#this came out way more orange than I intended

[ubejamjar]

What… What am I doing? I can't. I can't do this. Not to another kid like me.

[say-al0e]

Cling

Rating: M | This is smut! Minors, DNI! No one under 18!

Summary: For as long as you could remember, you and Steve have been close. What others see as clingy, Steve sees as comforting, right? Or, you fell in love with your best friend and suddenly, everything is too much. Warnings: Unprotected PinV, oral (f!receiving), blink and you'll miss it angst. Pairing: Steve x fem!Reader Words: 5.5k

Though the sun had long disappeared, dipped below the horizon in a blaze of oranges and reds hours ago, the scent of artificial coconut and chlorine lingered as you lounged beside the Harrington pool.

The kids disappeared with Eddie the moment the sky tinted pink, off to finish a campaign they spent much of the day discussing, and Robin followed soon after with a weak excuse designed to hide her true destination of Vicky’s house - despite the fact that you all knew.

That left you and Steve, always the last two standing.

Steve stretched out on a lounge chair to your left - sunglasses resting atop his head, t-shirt forgotten somewhere in the backyard, garishly patterned swim trunks resting low on his hips. His eyes were closed, chest rising and falling evenly, though you knew he was far from sleep.

Regardless, you took the chance to study him in the rare moment of silence.

The apples of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose were tinted pink, not burned enough to cause concern but clearly effected by his time in the sun. His hair was wild and beginning to curl, free of gel and still a little damp from his last dip in the pool. The weeks of swimming, back in the pool where he spent so much time growing up, had toned his arms - his shoulders, his stomach, his thighs - and you could see the result of his resumed habits so clearly.

A swath of hair covered his chest, tapered into a faint line that disappeared into the band of his trunks, and you were struck by just how many times you’d been here - sitting to his right, smelling of chlorine and coconut. Over a decade of friendship, more than half your life, and you’d witnessed Steve go from a lanky boy to a confident twenty-something. 

Moments like this reminded you of why your best friend was one of the most sought-after bachelors in Hawkins and why, somewhere along the line, you joined the long list of those desperate for him to give you the time of day.

Only, you were lucky enough to be one of the few that had Steve’s full attention. There was little question that he knew everything - nearly everything, not this, never this - there was to know about you. Even less of a question that you would be sharing his bed later on, though not in the way you’d secretly started to want.

“Quit starin’ at me, creep.” Steve’s voice came then, before you could begin to spiral and question whether you could handle another night of sleeping beside him - wrapped in his embrace, his sheets, his scent - and you hummed.

“Just seeing if I need to get the aloe,” you teased, hoping it sounded as light as you meant it. “Should’ve listened to me, when I told you to put on sunscreen.”

Steve laughed. “You mean I should’ve sat still while you attacked me with it. I would’ve, if you’d given me some warning. Not nice to just start mauling a guy.”

“I know you dream about me mauling you.” The deflection was easy, reflexive, and accompanied by a laugh that rang a touch hollow in your own ears but Steve huffed, good-natured, anyway.

“Hm. Think that’s the other way around.” He cracked open an eye, then, and turned his head to glance at you while you reached for his half-empty beer in an effort to avoid meeting his eyes.

“Please,” you scoffed, though it was weaker than you intended. “I can’t get you to stop touching me.”

Despite his upbringing - or, really, because of it - Steve sought physical affection in those closest to him. It was true that he hadn’t stopped touching you over the course of your friendship, hugs and holding hands and cuddling on the couch. There was never any hesitation, never any awkward shuffling or adjusting. It was as natural as breathing, comfortable, and lately, you savored every brush of his skin against yours.

Still, Steve waved a dismissive hand and reached for the pack of cigarettes he discarded on the table after the kids left. “Sure.” He lit one, fixed you with a teasing grin as he took a drag. “Easy for you to say when you’re the clingiest person I know.”

The observation was not unkind. If anything, it was soft - fond. It was a joke he’d made before, once or twice, but the label ‘clingy’ struck a nerve that he likely had no idea even existed. One that hadn’t existed until recently.

There was a conversation that you weren’t supposed to hear. It was Eddie, asking the kids if he had a chance - whether you and Steve were, you know, a thing - and their varying responses. He only asked because of how close you were, he explained, how often Steve had an arm around you or you clasped his hand in yours.

Someone, you didn’t catch who because the words rang harsh in your ears, dismissed his concerns with the dreaded refusal, “Just friends.” Though another followed it with, “I’d be annoyed if I were Steve. She’s always all over him and they’re not even dating. So clingy.”

Eddie laughed, as did the others, and you waited just beyond the door for a few moments to pretend that you hadn’t heard.

After, you tried to distance yourself, if only a little, without arousing Steve’s suspicions. Despite being called clueless, unobservant or even stupid, despite his difficulty connecting the dots, there was little about you that escaped his notice. It was difficult to create space when none had existed since you were children and, clearly, you hadn’t done a very good job, anyway.

“Yeah, well, I’ll unstick myself from your side.” You intended the quip to be teasing, a joke that earned you a laugh or a soft swat as you passed him by, but it came out wrong. The words were acidic, tasted bitter in the back of your throat as they rolled off your tongue, and you could see him wince from the sting of them as you stood from your chair. “I’m gonna go shower,” you deflected, unable to look at him. “Chlorine’s burning my eyes.”

Steve sat upright as you gathered your towel and discarded clothes, your empty soda can and the tube of tropical sunscreen. He stubbed out his cigarette and reached out, hand searching for yours and coming up empty for the first time in a long time.

“Wait,” he urged, rising to his feet as you busied yourself with removing any trace of your presence from the immediate vicinity. “Did I… what did I say? Whatever it was, I didn’t -“ His brows furrowed as he lifted the hand you avoided and carded it through his hair, sighing when you winced at the sound of his sunglasses clattering to the ground.

“You didn’t - it’s nothing.” Steve tipped his head, an attempt to catch your eye as you blinked back the stinging sensation - chlorine, really, and overwhelmed, traitorous tears. “Just tired.”

From the corner of your eye, you caught sight of his face. He wore a concerned frown, warm eyes raking over your form as he recounted the last few moments, before he winced. “Oh. Shit. Hey, you know I’m joking,” he insisted, taking a half-step closer. And when you took a full step back, he frozen, uncertain - unused to the distance. “I didn’t mean it like that. You know I love it when you’re close to me. It’s nice. I’m not - that was a shitty thing to say.”

“It’s okay.” You waved him off, a dismissive hand held aloft for a moment before dropping to hold your towel close to your chest, and hoped he believed the crack in your voice was from the yelling you’d done earlier in the day. “It’s true, ’s’what everyone thinks, anyway.”

“What?” He looked confused, frown deepening as he tried again. He took a cautious step to close some of the distance and lifted a hand to reach out for you before thinking better of it. His hand fell to his side and you clutched the material in your arms tight to your chest to keep from reaching out yourself. “No one thinks that.”

“They do,” you confessed, finally lifting your head to meet his gaze as you forced a laugh. “They think it’s weird and sad and annoying that I’m, like, all over you. They think I’m, like, obsessed or something.” The admission was uttered casually, as easily as you could manage when your heart felt as if it might beat out of your chest, and Steve took another tentative step forward.

“Who said that?”

Though it was phrased as a question, it came out a demand. His expression shifted, flickered from soft concern to annoyance - not at you, very rarely at you - as he waited.

“I overheard the kids joking about it,” you told him with a sigh. “And back when you were dating Nancy, Tommy and Carol said something. So did Billy. It didn’t bother me then ‘cause Tommy and Carol and Billy were morons, but now, well… Maybe they were right. I - I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so… attached.”

Steve stepped closer then, insistent despite your feeble attempt to keep the distance, and reached out for you. One warm, large hand fell to your waist, fingers finding bare skin still warm from the sun while the other cupped your cheek. He was patient, soft, as he encouraged you to meet his eyes once more.

“They were total morons. I’m honestly surprised they paid enough attention to someone else to notice,” he huffed, rolling his eyes at the memory of your former friends. “And the kids, they’re just kids. They don’t - don’t listen to them, alright. I don’t think you’re clingy or annoying or sad or anything else. I think you’re my best friend and I like being close to you.”

Though it brought you comfort to hear how adamantly he denied thinking you were clingy - how adamantly he denied finding your constant presence annoying - the reminder that he only saw you as a friend did little to ease the roiling in the pit of your stomach. 

A fresh wave of traitorous tears stung at the backs of your eyes and you did your best to blink them away as you nodded. “Yeah,” you nodded, acknowledging him with a watery half-smile. “Okay.”

“Hey, I’m serious,” he asserted, dipping his head to search your face for the answer to a question he had yet to ask. “I want you close to me, like, all the time. Robin laughs at me but I don’t really know what to do when you’re not there. I like it when you hold my hand or sit on my lap. It… it makes me feel like you want me with you as much as I want to be with you.”

Though the lump in your throat persisted, though the tears still threatened to fall, you immediately reassured him. “Of course I want you to be with me. I love spending time with you.” You sighed, allowing yourself to melt into Steve’s touch. “It’s always been us.”

“Always has been, always will be,” he confirmed, smile soft but still a touch concerned. He hesitated for a moment, seeming to weigh his words for the first time in a long time, before he settled on asking, “What’s up, babe? Why’d it bother you so much?”

“It’s stupid.”

Immediately, Steve shook his head. He refused to allow you to wave it off, to dismiss the tease that clearly hurt your feelings, as his thumb stroked your cheek. “It’s not, not if it’s bothering you.”

“I just…” You inhaled sharply, eyes closing as you attempted to gather your thoughts. Though Steve’s closeness would’ve brought you comfort under ordinary circumstances, it made it difficult for you to concentrate as your heart began to beat a touch too fast. “Just been thinking,” you finally began, choosing your words carefully. “It was fine when we were kids but, I mean, we’re adults now. What happens when one of your dates pays off and you find someone to fall in love with? Don’t think she’ll be too happy with, you know, this. It’s not like we can cuddle on the couch or have sleepovers for the rest of our lives.”

Steve remained quiet for a long moment - a silence that stretched on forever, thick and suffocating - and you swallowed the emotion clumping in the back of your throat before opening your eyes. You were met with his warm gaze, soft brown eyes flickering with an emotion you couldn’t quite read as he took a half-step closer.

“What if… I mean, we could.” Two words, and you felt frozen in uncertainty. Everything around you, everything outside of Steve, ceased to exist. You could feel your heart thudding heavily in your chest, your breath caught in your throat as you waited for him to elaborate. “The dates,” he began, now looking as nervous as you felt, “none of them have felt right. They don’t feel like this, like us. They don’t make me feel like you do.”

For months, you’d dreamt that Steve felt the same way. You imagined that somewhere, beneath the fond smiles and teasing jabs lingered the same nerves, the same butterflies, the same all-encompassing love. You imagined that his head was full of the same ‘what-if’s’ as you shared his bed, the same hope that you’d share the same bed for the rest of your life. You dreamt that he would one day confess his love and end your hopeless attempt at getting over him.

But now that it seemed within your grasp, so close you could practically feel his heart beating just as erratically as your own, it felt too good to be true.

“What does that mean?”

The question came as a whisper, afraid that if you spoke too loud you might break whatever spell had been cast over the backyard, but Steve heard it clearly. He met it with a half-smile as the hand on your hip began to trace nonsensical patterns across your skin - a nervous habit that made you feel as if your skin was on fire.

“Means that I want to keep holding your hand and having sleepovers,” he elaborated, voice soft in the still of the night. “Means that I… I don’t want to keep going on dates with anyone but you. Every time I think about the future, it changes - what I’m doing, where I live. But you’re always there and that’s all I want. I’ve been trying to pretend like I’m not in love with you but I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

Steve’s confession rang in your ears, crashed over you like a tidal wave, and left you unable to speak - unable to breathe. He waited, patient, understanding, as your racing thoughts scrambled in search of something coherent. But when you failed to gather anything resembling a complete sentence, you decided to allow your actions to speak for you.

In the way that you’d started to imagine as you drifted off to sleep, you dropped the items in your arms and lifted your hands to tangle in his hair to pull him in close. He smelled of summer - cigarettes, cheap beer, artificial coconut and chlorine - and something so unerringly Steve that you suddenly couldn’t imagine being this close to anyone else.

The hand on your cheek was encouraging, soft and warm as he tipped your chin, and you gave in to the urge you’d been fighting. With one step, you pressed yourself close - your chest meeting his, the warmth of his bare skin setting your nerve endings alight - and pressed your mouth to his.

Despite your expectations, there were no fireworks, no sparks or heavenly choirs, but there was an instant sense of comfort. Kissing Steve felt like coming home, warm and easy, as if you’d done it a thousand times before. 

There was no awkward shuffling, no tentative brushes of uncertain lips. Instead, you moved together seamlessly. His body slotted against yours perfectly, fit exactly as if you belonged there - together, intertwined. His lips were soft, as plush as you’d imagined, and his skin was so warm that you wondered if you would be branded with his touch before the night was over.

Though your fantasies varied - desperate kisses, eager to make up for lost time; filthy ones, a mess of lips and tongues and teeth, as you swapped spit and stumbled down a dark hallway toward his bedroom; soft kisses, designed to convey years of unspoken feelings - this kiss destroyed them all.

It was soft, slow and eager as you sought to become acquainted with the taste of one another, and laced with the underlying promise of a beautiful future.

Steve’s touch was eager, unrestrained and achingly familiar, as he held you close and swallowed the soft noises you made. Every breathless gasp and quiet sigh of pleasure, was met with a hum of his own as he slipped the hand on your cheek to the back of your neck.

Neither of you wanted the kiss to end, content to breathe in one another until your lungs collapsed, but the lack of oxygen and the reality of the situation had you feeling dizzy enough to break away. But as close as you’d always been, Steve kept you pressed tight to his body and rested his forehead against yours.

“Taking that to mean you’re in love with me, too,” he teased, breathless as he searched your face for any sign of regret, of hesitance. When he found none, he smiled - bright, happy, easy. “Totally not cool of me to admit, but I’ve wanted to do that forever.”

“You’ve never been cool, Stevie,” you returned, giggling as he pinched your side.

“Was gonna be nice,” he huffed, pretending to be put out though his grin never faltered as he shifted his head, brushed his nose against yours. “Tell you how pretty I think you are, how I want to spend the rest of my life with you; all that mushy stuff. But since you wanna be mean…”

Before you could blink, giggle out a teasing apology for your perceived slight, Steve’s arms fell to your waist. He held you close, lifted easily, and carried you the few steps to the edge of the pool. The moment you realized his intentions, the moment you opened your mouth to squeal out a plea for him to stop, Steve stepped over the edge and plunged you both into the water.

Even as you fell, sinking into the deep end, Steve kept you close. He hauled you both back up above the water, laughing as you huffed - thankfully used to this, almost expecting it as he attempted it every year.

“Steve!”

“What?” He grinned, dark hair dripping into his eyes as he guided you both into a more manageable depth and encouraged you to wrap your legs around his waist. “All this could’ve been avoided if you’d just been nice to me,” he reasoned.

“I’m always nice to you, Stevie.” You weren’t - your friendship was an equal mixture of soft encouragement, soft words and even softer touches, and teasing jabs - but Steve hummed, just the same. “But I can be even nicer.”

“Know what would be really nice?” When you hummed, Steve returned a hand to cup your cheek - tipping your head to meet your eyes, only a hint of insecurity swirling amongst the warm, soft brown. “Telling me I’m not getting all this wrong. I… I know I don’t always get it,” he acknowledged, swallowing thickly, “but I… I get this, right?”

“Oh, Steve. The reason I got so freaked out about the clingy thing,” you began, lifting your hands to brush the damp hair from his forehead, “was because I was afraid you’d see it, how in love I am. I… I’ve been in love with you for a while. You’re it for me, Harrington.”

Steve grinned, then, relieved - elated, clearly brimming with joy at the revelation - and leaned forward to close the gap. The press of his mouth to yours was eager, firm, and relieved some of the ache in your chest, the fear that this was something you’d dreamt up, too good to be true. He crowded you against the wall, body caging you in as his tongue traced the seam of your lips, and you sighed as you tangled your fingers in his hair.

Though the pool water was cool, the press of Steve’s body against yours had you melting. He always ran warm, left you blistering in the wake of his hands exploring your skin, and you felt your heart hammering in your chest as his fingers mapped the slivers of skin he’d only held through fabric.

“Babe,” he breathed, mouth barely parted from yours as you shifted your hips, “don’t wanna do this in the pool. Not the first time. Let me take you inside.”

The urgency in his tone drew a soft moan from you, eager to feel his touch and touch him in return. “Please. Waited so long, don’t wanna wait anymore.”

Desperation, eager and hurried, that had lingered beneath the surface of the entire encounter - a desire to give in, finally, after waiting for so long - showed clearly as you both rushed out of the pool. Steve remained close to you, one hand on your hip even as you both roughly toweled off, and ushered you into the house.

The Harrington house was as familiar to you as your own. It was a space you could navigate with your eyes closed, under the worst circumstances, and you were grateful for the knowledge as you and Steve rushed up the stairs to his bedroom without pause.

As many times as you’d stepped foot in Steve’s room, as many nights as you’d spent wrapped in his sheets, there was an understandable difference in this moment. The tension was palpable and, despite how eager you both were, you both faltered for a moment as the door clicked shut behind you.

“This… we don’t have to do anything,” he began, stepping close, his palm warm against your waist. “We can just shower, maybe watch a movie or something before bed.”

Again, rather than fumbling for a coherent sentence - attempting to make sense of the thoughts that remained scrambled in your brain - you reached out for him. Steve sighed as your fingers tangled in his hair and tugged, eyes blazing with a heat that made your head spin, and you almost hated to lose the sight of his parted lips and lust blown eyes as your mouth pressed to his.

Steve’s hands began to wander, fingers mapping your skin in a desperate bid to commit it all to memory, as he walked you backwards. The plush of his bed hit the back of your knees, duvet soft, and he followed you down easily. With a knee pressed into the mattress beside your hip, a hand beside your head, Steve hovered above you, mouth never leaving yours.

While his fingers traced the skin of your stomach, your hips, your shoulders, your thighs, you brought your own to his chest. You raked your nails over his exposed skin, committing the warmth of him to memory, as he broke the kiss to lavish your neck with attention.

As he nosed at your jaw, lips pressing fleeting kisses to your skin, his hand fell to your breast, eagerly cupping the soft flesh over the damp material of your swimsuit.

“So fuckin’ pretty,” he breathed, reverence lacing his tone as his hand flexed. “So warm, so soft. Smell nice.”

“It’s the sunscreen,” you gasped, words pitching higher as his lips latched onto the spot just beneath your ear. “You should try it.”

“Mm. You can put some on me tomorrow,” he offered, tongue darting out to soothe spot he’d nipped.

The promise was laced with an eager desire that had your hands wandering, nails raking over the trail of hair dipping into the band of his trunks, and you could feel the contraction of his stomach as he inhaled sharply. You knew that you tasted of chlorine and chemicals, of summer, but Steve didn’t seem to mind as he continued pressing open-mouthed kisses to your skin.

Eagerly, he began to dip lower, his lips exploring your heated skin and leaving a trail of fire in his wake. Every touch was electric, sent a shockwave through your system and left your chest aching with a warmth that you hoped would never cool. You could feel the arousal pooling in the pit of your stomach, gathering slick between your thighs, as Steve nipped at the skin of your chest.

Skilled hands made quick work of the fabric covering your chest, easily ridding you of the damp suit without lifting his head from your skin, and you felt your breath catch in your throat as Steve began to make his way down. He nipped at the delicate skin of your chest, stubble scraping your skin in the most delicious way as he shifted to free his hands.

As Steve’s hands shifted, cupped your breasts and hummed, your own hand dipped beneath the band of his trunks. Your fingers brushed the warm skin, reveling in the stuttering breath Steve released, even as his own hands began to trail downward.

“Always pretty,” he complimented, voice rough as he began to follow the path blazed by his hands, pressing kisses down your chest and stomach.  “But this,” he hummed, grinning when you whined as he moved out of reach, “too fuckin’ pretty. Not fair.”

“You’re one to talk.” It was breathless, a gasp that escaped as his lips latched onto a patch of skin near your hip, and Steve grinned. “You’re so beautiful, Stevie. ’S’distracting.”

Steve continued to sink lower, mouth blazing a devastating path across your skin, as his hands fell to the plush of your thighs. He spread them easily, settled between them, and glanced up at you from near the foot of his bed with a devilish smirk that reminded you of the days of King Steve - handsome, flirty, charming.

“How’ve we never done this before?” His hands drifted closer to your aching cunt, so close to where you desperately wanted him yet so far away as his mouth pressed to your inner thigh. “Wanna spend the rest of my life here.”

“Haven’t even got my bathing suit off,” you teased, though it was weak - wrecked, already so entirely destroyed for him. But Steve took it as a challenge.

Almost immediately, Steve’s hands slipped beneath the band of your bottoms and tugged, easily working the damp fabric down your thighs. The moment they were gone, tossed across the room to be found later, he settled back between them and grinned.

Before you could tease, make a joke about him being eager, Steve’s hands shifted exactly where you wanted them. Warm fingers swiped at your slick folds, gathered the evidence of your arousal easily, before they lifted to his waiting mouth. Your lungs constricted and breathing felt impossible as you watched him lap at the slick, an exaggerated moan leaving his lips as he pulled them free with a wink.

“Knew you’d taste amazing,” he complimented, dipping his head to nip at your inner thigh.

Steve nosed at the juncture of your thigh as his fingers returned to your folds and you could feel his triumphant grin when you gasped as his thumb found your clit. But he didn’t allow you time to speak as he dipped his head and licked a stripe along your slit.

Large hands found your thighs, fingers digging into the plush skin to keep you spread open as he lapped at you. There was no tentative tasting, no hesitant swipe of his tongue; Steve ate you like a man starved.

Those plush lips wrapped around your clit, eagerly tasting all you had to give, as his fingers returned to your puffy folds. He swiped them through your slick, gathered it on his fingers, before pressing them into you and working to open you up. 

“You’re,” a gasp interrupted you, stole your breathe as Steve glanced up at you from between your thighs - his shoulders keeping you spread open, hair caught between your fingers. “Fuck, Stevie, you’re good at that.”

Steve preened under the praise, lashes fluttering at that and the combination of your fingers yanking at his hair, as his fingers - longer, thicker than yours; easily pressing into the spaces you could never quite reach - sank deeper into you. 

As desperate as you were to feel him, to have him push you over the edge, this wasn’t the way you wanted to go. You wanted to feel him, to feel his weight pressing you into the mattress as his lips met yours, and you told him as much as you tugged at his hair.

“Wanna feel you, Stevie, please,” you begged, stomach tight and chest aching as you desperately sought to catch your breath. 

“Fuck.” Steve’s forehead pressed to your thigh, warm breath fanning over your sticky skin. “Wanted to hear you say that forever,” he admitted, eagerly clambering up to shove his trunks down his hips.

As Steve shoved his swim trunks down, you tipped your head - eager to see if the rumors were true. And just as you’d heard, Steve was larger than you ever could’ve imagined. He was bigger than anyone you’d been with, bigger than anything you’d seen, and you couldn’t help yourself as you reached out to touch him.

The tip was an angry red, dripping precum, and Steve swore as your thumb brushed at the pearly bead. “Fuck, you’re so big,” you whined, wondering how he would fit - eagerly anticipating the stretch of him.

“Can’t say shit like that,” he huffed, laughing - pink cheeks blazing, embarrassed and secretly pleased at the attention - as he settled above you. “Ego’s already too big,” he teased.

“Not the only thing,” you returned, grinning when he laughed, fingers dipping between your thighs. “Fuck me, Stevie, please.”

“Anything you want,” he promised, hand wrapping around the base of his cock and guiding it to your puffy folds. He dragged the head through the slick, both of you moaning at the contact, before he notched the head at your entrance and pressed forward.

The stretch of him was delicious, too much and not enough all at once, and you swore you could feel him in the back of your throat as he sank into you. He went slow, careful, eager not to hurt you, but with every inch he sank forward, you were desperate to feel him fully.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Steve was pressed fully into you. It was overwhelming, being so impossibly close to him - completely intertwined, bodies as one - and all you could do was pull him into a searing kiss.

The kiss was a mess, a clash of tongue and teeth, uncoordinated but so satisfying as his hand gripped your hip. You could feel him surrounding you, all-encompassing, and you never wanted the moment to end.

Even as his hips began to snap, his rhythm steady, deep, you struggled to catch your breath - to care about anything other than the warmth of his skin against yours, the scent of him, the weight of him over you. The only thing you could say was his name, repeated like a prayer as his thumb found your clit and his lips remained just inches from your own.

Steve was all that existed, all that had ever existed, and suddenly the future was bright. There was hope, an eager desire to spend the rest of your life here - in this moment, with Steve pressed close - and you couldn’t help but whimper out a desperate, “I love you,” as you felt yourself barreling toward the edge.

The words were returned in a reverent chant, equally desperate, as you felt his hips begin to stutter. You were both nearly there, just a few presses of his hips - another swipe of his thumb, another press of his mouth to your heated skin - and you were careening over the edge with Steve following shortly after.

Warmth flooded your veins, his spend filling you so completely, and his lips sought yours despite your shared inability to regain your breath. It didn’t matter, not when all that existed was this moment, and you didn’t care that Steve’s weight had fallen to press you deeper into the mattress.

For a few long moments, you both lay there - gasping, fighting to catch your breath and return to the moment at hand - before Steve pulled away just enough to settle at your side. There was no distance left between you, slick skin pressed together, and you would’ve been content to lie there forever.

Steve, it seemed, felt the same as he settled into the pillow and leaned in to press a kiss to your forehead.

Though the afternoon began with a fear that Steve would see you as clingy, that he would never love you in the way you loved him, you were ending the night in the only place you wanted to be; clinging to your boyfriend, sated and happy and looking forward to the future for the first time in a long time.

______________________________________________________

Author's Note: This was inspired by a sunscreen, believe it or not. Don't know how we got here but it was a fun journey.

Taglist: @x-avantgarde-x, @thisisparadisemylove, @eddiesprincess, @slvdsjjk, @munsonlover, @tasmbestspdrman, @urofficial-cyberslut, @jxngwhore, @hopelesslylosttheway, @meaganjm, @lazuli-leenabride, @deiondraaa, @piscesmesss, @glowyskiess, @kiszkathecook, @missryerye, @solarrexplosion, @ofherscarlettwitchways, @lovedandleft-haunted, @trappedinlimbo15, @sweetiekitten, @bookfrog242, @gwendolynmary, @sage-bun, @zealouslibrariesparadiselight, @castiels-lilass, @tojis-little-brat, @emmah787, @theworldsendxx, @asuperconfusedgirl, @flores-and-sunshine, @passi0np1t, @laurathefahrradsattel, @hellf1reclub, @slut4yourmom, @niko-04, @hannirose-loves-you, @mrs-eddie-munson, @screambabe, @vllowe, @ryswritingrecord, @cheriebondy, @ryswritingrecord, @thewitchofthewilds140, @bootlegmothman420, @maruushkka, @honeymoonpython, @keenesbeans, @jess-bonn, @sammysinger04, @khaoticken21, @denkis-slut, @spiderman-berries, @lotus-es, @amortiff, @stardust-galaxies, @ure-a-sunflower, @1-800-ch3rry, @ladybeewritethings, @ynbutbetter, @hunnybunimdun, @breathinfive, @s-u-t, @s4ntacarlal0stk1d, @rae-iin, @pennamesgame, @stefans-wife, @voldieshorts, @frankie-mercury, @bbymochi1, @serendiipty, @saturnsworld01, @eddiemunson1sstuff​, @valthevalkyrie-main​, @crying-caro​, @inglourious-imagines​

[radishaur]

༄ kind words ༄

Warnings: mentions of unwelcome advances in Law's part Genre: fluff Characters: Luffy, Zoro, & Law Summary: How they realize they have feelings for you (words of affirmation edition) Author's Note: It's finally here! These keep getting longer and longer as I get more familiar with each character and the dynamic, especially Law's, but I don't think that's too much of an issue. I also kind of hate Luffy's but couldn't keep redoing it, so maybe I'll edit it later. Happy reading as I begin working on the next part!

masterlist

Luffy is great at giving compliments because he just says whatever he's thinking.

He gets complimented a lot as well. He's always running around and saving people, intentionally or not, so he's probably heard his fair share of compliments. I think hearing a compliment that's more deep and genuine, that comes from someone who knows him deeply, would be more meaningful than anything and would make him recognize his feelings.

~

Not every day on the Sunny was a fun adventure.

Setting out to sail across the whole world and strive for their individual goals there was bound to be hardship. Sometimes it came in the form of grueling battles with their latest enemy. Other times it was internal conflicts or disputes, simple disagreements or heated arguments.

This time, it was grief.

After so many months traveling together, the crew had learned how to tell when one of them was upset about something and needed space. Today, it had been Nami. For the past few days, her mood had been off. She'd been more quick to anger and had spent more time than was strictly necessary tending to her orange trees. Then today, she'd been even worse, snapping at Sanji's normal overbearing lovey behavior and brooding to herself under the shade of her grove.

It didn't take him long to realize what was bothering her.

Nami only ever got like this when she was thinking about Bellemere, which meant today must be the anniversary of when everything happened. The crew had spent most of the day giving her her space, allowing her to process what she was very clearly feeling. After a while, he took it upon himself to cheer her up. He made silly faces and played some of her favorite games on the deck, goading her into joining them by making bets he knew he would lose. He'd even secretly asked Sanji to incorporate oranges into their dinner. By the end of the night, Nami was laughing and she seemed a lot lighter, like whatever was weighing her down had lessened some.

Now, it was late at night, and the only sounds that could be heard on the Sunny were the lapping of waves against the ship and the snores of his crew as they slept. All except for him.

Sleep was avoiding him, so he decided that he would be much better off just joining whoever was on watch and maybe having some fun. He made his way up to the crow's nest and was happy to find you sitting on the bench, looking out across the sea.

"Oh, hi Luffy," you said, your voice quiet.

"Hi!" he said, sitting excitedly next to you on the bench as you looked out across the sea once more. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to come out and have some fun!"

You smiled, always amused by his antics.

"Well, unfortunately, there's no fun here. I'm on watch, remember?"

He pouted, knowing you were right but still disappointed anyways. You laughed at him as he whined and complained, but he didn't actually intend on distracting you, so after a while, he quieted down and let you focus.

"I hope Nami is feeling better," you said, resting your head on the arm you propped up on the window. You were frowning slightly, your eyes unfocused as your worry made itself visible on your face.

"She'll be ok, she's Nami! She's strong," he replied, no doubt in his mind that tomorrow she would be the same old Nami she had always been. "She might be sad now, but it's not forever. She has us to help her."

You hummed in agreement, a small smile on your face. He smiled himself, happy to see you smiling instead of with a frown on your face. He felt so lucky to have found a group who cared so deeply about each other.

"All that stuff you did today. It was to cheer her up, wasn't it."

You said it like a statement more than a question and he found himself smiling at how observant you were. "You figured it out. You're so smart!"

You laughed at him once again, his own laughter joining you as you said, "Of course I did. I know you wouldn't have made those bets under normal circumstances."

They had been stupidly dumb bets that left no chance for him to win and he found himself giggling as he remembered how Nami had perked up upon hearing him agree to them. He loved his crew more than anything, so what was a few beri down the drain? Your laughter subsided as you got lost in thought once more. You seemed like you were debating saying something and when you seemed to have made up your mind, he found himself sitting up straighter as you turned to look at him.

"You're a lot smarter than people give you credit for," you said, a small smile on your face and a playful admiration in your eyes.

He's not quite sure what to say to that. He's always been called stupid and to everyone's credit, he is. He doesn't think very often, preferring to act on instinct and figure out the rest of the plan later. He's been known to not read the room, to zone out during important world lessons, and to shout out the first thing that comes to mind. He doesn't think anyone has ever called him smart and for the first time in maybe his whole life, he's speechless.

"I guess that's probably not what you were expecting me to say, huh?" you teased, a light smile making its way onto your face.

He collects himself and asks, slightly incredulously, the question that's first in his mind. "Why do you think that?"

"Well, you just told me you did all that stuff to cheer Nami up, right? Someone stupid wouldn't be able to put together why she was upset and what would make her feel better. You pay attention when it counts and you're a lot more emotionally intelligent than people realize," you explain, relaxing slightly as you look out at the ocean once more. "Today it was Nami, but I've watched you help lots of people like that. Vivi, Robin, Sanji, even me. Maybe you don't say it out loud, but you pick up on people's emotions and what they need the most in that moment."

He listens as you talk and slowly realizes that you're right. He's always had a way of reading people and knowing what they really want or need, but he's never really connected it to intelligence. He always thought it was just his own special kind of stupid.

"I guess that makes me a genius!" he exclaimed, laughing heartily as your eyes widened in shock before laughing along with him.

"Maybe you are stupid after all," you say, but there's no malice in the words as you keep laughing at him.

Finally, your watch shift is over and the sun peeks up over the horizon. He'd stayed with you the entire time, just talking and goofing around until he realized how much time had passed and how tired he was. His dreams that night are filled with you and when he wakes up, your words are still floating around in his mind. Knowing that you think he's smart makes him feel funny and he thinks that maybe he should finally turn his ability to recognize people's feelings inward.

Zoro doesn't throw out compliments or encouragement left and right, he only says something if he really means it.

I think he's received his fair share of compliments, although I doubt he puts much stock in them unless they come from someone he respects. If he doesn't think there's any stock in the compliment, or on that same token an insult, why bother giving it attention? For this reason, I think getting a compliment or reassurance from you would rattle him a little and cause him to have an aha moment.

~

The town that the Sunny docked in isn't too interesting to Zoro, aside from the bar he's nestled into for the past few hours. He has a few empty glasses in front of him and he's almost done with his current one when he sees the door open.

He's not surprised when he sees multiple of the crew walk in, quickly noticing him in the corner and making their way to him. You're among them, talking to Robin about something that elicits a small laugh out of her. Begrudgingly, he scoots over and makes room for everyone in his booth as they smoosh in.

"I knew we'd find you here!" you say, the last to slide in so you're right across from him. "Already deep into your drinks, as expected."

"Shut it, woman," he grumbles, his brows furrowing as he finishes his drink and sets the cup down on the table. You laugh, looking at Robin as Usopp reluctantly hands Nami some beri. He feels his eye twitch in irritation as he notices the exchange. "Are you betting on me?"

Usopp gulps at the glare he sends his way and Nami simply smiles, dollar signs practically lighting up in her eyes as she answers, "Yep! I bet that you were already 3 drinks deep and I was right."

"We've barely even arrived! I thought-" Usopp protests, attempting to explain himself.

"You both are insufferable!"

His exclamation elicits another laugh out of you as Robin simply lifts a hand to her mouth to hide the amusement that is no doubt there. He wants to be annoyed, and he is, but he's been traveling with the lot of you for long enough that he can't really be upset, at least that genuinely. He simply huffs, waving down a server to ask for another glass.

The rest leap over each other to order their own drinks, some alcoholic, some not, and fall into easy chatter with each other. Periodically, he catches your eyes and you send him a smile, but he doesn't insert himself in the conversations, much preferring to listen. Eventually, Nami gets tired of just sitting in the bar and decides to go shopping. Usopp and Robin decide to accompany her, but you decide to stay behind. You wave, watching them go as he takes his previous spot in the booth back.

"Not in the shopping mood?" he asks, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye.

"No, I'd much rather stay here with my favorite swordsman," you tease. He bristles, knowing that you're just poking him for fun, but he can't stop himself from blushing, taking a long sip from his glass to hide the blush he can feel on his cheeks.

