “the package has arrived.” And when you get upstairs, you’re completely blown away.

The sound of live jazz music drifts from the living room and Wooseok greets you at the door, scooping you into a giant hug and carrying you into the room. “Birthday girl is here!”

“Put me down!” You gently hit him in the back with your fists, laughing, and then he sets you down.

He pinches your cheeks hard. “Happy Birthday, short stuff.”

“Thank you,” you chuckle, swatting away his hands.

Yuto just offers you a smile and a nod, and then Kino is next, greeting you with a much calmer hug. But before he can say anything, Nailah swoops in, draping an arm over your shoulder and gesturing to her handiwork.

“So what do you think?”

That’s when you allow yourself a moment to look around and, as expected, Nailah has truly outdone herself.

You’re amazed by the magical atmosphere she’s created. Pastel pink and yellow streamers hang in loops along the edges of countertops, and twinkle lights hang from the exposed beams running along the ceiling. Shinwon, Meka, Changgu, and Yanan are all set up in the corner with their instruments, playing some soft jazz to set the mood. There’s a tripod set up in one corner of the living room with a gold, sparkly backdrop hanging in front of an exposed-brick wall, and a table with props for funny pictures. Balloons are everywhere - floating in the air, filling up the floor, tied to chairs and tables.

There’s a huge Happy Birthday! banner, a gigantic ‘20’-shaped balloon, an insane amount of booze…

And then there is an absolutely massive birthday cake sitting on the kitchen counter, painted with pretty yellow icing.

“Nailah!” You nearly tear up. “This is insane! Why’d you do all of this?”

“Because I love you!” She pulls you into a hug. “Happy Birthday, _____.”

When Nailah lets you go, she introduces you to Meka’s roommates, Tess and Avery, who are also in attendance since this is their home. They’re both very warm and welcoming, and you thank them for letting you use their space.

“Don’t even worry about it,” Avery dismisses your thanks. “We don’t mind at all. We’re always happy to host.”

“Especially since you’ve brought some cute friends along,” Tess adds quietly, her cheeks turning pink.

Nailah laughs. “Tess, you fall too easily. Who’s caught your eye this time?”

“The tall one. The one that carried her in.” Tess covers her mouth with her hand. It’s adorable how she seems so eager to talk about him, yet so embarrassed.

“Wooseok?” You offer a name, and she nods. Even though you’ve got a thing going on with him, you know that you don’t have any sort of claim over him. It makes you feel a little uneasy for some reason, but you encourage her. “You should go talk to him. He’s super easy to get along with and he’ll probably just chat your ear off.”

She makes some kind of noise that can only be described as hnnnngggg, and then says. “I don’t think I can do that.”

Avery chimes in, “Drink a little more and then maybe you can.”

“Speaking of drinks…” Kino slips into the conversation with a full glass in each hand. He holds one out to you. “A beverage for the birthday girl.”

“Thank you!” You take it from him. “What is it?”

“Just some Soju and Sprite, nothing fancy.” He explains as you take a sip, and then he turns to Nailah and the others. “Mind if I steal her?”

“Nope, go have fun.” Nailah shoos you away, and Kino loops his arm in yours to pull you into the living room.

“_____, you didn’t tell me that half of the jazz band was going to be here.” He laughs. “How did that happen?”

“So as it turns out, I sort of know them? And also they live down the hall, apparently.”

“Really?”

You nod. “Remember the time I spent the night at your place? How I had been out drinking? I was with them.”

Kino thinks for a moment. “I thought you were with Wooseok?”

Shoot, you must not have given him the full story. Your cheeks heat up a little as you explain. “I was, but that was after I got home from hanging out with the jazz band boys.”

“Got it,” he confirms. “I just can’t keep up with your whirlwind of a life sometimes.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You grin and take a big sip of your drink. Kino just laughs.

You look over at the boys (and Meka) as they perform, and Changgu meets your gaze. He lowers his head as if to tip his hat at you - even though he’s not wearing a hat - with a soft, warm smile on his lips. You return the smile, fully aware of the way the subtle exchange affects your pulse.

This night is for you. You’ve accepted that you’ve entered a bit of a hoe phase, and you really just want to flirt with anything that breathes. You’re embracing your freedom as a single woman. It doesn’t matter what has happened between you and Professor Yang, or what’s currently happening between you and Wooseok. Nothing is tying you down and you just want to enjoy yourself.

Besides, you and Wooseok agreed that there would be no feelings involved. So you just have to trust that he’s not going to be jealous. And even if he is jealous, that’s not really your problem. The two of you aren’t exclusive in any sense of the word.

Though things have gotten pretty flirty between you and Kino recently, ever since the dance showcase you attended. And yeah, you have to actively suppress the desire to hold his hand right now. He’s the one person that you think should be off-limits to your hoeing. It’s just more complicated with him because he’s one of your best friends, and you’re positive that things would get weird between the two of you if you allow any kind of sexual tension to build.

Especially because you, like, really want to hold his hand right now and you have no idea where that feeling is coming from.

The band wraps up their song, and you clap for them. “Kino, do you want to say hi?”

“Stop, you’re making it sound like they’re celebrities or something,” he chuckles. “But yes, I do.”

The two of you walk over to the seniors, and you pop on your flirtatious smile. “You know you guys are supposed to be guests, right? I didn’t invite you just to be the entertainment for the night.”

“Oh, we know,” Changgu responds. “We just thought we’d surprise you with a little music, but we won’t spend the whole night behind our instruments.”

“Good,” you giggle. “By the way - Changgu, Yanan, Shinwon, Meka - this is my friend, Kino. He’s in the R&B Ensemble with me and he also has a deep appreciation for the jazz band.”

“Hey,” Kino greets them with a wave. “You all sound really good.”

“Thanks,” Changgu smiles. “We were actually thinking about going to the R&B Ensemble showcase. The week after Thanksgiving, right?”

You glance over to see that Yanan’s been looking at you, and he raises an eyebrow, smirking darkly. You grin.

Kino nods. “Yeah, you should come! You’ll see Wooseok and Yuto there, too.” He points to the two boys sitting on the couch, chatting with Shinhye. “They’re in the rhythm section with _____.”

Shinwon rests his upright bass on the floor. “Well if you’ve got half the group here, why don’t you play a little something for us?”

That pulls your attention from Yanan. “That could be fun, actually.” You murmur. “What do you think, Kino?”

“Yeah, I’d be down.”

“Do you mind us using your instruments?” You ask the boys, and they say they don’t care. So you call over Wooseok and Yuto. You introduce everyone to each other, and then you discuss what to play. “Do you guys all have ‘Treasure’ memorized, since that’s Kino’s solo? Otherwise we could improvise something.”

“‘Treasure’ works for me,” Wooseok confirms. “Might be kind of weird with this thing, though,” he says, gesturing to the cajon. Meka doesn’t have a full drum set in her apartment, just a single box drum that’s much more suited for acoustic music.

“Yeah, and the acoustic bass would give it a different sound, too.” Yuto agrees.

Kino offers a suggestion. “What about ‘If I Ain’t Got You?’ I know it’s not my solo, but I know it well and it would suit the instruments we have better.”

The other boys nod, and you agree that that’s a good idea. “Is the original key okay for you?”

He shrugs. “I’ll make it work.”

“Perfect.” With that, you take your seat, and the others get situated at their instruments. You peek back at Wooseok, and he counts you off just like he does in rehearsal.

You begin with your soft descending arpeggios, trying to balance the volume of the electric keyboard with Wooseok’s gentle drumming and Yuto’s quiet plucking.

And then Kino comes in with his warm, mellow voice.

“Some people live for the fortune, Some people live just for the fame. Some people live for the power, yeah… Some people live just to play the game.”

You hadn’t realized how beautifully the low notes would resonate in his chest. Usually he sings in a higher register for the ensemble, but now you’re thinking he was truly robbed of the opportunity to show off his gorgeous range.

“Some people think that the physical things define what’s within. And I’ve been there before, but that life’s a bore, So full of the superficial.”

His vocals climb, but he keeps it smooth and gentle. You can tell he’s also aware of the different atmosphere this set of instruments creates, and he’s tailoring his performance to this specific sound.

“Some people want it all, But I don’t want nothin’ at all If it ain’t you baby, If I ain’t got you baby.”

Kino’s sweet falsetto comes out as he goes for the highest part of the chorus, and it stirs something in you. Christ, you’ve somehow forgotten how beautiful his voice is.

He looks over at you as he continues the chorus.

“Some people want diamond rings, Some just want everything. But everything means nothing If I ain’t got you, yeah.”

...did he mean to direct that at you? Or is he just performing?

You turn your gaze to your hands and try to focus on the chords you’re playing. Maybe you’re not ready to know the answer to that.

As the night goes on and everyone continues to drink, you eventually break away from the real instruments and hook up the karaoke machine Nailah had bought just for tonight (which, coincidentally, was in the heavy-ass box she made you drop off earlier).

You get the first round of karaoke since you’re the birthday girl, and you apologize to everyone for your poor vocals before gracing them with the sound of your out-of-tune voice. But you’ve had just enough to drink that you’re now sitting blissfully in that zone where all you want to do is sing, no matter how bad you sound.

After your song, you plop down onto the couch next to Wooseok and let Nailah take the mic. He easily throws his arm over your shoulders.

“Heyyyy, cutie,” he drawls.

You giggle, but squirm out from under his arm. You don’t mind being a little flirty in front of everyone, but he seems pretty drunk and you’re worried he’ll take it too far. “Hey, Woo.”

“Good job up there.”

“Did I do okay?”

“Nah, it was pretty terrible, but you stuck it out like a champ.” Wooseok just looks at you solemnly, and you burst out laughing.

“Sounds about right.”

“Have I ever told you that I like making music with you?” He leans in. “It’s fun to play together.”

“I like it, too.” You pat his leg but otherwise keep your hands to yourself. “I always have fun with you.”

“Yeah you do,” Wooseok smirks.

“Shush,” you quietly scold him.

Just then, Yanan takes the empty cushion next to you. “Mind if I join?”

“Go ahead,” you murmur, noticing his intense eye contact again.

“I made you a drink.” He hands you a glass. “Old Fashioned, just as you like.”

“You remembered.” You raise your eyebrows in surprise. The last time you saw him was at Andy’s, where you ordered an Old Fashioned. “I’m impressed.”

“It’s easy to remember when a lady leaves a good impression,” he murmurs. You hold his eye contact for a beat longer than you should, trying to decipher what it is he’s trying to achieve. Yanan winks at you before focusing on Nailah’s performance, and you feel wholly flustered.

Your friends all take turns performing, and you’re absolutely positive that you’re the worst singer in the room. You don’t mind it, though.

After a while you make a rule that all of the songs need to be danceable - no ballads allowed because you just need to get on your feet and dance. You feel too good to be sitting and listening to music.

You dance to your heart’s content, bouncing around to various partners with each song. Shinhye, Nailah, and Wooseok each get a turn, and you’re not sure if you’re extra clingy with Wooseok because of your relationship with him, or because you’re getting more tipsy as the night goes on.

It doesn’t take long for you to overheat with all of the dancing you’re doing, so you step out onto the balcony to get a breath of fresh air. It’s mid-November so it’s definitely pretty chilly outside, but it’s exactly what you need to dry up some of the sweat that’s gathered on your back from dancing.

You can still hear the music from the karaoke machine, and you can’t help but bop your head to the music as you lean on the balcony’s railing, looking down at the alley that separates the apartment building from the small backyards of the houses across the way. It’s really too bad there’s not a nice view out here, but since it’s a second floor apartment on the far west side of town, you don’t really have much chance of being able to see any skyscrapers from here.

The balcony door opens, and Kino steps out to join you. “Partied out already?” He asks, a cute smile on his face.

“Not even close,” you smile back. “Just need to cool off for a sec.”

He stands next to you, also leaning on the railing as he sips his drink. “Sounds like you’re having fun, then?”

“Yeah.” You prop your chin on your hand. “I’m having a ton of fun. I’m really lucky to have such great friends.”

It nearly starts to make you emotional when you think about how much you really appreciate your friends. Even if you haven’t been completely honest about everything going on in your life, you’ve always felt loved and supported by your friends. What did you do to deserve so many amazing people in your life?

Before you get too choked up, you’re distracted by a change in song as someone else takes up the microphone. You immediately recognize the new song, ‘P.Y.T.’ by Michael Jackson, and you start humming along.

“This is a good one,” you muse, bopping your head to the beat.

“It is,” Kino agrees. He quietly starts to sing along, and eventually neither one of you can resist the urge to dance. The beat is too infectious. He holds out a hand, which you take, and he sings softly as he spins you and dips you.

It’s been a while since you’ve partner-danced with someone, but he takes the lead, pulling you close and rocking to the beat. You just let him guide your movements, and you giggle as you sing the song together.

He looks at you sweetly as he sings, “I want to love you…”

“P.Y.T!”

“Pretty young thing…”

“P.Y.T!”

Kino laughs with you every time you insert your little P.Y.T., and it’s so much fun just goofing off with him.

And then too soon the song is over and a new one begins, but you stand there frozen hand-in-hand. He squeezes your hand as his eyes scour your face, and your heart pounds deep in your chest. You absolutely adore this boy, and you’re overwhelmed by the urge to tell him.

“You’re so wonderful,” you start. “You’re one of my best friends and you’ve kept me sane this whole semester, and I love hanging out with you, and I just feel like I need you to know that I’m always gonna love you no matter what, and you’re just one of my favorite people. I’m just so happy that I got to know you and I hope that nothing ever happens to us because that would make me so sad.” You ramble, and before you know it, your vision is blurry with tears. He’s just been such a great friend and you know you don’t tell him that enough.

Kino cups your face, eyes wide as he wipes away a stray tear that falls down your cheek. “No, don’t cry! Nothing’s going to happen to us. Don’t worry about that. Don’t be sad.”

“I’m not sad,” you sniff. “I’m happy that you’re in my life.”

“I am, too.” With a warm smile, he pulls you into a hug. You listen to his heartbeat, the heat from his chest radiating onto your cheek. You almost don’t notice the cold air beginning to sink into your bones from standing outside without a jacket for so long. As he holds you, he quietly asks, “Do you really love me?”

“Of course I do.” You love all of your friends. What kind of a question is that?

You feel him press a kiss into your hair, and he takes a deep breath.

He lets you go, and you notice the way he tilts your face upwards. You close your eyes and give him a sweet smile to show him how happy you are. And when you open your eyes again, you see the pink in his cheeks and the warmth in his eyes.

Maybe he’s drunk. You know you’re well on your way. Or maybe it’s because of something else that you can’t quite fathom at the moment.

Whatever the reason, Kino kisses you.

You’re wholly unprepared for the softness of his lips as they press against yours, for the gentleness of his hand as it supports the back of your neck. You’re startled by the butterflies in your stomach, the racing of your heart.

This is not what you expected… but it is pretty nice.

Without thinking about the implications - you’re too inebriated to process all of that right now - you kiss him back. You let your hands tug on his sweater, let your tongue slide across his lips. You’re acting purely on instinct, just letting your body do whatever it wants. And damn, you love a good makeout.

You kiss him until you hear the door to the balcony open, the sound startling you both enough to make you jump away from each other. Nailah pokes her head out, clearly looking for you.

“Oh,” she says, immediately realizing what was just happening. “Sorry, my bad. Um, we’re going to cut the cake soon, so just come back in whenever you’re ready and we’ll get started.” With a sheepish grin, she slips back into the apartment.

Kino’s cheeks are bright red, but he looks over to you anyway, no matter how embarrassed he might be. He offers up another sweet smile.

And then it hits you - you were just kissing Kino.

But he’s your best friend, you don’t like him that way… do you?

Now you’re not so sure.

“I… think we should get back inside,” you mumble, and you don’t look up at him or wait for a response before heading in.

Dear God, you just can’t get anything right. You probably shouldn’t have done that, and all you can think is that you just need another drink. If you can pretend that didn’t just happen, then maybe you can still have fun tonight. You don’t want to worry about consequences.

Nailah sees you enter and decides it’s time to make a speech. She pauses the karaoke machine and takes the microphone from Yuto. “_____, my sweetheart of a roommate, tonight is a celebration of you. You’re talented, kind, hot as hell-”

Wooseok hollers in agreement from across the room, and you force out a laugh, still generally confused about what happened on the balcony.

