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auteurdelabre · 6 hours

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AS LONG AS YOU WANT (Part 3 - FINAL) Joel!Miller x f!Reader

chapter summary: The truth comes out

tags: enemies to lovers, miscommunication trope, fluff, HEA

a/n: This shit is fluffy AF y'all. A little love letter to the sweetheart that sent me a donation (I won't name ya unless you want me to!) that really touched me. I think it's a fitting finale to our sweet little story that all began as a gift to my heart @katiexpunk.

series masterlist here

AS LONG AS YOU WANT PART III

The next morning the door is pushed open without so much as a knock. You're elevated on your back, feeling every touch of pain that crackles along your body. Your head is throbbing and you need to pee so badly it hurts.

"Who is it?"

"Me," a young voice replies, accompanied by the sound of boots being kicked off and a jacket being hung over a chair.

"Come in," you call. "I'd offer you a drink but I can barely fucking move."

"Yeah, I heard."

Your eyes go to the door frame to see Ellie entering with an armful of snow-flicked books. Her cheeks are pink from the cold.

"What are you doing here?"

"Joel sent me," Ellie explains, pulling the chair next to your bed so you can look at her easier. "Wanted me to drop this off."

She places a gently clattering container of pain pills on your bedside table. You hold in a growl of irritation.

"I don't need those."

"Joel says that if you say that then I'm supposed to tell you that he's already gone today to get the Teton Village medicine so you can take these ones now."

Joel went on patrols in this weather? You can see the blustery day from your bedroom window, can hear the strong winds on your roof. Your face contorts into a confused scowl.

"But the s-"

"He also says for me to remind you that he's a good rider," Ellie says imitating his deep rasp, amusement in her young teenage face. "And that he knows how to handle the fuckin' snow."

Ellie smiles broadly, amused at your momentarily awed reaction.

You scoff. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," Ellie smiles. "He says not to miss his handsome face too much while he's gone."

You feel a heat go to your cheeks as you pretend to laugh along with her. His voice echoes in your mind.

You think I'm handsome?

Ellie hands you one of the pills from the bottle. You take it reluctantly, swallowing it dry.

When the pain ebbs slightly a short while later Ellie helps you to a standing position so you can use the toilet. You decide to shower yourself up the best you can before returning to the bedroom. Ellie is just finished changing your sheets.

Gratitude for both her and Joel sears through you. That they would go to all of this trouble for just you.

Wrapped in a fuzzy towel you pad over to the dresser. You pull on a nightdress over the towel before dropping it down to the floor, drying your feet. You think about crouching down to pick it up but you can't chance it. Just the thought makes your side ache.

Your attention is drawn to the pile of books she's emptied from her bag and heaved onto the bedside table.

"What're those?"

“You’ve never seen books before?”

“Ha ha,” you mock drolly rolling your eyes.

“They’re from our place," Ellie tells you before bringing them over. "Joel thought you'd want some new reading material."

Something slithers through your body at this comment. Joel is being so thoughtful, remembering things about you and he’s going to all this effort... But why? Was it just for you? And if it was, how do you feel about it?

You let yourself search your body and brain for a reaction and are surprised because You feel... Warm about it.

That's probably just the medication.

When you come back to stand next to the bed Ellie gives you a scan.

"You okay?"

"Yup," you say happily. "Just feeling good."

"Oh yeah?" Ellie holds in a laugh. She watches you roll awkwardly back into the bed, eyes glazed.

"Thanks for doing this Ellie. The books and pills and my bed and everything."

"Joel would be upset if I didn't," Ellie admits, moving the pillows under you until you're half seated. She darts a glance at you. "He cares a lot about you, you know."

"Mhm," you offer noncommittal. You're feeling that same loopy sensation from before. The one that has you feeling loving towards everyone. "I care about him too."

"Really?" Ellie sounds surprised.

"I think he's so handsome. And his mouth is so soft, Ellie. I wanna kiss him all the time."

"Gross," Ellie is trying not to laugh at your obviously drugged state. "I thought you two couldn't stand each other? You're always starting in on each other when I see you."

"He's annoying," you say with a pout. "But he's good inside. He just hides it."

"Oh yeah?" Ellie is tilted back in her chair secretly screaming in amusement. She's known you for over a year and never gotten so much as a hint of your affection for Joel.

But now that she thinks about it though it all seems so obvious. The way the two of you always seem to find one another in a crowd, even if it is just to argue. The way Joel gets up extra early on patrol days and uses extra shampoo. The way you both go pink in the cheeks when you have a disagreement, eyes flashing.

How didn't she see it before now?

Her surrogate father figure means a lot to her. He always has and always will. She wants him to be happy. She thinks about the two of you together and it brings a grin to her chapped lips.

"What's your favorite thing about Joel?"

She pulls the sheet up to your waist, amused at the dreamy look that's taken over your features.

"How well he takes care of things. Like, how he takes care of you and the horses and the community," you're slurring now. "He's got such a big heart."

"He does," Ellie agrees, thankful that it's not just her who knows it.

"I think about him all the time," you murmur, head tilting against the pillow. "But I try not to."

Ellie finds her amusement giving way to something deeper as she watches you fall into a medicated sleep. But not before you seem to momentarily come back to yourself.

"Don't tell him," your drugged self begs slowly. "He can't know. He doesn't see me like that."

///

Ellie drops by every day with food and to help you out of bed when you need it. You're doing much better however, and a lot of that is in thanks to the pills. They make it possible for you to sleep without waking.

Gemma also returns daily to check up on you, thankful that you're taking the pills and sleeping.

Your body begins to mend and soon you don't need the pills at all. You keep them right there on your bedside table just in case. But you plan on returning then to Gemma when you're completely healed up.

After a week you're able to get to the washroom independently without doubling over. You're able to shower and to wash your hair.

Joel doesn't stop by.

By week three Gemma is only visiting every couple of days to ensure that you're healing properly. Ellie comes by with food daily but she doesn't stay long as she's started helping in the community garden after school.

And in all this time your thoughts draw to Joel. His eyes when he looked at you over his whiskey glass, the curve of his smirk, his finger in your mouth. All of these jumble up in your mind leaving you irritable and confused.

You'd almost convinced yourself he liked you. Almost could have believed that there was a mutual attraction underneath the bickering.

He went and got the medication didn't he? Wasn't that something?

But maybe it hadn't been for your benefit. Joel feels similar to you about the community of Jackson. Putting it first before your own interests. Maybe that's why he headed out in a snowstorm.

Probably.

Because he hasn't been by to see you since that night. You don't blame him - it's not like you're friends. You're patrol partners and he felt responsible to see you didn't die that day in the stables.

It shouldn't bother you that he hasn't come by since.

But it does.

///

Week four is when you feel good enough to go out for short walks. You decide to get food from the dining hall. The pain is fairly minimal, but you're breathing is a bit labored.

It takes you three times as long to get there but you feel very proud of yourself. Folks greet you, but politely. You don't know many of the people that live here; you've always been more of a hermit.

Ellie spots you when you shuffle towards the drinks station and she waves you over.

You slowly make your way to their end of the table, shooting a wan smile that Ellie returns. Joel meanwhile has his head facing down to his meal, his countenance withdrawn.

"Come eat with us," Ellie insists.

"Not really up to it today," you confess. "Was kinda just trying to stretch my legs and grab something to take back. Give you a break from having to bring me food every day."

"I don't mind," Ellie shrugs. "I like feeling useful."

Joel is studiously ignoring you, his eyes on his plate. You don't know why but this upsets you. Joel is always finding some way to tease you or throw a sarcastic comment your way. But right now he's so quiet, so still.

"Well I appreciate what you've done for me," you say, tucking the sandwich into your pocket. "Both of you."

Joel feels himself straighten, his heart picking up speed, his entire body prickling at your nearness. He can smell your soap, see the way your face looks so much healthier now that you've been getting regular sleep.

"No problem," Ellie replies. She shoots Joel a look before kicking his shin under the table. By the time he gets what she's trying to communicate you're already gone.

///

"She told me," Ellie says to Joel for the twentieth time that morning. The two of them walk over the frost covered landscape.

Ellie has finally told Joel about your confession. She shouldn't have betrayed your privacy but seeing the two of you walking around so oblivious is frustrating to Ellie.

"She was high as a kite," Joel mumbles, unable to look at her.

"So?"

"She didn't mean it."

"She did so," Ellie insists. "She likes you Joel. Thinks you're handsome and kind and-"

"Ellie just drop it," Joel throws over his shoulder.

He doesn't want to nurse this pathetic crush of his anymore. It doesn't matter what you say when you're on medication. In the cold light of day you don't want him and that's fine. He's been single a long time.

And yet...

When his walk with Ellie ends and he starts up the stairs of the porch to head inside his house something tugs at him. It makes him mumble to Ellie about grabbing something from the shop, ignoring the knowing smirk on her face.

It tugs him hastily towards your home, to your front door and when you invite whomever is outside in, it tugs him by the collar to stand beside your bed watching you place a mug of tea down on your bedside table.

He takes in the nightdress you wear, the dark under your eyes. He sees the blanket pulled up to your collar, looking cozy and warm. Somehow that thought turns him on more than he can explain, just knowing your skin would be warm and soft and…

"Hey, everything okay, Miller?" Your eyes scan his face as he stares at you without speaking. "You seem... Weird."

Joel swallows a scowl. This is what he rushed over here for? This was the woman who really really liked him according to Ellie?

I'm a fuckin' idiot.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just... Checkin' in on you."

"Oh." You seem surprised at this, smiling faintly. "Yeah, well, I'm getting there. I feel pretty good most days."

"S'good," Joel nods, shuffling slightly. And he means it, he is really glad that you're okay. It makes the coil of rope around his heart go slack. As if now he can properly breathe. His hands go into his jean pockets and he clears his throat awkwardly.

"You went to a lot of effort," you tell him, feeling shy. "Before. With the medication.'

Was it for me?

"Yeah, well, we needed more meds," Joel reasons, unable to look you in the face. "And I had nothin' better to do."

Of course it wasn't for me.

You're so stupid thinking that there was anything there. You want to shake yourself silly for thinking that there was any chance Joel Miller sees you as anything more than an annoyance.

"Right, yeah." You sigh softly. "Well, thank you. I got a few days of really good sleep, managed the pain. Couldn't have done that without your help."

Joel makes a small grunt of acknowledgement in return.

He doesn't want to stick around too much longer. He feels awkward enough knowing that in the sober light of day you want nothing to do with him. It's made worse knowing that he so easily and readily would have opened his heart if you had given only the slightest indication today.

"Well, get better soon," he mumbles. "Patrols need as many people as possible."

You try not to look deflated. Everything he’s saying today hits you like a punch to the gut. You give a weak smile, nodding up at him.

"Right."

"I'll send Ellie by with some more books next week if you want." He motions to the books scattered on your bed, some dog-eared, many finished.

"You'll probably be done with all these by then."

You want to deny this offer, not wanting anything more from him. But he's correct, you read quickly and these books will surely be done by next week.

"That would be nice, thanks."

He gives a short raise of his fingers before he's turned and preparing to walk out the door into the chill of the day.

"Joel?"

He stills mid-step at the sound of your voice. He turns, hearing you tentatively approach him. He's surprised to see you out of the bed, bare feet padding over to him. You’re wearing a thin nightdress and he fights everything in his body not to stare at the way he can see the tight buds of your nipples through it.

"I never really thanked you for everything," you say softly as you approach, chest heaving nervously. "The doctor, the soup and drink."

You're so close he could wrap his hand around your neck and pull you to him. His fingers twitch against his thighs at the thought. His feelings for you are coursing through him and he's having a difficult time reminding himself that you don't want him like that.

"So thanks," you finish lamely, gaze unable to drift from his. It feels like his dark brown eyes are hypnotizing, drawing you into their depths.

Your eyes move to his mouth, that pouty, soft-looking mouth that haunts your fucking dreams. You realize with a shiver that you want Joel. You need to feel what it is to kiss him. Suddenly you can't help yourself.

A hand snakes out to his collar, tugging his face down to yours. Your mouths collide because you are desperate to see if Joel's lips feel as soft as they look.

They do.

They're so soft and they go firm as he kisses you back, groaning gently into your mouth. His hands travel to your waist, quickly banding around your lower back, pulling you into his hips. You smile against his lips, hands moving from his collar to grip his neck, needing more of him.

Joel feels like he’s on fire in the best possible way. You’re so warm in his arms, just like he imagined. And you’re pulling him against you, needy for him like he is for you. He backs you against the wall, careful to be gentle as he does. He licks into your mouth, his hips grinding against yours.

“So fucking sweet,” he murmurs against your mouth, one hand on your lower back, the other cradling the back of your head so that he can taste all of you. Every crevice, every sensation, everything that’s you. His hand slides to your hip, urging one leg to band around his waist, his thickness rasping through his jeans against your clothed core.

“Oh f-fuck,” you groan as his mouth goes to your jaw, pressing desperate kisses down the side of your throat. Joel feels as your hands go for the buckle of his belt and his mouth comes back to capture yours once more. As your tongue greedily dabs against his and your hand slides underneath his jeans you feel Joel suddenly tense under you.

"Wait what-" Joel pulls back, his hands gripping you by the shoulder, looking into your face. He peers into your face a long while before his eyes fly to your bedside table behind you, fixing there before you see his face fall.

You see the way his brows rise and the almost pained look in his eyes as he speaks.

"I gotta go."

Before you can say anything to him Joel has scrambled to buckle his pants and then rushed out of the room. You can hear his boots slapping against the porch steps as you glance over at your bedside table.

There you see the collection of books, a glass of water, the opened pill container, a hairbrush. You don't know what upset him so much but you feel a rush of shame go through you. It has nothing to do with what’s on your bedside table, it’s that Joel realized that he doesn’t want you like that.

You were an idiot to think Joel Miller cares for you.

///

After six weeks you’re feeling back to your normal self. You tell a very excited Maria that you’re ready to get back to patrols but added: “Do you think you could swap my shifts though? I’d like a new partner.”

It hurt having to ask her that, but it felt necessary. Maria hadn’t questioned it – it was commonplace to switch people out from time to time. The man currently filling your spot with Joel would continue on in your place and you’d be moved to D-Watch.

It seemed like a perfect plan until the next day when you rose very early and headed to the stables.

You wanted to take your time saddling Glimmer as it’d been weeks since you were riding. You wanted to make sure you weren’t rusty for whoever your partner turned out to be. Glimmer looked happy to have the company in the pen this early, the dappling sun dancing around the paddock.

You were just releasing the cinches on the saddle when you felt the sound of footsteps making their way into the barn and then the heavy presence of someone behind you.

“Since when’re you back on patrols?”

Fuck.

"Hi Miller,” you sigh. “And to answer your question, since yesterday.”

Joel watches you saddling up Glimmer, his dark brows furrowing. “But it ain’t your watch today.”

“It is starting this week,” you answer breezily, wishing he’d just go away and leave you alone.

You don’t want to be talking to Joel right now. Just the memory of how you threw yourself at him last time makes your cheeks burn.

"What the fuck... Why?"

“I wanted to try something new,” you lie, still not facing him.

You hear the sound of his boots dragging, his body warm behind you. You hate that your stomach jumps at his nearness. You hate that your body yearns for his despite everything that’s happened.

“Anway, I’m busy,” you tell him as you reach for Glimmer’s breast collar.

You wait for Joel to turn around or to say something caustic. But instead you hear the sound of his feet drawing him closer to you. A feather light touch of his hand is at your shoulder, resting there. It compels you to stop what you’re doing and listen.

“I don’t want you to switch.”

His deep voice is soft and almost wounded. It makes your motions still and your head tilt to the side, about to respond.

Out of nowhere Glimmer rears back, sending you throwing yourself backwards in anticipation of a kick. Joel grabs her bridle, forcing her to still.

“Calm now, girl. C’mon, shhhh.”

She gives a sharp whinny, settling almost immediately. Joel pats her muzzle, murmuring soothing words before making sure the flank cinch is tightened properly.

He turns to look over at you, confused to see you cowering beside the stable door. You’re on your knees, half bent and eyes squeezed shut. As he watches, you tilt forward as if you’re about to vomit and you let out a low moan of what sounds like pain.

“Fuck.”

Joel rushes over to you, falling to his knees before you. “Are you hurt?”

"Just ... Just go away, Joel," you sputter before dropping to your knees. You need him to go away. You need the world to go away so you can get your bearings.

"Is it the ribs-"

"No!" You moan, feeling as the cold sensation grips your lower body. You let out another strangled noise, feeling like you heart is going to burst out of your chest.

"My h-heart," you sputter.

You don't know how to say the words: this has happened before but no one has ever been here to witness it. And for some reason this morning's is so much worse than you remember the last one being.

“I get these sometimes,” Joel explains, urging you to sit up and face him. “It’s just panic. Take a minute and breathe.”

“I-I a-am b-b-breathing,” you managed to choke out, even as you feel your chest constrict. You feel frantic, like you’re going to explode if something doesn’t happen quickly. Joel recognizes the look and his hands move to rest firmly on either side of your neck, forcing your eyes to his.

"Copy me. Inhale.... Exhale."

The panic is overwhelming, your entire body starting to break out in chills. You're scared and you grip onto Joel's shoulders as if he's a lifeboat and you're at sea.

"Joel, I-"

"Breathe with me, baby," Joel instructs. You feel his thumbs on either side of your jaw, grounding you. "Are you listening? In... And out... Just like that. Yeah, good girl. Just like that."

You breathe in slowly, watching his mouth as it form a perfect little ‘o’ shape. You exhale along with him,

"In.... And out ..."

His mouth. His perfect, pouty lips forming the words. The feeling is overwhelming, the desire to press your mouth to his is quickly edging out the panic you’d been feeling. He holds you in his strong palms and you feel boneless, his voice lulling you into a calm state. You gaze at him with glassy eyes.

"In... And out..."

Joel is so worried that you're going to pass out. You've gone from hyperventilating to sudden slow and deep breaths. But after a few moments he thinks you must be in the clear.

"There you go," he murmurs, gaze lingering on your face. Your skin is so soft under his hands, your eyes meeting his with lowering lids.

You continue to stare at him, unable to find the right words. Joel smiles crookedly.

"Guess I know how to get you to listen to me now. Just gotta catch ya in the middle of a meltdown."

He's trying to lighten the tension because your faces are so close to one another, he can feel the warmth of your breath huffing against his face.

You want to press your mouth to his but he gently releases your face, leaning back to regard you.

"Let's get you home. I-"

But you’re not moving from where you sit kneeling against him, your hands still on his shoulders.

"Why don't you visit me anymore?"

Joel doesn’t know exactly how to respond to this. He can tell that you’re obviously stressed and he doesn’t want to add to it. But on the other hand he has no desire to keep anything from you.

"Didn't know we were friends enough to visit," Joel shrugs.

"But you did the first few days," you reason, fingers digging into the warmth of his jacket. "The soup, the whiskey. Then that last time."

"You miss me or somethin'?" Joel teases lightly.

"Yeah," you say in a voice so gentle it could have been a sigh. "I do miss you, Miller. The place feels good when you're around. Better than good, it feels right."

There. You've admitted it. No matter what happens at least you know you've shared how you feel with him.

Joel stares at you for a long moment before he stands, suddenly overcome. You bring yourself to stand across from him, watching as he begins to pace in front of you, lower lip slightly protruding in thought.

"You know that night you got hurt?” Joel asks, darting a glance at you. “And I took you back to yours?"

"Obviously."

"You uh, you surprised me that night,” Joel confesses, his cheeks reddening. “You kissed me."

Your eyes blow wide. "What?"

"Yeah. You said a lot of stuff 'bout wanting to kiss me for a while and,” Joel licks his lips nervously. “You asked me to stay the night with you."

You're in total shock about this. You have no recollection except for waking up and being needlessly unkind to him due to the surprise of seeing him in your bed. You cover your face with your hands, humiliating overtaking you.

“Oh my – Joel I’m so sorry-“

“No, no nothing to be sorry for,” Joel says almost desperately. “I mean . . .I just. . .That’s why I was there when you woke up," Joel explains.

“Because I guilted you into it,” you moan, burying your face in your hands further. “And then I forced myself on you.”

“You didn’t force anythin’.”

You want to jump into a fit of infested bloaters if it means this conversation can be over. All this time you thought Joel liked you and it’s because he’s what? Embarassed that you threw yourself at him in a drugged episode?

You’re surprised when you feel his large hands overtaking yours, dragging them from your heating face. He looks so concerned, so nervous. It makes your heart pound. He holds your hand in his, thumbs absently trailing over the knuckles.

“I liked you kissing me. I liked being there with you when you woke up,” he finally confesses throatily. “I liked holding you. I like being around you. . . Even when you drive me crazy and you talk shit. I only like patrols ‘cuz you’re on ‘em with me. I don’t want you to swit-”

Before he can even finish his sentence you’ve jerked forward, throwing your arms around his neck and pressing your mouth to his. Joel responds immediately, his lips slotting between yours instinctively as his arms go around you.

But then you feel him tense again and your body stills. Joel wants to kiss you back so badly his entire body goes up in flames. But all too soon he pushes you from him gently.

"You don't actually want me," Joel tells you flatly, swallowing thickly. "It's the pills. Like last time."

What?

“You get like this when you’ve taken the pill,” he explains. “Makes you more emotional or somethin’. I dunno. I just-“

"Joel I haven't taken a pill in weeks," you say, brows furrowed. "I haven't needed them."

Joel peers down into your face, uncertainty etched there. "Last time I came over to see you, those pills-"

"I hadn’t taken any that day."

"They were open.”

“I was counting to see how many were left. I wanted Gemma to know when she came by so she could use them in the pharmacy.”

Joel stares at you a long moment and you begin giggling nervously when you see his eyes darken. Immediately his hands on either side of your face, pulling you into a searching kiss as you whimper. And just like in your bedroom he backs you against the wall, pressing his frame against yours.

He kisses you in the way he’s been aching to do since he last saw you, teeth clacking in over-eager need, tongues and grunts and your hands fisting in his hair, needing all of each other. His knee goes between your thighs and you rest there, hips grinding.

"Fuck, I wanna do so much with you," Joel rasps against your jaw, planting sloppy kisses there. His teeth graze your pulsepoint and he groans when he feels your body trembling against him, your pelvis canting towards his.

