#today will be a housekeeping day where i try to catch up with a few asks and tag games

[fallingdownhell]

Genshin Men reacting...

.. to someone talking down on you

Including: Diluc, Ayato and Tighnari

Summary: after a very long day the last thing you expected to happen was to be confronted with some rude person making unnecissary comments. Your boyfriend catches wind of it and just can't let that happen...

Content Warnings: gender neutral reader; canon universe; established relationship; cursing; maybe slighly ooc; people being mean but getting told off; little bit (also mentioning) of bullying (I do NOT agree with anything that this character is going to say!); 

Word count: 3.6k words

Please feel free to point out any grammar or spelling mistakes to me! Also, if the format or anything seems off, I apologize but this is my first post and I wrote this on my phone. I'm still trying to get used to all of this.

Ayato

Being with the head of the Yashiro Commission was difficult sometimes. Not because you didn't love him - Archons knew that you did - but rather because of his unique circumstances.

Given the position that he was in, many people had their attention on Ayato which was not always a good thing. He may have been a sweet and caring boyfriend, but only in the familiar surroundings of his estate, where all his servants had been ordered to not speak a word about your relationship. 

Because, even though Ayato loved you, he didn’t want it to become public, mainly for two reasons. The first one being that he wanted both of you to be absolutely sure of your feelings for the other before announcing anything. Could you imagine the drama and talk in the town if he were to announce that he had a partner, only for them to be gone within the next few weeks because things just didn’t turn out the way he expected them to? Again, Ayato was sure of his love for you and he wanted you to be together, but he also wanted to make sure that you were certain as well. 

His other reason for keeping your relationship under the radar was exactly the topic of attention. Not everyone liked being the center of it, even less if it was guaranteed that you would be the talk of the town for at least the next few weeks if you guys were to go public. He just didn’t wish for you to have to deal with any of that. Not when your relationship was still this new. And if he was being honest, he quite enjoyed the moments of solitude he could get with you like this. 

Although, he had to learn the hard way that things could go terribly bad as well, if you keep them a secret for too long.

It has been a less stressful day today, so Ayato decided to go outside for a walk to catch a bit of fresh air and stretch his tired bones. He didn’t bother telling Thoma or any of the other housekeepers, they could handle themselves for a few minutes without him. And if they needed something urgent of him, he was sure he could still tend to it once he returned. 

Walking out of the estate, Ayato decided on a whim to make this supposed short stroll indeed a longer one, so he could go to Inazuma City and maybe get himself a Boba he didn’t get to enjoy for a long time now. Maybe he could even grab a special one for Thoma to try and a more... reasonable one for you. 

Happy with this idea and a smirk already forming on his lips, he quickly changed directions to the city.

Within an hour, Ayato arrived at the outskirts of the town. People started whispering among themselves, heads turning after him, questioning what he could want here, since he was not exactly a common visiter. 

Most people only knew the Yashiro Commissioner from tells and tales, since he prefered to stay in his estate. Only for official gatherings of events did he come to Inazuma City, so what could he want here on the most normal of days? 

Ayato didn’t pay it any mind though, as he casually walked up the stairs to where he knew his prefered stall was, but after arriving at the top, the peaceful atmosphere was quickly interrupted by two people arguing. One of which Ayato knew all to well.

“... said NO! How many times do I have to repeat myself?”

Normally, after hearing this, the Commissioner would not hold himself up with trivial arguments such as these. He would simply bring it to the attention of some nearby guards for them to deal with it. But, given that you were involved in this, he just couldn’t ignore it. Abandoning his usual procedure completely, he quickly made his way over to where he heard your voice coming from, able to hear the conversation taking place more clearly the closer he got. 

“Come on! Why you gotta be so difficult? ‘S not like you’re already taken, right? So, just come with me and I’ll show you a good time, I promise~”

“Let go of me, you creep!”, you yelled as you yanked your hand out of his grip. You couldn’t remember for how long you had to deal with this insistent jerk already, but you were fed up. No matter how many times you turned him down, he just wouldn’t listen. You tried to be nice about it in the beginning, but you were starting to get annoyed now. People on the streets also started to watch this interaction, though no one stood up for you or wanted to help you, so you just had to take matters into your own hands. 

“The Hell do you think you’re doing, you bitch?! I’m doing you a favour, inviting you to my home! Who the hell do you think you are, you worthless piece of -!”

While shouting, the man in front of you suddenly raised his hand. Realising, that he was about to hit you, you couldn’t do anything but close your eyes and just hope that it would be over quickly. 

Except.. the expected pain never came. Carefully you opened your eyes again, only to realise that someone else now stood between you and your pursuer. 

“Wha- the hell do you want? This has nothing to do with you!”

“Oh, but it has everything to do with me if you’re trying to hurt my partner. I can’t let that happen, now can I?”

You were too deep in shock, so you only realised now that it was Ayato, who was standing in front of you, holding that guys hand by his wrist, effectively stopping him from hurting you. His words however only setteled with you a few seconds later. But once they did, you just couldn’t help but stare at him dumbfounded. 

“Your... FUCK!”, the man suddenly yelled, janking his hand out of Ayato’s grasp and then ran from the scene like the devil himself was chasing him. The Commissioner didn’t pay it any mind though, rather focusing his attention on you. 

“Are you alright, my dear?” 

“Yeah, but... Are you? I mean.. you basically just announced our relationship to the entirety of Inazuma..”

“Don’t think of that now. Let them know, I don’t care. So lang as you’re safe, and by my side, I couldn’t care less.

With that, he slowly pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly, not paying any attention to the staring and whispering bystanders. And he meant what he said, nothing mattered more to him than you and your safety. 

________________________________

Diluc

Having a relationship with Diluc was not how you had expected it to go. Of course you had feelings for this man for a long time - otherwise you wouldn't have gone into a relationship with him - but you also went into this expecting him to act like his usual self. All stoic, feelings kept under control, never knowing what he was thinking.

But, as a matter of fact, Diluc was nothing like that over the course of your relationship with him. At least, when the two of you were alone or at the comfort of the winery, where he could trust the people around him. Diluc was very much an affectionate and protective lover, always making sure to communicate his thoughts and feelings with you, even if it was a bit awkward for him in the beginning.

It all came as a surprise for you, but it definetly wasn't an unwelcome one. Naturally, it still took his time until he fully opened up to you, told you everything about him. It was the same for you, since you had to deal with some unpleasant events from your past as well. But you managed to help each other through it together, and slowly but surely, you could say that you were starting to feel happy again. Each day with Diluc by your side made you feel like you won the lottery of life itself.

It was still a rather young night, yet you were already halfway through your shift at Angels Share. You had offered your boyfriend to help him out at the Tavern from time to time, which he reluctantly agreed to, but seeing you work happily behind the counter, glad that you could help out your boyfriend, made him feel relaxed as well. At least, for the time being. He still made sure that you wouldn't be overworking yourself or had to deal with any rude customers if he could prevent it. 

But, as always in life, happiness doesn't last forever.

As the night went on, more and more people started to gather at the Tavern, most of them looking for some form of relaxation after a stressful day full of work, or just to casually meet with some friends and have a nice chat over some alcoholic beverages. You were working together with Charles, switching between mixing the drinks and serving them to customers, when the door opened again, accompanied by the sound of a little bell hanging above it, signaling that a new customer just walked into the tavern. 

“Hey there, welco-..”, you turned to greet the new face, as you always do, but as soon as you recognised the person, your voice died down and the warm smile you usually had on your face also dropped. It couldn’t be. You really thought that you never had to see him again. You were not prepared for this. Charles, who was standing beside you, picked up on your change in behaviour, but had no idea about anything, so he couldn’t really do anything either. 

The guy coming into the tavern took a quick glance around the interior, then decided to take place on one of the stools by the barcounter. “Just get me a glass of that dandelion wine that you guys are soo famous for.”, ha said in a dismissive tone while waving with his hand. 

Without so much as a word, you went straight to it, hoping that he wouldn’t recognise you, since it had been so many years since you last saw each other. At one point while you prepared his drink, you could feel that he started staring at you. Trying to ignore it, you continued with your work, willing your hands to stop with the shaking. ‘He is just a normal customer. Just keep breathing, you got this’, you kept telling yourself, hoping that it would help calm your nerves. 

“Hey... do I know you from somewhere?”

You froze for a second, hoping that he wouldn’t remember or just brush it of. You didn’t answer as you served him his drink, but it would seem that luck won’t be on your side today. 

“Wait.. is that you y/n?”

Now the panic really started to settle in, your eyes widend as you looked at him, which was all the confirmation that guy needed. 

“I knew it! And seems that I was right about you as well, seeing as you’re working as a mere server here. Told you you could never make something out of you!”, he laughed as he snatched the drink from the counter. 

“Okay, I think that is enough.”, Charles chimmed in, having heard the whole thing.

“Chill, I’m just telling the truth. They never had anything to show for themselves, even when we were younger. And by the Archons, your looks didn’t improve either.” He laughed even more after that last comment and you couldn’t do anything about it. You wanted to stand up for yourself, say something to him, insult him back, really just anything. But you were too much in shock, frozen in place, barely able to process what was happening right now. 

“Surprised you’re even still in Mondstadt. I thought you had run of to Liyue or whatever, seeing as nobody here would want you as their partner. I mean, what so you have to show for yourself? Definitely not money or looks. Bet you can’t even please someone.”

“That’s it. Get out of my bar, right now!” You heard his familiar voice, but you were too scared to look up, fearing that you would just be able to see the face of that one person you hated more than anything.

“Huh? Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?”, the guy spoke as he stood up, trying to intimidate Diluc by standing right in front of him, but your boyfriend wasn’t impressed by it at all. More than anything, he was beyond pissed of with that guy. 

“I’m the owner of this Tavern, and I’m telling you now, in a nice way, the get out and never set foot in here again. And if I see you here again, or harrassing my partner again, I promise you, it will not end well for you.” Diluc was speaking in a slow and calm manner, but the hidden rage was easily detectable. Your old bully picked up on it as well, as he went past Diluc and out of the Tavern without another word.

Your boyfriend made sure that he was actually gone, before immediatly making his way over to you and embracing you in his arms. It took a little for you to register but you soon clung onto him like your life depended on it, only noticing that tears were escaping your eyes once his coat was already drenched in them. When you realised that, you shoved him away from you.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to -!” You were interrupted by your boyfriends hands softly holding onto your face, making you look him in the eyes. 

“Don’t you dare start apologizing to me. You didn’t do anything. I should be the one saying sorry for not arriving here sooner.”, he said, as one of his thumbs slowly brushed over your cheek, which made you smile a little bit. 

“But you came, and that’s all that matters. Thank you, Diluc.”

_____________________________

Tighnari

Your relationship with the fennec fox was a very loving one, but also a very exhausting one. His life as a forest ranger was a very busy one, so he often didn’t have as much time for you as he or you would have wished. Nevertheless, you guys always managed to make up for the lost time, no matter how little you got to spend together.

Tighnari treated you with so much kindness, you could basically feel his love and adoration for you with his every word and action. Of course he still kept his foul mouth, even in your relationship, though you knew that he never had any ill intend. And even if an insult did come out of his mouth, directed at you, he always said it in such a loving way that you just couldn’t get it in any wrong way.

Usually, the two of you would wake up in the morning together, either one of you staying in the others cottage almost every night. It became such a normal occurance for you, you couldn’t even remember the last time you slept alone in your bed. Not that you mind, though. You loved waking up to your boyfriend holding you close to his body, feet entangeld with his own, your face pressed against his chest. 

If you were to ever tell anyone how affectionate this fox really was, they would probably just start laughing and call you crazy. Everyone knew Tighnari as this stoic, stern man who puts his research above everything. In reality, you were his number one priority, nothing else. When you thought about that, you couldn’t help the smile that began forming on your lips, while you slowly reached out to softly stroke some stray hair out of his face.

Normally, Tighnari would be awake way before you, but today was one of the rare occaisions where he actually slept longer than you, allowing you to admire his beautiful resting face and relaxed expression. 

“Enjoying yourself?”, your boyfriend suddenly spoke, his morning voice sounding a bit rough, but it just made you adore him even more. 

“Very much so.”, you answered gleefully, as Tighnari slowly opened his eyes, keeping the eye contact with you. 

He looked at you a few more seconds before mumbling a quiet ‘Good morning’, then leaning towards you to give you a small kiss to your forehead. 

“We have to get up now..”

“Ugh.. can’t we stay for five more minutes?”, you groaned, not quite ready to get up just yet. 

“I’m afraid not. We both have long days ahead of us. The sooner we get all of it done, the earlier we can be back again.”, Tighnari said as he already began to peel himself out from under the covers, dragging you along with him in the process because he knew if he didn’t do that, you would just fall back asleep again. 

You both went to your morning routines as usual, grabbing something to eat before you both went your seperate ways to take care of your duties for the day. 

You and Nasrin were assigned to patrol the forest today, so you went to find her to discuss how you two would be handling it togehter. Meanwhile, Tighnari was staying behind in the village today, since he had some catching up to do with his research and also work on new doses of medicine for Collei. 

Time went by quickly while Tighnari was focusing on his work - surprisingly not being interrupted even once - that by the time he leaned back and allowed himself a small break, the sun was already starting to set, though it wasn’t quite sunfall yet. 

He was just about to focus back on his work to get a few more pages done, when his ears picked up on some unusual noises outside. He noticed that it was some distant shouting that he was hearing, by an unfamiliar voice at that, so he decided to check for himself what was going on there. 

He exited his cottage and quickly located the source of all that noise by the village entrance. He didn’t think much of it in the beginning - probably just some travellers or adventurers who got lost in the forest again and were now complaining about it - but as he got closer and recognised the person on the receiving end of the shouting as you, he wasn’t as relaxed anymore. 

“What the hell was even the point of doing all this if you can’t even secure my goods?!”, the man in front you kept shouting, not letting you get a word in. In all honesty, you were getting frustrated and annoyed at that guy. 

Here you were, trying to help him when he was getting attacked by a hoard of fungi in the forest, and he had the audacity to complain to you about not being able to save his goods for him. Not like you were busy fighting those monsters of while he cowered behind you like a little kid. 

“Look, as I tried to tell you -!”

“I mean, what is a merchant even good for without his fucking merchandise? How fucking incompetent can you be?”

That was the third time the man cut you of and now you had enough of it. You were about to go of on him as you saw your boyfriend approaching from behind the guy. You knew with one glance at his annoyed face that the guy was in for it, so you just couldn’t help the smirk forming on your lips, which the guy in front of you also noticed.

“What the hell is there to smirk about, you little-!”

“Excuse me, I would very much appreciate it if you could stop talking to my partner like that.”, Tighnari said, very matter of factly.

The guy turned around, still pissed of about the situation. “Oh yeah? Then maybe tell your little, incompetent partner to do their fucking job right, then I wouldn’t have to do that!”

“Oh, so you mean, saving your life wasn’t part of their job? Should they rather have secured your goods, leaving you to fend those monsters of by yourself?”

That shut the man right up. You could see his mouth open and close, again and again, trying to come up with some sort of retaliation, but not being able to find one. 

“I suggest that you apologize to them and then get out of my village because I sure won’t let someone as rude as you stay here. And make sure to keep clear of the forest, there won’t be any nightly patrols today.”

Clearly fed up with this whole situation, the guy pushed past you, not muttering another word, as he went on the path that lead straight back to Sumeru City. Tighnari had half a mind to go after him, drag him back and make him apologize to you, but he came to the conclussion that that wouldn’t be worth all the effort. 

Instead, he let out a long sigh, than looked back at you. 

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, just really annoyed with that guy. Honestly, what was even his deal?”

“Some people just see themselves as the center of the universe. Don’t think about it too much.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. Besides, I think that was pretty cool, how you told him right off. Very attractive~”, you said.

“You Lummox”, Tighnari said as he quickly turned around to hide his red cheeks. You laughed and quickly caught up to him again so you two could start your well deserved evening toghether. 

[literary-motif]

could you write a scenario where Listener gets a panic attack after being overwhelmed by work and Isaac helps them through it? hurt/comfort tropes are my favorite 💕

Same, hurt/comfort for the win! I hope this is to your liking. Have a lovely day <3

Never Falter

Isaac Rhoades x Reader

Warnings: panic attack, mild self-esteem issues

The work you normally so loved left you hollow inside. You had been staring at the pages in front of you — bills, pictures, legal documents, printed-out emails — for a good half an hour without understanding a single word of what was written on them. The letters seemed to blur together, the words not making sense in your head. 

It was a shame, really, because this was only the second case you had looked at today, and there was a whole stack of manilla folders resting at the edge of your desk, taunting you with their towering presence. 

You felt the overwhelming urge to send them all flying to the ground, spilling their contents over the green carpet in Isaac’s office, but that would only increase your workload and you were not keen on undoing yesterday’s work and falling even further behind. 

It would all be so much easier if you could close some of the cases, but there was not enough evidence to make sense of all the loose information you tried desperately to piece together. They all needed further observation and further research you did not have the time to give them because of the sheer amount of them. It did not help that you were supposed to look for new evidence as well, making it impossible to piece together the scraps you already had and puzzle the new pieces into the bigger picture of the case because there were just too many of them. 

There was too much to do, and you had spent the entirety of the previous night sitting at the desk, leafing through papers to revise the old evidence in the few hours where — at least in the US — there was nothing to observe because your targets were fast asleep. 

At around four in the morning, your exhaustion had crept up on you, making you nod off, awoken only by Isaac’s gentle touch on your shoulder a few hours later, his brows furrowed as he asked you if you had fallen asleep on your work. You had brushed off his question, hurrying to the kitchen to follow your primary duties of housekeeping and making him his signature cup of coffee. 

If he was disappointed that you had not had the time nor the energy to bake something, he did not let it show, instead suggesting almost offhandedly that you both could take the day off and try out his mother’s old recipe for crema catalana, a desert he had loved in his youth but never got around to make for himself. 

Practically seeing the amount of work on your desk double, the stack of documents increasing, the folders thickening by the amount of new evidence and potentially new connections you would have to catch up on if you slacked off for a day, you politely declined his offer and returned hurriedly to your desk, adamant to get more done today, to catch up with the development of at least a few cases and finally cross something off of your to-do list.

It had gotten increasingly long over the past few months, and you did not know how much longer you could keep up with the world around you spinning without cause, all the people doing what they did while you were supposed to keep track of it all. 

Every dawn brings a new day, yes, but every new day brings more work, and you were so tired of it. You needed to process the information, you needed to look at the evidence, and research it thoroughly so you could solve the cases and reduce your workload — close some cases. But it was impossible. 

The world kept spinning, the evidence kept piling up and you were slowly drowning in the flood of information, no longer understanding any of it, unable to comprehend what the case was about anymore. 

“Pickle?” Isaac asked, popping his head into his office in search of you. He had been going from meeting to meeting for the past week, absent from home for a long time to converse with employers and partners. He had told you about Asirel and his acquaintance, supposed to keep him safe, but you had only listened halfheartedly to his retelling of their meeting and the ensuing conversation they had had about his ‘pet’ as your eyes remained fixed on the documents before you, shifting through them in the hopes of understanding what you were even supposed to be looking for. 

You were so tired that reality seemed to melt away. “What is it, Isaac?” you asked, not raising your head despite being mildly surprised that his meeting with the ‘troublesome’ client had finished so soon.

“Well, I don’t want to interrupt,” Isaac said sheepishly, causing you to glance up at him briefly at the unfamiliar tone. He was loosening his tie, suit jacket already discarded, and hair a mess. Isaac looked about as exhausted as you felt, and the worn-out smile on his face did nothing to hide the faintly purple bags under his eyes. “I see you’re still busy, just— where’s dinner? I’m off to sleep after. I swear that man took all that was left of my energy, talking in circles for hours!”

Your heart dropped, and you raised your eyes to look at the big pendulum clock next to Isaac. It was late, already well past eleven at night, and you had grossly miscalculated the time, losing yourself in your reflections and the amount of work on your desk, on which you had yet again failed to make a dent. 

More importantly though — and the thought crashed through you as your wide eyes met the questioning tilt of Isaac’s head — you had entirely forgotten about making dinner.

“I—” you began, throat suddenly dry and eyes watering at failing to do your work. 

You had failed in your most important purpose. Isaac was sure to be disappointed, realizing that you were entirely useless and pathetic and nothing but a burden, and finally kicking you out, asking you to leave in the coldly professional tone he usually reserved for particularly bothersome clients. You were nothing but a burden to him. He hated you. 

“Oh god,” you choked, tears streaming down your face as your chest started to burn, feeling like a fire was scorching you from the inside out, something inside of you trying to claw its way out. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I didn’t— I—” 

There was not enough air in the room, you suddenly realized. There was no air at all as the sensation of being pulled underwater overtook you, contrasting strangely with the fire burning inside your chest. Nothing felt real. Nothing made sense anymore, and you were struck with the thought that this twisting, bending of reality and the feeling of levitating through the air while simultaneously being pulled down to crash against the hard floor had to be what dying felt like. 

At least that way you did not have to face Isaac’s inevitable scorn, nor the heartbreak that would come with being forced to leave him as he told you he had no need for your assistance anymore. You had never been a good assistant anyway, nor a good housekeeper. Perhaps this was for the best.

“Hey, look at me,” the words reached you from far away, sounding like a faint whisper on a field with howling wind, “Open your eyes. Look at me. It’s alright, everything’s alright. Breathe.”