Nailah continues, “And we’re all lucky to be your friends. Love you, boo.”

“I love youuu!” You run up and hug her tightly, suddenly feeling teary again. Then, in a tipsy attempt at damage control, you take the microphone to share your own piece. “I’m so grateful to have you all in my life, and I love each and every one of you. I love my friends, all of you. I’m just overflowing with love, specifically for my friends. I love you all the same.”

You try not to look at Kino as Nailah takes the microphone back, saying, “Oooh, someone gets a bit emotional after she’s gotten a few drinks in her. We all love you too, sweetie. Now let’s have cake!”

Shinhye brings you the first slice, a single candle standing on top. You’re serenaded with ‘Happy Birthday,’ you blow out your candle, and you take the first bite before everyone else gets their own slice. And damn it’s some good cake.

But all of that still isn’t enough to distract you from Kino’s kiss.

You just keep thinking about his lips, his hands, his soothing voice. The weirdest thing about it is that it didn’t feel wrong. You’ve always expected that if you got close with someone the way you’re close with Kino, that they’d feel like a sibling to you and any kind of intimacy would feel weird.

But it wasn’t like kissing a sibling. It was just Kino.

The party picks back up after people finish their cake, and you’re looking for the next distraction when Kino comes up to you.

“It’s getting pretty late, so I think I’m gonna head out,” he says simply. “Don’t want to be stuck on the train with all the crazies, you know.”

It’s a valid excuse. It’s just after midnight, and the train can get a little dangerous at night if you’re not careful. But it just doesn’t sit right with you. “Are you sure?”

Kino nods. “How are you getting home tonight?”

“I’ll probably get a taxi with Nailah.”

“That’s a good idea. Just be careful, okay? I’ll see you Monday.”

You just nod, and then he’s gone.

God, why does everything feel so terrible?

You look elsewhere in the room and see Wooseok on the couch again with Tessa sitting very closely beside him. She must have finally worked up the courage to talk to him, and just as you expected he seems really open to chatting with her.

It’s not a big deal. You even told her that she should do it. So why does it make your stomach turn?

You’re sobering up, and you don’t like it. You want to go back to having fun like you were half an hour ago! This is your party, after all. It’s your night.

Time for another drink.

You hurry into the kitchen, where you find Shinwon, Meka, Changgu, and Yanan all converging.

“There she is,” Yanan coos when he sees you step in.

“Heyy,” you throw on a smile. “Anyone wanna do shots with me?”

“If that’s what the birthday girl wants,” Yanan nods.

“I’m down,” Changgu agrees.

Meka brushes off the invitation. “Shinwon and I aren’t drinking tonight. Someone has to keep this party under control.”

Shinwon doesn’t let his sobriety stop him from encouraging bad behavior, though. He starts quietly chanting, “Body shots! Body shots!”

Changgu laughs at him and then looks at you. “You want to?”

You look between him and Yanan. You’ve never done a body shot before, but you’re fully aware of how sexual in nature they are.

This is your night. You’re allowed to have fun. After everything with Kino, you feel better about being a little risque with these boys than you do with one of your closest friends. You have less to lose in this situation.

Okay, yep - you really need a drink. You’re thinking about this far too rationally.

“Yeah,” you smile slyly. “Let’s do body shots!”

Changgu rifles through the booze on the counter to get the necessary supplies - salt, tequila, and a lime. As he searches for a knife to cut the lime, you turn to Yanan.

“I’ve never done this before,” you confess, hoping you don’t seem too nervous.

“It’s simple, sweetheart. I’ll go first.” He grabs the salt from Changgu. “I’m going to put the salt on your neck, so tilt your head to the side.”

You do as you’re told, and Yanan cradles your head as you tip. He leans in and licks a stripe along the side of your neck, making your blood boil in the best way. He tells you to stay there and he sprinkles the salt along the wet spot.

“Then this goes in your mouth.” He grabs a freshly-cut lime wedge and places it between your teeth. Changgu hands him a plastic shot glass filled with tequila. “And this goes… right here.” Yanan tucks the shot between your breasts. “It goes salt, shot, lime. Ready?”

You nod carefully, not wanting to lose the shot down the front of your shirt.

“Okay.” Yanan raises an eyebrow seductively as he holds his hands behind his back. He leans in, licking up the salt in a luxurious way, then he lowers his face to your chest to grab the shot from between your tits. He drops the plastic cup to the ground, a serious look on his face as he goes in for the lime. His lips brush yours as he takes it from you, biting down and sucking on the wedge to cut the burn of the tequila.

Shinwon and Meka cheer, clearly enjoying the show.

Changgu laughs at them, and then focuses on you. “My turn. Unless you want to go next.”

“No, you go ahead.” You encourage him.

He puts his salt on the other side of your neck, nestles another shot between your breasts, another lime wedge between your lips. Your pulse picks up as he goes through the motions to take his shot.

Changgu doesn’t just lick up his salt - he sucks lightly on your neck. He tosses back the shot with ease, and his gaze locks firmly on your mouth as he leans in for the lime. You feel his tongue glide over your lower lip before he grabs the lime and pulls away, a surprisingly confident smirk forming on his face.

When Changgu is finished, Yanan continues directing. “Why don’t you do your shot with Changgu? I think he’d enjoy that an awful lot.”

You see Changgu roll his eyes as Yanan teases him. “Like you wouldn’t,” he bites back.

You turn to Changgu. You figure that his neck is probably a safe bet since that’s what he did for you, but you’d be lying if you said your eyes weren’t immediately drawn to his collar bone. You pull open the collar of his button-down, running your finger along the dip above his collar bone. “How about I put the salt here?”

“That’s perfect.” Changgu unbuttons another button to pull his shirt open wider, and he holds it open for you. “Go ahead, then.”

You shake some salt into your palm and then lean in to lick his collar bone. It feels incredibly intimate, but you love the thrill of it. Then you pinch the salt in your palm and sprinkle it onto the wet spot, just like he did. “And the shot? You don’t have boobs,” you laugh.

“In the waistband of my pants.” His ears are noticeably red, and you think it’s cute that he’s seemed so confident this whole time even though he’s a little flustered.

“Makes sense.” You pour the shot and tuck it into his pants, and then you pull Yanan over, too, placing the lime in his mouth. “No reason why you can’t both be involved. Ready?”

They both nod just as you did, and you start the ritual. You hold onto Changgu’s arm as you lick up the salt sensually, and your hands clasp his hips as you try for the shot, tossing it back sloppily. Then you pull Yanan’s face down to yours so you can reach the lime, your cheeks burning when your lips touch.

When you pull away, Yanan’s eyes firmly lock onto yours for the millionth time tonight. Something about his gaze makes it seem like he just wants to devour you, and you honestly think you might let him if he makes the right moves.

Meka breaks the tension, commenting, “You’re not supposed to use your hands, but that was still hot.”

“Oh shit, you’re right,” you laugh, realizing that you meant to hold your hands behind your back. You look away from Yanan and glance at Changgu, whose gaze is much more encouraging.

“That was fun, right?” Changgu smiles warmly. You nod, cheeks growing warm from the alcohol - and possibly also because of the attractive boys standing in front of you.

Yanan turns back to the couple. “Shinwon, are you staying over here with Meka tonight?”

Shinwon nods curtly. “Yeah, I probably will.”

Meka chimes in, “You better. Let’s go make sure everyone else is doing alright.” She pulls him out of the kitchen to return to the party, and you’re left alone with Yanan and Changgu.

“So, _____,” Yanan gets your attention. “Changgu’s been wondering if you’re seeing someone and if that’s why you haven’t called him.”

Changgu immediately smacks him in the chest. “Come on, it’s not like that. You’re the one who won’t shut up about her.”

Yanan confidently smiles at you. “Guilty. So what’s the deal, sweetheart?”

For a moment, Wooseok pops into your head, but you remind yourself for the zillionth time that you’re not in a relationship. Your tongue is loose from the liquor and you openly respond, “I’m not really interested in dating anyone right now but I apparently have some pretty loose morals when it comes to other things.”

“Is that so…” Yanan murmurs as he eyes you, not a shy bone in his body. “I have to admit, though, I’m disappointed that you never called.” He turns back to Changgu. “You gave her my number, right?”

“Of course I did.”

You do remember getting his number from Changgu, but you’re not actually sure that it ever made it to your phone. “Sorry, I think I might have misplaced it.”

“Well that’s an easy fix.” Yanan holds his hand out. “Phone.”

You hand it over without question, unlocking it so he can enter his phone number. Once he’s saved the contact, he calls himself so that he has your number, too. Then he hands it back.

“There. All better.”

You feel your cheeks heat up. He’s so confident and forward in his flirting, and it has been a long time since someone so comfortably spoke to you that way. It makes you feel nervous, but in an exciting way.

Then Yanan whispers something to Changgu, and Changgu looks at you before responding under his breath.

You might be a little drunk, but you’re not stupid. You can tell that they’re up to something, and it’s very possible that you’re willing to play along. “Clearly you have something in mind, so just say it.”

Yanan accepts your challenge and takes a step closer to you, asserting his dominance. “We want to bring you back to our place and get you out of those clothes.”

“We?” You quietly ask, pulse buzzing at the thought. “Both of you?”

“We like to share from time to time. Isn’t that right, Changgu?” He looks back at the dark-haired boy who nods.

Changgu adds, “It’s all just for fun. We wouldn’t do anything you don’t want to do.”

A grin spreads across your lips. A threesome with Yanan and Changgu? Are you really allowed to have such a delicacy? Your insides bubble with anticipation as you nod your head. “One more round of shots and then let’s fucking do it.”

“That’s the spirit,” Changgu chuckles, and the three of you down one more shot of tequila.

After you toss your plastic cup in the trash, Yanan grabs your hand to lead you out. You stop him, though, suddenly remembering why you’re all here. “Wait, it’s my birthday party. Can I just leave like this?”

“It’s your party. You can do whatever you want,” Yanan reassures you.

“You’re right,” you giggle. You have enough presence of mind to give someone a heads-up before you disappear, though. “Just a sec.”

You take your hand back and strut over to Nailah and Shinhye, who are closely chatting with each other. “LADIES,” you announce yourself. “I’m gonna go get laid down the hall.”

Nailah immediately raises her eyebrows. “One of Shinwon’s roommates?”

“Both of ‘em,” you grin wildly.

“What?!” Shinhye blurts disbelievingly. “Who? Where are they?”

“The tall blonde and brunette over there,” you point towards the hallway that leads to the front door, where your two boys stand. Shinhye’s jaw drops.

“Oh my God, you’re crazy,” Nailah laughs. “Go have fun. Take your phone with you just in case you need anything.”

“Yes, mom.” You kiss her on the cheek, and then give Shinhye a peck, too. “Love you guys.”

With that, you depart, grabbing both Yanan and Changgu by the hand on your way out.

Their apartment is exactly what you expected it to be - clean and well-decorated with masculine features. It’s totally a wealthy-bachelor style room, and you’re not sure if they’re actually made of money or if they just like to give that appearance.

Changgu stops in the kitchen to get you a glass of water and Yanan brings you to the couch, sitting you down. When Changgu joins you, it all feels like a bit of an interrogation.

“What are your boundaries?” Changgu asks. “What do you want to do and what’s off limits?”

You’ve never been asked so bluntly before and it catches you a little off guard. “Oh. Um…” Your eyes bounce between the two boys, and you realize that this is your chance to speak out loud everything you imagine doing with them - although, admittedly, this is definitely your first time fantasizing about either one of them. “I want to blow both of you, and I want you to go down on me. And then I want each of you to fuck me senseless.”

They both smile at your boldness. Yanan encourages you to continue. “What else, sweetheart?”

Your pulse shoots up. “I like that pet name. A lot. I like making out, too. And gentle biting is good. Don’t make me bleed. Um, and I don’t deep throat and anal is a no-go.”

Changgu nods. “What are your thoughts on being choked? Spanked?”

“Both are good,” you respond, smiling, even though you don’t have too much experience with either. “If that’s what you’re into.”

“It depends on the mood.” He quirks an eyebrow. “But you said you wanted to be fucked senseless, so it seems like getting rough might be fun for you.”

You giggle quietly. “Just don’t beat me up or call me names.”

“Never.” Changgu coos gently, and he moves to join you on the couch, picking up your water glass and lifting it to your lips. “Here, drink some.”

You let him feed you the water, the simple gesture warming you to your core. You get the distinct feeling that these boys really are going to look after you tonight, and that’s incredibly comforting. It makes you feel even more relaxed and ready.

“And a safe word, sweetheart?” Yanan speaks up. “Just so you know you can freely change your mind at any point and we’ll respect your decision.”

You think for a moment. You’ve never had to choose a safe word before, so you don’t already have one in mind.

“If you don’t have a go-to, we frequently use ‘red.’ Like a stoplight.” Changgu offers.

Nodding, you agree to that word choice. “That works for me.”

Yanan sits back in his arm chair. “Changgu, why don’t you get her warmed up, if we’re all ready?”

“Are you ready?” Changgu asks you.

“Yes, I’m so ready.”

“Remember, you’re our priority tonight.” Changgu murmurs lowly, returning the glass of water to the coffee table. “We’re going to take care of you.”

His fingertips, chilled from the glass, brush over your neck and he cups your face, sweetly pulling you toward him until your lips meet. He doesn’t hide his passion, eagerly kissing you over and over.

You grip his thigh, kind of in awe at the fact that you’re even here about to have a threesome with Changgu and Yanan. It just seems so unreal.

You’re more than ready to get down to business, so your hands work quickly at the buttons of his shirt. He lets you pull the fabric down over his arms before he goes for your shirt, lifting the flimsy fabric up over your head to expose your bra.

“Let’s show Yanan,” he murmurs as he takes your hand, guiding you to stand up. He pulls you in front of him so your back faces him and you’re looking directly at Yanan, who’s still seated in the arm chair with a pleased expression.

Changgu unhooks your bra and pulls it off of you so your chest is on full display. Yanan’s eyes immediately drop to your tits, and it feels delicious to be looked at this way. Changgu’s hands trace over your arms and breasts, and you feel his lips at your ear as he caresses you. He bites down on your earlobe and tugs, sending a deep shiver down your spine. “Do you like that?”

“Mhm,” you hum, and you reach a hand behind you in search of the hardening length that’s pressing against you through layers of jeans. When you find his bulge, you press your palm against it. “Do you like that?”

His breaths flutter across your neck. “Yes, sweetheart, that’s good.”

“Yanan,” you address the blonde. “Do you like what you see?”

He smiles. “You look good, sweetheart.”

“That’s right,” Changgu murmurs in your ear, one of his hands coming up to your throat. He squeezes gently, just barely giving you a lightheaded rush as his other hand reaches for the button of your jeans. He unfastens it and then says to you, “Take them off.”

You grin and shimmy out of your pants, intentionally leaving your thong on so that Changgu might give you another order. Once you kick your jeans off to the side, your hand returns to his bulge, which has grown even harder.

“You are gorgeous,” Yanan shakes his head in disbelief, and you can see that he’s getting hard, too.

“Why don’t you touch yourself?” You ask, encouraging him to find some pleasure. Meanwhile, Changgu’s hands cup your breasts, his thumb and forefinger pinching your nipples softly. Your breath catches in your throat as you’re filled with pleasure. “I love that, pinch harder.”

Changgu does as you ask, rolling your nipples roughly between his fingers, and Yanan takes your suggestion, too, palming himself over his jeans as he watches. Changgu’s mouth explores your neck, sucking and biting the sensitive skin and drawing soft moans from you.

You squeeze Changgu’s length, fully hard and straining against his jeans, and he growls. One of his hands abandons your breast to cup your sex as he rolls his hips against you, and you moan a little louder at the pressure of his palm against your clit. You rock small circles into his hand, desperate for pleasure.

“Changgu, give her more. She’s working too hard for it.” Yanan encourages Changgu.

The hand that cups you now comes up to your mouth. “Wet my fingers,” Changgu orders.

You eagerly comply, taking two of his fingers into your mouth and running your tongue over them, sucking to earn yourself some shaky breathing from Changgu. He indulges for a moment before pulling his fingers out and diving his hand down into your thong.

His wet fingers graze gently over your folds, careful not to target your clit too soon. And when they finally land on your most sensitive spot, you let out a pleasured gasp.