"Do it," you beg brokenly. "Please, do it."

You want his hands and mouth everywhere on your body and he wants you in his bed right this fucking instant, but he feels how you move in his arms, still slightly stiff from your injury.

"Not until you're officially all healed up," Joel murmurs amazed that you’re here in his arms. "Can't risk it."

"You think pretty highly of yourself, Miller," you tease, grinning broadly when he does.

"Not Miller," he says giving you a full-lipped kiss as he circles your waist gently with his arms. "Not when I'm lovin' on you."

You grin up at him, feeling your eyes water at the sincerity in his expression. You run your hand through his greying curls; your thumb gently tracing over his cheek.

"Alright then," you whisper. “Kiss me again, Joel."

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bteezxyewriter12 · 22 hours

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You Won't Regret Me/ 2

Pairing- Wooyoung x Named Reader

Word count- 5.8k

Includes- enemies to lovers, blow job, deepthroating, pussy eating, cum eating, cock riding, dirty talk, orgasm denial, dacryphilia, squirting, multiple orgasms, kinda fluff but not really

Tag List- @mingtina @jaxminnie @yeosayang @delightfulmoonbanana @tannie13 @y00nzin0 @marsstarxhwa

@yeosxxx @seokwoosmole @jjongsbebe @wisejudgedragonhairdo @meowmeowminnie @woo-stars @borntowalkaway @usagionthered @san-realblkwife @seonghwasstar @jejeyeppeo @soulseobi05 @kpop-bambi @prayerofthehaim @realisticnotes @pinkies-things @insomniacatiny @stephy-nicole13 @mknae-jongho @bykeynote

Masterlists- check out for more fics

📝Masterlists 📝ATEEZ Masterlist 📝Wooyoung Masterlist

One week later

J POV

Standing at the bar, I wait in line to order a drink

Hongjoong wanted to go out again and we came to the club

He needed to let off some steam

Being the leader of a gang is hard and we all support him

We've been here awhile and he's off making out with some girl he'll take home and fuck

So lucky he'll get some

"What are you ordering?", someone asks, coming up next to me

I glance over then roll my eyes when I see it's Wooyoung

I so don't want to talk to him

I hate his stupid ass

And even more because of last week

When he fucked the life out of me and honestly gave me the best orgasms of my life

I don't know what the fuck came over me, letting him touch me, kiss me, put his dick inside me

Let him cum inside me and leave his cum to drip into my underwear all night

I threw that pair out as soon as I got home and scrubbed myself clean

And I swore that was the last time I'd ever let Jung, Wooyoung touch me

Except I've been thinking about him

Well, not him exactly since I can't stand him

More like his dick, how it felt and how good it was

"Well?", he prompts

I glare at him, hating how hot he looks

His stupid black hair in a ponytail, his stupid jeans, his stupid button down shirt, that beauty mark under his eye that drives me crazy since I noticed it last week

God, I abhor him

"Fuck off Jung", I snap, rolling my eyes

"Oh my god, cranky much? It's just a question", he snorts

"I'm not letting you cut in front of me. Get your ass in the back of the line", I snarl, figuring that's what he wants

He wouldn't talk to me otherwise

He hasn't all week and we've unfortunately been around each other for gang business

"That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking what are you getting?"

"Two vodka shots", I growl, "Happy?"

"Not particularly", he shrugs

I close my eyes, counting down from ten

He's such a cocky motherfucker

Thinks he's the shit, thinks he better than me

Thinks I don't deserve to be Hongjoong's second in command, as if I haven't earned it or literally supported Hongjoong since we were kids

He's rude, arrogant and annoying

And stupidly beautiful

Fucking asshole

"Do you want to get out of here?", he asks after a minute of silence

I look at him shocked

Is he talking to me?

I look around me to make sure there's no girl behind me or something

"I'm talking to you Joanne", he scoffs

"You want to go somewhere with me?", I repeat is disbelief

"To fuck", he clarifies, "Not on a date or anything stupid like that"

Well he's full of himself

"As if I'd ever say yes to you" I snort, "I'd rather slit my own throat"

He rolls his eyes, "Please. I'd cut my tongue out before asking you on a date. You just happen to have a tight pussy that feels good"

"And why would I give it to you?", I snap

Seems like he doesn't care about insulting me as he asks me to fuck him

What a prick

"Because I have a cock that you happen to love", he says gleefully, "I'm the only one who gave you...what was it you said? Oh yes, the best orgasm you had in awhile"

I knew he'd never let me live that down

Fucking shit head

"That's only because you're the first guy I fucked in awhile. Anything would of been good", I lie

"Uh huh. Sure", he smirks, getting under my skin, "So you wanna leave?"

"And go where?", I snap

"You're apartment"

Well he has it all figured out doesn't he

"Why my apartment?"

"Mine is messy right now"

"Why are we going anywhere when the bathroom worked fine last time?"

"Want more room", he says, "Want to be comfortable"

"You're saying that as if I'd ever want you in my apartment period", I snap

He sighs, looking annoyed, "Look I want to fuck you ok? And I know you want me too after last time. So can we just skip all the fighting and just go?"

I glare at him

Yeah ok, I want him

But I don't know why he wants me

He can have any girl who doesn't hate him and who will be much nicer than I am

"Why me? Why don't you just pick up some other girl and leave me alone?"

He blows out a breath, "Because you gave me the best sex I ever had ok? Because that orgasm was the best I ever had. Because you feel the best. Happy?"

"Not particularly", I shoot back

He looks at the ceiling like he's contemplating just walking away

And if it was before last week I'd tell him to fuck off

But I can't

"Let's go", I tell him, walking off the line and heading for the exit

I don't even have to look behind me to know he's following

"My car's this way", he says, leading me in the direction

Once in the car, he asks for my address and I can't believe I'm giving it to Wooyoung

He puts it into the gps and starts driving

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

He drags me to my room, sitting me on the bed

He's been blessedly silent the whole drive here and I'm guessing that's gonna end now

"Let's get this off you", he smirks as he pulls my shirt up and off, "Seeing as how we have the whole bed to fuck anyway we want, I think it'd be nice to see your tits bouncing"

"You're a pig", I snap

He rolls his eyes, leaning down as his hands undo my bra

"But you like it", he teases

Then before I can say anything, his lips are against mine, kissing me

And stupidly, all thoughts leave my brain as I kiss him back, my head spinning, my body on fire

Fuck him and his amazing kisses

Fucking bullshit is what it is

He throws my bra somewhere, my hands immediately pushing his shirt up

He pulls away to take it off and I stare at his body, hating him even more for how hot he is

I didn't get to see him much last time, as I was clinging on to him or facing away from him when his shirt was off

But goddamn

I slowly lay my palms on his muscular chest, moving them across him and feeling his soft skin

I can feel how strong he is and it's making me embarrassingly wet

I move my hands down to his stomach, touching the rock hard abs he has, tracing the lines of muscles

He moans and I look up, surprised to see him biting his lip, his eyes closed, face in pleasure

Guess he likes to be touched

And stupid me, with my girl dumbassery of liking abs and muscles, will continue to happily touch him

And do more

Leaning closer to him, I press my lips against the skin of his abs, kissing him

"Fuck", he whimpers and I take that as a sign to keep going

Stupid me presses kiss after kiss all over his abs, licking the soft skin in between pecks

My hands have a mind of their own because they're sliding down to his belt, undoing it as I continue to kiss him

I get the button and zipper of his jeans undone, pulling his jeans and boxers down, my lips against his lower stomach

Pushing him back slightly, I keep my lips attached to his skin as I move down on my knees, my hand moving around his cock, jerking him off

"Fuck baby", he groans as I trail kisses down to his dick, then up along his length

When I get to his head, I lick his cum from his crying slit, groaning at how good he tastes

Because of course he fucking does

I spend some time swirling my tongue around his head, then licking up and down his cock so slowly, his moans so pretty to listen to

Licking to his head again, I take it in my mouth and suck on it softly

"Yes fuck"

I raise my eyes up to find him biting his lip, already watching me

I move down his cock with each suck, jerking off the rest of him that's not in my mouth

Goddamn he has a massive cock

It's so thick, stretching my mouth, so heavy on my tongue

He's so hard and so annoyingly good to suck on

As I move further down his dick, I can't fucking believe I'm doing this

And enjoying it

If someone would have told me I'd be on my knees in my room, sucking Wooyoung's cock, I'd have shot that person in the face

But here I am, getting wet from how hard he is and from the noises he's making

His tip presses against the back of my throat, making me gag and he immediately pulls out a bit

"Don't baby. Don't hurt yourself. It's ok", he says softly, his fingers moving in my hair

I'm so shocked at the tenderness in his voice, almost like he cares about hurting me

I don't like it

I need him to be the asshole he always is

I roll my eyes, making sure he sees it, then push down on his shaft more

I can deepthroat him, it'll just take a little for me to get him all in

I take my time moving down, sucking on him as I go, tears pooling in my eyes

I give a damn good blow job and I want him to love it

I want him to know that I, the girl he hates, gave him the best blow job of his life

I finally get him all inside my throat, forcing my throat to relax

"Fuck, god. Feels so good", he chokes out

If I could smile I would

Holding his hips, I pull back, halfway down his cock

Breathing in, I surge back up, bottoming him out, his cock hitting the back of my throat and going down more

I choke but get it under control, then start bobbing my head up and down his entire dick

Tears run down my face, spit dripping down from my mouth as I fuck my throat on his cock, choking now and then

"Yes fuck. Goddamn Jo", he groans, watching me, "Fuck, so that fucking mouth is good for something other than shit talking"

I glare at him, the asshole in him coming back out

"Good to know that when you're being a bitch, I can just get you to be quiet by shoving my cock down your throat", he smirks, his fingers twisting in my hair

I growl, pressing my nails into the skin of his hips, a yelp coming from him

"Oh did I hit a sore spot?", he snaps, holding onto my hair hard, keeping me in place, "After all, you're the one with my cock down your throat, princess"

I bristle at the nickname

The one I called him before

He's such an asshole

"Keep your mouth open", he demands and like an idiot, I do

He snaps his hips, driving his cock down my throat, then pulls back out just to do everything all over again

And I just take it, letting him fuck my throat and moaning

"Someone likes getting their throat fucked huh?", he grunts, his hips moving fast, my mouth trying to suck on him as he moves in and out, "Such a slut for cock. I didn't even have to ask you to blow me. You did it all on your own princess"

Yeah I know

I'm an idiot

I just gave him more ammunition to fuck with me

"Wonder if Hongjoong knows that his tough bitchy best friend likes getting her throat fucked by my cock and is moaning like a whore on top of it"

I hate him

If Hongjoong didn't care about him, I'd murder him with my bare hands

Tears blind me as he keeps going, his cock throbbing in my mouth, his moans of pleasure getting louder and louder

"When I cum you swallow it all. Got it?", he demands

And like a pathetic loser, I just nod

"Good girl"

I fucking hate when someone calls me that, I never let anyone call me that but of course when he does it, it does nothing but turn me on more

And make me want to be his good girl

I'm so fucked up

"Yes fuck! Joanne", he moans, his hips stalling as his cock buries in my throat, warm cum spurting

The taste of his cum is so fucking good and I eagerly swallow on his cock again and again

He moans and whimpers the whole time as I suck all his cum from his cock

He pulls out when he's finished and I sit back on my heels, swallowing and breathing in

"Are you ok?", he pants, "I didn't hurt you right?"

I stand up, rolling my eyes

"No", I croak out, "I've deepthroated other cocks before. Some bigger than yours so no you didn't hurt me"

He glares at me hatefully, then pulls me to him, his lips against mine in a kiss

My arms move around his neck on their own, my body pressing against his, feeling his warm skin on mine

His fingers tangle in my hair as he kisses me silly, his tongue playing with mine

Turning us, he pushes me down on the bed, his hands pulling my pants and panties down as he kisses me

Once they're off, his hands push my legs open, him mouth leaving mine and attaching to my pussy

"Oh f-", I choke, his tongue delving into my hole, wiggling when it's inside

"Mm you taste good", he murmurs, sliding his tongue up and rubbing it against my clit

I feel my cunt get soaked, the pleasure intensifying

Lifting my head, I watch him use his tongue on me, his eyes closed, a look of pleasure on his face too

I hate to say it but he looks incredibly hot in between my legs

And his tongue is amazing, switching between using the tip and the flat of it, pressing hard then lightly, fast then slow

I fucking hate him for it

He kisses my pussy, then slides his tongue between my lips, moaning into me

"Fuck", I whisper, so turned on

His eyes open, staring intensely at me as his tongue drags up my pussy again and again

I can't tear my gaze from his, the heat coming from them making my body shiver

His hands squeeze my thighs hard, his mouth wrapping around my clit and sucking softly

"Oh my god", I moan, bliss wracking through my body, my hand pulling his ponytail out and sinking into his hair, holding on tightly

With each suck, he goes harder, keeping his tongue firmly against my clit with each move his mouth makes

I get lost in the pleasure, holding his head against my pussy, my body arching

He slurps desperately on my clit, the sound so erotic, the sight of his jaw sucking driving me crazy

The next suck has me coming, pleasure washing over me as I scream his name

He groans, sucking me through it, my body shaking against the mattress

As soon as I finish, he pushes my legs up, his tongue swirling around my hole, moaning, pleasure taking over again

"Fucking pussy cream tastes so fucking good", he groans, my brain malfunctioning at his words, as his tongue dives into my hole

My pussy clenches around it, his pretty moan reaching my ears

His tongue moves rapidly in and out, tongue fucking my pussy, the sounds it makes so obscene and....hot

His finger presses against my clit, rubbing as his tongue keeps going, the pleasure increasing and my pussy getting wetter

My fingers twist in his hair, I can't stop the moans falling from my mouth, the pleasure astounding

I swear no one has eaten me out this good before

It's like he knows just what to do to drive me insane

Which figures since he drives me fucking crazy all the time with his attitude and just his personality

Figures someone I hate knows how to eat pussy incredibly

Jerk

"Need you to come for me", he grunts, "Need to taste you again"

I groan, my hips moving against his face as he tongue fucks me, his fingers playing with my clit in time with our movements

"Mmm baby desperate to cum huh?", he murmurs between tongue thrusts, "Fucking my face like a good girl"

Shivers run up my back from hearing him call me good girl again

"Cum around my tongue now", he demands, "Now princess"

"Fuck, Wooyoung!", I cry, his tongue shoving all the way in as I release all over it, his fingers rubbing my clit the entire time

I lay there dazed after the pleasure fades, his tongue moving as he licks up all my cum

"Fuck princess", he says when he finishes, lifting his head up, his face so wet with juice and cum

God, he's so hot

"I think I need to eat your pussy everyday", he says, wiping his mouth

Yeah well after that, I'd let him

He moves over me, his mouth against mine, kissing me

Moving my arms around his neck, I kissed him back, hating how much I like his kisses

He moves my legs around him but before his cock can go in, I stop him

"Seriously?", he growls

I roll my eyes, "Lay down"

"Why?", he asks suspiciously

God, can't he just fucking be compliant for once?

I push him off me and roll him to his back, climbing in his lap

He smirks, "Oh you wanna ride me huh?"

"No shit", I tell him

"Are you any good at it?", he scoffs, "Because I've had girls talk a big game but they only lasted for less than five minutes"

"I'm good at it", I answer

I am

I love riding dick

Most of the time it's the only way I can cum during sex

Unfortunately Wooyoung doesn't seem to have a problem making me orgasm

Asshole

"Heard that before", he snorts, "If you suck, just tell me now and I'll fuck you instead of wasting time"

"I will ride your dick until you're crying and begging me to let you cum", I growl

"Ha!", he laughs, "That will never happen. I don't cry or beg while fucking. You will"

I admit I probably will because I'm not a big macho baby about it

If it feels really good, like overwhelmingly good, I've cried before

And after last time I have no doubt that he can make me cry from pleasure

But he definitely will too

"So will you"

"Negative"

"Uh- huh", I say, rolling my eyes

Guess I'll just have to prove it to him

Reaching between us, I hold his hard dick up and align him to my entrance

I sit on his dick, getting his head in, then continue sinking down

Slowly

Last time he just barreled in and yes it felt good but this time I want to feel every inch of his fat cock

As I push down, I wiggle my hips, taking him in, feeling the utter pleasure of his thick cock stretching my pussy wide open

Each inch makes me wetter, gives me more and more pleasure

And makes him moan loudly

I smile, watching the pleasure on his face as he slides in deeper

"Mm feels good baby?", I tease

"Yes", he breathes

"Feels so good. Guess you are good for something", I moan, bottoming him out, his head nestled against my spot, my pussy throbbing around him

I move my hips grinding and rocking on him, his head rubbing my spot, making bliss run up my spine

"Fat cock opening my pussy so well", I murmur, "Can wait to bounce on it"

"Yes fuck"

"Want that? Want me to bounce on this cock, make you feel so good?"

He nods, his hands gripping my hips, his hips pressing up, making sure his cock is buried inside me as much as he can be

And god, he fills me so perfectly

I loathe him for it

Rocking once more on his cock, I can't take it

I need to ride him

Leaning on his abs, I move my hips up, sliding all the way up his cock to his head

I squeeze his head tightly as I start sliding down his dick, clenching his length over and over as I move

"Oh fuck!", he cries, his eyes watching my pussy take him in

Bouncing on him, I start slow, slipping up and down, feeling every hard inch of his cock moving inside me

"Oh god", I cry, moving a little faster with each bounce, leaning back, my hands on his thighs

I feel my pussy get wetter and wetter with each stroke, the pleasure mounting

"God, I hate you for having such a good dick", I murmur, my body feeling hot, sweat all over me, "Hate how good you feel inside me"

He feels amazing, spreading my pussy wide open again and again, making me pulse around his incredibly hard shaft

My pussy devours his cock with each bounce, sucking him in so fucking deep, feel him in my stomach

It's pleasure like I've never felt before

"I hate you for having the perfect cunt", he groans, his eyes watching my pussy on him, "I hate how pretty your swollen lips look opening for my cock, hate that I love how much you cream my dick, hate how good your throbbing pussy feels"

I smirk

I like him hating all that about me

I like making him eat his words, making him realize he wants the person he hates more than any other girl

And he's gonna hate me even more when I make him cry and beg to cum

Moving my hands to his stomach, I bounce faster, grinding on his cock every time I take him in, making his fat head rubbing my spot

"Fuck Wooyoung", I say breathlessly, loving the way his eyes roam my body

Like he doesn't know where to look

It just turns me on more

"Want you to cum on me", he moans, his fingers squeezing my hips, "Please. Need to feel it"

"Oh you like how it feels?", I tease

Really though, I'm surprised at that

"Yes", he groans, "It feels so fucking good. Want it"

Well he's lucky, cause his cock is bringing me right there

"Fuck, I'm gonna cum", I moan, riding his cock harder, his head smacking my spot each time, my nails digging into his stomach, "Fuck Wooyoung, fuck"

Sliding down his cock, I lose it, climaxing, incredible bliss falling over me

"Fuck yes! Yes!", he yells as I ride the waves of pleasure his perfect cock is giving me

I hate that he gives me such incredible orgasms

Of course it has to be him

As I come down from it, he begs, "Fuck me. Please fuck me baby. Cum again for me"

Fuck, guess he really does like how my orgasms feel

"Ride me! Joanne ride me!", he yells, bucking his hips up, his head rubbing my spot

I begin moving again, slamming down his cock with each move, impaling my pussy on him

"Yes, fuck yes", he groans, his hands sliding up my body, wrapping around my boobs, "God you're so pretty. I fucking hate how pretty you are"

Yeah well the feeling is mutual

I hate how hot and good looking he is

He sits up slightly, his mouth wrapping around my nipple, sucking desperately, making my pussy gush around his length, the pleasure spiking

I moan loudly, my hand moving into hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands

He takes my free hand and moves it between us, pressing my fingers into my clit

"Play with yourself for me", he murmurs against my nipple

I don't think, my fingers moving on my clit right away as I bounce on him

The bliss shoots up, the pleasure from my clit making my cunt clench incredibly hard around his cock

His mouth switches to my other nipple, sucking on it, his fingers digging into my back as he holds me against him

I keep bouncing, just letting the euphoria wash over me, listening to his pretty moans

Moving off my boob, he lays back down, watching me, lust burning in his eyes

"Mmm yeah princess", he groans, "So pretty, playing desperately with your little clit. That pretty pussy is making such a big mess on me. Feels good?"

I nod, biting my lip, tears pricking the corners of my eyes

It feels so good, each bounce on his dick making my body shake uncontrollably

"So close baby", he murmurs, his eyes on my cunt, "Make yourself cum. Wanna see it, wanna feel it"

"Fuck Wooyoung!", I scream as astounding ecstasy wracks my body, tears running down my face, my fingers rubbing my clit as I bounce, my pussy squirting all over him

Oh my fucking god

His hands stay on my hips, bouncing me on his cock, getting me through it

I don't know which way is up, I can't do anything but feel

When I come out of it, I lean on his chest, catching my breath

"Good princess?", he asks

I look down at him, surprised to see softness in his eyes, his fingers softly running up and down my thigh

I nod, nothing snarky coming to mind to say

"Yeah baby", I answer

Then his smirk comes back and I roll my eyes

"Good. Ride me. I need to cum in your pussy"

I snort but I listen, for now, and bounce on him again

"I hate to admit it", he groans, "But you are so fucking good at riding cock"

I know

I move faster, making sure I clench on his cock the entire time I slip up and down, rocking on his dick once I bottom him out

It feels so good and from his moans it feels good for him too

I smirk, like seeing him in pleasure because of me

I don't stop riding him, his moans getting louder and louder, his body shaking in bliss

"I'm...I....I'm", he groans

I feel his cock throbbing, his fingers digging into my hips more with each bounce

"Fuck, fuck fuck", he cries

And I slide up and off his cock

"What happened?", he asks, looking dazed

"You can't cum so easily", I berate him, "Especially after insulting me and my cock riding abilities"

"You're fucking joking", he snaps

"Oh no sweetie", I smirk, "I said I was going to ride your dick until you're crying and begging me to cum. And that's what I'm going to do"

His eyes narrow, "That is not going to happen"

"Then you're not going to cum"

"Joanne!", he shouts

"Shh baby", I taunt, leaning over him and kissing his lips, "Yelling and whining will get you nowhere"

He glares at me as I get his cock back inside my pussy, this time rocking and grinding on his length, purposely tightening on him repeatedly while moving

His eyes lose the glare, becoming more and more fucked out with each circular move of my hips, groans spilling from him mouth

I smirk, leaning on his broad chest, feeling his soft skin under my hands

"Oh god", he cries, his cock pulsing again

And once again, I get off him and sit on his legs

"Fuck!", he roars, "Why?"