"You're worse than that damn cook," he mumbles, his glass now sufficiently empty.

You laugh at that.

"Now that's just a lie."

He can't deny that, the corner of his lips twisting up into a smile. He's spent enough time traveling with you to know that you don't act like that with everyone, just him. The notion that you reserve this behavior for just him is both agitating and yet satisfying. He feels something possessive lick at his heart but ignores it, waving at the server for yet another drink.

He asks you about what you've been up to on the island since they docked and you happily tell him all about it. It hasn't been long so you don't have much to say and it isn't long before the two of you fall into a comfortable silence. After a while, you finally talk again and it's not what he's expecting.

"I know you'll become the greatest swordsman, Zoro."

He sputters, the sip he was taking spilling all over himself as he coughs, trying to catch his breath. He can feel his ears heating up with embarrassment and sputters, "Where the hell did that come from?"

When you look at him, your face is set in firm determination, but your eyes are soft, filled with a fondness he wishes you would direct at him more often.

"Those pirates we fought yesterday," you explain.

He thinks for a moment before he's reminded of what you're referring to. On their way to this island, they had run into a rival ship following the same course. While they hadn't intended to battle them, the ship fired at them as soon as they were in range, so they had no other choice. He remembers the fight being fairly easy, each member of the crew handling their fair share of pirates.

He also remembers one of their crew having some rather nasty words to say to him.

"You're delusional if you think you can become the greatest swordsman," he had spat, struggling to breathe. "You'll see it eventually. Even if you won this battle, you'll never achieve your dream."

He hadn't paid much attention to the words. He was confident in his own abilities and his opponent had been defeated easily, so there wasn't any point in taking his words to heart. He hadn't thought anyone was close enough to hear it and he certainly hadn't brought it up, quickly forgetting about it.

He smirked then, letting the full force of his pride show in the grin as he said, "That loser wouldn't know what it takes to be the greatest swordsman even if it smacked him in the face."

"That doesn't make any sense," you say, your face wrinkling as you giggle at his statement.

He takes another sip as your laughter dies out.

"I'm not worried about what a crap swordsman has to say about me and my dream," he says, his voice a lot more serious now as he thinks about the promise he made all those years ago. "I will become the world's greatest swordsman or die trying."

"You'll do it. I know you will."

You don't say anything after that, seemingly having said everything you intended to, but your words linger with him. The thought that you had heard the man's words and felt it was important enough to dispute them made his heart feel weird. He had never doubted himself, even when he maybe should have. He'd always been sure that his will, determination, and hard work would take him to exactly where he was supposed to be. Still, hearing your words of encouragement, hearing your genuine belief in his ability, it affected him in a way he wasn't expecting.

"You will too," he says, his voice barely above a murmur.

A few seconds go by where you don't say anything and he wonders if you'd even heard him, but one glance at you tells him that you had. You're not looking at him, your eyes averted as if you're embarrassed and your lips are curved into a small, satisfied smile. The sight makes his heart stop and he almost goes to clutch his chest before the feeling quickly passes.

Before the moment can linger, you're shooting back into conversation with him. Despite his best efforts to pay attention, he finds that his attention is drawn back again and again to your words. He knows that the crew believes in his dreams just as much as he believes in theirs. It's part of why he's so willing to protect their dreams just as fiercely as his own, but for some reason knowing that you believe in him so much really sticks with him.

He thinks about it for the rest of the day as well as late into the night when they're all back on the Sunny and setting off for the next island. He doesn't like being distracted, so he mulls over why your compliment holds so much weight for him. He values your opinion, but you're also not a swordsman, so theoretically there shouldn't be that much weight to your words. When he finally realizes, it feels like everything clicks into place and so many things start to make sense.

He acts like nothing has changed, wanting time to sit with the feelings before he decides what to do about them, but he finds it hard now that he understands the full weight of his regard for you.

Law rarely ever gives out compliments, rather preferring to show how he feels with his actions.

I think he receives a few compliments here and there, but he's built an intimidating presence and image, so I think they're far and few between. However, I think if you took him off guard with a meaningful compliment, especially if its one that he hasn't heard before, it would make him start to think about his feelings towards you.

~

"Captain, we have a problem."

Law sighs, all of the worst-case scenarios running through his mind as he turns to face Sachi. They're docked at a port town so that they can restock the Polar Tang, preparing for another few weeks underwater. It's familiar and something that the crew should be familiar with by this point. They have a routine, a schedule that rarely changes, that details who goes with who to go get what. In theory, it should go perfectly smoothly.

It never does.

"What is it, Sachi?" he asks, his grip on Kikoku tightening slightly as Sachi walks up to him with the list of crewmates and jobs in hand.

"Well, you said that nobody is allowed to go alone into town right? For safety?" he asks, only resuming once Law has hummed in agreement. "Right, well uh, unfortunately, Penguin is sick today which means his partner doesn't have anyone to go with, which wouldn't be an issue since usually we have at least one group of three but, well, they're also sick so-"

Law grumbles under his breath about getting to the damn point, grabbing the sheet from Sachi's hands to just look at the issue himself. Sachi gulps, sensing his irritation, and nervously rubs the back of his neck. The problem becomes clear very easily. His beloved crew had partied a little too hard the last few nights and now two of them were sick, leaving no group of three to split up and someone unaccompanied. He looks for Penguin's name to see who's alone and feels his heart flutter slightly when he sees your name scrawled out next to it.

"Our only two options are to either make one group get two things, which would set us back at least an hour, or...," Sachi says, trailing off slightly. The unspoken second option is clear. Law always spend their restock days on the ship. The higher his bounty gets, the higher the chance that he gets recognized, so he always finds it easier and safer for him to stay behind.

"I'll go," he relents, watching as the tension in Sachi's shoulders dissipates.

"Great. Thanks, Captain!"

Sachi disappears before he can change his mind. He sighs, looking around the collection of his crew until he finally finds you in the mix. He makes his way over, watching as you converse with Bepo, catching the very end of your sentence.

"-seems like I'll be alone today. Sachi said he would look into it, but everyone already has their pairs so I don't know who could take his place."

"That would be me," he answers, watching as both Bepo and you finally notice his approach.

"Oh! Uh, are you sure? Don't you usually spend the day on the Tang doing research?" you ask.

He ignores your improper name for the Polar Tang as he explains the situation to you. You nod, smiling as you say, "I see. Well, I'm glad to have your company then, Captain!"

He's taken aback by your words but decides to just move forward instead of dwelling on them, so he turns around and shouts, "Let's go."

"Shouldn't you probably change?"

He stops, looking down at his attire as you add, "As much as it suits you, it doesn't really hide the fact that you're a pirate, let alone our Captain."

He can't really argue with that. The Heart Pirates logo is front and center on his shirt and Kikaku is certainly not doing him any favors either. He tells you to wait and then quickly shambles himself into his room to change. He has to dig really deep in his closet before he finds a shirt that doesn't have his symbol front and center, but once he does he leaves Kikaku leaning against his wall and shambles back up to you.

By the time he's changed and came back, most of his crew is gone. You're quicker to notice him this time as a result and the two of you finally head into town.

"What are we in charge of?" he asks, stuffing his hands into his pockets now that they're not holding his sword.

"We're in charge of the medicinal herbs, Captain," you answer.

"Just Law is fine," he says, his hand fidgeting slightly as he adds, "No use in me changing if you're just going to use my title."

He sees you smile softly out of the corner of his eyes. "Right. Law it is, then."

His ears burn slightly as you say his name so effortlessly, but he brushes it off quickly and continues into town. It's not hard to find the store you're looking for and he lets you take the lead as you begin listing off the various herbs you need. It's not long before the two of you are walking through town once more, heading towards the submarine.

"Oh, look! That art is gorgeous."

He stops walking as he turns to look at what you're pointing at. There's a small stall in the marketplace's square that's selling paintings of all different sizes and mediums. He sees your eyes light up as you look at them and isn't surprised when you say, "Wait here, I'm going to go buy one."

He huffs, leaning against the wall of a nearby building where he can see the stall. He'd like to pretend that today had purely been an inconvenience, but he can't find it in himself to be that upset. While it was inconvenient that he wasn't able to spend the time studying the most recent medical book he had been interested in, the day had been pleasant. You'd made pleasant conversation with him while walking in town and your bright demeanor always seems to calm him down.

He looks back over to the stall, curious about what painting had caught your eyes, but feels his heart jolt when he doesn't see any sign of you. He stands up to his full height, hoping to catch any glimpse of you, but he still doesn't see anything. He curses to himself for letting his guard down and allowing you to somehow slip away and starts searching for you with his observation haki.

He picks up your signature in an alleyway and feels his gut churning. Not wanting to draw attention to himself by using his devil fruit powers, he quickly makes his way to where you are. As he gets closer, he hears you pleading with someone.

"Look, I'm really not interested and I have someone waiting for me, so-"

"Surely I can show you a better time than them, hm?"

He doesn't recognize the second voice but he doesn't need to to know what's going on. He feels anger burn in him as he finally turns a corner and sees a guy caging your body against the wall with both of his arms.

"I already told you, I'm not looking for that. Please let me go," you say, your hands clutching the bag of herbs you'd bought earlier as well as what looks to be whatever painting you had bought at the stall. He also sees the man take a step closer and open his mouth to talk, so he takes the opportunity to interrupt.

"You heard them," he says, his voice like venom as he enunciates, "Let them go."

The man looks at him, sizing him up as he takes a step back and lets his arms drop. "What are you, a good samaritan? Buzz off," he scoffs, turning his head back to you, clearly intending to ignore him.

He doesn't know what comes over him as he finds himself stepping closer and punching the man square on the side of his face. The man, clearly caught off guard, stumbles slightly. He doesn't give him any time to recover as he steps forward, putting himself in between you and the man whose face was now swelling up.

"What the hell?" he shouts, cradling his face as he finally catches his balance.

He can see the punch coming but knows that you're standing right behind him, so he only shifts slightly so that the punch only hits him in the shoulder. A moment afterward, it dawns on him that he can just get rid of the man, so he does.

"You're lucky I don't have my sword, or you'd be getting much worse than this," he seethes, holding his hand out as he says his classic phrase and sends the man shambling into the ocean. In his place, a mossy stone drops to the ground, echoing in the now almost empty alleyway.

When he turns around, you're staring at him speechless. He frowns slightly as he gives you a once over, checking for any visible signs of harm.

"I'm ok," you finally say, your voice shaky before you cough slightly and repeat, voice calm, "I'm ok. Just unnerved."

He doesn't take his chances and calls another room, switching you both closer to the Polar Tang. His guilt at letting you out of his sight and allowing this guy to drag you off eats at him as the two of you approach the ship. Once inside, he shambles the two of you to his examination room, pointing to the table and saying, "Sit. I want to check for injuries with the proper equipment."

You don't fight him as you make your way towards the table. You're still holding the bag and the painting until he gently takes them from you, placing them next to you on the table.

"I'm really ok La- I mean Captain," you begin, correcting yourself back to his title now that it's just the two of you.

He finds himself missing his name from you but keeps the comment to himself. He's supposed to be checking you for injuries. He's supposed to be assessing your well-being, which is only in question because of his own negligence. He frowns to himself and continues to check you for injuries without answering.

You let him, still assuring him that you're fine, that he only grabbed your arm for a moment at the stall, but he doesn't stop until he's sure that there's nothing wrong.

He sighs, finally stepping back from the table. His guilt still eats at him regardless as he goes over everything he did wrong. "I'm sorry, I should have been watching more carefully. No, I should have just come with you."

You simply smile at him in response and say, "It's my fault. I was the one who stepped away."

He doesn't have anything to say to that. He knows it's true, you did step away despite it being an explicit rule not to, but he can't deny his part in it as well. He curls his fists as the silence continues.

"Why didn't you dodge his punch?" you ask, your voice quiet.

He's surprised by the question, but also by how quickly his cheeks warm up at his answer. He looks off to the side, hiding behind his hat as he says, "You were right behind me. If I moved, he would have just punched you."

You have the audacity to laugh, loud and full as if he had just told you the funniest joke you'd ever heard and he can't help but scowl.

"You know," you start, laughter still floating in your voice, "For someone with such a cold exterior, you sure are kind."

The compliment catches him off guard. His face whips towards you as his eyes open in shock, the faint blush now burning bright red across his whole face. He meets your eyes and he doesn't see any hint of a joke.

He's heard himself called a lot of things. Scary, cold, bitter, even downright malicious, but never kind. It sends shivers up his spine as the word settles somewhere under his skin. You think he's kind. Kind.

"You're my subordinate. I'm not being kind, I'm just doing my job as your Captain," he corrects, not wanting you to misunderstand his intentions.

Your laugh this time is softer, more full of fondness, but it rustles him all the same. "You really are kind though," you insist. He's not ready for you to continue, barely able to handle the few words you've said, but that's never stopped you before. "I think you care a lot more than you want us to think. You wouldn't worry so much otherwise. Besides, you're always going out of your way to protect us. I think that makes you kind."

He doesn't know what to say, so he tries to navigate back into familiar territory. He takes a deep breath and calms his nerves, grabbing the bag of medical herbs from your side and turning around to begin putting them away. "Well, since I've checked and you don't have any injuries, there's no reason for you to stay."

He hears you shuffling around as he begins unpacking the herbs from the bag and chances a glance over at you one more time. He regrets it immediately.

You're looking at him like you can see right through him. You have your painting tucked under your arm as you look over your shoulder at him in the doorway and you're still smiling at him as if he didn't just ignore your comment and dismiss you rather rudely. It makes his heart ache, wanting to prove you right. To prove that he is kind, that he's worthy of your opinion of him, that he's worthy of your praise.

"Thank you, Captain. I enjoyed your company today."

With that, you disappear down the hallway, presumably back to your shared room to hang up your new picture. He stares at the spot you left long after you've gone, your words echoing in his mind. They rattle around in his heart until they finally settle, leaving a warm comfort he didn't know he craved.

You think he's kind.

That thought plagues his mind for the rest of the day. His guilt is completely forgotten, his mind too consumed by your compliment to make any room for it. He finds himself unable to even focus on reading the medical book that night that he missed out on reading earlier. Your words and the simple fact that you truly believed them chip away at his resolve until he finally has to come to terms with why it affects him so much. He mumbles your name, his hand clutching his heart as it beats, solidifying what he'd been ignoring for a long, long time now.

ღ radishaur — i do not own any of these characters. do not plagiarize. please enjoy and remember to be respectful! 

[rose-tea-and-strawberries]

Of Lions and Mice

Leona Kingscholar x Reader

Reader is intended to be female

Masterlist

Leona was annoyed.

Once again, his golden goody-two-shoes older brother decided to shirk his responsibility of being a father and dump the overexcited, disgustingly bright-eyed crown prince on him for the day. And not only that, it had to be today of all days - a rare day where you were free from picking up Crowleys’ slack, where the loudmouthed, nattering extras that always followed you were otherwise preoccupied (and bribed to bugger off with a bag full of tuna), where he was certain he’ll spend the day in bed with you right next to him. 

But no. Just like with everything else in his miserable existence, his dreams were crushed and he had to spend the day playing caretaker to his nephew instead of wrapped up with you. What’s worse was that, you’d decided to carry the pint-sized load off of his back and gave your undivided attention to the cub when it should have been rightfully his. How he hated that selfless nature of yours, that sweet, caring, gentle nature that would make you look at anyone that wasn’t him with that loving gaze, that would make you brush your fingers through Cheka’s golden orange curls the same way you would Grim’s fur or the stray cats you’d find around campus or any other being instead of his mane. 

He hated just how loving you were, how your eyes could see the beauty in everything.

How, now that it’s late at night, and he’s closed his eyes and pretended to sleep in his attempt to actually get some shut eye and so that the little hairball would quit bothering him but Cheka just continues yapping.

Even in the darkness under his eyelids, he could feel you cast a worried look his way from the spot where his bed sags a little.

“Hey Cheka,” your sweet, dulcet voice (which is currently being used to please his nephew and not sooth him to sleep with the sweet nothings it usually does) pipes up, “how about I tell you a bedtime story from my world?”

“A bedtime story?!” Wow, even with his eyes closed he could see the stars coming out of his nephew's eyes, “yes please!”

Once the little cub has settled into bed, he asks you, “do you know any stories from your world with lions in them?

“Any ones with lions? Hmm, well, I suppose I could tell you about Narnia but I think you might be a bit too young for that and - wait,” you punctuated your words with a snap of your fingers, “I know a short one. There was this man called Aesop who wrote these short stories called fables.”

“What’s a fable?” Cheka asked, his words covered in that innocently curious lilt that all six year olds seemed to have during every occasion Leona wished they wouldn’t - and that was all of them.

You, however, seemed to have much more patience than him, “A story with a moral in them. Like, always be honest, or share, or work together, that sort of thing. I had a book of them when I was younger and I really enjoyed reading them.”

Figures. Of course, the shining beacon of sickeningly polite goodness grew up with such stories. He would’ve teased you for that but he had a child who he’s still trying to convince he was asleep.

“That sounds so cool, Aunty Y/N! Will you tell me more?”

“Of course, I will,” he can hear your smile, “but I’ll tell you them later, okay. Now, it’s time for you to rest.” 

“Okay, Aunty Y/N.”

“Alright so,” you clear your throat, “there was once a lion that lay asleep in his den. A shy little mouse came upon him and in her fright she ran away, only whilst doing so she accidentally ran over his head, waking him up.”

“Oh no,” Cheka gasped, “that lion is going to be so angry if he wakes up.”

Oh, so the little hairball does have a brain after all. 

“You’re right. Furious that he had been woken up, the big lion slammed a paw down on the tiny mouse and grabbed her by the tail. Holding her up, he growled at her,” here you made your voice noticeably deeper, trying to imitate a gruff growl, ““How dare you wake me up! I am the king of beasts and anyone who interrupts my slumber deserves to die! I shall kill you and eat you!””

It took everything within Leona to not burst into laughter at your adorable imitation of a ‘big scary lion’. It’s a voice you’ve used before whenever you tease him, playfully repeating the words his old self would have said to you, and it’s one that he’s rather fond of. 

He loves and respects you, Herbivore, and he’s the first to attest to your formidability and capability - even though you have the annoying tendency to not only blur the line between bravery and reckless stupidity but also play skipping rope with it - but intimidating you are not. 

“This scared the terrified mouse even more. Shaking with fear, she begged for him to let her go,” you make your voice higher at this part, squeaking in a way that oddly suited you, in Leona’s not so humble opinion, ““please, your majesty, I beg of you, please don’t eat me. It was only a mistake and if you let me go I’ll be sure to repay you. If you spare my life one day, I might even save yours.””

“The lion looked at the tiny creature and laughed, amused at how such a small mouse could ever be of use to an animal as powerful as him, “You? Save me? How absurd. You’ve made me laugh and put me in a good mood so I shall be generous and let you go.”

“Thank you, your majesty, thank you,” the mouse squeaked as she was put back on the ground, before scurrying away as fast as fast as her little legs could carry her.”

“Yay, so the mouse is free.” Cheka giggled.

“He is,” you said, “but there’s still more left. A few days later, the lion was prowling around when out of nowhere he was caught in a hunter’s net. Try as he might, he couldn’t get out of it. He tossed and turned, roaring angrily as he struggled to escape.”

“Wait, so now the lion’s in trouble. How’s he going to get out?” Cheka asked in worry. 

“You’ll see. Hearing his cries, the mouse followed the sound, recognising it from the lion he met earlier.

“I have to help him,” she squeaked as she scampered towards him.”

Upon seeing the lion in the net, she said, “hold still your majesty, I’ll get you out!”

And she quickly started to nibble on the ropes with her sharp little teeth, biting until all they broke apart. It wasn’t long until the lion was free.”

“So the mouse saved him. Was it because the lion helped him earlier?”

“It certainly was Cheka. “Thank you, little mouse,” the lion said, “I laughed at you and didn’t think you could ever help me but you saved my life.”

“It was my turn to help you.” The mouse replied, ”never forget that even a creature as small as a mouse can help a lion.”

And that’s the end,” you say.

“Thank you, Auntie Y/N, I really enjoyed that. Do you think the lion and mouse became friends after that?”

“You are very welcome, Cheka. I think they did. They did help each other, after all. Now I think it’s time to go to sleep.”

And once you were sure that the crown prince was asleep, you made your way next to your boyfriend, running your fingers through chestnut locks, “did you enjoy that little story, Leona.”

He opens his eyes to see your endeared smile. Rolling over so that he could wrap his arms around your waist he muses, “it seems awfully familiar don’t you think? A scared little herbivore wakes up a sleeping lion and ends up saving him later.”

“I’ll have you know, Your Highness, that I was never scared of you. Even when you were a rude old brute who threatened to knock out one of my teeth. And I’m certainly not little.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.” 

He pulls, letting you flop down on his bed beside him so that he can spoon you.

“Sweet dreams, little mouse,” he kissed your forehead, “I hope you know that I don’t ever intend on letting you go. Not after you helped in ways you could never even imagine.”

And so the lion fell asleep, holding the prey who rescued him from the confinement of his past safely in his arms.

[wwaheoh]

hehe, i know im probably not the first and definitely won't be the last to ask, but we need a part 3 of the rejected confession series!! whether its a happy ending of reader and the character getting together or just making up and staying friends (or forever parting ways) we need closure!! so when you think you are ready for it, could we possibly have a final part? :,)

“Reconciliation”, Zenless Zone Zero x gnReader

Von Lycaon, Anby Demara, Zhu Yuan

a/n: thank yall so much for the support! its meant so much! i hope everyone enjoys the "good ending" to the Unrequited Love series.

a/n²: also thanks to that one anonymous requester, loved your ideas and helped a bunch when writing! hope i did well in realizing it!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

The day before heading to the scheduled meet, you were stressed out of your mind. Having made up your mind, you decided to go, whether it be for reconciliation or- no, you shouldn’t think so optimistically. Maybe this was just a way for them to berate you for ghosting them before cutting ties forever…

With that optimistic thought, you made your way back home, finally getting off the bench you’d been glued to with thought after the brief encounter with the shark-girl. Sorta embarrassing to be told to fix your relationship by a high school girl but at this point any push that didn’t get you deeper into becoming a shut-in was better than none.

Stepping into your home, you shut and locked the door behind you before heading to your room, beelining straight for the closet. Sliding it open, you began to look through the hanged clothing, contemplating what you should wear. Something cute? Something bold? Something that you’d think he’d like or something you felt comfortable in?

After several minutes of this, you finally picked out an outfit, now onto actually getting sleep. Setting the clothes onto a chair, you went to your bathroom and undressed, putting on sleepwear and throwing yourself onto the bed.

A wave of exhaustion passed through you, wow, you were a lot more tired than you thought…

///

The outing with you had been going well, Lycaon thought, today was a beautiful day, thankfully Rina was aiding Corin today so he had no worries about being forced to cut it short and attend to any accidents their junior was prone to.

Strolling by the pier of Lumina Square, water a sunset orange as thr Sun began to set into the horizon, you stopped walking, with him following, a sign of confusion on his face.

“Hey, Lycaon?” You spoke nervously, demeanor slightly shaking. Worry began to draw in, not outwardly showing it, not wanting to make you more nervous in speaking. Something that he usually did when with clients- unconsciously leading him to thinking of you as a client rather than his friend at the moment.

Then you confessed.

His mind stopped- cool breaking as the words spilled out of your mouth and into his ears. Forcing his tail to not wag, he was about to reply. Yet what came out of his mouth was not what he intended, having forced his brain into ‘work mode’ to protect himself from all the possibilities of what you might have said.

So instead of accepting your feelings, happily rejoicing and telling you that he returned them wholeheartedly. He… rejected you. The words tumbled out of his mouth, rushed, the professional tone he used with clients slipped in. As if he were a prisoner in his body.

The look you gave him immediately showed he screwed up. Unable to approach as you began to cry, not wanting to take back the words- not because he believed them, but because he believed you would think he was simply pitying you and throwing a bone.

“I’ll start the car up. It’s getting late.”

“I- it’s- hic- it’s f-fine. I’ll get home on m-my own.”

“I must insi-”

“I said it’s fine!”

His ears drooping, wild guilt painted on his face, internally berating himself for having somehow messed up the interaction of his dreams. He went back to his car, turning it on and beginning the drive back home.

Atleast, that’s what he led you to believe. Instead, he parked in a nearby alley before shadowing you- unwilling to not see you home.

The day after that, he texted you, yet you never responded. Days of being left on ‘Read’ became days of you not opening his text messages at all.

It had begun to get at him, his voice became colder than usual with clients, still professional but with more sharpness to it. The others noticed their boss acting like this, yet were unable to pry into the why. It was a shared silent agreement between them and their boss, a wall between their professional work and personal lives. He met with Master Phatheon a few times and even they noticed something was off with the butler.

One day Ellen overheard him murmuring, quickly figuring out who he was so hung up about and what had happened- with some aid from Miss Rina. Unbeknownst to Lycaon, she met up with you unexpectedly, getting you to meet with Lycaon at the cafe. With Rina “booking an appointment” with a client, for Lycaon to meet with at the very same time.

///

Stepping into the cafe, bell jingling behind you, looking around the cafe before finding the spot Ellen had directed you to, tilting her head to the farthest seat with her signature bored look and lollipop in mouth. Nodding gratefully, you made your way to the table and sat down. Nerves ablaze, you fixed your clothes, making sure nothing was out of place. Worries bubbled up in your mind, thoughts of what could go wrong swirling in the bubbling soup of anxiousness.

Silver fur snapped you out of your spiraling, the Therian that’d been on your mind now realized in front of you. He mirrored your expression of shock, not having thought to see you again, before he quickly closed the gap, holding you tightly.

“I am so sorry.” Breathless, he looked deep into your eyes, “I had not meant to say what I did. I do wish to be with you. If you’d have me.” Not a man to screw up an opportunity like this- especially after having messed up so badly, any and all grievances be damned- he would say his peace and lay his heart into your hands, to either hold or crush at your whim.

You returned his hold, tears welling up as the two of you embraced, hearts swelling with joy as his hard, fluffy body pressed tightly against you, finally together once more. Sobbing openly as finally, the two of you were together, this time as lovers.

It was a little awkward stepping out of the cafe, with some customers very obviously glancing at the two of you after your two very public reunion…

After Anby had run from your confession, she spent a lot of time rewatching movies. Romance and tragedy specifically, trying to find a solution to what has transpired. The rest of the Cunning Hares were confused about her seemingly out of nowhere interest in those genres, usually seeing her watch action or thrillers.

There was an aching in her heart, one she had originally attributed to the loss of a friend, yet it felt stronger, much stronger. As she watched more and more, she came across an animated film, one of a failed relationship, of how being apart makes the heart grow fonder, ending with the two getting together, stronger than before.

That’s what she wanted.

While originally she was true to herself, only wanting you as a friend, time revealed that she wanted more, especially after forcing herself to dodge into alleys after even a glimpse of your hair, oftentimes leading to odd looks from the Cunning Hares or Phaethon. She wanted to be closer to you, like how the protagonists in the films were.

Standing up, resolution in her heart and an apology on her tongue, she exited the door and began making her way to your abode, moonlight and street lamps lighting the way.

///

You couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t a one-off occurrence either. Thoughts powered by the late night struck harshly, leaving lasting impressions that made sleep impossible. Especially those of a particular silver-haired girl.

Sighing, you shook your head, as if to shake the thoughts physically out, getting up from your bed and heading to the kitchen. Opening up the refrigerator, you grabbed a cold pitcher of water and a cup from the cupboard, turning the pitcher and letting the cool liquid spill into the cup, only turning it back upright as it neared the top.

Putting the pitcher back into the fridge before closing it, you grabbed the cup and steadily began to drink from it. Refreshing, always helping whenever those thoughts arrive…

A notification from your phone rang out, having left it in your bedroom you began to make your way to said room, when a knock at the door stopped you. Nothing good ever came from someone at your door at near midnight.

Grabbing a nearby object- your hand finding the handle of a knife, you quietly made your way to the door. Looking through the peephole, you saw a familiar face that made your muscles freeze.

Anby, staring right back at you. In her usual getup, with the same mono-look, but a hint of anxiousness hidden in her eyes.

Setting the knife down onto the counter, you slowly opened up the door, nerves threatening a rebellion against your body as you opened the door.

Finally face to face with Anby, without the blurriness and fish-eye view that the peephole provided, you could see how less kept she was than usual. Eyes tinged with red- a sign of screen overuse. Sweat, faster breaths, a flush of red coloring her pale cheeks.

The two of you stared at each other for a second before she quickly closed in.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked, monotone as it was, a hint of breathiness from her seemingly having sprinted here from wherever she was prior. “I shouldn’t have ran.”

You didn’t know what to do, worried that nodding or shaking your head would give the wrong impression- whatever the impression you wanted to give was lost to you.

You just stood there, listening to what she had to say.

“In the movies they always get together after the first confession. But it didn’t feel right at the time- but it also didn’t feel right saying no.”

A silence before you decided to share your two cents.

“Anby-” her attention diverted back to you straightaway, “How about this. We date for a bit- say, a year, then if you feel like it’s right, then we can continue. If not, then atleast we tried…”

“Just don’t run again, even being friends would be better than never seeing you again.”

She quickly closed the gap between the two of you, embracing you tightly, with you following suit. “Okay…” her voice was shaky, her grip on you was not.

Okay actually it was too tight- “Anby I think you’re gonna break my spine!”

Stepping out of your assigned police car, you nodded to your partner as they exited the vehicle and went to leave the premises. Qingyi having gone back to Zhu Yuan’s side after the one day the two of you were assigned together, message delivered, you wondered how she pulled off getting to be your partner.

You began to make your way to Zhu Yuan’s desk, with her filling out some final papers regarding what happened to the blimp atop of the Ballet Twins Towers. A situation that had been narrowly avoided ending in catastrophe by an inorganic citizen being insusceptible to the knock-out gasses found in the systems of the victims. Her squadron had been the first to the scene, being stopped at the first tower before being forced to evacuate and find another way up by several explosives being detonated at the bridge.

It was a headache for everyone involved, happy that the worse situation happened but not looking forward to the amount of paperwork needed to be filed, especially since the prime suspect of a major case and now this case had gone off-grid with the blimp to who knows where now.

Thankfully it seemed Zhu Yuan didn’t mind it too much, all too happy to do her work, no matter how monotonous it seemed. Turning off the computer for the day and filing papers into cabinets, she had been adding a sprinkle of water into the tomato plant she’d been growing, thoughts swirling as she continued with the monotonous task.

///

It’d been days since she last saw you. Invitations declined, only glimpses of you before you seemingly disappeared into the crowd or entered somewhere she couldn’t follow. Her days had been growing duller, work becoming a distraction to her problems.

Her mom had commented on this, citing worries about how she’d been seemingly throwing herself deeper into work and training, questioning the near-null appearances of you in recent times. She hated to lie to them, yet didn’t want to confront the facts.

She’d been too late to tell you how she felt. She would never get the opportunity again...

One day Qingyi told Zhu Yuan that she'd have to stay a little later, orders given to her to give to Zhu Yuan a little extra work. While to most, this’d be an annoyance, Zhu Yuan readily accepted the new work, not wanting to go back to her lonely apartment.

///

You knocked on the doorframe- breaking her out of her thoughts, face lighting up as she laid eyes on you.

“Uh, hey Zhu Yuan…” She set the water-can down and stood up hastily. “Hey! Uhm…” The two of you stood awkwardly as you tried to form the words you wanted to say.

“I’m sorry.” Zhu Yuan looked at you, worry on her face, urging you to continue. While she had been hurt from how you were seemingly avoiding her, she still looked at you as a close friend.

“It’s… stupid of me. But I wanted to tell you that…”

You confessed, deciding to put all your trust in Qingyi and just do it. Ripping the proverbial band-aid off, the words tumbled out.

She stood there, wide-eyed as you finished. There was a brief silence before tears began to bunch at the edge of her eyes. Your heart stopped, worried that you’d done something wrong before she closed the gap and embraced you, repeating “Yes!” and “I like you too!”, nearly squealing in delight.

You were dazed from how hard she was shaking you, before finally getting a hold. “So.. you’re not into Qingyi?”

“Huh? No, where’d you get that idea?”

“Ahh…” it was a little embarrassing to admit this in hindsight, “I thought since… you looked at her like that, that you…”

She giggled a little, before stopping quickly, “Sorry- I- I looked like that because I was thinking of you. Just, I looked away anytime you looked at me since I didn’t know if you returned my feelings…”

“Ah…”

Finally love bloomed, no longer covered by the walls of uncertainty.

[gay-dorito-dust]

I can imagine a demon reader changing from bad to good after getting catch and dosent want to be with bill and his craziness but still visits him in theroprimson (sorry I might have spelled it wrong)

‘Oh how the might have fallen.’ You cooed as you sat across from bill, a glass screen separating you from him, but you could feel the unbridled anger and betrayal radiating off of Bill from where you sat.

‘You betrayed me and for what? A family of flesh bags?!’ Bill exclaimed. ‘We could’ve ruled together but you let those pine twins get inside your head.’

You scoffed as you folded your arms, the bells on your outfit jingle softly as they did. ‘You called that ruling? I call it madness.’ You remained him as you saw that instead of healing, his broken, fractured body had only gotten worse as it started to stretch across his eye.

He didn’t want to heal, he wanted to remain broken as it meant he didn’t have to relive the memories that he swore to leave behind in the past as he intended, moments that he didn’t want to remember for a reason or other.

‘You were born from madness! You were the madness demon!’ Bill cried as he slammed his hands on the glass but you remained unfazed, knowing this was but Bill’s attempts of getting inside your head in hopes that you’d break him out, however even if he did you’d probably get admitted into Theraprism with him for all eternity in the process.

‘Thanks for reminding me of my origins, what else is new.’ You said sarcastically. You had the uncanny ability to send anyone into a state of madness. it was an ability you used and abused during your time with Bill and his henchmaniacs, way before jheselbruam had decided that she had enough and wanted to reform, but not before she cryptically told you that you’d follow in her footsteps soon enough during a pivotal moment that could change everything. You didn’t know what she meant by that but now as you sat across from the demon you once called your friend, you now understood that Bill was more unhinged then you realised, you were ready to move on with the Pines Family but wanted to see bill once last time before you did.

‘You could’ve been more had you stayed with me and not became soft and let the power of friendship, rainbows and sprinkle kittens tell you that you could be better, when with me you could’ve been far worse!’ Bill said as he felt his hatred for you grow the longer you looked at him with a blank stare, as though you could see through him and his bullshit, like you knew that everything he said was a lie that he told himself as much as he told everyone else; You weren’t scared of him anymore, and Bill didn’t know how to handle that as he was far more use to being in the position of power in your dynamic.

‘In your eye I am already worse.’ You began as you leaned forward, ‘I might as well be a human in demon skin for all you’re aware but here’s the thing I wanted to you dead after everything you’ve put me through, but as Ford once told me there are fates far worse then death and you were more deserving of that fate, it’s almost as though you were destined to end up here regardless and that’s the funniest joke of all.’ You finished with a cackle, the bells of your outfit laughing alongside you.

‘You’re talking to Fordsy?’ Bill asked, now intrigued.

‘Yeah,and I can see why you had that weird one sided situationship with him all that time ago, he’s quite the catch when you get to know him.’ You casually shrug your shoulders as you could see Bill trying to use this to his advantage somehow, something that Ford has told you that he would do and you were more than prepared to shatter his expectations. ‘I’m not going to use him Bill, he’s moved on from you and has found peace with his family, like he should’ve before you came into his life.’ You added in a low, protective growl.

