#tot fanfiction

[kurooblossom]

「LATE」 左然

ALSO AVAILABLE ON AO3 | MASTERLIST

➤ Word Count: 826

➤ Pairing: Artem Wing (Zuǒ Rán) x reader

➤ Tags: established relationship, f!reader, fluff, probably ooc since I haven’t played this game properly in like... 6 months or longer??

“I’ll be right there,” Artem said, before hanging up the phone.

Silently, he slipped the phone into his pants pocket before standing up and maneuvering quickly around the room. Knowing exactly what he was looking for, he went straight for a stack of papers he had nearby to where he stored his briefcase. Popping open the briefcase, he slipped the papers inside along with a few other items before closing it once more.

"Are you going out?" Y/N asked, peering up from the tablet she had in hand, one of many NXX cases up on the screen.

"Yes." He replied, focusing on gathering the items he needed. "I should be back before you get off though."

“Oh, okay...”

Once he finished grabbing everything he needed, he looked over everything once more before turning to his partner.

The girl softly smiled up at him, however, the smile didn’t quite meet her eyes. His heart ached to see her smile. He knew why it was there, but he couldn’t do anything to fix it, at least not now.

With an apologetic smile, he approached her briefly and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.

“I’ll be back soon.” He murmured, lips brushing against her soft skin.

Guiding her out of his office and locking the door, Artem left the firm.

Hours passed and it was late when the brunette stepped foot back into the office. All the lights throughout the building had long since been turned off, except for one. A small frown formed on his lips as he approached the building and entered the elevator.

She surely wouldn't be here at this hour... right? Artem thought to himself.

Of course, he had told her that before he left he would try to be back before she got off for the day. After all, he wanted to go on their little dinner date as much as she did. So he tried and tried to fix the issue with his client as fast and efficiently as he could. However, his attempts to get back before their scheduled date time were in vain. Before the clock on his phone even had time to move forward, when he noticed how late it was and how much of a standstill his work was at, he quickly sent her a text to go on home for the evening after work.

The sun had already disappeared from the sky and the moon replaced it when Artem was finally able to leave. He sighed disappointedly, slipping behind the wheel of his car, leaning back in the leather seat tiredly once the door closed behind him.

He would just have to make it up to her, he decided.

As he drove back to the office to gather the remainder of his things, he thought of how to make it up to her. Flowers and a fancy dinner? A relaxing date to one of her favorite places?

Before he knew it, his car pulled into the parking lot for the firm and began his way up to his floor. The sole of his shoe loudly and impatiently tapped against the stone flooring of the otherwise quiet elevator, the relatively short ride felt longer than normal tonight.

His frown deepened when the elevator door opened and he saw the lights turned on in the last area he wanted to see them.

“Y/N?” He called out.

His long legs moved swiftly around the office, quickly closing the distance between himself and Y/N’s desk. His pace slowed as he neared her, a feeling he only got with her tugged at his heart as he caught his first glimpse of her face.

Even with her disheveled appearance, from what he could only assume was from her being hunched over her desk, she was still the most beautiful person he had laid eyes on. Her brows that furrowed as she focused on work were now relaxed along with the rest of her face. A look of peaceful bliss was etched into her expression.

“What am I going to do with you?” He murmured to himself,

Quietly, Artem slipped off his blazer and placed the warm fabric on her shoulders. Almost like it was second nature to her, Y/N hummed at the newfound warmth before curling her head in the direction of the familiar scent.

“Y/N, love...”

His callused fingertips gently grazed her skin as he reached over her figure and swept the loose hairs from her face.

“Artem?” She managed out tiredly, her eyes glazed over with sleep as they opened. “You’re back?”

“Yes...” he replied, a small frown on his lips. “I’m sorry I didn’t get back in time for our dinner plans.”

“It’s okay.” Still half-asleep, she softly smiled up at him. “We can always go another time.”

How he didn’t deserve her...

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” He said softly, a determined glint in his eyes. “Firstly, let’s get you home.”

➤ A/N: Not proud of that ending but I was going to drive myself insane if I didn’t force myself to finish this off somehow. I’ll most definitely give this a re-write in the future.

[my-soul-sings]

I dare you to do it. Please do it. In exchange, I'll make one too! -Anon

YOU MADE ME DO THIS

YOU FORCED MY HAND

***

This wasn’t at all what Artem had in mind when he decided to confess to her. 

He hadn’t even gotten to the end of the speech that he had prepared for her, when he first spotted moisture growing in her eyes. She then immediately dropped her gaze to the floor while her fingers interlocked into tight fists. 

Naturally, he stopped mid-sentence to ask if something was wrong. 

It took a second or two before she timidly shook her head in response to his question. 

“No, I… I just… didn’t think you would do this.” 

It was then that he noticed a tear fall onto her shirt, seeping into and staining the fabric.

Artem didn’t quite know whether those were happy tears or not. But from the way her body language appeared to be clamming up, it seemed more likely to be the latter.

“Sorry, should I have chosen somewhere less public? Do you want to move this somewhere else?” He had brought her to the amusement park, thinking the lively atmosphere would let her feel more at ease. But at that moment, she looked more stressed than she had been when she first arrived.

Looking back, it should have occurred to him that she might have been stressed for different reasons than what he had thought.

“Let’s stop this here, Artem,” she told him, still refusing to raise her face to look at him. He wanted to call her name, to have her meet his eyes so he could find out what’s wrong. But right then, he couldn’t bring his voice to work. All he could feel was his heart sinking in his chest like a boulder into an abyss.

Artem may be dense in the romance department, but he had worked with and known her long enough to know what she was really getting at.

“Okay. Let me take you home.” 

She didn’t say anything when he gestured for her to walk ahead, but she kept a noticeable distance between them for the entire walk back to the car.

The sounds of the fountain and children’s laughter gradually grew softer behind them, until they were completely enveloped in an awkward silence. 

***

The drive back was a silent one. Artem didn’t know if it would be appropriate to turn on the radio, so he left it as it was. She, on the other hand, looked out the window of the passenger seat the entire time in a seemingly deliberate attempt to avoid looking at him. 

Where had he gone wrong? Artem thought he had read the signs right, but had he heavily misunderstood her feelings towards him? Should he have waited a little longer to observe the situation more before making this move? Sure, he had decided to confess because he didn’t want to wait around forever and have any regrets if he was too late, but if she didn’t feel the same way towards him, he might have just put a huge dent in their relationship. 

In the worst case scenario, that dent may be an irreparable one. 

The car rolled to a stop in front of her apartment building. 

“We’re here,” he said, breaking the silence as delicately as he could. “Are… you okay?”

She didn’t respond immediately. It didn’t look like she was crying, but Artem glanced at the tissue box next to him in case she needed it. 

Eventually, she cleared her throat, and finally turned to face him. Her expression was grim, her eyes downcast and her lips pursed into a thin line. It looked like she was struggling to think of what to say. 

“I’m sorry,” were the first two words that left her. A rush of guilt filled Artem and he tried to interject, but she held up her hand, indicating that she wasn’t finished, so he held his tongue.

“I appreciate all the effort you put in for this, Artem. Really, I do. I just… I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear enough. I’m not sure if I gave you the wrong idea or made you think that I had… feelings for you. If I did, sorry for leading you on.”

“You have nothing to apologise for,” he gently replies, offering her a smile. “I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. I misread things between us and that is my fault, not yours.” 

“Still, I– I feel horrible thinking about how much effort you put into this and I just— The last thing I wanted was to hurt you.”

Artem wanted to say that he wasn’t hurt, that he was fine, but he couldn’t ignore the dull ache in his chest, or the growing lump in his throat. 

Still, he put on a brave face. Just for a little while longer.