"You know why"

"Goddamn it!", he shouts, his body trembling from his denied orgasm

I wait a minute until he's relaxed enough then sit back on his cock, his whimpers so pretty as I ride him

I edge him three more times, his voice becoming more and more desperate, his body moving from trembles to shakes with each denial

And I'm fully enjoying torturing him like this

It's fun and it feels good for me at the same time

Taking him in again, I bounce short bounces, just sliding up slightly on his cock before slamming back down, clenching each time

His cock throbs almost immediately, he wants to cum so bad

"Don't get off", he begs, while I keep moving, rocking on him, pleasure in my body as well, "Please don't get off"

"But you said you're not going to beg", I smirk evilly

"I'll beg. I'm sorry. Please...ngggh... need to cum"

I laugh, grinding faster on him, "You don't need to cum. No one needs to orgasm"

"I want too! Please"

I tilt my head to the side, "Hmmm no"

"Why?", he yells, his cock so close

"Because you're not crying yet"

And I move off him, sitting on his abs

"No!", he shouts, tears bursting from his eyes, "No please. Baby please. I...I need you"

I smile, satisfied

"There we go", I coo, "Wanted to see those pretty tears"

Leaning over, I lick a tear running down his face, smirking at him as he sobs

"Please", he whimpers

I glance back at his cock, smirking at how much it's straining, how hard it is, his head red and slit crying cum

It makes me so much more horny too

Easing back onto his cock, I sit on him, clenching hard around him

"Please let me cum. Please. Fuck"

"Hmm", I smirk, cock warming him for a few seconds, "I wonder if Hongjoong knows that one of his members cries and begs to cum during sex?"

"I don't..I don't know"

"What do you think he'd say about that?"

"I don't know!", he wails, tears flowing freely down his face, "I don't care! I want you! Please! Bounce on my dick!"

"Like this?", I tease, sliding up to his head, then taking him all back in quickly

"Yes like that! Please like that"

"What will happen if I keep doing that?", I ask, bouncing again only one time

"I'm gonna cum!"

"Is that what you want?"

Another bounce

"Yes!", he yells

"Oh? Tell me what you want"

"Wanna cum", he sobs, his cock so hard inside me, my pussy throbbing as I use his cock to fuck my spot

"Where?"

"You're pussy!", he whines, "Wanna cum deep inside your pussy. Wanna fill you up. Want your pussy to milk my cock. Please"

"Hmmm", I laugh, riding his cock at a quicker pace, pleasure running through my veins as I watch him cry, "I may let you cum. But you have to wait until I cum again and only when I say you can"

"Yes, ok!", he nods, his breathing labored, the tears not stopping

"Ok then"

Leaning over him, I put my hands on his shoulders and I ride him hard, my bed hitting the wall over and over, my pussy impaling on his unbelievably hard cock over and over

"Fuck Woo. So good!", I cry, so close, "Baby's cock is so hard"

"I can't", he sobs, his nails digging into my hips, "I can't hold it"

"You have too", I demand, moving as fast as I can, the pleasure so fucking much

"Please cum", he chokes out, "Please baby, I can't...please cum"

Slamming down, his cock smashes my spot, stars blasting in my vision as I cum, ecstasy taking over my body

"Wooyoung!", I scream

"Oh god! Oh god! I...I...", he yells

"Cum for me Wooyoung", I whimper, the euphoria blinding me, "Fill my pussy baby"

"Joanne! Fuck!", he screams, holding me down on his dick as he explodes inside me, warm cum filling me fast

I watch him cum, the sight under me so fucking beautiful

His whole body shakes, a sheen of sweat all over him, his hair soaked, his head pushed back into the pillows

Ecstasy is all over his face, tears streaming from his eyes, his voice screaming my name repeatedly

His hips move up, keeping him buried deep inside me, his cum making me feel so satisfyingly full

"Yes Woo, all of it", I murmur, rocking on his dick again, "Give me all your cum baby"

He makes a choking crying sound as he finishes, his body slumping into the bed, his eyes closed, his chest heaving as he pants

"Good?", I ask

"Fucking....", he gasps, "Incredible. Intense. Best .....ever"

I giggle, lean over and kiss his cheek

Then I slide off him and lay down next to him, catching my breath too

He turns his head to me, his eyes opening, the pretty brown irises on me

"Don't tell anyone I cried or begged you", he demands

And just like that, he's an asshole again

"I won't", I snap

"Good", he growls

I roll my eyes, then turn away from him

Getting comfortable, I lay on my pillow and close my eyes

"I'm gonna leave"

"So go", I tell him

I really don't care

"Aren't you going to let me out?"

"No", I snort, "I'm sure you can find the way to the door"

"What about locking your door?"

"Leave it", I answer, just wanting him to be quiet

"What if I decide to stay?"

Oh Jesus

"So stay", I growl, "I don't care"

I just want to sleep

I don't care whether he leaves or not

"You're not really leaving me a choice. I'm not leaving your door unlocked all night"

"It's fine. Go if you want. Stay if you want"

"Do you want me to stay?"

That's it

"Shut the fuck up and go to sleep", I yell, so tired of hearing his big mouth, "Just shut up"

"Fine", he says

I feel him get up and honestly, a pang of disappointment that he's leaving hits my chest

Whatever, I'm not dwelling on it right now

I can freak out tomorrow if it's warranted

The light in the room turns off, then I feel a dip in the bed behind me as he gets back into it

His body presses against mine, his skin warm and soft, his arm wrapping around my waist, holding me against him

"I cuddle when I sleep with someone", he says softly

"It's fine", I say, my heart pounding a little faster, "Just go to sleep"

"Ok", he whispers, "Night"

"Night", I answer, ignoring how good it feels to be in his arms

It's just because I haven't slept next to someone in awhile

Anyone would feel good

Pushing the thoughts out of my head, I let the exhaustion wash over me and I wait for sleep

#jung wooyoung fanfic #ateez wooyoung fanfic #wooyoung fanfic #jung wooyoung smut #ateez wooyoung smut #wooyoung smut #ateez fanfic #ateez smut

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rapture // illumi zoldyck

tw ⇢ enemies to lovers, assassin!reader, possessive!illumi, love confessions, sexual tension, teasing, grinding, dry humping, mentions of violence and injuries, overstimulation, making out, public sex, unprotected sex, squirting, begging, dirty talk, pet names, mild breeding kink, biting, manhandling, anal sex, mentions of marriage and pregnancy

wc ⇢ 16.1k

The ritzy hotel loomed ahead, all glass and gleaming opulence. You triple checked the dossier's details as you approached, though you hardly needed to. The shady businessman's daily routines, rotation of private security, all of it was committed to memory. This was meant to be a quick, seamless job - tail the mark to his swanky penthouse suite, neutralize him while he was alone, then disappear like a whisper back into the night.

At least, that was the plan before you noticed the other set of footprints in the bathroom's plush carpeting.

You froze, senses accelerating as your fingertips grazed the slender blade tucked against your forearm. Someone else was here, possibly another hired gun with the same grisly orders. But those prints were too perfect, too controlled to be some amateur's clumsy work.

No...you knew that purposeful, predatory tread all too well.

The bathroom door's lock clicked open and you whirled, weapon drawn, as a tall figure slipped inside. Even in the dimness, those reflective dark eyes and long raven hair were achingly familiar...and dangerous.

"You..." you hissed lowly.

Illumi regarded you coolly, utterly unfazed by having a knife leveled inches from his chest. Of course he wouldn't flinch - you'd never seen this man throw an assassin so much as blink, let alone show fear.

"We seem to have been hired for the same contract," he said flatly, not a hint of inflection.

Your jaw clenched as the two of you stared each other down. Of all the elite assassins spanning the globe, you had to cross paths with Illumi Zoldyck on this job. The one killer whose skills, whose ruthless reputation, could potentially rival your own.

And the one man who, despite yourself, you could feel an electric, unsettling charge sizzling between...

Illumi's obsidian eyes remained carefully impassive as they raked over you. You couldn't tell if he sensed that same crackling tension or if he simply viewed you as another obstacle to circumvent on this assignment. Knowing Illumi's icy detachment, it was likely the latter.

"I don't share contracts," you stated firmly, keeping your blade leveled. "Especially not with you."

"How unfortunate," Illumi murmured in that maddeningly even tone. "Because I've no intention of walking away from this job. Or you."

A tremor ran through you at those last two words, quiet but weighted with Something you couldn't let yourself dwell on. You were the best at what you did, same as Illumi, and neither of you became so lethally elite by allowing distractions.

And yet...you couldn't ignore the way your breath grew shallower, how the air seemed to thicken and churn with that inscrutable energy passing between your bodies. This wasn't going to be as straightforward as you'd planned.

Desperate to regain your composure, you aimed for nonchalance - the only way to get under Illumi's perspicacious stare. Deliberately, you dragged your gaze over his lean frame in an appreciative once-over.

"My, my..." You tsked, allowing a teasing lilt to enter your tone. "No wonder you're so sought after in our line of work. That lithe form seems perfectly suited for stealth...among other intriguing applications."

You watched with no small amount of satisfaction as Illumi's jaw tightened near-imperceptibly at your suggestive words. Score one for actually getting a reaction.

"You're incorrigible," he stated flatly. "And severely lacking in professionalism on the job."

"Oh lighten up, you know how to have a little fun, don't you?" You took a deliberate step closer, watching Illumi tense ever-so-slightly as you invaded his personal space. "Unless cold...unfeeling...killer is simply your natural state?"

Your heated words seemed to spark something deep behind those unfathomable dark eyes. A fleeting glimmer of emotion - irritation, attraction, you couldn't tell. But it was there, buried under icy layers of ruthless control.

"Fun..." Illumi echoed the word like it tasted foreign on his tongue. His piercing stare remained locked on you. "I'm beginning to think your definition of that differs greatly from mine."

"Is that so?" You clicked your tongue in faux disappointment. "Well then, maybe you'll have to show me your version instead. Could be...enlightening."

The heated undercurrent between you was becoming unmistakable now, no matter how steadfastly Illumi tried to remain impassive. He was an impregnable fortress, to be sure. But you were an expert at cracking even the most stubborn defenses.

And you had a feeling once you wormed your way inside Illumi's walls, you'd find something exquisitely, savagely intriguing lying in wait.

Illumi's gaze remained inscrutable as it raked over you appraisingly. "Your attempts at seduction are transparently amateur at best. I expected more from someone of your...reputation."

You barked out a laugh at his cutting remark. "Is that a challenge I detect, Mr. Zoldyck? Because you're playing a very dangerous game, trying to provoke me like that."

"I don't do games," Illumi stated coolly. "I deal in absolutes, in realities. And the reality is that only one of us will be completing this contract tonight."

He closed the distance between you in a few measured strides, his imposing frame now looming mere inches away. From this proximity, you could make out the faintest ethereal scent of sandalwood and steel clinging to him. It was utterly intoxicating.

"So I'll ask you once more," Illumi's words were lethally soft. "Will you walk away willingly? Or am I forced to make you..."

The unspoken threat hung heavy in the charged air. You knew Illumi was utterly capable of neutralizing you here and now if he deemed it necessary. The fact that he seemed to be offering you an out, however slim, was...curious.

Unable to resist pushing further, you tilted your head in a studiously nonchalant manner. "You know...if you wanted me on my back, you could have simply asked nicely."

A heartbeat of loaded silence passed. Then another. Illumi's expression remained that maddening blank slate, not rising to your deliberately crass implication even as the tension thickened palpably.

Just when you were about to goad him again, the faintest of smirks played across those soft lips.

"There's that lack of professionalism again," he murmured. "Though I can't decide if it's merely incessant or...intriguing."

Your breath hitched slightly at the undercurrent beneath those words. Was the infamous Illumi Zoldyck, cold-blooded killer extraordinaire, actually flirting with you?

Recovering quickly, you leaned in until your lips were a hairsbreadth from his. Close enough to feel his exhales ghosting across your skin in tantalizing puffs.

"Why don't you get a little closer and find out?"

Illumi didn't so much as flinch at your brazen advance. His dark, fathomless gaze remained locked with yours as one corner of his mouth curved upwards in a maddening half-smirk. "Tempting...but I'll have to decline. At least for now."

Before you could process his words, he moved with blurring speed. One moment he was mere inches away, the next his muscular frame was pressed flush against yours, backing you up until your spine met the wall with a soft thump.

Illumi braced one hand beside your head, effectively caging you in with his body as he leaned down. Those slightly parted lips brushed a scorching path maddeningly close to your own before veering aside at the last moment. Instead, you felt the barest whisper of breath fanning along the heated skin of your neck.

"I do hope you'll make this interesting for me," he all but purred, voice dipped in something sinfully dark. "I'd hate to be...underwhelmed by your skills so early in our...partnership."

A tremor ran through you at the implication in that last word. Despite his impassive facade, there was no mistaking the molten undercurrent flickering behind Illumi's eyes now. You'd sparked something primal awake in the infamous assassin, something he clearly didn't experience often.

And a reckless part of you couldn't wait to stoke those smoldering embers into an inferno.

Regaining your composure, you arched a challenging brow. "Oh, don't you worry about me keeping things interesting," you practically purred. "In fact, I promise to take your breath away before the night is over."

Illumi regarded you with an inscrutable look for a heavy beat, as if weighing your brazen promise. Then, in one sinuous motion, he stepped back and put a calculated sliver of space between your bodies once more.

"We'll see about that," he stated evenly, though you didn't miss the faint huskiness edging his inflection now. "For the moment, I suggest we return our focus to the task at hand."

You fought not to visibly react as Illumi gestured towards the door leading to the mark's penthouse suite. As if either of you could so easily disengage from the potent tension still crackling between you like a livewire.

Nodding once, you forced yourself to slip back into professional mindset, sheathing your blade with a practiced flick of your wrist. "Lead the way then. I'll be right behind you."

The words carried a deliberate double meaning that wasn't lost on Illumi if his momentary side-eye was any indication. Still, he turned on his heel and started down the hallway without another word.

As you fell into step behind the assassin, you allowed your gaze to linger appreciatively on the powerful shoulders beneath his fitted suit, the lithely coiled muscles in his arms and back that you knew all too well could snap a man's neck with grotesque ease. There was an undeniable, unsettling allure to Illumi's lethal grace.

You couldn't quite put your finger on what had changed between the two of you in these past heated moments. The razor-edged chemistry had been lurking for months, years even, every time your jobs brought you into the other's orbit. but tonight that simmering tension had suddenly been stoked into roaring life, quickly spiraling out of control.

And despite the small, rational voice warning this was a reckless game to play with as elite a killer as Illumi Zoldyck...you couldn't shake the feeling that you were both helplessly, inexorably, caught up in the thrilling inferno.

Reaching the mark's private entrance, Illumi paused and slanted you a weighted look over one shoulder. A silent challenge glimmered in those midnight depths.

Game on then.

Lifting your chin boldly, you brushed past him and took the lead, making sure your body grazed his with deliberate suggestion as you did so. You heard his soft intake of breath behind you and hid a smile.

Let the games begin.

With Illumi trailing slightly behind, you took point and stealthily picked the lock to the penthouse entrance. Normally a task like this would require your full, focused concentration. But with your senses tantalizingly attuned to the silent predator shadowing your every move, you found your mind wandering.

What game was Illumi playing at? This wasn't his usual cold, detached modus operandi when handling contracted hits. No, there was an undeniable spark flickering behind that unreadable facade now. A banked sort of heat smoldering in those obsidian eyes whenever they raked over you with pointed intent.

You risked a glance over your shoulder. Sure enough, Illumi's piercing gaze was trained squarely on the curve of your backside as you bent over the lock mechanism. Not even attempting subtlety anymore, was he?

Unable to resist prodding that newfound fire, you made a show of slowly rising back to your full height and stretching your arms overhead with an exaggerated breath. Your shirt riding up just enough to expose a taunting strip of toned midriff.

The loaded moment stretched between you before Illumi finally spoke, voice raspier than usual. "If you're quite finished delaying..."

You turned with an innocent look. "Why, whatever do you mean? I'm simply preparing myself for the challenge ahead."

Holding his stare, you traced a deliberate fingertip down the valley between your breasts, letting it trail down your abdomen slowly before dropping your hand. "Gotta stay...limber."

Illumi's jaw tensed infinitesimally but he remained otherwise impassive as always. "Your attempts at distraction are obvious. And fruitless. I don't lose focus so easily."

"Is that so?" You arched one brow teasingly before spinning back towards the door and finall finishing your work on the lock tumblers. "We'll see about that."

The pneumatic hiss of the door unsealing echoed like a sly promise. Slipping inside the darkened penthouse, you felt the frisson of Illumi's tall frame entering behind you with predatory grace.

The game was most definitely afoot now. You couldn't wait to see who would be declared the winner once all the players' simmering desires were finally, deliciously sated.

The penthouse suite was cloaked in inky shadows, though both you and Illumi could navigate the darkness with preternatural ease. Silently, you swept through the grandiose living area, senses attuned to any potential security triggers or signs of the mark's whereabouts.

A slight shift of air current against your back alerted you to Illumi's stealthy approach from behind. You tensed instinctively as his presence materialized at your side, so close you could feel the subtle body heat rolling off him in waves.

"He's not here," Illumi murmured, low enough that his warm breath fanned along the sensitive skin of your neck. "The bedroom."

You refused to allow his intentional proximity to rattle you, squaring your shoulders. "After you then."

Illumi's lips quirked in a near-imperceptible smirk before he brushed past you purposefully. You had to resist the urge to shiver as the movement brought your bodies into fleeting alignment, front to back. Just for a moment, you could have sworn you felt the barest graze of his fingertips trailing along your hip.

Get a grip, you chided yourself. He's just trying to throw you off your game again.

Although...if that was indeed Illumi's aim, you had to grudgingly admit it was working. Being this close to the enigmatic assassin's raw, coiled power set your nerves pleasantly buzzing with a strange sort of static charge. Like you were a live wire just waiting to surge into blinding arc of current given the right spark.

Shaking off the tingling distraction, you followed Illumi down the hall towards the bedroom. You both moved with the same unhurried yet purposeful hunter's stride, bodies gliding in a strange tandem sync. Like two cosmic bodies pulled into an ever-tightening orbit, unable to resist the other's inescapable pull.

The smoldering tension thrummed steadily between you with each measured footfall. More heated and palpable by the second as your blood sang in rising anticipation.

Whatever happened once you reached your destination tonight, one thing was becoming undeniably clear - neither of your lives would be the same after.

To your surprise, the bedroom door was left slightly ajar and a thin slice of amber lamplight spilled out from within. Illumi slowed imperceptibly before easing up beside it, flattening himself to the wall as he angled his body to peer cautiously through the opening.

When his gaze cut sharply back in your direction a beat later, the fire glimmering there caused a shiver of awareness to lick straight down your spine.

Beckoning you over with one subtle hand gesture, Illumi then tilted his chin towards the bedroom in a silent directive for you to take a look as well.

You swallowed hard before moving to slip in behind his formidable frame. Despite yourself, your pulse kicked up several notches as you leaned past Illumi, basking in his masculine scent - a dizzying combination of adrenaline and some smoky spice that ignited liquid heat low in your belly...

Forcing your mind to focus, you peered through the gap and felt your breath catch in your throat at the scene within.

The mark was indeed present. And he most definitely was not alone.

The bedroom was awash in flickering amber light from the fireplace, casting the two figures tangled amidst the rumpled sheets in a sultry warm glow. The businessman you'd both been hired to eliminate was very much alive and obliviously preoccupied...thoroughly engaged in intimate activities with a scantily clad woman.

You felt Illumi shift minutely behind you as he too registered the unexpectedly compromising scene. The heat of his firm chest pressed fractionally closer along the line of your back until you could almost feel the measured cadence of his breaths ghosting the nape of your neck. The intimate proximity made your pulse spike deliciously.

"Well..." you murmured, keeping your voice a hushed whisper meant only for Illumi's ears. "This certainly complicates matters."

"Does it?" came his silken response, his mouth now so tantalizingly close that his lips very nearly grazed the sensitive shell of your ear with each syllable. "I was under the impression you...preferred things deliciously complicated, my dear."

A shiver traced your spine at the velvety endearment, at the way his inflection caressed those last two words. You risked a glance over your shoulder to find Illumi's gaze locked on you with banked intensity, those dark obsidian depths flickering like the flames in the other room.

Unable to resist a little prodding, you arched one brow at him teasingly. "Why Illumi...are you suggesting we take notes on their...technique?"

A loaded pause. Then finally, the barest ghost of a smirk curved those soft lips as Illumi leaned in fractionally closer until the two of you were sharing the same heated breath between parted mouths.

"Only if you think you can keep up," he murmured, rich voice dipping into a low, gravelly register that flooded your veins with liquid fire. "After all, I'd hate to...overwhelm you before we've even really gotten started."

Despite the bravado, his dark gaze remained trained intently on your face, watching, searching for any flicker of reaction to his boldly suggestive words. Seeking out that first fissure where he could apply calculated pressure and finally shatter your meticulously maintained control.

Well...two could most definitely play at that game.

With slow, exaggerated intent, you brushed back the silken lock of hair that had slipped over Illumi's forehead until your fingertips were cradling the strong angle of his jaw. Feeling his muscles twitch ever so slightly beneath your touch as his gaze morphed into smoky embers.

"I thought you'd never ask," you practically purred, allowing your lips to graze the barest whisper along the stubbled hinge of that chiseled jaw as you spoke. Close enough to taste the heated tang of his skin on your tongue. "Lead the way then, Mr. Zoldyck. And do try to keep up with me."

For one electric moment caught in crystal suspension, Illumi looked very much like he was considering simply slamming you back against the nearest surface and finally slaking the ravenous want blazing between you.