Bill perks up. ‘You’re protecting them from me?’ He asked aghast, hand on his orange prison suit. ‘Have they really corrupted you that much that you’d go out of your way to protect those short life freaks?’

You straightened your posture as you glared at your friend. ‘I only came here to say goodbye, not be interrogated by the demon who’ll come back as something ridiculous like a rainbow shrimp or a fungal cloud, or better yet a butterfly that I can kill for the hell of it.’ You spat as you looked at the time, you were going to be late to Mabel’s arts and crafts session if you kept indulging in this psychopath and his antics. ‘And would you look at that, my time here is done.’

Bill’s eyes widened. ‘Wait! Don’t go! Don’t your dare-‘

‘Goodbye Bill, have fun with therapy.’ You said before snapping your fingers and disappearing, the only thing you heard before you reappeared outside of the Mystery Shack was the sound of Bill’s outrage and hows he’d get back at you and the pines family, but as far as you were aware Bill wasn’t going anywhere for a long, long time.

[zablife]

A Night Like Tonight

Summary: Tommy is spiraling out of control after Polly's death and dragging his gf with him.

Author's Note: Requested by the lovely @runnning-outof-time with the song "On a Night Like Tonight" as inspo. I apologize this came out much darker and angstier than you prob intended.

Warnings: nightmares, mention of drinking, drug use, codependent relationship, blood, suicidal ideation, suicide

The heavy gray clouds sank further in the sky over the fields like a vice tightening their ghostly grip. His boots mired in thick black mud, Tommy found himself trapped just beyond reach of Polly’s outstretched hands. Close enough to stare into her kohl rimmed eyes, he was closer than ever to crossing over to where she stood. Without sign of tremors, his hand raised the pistol to his temple, eyes closing to greet the waiting darkness. The screams reached his ears before the gunshots, a guttural echo which pulsed through his veins like a second heart beat.

Jerking awake to a blacked out room, Tommy found himself twisted in bed covers. His eyes adjusted slowly, but his brain raced to reconcile his whereabouts as he ran a hand through his sweat dampened hair. On a shaky breath, he attempted to pull himself up, trembling fingertips reaching for the cigarette case on his bedside table.

His uncoordinated efforts resulted in a smashed lamp causing him to flinch involuntarily. "Fuck!" he exclaimed sharply, the disturbance irritating his overtired brain. Taking a deep breath, he replaced the curses on his lips with a cigarette, fumbling with his lighter until it flickered to life.

A warm, orange glow illuminated her profile beside him, the concern etched on her face unmistakable. Sinking back into his pillow, he rubbed a thumb across his forehead, the smoke from his cigarette wafting between them like a curtain. "Why were you shouting?" he muttered. She didn’t have to see his eyes to know the turmoil and confusion they held.

"It was you, Tommy,” she noted in a hushed whisper. "You cried out," she explained, drawing her hand to her lips before she mentioned he was calling for his beloved aunt.

The slow, sizzling burn of the cigarette paper was the only sound in the room as she waited and observed. With each exhalation of smoke, Tommy's chest seemed to still a bit more. The vein at his neck too ceased to thrum wildly, the way she'd seen it so often in recent weeks as he wrestled with the visions that brought unimaginable guilt.

“There was nothing you could have done,” she offered in a soft voice, draping her slender hand across his chest protectively.

The silence persisted in the inky blackness and she realized he hadn’t heard a word of her reassurance, his eyes fixed upon the ceiling. Tossing the duvet aside, she swung a leg over his bare torso and leaned in to carefully pluck the cigarette from his lips. She extinguished it on the bedside table before returning to drape herself across his body. Hair falling over him like a blanket, she enveloped him in her warmth, allowing the scent of her perfume to comfort him. Running a hand down his cheek, she confessed “You’re scaring me these days, my love.”

She ducked her head into the safety of his neck, wanting to feel his arm caress her back and tell her everything was going to be fine. It wasn't a surprise when no such promises were made. He hadn't been himself for some time. "Come back," she mumbled against his rough stubble, placing a kiss in hopes he would feel her love reviving him. But his jaw remained clenched, her supple lips meeting bone that felt like cold steel beneath her touch.

——————————

Three weeks later...

It was late in the day when the phone trilled harshly in the parlor, disrupting her reading. When she answered Ada was on the line and she heaved a sigh of relief. "Ada, thank God. Do you have the name of the doctor I asked about for Tommy?"

"How dare you ask after what he's done?" Ada seethed, taking her by surprise.

"What's happened? Is it Arthur again or-"

"How can you be so blind? He's kept you captive in that house too long," she professed. She'd begun to weep, bitter tears seeping through the wires and causing static on the line.

"Ada, I don't know what this is all about, but I'm sure if you knew how bad it's got, you'd help. He's losing days at a time now."

"Make all the excuses you like, but I'll never forgive him," Ada vowed, the chill in her voice unmistakable.

"Please, what is this about?"

A shaky sigh echoed down her ear as Ada revealed, "An innocent boy was killed today," she paused for breath before she composed herself enough to continue, "along with with my fiancé."

The phone fell from her ear as she let out a strangled gasp, barely hearing the rest, "because Tommy couldn't keep to his own business. He had to interfere in something big enough to kill us all."

Retrieving the phone she implored, "Then you see how he needs you. He'll listen to you."

Ada hadn't visited Arrow House in months, but it was clear nothing had changed, in fact her brother sounded worse. "No," she stated firmly. "My brother can rot in Hell."

"Ada, please..." she protested, but the line had gone dead and a loud crash had her running to the office moments later.

An incoherent Tommy was surrounded by broken glass, his hands bleeding from the shards lodged in his palms. "Oh, Tommy," she cried, weaving a path to him amongst the pieces to avoid injuring herself.

She cradled his head to her chest as he lost consciousness, sweeping the fringe from his feverish forehead. She wept as she curled in around him, whispering softly, "What am I going to do now?"

----------------------------------

The next morning she cleared the breakfast dishes without waiting for Frances and brought the full plates back to the kitchen.

"Is something wrong with the food?" the new chef asked apologetically.

She only shrugged by way of explanation.

"I can make something else," he offered, rushing to gather the delicate china from her arms.

"Don't bother. It's only black coffee and cigarettes for Mr. Shelby in the morning," she explained wearily.

"And for you?" he persisted. "If you don't care for eggs, I'll prepare-"

"M not hungry," she cut him off, before turning to Frances and asking for her to phone the doctor for another vial of morphine.

Frances took a step closer to the young woman, lowering her voice to a hushed whisper as she asked. "Are you sure Mr. Shelby requires this, ma'am? Isaiah brought a bottle yesterday."

"It's not for Mr. Shelby," she replied curtly.

Brow etched with concern, Frances began, "I don't think he would want-"

"You of all people should know that he doesn't notice or care," she shot back, emotion rising in her throat the more she attempted to choke it down. "Let me have a little peace, won't you?" she persisted, searching Frances' face with watery eyes. As silence hung between them she finally swiped at her cheeks angrily as she ordered, "Call the fucking doctor or I'll have you dismissed."

Frances stood mouth agape as she stormed off. Hearing a huff behind her back, she turned to see the kitchen maid, throwing the plates into the sink. "He's killing that girl," the maid spat.

Frances flinched at the sound of china shattering against the porcelain, but she couldn't deny the outrage they all felt. She was right about Tommy's influence over the young woman. A healthy, spirited girl of twenty had arrived two years ago. Now she was barely recognizable.

"We're not paid to pass judgment," Frances reminded the staff as she straightened her uniform.

--------------------------------

Tommy gulped the last of his whisky harshly and opened the drawer to his right, rummaging through the contents until he found the small packet he'd stashed in the back. With a deep sigh, he opened it and stared at the contents. He wasn't sure why he'd saved it all this time, other than the promise it held. As he rolled it in his palm he thought of the speech he'd given Barney about a way free of pain and misery. Shoulders slouched forward, he closed his eyes to the odd sense of calm that washed over him now.

The large, glowing moon outside filtered through the thin curtains of Tommy's office, illuminating his slumped body. He'd hardly noticed the presence of another person, especially so late in the evening until she placed her small hand on his shoulder.

"You're awake," Tommy noted with surprise.

"I couldn't sleep without you," she replied, settling herself into his lap in an attempt to have a better view of what he held tightly in his palm.

Raking her fingernails against his scalp she asked, "What've you got?" A casual tone to her query in hopes he would confide in her.

However, the opposite happened when Tommy's paranoia took root. Pushing her from his knee with a harsh shove, he muttered, "This has nothing to do with you, alright?"

Tears welled along her lash line as she muttered, "Fuck off, Tommy. I never ask questions, do I?"

Tommy's body stiffened at her acerbic tone, a wounded look crossing his face as he attempted to explain. "I'm trying to keep you safe."

"Safe?" she scoffed. "What does that mean anymore?," she shrugged futilely.

Tommy held her shoulders firmly in his grasp, the intensity of his blue eyes ceasing her impatient movements. "It means I love you and I don't want you involved."

"You mean you don't want to let me in," she cried, beating on his chest with desperation.

At a loss for words, Tommy dropped his chin to his chest and she took the opportunity to grasp his hand. His nimble fingers momentarily betrayed him and the capsules fell into her palm.

"What are these?" she gasped.

Tommy's face flushed with the discovery, afraid to admit the truth. A harsh gulp followed as he ran a hand down his face, feeling the throb of his pulse within the recesses of his eye sockets. Finally the weak reply tumbled from his lips, "They're cyanide capsules." He grasped her wrist as he thought of words to reassure her.

She turned her head away from him as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. "My love isn't working anymore is it?" she whispered, voice breaking in desperation as she rejected his empty reassurance.

Frozen from the drugs, alcohol and indecision Tommy allowed her to capture his face in her hands. Searching his glazed eyes for something to grab hold to, she found herself floundering. The overwhelming need for him and her love crashing against her sternum in the form of a tenacious heart raging against rejection.

Finally he spoke breaking the unbearable silence, saying, "I never meant to hurt you. I'd understand on a night like tonight if you want to go..."

Her hand clenched involuntarily by her side, the capsules pressing into her skin. Gazing up at him she protested, “Tell me anything you like, except for goodbye. That's the only thing I couldn't bear." The dampness of her tears coated his cheek as she pressed a tender kiss to the corner of his mouth, lingering for a brief moment to savor the salty sweetness clinging to his lips.

Pulling back to gaze at him, a sad smile crossed her lips as she asked, "What do you reckon it's like high up there in heaven?" She brushed the hair from his forehead as she mused, "We might never know, but it was good way down here, wasn't it? At least for awhile...." Eyes glossy and searching for a morsel of hope, she waited for a response Tommy never offered.

Then in one swift movement she shoved the pills into her mouth, crushing the shell of the capsules with her teeth. Tommy's face registered a moment of horrified shock before he pulled her into him, pressing her to his body in a passionate kiss that took the poison from her to share it between them.

--------------------------

In the morning when Frances came to open the drapes, she found their bodies intwined in a lover's embrace. "Peace at last," she noted sorrowfully before withdrawing from the room.

--------------------

Tag List:

@peakyswritings

@evita-shelby

@shelbydelrey

@alanadetigy  

@severewobblerlightdragon

@lovemissyhoneybee

@theshelbyslimited

@kittycatcait219

@callsign-fangirl

@notyour-valentine

@theshelbyclan

@red-riding-wood

@polishcrazyone

@elenavampire21

@little-diable

@lyarr24

@jomarch-wannabe

@the-fangirl-diaries

@kmc1989

@everythingelseisextra

@helen06dreamer

@chaosinkest1996 

@pietroxreader

@galactict3a

@call-sign-shark

@brummiereader

@cillmequick

@runnning-outof-time

@dandelionprints

@look-at-the-soul

@garrison-girl-08

@peakyscillian

@kpopgirlbtssvt

@babayaga67

@kmhappybunny240

[georgeweasleyslostearhq]

PRETTY LADY part 2

Pairings: George weasley x Fem!reader Summary: you return back to the shop a few days later, this time, intended to not only buy products Warnings: mention of flirting, kissing.

part 1

you walked in the shop, looking around, seeing it way less cramped than the other day.

meaning it was less likely to be knocked by some little kid

you scanned the shop, looking to see if the man was anywhere in sight, you looked to your left and saw the man, his back facing you as he stocked the shelves with his hands

you walked up and pretended to look at the shelves, thinking it would get his attention, however, in the corner of your eye, you saw his glance over and go back to stocking the shelf.

after a few seconds, you sighed deeply, wanting nothing more than him to start a conversation

did he not remember you?

did he not care?

all you've been able to think about for the past week was him and the way he carelessly flirted with you the whole time. so you came back to feel the same thing he made you feel the other day, but now you're starting to think that might not happen

he heard your sigh and turned to you after putting the last box in the top shelf

"do you need help?" he smiled politely

you looked at him, trying to act a little surprised he's noticed you

"oh, no i'm just browsing" you tucked your hair behind you ear, hoping he'd help you anyway or just start a conversation

but he only smiled "alright, well, if you do need any help, i'll be stocking the shelves over there" he pointed over the other side of the shop before walking away

you stood there, beside the love potions, feeling like an idiot.

what just happened?

you turned and watched him walk across the shop before deciding to follow him, feeling the need to show him a piece of your mind for just brushing you off after what happened last week

you went up behind him and cleared your throat

he looked down at you as he noticed your presence

"yes?"

as soon as you made eye contact with him, you decided against verbally abusing him. instead. you smiled and looked down

"could you maybe tell me where your ten-second pimple vanisher is?" you asked, feeling like a fool

"oh, of course! it's upstairs to the left, next to the portable swamps. just look for the orange vials about this big" he informed, measuring around 1 and a half inches with his fingers

"alright, thanks!" you nodded before turning away, walking towards the stairs as he went back to stocking the shelf

you slowly made your way up the stairs, not knowing why you're still here. you stopped mid way and decided to leave now, the embarrassment was done and still heavy in your chest as you began walking back down the stairs

"it's almost as if he doesn't remember you" you heard from behind you

you looked up and saw him, standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at you with a smirk

"i knew you'd come back, pretty lady, although, i would've liked it if you tried talking to me instead of by twin brother" he snorted

you frowned before looking down at, looking for who you thought was him stocking the shelves, to find that man still there.

you looked back up and found George way closer than he was 3 seconds ago

"that's Fred" he grinned

"i.. didn't know there was two of you" you mumbled, playing with your sleeve

"clearly" he snickered "how did you not though?"

you stood there silently for a second before shrugging "it's not like i know the both of you"

"i'll forgive you...eventually" he beamed, leaning his hand against the railing

you looked over at his hand and fixated on the noticeable veins that flexed as he tapped his finger on the metal

"so, what brings you here again? me?" he smirked at his guess

"no" you denied

he raised an eyebrow as he resumed walking back down the stairs, pressing up against you as he passed

"well it definitely wasn't for pimple vanisher" he chuckled

"you seem to assume a lot of things about me" you followed after him

"at least i'm right" he pointed out

"do I get to learn your name yet or is that not until your fifth visit?" he wondered

you thought for a second before responding

"you'll never get it, and i'm not coming back here, i have no need to be here"

he stopped in his tracks and turned on his heels, before almost mocking you with his smile "then what brings you here today?"

you opened your mouth to speak but couldn't find words to explain yourself

"um.." you licked your lips, blinking as you stayed frozen still

he stepped up and leaned down to whisper in your ear

"if you wanted to ask me out, you could've just said that"

he leaned back up and winked before looking at you curiously

"i'm not asking you out" you sighed, annoyed. but you weren't sure why

"well you're here for something" he tutted

"I'm here...for a job" you thought on the spot, tapping your foot nervously

"no" he shook his head with a laugh before walking down, going around to the register

you followed him "no?"

he went around the counter as you stayed at the customer side

"yes, i'm not hiring you" he said simply, not making eye contact as he made himself busy with a checklist

you didn't want a job, although you were curious as to why his answer was a no

"why not?" you frowned "i'd be a great employee"

he looked up with a short huff "i'm not hiring you because, one, we aren't hiring, and even if we were i wouldn't because i wouldn't be allowed d to flirt with you"

"why do you? flirt with me?" you tilted your head

"because you don't stop me" he shrugged before walking away, towards the back of the shop

"well what if i told you to stop?" you hurried after him

"am i gonna answer this with an assumption or do you want an actual answer?" he looked back at you as he walked with his hands in his pockets

"actual" you replied quickly

"then i'd stop"

he stopped before he got to a door that had a sign saying 'staff only' and turned back "although, i don't think you will ask me to stop"

"and what makes you say that?" you crossed your arms defensively

he shrugged before opening the door, leaving it slightly open.

you stared at the open door as the 'staff only' sign stared back at you

did he mean to leave it open?

did he want you to follow him?

will he come out soon?

after a few seconds, you decided to go in. you slowly stepped towards the door and peeked in, looking around at what you could see, but couldn't see him, only boxes and cauldrons.

you quietly stepped in the room and jumped when the door suddenly shut with a 'bang!"

you looked back but nothing was there. he wasn't there

you frowned before turning back again, seeing him right in front of you

"cause you don't want me to stop" he smirked as he towered over you

you felt small against his frame, and weak in the knees under his unreadable gaze

"you like it, don't you?" he grinned, taking a dangerous step closer

you slowly shook your head in response, finding yourself unable to speak

"no? you don't like it?" he raised an eyebrow, knowing the real answer

you did, indeed, like it when he flirted with you, it made your heart flutter when he winked at you, it made you dizzy when he smirked at you, it made you giddy when he whispered in your ear, it made you flustered when he teased you. everything he did made you swoon

"n-no" you denied sheepishly

"then why'd you follow me in here? why'd you come back here today? what do you want? say it, and i'll give you it" he said deep and slow, building tension

"uhm" you stepped back, feeling hot

he licked his lips as he stepped closer "hm"

you looked down at your feet, embarrassed,

he lifted your chin and made you look at him "will you tell me your name yet?"

you stared up at him, longing before answering "Y/n"

he smiled brightly

"and you like this, don't you, Y/n?" he nodded, putting an innocent face on

"yeah.." you replied, almost in a trance

he left go of your chin and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, to which you subconsciously leaned into when his palm made contact with your lower cheek, to which he snickered at

"so what did you come here for?" he whispered huskily

"you" you mumbled, not breaking eye contact

"what about me?"

you bit your tongue as his gaze hardened, almost seeming desperate

"all of you" you gulped

he beamed before scrunching his nose teasingly. he pulled his hand away from your cheek and slid them down your sides, stopping them at your hips, pulling you closer to him

you held your breath as his touch burned

"all of me?" he squinted his eyes, questionably

you slowly hummed as you let your hands run up his arms to his shoulders, where you leaned up towards him

his hands snaked around your hips to the small of your back

"may i show you what i think you came here for?" he smiled, his gaze falling to your lips

his eyes hung low as he stared, his lips still upturned

you nodded your head with a small smile "yeah.."

he leaned down and pressed his lips against yours passionately, almost desperate.

his lips stayed on yours for what seemed like forever, the longer it got, the more intense he got, almost as though he was starved and finally got his food

his grip on you got slightly tighter as you hummed against his lips, feeling dizzy.

he finally pulled away ever so slightly to breath and smirked at you

"is that what you came here for, pretty lady?" he questioned

you took a second to catch your breath before answering

"yep" you breathed heavily, trying to act cool

"wanna do it again?" he chuckled

"yep" you repeated happily

"alright pretty lady, whatever you say"

---------------------------------------------------

@peachesgaeass

---------------------------------------------------

[dandylovesturtles]

I should be in bed lol but I wanted to write a turtle tot sick fic so here

I went into this with no plan and it ended up uh. way sadder than I intended. whoops.

cw: mentions of vomit

...

Blue slept through naptime. That should have been Splinter's first clue.

In the moment, he'd just been so happy to actually have four sleeping children that he'd taken the opportunity for his own nap, the old, tattered storybook he'd been reading them draped over his face. He never managed to get Blue to wind down enough to sleep, so he usually had to quietly entertain him with books or the tv on low until the others woke up. But his Baby Blue had conked out almost immediately today, and soon Splinter was snoozing right along with them.

Blue was also the last to wake up. That should have been the second clue.

Splinter was woken up by Orange, talking in loud, disjointed sentences with plenty of nonsense words as he played with an old plastic telephone Splinter had found them. Red was racing his toy cars, making his own sound effects as they skid across the floor and crashed into the wall. Only Purple was quiet, industriously sorting his legos by color and size.

Splinter sat up, letting the book slide off his face, and took stock. It was surprising to see Blue still curled up against his leg even in the midst of all the racket his brothers were making. "Blue?" he said softly, giving the little turtle a nudge. Blue blinked his eyes open, groggily looking around. "Naptime is over."

Blue pushed himself up into a sitting position, then rubbed clumsily at his eyes. He looked so tired still that Splinter debated telling him he could keep sleeping, even if it might make putting him to bed later more difficult.

But once Blue was up, he saw Red racing his cars and pushed quickly to his feet, hurrying over to join in the game. Almost immediately he was demanding Red hand over one of the cars and setting up an elaborate make-believe track for their race, so Splinter let it go.

Thirty minutes later, Blue tugged on Splinter's old sweatpants and said, "Daddy, my tummy hurts." In hindsight, this is exactly when Splinter should have put it together.

But the kids rarely got sick - a benefit of whatever Draxum had put in the gunk that turned them into this, Splinter assumed. Which was a blessing, because he was pretty limited in what medicine he could get in his condition. The boys having a hearty immune system was one of the few things Splinter had going for him.

So he hadn't moved to that conclusion. Instead he said, "Do you need to go potty?" and Blue had considered that very seriously for a few seconds before nodding and rushing off to the bathroom.

Orange threw the plastic phone into Purple's meticulously organized lego piles and Splinter moved on to the next crisis without another thought.

It was at dinner, when he caught Blue pushing his food (mac'n'cheese!) around without interest, that it finally clicked that maybe he should be worried.

"Blue, what's wrong?"

Blue didn't so much as look up. He shrugged, swirling his noodles around and around.

Splinter would be embarrassed to admit how long it took him to remember their earlier conversation, but it eventually came back to him. "Ah... Is your stomach still hurting?"

Blue's face scrunched up in misery, and he nodded.

Splinter groaned in exasperation. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did!"

"I mean after you went potty."

Blue grimaced. Instead of answering, he scooped up some mac'n'cheese and stuffed it in his mouth. He looked like he regretted it as soon as he'd done it.

"Do not spit that out," said Splinter immediately, because mac'n'cheese was one of the few things Purple would eat and if Blue spat it out in front of him it would go on his Bad Foods list for at least a month. And Orange had a habit of mimicking anything Blue did, which would only compound the problem.

Blue chewed and swallowed the mouthful agonizingly slowly. He looked so miserable afterward that Splinter felt bad about it.

"Are you going to throw up, Blue?" he asked, and got a furious head shake in response. "Are you just telling me that?" Another shake. "Do you want to keep eating?" A third shake. Splinter sighed and took his bowl from him. "Alright. I'll put this in the fridge, if you want it later."

Their mini-fridge was already stuffed full, but Splinter would simply have to make space, or throw all this mac'n'cheese out. He wished they had a bigger fridge, but just getting this back to the juncture in the sewers he called a home had been difficult enough.

He wished he had a bigger fridge. He wished he had a house. He wished he had a pediatrician to take Blue to. He wished he wasn't a rat man. He wished he and his kids were... normal.

It was a bad thought. He knew that as soon as he thought it, and he tried to push it down. The kids didn't need to know they weren't normal. That none of this was normal. He knew that, but...

"Throw up?" he heard Purple say, and then the telltale sound of him pushing his bowl away. Mac'n'cheese was on the Bad Foods list. Splinter groaned.

...

He found their old thermometer after the boys were finished eating. Getting a temperature from Blue was near impossible because he moved it around too much or spat it out before time was up, but Splinter would have to do his best.

After three tries, he got a reading that seemed accurate enough. Blue's body ran colder than a human child's, and it had taken observation and trial and error for Splinter to learn what constituted as a fever. As it was, Blue was only two degrees above his normal. So at least that wasn't too worrying.

He was still complaining that his stomach hurt, though. A stomach bug, then? Or just something he ate? Usually Red was the one who would put random things in his mouth unless Splinter kept a careful watch, but Blue and Orange were... adventurous eaters, too. It was possible.

They continued with their normal bedtime routine. Another thing Splinter had going for him was that his boys loved baths; getting them into their makeshift tub, even with lukewarm water, was always easy. From his research, Red, Blue, and Purple were all aquatic turtles, and Orange was not one to be left out of his brothers’ games no matter his biology.

Blue wasn't excited for bath time tonight, though. He sat quietly in the tub, making grumpy noises anytime he got splashed and playing only with his favorite blue shark toy, ignoring everything else. He definitely felt bad. Splinter was feeling increasingly terrible that he hadn't noticed.

He got them all toweled off and into their pajamas. Then into the pallet beds he had for them, all in one big shared alcove, a tattered curtain strung up for a semblance of privacy. They would need something more as they got older, but for now the boys seemed content to share space.

He tucked Red, Purple, and Orange in, then turned his attention to Blue. He had found an old bucket earlier that he (theoretically) used for mopping, and this he presented to Blue.

"If you are going to throw up, please do it in this," he told Blue. "We don't have any spare sheets."

"Not gonna," said Blue grumpily, pushing the bucket away.

"Ewww," whined Purple. "I don't want to share with Leo if he throws up."

"Not gonna!" Blue insisted, glaring at Purple, who glared back. Splinter sighed and pushed the bucket at Blue again.

"I am serious, Leonardo," he said, and that got Blue's attention. "If you throw up, do it in this bucket."

Instead of answering, Blue rolled over and scrunched himself up in a ball. That was the best Splinter was going to get, he supposed, so he just sighed and put the bucket next to Blue's bed.

"Good night, boys," he said as he got to his feet, ignoring the crackles from his back and knees.

"Good niiiight," came three echoes. Blue was giving him the silent treatment. Alright.

He went back to his own bed, sectioned off by an old divider screen he'd managed to find. Hopefully they could at least get through the night without disaster striking.

...

According to his beat up alarm clock, it was only two hours later when Red showed up by his bedside, shaking him awake urgently.

Splinter groaned his way into consciousness, blinking groggy eyes until his eldest son came into focus.

"Leo threw up," came Red's predictable report.

Splinter sighed, pushing his sheets aside and rising from his futon. "Did he make it in the bucket?"

Red's expression was not encouraging.

...

He had not made it in the bucket.

Blue sat stock still in the puddle of his own sick, eyes teary and expression a mix between stunned and embarrassed. Purple was pressed as close to the opposite wall as he could get, hands pressed tight over his nose and mouth. Orange was at Blue's side, patting his arm with his chubby little hand.

"Blue," Splinter snapped as soon as he saw the mess. "Why didn't you throw up in the bucket!?"

"Didn't think I was gonna," Blue croaked.

"Well, you did. All over your sheets." Splinter ran his hands over his tired eyes. "Now you have nothing for tonight. And who knows if I'll even be able to get the stain out. I may have to go all the way to the surface to get new ones, and do you know what a hassle that is!? The bucket was right here, Blue!"

"I'm sorry."

The miserable hiccup in Blue's voice effectively stopped Splinter's tirade, and he refocused on his son. Blue's tears had spilled over, streaking down his miserable face. He was shivering, hands clutching the fabric of his ruined sheets, wringing them tight. He looked terrified.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," he repeated. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Something inside Splinter cracked.

Leo was only four, by his best guess. He was a baby, still. A sick baby, and Splinter was yelling at him about... about bed sheets?

Blue didn't know that Splinter would have to steal him new sheets. He didn't know that Splinter feared every time he did something so risky, that it might expose their tiny family to hostile forces - the human authorities, Big Mama's goons, Draxum's gargoyles. He didn't know that Splinter should be taking him to a doctor right now. He didn't know that sleeping on a pallet bed in the sewers wasn't normal.

He just knew that he had thrown up, and his dad was mad about it.

Immediately, Splinter stooped and scooped the still-apologizing Blue into his arms. He was getting bigger all the time, and, somehow, Splinter was getting smaller, but he could still hold his boys in his arms, still cradle them against his chest.

"Blue... Leo, listen to me."

"I'm sorry," Blue mumbled again, followed by a sad, wet hiccup.

"Shh, shh, no, my son, please listen." He waited until teary eyes were turned on him to continue. "You don't need to apologize. You did nothing wrong."

"Missed the bucket," said Blue, and Splinter shook his head.

"That's alright. You're sick. It is my job to take care of these things." He scratched at the back of Blue's shell with the arm holding him, something he knew always calmed Blue down. Sure enough, he felt his boy begin to relax. "Do not worry about the sheets. If Daddy needs to get more, he will. For now we will all share."

Blue sniffed, and buried his face in Splinter's chest. That was a good sign. Splinter kept up the scraching.

"I'm sorry I yelled. You aren't in trouble, Blue. You're alright."

Blue sniffled again. Hiccupped one last time. His tears were drying up, and his little voice said, "S'okay, Daddy."

"Oh, my Baby Blue... Thank you."

He still felt terrible as he lowered Leo back to his bed and started to strip away the soiled sheets, but Leo had calmed down considerably. He kept the bucket close, though, even as he laid back down again on his pillow.

"Leo can have my blanket," said Red, already pulling the old thing over. Splinter smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you, Red. Blue, do you think you will throw up again?"

Blue shrugged. "Dunno."

"That's alright. It's okay if you do." Splinter smoothed the blanket over Blue, not tucking him in so he could move if he needed to. "I'll get this sheet washed out and be back, alright?"

Blue nodded. He was still gripping the bucket with one hand. Splinter rubbed his head, then stood up with his bundle of soiled sheets.

When he returned, with water for Blue, he'd thrown up again - in the bucket, this time. Orange was still by him, rubbing his arm, while Red sat behind him, supporting his back. Even Purple had come close, awkwardly patting at Blue's leg while pointedly avoiding looking at the bucket.

"Thank you for taking such good care of Blue," he told them, getting three beaming smiles in return.

They were all going to have the bug by tomorrow. Splinter would need to find more buckets.

[baldysgate]

Quiet Moments

HALSIN/GN!TAV SFW || ACT II SPOILERS || CONFESSIONS || FLUFF || 2ND PERSON POV ||

No Warnings just a giant sweet druid and Tav slowly confessing their feelings. Mention of Tav having healing spell.

NOTE: A bit of fluff between ACT II & III for Halsin.

You hear him before you see him, a loud grunt from along the lakes shoreline as you make your daily rounds after a long day. The sun is close to sinking past the horizon, everything bathed in an orange hue. 

The Druid sits on the soft white sand, back against a bit of driftwood that made its way ashore, one arm winding a white cloth around the other as he does his best to stifle the pains that rise up in his chest.

"You know there's spells for that." You say softly as to not startle him, and despite the pain he turns his head with a smile that creases the corners of his lips. 

"Ah, hello." He leans back, the old wood creaking beneath his weight, "afraid I ran out after the last battle." He sighs and even though hes in pain theres still a warmness in the way he speaks. 

And so he came here to lick his wounds? Halsin had joined only a fortnight ago and yet you were learning that the druid did not like taking up space, ironic given his size. It hurt to think he would rather suffer such pain than inconvenience anyone around him. You wondered just how often he'd done this exact same thing as archdruid. 

"Here." You offer, sitting on the driftwood with a soft smile, "Let me see."

His brows turn up slightly, as his lips parted only to close again, relinquishing the cloth to your mercy. 

The bit he had managed to wrap soaked the cloth with red stains, pulling it away from the angered gash ever so softly as to not cause him further discomfort. With you near he seemed to stifle the sounds even more as the wrapping finally came free. The wound was deeper than expected.. had he really intended to hide this?

"It is not as bad as it looks." He seemed to notice your alarm. 

"Halsin, " your voice was soft, but firm, "I need you to take care of yourself. Maybe in the grove things were different, perhaps such things even went unnoticed. But I need you here. We need you here." 

He looked up towards you, grey eyes looking into yours with a look of surprise. As if no one had been concerned for him in years. A pang in your chest to think it had taken so long for someone to care as much as he had done for others. 

"I understand.  Perhaps I have been a bit hasty in my eagerness to lift the shadowcurse..." He admits, "sometimes I let such things cloud my mind."

A gentle admittance, only the surface of something so much deeper. It had only been a few weeks, but you had grown fond of his company. 

"It can't have been easy." You breathe, soft tingles sprouting from your fingertips as they press against the angered skin around his wound, "the shadowcurse. Thaniel. Biding your time in that grove and wishing you could just do *something*. I can understand your impatience… But you must take care of yourself first." 

The faint light glows and the wound begins to lessen, angered flesh slowly mending. It's entrancing to watch the red lines slowly pull together once more until all is left is tanned skin. 

The silence has gone on for too long, glancing up to meet soft eyes beneath heavy brows. Halsin does not look away, as if he had been studying the lines of your face. "I am lucky to be in such wise company." He says softly, still looking into your eyes. 

You chuckle, realizing your hands are still against his now healed arm, the faintest warmth touching your cheeks, "Hardly that. I just know what it's like to be frozen in fear of failure."

He looks away then, as if giving such things words were far too much. Those grey eyes staring off to watch the sun begin to sink and give way to twilight, "I suppose that is what it is. Fear. Pity that I had sought to give words to such hollow feelings for so long and here you are to sum it up in one simple word." He lets out a sound between a laugh and a sigh, "Perhaps I have been afraid all along." 

Feeling the melancholy that radiates in his words you lay a gentle hand against his shoulder, "Archdruid or not, it does not make you unbound to fear. Or any feeling for that matter. Like nature, there is a balance to all things." 

The soft brush of his calloused fingers caress against yours, nearly daring to intertwine with your own. The feeling steals the breath from your lungs. But as quickly as the feeling is there it is gone again and you pull your hand away from him. 

Now was not the time for such thoughts of bodies intertwining and sweet poetry spoken between lovers. It is true the druid had been a steadfast and loyal companion who you had grown to admire perhaps more than you had anticipated. But he had his own goals, as did you. The threat of the Absolute would leave no room for anything else. 

"Your words always have a way of quieting the unsettling of my heart. I am truly grateful." He turns to look at you once again, a soft smile lined his lips. 

"I am always here, should you need me." You smile back. 

"And I, for you." 

The moment feels far more intimate than when his hand brushed against your own, slowly being bathed in a blanket of night. The Moonglow accentuates the lines of his face, each one like a story woven into a tapestry. You recognize- not for the first time- how handsome he is.

"We should get some sleep. Tomorrow we make our way to moonrise towers and break the Shadowcurse once and for all." The confidence is more in your voice than movement, rising up to stand. You knew if you sat any longer there would be more than just words exchanged between you.

"Together I have no doubt it will be so. Go now and rest, dear friend. I need only a few moments to reconvene with nature." His voice is gentle, as if soothing a lover. 

"Goodnight, Halsin." You turn to walk away.

"Rest well."  He says just loud enough for you to hear it. 

—------------  z z  z 

The fight had been unlike any your party had seen before. Hells, who could even have imagined fighting a God mere days ago? And yet here you all sat–tired, but alive. So many things had been revealed it made your head swim. The sounds of chatter between everyone had become overstimulating after a day filled with revelations and adrenaline that you quietly excused yourself and headed for a lone hill just outside of camp's light. 

The land stretched out before you, the soft sounds of crickets and the rustling of nocturnal animals scattering on the hunt were all to be heard. It was a welcome sound after the infernal drumming of the Absolute that echoed in your mind just hours earlier. After such a grim and dark place the world seemed brighter, even if just for a moment. With a deep sigh you sit amongst the grass, back against the lone willow whose leaves danced in moonlight. The air was cool, a welcoming breeze as if thanking you for ridding nature of such a blight. 