“I might need some time to move past this,” he said, surprising himself with how steady his voice sounded, “but I’ll be fine. I should apologise as well; I never wanted to make you cry, but it seems that I have hurt you once again.” 

She shook her head. “Artem, I appreciate you as my colleague. I really do. I still look up to you. A lot. You know that, right?”

It was slightly easier to smile this time. “Yes. I feel the same.”

“Maybe we should take some time away from each other. We probably need some time to ourselves to think things through. After that, let’s start working together again like we always have. Okay?” 

She had taken the words right out of his mouth. “Thank you. I was worried that I had done something irreparable to our relationship, but I’m glad that you’ll still be happy to work with me.” 

“Of course. We’re partners, right?” 

It was once a cherished term he would use to refer to them, but hearing it now stung a lot more than he would like to admit. Artem’s smile faded just slightly, but he quickly recovered. “Yes. Always.” 

“I’ll see you on Monday then?” 

“Yes. Have a good rest over the weekend.” 

She looked like she had more to say, but then she seemed to decide against it and chose to open the door instead. “Bye Artem. Thanks for the ride home, and… I’ll see you on Monday.” 

He waved her goodbye, and made sure she had entered the apartment building before finally relaxing his strained face and driving off. 

A few blocks down the road, the car stopped once again in a quiet parking lot. Artem leaned back against his seat for a moment, contemplating the events of the day. Reaching into his pocket, he found the jewellery box containing the necklace that he had painstakingly handcrafted for her. 

He held the necklace in his palm as his fingers brushed over the little red beans. How beautiful it would have been if this had really turned out to be his destined true love. Maybe he had hoped for too much, read too into what the red beans symbolised for them. 

Artem closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh as he rested his hand over his eyes. All he could see was the vivid image of her wet eyes and downcast expression at the fountain earlier. 

Before long, his own cheeks became moist as his hand clutched onto the fabric of his pants, creasing it in his tight grip. 

From the looks of things, it seemed unlikely that he would be alright by Monday.

***

Monday came, and things didn’t seem to have changed. Artem came in on time as usual, fixed himself a cup of coffee in his office, and got to work straight away. 

For the most part, she seemed fine as well. There was an air of awkwardness around her when she first entered his office to show him the affidavits that she had drafted, but that quickly disappeared as soon as they started focusing on work itself rather than the events of the previous weekend. 

Before long, they were back to talking like they used to, and she was even able to throw in a few jokes here and there to lighten the mood. 

Admittedly, smiling still hurt, but Artem played along. It was easier to do it when he focused on the relief from knowing that she was largely back to her normal self around him. 

It was also fortunate that there was a lot of work for him to do; it meant another late night for him in the office, but at least it could help him get his mind off of things. 

By 11pm, Artem had done whatever he needed to for the day and was ready to go home. He packed his things, switched off the light in his office, and headed towards the elevator. 

Just as the doors opened though, he couldn’t help but turn back, allowing his gaze to stray in the direction of her desk. Surely she would have gone home by now, right?

Perhaps he could check just to make sure. It wasn’t like he was doing anything wrong; it was perfectly normal to check on a fellow colleague. 

The rest of the office was largely dark since everyone had left for the day. But he immediately noticed the single light that was still on, and he walked towards the source, soon realising that it was coming from her desk. 

When he arrived, he found her sleeping on a jacket as her makeshift pillow. A quick skim of the documents that were open on her computer indicated to him that she had been in the middle of preparing her cross-examination questions for one of their upcoming trials. He did recall her mentioning that she would prepare the list for him by tomorrow. 

Looking at her sleeping soundly on the table, he couldn’t help but smile to himself. She always pushed herself too hard. 

Her breaths were quiet, and he noticed a stray strand of hair that had fallen in her face. Without thinking, he was about to reach out to tuck it behind her ear when he suddenly stopped his hand mid-air. His fingers curled into a loose fist, before his hand fell back to his side. 

After a moment’s hesitation, he lightly tapped her shoulder, causing her to stir. 

“Mm… Artem? What time is it?” 

“It’s past 11. You should go back and rest for now, and work on this tomorrow.”

“Huh?” She glanced at her screen, before heaving a sigh and rubbing her temples. “I wanted to finish this before going home today.”

“You’ll be able to think better after some sleep. If you need more time, you don’t have to give me the list of questions by tomorrow. The day after is fine.”

“No, tomorrow is fine. I’m actually close to finishing. But yes, I take your point. I’ll get some sleep and continue this tomorrow.” She offered him a sheepish smile, perhaps knowing that she would only lose if she attempted to prolong this argument. 

Artem nodded in approval. “It’s late, so let me drive you home. Just as a friend, of course,” he added quickly, hoping it wouldn’t give her the wrong idea. 

She considered his offer for a while. The second stretched so long that Artem started to wonder if he shouldn’t have offered after all. Did he make things weird between them again?

However, to Artem’s relief, she nodded her head. “Okay, but… only if it’s not too much trouble for you.” 

He shook his head. “Not at all. It’s on the way.” 

“Thanks, Artem. I’d really appreciate it.”

She dozed off in the car less than five minutes after he drove out of the parking lot. 

At the next red light, Artem glanced at her sleeping side profile, and he couldn’t help but chuckle wistfully to himself. There was no stopping the warmth that swept through his chest as his eyes traced the curves of her sleeping face. 

Even if she didn’t return his feelings, he could be okay with that. It didn’t mean he had to stop loving her quietly from the side; he could still look out for her in his own way like this, at least, until another man who was worthy of her and who could win her affections came along and swept her off her feet. 

For Artem, this would have to be enough. 

***

A/N: Okay @ the anon who promised you would write one in return, I am WAITING. :))))

Thanks for reading! Not sure if this was as angsty as you wanted/thought it would be but idk. I feel like even a heartbroken Artem wouldn't be fixated on himself/his own broken heart because that's just how the big teddy bear is :"( I love him. How dare you make me break his heart i will bReAK yOu aNOnS

[emotionalcello-makefanfics]

Chapters: 1/4 (click EXPAND for 3k of Chapter 1) Fandom: 未定事件簿 | Tears of Themis (Video Game) Rating: Mature Relationships: Yan Wei | Darius Morgan/Zuo Ran | Artem Wing Additional Tags: Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Darius Morgan centric, Darius morgan POV, POV Zuo Ran | Artem Wing, but only a few of Artem's POV, Pining, and some of my Headcanon

---

Summary:

Senior Attorney Wing and Captain Morgan have a professional working relationship that grants them to meet often, more than they meet their own friends. But Artem and Darius meet for the first time – five years later since they first met – in the cemetery.

It all started with an umbrella.

+++

+++

 Senior Attorney Wing and Captain Morgan have a professional working relationship that grants them to meet often, more than they meet their friends. But Artem and Darius meet for the first time – five years later since they first met – in the cemetery.

Artem is leaving, Morgan has just arrived. It’s a cloudy morning, Big Data lab predicts that it’s going to rain heavily come noon. Their eyes meet, equally feeling awkward at seeing each other without their uniform. Artem is clad in a cream sweater over a sky-blue turtleneck and gray slacks, shockingly different than the sharper-than-knives suit he wears that no matter what time of day always looks tidy and sharp on him. Artem’s hair is down and loose instead of swept to the sides. Artem looks soft, very out of character from the stiff and strict Senior Attorney that Darius comes to know for years.

Darius barely looks any different, still unkept and tired but in jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket instead of the slacks, shirt, and trenchcoat. The bouquet of pink lilies and lilac looks off-putting in Darius’ hands as if something so delicate doesn’t belong in the hands of a brute that’s holding them.

“Hello,” Artem says, managing to look all kinds of awkward while saying one word.