“Yes, that’s perfect! Oh my God…”

Your eyes flutter shut as you take in everything he’s doing to you with his mouth and hands, and you open your eyes just in time to see Yanan unfastening his belt. You’re filled with anticipation as he starts to undress, pulling his pants and boxer briefs off to reveal his dick. It springs upwards, completely hard and beautiful in his hand as he strokes it.

You absolutely love that he’s getting off on watching you get off. You hadn’t realized until now, but it’s possible that you’ve got a bit of an exhibitionist streak in you.

As Changgu rubs sweet circles into your clit, you reach behind you with both hands to set him free from his pants, too. He pauses his ministrations to help pull off his skinny jeans, and then next thing you know you’ve got his naked cock in your hands.

At this point, Yanan finally leaves his seat to come join you. He tilts your head up to kiss you as you wrap one hand around his cock, jacking off both boys simultaneously. His hands cup your breasts, pinching your nipples just as Changgu had done.

It’s absolutely, positively blissful to have so many hands on your body. You’re incredibly stimulated by all of the touch and it’s all so perfect.

Then Yanan drops to his knees in front of you, peppering your stomach and thighs with kisses. He wets just one finger in his mouth, and then pulls your thong off to the side to discover your slit. Changgu’s still working on your clit as Yanan gently presses a finger inside of you.

It’s only one finger, but you feel damn near ready to explode.

“Feel good?” Yanan asks you as Changgu returns a hand to your throat.

“Yes I feel amazing,” you confirm. “Please don’t stop.”

Yanan bites your thigh and then looks up at you. “Do you want me to eat you out now?”

“Yes, yes, yes.” That sounds like an amazing change of plans. “Yes, please.”

Almost immediately, Changgu retracts his hand to reclaim your nipple, and Yanan tugs your thong off once and for all. And then, in a matter of seconds, Yanan’s warm tongue presses against your clit.

You moan loudly at the sensation, especially once he starts circling and flicking. His finger still gently buries itself inside of you, and you’re once again shocked by the powerful sensations that can be caused by four hands and two mouths.

The rush of blood and adrenaline from Yanan’s mouth causes your knees to grow weak, and you start to find that you have a difficult time holding yourself up while he works on you.

Changgu notices your struggle. “Let’s move to a bedroom to get more comfortable.”

With a kiss to your clit, Yanan releases you and stands, pulling off his shirt in the process. “How’s that sound, sweetheart?”

“Great,” you chime, feeling a little drowsy from the alcohol but definitely still horny as hell.

Changgu leads you by the hand into what you presume must be his bedroom, due to the stack of piano books piled on the floor where his keyboard usually sits - you can see indents in the carpet from the weight of the keyboard on its stand. Other than that, his room looks like any other boy’s room.

Changgu closes the blinds and turns on a bedside lamp, letting the gentle light fill the room instead of turning on the bright overhead light. Yanan follows you in with your glass of water, placing it on Changgu’s dresser.

“Lie down on your back,” Yanan instructs you. “I’m not finished with you yet.”

You do as he asks, letting your head hang off the edge of the bed as he settles between your legs. You reach out to Changgu as Yanan starts licking and fingering you, and you breathily tell him, “I wanna suck your cock.”

Changgu seems more than willing to give you his cock, and you’re soon pulling it into your mouth, sucking hard and encouraging him to fuck your face. You have to admit that it’s probably one of the sloppier blow jobs you’ve given, but only because you’re so fucking distracted by all of the amazing things Yanan is doing to your pussy. It’s so hard not to focus on the way he’s gently sucking your clit and fucking you with two fingers.

But you give it your best shot, swirling your tongue and sucking Changgu’s cock like you mean it, moaning with nearly every move Yanan makes. One of your hands cards through Yanan’s hair and the other interlocks fingers with Changgu.

You feel yourself getting close, and you grip Yanan’s hair to let him know. Small pulses of ecstasy pump through you as you near an orgasm, and right when you think you’re about to break, he stops.

At first you think maybe he just didn’t pick up on your signals, but as you pull Changgu’s cock out of your mouth, Yanan bites your thigh and says, “Not yet, sweetheart.”

He knew. He fucking knew you were close. He’s just playing with you, teasing you with the hope of an orgasm and then tearing it away.

“Yanan! I was so close!” You lecture him, furrowing your brow as you prop yourself up on your elbows.

“I know. And I said, not yet. You’ll get your orgasm. Don’t worry.” He climbs off of the bed and walks to the nightstand, pulling out a condom and a bottle of lube, and tossing them both to Changgu. “Do you want Changgu’s cock?”

You nod eagerly, basically over the whole orgasm denial the second you realize you’re about to be fucked. You tilt your head back to look up at Changgu and throw on your most innocent smile. “Will you fuck me, Changgu? Please?”

“Fuck, yes.” Changgu tears open the condom packet and rolls the rubber over his length before coating it in lube. “Get on your hands and knees for me.”

You do as he says, sticking your ass up in the air for him.

“You look so good,” he coos, his hands running over your round ass. And then he spanks you - it’s gentle, but still stings slightly, and you feel the way your ass jiggles from the impact.

“Do it again,” you murmur without thinking.

So he does. He spanks you twice more, each one a little firmer than the last. And you absolutely love it.

It makes sense that you’d be into spanking, given how much you love having your nipples pinched. Just a little bit of pain seems to really work for you.

You feel the tip of his length drag along your slit, your pulse racing as he finally presses into you, his full length disappearing into your pussy. Your eyes squeeze shut as he starts to roll his hips, sliding luxuriously in and out of you. Christ, he feels amazing.

When you look up again, you see Yanan handling himself as he watches. And as hot as it is, you would prefer to have him involved at the moment.

“Get over here,” you motion for him to get onto the bed. “Let me blow you.”

“You’re not gonna bite me after that stunt I pulled?” He grins mischievously.

“Of course not.”

He seems to trust you, lying down on the bed perpendicular to you so he can still have a good view. Plus, as you soon find out, he’s able to easily reach your most sensitive spots from this angle.

Yanan’s cock is a little bit thicker than Changgu’s, but you’re able to adjust your mouth to his size quickly. Yanan lovingly drags his nails across your back as you suck on him, his silent way of appreciating your work.

Changgu, on the other hand, groans as he thrusts, his grip on your hips tightening as he snaps into you. You didn’t expect him to be the more vocal of the two, but it’s hot as hell.

Yanan’s hand eventually ventures towards your clit, and you moan deeply around his cock when he makes contact. The pleasure of his fingers paired with the pleasure from Changgu’s thrusting drives you absolutely wild.

You have to give up on the blowjob because you’re panting so hard. You stroke him with one hand while you slowly fall apart, and you manage to get out one plea: “Please let me come this time. I want to come.”

“Of course, sweetheart.” With just a few words, Yanan eases your concerns.

Changgu moans as your pussy squeezes him, gearing up for an orgasm. “God, you feel so good.”

"Keep going, please keep going…" You nearly squeak as you beg both of them to continue exactly what they're doing. You press back into Changgu, and then your whole body tenses up before you suddenly break.

The most stunningly intense orgasm washes over you, and you cry out at the sheer power of it. Your toes curl and your eyebrows pinch together and your mouth hangs open. Both boys slow their movements as you finish, giving you just enough to go all the way without painfully overstimulating you.

Changgu pulls out and you collapse to the bed with a giggle. That felt fucking amazing.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Changgu asks, leaning onto the bed to hover over you as you lie on your back.

"So fucking good," you coo, and you grab his face, pulling him down for a kiss.

His lips are warm and soft, and he enthusiastically returns each kiss. You remind yourself that the night isn't over, and honestly it's not hard to convince yourself to keep going. You want to give yourself the fullest experience with these boys.

You reach down and pull off the condom Changgu wears so that you can stroke him better. Your pussy needs a break, but you've still got two hands and a mouth.

When he breaks the kiss, Yanan gives you some more of your water, and then the three of you rearrange yourselves on the bed so that you're all sitting against the headboard with you in the middle. You help yourself to a cock in each hand, and Changgu and Yanan stroke your thighs, stomach, and breasts while you get ready for more.

It's like something out of a dream, getting to look to your right and see Changgu biting his lip, or to look to your left and see Yanan's deep gaze. Changgu is just dripping sex and Yanan is so passionately engaged. With how much charm and confidence he normally oozes, you're pleasantly surprised by how connected you feel to him.

In a matter of minutes you feel ready to go, and you know exactly what you want. "Yanan, I think it's your turn to put on a condom. And Changgu, why don't you help me with the lube?"

They both do as you suggest. As Yanan opens another condom, Changgu's long fingers spread lube over your folds. Once you're all ready to go, you climb onto Yanan's lap.

With very little effort, you slide down onto his cock. You lean back to give him the best view of your pussy surrounding his cock. "Just sit back and watch."

As you ride him, you motion for Changgu to come closer. You give Yanan a long look before making out with Changgu, all the while riding his thick cock.

The two of you exchange sloppy kisses, your fingers pinching your nipples as he reaches down to rub your clit. It's a lot of different sensations and you have to think a little hard to keep up with everything, but it's worth it. You love knowing you can give Yanan such a show. You're confident he'll be dreaming of this for a while.

Changgu's lips start to travel down your neck, to your collarbone, to your breast. He bites the soft skin, pinching you deliciously, and then he takes your nipple into his mouth, biting it and holding it in place as you bounce. The tugging and pinching drives you mad, and suddenly you're completely aware of the way Yanan's cock has been subtly stroking your g-spot this whole time.

You feel the build up of an incredibly wet orgasm, and you slow your movements. "I… I might squirt."

"Don't be shy," Yanan coos. "Let me see it, then."

Changgu just sucks harshly on your nipple, and you take that to be his enthusiastic approval.

With Yanan's hands gripping your hips, you start moving again, and you focus just on the feeling of his cock. You think of nothing else except squeezing him, feeling every inch of him sliding in and out of you, pressing into you and filling your pussy.

And then you explode.

For the second time tonight you're overcome with ecstasy, but this time is way messier. You pull off of Yanan as you squirt on his cock and thighs. And dear Lord, the look on Yanan's face…

He looks like he wants to devour you. Like he could swallow you whole.

“Do you like it?” You murmur.

“I do, sweetheart.” Yanan practically growls. “I like it very much.”

You lift yourself up, sliding back down onto his cock after quickly recovering from your orgasm. As you start to ride him again, you lean over him so your tits brush against his chest, your lips hovering just above his as you whisper, “I do, too.”

Yanan grabs your face, crashing his lips into yours as you both rock your hips. Your tongues play with each kiss, your bodies moving perfectly in sync with each other.

Changgu’s hand massages your ass cheek, and you’re elated at the thought that another spank is coming. You pull away from Yanan just enough to say, “Do it, Changgu.” You need to feel that delicious sting again.

And then he spanks you.

It’s hard this time, nothing held back. You cry out, your walls tightly clenching around Yanan’s cock at the impact. That finally draws a moan from Yanan and sends a rush of adrenaline straight to your core.

That was fucking perfect.

“Again,” you command, and you bite down on your lip when Changgu delivers another smack.

Yanan’s fingers dig hard into your hips, and you can tell he’s getting close. “Let me see you,” he groans, urging you to sit up.

You straighten up and give it all you’ve got. Yeah, your thighs are starting to get tired from lifting and dropping, but you’ve got a cock to ride and you’re not going to stop until he comes.

His eyes skim over your body, eventually fixing on the way your pussy swallows his cock with every movement. You watch as his abdominal muscles contract, and you know he’s only moments away from coming.

“Fill up my pussy, Yanan.” The lewd words spill from you in the heat of the moment, even though you’re aware that the condom he wears will stop him from actually filling you with his cum. It’s just fun to imagine.

Yanan doesn’t respond, he just flicks his eyes upward to meet yours. You’re both breathing heavy and he uses his grip on your hips to help you move faster. His mouth opens slightly, his brow furrows, and then he finally breaks eye contact as his eyes squeeze shut and he spills into the condom with a series of quiet moans.

He smiles warmly as he settles, his long fingers dragging up and down your back. “You did well, sweetheart.”

“Thank you,” you giggle, giving yourself a second to rest before climbing off of him.

Changgu has been sitting patiently near you, stroking himself as he waits for his turn. “Still feeling alright?” He asks as you turn your attention to him.

You nod with a wide smile. “I’m feeling great. And I’ll feel even better once you’re fucking me again.”

He smirks, and Yanan haphazardly tosses him another condom. As he rolls it on and slathers lube on his cock, you lie down on your back next to Yanan. Your legs are so tired and you just need a break from holding yourself up for a little bit.

You reach out to him with grabby hands, your legs spread wide and your eyelashes fluttering. “Come fuck me.”

“I will,” he laughs at your impatience. Changgu grabs a pillow from the top of the bed and folds it in half before sliding it under your ass, lifting your lower half to give himself a better angle. You feel him start to line up his cock with your entrance, and you look over to Yanan, wanting to feel his gaze on you again.

Of course, Yanan is already watching you. He holds your gaze as Changgu presses into you, lowering himself over you and burying his face in the crook of your neck as he starts to thrust. Changgu’s teeth dig into your neck as he bites you, and Yanan’s fingers interlace with your own.

You are so wonderfully fulfilled by the two of them, with the passion of Changgu’s movements and the sweetness of Yanan’s touch. You’re simultaneously grounded and lighter than air, overflowing with all kinds of endorphins to keep you feeling good.

You let your eyes flutter shut as you focus on everything your body feels. Changgu’s cock brushes all of the right places, his chest rubs against your nipples, and his mouth is relentless on your neck and earlobes. The strands of his hair are soft between your fingers. You squeeze Yanan’s hand with your own, his thumb gently rubbing the back of your hand.

Instead of trying to push yourself into another orgasm, which you might be able to do if you put in the effort, you decide to just enjoy the feeling of being attended to, of sharing this experience with Changgu and Yanan and letting yourself fully indulge in your freedom.

Changgu breathes heavily as he picks up his pace, pounding into you with everything he’s got. You tug on his hair and he groans, nipping at the skin of your shoulder.

“I’m going to come soon,” he pants, and you press a kiss to his cheek.

“I want it,” you coo. “I want you to come.”

And then he looks at you - really looks at you - and he smiles. And he’s kind of beautiful, actually.

Then without any warning, he aggressively starts snapping into you with a speed that nearly makes your eyes roll back into your head. Changgu fucks you senseless, just like you had asked him to.

You struggle to keep it together, but it’s not long until Changgu breaks, sweet moans coming from him as he orgasms with a few long thrusts.

He takes a moment to come down, pressing sweet kisses along your jaw and throat, and you ruffle his dark hair. Eventually he pulls away from you, pulling off the full condom with a satisfied smile.

“Still good?” He asks.

“I feel perfect.” You smile.

Changgu then glances over at Yanan, peeking at his crotch before laughing. “Why am I not surprised?”

You look at Yanan too and find that he’s completely hard again. Yanan comfortably responds, “It’s hot watching you two.”

The boys’ attention returns to you. Changgu’s hand comes to rest on your thigh as he says, “If you’re up for any more, we certainly don’t need to stop now.”

“How late is it?” You ask, having totally lost track of time since coming over. “Do we need to get back to the party?”

“Not necessarily,” Yanan responds. “Like we said, tonight is your night. You can do whatever you want, sweetheart.”

Changgu adds, “And if you want to stay with us a bit longer, you’re also welcome to spend the night. We have room for you, and frankly it might be better for you to sleep here. I’m positive we’ll make it so that you’re too worn out to leave.” He ends with a devilish smile.

“It wouldn’t be weird for me to stay the night?”

“Not at all. Our guests crash here all the time.” Changgu caresses your thighs. “This isn’t a typical one-night-stand. Like I said, we’re going to take care of you while you’re here.”

You weigh your options - you could stay here and possibly crank out another orgasm or two while having sex with not one but two gorgeous seniors, or you could go back to your party and pretend like you wouldn’t rather be over here.

The answer is simple.

“Let me text my friend not to wait up.” You grin. “And then I’m yours for the rest of the night.”

NOTICE: Part 9 coming Saturday, July 11th

142 notes · View notes

unikornu · 4 years

Photo

Page 7, Prearranged

(re-written)

The atmosphere in Nuka Town lost a bit of tension, at least around the operator’s territory, after Red Eye spread out the news after the first victory upon taking the park. Lucy woke up early, still slept in Porter’s room but keeping the promise this time, not searching and digging around his stuff, only stealing a few cigarettes. She dressed up and decided to head to Parlor alone without bothering if Gage is awake.