The voice was growing louder slowly, but the feeling of being pulled under, swallowed by something — a big mass of nothing hiding deep inside your chest, the void reclaiming what belonged to it — made it hard to concentrate on the words. 

“Pickle! Hey, breathe. I’m— I’m going to touch you now, alright? Don’t be alarmed, just—” The voice was gentle and calming despite the uncertainty and faint underlying alarm you could hear in the spoken words. It was strangely comforting, and you felt yourself slowly surfacing from the deep well you had unknowingly sunk into.

The world around you started to feel less wrong, and you slowly became aware that you were shaking like a leaf, gasping for breath on the floor while someone — Isaac! — was soothingly stroking your hand, which he held pressed against his chest with a firm but gentle grip.

“That’s it,” he exhaled in relief as you opened your eyes, vision still blurry with tears, “Breathe with me. It’s alright, you’re safe. Just copy me. Breathe, Pickle. Yes, just like that.” 

You tried your best to follow the steady rise and fall of his chest but lost the slow rhythm again and again. The pain in your chest made you whimper, choking on a sob as you were unable to take in a deep lungful of air that you so desperately needed.

Isaac shifted closer, tentatively releasing his grip on your hand to gather you into his arms, holding you tightly against his chest, making sure you could feel the rhythm of his breathing. 

“Just like that,” he whispered against the top of your head, rubbing small circles into your back as your breathing gradually slowed. “You’re doing so well. Keep breathing. That’s it. I love you. Keep breathing. You’re alright. I’m right here.”

You lowered your hand, not having the energy to keep it up anymore as you slumped against Isaac’s chest, going boneless with exhaustion. The panic had subsided, leaving you utterly drained. 

“Isaac?” you murmured against his shoulder, eyelids dropping as your heartbeat slowed and you caught the unmistakable scent of Isaac’s cologne. 

His arms tightened around you, pulling you closer against him as he felt you relax completely, drifting off to sleep in an embrace you knew would keep you safe. “Sleep, Pickle,” he said, taking a deep breath himself to slow his heart hammering against his ribcage, “We will talk about this tomorrow.” 

The next morning, you woke up in a soft bed, which you had neglected for an unacceptable amount of time, Isaac’s arms securely wrapped around you and keeping you close to him, as if he was worried you would slip through his fingers again.

[tllgrrl]

Ndinawe - Chapter 4: A Little Calm…

Summary: Turns out that it’s a beautiful day to get out of the house, run some errands, and just take a nice, relaxing drive:

Warm, not yet officially Hot.

And it’s breezy enough to make the flags at the post offices, libraries and schools majestically wave from half-staff today.

* * * * * * * * * *

”Nandi…?”

Though she’d only managed to get a couple of hours of sleep, she actually felt pretty good for the first time in weeks, and had more than enough energy to do some housekeeping while Bucky took the boys to school, went to the dock to talk to Big Mike about the boat, and picked up some paperwork from Miz Dee, Head Chef and Kitchen Manager at the restaurant for the next few days.

She’d cleaned the stove, the fridge, and all the counters…twice…by the time he got home and found her in the kitchen.

Stepping into the living room, he noticed that the house was quiet. She usually would have music playing when she was doing housework, or cooking, or even going over the company paperwork. He'd be able to hear her music all the way over at the carport by the garage.

Sometimes it would be LPs from her father’s music collection. Sometimes she’d call up a Playlist from her phone and use the Bluetooth to play it through the speakers.

But today, there was nothing. He sees her, but there's not even the sound of her singing or humming.

Carefully placing a hand on either side of hers on the edge of the sink, he joined her looking out the back window.

“…I thought you were taking the day off today.”

”I am. Just thought I’d catch up on some housework. Lately I haven’t been… Today I just felt like…I needed to—“

He twirls her around to face him. “Let’s go,” and he starts to dance them both back toward the dining room and into the living room.

“Go? Go where?”

“The Home Depot over in Chalmett. Got a list of things I need for some fixes around the house, and another list for the boat. And you need to pick the color I’m painting your office, remember?”

”I should—“

”Take a break, is what. You’ve been cleaning all morning. You even cleaned what I cleaned last night after dinner. Don't tell me you haven't. You know I can tell.”

”But—“

”Come on…” Then he had the nerve to use The Tone, and murmur in her ear, “Come with me…please?” and topped it all off with that You know you wanna... grin that makes her definitely wanna.

”Wel-l-l-l-l…I guess...”

To his relief she agreed, but only after he assured her they’d be home well before the boys got home from baseball practice.

And after he assured her that if she lets him pick the color, he’ll paint her office something called “Pretty Party Pony Neon Pink”.

“Like hell you will, Bucky B. Barnes. Let me go put on something decent,” she said heading toward the stairs.

“Decent? What’s wrong with—”

“James!” she looked back over her shoulder at him, sucked her teeth, turned and kept walking. “I’m not trying to be out in these streets like this! I have children...”

”What! You look fine!” he smiled watching her walk away in her “housework clothes” cut-off short-but-not-Bae-short jeans, low-top sneakers, and a purple sports bra under her vintage golden yellow Wilson Family Seafood tee with the neckband cut off, baring her neck and collarbones.

“Hold on a minute!” he called after her, jogging up the stairs. “I’ll help you change!”

“You’ll whatnow? Boy, if you don't……..oh!”

Keep Reading…

[irismfrost]

August 9 - Trying to survive

Today made me debate leaving this country. I cannot find anything here. I look for a pharmacy and it takes me an hour because all the buildings are so big that nothing is on the first floor and I can't read enough Japanese to figure out where I should go. The amount of escalators is ridiculous. I also cannot get medication that would be OTC in the US without a prescription. But the people at the counter said I need special paperwork for Japanese hospital/doctors. I am beginning to like seafood less and less the more I eat it. What is up with people putting "mixed seafood" in everything possible?

I skipped breakfast today to catch up on sleep, and since I went on my pharmacy adventure before I ate (I figured it would be better to eat with peace of mind). However, I was too stressed to eat when I got my meals. I just picked up the prepackaged mixed seafood pasta and seafood rice paper rolls at the 13-floor mall, not including basement where the pharmacy was. So I didn't eat anything until about 5pm. Tomorrow I am going to eat hotel breakfast. I'm hoping it's good because there is a fancy restaurant downstairs. I also cannot access certain websites here. I have been trying to get my parking permit for Gainesville done and I can't access part of the website. I tried it using cellular instead of hotel wifi too. So that is annoying, but tonight I did get a couple other things done that I had been avoiding for a couple days.

After talking to my mom and weighing the options, I've decided to thug it out and just try to make it to the end of the week. Hopefully, I can keep my medical issue at bay until I get back to the states. I think I am gonna put forth one last effort to just try to go to a Japanese doctor's office tomorrow and see what happens. Maybe there was something lost in translation at the pharmacy.

And maybe tomorrow I'll try to explore outside of these city towers, assuming I can get out - I'm hoping I'll have a better experience being in an open space.

Overall, I am breaking down and losing all motivation to make experiences. There is a large part of me that would rather stay in my room the entire trip. As much as I want to stay within my comfort zone and do nothing, I know I will regret it later. So even though I will end up being disappointed and I will definitely cry more than one more time on this trip, at least I can say I am trying. My motivation is like a used tube of toothpaste and I am currently choosing to cut up the tube and scrape the insides out so that I can finish this trip. It is so much easier to just throw out the tube.

On a slightly more positive note, my successes today include going to 7/11 to pick up supplies, filling up my water bottle and tea kettle, and getting a few housekeeping tasks done. I tried the matcha flavored Kit Kat at 7/11 and they aren't bad, they taste exactly how you would expect, but they have chocolate in the middle which I didn't realize. I don't really like matcha but they are interesting and I'm glad I tried it. I'll be bringing most of them home.

Pictured is my view from the hotel. I have not seen that wheel move once since I've been here.

[jimbleswrites]

Pantheon 2022

Chapter 6: Housekeeping & Looking Forward

A/N: I’m going to start putting the first paragraph outside the keep reading bumper. I mostly kept it under that so anyone’s dash wouldn’t be bogged up, but i think having one out shouldn't be too intrusive. other than that, writing has slowed a bit because i am training a new guy at work, but i’m still writing when i get time!

It had been a few days since my last mission, where I handed off the info leaks to Dan & Pat. Their online site, the Weekly Eagle, had posted the articles, showing GIPA’s unverified info and stalking some people for unknown reasons. This was edited from the true version of Project Olympus, cutting out the godly aspects and just leaving the version showing GIPA as invasive and controlling. I exchanged info with Dan & Pat, with them ecstatic to have a new member of their small news site, and took my leave. Today, I had decided to train with Mrs. R again, slowly working on my aura control. She had come over to Vida’s plane and we were training by the shoreline.

“You can construct almost anything with your aura, you just have to focus on it.” she explained. “Now you try it.” She formed a large boxing glove around her hand. “Try to make a glove like this.” I focused and a golden glove formed around my hand, just like hers. She smiled. “You’re getting the hang of this. But it’s not all combat-focused.” She closed her eyes and a blue energy formed nearby, making a bench and sitting down. She motioned to the seat next to her. I sat next to her, facing the eternal sunset. The bench was a bit stiff but Mrs. R seemed comfortable. “But you’re doing good with your powers, how about your personal life? Adjusting well to being a champion?”

I stared forward. “I think so. I’ve been trying to balance being a champion and living on earth. It’s a little weird though. Like I got a drink from a bar the other day without realizing I had no money. Luckily a person I knew covered it.”

Mrs. R laughed. “Like you left your stuff behind? I’ve left my bank card in Mr. E’s plane before too.”

“Bank card? Do you have a job?” I was a bit confused when she said that.

She looked just as confused as me. “No, you know? The Heavenly card?” I shook my head. Mrs. R laughed again. “I’m surprised Vida hasn’t brought this up with you yet, but even gods aren’t perfect.” She stood up and a doorway popped up next to her. “Come on, I'll set you up with an account.” I stood up, her bench disappearing as I walked with her through the doorway. As I stepped through after her, I found myself at a corporate office. It was a very open-concept, with fewer cubicles and more common areas. I blindly followed Mrs. R through several different halls as she strode forward to a small desk with a person sitting behind it. She stopped just short and turned back to me. “Just let this guy know you need to see Caitlyn about making an account. I’m going to go catch up with a buddy of mine here.” She then walked off, and I cautiously stepped forward to the desk.

“Excuse me? I need to see Caitlyn about making an account.” I politely asked the gentleman. He nodded and picked up a phone.

“Ma’am, someone is here about a new account.” A pause. “Yes ma’am. Of course.” He put the phone back on its receiver and looked back at me. “She’ll be with you shortly, have a seat over there.” He pointed towards a few seats next to a large office door. I thanked him and went to sit down. My phone beeped and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was a message from Dan, asking about a new project. He wanted to get info about a rival news site but had no luck getting in the building. The two reporters had asked a few times about help with various pieces they had, and so far I had been busy enough trying to work on my powers that I didn't get involved. Maybe after this meeting I could head back to New York and see what the problem was. I was still waiting to hear from Vida about the history lesson or any new missions.

I heard the door open and out stepped a shorter red-headed lady. Unlike Vida’s vibrant hair, hers was a deeper tone, tied back into a bun. She was wearing a white button-up shirt with black plants, with simple suspenders. She adjusted her glasses and looked over to me.

“Come on, new guy. Don’t have all day.” She waved at me and walked back inside her office. I stood up and walked after her. Her heels clacked on the hardwood floor as she walked ahead. Her office was filled with large screens showing stocks, graphs, and other various charts. She sat behind her desk. “Come on, big fella, I've got other things ta do today.” She spoke with a demanding Irish accent. I sat on the other side of the desk, watching her type quickly into a desktop computer. “So, you need a Heavenly account? I’ll be needing some info from ya. Let’s start with ya name, lad.”

“Robert Paladin.”

“An’ who do you work for?”

“Vida.”

The woman groaned once she heard the name. “Of course Vida would be runnin’ late with a new arrival. She loves throwin’ wrenches in my plans.” She finished typing and looked at me. “You look like a lost sheep, lad. You haven’t got the faintest idea what’s happening, do ya?” Her voice was almost patronizing, like a grade teacher who hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

“Not really, I just mentioned that I didn’t have a card to Mrs. R and she pulled me over here.” I was a little confused about it all, but I was under the assumption that this was a bank for gods. However that would work.

“I see, normally I get to set this up within a few days of you being enlisted, but Vida loves to mess with me schedule. Since champions interact with the mortal realm, i set up a banking system so you wouldn’t have ta worry about money.” she explained, still typing away.

“Is this just a thing you do for niceties? Or is this helping you somehow?” I asked. The dynamics of the gods and how they interacted was still something I wanted to know more about.

“Smart lad. I help the champions of all gods with money, and in return I calls em from time to time. Money, favors, information are all things I want, and the Heavenly Credit Union enables that.”

“So that makes you the goddess of…”

“Business. Caitlyn.” She stopped typing and pulled a card out of a drawer. She slid it over the desk at me. I picked it up and saw my name printed onto it. It was a credit card for Heavenly Credit Union. As I looked it over, she continued. “That’ll be acceptable at any location and any amount, and of course you agree to the fine print and terms & conditions by accepting this.” She pulled out a hefty packet and tossed it at me. It thudded loudly on the wooden desk. As I glanced through it, It was full of small text and felt purposely hard to read. The last page had a spot for a signature.  I decided to sign, even if Vida hadn’t expressly set it up, it would be very useful. I finished signing my name, and the packet flew over to a filing cabinet and put itself inside. “Alright, you’re done. Get outta here.” Caitlyn pointed to the door and it opened. She turned her chair around, kicking her feet on a smaller table, and started looking at the screens. I awkwardly turned away, walking out and the doors closed between. I instinctively reached for a wallet, before realizing I didn't have one. I slid the card into my pocket, making a mental note to go shopping and grab some new clothes and essentials. I liked the yellow jacket Vida gifted me, but it wouldn’t hurt to grab more clothes.

I saw Mrs. R. was chatting with someone in an office nearby, and walked over. Mrs. R was happily talking about her day, while the person in the chair smiled gently. I stood at the door and knocked gently.

Mrs. R whipped around. “Finally! Robert, this is Banks! We were just catching up!” I waved hello to them. They seemed very reserved, barely registering my presence while continuing to type away. They wore a small pin with ‘They/Them’ written in cutesy writing.

I made a mental note of this before speaking. “Nice to meet you, Banks.”

They simply nodded, then began moving their hands rapidly. I guess they spoke sign language? I looked at Mrs. R for help.

“They’re asking who you are the champion for. Normally gods will make this a priority for new champions.”

“Oh, Vida. Do you know her?”

Banks rolled their eyes, rapidly signing again. “They do know her, but… Whoa, I’m not saying that!” Mrs. R started to translate only to stop after some aggressive signs. “I forget how much of a stickler for schedules you are.” Mrs. R sighed, before turning to me. “But you have your card now, right? Let's go shopping a little! Cool off after our training!” Mrs. R never struck me as a shopaholic, but her energy was infectious. She turned back to Banks. “You can come too! It’s been forever since we hung out!”

Banks signed something else, then pointed to the clock. “OK, after you’re done then!” Mrs. R answered, “I’ll text you the details later and you can meet us.” She waved goodbye, and a door faded in behind Mrs. R, and she started to walk backwards right through it. I waved goodbye as well and quickly followed her through this new door.

I came through the door to a small hallway filled with various clothes, and some old bins. Mrs. R was already a ways ahead, fiddling with a door at the end of the hallway. I quickly jogged up, watching her quickly check the door for anyone on the other side. She motioned to me, and walked on through. I followed her and was now inside a crowded mall. People shuffled around us as I followed Mrs. R.

“We can get you some new clothes,” Mrs. R started to talk while walking ahead, “And I’ve had a new set of shoes just calling my name.”

“You know, I never took you for a shopaholic.”

“When you have a card with no limit, you tend to enjoy shopping a lot more.” She pointed to a clothing store and our spree started. This particular mall had so many shops for anything from electronics to clothes to antiques to import shops. I lost track of time as we went from shop to shop. I picked up new clothes, a wallet, a watch, some furniture for my little cabin, and some other impulse buys. Some part of me worried about the card suddenly stopping to work, but it always went though. Once my arms filled with bags, I made a portal back to Vida’s plane and put them in the small cabin. Despite the clutter, it was starting to feel like my home versus something Vida made for me. I even focused my powers and changed the floor plan to be more open, with less doors and more doorway curtains.

“Not bad.” Mrs. R approved of the changes as she flopped down onto a newly purchased beanbag. “You could always add a gym though. Keep yourself in fighting shape.”

“It’s not a bad idea.” I mused. I didn’t like the idea of having a huge house with only me in it, but maybe adding a few rooms for training would be nice. I was sorting through the bags of new items when my phone rang. I pulled it out to see Dan was calling me. I could always sort this later, and Dan had been asking about that new scoop. I answered, “Dan, I was gonna text you about that scoop-”

I was cut off by a gruff voice. “You meet me. Top of the building. Don’t try anything or your pets here get hurt.”

“Who is this?” I was confused, but found myself clenching my fist.

“We’ll talk when you show up.” The caller hung up, leaving me with a pit in my stomach.

[gallavictorious]

I really wish people would stop excusing their favorite character's actions with convoluted theories instead of just accepting that their faves aren't perfect. Ian should not be comparing Terry and Frank. Full stop. Especially not to Mickey's face, when Mickey is in the middle of trying to deal with the complicated feelings he has about the father that raped him by proxy and tried to actually murder him. It's ok to say "yeah you're right I don't know what you're going through but I'm here" and not make it into a shitty father competition.

And I really wish people would refrain from making groundless assumptions and recognize that trying to understand a character's motivation for doing something does not equal taking a stance on whether or not the action discussed is morally sound but alas, nonnie, we live in an imperfect world.

For those just turning in, this ask was received in response to my addition to this post.

Now, nonnie, if I understand you correctly, you disapprove of what I wrote because you see it as 1, an attempt to excuse Ian's behavior because 2, he's my favourite character and 3, therefore I can't stand to have him do something wrong. You also think that, no matter his motivations, Ian shouldn't be comparing Frank to Terry. Below, I'll quickly refutate points 2 and 3, as well as detail the difference between explanations and excuses and – hopefully – demonstrate why you can't with any sort of certainty claim that the offending post is an example of the latter. I will not really engage with the question of whether or not Ian was wrong for saying what he did, because (as we shall return to forthwith) that was not the issue originally discussed, it doesn't actually interest me, and as you do not offer any sort of reasoning for your moral judgment there really isn't anything for me to work with there anyway.

Strap in, kids; it's another long one.

Let's start with your claim that Ian is my favourite. I'm not actually going to spell it out there, but instead direct you to paragraphs 3-7 of this post. A little lazy, perhaps, but I'm sure you can appreciate why I have limited time to point out the same basic flaws twice in a fairly short period of time. (Should I pin a pic of me holding up a little sign reading ”Actually, Mickey is my favourite, even though I love Ian too” to the top of my blog? Would that be helpful?)

Moving on to point 3, I do agree with the general notion that it's fine to accept that the characters we love (no matter who that character is) are flawed and make mistakes! If you had taken the time to familiarize yourself with my thoughts on Ian and Mickey – or if you had, you know, just asked – instead of jumping to completely unsubstantiated conclusions based on a single post, you might even have realized that them being fucked up and making fucked up choices from time to time is one of the things I find most compelling about them. They are messy and complicated and human, and I love that. I neither think nor want either of them to perfect, because perfection is unrealistic is static is boring.

With that out of the way, let's get to excuses versus explanations. If one confuses the two, any attempt to discuss or explain a persons behavior will be construed as an attempt to excuse it, but to understand something and to condone it are actually two different things.

For instance, I can explain and understand why Mickey acted the way he did in 3x09, but still think kicking Ian in the face was wrong. I can explain and understand why Ian called Mickey a coward and a pussy in 4x11 but still think he was wrong for doing so. Do you see? Understanding – or trying to understand – why someone did something is not the same as saying that what they did was okay. Understanding the reasons for someone's actions might lessen the severity of our condemnation (for instance, stealing is generally considered wrong, but most of use would agree that stealing bread to feed your kid is less wrong than stealing bread because you're too stingy to pay for it) or might remove condemnation entirely (hitting someone because you are angry with them is wrong, hitting someone as part of consensual BDSM sex is fine), but understanding an action does not automatically lead to declaring said action morally correct. In short, ”why did X do Y” and ”was X right or wrong do to Y” are two different questions, and the fact that our answer to the second question often is at least partly dependent on our understanding of the first does not change that.

So explanations and excuses are not the same. And yet, sometimes the reasons for doing something (or failing to do something) are offered up as an excuse; as a reason why someone should not be held responsible for their actions, or why they were correct in performing/not performing them in the first place. That neatly leads us to the question of whether or not that's what's actually happening in the post you took exception to. And the answer to that is... you can't know. What boys-night and I discuss in the post is what Ian is actually doing (is he trying to compare trauma och convince Mickey he had it worse) and why he is doing it; that is, we are trying to understand and explain his behavior. Neither of us make any sort of statement on whether or not he was right or wrong for saying or doing what he did: that's just not the topic of conversation. Now, maybe I do think his motivations means that he's morally justified in what he said; maybe I don't. My point is that you can't know that just from what you've read in the post. You might draw some tentative conclusions, and they may be correct, but you don't know, and the reasonable and responsible way to go from there is to seek clarification by asking (polite) questions, not aggressively throwing around accusations about others grasping for straws in a despertae attempt to exonerate their favorites from wrongdoing.