Your hand touches the damp grass, a bit of dew from when it had rained earlier, the smell hanging in the air. To your surprise your fingers glide against polished wood, looking down to see the familiar sight of a lute stashed away close enough to be shielded from the weather. It’s a dingy old thing..but someone had taken the time to repair small parts that had decayed or broken. Fingers plucked a string in curiosity and it let out a warbled off tune note. 

“Ah, I see you’ve found my hideaway.” A familiar deep voice says from behind you , turning your head to catch Halsin walking up the hill, the light of camp accentuating his large stature.

“I didn’t mean to intrude.” You are already moving to stand but the druid gestures you to sit as he follows, taking the spot at your side. 

“Not at all, such a place is better with company.” Halsin makes a gruff noise as he sits against the grass next to you. 

“You’re not injured, are you?” You ask, remembering the other night. 

“Far from it.” He smiles, looking out into the forest, “Perhaps a bit sore…But I feel better than I have in quite some time.” His eyes turn to you, the smile even softer still “You truly are remarkable.” 

His gaze sends a shiver through you, hiding behind a chuckle, “I can’t take the credit, without all of you the outcome would have been far more grim.” 

He seems to regard you for a moment, as if mulling over your words, “Perhaps. But without your leadership we would certainly be worse for wear.” 

The familiar heat rises in your cheeks, turning back to look out at the landscape as you press your back against the large willow. There’s a pang of pain and you draw your arm upwards which sends the pain shooting through your shoulder with a hiss. 

Halsin moves to steady you but his hand only hovers against your arm, “Are you alright?” He asks, voice lined with worry. 

You wave to him, “Fine, fine. I think the adrenaline is finally wearing off. Just a bit of an ache, starting to feel my age.” 

He chuckles, a warm sound that’s deep in his chest. He’s older by far, but he makes no mention of it. 

“Here.” He gestures finally, motioning for you to scoot forward. There's an unmistakable trust between you both that makes you follow his suggestion without question. He stands up just enough to nestle himself between the tree and you, long legs coming to rest on each side of your own. The feeling is now burning at your ears, feeling his hands against your back and drawing upwards towards your shoulders. He kneads with his thumbs against your tired muscles and you have to stifle the pained sound that leaves your lips. 

“Does it hurt?” He asks, his voice nearly at your ear as he lessens the strength in which he attempts to worry the knots from tired muscles.

“No, no. Just a little rough going at first” You mutter out, "but it feels nice..." leaning forward as Halsin returns to his efforts. 

The night of the tiefling party darts back into your mind. When spirits were high and the drink was adling everyone's mind. Regardless if you partook, the mood had given you the courage to lay your cards on the table. You had known him less than a day but the strength in which he spoke, the soft reassurance in your brief meeting had made you want him more than anything. 

Which is why it hurt when he had kindly dismissed your proposition. He'd seemed interested enough, but a small part made you wonder if he'd simply meant to let you down easy. That perhaps you had read too far into things since then.

And so the days had gone by, busying yourself with the tadpole and dodging death at every turn. It helped to pry your mind from the rejection but every so often Halsin would praise you with his kindness or look from across the fire and it all came crashing down again. 

And now with his hands against your back, forcing sighs and groans from your throat only furthered your confusion. 

As if sensing your very thought he chuckled, "Do you remember the night of the celebration in the grove?"

It's unfortunate that your shoulders tense, as he feels the tension immediately before you can think to control it. "Yes, very much so." The sound is but a whisper on the wind. 

"I was enamored with you then." He chuckles, unfolding completely, "I had resigned myself to dying in those warg pens, drawing my last breath knowing I had failed to right the Shadowcurse from over a century ago. And yet when the world seemed darkest it gave me you."

Your hand brushes against the leather of his pants, his hands slowing their work as you turn your upper body to look into his eyes, a look of surprise washing over your face.

"But when you asked me to share in a moment of pleasure, well, I was hesitant only in that my mind had been elsewhere. To not give you my full attention then would've been less than you deserved.” His gaze is warm.

“But say it isn’t what you want anymore and I will remain here-as a friend, by your side.” He adds, though there is hesitancy in his words, as if the admittance from you alone would shatter him whole.

You breathe in deeply, smelling the earth and something distinctly Halsin. A smell of blended herbs, wood and moss. Over the past few weeks you had only wanted him more… A man who had already given up so much and was willing to part with more for the ones he loved. Hells, he’d thrown away everything to follow you into the depths of despair only because he had promised you he would. You didn’t want to take anymore, only to give, even if it was for just a little while. He had voiced his propensity to roam in both heart and soul, to be unbound as nature designed. It was enough in this moment to know this was truly where he wanted to be. 

“Halsin.” His name is sweet as it falls past your lips, “ There is nothing I want more.” you smile, readjusting to sit on your knees, turning to him and taking his hand into your own and feeling the rough calluses formed from years of hard work, pressing the palm against your cheek. “We don’t have the luxury of thinking far past today.. but whatever this is- for however long it will be- I want it with you by my side.” 

He breathes a deep sigh of what you can only understand is relief, rubbing his thumb against your cheekbone, “You have no idea how I’ve longed to hear those words.” His eyes are on you, the flecks of gold around his irises bright even with only the stars for company, “Come here, to me.” His voice is low but welcoming. 

You lean in, his hand at your cheek guiding you to him as your lips meet. It feels like the world crumbles in on itself, the kiss first soft and unsure soon growing passionate and desperate. His other hand moves to your back, pulling you into him so that your bodies press against one another. Your heart is hammering in your chest feeling his tongue dance with yours, running your fingers through chestnut brown hair. 

Needing air after what felt like hours you pulled away, a smile pressed against his lips, “That was far better than I could have ever dreamt of.” He admits, his hand against your neck with a soft caress of his thumb against the vein there.

“You stole the words right out of my mouth.” You smile, a fleck of light catches your eye, a glowing ball of green light that draws your attention.

A sea of fireflies dance around the willow, their lights illuminate a sea of stars that swayed with the wind. The sight makes you gasp, watching them grow near before flitting away into the night. 

“It seems Thaniel approves.” Halsin chuckles, pulling you into him so that your back rests against his chest, both of you watching the green lights dance before going out. It only lasted a few long breaths but it is beautiful against the blue of night. You can feel his breathing, a steady rise and fall of his chest that could easily lull you into a soft slumber. 

There was no telling how long you both lay there, stretched out under the willow tree staring up into the stars. His arms found their way under yours, his warmth like the sun as the night began to cool. At some point through the talking and soft touches your eyes began to close, trying to force them back to just feel the moment for just a bit longer. 

"Rest." He whispers your name , breath hot against your ear, "I am not going anywhere."

It's all you need as your eyes finally close and drift off into a peaceful sleep.

[dixonsbrat]

𖥔 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄: 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𖥔

summary ; rafe begins to push you away when he realises the true nature of his feelings towards you

pairing ; rafe cameron x kook turned pogue!fem!reader

notes ; this series will contain mature themes, such as : p in v sex, fingering, oral sex (f and m receiving), swearing, physical altercations, potential nightmares and anxiety, arguments, drinking and drugs. if i forgot any please let me know.

do not transfer, translate or share my work to any other sites.

summer nights in the outer banks always felt like a mist of nostalgia washing over you as you ventured to the boneyard. the humidity was high, and the stars were bright. speckling across the night sky like a blanket of magic, each holding a promise to return the next day like they had every other.

tonight’s party had passed by in a flurry, whisking you away with your friends for a night of unconventional fun. just the way you liked it.

the boys were up to mischief, as per usual, as they took part in numerous bets and dares to see who was the ‘best pogue’ while sarah dragged you and kie to the bonfire for a dance. and despite the fact that you had spent most of the night in high spirits, you couldn’t help the sudden plunge of morale as you watched john b sneak up behind sarah and wrap his arms around her.

the two of them holding each other close and swaying to the music as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear. it made your heart heavy knowing how badly you both craved and desired the love that they so openly shared with the world.

“hey, i have a question..." jj declares after the six of you had found somewhere quiet to hunker down away from the general vicinity of the party, and with a joint in his hand, he moves to lay his head in your lap as he gazes up at the night sky.

“what now?” kie rolls her eyes, waiting to hear what high-induced thoughts the blond had conjured up

“if oranges are called… oranges, why aren't lemons called… yellows?" silence fell over you all as you tried to hold back your laughter,swapping confused looks, only to eventually give in.

“okay. i think you've had enough of that for tonight,” pope grabs the joint from jj’s hand, despite his protests, and takes a puff for himself before passing it to john b.

“agreed. i think i’m getting a contact high just from being near you,” you laugh softly.

he lets out a small gasp, clutching at his chest as though he were wounded, “you should be grateful.”

“yeah, okay, j,” you shake your head, laughing, and ruffle his hair before turning to the others to ask, “hey, does anyone have the time?”

pope’s the first to check his watch, “almost midnight.”

“shit…” you groan quietly and throw your head to the side, sinking into sarah’s shoulder for a moment, “i’ve gotta go. are we still meeting before the dinner tomorrow?”

“yeah, of course.” sarah nods, knowing that the question was intended for her and kie.

picking yourself up and dusting the sand off your shorts, you swing your bag over your shoulder and wave goodbye to your friends. they blow you kisses as you start to walk away, shouting out a jumbled mess of their own goodbyes, but nothing was more distinct than jj's "see ya tomorrow, bubba!"

making your way through the remainder of the party, a group of kooks pass you by, each of them narrowing their eyes and one even blatantly whispering about you. your family’s history wasn’t uncommon knowledge on the island, and so, unlike the pogues, a lot of the kooks didn’t want to be seen hanging out with a ‘half-breed’, as they would sometimes call you.

like kie, your parents came from two different worlds, but unfortunately for them, they didn’t have quite the happy ending that the carrera’s did. so now you live with your mom and her new husband with all the other figure eight trust fund babies, but you weren’t really one of them — you never would be.

“y/n!” a voice calls your name, and you turn just in time to see topper wrap his arm around your shoulders. the strong scent of alcohol consuming your senses, and you sway off-balance from the impact of his weight.

“hey, top,” you pat his chest affably.

“hey, we’re friends, right?” he smiles drunkenly this time, and a slight hum leaves his lips.

you knew the question was of good nature, and you didn’t dislike topper, but he wasn’t exactly your favourite person either. so, not wanting to hurt his feelings while he clearly wasn’t all there, you decide to indulge him a little, “of course we are, buddy.”

“it’s just… i know you hang out with the pogues, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends? i’ve always been nice to you, and i know kelce thinks you’re cool, but rafe, he’s a tough one. he really hates pogues, and you’re like choosing to be-”

“topper, let’s go, man!” kelce shouts as he makes his way over to you, and a few steps behind him staggered along rafe cameron, “some of us are going back to mine.”

seemingly frustrated, kelce tries to get his friend to leave while rafe appears far more interested in the cup between his lips. when he does eventually look up at topper, his eyes fall on you under his friend’s arm for a moment before he runs a hand across his forehead and looks away as though he hadn’t paid you any attention at all.

“maybe you should get him a leash?” the suggestion falls from your lips, and from behind the cup in his hand, you swore you saw rafe smirk. though, it’s gone faster than it had appeared.

kelce lets out a soft chuckle, “don’t tempt me.”

“hey, y/n, why don’t you come with us?” topper turns to you with more enthusiasm than you could handle on a good day. like a golden retriever that was just given his favourite ball.

“as tempting as that sounds... i will have to pass.” removing his arm, you push him towards kelce, who reluctantly catches him.

“why not? it’ll be fun, and kelce and rafe will be there!”

“actually, i’ve, uh, i’ve got somewhere to be,” rafe discloses, taking the last sip of his drink before throwing the empty cup into the trash pile and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “so, i’m going to have to skip on tonight too.”

not wanting to stick around for the conversation about to be had, which would mostly consist of topper whining for rafe to go with them, you take your leave from the trio, “alright. well, i’m going to go. you boys have fun.” and as you pass through them, your arm accidentally brushes against rafe.

you don't think much of it, but the small graze seemed to have attracted his attention, because when you look back, his eyes are already watching you walk away.

the air was no longer sticky as you walked towards the main road. the temperature had dropped enough to cause an array of bumps on your arms and you cursed yourself for not bringing a jacket. the coolness nipped at your skin, and you helplessly wrapped your arms around yourself to gather as much warmth as possible.

the street was quiet, other than the distant sound of music from the boneyard and the occasional bark from a neighbourhood dog. the sky was dark with nothing but the stars helping guide you home, which only made it more noticeable when a set of headlights turned into the street. the sound of an engine began to approach you, slowing to meet your side before eventually coming to a stop.

“y'know, it’s at least an hour walk back to figure eight, right?” the driver points out, and an undeniable smirk tugs at the corner of your lips before you turn to see rafe leaning his head out the open window.

“really?” you retort, cocking your head to the side. “... what took you so long then?”

rafe licks his lips to try and downplay the smile on his face as you near the car, his eyes trailing up and down your body, "well, you know how it is?"

"topper wouldn't shut up," you say in unison, scrunching up your face as you nod.

"i guess that means i'll just have to make it up to you," he looks you up and down once more, his eyes lingering on the skin surrounding your chest and noting how the smallest cherubs of your nipples were poking through your bikini top.

smiling coyly, you sink towards him, pushing a hand to run across the stubbled hair on his head, and press a chaste kiss to his lips, "you better." your words muffle against him.

he hums with approval, a smug look on his face as you pull his bottom lip between yours, giving it a small tug, "you better hurry up and get in then."

you scrunch your nose at him before running around the other side of the car, and it doesn't take long at all for the two of you to reunite with the comforts of rafe's bedroom. the familiar scent of his vanilla lotion, cologne, and a hint of tobacco filling your senses the second he opens the door, and what was once a relevantly clean floor was now being littered with discarded clothing.

his fingers were gentle as they danced across your skin, loosening the knot in the back of your bikini with ease, before hoisting you up around his waist and leading you to his bed where he places you down atop his cotton sheets. his fingers make haste to remove the last pieces of your clothing as he peppers sweet kisses along your jawline, down to your neck.

rafe's kisses were reverent, his touch worshipping, as he slowly revealed every last piece of you. like a precious gift being unwrapped for all to see, but only rafe got the pleasure of doing so.

his breath is hot as he traipses his kisses further down your chest, and his lips soft as he presses them perfectly around the nubs of your breasts. flicking his tongue over the sensitive skin and erupting a whirlwind of rampant butterflies in your stomach.

"god, look at you," he mumbles, a hand now rolling down your waist, your thigh, stopping just shy of where you needed him the most. you needed to feel him, needed him to touch you, and he knew it. he could tell by the way your hips were ever so slightly bucking up to try and reach his hand. "so needy, baby."

smirking, he slowly glides his fingers over your clit and then begins working small torturous circles over it. your chest starts to rise and fall, the breathe being pulled from your lungs, and rafe pushes the side of his other hand into your mouth to help muffle your moans.

it's then that he presses two fingers inside you, letting his thumb continue to work you as he slowly pumps them in and out. your hips jut up, the pleasure working it's way through you until you couldn't bare it much longer. then it stops.

"rafe..." you whine, panting.

"what? you really think i'm going to waste the chance to have you cum around me?" he meets your face, bringing his fingers to his lips and licking your juices off of them, "not when you taste this sweet."

then, without warning, he grabs you by the waist and pulls you into his lap. letting nothing else stand between you both, he takes your mouth in a heated kiss. his tongue teasing you skilfully until you're left breathless. you could taste yourself on his tongue, and it only made you want him more.

with one hand gripping at your thigh, he uses the other to give himself a few pumps before swiping along your slit to gather your wetness. you jolt as the tip of his cock touches your clit, which he can't help but snicker at, and he slowly starts to push himself in.

rafe was big, there was no denying that, and you would have to bury your head in his shoulder from time to time to stop yourself from crying out as you sink down on him. you could feel him everywhere, and while you didn't have anything to compare it to, you had never felt so full in your life than when rafe was inside you.

it takes a moment to adjust but once he starts moving, all the pressure that had built up quickly turns into pleasure. you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him as close to you as you possibly could, your chests moving together as one as he maintains his rhythm. you try to kiss him, but he feels too good inside that all you can do is let out breathy moans.

his thumb moves down to work your clit once more, adding to the pleasure tightening and compressing within your stomach. waves of ecstasy taking over your body as you succumb to your high while rafe tries his best not to cum in you.

you press your head against him as your orgasm rolls through your body, your walls clenching around him and daring to push him over the edge, "fuck, i love watching you cum."

you notice the way his pupils had dilated as he stares up at you now, and you press your lips to his as you slowly lift yourself off of him, immediately feeling empty inside.

"told you i'd make it up to you," he stretches his neck as he leans back to rest on his elbows, closing his eyes long enough for you to work your way down to his waist and take him in your mouth.

he was still so hard, and creamy from being inside you, that the second your lips came in contact, his head lulled back with a sigh. he was already so close to the edge that it didn't take long for him to blow his load in your mouth. and you didn’t waste a drop.

after recollecting yourself, rafe throws you one of his t-shirts to put on and you make yourself comfortable against the headboard of his bed. he, however, instinctively moves to rest his head in your lap, and your fingers idly run circles on his head.

whenever you were with rafe, it felt like all of your problems simply washed away. he made you feel things you never had before. he made you feel alive. and while you loved spending as much time with him as possible, there was always a bittersweet feeling gnawing at you, reminding you that none of this was real, because your time together always had to come to an end.

it was always easier to just rip off the band aid rather than to let it fester until it consumed your every thought.

"you okay?" rafe asks, taking notice of how quiet and spacey you were being. you nod, not wanting to turn this into anything. "you can tell me," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the palm of your hand this time.

it was the small gestures like that that made it all the more difficult to keep sneaking around with him. you knew you could never tell him how you were really feeling but the longer you had to lie to your friends or hide away like he was ashamed to be seen with you, the more you wondered if this was how things would always be with him.

he had told you from the start that he had too much going on to be able to commit to anything or make promises he knew he couldn't keep, but that didn't mean it hurt any less. and no matter how many times he tried to reassure you that this wasn't just sex for him, he would always follow up with the fact that he couldn't let himself get carried away. not when ward was watching his every move.

“it’s fine, really,” leaning down, you press another kiss to his lips and then to his nose, “i promise.”

reluctant to believe you, he eventually nods before moving into your touch and nuzzling his face into yours as he kisses you once more. his hands move to guide you as your breath becomes ragged, and just as you’re about to get lost in him once more, you pull away, knowing that if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself.

between breaths, you whisper, “it’s late. i should get going.”

rafe throws his head back into his pillow, heaving a sigh, and where you expected him to agree or even help you gather your clothes from where you had left them all over his floor, he instead stops you. his eyes flutter for a second, and his jaw tenses the way it did whenever he was fighting the thoughts in his head, trying to flush them out, and with a soft voice, he says, “… stay.”

an inaudible gasp leaves you as you contemplate whether or not you had heard him correctly and when you don’t answer, he pulls you back to the bed, "stay... please."

rafe had never asked you to stay before or vis versa, the night always ended with one of you sneaking home, and while you were ecstatic over the revelations, you were also sceptical as to what had changed his mind all of a sudden. he doesn't say anything else, just pulls you back between the sheets and wraps his arm firmly around your waist.

you hadn't given him an answer, but you knew you weren't going to say 'no', who knew if he would ever ask you to stay again. instead, you let yourself melt into his warmth where you remained until the sun began to rise.

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

LVRS Club**

IT'S FINALLY HERE! I hope you guys enjoy it!

Warnings: Descriptions of threesome (ffm), BDSM scene (fdom, msub), overstimulation, post-orgasm torture, forced orgasms, choking, impact play, light pain kink, fingering, oral (f receiving), dom x sub dynamics

WC: 25K - Alt. starting points: If you want skip to when they see each other just scroll down the break indicated by blue asterisks to start from Harry's POV. Or start reading at the break indicated by pink asterisks to start from Y/N's POV. Read at the break indicated by orange asterisks to start with when they meet:) HAPPY READING!

“So where are we really going?” Y/N asked Nina, her best friend and roommate.

“It’s a surprise. I already told you.” Nina hummed.

“I hate surprises, Nina. You know this.” She said.

“If I tell you, you might back out and I can’t risk that.” Nina explained.

“That’s worrisome…you know that I like to be well prepared f-”

“Yeah, you little control freak.” She grinned and Y/N sighed.

“What if I promise not to freak out or back out.”

“Unlikely.”

“See that’s worrisome again.” Y/N sighed and Nina turned to her.

“Fine. I’ll tell you, but you need to commit to attending if I tell you.” She looked at Nina with a bit of hesitation. But her curiosity and need to know were far greater than her hesitation. This way she’d at least know what to prepare for.

“Fine.” She said and Nina grinned.

“Alright, we’re taking you to a sex club.” She said and Y/N chuckled and when she saw Nina’s face her features arched up in shock.

“Wait, you’re serious?” She asked and Nina nodded with a nervous grin. “I can’t, Nina.” Y/N said and she sighed.

“You committed!” Nina pointed at her and she sighed.

“But a sex club? How is that going to help me?!” She questioned.

“I don’t know? Maybe just push you out of your comfort zone. You don’t have to have sex, it’s just a different thing.” She said and Y/N sighed.

“I hate you guys…so fucking much.” She giggled and Nina grinned.

*********

“Should I wear the red lipstick?” Y/N questioned as she looked through her limited lipstick options.

“I would say no because if you end up kissing someone, at the very least, you’re gonna be all smeared!” Nina said and Y/N didn’t intend on making out with anyone but red did tend to be messy.

“Ughhh…you’re right. Even if I don’t, like it gets on the glasses and sometimes I forget I have it on…I won’t look too plain without it?” She frowned at her reflection and Nina scoffed. “Y/N, babe, you’re so fucking cute! You’re gorgeous and smart and successful! You don’t need to pile on all this extra shit to attract someone just wear what makes you feel confident.” Nina assured with an encouraging smile. Y/N tended to side with the “clean girl aesthetic” when it came to makeup. She generally avoided having to use too much and spend even more money on replacing makeup at quick intervals. 

“OK, but say you’re a guy and you saw me looking like this-”

“Again, we’re not doing this to get you laid,” Nina emphasized, “But if there is a man tonight who thinks that you as you are is not to die for then they aren’t worth your time. And look, the focus of the night is just to help you loosen up a bit. I know you say you’re fine but babe, you’re more stressed than I have ever seen you! You’ve gone through three wine bottles and made, and devoured, three batches of chocolate strawberries in the past week and I hate to break it to you, but that is not self-care.” Nina said pointedly and Y/N groaned.

“Nina…”

“Girl, I see it all. I don’t want to make you feel like shit about it, but I think if you just step out of your comfort zone and let loose for a little it’ll make you feel better. Try not to worry too much tonight. Just clear your mind of all of the stress and surrender to the adventures of the night. I want you to give this a fair shot, OK?” She smiled and Y/N chuckled.

“Fine. Fine.” She promised, “Now, what do I even wear?” She asked with a sigh and Nina grinned.

“It’s cocktail attire so I know just the dress!” Nina said rushing out of Y/N’s bathroom where they were both getting ready and Y/N trailed after her enthusiastic roommate as she moseyed on into her closet, “Remember you just bought a bunch of different dresses for your office’s holiday parties?” She asked as she started going through the rack.

“What about this one?” Y/N said pulling one out and showing Nina with a small smile and Nina just looked at her with a look that said ‘really bitch?’ and Y/N laughed, “What?”

“That looks like the dress you wore to my great aunt’s funeral.” Nina said plainly and Y/N frowned.

“I mean, it is, but I also wear it to work events and parties. It’s elegant and classic and not too-”

“Babe, you have to hear what you’re telling me.” Nina cackled and Y/N shook her head.

“It flatters my figure! And my cleavage looks really good!” Y/N defended her choice and Nina smiled.

“Yeah, I know. But there was one that you had liked because it looked like a D&G dress but you said it was too short or something…” Nina said as she continued looking through the options, “I just remember that when you tried it on I was shook. Like to my core. I hope you didn’t return it.” Nina said as she continued sifting through the hangers and then squealed, “Oh! It’s this one!” She said pulling out a black velvet minidress. It had a floral pattern which made it look a little vintage, rock star girlfriend-core to the max; it was very pretty and it looked great on her, but she couldn’t even sit down comfortably- her ass was literally on whatever seat she sat on from how short it was as she recalled.

“Oh my god, no! It was way too short.” Y/N argued.

“Easy access.” Nina said with a wink and Y/N laughed.

“Good god…”

“Look, it looks great on you and you can wear it with a leather jacket, get some loose-beach-y waves in your hair, a very light smoky eye and some nice clean eye liner and you’ll look like an effortless and sensual goddess.” Nina said.

“I mean…”

“It’d be like Y/N but from college!” Nina urged and Y/N giggled.

“God…I did dress really hot in college…” she said and Nina grinned with a nod, “Fine…for old time’s sake.” Y/N agreed and Nina once again squealed and soon they went back to getting dolled up before they were to change. 

It was around 8:30pm when Y/N and Nina were sliding into their Uber and getting ready to head off to this club. It was called LVRS Club and when Y/N realized that Nina had just entered that as their destination she grew so embarrassed.

“You couldn’t have at least put a business nearby or something? Now he’s gonna know we’re going to a sex club.” She whispered to Nina who just giggled.

“And to think those two shots you took before heading out were supposed to help calm your nerves.”

Y/N was nervous as could be. She had never done anything like this and from what Nina had been explaining to her, LVRS was a rather prestigious and high end place. Eli was only able to get them in because one of his good friends is a member - apparently he’d be meeting them there. As Y/N listened on to what Nina was saying about the rules and rumors she had heard Y/N was just overthinking this entire thing, as she did many things that were not necessarily in her wheelhouse. What if she ran into someone she knew? Or worse yet, what if someone she knew from work was there too? What if the advances were too intense and it made her uncomfortable? There were so many what-ifs it was making her stomach turn.

“-so apparently we’re going to be able to be in the member’s section of the club. I’m assuming it’s more private and only the cream of the crop hang out there. What if we run into a celebrity?” She giggled excitedly and Y/N sighed.

“I doubt it.”

“Hey, I think it’s very likely. Apparently Gwenyth is really into this scene.” Nina informed and Y/N sniggered as Nina started going on about wanting to know if this starting while she was with Chris Martin or post Chris Martin.

*******

“We’ll need to see your ID, have it ready. If you have a bag or purse with you please be prepared to have it searched.” A burly man right at the entrance spoke to the few people that were waiting in line to get in. Y/N felt comforted that they took precautions like this. Eli was texting his friend, Anton, to let him know they were waiting to get in and Anton assured he’d meet them by the cover fee counter. Soon Anton was with them and Amit was showing the receipt for the pre-paid cover charge and they were being scanned in and given a wrist band allowing them access to the members only area as Anton shared they were his guests, he greeted each of them enthusiastically before guiding them to the entrance. From this lobby Y/N could hear the music slightly and they were buzzed in, kind of like a marijuana dispensary - which might scare some but it made her feel like the club owners wanted to be certain that no crazies just wandered in for the safety and integrity of their members. 

Y/N wasn’t sure what to expect when she walked in but when she made it past the threshold of the cherry red door it certainly wasn’t what she walked in to, which was literally a normal looking bar/club but nicer. The decor was beautiful and classy, heavily modeling after art-deco in its interior architecture and design. Furthermore, it was opulent and tasteful. It was already hosting a good amount of people as well from all demographics it seemed. She was a bit distracted with looking around until she felt a hand snake into her own and she glanced up to see Amit pulling her towards a set of stairs.

“This way, YN.” He smiled and she nodded and followed him up the staircase towards the VIP section. 

Once again, a security guard clad in an all black suit was at the top to greet them and asking to see their wristbands or membership cards. Anton was quick to show his card and the rest of them their black, plastic wristbands before he removed the black velvet rope from hindering their path. Anton was greeted by a server asking about their table as Y/N looked around again. There was another bar up here and a couple people sitting at the high chairs around it. The Member/VIP area overlooked the entire bottom level, sort of like a balcony. And there were little seating areas lining the walls, a few of them were taken - you could either choose a little booth or couches with a little table in between, they had reserved one of the lounge looking areas with the couches. She was grateful for that, it would be easier to slip out if needed. They got comfortable and soon a server came by to get their drink orders.

“Just a glass of the Malbec.” Y/N said with a kind smile and the lady nodded.

She was still looking around in disbelief that at any moment any one of these people could decide to just wander to the back of the club and hook up with whatever consenting parter they wanted, or maybe even go alone. She was tense, she could feel it in her jaw and rigid posture. She could feel eyes on her, but she stuck to just looking down at her perfectly manicured nails or between her friends as they all laughed and talked, evidently a lot more relaxed than she was. 

“Your wine, miss.” the young girl said and Y/N looked up with a smile and mumbled a thank you.

“Can you get me another? I’m just gonna down this one real quick.” She said with slight embarrassment and the girl giggled.

“Sure thing. First time?” She asked and Y/N nodded.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything. You can hang out here and if anyone gives you trouble just let one of us know. We want you to feel comfortable and safe.” She assured and Y/N exhaled and nodded.

“Thank you…?”

“Britney.” She said and Y/N nodded.

“Britney, thank you.”

“You got it, girl. I’ll be back with your Malbec in a few minutes.” She assured and hurried off to the next group over. She looked down at her glass and exhaled quickly before quickly downing the glass, she didn’t even get to savor it, but she needed the liquid courage.

********

Harry didn’t frequently come to these kinds of places. His visits had been few but he remembers just how nervous he was to be seen or dragged into something he wasn’t certain of much like the girl across the VIP area that had caught his eye. He smiled in endearment as he watched her let out a big exhale before chugging her glass of red. He wondered what wine she was drinking as he took a slow and easy sip of his Malbec. Letting it sit on his tongue to really enjoy the flavor of the bouquet before swallowing it down as he glanced over to her again.

He chugged alcohol his first time too. Well, he had about four or five tequila shots and was hiding behind his friends most of the night. Sure he’d peek out and flirt with people occasionally, but he didn’t even kiss someone that first time, he was too drunk to go through with anything. His second time he did end up pulling a woman who was a bit older than him, he was just 21 at the time, but she just sucked him off in a dark corner and he ended up fingering her but chickened out when she asked to fuck. His third time he decided that he would just watch the debauchery - the things he had seen would sometimes come to the front of his mind and make him blush. It was something he didn’t know would impact him the way it had, especially when people took note of who was watching what they were doing. Harry wasn’t one to namedrop himself or use his fame for anything, but he was well aware of the weight it carried and he must admit, it did turn him on to see people get their brains fucked out but choose to hold eye contact with him through the large windows set into the voyeuristic rooms instead of their partner’s. He saw a lot and in the end he did end up hooking up with someone, he remembers him well and he smiled as the memory came back to him for a brief moment - that was one of the first times he had given in to his cravings for a man and for trying bondage and well, there was no going back after that time. Around his sixth or seventh visit is when he got in on some group sex and that was liberating. He must admit that he had micro dosed on some drugs because he didn’t want his nerves to hold him back from trying what he wanted to try and it helped. Now he felt comfortable and confident in this setting, unlike his pretty, little friend across the way.

“Someone’s caught your eye?” His friend Marco asked him lowly and Harry nodded as he turned his attention to his friend.

“I think it’s her first time.” He said and Marco hummed in agreement as he took note of the girl across the room, she looked tense and out of place a bit.

“Well then you ought to leave her alone.” Marco chuckled and Harry tutted as he furrowed his brows.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harry asked and Marco gave him a look, “What?” Harry questioned and Marco shook his head.

“H, you know very well what. You’re insatiable and intense and it’s her first time.” Marco said pointedly.

“I can be nice.” Harry said, “Maybe I’ll just flirt with her a little, get her number, we don’t have to do anything.” He said to his friend before glancing back to her. She was gorgeous and she looked like a good, wholesome girl, he would be lying to himself if he denied having a deep, twisted need to completely ruin her, but he had self control. He was a grown ass man, he could play it cool.

“Look, I just don’t want you to regret it and feel bad about it tomorrow, OK? I know you’re a good guy but you’re also kind of an animal when you come here.” He said lowly and Harry rolled his eyes and had another sip of his wine.

Marco was right of course. Harry lived a very strict and regimented life. He thrived on predictability and routine in his personal life because his job was chaotic and intense and at times unpredictable. Places like these were great because there was a no phones policy, all devices had to be off , he’d seen a few people get kicked out for it once, which meant that with every interaction he had, he could just be himself 100% - not the media curated sweetheart he had trained extensively to be. Sure, he was still elusive about his private life, but he could flirt and make advances freely without feeling self-conscious. He could turn people away and in the same way gawk at others. He could drink as much as he wanted and dance and just be a real fucking person without anyone around here judging him. Sure, there were plenty of eyes on him as soon as he’d descend into the more crowded areas, but it was different. He didn’t ever fuck in the voyeuristic rooms, private rooms only because that was something he wanted to keep for himself, but he must admit that he was very intense and people still followed even if they weren’t the ones he was honed in on. Sure, they couldn’t see, but when he’d get done he’d see the group of people rush away from the door as they had been listening in on him and whoever he’d fucked. During his last few visits he had been around almost all night and he’d worn out a partner or two and he wasn’t done either, so yeah, maybe he needed to take it down several levels if he decided to go talk to this girl. Again, he wasn’t ashamed or concerned for being seen at this kind of place anymore, but he still slinked back against the darker corner booth where he and his friends were, like a predator on the hunt, he didn’t want to be seen until he was ready for his intended target to see him.

*********

Y/N had been able to relax after downing that first glass of wine. She wanted to slow down from here on out because she didn’t want a hang over, so she was now savoring her second glass as she started to feel the effects of the alcohol buzzing through her veins. The club was louder now as more people had come in and the downstairs area was busier with dancing bodies and the amount of people that were smushed into corners and walls as they made out and dry humped each other was impressive. Eli, Amit, and Nina had gone down to dance and Anton agreed to stay with her and continue people watching from the rails.

“So why’d they drag you out here?” He asked with a chuckled and she sighed and smiled.

“I’ve had a rough couple weeks at work. I’ve just been really stressed and tense and they said I need to let loose and get out of my comfort zone.” She explained and Anton nodded.

“I see. Are you interested in hooking up with someone?” He asked and she bit her lip and shrugged.

“I don’t…know. Probably not.” She giggled timidly, “Are you?”

“Yeah, was kind of hoping to see someone I had run into a few weeks ago but I can’t seem to find them yet.” He said and she nodded in understanding.

“You didn’t exchange numbers or something?”

“No, it keeps it exciting.” He grinned, “I figure if fate wants you to meet someone you will.” He said with a hopeful smile.

“That’s… that’s really beautiful. I really like that.” She nodded with a grin before taking another sip from her glass. Hearing Anton say that really shifted her headspace, she didn’t want to be sulking on the sidelines of life like she typically was. She was slave to her routine and she liked that, it was comfortable and easy, it allowed her to be great at her job when she didn’t have to think so much about everything else but it was starting to take a toll, admittedly so. She didn’t want to close herself off from opportunities and experiences; she still didn’t intend to hookup with anyone, but she would definitely allow herself to have some fun.

“Excuse me-” they heard and both turned around to see a gorgeous and tall man behind them. Y/N’s eyes went a bit wide for a moment as she allowed herself to look him over the same way that he was looking her over and then Anton, “Are you two together?” He asked and Anton smiled as he draped a hand around her lower back when he felt Y/N tense up beside him.

********

Harry’s grip tightened on his glass when he saw someone approach the girl he wanted and the man with her. He stood from his seat and went over to the rail where it was better lit and maybe she would finally figure out who had been staring at her almost all night. He wasn’t sure if the man with her was her partner, they had been sitting beside each other before and as they talked now he was close and almost covering her with his body and even now as they chatted with this handsome stranger his hand looped around her lower back and his fingers landed on her hips. She leaned in to his touch and it made him jealous.