As the elevator arrived to the parter and the door slid open she bumped into raiders chest.

- Gage, you have been out whole night? She asked, surprised.

- Not the whole night...but ye, most of it. Nisha wanted to have a word after we came back. His face looked a bit more roughed up than usually, even for him.

- Is....everything okay? She shouldn’t care but words just flew out of her mouth as she tried to look closer at his face but he turned it away.

- Ye, just talking, business since we actually moved things onward. You? Where ya headed, Boss?

- To visit Lizzie, need her help with something. I think this might give us a little advantage, at least what i remember from the manual i stumbled upon some time ago. She tapped her pipboy.

- I will join you later, Boss if you still want company. He stepped into elevator and looked at her walking away.

- Sure, Gage. She turned her head and nodded at him before the door closed.

-----

The Parlor guard let her in, losing his usual grumpy expression this time, upon meeting. Lucy headed straight towards Lizzie lab, knocking as usual on the door frame to safely disrupt her from whatever dangerous occupation she was at.

- Mags already heard the news. If you would just see the smile on her face, to be the first one to get the park. Lizzie put her tools aside and turned to her.

-So...you need something more? She asked.

- Ye...look, i have that pipboy but i barely know how it functions actually but i saw it has some special cable to hack into things, maybe robots too? Would be useful if it actually works. Lucy unwrapped the pipboy and handed it to her.

- I only heard about them but never saw one with my eyes. Can i...? She looked at Lucy before even opening the back panel.

- Of course. I can see you know you way around...tech and weapons and God knows what. See if you can figure it out while i’m gone?

- Since you actually seem up for this job, why not, Boss. And you gave us park afterall, might help you further as an...exchange. Lizzie pulled her hair behind the ear and immediately sat at the table, gathering the tools around and smiling, focusing fully on the pipboy.

- Ok..i will leave you to it. As she left the lab she stumbled upon William on her way back out.

- Boss, a pleasure, especially after the yesterday’s venture. He ran a fingers through his hair and pulled his hand forward as he approached her.

- Uhm...just did what had to be done, right? She smiled awkwardly at him and reached for his hand back to shake it.

- I hope you will keep at it, Boss, we all do. Instead of shaking the hand, he took it softly and raised to kiss it, like a pre-war gentleman, looking down at her.

- Oh my...i mean, yes. As Gage walked to the room, geared up, she slipped the hand away. - I have to go, we will talk another time, William. She nodded at him and turned away, surprised by his manners, biting her lower lip.

- Feel free to visit, anytime, Boss. William said at her back, as she walked away.

Gage shook his head at him and left the Parlor after Lucy.

-----

- I need to tell and show something, follow me. Lucy whispered to him as she took lead and passed the town.

- Alright, Boss. Gage obligated and went after her.

They strolled all the way to the raiders famous tree, the one welcoming every new victim takin on the courage to put a step into the train to the Nuka World. Lucy stopped near it and faced Gage.

- How much do you know about Institute? She asked, looking up at him.

- Well, i heard the rumors from the Commonwealth, about synths, replacing people and shit, that they stir some experiments in secret. A lot of fucking shady stuff, Boss. Why? He looked her in the eye, a bit suspicious.

- Okay...listen. As we are through the first step of the job here and i’m actually still on my legs, standing i think its good to tell you this before we move onward. She turned around, scouring the hill beneath the tree, looking for some gap or crack.

- Don’t tell me you freaking work for em. Gage followed her and watched pulling the white crate with the institute sign on it.

- A little hand? She struggled to pull it out, with both her hands placed around the handle, pushing with her legs, as it got stuck on some roots.

- Ok, just move a bit. He leaned down and grabbed the other half of the handle.

As they pulled together, the root eventually cracked enough to finally release the package and send them on their backs as they put quite a bit of force to get it out. She turned her head towards him as they were lying down, noticing the raiders scars and bruises along with the green-hazel color of his eye. Everything looked much cleaner now that the distance shortened between them so much, in a broad daylight.

- So..Boss? He turned his head away as he noticed her staring at him and stood up.

- Ah ye, right, let me explain, now that we got it out and deal seems to be clear. She stood up as well, brushing the dust off her clothes and hands. - I was...well actually i still am, the agent for the Institute, just like Kellogg if you heard of him. But the terms changed a bit...as my position changed too.

- Should i be worried, Boss? I mean...which side to you play, theirs or our? He crossed his arms, uncertain what to think about it yet.

She paused for a moment at the second question but gathered the facts together and the last day, her arrival and point of it.

- I’m on your side, Gage. She looked him straight in the eye. - But this deal might be beneficial for us all and maybe the future, if we get that far. She crouched by the box and opened it. It was filled with ammunition and the newly constructed sniper rifle along with a some calmex dozes hidden beneath.

- So how it would work exactly, Boss? And how are we sure they won’t screw us up? I don’t mean to dislike it but...you know, trust get you only this far. He took the rifle in his hands as she handed it to him.

- They don’t care what we do, they just want data, some devices planted here and there, maybe samples of weird shit we might meet along the way. And in return we get...some stuff, better than what wasteland has to offer, maybe even better than what Gunners have. She nodded at the rifle. - It’s yours, you have a good eye.

- Shit...nice. He looked through a scope and then back at her. - Also, you mean it, Boss? Being by my side? I..don’t mean for it to sound weird, fuck, but you know what i mean.

- I know its been just one trip so far but...it might have been what i was looking for. She smiled and shrugged. - I don’t mean the whole Overboss thing, i ain’t the leader type, but that...lifestyle of yours, not giving a shit and simply, getting through life, grabbing what you want on the way, reminded me of some past. She turned back to grab the syringes from the box and stuff them in her bag.

- So..you up for the next trip, i guess? The wrinkles on his forehead softened as she looked away.

- Yes, i am. And i know where we can test this rifle. She grinned, looking towards the tall bridge in the distance.

----

As they strolled together towards the bridge, keeping themselves in a taller grass and the shadows, Gage suggested it would be better to wait till it gets darker.

- They won’t see us that well and if they are about to launch something serious at us we will also see it better, lighting up. Gage nodded towards the abandoned shack. - Won’t be long, Boss.

- Alright, you know them better and what they can be up to. She followed him inside the shack, filled with hay and...

- Cats? What the fuck? She didn’t hide her surprise as she jumped past them.

- Don’t ask me. Even Mason tried to take them to his zoo but they always stick to this place. No freaking clue why.

- And you didn’t kill them for food? She dropped down on a pile of hay and leaned her back against the wall.

- If we would starve then ye, otherwise...we ain’t that fucking big savages, Boss. At least i know where to look for em if needed. He pulled himself an old rusty chair and sat down as well. - You could a nap if ya want, Boss.

- No...i do not sleep in the open like that, but you should. You have been up almost whole night at Nisha’s. She stared at him, suggesting him to open up the topic.

- Nah, im fine Boss. We just talked about future plans. She wants to be sure i won’t piss her off again like it happened, with Colter. He sighted and eyeballed her.

- I don’t think she is the type to be ever....satisfied unless she is the one in charge of everything. She took a piece of hay and rolled it through her fingers. - I know you got some beating, i can recognize it. She stood up, brushing off the hay and looked back at him.

- It’s nothin new for me, Boss, at least from her. And ain’t much you or me can do bout it now. Gage looked at the window, waiting impatiently for the sun to go behind the horizon.

- Right now, no. But it doesn’t mean we cannot start...thinking about it and stir something on our own. She approached him, blocking the view he was staring at. - I didn’t need much time to feel she will gut us eventually no matter what i do, sooner or later Gage.

- And i thought you ain’t the leader type. He stood up slowly from the chair. -She is dangerous and experienced Boss, maybe most of them all and you just came here so...keep it easy for now, and just for us eh? He put a hand on her shoulder and shook it.

- I don’t need to be a leader to notice shit. It will have to be solved somehow, sooner or later but, ye..let’s focus on a task at hand. She took his hand off and sat back down, lighting a cigarette and awaiting for the darkness to hide them in its shadows.

----

The duo crouched lowly, into the tall bushes. Lucy pumped with fresh dose of calmex and Gage giving a look around through a scope onto the bridge and below.

- Ain’t looking good. I think we will just take down what we can and leave the power armored guy for later. Not like they can do anything else anyway other than duck there. Gage pulled the eye off the scope and noticed that Lucy moved on. - What the fuck are you doin, Boss? He whispered after her.

- Let me take down the ones below, its just three of em. They ain’t gonna hear shit. She whispered back and disappeared swiftly into the shadows.

- Goddamn woman. He pointed the rifle towards her direction, awaiting for her move. He noticed a spill of blood flying into the air from behind the wall and barely keeping up with her movements, slicing the flesh and swinging the knife with a butcher finesse. - Fuck, she’s fast. Gage looked towards the nearby tower and took down a gunner as he stood up, calling for his mates.

They didn’t move, crouching low, making sure no one heard them up on the bridge. Gage walked, keeping low to join Lucy near the shack. - Not bad, Boss but we wont take the guy up with just that, there ain’t much cover either up there.

- With regular ammunition we won’t stand chance but maybe this will do. She pulled a small box with a few bullets for the rifle, bigger this time, glowing with an orange shade shining from beneath the shell.

- Damn, what are these? Gage grabbed the bullets and roll around one of them in fingers.

- A prototype, explosive ammunition for this rifle. Came with that package as well. Might give us a chance actually.

- You ain’t the patient type are you, Boss? Wanting to finish every task right at hand, no matter what. She shrugged her shoulders at him.

- Its your choice. I ain’t going up if you are not up for it. She whispered and looked up, making sure they are still safe.

- You know what, fuck it. I sat enough on ass. If anything i will let them throw you out if this bridge first. He grinned at her and started reloding the rifle with the new ammunition.

- Real gentleman. She snarked and entered the shack with him, stepping into the elevator and sitting low as it raised them slowly up.

-----

Lucy jumped at the gunner as he turned abruptly, pushing him to the floor and stabbing through his throat, to not alert the others.

- Nice moves, Boss. They ran to the next cover, looking from behind the barrier of concrete and metal.

- Ain’t my first time. She shook the blade off the blood and scanned the terrain, looking for any covers and shadows towards the patrol, sitting in the metallic shack, light of the candle glowing in the small opening, their leader walking nearby, looking down the bridge, carrying a minigun.

- How many bullets he will need? She asked.

- I dunno, maybe three if the impact will be as strong i expect. Ya have any grenades?

- I always have a grenade. She chuckled and pulled one from under her chest piece. - Smoke type, to cover us, when needed. Gage found that amusing for some reason.

- If you take care of the guys inside i can focus on the big fucker. Will need few seconds to reload, it can take only one of these bullets at the time. Gage suggested but caught her by the hand as she was about to move.

- What? She crouched back and looked at him.

- Be careful, Boss. She nodded at him and approached the metallic shack, staying low and avoiding trash and junk on her way to not cause any noise. Gage was watching the leader from the scope, waiting for the right moment.

Lucy waved a hand towards him and pulled the pin, throwing a grenade inside and spreading a large thick smoke all around. She didn’t waste any second, dodging around them and slashing. Gage pulled a trigger meanwhile, a bullet flew, crashing on the power armor and releasing a strong orange glow before it turned into energetic explosion. Lucy got blinded by it, running from the shack and hiding behind the building.

- Shit, its strong. Gage noticed her and understood the strength of impact. She couldn’t be near but he couldn’t take a good aim as the gunner started showering him with bullets.

- Right...pistol. Lucy pulled the gun Gage gave her before, suggesting it might prove useful as well. - Hey, i ain’t finished here, come at me you son of a bitch! Lucy started shooting at him, regular bullets bumping from the metallic heavy structure only being an annoyance for the man but it was what she needed. A distraction, from a distance.

- Oh i will finish you soon bitch. Nothing that a bunch of swears and clinging of bullets in the head wouldn’t manage to switch the attention of a man.

- Fuck. He was faster than she thought and his gun probably also upgraded as its bullets cracked through the shack metallic structure, keeping her on her toes.

- Hold on, Boss, Here it comes! Gage managed to hit him with the second fire before he ran behind the building. Lucy covered her face this time and used the occasion, as the gunner was stunned, crouching on his knee. She ran up to him and force-pulled the gun off his hands, kicking it away as it fell.

- Got ya, bitch! He recovered fast, beside his armor reducing to almost a skeleton base but still having its basic functions going, enough to punch her in the stomach and throwing to the ground. He pulled off his cracked helmet aside, steaming from heat. Lucy landed, half stunned on the concrete but seeing him approach her, stomping heavly she crawled forward to expose him again for the Gage.

As she raised her eyes the shadowy steps appeared in front of her, stoping her and freezing in place.

“Wrong Feit! It ain’t what i taught you. Only whores go onto their kness like that” - a voice that haunted her occasionally appeared yet again and vanished right after as the gunner stood up beside her.

- Shit. Gage ran from his cover, putting the third bullet in the rifle and approaching forward till he saw her better, pulling herself on the ground and gunner foot pushing on her back.

- Oh i will kill you, but slowly..so u can feel every muscle and bone crash in your fucking body. He pushed, her chest piece cracking open and putting an unbearable pressure onto her.

- What the fuck you waiting for!? Just shoot for fuck sake! She could take a lot but that was an impact stronger than the usual man force. She knew she was too close to him but the pain slowly became unbearable and she would rather avoid hearing her bones crack.

Gage hesitated and risked a few more seconds, switching the bullet for the regular one. Despite her sudden scream he stayed focused, squinting his eye and holding his breath as he aimed for his head. - Pick up on someone your size fucker! He shouted only to turn his head enough towards him to shove that bullet into his head. The body fell ungracefully to the side, raising up the dust gathered around.

- Boss, shit? You okay? Gage ran up to her and crouched, turning her around.

- It actually fuckin hurts, i can’t move. What took you so long? She grabbed his hand he offered her and with a little help lifted herself to a sitting position as he pushed onto her back with other hand.

- If i would pack that special one, you would not only have your goddamn back cracked but probably get burned or worse. He looked over her for any other wounds. - Can you stand, Boss?

- Not without a little support for a while. I will be fine once i shove some med-x and other shit when we get back. She looked at him, not expecting such behavior and cautiousness from the raider.

- I would rather prefer you not needing too often this treatment in the future. He grabbed her around the waist, helping her to keep the balance.

- But hey, we solved another problem, together. She smiled at him and pat his back as they got lifted back down, leaning to his side. He rolled his eye down, to meet hers for a second and smiled back with one corner of his mouth.

- Hope ya can keep it going, because i have a good feeling about you, Boss.

They came back to the Fizztop but an invisible figure was following them along, rendered so well with the background it remained undetected, entering the Town after them.

#fallout 4 #fo4 #nuka world #lucy's diary #lucy feit #porter gage #screenshot #thrax's action poses #dat shack with cats...still wish to find more in-game notes bout it

6 notes · View notes

riverdalepoet · 5 years

Text

I’ve Got You part 3

Word Count: 3222

Warnings: language, depictions of violence, abuse, and injuries

Tag List: @romanticgumchewer @serpentlullaby @chipster-21 @lilhemmo @reblogserpent

A/N: Shout out to @cactiem for beta-ing this chapter and always boosting my confidence in the creative decisions I make. I also want to mention that this week was a tough one. I wanted to quit this story. I wanted to quit writing all together, but @ella-full-of-secrets told me in so many words “no ma’am, pam”. I’m grateful for Ella’s support, and this update would not be possible without it!

This chapter features a special guest and some pretty key plot points to the story. Message me to be added to the taglist and reblog, pleeeeaassseeeee!!!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

______________________________________________________________

The closer they drew to Whyte Wyrm, the more nervous Callie became. It was nearly ten, and the Serpents that were sleeping soundly when she left would no doubt be awake by the time they returned. Her worrying was halted when Sweet Pea hit a pothole jolting the pain in her ribs. She cried out clutching her abdomen, nearly causing Sweets to drive off the road in panic. “Shit, Cal, I’m sorry. Why don’t you take some of that medicine Ellis gave you?”

“I can’t, I haven’t eaten anything.”

Sweet Pea squeezed her hand before tapping the back of it. “Well then let’s go to Pops. I’m starving.”