Darius isn’t any better though, he’s just standing there staring, dumbfounded. “Hi,” he finally says flatly.

Aside from his looks, the second thing Darius thinks upon seeing Artem is ‘I didn’t know someone close to him recently died.’ He almost said his condolences but held back when he realizes that it was none of his business. Artem didn’t say anything, Darius deducts that perhaps a condolence from an acquaintance is the reason why. Even though they know each other for five years, they’re not close personally.

Darius nods and goes on his not-so-merry way. His destination is quite a hike and he takes his time. He had walked this path for twelve years. Everyone said that it gets better in time. Darius is still waiting for that time to come when the flowers in his hand will stop weighing a ton.

“Captain Morgan,” Calls a familiar voice. It makes Darius tense, and straightened his back, instinctually in work mode. Turning around and seeing Artem in his sweater send Darius on a whiplash, even more, when the man is handing him an umbrella. “I didn’t see any on you, it’s going to rain.” Darius looks to the sky, and it’s so dark it almost looks like it’s closer to the evening than noon, how come he didn’t notice?

Another thing Darius didn’t notice is how flustered Artem looks when the pause lingers too long. “I’m sorry if I’m being overfamiliar…”

“No no, you’re not,” Darius quickly says, eyes switching back and forth between Artem’s face and the umbrella in his hand. Darius decides to take it, he didn’t have an umbrella with him, and it’ll be bad if he’s sick around this time. He’d have to get sick leave and be alone in his apartment, alone with his thoughts at this time, that’d be nightmarish. “Thank you, I’ll give it back to you as soon as I can.”

“No rush,” Artem says, and he lingers a little before saying. “I hope I’m not crossing any lines, but I’m sorry for your loss.”

Darius doesn’t know what to say for a while. He feels nothing for Artem’s words, but he repeats robotically, “You too, my condolences.”

They exchange stiff nods and go separate ways. In the middle of the way, Darius notices the umbrella is as grey as the sky with a gunmetal sheen, it fits Artem’s personality perfectly. Darius was praying over their grave when the first drops of the rain fall. Darius opens the umbrella and was shocked when he sees the blue sky painted under the umbrella along with rainbows, pink and blue clouds, glittery sheen, and cutesy baby angel characters with harps, trumpets, cupids bow and… are those puppies and kittens they’re carrying in their baskets? Also, the illustration is very realistic and detailed, kind of like a Renaissance painting style.

“Huh.”

Never thought Artem to buy this kind of thing.

 +++++

  Captain Morgan: Cute umbrella.

Attorney Wing: Excuse me?

Captain Morgan: *Click to see the attached picture*

Attorney Wing: I assure you that I didn’t know that. I never use it since my colleagues gave it to me as a gift. I’m at loss as to why they gave me that.

Captain Morgan: I think you’ve been pranked.

Attorney Wing: Yes, I’ve realized that now.

Captain Morgan: Still want the umbrella back?

Attorney Wing: I’m not sure.

Captain Morgan: It’s a gift, so you should cherish it.

Attorney Wing: Are you pranking me too?

Captain Morgan: I plead not guilty.

Before he knows it, he’s texting back and forth with the attorney. Darius hates weekends, he never spent them doing anything of worth. He’d smoke, watch a movie he’s watched hundreds of times, and hang out with his cold girl Julia. If he’s lucky, he gets to work on these empty weekends. Alas, after pushing himself to those working weekends for a month, his supervisor noticed and kicks him to the curb and made him spend his weekend ‘relaxing’. Darius knows it’s just politics for ‘I’m not gonna grant you any more overtime money for this’. So, no, Darius isn’t relaxing. Or, wasn’t.

Darius doesn’t have any friends he can call close enough. He has drinking buddies but that’s an entirely different category of people than friends. Never in his wild imagination that he’d ever think that Artem can be his friend. They see each other almost every week strictly for work and it’s been five constant years of that so Darius never thought it was a possibility. Then there’s work, which they’re both too invested in whenever they met, socializing nor pandering didn’t come to mind.

And yet, the stupid umbrella is just so stupid that he can’t not bug Artem about it. He was supposed to be mourning that day, but the cupid babies loom at the corner of his eyes as the umbrella opens to dry. Darius could’ve sworn the inside of that umbrella is glowing like it has a light source. Where did Artem even find that thing?

 ++++

 Darius never gets to return the umbrella, both of them are always too busy to remember. Darius often forgot his umbrella at home, then forgot them at the office. When he finally brings it into the glove box of his car, he forgot to mention it until Artem leaves in a hurry.

Two months later, the imprint of the ridiculous umbrella left his memory. His text with Artem bantering about the umbrella had been buried with texts about cases.

Then comes the rain.

Darius remembers to bring an umbrella today. He slips it inside this coat pocket. He’s assisting Artem and his partner, young Attorney Chris. They’re at the back garden of the victim’s mansion while Artem is inside the house investigating with one of Darius’ officers. The rain starts and he opens the umbrella to shield himself and Chris. She looks up at Darius, opening her mouth to say something until she sees the abomination that is under the umbrella. Darius even forgot that this umbrella was THAT umbrella until she was badly covering her smile and cupids dancing at the corner of his eyes.

“How come you have Artem’s umbrella?” Chris says.

“Ah, so you’re the one that gave it to him.”

At Darius' teasing smile, Chris blushes, “Uh, well, I was one of the people that suggest it, sure, but I’m not the one that constructs it.”

Darius’ eyebrows raise, “You’re saying you and another person custom-made this umbrella to prank Wing?”

“Me and three other people, yes. We just thought it was funny!” Chris says all of the sudden.

Darius can’t help the chuckle, “Yeah, it is, kinda.”

He walks Chris to Artem’s car and goes back to get Artem. Sure enough, the Attorney looks at him with wide eyes when he sees Darius with the umbrella.

“It really is offensively adorable, yet somehow artistic,” Artem says out of nowhere.

“If by artistic you mean uncanny-ly realistic, sure.”

To his surprise, Artem laughs, not noticing Darius having an internal 404 error. Had he ever seen Artem laugh? No, he had never even seen him crack a smile in all the five years they’d known each other.

Huh, so that’s what it looks like, Darius thinks, and he doesn’t look away. Not until Artem catches him staring and looks away almost sheepishly, which makes Darius thinks that he might’ve passed out at some point and dreamt all this.

“If you don’t mind,” Artem says after clearing his throat.

Darius flustered, much to his horror, “Ah, yes, let’s go.”

And it must’ve been a ridiculous sight for a gruff middle-aged man and another stiff-faced man nearing thirty to walk together in the rain under an umbrella that looks like a child’s bedsheet. Both of them can’t see how ridiculous they are, so the embarrassment doesn’t stop their conversation.

“Is this another case of a family fighting for inheritance gone bloody?” Darius asks.

“I won’t assume anything until I have all the evidence.”

Darius scoffs, “You say that, but every time they called the cops on an allegedly natural death of a rich guy, it’s always murder and it’s always about inheritance.”

“Not always,” Artem says airily.

“When? Wing, I assist you in every case you take, I know.” And doesn’t that take Darius back. He didn’t realize that yes, ever since Artem became an attorney in the city, Darius had always been the one that assist him, how did that happen?

“Premeditate opinion is a recipe for misinterpretation.”

“Ok Mr. Senior attorney, wanna bet?” Darius doesn’t know what possessed him to say that, but upon seeing Artem's playful smirk, everything is worth it.

“What would we even bet?”

Darius lits up. At some point, they stopped walking and had been standing face to face. Their chests almost touched under the umbrella too small for the two of them with the curtain of rain shutting the whole world from their private little circle. Darius looks at those dark blue eyes, mysterious like the ocean deep, they glint in mischief as if they’re hiding something. Looking at those eyes any longer, Darius would’ve drowned.