Then, like the steady click of a reloaded round sliding into chamber, his impenetrable mask of control descended once more. Not quite banked...but stoked into a raging, unholy inferno blazing behind those unfathomable dark eyes.

"Perhaps another time," he rasped in a tone that could have scored steel. "We have a job to complete."

With immense force of will, you managed to tear your eyes away from the molten promise simmering in Illumi's gaze. Turning your attention back towards the bedroom, you attempted to refocus on the mission at hand despite the thundering of your pulse.

The mark was still entangled with his female companion, utterly oblivious to the two elite assassins lurking just outside. Their breathless cries and the rhythmic creaking of the bedframe provided a perversely intimate soundtrack that only stoked the banked embers flickering between you and Illumi.

You were vividly aware of the assassin's powerful frame pressed along the line of your backside as you both watched the couple's wanton movements through the cracked doorway. So close, in fact, that you could feel the scorching path of his eyes boring into your body as he drank in every minute reaction.

Despite the fire simmering low in your belly, you couldn't resist one last heated provocation.

Keeping your voice a hushed whisper, you murmured just loudly enough for Illumi's ears alone, "You know...they don't seem to be lacking inspiration at the moment."

You felt the subtle hitch of his breath against your nape at the words, savoring your small victory with no small amount of satisfaction. The upper hand was yours again...for now at least.

"However," you continued, deliberately allowing your hips to cant back fractionally until they brushed against Illumi in suggestion. "If you feel you need more...hands-on education before we proceed, I'm certainly amenable to providing it."

This time there was no mistaking the rasping exhale that spilled from between Illumi's lips, hot and harsh against your sensitized skin. You fought not to shiver at the banked lust given voice in those airless syllables.

"Keep pushing me," he all but growled, the low timbre seeming to vibrate straight through your bones. "And you may get more of an...education than you bargained for, little assassin."

The heated endearment twisted like a brand straight to your core. Your back arched instinctively, pressing your body flush against Illumi's powerful frame before you regained control. But it was too late - the damage had already been wrought.

Illumi dipped his head until his mouth hovered a hairsbreadth from the juncture of your neck and shoulder, his warm breaths fanning torrid patterns of promise along your heated skin. When he spoke again, the words seemed to sear you to your very marrow.

"The real question is...are you finally ready to stop playing games and give in to this?" One calloused finger traced a scorching path down your bodice until it reached the lush swell of your breasts. " Because I promise you, once that line is crossed, there'll be no going back."

In that breathless moment of shared hunger, the rest of the world seemed to fall away until there was nothing else but the two of you. Adversaries, allies, would-be lovers hovering on the exquisite precipice of the inevitable. A yawning chasm of uncharted rapture beckoned just beyond that razor's thin line.

All it would take was one of you finally gathering the courage to let go and leap into the howling abyss. To see where these shuddering tremors of desire ultimately led when allowed to detonate their full, cataclysmic force.

Who would be the one to finally summon the will to take that first step over the edge?

The heated tension thrummed like a livewire between your bodies as you stared one another down through the cracked bedroom door. Illumi's piercing gaze seemed to burn straight through you, sparking liquid fire in your veins and stoking the deepening ache low in your belly.

This had gone far enough. If you didn't act soon, there was no telling how much further this delirious game of provocations could escalate before one of you inevitably combusted.

Squaring your shoulders, you forced your expression into one of taunting nonchalance despite your rabbiting pulse. "Well? Are we going to keep wasting time out here gawking? Or are you finally ready to make your move, assassin?"

A muscle ticked in Illumi's taut jaw as his stare remained unwaveringly intense. You could have sworn his pupils blew wider at your heated challenge. Then, so fast you barely registered the movement, he was on you.

One moment he was a hairsbreadth away, the next your back collided with the wall in a harsh thump. Illumi's powerful frame caged you in as he braced one forearm beside your head, effectively pinning you in place with the hard lines of his body.

"My move?" His voice was little more than a low, gravel-laced rasp against the heated hollow below your ear. "I'm waiting for you to stop playing coy and take what you really want..."

The taunt hung heavy between you, igniting sparks of liquid fire wherever Illumi's body brushed against yours with his slowly decreasing restraint. You could feel the restrained power thrumming through those coiled muscles, the barely leashed predator straining against the final tatters of its restraint.

This was it then. The tipping point where one of you would finally have to take that first, irrevocable plunge and allow the tenuous threads binding you to unravel.

Part of you thrilled at the inevitability of it, at the forbidden knowledge of how utterly incandescent that long-banked inferno would blaze once stoked into full, blinding life. While another part still whispered urgent warnings about the reckless road you were careening towards.

With Illumi pinning you in place and those dark eyes burning molten promise, it would be all too easy to let your resistance finally shatter. To reach out with both hands and pull that lithe, powerful frame against yours while giving in to the howling demands of your body.

To simply let go and allowed yourself to be consumed by the all-encompassing maelstrom.

But you were no helpless victim to your urges - you were a master of discipline, just like Illumi. Which meant you still had one final game to play.

Summoning every last vestrige of your rapidly deteriorating control, you slid your palms up the lacquered plane of Illumi's chest until they came to rest at the juncture of his throat. Letting your fingers brush torrid patterns along the thundering pulse you found there as you tilted your chin up in blatant defiance.

"What I want..." you breathed, allowing your lips to graze Illumi's with slow, searing intent. "Is for you to move out of my way so I can finish this job and collect my payment. All this delicious tension between us is doing nothing except distracting us both."

The barest fractional widening of Illumi's eyes indicated you'd scored a direct hit. Sensing your window of opportunity, you dropped one hand and allowed your fingertips to trace a scorching path down the taut ridges of his abdomen.

"Unless..." You punctuated the hushed whisper by pressing your palm firmly against the rapidly hardening bulge straining against Illumi's tailored slacks. "You'd like me to take care of this distraction for you first?"

For an electric seconds-lasted-eternity heartbeat, Illumi seemed to simply stop breathing altogether. His entire frame went terribly, utterly still apart from the subtle tic working his clenched jaw.

Then finally, after what felt like a small eternity had elapsed between you, he exhaled a single rough syllable. "...Vixen."

The word seemed to reverberate through you both with the distant promise of repercussions.

Your palm pressed firmly against the bulge in Illumi's slacks, allowing your fingers to brush tantalizingly as you murmured your heated challenge. For a suspended heartbeat, muscle ticked in the assassin's chiseled jaw as his obsidian gaze burned into you with molten intensity.

Then, so fast your lashes barely had time to part, Illumi's head dipped and his mouth crashed against yours in a searing, possessive kiss.

You gasped at the white-hot contact, allowing Illumi to deepen the liplock as one calloused hand fisted in your hair to angle your head. His other palm splayed scorchingly against the small of your back, pulling your bodies into rapturous alignment from chest to hip.

The world seemed to burn away until there was nothing but the exquisite friction of his firm planes melding with your softer curves. The dual infernos of your desire stoked higher and hotter with each harsh pants of shared breath and duel of roving tongues.

This was the precipice you'd been hovering over since first laying eyes on the enigmatic Illumi Zoldyck. The point of no return where control finally shredded and allowed your most vibrant urges to detonate into blinding supernova.

Except...you weren't quite ready to plunge over that edge into the abyss. Not yet.

Reaching deep for your last tattered remnants of focus, you allowed one hand to slink down Illumi's powerful backside. Your fingers brushed over the unmistakable shape of his concealed blade, causing the muscles there to twitch in anticipation.

Then, before he could process your gambit, you seized the hilt and wrenched the curved karambit free in one deft motion. Reversing your grip, you shoved hard against Illumi's chest and broke the heated clash of your bodies before whipping the blade up in alusty arc towards the bedroom.

His dark eyes blown wide in a mixture of disbelief and fiery approval as the weapon left a blurring contrail...straight towards the obliviously intertwined figures within.

There was a meaty thunk of impact followed by a truncated scream. But your focus had already shifted to the wide-eyed gape frozen on Illumi's patrician features, savoring every last micro-expression of his disarmed shock.

"Looks like I'll be the one collecting payment tonight after all," you murmured softly before turning on your heel and disappearing into the night.

After all, a girl had to keep her skills...polished for whatever came next.

In the weeks and months following your boldly audacious move against Illumi that night, your paths continued criss-crossing at an uncanny rate. Whether by design or some cruel twist of fate, it seemed the two of you were forever being hired to eliminate the same high-profile targets across the shadowy criminal underworld.

At first, your motivations for one-upping the other revolved solely around claiming the biggest payouts and cinching another notch on your respective body counts. The lucrative assassination contracts became an intense competition - a lethal game of one-upmanship between two masters vying for the same coveted prizes.

Your encounters started taking on an increasingly heated edge as the rivalry escalated. Cat-and-mouse games of sabotage, calculated attempts to undermine each other's efforts or eliminate the other from the playing field entirely. All bets were off when it came to claiming victory over your newfound nemesis.

And yet...you couldn't ignore the persistent, erotic tension that continued simmering like a banked fire no matter how viciously you clashed. The memory of Illumi's powerful frame pinning yours, the lingering phantom burn of his mouth branding your skin indelibly, remained burned into your psyche. Stoking the very embers that should have cooled after that first encounter.

Because despite the underhanded tactics, despite the barbed taunts and bristling antagonism, there was no mistaking the fire that flickered to lurid life in Illumi's lethal gaze whenever you were in proximity. You recognized the look, the molten promise that stormed behind those darkly impenetrable eyes.

This was more than just an intense competition between two elite assassins constantly trying to outmaneuver the other. No, this was a gauntlet thrown - a searing challenge issued between two all-too-willing players itching to dive back into the deliciously torrid inferno ignited that first explosive night.

A breathtaking game of carnal provocation and simmering want layered atop the dangerous, high-stakes duels to see who could claim the biggest prize. Who would ultimately emerge the victor didn't matter nearly as much as getting to sate the scorching need both of you were becoming hopelessly addicted to.

So the chase continued with escalating fervor, leading to increasingly bold displays of sabotage. Like the gala you infiltrated to take out a marks, only to have Illumi materialize like a specter in your periphery. One minute you were setting the kill stage, the next he was looming over you from behind, long fingers snaring your wrist to stay the killing blow as his lips brushed the brimming pulse at your throat.

"Going somewhere...little assassin?" came the dark purr laced with equal parts promise and provocation.

And just like that, the game was afoot once more. The renewed sparks of your heated rivalry fanned into a roaring blaze as you twisted in his steely grasp and lashed out in a vicious return strike. Driving Illumi back in a flurry of grappling limbs and hastily drawn blades as the sounds of the opulent party raged on in mocking ignorance just beyond the curtained alcove.

"I could ask you the same thing," you managed to grit out as the two of you traded blows. Each parry and riposte igniting fresh embers until it was impossible to tell whether your rapidly spiking pulses stemmed from the violence of battle...or something infinitely more primal drawing you both in like cosmic bodies caught in the other's irresistible orbit.

It was only a matter of time before one of your cataclysmic collisions saw that banked fire finally detonating into a conflagration that would consume you both utterly.

The real question was - would either of you have the strength of will to walk away from those searing ashes once the smoke finally cleared?

The intense game of one-upmanship and provocation continued escalating between you and Illumi over the next string of overlapping contracts. Cat-and-mouse games of sabotage and thwarting each other's efforts descended into something far more perilous - a high-stakes, high-adrenaline gauntlet fueled by simmering desire.

You couldn't deny the molten promise that flared white-hot in Illumi's obsidian stare every time your bodies moved through that dangerous danse macabre. The controlled violence of your clashing forms seeming to exist on some higher, erotically-charged plane with rules all its own.

One job saw the two of you grappling viciously in the shadows of an opulent wine cellar, blades whirring in feinting arcs. Heated breaths mingled as you strained against Illumi's powerful frame for dominance, chests heaving in exquisite exertion.

"Getting sloppy, little assassin?" he rasped against the sweat-slicked curve of your neck as one calloused palm pinned your wrist with bruising force. "How terribly...undisciplined."

You snarled wordlessly and managed to wrench partially free, whipping your knee up towards his abdomen. Illumi twisted fluidly at the last second, avoiding the blow but leaving himself fractionally overextended in your personal space.

Seizing your fleeting window, you hooked one leg around his thigh and heaved with all your strength. The world spun in a blur as you reversed positions, slamming Illumi's shoulder blades against the cellar's stone floor with enough force to stun even his preternatural reflexes momentarily.

"You were saying?" you couldn't resist taunting as you used your weight to pin his hips immobile beneath yours. Your palms bracketing Illumi's chiseled features and your faces now only scant inches apart.

His gaze flickered with something utterly incendiary at your bold move. One corner of those soft lips quirked in the barest ghost of a smirk before he arched his lower body with dizzying strength.

The powerful undulation sent shockwaves of forbidden friction lancing through you both. Your breath left in a harsh gasp at the illicit heat now searing your limbs and core from such fleeting contact. Illumi's eyes glittered twin points of unholy promise at breaking through your control.

"My, my...such forthrightness," he practically purred, somehow managing to infuse those innocuous words with carnal sin. "Although if my memory serves, weren't you the one always pressing me to stop toying around and give in fully to our...indulgences?"

Your entire body went taut as tressed steel cords at the blatant callback to that first explosive encounter. The memory of Illumi's searing lips and merciless hands branding your pliant flesh with rapturous possession seared through your mind like a lightning strike. Igniting phantom brushfires in all the secret places his touch had roamed so devastatingly.

You opened your mouth, desperate to hurl back a cutting retort and snuff those banked embers before they could conflagrate completely out of control. But then Illumi shifted minutely, rolling his hips in one subtle, sinuous motion that dragged the jacquard ridge of his slacks against your molten core in the most obscene caress.

The throaty whimper that spilled from your lips would have embarrassed you if not for the exultant gleam that lit Illumi's gaze at the sound. You'd pressed too far and now, finally, the beast was roused to wakefulness. Ready to pursue its ravenous hunger to the only conclusion possible when denied for too ling.

"Well?" His voice had roughened to gravel, dark and dangerous with Alpha promise. "What's it to be, little assassin? Fight..." He punctuated the heated murmur by undulating his hips again in devastatingly perfect alignment. "Or flight?"

Despite the heated altercation in the wine cellar, where you and Illumi had teetered on the very precipice of allowing your combative passions to detonate into something cataclysmic, neither of you actually crossed that line. Not yet.

There were still too many unspoken boundaries, too much history and distrust bred into your very bones as elite assassins to simply let go so recklessly. You were both masters of restraint and discipline, after all. No matter how scorching the embers flickered between you, some part of your formidable natures wouldn't allow that inferno to fully immolate.

Not without a fight, at least.

So the game continued with renewed, blistering fervor. A gauntlet of sabotage, undermining, and all-out attempts to eliminate one another from the face of the earth whenever your latest target's trails intertwined. And yet, underneath the professional violence and searing glares...the undercurrent of bone-deep, electrifying want only intensified.

You became hyper-attuned to even Illumi's slightest movements, the way his lithe form uncoiled with leonine grace whenever you crossed paths. The anticipation built with every measured look exchanged, every blistering brush of heated bodies through the chaos of battle.

It was as if you were both engaging in some intricate occult ritual - dancing ever closer to the brink of total immolation through escalating circles of seduction and provocation. Stoking those banked embers hotter and brighter until they threatened to detonate into a conflagration that would raze your very souls.

The next job saw the two of you prowling the dimly-lit lesser echelons of Yorknew's underground aurodium exchange. Bitter professional rivals once more in pursuit of taking out a wealthy nerodist and claiming their bounty. And yet, the moment you registered Illumi's presence slinking through the rafters high above, a delicious frisson lanced straight to your very core.

With the ease of long practice, you slipped into the calculated motions of your craft. Felling guards with surgical efficiency while angling your assault towards the prime vantage that would allow you to spotting and eliminating the mark.

Only this time, as you moved into final position with your weapon prepped and sights aligned...you tracked the steady grip of Illumi's drawn blade from your periphery. Following the clean lines of those flexing forearms and upwards to find the other assassin's flinty gaze locked on you from across the cavernous space.

A lightning-struck heartbeat of bristling eye contact passed between you and you knew, with absolute certainty, that he'd marked you as his real target for the evening. Not your intended victim, but something far more primal and insatiable.

The tiniest fractional tilt of those sculpted lips curved into the ghost of his maddening half-smirk. An unspoken challenge blazed in the turbulent depths watching you with utterly unbroken intensity. A molten invitation to tear the world asunder and finally give in to the searing waltz you'd been breathlessly pursuing for months...years...

With him, there would be no holding back this time. No final shreds of control leashing the wildfire about to detonate if you surrendered to the ultimate provocation. This was the gauntlet centuries in the making - the ultimate collision between two unstoppable forces of nature who refused to be denied their cataclysmic release.

All it would take was a single shot, a hairsbreadth turn of your wrist adjusting your aim towards...

The weighted look you shared with Illumi across the cavernous underground exchange stretched into an infinitely charged moment. For a suspended heartbeat, the world seemed to go utterly still apart from the twin points of banked fire flickering in the other assassin's gaze.

A unspoken ultimatum simmered between you, laced with the dark promise that whatever this delirious game between you had been escalating towards all along...the tipping point was finally, inexorably here.

One subtle twitch of your gun's muzzle was all it would take to reject the insistent pull towards complete ruination. To turn your sights back towards the original mark, reignite the familiar dance of brinksmanship between professional adversaries, and walk away from the inferno altogether.

Or...

You could finally indulge the scorching, increasingly inescapable urge that seemed to howl through your every atom whenever Illumi's electrifying presence manifested nearby. Embrace the irresistible gravity drawing your bodies into nearer and nearer orbits with each smoldering exchange until the inevitable cosmic collision.

There would be no returning from that eternal plunge into rapturous oblivion should you choose to allow these tensions to finally detonate. No scrap of restraint or control remaining once you surrendered utterly to this deliciously untenable heat steadily reducing you both to cinders.

Illumi seemed to read the warring impulses battering you in that loaded moment. His chin dipped near-infinitesimally in a minute nod of understanding...and challenge. The next calculated inhalation saw his broad chest expanding subtly, rolling those taut pectoral ridges forward in a deliberate display of the coiled power thrumming beneath his tailored clothing.

It was a patently blatant gesture of provocation, one final taunt issued by a supremely Alpha predator impatient to rouse their prey into taking flight or standing their heated ground.

Your fingers tightened fractionally on your weapon's grip as that undeniable spark of adrenaline - of primal, churning want - ignited low in your abdomen. With each subsequent measured breath you were acutely aware of Illumi's piercing stare watching your every microreaction, hungrily searching for the instant your carefully cultivated control finally reached its terminal breaking point.

When the simmering lava flow of need you had both been so desperately attempting to dam finally found its inevitable lahar vent.

The molten promise flickered in your blood like a wildfire about to conflagrate into raging inferno. But you refused to be goaded quite so easily this time. Not when so much...so much uncharted potential for absolute rapture hung trembling in the balance.

No, if Illumi was finally ready to truly start this ancient dance anew, you were going to make the insufferable bastard work for his catharsis. Every... torturously...delicious...inch of the way.

Drawing your lips into a small, taunting smirk of your own, you allowed your gun's aim to drift lazily away from the foolish target cowering across the hall. Let the momentary confusion play out in Illumi's eyes even as the twin flames of anticipation and heated approval kindled brighter in those endlessly deep pools.

Then, with exaggerated indolence, you blew out a soft breath and adjusted your stance into an exquisite stretch that saw every lush curve of your body pulling taut against your form-fitting garments. Your tongue peeked out to lave a slow, deliberate pass across your lower lip as you drank in the thunderstruck look now suffusing Illumi's chiseled features.

If this was to be the opening overture to your ultimate freefall from the heavens...you were going to make certain every soul-searing note rang clearly.

The air itself seemed to thicken and churn with a palpable static charge as you boldly held Illumi's molten stare from across the sprawling exchange floor. This was it - the pivotal moment when one of you would finally have to be the first to recklessly leap over the yawning abyss separating professionalism from total rapturous ruination.

You could practically taste the scorching inevitability gathering like stormheads as Illumi's eyes raked over every subtle undulation of your provocative stretch. Hungrily drinking in the blatant offering presented by your arched spine and the tantalizing swell of your figure pulled taut against restrictive fabrics.

Deciding to further stoke those banked embers into an inferno, you allowed your free hand to slowly, exaggeratedly trail up the contours of your body. Fingertips tracing patterns of liquid fire from the dip of your navel, over the generous curves of your breasts, until finally coming to rest with pointed emphasis at the hollow of your throat.

You heard - or perhaps imagined, given the heated maelstrom battering your senses - Illumi's sharp inhalation from across the space separating your bodies. Like a wolf sent into hyperfocus by the first tantalizing notes of a howl carried through the underbrush.

Throwing your head back with deliberate indolence, you exposed the long pale column of your neck in unspoken invitation. A primal offering encoded into the most ancient submissive posturing...and a blatant challenge to the virile apex predator watching your every move with undisguised, ravenous intent.

Illumi's blade still hung at his side, utterly disregarded and forgotten in the wake of your escalating provocations. His stare had turned utterly unblinking, shoulders rising and falling in an irregular cadence as he seemed to commit every detail of your taunting display to smoldering memory.

This was quickly becoming untenable for you both. You could feel that final fraying thread of restraint thinning to a mere filament despite all your training, all your carefully cultivated icy control. Soon...so very soon one of you was bound to be the first to snap and finally give in to the howling needs baying for release.

A part of you thrilled with dark, lurid delight at the thought of utter surrender. To give in fully to this feverish, churning rapture and be unmade then remade anew in the searing, primal crucible promised by becoming intimately entwined with Illumi Zoldyck at long last.

But another part, that iron kernel of stubbornness and pride hardwired into your every atom, refused to simply give quarter so easily after coming this far. Let the pretentious assassin be the first to lose his way...to expose the chinks in his oh-so-indomitable armor of control.

A game of chicken, then. Pushing your taunts and provocations until that final spool of resistance began to splinter and fray completely. Daring the other to finally reach out and wrench apart the remaining tatters keeping your mutual inferno tightly banked.