(And just to remind you, even if I were making excuses for Ian, it wouldn't be because he's my favourite or becuase I can't bear to have him do wrong.)

You are perfectly free to disagree with any of the points made in the post, by the way, but you need to recognize that what we're disagreeing on then is motivation, not morality.

And, oh, of course it would have been okay to say "yeah you're right I don't know what you're going through but I'm here", but that's not what Ian did. Now, if you are happy to go ”ah, Ian fucked up, he's not perfect” and move on, that's fine. You do you, nonnie, and if analysis and discussion of character motivations isn't your jam then it isn't and I'm sure no one is going to force you to engage in it. (And if they try to, you can simply say ”I don't care” and walk away.) However, to be perfectly honest I am a bit perplexed that you should be so indignant over other fans trying to make sense of his actions. Do you still feel that way now that you – hopefully – understand that trying to explain a characters' behavior doesn't necessarily mean trying to excuse it? I mean, surely you are aware of the fact that people usually have reasons for acting the way they do, even if the way they act is shitty or misguided? (Note that I'm not saying that Ian's actions were shitty and misguided. That is not the discussion we're having.) I am rather curious, actually, as to what you think Ian's motivations were? Do you imagine he was deliberatedly diminishing Mickey's trauma? Why, if so? Do you perhaps think that he is obsessed with being The Most Victim and thus takes every opportunity to list all the ways Frank sucked? Or maybe that his mouth just moves without any thought or reason and the words just randomly happened?

To be fair, it seems that Ian's motivations is not something you consider relevant: you write that ”Ian should not be comparing Terry and Frank. Full stop.” And that's absolutely a moral stance you can take, albeit certainly not the only one. Maybe Ian shouldn't have said what he said Had you given any reasons for this verdict, I might even have agreed with you because I can think of several reasons why it might be better if Ian refrained from comparing Terry and Frank, no matter his motivations. (And I might not, because I can also think of several reasons why such a comparision might be justified, even though Terry is clearly the more evil of the two.) However, we shall never know, because you fail to back up your claim. I guess that's because you deem it self-evident? It is not, and until you provide any sort of reasoning for your grand proclamation, I won't engage with the question. Not going to shadow-box with you, nonnie, or do your work for you; if you want a discussion, make your case properly. Though maybe make it elsewhere – as previously noted, passing judgement on the characters is not my primary interest when discussing them. I am much more intrigued by trying to understand why characters do and say what they do and say.

Phew. Okay, that's me done, I think. I realize that you might not be very impressed with this answer, nonnie, but I hope it may to some degree reassure you that no sneaky attempt to excuse my favourite character's actions with convoluted theories was made by this humble blogger. Not this time, at least.

[idy-ll-ique]

small world

pairing: mob!bucky barnes x f!reader

genre: angst, smut

warnings: mentions of abuse, mentions of violence, a whole s*x scene at the end

requested: nope

word count: ~6.5k

summary: y/n is a delivery girl who works for a small restaurant which, unbeknownst to her, is the front for a mafia gang whose leader is brock rumlow, bucky barnes' arch nemesis. together with his #1 partner, leo atlas, brock harasses y/n constantly. one day, bucky orders food from the restaurant out of nowhere. y/n is the one who delivers the food, and bucky starts falling for her at the first sight. soon, he learns how her boss and customers treat her and insists that she leave the job to work at his house as a housekeeper instead. she agrees, and while she starts working for him, bucky does his research and finds out just who has been harassing her all this time. the shock when he finds out it was his arch-rival all along...

author's note: hiya peeps! whew this is my longest fic yet, i really hope it's worth the read. enjoy!

masterlist

---

"Do I have to?"

Y/N glanced at her boss with puppy eyes, flinching when he raised his arm as if to slap her. "Of course you have to, bitch, who are you to question me?! You do as I say, do what I tell you to do. Now go." Thrusting the bag of food in her hands, Y/N's boss shoved her out of the main door. She stumbled but sighed, catching herself. This was a regular occurrence; her boss being the most vile person on earth.

As she walked down the deserted road, she shuddered. Not because she was cold, but because she didn't want to go where she was currently headed. She hated the person who lived there; he always made inappropriate comments about her and sometimes even tried to touch her. Yet when she told that to her boss, he'd now decided that she was to make every single delivery to that house. Insane.

Upon reaching said house, she cleared her throat and took a deep breath in, waiting a few seconds before pressing the doorbell. 10 seconds later, the door opened to reveal an older man standing there, a smirk on his face. Y/N avoided eye contact. "Here's your delivery, sir," she muttered, holding the bag out for him. Y/N gasped when instead of just taking the bag, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in.

"And how's my favourite delivery girl doing today?" he purred and Y/N tried to yank her hand away from his grip, now starting to panic a little. "Oh come on, don't be like that," the man tutted, leaning down until his lips were close to her ear, "I just said you're my favourite. Is that how you're going to react to that? No thank you or anything?" Y/N's breathing sped up. "Let me go," she pleaded in a whisper, "I have to go."

"What's the rush? My friends and I were just about to eat some of this delicious food, can't you stay for a little bit?" Y/N refused to look at him, still struggling to free her hand. Suddenly, his grip tightened. "You know if you pull anything shady I'm going to file a complaint against you, and I swear to God, I'll make it hard for you to find a job in this city again," he growled menacingly and Y/N winced, tears coming to her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she croaked, "Please let me go, I have some work to do…" After much begging, the man finally let go of her with a laugh. "Oh, sweetheart, you are so cute. I'm going to take you out one day, mark my words. I'll make you mine." Y/N gulped and turned to leave, when the man smacked her ass. Freezing up for 2 seconds, she hurriedly ran away from his house towards the restaurant.

Upon reaching the place, instead of going inside, she went to the back alley of the restaurant and slid down against the wall, sobbing. What had she done to deserve such a life? A few minutes later, she stood back up and wiped her tears, trying to keep more in as she walked inside. But just then, another bag was shoved into her hands. "I know it's your leaving time," her boss huffed, "But someone just ordered and you can go after delivering the food."

"Yes sir," she muttered and left the place, walking towards the customer's house. It wasn't far from the restaurant but as she walked, the scenery started changing in front of her eyes. The restaurant where she worked as a delivery girl was tiny, the area around it was also poorly maintained; it was a poverty-stricken area. But this guy, who'd ordered food from the restaurant, lived in a significantly posh area.

Everywhere she looked, there were big houses with extensive front yards and big gates. Finally, she arrived at the customer's house. Double-checking to make sure she had the right address, she rang the bell that was outside the main gates. The gates automatically opened and she walked in, looking around. The mansion was great; she wouldn't be able to afford to live there even in her dreams. Y/N had to admit, she felt envious.

But as soon as she reached the main door of the mansion it opened, and the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen walked out of the place wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. "Your delivery, sir," she smiled at him, holding the bag out. To her surprise, the man simply blinked at her.

What was this guy's deal?

The guy named Bucky, meanwhile, observed the delivery girl's face. She had prominent tear-stains on her cheeks, and her wrist had some marks on it as well, as if someone had forcefully held it against her will for a long while. But the smile on her face… genuine and warm. Bucky returned the smile and took the bag from her hands. Y/N's smile widened when he handed her money without making any fuss or passing insensitive comments.

People like him never ordered food from the restaurant, she always had to deliver food to assholes like the last guy. "Thank you for the food," he told her and her smile turned into a grin. "Thank you for ordering from our restaurant! Bye!" Bucky grinned as well when she turned to leave, a skip in her step as she looked around the place. He simply watched her, finally going back in when she was out of the front gates.

The reason why Bucky had even ordered food from her restaurant was because he'd just gotten home from a trip abroad, and hers was the closest food place to his house. He was extremely hungry. Y/N, meanwhile, was walking down the street with a smile on her face. The guy she'd delivered food to just then was not only super handsome, but kind as well. Hell, he said thank you! None of the other customers ever said that!

Remembering the fact that her boss had told her it was her last delivery of the day, she turned to go to her own apartment building.

---

"Again? Does that asshole not know how to cook?!"

Slap.

Shocked, Y/N covered her cheek as sharp pain shot through her face. "Don't speak that way about our customers!" her boss thundered, "Do you want to get fired?!" If it were easy for her to find another job, she'd have said yes. But alas, it wasn't. "No," she muttered and walked outside, clutching both the bags she was holding to her chest. The first one she had to deliver to the asshole from last time, and the second, to the kind guy with the mansion.

Reaching the asshole's place first, she rang the bell, rubbing her cheek as she waited for the man to open the door. It still hurt and Y/N winced when she rubbed a sensitive spot, stinging pain beginning to course through her veins once more. "Well well well, my favourite delivery girl!" Y/N held the bag out for him. But when he didn't take it, she looked up. He was smirking at her.

She was in no mood for his bullshit that day, so instead of saying anything, she simply placed the bag of food by his feet and turned to leave. But as she walked, someone grabbed her arm from behind, turning her around. A firm slap was placed on her cheek again and tears pooled in her eyes when she saw the man glaring at her. "You fucking bitch," he hissed at her, "What the actual fuck is wrong with you? Did you forget what I said last time?"

"Let me go," Y/N replied as calmly as she could, flinching when the man placed another slap on her cheek, tightly grabbing her forearms. "Don't talk to me like that!" he yelled at her. "I have another delivery to make," Y/N spoke evenly, "I don't have time for your shit. Let me go at once or I'll call the police." The man's grip on her forearms got painfully tight, and Y/N almost dropped the bag she was holding when her fingers went numb.

"If you ever think of going to the police, I will murder you. I swear." Y/N stared back at him this time, tears in her eyes. "Let. Go." The man huffed and finally let go of her, and Y/N let out a breath when circulation returned to her hands again. She swiftly walked out of the place and towards the other man's house, where she was sure she was going to be treated with kindness. Just as she predicted, when she reached the other guy's place, he was already waiting outside his house like the last time.

But this time, Bucky's eyes went wide when he saw her. Someone had clearly beaten her up, since there was a trail of blood flowing down her cheek, and he could see dark fingerprints on her forearms, as if someone was holding her tight. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked worriedly and walked towards her, gently touching her cheek. "Mm? I'm fine, why?" Y/N blinked; how did this guy know something was wrong? "You're bleeding! Come in."

"What?"

Bucky huffed and placed his hands on his hips. "Your cheek," he told her, "It's bleeding. Your forearms are bruised as well. Come in, I'll apply some ointment on it." Wait, I'm bleeding? She touched her cheek, her eyes going wide when she felt liquid on it. Silently, she walked inside his house behind him. "You can place the food on the table," he told her as they walked into the sitting room, "Sit down, I'll be back with the first aid kit."

Y/N sent him a timid smile as he walked out. Shuffling her feet, she kept still; she didn't want to sit. The interior of the house was spotless, and she was dirty. She didn't want to sully the couches or armchairs by sitting. It was better to keep standing.

Bucky, when he came back with the first aid, frowned when he saw her still standing there. "I thought I asked you to sit." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I should really go…" He scoffed. "Bleeding like that? I'm just trying to help. Come on." He nodded his head towards the couch and Y/N groaned, letting out a breath. "I'm dirty, your house… I can treat my wound when—" "Hold on. What? Just sit, for God's sake."

Thinking that he'd lash out on her as well, she immediately sat. She didn't want to get him mad. "Good." Bucky sat next to her, dipping a cloth in a bowl of warm water before wiping her face clean. "What's your name?" Y/N looked down at her lap. "I'm Y/N Y/L/N." He smiled. "That's a cute name. I'm Bucky Barnes." She smiled as well. "Bucky is a cute name too," she told him and he laughed. "Thank you."

When her face was clean, Bucky put on a bandaid on the cut. Then he turned his attention to her forearms. "The last time I saw you, you had been crying, right?" Y/N froze. "H-How do you know?" Bucky pursed his lips. "I saw the tear-stains. And there was a bruise on your wrist as well. Is someone abusing you?" She instantly shook her head. "N-No, it's not like that…" Bucky sighed and paused, gently grabbing her jaw.

He turned her face towards his. "You can tell me, it's okay. The bruise I saw on your wrist that day… it could only have come from another person. And today, too, don't think I didn't see the slap mark on your cheek. Who's abusing you? A boyfriend? A customer?" Y/N gulped and blinked back tears. "A customer," she whispered, "I hate him, but my boss makes me deliver food to him anyway."

"Have you told your boss he touches you inappropriately?" Bucky asked as he finished applying ointment to her forearms. "Do you think my boss gives a shit? I've complained against him several times but it's not like there is a difference between that guy and my boss," she chuckled mirthlessly and Bucky paused. "If your boss treats you the same way, why don't you just leave?"

"Who's gonna give me another job? I've been working since I was 14, no education, nothing. It would take me months to find a new job, and with my current salary and income, I probably can only live on it for maybe 2 months more. Otherwise I'll be homeless, I'll starve myself to death— why am I even telling you this?" Y/N scoffed and stood up. "Thanks for your help, Mr Barnes, but I have to go." She turned to leave when Bucky placed a hand on her shoulder.

She whirled around. "Please don't be like those other men," she begged and Bucky instantly dropped the hand, shaking his head. "No, no, I— Leave your job. Just do it, I'll give you another job. No one should have to go through what you go through, this kind of a job is not worth keeping. I promise. Give me a few days, I'll get you a new job." She eyed him curiously. "Why would you do that for me?"

Bucky gave her a smile. "If it were anyone else in your place I'd have done the same. No one deserves to get harassed everyday, you know. I promise, really, just a few days. Here—" Bucky took out his phone, "Take my number. Give me yours. I'll call you when the new job is prepared." Y/N, still a bit skeptical, took out her phone and exchanged numbers with him. "Alright, I'll leave my job today itself. But I swear to God—"

Bucky grinned. "Don't worry, doll. You know what, tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll have the job ready for you. I'll definitely give you a call tomorrow, just wait, hm?" She nodded and gave him a smile. "Thanks for doing this, the world needs more people like you. Bye, I'll see you tomorrow." Bucky walked out with her, dropping her off at the front gates.

As she walked towards her own building, Bucky again being the last delivery of the day, Y/N texted her boss.

I quit.

Good riddance. Don't show your face at my restaurant again.

She huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes, keeping her phone away. Thankfully it was the end of the month and she'd already been paid for it. "I was the most hardworking employee there and this is what he says to me. What a bitch," she muttered to herself. Upon reaching home, she took a bath and changed into her pajamas, before sitting on her bed and touching the bandaid on her cheek.

She only hoped Bucky wasn't a con-man, and that he'd actually get her a new job the next day. "Only time will tell."

---

Y/N woke up late the next day. She made herself a cup of coffee, and as she sat alone in her room drinking it, her phone rang. Checking the caller ID, she noticed that it was Bucky calling her. Was her new job prepared already? "Hello?" she answered. "Y/N! I got you a job, come over to my place so we can discuss it, and your pay." A wide smile bloomed on Y/N's face. "Thank you so much, Mr Barnes! I'll be there in an hour!"

Hurriedly finishing her coffee, she took a shower and changed into presentable clothes— a pair of jeans and the nicest t-shirt she owned. Then she did her hair and makeup, before finally putting on her shoes and running out of the house. As promised, she arrived at Bucky's mansion an hour later, where Bucky was standing outside the front gates. He smiled when he saw her.

"You're here, come in, come in." Both of them entered through the gates and walked towards the mansion. "What is the job that you've gotten me?" Y/N couldn't contain her excitement. "You are to be my housekeeper, how does that sound? Of course, you aren't the only housekeeper I have because how is one person going to look after such a big house, am I right? Do you accept it?"

Her eyes went wide. A housekeeper? She didn't mind doing the job, but hopefully it would pay well… Bucky laughed knowingly at the worried expression on her face. They reached the front door of the mansion and got inside, once again heading to the sitting room. Bucky took an armchair, while Y/N sat on the couch. "I know what you're thinking," he said to her, "And don't worry, you won't face any financial troubles from now on."

"You're paying me that much?" she blurted out and Bucky shook his head. "More like, I have a proposition to make. How would you like it if I handled your finances from now on?" Y/N blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?" Bucky leaned forward on the armchair, placing his elbows on his thighs. "Come to stay here," he said, "So that way, you won't have to worry about housing finances. And everything else, like clothing, food, whatever will be looked after by me."

Y/N paused, because it felt too good to be true. He was ready to look after her as long as she maintained his house? "I'm surprised you want to do this at all," she chuckled nervously, "I mean, we don't even know each other…" Bucky smirked and leaned back on his seat. "Let's have coffee right now and talk." It seemed that she didn't have much choice, so she simply nodded. And they did, they talked.

At the end of it, Y/N finally accepted his proposition. "Okay. I'll— I'll work as your housekeeper." Bucky smiled. "Excellent! Now, should I send some guys over to your place so they can bring your stuff over?" Y/N's eyes widened. "Wh— Now? I'll have to talk to my landlord, get some things settled and whatnot, I can't…" Bucky scoffed and waved in dismissal. "Leave that to me. Just say yes or no."

"Y-Yes."

"Good girl."

---

4 hours later, Y/N was standing outside her room at the mansion, staring at the closed door with her luggage by her feet. She was getting to stay at the mansion? There was literally no one else there, not even the other housekeeper that Bucky had mentioned. If no other staff member lived here, then… why her? Shaking her head, she opened the door and walked in. A loud gasp escaped her lips when she saw the room; it was the most beautiful room she'd ever seen.

Like her dream bedroom, it had a queen sized bed, two night stands, a lamp, a huge wardrobe, a personal bathroom, a balcony, a desk with a chair and the softest bed sheets and the fluffiest pillows on the bed. The colour scheme of the room was also very pretty; everything was in the shades of either lilac, white or sage green. Soothing colours. Just looking around the room, tears formed in her eyes. She never thought she'd get to live in a place like this.

A few seconds later, Bucky showed up at the room as well. As he stood leaning against the doorframe, Y/N's back to him, he smiled. "Do you like the room?" To his surprise, she sniffled. "It's pretty," she said in a watery voice. Why was she crying? He immediately walked in and grabbed her shoulders, turning her around. Fat teardrops were steadily running down her cheeks as she looked down.

Bucky cupped her face, wiping her tears off. "Why are you crying? Do you not like it? I can show you a different room." Y/N let out a sound of protest. "No, I like the room, I just— thank you so much for doing this, Mr Barnes, you're really a saint. An angel." Bucky chuckled and pulled her in for a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder, her arms going around his neck. One of his hands cradled her head and the other went around her waist.

"Shh, stop crying, it's okay…" he pleaded gently as he felt Y/N's tears on the sweater he was wearing. "S-Sorry about that," Y/N muttered when she pulled away, a wet patch from her tears visible on Bucky's shoulder. He waved her off. "I'm glad you like your room. Do you need help setting things up?" She gave him a small smile. "No, thank you! I'll get it done on my own." Bucky grinned.

"Awesome. I have some work to do now, so I have to go. You start working tomorrow, so today, just relax. I'll be back home late, so if you want to eat anything or watch TV or take a bath you're free to do so, this is your house as well now. Okay, bye, I'll see you later!" He gently ruffled her hair, smiling when she adorably waved at him. Everything about her was so pure, Bucky felt like he was in the ninth heaven when he was around her.

How did those degenerates even treat her so poorly? They should've just taken a good look at her face. How do you hurt someone who has a face like that? Bucky rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment when he realized what he was just thinking about; what was this uplifting effect Y/N had on him?

---

"Y/N, meet Martha, the other housekeeper."

Y/N smiled brightly at the older woman, who returned the smile just as excitedly. "Nice to meet you, ma'am, I'm Y/N Y/L/N." The two ladies shared a hug. "You're a sweet girl," Martha told Y/N and her cheeks heated up as she rubbed the back of her neck bashfully. After the pleasantries were exchanged, Martha went away and Bucky turned to Y/N.

"As you can see, she's getting old, and doing all the work around the house takes a toll on her health," he sighed, "That's why I asked you to come help. You're young, you're fit, so it won't be difficult for you to look after the physical work of the house, like cleaning. Martha can look after the less tedious work, like cooking and doing the laundry. How does that sound?" Y/N grinned at the man. "That works perfectly."

Bucky returned her smile. And so began Y/N's first day at her new job; her first task was to sweep the place clean, and after that, to mop the floors. She readily got to work. Bucky, meanwhile, went to his home office and sat behind the desk, opening his laptop. He went to the search engine and typed out the name of the restaurant where Y/N previously worked. Who was the owner of that place and why was he abusing his employees?

Upon digging a bit deeper, Bucky stumbled upon a name: Leo. The site said he was the owner of the restaurant. Leaning back against his chair, Bucky folded his arms over his chest and stared at the screen with narrowed eyes. Leo… that name was familiar. Where had he heard it before? He was startled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. "Come in." Y/N poked her head in.