*********

“Excuse me, are you two together?” The gorgeous man before them asked.

“No, we’re not.” Anton smiled kindly at the stranger.

“Oh, OK. Well ummm either way, would you be interested in a threesome?” The man asked blatantly and Y/N’s eyebrows rose which made the man smile and Anton laugh lightly as she scooted further into his side.

“I-I’m alright thank you.” She squeaked out.

“OK, no worries.” The man chuckled and then looked to Anton.

“I wouldn’t mind finding a third. Let’s dance first, yeah?” Anton asked and the man nodded, “Let me just go finish my drink real quick.” He said and hurried off to their area leaving Y/N and this mystery man alone together.

“You’re very beautiful, you know? Been looking at you since you came in.” The man said to Y/N and she blushed hard as she looked down to her feet.

“Ummm…I…th-thanks.” She hummed timidly as she looked back into his eyes.

“Lots of people have been looking at you. I think it’s the whole coy and naive act you’ve got going on.” He flirted and she giggled.

“Oh man, I wish it was an act.” She said back and decide that flirting with him wouldn’t cause any harm, “Can I tell you a secret?” She asked and he nodded and she grabbed his forearm and tiptoed to reach his ear better despite the fact that she was wearing platform heels, “It’s my first time at one of these and I have no clue that I’m doing.” She admitted and he pulled back with a grin.

“Well, happy first time.” He said and she giggled, “It can be scary and intimidating your first time but you’ll discover that everyone here is nice and respectful, I’ve never had a bad experience.” He said and she nodded as she listened, “It also kind of helps to remember that deep down everyone is a bit nervous. Nervous about how they look, if people will reject them, if people will want to do more with them, but just enjoy the company we’re all here because well, sex is part of who we are, it’s an innate need we all have - to be with each other and to love and to show that physically - it’s not even that deep, like being in love or intimate, it’s loving in terms of appreciating humans and what we’re capable of.” He explained his rationale and she nodded, “Just feel it out, make some friends, get drunk, dance!” He said and she giggled, “Just have fun.”

“Thank you, that’s good advice.” Y/N said and he nodded.

“Of course.” He said with a grin and just like she’d been feeling all night, there were still eyes on her as she chatted with this man, “What’s your name?”

“Y/N.”

“I’m Max, it’s nice to meet you.” He said extending a hand and she shook it.

“Ready?” Anton asked Max as he came back, smirking at Y/N, he saw her flirting and decided to finish off his drink in slow motion.

“Yeah, let’s get down there.” Max said.

“Do you want to come dance?” Anton asked Y/N and she bit her lip and looked between him and Max for a moment.

“In a minute, I want to finish this off.” She said and they smiled and nodded before hurrying down. 

***********

She stood there for a few more minutes, she was trying to find her friends but there were so many people that she couldn’t spot them any longer. Still, she could feel people watching her, eating her up with their eyes, even some of the people downstairs were glancing up at her and smiling at her, blowing her kisses, taking her in. She could feel her heart pounding in excitement at this level of attention, she was never confident being the center of attention, but this felt different. People were devouring the illusion they had of her, they didn’t know her but they were taking what they saw at face value and conjuring up whatever fantasies they had in their mind with her and that didn’t bother her as much as she thought it would.

Y/N found herself getting a bit nervous again and she looked up from the lower level and across the room, her gaze finally fixing itself at the other end of the VIP area. Standing there, leaning against the rails just like her was another tall, handsome man whose eyes were fixed on her already and soon they were making eye contact and she felt even more nervous than before. This man wasn’t a stranger though, that was Harry Styles and he was looking right at her. She recognized him immediately without any doubt. She could feel her heart pounding hard and the butterflies in her stomach were multiplying at an exaggerated rate making her feel a little sick as the lump in her throat bobbed as his eyes stayed on hers. His gaze was intense and it was hard for her to maintain the facade of confidence under his scrutiny so she just offered a polite smile before turning around quickly and heading back to her seat. 

Once her eyes left his she finally felt like she could breathe. What she would give to pull out her phone and play sudoku or solitaire right now to avoid the embarrassment of what just happened - she was so awkward! She wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole not leaving any evidence of her existence whatsoever. Despite living in LA for the last seven years of her life she had never ever encountered a celebrity and seeing one at a sex club, well that was really something. She put her wine glass down on the little table before her and reached for her little purse. She felt around inside for her lip gloss since she suddenly felt that her mouth and lips had gone completely dry. She finished applying it and was just twisting the cap back on when she saw a pair of dark boots stop beside her from her peripheral vision. She cursed mentally at her nerves and she decided to pretend that she was too focused on the lip gloss to see that anyone had come up to her. Then she heard him clear his throat and she swears her brain stopped sending the signals for her to breathe as she turned her attention to him, their eyes met once more and he offered a friendly smile to her.

“Hi, I’m Harry.” He introduced himself casually, his voice deep, rich, and smooth as honey. He seemed so confident and comfortable. The energy wafting about him was remarkable and intense.

He was maybe a foot or so away and even from there she could smell hints of his cologne, it wasn’t overpowering, but it was sweet and spicy, and it seemed to match his vibe very well. He was wearing a simple suit that was fitted to perfection. It accentuated his big, broad shoulders and it tapered down to showcase just how slim he was. In true Harry Styles fashion, she top he was wearing under his jacket was exposing part of his toned and hair smattered chest. His hair was kind of parted to the side, letting the longer hair towards the front of his head curl and fall perfectly across his forehead. He was slightly stubbly but it didn’t make him look unkempt, if anything it really added to the masculine structure of his face. He was absolutely breathtaking.

“Hi, I’m Y/N.” She responded.

“It’s nice to meet you, Y/N.” He greeted, extending a hand and she immediately stood for him and took his hand, shaking it firmly.

“You too.” She said and he smiled again.

“I hope you don’t mind me coming over, just saw you got left alone and I know how nerve-wracking your first time can be so I thought I’d come over and say hello, make it less awkward?” He finished in a bit of a question and they both laughed softly.

“Is it that obvious?” She asked lowly as she cast her vision to the ground between their feet and he smiled at her, completely endeared by her demure and cautious manner.

“Just a little bit.” He said with a playful grin and she giggled before looking back up into his eyes.

“D-do you want to sit?” She asked him.

“Only if I’m not imposing.”

“You’re not at all.” She assured and he smiled as he came closer as she sat down and she thought that he would take a spot across from her, but instead he planted himself right beside her. They were facing each other and his right knee was almost touching her left knee and he fixed his suit jacket a bit before raising his own wine glass towards hers.

“Well, cheers to your first time.” He said and she smiled.

“Cheers.” She said clinking the glass gently, eyes transfixed on where the crystal glasses met.

“Nuh-uh, we need a do-over of that. Superstition says that not making eye contact during a cheers results in seven years of bad sex and I don’t know about you, but I am not willing to take any chances.” He said and she chuckled.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know!” She laughed as she made sure to keep eye contact and then went in for another clink; correctly this time.

“Much better.” He hummed before they both took a drink, “You must be a really good friend to come here with everyone else.” He said and she grinned.

“I mean, I would like to think I am a great friend, but ummm my friends they ummm, they came here for me. Or at least it was supposed to be for me to “let loose” and “get out of my head for a bit” but uh, I don’t know… I’m not usually the shy person so it’s weird for me to feel so timid… I guess I’m just so out of my element?” She explained and he nodded along as he listened.

“Well, I usually am the shy person and I mean, here it’s nice because no one can film me or take pictures of me, so I can put myself out there without so much pressure and at first I was really timid about it all but I’ve always had fun here and people are nicer than you think.” He said and she nodded.

“Yeah, I’m beginning to see that.” She smiled at him, “Do you ummm, come here a lot?” She asked and he shook his head.

“Not really, maybe once a year, twice if I’m feeling really risqué.” He chuckled and she giggled along.

“You don’t have to answer, but have you…hooked up here?” She asked nervously and he smirked at her with a playful yet incredulous look in his eyes.

“I think you already know the answer to that, Y/N.” He stated with a chuckle and she glanced down into her glass with a bashful smile, giving it a swirl to aerate the wine.

“Well I don’t want to assume, you know…” she explained with a little shrug and he grinned.

“I appreciate that.” He replied, “But I guess I’m just as depraved as the rest of this bunch.” He joked and she laughed softly.

“No, it’s not depraved.” she said immediately, “This guy came to ask my friend and I if we were interested in him earlier-”

“Yeah, I saw that.” He said and that made her wonder how long he had been looking at her but she continued on with her story.

“Well, he told me that humans have an innate need to just be with each other to show our appreciation and love for each other physically, he’s not wrong about that. So I think that as depraved as this might seem to some, it’s actually quite…human and beautiful.” She shrugged at him.

“Yeah, he was definitely onto something with that.” Harry smiled at her, “And what about you? How do feel about all of this?” He gestured around him with his free hand.

“Well, nervous for sure.” She said and he nodded, “But then my other friend told me that if fate wants you to meet someone you will so I’ve decided to just… keep an open mind.” She decided with a shrug, her eyes once again had diverted away from his as she looked around the room and he really liked the fact that he made her a bit nervous, but he also didn’t want her attention to wander. He wanted it for himself. He wanted to show her that fate wanted her to meet him.

“That’s actually very wise and well it’s also very brave of you to decide to be open minded about something like this.” He encouraged her and she smiled.

“Thank you.” She responded before taking another sip of her wine.

“It’s the truth and well, I am very pleased that fate had you sitting across from me tonight. I think she really wanted us to meet.” He flirted and she giggled nervously.

“Did she now?” She asked and he smiled down into his wine glass, he was playing coy and she knew it, but his dimple was so cute when he smiled like that. Harry was a mix of effortless and confident, delicate and masculine, boyish and seasoned - all of these things mixed together was what made him so alluring. Anyone with eyes and a brain would agree that when he was feeling himself like this, the man was undeniably irresistible.

“Definitely.” He reaffirmed, “You know, I wasn’t even going to come tonight.” He shared and she hummed in interest, “Yeah, I was feeling rather lazy and antisocial. My friends were just really in a mood to come out and I guess I didn’t want to be the stick in the mud, you know?”

“Yeah, totally get that.” She agreed, “Well, I am gad you came out.” She smiled at him before looking away as soon as their eyes met and he chuckled.

“Don’t avoid looking at me.” He chuckled, “Or am I making you feel that nervous?” He asked carefully and she felt her heart rate accelerating at his direct question before fighting her best to look at him and maintain eye contact.

“I guess you are making me nervous a bit.”

“Why?” He asked genuinely, “You can totally tell me to bugger off if you’re uncomfortable or just want to be alone, I won’t be offended.” He assured her, his expression was one of slight concern, but he tried to keep a smile on his lips.

“Yeah, I think I would actually like to be alone for a bit.” She responded as her eyes met his and he was immediately disappointed. She watched as his smile faltered a bit but he nodded and moved to stand up, “Wait, wait, I’m kidding!” She said quickly, her hand reached for his forearm and squeezed a bit when she saw how quickly he was about to leave and he sighed and proceeded to laugh nervously.

“You’re mean.” He laughed away the tension and disappointment he felt as she giggled, “Felt so bad thinking I was making you uncomfortable.”

“I’m sorry, Harry. It was an ill-timed joke.” She apologized, “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad and I don’t feel uncomfortable in the slightest.” She reassured, maintaining eye contact so that he knew that she was being truthful.

“Promise?”

“I promise.” She nodded and removed her hand from his forearm.

“If you do at any point please let me know, OK?”

“Yeah, I will.” She assured him, “I just…I am really nervous to be here. Like I said before. I know it’s not that serious but I’m just worried that someone will try and persuade me to hook up or something and I won’t be able to say no. Like, I swear I’ve moved past that in other areas of my life, but this is a new situation and I feel like I would feel really bad rejecting someone.”

“Well, you saw just now how I was ready to leave you alone in a moment if you wanted that. Everyone in here will be like that, Y/N. If you’re going around being a creep and a nuisance they will kick you out. Besides, it’s not like there aren’t hundreds of other options for those that are looking for a hookup if they get rejected.” He explained and she nodded.

“Right. That’s true.” She said and he nodded, “You didn’t initially want to come out tonight, but ummm now that you’re here what do you…plan to do with your evening?” She asked tactfully.

“I’m not all that sure, we’ll see where the night takes me.” He said simply and she nodded, “So you were dragged here to let loose, what is causing you to feel so wound up? If you don’t mind me asking.” He added in quickly.

“Just work. It’s been intense for the last month or so. I’m now in an administrative position and have people working under me and I know that I’m good at what I do. I know that I’m capable and smart and driven-” she explained and he nodded, “But ummm…you know sometimes all your energy and time goes towards one thing and it just drains you.” She said and he nodded, fully understanding what she was saying, “It’s a lot of responsibility and well, sometimes you don’t always feel worthy of that, I guess?”

“Mmmm, imposter syndrome.” He hummed and she nodded.

“Exactly!” She exclaimed and then sighed.

“I know how you feel, as you know I’m well…me.” He said and then sucked in a breath as he cringed, “That came out-ughhh…I can’t believe I just said that.” He chuckled with embarrassment and she laughed softly.

“No, it’s OK!” She giggled, “I know what you meant, I know you aren’t like… flaunting your fame or whatever. I can’t imagine that it’s easy at any point. What you do and have to deal with.” She talked him down from his embarrassment and he nodded, feeling a little less flustered.

“Yeah. And you know sometimes I wake up and think “why me?” Like who am I to be so lucky to live out my childhood dreams, like I don’t feel like I’m deserving. And there are other times when I think who am I to be so unlucky that I have to deal with everything else that comes along with it… it was harder before, when I was younger, to sort of make peace with those questions and feelings. But ummm, it gets easier and well, from what you’re telling me you know you can do it. You know that you’re good at what you do and I think that’s the best way to go about it. Yeah, there will always be highs and lows, but believing in yourself is a huge part of being able to get out of those dark places. I mean from what I’ve heard about your friends they also know that you’re something special and want to help you get out of that rough patch you’re going through.” He said with an encouraging smile and she nodded as she looked into his eyes, “And well, it never really hurts to come to a place like this and get a little ego boost. It’s nice to be reminded that you’re appealing, helps to know that other people see it in you too and maybe that’s what they wanted to do by bringing you here tonight?” He suggested and she smirked as she looked up at him.

“Is that why you come here? An ego boost?” She teased and he laughed softly and shrugged his shoulders.

“Sometimes, yes.” He admitted with a grin, “I am kind of an attention-seeker, can’t lie about that. And well, I know most of the people I end up meeting here are just in it because well, it’s Harry Styles, but ehhh, I know who I am and what I’m worth, they can have their fun and it’s not like I wouldn’t be getting anything out of it either.” He reasoned as she hummed with a grin.

“What’s that like though? Like…are you just like… out in the open?” She asked and he chuckled and shook his head. He then explained that while there were rooms with windows for those voyeuristic folk, there were a variety of private spaces as well. He was so easy about it all and it made her feel a lot better, “You know what? I like you.” She stated as her eyes flickered between his own and he chuckled and now he was the one looking away bashfully for the first time, “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.” She concluded and he widened his legs just a smidge more so that his knee brushed up against hers and she looked down quickly.

“I appreciate that.” He said quickly, to play off his little move to create an opportunity to touch her in some capacity, to escalate things and feel things out. He wanted her to know that he was very interested in her and he knew that he might not be doing anything physical with her tonight, but he at least wanted to get her number. 

“Hey guys,” Britney came up with a smile, “Another glass of the Malbec?” She asked Y/N since she was maybe 2 or 3 sips away from being finished and considering they were drinking the same thing Harry thought Britney was talking to him.

“I’m good, thanks Britney.” She said and Harry also offered a smile at her saying, “It’s alright, I’m still working on this one.” They spoke at the same time and Britney shook her head for a second.

“Oh my god, sorry I didn’t get any of that.” She giggled considering it was quite loud inside.

“Are we drinking the same thing?” He asked Y/N and she giggled and nodded.

“I guess so.” She laughed.

“You’re good though?” He asked and she nodded as he turned to Britney, “We’re good for now, thank you.” He said and she smiled and nodded and when Harry had turned back towards Y/N, Britney did not skip out on the chance to shoot her a quick wink before hurrying off to the other patrons up there. There was something nagging her in the back of her brain and despite her inner self telling her that Harry would judge her, she knew logically that he wasn’t that kind of person, so she decided to raise her question, “What is it?” He asked with a small smile and she bit her lip nervously for a moment, not missing how he focused in on the nervous habit and licked over his own lips before focusing back on her eyes.

“Y-you said there were rooms w-with windows in some places?” She asked, voice a bit loud so that he could hear over the music, he nodded, “D-does this place have some rooms like that?” She inquired and he nodded his confirmation, “Oh. OK.” She replied and proceeded to just chug the remnants of her wine. She would need it if she were going to venture down at some point and have a look. 

Harry observed as she tensed a bit after asking her question and then chugged her wine to ease up a bit. She still seemed on edge, it was normal, but the curiosity of what really goes on down there was getting the best of her and it was turning him on a bit. She was absolutely gorgeous and even if they didn’t do anything, he knew that he wanted to go down with her and show her what everyone else was doing down there. He wanted to make sure that she’d never forget about it or him in passing, he knew he would definitely never forget her and even have a wank over her later, undoubtedly. He was so into her and he loved the idea of being the first person to show her all of the depraved things that went on in places like this. He wanted her to think about him doing those things to her, or at least he hoped she would. He would at least offer to take her down there to see and if she said no then he’d go off and find someone else to sink his teeth into for the night; he had nothing to lose.

“If you’re curious we can go see what’s going on down there tonight?” He offered and she rolled her lips together as she weighed out her options. She was starting to feel so nervous again, but that kind of nervous that is building up right before you’re about to jump out of an airplane. It’s that feeling where a part of you is wanting to pussy out, even though you know you’re not going to because you kind of can’t anymore. You just need to build up that last inkling of courage to just do it. To jump. 

“Ummm, yeah, let’s go see.” She finally said looking into his eyes, her eyes nervously darting from one to the other.

“You sure?” He asked with a playful grin and she nodded.

“Yes, otherwise I’m just gonna continue imagining these…insane things…like I am now. And I just need to dispel the idea that it’s scary down there.” She said and reached for her glass of wine again and then frowned when she saw it was empty.

“Want mine?” He offered up his glass.

“Are you done?” She asked and he held up his finger and drank another swig before handing it over to her and she quickly knocked back the rest of it and rolled her shoulders back before setting it down and looking over to him as she swallowed the mouthful. It made his mind imagine an obscene thing. Harry then smiled lightly as he saw a droplet of wine run down her chin, barely clinging on. He reached forward and swiped his thumb over it to clean it off.

“Spilled a bit.” He hummed before flickering his eyes up hers as he removed his hand.

“Thanks.” She responded quietly and he smiled at her before he stood. As soon as Y/N stood up Harry had a look around as she adjusted her dress, she was certainly the best option here tonight and that was evident in the way that a number of people took her in and then looked to him before sighing and going back to their drinks or their people watching and other conversations. He couldn’t help the victorious and cocky smirk that twitched his lip up to the left as he saw everyone else’s reactions.

“Ready?” He asked and she glanced up to him and smiled before she exhaled and nodded.

“Ready.” She confirmed with a nod.

“Alright.” He smiled and reached over the little couch she was on to grab her jacket and she smiled at his kind gesture. 

Y/N followed close behind him to the side of the room he had been sitting on. He nodded to his friends as they passed them, not bothering to interrupt as they were also in the middle of some conversation with what she assumes were potentials. She politely smiled as she walked past them as well, given that they had initiated eye contact with her. Upon reaching yet another security guard posted at a door Harry just showed his card, she assumes, and the man opened up the door for them. She hurried in when Harry signaled for her to go first. They both mumbled a thank you to the man before they made their way down dimly lit hall. The carpet beneath their feet was hot pink or red. But there were suggestive Rorschach style paintings  lining the hallway which she was briefly taking in as she approached the end of it. They could still hear the music from the club portion playing in here, just muffled down, she assumed there was a lot of soundproofing here.

“So up here it’s just single rooms.” He explained as he came up behind her. Everything was also arranged in a circle with a railing in the center that allowed you to look downstairs, “You can look over.” He encouraged and she stepped out and looked left to right, seeing the walls lined with doors. It looked like the doors with a green light were the open ones. She got to the railing and Harry came up beside her as she looked down.

“Oh my god.” She said quietly as she saw in the center a lounge area with those huge couches and it was littered in people who were talking, making out, watching… They heard a faint ding and Y/N glanced to her left to see the elevator door open and two women scurried out into the nearest open room. “Can we go down there?” She asked and he nodded. She was less nervous and more curious now about how everything worked and so he started leading them towards the elevator and soon they were back on the ground level. She was even more in shock when she got down there and had a better view of everything. There was a bar to their left, tucked under the second floor balcony. The people on the big couches were really going for it, working themselves up for more. She saw a neon sign hanging over the entrance of a broader hallway at the opposite end of the room they’d just entered, “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here” is what it say and she turned to Harry who chuckled and then dipped down to reach her ear better.

“I mean that’s a bit dramatic but in a way you’re never really gonna be the same after you see everything going on in there.” He explained before pulling back just a bit and she looked to him a bit nervously, “We don’t have to go in.” He said to her and she looked from him back to the sign as she pondered the options before her.

Maybe this was exactly the kind of thing she needed to shock her out of her weird mental state but also, her dry spell. As attractive as Harry was, she was positive that he was just being nice to her, he didn’t seem to be putting any moves on her. Yes, he was a complete flirt, but he seemed to err on the side of caution, which was nice, but a part of her started to wonder what he would be up to now if he hadn’t wandered over to her tonight. She was into him and she knew that when she got home she would certainly pull out her trusty toy and play with herself to the memory of his voice and the smell of his cologne, and his big hands and intense eyes. It would help to hear him explain things to her or encourage her to look at something or describe any smutty thing they saw. So yeah, maybe physically he wouldn’t end her dry spell, but he would certainly help with her pushing past it. She swallowed thickly and blinked up at him.

“I think I do want to go see.” She said to him and he just held her eye contact for a few more seconds and she nodded again, reaffirming her decision and he licked over his lips.

“Alright, just grab my hand, want people to know we’re together. Don’t want them bugging you or me.” He said to her and she nodded, slipping her hand into his as he offered it up and he proceeded to guide them over. 

“These two first rooms at the entrance of the hall, they’re the orgy rooms.” He explained and she tensed a bit upon hearing that as they neared the opening of the hallway. It was a long hallway. The closer they got the more prominent the sounds of people fucking permeated the air, “These have curtains instead of doors so anyone can go in at any time. But of course, gotta ask for permission before you join in.” He said and she bit on her lip and nodded in understanding, “Wanna see?” He asked, stopping by one of the curtains and she glanced up to him with a nervous smile.

“No, that’s alright, I can hear plenty. I’m sure I can visualize what’s…going on.” She giggled nervously.

“You’d think. But ummm…yeah, the things you see in group sex are…things you can’t even imagine...” He said to her with a slight furrow in his brow and her eye brows raised in surprise.

“D-do you like doing that?” She asked and he shrugged.

“I’ve done it before, but I’m not exactly jumping at the opportunity to do it again. I’d really have to be in the mood for it I think.” He explained and she nodded.

“What was it like?” She asked. The soundtrack to their conversation was now the sex sounds coming from the orgy just a few feet away from them.

“Well…being me…the time I did that I quickly became the center of attention. Which was nice to some extent.” He recounted, “But it was a lot. Very overwhelming fir sure.” He chuckled and she nodded in understanding, “It was fun, but exhausting. I also had some things to do the day after and I was dead and sore and…yeah, just bad timing I think.” He explained with his eyes a bit narrowed at the memory.

“I can imagine.” She chuckled and he nodded.

“C’mon.” He said and led them down the hallway until they reached an intersection. To the left there was a sign for bathrooms and a mostly desolate hallway. But the room that Harry was pulling them towards was one with windows. There were several people lined up around the room watching whatever was going on in there, she couldn’t see yet as Harry was before her. Harry tiptoed a bit to see over the people crowded around and then turned to her, “It’s a threesome, two girls, one guy.” He informed her, “Do you want to see?” He asked her and she felt a bit embarrassed in admitting it, but she nodded. He smirked and she rolled her eyes, “None of that, I was just gonna say good, because from the glimpse I caught it looked good.” He chuckled and she sighed and he turned back and pulled her into the crowd. The moment people realized it was him, they started moving to the sides on their own to let him get up near the window. She did feel a bunch of eyes on her as he pulled her along and then he made a space between his body and the window looking into the room and she scooted in as his body encased her between him and the large window. 

Y/N wasn’t going to lie, it was mesmerizing to watch these very real people pleasuring each other. Currently one girl was getting fucked from behind while she ate the other girl out. She was intently watching everything going on and the sounds they were making. And from the corner of her eye she saw some movement and glanced over to see a man rubbing over the evident bulge in his trousers. She quickly reverted her attention to the scene before her and dug her fingers into her purse. Harry’s body wasn’t directly pressed into hers, but she could feel his warmth and his chest would slightly touch her back when he’d take a deep breath. She let her eyes glance down to his hands resting on the ledge of the window frame. She bit her lip and felt herself start to get wet when he suddenly tightened up his fists and she quickly glanced up to see what had affected him so much and it was that the man now had his large hand around the neck of the girl he was fucking. Y/N wasn’t a stranger to choking, she had only had it done to her once before and she had a phenomenal orgasm from the floaty feeling resulting from the slight breath play and she now looked back at Harry’s hands and she could picture them wrapped around her throat as he pounded her into a mattress.

“I think they’re a couple, the other girl’s leaving.” He pointed out quietly and she glanced up from his hand and focused back on the couple inside as the other girl slipped out and someone immediately went up to her and she rushed off with them. After the third was gone a large portion of the viewers left, but she was just stuck there, watching as this man turned over the reaming woman and sunk back into her in the missionary position, still gripping around her neck as he railed her so hard that her eyes were pinching shut as she cried out in ecstasy.

“Fuck.” She whispered subconsciously and Harry smiled, but didn’t respond. He wondered what about what this couple was doing elicited that reaction from her. He wished he could hear her thoughts. Harry was growing hard, he was trying to keep it at bay, but he couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like to push Y/N’s hips back so that he could grind against her ass while they watched this couple fuck. He wanted to slip his hands under that short dress she was wearing and feel at her knickers, he wondered if she was already wet. The way she suddenly shifted the weight of her body from one leg to the other silently confirmed that for him. Y/N’s breathing picked up as the girl started to finish and then she turned around just to be right up against Harry, who smirked down at her.

“I think the point was to watch them come.” He chuckled as he maintained eye contact with her. She glanced down at the chain of his necklace peeking out from his shirt with a timid smile.

“They’re so into each other it seemed a rather intimate moment to me.” She shrugged and Harry hummed.

“Well, should we keep looking around?” He asked and she looked back into his eyes and nodded. He extended his hand to her and she took it and smiled up at him. The warmth of his hand overtook her own, and it was so much bigger than hers. Her hands were on the smaller side, so she felt protected in a way. 

As Harry guided her further down the hall she started to feel more at ease about this. She knew that he would take good care of her and in turn she was slightly expelling her own inhibitions and trusting him a bit more. She wouldn’t question it when he would pull her in another direction and see other things around them. In all honesty she was quite impressed at how brave people were. Just putting themselves out there like that, not caring who was watching them in such vulnerable and often compromising positions. She could never be that brave. Y/N had never really explored the bounds of her sexuality too much; she’d never experimented or dabbled in any kink or anything that was more than the basic vanilla stuff. Just that one time a few years back when a guy got a bit rough with her towards the end there and choked her - that was definitely the best sex of her life, she thinks.

“Have you ever done anything like that?” He asked Y/N as his chest brushed against her back and she shook her head in response.

She watched the restrained man getting his cock sucked while he writhed around in what she could only imagine was frustration and overstimulation. He was very clearly having an orgasm, but his partner wasn't slowing down or stopping, it made her nervous for the stranger.

“Have you?” She asked him as she glanced up at him and he smirked. She just needed to look away for a moment because the scene was just too much…the sounds the man was making and the way it looked like he was trying to get away, it made her feel strange and for her heart to pound.

“Perhaps.” He said cooly and she giggled, reading between the lines.

“On which end?” She questioned and he smirked.

“S’not that important is it?” He responded meekly and she smiled because for once he seemed to be the one that was a little bit bashful.

“Alright…keep your secrets.” She hummed playfully and then turned back to watch some more and she felt him chuckle behind her. 

As much as she was nervous for this stranger, she just couldn’t look away for too long. Realistically, Y/N knew that when it came to stuff like this there were safeguards in place to make sure that no one got hurt or was pushed beyond their limits. But it was curious to her why as much as this person was clearly struggling, they didn’t say anything to stop their partner from continuing what seemed to be pure torture at this point. She bit her lip in anxiety, but she couldn’t stop watching him just take it all. The man writhed and cried out and groaned and shouted in frustration as his partner continued sucking his cock. His legs were quite literally trembling as he fought to keep his composure.

She felt her insides turning because she knew if that were her she would’ve tapped out the moment something wasn’t pleasurable for her. She wasn’t averse to a bit of pain, like hair pulling, a few smacks to the ass, bruising hickeys, even the feeling of having to ride a bigger cock was a slightly uncomfortable feeling that she rather enjoyed, but this seemed…excessive. She gasped quietly when the man just let out a loud and tortured shout and his parter pulled away and started stroking his cock fervently, encouraging him to show people how much he could come, until he was shooting ropes and ropes of come onto the dark floor. The dominant partner laughed at him as he came undone; Y/N wasn’t sure if it was in pride or in a degrading manner, but the blurriness of the intent made a tingle shoot down her spine. The man tossed his head back with a satisfied smile as his chest rose and fell quickly as he mumbled his gratitude to his dominant partner.

That made her feel conflicted in a way. Wasn’t the point of sex to come? She didn’t feel that it was a reward or something to be earned, but viewing it in that capacity excited her to some extent. She shifted her feet a bit and then froze for a second when she realized that she had nearly soaked through her underwear. She was surprised that she hadn't noticed before, but she had been completely entrance in the scene before her. And now she was hyper aware of the way her clit was throbbing with need and how her skin was rising at attention.

Harry watched carefully as Y/N pressed her thighs together and he smiled knowingly. BDSM could look rather terrifying, even he was a bit apprehensive the first time he dipped his toe in that pool, but much like Y/N had just discovered, something about it was just incredibly alluring. Especially for people like him and like Y/N - they were control freaks, they had a hand in everything in their lives, and surrendering or relinquishing control was never an option and it was absolutely exhausting to always be so in control. The more he looked into it what ended up hooking him in was the egalitarianism of it all. Yes, the dominant partner had the reigns, but the submissive partner controlled the direction of it all - they were both equally in control. In his sexual experiences he’d been able to try being both, dominant and submissive, and he soon discovered that he had a taste for both. He was a switch through and through and right now, as he watched Y/N squirming in her spot as the dominant praised their submissive for being good and coming so much for her, he could see the goosebumps littering her arms and he wanted so badly to show her what she was missing. Harry hesitated for a moment before he let his hand run down her bare arm and she tensed for a second in surprise at his touch before she glanced back at him with a moony gaze.

“You alright?” He asked softly as he brought his face a bit closer to hers.

“I ummm…Yeah.” She finally said, “I’ve just ummm…I’ve never seen something like that before.” She said as she fully turned towards him.

“And how are you feeling?” He asked her as flatly as possible, because he knew that she was turned on, but he didn’t know if it was anything she wanted to act upon just yet or at all.

“Ummm…Confused?” She said to him, “But also…it was…” she bit her lip as she thought of the right word.

“Hot?” He asked with a small smile and she smiled timidly.

“Yeah…it was pretty hot.” She confirmed with a small smile and the look in his eyes was playful and dark. 

“Did you like it?”

“I…I think so.” She said breathlessly because it felt like suddenly no one else was around them. He smiled at her and reached for her hand.

“You think so?” He asked again teasingly as he started to pull her away as the scene was ending. Others immediately took their place. She followed him as he pulled her further down the hall and she smiled at him.

“Yeah. Why are you being weird?” She asked with a playful smile and he smirked.

“I’m not being weird, you’re being weird.” He said.

“Am not.” She giggled and he smirked at her knowingly.

“Did you imagine yourself as the dominant or the submissive?” He asked more quietly and she looked away timidly. “It’s not wrong to get turned on by that.” He said to her and she glanced up into his eyes.

“I know that.” She smiled, “I’m just…confused by what about that was a turn on for me?” She said inquisitively.

“Well do you want to talk about it?” He asked.

“Can we talk over a drink?” She asked and he chuckled.

“Yeah, ummm, there’s a another VIP lounge at the back, there’s a bar there too if you want to go there?” He asked.

“Ummm, yeah. Let’s do that.” She agreed and he smiled at her and handed his hand to her before leading them down the hall. They got up to a counter and he showed them his card again and the security guard moved out of the entry way. There were just a handful of people in there, a pair of them were kissing. They sat on a loveseat against the back corner and almost immediately a waiter showed up. Y/N told Harry to pick what they’d drink and he just ordered them salty dogs with tequila though. They were getting settled in a bit before he started to question her.

“So…what about BDSM confuses you?” He asked with a smile, getting right to it and she laughed softly.

“Ummm…it was just like when the guy was getting his cock sucked…oh, thank you.” She giggled softly as the waiter placed her drink before her and Harry laughed at the small embarrassment she was subject to at the waiter’s timing.

“Thanks, mate.” He said as well before the guy slipped away, “You were saying?”

“Right, ummm…Oh! So I’m more confused about how I felt about what was going on. Like…if I were in that guy’s position I wouldn’t enjoy someone else watching me like that, but I…enjoyed watching that happen to…to him. Like it made me want to try.” She said and then reached for her drink and gulped a bit down. “I never thought I would like…watching.” She said and he smiled.

“Yeah, honestly it’s quite exhilarating for me too. Maybe because we’re empaths it’s easy to picture ourselves in that position?” He suggested and she smiled.

“Maybe so…” she hummed and they both had a drink as a few seconds of silence fell between them. Once Y/N cleared her mouth she spoke up, “So when you were watching that happen did you picture yourself as the dom or the sub?” She asked him the same question he’d asked her earlier.

“You first.” He said and she grinned, “It’s only fair.” He said and she rolled her eyes.

“Alright…” she sighed and took another drink before just smiling at him and shrugging timidly, “I mean…” she giggled and he grinned, waiting for her to say it, which made butterflies erupt in her tummy.

“I need to hear you say it.” He said through a small laugh and she sighed.

“I pictured myself as the sub, OK? I just have been in a dry spell apart from everything else I’ve got going on and it would be nice to be the receiver of anything for a bit.” She said, “And now you.” She insisted and he smiled at her.

“Tonight I pictured myself as the dom.”

“So you also sub?”

“Yeah, sometimes.” He said and she bit her lip and then glanced away with a grin, “What’s that about?” He asked in amusement.

“I just…pictured that and like…that’s an interesting picture.” She said simply, “I feel like you need to be in control.” She said and he nodded.

“Well yeah. I love control, I need control more often than not…but sometimes I don’t want to need it. And when I don’t want to need control…when I want to surrender…I switch.” He said with a small smile. “Being in control all the time can be exhausting.” He said and she smiled.

“Don’t I know it. But it’s also so nice…”

“That it is…and you know, that’s the cool thing about BDSM, both people are in control the whole time. It’s a sharing of the control, a perfect balance of giving and taking.” He elaborated, “Whichever part you get to play, they’re equally gratifying.” He explained to her and she thought about it for a moment.