You quirked one shapely brow in heated challenge as your palm continued its torturously languid trail up your sternum. Rolling your shoulders back to accentuate the profound swell of your breasts rising and falling with each increasingly ragged breath. Taking your time to adjust your stance and position just enough to ensure Illumi's darkly turbulent gaze drifted helplessly to the riot of movement.

Then, punctuating the silence that had gone utterly static in the air between you, your fingertips grazed maddeningly light patterns over the achingly sensitized skin above the neckline of your top.

"So, handsome...." you all but purred, giving voice to the sinful endearment that seemed to resonate like a thunderclap in the tiny cosmos contained within this electrified moment. "Ready to ante up? Or should I stop...wasting your time?"

The loaded silence that fell between you and Illumi seemed to stretch into a small eternity as the unspoken challenge hung white-hot in the thickened air. You could practically see the twin firestorms raging behind those depthless obsidian pools as he drank in your taunting words and provocative display.

For one faltering heartbeat, his harsh features appeared to fracture ever-so-slightly - that impenetrable façade of control cracking under the impossible strain you were ruthlessly exerting. Calloused fingers visibly flexed against the hilt of his forgotten blade as if contemplating simply hurling the weapon aside entirely.

Then, just as you began to savor the first fissures in his meticulously cultivated restraint...Illumi inhaled one measured breath through flared nostrils. Committing what seemed like every atom of his formidable willpower into steadying that hairline fracture from shattering wide open.

When his gaze finally returned to yours, it burned with searing intensity - but also something altogether more potent and inexorable. A primordial acknowledgment of the seismic shift that had just occurred in this delirious match of provocation between you.

Lines had been indelibly drawn, boundaries obliterated in the wake of your combined rising tide of lust and dogged oneupmanship. There could be no more feints or strategic maneuvers, no further illusion of maintaining a last veneered pretense of professionalism.

This had irrevocably, irretrievably become the main Event - capital E - you had both been hurtling towards across uncounted nights of fleeting, charged intersections. A terminal collision rapidly approaching that would see one of your formidable natures bent past its tensile limit and finally shattered by the sheer cataclysmic force involved.

The only remaining variables were who would provide that final devastating overture...and what unholy havoc would be wrought in its smoldering, cinder-strewn aftermath.

Illumi shifted almost imperceptibly, squaring his shoulders as if bracing himself to withstand the oncoming onslaught. You watched the subtle flexing of his throat as he swallowed once, seeming to steel his resolve before replying in that maddeningly mild timbre that somehow made every syllable resonate like stroking hands over bared nerves.

"Why don't you come over here..." he murmured with quiet, lethally-coiled intensity, "...And find out for yourself whether either of us will be wasting each other's time tonight?"

The blatant heat laden into those softly issued words triggered an involuntary shiver from the base of your spine to the nape of your neck. For a single suspended breath, the very world itself seemed to teeter upon the precipice, awaiting your ultimate response.

Would you finally gather every last scrap of your mettle and call Illumi's brazenly provocative dare? Yielding fully to the siren call awaiting in that precipitous, looming abyss that had steadily been unraveling your tightly-bound controls for months now?

Or would some fragment of your rationale, of your assassin's creed to never allow distractions or entanglements, manage to sheath itself in composure one final time? Withdrawing from this rapidly deteriorating conflict before you both rent the very fabric of existence to burning threads?

The heady choice was suddenly, perilously, yours alone to make...

A dozen different impulses battled for control as you weighed Illumi's bold, heated challenge. Part of you thrilled at the dark, smoldering promise carried in those murmured words - an unspoken vow that should you dare meet his provocation, he would finally unleash the full, merciless force of his long-restrained desire upon you.

The thought sparked molten tendrils of liquid fire lancing straight to your core. You couldn't deny the feverish allure of being one of the rare few to pierce the Zoldyck assassin's impenetrable walls and expose the primal, savagely rapacious need lying in wake beneath.

To clasp the tiger's jaws and feel its searing exhalations scorch your very essence...it was undeniably, perversely intriguing in a way that stoked your own deepest, most untoward cravings.

And yet, another part of you - that kernel of flint-stubborn pride and discipline bred into your elite bone and marrow - balked at the thought of simply surrendering so easily. Of allowing Illumi the satisfaction of rattling you into compliance first, no matter how deliriously tempting the rewards promised on the other side.

No...if this scorching waltz was to reach its exquisite, world-rendering crescendo, you refused to acquiesce to being the first player to blink.

Dragging your heavy-lidded gaze up to meet Illumi's in a blatant display of haughty dismissal, you carved one side of your mouth into a slashing smirk. The expression didn't come close to reaching your eyes, which had turned to glittering metallic flints of challenge.

"Well well, Mr. Zoldyck..." You traced the very tip of your tongue along your lower lip with exaggerated indolence. "I have to admit, you've piqued my interest with that...spicy little invitation."

You punctuated the husked words by allowing your palms to glide sinuously down the lush terrain of your body. Over the generous flare of your hips, the taut feminine curves accentuated by your form-fitting garments, all the way until your fingertips tucked purposefully into your waistband.

Illumi's own fingertips audibly tightened against the hilt of his discarded blade as his stare raptly tracked your display. The smoldering promise in those endlessly deep pools had shifted into something rawer...more wantonly naked the longer you drew out toying with his composure.

Leaning forward slightly to emphasis the profound swell of your cleavage straining against your top's plunging neckline, you clicked your tongue in exaggerated disappointment.

"Unfortunately...I don't have time to waste entertaining your particular brand of gratuitous urges tonight."

Illumi's features seemed to fracture almost imperceptibly at your dismissive words. That molten veneer of restraint now paper-thin as those hooded, predatory eyes bored into yours with searing intensity. Silently demanding elaboration as to whether you were truly intending to withdraw from the brink after so relentlessly stoking the inferno between you both.

Unable to resist one final goad, you faked a theatrically disingenuous pout before slowly, sinuously hitching your hips in a subtle roll of exquisite provocation. "But don't worry, handsome...I'm sure we'll have the chance to pick this back up another time. When you've had the chance to...cool that notoriously intense ardor of yours."

The twitch that rippled across Illumi's chiseled jawline indicated your taunt scored a direct hit. You could practically see the sheer force of that pent-up ardor battering against the remaining brittle shards of his restraint like a maelstrom hurling itself against a rapidly crumbling dam's gatehouse.

"Until then..." You held his heated stare unflinchingly as you turned on one heel in a swirl of skirts. Already anticipating the seething inferno of denied hunger and frustrated need that would surely be etched across Illumi's expression over your shoulder.

"Try not to burn yourself up from the inside, Zoldyck."

Not giving the danger dance between you both so much as a parting glance, you slipped away into the abyss as silent and ethereal as death's whisper itself.

Leaving the other half of your exquisite struggle to contend with the roiling, savagely thunderous tempest clawing at his admittedly formidable composure in your swirling wake.

The dimly lit lounge pulsed with the sort of charged, illicit energy that draws hunters and their prey alike into its neon-hazed aura. Perfect for your current mission of luring the despicable mark into a strategic seduction before neutralizing him.

You'd coiled yourself sinuously onto one of the banquettes ringing the central bar, making sure to catch the sleazebag's rapt attention from across the room. A few carefully timed hair-tosses and coquettish glances over the rim of your cocktail glass were all it took before he began making his way over.

Straightening your spine, you allowed one sculpted leg to arc provocatively as you prepared to reel your next victim in completely. This was the part you truly excelled at - donning whatever irresistible lure was required to ensnare your targets before coldly reaping them for your employer's highest bid.

Except this time, your eyes barely had a chance to flutter open with feigned demureness before a presence materialized beside your banquette like a wraith coalescing from the lounge's smoky shadows.

"There you are, my dearest wife. You really shouldn't wander off from me like that in places like this."

The flat, eerily toneless baritone sliced through the throbbing bassline and caused you to stiffen in stunned recognition. Because of course the insufferable Illumi Zoldyck would materialize to undermine you again right when you were working.

As if the netherworld's cruelest cosmic joke, the assassin slid into the booth beside you uninvited and shifted until his tailored form was plastered uncaringly against your side. One long arm snaked around your waist to draw you in tighter against his body in a shockingly intimate embrace.

"I-Illumi, what the hell do you think you're—" you tried to spit out through gritted teeth, but he cut you off.

"Darling, is that any way to greet your beloved husband after being separated for so long?" His tone remained that same mild, laconic drawl even as one corner of those soft lips curved slightly in a mockery of a fond smile.

The effect was undeniably unsettling...and also indescribably simmering in the most unfurly way your rational mind refused to dwell on right now.

You opened your mouth to angrily protest his absurd charade further, but Illumi made a clicking tutting sound before leaning in close enough for his fiery exhales to ghost your cheek.

"Play along nicely," he murmured in a tone that somehow made the innocuous endearment sound purgatorially hot against your skin. "Unless you'd like me to blow your cover over there and ruin all your hard work seducing that pathetic mark?"

The subtle tip of his chin indicated where your actual intended target had frozen halfway across the lounge floor. One beefy hand still outstretched from where he'd been rudely interrupted while on his prowl by this insane scene.

Jaw clenched in seething frustration, you nevertheless recognized the fact that Illumi had effortlessly gained the upper hand here as per usual. If you tried to slip away now, he'd no doubt make good on derailing your entire operation out of pure petty vindictiveness.

Which meant you had no choice except to allow the other assassin his little heterosexual homelife play, at least for the moment. Whatever deranged game of wits Illumi thought he was playing at, you'd find a way to subtly regain control sooner than later.

Favoring him with your sweetest, most vapid smile, you leaned in until your cheeks brushed provocatively together under the guise of issuing a fond greeting kiss between "lovers."

"There's my wonderfully overbearing darling," you practically purred with dripping saccharine against Illumi's jaw. "And here I was beginning to worry you'd never show up after keeping me waiting all this time..."

One elegant brow arched a hairsbreadth as Illumi allowed his palm to slip south and settle overtly possessive against your hip. The heat singeing the patterns his merciless fingertips traced there made it impossible to suppress a subtle shiver.

"Now now, pet..." The molten whisper vibrated straight through your sternum and pooled heavy in your abdomen. "We both know I'd never abandon such a deliciously...obedient wife for long."

He punctuated the provocative words by slanting you a weighted look rife with dark, unspoken promise. In that heated moment, it was impossible to tell if you were playing the part of wanton newlyweds or something...else entirely more intimate and primal.

One thing was certain - your night had irrevocably been knocked off its already unsteady axis courtesy of your most infuriatingly persistent rival.

And you had a sinking suspicion this was Illumi's idea of well-earned payback for all the delicious torment you'd put him through as of late.

Illumi's grip tightened infinitesimally against your hip as his gaze remained locked in that same simmering, unblinking stare. The two of you were rapidly spiraling into hazy, uncharted territory where realities seemed to blur and distort like a mirage's shimmering heatwaves.

Was this truly just some absurd, inexplicable attempt at sabotaging your mission objectives? Or had the circuitous game of provocations and heated oneupmanship between you progressed to the point of this being Illumi's next daring gambit to unravel you completely?

You found yourself momentarily adrift, unsure whether you should be playing along with the farce of his imposed "loving spouse" charade...or abandoning the pretense altogether in favor of something far more visceral. After all, didn't a situation like this technically represent yet another incendiary gauntlet offered between two willing combatants spoiling for their next pyric clash?

Just as you were weighing how to finally shatter the tension electrifying the air between your bodies, Illumi took the decision out of your hands. In one lithe, unsettlingly sensuous motion, he turned and swung one leg over your lap until he was straddling you brazenly.

"You have no idea how long I've been dreaming about getting you all to myself like this," he murmured in that same lethally mild cadence that somehow made every syllable drip with sinful intent. "Since our last...indulgence, the thought of tasting that pretty, defiant little mouth of yours again has been an agonizing craving, my dear, wicked wife."

The seemingly innocuous terms of endearment landed like smoldering brands against your already feverish skin. This was beyond even his usual provocations, beyond the taunting flirtations and increasingly blurred lines you'd been toying with together for months now.

No, this felt deeper...more primal. Like Illumi was showing his teeth at last in a truly unrestrained display of the blistering, unholy need both of you had been stoking to roaring life.

Still, you refused to surrender the upper hand - or what shredded composure remained - quite so easily. Arching one challenging brow, you shifted deliberately against his weight settled over your thighs and feigned an indolent stretch.

"Oh my, you certainly have a way with pretty words, don't you handsome?" you lilted with exaggerated nonchalance. "But we both know you'd never have the patience to indulge in all this unnecessary foreplay first."

Punctuating your veiled dare, you allowed one hand to drift upwards and cup the taut swell of Illumi's pectoral beneath the sleek tailoring of his suit. Tracing scorchingly deliberate lines along the defined ridges and valleys there in an utterly unambiguous caress.

"Why don't you get around to showing this supposedly wicked wife of yours just how thorough your...appetites truly are instead of wasting both of our time?"

The resounding crash of glass shattering against the far side of the lounge barely even registered over the sudden, leaden weight of tension surging like a riptide between you at your provocative words. Every atom of the known universe seemed to grind to a screeching halt, awaiting Illumi's reaction with bated finality.

Then, like ignition finding an oxyacetylene mix, every last thread of that fabled Zoldyck restraint appeared to unspool in one fell immolation behind those blazing dark eyes. His entire frame stilled to such dead raptorial focus that you nearly missed the hairline fractures of composed control now webbing across his chiseled features.

When he spoke at last, the words emerged in a rough, gravel-laced rasp so devastatingly virile your core clenched in reflexive response.

"Game...bloody...on, then."

And with that softly intoned vow laced with portent, Illumi's hips rolled forward in one lethally precise undulation tailored to grind his hardening cock against your molten center. Stoking the smoldering embers now blazing between you anew as you surrendered to this latest, most brutal round of chicken.

A harsh gasp punched from your lungs before you could strangle it at the shockwaves of searing friction radiating from Illumi's calculated grind against your sensitized flesh. He felt it too - the infinitesimal tremor racing through your joined bodies - if the way his piercing stare sharpened into dark, unholy approval was any indication.

"I-Illumi..." you managed to rasp out in what was meant as an admonition. But the breathy quaver twisting your tone transformed the utterance into something far more akin to pleading persuasion.

Damn him for always managing to unravel you so utterly with even the subtlest of calculated provocations. This entire scenario was quickly spiraling beyond the boundaries of playful oneupmanship and into territories unexplored...and highly dangerous for ones of your ilk to tread.

Summoning the tattered remnants of your restraint, you settled both palms firmly against the assassin's powerful chest with the intent of forcibly creating space. Of regaining whatever tenuous grasp on rational control one of you still possessed before--

The scorching words that spilled like sin from Illumi's lips shattered that feeble line of defense before you could even draw your next strained inhalation.

"Yes..." he husked, each consonant seeming to etch itself into your very marrow. "Say my name like that again, wife. Let me hear that honeyed desperation dripping from your lips just once more."

Punctuating the dark command, he shifted subtly, rearranging his weight so that those merciless hips ground down in another searing, lushly undulating roll that dragged deliciously against your scorched center.

A strangled, mewling sound you didn't recognize as your own punched from your core at the rapturous assault. Every atom of your existence suddenly seemed to white out into pure electrified nerves pulsing in exquisite, delirious rapture at Illumi's continued calculated onslaught.

Some distant, fraying part of your consciousness registered that you were rapidly losing whatever strategic foothold remained in regaining control of this rapidly devolving situation. Illumi was a grand master at subjugation through the sheer merciless application of exquisitely unleashed desire.

And with your restraints being whittled to shreds beneath that implacable storm of his relentlessly stoked passions, it was only a matter of agonizing moments before you succumbed to the lancing siren call and surrendered everything to its searing raptures...

Clawing for one final, flimsy lifeline of composure, you rasped out a desperate deflection laced with as much hauteur as you could desperately muster through the fractures in your mask.

"Y-You arrogant...ingrate," you managed to grit out with a defiant curl of your lips. "Did you really think this pathetic attempt at mind games would be enough to make me buckle to your vile appetites?"

As if dealing the deathblow to any delusion you wielded the upper hand, Illumi arched one eloquent brow and delivered a punishingly precise hip roll that sent galaxies of white-hot exquisite rapture blazing through your shuddering form.

"We'll just have to see about that now, won't we...pet?"

And with one last salacious grind of his weight settled fully over your now trembling thighs, Illumi suddenly disengaged. His formidable frame rising from your tangled forms in one effortlessly sinuous motion, leaving you utterly disoriented and bereft in the smoldering wake of his denial.

"Wait--" The pleading syllable wrenched itself free before you could mercifully strangle it. But by then Illumi was already turning on his heel to melt back into the dizzying lounge's shadows with that same inscrutable half-smile ghosting the firm line of his mouth.

When your lust-addled brain finally reconnected with reality, the jacquard evidence of your unwound state remained prominently displayed in your lap as a dark, taunting promise. One Illumi clearly had no compunctions leaving you to wrestle with as the ultimate testament to your loss of control in this latest round.

The silken flogger's tails slipped through your uncoordinated fingers as you attempted to rise unsteadily to your feet, every fiber of your being strung taut and vibrating like a live wire brought to the searing edge of rapturous obliteration without release.

When next you and your incessantly provoking rival crossed paths, this latest slight would not go unanswered.

One way...or literally another.

The dingy back-alley reeked of stale city grit and burnt adrenaline as you slipped through the shadows towards your target's ramshackle hideout. This was meant to be a clean, straightforward operation - tail the mark, neutralize him while he was unaware, collect payment, ghost away into the night once more.

At least, that's what should have transpired if the universe hadn't seen fit to thoroughly upend your best-laid calculations yet again.

You sensed his disquieting presence a split-second before the shadows themselves seemed to coalesce that lithe, unsettlingly familiar form beside you. Of course the insufferable Illumi Zoldyck would materialize to undermine your objective, just like every other infuriating time your paths intersected.

"You again..." you hissed lowly, muscles instinctively coiling as your free hand strayed towards the concealed blade at your hip. "What are you doing here, Zoldyck?"

One dark brow arched fractionally as Illumi regarded you with that same unshakable, vaguely reptilian calm he always exuded on the job. As if you weren't even worth the trouble of being rattled, let alone engaged with directly.

"Isn't it obvious?" came his flat response after a loaded pause. "We've been hired for the same mark again. Although at this rate, I have to start questioning whether you're simply stalking me on purpose."

You scoffed harshly at the barb, fighting to ignore the familiar flutter of that delicious, precarious tension now crackling between your bodies with the ease of long practice. As if the sight of this particular rival alone wasn't enough to set your pulse thundering precipitously these days.

"You're delusional as always if you think I have any interest in your company beyond putting a dagger in your back," you growled, squaring off into an unmistakably confrontational stance. "Either get out of my way, or--"

"Or what?" Illumi cut you off smoothly, somehow managing to loom over you despite the scant inches separating your heights. "You'll attempt to make a show of seducing me as usual? We've been down this fruitless road before, pet. Many times now."

His piercing stare somehow seemed to undress you down to your thrumming marrow despite every stitch of clothing firmly in place. Daring you with those banked embers searing behind hooded lids to finally be the first to ignite the maelstrom openly raging between you beyond the point of control.

You opened your mouth to hurl back a cutting retort...and in that infinitesimal window of distraction, a harsh clatter sounded from the abandoned building.

Both your heads whipped around in unison as the mark burst through the rear egress with a startled cry, clearly spooked by your presences lurking nearby. He didn't so much as register your outstretched forms before wheeling and bolting towards the narrow alley's mouth with startling swiftness.

"You imbecile!" Illumi snarled in a rare show of true anger as he exploded into pursuit. "Don't let him—"

But you were already moving, fury propelling your strides into a flat sprint as you flung yourself into the chase with wild abandon. This contract was yours, damn his interference, and you'd carved out your grisly reputation bathed in the sorts of stunts that would see lesser assassins martyred without quarter.

The world compressed into a howling vortex of thundering adrenaline as you rapidly closed the scant distance separating you and the panicking mark. Some distant, rational part of you registered Illumi's pounding strides tight on your heels like a mercilessly inexorable shadow about to swallow the both of you whole.

You were almost close enough to reach out and seize your quarry's flailing coattails...when he veered sharply towards a narrow side street and hurled a discarded plank of scrap lumber directly into your hurtling path.

The unexpected projectile caught you squarely in the midsection with crushing force, punching the air from your lungs in a devastated rush.

You doubled over, gasping for escaped breath as Illumi predictably shouldered past you without a shred of hesitation or concern for your well-being. Even as you flailed, temporarily winded on the verge of blacking out, his tenacious footfalls rapidly faded up the side alley as he relentlessly pursued the mark alone.

That insufferable, ruthless, single-minded--

The blistering haze of fury galvanized your senses back into razor-sharp clarity just in time to steady your strides. Honing every atom of your being into a fine, piercing point of lethal focus as you rounded the corner after them with scarcely a moment's delay.

The sight that awaited you, however, was one you could never have anticipated in a thousand lifetimes of assassination.

The narrow side street was utterly deserted apart from Illumi standing frozen in the center, body taut as a bowstring yet somehow radiating palpable waves of disbelief and restrained fury.

You felt your own volcanic anger briefly stunted as you took in the bizarre scene, gaze hastily tracking for any sign of the mark. There was nothing - no cowering form stuffed in a nook, no telltale scuffs indicating his path of escape. It was as if the wretched target had simply...vanished into thin air.

"What the hell happened?" you bit out once close enough for Illumi to inevitably sense your presence beside him. "Don't tell me that after all your bravado, the sniveling coward actually managed to evade the great Illumi Zoldyck too."

His jaw tightened infinitesimally at your barbed taunt, shoulders squaring like a panther preparing to leap as he finally pivoted to face you head-on. Up close, you could make out the scorching embers flickering to lurid life behind those onyx depths.

"On the contrary," he gritted out in that terribly mild tone that somehow laced every syllable with simmering menace. "Your blundering ineptitude is what allowed this failure to transpire."

You scoffed harshly at the accusation, rigor returning to your muscles as you matched Illumi's defensive stance in an instinctive mirror. "That's rich coming from a self-aggrandizing fool who couldn't neutralize a sedated invalid without making an operatic spectacle of it!"

"I had the situation well in hand," he fired back without missing a beat, somehow managing to loom inches from your face despite the negligible difference separating your statures. So close, in fact, that you were forced to tip your chin upwards as his heated breaths fanned scorching patterns across your cheekbones. "It was your delayed involvement that provided our mark with the opening to flee in the first place."