“The winner buys the other drinks,” Darius goes with the classic.

“You’re on,” Artem says with an amount of sass that Darius never knew he possessed.

Darius is completely mystified by what he just experienced. So much so that he kept looking at Artem as he steps into his car, said goodbye, and drives away into the road.

Only after a few seconds did he realize that Darius is still holding the blasted umbrella.

 ++++

 It took a month for Artem to wrap up the case they’re betting on. The memory of the bet had been pushed to the back of Darius’ head by other responsibilities. Artem isn’t the only attorney he works with, and there’s more to police work than just investigating death and murder, there are also these damn reports.

So, it takes a few seconds to discern Artem’s text, which is a link to a news article.

‘The Evil Mistress of the Reindhart Patriarch declared Not Guilty! The shocking truth reveals a heartbreaking story of the Billionaire’s decades fight with illness.’

Attorney Wing: I win.

Darius laughs, shocking his coworkers that never once hear any joyous tone from their strict no-nonsense captain.

Captain Morgan: And I’m a man of my word. The winner picks the time and place.

Friday, 9 PM, at a place called Dionysus. It sounded posh, and honestly, what is it with this city and greek gods? They’re nowhere near Greece.

 ++++

 The place isn’t as posh as it sounds. Darius was expecting to burn all his life savings because Artem seems like a wine guy. The name of the bar sounded like a wine place, and Darius knows wine can cost a liver and a limb.

The bar seems cozy. Earth tones, dim lighting, jazz music, couch seats. It’s getting crowded with office workers since it’s 7 PM on a Friday. Darius takes the bar seat where he can see both the emergency exit and the front entrance. Darius only waited for five minutes when Artem walks in through the door, his suit jacket in his arms.

Darius sips his whiskey to mask his instinctual gulp. This overreaction is pathetically caused by Artem without a layer of suit jacket. What is wrong with him lately? He looks at Artem and suddenly his composure takes a nosedive. He sees Artem often, sure this is the first time they meet up outside work hours –second if you count the cemetery– but Artem doesn’t look any different. Artem is Artem, which is exactly the problem now that Darius thinks of it. Artem had always been Senior Attorney Wing and he’s never just… Artem.

Hey, know what? Darius is an honest man. Artem is attractive, Darius had always found him attractive. This is only the first time that he lets himself react to it since he’s bound to his professional work ethic. There’s no harm in noticing that their colleague is attractive at the appropriate non-working hours, right?

“Sorry I’m late,” Artem says, taking the bar seat next to Darius. He smells like expensive perfume and rain.

“You’re not, hope you don’t mind me having a head start,” Darius motioned to his glass.

“I don’t mind.” Artem gestures to the bartender, “I’ll have what he’s having.”

“Oh, come on, Attorney Wing. Treat yourself to the top shelf, I’m a gracious loser.”

Artem sips on his quickly-served glass of two shots of whiskey, “Aren’t the winner able to get whatever they want?”

“Hey, suit yourself.”

“Artem.”

“Hm?”

“We’re off the clock. Isn’t it weird to be so formal?”

Darius disagrees, it’s weirder to call each other by their given name after years of calling their last names tightly knit to their title, and yet, “Artem,” he says, testing the sound of Artem’s name in his mouth. “Darius, then.”

“Darius,” Artem nods with a smile.

And it’s a little pathetic how the sound of his name in Artem’s voice sent shivers down his spine.

“Well,” Darius smiles and raises his glass to Artem, “For your win. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Artem toasts his glass with Darius’.

Even though both of them are outside work hours in a bar, they’re workaholics by nature and all they talk about is work. It started with Darius asking how the case wrapped up and they went deep into investigation talk.

Sober Darius would’ve panicked being so close to Artem, watching him talk and loosen up, his hair softly falling apart from the side-swept style he kept, seeing how delicate the white shirt on Artem’s body is. Pleasantly buzzed Darius, however, shamelessly enjoys the view.

Out of nowhere, Artem chuckle, and it makes Darius chuckle too.

“What?” Darius asks.

“We’re off the clock, yet I still talk about work,” Artem sighs dejectedly.

“We’re workaholics, and I don’t mind,” Darius shrugs like it’s nothing, hoping it’ll cheer him up. “Also, you’re not much of a drinker, are you?” Darius notices that in an hour and a half they’ve been here, Artem hadn’t finished his first glass while Darius is already on his third.

Artem chuckles mirthlessly, “You caught me.”

Darius watches Artem, finding a conclusion, “You didn’t have to agree to go drinking if you didn’t want to. We could’ve gone wherever you feel comfortable in.”

“That’s the problem though,” Artem says dejectedly, finally finishing the drink. “I don’t know where to go either. I work all the time, and the only thing I do outside of work are the necessities: Sleep, bathe, eat, and…” Artem pauses at the last point, something he can’t say in public then.

“Sex?”

Artem swings his head so fast Darius thought it would spin, eyes pop open so comically that Darius laughed.

“Don’t laugh at me, you caught me off guard,” Artem huffs, his face flushed with a pretty pink tone. “I was about to say I was doing… special cases.”

Ah yes, special cases, the NXX investigation team. Darius is partially let into the knowledge of their existence, though Darius knows he was only let in so the team can do under-the-table work with him. Darius had agreed with the condition that they do him a favor in similar weight. Three years after he works with Artem and gains respect towards each other, Artem finds him trustworthy enough to know their existence. Imagine his bewilderment when he’s faced with a team of a baby-faced super spy, an aloof prince-like psychologist that talks to him like he’s a lab rat, the youngest Senior Attorney in the city, and a 19-year-old Vice-CEO of the multi-billionaire company that runs half the world.

It worked out mutually beneficial. Darius gets to pull in reasonable favors, and they get fast help from the police force and confidential files.

“Sorry, sorry,” Darius says after he calms down. “We’re both adults and it was an honest question. Some argue that sex is a necessity.”

“Not to me,” Artem says carefully, watching Darius as he says it, “It’s… no, I don’t do that casually.”

Darius is pinned to the board with Artem’s strong gaze, enjoying every moment of it. “I get it.”

“You do?”

“Uh-uh,” he says, not willing to elaborate.

“If not the bar, where would you’ve suggested we go?” Artem asks, moving on.

“The workaholic with no life asks another workaholic with no life, I suggest you refer to a different source.”

Artem scoffs, his eyes glinting with amusement, Darius pats himself on the back for that.

“You don’t seem to be worse off than me.”

“It’s not a competition, Artem,” Darius’s heart has no business skipping at saying Artem’s name. “We can suffer in our lack of life together.”

To Darius’ dismay, Artem smiles at him and blushes, “It’s not so bad then.” Oh, and that one does a number on Darius.

“Are you already drunk?”

“Maybe. I don’t have the greatest tolerance for alcohol. The last time I got drunk was humiliating, I swore to never touch alcohol again, in public.”

Darius sighs, “And you still agree to my invitation.”

“Well, it was the first time you ask me to meet up, I couldn’t say no.”

“Why couldn’t you? It would’ve been fine.”

“It wouldn’t. I’d… never mind.” Artem slumps, dejected towards himself.

Darius knocks his knee with Artem’s, getting the younger man’s rapt attention, “If you have no idea where to go because you’ve never been there, then how about going to a place you’ve been wanting to go?”

Artem is holding his breath for whatever reason. He’s leaning his face on the palm of his hand, and he seems to be hiding behind said palm. To torture him, Artem starts biting his lips before blurting out, “Dinner?”

“Sure, we could’ve gone for that.”

“Could’ve,” Artem says wistfully, “Now I have to find an excuse to ask you.”

Darius chuckles, “You’re so drunk.”

