#they have one of the highest friendship bars out of the top ranks right now!!

[cutesuki--bakugou]

What I Needed

@bnha-christmas2019 | Day 27: Company Party, “I thought you said you weren’t going to come>”  | Bakugou x Fem!Reader | Explicit | Cursing, Sex, Oral Sex, Alcohol Consumption, Soft Baku, Comfort, Confessions

Words: 7228 Genre: Romance / Angst / Humor

Please blacklist the tag cutesuki-lemons if you do not want to see this content from my blog. I will no longer be tagging with specific keywords for this type of content.Thank you~

Due to the nature of this post, the characters are 18+

Having his own hero agency was everything Bakugou had ever wanted. He had power, fame, popularity, influence and the high social status that came with being one of the top heroes in the county, just like he had always dreamed. In his late twenties, his life was exactly how he had wanted it, but there were some… responsibilities that he, in all honesty, despised. Fame came with the need to socialize, to have a decent relationship with not only his fans, but the people he worked with. Sure, this wasn’t the first time he had to throw a company party, nor was it the biggest he had ever done, but that didn’t make it any less irritating. 

A party to celebrate the holiday and new year weren’t anything to bat an eye at, especially not when it was open to any hero from any agency that wanted to participate. For less successful heroes or those still growing their reputation, who wouldn’t jump on the chance to party with the greatest heroes in the country? It wasn’t just Bakugou mingling around in the giant ballroom in the basement floor of his agency. Midoriya Izuku was here somewhere, as was Todoroki Shoto and others whom had grown the ranks with Bakugou from high school. There were even some older heroes present, old mentors and teaches. Friends and rivals alike were invited. 

And that included you. 

What were you to Bakugou, really? Were you a friend? A rival? Competition? His crush? All the above, if he were honest with himself, but calling you his ‘crush’ made him feel like a child. His feelings for you being just a ‘crush’ were a huge understatement. No, he had more than just a crush. In truth, he was head over heels for you, even surprising himself with how deeply he felt. 

It had been like this since high school. He hated you at first, as he did everyone, but there was something about you that called to him. Did he ever act on it? Of course not. All his focus was on school, on training, internships and pushing himself to the highest degree he could manage. He had no time for girls, even if you were nearly irresistible. It didn’t help that it had been obvious you were into him, too. Still, all your advances were ignored, until a barrier had grown between you and nothing was achieved outside of a mildly awkward friendship. 

It changed after you both graduated. For nearly two years, neither of you paid any attention to each other, until you ended up interning in the same agency. As adults, the spark was unmistakable. But Bakugou still couldn’t find it within himself to commit to a relationship, not when he was still working so hard for his goals.

That didn’t mean that he couldn’t resist you, however. Whatever relationship the two of you had was a physical one and nothing more. Fucking your brains out in the men’s locker room of the agency became almost a weekly occurrence, with many nights spent at each other’s apartments. Though, you could both admit, silently to yourselves, that there was something else there. The late nights watching stupid movies, stuffing yourselves with pizza and other shitty food, laughing and telling stories was proof enough. It was something Bakugou never wanted to lose. 

Until you both became independent heroes. Bakugou left you in the dust at first, refusing to show you even an ounce of mercy when it came to bringing in villains or numbers of rescues. Being in the same region didn’t exactly help that, as his goals to be at the top wouldn’t be derailed, not even by a woman he adored. At one point, he was positive that you hated him. Your tenacity and perseverance pushed through in the end, and you climbed the ranks just as he had. The entire world saw you as rivals, and so Bakugou figured that is what you should both stay. Rivals with a past and nothing else. 

Years pass with only business talk between you both, but lately, Bakugou could have sworn that spark was beginning to return. The way you looked at him and the sweet flow of your voice reminded him so much of your time together that he couldn’t resist falling for you all over again. All this time, no other woman he had slept with could compare to you, and it only grew worse the more you began to interact. 

Bakugou knew that he may have everything he ever wanted in a career. But in his personal life, there was something missing. A partner, someone to spend his life with and have a family. Out of all the women he had met in his life, who had tried to woo him and gain his affection, not a single one had come as close to the level of adoration he felt for you. Even still, there was the itch in the back of his mind that he had already burned that bridge long ago. How could you possibly still care or want him after all this time and all the grief he put you through? 

It was a shock to see you suddenly in the crowd of people, casually making your way to the bar with an already empty glass of champagne. That was enough to tell him that you had been here a while, so either you hadn’t seen him yet or you were just straight up avoiding him. If you were, then that bothered him quite a bit. He wanted to talk to you, to try and fix that he had broken between you. But if you didn’t want to see him, then was it really worth the effort? 

“Mr. Bakugou? Did you hear my question?” 

“Eh?” His attention on you broken, Bakugou’s gaze was pulled down to the woman in front of him, who was peering up at him curiously. She had been blabbering off to him for the past half hour, doing everything she possibly could to keep his focus and conversation. What she was really trying to do was obvious, with her low-cut dress and flirtatious body language. From what he had gathered, she was brand new to the hero scene, and she wanted to climb up the ladder based off networking and… sleeping with the big boys. He had considered going along with it, even though he barely remembered anything she had told him, but now he just didn’t give a shit. He just wanted to get away before he lost you in the crowd again. 

“I asked if you were planning on taking in any new interns. If so, I… wanted to get my name out there. Maybe we can talk about it in private?” 

“Uh, no. I’m not. Excuse me.” The way he pardoned himself was more like a demand to move, not bothering to pay attention to her whining as he squeezed himself out of the group he had been standing in. Thankfully, when he was finally free, he saw you still waiting at the bar, eyes on the bartender as they mixed up a drink. Sitting on a stool, you looked exceptionally elegant in your glittering dress, which hugged your figure. It came to a stop right above your knees, though the fabric was hiked up to your mid-thigh from your legs being crossed. The black hose you wore only hinted at the soft skin beneath, and how badly he wanted to touch you was almost suffocating. 

“Thank you!” You spoke with a smile as the bartender handed your drink to you, still not having even noticed Bakugou. “Getting a lot of business, are you?”

“Ah, yeah!” The young man spoke with a pleasant grin, beginning to dry out some glasses with a rag. “These parties are always a riot! And they pay well.” 

After taking a healthy sip from your drink, you leaned back a bit to sit up straighter. “I bet you’re getting amazing tips. You have to be at least a little tipsy at these parties. Especially if you’re dealing face to face with the host!” 

It was then that Bakugou decided to step in, clearing his throat as he came to sit beside you. “Excuse me?” 

“Oooh, well, speak of the devil.” A sly smile crossed your lips as if you had known he was there the entire time. Of course you had known, why else would you say such a teasing and rude thing to the little bartender? After two hours at this ridiculously rowdy party, you had finally found and gotten Bakugou’s attention. 

Finally. 

“I thought you said you weren’t going to come.” With a snap of his fingers towards the bartender, he got his attention. “Whisky.” 

Ignoring his command for alcohol, you stirred your own drink with the straw. “I wasn’t at first. But everyone was talking about how big this party was going to be and how it would look good for me to show up… I decided the networking and positive publicity was worth having to suffer through your presence.” 

Even though he felt a twinge of annoyance at your snarky attitude, Bakugou gave an amused scoffed, taking a hefty swig from his drink once it was placed in front of him. “You can bullshit other people, [Name], but not me. Don’t fuck around.” 

“You’ve done enough fucking around for both of us, Kacchan.” Your words were tinted with ice, even though there was still a flirty heat behind them. “How does it feel? To have so much fame that all these people come just to get a chance to introduce themselves to you. Or to have women on their knees in seconds. That poor little blonde you left over there; she must be very dejected.” 

“You know damn well networking irritates the shit out of me. And you’re no better. If I wasn’t sitting next to you, there would be men lining up just to be rejected by you. Why the fuck do you have to bring that shit up, anyway? Can’t we just have a normal conversation without you throwing that in my face?” 

“It’s all I was to you,” Your gaze left your drink to look up at him, the man that you adored more than anything. Yet, here you were, pushing him away again with your bitterness. You had already forgiven him, for pushing you aside and abandoning what life you could have had together for his career. He seemed to be making an effort… why couldn’t you? “What else would you want to talk about? Work? Ratings? Money? That’s all you care about, so if you want to boast, then go for it. I’ll pretend to listen like you do to those girls.” 

“In the past year that we’ve had more than a five-minute conversation, I’m pretty fucking sure I hadn’t said a word about myself. That’s you. You bring it up.” 

With his accusation, Bakugou could see your cheeks begin to flush, your frustrations with yourself showing themselves even so slightly. He knew that forced blank expression, that stiff posture as you tried to stay strong to not let your tough front crumble. More than anything, he wished that wall you had built around yourself would crack, even just slightly, to allow him in. 

“You’re the one that told me all those years ago that you only care about building your career and you wouldn’t let anything get in the way of that. So why are you even trying to talk to me right now, Kacchan? You have everything you ever wanted.” 

“That’s not true. Come with me.” Bakugou stood, picking up his glass as he did. “I can’t talk to you over this fucking shit music.” 

For a moment, you hesitated. You knew that if you were alone with him, you would break. All this time, you had refused to give him any more than a few minutes of your time, but it wasn’t because you hated him. You were scared that your feelings for him would explode the instant you were alone, that the craving to feel that happiness from all those years back would cause you to make a mistake. 

Would it be a mistake? Or would you finally feel complete again? 

With a sigh, you stood, fixing your dress back into place before snatching up your own drink and following him towards one of the many exits. Much to your annoyance, many people tried to stop you both to chit chat, or to keep Bakugou's attention as long as they could. Over and over, he either ignored or dismissed them, even people you recognized to be CEOs of huge corporations. Each time, your heart fluttered, softening your resolve until you were blushing fiercely. 

Out in the hallway, Bakugou gave a heavy sigh, relieved for the music to be muffled after the door shut behind you. “Finally… I hate that shit.” Taking a few steps forward, he pushed a button on the elevator, prompting you to glance up as the number began to descend. 

“Where are you taking me?” 

“To my office. No one but me has a key to get in. We can be alone…” 

“Don’t you think it will seem suspicious for us to go up there? People will talk.” 

“People talk anyway. People were talking the instant I sat down next to you.” Bakugou’s crimson glare set off that familiar fire within you, making you clutch onto your dress with your free hand. “You think people don’t know how we used to be? We weren’t exactly subtle…” 

“That was a long time ago…” 

“Five years isn’t a long time. Not to forget things like that between such high-profile people.” 

With a ding, the elevator opened in front of you, and with a vague gesture from Bakugou, you walked inside first. He stood beside you, and the instant the elevator door closed, the tension was almost palpable. But it wasn’t an uncomfortable tension, which you slowly came to realize as the elevator rose up to the top floor. It was a mutual wanting, some type of magnetic force that you were both fighting against with all your strength. He was so close to you, within your grasp and yet so far away. 

Could you really let him back in? 

Bakugou once again allowed you to exit first before following, sipping from his glass as he headed straight for his office entrance. This wasn’t the first time you had been up to this floor of his agency, but it was the first time you were going to visit his private office. Corporate meetings were held up here, just down the hall, and you had always wondered what was behind those double doors to the left. 

Pulling out his ID from his pocket, he held it up in front of a sensor, which went off with a beep and the click of the doors unlocking followed. Pulling the door open, Bakugou nodded for you to go in, silent and cautious. At first, you only watched him for any signs of regret or reconsideration, but you saw none. Even your own second thoughts were hidden in the back of your mind, so you entered, a bit surprised at the perfect and professional order of his office. It wasn’t quite what you expected, but then again, there were a lot of things about Bakugou that were unexpected. 

Most people would see him and instantly think ‘that man is a brute’ or ‘he’s absolutely vile’. Was he? Yes, absolutely. But there were things that only you had seen, that he would not dare share with another living soul. He had told you about his insecurities, his worries and his regrets. You had held him when he awoke in a panic, brought on by nightmares he couldn’t control. He had laughed with you about teenage memories, smiling with such sincerity that you were sure he must have been another person entirely. Even more special, the way he would caress you and kiss you with such a sweet tenderness you would just melt in his hands. He was gentle and loving behind all that explosive anger. 