"It's time for me to clean this room, hope you don't mind." Bucky chuckled. "Of course not, come in." She walked in and after setting up her things, began sweeping. "So, uh, Y/N," he blurted out, "Can you tell me a little about the owner of your previous job? Specifically speaking, what did he look like?" Y/N froze for a second and cleared her throat. "I, uh… he was a little young, around my age… and, um… he had straight black hair, pale skin and was kinda well built…"

"Okay, okay, that's enough, thanks." Y/N looked at Bucky. "Why do you need to know? Do you know him?" Bucky instantly shook his head. "Nah, no, I don't. Just wanted to know for um, for a file I was making." Y/N shrugged and let it slide. After her work in his office was done, Y/N left and Bucky, as soon as she was gone, called his best friend Sam. "What do you want?" Sam answered the phone.

"Do you remember anyone by the name of Leo? Straight black hair, pale skin, well built." There was a pause on the other side. "Hm, Leo… That name, I've heard it. Where?" Sam sighed. Both Bucky and Sam sat thinking. The description, the name, it all sounded so familiar but Bucky couldn't pinpoint who exactly the person was. "Why, though? What happened?" Bucky rubbed a hand over his face.

"I hired this girl to work for me at my house because her boss at her previous job at a restaurant was abusive. I found out the owner of said restaurant, his name is Leo. She gave me the description." Sam let out a sound of realization. "Ah, okay. What's this girl like?" At that, a bashful smile appeared on Bucky's face. "Gorgeous. Perfect. Ethereal." Sam laughed loudly.

"Okay, now I know why you hired her! But for real, though, if you care so much, I'll find out more about this Leo guy. Give me a few days." Bucky chuckled. "Thanks, man. Alright, I'll see you later." Sam ended the call and Bucky kept the phone away, closing his laptop. He left his office and walked into the sitting room to see Y/N cleaning a picture frame, standing on a chair. His heart rate spiked up with worry and he ran towards her.

"Y/N, be careful!"

Startled, Y/N turned to look at him but as she did, her foot slipped and she fell back, the chair falling forward. She screamed in fear but before any part of her body could touch the ground, two strong arms went around her waist and caught her, holding her up bridal style. Y/N breathed heavily and rested her head on Bucky's shoulder, blinking away tears. "You scared me," she whispered to him, "Thank you."

Bucky tutted and placed her down on her feet, ruffling her hair. "You scared me first," he told her, "What if you'd fallen and I hadn't been there to catch you? This is dangerous." Y/N laughed. "But Mr Barnes, I'm the housekeeper, am I not? I have to clean every corner of the house, and that includes the picture frames! If you hadn't startled me, I wouldn't have fallen, I have a great sense of balance." Bucky also let out a chuckle at her words.

"Alright, doll, if you say so. I'll leave you to it, then, I'm going to my room. See you later!" Y/N smiled at him and climbed up the chair again, snorting at the facial expression Bucky pulled. "Don't worry, just go!" She shooed him away and Bucky, running a hand through his hair, walked up the stairs and towards his bedroom.

"Oh, Y/N."

---

A few months passed. Working for Bucky was everything Y/N hoped for and more. A kind boss, good living conditions, no financial struggles and a good work schedule. She loved living with Bucky, too, he was a good roommate. Hell, the man even got her gifts from time to time, always saying, "You've earned it, thanks to your hard work." His gifts often reflected his wealth.

He got her expensive dresses, perfumes, shoes, jewellery and anything else a woman could want. One time she mentioned liking a pair of sneakers she found online and the next day, those sneakers were waiting outside her bedroom door. She was falling for the man, her boss. Even though she still didn't know much about him, she couldn't help but feel butterflies everytime he was around.

That day, as she worked on cleaning the kitchen, Bucky was in his office, sitting behind his desk. His laptop was open in front of him and he was waiting for a call back from Sam. While Sam had promised he'd find out more information about Leo in a few days, he was unsuccessful, but the previous day, Sam had finally given Bucky some good news. He'd found out who Leo was.

All of a sudden, his phone rang. "So? Who is this man?" Bucky answered. "Leo is the number one partner of Brock Rumlow, his full name is Leo Atlas. Man was so underground I had to dig to the center of the earth but I finally found him!" Bucky paused. Brock Rumlow was Bucky's arch-nemesis in the… business world. "Are you sure it's the same guy?" Bucky questioned a few seconds later.

"100%. I double-checked photos as well," Sam agreed. Bucky sat thinking. So if Leo was familiar with Y/N… did Rumlow know her too? "So the restaurant," he blurted out, "Is that a front?" Sam confirmed a yes. "Apparently, Leo isn't the actual owner of that restaurant, it's Rumlow." Bucky thought hard. Suddenly, he remembered the customer Y/N told him harassed her constantly. She said she complained about him to Leo but he still made her go to his house for deliveries.

Could that man be Rumlow? Why else would Leo be so strict with her in case of this one customer? "I'll call you later, I need to talk to Y/N." Ending the call, Bucky got up and ran downstairs, towards the kitchen. Y/N and Martha, who were both in the kitchen at the time, looked up when he ran in, panting. "Is everything okay, Mr Barnes?" Y/N blinked. "I have to talk to you."

Y/N glanced at Martha and kept the scrub she was holding away, following Bucky out of the kitchen. Both of them sat on the couch in the living room and Bucky turned to her. "Do you remember the customer you told me about, who harassed you but your boss still made you deliver food to his house?" Y/N froze and then chuckled dryly. "How can I forget him?" She was surprised when Bucky took her hands in his large ones.

"I need you to tell me his name. Maybe you saw it on receipts, or at his house. What did he look like?" Y/N stared at their clasped hands. "He, um… he was tall and muscular," she began, "Black hair that was graying, he was much older than me. I think… I think his name began with a B or R, I can't—" She jumped back when Bucky let out a frustrated growl. "Don't tell me his name was Brock Rumlow." Realization struck Y/N.

"That's it! That's his name! Do you know him?" Once again, she was taken aback when Bucky brought her to his chest, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm so sorry he did that to you. I'll make it better, I swear, I'll do everything in my power to teach him a fucking lesson—" Y/N kept quiet as he ranted to himself. It was clear that he already knew the guy, and it was also clear that they were not friends.

"How do you know him?" she demanded the moment he let go of her. Bucky sighed and rubbed the back of his neck; maybe it was finally time to come clean about his profession. "You've always wondered what I do for a living, right?" She nodded. "I, um… I'm just going to put it bluntly: I'm a mobster. I know it sounds like a line from a book or something but I have to be truthful here. I'm involved in the other side of the law."

Y/N stared at him, jaw dropped. A mobster? So he dealt with drugs and weapons or black money or something? Her first instinct told her to run, but she stayed put. Bucky was… a criminal, basically, but he was also… kind. He saved her from a place where she was being abused, gave her a job, looked after her so well. Even though he lawfully wasn't a good person, morally, he was the best.

"So is… is Rumlow also a mobster?" she asked after a few minutes. Bucky nodded. "We have a deep-rooted rivalry that's been going on for years. I can't believe— I can't believe he went after you like that, God I fucking— I fucking hate him so much." Y/N smiled slightly. "Small world, right?" Bucky looked at her, surprised by the smile on her face. "So you're okay with my job? Why aren't you running?" Y/N shrugged.

"You're a good person in my eyes."

Bucky's eyes almost watered. He'd really let an angel into his life. "Thank you. I swear, I'm going to do something about Rumlow and Leo, they can't just—" He stood up. "Keep working hard," he told her, "I'll see you at night." Y/N nodded and went back to the kitchen while Bucky walked out of the house, calling Sam on the way.

---

"Bye Martha! I'll see you tomorrow!" Y/N waved as Martha left after finishing all her work. It was 8 pm; Y/N first took a refreshing bath and changed into her pajamas; a pair of shorts and a tank top, before going downstairs for dinner. But just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, the main door in front of her opened and Bucky walked in. Both of them froze when they saw each other.

Bucky had never seen her dressed so scantily before. And Y/N assumed he was going to be home late, so she'd just decided to eat dinner in her pajamas and retreat to her bedroom before he could come home. An awkward moment of silence later, Bucky cleared his throat. "I'll, uh, I'll join you for dinner, give me a few minutes." Y/N quietly nodded and went to the kitchen, bringing the food to the dining table in the meanwhile.

Then she sat down at her seat and took out her phone, scrolling through it as she waited for Bucky to come downstairs. "Let's begin." She whirled around and saw Bucky walking in wearing only boxer shorts, his torso on display sporting some injuries. "What happened? Is everything okay?" Y/N worriedly asked when she saw his wounds. "Yeah. Took care of Rumlow and Leo." Y/N stared at him, shocked, as he filled his plate up.

"Wh-What did you do to them?" Bucky looked up and offered her a wry smile. "Something you shouldn't worry your pretty head over." Her cheeks heated up at his words and she filled her plate as well. There was silence as they ate; Bucky glanced at her in the middle of the meal and saw some food stuck to the corner of her lips. Y/N looked up when she felt his stare. "What?" Bucky smiled. "You've got some food…" he pointed at the spot.

"Here?" She kept missing, so Bucky leaned forward, their lips dangerously close together. "No, here." He lifted his hand and swiped at the crumb with his thumb, before holding the thumb on her lips. Y/N, deciding not to ruin the moment, took his thumb in her mouth and sucked on it. Bucky's eyes clouded over with lust and he moved his hand away, only to cup the back of her head as he crashed their lips together.

Y/N kissed back, resting her palms on his chest. "I've held myself back all this time," Bucky whispered as he stood up, picking her off her chair, "I can't any longer." She squealed when he draped her over his shoulder, holding her by the back of her thighs. He easily carried her up the stairs and into his bedroom, placing her down on the bed. It was pure desperation; the speed at which he got rid of her clothes, kissing her all over her face as he did so.

"Bucky," Y/N whimpered when she felt his fingers over her clit, rubbing rapidly. Her hips bucked upwards and off the bed, and Bucky chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her, holding her down. "I wish I could slow down," he said, not sounding remotely sorry, "But unfortunately, I've wanted to do this since the day you moved in. Do you know how barely I've held myself back?" He pushed two fingers inside her and she screamed.

"I'm so close," she cried and Bucky smirked, pulling her on his lap as he continued tugging her close to ecstasy. "You're gonna cum for me, sweetie?" She nodded furiously. "Do it. Won't be the only time tonight." His words sent a rush of pleasure coursing through her veins and she let go, slumping on him as she gushed out on his fingers. Bucky smiled proudly at her, pulling his fingers out of her.

"Fuck, look at you. Tastes so sweet, too, just like a fruit."

He placed her down on the bed and got rid of his boxers, gripping his hard-on in one hand as the other rested on her waist. "You're so pretty," he mumbled, "Pretty just for me." Y/N nodded and cupped his cheeks, pulling him down for a kiss. "Pretty just for you," she repeated and finally, Bucky slid home, both of them hissing at the sensation. "God, so tight, so perfect," he whimpered.

"I'm gonna start moving now, okay?"

"Okay."

A few seconds later, Y/N understood why he felt the need to warn her. The speed at which he was thrusting his hips back and forth could only be described as animalistic. "Bucky, oh my God," Y/N whined loudly, gripping his shoulders as she moved weightlessly against him. "Am I making you feel good, baby?" he grunted. "Very good," she screamed out, "I'm— I'm—" Bucky let out a low groan. "Are you close again?"

"Mm-hm," Y/N hummed, sweat dripping down her forehead as she screwed her eyes shut, her hold on Bucky's shoulders tightening. Bucky leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, before lifting her face and pressing a proper kiss to her lips. "I'm close too." Soon, Bucky's thrusts got sloppy. He pulled out of her, stroking himself a couple times before spilling his release all over Y/N's stomach. She let go just a few seconds later, her back arching off the bed as she did.

Both of them collapsed on the bed, panting. He then turned to her, draping his arm over her waist, smiling when she yawned. "You're tired," he whispered, "Go to sleep." She turned into him too, burrowing closer to him. He pulled the covers on top of them both, bringing her close as they both drifted off to dreamland.

---

a/n: thanks for reading, leave a like if you enjoyed!

[calcifersfireplaceao3-moved]

I saw you're open for prompts! Not many people ship Vex'leth and I adore them so much. I saw a list running around for comfort, and what about their first kiss, in a confined space?

Oh sweet! Sure thing! Here’s what I’ve come up with.

Rating: general 

Tags: first kiss, everyone rolled a nat 1 at least once here, Vex is dodging feelings like daggers but fails

“Bloody, stupid, thing-” Vex is teetering on her tiptoes, fingertips straining to reach the bottle of something,  Keyleth can’t quite see what– before she grabs the shelf with her fingers and desperately scrabbling to gain hold and pull herself up, swinging her legs for some reason and swearing up a storm. Thankfully there isn’t much in this store closet, there’s just enough room for Vex’s impressive flailing– not much for her to break or knock over but still, it’d be rude not to offer a hand. 

Trying not to giggle, Vex won’t like to be laughed at, Keyleth comes up behind her, “Can I help?”

“Oh!” Vex near shrieks, she lets herself drop and whirls around, braid hitting Keyleth in the bicep as she turns. “Keyleth, what are you doing?”

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you, I just thought maybe you could use some help?” Reflexively Keyleth raises her hands in a placating gesture, trying not to offend.

“I’ve–” Vex looks back up, seemingly debating if pride is worth not getting her prize. “A minute more and I would have gotten it, but since you’re here now.” 

“Yes, sure! I’ll get it, don’t worry!” Keyleth springs into movement without thinking, crowding Vex as she leans up on her toes to snag the bottle. 

"While I'm sure people would appreciate this view, could you hurry, please?" Vex's muffled voice comes from Keyleth's bust.

"Yup! Almost– got it– oh!" She does manage to grab it with her fingertips but it doesn't make its way into her hand securely; when she tries to settle back to her normal height she loses her balance, free hand swinging wildly trying to catch hold of something before she can fall. 

"Don't drop it–" Vex hisses and tries to grab for the hand with the precarious glass but only manages to unbalance Keyleth further, the gangly woman's foot catching the door and slamming it shut before she hits the ground with a loud thump. 

"Ow." Keyleth’s head is aching after ricocheting off the wood and then the floor. She rubs the spot and rights her antlers while blinking rapidly to get used to the sudden loss of light despite still being able to see.

"That was impressive.” Vex snorts then casually offers a hand, pulling the other woman up easily. Leaning down once more she gathers the bottle in hand and salutes Keyleth with it,  “Even more so that it didn’t break. As fun as this was, I’ll be going now. See you at dinner.”

The knob turns but the door doesn’t open. Vex rattles it once, then another time more violently as the wood doesn’t yield. “No. Way.” She says, trying a third time even though she knows it’s useless. “Hello?!” 

Keyleth winces at her loud shout, reaching up to cover her ears as Vex tries to catch anyone’s attention.

“Where. Is. The. Housekeeper!” Vex punctuates each word with another bang of her fists.

“Everyone had the day off, she’s not here.” Keyleth offers, “but Scanlan or Grog should be coming home sometime soon, they only have a few things to do.”

“Great, fantastic, just what I needed today. Why does this door even swing open this way, who built this idiotic place!” Vex says in frustration, slamming the palm of her hand against the thick wooden door. She takes a deep breath and says with put-upon calm, “Keyleth, do you have anything you might be able to do here?” 

“I’ve used up most of my magic today already and there’s not exactly enough space here for Minxie to work…” When Vex’s eyebrows angle down even further into an angry V, Keyleth shrinks in on herself, “I can try Burning Hands, maybe? Melt the lock?” 

“Has that honestly ever worked?” 

It sounds like a hypothetical question but, “Maybe this time it will!” Keyleth says with only slightly forced enthusiasm. 

Vex pinches the bridge of her nose and waves a hand, “I don’t suppose things could get much worse, either it works or we still have to wait for someone else to come.”

It can’t get worse, in that much Vex is right, the door is still firmly shut when Keyleth pulls her hands away. They’ve only now had the unfortunate realization that the key was still in the lock on the other side and now will be forever, melted completely into the gears.

“Another comedy of errors that seems to follow us as the plague.” Vex says.

Keyleth sinks down to the floor, back against the stone and wraps her arms around her knees in the small space, Vex heaves a exasperated sigh and in the weird muted colors that darkvision allows Keyleth watches as Vex join her on the ground, one leg stretched out so that her foot is touching the outside of Keyleth’s hip.

“I can still cast Light, if you wanted me to.” 

“On what, darling.” Vex says dryly, “It’s not as if you have your staff-”

Silently Keyleth reaches up to tap the doorknob, illuminating the space suddenly and Vex throws up a hand, shielding her eyes. It’s bright, but the colors are the way they should be at least. A minute passes. 

It’s awkward. 

Two minutes.

It’s so awkward.

“Uhm, so,” Keyleth pats her hands against her knees rhythmically, “what was that for? The bottle?”

For a second it seems like Vex is just going to ignore her until they get rescued. “It’s a very potent cleaner, I’ve spilled wax on my favorite nightgown.”

“Oh.” Keyleth shuffles her feet closer to hold her knees tighter. All she’s doing is bothering Vex, and it’s her fault they’re even in this mess, “I’m sure someone will be home soon, it’ll be fine–”

Vex scoffs and shuts her eyes, leaning back against the stone, her mouth in a taut line. Keyleth studies her for a moment before daring to ask something that’s been bothering her for awhile,

“Vex? Why… Why don’t you like me that much?” Vex opens one eye to stare at her before digging the heels of her palms into her eyes like she’s tired.

“Oh, darling,” Vex sighs, seeming like she’s fighting something internally before offering, “my biggest vice has always been jealousy.”

Most people, Keyleth included, would say it was actually greed but she’s too flabbergasted by the notion of Vex wanting anything she could possibly have to think about that too deeply, “You? Jealous of me? Are you serious– wh– ha, why?” 

Vex narrows her eyes and hmms in thought, finally she says stiffly, “I spend most of my time thinking on how to be charming, how to get what I want out of people and yet you do that on your own without trying. People look at you and just want to help, it’s infuriating.” 

“Oh.” Keyleth drops her gaze, placing her chin on her knees, there’s something close to tears at the corners of her eyes, her throat feeling tight. It feels like the hurt might also be joined with indignation, and she’s blurting out before she can think it through, “That’s really really unfair. And kind of mean, do you really think everything has just been handed to me?” 

Vex is quiet next to her for a moment, her jaw working as she stews on how to respond. “I– that was very rude of me to say.”

“That’s not a no,” Keyleth points out.

“It’s… complicated.” Vex glances over and softens. She brushes her fingertip lightly underneath Keyleth’s eye, gathering the moisture there before seeming to catch herself and quickly wiping her fingers on her pants. “I always seem to be hurting your feelings.”

“Yeah, I know; I’m sensitive, I’m working on it.” Keyleth quickly wipes under her eyes, keeping them trained on the ground.

“It’s a frustrating quality sometimes I’ll admit but… It does make you strongarm us into better choices, I cannot blame you so much for that.” Vex half smiles when Keyleth looks up at her, “Being so tenderhearted, I never thought I’d want someone like that in my life. But I do, I admire your hopefulness, your spirit. I suppose that’s why I’m harsher than I intend to be with you sometimes, I don’t want to be hurt by someone’s ideals. That’s not a proper apology but I am sorry.”

There’s definitely something else she’s not saying but Keyleth can’t puzzle it out, “You’re mean to me even though you like me? That’s very backwards.”

“It’s all wrapped up together, don’t you see? Kash, my brother, they look at you like you’re the sun, and I want–” Vex clamps her jaw shut tight. 

There’s a few dots that had been missing that finally connect in Keyleth’s head at the near admission, “Wait, Vex, is this…” Keyleth shifts around, kneeling at Vex’s side, hesitating before resting her hands upon Vex’s. When she doesn’t immediately pull away she holds them tighter. Wishing that she wasn’t so clumsy with her words Keyleth tries again. “You’re jealous of them too?”

Vex purses her lips, looking away but still admitting, “It would seem so.”

“Oh.”

“Indeed.” There’s a heavy pause before Vex whispers, uncharacteristically quiet, her usual confidence lacking, “What do you think of that?”

“I’m not sure what to do with it. I–” Keyleth’s cheeks warm, “I like when I see you looking at me. I think you’re incredible, you’re so strong and beautiful.  I like knowing you think about me that way.” 

She’s trying to think of how to voice everything in her head, wishing as always that speaking came more naturally to her but then Vex’s hand is soft and light against her cheek, hazel eyes intent and intense on her, and she doesn’t have a chance in hell to make a coherent sentence now. “Keyleth, darling, may I kiss you?”

And oh, no one has asked her before, they’ve simply taken surprised and confused kisses from her. There’s power in having a say, knowing with near certainty that if she were to say no, Vex would drop her hand and they would surely go back to their normal existence. 

Digging her teeth into her bottom lip Keyleth nods, nervous but sure, “I’d like you to.” 

With the confidence that Keyleth is more used to seeing on her Vex smirks, one corner of her mouth curling in delight before she leans in, pausing a hair’s breadth away to let Keyleth sit with the anticipation a second before closing the gap. 

There is no comparison. No part of getting kissed by, no- kissing Vex is as different as the seasons. Because Vex is being firm but she isn't taking, guiding her through her insecurity and inexperience. The hand on her cheek has slid down to her neck, fingers digging into her nape to hold her in place, nails like sharp pin pricks against her skin but not unpleasant. Vex’s lips are soft and the lightly tinted balm she uses is sweet, a heady contrast to the way she’s kissing her, teeth catching Keyleth’s bottom lip and she can feel the soft puff of air as Vex quietly laughs at her gasp.