“But like the submissive…why don’t they just…use the safe word if obviously it’s putting them through a lot? Like that guy we saw, clearly he was struggling.” She pointed out and he hummed.

“It could be for a lot of reasons…like for me a lot of it is more of a competition with myself and seeing if I can go further. I know I can handle it and that I’m strong and disciplined so I like to push my own limits. And again, within a scene your dom is also ensuring you’re not pushing yourself too far, so even then I have the chance to push my boundaries and try different things safely. And other times I and others just enjoy…pretending that we have no choice but to just let these things happen to us because we’re tied up or whatever. And that can be really liberating as well, especially if you’re under a lot pressure. It could be why you enjoyed watching that happen to someone else.” He said and she literally felt her skin prick as she revisited the feeling she got when she heard this person screaming but still not saying the safe word, “Like obviously they’re enjoying it, but I think when you get to that point it’s more than a sexual gratification thing, you’re just letting everything that’s been pent up out. I think that’s why also in this case the sub was thanking the dom at the end. It wan’t just gratitude for his orgasms but for…setting him free in a way.” He explained. 

Y/N took in everything that Harry said and was now completely in her head as she concluded that yes, she did envy that guy for a second there. She wanted to feel free of her stresses and worries, she wanted to be able to let out all of the pent up frustrations she knew were just festering inside of her and making her feel stuck. She couldn’t even count the times that she just wanted to sit in her car after work and just scream it out. There had been too many of those days lately, days where she felt like she was drowning. And then she started picturing how she would want to be set up in a scene and now she was getting even more wet.

  “…And then sometimes a sub might just be a bit of a masochist and enjoys being hurt and tortured in a controlled environment.” He said with a light laugh and she grinned as he finished his explanation, “Does that clear things up?” He asked and she nodded.

“Yeah, actually.” She hummed.

“And well there are safe words and all, but those should be used for like emergency situations. They’re not a thing we use when we don’t particularly like something or want to change directions. That’s part of the dom’s job, to know and gauge their sub’s condition. It’s a very…trusting and intimate relationship and it does take time to build it to that level. And like at the beginning stages it’s just tons of communication until you know each other well enough that you don’t need to tell someone to stop or go. Your dom will eventually know what makes you tick, what things you like and don’t like, what you’re open to trying, and what things are completely off limits. So if something is not pleasurable you can just say so and they’ll switch it up, but chances are that eventually they’d know you well enough that just from your reactions and body language they’ll be able to tell that something’s not doing it for you and they’d take action before you experienced any real discomfort or stress.” He said. “You wouldn’t have to worry about a single thing and the more and more you trust and get into that space with your dominant it becomes easier and easier to just surrender to them.” 

Y/N was covered in goosebumps as Harry spoke. Her eyes were dark and her tummy tickled with swarms of butterflies at the idea of getting to that point with another person. A point where there was so much trust that you could just give your body and autonomy over like that. She wanted to feel like that. She shifted a bit and her leg ran against Harry’s and she swore she somehow felt the tickle from the fabric of his clothes rush up to her clit.

“Sorry.” She apologized and he smiled at her.

“It’s alright. Are you alright?” He asked and she nodded.

“Just…thinking is all.” She said as she squeezed her thighs together a bit and while he originally had no plans to try and do anything with her (he didn’t think she’d even want to in all honesty), now he wanted to lay the charm on thick and see if he could make her come with his fingers at the very least. He wanted anything with her so badly. He took a swig of his drink as he just let himself feel the sexual tension emanating from her body in intense and lustful waves.

“Can I ask you something?” He said lowly as he leaned in a bit closer as he set his drink back down on the little table before them. She hummed in confirmation as his eyes met hers again. “Are you wet?” He asked more quietly and she was completely shocked by how forward he was, but his directness turned her on. She couldn’t even look in his eyes while she answered because she felt almost like she’d been caught in the middle of something naughty.

“Ummm…a bit.” She said bashfully and he sniggered and her eyes met his own upon hearing his laugh.

“A bit?” He asked with a playful look in his eyes and she laughed softly and shrugged, “You’ve been squirming for the 15-20 minutes.” He called her out, “I think you might be more than just a bit wet.” He hummed knowingly and she felt a heat rushing up her face and up to the tip of her ears and she was more than grateful for the dim lighting in this little cave.

“Well if you already knew that why did you ask?” She quipped back and he smirked.

“Just wanted to know if you would be honest with me or not.” He said.

“I’m just…embarrassed a bit.” She confessed.

“Why?”

“Because! Like…I’m just learning all this stuff about myself and it’s kind of embarrassing that I don’t even know what to do with it or like…even know how to go about it.”  She expressed. She was too horny, it was blurring her mind, but she was swallowing it down as much as possible because if she wasn’t careful she would start begging him to make her come and well she couldn’t just ask him that…it would be too great of an ask.

“Well…are you wet from what you saw or are you wet for me?” He asked her softly and she swallowed thickly as she literally shivered at his very probing question.

“Both.” She responded and he smiled softly at her. He wasn’t teasing her or anything, he seemed genuinely relieved to hear that response.

“Well, do you want me to…help you with that?” He asked her and in that moment there was nothing she could do to hide the relieved expression on her face. “We don’t have to do it all, at the very least I can do something to make you come. With a twist of course, to see if BDSM is something you’ll want to keep exploring.” He proposed and she truly had never been more relieved that he had asked because she would be too embarrassed to ask him.

“Please.” Was all she could say in response as her desperate eyes bore into his. Her soft and breathy plea made Harry tingle with satisfaction and he couldn’t help but feel his cock twitch in excitement at the prospect of getting to make this perfect angel before him come.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked lowly and she nodded timidly, her eyes were still wide with nerves but he minimized the space between them, “And can I touch you here?” He asked as his hand came around the back of her neck and she nodded. It made her want him more when he asked for permission but continued looking into her eyes, to ensure her that he was fully with her in this moment. He leaned in closer until their breaths were intermingling in the minimal space between their faces. She was glancing up at his eyes as his lips barely brushed against her own. She was growing impatient as his fingers squeezed just a bit, his thumb was running up and down the sensitive skin of her neck and she started leaning in a bit more and he smiled. “Wait.” He stated.

“Why?” She questioned him.

“Just be present for a moment.” He said and she inhaled and exhaled as she tried to relax and he chuckled. “I can basically see the gears turning in your brain.” He chuckled and she smiled at him, “I know it’s hard not to think ahead but just try to think about something happening right now with us.” He advised.

“Like?”

“Mmm… like how it feels to be close like this. Or how your arms are covered in goosebumps, or what my cologne smells like… just find something that will ground you to this moment.” He coached her softly and patiently. Y/N exhaled slowly to find something that she wanted to focus on and as his thumb lightly grazed up and down the side of her neck comfortingly she felt another wave of goosebumps ripple across her skin and when she exhaled at the delicious chill rolling through her body her shoulders dropped, she had no idea she’d even been tensing them like that. “There you go… Good girl.” He spoke lowly, his lips brushed against her own and she couldn’t tear her eyes from his as she practically felt her insides melt at his praise.

“Please kiss me.” She pleaded softly and his lips quirked up to the side, his dimple indenting his cheek beautifully.

“Lesson one. Delayed gratification.” He spoke softly, “I want to kiss you too. So fucking badly, but can’t you feel how much more intense things get the longer I make you wait?” He asked and she nodded, “It’s all about the build up.” He explained, “Edging isn’t just for orgasms.” He said and she bit her lip to satiate her need to feel something against her lips, “You’re so fucking pretty, you know that?” He asked and she smiled bashfully and let her eyes flutter shut as his nose skimmed along hers, “From the moment I saw you I couldn’t look away for more than a few minutes. I was staring for ages before you even looked at me. I even thought you might not ever notice me.” He confessed softly, “So imagine just how long I’ve been wanting to kiss you.” He said and she literally whined as her eyes met his again, so soft and glossy as they peered into his eyes.

“You’re so much better at this than me.” She giggled before she clenched her jaw to try and keep it together.

“I’ve had some practice. Nothing a little training can’t fix.” He said and she smiled as she felt her vaginal muscles contract at the idea of him training her for him. Shaping her into the kind of submissive he liked, helping her discover that side of herself…

“Please. I can’t handle it anymore.” She said as she leaned closer and then she felt his fingers grip to the base of her hair to hold her still and she froze.

“Is this OK?” He asked and she nodded hazily and then he tightened his grip a bit more before he tugged her back, she could’t help but moan breathily at the slight sting and her eyes fluttered shut as the little pricks of pain along her scalp seemed to radiate down her body until her thighs tensed and her toes curled until the little waves of pain disappeared. Harry was smirking so hard, he couldn’t help it. Her reaction to him pulling at her hair had his entire body buzzing because he just knew that he could give her exactly what she so desperately needed. Without even giving her another moment he closed the space between them and moved his lips against her own. Hers were still slightly parted, so he kissed at her bottom lip first, taking a moment to really make her feel the subtle drag of his tongue against it before their lips attached fully. 

It was like second nature as she started to kiss back. She had never felt so aware of what another person could do to her and she was certain that this was something that wouldn’t be so easy to come by again, so she wanted to enjoy it fully. Just in the bit of time she had shared with him, she knew Harry was a force. His energy was steeped in a subtle confidence that staved off any question of him being arrogant about himself. He was so collected and easy to be around it. For a moment she completely forgot that he’s one of the most famous people in the world. She was so mesmerized by him, she was enjoying his teasing kisses and yearning for more moments where he’d just indulge and deepen their kiss; she liked the reminder that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. She wanted more, she was ready.

“C-could we go somewhere else?” She spoke into the kiss and he hummed in agreement as he pulled away from her lips.

“Want to finish your drink?” He asked.

“No, I’m good.” She said and he nodded and raised his hand to get the server’s attention. “We’re done with these. Can you charge them to member tab #57?” Harry asked and the man nodded.

“Of course, sir. Is there anything else I can get for you two?” He asked.

“No, that’s all. Thank you.”

“Thanks.” Y/N smiled to him as well before the man grabbed their glasses from the table and headed off. She did need to use the restroom and she also completely forgot that she had not come alone tonight, so as they stood up she turned to him.

“I need to use the bathroom. And I should probably let my friends know where I am.” She giggled and Harry smiled.

“Right. Well the VIP rooms are like en-suites, so there’s private bathrooms in there. And well, I don’t mind if you pull out your phone to just let them know you’re alive.” He assured her and she smiled.

“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be shocked to know I even left our seating area.” She laughed “They’re probably fretting over me already.” She joked and he smiled as he started to guide her out. 

They went back to the little desk outside of the private bar and he told the attendant that they would be going up to a room and they gave him a keycard before he guided her to the elevator. She felt weird about people knowing that she would be up in a room with Harry Styles…she certainly didn’t plan on telling her friends who she had spent her evening with, she assumed Harry would rather keep those ventures as private as possible, but still someone knew. Actually, several people knew as they had been seen together throughout the last hour or so. 

When the elevator stopped at the second floor she immediately saw an ice dispenser and a vending machine before them with snacks and water, but also different kinds of condoms, little lube bottles, wipes, and painkillers. He then pulled her down the hallway and then opened their designated room with the keycard. She could faintly hear others in this section, but it was very minimal despite them actually being loud which gave her some relief. She wasn’t all that loud, she’d always had roommates and had lived in an apartment for the last several years so she had trained herself into being quiet.

Harry opened up the door for her and let her step inside first. She glanced around the room that was brightly lit at the moment and it looked inviting even with the luxurious look of it. The bed wasn’t massive, but that’s because there were other furnishings that took up space. She looked over at the padded picnic table looking thing with some confusion.

“That’s a spanking bench.” Harry said as he shut the door.

“Oh?” She said in understanding, “I see that now.” She chuckled bashfully.

“Yeah.” He smiled, “Ummm, bathroom’s through that door there.” He said to her as he pointed across the room, “Do you like the lights on this bright?” He asked.

“Dimmed is nice, like in the lounge?”

“For sure.” He said and she set her bag down on the bed and hurried into the bathroom. She did start to feel a bit nervous as she was in there. She freshened up a bit, thanking the heavens that there were also some wipes in the bathroom. Despite having showered she was still wiping down just in case. She looked herself over as she washed her hands, satisfied with the way her had held up and when she came out she saw Harry sitting on the bed with his phone in hand. He glanced up and smiled at her kindly.

“I’m also letting my friends know where I am.” He explained as she waited for her phone to power back on.

“Dear god…” she exclaimed through an amused giggle as she saw that she had about five missed calls from Nina. “My friend’s called me five times.” She said with concern and decided to just call back instead of text her; she picked up right away.

“Bitch, where the hell are you? Did you go home without telling us?!” She asked loudly, it didn’t sound like they were in the club anymore. Harry obviously heard her shouting and sniggered quietly as he slipped out of his jacket and draped it over a chair in the corner of the room. Y/N glanced to him with a grin as she sat on the bed and started to unstrap her high heels.

“Geez, don’t yell. I didn’t leave the club. I’m uh-I’m still here-”

“Ahhhh!” Nina started screaming in excitement and Y/N pulled the phone from her ear and laughed softly and Harry just dropped back onto the bed and laughed as well. His body was shaking as he tried to hold in any sounds. His eyes were crinkled, indenting his deep with his smile lines; it was cute they creased deep, it meant he was happy. He was so gorgeous it made Y/N’s heart flutter.

“Relax, please. I would’ve come to find you, but you guys got lost in the crowd and I lost track of time.” She explained, “But I’m good, I’m safe.” She assured Nina, “Yes, he’s hot.” She said, “So fucking hot.” She confirmed lowly, glancing to Harry with a smirk only to find he was smirking right back at her, “Nope. Not fucking happening…you get nothing but a thank you for dragging me into this.” Y/N said, keeping her eyes on Harry’s. “I don’t know, so don’t wait up…sorry, it was the “no phones allowed” thing I swear. Alright, be safe. Bye.” She hummed  softly and then hung up. “Sorry about that, my friends can be…a bit nosy.” She giggled.

“It’s alright, it seems they really care and look out of you.” He said with a smile and she nodded.

“Yeah, they do.” She confirmed as she finished taking off her other shoe and let it fall to the ground. She then rolled into the spot beside him and rested her face on her arm as she crossed her ankles and leisurely swung her legs back and forth as she just smiled at Harry, “I’m really, really nervous.” She confessed quietly and his eyes softened.

“What’s making you nervous?” He asked.

“That…I’ll…like it too much.” She said with a sigh and he smiled.

“Why would that be a bad thing?” He questioned with a confused little crease in his eyebrows.

“Ummm…I don’t think I’d be brave enough to try it again.” She half-smiled, “Like everything just seemed to work out perfectly tonight. I don’t think that things would coincide so perfectly again.” She explained further and he smiled.

“Tonight has been pretty perfect.” He concurred, “I’ve had a good time with you.”

“Me too.” She said with a blush warming her cheeks. 

She still had that innocent, but curios glint in her eyes that was giving him butterflies. To Harry, Y/N felt like a breath of fresh air and boy, did he feel deprived. His gaze trailed down the line of her nose and landed on her lips before fluttering back up to her eyes. She was still looking down at his own mouth and he swallowed thickly as her gaze slowly met his.

“I can’t imagine you not being brave enough to do anything you wanted.” He said and she looked in awe for a moment before she spoke up.

“Harry? I’m going to kiss you now.” She warned, voice soft and nervous.

“Please.” He hummed and she pushed herself up to scoot over and lean over him, her hair messily draped over her and his face, but their lips met eagerly regardless. As Harry pressed himself up, supporting his wight on one of his elbows, his free hand came up to Y/N’s face and started gathering her hair, the occasional strand tickling them as her hair was drawn back. 

Y/N slotted one of her legs between his own, entangling them further. Once her hair was out of the way, Harry’s hand traveled down to her waist and started pushing her back and she got the hint and rolled onto her back and he hovered over her with a smile.

“Can I get your dress off?” He asked and she nodded. He helped her sit up and then she stood up and turned away from him, moving her hair to the side as he went for the zipper. “Thanks. Ummm…is there anything that you know you wouldn’t want to try right off the bat?” He asked and she bit her lip.

“I ummm…I don’t know. I’ve had pretty vanilla experiences” She said and he hummed.

“That’s alright.” He assured, “What about…” he paused as her dress just dropped to the ground, he was momentarily distracted by the sight of her perfectly round bum. It would look that much cuter with a couple hickeys or marks from his hands across it, he swallowed thickly  “Ummm, what about things you absolutely know you want to experience?” He asked and she turned around and his hands landed on her hips over the side straps of her thong.

“A little breath play I got…choked once and I did like it.” She admitted bashfully, “…always wondered what was so great about getting my ass spanked…” she joked and Harry chuckled, “I joke, but ummm, not really.” She confessed nervously and he suddenly landed a smack to her left cheek and he grinned as the skin on her arms pimpled with goosebumps and she let out a surprised little gasp.

“How was that for you?” He asked.

“Ummm…it was good.” She swallowed thickly.

“Want more?” He asked and she nodded, “Want to try on the bench?” He asked and she glanced over to it before biting her lip pensively. “We don’t have to.” He assured her and she looked back at him. 

“I am…curious about it.” She said and he stood as well and led her over to it.

“This is nice because it gives you something to hold on to.” He explained, “Like if you wanted to dig your fingers into something or squeeze your thighs, you could. This one also has these rings on it.” He said as he lifted one up and turned to her and she nodded, “These are for restraining. So you could get your hands cuffed or even have a collar attached to this-”

“Like an animal collar?” She asked with wide eyes and he chuckled.

“Ummm, yeah, but like it’s for people. Some people like that.”

“Do you like that?” She asked and he bit his lip and shrugged, which was enough of an answer for her and she giggled, “You’re wild.” She said with a smirk and he giggled along with her.

“I just like to try things. I like to push myself and see how far I can go or how much I can handle. I often surprise myself and like that makes me feel…stronger in a way. Like I can do anything, you know?”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” She agreed and then bit her lip as she looked over the bench once more and decided that she wanted to push herself too. She wanted to try something different and new. She could just picture herself fastened to the bench and gasping at the shock of the blows she’d receive and it made her spine tingle. That had to mean she was into it, right? She placed her hand on the red padded pleather cushion where she assumed her chest would go and glanced up to Harry, “So like…how do we do this? Like are you just gonna do it with your hands?” She asked him.

“We can if that’s how you want it. There’s also toys for impact play right in here.” He said cocking his head over to a little closet looking door and she followed him and he opened it up and she was quite surprised at the selection she saw.

“Will it hurt?” She asked him with wide eyes.

“It can if you want it to hurt. We can test the feeling and force on your palm.” He suggested and she nodded, “Do any of them look more intriguing to you?” He asked and she pointed at the riding crop.

“That’s just one I’ve heard of more.” She said and he pulled it from the hook.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say this is for your bum. It can be, but you’ll get harsher and more intense stings from it.” He explained and she held her hand out and he quickly smacked it down and her eyebrows raised in shock as the sting made her palm feel hot as the pain started to register and she closed her palm quickly and glanced up at him.

“OK, yeah maybe not that one.” She giggled nervously and he smiled.

“Yeah, that’s alright. It’s a bit more of an advanced one to be honest or for those who particularly like pain from the get go. Don’t like that kind of pain too much either.” He assured her and she nodded, “The paddles tend to be a bit better for the bum. It’ll still sting but not as intensely since it covers more surface area.” He explained as he pulled it down as she put her hand out again and he brought it down and gave her a whack before looking into her eyes to gauge her reaction, she seemed fine with that. He swore he even saw a ghost of a smile threatening to spread across her lips and the fact that this once excited her made his eyes darken in excitement for what he could do for her, “Harder?” He asked her softly and when her eyes met his, they were also darkened and her pupils dilated a bit. She nodded up at him and he smiled with tenderness at her as he raised the paddle again and then swung it down with more force and while her hand twitched bit from the impact, she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip for a few seconds before smiling. “Like this one?” He asked her.

“Yeah, I do like that.” She agreed before looking back up into his eyes.

“Good.” He hummed, “Is there anything else you see that you might want to try?” He asked and she glanced back at the array of toys in there. “There’s also stuff in the drawers.” He explained and she stepped forward and started pulling them open to see what they contained. 

They had a myriad of options from blindfolds, ties, cuffs, and collars to clamps and pumps and vibrators. She at least knew that she needed stimulation to her clit in order to have the most gratifying orgasm, so she definitely wanted a vibrator of some sort. She didn’t need the huge wands that were in some drawers, even something smaller would do it for her. So she reached in and grabbed one of the sterile packets that had a vibrator with a slightly bulbous head, it could be used externally and internally as well and it made her core tighten and tickle in anticipation.

“I’m assuming we have to pay for this stuff?” She said.

“Well, they get put on our tabs.” He explained, “The money’s already there for this so…” he trailed off and she glanced back at him.

“But I might want to keep this so I’ll pay you back.” She said and he chuckled.

“You don’t have to pay me back, you can keep it as a gift. You know, to remember our time together.” He said with a cheeky smirk and she chuckled softly before looking up at him.

“We’ll see.” She said softly.

“Do you want to try any restraints?” He asked her and she nodded.

“Ummm, what do you recommend?” She asked as she looked at the different options.

“To start either the satin ties or full wrist cuffs. Anything less bulky will leave more marks and they can be a bit more uncomfortable.” He explained.

“Maybe the ties…can’t risk showing up to work with visible marks, as hot as that would be.” sh e giggled and he grinned, with that in mind he decided he’d give her a discrete mark or two for her personal amusement.

“Right…” he chuckled as he reached for a set of the satin ties.

“Do you think there’s anything I might like?” She asked and he glanced around before opening up the drawers and he bit his lip as he reached in and grabbed one of the smaller pumps.

“If we get this on your clit…” he said a bit bashfully, “for a few minutes you’ll be a lot more sensitive there. S’gonna make you come a lot if you’re already sensitive. Wanna give it a try?” He asked and she smiled at him, her eyes told him that she was clearly enticed by the idea and she nodded after a few seconds.

“Sure.” She agreed cooly, “I thought you were gonna go for the blindfold for a sec.” She giggled.

“Do you want a blindfold?” He asked her with a grin and she shook her head.

“No.” She she said quickly, “I ummm… I’d like to see what’s going on.” She explained and he smiled.

“Well, I think this is it for now.” He said as he moved to the bed and set everything in his hands down and she followed him and did the same before looking up at him and he glanced at her, “Still nervous?” He asked and she nodded and he smiled, “Don’t worry Y/N, I’ll take good care of you.” He assured as he came a bit closer and her gaze flickered down to his lips and she tiptoed to kiss him but he slightly knocked his head back and grinned down at her. “Mmmm, how about…for every spanking you take well, you get a kiss?” He asked and she nodded.

“Yeah, OK.” She agreed and he smiled and guided her over to the bench and helped her get on. “Are you gonna tie me up?”

“Yeah, is that alright?” He asked and she nodded.

“Yes. Please.” She said and he smirked at her before walking over to the bed and taking off his shirt before grabbing the ties and standing before her again. His crotch was level with her face as he got the little packet they were in open and she could see how the bulge in his pants strained against the dark fabric. Her eyes raked down his strong and lean torso and she felt her mouth water at the size of the bulge and he glanced down with a smirk before lowering himself down to be level with her face.

“Like what you see?” He asked and Y/N smiled bashfully from being caught ogling him. 

“Yeah.” She hummed and then glanced down when she felt him tying her wrists together. Then he tied that to the ring attached to the bench. Harry had her yank a few times just so she could feel if it was comfortable or if he needed to make any adjustments. It was perfect though; her wrists were secured together snugly, but she had enough slack from her hands to the o-ring to be able to move her arms a bit. She was so nervous about it all, there were so many thoughts going through her mind as she realized that she was quite literally stuck here with him. And as scary as that thought was, it was also somewhat relieving. She had no idea what he had planned for her, she had little ideas of where the night could go, but who knew what was in his brain when he took her in like this. She didn’t know if she’d ever even see him again after this night, but she just knew she could trust him for tonight. Trust that he had her best interest in mind and that he was going to blow her fucking mind.

“Alright, love. M’gonna start off light and then go a bit harder until you tell me, OK?” He asked. “We can even go back if you feel it’s too hard, just let me know?”

“OK.” She confirmed her understanding, already squeezing her fists nervously as she wriggled a bit. 

“If you’re not liking something or getting overwhelmed just say ‘stop', OK? I’ll stop right away.” Harry informed and she nodded, “What are you gonna say if you don’t like something?”  he quizzed.

“Stop.” She responded.

“Good girl.” He hummed and she wriggled again and Harry bit his lip as he watched her ass jiggle a bit as she got a bit more comfortable. He gently smacked the paddle to his palm a few times before squaring up behind her. “Ready?” He asked an she nodded, “Use you words for me.” He pressed.

“Yes, I’m ready.” She confirmed as he drew the paddle back and smacked it down against her right cheek quickly and her back slightly arched as she exhaled sharply, “Was that good or do want it harder?” He asked.

“A little harder.” She responded and she remained tense until another smack came down on her other cheek, just slightly harder than the previous one. It hurt so good, she wanted to try a bit harder, so she relaxed her hands and her body followed, “Can you try a little harder?” She asked.

“Yeah, ready for it now?” 

“Yes, please. Please do it.” She hummed, her tummy fluttered in anticipation and as soon as the paddle made contact with her already heated skin she gasped and tensed up. Harry stopped for a second to gauge her reaction and as he focused his eyes he watched in real time how her skin became covered in goosebumps and after a few seconds of silence her body relaxed and she wriggled her ass at him and he grinned.

“Was that it?” He asked her and she nodded.

“Y-yes, fuck please do it again.” She pleaded and he smacked down on her other cheek. With every stinging spank to her ass Y/N felt herself get a little more turned on. She felt like she was sparking up and as much as she wanted to wuss out and and ask him to stop she knew she could handle more. She was getting so horny that with each smack she swore her clit pulsed and she got wetter and wetter. She could feel the glide between her pussy lips every time she squirmed. She loved to feel her body tense up in anticipation for the next hit only to relax when the stinging sensation rippled through her ruddy cheeks and slowly fade as it tingled down her thighs. That is until yet another hard smack landed on one of her cheeks and started the cycle all over. Her soft whimpers of satisfaction were completely involuntary, she was getting lost in this feeling and with each spank she was letting herself go more and more.

She seemed to be enjoying it and Harry wondered how wet she was getting between her legs from this. She was doing so well and Harry could see her teetering on the edge of surrender, she’d already taken eight spankings and he wasn’t gonna give her more than ten. But he was glad that she had made it this far without a hitch; he wanted her to feel better than she ever had before and she moaned softly at the final two she’d gotten. He wasn’t thinking too hard about it when he slipped the paddle into his back pocket and brought his hands to her ass, caressing over her cheeks to sooth the sting of the ten spankings she’d taken so well,

“Did so good. Took it really well.” He praised her as he continued soothing her bum. He had been spanking her with a medium force and she seemed to have liked it and as Harry soothed her bottom he noticed her grinding down onto the bench a bit and he smirked, “Did you get really wet?” He asked teasingly.

“Embarrassingly wet.” She confessed through a breathy giggle and he smirked. 

“Can I feel?” He asked.

“Yes.” She said immediately and he smiled at her urgency. His index finger followed the fabric of her thong down her cheeks and to the very hot spot between her legs. Her little cotton thong was definitely feeling a little damp and he bit his lip as he gently rubbed up and down her clothed crease, really getting the fabric doused in her arousal. He could feel it start to soak through the material.

“Shit…you really liked that, didn’t you?” He hummed smugly and she just whimpered as he rubbed his index finger right against her clit a few times before sliding it back to her labia and pressing in, so that he was rubbing against her entrance. Y/N squirmed a bit, trying to get more friction and he smiled, “Nuhuh. Be good for me.” He said lowly and she bit her lip as those words seemed to shoot a delicious tingly feeling through her body. She couldn’t help it as she thrust back again to get more pressure and he tutted and suddenly felt the paddle smack down across her ass and she jolted and gasped at the hard, but quick swat. The tingling and stinging on her ass seemed to radiate down to her clit and her breathing started picking up as she started to get more turned on.

“S-sorry, it just feels so good.” She whimpered and he smiled at her sweet little sound. 

“I know, but you have to be patient. I’m in charge here, remember?” He asked and she grinned.

“What happened to BDSM is about the sharing of control?” She asked smugly and he chuckled as he brought the paddle down against her ass again, making her squeak out and writhe against the bench.

“Don’t be a brat.” He chuckled and she giggled as the stinging sensation rippled through her bottom half of her body. “Were being such a good girl for me.” He said softly as he started rubbing over her clothed pussy again, very lightly. Harry watched as she shivered when he called her a “good girl”, it seemed she had a bit of a praise kink. Liked to hear that she was doing so good and being so good for him. He added a bit more pressure again just to rile her up and it worked. She sighed as he rubbed against her sopping underwear, feeling the glide of the material over her labia from the slick pooling out of her little hole. He wanted to see her bare, he wanted to admire every inch of her and make her feel gorgeous and special and worthy of whatever she wanted. Her back would arch and she’d wiggle around a bit as he continued pleasuring her in such a simple way.

Y/N was absolutely touch starved. She swore that every cell in her body was yearning for more of his touch. Especially as he leisurely rubbed at her clit, it was absolute torture because it wasn’t enough to build an orgasm, but it was enough to build her pleasure and to keep making her more and more wet for him. His deep and soothing voice tickled a part of her she had no idea could affect her so deeply. She whined as he dragged his hand up from between her legs, skimming over her bottom and slowly up her spine. She was a puddle from his delicate and teasing touch and just as she was relaxing her body he swatted her with the paddle again, making her scoff through the grin on her face. The shock of the spank made her walls clench tight and her entire body tingled in response, she was starting to ache deep inside. The feeling was familiar by now, it had been months since she’d even had a proper orgasm. The anxiety, stress, and pressure had all piled up from the different parts of her life and battered her simultaneously. Admittedly, she’d been a little depressed, but the last thing she thought she’d need was this. The same feeling she’d been sitting with for months! But it was a different situation this time. She was horny in a way that was literally making her mind fuzzy and she knew that when she got out of here she’d feel so much more light and free than she had in months.

“Ready for more?” He asked and she hummed.

“Yes. Please.” She responded. Her tummy swirling with butterflies in anticipation of what was coming next.

“Alright, love. Let’s get you untied.” He said and moved around her to undo the ties on her wrists. Once they were off, he helped her sit up, so she was straddling the top of the bench and he stepped up to it and grabbed her face gently. “Think I owe you some kisses.” He said quietly and she hummed through a smile as he pressed his lips to hers. 

Y/N counted nine playful pecks before he went in for the last kiss fiercely. She sighed in relief as she felt his tongue run along her bottom lip before their lips smushed together sloppily. She couldn’t help it as she ground down against the bench and whimpered into his parted mouth at the pressure on her clit. Harry smiled into their kiss when he realized that she was grinding down onto the bench.

“Want my fingers?” He asked her and she nodded.

“Please.” She purred

and he brought his right hand down, his index finger teased over the seam of her thong a few times before slipping under the thin, black fabric. His eyes met her hazy and lust-filled gaze as he slid further down. He smiled as he reached her neatly trimmed little patch of pubic hair over her mound. She bit her lip as his fingers smoothing down made a delicious tickle flutter down her vulva.

“Oh…” she moaned softly as his fingers brushed down her slit and pressed further in and made contact with her clit. He kissed her pouted lips as he rubbed against her swollen little clit easily with how sticky she already was.

“You weren’t lying.” He mumbled deeply, “So fucking wet.” He grinned before going in for another kiss and she giggled into it. Harry started going lower until his index and middle fingers made contact with her sopping entrance. He rubbed over it as she ground down into his fingers, itching to feel them sink inside of her and give her a much needed stretch. Based on what she could feel so far, his fingers were going to be far more gratifying than her own. She was starting to feel desperate.

“Harry.” She mumbled into their kiss, “Harry, please.” She implored.

“We’ve discussed this, love. Patience.” He responded and she sighed impatiently, which cause him to smirk.

“Right, sorry.” She whispered.

“S’alright, love. You’re learning.” He hummed as he started to add a bit more pressure, watching her carefully as he stopped right before sunk his fingers into her her tight entrance. They stayed like that for a few seconds, breathing each other in as he waited for the tension between them to reach it’s boiling point. She exhaled shakily and then leaned her face into his. Their noses brushed and right before she kissed his lips he drew back, “Not yet.” He whispered, “You can wait a little bit more, know you can.” He said and she sighed as he chuckle a bit.

“It’s just so much.” She explained, “M’so on edge. I feel like I’m about to explode.” 

“Good. That mean’s you’re just about there.” He smiled, “Relax… Breathe deep…Pay attention to all of the feelings going on here.” He instructed as he rubbed at her entrance again, keeping her right in that sweet spot for a few more seconds. And when he felt her body fully relax he waited a few seconds before he stepped a bit closer and bore more of his weight into his arm, finally allowing for his fingers to sink inside of her. She was so wet and hot inside it made him absolutely feral. He was fighting every instinct he had to just pick her up and put her on the bed and make her come on his fingers until he’d decided she’d enough.

Y/N’s mouth dropped open as she panted out a shaky breath as his fingers sunk deep inside of her. Harry parted his lips and went in for another kiss, tongue-first. She moaned as she smeared he tongue over his before she gently sucked at it as he started to thrust his fingers into her. Y/N was grinding down onto them, riding them a bit, relishing in the slight stretch they were providing. Suddenly, Harry’s hand was around her throat, squeezing deliciously. She smiled and he retuned the gesture. In moments she started getting that addicting little spacey feeling at the minimal oxygen intake she was getting. She loved to feel floaty and tingly from the lack of oxygen. Her eyes rolled back as she ground harder against Harry, desperate to feel more pleasure.

Every time she’d grind down her clit would just barely brush against his palm, it was delicious and infuriating at the same time. She kept getting wetter and wetter as the stimulation continued building. She was squeezing her thighs tight around the bench, a desperate attempted to make it feel like there was more inside of her. She swore she could feel her walls throbbing with need, her clit was getting so sensitive from being teased so lightly. She was starting to feel desperate beyond the point of no-return, she swore she would lose her mind.

“Harry…” she gasped, “I-I can’t!” she whimpered.

“Are you asking me to stop?” He asked for clarification as he released her throat and she opened her eyes slowly and glanced into his as he stopped thrusting his fingers. She slowly started to gain full lucidity as more oxygen flowed through her brain freely again. She gently raised her hips and then ground back down onto them and shook her head.

“No, please don’t stop I just…I want more.”

“Yeah?” He smiled and she nodded, “Lift up a little.” He said and she did so and pouted when he pulled his fingers out of her. But before she could protest he sunk them in between his lips to clean them off and then he went back in for a kissy, messily tangling their tongues, letting her taste herself from his own mouth. His hands came down to her thighs and he helped her shift so they were wrapped around his own hips. She took he hint and wrapped her around around his neck as he lifted her up and slowly walked them over to the bed. As he leaned down and hovered over her he felt her take the paddle out from his pocket before she blindly swatted him over the bum and he chuckled into her mouth as he pulled back from their kiss to look at her. She was smirking up at him as she dropped the paddle onto the bed.

“Sorry, it was an intrusive thought.” She giggled.

“S’alright, we all get them…and some of us let them win.” He added and she grinned, “I have one right now…”

“Well, let it win. S’only fair.” She responded and he smiled.

“Do you really trust me, Y/N?” He asked and she bit her lip for a second as her eyes searched his own and she nodded.