Callie shrugged her shoulders pulling her hand away slowly. “Sure, but I don’t think I’m hungry.”

Sweet Pea looked at her with blatant concern etched in his features but nodded nonetheless pulling into Pop’s parking lot. “Please let me get you a banana milkshake or something,” he pleaded with her.

She shook her head and pull her jacket tighter across her body. “No, Pea, I don’t really feel like it. I just want to go back to sleep.”

He begrudgingly agreed but made a mental note to make sure she ate something before the day was through. He locked the truck and ran to the counter. In about five minutes he had his bag of food and was back on the road to the Wyrm. When they saw the vacant lot, Callie visibly relaxed. “They’re rounding up traitors and looting the trailer park. Toni’s trying to get as much as she can out of your trailer for you. They shouldn’t be back until later,” Sweet Pea answered her silent question as he helped her out of the cab of the truck.

“Is that safe? What if the Ghoulies show up?”

“They’ve got weapons and none of them are alone. They can take ‘em.” Sweet Pea flinched as soon as he realized what that sounded like and saw the look on Callie’s face. “Wait… I didn’t-”

“I know. It’s fine.” Her forehead creased and he reached out to stop her from turning away.

She tried to wiggle from the hold he had on her, but it was no use. “No, it’s not. What happened to you didn’t happen because you couldn’t hold your own. They attacked you, Callie, that’s not your fault.” He tried to hold her gaze, but she averted her eyes, shrinking under his intensity.

“I know…” she mumbled hoping to placate him and escape to the upstairs room. He didn’t believe her one bit but saw the way she swayed on her feet. Maybe she wasn’t lying about wanting to sleep. He carried her up the steps to lay her on the bed. Immediately, she kicked off her shoe and slid happily under the covers. He chuckled at the smile that tugged on her lips when he reached for the remote and turned the fan on high. “You’re staying again, right?”

“You still want me to?”

“I do,” she answered snuggling into her pillow.

“Then I’ll be right here.” He kicked his own boots off and plopped down beside her. “Only I do have one condition…”

One of her eyebrows quirked up in surprise and she waited for him to elaborate on his terms. “You’re gonna have to eat at least twice a day so you can take your medicine. I know what you’re doing Callie, but you’re not your mother. You need those pills so your body can heal. That doesn’t make you a junkie.”

She deliberated for a moment before slowly nodding in agreement to his compromise. “Good, then I’m all yours, Camden. You still like the Golden Girls don’t you?”

For the next half hour, they giggled together at her favorite show and split Pea’s French fries before the medicine numbed her pain allowing her to drift back into the comfort of sleep. After making sure she was out cold, Sweet Pea joined her, not realizing how tired he still was. However, a piercing scream yanked him from his sleep. “NO,” Callie screamed out.

Instantly Pea shook her awake. She sat up too quickly, frantic from the memories that harassed her dreams and yelped in pain. The nightmares, the burning in her chest, the fear that lingered was too much for her. She clutched a pillow to her and melted into it, sobbing. Sweet Pea’s gentle hands pried the pillow from her grasp to pull him to her. She flinched at his touch, and he had to remind himself of the patience Dr. Ellis told him to exercise.

Carefully, he reached out his hand to stroke her hair and she finally relaxed under his hand. “Talk to me,” he begged her. “I can’t fix it if I don’t know what happened.”

“That’s just it, Pea, you can’t fix it. No one can fix it. They took everything. They just took it,” she cried miserably. More than anything he wished he could make this easier for her.

Just when her breathing began to slow, the door burst open and Fangs came strolling in. With the lights off, all Callie could see was a shadow and she screamed instantly. Fangs jumped in surprise while Pea calmed her hysterics. “No, no! I know, but it wasn’t them. It’s just Fangs. Remember how he brought here? It’s okay, baby, come here!”

Fangs was frozen in the doorframe. He flicked on the light and Callie squeaked when she realized he wasn’t a threat. She shook still, taking steadying breaths and feeling embarrassed for her outburst. “Fangs, I’m sorry.”

He shook his head and waved his hand before grabbing the chair by the bed and propping his feet up. Callie still clung to Pea who was still whispering comforting words in her ear. “No worries, Calloway. I’m just glad to see you conscious.”

She smiled in response. Relieved that Callie had calmed down and noticing a pattern of her being easily frightened, Sweet Pea turned towards Fangs swinging his legs off the edge of the bed. “Have you heard anything about how it’s going or how Jug’s doing?”

“They were able to get a good deal out with no complications. Jughead woke up this morning and should get sprung sometime today, but that’s not why I’m here,” Fangs leaned forward piquing Pea’s interest. “Did you hear about Cooper?”

“Betty?” he questioned. That’s just what they needed- another damn injured Serpent- adjacent or not.

“No, Hal Cooper, Betty’s dad. He’s the freaking Black Hood,” he whispered trying not to disturb Callie who had gone back to sleep. Sweet Pea jumped up from the bed motioning towards the door.

Once they were down the hall a good ways, he replied, “What the hell? Riverdale Register’s Hal Cooper? Mr. Northside himself? There’s no way.”

Fangs was just as surprised by the news as he was and shook his head in disbelief. “I know, man. But it’s true. He’s sitting his creepy murdering ass in jail as we speak.”

It was hard-fought, but Sweet Pea finally tolerated Betty after a lifetime of despising her and her family, or rather what he thought they had that he didn’t. His mother abandoned him and his father was a sack of alcoholic shit, but having a serial killer as a father took the cake. Despite himself, he actually felt bad for the girl with the ponytail. “Poor Betty…”

Toni walked up with a few bags over her shoulder and slung them on the ground at his feet. “Yeah, I know. That sucks about her dad.” Sweet Pea reached for the guitar case she was just about to throw down carelessly.

“Easy there, Topaz,” he warned. “Damn, you got a lot of her stuff.”

She looked offended by the surprise in his tone. “Duh! This was a one and done. No way we’ll be able to get in again.”

“Well, it means a lot to me. I really appreciate you doing that for her. I would’ve gone myself, but-,” he started only to be interrupted by her rolling her eyes with an amused expression on her face.

“I knew we wouldn’t be able to pry you away if we tried. Seriously, don’t sweat it. How’s she doing?” Sweet Pea rubbed the back of his neck.

“I don’t know. I mean, Ellis says she’ll be okay, but as far as what’s going on in her head…I really can’t say. I’m hoping this will help.” He tapped the top of the guitar case for emphasis.

Fangs and Toni shared a knowing look before Fangs spoke up. “Yeah, every time I drove by her trailer she was sitting on the porch with that guitar on her hands.”

Toni agreed remembering the first time she caught Pea staring at Calloway from across the lot. “It’s just gonna take time, Pea. Just listen. Keep doing what you’re doing.”

Suddenly, the door swung open and Cheryl Blossom came blazing in. “Where’s TT?” She bounded up the stairs breathless and reaching for her girlfriend. “They’re coming! Hiram, Minetta, the whole Godfather-esque clan. They’re raiding the Wyrm. We need to get you- all of you- out of here now!”

Sweet Pea and Fangs wasted no time shouting orders at the Serpents below. “Grab what you can! No bikes, we can’t be heard or seen!”

“SHIT!” Sweet Pea’s mind went to the girl sleeping down the hall. “How are we supposed to move Callie? Her crutches are as loud as hell.”

“I can help with that,” a voice called from the door. Fred Andrews with his keys in hand was standing behind Archie and Jughead looking vastly out of place. The crowd went silent. “I can take her in my truck along with some of the heavier stuff you might want to bring. You are all welcome at my home, but we have to move now.”

Sweet Pea contemplated for a split second before nodding curtly and rushing to grab Callie. With his approval, the Serpents went back to gathering the few belongings they had left. Fangs helped Pea load the truck, hiding the loot by securing a tarp around the bed. With a kiss to Callie’s forehead, Sweet Pea closed the door jarring her awake. Her eyes widened at the sight of Fred beside her, but Sweet Pea was quick to react. “Look at me! It’s not safe here anymore. Mr. Andrews is going to drive you to his house, and we’ll all meet you there a little while later.”

“No, Pea, don’t. I want to-,” she argued reaching for the handle, determined to stick to his side.

He stroked her hair through the window leaning into the frame of the truck to block the door from opening. “You still trust me?” Hesitantly, she nodded. “I promise I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He turned his stare to the man in the driver’s seat. “Mr. Andrews?” He didn’t know much of anything about Archie’s dad, but he trusted Jughead and didn’t see any other option.

“I’ll take care of her, son, don’t worry. You be safe yourself. Stay out of sight,” Fred answered acknowledging the obvious worry that was clear as day on Sweet Pea’s face.

“Thank you, sir.” With one last look at Callie, he retreated into the bar to get the Serpents ready for escape.

Callie eyed Fred suspiciously and saw the questions that he was biting back. After pulling onto the highway steering towards the Northside of town, he finally asked. “Who did that to you?”

“Ghoulies,” she mumbled, clutching her bag tightly. He merely hummed in response. Fred Andrews was not blind to the troubles of the Southside. He knew what they were up against, but he never thought it would leave someone in the shape this girl was in.

They rode in silence until the flashing of red and blue lights rushed past them bound for the very place they just left. Panic ripped through Callie as she whipped around to watch each car speed towards the Southside and towards Sweet Pea.

“Hey now, they’ll be okay,” Fred murmured reaching to pat her shoulder. She jumped at the contact and he quickly retracted his hand. “My boy and Jughead will make sure they know where to go.”

“Archie?” she croaked out, surprised at the strain in her voice.

“Yeah,” he answered. “You’re Cliff Camden’s kid, aren’t you?”

Calloway flinched at the association and Fred shot her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, kid. I sure hate what he did to you and your mom. I really hate that Leah did the same thing to you- leaving a fifteen- year old like that. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

“You knew my mom?” Callie questioned, shocked. The last time she heard anyone say her mother’s name, it was when FP came looking for his favorite drinking buddy after he hadn’t seen her in a month nearly two years ago. It stung just the same way it did back then.

“Psh, knew her? I was a groomsman in the Camden’s wedding,” he chuckled. Callie blinked a few times putting a few pieces together from stories her mom told her.

“You were in a band with my father, weren’t you?” she gasped realizing why he looked so familiar in the first place.

“Oh no, she told you about The Fred Heads?” he laughed, turning onto Elm Street.

“Only when I started playing his guitar.”

“So you play, huh?” Callie avoided his eyes, staring instead at a small crack in the windshield.

“I used to.” By the tremor in Callie’s voice, Fred knew to let it go. Soon enough they were pulling into his driveway. He made his way around the truck to help Callie into the house. Once they crossed the threshold, he started fussing around the house arranging pallets and blowing up air mattresses. “I’m thinking you and Fangs are the only ones seriously injured-aside from Jughead, but he’ll be staying with Betty- so I’m gonna have the two of you in the downstairs room. It’s got two beds. You’re gonna want Sweet Pea with you, right?” She nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Archie can bunk with me to leave his room open, there are a few couches in the music room out back, and the rest can fill up the couches and air mattresses in here. I just wish I could do more…”

“Mr. Andrews,” Callie started, moving to sit at the barstool to relieve the pressure in her leg. “This is more than anyone else would do. Thank you.”

He smiled at her but insisted on calling in pizzas for when the rest arrived. Once he hung up the phone, he collapsed against the counter. They sat comfortably for a few moments worrying about the people forced to race towards the Northside like refugees in their own town. “Callie, I’m sorry this happened to you. Riverdale never should’ve let the Ghoulies gain so much control over our town. You didn’t deserve this. I just wish I could do something about it.”

Callie fidgeted with a loose thread in the upholstery before replying, “Thank you, Mr. Andrews. If you ever run for mayor, you’ve got my vote.” Fred chuckled in reply.

“Callie?” Sweet Pea’s voice called from the front door, her eyes snapped up and met Fred’s and they both smiled in relief. Fred helped Callie to her feet as Sweet Pea walked in the kitchen, sweaty and still revved up from the adrenaline of fleeing the Southside. Pea wrapped her up in his arms, dropping his duffle at his feet.

Fred cleared his throat, gruffly and went to tend to the others that were piling in. “I’ll be in there if y’all need anything. Hey, Jughead, do not grab an entire box of pizza for yourself!”

“Are you okay?” Callie asked looking him over for any sign of trouble. Sweet Pea grabbed her hands successfully stopping her and laughed lightly.

“What are you worried about? Of course I’m okay.” He rolled his eyes slightly, making Callie scoff. He pulled her towards the living room.

“Mr. Andrews has me, you, and Fangs in the downstairs guest room. I think I’m gonna go to sleep. He made me take more medicine and it’s kicking in. I’m glad you’re safe.” He nodded as she went to bed and made sure to shake Fred’s hand before turning in himself.

The next morning, Callie woke up to Fangs and Sweet Pea chattering excitedly over stacks of pancakes. “Can you believe they got Cheryl’s jacket ready that fast?”

“Dude, I’m not surprised. Rusty’s excited to have another redhead in the Serpents. Cheryl’s her new favorite. Hell, Cheryl’s my new favorite after last night. She really saved our asses.” They carried on like that for a while before Callie realized that sleeping in would not be an option.

She rolled to her side, clutching the comforter and letting her eyes adjust to the sunlight. “Good morning,” Fangs sang animatedly making her giggle despite her hatred for anything before noon. “Want some breakfast?”

He ran off to grab her a plate, giving Sweet Pea the opportunity to show her what Toni was able to salvage for her from her trailer. She gasped at the sight of her favorite clothes, some pictures, and her mother’s necklace, but she was not prepared for Sweet Pea to bring out her guitar with a wide smile plastered on his face. “She got Cliff’s guitar?” Her breath caught in her throat and she bit her lip to maintain her composure.

His smile faltered slightly. “No, she got YOUR guitar.”

“Tell her thank you, but I don’t play anymore. Just- just give it away.” She reached for her bag and tried to make her way to the bathroom, but he stopped her. What Callie couldn’t tell him was that looking at that guitar made her mind race back to being attacked in her own home. Just the sight of the battered instrument that once gave her a voice only made her sick, and she couldn’t bear to touch it.

“What? I’m not going to give it away. This guitar means so much to you. I know that if you played it, you would feel better. Callie, just try it,” he pleaded shoving the guitar towards her.

“Why does it matter? Why can’t you just leave it alone? I don’t want that thing anywhere near me, Pea, please,” she sputtered out backing away from him.

His shoulders visibly stiffened as he matched her steps. “Why does it matter?! Callie, I just want you to get back to yourself again.

“You have no idea who I am anymore, Sweet Pea.”

“Are you kidding? I know exactly who you are Calloway- better than anyone.” He was struggling to keep his voice level with each passing minute.

Callie stood her ground letting the pain of the last two years finally show. “Really? Were you there when I started working two jobs because mom left and I was alone? What about when I got mugged walking home from a nightshift at Pops? They got five hundred dollars off me that night. Where were you? Oh, I’m failing at Riverdale. I can’t catch up to their standards and keep the lights on. Did you know that? You were out making a name for yourself around here, and good for you. But don’t you dare pretend that nothing has changed since you left me on my porch. You don’t have a clue who I’ve had to become since that night, Pea, there’s no way you can. You. weren’t. fucking. there!”

With fire in his eyes and his jaw clenched tightly, he reached for the doorknob to yank it open. “You know what? I’m gonna go do something I do know about.” He slammed the door catching Fred’s attention as he left with a very confused Fangs in tow to grab drinks before Cheryl’s jacket ceremony.

When Fred pushed the door to the guest room open to check on the girl Pea walked out on, Callie was on the floor in tears. Two watery blue eyes looked up at him completely hopeless. “I messed up, Mr. Andrews.”

#sweet pea #riverdale #sweet pea fic #riverdale southside #southside serpents #riverdalepoet #sweet pea series #sweet pea and oc #sweet pea and calloway #calloway camden #sweet pea x calloway camden #sunnyside trailer park #whyte wyrm #i've got you #angst #comfort

30 notes · View notes

etaeternum · 5 years

Text

Tempest

Bond of the Grey Ch 9 Tempest This is honestly one of my favorite chapters. Hale meets with her cousin, the Inquisitor, Alanna. Nathaniel Howe follows Hale from Skyhold. Trigger warning: childhood trauma, violence. Death of a parent. Slavery. (Also I do my best with the elven language, but I know it’s not perfect.)