Loving… Were we in love? I… never really thought it would have been possible… For him to love another person. Feeling your emotions swell a bit at the thought, you struggled to restrain the burning in your eyes, refusing to cry in front of him already. How could you possibly become that weak willed just because you were alone together? Had you really put on such a strong facade for the public that you didn’t even feel like yourself anymore? 

“People always assume I have everything just from what they can see.” Bakugou spoke after the door shut, gaining your attention and momentary distraction from your emotions. “This office. That’s all you see. Awards. Certificates. Success. Or at least, all what people assume success to be. And I’ve reached it faster than most… Because I worked so hard for it.” After finishing off his drink, he sat the empty glass down on the edge of his desk. 

At the moment, your sharp tongue was dulled, finding that you wanted to hear what he had to say. He was speaking so calmly, as if this was something that he had been waiting for, like his speech had been rehearsed in his mind over and over. That, or he was tired of hiding his emotions. 

Little did you know that both were true. Bakugou had thought about what he would say to you in a situation like this, how he would get his point across that he had made a mistake pushing you so far away. How he was going to tell you that he wanted you in his life desperately? With these desires, he knew that he couldn’t hide a single ounce of himself from you. If he did, he would lose you, and he refused to let that happen. So, no matter how embarrassing it was, how frustrated he was at trying to find the right words, he would fumble until he caught his footing. 

“I wanted this.” Bakugou gestured to their surroundings. “I wanted it more than anything. I wanted it so badly that I lost sight of something that I needed. That time with you made me happier than any of this shit that I have now. And I was stupid to not realize that back then.” He came up to stand in front of you, and by now, the burning in your eyes was uncontrollable. The instant is hands came up to caress your upper arms, you lost the slim control you had, the hot tears rolling down your cheeks. 

“I think about it all the time. How we could have spent all these years growing together. I was selfish back then… You were right to hate me for the things I did to you. For treating you like… just an obstacle in my path. Then, and now, I don’t deserve you. But I want you. And before you snap at me, it’s not just your body. I want your laugh, your smile, your support and happiness. And I want to give you mine.” 

Sniffling, you felt strangled as you tried to process his words. You could tell by the softness of his tone and his touch that he was being genuine. Bakugou, out of all people in the world, couldn’t lie without becoming a flustered mess. The truth was often even harder for him to admit, so the fact that it was coming out of his mouth so smoothly made your heart and stomach flutter. It was your turn, to tell him that you wanted all the same, but the words were lost to you. How could he admit his feelings so easily, while you were completely useless? Had you really built your wall that strong, that not even the person you loved with all your heart could get through? 

“Katsuki…” You finally got through with a hiccup, only able to manage a quick glance up at him. “Did you ever love me?” 

“Are you shitting me? Do you think I’d tell you all this if I didn’t? And what happened to ‘Kacchan’? Hm?” The snarky smirk that crossed his lips brought a more intense fire to your cheeks, giving a playful click of your tongue as he wiped your tears away with rough thumbs. 

“I only call you Kacchan when I’m pretending to be mad at you.” After setting your drink down on the nearby desk, you placed your hands on his chest, tenderly adjusting the collar of his nice dress shirt. “After all this time you still refuse to wear ties. Even to your own company parties.” 

“I hate them. I need to breathe.” 

“I think you just like looking like the bad boy.” You couldn’t resist stepping in closer as his hands fell to grip your hips, the heat of his body so irresistible. “You and your tough guy facade.” 

“Whatever. We both know you fucking love it.” 

“I do, Katsuki.” You caressed his cheeks softly, entire body tingling with the feeling of his hands sliding up your sides. “I never hated you. Never. Maybe that makes me stupid, too… But I always knew it…” 

“Knew what?” His lips were dangerously close to yours now, brushing softly as he spoke. Even his gaze was nearly crippling, already feeling your legs growing weak. He was so dangerous, so absolutely irresistible to you that there wasn’t anything you could do to control your wanting for him. Not anymore. 

“That you would come back to me.” 

With that, any restraint the two of you may have had was broken, lips immediately crashing into each other with a fierce and familiar passion. How long it had been didn’t matter in that moment. Bakugou knew exactly how to kiss you, how to hold your body against his and make your legs weak. The hot taste of whisky on his tongue made your entire body feel warm, starting from your core and spreading through each nerve. It was like every inch of you was on fire, the heat pooling between your legs as you couldn’t resist your arousal. Everything about him was exactly like you remembered, only… there was more. 

It was obvious to you that he had grown in experience and practice, even just from this short time together. Although you couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards the other women whom he had relations with, you knew that from this moment on, if you accepted him, it would be only you. There would never be another woman or man between you, nor any career or goals. It would be you and him together, to be everything you ever wanted. And needed. 

“A-ah, Katsu--” You couldn’t resist a soft moan as his hands eagerly gripped onto your ass, even though it was immediately smothered by the kiss. His palms were so hot that you could already feel them through the fabric of your dress, only further reminding you of the things you loved about him. You didn’t know if it was because of his quirk or if it was just how his body was, but any time he got all hot and bothered, his palms would become unbelievably warm. It was never to the point that you couldn’t bare it, but it was just enough to melt you and make you crave to feel it against your bare skin. Tugging him backwards with a simple step and yank to the front of his shirt, you stumbled back until your legs hit his desk, the rattling of the ice in your drink barely registering in your feverish mind. 

The loud crashing and clanking of other miscellaneous belongings falling to the floor was just as ignored by the both of you, pushed aside with a single sweep of Bakugou’s arm. In nearly the same instant, you were turned, upper body forced down onto the desk from a strong pressure between your shoulder blades. One hand firmly on your back to keep you in place, Bakugou let the other travel down your side and to your hips. 

“Five years have done you a lot of favors, [Name]. Your body is fucking irresistible.” 

Unable to really move, you could only support yourself on trembling legs, entire being racked with excitement and anticipation at what he would do to you next. You could feel his cock pressing into your ass from beneath his pants, and you knew damn well he was doing that on purpose. It was just another way to tease you at what you had been missing all this time and what you desperately wanted. “Are you saying it hasn’t always been?” 

“Don’t be a smart ass with me. I’ve craved every inch of you…” With that, you felt the cool air of the office on your backside as your dress was pushed up to your lower back. Both strong hands moved to grope you and spread you open, an amused chuckle following. “Fuck, I can see how wet you are already. And no underwear? Were you expecting something?” 

The feeling of his thumb stroking against your sex made you shudder, nibbling at your bottom lip. Even through your hose, the pleasure of his touch was irresistible, softly gasping with each stroke to your clit. “Any time I see you, I always hope that you’ll want me again. It was an impulse… not to wear underwear. I thought that… maybe ton-- a-ah!” You were cut off by a moan, surprised by the sudden hot and wet pressure against your clit. Unable to see him well, you didn’t notice that he had knelt down until he made his presence known, running his tongue along your sex with the hose still in place. 

The sensation was odd at first to the both of you, but you couldn’t deny how good it felt. Even if he wasn’t on your clit directly, the cloth still grew taught against it with his movements, teasing you with just a hint of pressure. You wanted more so badly, but you knew begging wasn’t going to get you anywhere just yet. He was going to do whatever he wanted with you, and there wasn’t any point in trying to stop him, not with how badly you wanted this. 

Suddenly, there was a new sensation and sound. With a firm tug and the ripping of cloth, you felt your hose loosen from your body, splitting right down the middle seam to fully expose you. Bakugou had done it with his teeth, you knew his antics well, but that didn’t mean you were any less annoyed that he just ripped your favorite hose. “Hey, Katsuki! These are my-- ooh, fuck!” You dug your nails into the wood of his desk as he began to eat your out mercilessly, gripping onto your hips to keep you still. 

Turning your face more into the desk, you moaned and panted against the wood, the pleasure tingling through your body like hot sparks. Within minutes, you were brought to a leg shaking orgasm, your knees buckling. The only reason you stayed up on the desk was your upper body and Bakugou’s hands on your hips. 

“Fucking hell… I’ve missed seeing you cum like that. You always cum so hard for me.” Slipping his fingers beneath the hole he had made in your hose, he ripped them just a bit more, giving him full and easier access to your wet and twitching pussy. He could have just stared at the heavenly sight for hours, watching your juices drip down your thighs and onto the floor. Never had a woman get so wet for him the way that you did, always so hot and ready to be fucked from something as simple as a kiss. While he used one hand to stroke your folds and tease your swollen clit, his other moved down to his pants, loosening his belt. “Such a good little bitch. Tell me who you belong to.” 

“Y-you, Katsuki.” Body still recovering, you couldn’t resist the slight jerking of your body with his teasing of your clit. 

Once his pants were unbuttoned and unzipped, Bakugou began to stroke himself to the sight of you, spreading your pussy open with his fingers. “Have you ever had someone fuck you as good as I do?” 

“No, only you can make me feel so good. No other man can ever c-come close.” 

“No other man will ever come close.” Standing, Bakugou pressed his tip against your waiting hole, teasingly pressing into you until you were squirming beneath him. “Now tell me what you want.” 

“I-I want your cock!” 

“Beg.” 

“P-please, Katsuki! Please, fill me up and fuck me!” 

Leaning forward, Bakugou allowed himself to slip in just slightly. He pressed his lips against your flushed cheek, smirking against your skin. He loved seeing you like this, already completely smitten and hopelessly aroused. You’d do or say anything he wanted, and he knew that being treated like this was what turned you on more than anything else. “Harder.” 

His low voice in your ear made your head swim, becoming increasingly frustrated with the teasing. “I’m begging you! Please hurry up and fuck me, Katsu! My pussy is yours, please do whatever you want to me, until I’m ruined with your cum dripping down my legs! Katsu, please!” That sweet nickname flowing from your lips again after five years instantly flushed Bakugou’s chest full of a raging and familiar fire, both of his hands moving to grip tightly onto your hips. 

“That’s it, babygirl.” Slowly, his cock began to fill you up, forcing a gasp from your lips as you arched your hips up into him. The soft grunt he let slip near your ear instantly almost had you cumming again, looking up at him from the corner of your eye. Vision blurry with pleasured tears, you could barely make out the furrow of his brow, though the passion in his glare was perfectly clear. You were about to be absolutely ravaged, and you couldn’t wait a second longer. But you did, soaking in the feeling of each inch vanishing within you, filling you to the brim. “You want it so bad, then take it.” 

You were already trembling by the time he hissed the demand into your ear, knowing that if you weren’t lying down on the desk, your legs would have given out by now and you’d be sprawled useless on the floor. Already you could feel how full you were, his cock pulsing against your constricting walls and just itching to move. Unable to resist the urge himself, Bakugou sat up from you, hands gripping your hips tightly as he began to slowly and roughly thrust his hips. The first few thrusts of his cock inside you felt foreign, like you had almost forgotten what it was like to be fucked by him. But, very quickly, he found his rhythm, bringing back all those things you were familiar with. 

The hot slapping of skin. Burning palms. Fingers with a grip so tight you knew they would bruise. Sticky liquid coating your body, from sweat to your own juices as it rolled down your legs with each aggressive thrust. Bakugou’s grunts of pleasure, mixed in with your own uncontrollable moans. A deep presence within your womb, enough to make your stomach feel full every time he sunk his cock into you. The teasing words and name calling, forcing his dominance upon you in a way that made you completely swoon. 

In no time at all, you were cumming again, arching your hips up into his as you screamed and begged for the release you had so desperately missed. And then, in typical Bakugou fashion, he removed his cock from you, right on the edge of your orgasm. It faded away in a rush of tingles, and with some ounce of strength, you pushed yourself up onto your elbows to glare at him over your shoulder. 

“Seriously, Katsuki? You’re still into that edging shit?!” 