Some distant part of your consciousness recognized the perilous territory you were both veering towards - the razor-thin tightrope separating this heated confrontation and the sort of unfettered conflagration destined to consume you if either slipped. Every muscle quivered with rigorous discipline as you fought against the molten urge to simply surge forward and unleash the full tempest howling between your strained bodies.

But Illumi's uncanny gaze glittered with something darker, more primal than usual professional antagonism. Like he recognized the churning cusp you stood balanced upon just as acutely...and was silently daring you to make the first calamitous leap over the edge into oblivion.

"Just admit you're in over your inferior skull and stand down before you truly become a liability," he murmured in a soft, smoke-laced rasp that somehow brooked no compromise. "This assignment requires a defter hand than your usual heavy-handed antics can provide."

The patronizing undercurrent sliced straight through whatever tattered self-restraint you'd been clinging to like a man overboard clutching driftwood. Something inside you finally snapped with an almost audible reverberation as every ounce of pent-up tension detonated in searing release.

The next thing you registered was your fist impacting Illumi's chiseled jaw with a resounding thunk of impact, snapping his head aside with enough force to splinter bone on a lesser assassin. A bloom of crimson erupted from his nostril, trailing garnet rivulets down towards those merciless lips.

You staggered backwards, chest heaving rapid breaths that didn't come close to slaking the bonfire ignited in your veins. Illumi simply remained rooted where he stood, expression inscrutable as he slowly turned that penetrating obsidian stare back towards you.

Measuring every scintilla of your disheveled, furiously wound state with those hooded lids brimming embers of primal promise...and incendiary approval at what he found blazing there.

In that infinite breath, the entire universe ground to a standstill around you - awaiting one minuscule push to send it all spiraling gloriously, unstoppably, into rapturous cataclysm.

"Well then..." Illumi husked at last as his lips curved into an unholy grin of salacious satisfaction. "I suppose we're finally going to see which of us breaks first after all these heated dalliances, little assassin..."

A heartbeat of leaden suspension stretched between you, trembling on that ultimate precipice as the decision hovered suspended on a wisp of fate.

Then, as if tasting release on the arid desert wind for the first time, the flood walls fractured and the deluge came raging through.

Your second haymaker slammed into Illumi's jaw with enough brutal force to make even his preternatural reflexes falter. He absorbed the bone-rattling impact with an animalistic grunt, dark eyes blazing like newly stoked coals in the instant before he retaliated.

One calloused palm whipped up to snare your wrist mid-swing before you could unleash a third wild strike. With almost negligent ease, he wrenched your arm back across your body until your back collided with the alley's grungy brickwork. The breath punched from your lungs in a harsh wheeze as Illumi pinned you there, bodies aligned in searing alignment from crown to toe.

For one suspended eternity, you remained frozen in that tableau - potential combatants sizing each other up before mutually deciding to discard the final tottering remnants of restraint instead. The maelstrom neither of you had possessed the discipline to resist any longer.

Then, as if some cosmic switch had been thrown, you simultaneously surged forward to crash together like superheated bodies in an unstoppable fusion reaction.

Illumi's hands were everywhere, mercilessly possessive as they clamped around your waist and hips to haul your weight flush against his powerful frame. Your own fingers fisted into the starched lapels of his jacket with bruising intensity, relishing the harsh judder of muscle and bone you felt beneath fine linen.

His lips slanted over yours in a calculated brand of pure possession, tongue spearing past your parted defenses to stake its dominance with each scorching duel. You gasped shudderingly into the onslaught, giving as ravenously as you received while surrendering to the searing tidal wave of need crashing through your veins.

Somewhere distantly, the night sky above shuddered with the banshee wail of sirens and the cacophonous thunder of the city's lifeblood roiling all around you. But the rest of the world may as well have ceased revolving entirely for how little you registered outside this infinitesimal maelstrom of sensation and primal, unholy rapture.

You were the sole wellspring and terminus, the stratonic forces converging in an explosive lambda implosion that would render everything beyond to smoldering ash within its transfigurative wake.

Illumi broke the liplock only to trail his merciless ministrations along the vulnerable curve of your neck, teeth and tongue staking out lush patterns of possession as he went. Each harsh scrape and searing exhalation sent fresh shockwaves of electrified need straight to your thrumming core. You arched shamelessly into his frame, silently pleading for more of his exquisite ruination through the spiral of rapidly deteriorating control.

Any last vestige of proprietary fled as your wandering hands sought out the hard, flexing ridges of Illumi's body sheathed beneath perfectly tailored fabric. Stroking, teasing, peeling layers back to uncover more and more of his predatory brutality clawing vindictively to the surface now. You were utterly intoxicated on it - the raw, uninhibited power radiating from Illumi's very essence as all the tangled threads of restraint frayed into oblivion between your devouring bodies.

This was the long-overdue precipice you'd been balancing upon since that very first, fateful clash between professional talents. An inevitability distilled and condensed down to its purest molecular essence until only one irrefutable terminus remained - searing raptures and utter, irrevocable ruination for whatever dared linger on after.

The sharp snap of fabric being rent from its seam jolted your senses back to the moment just as Illumi's hands slipped beneath the hem of your top. He tore his mouth from the bruised hollow of your throat with a harsh gasp, chest heaving with the same ragged respirations racking your own form.

His pupils were blown wide, black as the void behind the glittering, unfettered flames licking across their surface. As if the sight of you, already thoroughly undone beneath his hands, was the most beautiful, rapturous vision he'd ever witnessed in his lifetime.

You barely had a chance to catch your breath before his hands were at your waist, lifting you with preternatural ease until your thighs locked instinctively around his hips and your back hit the unforgiving brickwork. His palms slid up to settle beneath the supple curves of your ass, gripping so fiercely you suspected the prints would be tattooed there for weeks to come.

Illumi rolled his pelvis in a slow, languorous undulation that made your head drop back with a desperate mewl. The rigid heat straining against his slacks dragged tortuously across the soaked front of your leggings, the friction sending molten shivers ricocheting through every atom of your body.

He repeated the motion with that same agonizing rhythm, savoring every strangled cry and breathless plea that spilled from your lips at his leisurely torment. Until the only words remaining in your vocabulary were a garbled litany of his name and a fevered begging for more.

You'd never felt such unbridled, visceral need before, a tempestuous vortex of pure fire and electricity threatening to devour you from the inside out if he didn't satiate it right here and now.

Illumi's teeth were suddenly at your neck again, dragging along the delicate pulse fluttering beneath your jaw with a growl that seemed to originate from the very pits of hell. "So impatient," he chastised against the delicate shell of your ear, the gravel-laced baritone dripping with pure sin. "My impatient, wanton little wife."

Before you could protest, his hips snapped forward with a force that stole the air from your lungs and rattled your very bones. Every nerve ignited, the white-hot pleasure-pain so exquisite it nearly sent you spiraling over the edge right then and there.

You clung to his broad shoulders for dear life, the seams of your leggings stretching thin as Illumi's relentless pistoning threatened to shred the fabric altogether. Each ruthless thrust of his hips drove his cock against the molten seam of your center, grinding his thick, straining ridge over your clit with unerring precision.

Your climax was rapidly coiling to the bursting point, every atom of your being strung to fever pitch as you careened towards the inevitable, obliterating oblivion. Illumi's mouth had resumed its merciless assault on the sensitive hollow of your neck, sucking and biting with punishing intent until you were certain there'd be no mistaking the marks left behind.

As if every inch of your body wasn't already branded indelibly by his touch, the thought of being left with tangible, lingering proof of his claiming stoked the inferno inside you to a roaring frenzy.

The seams of your leggings finally gave way just as Illumi tugged his own pants down, the fabric tearing beneath the relentless friction of Illumi's assault. You felt the unmistakable drag of bare flesh against slick flesh and moaned shamelessly. The thought of him rutting you bare and open, fully exposed and vulnerable to his whims, should have been a blistering red flag. Instead, it was all that was needed to catapult you over the edge into the abyss.

Illumi's fingers tightened punishingly on your ass as your body shattered around him, the ecstasy so intense it sent every atom of your consciousness whiting out. His own ragged groan against your throat was the only warning before the scalding heat of his release pulsed across your skin, the liquid heat seeping down the back of your thighs in searing rivulets.

Without warning, your entire reality tilted and shifted. In the next instant, you registered the rough stone of a different wall digging into your spine as Illumi slammed you bodily into the adjacent building. His weight pressed you there, pinning your writhing form into place while he continued rutting against your slick, aching folds with a newfound frenzy.

The overstimulation was so overwhelming, the sensation verging on the edge of pain, yet you couldn't summon the willpower to make him stop. Instead, you clung to his powerful shoulders and rode out the delirious storm as another, even more brutal climax crested like a tsunami over the horizon.

The next thing you registered was Illumi's scorching mouth sealed over yours, devouring your strangled cry as a second wave of mind-numbing rapture detonated through your form. Some distant corner of your consciousness registered him pulsing another hot, scalding flood of cum against the small of your back before his weight slumped bonelessly into your heaving body.

Illumi didn’t bother breaking the kiss, the languid slide of his tongue and lips against yours so unhurried and thorough it seemed like he was attempting to brand himself onto every last molecule of your being. You responded in kind, relishing the salty musk and iron tang still clinging to his lips and the rough scrape of stubble along his jawline.

Your fingers had drifted into his silken locks, combing through the soft tresses that spilled freely down his shoulders and tickled your collarbone. Illumi hummed approvingly against your mouth, his own hands sliding up the planes of your sides until they cupped the weight of your breasts.

The dexterous pads of his fingers traced teasing, spiraling patterns around the peaks of your nipples until they tightened and throbbed beneath the attention. Then he pinched them between his thumb and forefingers, rolling and tugging the engorged tips in time with his plundering tongue until you were writhing anew beneath him.

Illumi had somehow managed to hitch your thighs higher, hooking your knees over his elbows and spreading you wider, allowing the new position to press his half-hardened length even more deeply against your molten core.

The sudden friction had your head falling back against the stone with a thunk and a moan, the overstimulation too much yet somehow not nearly enough all at once.

He didn’t seem to be in any hurry, taking his time to trace the delicate line of your collarbones with his lips before sinking his teeth into the juncture of your neck and shoulder. A guttural sound wrenched itself free from the depths of your chest, your fingernails raking punishing lines down his shoulder blades as his mouth sucked a livid bruise into your skin.

You couldn’t take it anymore, the unrelenting onslaught of his sensual attack too much for your overwrought nerves to endure. Twining your fingers into his hair, you dragged Illumi up until your lips were hovering scant inches apart.

Your voice emerged a rough, rasping wreck when you finally managed to force the words out. "Illumi...fuck, please, I need--"

His fingers tightened fractionally around your throat, the pressure just light enough to stifle the flow of air without restricting it entirely. "You will learn to beg properly for my affections, wife," he husked in that devastatingly lethal tenor that sent another wave of molten heat spiraling through your core.

"Please," you breathed, no longer caring about the shameful, desperate edge threading your voice. "Illumi, I need you. Need you inside me. Now."

Something in his impossibly dark eyes seemed to shift at that, the banked embers smoldering behind his hooded gaze suddenly flickering to raging conflagrations. With a low snarl, he claimed your mouth in a bruising, devouring kiss as he finally, mercifully lined his now-aching cock up with your weeping entrance.

The first searing, aching stretch was almost enough to make you come apart again right then and there. The delicious burn of his girth and the delicious friction as he slowly bottomed out had you reeling, nails digging furrows into the flesh of his shoulders as you arched up against him.

Illumi's pace was relentless, hips snapping with brutal, punishing thrusts that rocked you deeper into the brickwork with each punishing stroke. Your world narrowed to nothing but the overwhelming heat and fullness, the unhinged pleasure-pain that threatened to consume you whole.

Your third release slammed into you with all the force of a tidal wave, the sheer intensity so overwhelming that you couldn't even muster a cry as the rapture consumed your senses. Illumi followed shortly after, burying his face into the crook of your neck and groaning a curse that would have made a sailor blush as his cock pulsed a scorching flood into your spasming core.

He didn't move to disengage right away, continuing to pin you against the wall with his weight and nuzzling soft kisses along your collarbone while you both caught your breaths. The tender ministrations were at such odds with the wild, uninhibited fucking you'd just been subjected to that you found yourself wondering if this was the real Illumi Zoldyck. The assassin stripped down to the most human, vulnerable part of his psyche...the part that had been hidden from the rest of the world for so long.

The thought made your heart do something dangerous and complicated that you chose to ignore for the moment. Instead, you let him continue lavishing affection on your skin, the featherlight kisses gradually growing less languid and more insistent.

When his hips rolled forward with a newfound urgency, you let him guide one leg to curl around his waist and moaned as his cock sank even more deeply into you. He was already fully hard again, his thrusts gradually gaining momentum as the familiar, electric tension coiled and built between your joined bodies once more.

Just as you felt yourself careening towards the edge of oblivion, Illumi suddenly pulled out. The loss was so shocking and abrupt that a ragged gasp punched from your throat as you reflexively reached out for his broad shoulders. But Illumi was already moving, turning you so that your palms hit the cool stone and your hips jutted back at a sharp angle.

He guided your legs further apart and nudged his cock against the puffy, dripping seam of your center once more. When you bucked backwards and keened with desperation, he finally granted mercy and buried himself to the hilt with a single, powerful thrust.

Illumi's palm settled at the base of your neck, pressing just enough to tilt your head backwards as he leaned down to rasp hotly against the shell of your ear. "You'll come undone with me this time, little wife. So be a good girl and take it."

And then, without warning, his other hand snaked down to circle the aching, throbbing bundle of nerves above where you were stretched impossibly wide around him. Illumi's thrusts grew more punishing, fingers dancing an infuriating, featherlight pattern over your clit in counterpoint.

Within moments, the dual assault had you shuddering and moaning his name shamelessly, pleading for the sweet release that was just out of reach. You were so close - almost, almost, almost--

Then Illumi pinched your clit between his forefinger and thumb and you fell apart with a ragged scream, vision whiting out into pure, unending oblivion as he continued fucking you through the climax. He only allowed you a few precious moments to recover before he was pulling out once more, turning you roughly in his arms until he could hoist you up and pin your back against the wall.

Illumi didn't even bother waiting for your legs to hook around his hips, simply hitching you up by the thighs until your dripping slit was level with his cock and slid back inside with one smooth motion. The new angle had him hitting even deeper than before, every thrust of his hips slamming home until the breath was driven from your lungs and you could do nothing but cling to his powerful shoulders and surrender to his unrelenting domination.

Your fifth release left you a limp, shaking mess in his arms, the only thing holding you aloft being the strength of his powerful arms and the unyielding hardness buried to the hilt inside you. As if sensing the limits of your endurance, Illumi's pace quickened, his thrusts growing more frantic and erratic.

The moment his lips crashed into yours and he began to pulse hot, wet streaks against your fluttering walls, a sixth climax exploded through you out of nowhere. You were well aware of the embarrassingly intense gush of juices spraying between your bodies, the lewd sound so wet and obscene you felt yourself blush furiously.

But Illumi simply growled his approval into your mouth, the sound rumbling all the way through your joined bodies as he kept fucking you through the climax. He was still rock-hard, the friction so delicious and the sensation of his cock stroking along every swollen, hypersensitive inch of you so overwhelming that it was almost enough to bring tears to your eyes.

Then his fingers were on your clit again, circling with a newfound precision that had the breath punched from your lungs and a sob ripped from your lips. Illumi didn't relent, continuing his ministrations while simultaneously slamming his cock against your abused, tender cervix until the overstimulation had you reeling and writhing desperately.

"One more, little wife," he commanded, voice hoarse and raw. "I know you have one more in you. Give it to me."

The sheer authority in his tone sent you crashing over the edge for the seventh time, the force of your orgasm so intense that you blacked out for a split-second. The only thing keeping you tethered to reality was Illumi's bruising grip and the relentless pounding of his cock into your spasming channel.

When his hips stuttered and his breath hissed out through his teeth, you braced yourself for the scalding flood that would follow. But he pulled out at the last instant, his thick release spraying across your bare breasts and stomach instead.

He pumped his cock vigorously, milking every last drop of the hot, pearly liquid until you were streaked with it from collarbone to navel. Then Illumi leaned forward and sealed his mouth over yours, his tongue sliding languidly through your parted lips as he pressed his still-rigid length against the slick, puffy seam of your center.

"One more, love," he murmured into your mouth, the tenderness in his tone so unexpected it sent a sharp pang echoing through your chest. "Don’t worry. I’ll give your pussy a break. I promise."

The sudden emptiness as Illumi's cock slipped from between your folds was almost unbearable. You whimpered softly, hips rocking instinctively as he shifted his grip on your thighs. Then the broad head of his shaft was nudging against a different opening, the blunt pressure so sudden and overwhelming that your breath locked in your lungs.

"Relax," Illumi coached gently, hands sliding soothingly up and down the backs of your thighs as he slowly, steadily inched his way inside. "Have you done this before?"

"No," you admitted in a shaky whisper, fingers flexing where they were still latched around his neck.

He paused in his gentle exploration, his obsidian gaze boring into yours with such intensity it seemed to strip every last ounce of restraint away. "Good," he rasped, his voice so gravelly and low you could practically feel the vibration of it against your very bones. "That's exactly how I want you, little wife. Just for me. My little, innocent, perfect little wife..."

Illumi's words were an erotic litany, a brand against your skin with every syllable and thrust. He was so deep inside you, deeper than he'd ever been, filling every inch and crevice so perfectly.

The ache was almost too much, the stretch bordering on painful yet so exquisite you could scarcely stand it. You couldn't think, couldn't speak, couldn't even form a coherent thought beyond the single, primal urge to hold onto him and never let go.

So that's exactly what you did.

"I love you."

The confession came from so far out of left field, it took you a moment to realize that you were the one who'd spoken the words. They were true, though - so true it was like the entire universe had suddenly crystallized around the simple, undeniable truth.

It was terrifying and liberating all at once, the sort of revelation that would change everything.

"Illumi, I--"

But he silenced you with a kiss that was almost chaste, a sweet, gentle brush of his lips that somehow carried more emotion than a thousand filthy promises could convey.

"I love you, too."

And when he began moving inside you again, the achingly tender strokes were so at odds with his earlier carnal savagery that the sensation was almost enough to shatter you into a million pieces all over again.

He held you throughout, whispering the softest, most tender confessions into your skin as the pleasure slowly built and crested. You came with a sob, a fresh rush of wetness soaking the place where you were joined as his name spilled from your lips over and over.

Illumi followed shortly after, his cock twitching and pulsing in time with each searing flood until you were completely, utterly spent. His seed leaked out in sticky rivulets as he pulled out at last, a combination of both your juices now trickling down the insides of your thighs.

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. Illumi simply continued to hold you, his forehead pressed against yours as his warm breath fanned across your cheekbones. You basked in the closeness, letting the silence cocoon around the both of you as the rest of the world ceased to exist beyond the circle of his arms.

At last, he spoke, his words so soft and low they nearly got lost in the night air. "My family is very traditional. There are...certain expectations they have for a first-born son."

A leaden weight settled in the pit of your stomach, dread coalescing into a cold, hard knot that threatened to steal the breath from your lungs. You already had a sneaking suspicion you knew where this was going, but you couldn't bring yourself to voice the question.

Illumi, however, seemed to understand your silent plea regardless. "You would make a lovely wife for me, little assassin," he whispered, his voice somehow managing to carry every ounce of warmth and reassurance you needed to hear. His hand drifted downward to stroke your belly, the lightest of pressures yet enough to convey the unspoken implication behind his words.

"And I’m pretty sure I just fucked a baby into you, so-"

#hxh smut #hxh x reader #hxh x reader smut #hunter x hunter smut #hunter x hunter x reader smut #hunter x hunter x reader #hunter x hunter #illumi x reader smut #illumi smut #illumi x reader #hxh illumi #illumi zoldyck #illumi zoldyck smut #illumi zoldyck x reader #illumi zoldyck x reader smut

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rats-hyperfixation-corner · 22 hours

Text

gg ship tier list bc fuck it (explanations under cut)

Asuka x HC: i don't like mentor and mentee dynamics, also i headcannon HC as aro/ace and really not wanting a relationship unless it's for the memes

A.B.A x Ramleathal: i don't want ram to get hurt

all the bedman ones: isn't he like at most in his teens?

I-no x HC: i don't think i-no likes HC at all

Millia x zato: i think their dynamic is more father/daughter. i just think that makes Zato's redemption far more interesting

Sol x Ky: let them be rivals

May x Chipp: why? i think they'd kill eachother

Chipp x Nago: why? (pt.2)

Bridget x Sin: would be great friends, but i can't see them as a couple

Gio x Goldlewis: see above

crushing apathy for all of them

Pot x Gabriel: i like it

Johnny x leo: a fun himbo x himbo bRomance

I-no x Jack-o: the silly

Goldlewis x Vernon: i get he hates his job, but old man yaoi

Bridget x jam: i wish i could tell you. i just think it's fun

April x May: they give comedy duo vibes, and comedy are always homoerotic

Anji x Chipp:

Anji x Asuka: Anji flirting with the dude who blew up his home will always be funny

Asuka x I-no x Raven x Jack-o: i would not want to be next to their booth at dennys. so i like it

Asuka x Raven: (see april x may)

Asuka x Sol: weird enemies to lovers that i like

Sol x Axl: i like the idea of the comic relief x the MC

Ky x Dizzy: not the best but im a sucker for cannon, and their marryed

Chipp x Answer: nerd x dumbass. i like it

Leo x Ram: i think it's super cute

I-no x Axl: LORE

Millia x Elphelt: wasn't expecting to like it as much i as do, but i find it sweet

Robo-ky x Venom: my sillies

Slayer x Sharon: dandy

Johnny x Testament: my other sillies. also fanartists do better with this one

A.B.A x Paracelsus: i love these two

Baiken x Anji:

youtube

Aria x Sol: most of the plot comes from this so yeah it's a given

Sol x Jack-o: super wholesome ,and also I tend to like cannon ships a lot

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cuntinies · 2 days

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I loved your fic! And i was thinking if you can make a korra x reader enemies to lovers fic? Maybe the reader was an equalist? Or you can do something else with the idea. Thanks!

summary: settling in republic city has not been easy, especially with a nagging yet striking young woman who cant help but entertain you.

warnings - fem reader, cursing, not proofread. please let me know if i forgot anything else

you want to turn around and scream in this girl's face.

but you don't have to see her snarky ass smirk to know it was korra who decided to splash some water on you. 4 months ago, you decided to settle in republic city. dealing with your parents was one thing now that you were free from them, but at this moment dealing with this cocky, immature girl has hit your limit. you met korra right when you were dropped off at the dock.

heavy bags hauled on your shoulders and your sandals are barely hanging on a thread as you carefully walk down the dock into the city. bodies everywhere, not very used to so many people at once. back in the earth kingdom, everyone had their way but here, that was soon going to change for you.