Grey Warden tents sat snug in tight sections through the valley outside of Skyhold. The vacant Commander’s tent erected in the center marked the start of a makeshift training yard. Sun peaked over the mountain range, dawn welcoming the bustle of the camp’s start to the day. Still recuperating from the march from the Arbor Wilds, most Wardens were slow to start. Enervated soldiers dragged their feet to make breakfast.

“Shite, Val,” Hale grumbled through a yawn. Emerging from her tent, she stretched one arm and scratched her disheveled hair with the other. Tunic loose, breeches tucked into unlaced boots, Hale stumbled to sit around the small campfire for the scouts’ section of the camp. “You think you could snore any fucking louder?”

Valum, a dwarven warrior known for his finesse as a tracker, chuckled to himself. Unconcerned with her grievance, he shrugged. “I could try.”

Hale rolled her eyes to Isenam on the other side of the campfire. Often appointed leader when Nathaniel was unavailable, the tall, elven man watched Hale with expectation for a complaint. He spoke in the native tongue of the Dalish. “Nuven’in gonun ebalasha era vis esay thanal ma’haman ga’era’vun.” (“If you desire the privilege to complain about the conditions of sleep, try using your bed every night.") Hale scowled at him, suspecting his statement hinted knowledge of her whereabouts with Nathaniel. Isenam glared back, but before Hale could reply, Damia emerged from Hale’s tent and ambled the short distance to sit next to her friend.

Isenam shook his head and continued to lecture Hale in elvhen. “Mar lanalin elitha del’melin, Hale. As’sulevem del’dirth sal’melin Oin?” (“Your mother chose the wrong given name, Fox. Or did she mispronounce Rabbit?”)

“Fuck’s sake, bloke,” Hale's cheeks reddened. Annoyance echoed through her guffaw. “Use the bloody common tongue… and don't talk ‘bout my mother.”

A plate of food in hand, Lisbeth grimaced at Damia and Hale. “How the fuck could you hear Val snoring when you're at it all night?”

Surprised faces of the circle of scouts turned to the woman known to be of few words, adding to the case against Hale. It only added to the shared humor found in teasing.

“Yeah! Our whole row could hear you.” Another scout joined in. Sitting next to Lisbeth, Gunnar, a Honnleath born human, imitated Damia. His eyes rolled back, and he faked a moan. “Oh! Hale. Hale! Andraste’s tits! Maker! Yes! Hale!”

Damia turned bright red and groaned, burying her face into Hale's shoulder. Unable to discern if Damia trembled from giggles or because she was crying, Hale yelled at the circle.

“Oi! We got it.” She glowered at each of them, but her sour tone didn’t match the grin she wore. “All you can sod off. Bunch of arseholes.”

A hush fell upon them, not because of Hale’s scolding. Wide awake and fully groomed, Nathaniel entered their small camp. One eyebrow cocked, he scanned the group with curiosity and walked to stand next to Isenam.

The Lieutenants’ tents surrounded the Warden Commander’s. The band of scouts knew Nathaniel had no reason to be in their camp so early unless to mingle. Notorious to most for his poor sense of humor, none wished to discover what the Lieutenant would make of their jabs at their brethren. Hale, proud of her unique understanding of the Lieutenant’s sense of humor, preferred he didn’t overhear the joking for other reasons. Awkward glances passed around the group, waiting for the reason for his presence to be made clear.

Hale's concern he visited to check on her found relief when Nate’s gravelly voice started a low conversation with Isenam. Quiet voices and incomprehensible mumbling suggested Nathaniel did not wish to be overheard.

Gunnar’s sudden unrestrained laughter, amused by their shared discomfort, preceded Lisbeth checking him with her shoulder. A loud, breathless bray escaped him, and the group resumed laughter now at Gunnar’s expense. But the fun did not last. An unfamiliar messenger meandered between tents and the group grew silent again.

The messenger’s quizzical gaze studied each of the faces in the circle, spending more time on the elves in the group. “Is Hale of the Lavellan clan here?”

The gaping mouths of the circle met the question with silence. The team gawked, making the connection between the Inquisitor and the woman who had been the butt of their jokes a few moments ago. Hale, the youngest of the scouting team, had been adopted into their band of Wardens. She acclimated to their teasing and held her own as the newest member.

“Lavellan?” Isenam stopped his conversation with Nathaniel and sent a piercing stare to Hale.

“Shite.” Hale scowled. Ignoring Isenam, she patted Damia’s leg, stood up, then walked to the messenger. “Yeah?”

“The Inquisitor would like to see you.” The messenger wrung her hands and shifted her weight on her feet. Uncomfortable amidst the group of soldiers, she stammered over the last of her message. “N-now, Lady Lavellan.”

Some chuckled at the messenger’s strange delivery. Hale’s frown deepened. “Just Hale. Fine. I’ll be on my way.” The messenger turned a poignant shade of pink and sped back to the stronghold.

“What do you think she wants?” Nathaniel questioned Hale as she walked toward her tent.

The nonchalant shirk of Hale’s shoulders matched the smug frown pulling her lips. “Wants to box my ears for something, I’m sure.” She stepped into her tent and a few minutes later returned wearing her armor; her messy hair was pulled back by a string. Winking at Damia, Hale placed her foot on the seat next to her and tied the laces of her boots. “She’ll try to talk me into going back to the Lavellan clan. Always says ‘You’re safer in the Marches.’” Her finger wagged as she imitated her cousin, replacing her city accent with an overdone feminine tone.

She’s right. Stomach twisting, Nathaniel avoided looking at Hale. Though confident she would prefer danger to safety, Hale receiving an offer to go elsewhere troubled him. If a more advantageous opportunity for her to leave presented itself, would she take it? The thought roused an unpleasant emotion.

Gunnar chuckled. “Don’t listen to her, Lady Lavellan. We’ll have to go back to teasing Lisbeth if you leave, and she’s not as much fun.” Only a faint twitch of her eyes suggested Lisbeth heard him. Gunnar braced himself for the potential impact of her shoulder again.

“Yeah, yeah. You won’t be having fun if you call me Lady Lavellan again.” Hale chuckled, long strides taking her from the camp. She turned to walk backward. “I ain’t leaving you lot of whoresons.” She pointed at the small group watching her leave. Her eyes skimmed those in the circle, held with Nathaniel longer than the rest. “This is where I belong.” Hale turned on her heels and yelled as she walked away, “And some of you owe me coin!”

'Being a Grey Warden can change your life if you let it.'

Nathaniel had been right. Reminiscent thoughts along the way into Skyhold recalled joking and banter with her comrades. Years spent with a sole focus of self-preservation did not allow room for such niceties as ‘family.’ The meaning of the word something she had forgotten since her father died. But needs met by all aspects of this fellowship, she had no reason to pickpocket, scavenge, or starve. The respect she had for her fellow Wardens had grown to outweigh any urge to steal from them.

Hale learned of the Grey Warden sacrifice, the Calling, prior to the battle in the Arbor Wilds. Her gratitude for the order, not dissuaded by an early death, balanced her acceptance of the obligation. Indulgence in an early death did not seem a disadvantage to Hale as it would for most.

The insatiable appetite, on the other hand, created unusual circumstances when it arose in ways other than physical hunger. Heightened libido driven by the Grey Warden bond and complicated by the fondness for her peers wrought confusion. Loyalty, a concept foreign for Hale, found with both Damia and Nathaniel joined with feelings of attachment Hale didn’t understand. Damia, a companion, and partner in crime, gave unconditional friendship and trust. But what drew her to Nathaniel ran even deeper. Compatible personalities didn't explain the connection- the way her bond strengthened when he neared. Arguments fueled chemistry, she desired him more as their fights escalated. And the way she could tell when his eyes were on her, Hale's stomach fluttered as she thought of the sensation. She put it out of her mind as she strolled into the War Room.

“Asa'var'lin,” Alanna sighed, stepping from her place behind the War Table toward Hale as she shut the door behind her. “Ma eth itha revas em on'alas telsila.” (“Cousin, your safe return frees me of great worry.”)

Hale’s scoff responded to the Inquisitor’s kind welcome. She held up her hands to keep Alanna from reaching to hug her. “You know I won’t answer if you speak elvhen.”

“Hale,” Alanna lowered her arms. Pleading eyes asked for her cousin's compliance. “Sathan. Please, just talk to me.”

Heartbeat quickened, a wave of anger made Hale dizzy for a fleeting moment. Face hot, her voice rose with her reply. “What’s there to talk about? You’re gonna tell me to go home and I’m gonna say I'll go back when I'm ready.”

“But you never stay, Hale. Our clan misses you.” Alanna’s palms opened to Hale. Commitment to kin inclined Alanna’s maternal-like worry for her younger, orphaned cousin.

“Like shite they do,” Hale blurted. She turned on her heels to leave and took two large steps. But anger caught up with her, she swung back around. Arm bent, Hale’s finger pointed between them, making their significant height difference prominent. Hale, tan and tall for an elf towered over her petite, pale cousin. “It’s a lie and you bloody well know it. No one there misses me but you.”

“Asa'var'lin, they care about you. But when you steal it's hard for them to show it.” Alanna’s reply tried to reason with Hale. Explaining away years of miscommunication between her cousin and the Lavellan clan. “I don’t trust the order you’re involved with.” Her final statement delivered a new concern.

“Don’t fucking start.” Hale groaned, rolling her eyes. Her weight shifted, shoulders slouched; she made a lazy turn to the door.

Hale’s dismissive attitude did not stop Alanna. “They lie and the Warden Commander is false. The Inquisition is ending its alliance with Ferelden and the Wardens. The Grey Wardens are not-”

“I’mma Grey Warden, Alanna!” Hale yelled, her voice echoing through the room. Her finger pointed from Alanna out the window at the field of tents beyond Skyhold’s gates. “That’s my family now! Fuck yer shite alliance.” Her arm dropped. Teeth bared, nostrils flaring, Hale glared at the Inquisitor.

Alanna stared through a pregnant pause. Her sorrowful expression helpless in communication. “Samahl would never-”

“Stop!” An aggressive snarl, Hale’s lip curled. Emotions riled, shiny eyes joined the heaving of Hale’s chest, she barked her reply. “You think ‘cause you’re the sodding Inquisitor, you know what he would’ve wanted? Don’t fucking speak for my father.”

Taking a deep breath Alanna stared at the ground. She backed away from Hale and returned to the War Table, sifting through papers. Hale’s eyes narrowed, suspicious of Alanna’s intention.

“You'll tire of them,” Alanna stated, glancing up to from her stack of papers, her tone serious and professional. “Serving the Wardens won't suit you for long. You know you'll grow restless.” Livid, but without defense to Alanna’s accurate description of her past, Hale’s brow twitched as she stared at her cousin. “Please, Hale. Stay here if you don’t wish to return to the Marches. You can hunt, and drink, and gamble for all I care. If you want a position in the Inquisition, I’ll find one for you. You’ll have more freedom. You know that’s what Sam would’ve wanted.”

Alanna knew what would take precedence for Hale. Her freedom- the thing her father gave his life for when he fought Tevinter slavers in Denerim. Hale stopped and her fury faltered as an image of Alanna's proposition formed in her mind. Statements true of Hale’s history reverberated, habits of tiring of any place she got too comfortable. Any place she felt unwelcome. Will this Warden shite get old? This new alternative sounded appealing: coming and going as she pleased, fun, taking responsibilities as Hale saw fit. Toying with the idea made for fleeting temptation.

But more pleasant thoughts replaced it. Thoughts of those to whom she promised she wouldn’t leave- Damia and her friends. Commitment, brethren, fulfillment of needs embodied in the order.

Nathaniel. Pain erupted in her chest picturing him leaving without her. Pox on me, she cursed herself. He ain't just a good fuck.

She cleared the thoughts from her mind, her vitriol returning. “I fucking told you not to speak for him,” she growled. “You got no right. Plough yourself, Alanna.” Hale turned and neared the door again, it creaked as she pushed it open. But before Hale could step into the hallway, Alanna’s voice rang from behind her.

“Think about it, Asa'var'lin.” Insightful to a fault, Alanna detected her cousin’s wavering obstinacy. A seed planted with Alanna’s invitation, and now Hale needed space to determine the path in her best interest.

Stalled in the doorway, Hale didn’t bother turning around with her reply, “Sod off.” The ambivalent mumble resounded indecision.

“Sulrahn bre sou vegaral ma esh'ala.” (“A deeper force pulls you back to them.”) Alanna spoke with confidence to Hale's back, perceiving the root of Hale’s hesitation. “Ehn emen mar vhenan? Mah alin assan’panelan. Te’din sael’rajelan?” ("Who has your heart? It’s that other archer. The first to the commander, isn’t it?”) Certain Hale had been enticed by the offer, Alanna’s questions challenged Hale’s pattern. Uncommitted to anyone but herself, a relationship would oppose Hale’s notion of independence.

The Inquisitor had threatened Nathaniel when she met him. A brief meeting informed his small team of scouts their mission into Orlais. It was at this meeting the Inquisitor learned her cousin had been conscripted as a Grey Warden. Without the opportunity for vetting Nathaniel before he took Hale into another country, she trusted her role as the Inquisitor would suffice to intimidate. Alanna witnessed Nathaniel and Hale’s magnetism and predicted it would grow.

Hale spun to face Alanna. Walking backward through the doorway, Hale gave an audacious shrug. “Nadas’ea,” (”Must be,”) she sneered, then turned and strode away.

“Sil’o mar revis, Hale!” (“Think about your freedom.”) Alanna yelled as the door swung shut, slamming behind Hale’s exit.

9:31 Dragon

She had been here with her father once before. A room within a rickety building composed of crooked hallways and uneven floors. Her father traded goods from the Lavellan clan with a merchant in the Denerim Alienage. But this visit was different. The Blight sparked fear and rumors of a slave trade compounded worry. Familiar merchants along the Waking Sea, usually amicable and welcoming, now delayed orders. Many declined to answer their doors or left their homes vacant. In the Denerim Alienage, streets traditionally occupied by bustling activity were found empty.

The nervous meeting with the merchant in the worn-down apartment was cut short. Rustling and yells from downstairs suggested intruders. “Vena’elu athe, da’ghi’myelan,” (Hide, little huntress,) her father whispered. Hale did as he ordered, finding a spot in a large trunk occupied only by some loose herbs.

Hale pushed up the lid of the chest to peek into the room. Humans, warriors equipped with various weapons backed the city elves into a corner, her father and the merchant among them. Frantic, worried faces paired with trembling hands tried to keep the men away. The cornered elves flinched each time the humans barked at them. Apart from Hale’s father, who watched the activity with a critical eye, surveying the situation, searching for an alternative.

Last to enter the room, an armored elven woman spoke to the quivering group. “You have no reason to fear. Keep your voices down.” The authority in her tone echoed through the elves’ fearful whimpers. Despite her professionalism, Hale did not believe the woman’s suggestion. And judging by the scared faces staring back, neither did the cowering elves.

“Devera, we need to hurry. Caladrius didn’t expect us to take this long.” One slaver near the doorway addressed the armored elf.

Devera rolled her eyes to the source of the voice before returning to the group of elves. The warrior's eyes widened, his posture straightened. “You are all needed in the Tevinter Imperium. Please, trust me. We are here to protect you,” Devera’s empty words did little to soothe.

The shrill cry of one of the trapped elves responded, followed by her quaking incoherent pleas. “Children… Husband… Family… My home.” Hale made out a few of the words through the woman’s wailing. Panic showed. The frightened woman’s eyes darted to the doorway and back to Devera. Hale felt her heart beating in her ears as she watched the woman calculate her escape. Then the nameless woman bolted; her attempt to flee ended abruptly. The thunk of a crossbow reverberated, shooting a bolt through her chest before she could take two steps.

Hale squeezed her lips together to keep from yelling. The woman’s blood pooled under her body. Hale’s eyes grew larger, tears burned making her vision foggy. Blinking, alarmed, she studied her father, his fortitude, and resolve. His face stern, unmoved by the slavers’ violence.

“How can you do this to your own people?”

Hale blinked, stomach turning, knuckles white, she clenched her fists against the lid. Her lips formed ‘no’ in repetition as her head shook in disbelief of what she saw.

“They aren’t property,” Samahl stepped forward from the group of elves. Hot tears streamed down Hale’s cheeks as she witnessed her father’s bravery.