“Into it?” Bakugou smirked, grabbing you by both arms and forcing you back up onto your feet. His cock settled between your legs, pressing into your sex as he held your body back against his. With soft, slow thrusts, you watched as his tip vanished and reappeared again, stroking against your clit. Releasing one of your arms, the other came up to grip your neck, resting his lips at your ear. “I’ve mastered it, babygirl. And don’t try to pretend that you don’t love it.” 

Putting some pressure on your neck, Bakugou kissed and nibbled at the exposed skin of your shoulder. “I’ve missed seeing your expressions when you cum so hard after being edged over and over. The way your eyes roll back in your head… That crazed and satisfied smile on your lips. Your body trembling and jerking. Fuck, you’re just so damn sexy.” He used his free hand to pull the already low-cut neckline of your dress down, allowing your breasts to fall free. He increased the speed of his thrusting, giving a sigh of pleasure in your ear as he groped and massaged your breasts. 

Although the thigh fucking was a much slower pace than what he had been taking just a moment before, you couldn’t resist how good it felt just to be played with. There was no effort on your part, except for somehow finding the strength to stay standing. His lips on your skin. His teeth in your flesh. His hands on your breasts. His cock between your legs. All of it was sending you into a whole new round of bliss and almost the feeling of being… worshiped. Yes, it was for his enjoyment too, but each movement he made and shifting of his hips was to bring you pleasure. 

“K-Katsu,” you moaned out sweetly, reaching up to run your fingers through his hair. “I can’t believe you still remember how to play with me. What my body wants and begs for.” 

“I could never forget your body, [Name].” He paused for just a moment to allow his cock to slip back into your waiting pussy, watching your face as it contorted with pleasure. “Everything about it drives me fucking crazy. Not just your body, but you. All of you. I can’t stand the thought of being without you a second longer.” With a slight push from his thumb, you turned your head to meet his lips in a passionate kiss, which spurred his thrusts to go faster. He held your body back against him, one arm around your waist with the other across your chest, caressing your neck and playing with your breasts as he wished. 

You felt so close to him, so wanted and adored for the first time in so many years. In that moment, you decided it wasn’t enough. You wanted him closer. 

“Stop, wait--” With a slight push of your hand to his stomach, he stopped as instructed, even though confusion flashed across his face. Turning, you hopped up to sit on his desk, immediately pulling him closer and wrapping your legs around his waist. “I want to hold you, Katsu.” 

Another passionate kiss was shared as he picked back up on where he had left off fucking you, but his movements became rougher and more excited. Having you in this more intimate position must have spurred on his excitement, and that wasn’t anything for you to complain about. But, for you, there was a twinge of sudden reconsideration that you hadn’t expected. It came with a sudden rush of pure emotion, a raging storm that you had tried to keep at bay. 

Disbelief. Excitement. Remorse. Anger. Wanting. Fear. Passion. Love. 

Love. 

That’s what it was. 

As you began to feel another orgasm building rapidly within you, you released your grip of your arms around his neck to instead caress his cheeks. “Katsu,” With the soft mention of his name, his gaze caught yours, though he never lost his rhythm or pace in the way he was fucking you. You knew you had to get it out before you lost control of yourself again, barely able to speak against the pleasure that was only growing. “Katsuki. I love you. I-I’ve loved you since the beginning. I w-want to do this together. To be together.” 

Bakugou let his hand fall to your lower back, shifting your body closer to him to allow him in deeper. Leaning back a bit with his movement, you kept yourself propped up with one arm while the other was around his neck, clutching on tightly to the back of his shirt. At first, your eyes were drawn down to watch how he fucked you, until his words brought your eyes back up. Behind the haze of lust and pleasure, you could see it, the genuine adoration and love for you that he had been hiding all this time in fear. There was no more fear between you. Only hope and the prospect of true happiness. 

“I love you, [Name]. And from now on, I won’t ever let your stupid ass forget it.” With one more kiss shared between you, he immediately increased his efforts, fucking you so hard and rough that the already abused desk began to creak. The sound of your drink falling and glass breaking across the pristine tile floor was ignored; all focus the two of you could muster only on each other. 

You could feel it, building up within your core, and you couldn’t stop it from showing on your face. “F-Fuck, Katsu, I’m going to cum! Please! Please let me!” 

“It’s okay, babygirl. Cum for me.” With his words whispered in ragged breath against your lips, you couldn’t hold back another moment. As the ball that had grown within you exploded, you collapsed back against the desk, your voice squeaking with the powerful onslaught of pleasure. With full access to your hips, now, Bakugou held onto them tightly, fucking you through your orgasm. To him, it was a beautiful sight, your sweaty and ravaged body completely broken and at his mercy. Bakugou never wanted to stop, but before he realized it, his need to cum was suffocating. 

“[Name]...-” 

Gaining a moment of lucidity from hearing your name, you peered up at him, smiling as you rested your arms up above your head. “Come inside me, Katsu--” With your permission, Bakugou immediately grew more aggressive and erratic, your moans edging him on. “Please cum inside me! Fill me up with your hot cum, Katsuki!” 

Within moments, Bakugou did just that, tugging your hips against his tightly as he released inside you. It was so hot you could feel it, filling your womb and coating your still contracting walls. With his release, Bakugou let out a satisfied grunt, before sighing in absolute pleasure. From your view, he looked so worn out, sweaty with clothing and hair completely disheveled. You were sure that you looked exactly the same, but in Bakugou’s eyes, you were nothing but absolute perfection. 

With his cock still pulsing inside you, he leaned himself forward, propping himself up on his elbows on either side of your body. Softly, he moved some hair out of your face before his lips met yours. It was different now, a tender kiss that made your stomach flutter like you were a little girl in love for the first time. You wrapped your arms around him, running your fingers through his hair and softly stroking his back as he showered your lips, cheeks and neck with sweet affections. 

“This is what I’ve missed…” He spoke near your ear, low and calm. “This… gentle intimacy. You’re the only person I can experience it with- who I’d want to experience it with.” 

“My Katsuki… Me, too.” Now, the tears began to return to your eyes, so overcome with bubbly happiness and pure love. “I never want to lose you again.” 

“You won’t, [Name]. Never again.” 

With another sweet kiss, you were both suddenly startled by a loud buzzing in Bakugou’s back pocket, which reverberated through your still connected bodies. With an annoyed huff, Bakugou removed himself from you and allowed you to sit up and adjust your dress back over your breasts as he grabbed his phone to check the message. “Ah fuck.” 

“What is it?” 

“My assistant… I’m almost thirty minutes late for my speech before the gift raffle. Well shit.” 

Giggling softly, you looked down at the mess you had both made. Broken glasses, scattered office supplies, papers and even his name plaque littered the floor. “Well, at least we still kept all our clothes on.” 

With a click of his tongue, Bakugou headed over towards a door, walking inside. “I still have to fucking change, I’m sweaty as fuck.” His voice echoed, so you grew curious, following him in to see that it was a whole bathroom with a shower, tub and everything else that came standard. You followed him around a corner to see that he also had a full walk in closet, making you gasp in shock. 

“Damn, Katsu! Think you have enough space? Do you live here?!” 

“Of fucking course I don’t.” Bakugou glowered at you, stripping off his shirt before stepping out of his pants. “I just have extra clothes.” 

“Won’t people be suspicious if you come down in new cloths- oh. You have the same exact ones.” 

“Always have to be prepared, [Name]. I just… don’t have an extra dress for you. Or hose. Sorry.” He smirked at you as you looked down at your legs, the hose you wore soaked with liquid and torn all the way down to your thighs. Huffing, you pushed them down before plopping yourself onto the toilet, relieving yourself as you took off your shoes. 

“My dress is fine, it’s my hose that I’m upset about! These were my favorite ones!” 

“I’ll buy you more. Are you taking a piss?!” 

“You’re lucky I didn’t piss all over your desk, I’ve had to pee for like an hour.” 

“And I still wouldn’t want you to leave.” 

Smiling, you rolled the ruined hose into a ball and put them in the trash, cleaning yourself up with toilet paper. Once done, you put your shoes back on, flushed and went to wash your hands. While you were doing so, Bakugou emerged back from the closet, back dressed just as spiffy as he had been before. Coming to stand behind you, he wrapped his arms around your waist, giving your cheek a soft kiss. “I’m happy you’ve forgiven me, [Name]. That you want me back…” 

“Of course I do, Katsuki. These few years just made me realize that… I can’t be happy without you.” 

“Me, too.” After another kiss, he went to the other sink, grabbing a toothbrush and squeezing some toothpaste onto it. 

Confused, you wiped your hand on a towel, before attempting to fix the mess your hair had become. “What are you doing?” 

“Brushing my teeth. I can’t exactly go back to a party with my breath smelling like whisky and pussy, now can I?” 

“Nah, you should. It’ll keep all those girls away.” 

“You being on my arm will keep them away enough.” 

“Touché. Going public already… Bring it on.” 

“You got it, babygirl.” 

[likethetailofacomet]

Dance Again

Claire makes her debut at court and has an interesting conversation with his royal highness. 

(hey guys, no heartbreak in this one!) 

tagging: @sleepwalkingelite @zaffrenotes @nekkidmolerat @ooo-barff-ooo 

“Claire! Over here!” Maxwell was near the front of the entry hall, jumping up and down to be seen over the tops of people’s heads, waving his arms wildly.

Claire navigated the crowded entry way, weaving around noble ladies and their sponsors and advisors. It was like being afloat in a sea of gowns, each one more intricately detailed than the last. Looking around, she momentarily forgot her disappointment in the way things had been going since she landed in Cordonia, and she found herself smiling. The rich colors, the jewels, the beading and embroidery- she felt as though she were strolling through a fairy tale or a museum or a piece of art. She’d never seen a spectacle quite like this.

“Maxwell, “ she said breathlessly when she reached him, “this is amazing! I mean, it’s ridiculously over the top and extravagant and how could anyone live like this every day, but…” she looked around again, wide eyed, “but for tonight it’s beautiful.” A smile skipped across her red tinted lips.

Maxwell returns her smile with an even bigger grin. “And so are you! Look at you in that dress! Talk about wow. Liam’s eyes are going to drop out of his royal head when he sees you!”

Claire still hadn’t told Maxwell that she had no interest in pursuing Liam. It wasn’t that he wasn’t kind or handsome, and he could obviously provide for her and any family that they would have. It was that she couldn’t imagine living in this world of gowns and gold for the rest of her life. It was beautiful and charming now, but she could see how it could become strangling and suffocating, always stuffing herself into proper ballroom attire, worrying about which fork to use and if it will offend someone if she’s wrong, feeling pressure to have children so that the throne has an heir…it all seemed too much to wrap her brain around. She needed short skirts and city nights, hot summers at the shore. She needed jogs through the park and mornings wasted at coffee shops reading books and listening to music. She needed passion and freedom- she was an eagle, not a parakeet, she needed to fly free.  Changing the subject, she asked, “Who are all these women? Are they all Cordonian?”

“Well, most of them, yes.” He points to a tall, elegant but fiercely intimidating woman to their left. Her gown is red with black lace. Diamond encrusted swords dangle from her ears. “That’s Duchess Olivia Nevrakis of Lythikos. She’s an old childhood friend of Prince Liam’s and she can be…”Maxwell thinks for a way to describe Olivia accurately but delicately. “Sharp,” He comes up with, shrugging. Claire is pretty sure that she knows what he means. She watches as Olivia snaps at her advisor with a scowl.

“Those two ladies standing together are Lady Penelope and Lady Kiara,” he nods his head towards a thin, pale woman with jet black hair tucked into an intricate bun, and a shorter, olive skinned woman with supermodel curves. The olive skinned woman turned towards them and Claire was taken aback by her exotic beauty. “Penelope, the taller one, is the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Portavira and Kiara is the daughter of Cordonia’s most well respected diplomat and one of our most famed artists. She speaks seven languages.” Claire considered the two women as they chatted jovially to one another. They seemed friendly, at least, and hardly as intimidating as Olivia.