"what's a pretty country girl doing over here in the city, hmm?" you hear a flirty feminine voice right next to you, matching your speed as you try your best to weave through the pushing bodies on this hot morning. you didn't have to time to glance at whoever was talking to you.

"look, i don't want to buy whatever you're selling-" you say, trying to quickly dismiss this woman and get to your next location. the woman makes her way in front of you, towering over you so that she covers the blazing sun from where she's standing. your eyes slowly rake up the woman's body, admiring how bold and strong she stood for a second, her biceps were built, and her face? her defined noses and lips, the way her eyebrows furrowed a teasing look. you took almost too long admiring her before you remembered that she was in your way.

"look here miss, i'm not trying to sell you anything. you people from the earth kingdom gotta start loosing up a bit." she snaps back at you, matching your energy. fuck, was it that noticeable? your dingy cloth overalls and your hair pushed back by a crochet bandana that your grandmother made you, made it obvious that you were from the earth kingdom.

"excuse me? your CITY PEOPLE are too pushy. now would you excuse me.." you say as you purposely elbow her as you walk by. you hear her wince, not daring to look back. "I'll see you around country girl!" is what you hear behind you, mixing in with the rest of the bustling noises of the city.

now here you were, working at a midnight food stall/bar that your landlord owned. she allowed you to stay if you worked for free. i mean the room you're staying in was the attic. It was hot as hell, and floorboards creaked so loud that you were worried that you were going to bring the whole house down, and would be so dusty. you didn't have a choice, so you decided to stay put. you and your landlord worked behind the counter at the food stall she owned for more than 30 years. you could tell she took pride in it, citizens trying to push in to find a seat at the full bar. she was mostly in the back preparing small noodle dishes for the workers who would come in after a night of drinking while you were to deal with the front, weird drunkards, nasty old men, and of course- korra.

"korra.." you say, turning around slowly, wiping your hands on your hand cloth, before meeting your gaze to korra. her arms crossed on the counter as she leaned on it, biting her bottom lip playfully as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"you know... you don't have to be such a bitch right?" she replies to you, taking a sip of her hot chai. even though korra was handsome, you wanted to slap her. why does she have such a huge ego? she would constantly pick at you and you two would bicker back and forth. the thing was that she always had a stupid smile on her face, teasing you. "you know you don’t have to be such a dick right?" you spit back, reaching over before the woman takes another sip, grabbing the small mug out of her hand. "hey!! what are you doing with my drink?" her voice heightened, upper body trying to reach over the counter to get the chai back. the mug clatters as you toss it in the basin, quickly turning around to face the desperate woman.

"im not doing this tonight korra. pick someone your size." you say through your teeth, trying your best to not let your guard down, but all you meet is her toothy grin. "im just waiting for the sweetest country girl to bite back," korra says with a quirk of her eyebrow.

korra always found a way to use her bending as an advantage. manipulating the rocky ground so you can trip in front of her, spritzing water on your face, pushing the wind to tussle your hair. she was waiting for you to do something to her, pinch her ear, or grab the collar of her top, but you did nothing. keeping that perfect zen earth kingdom attitude that she wanted to see crumble.

"oh, i will, don't you worry," you say, getting closer to her face, a mere 6 inches away from her nose. feeling her breathing increase as she got closer. her eyes widen in surprise but quickly replaced with a look of amusement.

"yeah? why don't you show me then babe?" korra smiled cheekily, biting her bottom lip as she looked down at your lips and then back to your eyes. you feel your face heat up instantly, blood rushing in your ears in embarrassment and rage. you scoff, whipping your head away from her to storm into the kitchen.

"so what time do you get off?!" korra yells as she watches you leave past the cloth that separates the bar to the kitchen.

a/n: thanks for all the love on my first post :'). here i give you a half ass request. idk if like this but lmk if yall want a pt2. inbox is open✉️

#tlok #tlok korra #korra x reader #avatar korra #tlok korra x reader #the legend of korra #wlw #writers on tumblr #lesbian #korra

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bangchanbabygurl · 3 days

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18: Sweet Revenge {In The Eyes Of Love }

Genre: Dark Romance/Smut/Angsty/Thriller/Enemies to lovers

Warnings: Explicit language/mention of domestic violence/mention of violence/alcohol abuse/mention of death/stalker/mentions of blood/drug abuse/smut scenes/dark mature themes/triggering scenes/traumatic experiences/ mentions of cheating & twisted love triangles.

Word Count: 1036

╚» Now playing —» Gone by Ailee

The meeting for this week's investment is dull and filled with complete stiffness, my mind can't seem to be at ease. A small sigh escapes my lips as Christopher closes the presentation, "Well then let's try our best for the upcoming weeks to make sure sales go up and the customers are satisfied." He says with a smile as the employees gather their things and proceed to leave the conference room.

Christopher closes the door, "Alright, what's got your mind trapped?" He asked. I get up and look at him, "Nothing important to talk about." I said turning the projector off. Christopher sighs and crosses his arms, "Seungcheol...you usually pin-point in meetings. What's going on?" He asked proving a dumb point. I let out a sigh and gave him a stern gaze, "You...you stuck at setting people up, Jihoon and Suzy is a different story but Y/N..." I let my frustration be known.

Christopher chuckles amusedly, I furrowed my brows and let out a scoff. "Seungcheol if you dislike her, then why are you letting her cloud your mind at work?" He asked with a cocky smirk, I tossed the remote onto the table. I rolled my eyes and looked out the window, cars passing by the ten-story building. The sky dark and grey as lighting gives us a warning, "I do believe that Y/N isn't the problem here...How's your aunt Sekyung?" Christopher asked as he stood next to me. I let out a sigh of frustration, "She's been bringing Adeline wherever she goes...she brought her to my grandfather's party, and to my parent's house when Y/N was there for both events." I said letting my shoulders relax.

Christopher exhales sharply, "I take it Aunt Sekyung still is trying to get your name off the will," He says. I bite my lip and nod, "She's power-hungry...what can I do besides playing the role my grandfather has always expected of me?" I said looking at Christopher. He nods and looks out the window, "What about Y/N? Are you planning to break off whatever it is you two got?" He asks. I exhale softly and turn my back against the window, "Perhaps...I don't want my aunt dragging Y/N into this nasty game of hers." I said. Christopher sighs, "Let's hope that doesn't come of it, Y/N is a great person Seungcheol." He says patting my shoulder before walking off to the door.

"If you break her heart, you'll end up destroying something unfixable," Christopher says as he leaves the room. I look at the time and grab my phone off the table, I open Stella's contact hitting call. I pace back and forth as I wait for her to answer my phone call.

"Baby cousin? What a surprise to hear from you this early." Stella let out while trying to catch her breath, I rolled my eyes. "I need to talk to you...about Adeline." I said, Stella sighs and laughs. "Thinking about dumping your current girlfriend already?" She asked, I scoffed. "Don't dream of it, what exactly are you two planning?" I asked, Stella sighed. Shuffling and low voices could be heard in the back, "What are you talking about?" She asked. I pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance, "Oh come on Stella, I know you. You still hold resentment towards me since the day of your failed wedding," I said. Stella scoffs and laughs, "Yah! You chased my fiance off of course I hold some resentment!" She blurs out.

I stop my pacing, "Aunt Sekyung was the one who bribed Hongjong! Threatening the lives of his family if he didn't break off things with you! She was the one who chased him away, not me!" I said letting my anger take over. I let out a huff of breath as I steadied myself, "No! Lies! Aunt Sekyung wouldn't—oh god" Stella cries. I lean against the table, "Aunt Sekyung knew if you were to be married half of her fortune would go to you and Hongjong..." I said breaking the news of how greedy Aunt Sekyung is. Stella sobs, "How do you know all this!?" She asked.

I bite my lip and exhale softly, "Because I grew up under her roof Stella, I've seen and been through it all...I can help you get Hongjong back if that's what you still want." I said. Stella sighs as she sniffles, "It's been two years Seungcheol, Hongjong has long gone forgotten about me." She says. I chuckle and look at my watch, "How would you know that?" I asked. Stella goes silent, "Seungcheol...have you spoken to Hongjong?" She asks. Her voice filled with desperation, I let out a sigh. "I have to go now, I have a business event to attend too," I said ending the call. I walked out of the conference room, it didn't take Stella five seconds to think about it.

The moment I stepped foot out of the room she made up her mind, Stella: Adeline plans to get in between you and Y/N. Through humiliation.

A tired sigh escapes my lips as I walk down the hallway toward the elevator, my finger clicking repeatedly on the down button. I look for Y/N’s contact through my phone as I wait for the stupid elevator to get here, calling her number.

Straight to voicemail, I let out an irritated sigh and took the stairs. Running down feeling the adrenaline kick in as I try calling her once more, "Yah, you're being annoying right now. What do you want?" Her voice was quiet. I stop on the fifth floor and catch my breath, "Where are...you?" I asked. Y/N sighs, "In a meeting with my supervisor why?" She asked. I proceed to rush down the stairs, "I need to speak with you, wait for me at your workplace. Don't leave, don't even talk to anyone that goes asking for you." I said. Y/N sighs in annoyance, "Oh god, this better be serious Seungcheol." She says before hanging up.

I reached the first floor and called for Stan to bring the car out front. This is serious, something much more serious than Stella's failed wedding.

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aphspain-pure · 7 months

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"He who once was King" [Part 1]

Title: "He who once was King"

Category: Fanfiction.

Pair: EngSpa, UkSpa. Other minor or implied pairings

Words: 7.566

Genre(s): Cardverse AU; Drama, Romance; enemies to lovers.

· · · · ·

Entering the grand ballroom, the explosive lighting and festive atmosphere made Arthur's face twitch in almost disgust.

Having made the long journey from the Kingdom of Spades to there, the Kingdom of Clubs, his body was feeling particularly resentful from the exhaustion of an interminable trip. The journey had been long and disastrous, and Alfred's thinly disguised excitement had ended up getting on Arthur's nerves in more than one extreme situation. He would had been on the verge of throwing himself out of the train's luxury compartment, had it not been for Yao's strict insistence and Matthew's sympathetic and kind intervention.

He sighed, trying to erase the horrifying memories of his journey.

He didn't even know why he had agreed to take Alfred with him to this ceremony. If a marriage within the royal family —or even general nobility— took place in another realm, the moral code of the aristocracy mandated that the corresponding royalty of each kingdom should come to pay their respects, as a mere bureaucratic, symbolic formality.

They had therefore been more or less obliged to attend the wedding.

In any case, it was no secret to anyone the palpable tension and seething hatred between their King, Alfred F. Jones, and the current King of Clubs, Ivan Braginsky. It was so damned obvious how little they tolerated each other's political ideas and presence, that the Four Kingdoms had been fearing that the peace that had managed to last for almost 300 years would be shattered by the bursting of this Cold War bubble.

Therefore, no one, really NO ONE, would have cared if Alfred had not shown up at that exact ceremony —which, leaving the King aside, would star the current Queen and Jack of Clubs.

Thinking about it, Arthur's head went far away again, plunging back into his usual musings and reasoning.

The Kingdom of Spades was the greatest power of knowledge and education among all the kingdoms. Therefore, it was not difficult to suppose that Arthur, as a representative of such a Kingdom, was the very fruit of all that supremacy. It was therefore only logical to assume that his knowledge of history was, frankly, excellent.

For that very reason Arthur began to wander into historical questions as he replayed in his mind the marriage that was to take place.

It had been only some 50 years ago that the old tradition of royal marriage was Heaven's law. And no matter what other characteristics aside from the letter —that is, regardless of the gender, age or even parentage of the two involved— always, in all circumstances, the King and Queen were to be married. By then, thank God, times had changed; and, thankfully, it was no longer a total obligation to consummate the marriage by the role of the Card alone.

It had become generally agreed that, in reality, the titles of King and Queen were just a bureaucratic formality and did not represent a true "couple" relationship, but a simple turn of Destinty pickpointing the next generation of rulers. Thus, that old habit of tying the representatives of the royal offices into a marital relationship had broken down, and situations like the one that was to take place today began to occur: legal marriages between Queen and Jack, for example.

Although, anyway, the Kingdom of Hearts, which was generally the most religiously observant and traditional, still chose to prolong the royal union. Thus, the monarchs Ludwig Beilschmidt and Honda Kiku were married by Church and were loving to each other as a front for their people —even if Arthur knew from his spies in other courts that it was, in fact, a chaste marriage and that the King had a thing for his Jack, but well…—.

On the other hand, the King of Clubs actually had zero interest in things like love affairs, so he had ruled out marriage long ago; ironic and somehow conversely, contrary to him, the King of Diamonds had perhaps too much interest in that sort of things, so tying himself to a single mate happened to be out of the question.

Again, Arthur thanked God that the laws had been modernised, because the Queen of that Kingdom was a poor creature, still thirteen years old, hastily risen to power after the premature death of the previous Queen. A sweet little child who did not deserve to go through the torture of being the wife of such a frog.

So, as much as he might have respected the Ancient History and laws of his great Kingdom, Arthur was indeed glad to the core of the modernisations that had been forced to make in the marital sphere nearly half a century ago. And as much as he loved Alfred, Arthur didn't even want to imagine the conjugal scenario. He hadn't questioned Alfred about it, in fact, but he was pretty sure that in the idiot's straw head there were only hamburgers, superhero comics —mostly produced in the Kingdom of Diamonds— and warships. So he was pretty sure that he had never even considered the idea; which he prefferred.

Indeed, he envied him. He really did. It must be comfortable to be so oblivious and idiotic all the time.

He was brought back to reality for a moment when Yao, his Jack, shouted 'I don't know what two-aru' things at him and he had to understand over his thick Oriental accent that Alfred had caused a mess again.

A vein bulged in his forehead and he could almost feel his blood pressure rise to frightening levels for any doctor. All the while, in the distance, he caught a glimpse of his stupid King thrusting his chest out and facing Ivan, the one and only terrifying King of Clubs, who was looking at him with a cold smile and clenching a pipe with restrained tension.

Arthur would have panicked and probably sweated like a poor wretch on any other day, but this time Alfred had pushed his patience to the limit with the little train journey —he'd told him to behave himself and not pick a fight with the Clubs, for God's sake!—. Between the gnashing of her teeth and a distinct twitch in one of her bushy eyebrows, he ran up to him to grab his ear.

— AUCTCH! H-hey, but what!? ARTHUR! —Alfred had begun to shout once he had been stopped in his attempts to threaten him—. What are you doing - ow, ow…! It hurts, stop it! —but Arthur didn't stop and even pulled harder on the imprisoned ear, forcing the other to whimper like a child.

At the same time, he turned to look formally at the host King and gave him a polite little salute, apologising in advance for what had happened.

— Long time no see, Your Majesty Braginsky. Congratulations on the marriage of your Queen and Jack and, I'm sorry, but I beg your pardon to our King for his lack of manners. —he said, with such poise and quietness that Yao, hiding behind a pillar, had to thank the Heavens that at least one of the royal duo in his charge was able to do his job properly.

Ivan visibly relaxed to give him a polite bow in return.

— Don't worry. Many thanks to you for coming all this way, my lord. —he responded, cold yet elegant and respectful—. How are you enjoying the ball in honour of the bride and groom? Is it to your liking?

One of the specialities of the Kingdom of Spades, actually, was feasts, celebrations, balls and so on, and every year they held dozens of events that were beyond imagination how beautiful and impressive they were.

With that in mind, the modest, quiet ball —far shabbier and far more underfunded than his own — had not suggested the slightest praise in the quiet walls of his mind. Still, cynical and pragmatic, Arthur had said, patronisingly.

— Charming in his own way, indeed. —in a flattering tone.

That seemed to be enough for Ivan who, after a soft smile and a last tense glance at Alfred, decided at last to do a last gesture with his head, and go on his way to visit the rest of the guests.

Once he had vanished, Arthur gave the other lingering fool a cudgel.

— Autch- HEY! —he shouted, sulking at being beaten like a brat, but Arthur refused to listen to his retorts.

He called back to Yao who ran up to him and thanked him for putting the brakes on the other, and Arthur simply told him to keep an eye on him so he wouldn't get into trouble again. The Jack nodded.

When he had checked that everything was in place, he went back to a less crowded area and became self-absorbed again, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time.

Few… people knew it, but he was supposed to have been the King of Spades.

When a member of the royal family is born, God grants him or her a symbol.

This person can be born in the same nobility or in the house of a humble cobbler, as well as in the same street, only God knows if there is a special reason for this. This person, determined from the very first of its days directed to be part of the royal court of the country, shows a mark with the corresponding letter, together with the symbol of the Kingdom. Likewise, there was a subdivision within the nobility, between the lower aristocracy —made up by numbers from 2 to 10— and the upper class —King, Queen, Jack and Ace—, who are the real rulers amongs them all.

Few people knew it —among them, the most senior of the nobility of the Kingdom of Spades and the King of Diamonds— but, at his birth, on Arthur's collarbone there had been a "K", not a "Q".

He had been chosen to be the next King, and he had been trained to be so during his early youth. He had been instructed in all the arts of dialectic, rhetoric and combat, in those that the King would require throughout his life; and had been preparing himself, as fate dictated, to be the next leader.

Or at least he had been doing so until his tenth year.

Overnight the "K" on his skin had disappeared.

It came as a real surprise throughout the court because, much to their regret, such things usually only happened once the King had reached an advanced age and was no longer able to fulfil the role of the Card. But never… all of a sudden. And, strangest of all, not only did his previous mark disappear, but another one appeared. A "Q" marked his skin and, although he understood nothing at the time, all came together for the 10-year-old Arthur once the newborns Alfred and Matthew were placed in his arms, with their respective "K" and "A", and he was told that it would be his duty to instruct them.

Then he understood, he understood that God had put him on the back burner.

But don't misunderstand him, Arthur never had any great attachment to the title of King —at least not as Alfred had, who had always clung to his royal nature as if it had made him one of his much-loved heroes—. He, from the very beginning, accepted his new position, because he knew that if he played his cards right, being Queen would serve him just as well. He had rank enough to set in motion his plans for the future of the country, to make it great and prosperous; rich and powerful.

So, without much ado, he became the one to oversee the education of the Ace and, above all, of the future King, who was basically raised as Arthur's own younger brother —all the more reason why Arthur would never have put up with the royal marriage—. And while Arthur would have many things to criticise about Alfred's personality and tendencies as a monarch —namely that he was young and inexperienced, too impulsive and lacking in logical reasoning, and with belligerent tendencies to boot— he could tell right away that he had the makings of a King.

He was friendly and used to interact a lot with his people —something he had never really done— and he had a certain natural charisma that had charmed Arthur, Matthew and the rest of the Kingdom as a leader since a young age. Arthur had never blamed or resented Alfred for changing his destiny.

A soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts again.

— Good evening, Kirkland-dono. I was looking forward to our meeting today. —he turned his head to smile softly and give a slight bow of his head.

— I couldn't agree more, Your Highness Honda. It has been a while since we last spoke.

In front of him Honda Kiku, the Queen of Hearts and a person he held in high esteem, was dressed in the traditional regalia of his Eastern region within the Kingdom of Hearts, with the mythical red national colour. He was smiling elegantly behind a delicate fan, with kindness in his dark eyes.

They chatted for a while about trivial matters and matters of state, and even invited each other to drink while they waited for the newlyweds —since, as far as he knew, they had been married in the privacy of their private chapel a couple of hours ago— to arrive and they could all celebrate together. He had never had a relationship with any of them, except for some clash with the Jack on business, but his position compelled him to be there to offer them at least a respectful "Congratulations".

Kiku's company —in his thoughts Arthur dared to call him "Kiku", his dear friend— made the situation pleasant until they were forced to part by a girl from Hearts, who came to warn them that they should join their respective clansmates, because the bride and groom had just arrived. The pair of Queens leisurely said their goodbyes and Arthur sought out Matthew and then joined their King and Jack.

Once they were together and in their seats, Arthur could not help but notice the change in Alfred's countenance, who was now looking more relaxed, more grown up.

Now 18 years old, he was a tall, handsome man, arrogant when he needed to be and more relaxed when the situation called for it, and he shone with all the brilliance a King should have. Arthur felt proud to have practically raised him, agreeing with the part of himself that had always thought Alfred's blue eyes had even fairly matched the colour of his Kingdom better than his own.

The front door of the ballroom opened and a pair of people entered, holding hands and sweet smiles on their faces.

Roderich, the Jack of Clubs, wore a rather light and sweet one, while Elizabeta, the Queen, beamed with a huge one on her face. As soon as they entered, cheers poured down upon them, and people, especially from the Southerners of the Kingdom of Hearts, who rushed to give them their blessing. Then, little by little, representatives from each Kingdom came to give them their congratulations and words of encouragement.

First, everyone from the Kingdom of Clubs arose, leaving a special appearance for Ivan who, without further ado, shook hands encouragingly with both of them with a smile. Next, the Kingdom of Hearts stepped forward and Elizabeta was embraced by the Jack who, being someone close to the couple in their childhood days, had taken these liberties. The King of Hearts, utterly embarrased, tugged at his clothes and apologised to them both, causing the couple to laugh softly, not giving the matter too much thought. Then it was their turn, and he and Alfred exchanged encouraging and respectful words with the newlyweds. A cynic like Arthur found it hard to believe in such frivolous things as love, but he could tell that these two loved each other deeply and dearly.

Once they were back in place, it was the turn of the splendid Diamond Kingdom to approach the couple. At this specific fact, Arthur allowed himself to snort like an annoyed child.