“What is it?”

“You don’t need any excuse. We can just, go.”

“We can just go,” Artem repeats as if still not believing what he hears or say.

“Yes.”

“That easy?”

“Was it supposed to be hard?”

“I don’t know, but it felt like it. I never knew how to do… you know?”

“No, I don’t know. To do what?”

“Having a casual relationship.”

“… Friends, you don’t know how to have friends.”

“I was trying to not make myself look pathetic, but you see right through me I guess.”

Darius barked a laugh, and he might’ve imagined the stars in Artem’s eyes, “Hey, I applaud you for still trying. I’ve given up at some point.”

“As my friend said to me once, it’s not a competition.”

Friends. Damn, isn’t that nice?

 -

-

[phoebepheebsphibs]

The votes are in...

Hide and Seek: A Collection of Turtle Tots Stories has WON!

Here are some sneak previews of what the story will include!

Also holy truffle mac and cheese, so much artwork went into just the cover like heck why am I such an overachiever???

[tervaneula]

WAAOOOUUUGGHHH HAPPY BDAY @beeceit!!! Fawn I love you so much, you're so smart and funny and kind and I'm so happy to have met you <3

Uh oh Leonardo was supposed to be babysitting Bitty but I guess it's the other way around now. Congrats Bitty you're a dad now

(look at the bitty fic y'all do it for bitty)

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Danny is not okay.

He had just gotten back from shoving a very offended Spoiler out of the second story window with a broom when he discovered Red Robin hacking into one of the family computers and had to whack him too.

The broom was getting used a lot today, huh?

In Danny's defense, he had locked up the portals and lab tight before activating the houses security system. Unfortunately, Vlads murderer - some guy named Deathstroke- had used a Fenton product to do the crime, and now his parents (as oblivious as ever) are out hunting the hit man for revenge. Jazz was in on a girl's trip with her friends for a week, and his friends are both out of town with their respective families so the three of them had no idea any of this was going on.

Now here he is dealing with a bat infestation. He hopes his parents will forgive him for blowing up the computer, but he really doesn't want his parents going to jail. And with half the stuff on the computer being destructive mad scientist inventions and the other half being plans/tools to commit horrific atrocities and genocide of an entire dimensions worth of sentient beings?

Jail. Jail for a thousand years. Can't let that happen. So Danny is on his one man mission of throwing ninjas with daddy issues out various windows over and over again. This can't last forever! They have a city to return to, right?!

Well, turns out he was right! Too bad they were all now in what Danny could only guess was a new world full of talking monsters that kept trying to eat them!

At least the house came with them so they had shelter. Why did mom program the teleporter to activate without coordinates put in anyway. What where these monsters? Where is Nadiria supposed to be in the galaxy? Where they still in the milky way? Was it safe to fanboy about being on another planet? Can Danny become a "monster wrangler" alongside the bats so they don't get eaten?

Can danny manage to hide his identity as a ghost/ "monster" from the bats while they're trapped in this freaky place?

[miicycle]

@virgilisspidey fanfic "Two Souls" is edible and SCREAMS

i really recommend it

[bambiraptorx]

As I mentioned in this post (technically in its tags), GMTT! Raph will try to eat anything that fits in his mouth. He's a giant toddler what did you expect Draxum

[pastadorable]

Chapter 2 is posted!

What do you guys think of the fic so far??

Totpocalypse Master Post

[rosemoncherie]

business affairs: t.wolff - series [OLD VERSION]

Chapter One: The Night Everything Began.

pairing: Toto Wolff x OC!Natalia Danon.

warnings: 18+, nsfw, age gap (Natalia is 32), talks of divorce, allusions to sexism, fast paced, explicit sexual scene, cunnilingus, slight dirty talk.

w.c: 4.04K

tags: @queenshikongo3 @bluesole16 @christinabae @aisharmi @hoziersfairy @queenzee27 @omgsuperstarg @lewisroscoelove @itsyagirlmeee @joviallljas @serpenttines-library @hrlzy @sugardontbesweet @tallrock35 @tian-monique @f1-hoff @peyiswriting @thewolffswife @mochiminimoni @bekindbecoolbeyou

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA. 2022.

Natalia was exhausted but ultimately, she was hungry.

Very hungry.

She had rationalised that since she was already downstairs, going into the in-house restaurant was better than tracking all the way up her suite and ordering room service when she could hear the loud growling of her stomach.

Quickly, Natalia was seated and ordered some focaccia with an olive oil dip and a glass of Corton Charlemagne white wine. After a long day of meetings and conferences, a good glass of wine was desperately needed.

It had only been a couple of years since Natalia had been assigned to the position of Chief Financial Officer of Mercedes Benz. The youngest woman to ever be appointed to the role and unfortunately, the first black woman to ever hold that title for a top five company within the vehicle industry.

Natalia had been a finance protege. A master of her craft as some people would describe her and when her parents picked up on her affinity for numbers, they did everything possible to advance her career. And all the better for it as it led her to where was today.

She loved her job and despite all of the hardships and pushback that she had faced, no one and nothing was going to take that away from her.

That however, did not change the fact there were some days where the job had been strenuous on her mind and body. Hours on end speaking to people in seminars, overseeing a few upcoming projects and a lot of walking. The walking was the worst of it all as Natalia had chosen a beautiful pair of high heels typically made for a sitting situation. She had failed to anticipate just how much walking she would have had to partake in today.

Natalia hummed softly as she chewed on the dip soaked bread. After four hours, this was the first piece of nourishment she had after hours of sipping on only water. Her eyes wandered around her surroundings until they landed on a man.

Toto Wolff.

The CEO and team principal of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team. A man who she held a lot of great respect for and he made it known whenever the both of them were in the same vicinity that the feeling was mutual. Toto staying in the same hotel as herself was not uncommon. Mercedes Benz and the Ritz-Carlton were in a long term partnership, hence they were able to stay in the luxurious hotel free of charge anywhere in the world.

A perk of the job.

Their eyes met and his face radiated a genuine smile. Quite the rare sight of the man. Natalia waved for him to come over and soon enough, Toto was being led towards her table. As soon as she stood up to greet him, the sleeves of her jersey slid back down her arms.

“Good to see you again.” Toto greeted her after a quick hug.

Natalia giggled as she sat back down with him pulling a chair close beside her. “We’ve seen each other a lot today.”

“That’s what happens when you work together.”

"Technically I am your boss, you work for me.

Natalia shot back which caused Toto to chuckle.

”You love pointing that out don’t you.” His right eyebrow lifted as he took in her facial features.

“Yes I want to make sure that you never forget it.”

“And I won’t.” His eyes trailed down to her glossed lips and settled there for a moment.

Toto licked his.

The action was subtle but Natalia caught it all. She took a deep breath as she reached for the menus.

”Are you ordering anything to eat or are you just here to keep me company?”

The question caused him to smirk. “Well. I had only come in, to a place an order to be delivered to my suite but now that I’m here I don’t see why I can’t do both. A late dinner in the company of a beautiful woman? You’d be a fool to decline that.”

His words and tone were laced with flirtation and Natalia hated herself for just how much it swayed her. You’d be an idiot to deny how attractive the man was. A tall giant at 6 feet 5 inches, slender yet muscular in all the places that counted. For a mature man like him, Toto kept himself physically agile and well groomed. Almost always clean shaved but his hair always ended up ruffled from the constant wear of headphones and how frequently he ran his fingers through the dark locks.

Outside of appearance, his charisma was extremely charming as intended. Toto knew how to talk to people and he knew how to make people feel comfortable around them. The addition of his accent to his voice, Natalia knew that trying to fight her attraction towards the recently divorced man was futile.