“Over there in the pink dress is Lady Hana Lee. She’s not Cordonian, like you. Her father is an important businessman in Beijing, China. I don’t know much about her, but I’ve heard she’s one of the most talented and well educated ladies to ever come to court.” Hana seemed to be the only other one there who looked as wide-eyed as Claire was. She had a warm smile on her face and her eyes looked genuinely kind. Claire hadn’t had any close female friends in years, but something instantly told her that Hana would be a friend to her. It was oddly comforting, even if they hadn’t met yet.

“And then there’s me, daughter of no one and purveyor of fine burgers and beers,” Claire joked.

“Hey, I meant it when I said I thought you could shake this place up, Claire, and not just in a party way.”

“Oh, really? And in what other way were you thinking?”

“You shouldn’t discount the importance of having a real, down to earth everyday kind of person here at court to balance things out. That’s part of why Liam treasures his friendship with Drake so much. He keeps him grounded and reminds him to think about the common civilians as well as the politically driven nobles. He’s always eager to get involved with disaster relief, community outreach, that sort of thing, he just hates all of the glitz. Don’t tell Drake I told you that, though. If he found out I was tainting his reputation as an uncaring brute, he’d not be too happy with me.” He winked.

Claire frowned. “Why is Drake so…” she trailed off trying to find the right word.

“Grumpy? Difficult? Surly? Cantankerous?” Maxwell rattled off synonyms.

“All of the above,” Claire said with an eye roll in a deflated voice.

Maxwell shrugged. “He keeps to himself a lot. Not a big sharer. I know he’s been through a lot because Liam has told me as much, but that is the extent of what I know. Grumpy kind of suits him, though. He’s got the eyebrows for it.”

Claire felt a flash of empathy for the dark, brooding man. She could understand better than most what it was like to have a past that wouldn’t let go of its hold on the present. It seemed as though he had more layers than she thought, and she wondered what more she might learn about him by peeling them back. Stop it, Claire. Don’t go looking for something that isn’t there, she told herself.

Somewhere inside the ballroom a herald had started to announce some of the suitors. Claire watched as Duchess Olivia stalked past her with a confident smile, her head held high making her seem even taller than she was. She greeted the Prince jovially; Claire could see them laughing and smiling but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. A few more ladies were announced and before Claire realized what was happening, she heard her own name called as though through a tunnel. Maxwell nudged her shoulder. “Hey, Lady Berkley, you’re on!”

Claire felt hundreds of eyes on her as she entered the room, all of them trying to determine who she was and how big a threat to their daughters and sisters and nieces she was. Focusing her attention on not tripping in the tight gown, she made her way to the other end of the room where a surprised Liam stood. He was wearing a black suit adorned with the sashes and crests of the Cordonian nobility, and a bemused smirk that twinkled in his soft blue eyes. “Claire? Is that you?” he asked, when she finally reached him.

“Your highness,” she smiled and dipped into what she hoped was a respectful curtsey, though her movement was limited by her gown.

“Lady Claire, while I am pleased to see you again, I do admit that I am rather confused. You’re here to partake in the social season?”

“Yes, House Beaumont is sponsoring me. I know realistically that I’m not really princess material,” she said, “but Maxwell seemed to think that I’d quote, shake things ups a bit, end quote.” She made air quotations and gave him a playful smile.

Liam laughed heartily. “If our night out in New York was any indicator of what your time here will be, I would agree with Maxwell. But Lady Claire, I do have to tell you something and I hope you won’t take it the wrong way…” Claire noticed Liam’s eyes scanning the crowd behind her as though looking for someone. Suddenly the sound of heels clicking on the marble floor behind her made Claire realize that another suitor was approaching, and their time was up. “I’ll find you later, M’lady. We have something to discuss.” With that he kissed her hand and she took her place among the other ladies.

Once all of the suitors had been announced and had greeted the prince in turn, King Constantine made his opening remarks, welcoming them all and sharing his hope that this will be a pleasant and fortuitous social season. Applause followed the King as he left the podium, and the floor officially opened with Prince Liam escorting Duchess Olivia out for a dance.

“Olivia is so lucky,” Lady Hana piped up beside Claire. “The Prince honors her with the first dance.”

“Oui, as Lady Olivia is the highest ranking suitor, it is only proper for her to open the floor.” Kiara explained. “The prince will dance with all of us, Cherie, do not fret.”

Penelope turned to face Claire. “It looked like you and the Prince knew one another, Lady Claire. May I ask how?”

“Penelope!” Kiara gasped, “It is not good form to ask such assumptive questions of another lady at court!” the shock on Kiara’s face almost made Claire burst out with laughter.

“It’s fine, really,” Claire assured an embarrassed Penelope. “I actually met Prince Liam when he came to my bar on the night of his bachelor party.” The puzzled looks on the other ladies faces made Claire go on. “Er... I was his server, and then we went to the beach. Maxwell tracked me down the next morning and now here I am.” She shrugged.

“So you truly aren’t nobility?” Penelope asked. Kiara shaking her head next to her friend, an exasperated look on her face as she gave up on trying to teach Penelope courtly expectations and manners.

“Not unless I missed the memo,” Claire responded.

“How exciting this all must be for you!” Lady Hana exclaimed.

“It’s certainly been…different.”

Just then the song that had been playing came to a close, and Liam made his way over to the group of ladies. “He’s coming this way!” Penelope squeaked. Kiara covertly elbowed her.

“Ladies,” he greeted their group with a bow, to which they all bent their heads and curtsied. “Lady Claire, would you be so kind?” the glint in his eye suggested that he would use their time on the dance floor twofold.

“I would be honored, your highness.” She smiled back and took his arm.

Out on the dancefloor it occurred to Claire that she had no idea how to ballroom dance. A panicked look crossed her eyes making Liam chuckle. “Just follow my lead,” he said. She relaxed and did as she was told and, unsurprisingly, Liam lead her gracefully through the dance.

“You said we needed to discuss something?” Claire said after finally feeling comfortable with the steps.

“Yes indeed. Lady Claire, while I am rather happy to have you here for the social season, and while I do firmly agree with Lord Maxwell that your good hearted presence could be good for Cordonia, I have to tell you that there can be nothing more than friendship between us.”

“Liam, you don’t have to explain. I already know that you need to consider your country when picking your queen, and for what it’s worth I think I would be a terrible queen.” She smiled to show him that she was not upset by his words.

Liam returned her smile with a soft one of his own. “I’m not so sure you’d be terrible, however there is another reason why I cannot choose you.”

Claire winced. She knew that being a commoner and one from another country to boot diminished her chance with the prince. This didn’t bother her, as she hadn’t wanted a chance with him, not romantically, anyway. But this didn’t mean that she wanted to hear a full blown list of reasons why Liam couldn’t lower himself to her level.

“It’s because my best friend in the world is falling for you, Lady Claire, and while I find you rather alluring and exciting, I would never betray Drake that way. He is like a brother to me.”

Claire’s mouth dropped open. “Drake?” she questioned. “All due respect, your highness-“

“Please, I feel that I will be counting you among my close friends soon. When it’s just us, please just call me Liam.”

“Okay, all due respect, Liam, I think you must be out of your mind. Drake has been nothing but sour and rude since I got here.” She frowned.

“You’ve seen him, then?”

Claire let out a breath. “Yes. And Liam, I have a confession to make too. I could never be your queen, not just because of who I am or where I’m from, but because that is not what I came to Cordonia for.” She bit her lip nervously. “I came here for Drake…though now he doesn’t seem to want anything to do with me. He won’t even let me explain that I am not here to chase your crown.”

Liam’s eyebrows flew up and he chuckled.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to make you feel reduced to your headwear,” she shrugged and he laughed again.

“No need to apologize. You’re hardly the only one to remind me of the motives of many. Now, as far as Drake is concerned, I am not out of my mind,” he paused to give her an amused look. “I happen to know that he was planning on returning to New York after the social season to see you.”

Claire felt a rush of warmth flood her cheeks, her throat tighten, her knees buckle. “What?” she whispered in disbelief.

“The morning we left New York I pulled it out of him. But Claire, Drake has been through quite a lot of heartache in his life, I’m afraid.” A sad look crossed his normally neutral features. “He’s a tough book to crack but I promise that you won’t find a better read on this Earth. Under his prickly exterior he has a good heart. He’s a loyal friend and a decent man in a world of intentions and motives. I will do everything I can to help you reach him. I think you could be exactly what he needs.” Liam spun her outwards, the ballroom flashing before her eyes. As if the world were moving in slow motion she caught a glimpse of him standing at the bar, and for the most fleeting of moments their eyes met. Claire felt a lock open inside her chest as everything she pushed down from the night before came rushing back. Drake’s eyes seemed to soften for a fraction of a second before Liam was spinning her back into his arms as the dance came to an end.

“Lady Claire,” he kissed her hand platonically. “It was a pleasure dancing with you. I hope to see you on the floor again soon, perhaps showing Drake how to dance again.”

[shiftyskip]

Richard Winters

(Warning extremely long post because its Winters. There’s a lot about Winters)

Richard Davis Winters was born on January 21, 1918 in New Holland, Pennsylvania. He was born to Richard and Edith Winters. His mother was from a Mennonite family but they never converted to their faith. He was an only child. At eight years old they moved into Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Richard recalls most of his childhood being in Lancaster.

Winters was terrified of going to school until junior high school. In these years, he started to show more leadership skills. For example, he was given a leadership opportunity (school’s crossing guard). He got this honor mostly because the Principal liked Winters more than most of his school. This was his first “leadership position”. Winters liked reading, geography, and athletics (such as football, basketball, and wrestling). He was in a baseball team and traveled around the state with his team.

At an early age, Winters admired Babe Ruth and Milton Hershey (yes. the chocolate bar man). He especially admired Hershey and his hard work. He would eventually work with the company and move to Hershey, PA.

He graduated Lancaster Boys High School in 1937. Afterwards, Winters went to Franklin and Marshall College. He worked several jobs to pay for his tuition (including painting high-extension towers). He graduated as one of the top in his class in business school. He earned a bachelor’s degree in science and economics by June 1941. He immediately volunteered for service on August 25, 1941 in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. Like all leaders, he too started out a beginner. Winters describes himself as a private who had dedicated himself to one year and leaving.

Pearl Harbor shocked the world. The USA declared war. After this, Winters accepted he was in the Army for the long run. He applied to become a commissioned officer. 

At Fort Benning, Winters observed and fell in love with the paratroopers. They were the best service men, the most train and fit in all of the units. Winters stated his need to be among the best the Army had to offer. 

 During his courses for OFC (Officer’s Candidate School), he met Lewis Nixon. “Nix” had been educated in Yale and MIT and entered service from New Jersey. Winters described Nix as a hard drinker, a free spirit who enjoyed the wild life and partied with the best of them. While Nix and Winters were complete opposites (Winters never drank or swore), they became close friends. Winters describes Nix as the “finest combat officer who he served with under fire” and“utterly dependable and totally fearless”. They graduated OCS on July 2, 1942. Nix shipped off to California and Winters had not received an assignment yet.

Winters was often frowned upon for his friendship and attachment to the enlisted men. His originally trained men of another platoon gave him a pen and pencil set to show their esteem and respect for Winters. Winters continued to befriend and strengthen his men, 

Winters arrived at Camp Toccoa to train with the 506th Parachute Infantry. The 506th was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Sink on July 20, 1942. He arrived with Nix in mid-August. Winters was assigned to easy Company, 2nd Battalion. Easy was placed under the command of First Lieutenant Herbel Sobel. Sobel did not impress Winters as a field soldier but he still followed his part to make Easy the best. Winters experienced extremely tough training and Sobel was determined to make it hard for them. Winters stated that Sobel “made” Easy Company and his training helped them survive. Winters did not have a high opinion of Sobel, but gave credit to his training.

Winters received a promotion in October and he was now a First Lieutenant. This meant Winters was in charge of the company whenever Sobel was busy. 