Stunning, elegant, glowing like the sun itself, the yellow colour that was the face of the Kingdom of Diamonds predominated in the clothes of those present, in different shades and intensities. Leading the way, hair soft and silky like that of the finest model, rich and ostentatious clothes that left one speechless, and a simple and loving smile, King Francis Bonnefoy stretched out his arms as if he were the young couple's greatest friend. The newlyweds grimaced as he approached them, even more when he kissed them both on the cheeks —a custom that typical of certain parts of the Kingdom of Diamonds and the Kingdom of Hearts— and then began to speak honeyly to them with his thick French accent.

Arthur had to suppress a retch as he pitied the poor fellows.

He had known Francis since the two of them were little more than half a foot tall and had gone through the first steps of training to be future Kings together. One could even somehow say that Francis had even been… something of a teacher in some areas of his education, being a couple of years older than himself. Still, they had never put up with each other, and had a cat and dog relationship most of the time, which they had always tried to camouflage under a mask of professionalism. It didn't usually work, and they often came close to gouging each other's eyes out.

Anyway, when Francis turned away, the next pair came to congratulate the couple. The adorable little Queen of Diamonds, just turned 12 and looking like a little doll, spoke a few quick, nervous words to them while her older brother, the Jack, stroked her back and gave her encouragement. The latter, for his part, was talking politely to Roderich and congratulating him quietly; and though Vash would probably have preferred to hide it, Arthur clearly saw the appreciation of an old friend in his gestures and words. Arthur smiled sideways, very full of himself, amusing himself by reading between the lines and getting into the minds of others. As the Queen, he had a certain talent for seeing things that others could not. The pair of siblings withdrew and suddenly Arthur caught a glimpse of one more person, so he blinked, quizzical.

In the Diamond Kingdom he had only known those three members of the high nobility for all those years, but he didn't recognise this guy at all. The bridal couple, on the other hand, had jumped at the sight of him, and after a brief moment of shock, they had smiled broadly and hurried over to him, the Queen hugging him tightly. Arthur found Roderich's face especially curious, who until then had been maintaining a quiet, thin smile, and was now smiling broadly, as if he were truly happy. When the woman turned away, it was the turn of the unknown man to step forward, and kiss her twice on the cheeks. A moment later, he was repeating the same action with the elegant Jack, kissing him as Francis had done earlier.

The reaction, however, was totally different.

— We've missed you. —Arthur had managed to hear from the Jack's mouth, disconcerting him. Words that elicited a sound that, to his ears, sounded almost like a spring breeze.

A frankly charming laugh came from this unknown individual who was showing his back to Arthur, who immediately took the hands of both bride and groom and brought them to his lips to place a light kiss of devotion upon their knuckles.

— I always knew you were made for each other, Rod, Eliza.

The sound of a male voice, not too deep and not at all raspy, charming like no other, dulled Arthur's senses for a moment.

The guy kept talking, but Arthur didn't understand the content of his words, more interested in intercepting the vibrations of his voice and his accent in his ears. And he was so lost, so far gone, that he didn't know where he was or what was going on until Yao brought him back to the earthly world with a couple of finger snaps. He growled at him, annoyed, and a moment later he apologised, remembering he was supposed to be a gentleman.

But as soon as he regained his self-possession, he craned his neck around in a desperate attempt to find the guy with the dreamy voice who had caught his eye. He asked Yao, his Jack and therefore who was in charge of external affairs in his Kingdom, to see if he had any record of who he was. The Chinese frowned his lips, mumbling.

— I… don't know him aru. I was surprised to see him too, I don't recall seeing his face ever before. —he had replied, to which Arthur realised that he had not, in fact, seen his face.

A heaviness in his stomach and a child's impertinent determination made him pucker his lips and come to the conclusion that he had to face this guy head on. Matthew probably noticed the glint in his eye, because he began to sweat uneasily for no reason.

But before he could go on any kind of intrepid adventure in search of the said man, the lights went out and music started to play. A single spotlight illuminated the starring couple, who prepared to begin dancing to the classic Viennese waltz that was playing.

After a couple of minutes the rest of the lights were dimly switched on and gradually people began to join in the ballroom, dancing. The first pair, as expected, were the King and Queen of Hearts; Ludwig, tall and elegant in his formal attire, being orthodox and polite in asking his husband to grant him this dance. Kiku politely accepted and they joined in the dance; Arthur, out of the corner of his eye, watched the reaction of Jack Feliciano, who was smiling happily, while behind his back his hands were clasped together, trembling.

So, little by little, other couples from different Kingdoms began to join the dance and even Alfred, who had been a little pressured by the situation, extended his hand to him offering him a dance wearing a stupid expression. Arthur shook his head, saying that he didn't feel like it, and pushed him to go ask Yao or his brother to dance. As Matthew had symptoms of social panic, Yao went out to dance with Alfred in the end.

It could be said that he had zero to no interest in dancing until his keen eyes caught something that left him stuck in place.

There, among the dancing couples, the curly, tousled brown hair of the guy who had caught his eye earlier appeared like a mirage. But it was not the apparition itself, but rather his company that left him still and petrified as if he were a poor idiot.

There, waltzing perfectly, the brown-haired fellow who had earlier let out such a charming voice found himself being grasped round the waist by the fro- Francis, by Francis. They were dancing together, and Francis, from his stupidly calm and happy expression, seemed genuinely delighted with the situation.

He didn't even quite know why, but a freckle popped out of his forehead from the strain of his eye contracting in pure irritation.

He honestly didn't know why, but the stupid face of the frog, so happy and debauched dancing with this guy who had caught his eye, gave a rather significant plus to his usual bad mood. He gnashed his teeth when, after a particularly awkward turn, both men laughed a little and hugged each other, then continued dancing as if nothing had happened. The twitching of his eyebrow was merely collateral damage from his boiling blood.

He relaxed himself as he realised that he was acting in a totally irrational manner.

He took a breath, leaned against the column behind him and glanced again at the King of Diamonds and the brown-haired guy dancing along with the rest. He felt uneasy for some reason, yet he chose not to make a big deal of it. Still, he couldn't stop his questioning from coming out in a sigh.

— Who is this guy…?

— That "guy" is Antonio, eyebrows.

A voice next to him startled him, causing him to put his hand to his heart in shock. A second later, he turned shudderingly to collide with the only red eyes he'd ever met.

The Joker.

Gilbert Beilschmidt, the older brother of the King of Hearts and the only current Joker. Some would correct him because there was, in fact, another current Joker; but Arthur preferred to be specific and correct in these matters, and preferred to maintain the status of Peter, the boy under his custody and care, as only a 'potential Joker'. After all, he was still only a child, so he couldn't use his powers, leaving this albino guy in front of him as the only current Joker.

He looked him square in the face, recovered from his initial shock, and asked. — Antonio? —with slight curiosity.

Gilbert, who —Arthur was absolutely sure— probably hadn't even been invited to this celebration, looked back at him with those blood-red eyes that used to make people nervous. He had an arrogant smile plastered across his face, as if he felt superior just knowing that.

— Yes, —he had responded—. Antonio.

The guy's repellent attitude frayed Arthur's nerves a little, who, trying not to get nervous, pushed a little harder. — And who is this "Antonio"?

— The amazing Ace of Diamonds, of course!

And with that Arthur's green eyes expanded to widen beyond their confines.

— The Ace…? —he had been thinking all his life that there was no Ace of Diamonds at present, that since the previous one died some thirty years ago there had been no successor! He was literally certain that apart from the Swiss brothers and Francis there was no one else in the Kingdom of Diamonds belonging to the high nobility, for there had never been any talk of a successor! He was literally sure that apart from the Swiss brothers and Francis there was no one else in the kingdom belonging to the high nobility, for he had never been spoken of, never been named, and certainly never appeared there. And he had known Francis since he was a little boy, so how was it possible that this guy…?

But then it dawned on him, and the muscles in his body seemed to relax.

— Ah… —he said, and unwillingly his mouth escaped—. So he's not that frog's lover, thank goodness. I was beginning to feel sick.

— Oh, if that's it, they probably are by now, zwar.

He choked for air, shocked.

— What?!

He glanced quickly back at the happily dancing couple, then turned to look at the Joker. — The King and the Ace?! together!? —Gilbert shrugged his shoulders.

— Well, these are modern times. And I'm sure you know Fran well, that's not especially something that would stop him when it comes to "l'amour". —he remarked, making inverted commas with his fingers and looking disinterested. His eyes, however, instead of looking at Arthur, were looking beyond, towards the duo—. Besides, Toni is beautiful. And Fran has always been after him like a hungry hyena. So it's not actually that surprising.

Pathetic as it was, Arthur couldn't help but resent the pretty brown hair that had so often prevented him from seeing the much-lauded face of the subject in question.

The comment about the King of Diamonds' apparent extreme interest in his Ace was, in any case, unimpressive. If anyone had ever told him that Bonnefoy drooled over lampposts, he would have put his hand in the fire without a second's hesitation, believeing it without a second thought.

Now fully recovered, he looked at Gilbert and noticed the strange, heavy look in his eyes. He narrowed his eyes, suspicious.

— I'm sorry to be indiscreet, but you speak of them in a very familiar way. What exactly is the relationship of the Joker, someone who should be completely neutral with respect to the Four Realms, to the King and Ace of Diamonds? —the question seemed to catch the albino's attention warmly, and he immediately smiled softly.

— We are childhood friends. I spent my early years as a Joker in the mountains of their realm, gathering my magic; they, of course, were something like my overseers. —and the blond drew his eyebrows together and twisted his lips.

He didn't like to be out of the loop on something. He was fairly well known for being efficient and a born gatherer of information, certainly seconded by his long system of espionage and investigation, so the news that was reaching him that day surrounding the mysterious figure of the Ace of Diamonds was beginning to irritate him. To irritate him as a personal matter.

He looked at Gilbert proudly, and then made a decision.

— Good. As the representative of the Kingdom of Spades I have to meet all the representatives of the other Kingdoms, so now you are going to introduce me to this Antonio. —at which, for a moment, Gilbert's face froze in a comical and strange grimace.

— Y-you want to meet Toni? Look, Kirkland, I don't think that's…

— Do you want our dear Queen of Clubs to know of your presence in her wedding reception?

Gilbert's face turned white and almost immediately blue, and a moment later he began to walk forward, leading the way to where he had been sent, almost in despair.

As he did so, and without turning to look at Arthur, who followed him calmly with a victorious smile of superiority, he said.

— Then later don't tell me I didn't warn you.

That sentence could not have mattered less to the monarch who followed in his wake with the air of grandeur typical of the Spades.

…

Circling the dance floor where the people continued to waltz, the pair reached the area closest to where Francis was still dancing gracefully. Gilbert called out to him, who, without paying much attention, winked and continued dancing as if nothing had happened. This time not only Arthur, but also the Joker had a shuddering spasm, annoyed.

It wasn't until the piece was over that the blond broke away from his partner and approached them, holding out his hands in a way too much dramatic gesture, as he was used to. With zero politeness, both Arthur and Gilbert rejected the greeting kisses the other was about to give, turning away sharply and looking disgusted. Not that Francis looked offended, by the way.

A princely smile on his lips, he spoke. — What a… pleasant surprise that his Majesty the Queen of Spades would honour me with his presence! To what do I owe such a gratifying pleasure? —with a wry yet syrupy and irritating tone that made Arthur's temper flare.

— Cut the crap, asshole. —He spat, somehow forgetting everything about etiquette that he had hold dear due to his status. Instead, he tried to look behind him insistently, frowing—. Why did I never know you had an Ace?

Francis played dumb.

— You… never asked?

He would please expect that no one would blame Arthur for wanting to kill that incorrigible fool.

And maybe he really would have jumped on the other one to hang him or something, if it hadn't been for the Joker's intervention.

— Kirkland here wants to be introduced to Antonio, Fran.

Francis' blue eyes paused for a moment, before looking directly at Arthur who looked, frankly, unconcerned on the subject.

— What? —stated Arthur, unmoved yet irritated—. Does it surprise you that I want to meet an important member of another country's high aristocracy? Well, you shouldn't be. In fact, you should be grateful that I'm not going to accuse your shitty kingdom of high treason for withholding such valuable information.

The other monarch did not seem particularly intimidated. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

— This wasn't really a matter of withholding information, don't make up things, Arthur.

— Oh no? And then what is it, because I still don't understand how is possible that the rest of the Kingdoms did not know about the existence of your Ace.

— You are wrong there, mon ami. The only ones who didn't know about it are you, the Spades.

He was answered almost instantly by a high-pitched cry of incredulous 'what!?' from the other. Francis tried to calm him down by waving his hands.

— Wait, calm down, that's not relevant now, it's really not as serious as it seems. And if I haven't been particularly interested in publicising Antonio in general, it's because… Because… Well, I suppose a picture is worth a thousand words.

And, leaving Arthur a little too curious, he turned gently to direct his gaze to the dance floor.

There, in the crowd, his former dance partner was gently guiding the steps of the young —and highly impertinent— Ace of Hearts. In a calm voice, Francis called out. — Toni! —and then, the said man turned.

Then Arthur's world stopped, just as his jaw gave way and he dropped to the floor, eyes wide and wide as headlights.

The sudden sight of deep green eyes was like a burst of spring.

As if he had wandered into an untouched jungle in the tropics, or plunged into the dew on the grass at dawn. Like the most beautiful of gemstones and at the same time the most terrible of curses, the greenish gaze fell in his direction, causing Arthur, holding his breath as a clumsy child, to almost choke himself.

The formerly peak of auburn curls framed the youthful face of a man about his age, with sun-tanned skin, healthy cheeks and a straight nose. From where Arthur stood he could not admire in all its fullness the rosy hue of the friendly lips which, locating Francis there in his direction, stretched to show a veritable wonder of the world.

The infinitely stretched smile, cheerful and carefree, which caused two dimples to sink into the defined cheeks, was another thing that made Arthur's brain gears explode, and his guts to simply churn.

And when this guy, grinning like an idiot, began to approach them and spoke, all the functions of his brain came to a screeching halt.

— Ah, Fran! —the young man had merely said, in a voice as masculine as sweet and charming, but that was enough for Arthur, his mouth unhinged, to be abandoned by his spirit.

The foolish incarnation of a god of art and passion began to approach them leisurely, his face lit up by a smile, while Arthur listened to Francis comment.

— I hope you understand me for being a little selfish in keeping him for myself.

....

As the brown man caught up with the group of three, his friendly face wore a quiet but certainly puzzled smile. As soon as he had arrived, he had positioned himself next to the King of Diamonds so naturally, with his own inertia, that it was more than clear that this was as normal and basic to him as breathing. Once at his side, Francis reached out his nimble arm to rest his hand on the newcomer's lower back, as naturally as the aforementioned. This was basically his usual modus operandi, while Gilbert, with a complicated expression on his face, watched the action with questioning eyes.

Arthur, on the other hand, continued as before. Quiet. More than silent…, gone. With his mind flying away, perhaps in some imaginary place or who knows where.

Francis could only take pity on him who, like a Spade, must have suffered some kind of culture shock after seeing his Ace's aura.

— What did you call me for, Fra- Oh, wait! I suppose at this point I should refer to you as Your Majesty. —and laughing awkwardly for a moment, Antonio rubbed the back of his neck, correcting his appellation—. If it is not too much of an inquiry, what is the purpose of your call, my King? —Francis, looking conflicted, somewhere between rushed and excited, gently stroked his companion's lower back as he gently shook his head.

— A simple trifle, my lord, a favour I ask of you as your humble servant. —the blond then replied, smarmily, as Antonio laughed, seemingly unaffected by the other's apparent devotion, and Gilbert snorted, hissing through his teeth. The King smiled for a moment, and then his smile devalued a little to a polite, emotionless one—. I wanted to introduce you to a fellow monarch and good old friend of mine. —he then held out his arm in a show of affection and addressed the man who had hitherto been left out of the conversation—. This is Arthur I of the Kirkland Clan, currently Queen of Spades.

And it was at that moment, when the splendid and devastating green eyes as big as stars, bright as the sun itself, and deep as the greatest abyss, turned and rested upon him, that Arthur came back to life to become, as he had never been in his life, red and redder, and even redder.

Knowing the fate of the greenish gaze that had so disarmed him, Arthur could do no more than stand petrified as he watched the man in front of him look at him intently. The colours rushed to his face as, somehow, the blood drained out of his brain. What was wrong with him, why was he acting so…?

Incompetent, stupid.

He felt like a elementary school child in front of some kind of divine creature.

Perhaps by the hand of those last thoughts he had truly lost his sanity, embarrassed to the core as he was 100% aware of the effect this man was having on him.

He managed to shake himself out of the stupor that had assaulted him when Francis, having taken the role of presenter, pointed to Antonio and introduced him.

— And, Arthur, this is Antonio Fernández Carriedo, the Ace of my Kingdom. —he said, smiling at his companion. Arthur was somewhat curious about the fact that Antonio had two surnames, remembering somewhere in the back of his mind that this was a tradition in some parts of the Diamond Kingdom. He turned his attention back to him when he opened his mouth again—. My beloved Ace here has been far away for a while on a research assignment in a distant land, across the ocean, so it is only natural that you two have not met before. This is, if I am not mistaken, the first time he has set foot on our continent in more than five years. —he was surprised, dismayed, and dismayed by this.

It surprised, dismayed and otherwise amazed Arthur, all at once.

He, a lover of wisdom as clichéd as it was from the people of his Kingdom, had always wanted to go beyond the Great Blue that stretched from the shores to the horizon. He knew that there was something beyond, but very few people and very few ships were limited to going and, perhaps, never returning from those distant lands.

He had always been drawn to such adventures and legends, and he was sure that, had it not been for the fate that fell upon him to impose the safety and welfare of his people, he would have taken to the seas to discover, to breathe, to live. Unleashed to run and be surprised by the strangeness of the world beyond his borders. In freedom.

This guy smelled, felt, like freedom.

And his eyes were so crystal clear that he felt the sea was right there for him.

If Yao were in his head, he probably would have called his attention to how shamelessly self-centered that had sounded, as if this Antonio had appeared now and there for and because of him.

Without skimping, avoiding letting a single second pass, he made an elegant but measured bow and formally introduced himself.

— Arthur Kirkland, the Queen of Spades, here to serve you always, my lord.

And he held out his hand so that the Ace could extend his own, to make possible for Arthur to give him the formal, elegant kiss on the hand that, in a way, he longed to offer.

His lips stung in anticipation.

Though his intention was immediately thwarted when, rather abruptly if Arthur were asked, the other fellow's eyes widened slightly, his gaze averted, and in a curt tone he mumbled, cold as ice. — Ace of Diamonds Fernández Carriedo. It's my… pleasure.

The sudden rejection and the coldness that, from what little he had been able to observe, did not seem to go well with his warm and effusive character, made Arthur, not a little self-conscious and annoyed, pick up his own outstretched hand. His brows furrowed, which only seemed to be accentuated when he saw the same gesture reflected in the other's forehead.

Gilbert and Francis didn't look the least bit surprised.

Equally, he was not at all surprised himself when he deepened his voice and, trying to maintain his composure, said. — Forgive my outburst and I do apologise if my behaviour might seem out of place, but I would like to point out your attitude. —that caught the attention of the green eyes, which turned to look at him fiercely—. Are you always this lackadaisical, or do you just have a problem with me? Please don't beat around the bush. I can't stand levity.

The Joker jumped up, overwhelmed. — Kirkland!

But Francis cut him off, calming him down. — Gil, leave it to me. I'll explain. Look, Arthu-

— The latter. —he melodious voice dictated, responding to his kind of rethorical question, and they all turned to look at him, as he turned from glaring at Arthur, somehow fiercely. Then, he closed his eyes and turned away—. I simply have a problem with Spades, it's nothing …"personal", my lord.

…

Arthur's fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth, poisoned by the humiliation.

How could…

How could he pretend to tell Arthur that his entire Kingdom was a problem, but still pretend it was nothing "personal"?

He reached out and tied the man's arm, squeezing it tightly to stop him, and exclaimed.

— You're crazy if you think that-!

— D-DON'T TOUCH ME!!!

The scream reverberated through the room, and the music stopped.

The cold fell on Arthur, and he panicked. In a moment he was away from Antonio, and suddenly the Jack of Clovers Roderich, the groom on this occasion, obstructed his view and acted as a wall between them as, elegant as ever, he remarked non-important things to divert attention. His hand slipped off the arm where it had been, and suddenly the sounds melted into the background and he went still, catatonic. No, he…

He hadn't meant to scare the guy, he…

I mean, yes, he'd felt insulted by him and had wanted to show himself as a proud and capable leader in front of him, but… He'd never intended to unleash such a…

He hadn't… found words to define what he had seen in the other man's eyes for a split second.

There was hatred and rejection, yes. But most of all there was something else, something that made his throat dry and made him want to vomit.

Before he could name the nature of the mist in those eyes that, he was now sure, weren't exactly looking at him, Antonio had been pulled away from him, and the natural noise of the room had been organically restored. Roderich kept saying something to him, at least until he saw Gilbert, and the two of them started to argue, but Arthur didn't listen too much. He was only able to see Francis giving him a complicated look, before he, too, disappeared into the crowd.

Nothing else worth telling happened during the rest of the evening. Not that Arthur, in the pale state of his mind, could recall, at least.

…

But that same night, in his blankets, Arthur couldn't sleep, he was tossing and turning. The saw green freedom-eyes suddenly darken under a veil of unknown feelings every time he thought he was falling asleep. And then he would open his eyes and look up at the ceiling, thinking.

Who was really Antonio? Why hadn't he known about the existence of someone as important as the Ace of Diamonds? And how was it possible that he had been out of the Four Realms for so long? Why… What for did everyone seem to hide and treasure him so much? And, above all,

Why did such cheerful eyes as his only exude pure anguish when they looked at him, a Spade?

That night Alfred's snoring in the next room and the tinkling of the glass decorations in the guest room accompanied him in his wakefulness. Partly caused by the anxiety in the back of his mind that was warning him of something unknown; partly, too, by the tingling in his arms and in his soul that numbed his senses when he thought of Antonio, his hair, his voice, his eyes and his smile.

All night he thought of nothing else, in fact.

[To be continued… ]

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