“Wow. Please, do that again.” Keyleth says breathlessly when they part and Vex laughs, the sound is very free, delighted and infectious. 

“Any time, Darling.”

--

“Oh-ho-ho, what’s this, you guys playing seven minutes in heaven without me?” 

Grog, holding the remains of the door looks confused, “how’d you get ta heaven and back so fast?”

“Shut it, both of you.” Vex snaps, pushing Scanlan aside by his forehead as she storms out of the tiny space with Keyleth in tow, her hand clutching Keyleth’s in a near crushing grip. 

“That wasn’t a no!” Scanlan calls after them yet thankfully doesn’t follow.

Keyleth can feel how warm her face is, knows how bright her cheeks must be, and she’s still confused. How to sort this out and put it in its place in her life? What does it mean? But Vex still hasn’t let her go and Keyleth is realizing that she doesn’t exactly mind. They haven’t talked about exactly what they are now; Vex is a mystery on purpose, armor she’s built piece by piece to protect herself from getting her feelings hurt still firmly in place, but when she’s holding her hand like this– when she’s talked to her like that, when they just… well, there might just be a chink in that armor. 

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

Oh boy this got long, hope this was something close to what you were wanting! Catch that darling getting capitalized as it turns from a turn of phrase to a title :)

Thanks @aughisky-miran !!!

[hintofelation99]

The Justice League Hangs out with Duke

Bruce: Duke, it's time we had the talk.

Duke: Uh... nope. No thank you. I'm not getting the sex talk from Batman.

Bruce: What? No! The Robin talk.

Duke: But, I'm- I'm the Signal now? Isn't it a bit late for a Robin talk?

Bruce: Son, it's never too late, not for this.

Duke: Um. Ok.

Bruce: When Dick, Jason, and Tim first started as Robins they created a tradition. A tradition that continued with Stephanie, Damian, and now you.

Duke: And that tradition is?

Bruce: Taking down the Justice League. By being annoying and slightly terrifying.

Duke: OHHHHHH. Is that why no one from the Justice League talks to me?

Bruce: Yes, yes it is. But don't worry. I made an arrangement that will allow you time alone with league members to continue the tradition. You have a week to prepare.

——————

Duke: Cass, what do I do?

Cass raises an eyebrow at Duke.

Duke: For the Robin tradition thing. I have to take down the entire Justice League in a night using creative, outlandish, and original methods. But it's already been done by Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, and Steph. So what do I do? How can I be better than all of them.

Cass smirks: Take them down too.

Duke looking at Cass like she's crazy: What?

Cass: Take. Them. Down.

Duke: Holy shit, you are terrifying.

Cass just smiles and leaves.

-> One Week Later <-

Wonder Woman, Superman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, and Steph gather in the Watchtower.

Duke: Hey guys, Batman just wanted to go through some training exercises with everyone. He'll be a little late. Harley and Ivy escaped Arkham and are trying to grow penis shaped shrubs in all the public parks. But, don't worry he asked me to go ahead and start with out him.

Green Lantern: Why are you leading this meeting?

Duke: Batman is running late and he wants me to practice leading meetings.

Green Lantern, glaring suspiciously at Duke: Are you about to do that stupid Robin tradition where you torture all of us?

Duke: What Robin tradition? Also, I'm not even a Robin? I'm the Signal.

Green Lantern continues to glare at him.

Superman: Calm down Green Lantern, the Robins never do this in front of each other.

Every League member seems to relax at this.

Duke acting confused: Uhhh, yeah. Ok, we have a few housekeeping things to do according to the list Batman left. So, I'll have everyone pair up for sparring while I handle these individually.

------

Everyone is in the training room working out or sparring. Duke approaches Tim.

Duke: Hey Tim, Bruce wanted you to look in to that Bludhaven case. Is that ok with you?

Tim: Yeah, why wouldn't it be?

Duke: Oh, I just thought it might be difficult considering what Dick did.

Tim: ...What did he do?

Duke: Wait, you haven't noticed? Oh no, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything.

Tim: Duke. Tell me what he did.

Duke: Well, Jason said that he replaced all your coffee with decaf.

Tim: THAT BASTARD. No wonder I've been feeling so tired! I'm going to kill him!

Duke: Wait, just stop! I heard that he hid all of it in Green Lantern's room.

Tim: Wait, why there?

Duke: Something about you being afraid of him.

Tim: WHAT?! I'm not afraid of the Green Nightlight! I'm gonna find that coffee then make Dick pay.

Duke: Oh, well cool, good luck!

------

Green Lantern: Um, what are you doing in my room?

Tim: Where is it?

Green Lantern: Where's what?

Tim: You know what I want. Give up now or face the consequences.

Green Lantern: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Tim: Fine. Consequences.

------

Steph, sparring with Duke: So, what's it like being the first meta bat?

Duke: Not too bad, but I could do with out the whole 'predict the future' thing.

Steph, laughing: What? You can not see the future.

Duke: I bet you $50 I can

Steph: Your on.

Duke, makes everything around him light up and uses a weird voice: In the next thirty minutes Green Lantern will flee the Watchtower in fear. Soon after Dick will be attacked by Tim.

Steph, snorts in obvious disbelief.

Steph: That was so fake-

Green Lantern runs out of the tower looking terrified.

Steph: No way.

Tim tackles Dick and they start fighting like three year old's on the floor.

Steph, handing Duke $50: Holy shit Magic Man.

Duke makes things light up and does the voice again: Oh my god.

Steph, looking excited: What?!

Duke: The- the sushi. The sushi you brought today, it's made from-

Duke pretends to choke back a sob.

Duke: It's made from the fish who was the maid of honor at Aquaman's wedding.

Steph: HOLY SHIT.

------

Steph and Aquaman sit beside each other for lunch, she pulls out her sushi and looks at Aquaman sadly.

Steph: I am so, so sorry for your loss. But just know that her sacrifice is not in vain.

Aquaman, looks confused for a second then sees the sushi: NOPE. Not this again! I'm leaving.

Steph: Wait! I'm sorry!

Aquaman leaves as Steph tries to chase him down.

------

Jason is laughing and filming as Dick and Tim fight.

Duke, whistles: Man, imagine if that video went on YouTube.

Jason, looking confused: What?

Duke: I'm just saying if the video of Red Robin and Nightwing fighting like kids ever got on YouTube, it'd go viral. Oh and they would be so pissed!

Jason, laughs: Too bad B would kill me if I uploaded this.

Duke: Yeah, I guess so. And you can't upload it here because then Superman would get in trouble.

Jason: Why would the boy scout get in trouble?

Duke: Cause he always uses his YouTube account on the Justice League computer. So it'd look like he uploaded it and B would find out that Superman watches cat videos while he's on monitor duty.

Jason, smirking: Huh, so you're saying if I upload this on the League computer I'd piss off Bruce, Tim, and Dick and get Supes in trouble?

Duke, acting innocent: Huh, I guess so.

-> A Few Minutes Later <-

A call from Bruce comes up on the main computer.

Superman: Hey Batman, what can I do for you?

Bruce: You, Red Hood, cave now.

Jason: What? Why me?

Bruce: Because I saw that little home video you uploaded of your brothers.

Jason: What, that wasn't me!

Bruce: I could hear you laughing while you filmed.

Jason: Dammit.

Jason and Clark leave for the cave pouting like kids.

------

Duke: Hey, Black Canary?

Black Canary: Yes Duke?

Duke: I'm sorry to do this on such short notice, but I'm very worried about Dick and Tim.

Black Canary: Why?

Duke: Well, Tim keeps claiming that Dick is out to get him. Something about Dick messing with his coffee? And Dick feels like he's just being attacked for no reason and is worried about Tim's health. Is there anyway you could intervene?

Black Canary, looking sighing and looking exhausted: Usually I have three days of preparation before dealing with bats.

Duke: I know it's just-

Duke gestures to Tim and Dick rolling on the floor fighting.

Duke: They really need help.

Black Canary: Alright, I'll see what I can do.

Black Canary attempts to intervene only to get pulled into the fight. Now the three of them are tangled in a huge, confusing fight, that's filled with yelling and hair pulling.

------

Duke: Damian! Quick!

Damian: What is it Thomas.

Duke: I think somethings wrong with Dick and Tim and maybe even Black Canary. They're all fighting and won't stop! Can you help me contain them so that we can figure out what's going on?

Damian: Fine. I shall help.

Duke: Ok, just try to herd them into this containment cell.

Damian joins the fight managing to get everyone, including himself, into the containment cell. As Damian is trying to leave Duke closes the cell. Damian angrily yells and bangs on the sound proof walls.

Duke: What? Sorry, can't hear you! My hand slipped!

------

Wonder Woman: Very well done Signal.

Duke, acting innocent: Hm?

Wonder Woman: You tricked Red Robin into scaring Green Lantern away, then into fighting Nightwing. Once that fight broke out you tricked Red Hood into uploading a video to the internet using the Superman's credentials. By uploading that video he caused both himself and Superman to face Batman's wrath. You also used the fight to trick Stephanie into annoying Aquaman to the point of leaving. Then you involved Black Canary in the fight, which was her downfall. And, as a final touch, you managed to get Robin into the fight and trapped all in a containment cell. You successfully eliminated 9 foes with one trick.

Duke: You mean 11.

Wonder Woman: What?

Duke: 11. You see, I didn't trick Red Robin, I tricked Nightwing. I had a week to prepare. In that week I convinced Dick that Tim needed to cut back on the caffeine and that Dick should help by switching all of Tim's coffee with decaf. I also convinced him to hide that coffee in the watchtower, in Green Lantern's room. So that was all true.

Wonder Woman: But, that still does not make 11?

Duke: It does. Because This morning I moved the coffee. I replaced the Flashes decaf with Tim's ultra caffeinated coffee. You see Tim has it specially manufactured to increase the caffeine levels. And, while Flash doesn't usually drink his coffee in the morning, he's always running late and forgets, he does drink coffee during training breaks. Which is now. So in about five minutes we will have an incredibly caffeinated speedster in the Watchtower. And since you're the only one around right now with a chance of catching him, that's your problem.

Right as Duke finishes Flash runs by, majorly hyped up on caffeine.

Duke: Checkmate.

------

Martian Manhunter: It appears that I am the last remaining League member.

Duke: Yeah, I don't really understand this tradition but apparently every Robin ends it by picking a favorite league member.

Martian Manhunter: Out of all the League members, why have you chosen me?

Duke: Your smart and have a lot of cool powers. Also, I dunno, I hear you sometimes feel like an outsider with the league. Cause, the whole martian thing. And I know it's not the same but, sometimes I feel like an outsider with the bats, being the only meta and all.

Martian Manhunter: You have chosen me so that we may bond over our lack of connections?

Duke: Uhhhh, yeah?

Martian Manhunter: Hm. Very well, I assume that this is your “Robin Weakness”. Apparently every Robin has one.

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

<- Previous |

[ethan-torchio-angelo]

Yesterday

Summary: A moment alone on a balcony and being grateful that today is a new day

Warnings: A few swears, a kiss, not much tbh

Word Count: 1500

A/N: So, I took a break. But I'm back. Life has been hell and the only time I can find myself happy is when I'm writing. As always, likes, reblogs and feedback is always appreciated!

“I love you”

She knows that if she had heard those words yesterday, she would have been thrilled, and would have deemed it the best day ever. She would have been happy and smiling because he finally, finally said them. But today is not yesterday and things have changed.

“I wish you were saying those words because you mean them, and not because you're scared of me leaving.”

She grabs her bag from the chair beside her and makes her way to the door, refusing to turn back and look at him as he yells out her name. She makes it half way down the street before the tears start falling. She’s not necessarily sad at the circumstance, more angry that she let this go on for as long as it did. She’s caught him cheating more times than she can count, been stood up for dates and before today, never heard those three words leave his mouth in the almost year they’ve been together.

But none of that matters now, she’s left him for good and she won’t be going back.

The first thing she does when she gets home is grab everything that belonged to or reminded her of him and throws it into a box. Then, she grabs a bottle of wine and plops herself down on the couch to drink away her sorrows. She pulls out her phone and dials the only number worth remembering. It rings once, then twice, and she’s afraid he won’t answer, but halfway through the third ring the call connects.

She doesn’t leave him anytime to greet her, jumping straight to the point, “I finally fucking did it!”

He chuckles into the phone, “Finally had sex, did you?” He jokes.

“I’ll have you know that I am far past that milestone, Dami. I finally dumped my duche of a boyfriend!”

She hears him let out a string of yells, very enthusiastically telling her how happy he is to finally hear that. He, and even the rest of the band, have been telling her to do it for months now. Not that they didn’t like the guy in the beginning, but after he stood her up on her birthday and she came home to him in bed with someone else, they’d had enough.

“Well, this deserves a celebration. Dinner tonight, Vic will bring wine, Ethan and I can cook, Thomas can pick up a cake!”

She laughs at his enthusiasm, but agrees nonetheless.

After hanging up the phone she heads into her room to get ready. It’s just dinner with her friends, but she’s in the mood to look good tonight, so she grabs out one of her favourite dresses and a pair of flats. She’s ready and out the door in under an hour, stopping to pick up some fresh flowers before making her way to Damiano’s apartment.

It’s a nice evening, not too hot and not too cold, the sun at that perfect spot in the sky. She feels good, not at all like how she thought she’d feel. She loved him, but she’s not sure she was in love with him, and she’s glad that she feels no sorrow for closing that chapter in her life.

She arrives at his apartment, shooting him a text to buzz her in and when she enters she’s immediately wrapped in Victoria's arms. “Ah, amore! So good to see you! Come in, let’s drink!”

She giggles at the greeting, always loving how enthusiastic Victoria is when they see each other. She graciously accepts a glass from Thomas, downing the sweet wine in almost one sip. He chuckles at her actions and refills her glass before she has a chance to put it down. She hears the sound of dishes in the kitchen and makes her way over to the two boys cooking. “Buonasera. It smells wonderful in here.”

She hops up on one of the counters, placing her glass beside her, and is met with a round of protests, “Counters are for glasses, not asses miss!” Ethan yells at her.

She giggles but stays put, pointing to her glass beside her, “Ah, but my glass is on the counter.”

He shoots her a glare, but she can see the laugh he’s trying to hide as he turns to continue cooking. Damiano comes to stand in between her legs, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting hug. “How are you mi amore? You okay?”

His voice has a hint of worry laced in it, but she nods her head. “It was a long time coming. I’d mentally done it, just hadn’t physically done it yet. I’ve felt single for months now, and he’s sure been acting like it for longer.”

Damiano moves so he’s standing beside her, keeping an arm wrapped around her shoulder, “Well, good riddance!”

She lets out a snort and the two boys begin to laugh, drawing the attention of the other two who walk into the kitchen a moment later.

The night flies by in a flurry of wine and laughter. They enjoy a lovely meal of pasta and chicken, the best salad she’s ever had and an array of cheeses and fruits. They catch each other up on all of the things that’s been going on in their personal lives, and a toast to new beginnings. Thomas brings out a lovely cake with the words “fuck romance” inscribed on top and they forgo dishing it out, everyone grabbing a fork and digging in.

It quickly turns into a drunken mess, Victoria tripping over Ethans legs and dropping cake into his hair. He in turn picks up some frosting and wipes it on her face. Thomas laughs and is met with a glob thrown at him. It’s utter chaos. She turns to get away before she can be brought into the food fight, but Damiano is quick to grab her around the waist and pull her back to the group, shoving a handful of the sweet dessert in her face.

Soon, they are all covered in frosting, giggling like mad men. The dining room is a mess and somehow there is pasta sticking to the walls, and when it’s pointed out they all burst into another fit of laughter. Ethan is quick to take on the roll of housekeeper, moving to the kitchen to collect the cleaning supplies. Victoria and Thomas follow him, clearing dishes and whipping down the walls. Damiano lets them be, knowing they’ll return his apartment to its previous state.

She watches for a moment, before disappearing down the hall to steal a quick shower, not wanting to walk home with frosting crusted in her hair. When she immerges, everything is back to the way it was when she arrived, but the rest of the band is missing. Damiano is lounging out on the balcony, a cigarette between his lips and a coffee beside him.

“Hey,” she says quietly.

“Hey. Wondered where you snuck off to.”

She smiles shyly, taking a seat beside him. “Wanted to rinse the cake out of my hair before I walked home.”

He nods at her, returning to taking small drags from his cigarette. He offers it to her and she graciously accepts it, letting the smoke envelope her lungs in a warm hug. She sighs into the night, knowing she should go home but not wanting to leave. He turns to look at her and it’s like he’s seeing her in a new light.

He’s always felt something towards the young girl, ever since they met back in school, but now it feels different. There’s a feeling brewing in his chest, something he can’t quite place. She turns to look at him then, catching him in his staring act. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Dami?”

“Too many things.”

She nods, knowing exactly what he means. Her head is filled with thoughts, too. There’s a cool breeze that floats around them, raising goosebumps on her arms. Damiano notices and moves to wrap his arms around her, rubbing his hands along her bare arms. They stand like that for a moment, his head buried in her neck, arms wrapped around her.

She’s sure he can hear the beating of her heart, a rapid thumping in her chest. She hasn’t been this close to him in a while, not with the freedom she has now. Ever so slowly, she turns around in his arms until she’s face-to-face with him. Their eyes lock and he leans his forehead down to be touching hers.It would only take a breath for her to be kissing him. Before the thought has even fully crossed her mind, he’s leaning in.

A soft brush of lips, a shot of electricity shooting through her at the contact. He pulls away first, one hand tangled in her hair, the other resting on her hip.

“I love you,” He whispers, and she’s never been more thankful that today isn’t yesterday.

[girlmeetsliv3]

Cruel Liaisons

~~ Previously Lingerlust ~~

A/B/O!MiniMoni x Reader; Poly BTS

“When one strikes the heart of another they seldom miss, and the wound is invariably fatal.”

Release Date: May 7th, 2021 @ 12:15 p.m. (GMT-5)

Apologies for the late update. Hope you enjoy it.

Trigger Warnings: blood and gore.

February 2nd, 2022

           “Please state your name for the record.”

           “Jeon YN.” YN stared at the recording machine in front of her, it looked antiquated like the type that wasn’t automatically connected to a cloud or storage system. “Those types have to be manually saved. Which can come in handy.” The officer’s cleared their throats, drawing back YN’s attention. What were their names again? “We need you to state your sub-gender as well.” The one on the left spoke lowly, his voice coming out a bit tense and nervous. “Beta.” When YN tried to smell them, she noticed both were wearing scent blockers, though her sense of smell was never her strong suit.

           “This is officer Park Sooyoung and officer Kim Jisoo.” The taller one stated, her tone dull, as if she rather be anywhere else. Judging by the bags under her eyes and the large cup of coffee in front of her – a bed seemed to be her choice. Officer Kim reached to the ground and placed a file on the desk, she opened it to reveal a series of photographs; five to be precise. Males and females from around a same age group are placed with one female in the center, she looks strangely familiar to YN. The rounded tip of her nose and arched brows but she can’t quite place the face. There is someone YN does recognize though, a face she saw just a few days ago.

           “Anyone you recognize?” Officer Kim asks, her tone is serious but airy. The smile on her face after every sentence lets YN know that she’s the ‘good cop.’

           YN points at the second photo from the left, “Him. I saw him in a missing persons ad on the news, but he didn’t look this old.” They had likely picked a picture from when he was younger, the man on the news held a bright smile. His jawline sharp and his cheekbones high but not defined. The man in the photograph in front of her had a pronounced jawline, hollow cheeks, and an ugly scowl that did nothing to mar his features. ‘K.T’ read the bottom.

           “What news channel and around what time?”

           “KBS, maybe late evening. I watch it before I go to sleep.”

Both officers nod, as Park shifts around on her seat. Now facing directly at YN, resting both elbows on the metal table. “Are you aware of the reason you were brought into the station today?” Officer Kim jumps in before YN can answer, “Just so you know you aren’t being charged with anything.”

Yes. “No, I don’t know.” She shrugged, keeping her eyes level and gaze neither too intense nor too bored.

“You’re here due to your affiliation with Alpha’s Kim Namjoon and Park Jimin,” Park spoke, “They’re your employers, correct?” There was an edge to her voice that YN recognized. Many people weren’t fond of them – many had a reason not to be.

“Yes.” YN nods.

“How long have you worked for them?” Kim asks.

YN notes how neither women are writing anything down, nor looking towards the one-sided mirror behind them. Are they perhaps recording this with a second device? If that’s the case it's not just her voice YN must be cautious of, but her expressions as well. “Around nine months, I’m their housekeeper and take care of Hyunwoo.” After a bit of silence from the police, she elaborates more, “I cook, clean, and help the child with his homework.”

“That’s quite a lot for just one person. Especially considering you have little background in those areas before you were hired, correct?”

They’re trying to bait me. “I’m used to doing those things at home.” YN shrugs, she can see the growing frown on Park’s features.

“How exactly did you hear about the job?” Kim leans forward, but one of her hands drops below the table. Park’s eyes dart over to her partner for a second, but YN catches it. Kim likely gave her a signal or something like a reassuring squeeze, YN hopes it’s the latter. “What was the hiring process like?”

“From an acquaintance Dr. Sihyuk.” Both officers nod along, they don’t seem to recognize the name. “Bang’s dead. Unlikely anyone will find something there.” They always knew to cover their bases. “Um, normal, I guess. I sent in an application and then had an interview.”