On October 30, Winters was ordered to check latrines at 1000 hours. Sobel changed this time to earlier without telling Winters. Winters demanded trial by court-martial. Those who were trying to start the mutiny invited Winters to a meeting. Winters went to try to talk them out of it but Sobel walked in on the meeting. Those that took part of the mutiny were given a lecture and either transferred or demoted. Sobel was eventually transferred and Meehan was given control over Easy. Later on, after Winters had been promoted to Major when he ran into Captain Sobel one last time. Sobel ignored him but Winters called out to him, “Captain, we recognize and honor the rank!” (Better known as, “Captain Sobel, we salute the rank, not the man.” Winters claimed he said it one way, Ambrose said it was another) Sobel reluctantly saluted him.

In the early September 1944,  Easy sailed across the Atlantic. Winters and other men recalled how bad of a journey it was. There were accounts of it being filthy and having poor food. They arrived on September 15 and were transported to Aldbourne, England. Winters was living with the Barnes family in their house above their grocery store. They adopted Winters as a son and Winters enjoyed living with them. 

Winters joined the men on their jump into Normandy. Meehan and his plane were shot down a few hours into their jump. The rest of Easy was spread out everywhere. Winters landed hard and lost all his weapons except a knife in his boot during the jump. He and a small group of other men made it safely to a nearby town where the rest of Easy Company regrouped. He was now in charge of Easy Company. He led a charge on a German battery, around 50 men strong, and won with only 13 men. For his actions he won the Distinguished Service Cross.

Guarnere remembered Winters and that charge. “ He was the first one out there, yelling, ‘Follow me!’  We knocked out a battery of four guns, 150 millimeters, that was firing on the kids coming on the shore. He got shot in the leg and still kept going. He saved the company a lot of times.” 

In July, Winters was promoted to Captain. 

In October, Winters took the position of the battalion’s executive officer. (This focuses more on day-to-day situations). Winters took part in Foy and the Battle of the Bulge. Winters played a large part of Battle of the Bulge.  After Foy, and in March of 1945, Winters was promoted to major and put in charge of the battalion. 

Another well-known event happened in October, although before he was the XO.  On October 5, 1944, Winters reached the top of a hill (or dike) and saw a German soldiers on the other side. His group was greatly outnumbered but Winters ordered them to open fire. “ With 35 men, a platoon of Easy Company routed two German companies of about 300 men,” Ambrose wrote. Winters only lost one man and another 22 were injured. 50 Germans died, 11 were captured and led away by Liebgott, and more were wounded. 

Lieb was known for treating prisoners roughly. Lieb had eagerly responded to the orders to take the men back. Winters demanded Lieb make sure all of the prisoners reached the HQ. Lieb didn’t like this at first but Winters made his point clear by pointing his rifle at him. He demanded Lieb empty his rifle and drop all of his rounds. Winters gave him one bullet and told him “you drop a prisoner, the rest will jump you.” Lieb brought them all back and Winters made sure of it by checking with Nix later that day.

In March, he was promoted to Major. Two weeks after his promotion, Germany surrendered. Easy set out from Thalham, Germany and arrived at Hitler’s retreat on May 5, 1945. They were the first to reach Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest and got dibs on lots of impressive loot. They were still there when the war ended three days later. 

Winters received recommendation for the Medal of Honor. He received the second highest decoration instead. This was the Distinguished Service Cross. After Band of Brothers came out, he was recommended again but the idea died in 200. 

After the war, Winters worked at Nix’s family business, Nixon Nitration Works. He had traveled with Nix to meet his parents and was offered a job in the company in 1946. He went back to school at Rutgers University. He attended refresher courses on business and personnel management.   He became a manager there and earned $75 a week when he first started. He married Ethel on May 16, 1948. They had two kids. To his friends, he preferred to be called “Dick” and not Richard. Winters kept a lot of memoirs and research on all of Easy. He had separate profiles and stories for each man in the company. He even kept a list of the original group that had survived Sobel with him.

In 1951, he was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. He managed to get out of serving in combat. At first he took advantage of the reverse officers to have a six month delay in combat service He’d seen enough war.  He was also allowed to resign right before he was sent overseas, which he took. He resigned from the military in Seattle. 

He didn’t return back to Nixon’s family business and became a supervisor for a plaster mill in New Jersey. But in 1951, he bought a 106 acre farm in Pennsylvania. He rented out the farm house to an older lady. In 1955, he rented a home near Gettysburg, PA (author side note: now I see why we have a Band of Brothers shrine and most of his stuff. Yay Gettysburg!). 

Winters and his family moved into their farm in 1960. In 1972, he opened his own company where he distributed animal health products and feed. He retired in 1997 after working with Hershey for many, many years. 

In 1980, he had a reunion with Easy Company, after being too busy to attend one. He had written letters, called, and had visits with close friends from Easy Company men. The visits were normally of someone was passing through his local area. In 1988, he met with Stephen Ambrose. He had dedicated his second house in Hersey to recalling his wartime experience. 

Winters was loved by all. He was the man they would’ve followed into hell if they had to. Easy Company adored winters, even gave him a gold plate at his first reunion. They wrote poems about him. He was a humble man, who always led his men from the front and made himself an example for them to follow. 

Winters died January 2, 2011. He had lost the battle to Parkinson's Disease after several years but he still remains adored by many. After his death, a statue of him, standing 12 feet tall, was placed on Utah Beach. 

[happy-meo]

Out of the Egg. (Jungkook x Reader) Part 6 FINALE

“The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world.” – Demian by Hermann Hesse

Jungkook x Reader; (with the rest of the BTS members here and there)

Fluff, Suspense, Angst; mentions of violence, death, sexual harassment (briefly), and warfare

War/ Rebellion Au

Summary: The world you had once known is now bare and rotting with evil. Families were torn, houses were burned, and businesses were shattered by the Oppressors. In your world, there were only two possibilities – if you weren’t working with them, you were owned by them. However, a new faction arises that sings of hope and taking back the world that was once for the people, calling themselves “The Changers”. Although you tried to go unnoticed by either of them, out of fear of being killed or captured, you soon find yourself deep in the middle of the rebellion after an unexpected encounter.

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 (Finale)

A/N: Thank you everyone for the support and love for this story ~ honestly it was a different genre that I hadn’t really tried before so I’m so happy you all enjoyed it x) !! <3  

          Jungkook grabbed your hand tightly as he supervised Hoseok, who was using Namjoon's gadget to melt down the iron bars making up the entrance of the prison camp.

           You were weary and numb. Yoongi had patched up your wounded arm roughly and Jungkook had thrown his clothes on top of you, but you felt neither cold nor pain. You clutched Tae's name tag in your free hand firmly, not wanting to come to terms that he was really gone.

           Jungkook was most likely keeping you close because he knew you weren't stable at the moment, and you were thankful for his considerate, subtle actions. He had always been that way. He knew when to speak and when to just act. He gave your hand a little squeeze, causing you to look up just in time to see the prisoners' faces as they were finally freed.

           Some of the soldiers dropped to their knees as they were reunited with their family members and friends. The other soldiers glowingly watched the visible happiness and relief that overwhelmed the prisoners of this war.

           "We saved them, Y/N." Jungkook smiled sadly.

           And you knew exactly what he was feeling in that moment.

           You gripped his hand tighter and leaned your face into his shoulder. Because you knew that this meant everything was truly over. The fighting, the hiding, the living in fear. And while that was something to celebrate, you both couldn't help but feet empty in the midst of people rejoicing. For while you fought to regain freedom, you had lost so many in the process. You both no longer had any family to come home to. Your parents, Jungkook's brother, his parents, B, Taehyung...none of them could be returned. And most of all, the people you had once been before the war would never surface again. The scars were too deep and the price of victory steep.

           You wept into his shoulder, even though you thought you had no more tears left to cry. Jungkook turned and pulled you into his chest warmly.

           "You saved me, you saved us all." he whispered into your hair, and his words had you sobbing even harder.

           "Is he--" Jimin's voice cut into your crying.

           You heard his ragged breathing, figuring that he had run right over once he made sure everything was taken care of at the entrance of Capitol City. You pulled away from Jungkook sluggishly and stared at Jimin devastated, knowing your face would reveal it all.

           "Is he...is Tae really..."

           You watched Jimin's face contort into one of undeniable pain and sorrow. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground. Wailing, you lunged down and enveloped him in your arms. He gripped you tightly and you both cried together, finding comfort in each other, in the memory of your friendship with Tae, because you two had been the closest to him.

           "I'm so sorry...so sorry." Your voice trembled.

           Hoseok and Jin soon joined you two in the embrace, all mourning the loss of one of your family members.

           Yoongi frowned as he slid beside Jungkook. The Leader knew exactly what he was thinking from the little wrinkle knit between his brows.

           "I know." Jungkook hummed. "But it's not the time and place to discuss it."

           Yoongi nodded understandably. "What do you want me to do?"

           "Call Namjoon hyung. We have a lot of work to do and he's probably worried as heck."

           Yoongi chuckled and hurried off to follow his orders.

           Deciding you were in good hands with the other guys, Jungkook went over to tend to the malnourished and weak prisoners with the rest of his soldiers. But the atmosphere of positivity was soon broken when loud, angry voices were heard from a distance. Jungkook stood up, peering over to see what the commotion was about. A few of his soldiers were returning from the Capitol, dragging bounded and clearly wounded bodies of surviving Oppressor soldiers. He walked over to you and the other guys, gently laying a hand on your shoulder.

           "All of you get back." he instructed in a serious tone.

           Jimin and Hoseok grabbed your hand obediently, pulling you away to the safety of the other soldiers and freed prisoners of war.

           "What's going on here?" Jungkook questioned sternly.

           "We caught them, roughed them up a bit, and figured we'd put on a show while killing them." One of the soldiers grinned maniacally.  

           Jungkook furrowed his brow. "What were my orders?"

           "Capture any Oppressors, disarm them, and bring them straight to you."

           "Nowhere in my statement did I tell you to torture them."

           "But...weren't we just rounding them up to slaughter them in front of the prisoners?" another soldier spoke up.

           Jungkook shook his head. "That's not what we're going to do."

           "LEADER. WHY?" Another soldier stepped forward, distraught. "After everything they put us through? And how many people they killed? They were going to massacre those prisoners too! We NEED to show them who has the power here!"

           "We don't NEED to do anything with them." Jungkook frowned. "Why do you feel the need the kill? It won't make anyone feel better."

           "They could just rise up to power again! We need to kill all of them before they get to us!" the soldiers complained.

           One of the soldiers shoved his way up to the front, holding his gun tightly and dragging an Oppressor into view.

           "If the Leader is too much of a coward to do it, then I'll shoot them all myself!"

           The Oppressor soldier winced and shut his eyes in fright, but no gun shot was fired.

           "Did you just call the Leader a coward?" a rough, dangerous voice resounded in the silence.

           Everyone was waiting with bated breath for the events to unfold.

           You gripped your friends' hands tightly as you watched Min Yoongi holding a knife against that soldier's throat.

           "Move that gun, and this knife slices across your neck." Yoongi threatened.

           "What're you guys? Are you secret Oppressors, huh?" the soldier chuckled at Yoongi and Jungkook in disbelief.

           "I should be asking you that. Why are you all so eager to kill them? Afraid they'll blow your cover?" Yoongi smirked.

           "Yoongi." Jungkook stated seriously, giving him a firm look.

           Yoongi exhaled and stepped away from the soldier, irritated. "I swear I leave for a few minutes and there's another attempt at a turn over."

           Jungkook sighed and stepped forward, addressing everyone.

           "Massacre. Destruction. Unfair judgment. Fear. Bloodlust. Distrust. This is exactly what brought the Oppressors to power. I witness firsthand that these things were their driving force. Even amongst the highest ranks of Oppressors, they plotted assassinations. They killed for pleasure and for their own selfish needs. They didn't believe in anyone else but themselves. They were secretive, manipulative, and used their power and authority to make people act against their will."

           He turned to the Changer soldiers who were slowly loosening their hold on the captives.