Devera shrugged, her lips peeled back to a sneer. “Really, it’s nothing personal. I’ve simply come to discover it’s more profitable for me to cooperate than oppose. I’d recommend you do the same, lest you find a similar fate as this woman.” A hand gestured to the dead woman on the floor.

Samahl’s eyes narrowed, but he smirked. Hale recognized his expression when he thought. The man she adored, who taught her how to drum, to shoot a bow, to hunt. He took this moment to devise a plan.

Samahl muttered words in elvhen without breaking eye contact with Devera. “Melena sul eth i josa. Ga’sahl vena revis, ara da’ghi’myelan. Ar lath ma.” (“Wait for safety then run. Always find freedom, my little huntress. I love you.”) Devera’s face contorted in confusion as he spoke, along with the rest of the room. Only Hale understood. Samahl took advantage of their befuddled stares. Drawing an arrow and loosing it, he shot the slaver carrying the crossbow before the others realized what happened. “Never,” Hale’s father declared, responding to Devera’s threat before the other armed men surrounded him.

During the commotion, Hale dropped the lid of the trunk, unable to watch as her father fought the five men that encircled him. It took them all to bring Sam down. The sounds of the struggle, grunts and groans, pained noises and thumps of bodies reverberated. Hale put her hands over her ears, trying to block out the clamor until there was none.

Steaming, Hale stormed back into the Grey Warden camp. Still morning, more of the soldiers had bathed and dressed, dividing chores through the camp. By the time Hale reached her band of scouts, the camp had already been cleaned from breakfast.

Encouraging recuperation from the journey, the Warden Commander had yet to give training orders. Hale now understood the Commander intended for them to rest before they resumed marching, this time back to Ferelden.

Lisbeth and Gunnar teamed with the Dalish twins, Ashiwyn and Saeris, practicing light combat with their downtime. Hale charged by them emitting fiery energy unwelcome to questions. Averting the eyes of Nathaniel, still engaged in a quiet discussion with Isenam, Hale made her way to her tent. She emerged a moment later with her bow and quiver strapped to her back, then proceeded from the camp.

Ruminating Alanna's questions blurred with memories of her father, a determined march took the young Warden away from Skyhold and the camps outside it. Quiet valleys stretched in all directions, green grasses pale from sunlight spread over the mountainous curves. Rocks emerged from the earth, hinting at the craggy bases on which she stood. Ages of history, nature nearly untouched by time expanding as far as she could see.

The inactivity of animals made for feeble hunting. Perked senses sought tracks, droppings, or sounds of creatures scurrying to no avail. On any other day, Hale would find a spot to settle in and wait, regardless. But now, hunting didn’t satisfy to reprieve swelling emotions. Suspended in the hushed expanse, lifeless aside from the animated wind beating against her ears. Arm slack, bow in hand, the weapon rest against her legs. A habit that often brought patience now brought awareness of her anger. Frustration formed over sadness weaved with turbulent confusion. Hale stood staring into nothing.

A deep ache, long-standing sorrow rushed to the surface. Abiding grief most often denied by bullheaded obstinacy manifested as a dull twinge boring through her chest. Wonted longing, the hole created by the absence of her father intensified from Alanna’s attention. The elvhen language triggered memories of his last words. Reminded of all her father embodied- laughter, safety, and adventure- and found wanting, the sound of his name nulled the capacity to overlook the emptiness to which she had grown accustomed. Neglected feelings, the need to mourn the deepest loss she could fathom couldn’t be ignored. And above it, wrath. Rage at the world for allowing it to happen. He was a good man.

The tie in Hale’s hair came loose in the wind. Unmoved, she watched it float away, carried by gusts so strong preventing it from landing. Tendrils of hair whipped around her face, matted by the windy tempest; Hale took a deep inhale, dropped her bow to the ground, and bared her teeth. Erupting from deep within her belly, energy building, boiling, traveling up and out, she screamed. The wordless roar rattled her lungs expelling every last bit of air. Drowned out by the wind, certain no one could hear her, she heaved and yelled again, doubling over. Tumult built within freed as the storming emotions spewed from her vocalization. She continued to yell until there was nothing left. Until screaming turned to a furious howl, her body quaked from profound sadness beneath her ferocity.

Her arm wrapped around her stomach. Grief-stricken cries ebbed to whimpers. Still standing, she wiped her tears from her face with her free hand.

“Huntress?” A familiar, gruff voice called from behind her. Forced to raise his volume due to the wind, Nate's concern for Hale fueled initiative.

I shouldn't care, he reminded with each step he took in pursuit of the huntress. Assumptions of the worst forced him to follow. She's going back to the Free Marches, his worry concluded from her sadness. He had kept distance, leaving space as he watched her scream and cry. Observing the lovely creature’s rabid rage roaring into the mountains and melting to tears moved him. Something outside of her control prompted this.

He called again, “Hale?”

A voice louder than she thought possible for the Lieutenant brought another onslaught against her spirit. Questions about her commitment to the Grey Wardens and the depth of her attraction to Nathaniel provoked another wave of tears. Her shoulders slouched, her head fell forward, and she groaned.

Nathaniel stepped closer. Standing behind her, their bodies almost touched. It would be easy to wrap his arms around her and provide comfort, Nathaniel stayed the urge out of respect for her anger. He recognized her fire only because a similar flame burned within himself. And it often demanded room to swell and wane without the coercion of bodily contact. But he cared for her and offered the support he could.

“Huntress,” he stated, close enough he no longer had to yell. Wind blew around Nathaniel and Hale; the space between them so insignificant the gusts couldn’t part them. Neutral curiosity did not pass judgment, his tone remained even. “I’m here. You don’t have to say anything.”

Her guard racked by complex emotions, unsure how much Nathaniel saw of her tantrum Hale let out a defeated sigh. Her body wilted, embarrassed, avoiding his attention. “I’m fine,” she replied, dismissing him.

“You don’t have to lie either,” he grumbled, glad she couldn’t see his smirk. Hale’s pitiful posture rejected her claim. “What do you need?”

Without a word, Hale turned. A brief tremble and she gathered herself and glared up at him. Auburn tresses knotted, disheveled by billowing air obscuring her face in the random intervals of windy blasts. Land stretched around the pair, facing each other on the empty mountainside. The ends of Nate’s hair, tied back by braids, danced on his shoulders. He waited.

Rebounded ire now directed at Nathaniel’s amity made her forehead crease. With her palms clenched, Hale lifted an arm and beat her fist on Nathaniel’s chest. He took the brunt of her impact, a minor sway from her force. Stern, composed, he didn’t respond. She did it again. And again, in repetition, the back of her balled hands landing on his chest. Pent frustration, fury found release on his body. Certain Hale didn’t use her full strength, he permitted the expression of her discontent.

Her cry joined the pounding motion. “Fuck you! Fuck this. Fuck the Inquisition. Fuck everything!”

Nathaniel’s nearly successful efforts to keep from laughing resulted in a small smirk. Eventually, his hands found her shoulders. Beating fists slowed to a stop, Hale gasped to catch air.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” His disinterested question asked with tamed concern.

“No! I don’t want to tell you nothing,” she yelled through her panting. Her hostile response met the wall of his unyielding consistency.

“Fine.” Nathaniel’s answer paired with his release of her shoulders.

Unreciprocated vitriol forced her to examine her reaction, aware of the soothing effect of Nathaniel’s touch only after it was removed. Her gaze traveled to her shoulder where the warming sensation of his hand lingered. Resentful of his impact, she interrogated, “Why’d you follow me?” She looked around their setting, valleys spreading out from all sides. The Inquisition’s stronghold a blurred building in the distance.

Nathaniel frowned, glancing around the expanse. The complicated answer to her irritated question required him to confess the unknown. Instead, he replied with a fact, “I care about you, Hale.”

Her lips parted, gaping for a moment before she pursed; her brow furrowed. “But why, Nate? Why do you care?” Her inquiries addressed the unusual circumstances of their friendship, demanding an explanation for the dynamic growing between them.

Facing her misplaced contempt with an intense stare, Nathaniel didn’t respond; he didn’t have answers to the questions she asked.

“I’m fucking broken,” she added. “A broken piece of shite with no,” she gasped, voice tremored, tears pooled, “no fucking parents. I’m no good. You got no reason to care ‘bout me.” The familiar sting of emptiness sparked in her chest.

“I could say the same about myself.” Nathaniel’s own feelings of inadequacy arose, relating to her assertion. Brokenness, a defect of self far beyond remedy. His hands found her hips this time. Hale’s eyes closed, appreciating the warmth, the bonded connection surging through her; she gave a thwarted sigh and Nate mumbled, “Is that enough of a reason?”

Her eyes opened to glower at him. Teary green eyes framed by a messy mane of red hair, her head turned. A question answered with another. “What the fuck are you doing to me?” She needed to understand the blustering feelings he elicited and the hold they had over her.

“I should ask you the same.” He quipped, forehead wrinkling with exasperation. Nathaniel and Hale stared at one another; their conversation maintained what little semblance of stealth to avoid the subject they now bordered. The violent gale whipped around the pair, whispering threats of its strength. It caused them to stumble.

Regaining her stance, Hale’s chin lifted in defense to Nathaniel; her lip curled as she gave her reply. “Well don’t worry, mate. I always leave. Ain’t good at commitments, remember? Shite will get old and I’ll run.” He let her ramble, her exhaustion gave momentum to her embittered response. “I’ll sod off somewhere else, stay ‘til I ain’t...” Her voice shook as sorrow reemerged from anger. The light shining off her pool of tears twinkled. “Ain’t bloody wanted then I leave.”

“I want you to stay,” Nathaniel’s gruff and even tone resounded with an airy billow.

Bottom lip protruded, Hale made a vexed pout. Hot tears lent to shallow streams and tracked down her cheeks, cooled by the howling wind. An awkward moment passed. Out of character for the unlikely duo, meeting in a private location without a mundane guise and with no intent to relieve tension by way of sexual endeavors. Nathaniel’s hand traveled to her chin, the affectionate placement unfamiliar to either person.

“I’ve no room to judge your past.” Nate extended his explanation, studying the fiery young elf’s wordless shifts from comfort to subtle hostility. “And you don’t owe details to me or anyone else. You can tell me what you need. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Animus provoked by his tempered invitation, Hale growled and pushed away from Nathaniel. Her arms waved with agitation as she took a few steps from him; she pointed toward Skyhold. “Alanna’s fucking ending it with Ferelden and the Grey Wardens!” She stopped and swiveled to scowl at Nate, indignant tears welled. Another breath and she resumed her impassioned pacing. The distance between them required her to elevate her voice into the beating wind. “She wants me to stay here... Said it’s what my da would’ve wanted… But fuck her! I’m a Warden now. A load of shite, guilting me into staying.” A few teardrops fell and Hale looked up. Scattered clouds drifted through the sky, azure reaching the earthy horizon. She groaned, the sound morphing to another roar. Nathaniel tried to keep from smirking at the young woman’s shameless display of her age through free-flowing defiance. “I miss him a lot, Nate, and she’s probly right. But I ain’t some sodding child! l fucking love-” she sucked in air, open palms circled in front of her as she struggled to find words. Nathaniel held his breath waiting for Hale to continue. Her final proclamation fumed with ardent will. “... Love being a Grey Warden!”

Her paces ceased, and she stood breathless watching Nathaniel with a teary glare from a few steps away.

Nathaniel’s balance, composed in the face of turbulence offered resolve. Vulnerability consented a new dynamic with no motive apart from solidarity. His voice raised in the space separating them. Their eyes locked. “It’s your decision, Hale.” He looked toward Skyhold and back to her. “Not Alanna’s or your father’s... or even the Commander's. This decision is yours and yours alone.”

The tempest eased to a quiet zephyr.

Hale let out a wry laugh. “Fuck’s sake, Nate. I wanna be near you.”

3 notes · View notes

adolphuslongestaffe · 7 years

Text

Defiant

Chapter 5: The Archer

The archer stood glaring fiercely up at Jesse, apparently waiting for some kind of explanation. He was an athletically built young man, about five inches shorter than Jesse, with long, glossy black hair that fell over his face and shoulders where it had escaped its restraining tie. But it was his face that had stunned Jesse into silence. His face was perfect. Smooth, pale-olive skin, strong black brows, clear, bright, black eyes, large and almond shaped and shaded by long, sooty lashes. High, aristocratic cheekbones, and pouting, almost insolent lips set firmly above a finely cut chin and jaw.

“Holy fucking shit,” Jesse said aloud, not intending to.

“Holy fucking shit,” the young man repeated slowly in a heavy Japanese accent. “You are American, then. What are you doing in my house, aside from behaving foolishly? I almost killed you.”

“I—I came with Genji,” Jesse stammered, attempting to swallow in a dry throat. “I’m real sorry, but I didn’t know you was shootin’ your—” he broke off abruptly as the absurdity of the situation suddenly called him back to himself. His native pride flared up and his face grew hot with indignation. “Say, what in sam-hell are you doin’, anyhow? Shootin’ at folks with a bow and arrow like you’re Robin Hood or somethin’. Who uses a bow and arrow nowadays?”

The young man stared up at the tall American, his angry expression growing blacker.

“Of course you are one of Genji’s friends,” he said. “My brother has poor judgement in most things, not the least with whom he chooses to associate himself.”

“That’s heavy artillery to level at a fella you just met and almost killed,” Jesse said coolly. He cocked an eyebrow and flashed a rakish grin. “You don’t know the first thing about me.”

For some reason, this appeared to have had a palliative, rather than provoking effect on the young man. That, or he’d simply remembered to restrain his temper.

“You are correct,” he said, his face smoothing into a more placid, though still haughty, expression. “I apologize for my discourtesy. Please be more careful in the future. Particularly when entering the training yard.”

“I think I better apologize too,” Jesse replied, gliding effortlessly into genteel charm. “I was wanderin’ around with my head all in the clouds on account of the place bein’ so beautiful and peaceful, and I didn’t see the targets and things. I didn’t mean no offense about the bow and arrow. I just never saw someone use ‘em before, is all.”

“You find our home beautiful?” the young man said, eyeing him doubtfully.

“I never seen anything half so beautiful in my life,” Jesse replied, gazing steadily into the black eyes.

The young man turned away quickly and appeared to be making some small adjustments to his bowstring. At that moment, Genji’s cheerful voice came echoing across the courtyard.

“Jesse, there you are! I see you have met my brother. Is he boring you to death already?”

“I am not boring,” the archer said, shooting his brother an icy glare. “I am responsible.”

He turned back to the interloping cowboy and bowed stiffly.

“I am Shimada Hanzo, elder son of Shimada Sojiro, Master of the Shimada Clan.”

“Howdy,” Jesse said, sticking out his hand. “My name’s Jesse McCree, only son of Evelyn Harper McCree and whoever my daddy was. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Hanzo reluctantly took the proffered hand in his and Jesse shook it heartily, more to irritate the arrogant princeling than to be especially polite. The young man gave another stiff bow and departed hastily the way he’d come.

“I apologize for my brother,” Genji said, before Hanzo was out of earshot. “But do not take it personally. He hates everyone.”

Jesse assented politely, but he wasn’t so sure Genji was exactly correct. He wouldn’t bet his last nickel on it, but he’d been almost certain he saw those lofty cheeks flush ever so slightly as the young man had turned away to look at his bow.

He followed Genji to a round, roofed structure in the garden that Genji called a tea house, but Jesse thought looked an awful lot like a gazebo. They sat on mats placed on the bamboo floor, and their meal was served to them by silent servants in black satin kimonos. Genji laughed to see Jesse’s obvious discomfort with being waited upon. He laughed at Jesse’s behavior quite a bit, but there was no hint of ridicule in it. It was obvious that he was delighted with this strange American and the novelty of his cowboy manners. Even if his laughter had been malicious, however, Jesse would not have noticed at that moment. All of his attention was absorbed in the food. He found his senses treated to a series of delicious and spectacular new delicacies, none of which he knew the names for and all of which he thoroughly enjoyed. As they ate, he described the incident with the arrow, to Genji’s boundless amusement.

When they were finished, the servants reappeared to clear away the dishes, and the two boys strolled in the garden. Genji began to inquire eagerly after the details of Jesse’s life. Jesse decided this was the time to breach the second layer of the cover story.