“You made a lot of money as the Kim’s housekeeper. Did you never ask yourself where that money was coming from?” It seemed the officers were done trying to be subtle.

“No, it wasn’t my place. Plus, most of the money I earned went into paying family debts.”

“Do you know Kim Namjoon’s or Park Jimin’s source of income?”

“Again no. I just did what I was supposed to do.”

“You never thought to ask?”

“No.”

Sooyoung smirks, “Interesting how everyone around the Kim’s just accepts things at face value. Their co-workers, drivers, bodyguards, even their housekeeper just does what their told. You weren’t even a little bit curious as to how they could possibly afford the lifestyle they have?”

“Curiosity killed the cat.” YN’s arms were clenching around the chair, trying to hold herself back from reacting negatively to the hassling.

“But we aren’t cats.” Sooyoung remarks and for a second YN feels like she’s lost a battle. Jisoo points to the picture in the center, it's a beautiful young woman with flowy hair and a bright smile. Her delicate features give away her omega nature. Though the closer YN inspects the picture, they’re bags under her eyes, permanent frown lines etched onto her face, a hollowness to her eyes. She looks somewhere between life and death. “Do you recognize this woman? You lingered on her a bit longer than the rest of them.”

The longer YN stares at her the more she starts to piece things together, but it still feels like she’s missing something. So she gives a generic answer. “She looks kind of familiar. Has that kind of face.”

“What kind of face?” Jisoo questions.

“Like…pretty, popular, all over billboards kind of face.”

It's enough to satisfy them for now. They slowly start removing all the pictures while leaving only the woman’s, the longer YN sees it the more unnerved she becomes. Her head begins to hurt as another migraine begins to pound at her temples. Creating a sort of hazy fog over YN’s mind. Both officers’ then hold up the picture and flip it revealing a picture of the same woman holding a young child wrapped in blankets. She looks so much happier, so full of life. Instantly YN places her, recognizing the toddler wrapped in blue velvet.

“This is Hyunwoo’s mother. The last time anyone saw her alive was three weeks ago when she just so happened to be having dinner with your employers.” Fuck.

Present

           YN’s phone dings as another text from Mark appears on her screen: ‘boss wants to know when you’ll start paying?’ She groans exhaustedly, responding with ‘I have been paying. He gets half my salary every week.’ Which hasn’t made living very comfortable for YN, but she makes do with what she can.

           Mark: It’s not enough princess, not with the way daddy’s been spending money.

           Me: What am I supposed to do if you keep giving him money?!

           Mark: That’s not up to me. So, the money?

           Me: I’m looking for a second job. One that pays better.

           Mark: Just go sell your eggs or something. Not like you have any use for them.

           “Asshole.” YN muttered, muting her notifications. She looked up to the entrance of the fertility clinic debating whether or not to go in. It wasn’t like she had much of an option; she needed the money and fertility clinics were the only ones willing to provide big sums of money fast. Not to mention she had missed a day of work to make the appointment, which meant less money to give to Mark. I hate this. I hate this so much. YN was about to walk away, leave everything when she spotted a black BMW parked on the curve. Its driver observing her intensely. She knew what it meant.

           Mark was getting pushy. Meaning his boss was getting pushy and YN didn’t need to be on the bad side of some loan shark – not again. So, she mustered up the courage and opened the glass doors, being hit with the smell of lavender and pheromones. It reeks. Nonetheless, she forced a smile on her face and walked towards the front desk. “Hello, I have an appointment with Dr. Sihyuk.”

 “Unfortunately, there is a limit to how many eggs we can safely remove from you. Betas aren’t like omegas, you have a set number of eggs. Removing the majority of them would leave you infertile. We’d also be unsure of whether the eggs are useful or not without running the proper examinations which can take weeks.” Dr. Sihyuk explained as he went over YN’s medical file, each sentence uttered destroying her hope little by little.

“I understand but I am quite fertile. I carry a recessive gene from my father who is an omega. Not to mention I’m not interested in having children so I would have no use for my eggs,” she could sense the doctor’s hesitation, “unlike someone who might benefit from them.” I just really need the money.

“Oh, I know, you betas are lucky in that sense. Don’t have to worry about population growth.” Though it was said jokingly it still made YN uncomfortable, let her know he wasn’t buying her bullshit. The doctor closed the file, “Why exactly are you interested in donating your eggs? Is it for the money?” He saw right through her.  At her silence the doctor sighs, “We get one of you every once in a while. Always wrapped up in some business started by a family member or mistakes you’ve made.” Sihyuk opens a file cabinet beside him and shoves her file in there, “Unfortunately for you there’s no market for beta eggs.”

YN sags exhaustion and fear taking over her, “I –” Sihyuk takes a small white business card out of the cabinet holding it out towards her. “Fortunately for you, I happen to know someone hiring. They specified only betas applied.” Hesitantly YN takes the card, “What kind of job?” Though she knows one should never look a gift horse in the mouth it feels to good to be true. “A housekeeper for an alpha couple. They’re long-time associates of mine. Give them a call you won’t regret it.”

 Evening of June 20th, 2021

           Hyunwoo wouldn’t stop crying. YN truly regretted feeding him chocolate before bed, he had nightmares that had not let the three-year-old rest. Though YN had time and time again reassured them there were no monsters under his bed or strange men coming to take him at night, he wouldn’t hear of it. Insisted she had stayed in bed with him and when that didn’t work cried out for his daddies. The issue being his daddies were currently busy, in the middle of their ruts with their weekly guests. Thankfully, their bedroom was across the apartment from Hyunwoo’s, or else she’d have to explain to the child that the screams being heard didn’t belong to ghost.

           “I want papa! I want daddy!” Hyunwoo shrieked, snot and tears dribbling down his face. At this rate, he’d get himself sick if he didn’t permanently injure his vocal cords – or her hearing.

           “I know. I know, but they’re busy right now. I can go get them later.” When their guests are gone and they’ve cleaned their bedroom. YN never quite knew how they manage to sneak them out and clean up so fast, but she didn’t question it. Less work for me.

           “NO! I want them now!” Hyunwoo bolted towards the door, his little legs running as fast as they could. Though they couldn’t compare to YN’s.

           She hugged the toddler, “Alright. I’ll go get your daddies but you have to promise me you’ll wait in bed.” Hyunwoo began to shake his head, “Come on Woowoo, imagine what they’ll say if they hear you threw a tantrum. What would daddies say?”

           That seemed to sober him up a bit, “They would be disappointed.”

           “Exactly,” YN led him back to bed, gently tucking him in. “I’ll be right back with them soon, okay?”

             The hallway felt eerily long as YN struggled with how to politely interrupt without being subjected to the alpha’s rages. Ruts were an especially tricky time and there would be very little she could do to protect herself if it took a turn for the worse. Not to mention she was breaking one of the very few rules set by them: no bothering us after nine pm. YN glanced at her watch, it was currently 11:43 pm. I am so going to lose my job. But Hyunwoo needed his parents, and she didn’t want to risk the toddler running into their bedroom and being witness to something that would certainly cause trauma. Not to mention I might get sent his therapy bills. More debt. YN reached their bedroom doors. A light red hue leaking from the bottom, she willed all her courage and knocked.

           “Come in, darling.” Jimin spoke, his dulcet tone sounding a little rougher than normal. Surprisingly the door was unlocked, so YN opened it. At first, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, just Kim Namjoon and Park Jimin laying in their bed. The red silk sheets, she so often had to wash, concealing their more intimate parts. It wasn’t until YN noticed the stains covering their bodies and the walls. It caused her eyes to dance around the room until she landed on what had caused such a mess: the two dismembered bodies lying on the floor. The red lighting of the room serving to conceal what the stains truly were: blood.

           Namjoon beckoned her inside with a wave of his hand and YN felt obliged to obey. She could still smell the pheromones in their air, still feel their rut. Not to mention, Hyunwoo might have been following her. She locked the door behind her.

           “To what do we owe the pleasure?” Namjoon spoke, smirking and showing off his blood-stained pearly teeth.

[mistress-and-servant]

Just a Tear

“Go change,” she said to him, sternly.

She was sitting at her vanity, powdering her face when he walked in. She didn’t even turn around to say that, merely glanced at him through the mirror. Charlie was momentarily shocked, but then nodded to her and quickly made his way back to his room to put on his maid outfit. This was a common occurrence for him. Sometimes she’d demand to see him in his maid outfit, while other times she didn’t mind the butler one. But he would gladly change for her whenever she asked.

The maid outfit was slightly more revealing. The skirt portion didn’t even go past his mid thigh, and there was a cat head hole right where his chest was. It showed off a bit of his cleavage squishing out against it. The sleeves were tight right below his shoulders. It was a bit more difficult to move around in this outfit, but he’d never complain to his Mistress. He quickly made his way back to her door and knocked.

“Enter.”

He opened the door and shut it behind him as he walked in. He stood behind her, just like earlier. This time when she glanced up, she smiled and slowly turned around in her seat. There was a spark in her green eyes.

“That’s better. Now, Charlie, do me a favor and do not take that outfit off till you burst out of it.”

Charlie paused, and blinked a few times to catch up with what he heard. His maid outfit had started to show how much he’s grown, but even with how ill fitting it had become he wasn’t sure how long it would take for him to completely outgrow it.

“Do you expect me to even wear it while I sleep, Mistress?”

“Oh heavens of course not-“

He sighed in relief.

“- I expect you to do it today kitten.”

His eyes widen and a blush began to form on his chubby cheeks. She giggled.

“Oh stop. I know you can do it. I would suggest you sit around and just stuff your face till it happens, but I know how much you don’t like ignoring your duties.”

He nodded, he hated the idea of not doing anything at all. He was her butler after all. And if he did nothing at all, then how was he ever to keep his worth?

She continued, “ Yes, so since you need to be doing something, I suggest that as long as you are working, you are also eating.”

She got up from her seat and walked up to him. She placed her small hand on his tum and patted it. It gurgled, reminding him that he had yet to eat today. “I want to see you eating something all day, no matter what. I’ll make sure of that.”

｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡

Breakfast was the easiest. She didn’t add anything to his simple meal of eggs, bacon, toast and a cup of whole milk. He was sure that she would add a pastry of some kind, but she just sat there with her own portion and smiled. After taking and cleaning their dishes, he got started on making a list of things that needed to be bought for the home. He would receive lists from the head chef and head housekeeper, and he would then in turn check the stock room and pantry to make sure everything was listed off.

It was in the stock room that he heard someone come into the room. He looked and saw his Mistress come in with a plate of cookies. When she got to him, she immediately shoved a cookie into his mouth. He had no choice but to eat it, and it was delicious. It was still warm, and it was crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. The chocolate chips were gooey, coating his mouth as he chewed. As he finished it, a second one was pushed into his mouth. This went on as he continued to check the stock. Cookie after cookie would pass through his lips with no room in between them until finally there was none left. She smiled at him and finally left him alone again. It wasn’t till then that he noticed a slight bit more pressure in his tummy. He rubbed his belly and burped into his fist before continuing on with his work.

｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡

This continued on throughout the morning. Treat after treat would make his way to him, and his Mistress would happily feed him as he worked. She fed him slices of cake, batches of brownies, plates of cookies, and other such desserts until it was finally time for lunch. He had just finished a plate of scones and was now slowly making his way to the kitchen. He was full, his belly now pushing against his maid outfit. He could have sworn that the fabric was slowly inching its way higher up his legs, showing more and more skin as it went. The end of his skirt was barely covering the top of his thighs, and soon would start showing the very bottom of his belly. Yet there wasn’t a tear yet, he was afraid that he wouldn’t burst out of the outfit and it would simply no longer cover his body.

He held his belly as he walked, trying to stop it from sloshing around and causing more discomfort. He hiccuped and burped softly as he got closer. But before he could enter, his Mistress came out and blocked him.

“Oh no no no. You are to sit at the dining room table. I will bring you your meal.”

He was about to protest, but she began to push him away. “Go on now. I know how hungry you must be,” she teased. He relented and made his way to the table. As he was slowly lowering himself onto the seat, he felt something give, and his belly expanded a little with the extra room. Upon inspection, he found that the bow to his apron had come undone, and now the flaps were loosely on his sides. It didn’t count, but it gave him hope that maybe he’d be able to stop soon.

He inspected his clothing further and found that, when sitting, his skirt barely covered his legs at all. The ends of the fabric were just shy of exposing his belly. He patted his tum, causing it to gurgle. He was so full already, but he knew his Mistress would not stop till he burst out of his clothes. He hiccuped, causing his belly to wobble, and he groaned. He hoped he'd be able to get up after lunch.

Half an hour passed before his Mistress entered the room. With the little time he was given as a break, he was starting to breath a little bit easier. His tummy was still full, of course, but he was finally relaxing, until he wasn’t. The Mistress brought in two plates with her. One with a bowl of creamy potato soup with bits of bacon in it, the other with a sub cut in half with cheese and tomato sauce oozing from the sides, a classic chicken parm sandwich. They both smelled amazing. Even with his full tummy he began to drool at the thought of eating them both. He rubbed at his belly, momentarily forgetting his fullness.

His Mistress sat the two meals down and motioned for him to eat, which he did with no hesitation. He began with the bowl of soup. It was warm and creamy. The bacon was salty, and as he lifted up his spoon he saw that there were globs of cheese and chunks of onion and carrots mixed in. He savored the flavors, and before he knew it the bowl was empty. He stifled a burp in his hand and began to rub his tummy. Not only did he feel how stretched his belly was, but also the fabric of his dress. He didn’t understand how it could still contain him after everything. He swore that he could hear creaking, he just wanted it to tear already. His belly gurgled and a burp slipped past his lips. He blushed as his Mistress pushed the next plate in front of him. Charlie picked up the sandwich and began to eat again.

Slowly he made his way through it. Bite after bite of cheesy, saucy chicken and bread slid down his throat and expanded his tight gut. He groaned as he felt his stomach grumble even more. He tried to push his belly out in hopes that the dress would finally give but it just held on. Even after the last bite joined the rest in his packed gut, not a single thread had given out. He let his head fall back and didn’t try to hide the burp he let out. He was just so tired from the heavy weight in his belly sitting on his lap, still covered by his maid outfit. He barely registered the hand slowly rubbing circles into his belly. His Mistress pushed a finger against his stomach and felt how tight he felt.

“I really thought for sure you’d rip through this by now.” She placed both hands on either side of his wide expanse and gave him a gentle squeeze that still made him groan at the discomfort. She stopped and continued with her rubbing circles. After a few minutes of caressing his stuffed midsection she got up and stood beside him, grabbing his right arm.

“Come, it probably isn’t too comfortable sitting like this. Let's get you to a more comfortable spot.”

He moaned at the thought of moving, but after a moment's hesitation he began to slide himself closer to the seat edge. He used one hand to grip the dining table, and the other to support his tum to prevent any unnecessary movements. Slowly but surely he got onto his two feet with the help of his Mistress, his belly wobbling as it was pulled down by gravity. The weight making him have to arch his back to give his belly more room. He hiccuped and groaned and clutched at his middle, his Mistress leading him towards her personal Reading Room. She led him towards the plush coach they’d both use to sit next to each other during lazy days. She made sure that he slowly and carefully sat on the cushions and then pushed him into a lying position. With laying on his side his belly was no longer pulling at his back, now being supported by the soft pillows. He was both more comfortable and still in pain by the sheer volume in his tummy. His Mistress sat down next to his head which then made him want to pull himself closer to her to put his head on her lap. He struggled a little before she granted mercy on him since all this began and shimmied closer for him to snuggle into her. She began to run her fingers through his hair.  With now being close to his Mistress, he began to purr softly and gently fell into a food coma, his tummy slowly digesting all the things he’d eaten .

The last thing he heard before slipping into darkness was, “Maybe when you wake up we can continue working on tearing this outfit.”

[dudeandduchess]

Yakuza!Kyōjurō x F!S/O: Sugar and Spice (Mafia!AU, Modern AU, NSFW Series)[Chapter 4]

Summary: Kyōjurō and (Y/n) meet at a party, only to find out that their lives would change forever— since they had been arranged to be married.

Note: Since it’s my birthday today, here’s a little something for y’all. Yaaaay! I was supposed to do a double update, but I got busy. But I hope y’all like like as much as I loved writing it. Can anyone guess where Kyō and (Y/n) are going though???

Warnings: Mild Smut, Teasing, Making Out, Dysfunctional Family Relationships

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

***

Breakfast was a silent affair in the (L/n) household; as usual. Even more so when it was just (Y/n) and her mother— Akari— sitting stiffly at the dining table and picking at their meals.

(Y/n)’s back was ramrod straight, even if she was feeling all of the tension pooling at the base of her spine. She knew that she had to keep her posture as impeccable as ever, ‘as is fit for a Prime Minister’s daughter’; like her mother always said.

She couldn’t even take a bite of her food, in her apprehension of earning her mother’s attention. So, she pushed it around her plate at best.

However, her efforts were still all for naught, since Akari spoke up. “What are the things on your agenda today?”

And from the corner of (Y/n)’s eye, she saw Rin straighten up— ready to prattle off the same list that she’d gone through earlier— when she answered for the woman. “I have charity events all day. Why?”

“Just asking, since you have to maximize your appearances for the family while you can.” Akari finished her sentence with a quick look up at her daughter, before turning back to her food and taking another bite of her salmon.

Another reason why (Y/n) couldn’t eat her food: she was sick of having the same thing whenever she ate with her mother. Poached salmon with a poached egg right on top, green beans amandine on the side, with a spot of jasmine tea to wash it all down.

For the past fifteen years that she and her family had been in residence at the Prime Minister’s mansion, her mother had always picked out everything for her whenever she could— from the way that she used to dress, down to the things that she ate. And whenever she tried to protest, she was always branded as too ‘rebellious’ and ‘ungrateful’; so she’d learned to just stay quiet— if only to avoid conflict.

It was a godsend that her father had finally let her move out when she started university; on the condition that she would always spend her breaks with the family.

“Yes, okaa-sama,” (Y/n) muttered under her breath, not in the mood to even talk to her mother. She just wanted breakfast to be done with already, so she could get as far away from the house as possible.

Fortunately, her mother’s secretary announced that she was already running behind for a meeting— so without even a single glance at her, Akari walked right out of the dining room; causing (Y/n) to finally let go of the breath that she’d been holding since she had sat down at the table.

“Do you have some candy, Rin?” The young woman asked softly, wanting to wash out the taste of the jasmine tea that she’d taken a sip of earlier. And when the other woman handed her a piece of cherry-flavored candy, she wasted no time in popping it into her mouth. “Thank you. So, what’s the first thing on my agenda again?”

However, for the second time that day, Rin was cut off before she could even answer; that time, with a loud series of honks from the outside.

“(Y/n)-sama,” One of the housekeepers hastened into the room; a little flushed and breathless from having exerted that much energy, before continuing, “You have a guest.”

“Who?”

“Your fiancé, ma’am.”

She couldn’t help but close her eyes and pinch the bridge of her nose, because that was just what she needed after dealing with her mother: another difficult person to handle.

Still, she found herself feeling a little better— and a little flushed from remembering what he had done to her just the day before— since he was a good distraction. Not to mention, total eye candy. And with a little sigh, she began her walk to the front door.

When she got there though, it was to see Kyōjurō pinching one of the fresh calla lilies between his fingers; only to jump when he heard her words clear as day.

“Those are real.”

The blond grinned at that— bypassing the center table that had the vase of flowers that he’d been admiring— as he closed the distance between him and (Y/n); boldly wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest. “Really? Not as real as this kiss, though.”

With those words hanging in the air, Kyōjurō then leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss; smiling into it when he felt her respond for a brief second, before pulling back a little. He wasn’t having that, however, so he chased after her lips while his free hand cupped the back of her head.

He could hear a few housekeepers gasping in surprise a few ways away, but he couldn’t care less about any of them. Not when he could taste the candy that (Y/n) had in her mouth. So, even more boldly than before, he snaked his tongue between her lips, and slowly coaxed the piece of candy right into his own mouth.

A little breathless from his antics, he finally broke away from (Y/n)— but not before pressing one last gentle kiss against her lips. “Didn’t know that you liked cherry, baby.”

“Shut up,” The young woman whispered, chest heaving and cheeks aflame with a blush. But she made no move to push herself away from Kyōjurō; not because she wanted to stay there forever, but to save face— since she could feel the beginnings of an erection pressed up against her. “What are you doing here?”

“You tell me to shut up, and then you ask me a question. You’re so confusing, sweetheart,” Kyōjurō teased, but still supplied her with a decent answer. “I’m here to take you out for breakfast.”

“I already had breakfast.”

“Then a second breakfast.”

“I have a charity even to go to later,” (Y/n) protested.

But Kyōjurō wasn’t having any of it. “I’ll take you after breakfast. So go and get everything you need, baby.”

***

“Wait, wait!” (Y/n) almost screeched, as she sat down on the buttery leather seat of Kyōjurō’s flashy, red Audi R8. “What about security? I was supposed to have-”

Before she could say anything more, the blond leaned down and pressed his lips against hers— effectively shutting her up— before jerking a thumb at the car behind his own. “You think I would bring you anywhere without thinking of your safety? Over there are two of my most trusted men: Shinazugawa and Tomioka. They don’t necessarily get along, but they get things done…”

And to add to that, Kyōjurō continued, “Besides, you have me to protect you, baby.”