“I do trust you, Harry.” She confirmed and he smiled as he pressed himself up and went back to the bench and grabbed the long ties he had draped over it. When he turned back he saw her legs bent at the knee, how he’d left her. And he came on over and dropped the ties beside her. His hands then smoothed over her knees and down her thighs and then up to her hips.

“Permission to get these off?” He mumbled over her lips.

“Yeah, get them off.” She said as she raised her hips and he was quick to peel the thong down her legs. He tried to patient and not just spread her open and gawk at her pussy as he stuffed her thong in his back pocket before he brought his hands to her knees again.

“M’gonna tie you up…like this.” He said as he pushed her knees back until her ankles were up against the backs of her thighs, “S’gonna keep you spread open for me while I play with you.” He explained, “Have a feeling you’re not gonna be good about keeping your legs spread for me.” He added and she giggled and nodded, “S’that alright?”

“Yeah.” She agreed and he smiled and reached for one of the ties. 

Harry started twisting the fabric to make it into a thinner size before he wrapped it around her ankle and thigh and when he asked, she assured him it wasn’t too tight. She watched as he finished up the knot, but lost track of what he was doing as he continued twisting the tie and then tied another knot right under her knee. “So you’re into this kinda thing too?” She asked.

“A bit. Just started learning a few months ago.” He shared as he ensured his knots were secure. “This is called a frog tie.” He said as he moved on to her other leg.

“Kinda of an unsexy name.” She pointed out.

“Says the frog.” He teased with a grin and she scoffed through a chuckle as he started to tie her other ankle to her thigh. “Good?”

“Yeah.” She hummed and he proceeded to move to the second knot. Once it was fastened she was spread open and he was still holding back from ogling the part of her he was dying to see, which did not go unnoticed by her. He smiled as their eyes met again and leaned down to kiss her gently. The last thing she expected was for him to palm over her and lightly lightly smack at her dripping pussy a couple times. Before pulled back and grabbing the clit pump. He opened up the package and she watched on as he messed with it in his hand for a bit before he looked back into her eyes.

“You’re gonna feel some pressure when I twist this top part.” He explained and she nodded in understanding as she supported herself on her elbows to see his next actions. He finally glanced down at her exposed pussy and he felt his mouth water. He licked over his lips as he reached forward and brushed his thumb through her sticky folds and then over her clit. “So fucking pretty.” He hummed as he rubbed the pad of his thumb into her swollen little clit a few times. She bit her lip as she watched his thumb glide easily over her sensitive little button. He then slicked his index finger up through her folds and opened her up a bit more, “Fuck, that’s the prettiest shade of pink I’ve ever seen.” He hummed with awe. He licked over his lips again, more than ready to lick and slurp at her glistening pussy, but he had to do this first. He gawked for a few more seconds before rubbing over her clit once more before bringing down the little pump. He got her clit into the opening and glanced up at her again.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.” She nodded.

With her confirmation Harry proceeded to twist the top of the little pump. Sucking the air that had been collected into the little tube. After the third twist she whined and he grinned as he watched her clit throb as the pressure inside of the little pump increased.

“Just a little bit more, love.” He informed her. With each new slow twist her tender little button was sucked further into the pump and when he let go it stayed put and she whined as she felt her clit throbbing. 

Harry then reached down to her entrance and dipped one then two fingers into her. He pushed them in as deep as he could before curving them up and when she gasped and fisted at the bed covers under her he smiled. He watched as she attempted to shut her legs, but the way they were tied didn’t allow much movement. She moaned as he continued fucking her with his fingers until her abs were clenching and he quickly pulled them out. 

Y/N whined, her desperate and glossy eyes were right on his as he sunk his fingers again and built her up again until she was moaning out in pleasure and again, he stopped right before she could feel that delicious flutter in her pussy take over her body. Y/N’s breathing was ragged as she tried her best to keep her composure as Harry edged her once more, she whimpered as the feeling faded away and she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Oh fuck!” She gasped and arched her back as he twisted the pump once more.

“You’re little clit’s just throbbing so hard. Just a few more minutes, love.” He assured as he reached for the vibrator she had chosen and got it open. 

She watched on with eager eyes as he inspected it for a moment before switching it on, he played with the settings for a bit, the entire time she could feel her little hole pulsating as she anticipated his next move. He was taking his time though and as much as she wanted to protest his unhurried pace, she was relishing in the languorous energy that was slowly pulling her deeper and deeper. It was getting so hard to fight it off any more. Suddenly she felt the buzzing of the bulbous head of the vibrator gliding against her sopping labia. Her lips twitched up in a smile as she sighed in pleasure and he glanced up to her with that smirk that was getting more and more engrained in her mind. She bit her lip to suppress her grin as her hungry eyes met his own. She wanted him to call her a good girl again, she was dying to hear it, she needed it. She moaned as he glided the vibrator up her folds and the vibrator met with the little plastic pump and it cause the little ridges to absorb the vibrations and then project them around her pumped clit.

“Oh my god!” She moaned and writhed a bit beneath him. Harry couldn’t tear his eyes from her clit, all swollen and throbbing from being suffocated with all the pressure created by the pump. Just as she felt her thighs quaking Harry pulled the vibrator away and she huffed but kept her whine of disapproval to herself.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’m gonna start up again soon. You’re being so good for me.” He assured and she relaxed. “Gonna get this off first.” He said as he brought his hands to the pump. One on the base of it and the other on the little key on the top. He started to release the pressure until he was able to pull it off of her and she sighed in relief. He licked over his lips at her now engorged clit pulsating, begging to be sucked gently between his lips.

She glanced down to see her clit all puffy and noticeably bigger. It was nothing drastic, but enough that she could see it throbbing. And somehow, being able to see it somehow made her hyperaware of how turned on she was. She could feel the throbbing basically radiating down her legs and it made her bit down on her lip as he just watched it for a few seconds. Put of nowhere he sparkled her shiny pussy and she whimpered as her lips set in a pout at the shock that shot through her clit. Harry glanced up at her with a smirk and she bit her lip.

“Again?” He asked and she nodded eagerly and he chuckled before spanking her pussy a few more times, watching her writhe after each little swat. She could feel her arousal dripping down to her ass and it was making her wonder if she’d actually ever been turned on prior to this in her life. Then, Harry started to kneel and she slightly raised herself to see what he was doing, but was momentarily distracted by him grabbing the vibrator and before she even had a chance to mentally prepare for it she felt his lips around her clit and she absolutely lost her mind. She tried to shut her legs because the sensitivity was so overwhelming, but her bondage prevented it. So instead, she screwed her eyes shut as she clenched her fists tightly around the bed covers as the pleasure she’d been craving started to build up. 

“Oh fuck that feels so good!” She muttered through a moan and then she heard the vibrator come on before it pressed to her entrance. She writhed as it pressed to her sensitive opening and he rubbed it over her arousal a couple times, slicking it up enough to get it to slip inside of her smoothly. And when it finally did he pressed in and her skin became covered in goosebumps as the bulbous head of the vibrator was nudged around until it was lodged right up against her g-spot and she gasped and her entire body stiffed for a few seconds before a moan tore through her chest when he started to suck on her clit with more fervor. 

“Oh right there! Right there, rightthereee…” she mewled as he rubbed into it.

Harry smiled at her reaction and her pretty sounds. Her puffy little clit was fun to play with and her taste was so nice and subtle. He could be down there for ages if he could be. He could feel her struggling and hear her ragged breaths and sounds as she tried to keep it together. He popped off of her clit and gave it a few flicks with the tip of his tongue, right up against the noticeably darker little head of it. 

“Come whenever you want, love.” He mumbled as he sucked love bites into her thigh and she writhed a bit at the bite of his suckling and nibbling as he marked her up. He very gently moved the vibrator inside of her, gyrating it to find the spot that had her legs trembling… and there it was. She started to gasp in time with the little thrusts of the vibrator and then her hands dug into his hair and he smiled.

“Oh my god…Fuck Harry, you’re gonna make me come!” She whimpered as her thighs started to tremble. Just seconds later her body fully relaxed before it immediately tensed up again as she started to come undone and much to his surprise she started to squirt and he groaned and sucked harder at her clit. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She slurred over and over again as her body writhed with an otherworldly pleasure that made her feel like she was vibrating. 

She’d been on edge for nearly twenty minutes, he was taking his time, building her up and she understood why now. And he wasn’t stopping; he did slow down when she made it through that orgasm, but once her breathing was somewhat back to normal he removed the vibrator and got his fingers and mouth back on her. Her second orgasm built up again as he started to lap at her clit and it was just as good. She was trembling as she whined when he didn’t let up and effortlessly coaxed her into a third one and after that they took a bit more time to build up. He wasn’t stopping, but significantly lowering the level of stimulation. He kept her on edge by rubbing into her g-spot, but would only mind her clit every now and again, helping her through the sensitivity until she was peaking again. By the fourth orgasm she was laughing through her panting because she swore even the back of her knees tickled as she came undone. When the fifth one washed her out she could hardly believe she was alive, she was struggling to breathe and her brows were furrowing as she moaned out in defeat when she remembered that she could’t close her legs. When her sixth one approached she knew she was going to squirt as she literally felt her pussy pulsating. And when it started he gave her clit heavy, intentional strokes with his tongue as his fingers fucked her harder and from there she couldn’t stop. Harry was moaning against her as it just kept coming out of her. She was crying out his name with even more curses and chants of gratitude. She was so sensitive, her eyes were brimming with tears and a part of this was so emotionally overwhelming, she wanted him to stop, but a part of her was just letting this happen to her.

“Fuck, you’re still going, baby.” He mumbled rubbed his thumb into her clit now and stood to look at her face. As soon as her eyes met his she smiled and he smiled back. It made her heart leap and then she frowned as she started to come again, “Oh fuck, good girl. Squeeze my fingers tight.” He said as her head knocked back and she moaned as her tears started to stream down her face. “One more, angel. You’ve got one more for me. I know you do, love.” He mumbled and her lidded eyes looked into his own. 

“On your cock, please. Want you to feel the last one on your cock, Harry.” She managed and he groaned at her request. His prick was aching, he needed the release. He didn’t even plan on fucking her, he just wanted to make her feel good and just get off on it when he got back home. But she wanted it on his cock and he would definitely give her that if it would make her feel good.

“Yeah? Want my big, thick cock to fuck your last orgasm out of you?” He asked, voice deep and gravely. His fingers slowed down inside of her and she nodded, her glossy eyes peered deeply into his own.

“Please, Harry. Please. I need you.” She whimpered and he bit his lip and nodded as he gently drew his fingers out of her. Before he could bring them to his lips she was reaching for his hand and he easily let her take it and she brought it to her mouth. She opened up and he smiled.

“Go on then, greedy girl.” She immediately wrapped her lips around his warmth, sticky fingers and sucked. As her smooth and hot tongue ran along them his cock pulsed and his balls tightened up, loading themselves up for his big finish. His cock growing a bit more as more of his blood rushed to his member. He was so fucking hard he could cut stone, or at least it felt that way. He was sure that as soon as his trousers were down his cock would spring right up and stay standing against his lower stomach. She moaned in delight around his fingers, the vibrations of it traveling up his arms and shooting a fuzzy feeling straight to his heart and then down to his tummy. “Yeah, I know you taste so fucking good.” He said and her eyes blinked open upon hearing that. He smirked at her and pulled his fingers out of her mouth and back down to where she was quite literally oozing her slick. He lightly pressed in and smiled as he felt a thicker stream of it enveloped his finger tips. He gently pulled it away, chuckling as he saw a thick string of it, stick connected to her entrance. It spun out and snapped until he was right near her belly button. Her skin broke out in goosebumps at the cold little flash along her abdomen as her arousal met with her skin. His fingers were slimy with her slick and he hovered over her and licked them off, keeping what he could on his tongue before grabbing her face and going in for a messy kiss. She moaned as she tasted herself right on his tongue, she could also smell her arousal on him and it was making her loose her mind. She started to lick and suck at his tongue, relishing in the feelings of elation he was giving her. 

“Please get a condom.” She said and he nodded and broke away from her kiss. 

Harry dug around his pockets for his wallet and then pulled one out and set it down beside her on the bed as he got his trousers and briefs off. She licked her lips at the size of his cock and couldn’t wait to feel him opening her up. He got the condom on quickly before slicking it up through her folds, thrusting sloppily to really get himself nice and lubed up. Her little pussy was so fucking warm, he nudged up against her clit and she giggled up at him through her wince of overstimulation and he chuckled at her reaction. He was anxious to feel her tight, hot walls giving way to his cock, so he glanced up at her and she nodded, urging him to go on. With her consent he guided his achingly hard cock to her entrance. He sighed in relief as he teased the inch of his tip into her weepy little hole. He smiled as he held her open and watched himself sink into her, it was making his cock twitch because he was so sensitive there.

“Fuck tha’feels so good.” He mumbled in delight as he started feeding in a bit more of himself in and she sighed in relief. When he made it past the tight little ring of her entrance he moaned as he felt her opening up and spasming to quickly try and accommodate his intrusion. It was making his mind blurry and his tummy twist as just how hard she was spasming around his cock. He swallowed thickly as he finished sinking in the rest of the way and they both sighed in relief as their eyes met. He gave a few thrusts and she wriggled her hips a bit, so he reached for one of the pillows and tucked it under her bum and slid back in and immediately they both moaned as his tip rammed into a part of her that made his balls tighten up and he groaned as he started thrusting quickly into it over and over against until she was seeing starts and moaning loudly. Fuck, she just felt so good around him, so warm and smooth, the pressure of his thrusts making it feel like her body was forcibly pulling him in. She started to tremble and he chuckled in satisfaction. 

“Gonna give me one more?” He asked and she nodded fiercely. “Good girl. Fuck, you were made to be worshiped like this.” He said and she panted heavily as his words settled on her so nicely. “Y’take it so well. Take my cock so well. Doing so good for me. You’re so. Fucking. Good. For me.” He praised her, punctuating his words with his thrusts, and she looked into his eyes and she blinked slowly a few times and suddenly everything stopped for a second before the energy just shifted. Her ears started to ring and she swore that there was a halo effect around him, she could only see his face and nothing else seemed to exist as her body slowly started to feel like it was on overdrive and she closed her eyes and inhaled sharply.

“Fuck, Harry…” She whimpered and he groaned, so in love with the fact that he watched her lose herself on his cock. 

“Come for me, love. I know you’re so close, jus’let it happen.” He encouraged her. 

The entirety of her skin was rising with goosebumps as she felt the coil of her pleasure expanding impossibly far. She was curling her toes to try and hang on just a bit more because she didn’t want this to end. Harry’s deep voice seemed to ripple vibrations through her body, adding to the pleasure of it all. She was especially relishing in the thwacking of his balls against her bottom and that deep, rhythmic thrusting that was jabbing his thick head against her most sensitive spot. Once all of these realizations his her together she inhaled sharply, and like a dying star, she reached what felt like the pinnacle of her existence and she exploded beautifully. Her orgasm spread through her entire body, taking her out inch by inch in a tsunami-like wave of ecstasy. It tapered down after a few moments, though it felt longer than that, and she blinked her eyes open and watched as Harry started to lose his rhythm and he grunted out as he gave her a few more debilitatingly deep thrusts that had her squirming and then gasping as he just grabbed around her thighs and rammed himself into her cunt. She had a mini orgasm from that and watching him groaned as he spilled into the condom.

“Fuck…” he mumbled lowly as he glanced down between their bodies before looking up into her glassy eyes. “Made me come so hard, love.” He smiled as he leaned over her body and her hands looped around his neck as he joined their lips in an ardent kiss. He gently rolled his hips into hers, milking out every last drop of his come. “Such a good girl for me. You really let go for me. Y’did so fucking good, love.” He praised her in between kisses and she at up his praises. Kissing him back and relishing in his affection until his cock had softened enough that it started to fall out of her. They kissed once more before he reared back and pulled out of her all the way and she winced at the suddenly empty feeling and just let herself fall back against the mattress.

“Let’s get these off.” Harry said softly as he rubbed over her thighs and she just nodded. She was just catching her breath from all of it. 

Y/N still felt like she was in a sort of trance. Everything felt delayed and slightly fuzzy, it was a lovely feeling. Her mind was drawn a blank and her body put every single resource it had towards making her feel this incredible and natural high for as long as she could. He was gentle as he undid the binds on her thighs and even helped her stretch her legs out after getting them done. She was quiet, just letting him do what he was doing until he smiled at her.

“You alright there?” He asked with a grin and she nodded before giggling.

“Just…processing. I still feel…tingly.” She said after licking her lips and he hummed.

“Good.” He hummed with a smile as he let his fingers skim up her naked torso. She shivered at the tickles and he chuckled. “How was that for you?” He asked and she smirked.

“I think I will take all of the toys home.” She joked and he chuckled again as she started to giggle. “Thank you, though.” She said as her smile slowly faded, “I’ve never felt like that before and I…needed it.” She said and he smiled and nodded once.

“Good.” He hummed, “And you know, you don’t need to do all that crazy shit they do in porn to have a good submissive experience. It can be simple, you know? Just gotta find yourself the right partner that does what you need.” He said softly and she nodded.

“Is this your style?” She asked him.

“A bit. I mean, I’m definitely more of a pleasure dom, but I do like to be a little mean or mischievous if the opportunity arises.” He said and she chuckled. “Like when I spanked your pussy, I went a little hard on you.” He said and she furrowed her eyebrows.

“Oh…it felt…tame to me.” She said and he chuckled.

“Maybe you also have a little pain kink?” He suggested and she hummed pensively, “There’s a lot to explore.” 

“Yeah, apparently. I didn’t even know I could squirt.” She giggled tiredly and he chuckled.

“Everyone can, you just gotta know where your spot is.”

“And now I do!” She said enthusiastically and he laughed lowly.

“Now you do.” He hummed as he smiled at her.

“Umm, can you help me to the bathroom?”

“Yeah love, C’mon.” He said helping her up and walking her over. 

Y/N shut the door and turned to see her reflection in the mirror. Her makeup was a little smudged and her hair a bit tousled, but there was glint in her eyes that she’d never seen before. She felt really good in her skin, something that she’d always struggled with. She sat on the toilet and as she glanced down at her legs she smiled as she saw the little bruises starting to blossom along her inner thighs. She knew that she might never seen Harry again unless it was by some trick of fate, but she was OK with that. She was gentle as she cleaned herself up and then wiped down at bit before washing her hands and joining him back in the room. He was sat on the bed, back in his briefs by now. She hurried over to her pile of clothes and Harry noticed and reached for his pants.

“S’in my pocket.” He said reaching into the back pocket and pulling out her thong.

“Oh thank you.” She smiled and hurried to slip it on. Then she went over to her bra and dress and set them on the bed. She was just about to get it on when his hands came around and grabbed her breasts in his hands. She bit her lip as he crossed them and kneaded them a bit. Her nipples were between his fingers and before she could say something he pressed down on them with his thumb and index fingers and she knocked her head back into his chest. The light bite of pain made her thighs tightened and she sighed shakily.

“Wanna come home with me?” He asked before nipping at her ear lobe, “Hmmm?” She quickly nodded her head.

“Use your words, Y/N.” He admonished in a slightly mocking tone.

“Yes, Harry. I want to go home with you.” She responded.

“Let’s get you dressed then.” He hummed.

***********

The night had been long…their sexual escapade had even gone into the day. What they lacked in sleep was made up in hospitality because Harry’d been an excellent host. Even as they said their goodbyes he was so sweet  and gracious. He’d even gotten her a car to take her back to her place. She hadn’t asked for any of his contact info, she assumed that he didn’t want to get that personal, but she was OK with it. She’d gotten that she needed from him and she would always be grateful for that. When she informed Nina that she was on her way home she had a late lunch ready for her because she had a wealth of questions to ask Y/N. They were getting through their food as Y/N talked to her about how literally this was the most unforgettable and unreal experience of her life, when the doorbell rang.

“Hold that thought.” She said and hurried to the door. When she opened it she was face to face with a young man who had a box and bouquet of flowers in his hands. “Hello.” She greeted with some confusion.

“Good afternoon. Is a Miss Y/L/N available?”

“Yeah, that’s me.” She confirmed and he smiled.

“Wonderful! These are for you.” He said and she looked at him in confused but took the items anyway.

“Oh? Thank you.”

“No problem. Have a good day.”

“You too!” She smiled as he walked away and she shut the door.

“Who is it?” Nina called from the living room.

“Just a delivery for me.” She said as she looked around the bouquet for a card and didn’t see one on the vase, in the arrangement, nor on the box. She set them down at the little table they had by the entrance and opened up the box and sputtered on a laugh when she saw the items she had used with Harry last night. And there was a little card in there. She reached for it and opened it up and smiled as she flipped open the card.

Y/N, 

I noticed you forgot your toys, so I had to get that back to you. Consider them a gift, you were so incredible that you definitely earned them. Shit, that sounds really illegal…Anyway… I just wanted to reiterate that I had a really great time with you. Thank you for being incredible company. I fear that this is a one time thing, which I’m grateful that you understand, but I want you to know that you’re one of a kind and I assure you that I’ll never forget you. I hope you feel the same way about me. Take great care of yourself, you deserve it! 

-H.

Y/N smiled a she read over the note and tucked it back in the envelope. Yeah, there was absolutely no way she would ever forget about him. She closed the box and and grabbed that and the vase and headed back over.

“Ooh what’s that?” Nina asked suggestively as Y/N set down the vase on their little dining table.

“Nothing, s’from a client. She has her own stationary company and I ordered a few things. She said she would deliver them extra special.” She fibbed.

“Awww, cute.” Nina pouted and Y/N nodded and smiled.

“I know. Gonna go put this down.” She said and hurried to her room. She made a mental note to hide those and then replace the items with the new stationary she had actually received just a few days ago, Nina would surely want to check at some point. She was just about to leave her room when Nina gasped loudly and hurried over, meeting Y/N in the hall.

“Girl, guess what?!?” She questioned and Y/N looked at Nina with a startled look.

“What?” She asked and then turned her phone over to her and Y/N’s eyes widened as she saw a picture of Harry from last night leaving LVRS Club. He had his driver come pick her up from the rear entrance. He explained that he needed to make a public exit so that people saw he went home, but he didn’t want to subject Y/N to that, and well she didn’t want to appear anywhere if she could help it.

“Harry Style was there last night! God, if I had hung back and played my cards right I could’ve had a chance to flirt with him.” She huffed. “He looks so good…" she said as she glanced down at the imagine on her phone, "Just imagine him without all that clothes on…” She hummed and Y/N giggled..

“Mmmm, you're right he looks good…so fucking good.” She agreed with a smug grin.

Hope you guys liked it! Feel free to share any feedback with me!

---- TAG LIST ----

@sunshinemoonsposts @keriberi @ottawaoutlander @gurugirl @reveriehs @sunflovverharry @daphnesutton @jessitpwk @cherrysulewski @sad-avocado  @angelbabyyy99 @permanentllyharry @justlemmeadoreyou @matildasatellite @prettythingsworld @elleninhell @kittenhere @lolyouallsuck @victoria-styles @narry-heart @littlenatilda @everyscarisahealingplace @horny-virgin22

[taesancore]

School au Friends to lovers w Woonhak pls ☹️ He's the cutest I want more ppl to write for him!!

the playlist i never sent

woonhak x f!reader

(𝐈) slow dance

a/n: omg anon ily for this ask!! i’ve been writing a f2l school au for woonhak but with a little twist~ i’ll be releasing it in parts as a series and i hope you enjoy it!!

🕊️.ᐟ synopsis: in which a dateless woonhak finds himself swept away by a mysterious white masked girl during his school’s senior masquerade ball.

🕊️.ᐟ genre: f2l (idiots to lovers🤡) with a modern cinderella au

wc: 3093, lowercase intended

“hurry, the ball’s almost starting!!” came eunchae’s frantic reply from your phone as you scanned the doors of the large banquet hall. accompanying your mother to one of her business events at the banquet hall wasn’t in your list for the month and you were quite unhappy when she announced that you were gonna have to miss your school’s senior masquerade ball. which is why you were currently trying to find an entrance from where you could sneak out without your mother catching you.

after successfully escaping from the staff’s entrance and to the parking, where you pleaded mr. yoon, your mother’s personal assistant to drive you to school, you were able to settle down and touch up your makeup, texting eunchae and letting her know to not let woonhak know about your arrival.

“what??? but our class planned the entire theme together!! and you were gonna be my date too!!” your best friend woonhak had lamented when you broke the news of you not being able to make it to the ball. “i know…i wish i could be there too but you know my mother” you exclaimed sadly as woonhak nodded, knowing that you stood no chance against her orders.

“what am i going to do now y/n, i can’t be dateless at the ball! i’m too hot for that” he cried dramatically again as he sat up. “calm down you manchild, you’ll find plenty of other dateless people in there” you snorted, making him fall silent. “is that okay with you? me dancing with someone who isn’t my date-?” woonhak questioned with a strange tone. “huh— yeah? why won’t it be?” you asked with a confused look.

the drama club really needed to cast you as one of their leads, you thought to yourself as you looked back at that moment. the thought of woonhak dancing and getting along with someone other than you made your insides twist unpleasantly. upon the sight of your school building drawing closer, you straightened up. you couldn’t wait to surprise woonhak and dance with him.

꒰ 🍃 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

the city below them was brightly lit up despite the late hours of the night. they illuminated your face as you admired the view. woonhak cleared his throat as you turned to face him. the boy nervously stepped forward as he looked into your eyes with a determined gaze.

“y/n…i like you” he said as you smiled, his favourite smile where you resembled the sun and its warmth—

this. this was how today was supposed to go. he had it all planned, along with the location of the confession too but instead, woonhak was bored. and lonely. he didn’t think that his first masquerade ball would consist of him being dateless and grumpy. he sighed as he lied down alone on the football turf. until he heard the rustling of a dress and the clanking of heels.

“i swear— no i won’t be dancing with you!” he yelled out, expecting another giggly freshman’s proposal. “okay? i can’t dance either ways” came a confused reply as he sat up with a start. the white feather mask covered her entire upper face except for her eyes which were currently sporting a quizzical look. her peach dress was embedded with little pearls at the waistline and hem, the peach-orange tint matching the colour of his tie. “oh— we’re matching!” the girl giggled, pointing at his tie.

“ah— sorry for my response earlier, i’m not having the best day” woonhak had no idea why he blurted that out to a random girl, but he did feel slightly lighter after letting it out. she smiled sympathetically as she moved towards him, not caring about her dress getting rumpled as she flopped down ungraciously next to him on the grass.

“same here, i can’t find my date” she confessed with a light laugh. “did he bail on you?” he asked curiously. if he did, boy was he blind because the girl next to him was stunningly pretty, even with the mask on. “no…i searched everywhere for him but i think he left” she sighed. “i’m thought he’d be at the dance floor…he’s such an extrovert that way” she continued. “if it helps, i’m dateless tonight too” woonhak said with a bitter smile. the girl turned to look at him with a frown” is that why you’re having a bad time right now?” she replied softly. he nodded as she pouted. “well, we’re both dateless and having a shitty day…let’s change that!” she declared as she stood up, wobbling slightly due to the weight of her heels. “watch out!” woonhak cried out as he stood up, catching her by her wrist as she fell into his chest with a tiny oof-

“i think you saved my life” she breathed out with a grin, stepping back and fixing her mask. he cleared his throat as he let go of her hand, turning away to hide his fierce blush. why was he blushing over some girl at the ball?

stop it woonhak you can’t do this to y/n! he chastised himself inwardly.

“let’s go?” the girl asked, cutting off his inner thoughts.

“what—“

“last one to reach the rooftop has to do a dare!” she yelled gleefully as she sprinted off.

how was she so fast in those heels?? woonhak yelled out a “hey!” as he ran, a smile unknowingly blooming across his face as he chased her across the empty hallways.

꒰ 🍃 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

the moon lit up the stone tiles of the rooftop balcony, with cool breeze brushing the school’s flag and the hairs on your sweaty forehead as you laughed through gasps. “god your legs are annoyingly long” you whined as the yellow masked boy laughed at your state. clouds of air escaped from his lips as he bent down to catch his breath, clutching the fabric of his pants as he met your eyes. “you’re seriously slow dove girl” he giggled. “dove girl—hey! you aren’t any better canary boy” you yelled back, causing him to double over the railing. once they calmed down from their laughter, you noticed his small smile as he gazed at the sky. “what’re you thinking about?” you questioned softly, the distant sounds from dance floor overlapping with your voice.

“i was gonna confess to her here” he replied, then chuckled bitterly. “ah nevermind— it’s probably for the best that i didn’t get to”.

he likes someone. your shoulders slightly sagged at the revelation, probably empathising with his situation. “you must really like her if you planned out the confession spot too” you joked, trying to lighten the mood. “i really do… but i doubt she feels the same” he sighed, turning to face you. something about those eyes—

“what are you saying— you’re a catch!” the words left you before you had fully processed them. gosh, you were being quite bold tonight which was very unlike you. canary boy scoffed with a smile. “you’re just saying that, you don’t even know me” he pointed out.

“well we should get to know eachother then”

was it the thrill of talking to someone new? someone who could possibly be your classmate from years ago or someone whom you’ve never interacted with in your entire school life? you really had no clue what spirit possessed you but it sure as hell made you determined to follow the YOLO principle tonight.

⋆⭒˚.⋆⭒˚.⋆⭒˚.⋆

woonhak was left speechless again by the dove girl. she grinned at him, leaning back to enjoy the night breeze that caressed their figures in the dimly lit balcony. okay, two can play that game. “you have to do the dare by the way” he spoke out, as she groaned at his reminder. “alright let’s get this over with your majesty” she grumbled jokingly, turning towards him. “who do you like?” he asked, mentally facepalming himself right after asking the question because jeez it really sounded less childish in his head. “is this a truth or a dare?” dove girl giggled at his question. “it’s only fair! i told you about my pathetic love life too…it’s your turn now” he defended himself sulkily. “okay lover boy…where do i began?” she pondered.

at that moment, the song shifted to another upbeat one, the cheers of their fellow classmates nearly deafening him as she laughed over the music. “i hate this song!” she hollered, her actions contrasting her words as she bounced along to the beat. “doesn’t seem like it” he teased as he mocked her movements, laughing at her annoyed expressions. “ah you’re a terrible dancer dove girl” he snickered as he moved closer, ignoring her offended exclamations as he held her shoulders.

“you gotta relax your arms, stop flailing them like tentacles. and your hips should be more….”

⋆⭒˚.⋆⭒˚.⋆⭒˚.⋆

his words floated in and out of your ears as warm feeling crept up your neck. his hands moved to yours, guiding them upwards to match the pace of the song— what song was it again? his warmth suddenly left your arms as you looked up to meet his eyes, those familiar round eyes you were sure you had seen before multiple times.

“do we have mr. choi’s class together?” you blurted out, watching his face twist into a grimace. “now why would you bring up mr. choi? ah my mood is ruined” he sighed loudly, causing you to snort. “anyways, am i doing better now mr. just dance?” you called out as you moved and wiggled wildly, beaming with a sense of achievement as he burst out laughing.

꒰ 🍃 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

the voices from the current song drifted towards you two as you fanned yourself. your hair was probably a mess after dancing your heart away, as several strands were stuck to your forehead and the nape of your neck. canary boy was no less, sprawled out on the floor of the rooftop balcony, his panting frame was currently staring into the starry sky. “you never told me” he started as he turned to you, patting the space beside him. “about your love life”. the yellow mask fell slightly askew across his face as he ran a hand through his brown hair.

“what can i say…he doesn’t like me either” you sighed as you lied down next to him, wowing at the specks across the sky above you. “tch, what a loser” he mumbled as you jabbed him with your elbow playfully. “he’s also my best friend, which makes the situation much more complicated” you let out, gazing into the sky as you thought about woonhak, who must’ve gone back home— which was quite unlikely. he was probably dancing down with your friends, and possibly with another freshman with a crush on him, or one of the really pretty trainee classmates of yours—

“well, he is a loser if he doesn’t like you” canary boy declared as he sat up, smiling at you as he helped you sit up too. for a moment you two sat in silence, basking in each others presence as the singer continued to sing the last notes through the speakers.

⋆⭒˚.⋆⭒˚.⋆⭒˚.⋆

“i really like this song” she murmured as soft music drifted out after the remnants of the previous song. woonhak blinked as she smiled, a full yet gentle smile and she got up, offering her hand to him. she didn’t leave his hand, still staring into his eyes as she moved closer. “dance with me?” she asked, looking up at him with shy eyes. seriously, how could someone not like her? “sure dove girl” he said as he grabbed her waist with one hand. “see, you should move your legs like this—“ he paused, catching her looking at him with amusement. “ah, i ramble too much don’t i?” he smiled sheepishly. “it’s quite cute canary boy, you must enjoy dancing” she mused softly, resting her hand on his shoulder as they moved slowly to the tune.

maybe he did share a class with her because woonhak did find her smile a little familiar as he watched her smile to herself. “thank you” he mumbled as she looked up at him. “for staying with me tonight” he said, sending a genuine smile. she smiled back, that familiar little smile as she whispered “thank you too, canary boy”. they continued to dance atop the balcony, as she spoke up again. “i hope she likes you back you know? your girl” she grinned as the leant forward. “because you really are a catch” she whispered cheekily in his ear. woonhak was pretty sure she didn’t miss the way his ears reddened because her grin bloomed into a full blown smile when he turned his face to hide his blush. she continued to dance with him as the song came to its end.

“i hope your friend likes you back too” he said slowly as they stopped dancing. his firm grip never left her waist and neither did her hand on his shoulder. woonhak had no idea what made her do it. or what made him do it. scratch that, he had no idea who did it first. because as soon as he uttered those words, he found the distance between them close as he leaned in. he felt her breath hitch as she too tiptoed forward to match his height. a pair of soft lips landed on his, he barely felt them due to their feather like feeling as he lightly squeezed her waist. he closed his eyes, mind racing with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. his first kiss. he was kissing the dove girl. his first kiss and it wasn’t with y/n—

she pulled away faster than lightning, covering her mouth with her hand as she gasped. her eyes were wide with alarm as she looked into his equally shocked gaze. his mouth opened and closed, with no sound coming out. he probably looked like a fish right now, he thought to himself. the distance between them had increased significantly as he felt her eyes move to something behind him…the clock? she gasped again, this time moving a little closer to him as she took in his hand in hers urgently.

“listen, i really have to get going now canary boy, but it was so much fun talking to you-“

“what—“

“-and i’m so sorry for um, pecking you like that—

“hold on—“

“-and once again, thank you for making my night the most memorable one!” she finished in one breath and she hurried down the hallway.

“wait!” woonhak rushed behind her. really, how was she so fast in those heels?”

he got a glimpse of her ruffled orange fabric as she dashed through the exit of the first floor, he chased her down the corridor as she ran towards entrance in a hurry.

woonhak’s pace slowed down as he crouched down, gasping for air near the entrance as he lost sight of the girl’s speeding figure. his breaths came out in ragged pants as his eye caught something on the floor— an earring. he reached to pick it up, a small pearl stud. the moonlight bounced off its surface as he turned towards the clock, displaying the time “01:28”. he sighed as he got up, lifting his fingers to his lips as he remembered what happened minutes ago. “fucking hell” he cursed as he caught sight of his pink cheeks in a mirror near the doors. fucking hell indeed, just how did he land himself in this situation again?