“Look, Genji,” he said gravely, stopping under the shade of a massive, gnarled cedar. “I haven’t been entirely on the up-and-up with you. You been so good and kind, takin’ me under your wing and havin’ me in your home, and it ain’t fair of me to hide things from you.”

The younger boy’s eyes grew wide with curiosity. “What is it, Jesse?”

“Ok, but promise you’ll hear me out before you say anything. Then if you want me to go away and leave you be, I’ll understand.”

“Ok,” the boy repeated, all eyes and ears.

“Well, I been travelin’ under the pretext that I’m takin’ a gap year before college, but the truth is…”

He hesitated for dramatic effect.

“…I’m runnin’ from the law. There, I said it. Now hear me out, you promised. I was orphaned when I was twelve and I had to survive somehow, so I lived pretty rough and tumble, and eventually I took up with a gang of train-robbers. I didn’t want that kinda life, but there wasn’t much choice for a kid like me. I had to do somethin’ or starve. Thing is, I got real good at it and I started to get infamous, like. Sheriffs and whatnot was gunnin’ for me by the time I was sixteen, and I knew I was fixin’ to end up dead or rotting away in jail for the rest of my days. All I wanted was a fair shake, you know? A chance to be someone different. So one night I stole the loot from the gang’s safe and I bolted. I wanted to get as far from Texas as the sun is from the moon, so I wound up here in Japan. I ain’t violent and I ain’t hurtin’ nobody. I’m just tryin’ to live my life as best I can without the Deadlocks and the sheriffs hangin’ over my head. I know I shoulda told you right away, and I hope you can forgive me for hidin’ it at first. But I didn’t mean no harm. I been mighty lonesome and you’re the first friend I’ve made since…well, in a powerful long while.”

Just as Jesse expected, the younger boy was elated with the romance and adventure of the tale. He assured Jesse that he wasn’t angry and swore he’d never tell anyone, then positively battered Jesse with questions regarding train robberies and motorcycles and living like a bandit in the vast Texas wastes. Jesse, who had in very fact lived the life he’d described, proved to be a bottomless source of information on the subject. Before an hour had passed, he’d explained how to board a slow-moving train, how to slow down a fast one without derailing it, how to position your men for an assault, how to control a crowd of panicked passengers, and even how to crack a time-locked safe.

If Genji had any doubts regarding his friend’s truthfulness at the beginning of the conversation, he had none at the end. He had found a real-life Jesse James. An outlaw by necessity turned hero, struggling to walk the treacherous path to redemption. He’d liked his new cowboy friend before, but he was over the moon now. He had never known anyone like Jesse, and he privately thought Jesse must be the most interesting person he’d ever met. He envied the independence and gritty self-sufficiency apparent in the young man. His own life had been one of walls and rules and lessons, and his father’s constant disappointment as he failed to perform as well as his brother at any and every endeavor.

Jesse couldn’t help the sinking feeling of guilt in the pit of his stomach as he saw how much the boy had genuinely taken to him, all the while knowing that he still hadn’t been entirely honest. But his loyalty to the mission, the organization, and the commander who had rescued him from the very life he’d described to Genji overbore his guilt. He wouldn’t have betrayed the commander even under actual torture, and he wouldn’t now. His thoughts flew back to those long days and nights spent in the field together, depending upon each other for their survival. The talks they’d had about their lives and loves. And the secret he’d kept all this time. The thing that bound him even more closely to the man he idolized and adored.

Then the face of the superior young archer rose like a sun above the horizon of his mind and extinguished all other thoughts in its blazing corona. He felt at once that he would betray the mission, the commander, his very soul, if the owner of that face desired it. He was keenly alive and alert, agonizingly awake to a fresh, bleeding wound that gaped at the center of his being and threatened to consume him.

“Hey, Genj,” he said, already using an affectionately abbreviated name for his friend, who he genuinely liked immensely. “I don’t know if I feel so much like goin’ to a rowdy dance club tonight. Would you mind terribly if I begged off?”

The boy looked anxiously into his friend’s handsome face. “Are you unwell, Jesse?”

“No, no, nothin’ like that. Only I’m awful tired from traveling and all that mess and I think I’d rather be quiet tonight.”

“But you would still like to spend time with me, yes? If we chose a more quiet activity?”

“Oh, no,” Jesse said, then corrected, “I mean yes, I’d like that very much, but I don’t want to throw a wet blanket all over your fun just cause I’m out of sorts. You should go.”

“Nonsense,” the younger boy said, his usual cheerful grin returning. “I have been to many such dance clubs many times. I only go because I am bored at home and become restless. But if you are with me, I will not be bored or restless. We can do anything you like.”

After some waffling and indecision (entirely on Genji’s part), they decided upon taking a walk to the hot springs across the small town, and then getting supper at one of the excellent restaurants in the area. Before they departed, Jesse excused himself to the restroom to report in to the commander again. He fitted the mic around his throat and placed the earbud in his ear, then pressed the button to open a transmission. Reyes responded immediately.

“Jesse,” his tinny voice said through the earbud, “do you know where you are?”

“Well, yes, sir I do. I’m in a toilet inside Shimada castle.”

“And you are aware who your new friend is.”

“Yes, sir, I am.”

“Boy, I don’t know if you’re doing something to make luck love you, or if you’re charmed or what. We’re in Japan less than 24 hours, and you’re already in the door of Shimada castle. This is better than the best I hoped for.”

“Thanks, boss, but it really was just dumb luck.”

“Well, keep it up, whatever it is. Let’s stay on this. See where it goes. Maybe we can work out a way to get their help, after all.”

“Understood, sir,” Jesse said. “And boss, we’re on our way to the hot spring and then dinner in town. Just so’s you can stay on top of us.”

“Got it,” the commander replied. “Check in again at 2300. Good work, mijo.”

“Thank you, boss.”

Jesse removed the radio accoutrement and rejoined his friend in his frankly enormous bedroom. Genji was sprawled out on his bed poking disgustedly at his telephone’s screen.

“I hope you are not displeased,” he said, “but my father insists that my brother accompany us. I will not allow him to be so unpleasant this time, though.”

“Oh, no, I don’t mind at all,” Jesse said, looking as though he minded very much. “No. Yeah. That’s just fine with me. More the merrier and all that. Y’all wouldn’t mind stopping by my hotel for a minute, though, would you? I gotta pick up my bathing suit and things.”

“Jesse, it is not permitted to wear a bathing suit in the hot spring,” Genji said, stifling a laugh at Jesse’s startled expression.

Jesse was in a situation now. He had never been afflicted with what anyone would call excessive modesty. His body was universally admirable, and he was not at all shy about nudity. But he found the idea of being seen in nothing but his skin by that particular young man, especially in a public hot tub, little brother in tow and god knows who else around into the bargain, to be a very distressing proposition. But going with the flow had worked out for him so far, so he screwed up his courage and followed the two brothers out the front gate, figuring he’d take the situation as it came.

As they exited the grounds, he saw that Genji’s friends from the arcade had accompanied them once again, and were walking together, a few paces to the rear.

“How big are those hot tubs, Genj?” he said. “Enough to fit all of us?”

The younger boy looked confused. “The three of us?” he asked.

Jesse indicated the group of young men behind them. “With your friends comin’ now, that makes eight of us.”

Genji laughed aloud and his older brother cleared up the misunderstanding.

“They are not our friends,” Hanzo said, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. “They are our bodyguards.”

“That a fact,” Jesse said. “What do you fellas need bodyguards for? I mean, you both look like you could handle yourselves in a scrap.”

“We can,” Genji said. “But our enemies would not attempt to kill us by engaging us in a fair fight. That would be foolishness.”

“I bet it would,” the cowboy said, eyeing the lithe, muscular arms of the archer who had nearly put an abrupt end to his life a few hours earlier. “But I don’t understand. Y’all have enemies that might try and kill you?”

“They will not make an attempt on us here,” Hanzo said. “You need not fear for your safety. It is merely a precaution that our father requires us to take.”

“Ah,” Jesse said. “Dad’s a little overprotective. I get you.”

This elicited no response from the taciturn archer, so Jesse disregarded him and talked with Genji as they made their way across the little town. The actual ordeal with the hot spring turned out to be far less trying than he’d anticipated. He lingered in the dressing room, and the brothers were already in the steaming water when he joined them, so he was able to drop his towel and slip discreetly into the tub without anyone taking notice. Genji kicked his feet and splashed about, chatting enthusiastically with Jesse about whatever popped into his head, and Hanzo rested against the far side of the tub with his eyes and mouth shut. Jesse’s awkwardness wore off rapidly, and the hot, mineral-rich water had a miraculous effect on his body. All the soreness and stiffness of intercontinental travel dissolved from his muscles and joints, and he left the soak refreshed and energized.

He was the first to be dressed, so he went outside and lit a cigarette. The older brother emerged next, and stood against the wall a few feet away, arms crossed and silent as a sphinx.

“Howdy,” Jesse said, exhaling a plume of white smoke into the air and tipping his hat to the stoic young man.

“Hello,” the sphinx in question replied.

“You know,” Jesse said, pushing back the brim of his hat, “howdy don’t mean hello. It’s short for how do you do. It’s a courteous question, and most folks bother themselves to give a courteous answer.”

The black eyes darted up to his face, as if the young man were preparing a sharp retort. But once again, the severe expression smoothed.

“I am well, Mr. McCree.”

“Just Jesse is fine.”

“I am well, Jesse. I trust you are also in good health.”

“Healthy as a mule,” Jesse said affably, taking the opening where he could get it. “Specially after that soak. I feel as fresh as a brand new day. Spry and limber and relaxed all over. I wish I’d known about hot springs before. I coulda been marinating the soreness all out of me for years.”

Did the ghost of a smile pass over the young archer’s face? Maybe not.

“They are quite useful,” he said curtly.

Jesse turned to face the young man. “Tell me somethin’, Han-so,” he said, emphasizing the second syllable. “Why do you dislike me so much? I know I offended you earlier and got things off on the wrong foot and all, but I’m tryin’ my best to be friendly. All’s I want is to have a pleasant conversation, and you’re all spikes and thorns.”

Had the ardent young cowboy known how to read the other man rightly, he would have thought twice before asking such a tactless question. But he did not. Not yet. He saw only the austere, unyielding façade, not comprehending that it had been erected to shield its helpless occupant, who was at that moment foundering in the depths of internal torment.

“My name,” the archer said icily, “is pronounced Hanzo.”

“Alright, Hanzo,” Jesse said, bruised by the dismissive parry of his advance. “Have it your way then. There ain’t no rule that says we’ve got to be friends.”

They waited in silence, the archer brooding and the cowboy smoking, till Genji finally appeared. Jesse observed a silent look of disapproval from the older brother, which was met by an acidic smile from the younger. He began to think maybe he had misjudged the relationship between these two strange siblings, and became more alert to what passed between them from that moment on.

Dinner was a long, lively affair, filled with Jesse’s stories and Genji’s merry, musical laughter. Even Hanzo forgot himself and smiled a few times. But Jesse noted that Genji had begun drinking sake before their food was served, and continued to drink throughout the meal. The fact was not remarkable in itself, since they all did so. What was remarkable was the quantity Genji consumed. Jesse, who’d been brought up to rotgut whiskey like it was mother’s milk, had several glasses of the gentle spirit, and was stone-cold sober. Hanzo didn’t even finish his first glass. But Genji finished several bottles, and by the end of the meal, he was absolutely drunk. As the younger brother grew more intoxicated, the older brother became more withdrawn and silent, till he ceased participating in the conversation entirely. This irritated Genji and he began to goad his brother.

“Look, Jesse,” he said, tugging on the sleeve of Jesse’s shirt. “My brother is so proper. Is he not?”

Jesse attempted to shift the topic. “Weren’t we talkin’ about—”

“He is angry with me,” Genji interrupted. “Because I am irresponsible and he is perfect. But he is jealous because I have a good time and girls like me.”

He was slurring his words together sloppily, and leaned on Jesse for support as he began to sway in his seat.

“No girls like him at all,” he said with a burst of drunken laughter. “Jesse, remember the girl at the hot spring? The one at the counter? Wasn’t she pretty?”

“I don’t know,” his friend said. “I guess in a kind of way, sure.”

“You did not like her?”

“She, uh, she ain’t exactly…my type,” Jesse said uneasily.

“Well, I liked her. And she liked me very much. She came into my dressing room after we—”

“Shimada Genji,” his brother said sternly. “That is enough.”

He didn’t raise his voice above an ordinary conversational pitch, but the effect was the same as if he had shouted. Genji gave a start and shut his mouth. There was a tense beat of silence, then Genji laughed and resumed his disjointed chatter, but he did not return to the topic of the girl at the hot spring. Genji wanted to remain and continue drinking, but Jesse coaxed him away at last with a promise to go and get his guitar and sing them some cowboy songs. He ran up to his room and grabbed it as they passed by his hotel on their way back, and he scribbled a note to the commander, explaining his whereabouts. Then he rejoined his party in the street, and assisted Hanzo in leading the stumbling boy homeward.

When they entered the common hall in the brothers’ shared quarters, Hanzo departed without a word, leaving Jesse to entertain his drunken friend on his own. The two went to Genji’s bedroom, where he produced cans of beer from a small refrigerator and laid on the floor, listening to Jesse play some old, folksy songs and country standards. When it became apparent that the boy had fallen asleep, Jesse lifted him into his bed, disposed of the empty cans, and packed up his guitar.

As he passed through the cavernous main hall, his steps were arrested by a strain of the sweetest, most heartbreaking music he’d ever heard. It was some kind of stringed instrument with which he was unfamiliar, and it was being played by someone there in the building. The melody led him down the darkened hallway across from Genji’s room to an open doorway, from which a light and the music emanated. He set his feet down gently, almost breathlessly, afraid lest he should make a sound to disturb the player, and that music would stop. Inside the room, he could see the older brother, kneeling on the floor with his back almost directly to the door. He was playing a long, flat wooden instrument, distantly related to the guitar, that lay before him on the floor. Jesse was spellbound. He stood rooted to the spot, straining to catch every note of the haunting, exotic melody. As the song ended, he cleared his throat softly, hoping not to startle the young man.

The young man turned his head and looked up at him expectantly.

“Pardon me, Hanzo, I didn’t mean to intrude,” Jesse said. “I just come to let you know Genji’s passed out and it’d probably be wise to have someone look in on him at some point tonight.”

“Thank you. I will inform the servants.”

“And I wanted to say, I…I hope you didn’t think I was laughin’ at your expense or nothin’ when we was at dinner. I don’t think Genji’s right to talk about you like he does, specially not in front of me who’s a stranger to y’all. But there ain’t no sense in arguin’ with a man when he’s in his liquor. Most times it just riles him up worse. So I apologize if I seemed like I was agreein’ with him.”

It had indeed seemed precisely that way to Hanzo. He was surprised to hear such a circumspect and considerate sentiment expressed by this coarse cowboy, who he had not taken to be particularly intelligent. He regarded the tall American with a not entirely hostile eye. Jesse took this for a favorable sign and advanced a step into the room. Hanzo stood abruptly.

“Say, if you don’t mind me askin’,” Jesse said, stopping where he stood and indicating toward the instrument, “what's that thing you’re fiddlin’ on?”

“This thing,” the archer said, “is a koto.”

“Well, it’s the prettiest music I ever heard. I play this old squawk box.” Jesse held up the guitar case. “But I ain’t anything like the musician you are.”

The black eyes gazed up at him in silence.

“I wonder,” Jesse went on, “if you wouldn’t mind too terribly, would you maybe want to show me a little how you play one of those? I could show you how to play guitar in return, so’s everything’s fair.”

“I am very tired, Mr. McCree,” Hanzo said.

Jesse went a bit red in the face, embarrassed by the rebuff of his impulsive request.

“Oh, of course,” he said, attempting to backtrack. “I didn’t mean to…some other time, maybe.”

“Some other time, maybe,” Hanzo repeated slowly. Then, to Jesse’s wide-eyed astonishment, he said, “Perhaps…tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow? Really? Yeah, absolutely,” the cowboy said eagerly. “Any time at all, you name it.”

“Noon?” the archer offered.

Jesse couldn’t quite believe this turn of events. He agreed to the time, said he’d be there with bells on, an idiom that confused his host entirely, then made his escape before the other young man could have a chance to change his mind.

#mchanzo #jesse mccree #hanzo shimada #young jesse mccree #young hanzo shimada #mature

4 notes · View notes