With that, he stole another kiss from (Y/n), before grinning down at her and getting her settled in her seat. He didn’t know why, but taking care of her like that sent his heart fluttering wildly in his chest; maybe it was the novelty of actually doing it for a woman, or maybe it was all because it was her, and the fact that they were going to get married, but he loved every minute of it.

It wasn’t even that he wasn’t a gentleman to his past lovers— he was— but he didn’t really care for them at all. They were good for one thing, and he only kept them around for that, since he was busy with running his family’s business.

But with (Y/n)… he couldn’t even explain it. She was special.

Trying to suppress a smile, he walked around the car to get to his side, before buckling himself in and turning the engine on. However, when the radio turned on, it was still connected to Kyōjurō’s phone— and it had (Y/n) wide-eyed for a second, before she burst out into a fit of giggles.

“I wouldn’t have thought that you were the type to listen to Arashi,” The young woman teased, her giggles getting even louder when Kyōjurō decided to be silly and dance and sing along to the chorus of ‘Turning Up’.

When (Y/n)’s giggles calmed down into a smile, however, the thought that maybe— just maybe— spending time with him wasn’t that bad crossed her mind; and it had her silently agreeing. Especially when she looked back up at Kyōjurō and saw him grinning as he pulled out of the driveway.

When he wasn’t being a teasing horndog, he was okay; at least to (Y/n).

“What time do you need to be at your charity event?” The question had her jumping in surprise, but she quickly composed herself and rifled through all of the mental notes that she had made before leaving the house.

“Ten. And then I have another one at three.”

“Do you like doing these things?” It was such an offhanded question, not meant to be prying at all, but (Y/n) felt it hit much closer to home than her fiancé had intended. Still, she wasn’t mad at him for it; in fact, she felt… relieved, and happy.

Because, for the first time ever, someone had finally asked her what she thought. It was something small and insignificant, but to her that meant a lot— and it had her warming up to him just a little bit more.

“Well… to be honest, no. I don’t like it.”

Kyōjurō was just about to ask why she still did it if she didn’t like it, but the brief glance he cast at her— making him catch a glimpse of the melancholy look in her eyes— had him speaking before thinking. “Fuck those charities. Let’s just go out on a date today.”

“My mother would have my head!” (Y/n) exclaimed with a shake of her head, feeling a rush of excitement coursing through her at the possibility of rebelling; but still trying to stay rational and do what had been asked of her.

However, the blond already beat her to the punch, since he had pressed one of the numbers on the screen— making the car extremely silent, save for the revving of the engine, and the steady ringing of the line.

When someone on the other end picked up though, Kyōjurō didn’t even waste time on pleasantries. “Can you call my mother-in-law’s secretary and tell her that I’m taking (Y/n) out on a date? For the whole day.”

And with that, he dropped the call, letting the car be filled by the song that had been playing before; acting as if he hadn’t just sealed his fate by making his future in-law severely dislike him.

“She’s going to hate you.”

“Too bad, I’m still taking you out on that date.” And, as if to prove his point, he pulled the turn signal before making an illegal u-turn. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any other cars on the road.

(Y/n), completely shocked, screeched, “That was illegal!”

“Baby, you’re marrying me; you’ll be finding out all the illegal things I do for a living very soon."

[sfb123]

The Final Goodbye - Chapter 2

Book: The Royal Romance, Book 2

Pairing: Liam x Riley

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Description: In a slight canon divergence from book 2, Riley reaches her breaking point with the engagement tour and decides to restart her life when the court gets to NYC. Can the rest of the group clear her name, and convince her to come back before it’s too late?

Catch Up Here

Rating: PG (I think there are a few swear words in there, very angsty, but otherwise pretty mild)

Word Count: 1,299

A/N: I am so incredibly humbled by the response I got from chapter 1 last week. I don’t think it’s been much of a secret that I’ve been kind of down on my writing and myself in general the last couple of weeks, but the overwhelming love that you all have sent to me via your reblogs, comments, and messages this week has truly warmed my heart and meant the world to me. Thank you so, so much for your support. 

Again, I have to mention my fandom soulmate (yea, I’m just going to start calling you that always now, because you are) @jessiembruno. Your support and encouragement has been monumental in getting me out of my funk, and I will forever be grateful and in your debt for all you have done for me. Even if it’s just keeping me company via zoom while I do my nails for 2 hours! 

Shout out to @emkay512. This doll face reached out on Friday and is an absolute sweetheart. We got to talking, and she mentioned that today is her birthday, so I would like to dedicate today’s chapter to her! Happy birthday beautiful, and I apologize in advance for further breaking your heart on your special day. 

Tags: Listed below. If you’d like to be added or removed, just let me know!

When Riley finished her song, the entire bar erupted into uproarious applause as she hurried off the stage, the entire bar minus one table. Riley’s group of friends were completely silent. Maxwell, Drake, and Hana shot each other concerned looks before turning to Liam. He was staring at a now empty stage, they could all see that he was trying to keep his expression neutral, but that proved to be difficult with a single tear rolling down his cheek.

Drake placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. “Li, are you alright buddy?”

Liam cleared his throat and shook his head, looking over at his friend. “Yes...yea, sorry. She has an amazing voice, doesn’t she?”

“The best. She’s our very own diva!” Maxwell said in an upbeat tone, trying to remind everyone that they were supposed to be having fun. “Where did our little Mariah run off to?” He started looking around the bar to find her. 

“She probably just went to the bathroom. I’ll go check on her.” Hana got up from the table and headed toward the ladies room at the back of the bar. 

Liam rested his elbows on the table and cradled his head in his hands. All he could think about was the hurt in her eyes as she looked at him from the stage, pouring her heart out to him. He couldn’t help but feel like that song was more than just a way to vent her frustrations at their current situation. He didn’t need to say a word for his friends to know exactly what he was thinking. 

Drake was the first one to speak up. “Listen Liam, it was a really bad day for her. She had to pick up Madeleine’s wedding ring, it was kind of a mind fuck for her.” 

His head snapped up at the information he had received. “She what?!”

“Yea, Madeleine sent her. She said she needed to do it as a thank you for letting Riley come on the tour and be in your life.” Maxwell added. 

Liam’s expression immediately hardened as his hands clenched into fists. “I can’t believe Madeleine would…”

“Um...guys, she wasn’t there.” Hana interrupted. All three of them turned to look at her with wide eyes. 

Liam felt his chest tighten as he jumped out of his seat. “What do you mean she wasn't there? Where did she go? We have to find her!” 

As Liam turned to head for the door, Maxwell grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Liam, hold on. She probably just went back to the hotel. Letting that much emotion out in front of all of these people, in front of you, it had to have been exhausting.”

“Well I need to go talk to her then.”

“Liam, don’t. If she ran out of here like that, she wants to be alone. I know Brooks well enough to know that if she wants to talk, she’ll come to you. Showing up at her door isn’t going to fix anything right now.” Drake patted the seat next to him, encouraging Liam to sit back down. 

“Fine, but I’m going to need another drink.” Liam slumped into the seat next to Drake and ran a hand through his hair. 

**

The next morning, Drake was heading in the direction of Riley’s room when he heard Liam calling out to him. He turned to see his friend lightly jogging to catch up to him. “Hey Liam, how’d you sleep?”

“I didn’t. I spent all night convincing myself not to rush to Riley’s room to talk to her.” 

They walked together as another voice filled the hallway. “Liam, darling.” They both cringed and turned around to see Madeleine at the other end of the hall with her hands on her hips. “We are needed for the final preparations.”

“Madeleine, I’m in the middle of something. I will meet you there.” He stood tall, and took a deep breath. He still hadn’t confronted her about the errand she had sent Riley on, but that conversation would be happening very soon. 

Madeleine arched an eyebrow and walked quickly and confidently in their direction, stopping in front of Liam with her arms folded across her chest. “Sweetheart, you are needed to prepare for our wedding shower. What am I supposed to tell everyone when I arrive on my own? Do what you will with her in your free time. This is our time, I cannot have you missing important meetings for her. That’s not how this works.”

“She is more important than any meeting that will ever come across my calendar, especially any meeting involving you.” He sneered at her before turning to Drake. “Tell her I came by. And let me know if there is anything I can do.”

“Of course, man.” Drake clapped Liam on the shoulder and watched as Madeleine linked her arm through Liam’s and walked away. 

As Liam and Madeleine headed to the elevator, they passed Maxwell, the friends exchanging sad looks.

“Hey Drake, how’s our girl holding up?”

“Don’t know, that interrupted us before we could get to her.” 

“Well, let’s go cheer her up. I’ve got some great news!” He bounded toward Riley’s room. 

“What do you mean? What kind of news?”

Maxwell turned to him as he began to knock on the door. “We found Tariq!” Drake’s jaw dropped and he stared at Maxwell in shock, as he continued to knock on the door, not getting a response from Riley. “Little Blossom, rise and shine. We’ve got a big day ahead of us!” He turned his attention back to Drake. “This is weird, she’s usually at least yelling at me to go away by now.”

That comment gave Drake an uneasy feeling in his stomach, he pushed Maxwell aside and began banging on the door. “Come on Brooks, let us in.” A couple of neighboring doors opened as angry heads popped out of them, glaring at the early morning intrusion.

“What is the meaning of this commotion? This is a nice hotel, not a frat house!” Maxwell stiffened at the sound of his brother’s voice. Drake continued his assault on the door. 

“Bertrand! Um...hi. Riley’s not answering the door. She had a late night, she’s probably still asleep.” Maxwell stumbled through his words. 

Bertrand closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maxwell, do you have the spare key to her room?”

“Oh, right! I forgot about that.” He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a key card for the room and handing it to Drake. “Here, use this.” 

Drake shook his head and snatched the card out of his hands. “Brooks, we’re coming in. You’ve been warned. I don’t want to see anything I’m not supposed to.”

They opened the door and entered her room, walking through the sitting area, the bedroom, and then the bathroom. Riley was nowhere to be found. Her bed looked untouched, and it was too early for housekeeping to have come through. 

The three men discussed how best to move forward from here. They were in New York, so Riley was already home, they knew she wouldn’t try to fly out anywhere. But they also knew that they needed to get to LA to track down Tariq and get him to make a statement before he found out they were on his trail and disappeared again. Drake and Maxwell hesitantly agreed to meet up with Hana and take Liam’s jet to LA to get Tariq, while Bertrand went in search of Riley, to talk her into returning. All three agreed it was best not to tell Liam that Riley was missing. He was already dealing with enough, and Riley’s performance the night before had taken quite a toll on him. 

Permatag:

@anjanettexcordonia​ @athena-penrose​ @chemist-ana​ @choiceskatie​ @cordonia-gothqueen​ @cordoniaqueensworld​ @emkay512​ @gabesmommie1130​ @gkittylove99​ @hopelessromanticmonie​ @iaminlovewithtrr​ @jessiembruno​ @kat-tia801​ @khoicesbyk​ @kingliam2019​ @lucy-268​ @marshmallowsaremyfavorite​ @mile9213​ @mom2000aggie​ @pixie88​ @queenrileyrose​ @secretaryunpaid​ @sweatyrysconnoisseur​ @theroyalheirshadowhunter​ @twinkleallnight​ @txemrn​

The Final Goodbye:

@ao719​ @burnsoslow​ @busywoman​ @ladyangel70​ @mainstreetreader​ @tessa-liam​

Liam x Riley:

@jared2612​

@choicesficwriterscreations

[mystic-poet]

ROGUE PATHS

I wake up to find myself handcuffed to the hospital bed. The drug they injected me with to tame me seems to be wearing off. Ugh! This again. Better to get it over with, I guess. I drag my free hand into my bun and retrieve a small blade. As usual the dumb police never bothered to check in there thinking a man’s bun would just be a fashion statement. I twist to my side and turn the blade in the keyhole clockwise. My hand comes free. I learnt to pick locks when I was young, one of my many talents. I shake my hand hard to get rid of the stiffness and get up from the bed.

I stride confidently straight towards the door, not in the sneaky kind like a criminal would. As expected, a police officer stands at guard. His lips are on the verge of screaming when I silence him by waving a hundred bucks in front of his eyes. He raises his eyebrows at me and I throw in another four hundred to satisfy his thirst. That ought to shut him up. Money! The most deadly weapon and beautiful thing anyone can ever have.

□□□

Outside the hospital waits Beth. She teaches German in Crawford High. Well, it would be safe to say she taught me the art of viciousness. If angels can house demons, there isn’t any harm in a teacher being an evil mastermind.

“They shot you pretty bad in that leg, huh?” she says as I limp on one good leg. She gives me a look that was overflowing with pity. How I hate that!

“Enough with the puppy eyes already!” I snap. My right leg was hurting real bad and I would have stayed in the hospital until they mended it and made my grand escape later but I won’t want to deprive the world of its foul folks. Besides, I have business to finish.

“I must say, I didn’t expect you to be in the hospital,” Beth says unlocking her car and we sit in.

“They shot my leg in the encounter at the bank and I was losing blood by the second. Couldn’t get much out of me while I was thrashing in pain,” I explain.

“Did you find anything at the bank?” Beth asks raising an eyebrow at me as she drives the car out of the parking lot.

“I was close to. The property papers were in my hands before the cops caught up with me. Couldn’t read a word.”

“So, what are going to do? Got anything up your sleeves?”

“Well, I do. I am going to father’s house this Wednesday,” I say coolly.

“You do know that’s two days away, don’t you?”

“I have thought it through. You’ll see,” I say grinning.

Beth shakes her head. “Just remember I need my share of the money, Carl.”

“We talked about this a million times, Beth. You’ll get your forty percent,” I say casually leaning into the passenger’s seat.

□□□

My dad abandoned me when I was a teen. He is the owner of a multinational electronic company my late grandpa founded. Beth was the assistant manager. She was a frequent visitor in thehouse and shared a fine bond with dad until one day, she was fired when my dad accused her of a theft she never committed or so she told me.

When I was old enough, I tracked her down and discovered that she craved revenge with dad for all the wrongs done to her. She wanted to blow the lid off and reveal all the dark secrets behind dad’s firm. In a way, our common want of vengeance united us.

My dad is stinking rich whereas I was left in some community home and survived off donations. This is why I despise pity; I have lived with it all my life. I have my rightful place in the company and the fortune my grandpa left behind. But I need theofficial documents and my one chance of getting them from the bank slipped away. That’s where the part of infiltrating his house comes in. Ah! It’s been such long while since I did something of this kind. Infiltrating seems such a gorgeous word now.

□□□

“So, how are we doing it?” asks Beth pouring two glasses of red wine for the both of us. She drove us to her house for it’s probably the safest place to be.

“He is hosting some success party on Wednesday and there’s bound to be security. My idea is to go through as delivery persons. The rest will follow. You will tip toe to the computer room while I put up some distraction. I will catch up with you soon enough. Till then, find the papers,” I instruct taking a swig from my glass.

“It won’t be that simple, you know,” she says with a smirk.

“I was thinking you need that forty percent,” I say with mock seriousness.

“Fine!” she says exasperated. How I love when I am obeyed.

□□□

We are wheeling the cart that supposedly holds the cake but instead I just stuffed it with a wad of cotton. I ring the bell of the grand house with Beth beside me. The housekeeper, a woman in maybe in her thirties, opens the door. She gestures to where the cake should be kept. I look around at the magnificence of the place and its each and every adornment and decoration, from the mahogany coffee table to the velvet curtains and even the intricate designs on the glass vases, conveyed royalty. I feel a rush of hatred inside me. My father enjoyed all the money at his disposal and lived in comfort with rugs beneath his feet whereas I tossed and turned with unease in my bed every night wondering if my parents would ever make their way back to me. At least my mother passed away before she witnessed the return of her abandoned son.

“You know what to do,” I whisper in Beth’s ear. She nodded. I take my blade out and make a shallow cut in the back of my hand oozing out blood. That blade is indeed a good partner. I pocket it as swiftly as I took it out.

“Oh, I am bleeding. I am bleeding,” I say dramatically and hold my hand out purposefully for everyone to see the scarlet covering it.

“Oh dear, God. I will fetch you some ice from the kitchens,” the housekeeper says and disappears into a corridor. That’s the thing about kind people; they are easy prey.

I signal to Beth and she sets off in a half-walk and half-run up the stairs. She knows the way to the computer room from all those years of coming to dinners and teas in the house. As she turns into the corner, I rush behind her too wiping the blood on my pants.

I catch up with her soon enough as she looks straight ahead navigating through the rich corridor filled with a few guests. I walk behind her maintaining a safe distance; we can’t afford to attract any attention.

We walk into a long deserted hallway. I am sure the computer room is here and so does Beth, I suppose, as she carefully notices each door. She comes to an abrupt stop in front of the door at the far end of the hallway and opens it without a glance at me. In the middle of the room sits a computer that would be the cause of my dad’s doom. Beth turns it on and gets to work as I stand at the door occasionally peaking in. I was afraid it might have a password but it didn’t. Arrogance! Father must be sure no one could evade his computer. Well, I guess history is being made today.

“Do it quick!” I hiss at her.

“Does it look like I am not trying?” she says making an irritated face at me.

We are silent for five minutes or so when Beth says, “Carl, I found them!”

A smirk creeps across my face. “Transfer it to me. All of it,” I say in an excited whisper.

Beth turns back to the computer and presses send. The next few moments go by as quickly as the blink of an eye. I lock Beth in the computer room and somewhere a safety alarm triggers deafening my ears. I hear her muffled screams calling out to meechoing in the hallway but without looking back I descend the two flights of stairs.

I bump into the security on a landing and adopting my best worried voice I say, “A woman in the computer room. Upstairs.” The words barely escape my mouth and they run upstairs to find the trespasser while I walk out of the mansion with satisfaction.

Indeed, Beth taught me too much than she should have. Call me selfish but that’s what the world made me. I couldn’t have let Beth have forty per cent. After all, what would she do with it in jail? As for my father this episode would definitely motivate him to set a computer password. I whistle walking on the road thinking of the colour my bungalow would be.

Tagging:

@ruins-of-heart @witchpossessinghozier @some-broken-words @sinless-mind @luck1998 @ze-thoughts-are-stupid @random-lit @saamiya @colinisalright @thunder19sstuff @yalocal-deadpoet @asthetically-bookish @literature-is-my-religion @mrun-v @songfromstars @donapreachesart @i-snort-chocolates @duskobserver @apprielle24 @halfagonyhalfhop3 @klainebrittana @ray-of-darkness7 @balladofableedingpoet2112 @morticiapretz @vantaerayleigh1997 @sillylilbakaaa @church-of-burnt-romances @burn-like-starss @mjsespaces-blog @theleechwhodrinksbleach

Thank you so much for giving this a read dears!

Comments, criticism and suggestions are always welcome <3!!!

[hongjoongtrasher]

the beauty and the beast (chapter 2)

word count: 5k around

angst, fluff, smut

triger warnings: mention of child abuse, violence etc.

series masterlist

Synopsis:

When you move to a new city due to your father's job, you don't expect to stay for a long and so decided not to get attached to the world around you.

But still, you are "the new girl", unwillingly attracting people's attention because of your family's background. Your strict father expects a lot from you, not to say perfection. And when you are sit next to a certain Jung Yunho, you didn't expect your life to take a radical turn

Yunho always have been hating wealthy people. Or just people who were boasting about all the damn money they had and he hadn’t. Oh maybe it was childish to hate richer than himself, but he didn’t hate them for no reasons. He always felt disgusted by their pity, the way they would just «burn some cash » because they could, because they had too much. He concluded every rich guy was like this, and you weren’t an exception. At the very moment his eyes landed on your person, he could instantly feel this familiar aura. A daddy’s girl, probably richer than everyone’s parents in this school. And just the fact of you sitting next to him was driving him crazy.

He ignored you all the time. And he was glad in a way you didn’t try to talk to him, because he would have snapped all his hatred he was feeling towards people like you. But for a fact, he could admit that you weren’t acting like other rich kids around. The way you flinched when his friend was about to lift his hand at you, also the fact you were lonelier than he thought. Oh yes he indeed noticed you being the silent girl around, and at first he thought it was because you were the new girl, and that it was just a facade and soon or later you would just boast like the others.

It’s already been two weeks since you arrived here and yet you were as quiet as usual. You tried to acclimatize to every thing but as the good girl you were, your father thought it was a good opportunity for you to get into extra classes. Last night, you came back home near midnight, exhausted by this long day after studying like crazy. That’s why you didn’t even care to look at Yunho this morning when you sat down, as usual not peeping a word to him since the incident on the rooftop. Actually you tried to flip over and over again the same problem. Why he hated you this much ? But after some days, you understood he was hating every one the same way. Skipping classes, or when he was making act of presence just sleeping on his desk became the routine but today he was here. You quietly opened your bag to settle your pencils and workbooks. Yunho’s back facing you while he was probably taking a nap. Your English teacher came and when she started the class, she stated. « Alright guys, today you’ll be paired up. I want you to improvise a short sketch with what you learnt this past week. Just pair up with your neighbor. You have fifteen minutes »

Your eyes widened at her statement as you felt your heart throbs violently into your chest. Being in a team with Yunho was probably the last thing you thought which could become true today. And speaking of him, you heard a groan next to you, making you freezing as he slowly turned to you before staring at you.

« Just telling you, I don’t have a clue of what she said, so don’t expect me to do well »

How nonchalant he was at this moment almost made you scoff.