꒰ 🍃 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

“mr. yoon! I’m here!” you gasped out as you ran towards the black car, almost stumbling due to the bites on your toes, courtesy of those huge heels. “what took you so long? you know that your mother will be home in the next half an hour!” yoon jeonghan, your mother’s personal assistant chided as you quickly settled yourself in the car. “let’s leave fast, please mr. yoon!” you cried out, removing your sweaty mask as you fanned yourself. you were sure your face was still cherry red, probably due to the heat inside the car or the kiss you shared with the canary boy. it was probably the former, it really was quite hot in the car, you thought as your mind kept replaying the moment you kissed him—

“could you not mention this to mother?” you mumbled lowly as jeonghan chuckled. “when have i ever betrayed your trust miss lee” he exclaimed as you reached for your phone, which you had left in the car. “so many new messages and oh my god one from mother!” you fretted as you quickly typed out an excuse to your mother, exiting the chat as you opened woonhak’s chat which had six new messages from several hours ago.

woon-foetus: 1 image attached

woon-foetus: this is what you’re missing out on

woon-foetus: Y/NNNNN ITS SO FUN HEREE

woon-foetus: ok i lied. I WISH YOU WERE HERE ITS SO BORING WITHOUT YOU😔😔😔

woon-foetus: 1 image attached

woon-foetus: eunchae says hi, we both miss you bae💔

you snorted at his texts, opening the image of him with eunchae, his bright smile illuminating the screen of your phone as you smiled at his and eunchae’s silly poses. however, what caught your eye was his tie that was loosely tied around his collar. it can’t be…

you swiped to the first image he sent and sat upright with a cry. “is something wrong?” jeonghan called out from the driver’s seat. “n-no no, nothing’s wrong” you said shakily. oh, everything was wrong. you took in the picture of woonhak, showing off his outfit consisting of a light coral tie and white shirt, neatly tucked into his beige pants. a similar coloured blazer was buttoned on him, as he flashed his signature smile at you through the screen.

how didn’t you see it? that same smile that you had elicited several times tonight, the same loud laugh. his hair was styled with his forehead exposed and the usual bangs that fell above his eyes were neatly slicked back, all that was missing was the pastel yellow mask. you fell back against the car seat as the the ugly truth lit up the screen of your phone. canary boy was kim woonhak, the very same kim woonhak whom you had ranted about to canary boy…you had told woonhak about woonhak. your mind felt dizzy as you digested the truth. and…oh my god. your lips tingled as you buried your face in your palms, trying to get rid of the burning across your neck and face. it was of no use of course as you looked up at his selfie on your phone.

you had kissed your best friend kim woonhak, and he had no idea that it was you.

a/n pt.2: comment for a part two! do like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this part and feedback is welcome as always!

[the-masked-ram]

Sweet and Sour- Part One

CW: SFW, Slow burn, Eventual NSFW, Tags will change with each installment, Fem!reader, sassy reader, opposites attract

A/N: I am taking some liberties with Kaji and the Wind Breaker world with as much as we know about it. This is kind of canon divergent but not an AU

Kaji first met you when the sun was setting. Music was blaring in his ears, a sucker pressed firmly in between his teeth and cheek, and he was frowning down at his scuffed-up knuckles. That damned cat was far more trouble than it was worth. He pursed his lips; it was going to get fucking hurt one day. That thought, the thought that a part of the town that cared for him and accepted him and gave him purpose, might get hurt and wither like a dying flower caused a vicious twisting sensation in his chest.

---

He huffed and shook his head, pushing that feeling away. It was his job to make sure none of that happened. Even now that he was only in Bofurin and no longer in Furin, even though he was too old to truly be part of the school, it didn’t matter. Everyone who was ever once part of Bofurin never stopped. Not until they were forced to.

His gaze dragged along the park he’d found himself in, alone after a long day of patrols. He was still considered a cornerstone in Bofurin, but he was certain one day someone would take his place and that day he would need to find something outside that world that would carry him. Kaji just wasn’t sure what the resting beast inside of him would accept. He’d only known violence, he’d just found a way to channel it for good.

Only one bench had an opening, but you sat on the other side. He hesitated, uncertain, he didn’t want to be bothered now. But then he noticed the orange glow glinting off your headset, the gentle nod of your chin as you bobbed it in time with whatever music you were listening to while your fingers dug around a tin of candy.

His gaze slipped away from you, intending to avoid drawing your attention. He dropped onto the farthest edge of the seat, twirling the stick of the sucker so the candy rolled its welcoming sweetness against his tongue. Your head hadn’t even shifted in his direction.

It was strange, being part of Bofurin meant never getting a moment of peace. Something Kaji usually thrived in, he liked the noise, the rowdiness, even if he didn’t show it. Yet, it also meant when he needed a moment, just a second, to himself so he could think things over it was near impossible to find it. With a town member so close he imagined that you would start thanking him, making his spine stiffen and his hackles raise until something vulgar, and defensive came from his mouth, even if he tried to soften the blow of his words it never quite worked. You didn’t though.

In fact… Kaji tilted his head as he leaned back against the bench, eyes roving over you discreetly, he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen you before. He wasn’t necessarily good with names, but he wasn’t terrible with faces. He was certain he’d remember yours too. You gave no acknowledgement of his presence though and there was something about it, something about you being there, smiling as you nodded along with your music, sucking on ume sour candy, and staring across at the sparkling horizon. Your silence was comforting, was welcoming without needing anything to be said, it was different, and Ren liked it.

“Here,” you said, holding out a bandage.

There was a piece of him, so small, that wanted to ask your name. It made his skin itch and his teeth grind with nerves, but he pushed it down. He was never the one to talk first. He didn’t want to encourage that. He’d rather be left alone right now; he was bothered enough by the others in Bofurin.

He looked down at the damage to his hand once again and sighed, soaking in the last of the warm rays against his jacket. A shadow fell in front of him, and he startled, looking up with his fist clenching in preparation.

“Don’t be an idiot,” you narrowed your eyes and tilted your head, challenging him.

Your headset was down around your neck and your cheek bulged with the candy. He scowled.

“Don’t need it,” he huffed, as he shifted his headset away from his ears.

“It’s just a damned scrape,” he grumbled, fighting to soften his voice. “I’ve had worse.”

“I’m sure you have, still… even the smallest thing can get worse. A scrape can get infected,” you said persistently and knelt down, ripping open the package and taking his hand in yours.

Instantly Kaji moved to pull back, but your fingers tightened, and you fixed him with a glare that had him freezing up. Not even Kotoha could do that to him. Your touch was delicate though even with the furrow to your brow as you pressed the bandage into place causing your face to morph into a pleased smile.

“Don’t be dumb, keep that on,” you said as you stood and dusted yourself, only to turn and leave.

Kaji could do nothing more than blink, a light flush burned his cheeks, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from you as you walked away before the sun set completely. He definitely would have remembered you. Who the hell were you?

[dorabledewdroop]

The White Healer Chapter 5

Summary: We get to find out what really happened.

Warnings: Description of injuries. Lots of injuries please be careful. extreme Angst. Attempted self-death. Character death.

Author note: This chapter is a heavy with details of injuries. Please keep this in mind before you read.

Series Masterlist

X--X--X--X--X

That stone killed my sister.

Those words echoed in everyone’s head.

“Lady Y/n” Thor hesitated. “That is the mind stone. One of the six infinity stones”

Your glare shifted from the robot to Thor. The god actually seemed to shrink a little.

“Besides” Steve cut in, “Hydra has had the sceptre (which housed the stone) for the past 3 years and it was in Loki’s possession long before that. Do you think it was Hydra that killed your sister?”

Annoyed you huffed. Wanda had managed to sit you down, so at least there was no danger of you hurting anyone. Not that you would, but the look you gave Vision was unlike anything she’d ever seen.

“What the fuck is a Hydra?” You asked, breathing through your nose.

“Detka, Hydra is the organisation that gave me and Pietro our powers.” Wanda said gently. 

Her heart hurt as you refused to make eye contact with her.

“They were a terrorist organisation that intended to shape the world in their own twisted way.” Steve continued.

“Lady Y/n” Thor said gently. “Are you sure it was that particular stone?”

You thought about it for a minute, your mind going back to that god awful day.

“It looked more orange, than yellow” you decided.

Thor let out a breath. “That’s sounds like the soul stone” He said.

He immediately walks up to you and grabs you by the shoulders. Within a split second, Thor was against the wall, red mist pressing his hands against the wall. It took a second for the other’s to realise what had happened. Wanda’s eyes were glowing red, hands covered in red mist. Natasha had grabbed a knife and was standing in front of you facing Thor. Pietro had made his way to stand behind you without anyone noticing.

“O-okay” Steve said, raising his hands placatingly. “How about everyone takes a deep breath and calm down. Wanda, could you please let go of Thor? Nat, put down the knife. Let’s go to the meeting room and talk this out?” 

At once, everyone walked to the meeting room. Thor the last to enter. His eyes moved around as they slowly landed on you. Your gaze softened when you realised he had no intention of hurting you. It had just scared you when he grabbed you so suddenly.

“I apologise, Lady Y/n. It was not my intention to frighten you. I was merely stunned as it is the third infinity stone to come into play the past few years. I should have been more mindful of my strength”

“It’s alright Thor” You said softly. “You just surprised me. I’m not entirely sure what these infinity stones are but I understand your fear of them. And please, just call me y/n.”

His face broke into a grin. “Indeed y/n. As recompense, I shall introduce you to my favourite treat, the popped tarts!”

Chuckling you nodded.

Nat held your hand “Malyshka, do you think you could tell us about how you came across the soul stone?”

You nodded. You tried to speak but no sound came out. Your body physically unable to recount the story. Feeling utterly helpless, you looked at Wanda.

“Are you sure, detka?” She asked, concerned. 

You merely nodded.

“I’m going to show her memory to all of you as y/n’s having.. a little trouble speaking at the moment” Wanda said out loud. She had held your hand without anyone watching as almost everyone was sitting on the other side of the table. Pietro, however, noticed both of the women holding your hand and his heart warmed at the display.

“Hold on a second witchy” Tony interrupted. “Not all of us want you in our head”

Natasha glared at him where as Wanda merely nodded.

“How about this, I’ll share the memory with Nat and Piet” she said. “We can tell you what we saw”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Once Wanda had linked their minds, she spoke to you.

“Just recall the memory, detka. We’ll see it too”

You closed your eyes as the memory washed over you.

You must have barely been 13, your sister 10. Your parents decided they couldn’t afford to take care one daughter, much less two. Shortly after your sister’s birth, the both of them had taken you to the middle of a city and drove off. You had cried the entire time until a social worker found you, huddling with your sister for warmth. 

The 5 years you spent in the orphanage were pretty good actually, they gave you freedom to leave and return whenever you liked. Food was warm and the company was good.

As was custom, you and your sister went to the fair near a park. It was the most fun she had as she was finally allowed on some of the rides. The faculty had a deal with you, they’d let you enter the fair and all its’ rides for free as long as you cleaned up everything after they closed for the day. Was it fair? No. But it made your sister happy, hence it was worth it.

“Y/n” a voice called you. 

Your head shot towards the forest, a glowing orange light beckoning you closer. You looked around to see why other’s weren’t bothering with it. You decided to ignore it until it called your name again. Telling your sister you’d be back in a second and that she should go watch the flame festival show in the large tent. 

You headed towards the forest, deeper and deeper but the light from earlier was gone. Looking around for a bit you only noticed some scorch marks on the bark of a few trees but nothing else. As you turned around you noticed bright orange-ish red light in the distance. Figuring you probably headed in the wrong direction you started walking towards the distant glow. 

You frowned as you got closer, the trees had started thinning and you could hear some noises. The blood drained from your face as you realised the noises were people screaming. Immediately, you took off. Sprinting towards the source of the noises. You were panting as you neared the source. You slowed down as you saw the large tent that was on fire. You screamed out your sister’s name. A staff ran towards you.

“Please have you seen my sister?” You asked.

He shoved you aside and ran away, completely ignoring your question.

“Y/N HELP ME PLEASE” A familiar scream made your blood run cold.

You ran into the tent, the whole place in flames. You saw your sister stuck between two pillars, too scared to move. You ran and ducked under pillar, grabbing your sisters leg and pulling her towards you. You noticed she was violently coughing.

CRACK

The pillar you were under fell. You used all your remaining strength to throw your sister as far away as possible. You let out an inhuman scream as the pillar fell onto your back. You felt the red hot metal sear your skin, your body seizing under the pain violently.

You absolutely cannot pass out.

Crawling out you felt the skin on your back tear and you sobbed and screamed as you clawed your way out. Fresh tears made their way down your face as you noticed your sister had passed out, multiple burns on her arms and legs. Your arms weren’t faring any better. 

You tried to pick her up but your body wasn’t strong enough. Screaming in frustration you looped your arms around her back. Grunting in pain as you felt your back split open. Feeling dizzy from the pain but the adrenaline allowed you to drag your sister by the arms.

“Come here” A voice told you.

You saw the glowing orange light again in the forest. 

You somehow made your way there, despite your brain telling you to go to the ambulances that had arrived.

“We can save her” you heard the voice again.

The moment you got close to the light, it grew brighter. Blinding you, forcing you to close your eyes. When you opened them you and your sister were on the top of a mountain.

“Welcome y/n, daughter of (your father’s name)” A voice came from behind you.

You screamed in fear and saw a man in a hood floating towards you. As he neared you noticed his face was completely red, and he seemed to be missing a nose. You briefly wondered whether he could smell stuff but flinched the moment he floated closer. You backed up, keeping a protective hand on your sister. You then remembered how she was unconscious.

“You have been chosen” The man said. “The stone calls for your soul”

“Please” you whispered. “Please save my sister.”

He looked at you, refusing to look at your sister.

“You have been chosen” He repeated. “The-“

“Please.” You begged. “Please save her”

He sighed.

“Very well.” He said. “But a sacrifice must be made. A soul for a soul”

You looked at him confused. He merely floated towards a cliff, you leaned forward and saw a design at the very bottom of the cliff. You stared at him in disbelief.

“You.. want me to walk down there?” You asked uncertainly.

He shook his head.

“One must make a sacrifice to obtain the power they so desire” He said solemnly. “The stone has chosen you. To obtain the power you seek, you must sacrifice that which you love the most”

You stared at him in disbelief.

“You’re saying if I throw my sister down I can heal her?”

He shook his head. “A soul sacrificed can not be brought back, however it is the price required for the power you seek”

You realised what you needed to do. Tears made their way down your face as you came to a decision. You walked towards your sister and put your hand on her chest. Her heart beat very faintly. You kissed her cheek softly.

“I’m sorry bunny. I hate to do this but it’s the only way” You whispered.

You glared at the red faced guy. You nodded. He floated back towards the edge, carrying your sisters body.

“Wait.” You called out, walking towards him.

He paused, right at the edge, looking at you questioningly. You merely smirked.

“Bye bunny” you said and jumped off. 

“NO” you heard him shout.

You kept your eyes on your sister as you fell. Closing them as you neared the ground. When you hit the ground you had expected pain or just.. nothing but you weren’t expecting warmth to take over your body. The warmth increased to an uncomfortable degree. Soon it started burning everywhere. You let out a scream as you felt everything.. burn. Wait. Scream? How could you scream? 

You opened your eyes to find yourself back on top of the cliff. You looked around and saw the floaty guy look at you. Panicking you looked around for your sister.

You stood up, the searing pain was gone.

“WHERE IS SHE?” You screamed at him.

You tried to throw a rock at him but it merely disappeared into his cloak.

“Oh Liebchen” He said sympathetically. “The stone chose you. It made the decision to take your sister instead of you”

“No.” You whispered, falling to your knees.

Tears made their way down your face. This isn’t fair. This isn’t what it was supposed to be like.

“Revel in the power you’ve gained. For you cannot die. Not now, not ever. Your soul is eternal.” He said, glowing until he disappeared.

None of that mattered. Your sister. Your bunny. She.. was gone. Unable to take it any longer you fell to the ground. The last thing you saw were the trees and the night sky. Then. Everything went black.

X--X--X--X--X

Taglist: @marvelwomen-simp @nothanksbye07 @jono723 @luadyjcmd @alexawynters

Note: Hope y'all enjoyed. Happy reading?

[genshin-obsessed]

Bound to You | Blade x Reader

Howdy! So, I don't have a real reason for writing this, other than I felt like it. I've been heavily debating doing more fantasy type fics, but I just don't have a proper idea. This might just help me a little! I think this should have 3 parts just to finish up the story, so I may most likely add two more to this. Word count: 4516 Extras: Fantasy AU

Blade's red orange eyes practically glared at you as you flipped through the third book in your possession. He watched the frantic look in your eyes only get worse as this book was yet another dead end. The previously darkened room was illuminated by the large sigil Blade was sitting on. It was bright yellow, with every symbol pulsating with enough power to keep Blade prisoner. Golden cuffs with long, ghost-like chains held onto his wrists, refraining him from leaving the sigil that he'd been summoned with.

"Could you at least let me go?" He asked, his tone of voice indicating his clear frustration. His head was propped up on his closed fist, while his elbow rested on his knee. It had been so long, at this point, he was just bored.

"No!" You yelled as you looked over at him with a frown. "You've been doing nothing but yelling at me and hurling insults." Blade sat up a little, that fighting fire lit within him once more.

"Oh? What the hell else am I supposed to say? Only an idiot confuses a binding spell for a summoning one." Your frown only deepened at his sarcastic words as you placed a hand on your hip.

"It was an accident! It was really just a test to see if it was even going to work!" You argued, but it only irritated the demon before you.

"Who reads an incantation out loud as a test? You really are an idiot." He scoffed, making you groan out loud. For the last hour and a half, he'd done nothing but call you dumb and stupid for what you did. Which was fair. You certainly didn't mean to bind a demon of his worth to you, you just wanted to practice summoning a demon for future fights! However, you were so engrossed in reading, you accidentally read aloud the incantation... which wasn't even the right one, you came to find out. As for the sigil… well, you just decided to set it up to see how much work it would require. You did intend to use it but at a later date since none of the items were perishables.

"Hey, I'm still really new at this mage thing, ok?"

"You're new to using magic, but not new to reading right? It literally states on the page before that it's meant to bind demons to your own soul. You know, even we don't use spells like that." He explained as he adjusted his legs that were beginning to get sore.

"What? But don't demons make that whole pact binding thing?" He rolled his eyes, as if he wasn't surprised that you would even ask such a question.

"No. We create contracts that are called pacts. Both parties list their terms and conditions and once those terms are fulfilled, the pact comes to an end. The connection between demon and mortal is held by the signed contract, which is why they're kept safe and hidden. As you know- or at least I hope you know- the easiest way to break a contract with a demon is to destroy the actual tome it's written on. Soul binding is nearly unbreakable. It actually binds the souls together and there are no conditions required for it. There is no tome to break and it's an extremely powerful spell that’s almost forbidden." He explained, doing his best to stay calm since he had been furious the entire night and it was exhausting.

With every word that spilled from his lips, you realized just how grave your situation was. You... really didn't mean to do this. You wanted to practice summoning a demon which is why you set up the circle exactly as stated in the old grimoire you found. Blade had a point... the instructions and sigil were on one page but the page before had all the warnings including the title. Somehow when you were flipping through the book, you skipped over that. Mainly because the next page explained which color candles to use for what demon. So, you figured it was just a regular old summoning spell.

"There... is a way to break it, right?" You asked, your eyes flickering to the demon.

"Of course there's a way to break it. Every spell can be broken, but the more powerful the spell, the more limitations appear. This particular spell is avoided by many precisely because of how difficult it is to break it. Even your death wouldn't break it, you'd just be resurrected because you're attached to my soul. And vice versa."

"Aren't you already dead?" Blade's eyes widened at the audacity you had to ask the dumbest question he'd ever heard in the centuries he'd been alive.

"Are you serious? No, demons aren't dead, in fact, we can't die permanently. We just get resurrected in hell, which is probably where you're going after this dumbass stunt." Your eyes widened at his words, and you couldn't help the words just escaping your lips.

"Does that mean I'm stuck with you for eternity?"

"No. I'm stuck with you for eternity." Blade corrected, with an irritated smile ghosting his lips as he looked away, shaking his head in disappointment. He was far from the most powerful demon in the hellish realms, but he was up there and to be stuck to such a weak mage was practically insulting. Not to mention your lack of understanding in apparently everything.

Though… you did succeed in the spell which felt like the biggest shot of luck ever; but spells like this didn’t ride on luck. 

"Why would anyone have a soul binding spell for demons?" You asked with a pout, your eyes glancing at the torn, leathery binding of the grimoire you'd used earlier.

"It's a grimoire right, and not a scroll?” Grimoires, as opposed to single use spell scrolls, were written by high level magic users. Mages- and often witches- usually created their own. There were a multitude of reasons from convenience to secrecy, if they’re confident enough, they could create their own spells. “Chances are whoever owned that grimoire was probably close enough with a demon to bind their souls together. It's an easy way to gain immortality.” Blade replied, his own red-orange eyes flickering to the grimoire that sat on the small pedestal.

"Isn't using magic to make yourself immortal punishable by an eternity in the prison of torment?" You questioned as you walked over and grabbed the grimoire.

"Only if you're found out." Blade answered, leaning back on his hands and staring up at your ceiling. "It's not easy to recognize a bound soul when they're both powerful. Our magic will intertwine and you can use my own soul energy for yourself. To those who aren't like the High Mages, you'll just look like a strong magic user."

You opened the grimoire, walking back over to Blade who looked at you. Kneeling beside the sigil, you placed the grimoire in between you two and slowly moved through the pages.

"Honestly, it just has simple spells. Here's one to make plants grow faster, then there's a minor healing spell, one to help wash dishes, then the spell I used to summon you, but then there's this orb spell which preserves whatever you put inside of it, this one helps dig tunnels- I mean this is a total beginner friendly grimoire." You said as you looked up at him. However, Blade was still staring down at the grimoire.

"Give it here, I wanna look at it."

"Sure." You slid the grimoire into the circle allowing Blade to grab it, picking it up and flipping through the pages. He was silent for a moment as he read through each of them before turning the book back to you.

"I knew it. It's been modified." It was the spell to create a preservation orb.

"How do you know?" You asked, tilting your head a bit as your eyes glanced over the text. Nothing looked weird.

"Magic is second nature to us. I know this spell and the original's orb lasts at most three days before it expires. This one doesn't- it's a permanent orb."

"Ok, so they improved upon it? What's the issue?" You countered as Blade placed the book back in his lap. “Didn’t you just say magic users can make their own spells?”

"There's a bunch of beginner friendly spells, then a nearly impossible spell to cast and a modified preservation orb spell? Nothing seems out of the ordinary? Who did this book belong to?"

"I don't know, I found it in a ruined house." You said with a shrug, making Blade's eyes widen.

"You just picked up some random person's grimoire and started to play with it?"

"Well, I wasn't worried because it had a bunch of beginner friendly spells and it let me touch it. So, I just thought it was a grimoire made for newbies like me!" Why wasn't Blade surprised you would do something like that?

"Well, for one, it didn’t react negatively with you because it's made for us. Whoever created this was obviously a magic user- that's you... somehow. And it's meant to help bind a demon's soul, which is me. I don't think the author expected anyone to find it, though it’ll blast anyone else who tries." The lack of hesitation in his words made you flinch a little.

"So, other than immortality, why would someone bind their soul to a demon?" You asked, making Blade sigh as he fell in thought. That piqued his curiosity as well, why would someone go to these lengths and not just make a contract?

"I don't know. Power, control, the ability to traverse the hells, maybe even love? Though, the weird orb situation is the most confusing. Whatever this person was doing, they needed a preservation orb that lasted... forever."

"Think if we find the orb, we'll know more?"

"Probably, but you still need to let me out of here." Blade said, referring to the sigil he was sitting on. A frown crossed your lips and you were silent for a moment. You may not have meant to summon him, but you could tell he was a powerful demon. You needed one in combat because you weren't the best fighter and were still a novice. However, you knew he'd leave the first chance he got and... you didn't want that.

Blade stared at you before reaching forward, still within the boundaries of the sigil, and snapped in front of your face. It was enough to pull you out of your thoughts.

"Hello? Let me out."

"What if you run away?" You asked in a small voice, your tone wavering as if you weren't sure whether those words should escape your lips or not.

"Go where? You'll know exactly where I am 24/7, which is one of the perks of soul binding. I can't go anywhere without you knowing. Not only that, as the creator of the bond and me being a demon, you have some level of control over me."

So, he'd stay if you commanded him to? Not only that, but he'd protect you in battle if you commanded him? So far, this soul binding thing didn't seem so bad. You couldn't die, this powerful demon was gonna be with you all the time, and he would do whatever you asked. You weren't entirely sure of your specialization... but conjuration didn't seem so bad with him.

"Ok." You replied, sitting on your legs and touching the edge of the symbol with both palms. According to the book, it was quite easy to make it go away- which was the opposite of setting it up and drawing it. The symbol's bright light began to dim, little by little before it dissipated completely.

Blade inhaled sharply, exhaling slowly and he stood up. The ghostly chains that held him to the sigil were gone, but the cuffs remained on his wrists. He raised his arm to get a better look at it. There were symbols on the cuffs themselves, which he recognized as protection spells. Multiple of them.

For him or for you?

His red orange eyes flickered to you before he roughly reached out and grabbed your throat. A scream escaped your lips as he yanked you forward, giving you little time to fight back. You felt his sharp nails digging into the sides of your neck as he squeezed tightly. His grip was strong, cutting off your breathing in seconds. Against his brute strength, you could do nothing except attempt to pry his hand off. 

"Th-the hell?!" You choked out, weakly looking up at him. However, he released you as quickly as he grabbed you, staring down at his cuffs again. You instantly took a step back, gaining distance from him. After a brief coughing fit, you spoke up. "What was that for?!"

"It's not for you..." he mumbled, entranced by the spell writing on his cuffs. He didn’t even seem the least worried about your current state as he began to examine the cuffs once more. Why would a demon get a protection spell? Not one, but multiple.

"What are you talking about?" You asked, making him look over at you. He held his arm up, the cuff glowing a dim gold. You could feel the power radiating off of the bands, even making you look away for a moment. He was really stuck, there was no way he could ever break out of those.

"There are protection spells on this thing, but they aren't for you. In fact, I could've killed you right there, which is bizarre. I've never heard of a mage putting a protection spell on a demon. Especially in this situation, where it would be more beneficial for you to have safety from me."

Usually, demons had no reason to harm or kill those they made contracts with. The end goal was to acquire the soul, which could easily be done through granting their wishes. But soul binding was different, there were no end goals. At the end of the day, Blade owed you nothing, not even his mercy.

"So, you choke me to find out?" You yelled, glaring at him a little. Your heart was still pounding in your chest and you weren’t sure if you could trust him considering he just admitted to being able to kill you. Even if you wouldn’t stay dead for long, you didn’t want to die! 

"If I told you, you would've expected it. Whatever spell is meant to protect you, wouldn't kick in if you don't truly believe I'm going to harm you. So, I didn't say anything. But I released you by choice, nothing actually stopped me. Meaning... this mage trusted the demon they bonded with. I'm starting to think it was a friends or lovers situation." You rubbed your throat while he spoke, turning away from him a little.

"Can demons even be trusted?"

"Only as far as their contracts are concerned. No demon will ever break a contract. Otherwise, not really." Well, at least he was honest.

Eventually, Blade walked closer to you, stopping only a couple feet away. Your hand briefly flew up to your neck but he made no sudden movements. Instead, holding his hand out, he met your gaze with his own. This time, you saw no anger or hatred, which brought an inkling of comfort to your mind. 

"I am Blade. For the time being, I will be your personal demon. You may use my services as you wish, and I will do my best to protect you from any harm. I only ask that in return you help me break this soul bond."

Your eyes slowly fell to the outstretched hand as his words rang in your ears. You didn't expect him to say something like that, but at the same time, your soul bond was a type of contract, right? So, he was just abiding by it.

Hesitantly, you reached out and grabbed his hand, your fingers tightening around it. Raising your eyes, you nodded to his terms.

"Ok. I will help you break the bond. Thank you for serving me." Yet, the words felt like sandpaper in your mouth. You weren’t entirely certain why, but you knew your words weren’t genuine.

Once that was done and over with, Blade retracted his hand and walked back to the grimoire. His eyes slid across the old pages, searching for any clue. As far as he was concerned, he could only sense a weak protection spell on it, nothing else. That meant the pages hadn’t been altered with magic. 

“Where did you find this? We should go back there to see if we find any more clues.” With little hesitation, you found yourself nodding to his words.

“Sure, but it’s a bit of a trek. I found it on a trip I just recently went on.” You explained as he walked to your desk and grabbed your bag, putting the grimoire inside of it.

“Doesn’t matter to me. By the way, until we figure out who made this book, try not to use it. Even if the spells are simple, they’re not meant for you. Best to leave them alone.” Understanding what he meant, you agreed. That book clearly had a purpose which you didn’t know of. Trying to use it could cause issues like with Blade. The last thing you wanted to do was cause more problems that you didn’t even know how to solve. 

“I’ll need to get another grimoire then.” You said with a sigh. Those things didn’t come cheap and you were still a novice mage. Being able to buy one… well, it was gonna take a while.

“Why bother? Don’t you have scrolls or something?” Blade asked, looking over at you.

“Scrolls aren’t as informative as grimoires. Not to mention they take up a lot of space and some vanish once the spell is cast.” You replied with a slight sigh as you began to clean up your mess.

Blade’s emotionless eyes watched you for a moment before he began to help. For any magic user, having their very own grimoire was proof of their abilities. Not only were they great sources of power and knowledge, if a mage ever managed to climb to greatness, their grimoires would get preserved in the Library of Novis, which was the biggest library the entire region, said to contain every single spell known to man.

Novice grimoires were often given to young students just beginning their journey into the arcane, but were usually loans and needed to be returned. Blade couldn’t begin to understand why you didn’t have one. There were plenty of grimoires handed down within families for young mages, yet not only did you not have one, but you chose that dingy book that clearly had its own ulterior motives.

A bit pathetic… but admirable. Though the spell you casted was powerful and unstable, you did it. No destruction came to you, this small space, or him. In fact, Blade felt great, technically speaking. The sigil also subdued his powers and kept him there and that’s something he expected from a high level mage.

Blade stopped for a moment and looked at you as you kept picking up the candles you’d laid out. The space around you two was dark, but Blade could make out the rundown walls and floorboards with his sharp eyes. The room was barren except for a small desk on the side, an old looking bed on the other, and what seemed to be a dresser beside the bed. The scent of dust lingered in the air and tickled his nose- it was almost enough to give him allergies. Turning his head, he saw two training dummies against the wall behind him, both covered in a thick layer of dust with cobwebs to boot.

Looking back at you, he noted a frown on your face which was expected. But with your newly created bond… he also felt your resolve. In fact, if he focused hard enough, he felt your desperation to be a great Mage.

An Archmage. Like the legendary celestial, Alessia. Noting that you were distracted, Blade decided this was the best time to peek inside your mind. Inhaling softly, the demon closed his eyes and focused on you. Your presence was heavy in his mind and heart.

He could feel your breathing, gentle and soft. Your heartbeat was strong, yet hastened. He felt your muscles moving as you picked up each item and threw it into a nearby box. Every curl of your fingers made his own tingle. Soul binding was scary, even he wouldn’t attempt something so stupid. But, he had to admit- it was fascinating to be here like this with you. You felt like an extension of himself yet he couldn’t control you.

Pushing past the physical aspects, he delved into your mind. Other than you scolding yourself over and over for making this mistake, he felt that resolve again. To be better, to be stronger, to be more mindful. There was a lingering sadness that he couldn’t decipher. He wanted to push past it, to see what you were thinking but stopped himself.

A gasp escaped his lips as his eyes shot open, feeling the sensation fade away. His eyes landed on you once more, who hadn’t realized what had just occurred. He could just peak into your mind like that? You couldn’t ever hide a secret from him. Yet, the idea of pushing through your defenses to peer into your mind felt unfair. You wouldn’t appreciate that, right? Being you and all.

There is one thing he wanted to hear you say.

“Hey, (y/n).” He called, making you look over at him, your hand abruptly stopping. It felt weird hearing him say your name and not call you an idiot or something.

“What?”

“Are you allied with a college? For your magical training, I mean.” At his words, you shook your head.

“If I was, I wouldn’t have summoned you the way I did. I actually can’t afford attending a college right now. I wasn’t born with the gift so I never prepared. Now, I’m so much worse off because of it that I can’t even attend a college if I wanted to. I’d just humiliate myself and make life harder.” Your words weren’t burdened with sorrow or anger, as if you were just stating pure fact. Even in his own heart, he didn’t feel any particular emotion stir. What? You just internalized your failure and called it a day? This was the worst way to learn magic in his expert opinion.

Plenty of thoughts filled Blade’s mind. With how dumb you were, it would be so easy to just manipulate you to do what he wanted. Hiding his emotions from you was an easy job, it’s not like you even knew you could look into his mind. Not only that, but you were so naive and clearly alone. But, that weird resolve of yours made him waver. You may have thought you were a failure, but you didn’t just live with it. You were still trying to learn and do better. He wasn’t sure if he was pitying you or not, but another thought flashed in his mind. One that seemed to yield a better outcome than just manipulating you. Standing up, he let out a sigh as he gestured for you to approach him.

“Come here.”

“Why?” You asked as you dropped the items in your hand into the box and walked over. Grabbing your shoulder, Blade positioned you in front of him with your back toward him. “What?”

“Like this.” Intending to put those neglected training dummies to use, he pushed one of your arms out straight, and  your palm to one of them. Reaching out, he positioned your hand in a more relaxed form. Using his foot, he pushed your feet a short distance apart and forced you to bend your knees a little. “Make sure you’re in a steady stance or you’ll fall over. From here, push your energy into your fingertips. Don’t force it, or it’ll explode.”

Deciding not to question him, you breathed and followed his instructions. It wasn’t necessarily easy to understand what he meant by energy, but you tried it anyway. For a moment, you felt a warmth at your fingertips. It was the slightest sensation that you could’ve almost missed.

“It tingles.”

“Good. It’s easy to aim since you’re pointing your hand. Be careful and try not to aim this attack recklessly. Also try to avoid heads.” He pushed your hand downward a little so you weren’t pointing at the training dummy’s head. “Once it feels like a good build up, release the energy. Literally, think in your mind that you’re letting it go.”

Giving it a moment to build up some more of that energy, you did as he said. You let go of the energy. Suddenly, a blast escaped your hand and fired straight at the dummy, hitting it right in the chest. You were knocked back a little too, but Blade kept you steady.

“What the- what was that!?”

“A blast. Good.” The demon commented as he stepped away, inspecting the dummy. Because it was a training dummy, it wasn’t destroyed but Blade could see the point of impact. That would certainly kill… as long as you didn’t fly away.

“How did you know I couldn’t do that?” You inquired, your eyes flickering to him. Even now, you felt the tingling at the tips of your fingers. It was that easy?

“Because that’s one of my attacks. You definitely don’t know it.” He replied, walking past you to finish up your attempt to clean up. “But make sure to plant your feet firmly or you’ll fall over like you almost did just now.”

He… taught you a personal spell? After all that name calling and stuff, he was actually willing to help you? That was kinda nice of him. You watched as he quickly cleaned up with his magic. He made it look so easy, flicking his fingers and making all the excess items fly into the box you’d used earlier. You hadn’t even figured that out, no wonder he kept judging you. He wasn’t entirely wrong, you were as weak as they came and he was the opposite. He grabbed the bag with the grimoire, making sure the book was secure.

This was the demon you were expected to just let go? He was powerful, smart, and handsome. You knew it was the right thing to do, but at the same time this was a good chance. A good opportunity to learn magic and have a powerful companion at your side.

“Stop staring, idiot.” He said as he looked back at you, holding the bag out to you. “Come on, we need to get going.”

“Right, thanks for the help.” You said as you took the bag from him, slinging it around your shoulder.

“Just keep your word and I’ll consider it even.”