The pair ended up ordering the chef’s special along with the bottle of Corton Charlemagne. As they enjoyed their meal, the conversation was easy going. Natalia spoke for most of the time whilst Toto listened. He was interested in knowing about her life - only interjecting when he felt that his opinion was needed.

When the bottle of wine was finished, Natalia switched to drinking water. Her flight out of Malaysia was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and she would rather still have control of her senses.

“I can’t believe you’re single though.” The words easily slipped out of her mouth before she could have stopped her harbouring thought. The topic of conversation had been on his previous marriage as it had been a diversion of attention from the status of Natalia’s love life. One could argue why her question was inappropriate to ask but curiosity had gripped her. When the divorce was announced at the tail end of 2021, people had been curious to know the reason. Nobody had thought that the power couple of motorsports would ever part ways.

Toto sighed. “As much as we tried to not let our marriage get in the way of her career, the stigma that she would always just be my wife and that everything she would accomplish would be attributed to our matrimony ultimately became too much to bear. Of course there were other issues that contributed to the divorce but that was a big one. At the end of the day it was the best decision for the both of us. She needed to grow and being with me was a hindrance to that. No matter how much I loved her, her growth as a leader and as a person was far more important to me.”

“Wow.” Nat whispered as she let his words sink in. He spoke with great candour and genuine care. She could still feel the love that Toto had for Susie but there was romantic fondness in his words. Just respect and adoration for his ex-wife.

Toto nervously chuckled as he scratched the top of his left eyebrow. “Yeah, I didn’t think I’d be talking about my ex with you.”

“No, no. That was deeply profound. It’s a shame things came to such an ending but I think the choice that the both of you came to was a good one. If that is any type of comfort.”

“It is.” Toto softly smiled as he played with the stem of his wine glass. “It’s taken some time to get used to that but I’m getting there.”

”That’s good.”

That particular conversation ended there. Things were getting too deep and personal for either of their liking.

“No more talk about past relationships.” Toto said as he reached for the wine selection menu. However, Nat reached forward and placed her hand on his wrist to stop him.

“No more drinking for me. I need to head up to bed. My flight is tomorrow.”

“You’re leaving so soon?”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “I need to get to London by Friday. INEOS moved their meeting up to then instead of the agreed Wednesday the following week.”

“That could be because Jim is coming to London around that time.”

“I don’t care. It doesn’t change the fact that multiple people, me included, are now having to re-arrange our schedules because Radcliffe is an impatient old man.” Natalia complained as she rolled her eyes. A move that made Toto laugh as he placed the menu down.

“How about I walk you up to your room then?” He volunteered.

Her back straightened up and she lightly cleared her throat. “Yes. Please.”

Ever the gentleman, Toto put the bill of the meal on his room tab instead of Natalia having to share the cost. All the way to her suite, Toto had kept her smiling and giggling and it made her sick just how down her guard was. She couldn’t even blame it on alcohol.

All night, the crush she had for the man beside her had been festering and now it was at a fever’s pitch. Being in his presence for such a long time, alone, had her mind thinking of things that she shouldn’t.

They stood outside of her suite’s door, key card in hand with her back to the frame. At her full height, her forehead was still barely touching his chin. Toto was looking down at her with a soft glimmer of something in his eyes that she couldn’t deny.

”Would you like to come in? I have a full bar if you want to continue drinking. If not, I have something else in mind to offer.” Nat chewed on her bottom lip as she left the suggestion lingering in between them.

”If I didn’t know any better, I would say that you were trying to seduce me with that offer.” Toto expected her to claim that she was just joking and to walk away from the suggestion. Proclaim that she had just been joking and that the rising sexual tension in between them up to this point had been a figment of his imagination.

Instead, Natalia stood on her tip toes and tipped her head upwards until her lips were close to his. Just a breath’s reach.

She held his gaze. “What if I am?”

The energy had immediately shifted. Toto did not give her a verbal agreement as the door closed behind the both of them. He turned her around so that her back was touching his chest. Natalia’s moan vibrated in her throat as he moved her hair out of the way of her right shoulder. A sigh left her as his mouth touched her skin. His hands pulled her tucked in jersey out of her skirt until he was able to lay his hands onto her bare skin beneath the knitted fabric.

His hand clutching onto her top, he instructed Natalia to strip out of her skirt. And in quick succession, her clothes were on the floor.

“Fuck.” Toto said as he swallowed his thirst. If it wasn’t for the fact that her panties had been already soaked, the way his eyes roved hungrily over her body would have had her gushing more than she already was.

Natalia enjoyed his reaction to her. His lust was palpable as she unhooked her bra from her chest and let it join her clothes on the floor. She then hooked her thumbs into the sides of her thongs but before Nat could do anything else, Toto grabbed a hold of her wrists.

“No. Get on the bed.”

As her knees touched the duvet, Toto stood behind her as he dragged his fingers down the length of her spine before both of his hands dug into her ass cheeks, parting them softly. The cool air touched her nether lips which caused her to lightly gasp.

“Oh!” Natalia whimpered as he roughly handled her body. She was now on her back with a shirtless Toto hovering above her. He kissed her with all his might, with all of his pent up desire translating into the way that his lips modded over her. She opened her mouth to the intrusion of his sweet tongue laced with the wine of dinner into her mouth. Natalia dug her nails into his back as the kiss deepened. She wrapped her leg around his waist as she tried to anchor herself as his hardening erection pressed against her lower stomach.

Toto’s hands moved away from her hips until he was cupping the back of her neck, pulling her close until her teeth were sinking into his bottom lip and she was pulling it into her mouth. Natalia gasped into Toto’s mouth as he pressed his lips harder into hers before sucking on her tongue.

She couldn’t stay still as he continued to kiss her like this. Her hips rotated forward, trying to to create some type of friction to ease the ache residing deep in the pit of her stomach.

“Let me taste you.” Toto mumbled against her lips. His voice was as heavy with arousal as his cock that was pressing into her. Not waiting for her answer, she struggled to catch her breath as he pulled her panties down the length of her shapely legs. When the fabric was over his shoulder, her legs instinctively parted and Toto was rewarded by the sight of her drenched cunt.

“I knew you’d be soaked. You kept squirming in your seat at dinner.” His words shocked her a little but she wasn’t rattled at his observation. Toto ran his finger along her slit and without breaking their intenseful gaze, he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked his finger clean

”So sweet. Just as I thought you would be.” With her left knee hooked into his arm, he buried his face in between her thighs as he gave her lazy strokes of his tongue against her clit. Natalia gasped as her back arched off the bed as he continued giving her languid strokes of his tongue, which was moving up and down the length of her slit. Toto was eating her pussy with so much intention, it sent shocks of pleasure up her spine.

His movements were meticulously calculated, every time that he did something that garnered a reaction out of her, Toto played on that until Natalia was gasping for air. He licked, pulled and sucked on her pussy until she was clawing at the sheets beneath her trembling body.

”Oh shit!” She gasped as he covered her now sensitive nub with his tongue and softly pushed to fingers inside of her, sliding them in and out of her, increasing the speed and pressure of his movements until he felt Nat’s thighs begin to quake on each side of his head.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit!” Natalia cursed as she felt a familiar pressure mount in her lower abdomen. She tried to jerk away from him but Toto kneaded his free hand into her thigh, trapping her in place as he became more insistent to drink from her. He flicked his fingers against her spot, his tongue danced on her clit.

Then she exploded into his mouth.

Her legs trapped his body in between her thighs as her body twitched with each wave passing through her. Natalia’s head was still in the clouds as she finally relaxed to set him free. His hands trailed back up the length of her body and kneaded her breasts as his kisses followed up until his lips were against hers once more.