« You should have been here then. » you groaned back while opening your notebook.

His brows quirked at how you answered to him.

« Someone got more brave huh ? » he said before straightening on his chair and looked at the textbook of yours on your desk and took it to read the last two pages to your astonishment.

« Didn’t bring it, so I’ll just use yours. » he explained as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

« Great. » you answered and just scribbles some words on a page. You didn’t want to waste your time for such a jerk like him? At least you would have done your task by yourself, just for yourself and not him. You couldn’t let Yunho drag your grades down…You couldn’t just relax yourself.

Some silence installed between you two while others students were trying to do the task your teacher asked, but instead, Yunho took time to actually look at you. Somehow you looked exhausted, non to say to the verge of fainting. Your lips were pale, and dirk circles could be seen under your eyes.

« Didn’t sleep well last night ? » he asked randomly as he pretended to read the book under his eyes.

You badly wanted to ignore him. What the heck ? Just few weeks ago he openly said he hated you so you just accepted this fact and now he was chatting like you as nothing happened ?

« Studied late » you answered drily.

« Ha, I see you went to those extra classes which are costing your butt’s skin. »

You offered him a dark glare, making him look into your eyes. If course he wasn’t attending any of this, so he couldn’t really understand the situation you were in.

« And ? Is it going to change your life ? »

He shrugged.

« No, but I guess you’re a hardcore student » he hummed before he took his pencil to write down some words on his own paper. « Must be so boring » he added mockingly.

You wanted to answer back to him and spit how rude he was from the first place. You acknowledged the fact your life was boring as fuck, you were the first one to say it, but there were limits to making fun of this matter. Soon your teacher clapped her hands to catch everyone’s attention.

« Alright guys, it’s time. Who want to go first ? »

It was the usual game of « I don’t know what you’re saying », essentially based on avoid your teachers’ eyes and doing as you was busy enough not to make her choosing you. Your teacher smirked. « I see everyone’s eager to go, soooo…Y/N and Yunho, you go first. »

You panicked a bit, because except this little conversation you both hadn’t talked at all about your coed work. But Yunho didn’t seem bothered by this at all and stood up with his paper and just nudged your shoulder so you could stand up and go to the front with him. What was he playing at ?

Actually you thought Yunho was someone who didn’t give a shit to studies. His consecutive absences were not helping for his case but surprisingly, he opened the sketch with a good English. So good that you were surprised, making you go blank for a second. He looked at you before moving his lips silently « Y/N. » You shook your head and continued this weird play. At the end, your teacher seemed satisfied by your work and allowed you to go back to your sits so the next pair could go on.

When you sat down again, you looked at Yunho again.

« I thought you would’t do well » you mumbled.

He laughed lowly and it troubled you. It was the first time you heard him laugh. The first time he wasn’t showing hostility to you.

« You may think I’m a lazy ass, but I got some things stocked in this » he whispered, pointing at his head before leaning back on his chair.

Classes ended soon for the usual lunch break. Yunho got up and got out of the room without a word for you, as usual. Today you decided to stay into the classroom to eat. You never went back on the rooftop since you met the three boys. As you were unpacking the lunchpack you got from Sookja, you just took some time to think about this morning. Was Yunho being nice to you a sign to be more suspicious of him ? You were into your thought when you heard a voice calling your name.

« Y/N ? »

You looked up and saw a girl standing at your desk.

« Huh…Yeah ? »

She smiled to you and said.

« I’m Jisoo, erm…we’re in the same class and…I…Would you like to eat lunch with me ? » she asked shyly.

You were flustered by this sudden proposition. It was the first time someone was reaching out for you since you were in this school. Jason was a petite girl, with shorts hair and pink round cheeks. She looked nice so you couldn’t say no.

« Of course, but…mh, are you sure ? I’m not a good company » you confessed, embarrassed by this.

« I figured out you were eating alone every day and mhhh, I…just want to know you better you see ? I mean, don’t get me wrong ! I’m not approaching you because you’re the newbie or rich girl around ! »

You chuckled at her answer and made some space for her to eat your lunch on this tight desk.

« Thanks…actually I don’t feel like eating with a lot of people » you mumbled, peeling a boiled egg.

Jisoo looked surprised by your statement.

« Why not ? Well, people aren’t trying neither but…It would be a pity to let you out right ? You seem nice, so… »

Jisoo unpacked her own pink lunchbox where cherry tomatoes and egg roll and others nice things were lying inside.

« That’s cute ! Are you cooking it yourself ? » you said, trying to make a conversation.

She nodded with a proud smirk.

« Yes ! I like cooking, but since I’d pack too much I’m doing basic things. You ? Looks good as well. »

« Mh…Actually I don’t know how to cook » you answered uneasily.

« Oh must be your mom then ? »

It was a slippery subject, but since Jason made the genuine effort to come and talk to you, you didn’t feel like making up lies.

« I don’t have a mom…Huh, I mean I have one, but my parents divorced when I was little and…never seen her since » you mumbled, eating piece of kimchi.

Jisoo’s expression went bad and you could easily know why, so you quickly said.

« It’s fine, don’t worry, I don’t try to see her neither so I’m used to. Instead we have a housekeeper. She’s making my lunch every day, so I guess it’s like a mom. »

« Oh…I’m sorry still. I didn’t know »

You gave her a comforting smile as you two ate your lunch peacefully, getting to know each other’s better.

« Say, I saw you this morning with Yunho… Is he nice with you ? » asked Jisoo out of the blue.

You almost had forgotten about your gloomy classmate, so you hummed in hesitation.

« He’s a jerk, the first day I arrived he just openly said he hates me » you groaned, packing back your empty box.

« He hates every one outta here » Jisoo added, not seemed surprised. « But…there are a lot of rumours about him » she said lowly as if she was scared someone would overhear her words.

You arched a brow, curious about those said rumours.

« What kind of rumours ? »

« He’s fighting a lot with other people, basically a bad boy. You’ve seen it already, but he’s skipping classes a lot and no one really knows what he’s doing. » Jisoo explained. « I’ve never seen him hitting someone myself, but …be careful ? I don’t want him to hurt you or anyone else around »

Was he this terrible ? The image of Yunho laughing this morning was still lingering into your head. So you just nodded at her advice. It was almost time for classes again so Jisoo left you and friendly waved her hand at you before going back to her desk while other people were coming back. You expected Yunho to skip class again, but surprisingly his tall figure appeared before the bell rang. He got back to his desk and again laid his head on the desk, ignoring you in the process.

It was Korean history class, and it would be a lie to say it was boring as hell. Although you were still taking notes of every thing, Yunho was still acting like a dead body. He didn’t say a word to you for the rest of the day. And at 5pm sharp, you got out from school to go to your extra classes. You’re still drained from your day, and the idea to study more was giving you a headache. By chance, you were allowed to go alone there, taking the bus.

That’s how Yunho saw you walking to the bus stop while he was going to his motorbike, helmet in his hand. You were a weird girl. Never before he got interested into a girl, all being the same when it comes to approach him for his bad boy vibe like. Bullshit. He hated those childish girls, but surprisingly you didn’t have this side into your attitude. Again, Yunho was shocked to think about you from time to time. « Get yourself back Jung Yunho » his conscious told him before he saw the bus passing by his eyes.

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

Days were flying by and your first mock exams were coming at the corner. You had worked like a slave for this days, sleeping few hours a night to study more and more, the menacing shadow of your father planning above your head. Jisoo was eating lunch with you every day since. You girl got closer after few days and you considered her like your friend. She was the first person to hear about your familial situation and the gape, or more the ravine between you and your father. You must say it was a relief to be able to confess every thing to someone exterior to your house.

Jisoo seemed pissed off when you told her you were used not to get attached to people due to you moving almost every year to another city.

« That’s so awful ! » she cried, grabbing the carton of fruit juice you got from the machine.

« Yeah…My father is a stone cold asshole » you mumbled, the straw between your lips.

« Girl, when exams are over, let’s have fun alight ? Fight me if your father says no ! »

Jisoo was so cute. You couldn’t imagine this little girl tossing her fists at your father, but somehow the image was funny. That’s how you promised you would.

This day again you had to go to extra classes, and today was really a day you wished someone would ditch you from this living hell. Waiting at the bus stop, you were spacing out when you heard the sound of a roaring engine before it stopped right before you. The man on the moto lifted the smoked visor on his helmet to reveal his face. You heart stopped when you recognise Yunho. You didn’t know you he could drive such a thing but he seemed proud of it as he smirked to you.

« Need a drive ma’am ? » he asked.

What the fucking hell ? One day he was ignoring you like a ghost and another day he was talking to you and now proposing you to ride his moto ?

« Wha- I don’t understand, what are you trying to do here ? » you groaned back as he stabilised himself and just throw at you another helmet.

« Wear this. » he ordered without answering your question.

You looked at him in hesitation. Was he serious ? Or was he trying to drag you into another salty problem ? As he could read into your head, he rolled his eyes.

« I won’t throw you over a bridge you know ? »

« Huh…So tell me what are you trying to do ? I’m utterly sick of your hot and cold game. One day you’re saying you’re hating me, fine. And another one you’re actually trying to convince me to ride on a motorbike with you. »

« Get on, we’ll talk later » he groaned, glaring at you which intimated you.

Soon enough you were at the back of the motorbike, and before he drove, he took your arm to make you hug his waist tightly.

« Don’t ever let it go. If we fall I’d rather you fall with me than the motorbike » he explained.

You were about to protest, but he drove, making you instantly hold him tightly. It was the first time you were being driven on a moto, and the air going through your hair, the warmth of Yunho’s back against your chest was a total discovery for you. You were scared, not to say terrified. But Yunho was really driving carefully, although he liked to make his engine roar when the road was clear. When you weren’t scared enough to focus on his back only, you tried to see where he was going, and soon recognise the way to your extra classes. How did he know ? After some more minutes of furious roars, he stopped in front of a building you could recognise. He waited for you to get off the engine so he could as well get off.

Taking off the helmet you took a giant breath, your heart beating like crazy.

« How was the ride ? » he asked in a tease, watching you regaining strength.

« You’re crazy. Absolutely crazy » you hissed, shoving his helmet in his arms. « And how did you know it was here I was going ? »

Yunho couldn’t tell you he once followed you until there. Actually, he didn’t know himself why he had followed you, but after some days when he came back there, he saw your figure through a window, totally exhausted almost dozing on your work. Something made him stay here for a while, just watching you from afar this day. You were the representation of what he hated the most, and yet you were just a normal girl, acting like a normal girl. Moreover you looked so tired every day, and he was just wondering until how far you’d push yourself to be this perfect student.

« I just figured it out when I came one the neighbourhood with Hongjoong and some friends. We are hanging out quite a lot here» he grumbled. It wasn’t really a lie right ? Hongjoong and Yeosang were living in this area, so they were meeting quite a lot after classes in the neighbourhood.

You rolled your eyes before staring at him in confusion. Why was he being nice all of the sudden ?

Anyway, you needed to go, having enough of this nonsense.

« Thanks for the ride, but don’t hope to get me on this bike from hell any sooner » you groaned before taking your lead inside the building, not paying a look at your classmate.

Yunho smirked and shook his head.

« Bike from hell… »

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

Hours passed, and when the clock showed around ten, classes ended. You sighed and rubbed your eyes from exhaustion, slowly getting out the building to see the motorbike was still here. But not Yunho. Looking around, you tried to see if he was around. Seemed he was not. While admiring his black shiny engine, you got lost in your inner thought again. It was so strange for him to act this kindly but none without saying dangerously toward you. And the fact he discovered where you were studying was still a mystery for you, not totally convinced by the total luck of him running on this place.

« It’s maybe a bike from hell, but still pretty right ? » a voice exclaimed at you, making you jump.

Yunho was back, a bag in his hand from the CU, the nearby convenient store. You crunched up your nose. Why was he still here ?

« I met the guys, and was about to go home. » he explained again as if he could read your thought.

« Oh what a coincidence ! » you mimicked still not convinced if he was lying or not.

« Y/N I’m not lying, Hongjoong literally lives two blocks away from here. » he said seriously.

You sighed and turned around to leave. But when you walked past way his position he asked in a relax tone:

« I got some ice cream, want some ? »

It was going from dumb and dumber. Seriously you couldn’t put a finger on his weird behaviour. With a suspicious look you were about to say no, but he cut you.

« Your brain needs sugar. It’s past ten, and you’ve been studying for four hours straight. I guess you didn’t have diner too huh. »

« And what does it concern you ? » you snapped, turning to face him. « It’s not as if you would be this concerned for someone you hate right ? I don’t understand Yunho, I don’t understand you and your attitude. »

Yunho bite his lower lip, knowing himself he got in a weird situation.

« Yeah I know I said I hated people like you, but I didn’t say I hated you » he mumbled.

There was this embarrassing silent again, only the noises of the city filling the icy atmosphere between you.

« People like me. What do you mean ? Did I do something wrong to deserve this attitude ? » you crossed your arms, decided to cleared this shit.

Yunho felt uneasy to talk about it, but somehow he didn’t want to stay in a bad relationship with you. Instead, he took a ice cream from the bag and handled it to you.

« Eat, I will explain it to you after. » he mumbled, looking away.

You gave him a glance but finally took the ice cream, your stomach making you remember you were starving at the moment. It was a vanilla strawberry ice cream. You almost laughed by seeing this.

« Didn’t know you had so girlish tastes » you said ironically putting the ice cream into your mouth.

« I got mine, what do you mean ? I knew you would maybe get out at this hour and I just felt like buying you this » he justified himself by taking his own ice cream, green tea flavoured.

You both sat down on the empty academy’ stairs to eat your ice creams in silence. There were so much questions you wanted to ask, trying to figure out how to deal with him.

« I’m living alone with my mom. My dad and her divorced when I was ten or something. He was violent dude and was hitting my mom, so he got arrested by the police when the neighbours got fed up by the every day fights. But the thing is…we always had financial problems because of this bastard. He borrowed money from loan sharks, an astronomical amount and got my mom in trouble even after he got arrested. » said Yunho, blankly staring at the floor.

All you could do was listening to him. Surprisingly, you never imagined something this horrible would have happened to him.

« My mom sold everything she had to give the money back, so we lost our house and now we’re living in a small studio. Even though she’s working, her salary is just enough to cover the rent and the rest is going to those loan sharks. »

His voice was weak, almost silent as he felt his barriers falling down. He looked so fragile, his broad shoulders shuddering slowly, his dark hair covering his eyes. You felt your heart sinking at his reflection.

« Of course I wanted to help her as soon as I could get a job, getting some part time jobs but she wants me to focus on school. » he laughed bitterly, watching his ice cream melting. « I’ve soon been taught that school wasn’t going to make things better. And people knowing about my family matters were just doing things out of pity for us. It drove me crazy. I hate people boasting about how nice it is to have money, how nice it is to be a normal happy family and just feel the others like shit. »

That’s how you figured out why Yunho hated rich people. And how he probably thought you were the same as the others he could have seen before. The bitterness you were feeling towards him vanished in an instant. How such a tough guy like him could appear so broken ? How hard must it have been for him all those years ?

« I…I’m sorry. » you muttered, not really knowing how to carry on.

« No, it’s fine. I’m aware you’re from a wealthy fam, but I figured out you weren’t like those bitches gossiping around. » he said, taking back some composure as he ate a part of the leaking ice cream.

« But…How are you doing ? I mean, are you eating correctly ? » you asked, genuinely worried about his health at the moment.

He chuckled and looked at you.

« My grand parents are supporting us. » he said, ruffling his hair with his hand. « The only time I worked during summer break, they refused the money. That’s how I got my moto »

There was another long pause, before you felt the cold liquid from your ice cream falling on your hand, making you yelp in surprise. Yunho smirked and laughed lightly, watching you fighting with your ice cream.

« Eat, I’ll drive you back home…If you let me to, I mean » he said, rubbing his nape after finishing his own snack.

« Alright, but don’t even think of doing the rodeo on the way back. » you grumbled and get on.

Once again on Yunho’s motorbike, you watched the city streaming before your eyes, neons of all colours leaving particular marks in the dark night. The cold air now hitting your body made you hug Yunho’s tighter. You didn’t know how to feel towards him. But you understood the situations he got through and up until now, you thought you’d have done the same if you had to be in the same game. But it wasn’t a game. You knew Yunho wasn’t a real bad guy. Things forced him to do tough tasks. You were ready to forgive him, as long as he promised at least to be this hostile to you.

When you arrived near your big complex, you made sign to Yunho to stop right before the actual building. He turned the engine off and let you get off his moto. Taking off the helmet, you gave it back to him but he stopped you.

« Keep it. »

« What ? But .. »

« It won’t be the last time you will get on this Y/N » he said with a smirk. « But anyway, why did you make me drop you here ? I could go to the right building »

« Erm…I rather not. My father could see this and…I guess he wouldn’t like seeing his daughter riding a motorbike with a boy he doesn’t know. » you spurred out.

Yunho raised a brow at your comment about your father. He barely saw him at your first day but he seemed like a strict man. He nodded.

« I see, well…See you around ? »

« Yeah…if you don’t skip classes » you giggled, relaxed by this friendly or at least less hostile conversation.

Yunho scoffed and ruffled your hair, which surprised you.

« Maybe. »

Then he sent you off, waiting for you to go inside the building before driving back to his empty home. He mostly had said the truth to you, but he voluntarily omitted to add his mom got admitted to the hospital weeks ago. And he didn’t want you to pity him furthermore.

When you stepped inside the silent apartment, you noticed your father’s shoes weren’t at the entrance, meaning he wasn’t home. You sighed in relief, hurrying yourself to hide the helmet in your room, under your bed. Only Sookja got a glimpse at you rushing at your room.

« Y/N ? Is everything alright ? » she asked while she was in the kitchen.

« Yes ! Every thing is alright ! » you shouted back at her before going back to the kitchen to eat the late diner she prepared you.

Sookja took a look at your face. You were indeed tired, but something had changed. She could feel you were less, stressed ? The old woman sweetly smiled to you watching you eat.

« Did something nice happen today at school ? » she asked innocently, aware you normally aren’t really openly talking about your school days.

You looked at her, enjoying the warm soup after the cold weather you faced on Yunho’s bike.

« Erm…Yeah we can say that » you mumbled, slightly embarrassed but yet excited.

Sookja was a confident. You could tell her anything, she would never repeat to your father. She waited for you to keep on.

« There is a ..classmate of mine. At first we were like cats and dogs you know ? But today we sorted things out and I guess it’s fine now »

« I’m glad to ear this sweetie » she said in pure relief and joy for you. « Have you made friends ? »

« There is Jisoo ! She’s a part of my class as well. She’s a really warm person » you said, after taking more bites of rice and others side dishes.

Your housekeeper was happy to know you were getting a better life than you have had until now. She hoped some day you would be free from your father’s influence and fly by your own wings. That’s how she was thinking and wished the most for you.

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

After this strange night, days have been more packed. The day of your mock exams, you gave it all, knowing that although it was only a mock one, your father wouldn’t let it pass. After giving back your sheets, you and Jisoo were talking at the cafeteria. The petite teenager stretched and sighed.

« Y/NNNNN ! What should I do ? I’m sure I’ll fail ! »

« Don’t say that Ji’, I’m sure you’ll do well »

« It’s easy for you ! You always have good grades. » she pouted.

« I wished I could have less than 100 believe me » you groaned.

From the corner of your eyes, you glimpsed the tall figure of Yunho with Mingi and Hongjoong. He was sitting with them with the same expressionless face he used to put on at school. But when he was sitting next to you during class, he didn’t ignore you anymore, nor tried to nap. He was surely warming up to you, but it seemed he wasn’t ready to let his friends see him this way with you.

« - today ? » you heard Jisoo’s voice.

« Mh ? Sorry, I wasn’t listening » you said, going back to your friend.

Jisoo pouted again before following your gaze and leaned near to your face with a teasing face.

« Guuuurl, it seems you and Yunho got closer or is it me ? »

« Gosh, Ji ! It’s not what you think ! We just sorted things out, but we’re not friends or things like this » you mumbled back, embarrassed by her behaviour.

« Well, that’s not really the impression I have. Did you remark he’s not skipping classes lately ? »

« Maybe he got enlightened by God to study ? » you suggested in a grin.

You both laughed and today, you felt relieved as you didn’t have to go to extra classes, the academy being closed for the spring break that was soon arriving. Somehow, you convinced your father to let you go to Jisoo’s house for the weekend, heavily pretexting she wanted you to tutor her for the real exams. He seemed suspicious, but since your school grades were good so far, he didn’t have any objections to make.

While for packing your bag, you received numerous notifications on KakaoTalk. Jisoo created a group chat with the others kids who were going to come at her house for the weekend. Mostly girls and maybe some boys, but it didn’t really matter for you only the fact you had the chance to spend time with your friend, making some other friends ?

You happily answered to the text saying you’d come by yourself at the indicated address and time before locking your phone again. When you were almost done packing, your phone vibrated again but this time wasn’t the group chat. « Jung Yunho » appeared at your screen, leaving you speechless for a moment.

윤호

Need a ride for this weekend ?

Taglist: @palegardenrebel @mirror-juliet @twancingyunhoe@yeosangmystar @dreamer95 @tinyteenieateez @yunsangoveryonder @tenebrisirae @ateezbabysitters

can't be tagged :@nz-pichbg ;

don't hesitate to ask for being tagged :)