           "If we succumb to that and let vengeance and the need to display our power and control through murder and torture take over, we wouldn't be any different from the very people we were trying to get rid of a few hours ago.

           Do you think those you are seeking revenge for would be happy watching you kill these men? Do you think they sacrificed themselves for you to massacre Oppressors instead? I, for one, do not believe that any of the loved ones we've lost wanted that from us. I, for one, am not stooping down to their level. I didn't put my life on the line countless of times just to become exactly what we fought against. I'm not starting this New World with more unnecessary deaths. Anyone who has a problem with that can step forward and speak up."

           The soldiers placed their guns down in shame. Jungkook glanced at Yoongi, who pouted and forcibly put his knife away too.

           "We'll leave it to the Security team and the Scholars to interrogate the Oppressors with our lie detector system. They will fairly enact punishments accordingly. But first and foremost, we have to take care of our own. These prisoners have faced far worst conditions than we have."  

           Jungkook turned and locked eyes with you, as if seeking your approval. You smiled proudly. He truly was a fantastic leader and had grown up to be such an admirable man.

           But suddenly, your image of him became blurred, and your body seemed to have realized that it was running on no sleep and food, and solely on emotional energy. No longer having control over your limbs, you watched the world turn upside down and fade to black.

           You woke up in the fairly familiar setting of Namjoon's hospital room. But being there made you wonder if you had dreamt the entire ending of the war or if it had, in fact, taken place.

           "Oh, you're awake."

           Namjoon waltzed in with a gentle smile. "Feeling better?"

           You glanced down at your arms; one had an IV drip inserted into it, and the other was professionally bandaged. You returned his smile and nodded.

           "Much." You hesitated. "Um...what happened?"

           He sat down and rolled his chair over to your bedside.

           "Well, we won the war thanks to you. We freed the prisoners, and then you fainted because you pushed your body to its limit, especially in your condition. Not many pregnant women can say they singlehandedly infiltrated enemy territory and bravely lured the main leader of the evil forces into an ambush."

           Namjoon winked at you playfully. You chuckled briefly then your face fell as the events that had taken place flooded back to you. After a few seconds of silence, you finally managed to ask the question on your mind.

           "And is Tae...?" You bit your lip.

           Namjoon smiled sadly, "I buried him next to his flower, as per his request."

           Your eyes watered and you clutched your blanket. He really was gone.

           "Before you all left, he asked me to give you something." Namjoon stood up and walked into his little office inside the room.

           When he came out, he was holding a small pot holding the same kind of flower that Tae had showed you before. Namjoon placed it by your bedside and sat down. With your hands shaking, you reached out to touch its beautiful petals.

           "He had another seed in his pocket when he came to the city, but he was saving it to plant after the war was over." Namjoon explained. "But when he found out you were pregnant, he immediately asked me to help him grow it. He wanted to gift it to you whenever the child was born. But when your unit was called forth, he requested that, if anything should happen to him and he didn't come back, I give it to you."

           Then he pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to you. "He also wrote a letter for each of you."

           You pressed it against your chest warmly. Taehyung had left so many pieces of himself behind.

           "I'll read it when I'm ready to." You hummed and Namjoon nodded, understanding that you weren't ready to confront the fresh scars just yet.

           He simply switched topics to get your mind off of Taehyung considerately.

           "I assumed you haven't told Jungkook about his child yet." Namjoon rolled his chair to grab your files on the counter and returned to you. "He kept asking all sorts of questions about your well-being and what you had been up to during his absence."

           You smiled, blushing. "Well we didn't exactly get to catch up with everything..."

           "No, I suppose not." Namjoon grinned.

           "How is the baby?" You glanced at him worriedly, fear crawling up your skin. "Did I push it too far? Did I..."

           Namjoon reached for your hand to compose you. "The baby is actually, and impressively, quite healthy and strong. It's growing well without any complications. It seems to have really taken after you and Jungkook."

           You breathed out in relief. "Oh thank goodness."

           "Y/N." Namjoon smiled happily. "Would you like to know the baby's gender?"

            Jungkook exhaled as he fixed his hair in front of the mirror. Namjoon had moved him into a room in HQ, knowing he'd want to be as close to the hospital rooms as possible. But the room was far too spacious for his taste. There was a large space between his closet, his mirror, his table, and the bed. Though, he shouldn't really be complaining about having too much space -- that was just ungrateful. Deep down he knew it only really felt empty because you weren't around. He wanted to hurry up and see you, to hold you soon.

           But another day of tending to the wounded and hearing about their strife awaited him. Not that he minded all too much, but it was more of Namjoon's thing. He would rather be out with the other soldiers building new houses or doing some sort of physical labor. But he knew he was the Leader of the Changers, and it was one of his duties.

           Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on his door.

           "Come in." he called as he threw on a white t-shirt.

           The eldest Council member slowly entered his room. Jungkook bowed deeply and offered him a seat. The old man exhaled as he settled into the chair.

           "Well done young Leader." he smiled. "We both know I had my reservations about you, but you truly have proved me wrong."

           Jungkook bowed his head shyly. "No, I even doubted myself. Do not worry about the past."

           The old man chuckled, "And luckily, I see the rest of the Council members returned as well, except for one."

           Jungkook looked down sadly, "He died in the final battle inside the Capitol."

           After a brief pause, the old man exhaled, "Well it seems he didn't carry out his mission in the end."

           Jungkook's eyes widened in realization, and his head immediately shot up. He inhaled sharply as a gun was quickly pressed into his forehead.

           "What..." he exhaled.

           "You weren't supposed to live after the victory was guaranteed you see." the old man smirked. "You would've been remembered as a valiant Leader had you died during the battle, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to spin you into a traitor."

           "What's the meaning of this?" Jungkook frowned.

           His hands subtly glided down his pants, but he had no weapons on his person. He was in a pinch.

           "We never intended you or D to gain leadership of the New World." the old man explained. His facade of being weak and frail had quickly been cast aside. Jungkook realized that he was actually spritely for his wrinkled, aged appearance. "We merely used both of you as pawns. Regardless of who won, we would've gotten rid of both of you, so that we could rise to power in the end."

           "And what makes you so fit for power?"

           "You're both fools who trusted people so easily. You and D. If you hadn't killed him, he would've gotten assassinated or spun as a traitor by his own officials, just like you're going to be. And I will set this New World into a New Age. Everyone will live under my absolute reign. They'll have enough to live on, but they shall be in such fear that they will do whatever I order. Everyone will live of course, as long as they follow what I say. I mean, isn't that what it means to be a ruler? To rule over the people. To have the highest power over others. I will be both revered and feared!"

           "No one will worship you." Jungkook spat.

           "Well, you won't be alive to find out." the old man cackled. "Because you're the only one standing in my way."

           Jungkook stared at him defiantly, watching his finger locked around the trigger. But before he could press it, the old man collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. Jungkook's eyes widened as he noticed the clean bullet hole lodged in the old man's forehead. He whipped his head around in time to see Yoongi hop out of the vent in his room. Exhaling in both terrified amusement and relief, he melted in his chair. He didn't even realize he had been holding his breath.

           "Holy shit." he lay a hand on his chest, his heart still racing.

           Yoongi grinned cheekily as he stood in front of Jungkook. "That's like the billionth time I saved you, Mr. Leader. Who's truly the most superior of us two?"

           "How did you--?" Jungkook questioned.

           "It wasn't me." Yoongi waved his hand and slung his gun proudly over his shoulder. "Namjoon warned me to keep an eye out for the old man too. And luckily, I made it here in time to save your ass."

           Jungkook grinned. "Do you actually love me, hyung?"

           Yoongi rolled his eyes and huffed, "Don't flatter yourself. It was your brother's last wish, and I'm sure B would come back and haunt me if I let you die by the gun of that wrinkled prune."

           Jungkook lunged forward to hug Yoongi tightly, while the latter flailed to get away from his embrace.

           "I swear! You and your girlfriend keep attacking me with affection! Just go hug each other and leave me out of it!" he protested but Jungkook smiled and held on gratefully.

           "It's cause you're so cute, hyung. You'll for sure be the godfather of our children!"

           Yoongi raised an eyebrow at Jungkook and the younger tilted his head curiously. "What?"

           Yoongi snorted and shook his head. "Nothing. I'll dispose of this body. You need to go greet your people."

           Jungkook groaned. "Oh man..."

           "Some Leader you are." Yoongi chuckled as he shoved Jungkook towards the door.

           Jungkook turned and grinned at Yoongi. "Hyung."

           "What?"

           "I'm glad I trusted you all those years ago."

           Yoongi chuckled. "You should be, you brat."

           "Thank you." Jungkook's brother smiled. His hand limply reached out for B's. Jungkook shut his eyes, trying not to break down, and helped them intertwine fingers.

           "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you hyung." Jungkook whispered as he turned B's face towards his brother's so it would be the last thing he saw.

           Jungkook wept as he continued to press B's and his brother's hands together, covering them with his own. But in the midst of his sobbing, he felt a piece of paper stuck inside B's lifeless hand.

           "Kook, we have to get out of here." Yoongi placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

           Grabbing the paper as he continued weeping, he stuffed it into his pocket and let Yoongi drag him away.

           It wasn't until a week or two later that he rediscovered B's note in his uniform pocket. Upon reading its content, he hurried over to Yoongi's room and dragged him all the way to Namjoon's lab.

           "What the hell, Kook?" Yoongi growled and shoved him away. "What's your problem?"

           Jungkook glanced at Namjoon and Yoongi seriously. "I'm trusting you two."

           Yoongi raised an eyebrow. "A pretty terrible idea, considering I don't like you very much."

           "That's exactly why I'm trusting you." Jungkook stated firmly while smiling. "You're not one for underhanded deceptions and lying, hyung."

           Yoongi furrowed his brow at his answer.  

           "Well, what are you trusting us with exactly?" Namjoon questioned nervously.

           "Your lab has no cameras or anything right?"

           "No." Namjoon chuckled. "I designed it as such."

           "Good." Jungkook pulled the paper out of his pocket.

           The other two scooted closer.

           "When we went on the rescue mission, I found this in B's hand." Jungkook breathed. "I was such a mess back then and when I got back that I had forgotten about it until now."

           "A piece of paper?" Yoongi was skeptical.

           "She wrote something in it." Jungkook continued as he unfolded it. "Read it."

           Yoongi and Namjoon scanned the paper and their eyes widened.

           "Jungkook, what..." Namjoon exhaled, shocked.

           "It's her handwriting right?" Jungkook looked to confirm it with Yoongi, who nodded, still staring at the familiar cursive.

           "It's hers alright." Yoongi stated. "But this is just..."

           Jungkook grabbed the paper and held it over one of Namjoon's candles.

           "What're you doing?!" Yoongi bellowed.

           "No one else can know but us three, okay?" Jungkook frowned. "If what it says is true, which it has to be considering B protected this information with her life, then we can't trust anyone else readily. I need to get rid of this evidence. It has to stay between us three."

           Namjoon nodded, "I agree."

           Yoongi clenched his fist angrily, realizing exactly what the message meant. He glanced at the other two with a fiery look. "What do we do?"

           "I have a crazy plan." Jungkook smiled weakly. "But it's going to require us to be at the top; we need power and authority."

           Yoongi scoffed half-heartedly and crossed his arms, "Well, that was my aim all along anyway."

           "What's the plan?" Namjoon asked.

           "We all get on the Council. If one of us becomes Leader, it'll be even better."

           Yoongi smiled as he recalled that exact day. On that very day, he had been contemplating some dark, harmful thoughts in his room. The pain that came with the loss of the only person he had considered a friend and family at the time was overwhelming, and he no longer felt that he had any motivation, desire, or purpose left to live.

           In one fell swoop though, Jungkook had literally dragged him out of his room, figuratively out of his thoughts, and unknowingly embraced him as a close trusted friend, despite everything. Jungkook had saved him from throwing away his life, gave him a new purpose and a place to belong-- beside him and Namjoon.