His lust clouded his eyes, Drinking from her, bringing her to climax, made him more ravenous. He wanted to devour her. The intention to do so very much made clear as he haphazardly threw his trousers and boxer briefs off. He held her hips as she tried to calm himself enough to let her reach for the strip of condoms that were on the bedside table.

He couldn’t put it on quickly enough as Natalia placed kisses on his chin and her hands on his back.

Toto sucked his bottom lip into his mouth as he raised Nat’s leg to his shoulder before he finally made his move and sank into her pussy. Just as the tip breached her entrance, they both lost their breath due to the feeling of being connected.

“Baby.” She exhales as he completes the stroke by thrusting all the way forward and holding himself there.

“I know schatz. I know.” He groaned into her ear.

After fantasising about this very moment, for months on end, Toto concluded that nothing was better than the real thing. Yet somehow his mind couldn't comprehend what was happening. All that he could think about was how soft she was.

She was so soft. So sweet. So warm. So tight, warm and deliciously wet.

She fit him like a glove and he could feel as much as he could through the protective sleeve. Toto moved slightly which caused Nat to let out a cry.

“Please move. Please.” She whimpered into his ear.

He soon found a rhythm of slow , methodic strokes as he folded her body into itself. Her silk press began to revert back to its natural curls, the longer he worked her body into a sweat. Natalia’s lips parted with a sigh as he placed her other leg onto his shoulder and hooked his arms beneath hers and held onto her shoulders.

”Oh my god!” Natalia struggled for breath as his body slammed against the back of her thighs. The sexy sounds of their pleasure reverberated through the room.

”That’s it isn’t it schatz? That’s the spot.” He taunted her as he hammered his tip against your walls. He grinned as he saw the internal struggle to conjure up a response. He didn’t tease her too much though.

Toto himself was failing to contain his restraint from just how tightly Natalia was clutching onto him with each stroke. It was making him lightheaded as she threatened to drown him with just how soaked she was. He felt himself slipping into mindless pleasure as his thrusts became harder and more frantic.

It was only when he felt Nat’s leg beginning to tremble against his shoulders and his stomach began to tighten did Toto slow down. Natalia whined as she shifted her hips up to tempt him.

However, he didn’t fall for it.

Instead, he let her legs fall away from his shoulders but he still made sure that they were wrapped around his waist. His forearms dropped on either side of her head as his chest pressed into hers. Natalia’s hardened nipples tickled his skin as he rolled his hips as deep as she possibly could take him. He coupled his slow, deep thrusts with a circular motion, making sure that he touched every part of her that he could.

He hummed softly as he drew little cries from Natalia. He swallowed her moans and every sound that he could. They were only his - just for the night. For however long she would allow.

Natalia could feel resolve disappear from his frantic kisses and touches. The slapping of his thighs against her skin echoed in the room. The contact pinched at their skin in a bittersweet manner, the harsher the pounding became. But Nat took it all in stride.

His hand around her neck was the last straw.

She exploded around him without warning.

“That’s it baby.” He kissed the underside of her ear.

“Cum all over this dick.”Her teeth sunk into the skin of his shoulder as she let the orgasm ride her body. The repeated contraction of her walls pulled Toto down even further.

“Fuck!” He hissed in Nat’s ear as her cunt tightly squeezed his dick until he filled the condom with his seed.

They stayed in the same position for a moment before he pulled out of her. Nat sighed as she watched him dispose of the condom and pull his underwear back up his legs. His eyes followed him as he entered the bathroom and then came out with a wet cloth.

After grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge, he came back to the bed and cleaned her up in silence. Natalia sighed with a smile on her face, loving the way his hands were handling her so delicately as if he wasn’t roughly gripping her flesh as he fucked into her minutes ago.

”Drink your water.” He mumbled before placing a kiss onto her thigh. Natalia giggled as she reached for the water bottle.

“Yes sir.” She teased as she took a gulp of the refreshing liquid.

“What time is your flight tomorrow?” He asked as he began to place kisses on her torso before stopping to take a nipple into his mouth. Natalia gasped as her eyes flattered close to enjoy the feel of his warm mouth sucking on her nipple like she had been sucking on her clit earlier on in the night.

“3pm why?” Nat said, only able to answer when he moved his attention to her other nipple.

”I want to take you again … and again …” He spoke as he began to tower over her body. “And again. Until you’re so spent that I’m all you think about for days to come.”

His lips touched hers again as his body pushed her back into the disheveled sheets …

PRESENT DAY

”I want to take you again … and again … and again. Until you’re so spent that I’m all you think about for days to come.”

Those words were now haunting her as she sat at her desk. Of all the things Toto Wolff had ever said and done to her, these particular words haunted her the most.

Because of just how devastatingly true they were. No man after that had come close to how he had made her feel that night. A couple had come close but it was never the same.

It could never be the same.

When she left Malaysia the following afternoon, it had not occurred to her that it would be the last time that she would see Toto. Both of their respective careers kept them busy. The previous season of Formula One had overwhelmed him. The last year had not been kind to the team. The sport had not been kind to the team and it was beginning to show in the numbers.

All of that had led to this moment. Natalia was in her office with the reports of the team’s previous financial year and the CEO asking her for an incredible favour.

“It’ll only be for a couple of months.” He said.

“Six months is hardly a couple, Chris.” Chris Stevenson chuckled at the statement.

“You’re right but I need someone I can trust to go over there and oversee things.”

“And why couldn’t Tomlinson do it?” Oliver Tomlinson was the current Chief Operating Officer of the company and from the last she heard, Oliver and Toto were friends.

“You’re better with numbers. Two, you did Physics so I’m sure you understand the technical jargon better.”

Natalia frowned at the reasonsing. “I did Physics when I was like eighteen.”

“Doesn’t matter. Plus Wolff only agreed to do this if it was you.”

”Why?”

“I don’t know. A deep respect for you I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“You guess?!” She sassed back and placed her hands on her waist.

”You know what I mean! Look, why are you opposing this? Do I need to know something?”

”No!” Natalia knew that she had said that a little too quickly for her liking. “I’m not opposing it for what you think. You’re basically asking me to audit the team just because they had a couple of bad years.”

“Two bad years with no titles, two bad cars, a shift in leadership and a few lost sponsors. All of that translates to a bad investment. And a bad investment means no money and no money means-.’

”Okay! I got the message.” She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in surrender.

“Wolff is not happy about this and quite frankly I don’t care. We need to get to the bottom of this before the season begins.”

Natalia was going to be Toto’s boss for six months. She could barely think of him without remembering the way he had ravished her that night. Now she had to work with him everyday for the next half year.

Fuck me. She thought to herself

[hyacinthstears]

wow look a tmnt crossover fic... but ✨angst and world building✨ I finished writing the first Act? arc? section?? idk but their are 10 chapters.

I also comes with art and stuff! hears a peak

[my-soul-sings]

the way he loves her

Fandom: Tears of Themis Characters: Artem x Reader

A/N: No summary, this is just a short drabble inspired by Artem’s anniversary card :”) 

SPOILERS AHEAD for Artem’s 1st year anniversary card story! 

***

Loving her has never felt easier. 

With his lips on hers, her arms around his neck and his hands resting on the small of her back to pull her close to him, Artem wonders why he ever had to read a book about love in the first place. It feels so natural to hold her close to him now, almost as easy as it is to breathe. 

He hadn’t expected her to respond to his confession so boldly, but perhaps he should have remembered that she has only ever surprised him with her boldness and courage. That was one of things that made him fall for her in the first place.

He doesn’t let her go, holding on tightly to her even when he hears a blur of voices in the background—probably of curious onlookers and children who are fascinated by the water fountain. In the back of his mind, he’s aware of the faint murmuring around them, and of the tiny splashes of cool water on his heated skin. 

The past him would have been conscious of everything going on around him, but right now, it’s all but a faint hum in the background. In this infinitely precious moment, all he can focus on is her and the complete absence of space between them. 

Everything feels like a dream. He has thought about this moment too many times to count, imagining all the ways his confession could go awry, or the different ways she could possibly react. 

But this... it’s way better than anything he could have imagined. 

They break apart for air, and he looks into her half-lidded eyes as they slowly trail up his face to meet his gaze. Simultaneously, their lips curve into shy smiles mirroring each other’s, before she buries her head against his shoulder and he envelopes her in his arms. 

“Let’s stay like this a little longer,” he whispers, and he feels her nod. 

As the fountain slowly waters down, Artem finds himself wondering what will come next from here. The book that he read was all about how to confess, and he hasn’t yet read a book on how to be a good boyfriend. 

Still, he’s not worried. Perhaps he would have been in the past, but he’s more confident now. 

After all, for all his flaws, imperfections and clumsy attempts at showing his affections for her, she accepts and loves him the way he is, and for the way he loves her. 

And that’s all he could ever ask for. 

[acewithapaintbrush]

Splinter remembers the day like it was yesterday. Despite his best efforts to drown out the memories with cheap booze, unhealthy snacks and mindless TV-shows 24/7, he remembers every single detail of the moment Lou Jitsu ceased to exist and became… this. 

The noise of a machine powering up. The light of electricity coursing through his body. The feeling of an otherworldly substance on his skin and the pain of every molecule rearranging itself in his body. 

The memories are fresh, like a wound that refuses to heal. He has learned over the years to accept his new existence and he has even realized that, in a twisted way, he can even be grateful for everything that's happened. Without the noise and the light and the pain he also wouldn't have his pride and joy, his beloved sons. 

Splinter knows all that and he does his best to remind himself of it all, but sometimes the memories will still be too much. Too overpowering. Sometimes he will sit in his chair and stare at the TV without really seeing it and just drift in an endless sea of regret and bitterness so strong he can taste it on his tongue. 

But the fact that he does remember that day so well has actually also been his salvation more than once. Because when the noise and the light and the pain get to be too much, he also remembers what came after. 

Four little turtles, now strangely humanoid, rolling around on the floor. And some weird instinct (Survival? Parental?) urging him forward to scoop them up into his hands. 

And he remembers them tumbling around in his palms. And he remembers the red-eared slider looking at him and immediately holding his tiny arms out with the biggest smile. 

Leonardo. 

Leonardo reaching out to him. Already trusting, already more happy to see Yoshi than any of his prior acquaintances had ever been. 

Leonardo had reached for him first and it's that image that pulls Splinter back from the edge most nights. If Splinter had any recollection of Leo claiming that he was his "least favorite", he might have laughed. Or cried. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

And now he is kneeling here, on this cold concrete, and stares at a sky awash in unnatural colors. A portal has just closed and his son is on the wrong side of it. Has sacrificed himself to save them all. 

And Splinter reaches up. Ignores the noise and the light and the pain, and reaches his arms into the sky, hoping against hope that his son will reach back. That those arms will reach for him once more. That he can pull him out, just like his son has pulled him out of the deepest pits of despair over the years. 

But the portal is closed.

He can't reach him.

********

An hour later, April, Casey and him finally find his sons, and for a moment Splinter is convinced that his mind is finally broken beyond repair. Because right there, in the middle of a group hug, is Leonardo. Bruised and bloody and tired. 

But alive. And here. 

He stops in his tracks while April and Casey run forward, questions falling from their lips almost as rapid as the tears are falling from their eyes. 

Splinter doesn't hear a word of mystic powers and portals and last minute rescues. He can only stare at the child he had thought to have lost forever. 

Said child looks up and for a second something vulnerable flashes through his eyes as they find his frozen father. But then it's gone and he grins. "Hey Pops!" 

And he holds out one arm, the other still trapped by a silently weeping Casey. His hand shakes a little and the grabby motions of his fingers look more desperate than they are probably meant to be. 

But they are familiar and they are something Splinter was convinced he would never see again. 

He finally moves, rushes forward on shaking legs to the hand that is once again reaching out to him. He grabs it and bends down, his forehead pressed against their joined hands. 

"I got you.", he whispers, over and over. "I got you. I got you." 

His son has once again reached out first. 

And Splinter is never letting go again. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It always struck me as significant how the others are just tumbling around but Leo immediately makes eye contact and holds out his hands as if to say "Ohhh new Papa, hello there!"

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Hello! Sorry to bother you, but the pictures in "Hide and Seek" on AO3 seem to have broken, and I can't find them on your tumblr. Would you please fix it, if you can? Thank you either way!

So I just checked and you're right, for some reason the illustrations aren't showing up (tho I could see the cover art at the beginning)

This is weird, and I'll try to see what I can do about it...

In the meantime, here's the illustrations thus far!

[tervaneula]

A Twin Thing by minumi

Chapter 2: Six Years Old

"I felt gross here,” Leo rubs a hand over his chest, “And when I looked up, ya weren't around anymore. I didn't want ya feeling bad by yourself... so I came to find ya. I followed my twin senses!"

—

OMG Y'ALL I LOVE @minumi-chan SO MUCH and my first Tumblr commission was for her!! And it's an illustration for her disaster twins fic!!!!!! I'M SO HAPPY...... 😭💕💕💕 Please read Minu's works, the writing's amazing! 💜💜💜

[p4ndawrites]

Love never felt easier

Tags: Female Reader, love interest insert, no mention of Y/N

Hey Guys! So this is just me getting back into writing so sorry if it's a bit rusty. Eitherway I hope you enjoy!

_________________________________________

She loved him. Didn't she?

The constant thrum of her heartbeat that spiked when he was around had proven that. Though she played it off easily considering how playful she was around others, but surely…

Surely, this was different.

Perhaps it started with the small things, like noticing the way he would tap his pencil on the desk to fill the silence, the constant 'ticking' serving as a way for others to know that he was bored. Or how he wasn't afraid to be himself even if others thought negatively about him. The happy, over-the-top personality that somehow made it so much easier to hide the growing feelings she felt under a veil of irritation yet also made it difficult to hide the smile that almost always appeared when he was around.

When had it even started? Was it after she threatened to hit him with her bag? Or was it when she asked him over for their weekly movie night?

Maybe it had started when he had stayed over the night last month and woke to her silent sobs that she thought she could get out without waking him. When he wrapped his arms around her, teasing her in hopes her anger would overtake her sadness (no one said he was good at comforting others, but the thought counts) because he'd rather see her yelling than crying. How she had woken up that morning to his blanket being thrown over her own, him lying asleep on the other couch that somehow had been pulled closer to her own.

Or maybe, just maybe it had been because he never spoke of it again. He would tease and nag, but he'd never ask her why she was crying because he knew that she would have told him if she were comfortable with it.

Either way, the point is that she fell for him, hadn't she? Every action, every smile, every word, she had softened quite a bit recently towards him. No longer would she snap at him as much as she did before, seeming to go for more of a teasing approach just to see his smile widen as he took on the challenge.

Now that she thinks about it, she probably had been in love with him for a while and only realized it now when it was too much to ignore. People seem to think that it's easy for one to notice when their feelings change for someone, but how do you know when everything feels the same?

Same words, different font.

The point is, she's pretty sure that she fell for him. Now what should she do? No one gave detailed instructions on how to deal with the emotion, and now she was completely in the dark.

But all in all, no matter how irritating he may be and how many times she wished he had an off switch, she's glad she fell for him.

Because even though she's in the dark about what to do now, he'll be the light to pull her out of it.

He always is.

_________________________________________

copyright © p4ndawrites

Do not steal work or repost as your own