           Once Jungkook left the room, Yoongi kicked the lifeless corpse in front of him.

           "It was you wasn't it, old man? The one who betrayed B and gave her false information?"

           He exhaled and looked up at the ceiling sadly, remembering the last words he had seen from B.

           Scribbled on the paper that had saved both his and Jungkook's lives, and in turn, salvaged the future of the New World, read:

           There's a third party within the Changers. Beware my loves.  

           "You knew we'd find you, huh?" Yoongi chuckled to himself. "Truly a genius strategist until the very end."  

           You were trying to draw Tae's flower to pass the time when Jungkook peeked his head into your hospital room. It had been a few days since the war ended and you were beginning to wonder if you were going to see him in any time soon. So without a second thought, you chucked your pencil and paper to the side at the sight of him, and outstretched your arms welcomingly. You knew he had been going through so much lately. He still had to carry a heavy burden, despite the war being over. He easily slipped into your embrace and settled his face into the crook of your neck. You heard him sigh and relax into you.    

           "I'm so, so proud of you, Jungkook." You whispered as you stroked his hair.

           "I'm so sorry." he wrapped his arms tighter around you. "I'm sorry I left you like that. I'm sorry I made you cry and worry."

           You shut your eyes and inhaled, letting his familiar scent invade your senses. "I missed you."

           "I missed you so much." He pulled back a little so he could study your face intently.

           You cupped his face lovingly and smiled. You two were finally together, and nothing was going to separate you again.  

           He traced your arms carefully, and you knew he was scanning your body for injuries.

           "He didn't touch me." You answered knowingly. "I know you're worried whether the official had his way with me or--"

           You couldn't finish your statement because he crashed his lips onto yours roughly. You gasped for air as you heatedly returned his fervor. Carefully, he pushed your body down onto your bed as he climbed over you, lips still locked.

           "Don't remind me of that." he growled, his breath ghosting your face. "I was about to go insane at the thought of someone else touching you."

           You nodded as you pulled him down to continue your make-out. His hands made their way down to your waist, and you suddenly remembered that you had been keeping something quite important from him.

           Gently, you placed your hands on his chest and pushed him back. Panting and flushed, he looked at you worriedly.

           "Are you okay? Does something hurt?" he frowned.

           You smiled and shook your head. You shimmied your way to sit up and he did the same, bringing your legs up to rest over his thighs. Although you were sure he was puzzled by your actions, he patiently waited for your explanation.

           "Jungkook."

           "Hm?" his eyes landed on you curiously.

           "Don't freak out okay?" You reached out for his hand and he held on obediently.

           "Um it depends what you're going to tell me..." he hummed as he drew circles into the back of your hand with his thumb.

           "So you remember the night you left?"

           He smiled dreamily and nodded. "Of course. How could I forget?"

           He leaned over and kissed your cheek. "It was amazing."

           You blushed shyly. "Well...there's something you should know about that night..."

           He furrowed his brow, not catching on. As quick-witted Jungkook was on the battlefield, he was always fairly oblivious when it came to women and relationships. You took a deep breath and squeezed his hand gently before finally confessing,

           "Jungkook, I'm pregnant."

           He stared at you dumbfounded, probably waiting for you to tell him that you were kidding or something. But you watched him intently, waiting for the news to truly sink in. He blinked a couple of times then gasped.

           "WHAT? AND YOU CAME ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD?!"

           You rolled your eyes. "Seriously? THAT'S the first thing you say?!"

           Jungkook stared at the empty space in front of him clearly flabbergasted. "Well I - what --what-- WHAT?"

           You chuckled, holding onto his hand, figuring you should give him some time to process the information before expecting him to be coherent. So you answered his question in the meanwhile, "I wanted to guarantee a better future for our child...I couldn't give birth, only to have them suffer or trained to be a soldier...you know. So that's why I knew I had to go into battle."

           Jungkook laughed loudly, the news finally processing, and then exhaled in awe, "Oh my god. I'm going to be a father? We're going to be parents?!"

           Your lips curled up, happy that he had taken it positively. You were worried he wasn't going to want the responsibility when he had so much on his plate already.

           "I know you have a lot to do as Leader, so don't worry too much about me. I have it planned out and the boys will be there if anything. I know you're going to be busy and --"

           He pulled you onto his lap and hugged you tightly, kissing the top of your head repeatedly.

           "No way, Y/N. I'm going to be there with you two every step of the way!" he breathed and tightened his hold on you, as if he wanted your bodies to meld into one. You smiled in amusement. You could feel the genuine emotion behind his voice and his actions, and soon, you felt his tears trickle down against your cheek. "I'm so happy, Y/N. I'm so, so happy. That's our child. Our child. Our little Jeon."

           Then he pulled your bodies apart hurriedly. You watched his brows knit together curiously.

           "But that was so dangerous, going into battle! You both could've been in serious danger! No, you WERE in danger! What were Yoongi and Namjoon thinking?!"

           You pinched his cheeks and wiped his tears away, chuckling. "Pick an emotion Jungkook. Are you happy, sad, or angry?"

           "Ugh, I'm all three." he sniffled. "Why do you always make me so soft?"

           You laughed as you kissed him sweetly. You truly loved this man so much.

           A few weeks later, with the resemblance of a bustling town finally forming on the surface, the day came to inaugurate the leader of the New World.

           You were discharged a day or two after Jungkook's visit, and had immediately taken to helping out with building rapport with the people, trying to hear out their complaints, their suggestions, and their requests with Namjoon. In the meanwhile Jungkook, Yoongi, and the other soldiers were helping out with the manual labor and protection of the city. So it wasn't odd that when Inauguration Day came, you were greeting people easily by name. And while walking away, you made sure to remind Jungkook about their names and details about them.

           "A good leader needs to know his people's names, Jungkook." You scolded as you two made your way into his waiting room for the big day.

           "Y/N. There is no way I'm going to remember everyone's name. I've been their Leader for a year or two now, and I honestly don't recall half their faces." Jungkook groaned as you fixed his tie.

           "Alright, well at least remember SOMETHING about them. Like their hair color, their eyes, so they can see that you actually like them and care for them."

           He exhaled. "How about I just say hi to them for now? I'll work on it. I'm not too good with people yet."

           You chuckled as you straightened out his bangs gently. "Deal. Since I know you're fairly shy and introverted."

           "Thank you." He kissed you lightly and stepped back, buttoning up his sleek black suit jacket. "Well? How do I look? I haven't worn one of these...ever...actually. This is fancy."

           You smiled. "Handsome. As always."

           A faint blush dusted his cheeks and he shied away at your straight forward compliment. His moments of rare vulnerability and shyness always made your heart flutter. You would've attacked him right then and there, was he not about to go on stage in front of thousands of people. You didn't want to dishevel the appearance you had been straightening out in the first place. You giggled to yourself; that would have to wait until later.

           "Nervous?"

           Jungkook grabbed your hand and shook his head. "Not really."

           "Do you have a speech planned or did Namjoon write it for you?"

           He chuckled, "I wrote it myself this time."

           "Wowww." You nudged. "I'm impressed."

           He rolled his eyes. "No faith in me."

           You laughed, "Well the last time I saw you making a speech was in school, and you were so shy that you had to present facing the chalkboard."

           "No." He tucked your hair behind your ear and rubbed your shoulders warmly as he grinned. "The last time you saw me make a speech was the day we were reunited, and you thought I was so chic and manly, you immediately fell in love with me at the podium."

           You squinted your eyes. "Are you sure we're thinking of the same moment? I don't recall that ever happening."

           He wrapped his arms around your waist and scrunched his face. "So you didn't fall in love with me when I saved you and then when I was addressing people coolly?"

           You shook your head as you slipped your arms under his, encircling his body too. "No, I'm pretty sure I was already in love with you when we were kids."

           Jungkook chuckled and kissed your forehead. "Then why didn't you say anything, silly?"

           "You didn't say anything either." You pouted and blushed. "How was I supposed to know when you started seeing me as a lover instead of a friend?"

           Jungkook's lips curled up, "Do you remember when you cried to me the first time?"

           You looked to the ceiling, giving it serious thought. "When you found me on the swing after I got scolded badly?"

           Jungkook nodded.

           "Was that when you fell in love with me?"

           "Hmm..." Jungkook hummed. "Who knows?"

           You raised an eyebrow. "Then why bring it up?"

           He swayed your bodies side to side slowly. "You remember the conversation we had?"

           You smiled and nodded.

             "Y/N!" Jungkook panted as he hurried over to your lonely figure on the swing. "You can't be out alone so late! It's dangerous! And everyone's so worried."

           He knelt in front of you because you were staring intently down at the ground, trying to hold back your tears. You twisted the swing, not wanting him to see you and clearly wanting to be by yourself.

           But Jungkook had no intention of leaving you alone; he walked around and squatted in front of you again. He was determined to find out what happened. You were usually such an obedient child and you were always close and loving with your parents. This type of behavior was so unexpected that your parents had enlisted his help to find you. When he heard that you had run out of the house after yelling at and arguing with your parents, he stumbled out of his apartment hurriedly, not worrying about putting on proper shoes or a jacket.

           "Hey. What happened?" he asked gently, hugging his knees to keep warm as he looked up at you intently, trying to catch a glimpse of your face.

           You sniffled. "I don't want to talk about it."

           Jungkook nodded and waddled over, tilting his head to peek up at you. "Can I at least see that you're really Y/N?"

           You lifted your head and furrowed your brows at him, irritated. "I don't need your teasing right now, Jungkook."

           He frowned, seeing you weren't in the best mood. "Well what do you need from me right now? I'll give it to you."

           He watched you stare at him for a few seconds, contemplating. Then he blinked as you untwisted your swing, your back now facing him, and outstretched your hand. His lips curled up understandably. He sat in the adjacent swing and grabbed your hand silently. You both sat in the stillness of that night for a few minutes without saying a word.

           "Kookie..." He turned to you, finally hearing your voice.

           "Hm?" he hummed as he watched your side profile.

           "I said some bad things to people." You admitted.

           "Define bad?"

           "When I was shopping for groceries earlier, I heard some people making fun of my parents. And I don't know..." He felt you squeeze his hand tighter and he spotted your eyes glistening. "It just hurt to hear that. They always work so hard for me, and they didn't deserve to be looked down on. And I just started saying bad things back to them and if my parents didn't drag me away, I would've fought someone."

           Jungkook smiled and stood in front of you. "And? Why did you run out of the house?"

           "Because my parents scolded me and I was so frustrated. I was only defending them! Why were they getting mad at me, but they didn't budge at the other people? Why was it so wrong to speak up? Why do people have to judge others like that?" Tears streamed down your face as you broke down. "Then I started wondering why people at school bullied me and I got sad because I thought if I was so mad at my parents for this one time, you were probably so fed up with me. Because you're always defending me but I tell you to stop because I was so worried they'd target you next or you'd get hurt cause of me. Then I was like 'ah that's exactly what my parents were thinking'. And I just--"

           You leaned forward and sobbed into his stomach. Jungkook stroked your hair gently.

           "You're not wrong, Y/N. No one but those people who degraded you and your parents without knowing you was wrong. Anybody who makes assumptions without knowing the person is definitely wrong."

           "I'm just so frustrated, Jungkook. I'm so angry and I feel so upset." You clutched at his shirt.

           He pried your hands off of his waist and squatted in front of you so he could see your tear-stricken face clearly.

           "Well, what kind of place do you want the world to be Y/N?" he smiled gently.

           He caressed your face warmly as you stared up at him lovingly.

           "It was thanks to you that I didn't get corrupted as a Leader."

           You looked at him inquisitively.

           "Because I always remembered your answer, and I always told myself that regardless of where you were and what happened to you, I wanted you to be proud of me. I wanted to gift you the kind of world that you wanted to see when we were kids."

           Your eyes watered as you saw the pure expression of gentleness and love displayed on his face.

           "Y/N." he blushed shyly and averted his gaze.

           "Yes?"

           "I know...you might've wanted something fancy...and you probably wanted a ring...and stuff..." he fumbled, and your heart raced as you realized what he was getting at. "And right now may not be the best time...ah maybe I should've done it later...but then again, it's weird going back on it now..."

           You grabbed his lapel and pulled him down roughly, capturing his lips with yours. He tensed up at first, surprised by your aggressive attack, but he soon eased into the kiss, tilting his head to deepen it.

           Breathing heavily, he rested his forehead against yours, "Will you marry me, Y/N?"

           You beamed and nodded fervently. "Yes, Jeon Jungkook. Yes. Of course I'll marry you."

           Jungkook laughed happily, relieved.

           "You gave me a New World." You wrapped your arms around his neck. "That's more than I deserve."

           He shook his head. "No, Y/N. You deserve the world."

           Your lips curled up. You didn't think it was fair for you to be so irreparably happy in this moment, but you were. And it only served to fill you with hope for what was to come.

           "Alright. If you lovebirds are finished sucking face." Yoongi lazily knocked on the already open door of the waiting room as he leaned against the door frame. "We have an inauguration to do."

           "She said yes Yoongi!!" Jungkook beamed ecstatically.

           Yoongi rolled his eyes. "Like she really was going to say no? She literally moped for a week when you left, then risked her life and your child's to save your ass from the Capitol." Then he paused. "No, actually I can see why she would say no. You're a pain to handle. You have my permission to reject him, Y/N. Don't answer too hastily. Think about it first."

           You giggled as Jungkook pulled his hyung into a playful headlock and they began rough housing. The fighting hurriedly stopped though when Namjoon entered the room.

           "Everyone's waiting Jungkook."

           Jungkook grinned as he patted Namjoon's shoulder. "Ready?"

           Namjoon smiled warmly, "Of course."

           Yoongi grinned and you furrowed your brows, wondering what the three were silently communicating to each other.

           "I'll be back wifey!" Jungkook called out cheekily, causing you to roll your eyes. "Watch your cool fiancee on the podium!"

           Yoongi shoved him out the door, "Yeah, yeah. Just go. I'll make sure your precious fiancee is watching."

           Jungkook giggled and soon disappeared with Namjoon.    

           "Ready, shortie?" Yoongi called out to you and you scurried to him.

           Jungkook exhaled deeply as he rolled his shoulders, waiting backstage.

           "You sure you don't want my emergency speech?" Namjoon teased.

           Jungkook nudged him. "No hyung. I should at least do this much on my own."

           "Ohhh~" Namjoon cooed. "You've grown up, Jungkook."

           Jungkook chuckled as the lights flashed onto the podium. "Well, wish me luck, hyung."

           Namjoon shook his head. "You don't need luck, you rascal."

           "Probably not." Jungkook grinned cheekily as he stepped onto the stage.

           The entire congregation stood up. Applause and cheers erupted as he stepped up to the podium. He glanced down and spotted you beside Yoongi in the front row. He winked at you playfully, and it eased his nerves to see you flustered because of it. Raising his head confidently, he looked out towards the sea of people staring at him with bright eyes.

           Taking a deep breath, he began,

           "As many of you know, I'm Jeon Jungkook, Leader of the Changers. While many of you have rested our victory on my shoulders, I'm afraid that I cannot take the credit at all. While I may have been the face and some of the power behind the Changers, I did not do it alone. I would not be standing here before you and you in front of me, without each other, for every class in the City played an essential and significant role in this war. You all fought for your rights and freedom that you have regained by using your skills and talents. You all fought bravely and stood tall in the face of utter darkness and oppression.

           As one who has been there with you through it all, as one who has seen countless of battles these past few years, and as the last Leader of the Changers, I understand exactly the kind of person the people need to bring them forward into the New World. And what the people need from here on out is someone...not like me."

           People murmured worriedly, and Jungkook smiled as he saw your puzzled expression.

           "From here on out, we will no longer be in a state of war. So what the people need is someone who understands peace, someone who is of the people, someone who has been with the people rather than on the battlefield. Someone who values life above all. While I will be the right-hand man who protects that value, I will not be the right man to lead you into the New World of Change.

           So with my remaining powers as Leader of the Changers, I bestow this position to someone I know will inarguably take this power with dignified class and a good heart. The person I believe will best suit this position is none other than my Advisor--the mind, heart and soul of the City-- Kim Namjoon. The very man who instilled hope and fire in all of us through the dark times, who has insurmountable knowledge and has and will use it to bring out the best in all of us, for all of us.

           Everyone, I'd like you to welcome the Leader of the New World, Kim Namjoon."

           "Namjoon-hyung. Yoongi-hyung." Jungkook stated seriously in his room, a week or two after claiming the title of Leader. "I have another crazy plan. Will you listen?"

           "Well the first crazy plan did actually come true." Yoongi snorted. "What is it this time?"

           "If..." Jungkook bit his lip. "If we really win during my reign or if Yoongi hyung, you end up stepping up to be Leader in my place, I want Namjoon hyung to take over once the war ends."

           "What?" Namjoon gasped. "ME? A leader? Oh no, no, no. I'm not a leader."

           Jungkook laughed, "I think you're more a leader than I am, hyung. And I believe that you're our best chance at peace."

           Yoongi nodded and smiled. "I agree."

           Namjoon blushed. "I'm flattered but honestly, I don't know the first thing about being a leader..."

           Jungkook laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled, "Just be yourself hyung. Yoongi hyung and I believe in you so until you see it inside yourself, we'll keep reminding you."

           Namjoon glanced at the two timidly. He was grateful for the confidence, but would he really be what was best for the world?

           "Tell you what, hyung." Jungkook grinned. "If Yoongi hyung and I really triumph over the Oppressors, then you'll become Leader, okay?"

           Namjoon raised an eyebrow. "How does that work?"

           "Well you thought something along the lines that it would be 'impossible' for you to be a good leader, right?" Jungkook laughed. "If we accomplish something people thought would be 'impossible' for us youngsters, then it wouldn't really be impossible now would it?"

           Namjoon burst out laughing. "I get what you're saying, but it's ridiculous."

           "So it's a promise, okay?" Jungkook grinned.

           "Alright." Namjoon hooked his pinky around Jungkook's. "Show me the impossible, kid."

             Namjoon's lips curled up. Jungkook and Yoongi really had showed him, and it was now his turn to live up to his end of the promise. If they had faith in him enough to win the war, then he really felt like he could do the impossible for them in return. Jungkook hugged him warmly as they passed each other on stage.

           "Now you could finally say your own speech." Jungkook winked teasingly.

           Namjoon chuckled as he walked to the podium.

           "Hello everyone. As Jungkook said, I'm Kim Namjoon. I've met so many of you and had the pleasure of conversing with you already, so it seems odd to be standing so far from you when I'm used to being face-to-face." He laughed. "But as leader, I hope to continue being someone who will stand level with you all rather than above."

           There was surprised and excited murmuring throughout the place.

           "We are at the crossroad between innocence & knowledge. It is not what has happened but what we will do, moving forward that will define us. For now we see before us, a blank canvas, but inside us, hide a wide array of textbooks. For our individual experiences, our memory of these tragic times will spur us into action, so that this will never happen to our children or our children's children and so on and so forth. For remembrance is key, for if we forget, we will not take caution, and if do not take caution, history will be doomed to repeat itself at a much greater cost. For while we progress, so too does the darkness that we triumphed. For as we rebuild and gain more, greed and jealousy are fed, ungratefulness surfaces, and we no longer will appreciate the things that we were limited and denied these past few years.

           Remember these times and let the future know of it as well. Of the times when we had to ration, when we had to hide, when we were discriminated unjustly, when we had no place to call home; when our young men and women had to take up arms and fight, giving up their dreams to lend their bodies to warfare.

           Everyone, we may be surrounded by destruction right now, but it is simply the beginning foundation for rebirth and reform. For without destroying the things that had bounded us for so long, we have no hope of progressing towards a better, brighter future.

           One thing is for certain, we will continue to shed different aspects of ourselves as children emerging into adulthood and as adults continuing the thorny path into the unforeseeable, unknown future. We will naturally fall into temptation as part of our human nature, but we have the ability to choose, to not let those times of ill judgment define us, to rise above it as we have over the Oppressors. We have a chance to be reborn now that we have shattered our preconceptions, our limitations, and narrow view of the world.

           And as the new Leader, I want to first abolish the belief that a leader is someone who rules absolute over everyone, for I do not believe that the people serve the Leader, but the Leader should serve its people. I want to build our foundations on the trust that the Oppressors lacked. Trust between the leader and its people. Trust in effective communication, and trust in relationships. Just as Jungkook said that he couldn't win this war without you all, I can't build the New World without everyone here, so I ask you to trust in me for I have absolute faith in you. That you will not let me stray, that you will not cower in fear when there is something to be said."

           Namjoon glanced over at you and Yoongi then to the side of the stage where Jungkook was grinning widely. He chuckled and continued,  

           "May we remain humble and grateful so that the darkness cannot consume us, but may we not delude ourselves and remain vigilant to the signs of corruption and evil. May we not give in to fear as we once did and let someone trample over us like we are worthless. May we have the strength to stand up and question, instead of blindly accepting. Together, let us create a stronger, better, and more admirable world than before! Thank you and please look after me."

           Namjoon stepped away from the podium and bowed deeply to everyone.

           Immediately, thunderous applause filled the place. Namjoon began to tear up at everyone's immense support happily.

           A few weeks after the inauguration, Jungkook dragged you out of your still underground room like an excited puppy.

           "What's going on, Jungkook?" You chuckled. You could practically see him wagging his tail while he led you to the surface.

           "It's a surprise!" he sang as he continued to grip your hand tightly.

           You smiled as you let him lead you wherever this surprise was.

           "Close your eyes. We're almost there."

           You glanced at him skeptically, but did as he said. He placed his hands on your shoulders and maneuvered you forward for a few minutes, checking every so often whether you were peeking or not. Finally, he came to a stop and hugged you from behind.

           "Open your eyes."

           Your eyes fluttered open and you gasped. In front of you was a small little cottage with a white fence and a small garden at front. It was a replica of the dream house you used to draw when you were little. It was absolutely beautiful.

           "Jungkook..." You breathed, touched beyond belief.

           "Welcome home, Y/N." he kissed your cheek as he continued to hold you.

           "This is really ours?"

           "Mhm. I've been working on it with the other guys. That's why I haven't been able to see you as often."

           You stared at it in awe. Your home. Yours and Jungkook's home. Your heart welled up with emotion.

           "You like?" Jimin giggled as he stepped out of the house adjacent to yours happily. "I helped with the garden. Oh and I live here with Hoseok and Jin. We'll be neighbors!"

           You laughed, extremely touched and trying not to cry. Jimin smiled knowingly, and waved as he walked away, leaving you two alone again. You glanced at the house on the other side of yours, wondering.

           "Is that...?"

           "Yoongi's and Namjoon's." Jungkook answered knowingly. "Can't have the godfathers of our child too far from us."

           You smiled blissfully with tears in your eyes, turning around to face your fiancée.

           "Jungkook."

           "Yes?"

           "I have a name for our child already."

           He looked at you for a few seconds before asking, "What's the name?"

           You stepped back, looking up at the sun that, for the first time in years, was peeking out through the clouds. Its embrace on your skin filled you with a familiar sense of warmth that had once coursed through your body whenever a certain person had grinned brightly during the days of darkness. You smiled sadly at the memory then turned your attention back to Jungkook.

           Jungkook cupped your face lovingly and rested his forehead onto yours as tears finally streamed down your cheeks. He smiled as he peppered your face and lips with gentle, chaste kisses as you fought to compose yourself.

           After a long exchange of locked lips, expressing how much he truly loved you and you, him, you finally replied,

           "Taehyung." You stared into his eyes intently. "I want to name him Taehyung. So Taehyung can see and experience the sunshine, the ground with bare feet, the garden of flowers we're going to plant, the bright blue skies, and the New World... the future we're going to build."