#yes your presentation looks beautiful and really cool

[kirk-goes-to-gallifrey]

so fucking tired of watching professional academic presentations with incredible pictures and zero credit as to who took them

[on-leatheredwings]

False Pretenses (18+)

Yandere ! Damian Wayne x (Fem) Reader

romantic, 18+ > summary: Damian needs an heir someday, and he knows your body can provide that. > tw/cw: stealthing/baby trapping. there is consensual sex under false pretenses, so this could (and should) make this fall under dub- or non-con! there is also a brief mention of somnophilia. Plus, some breeding kink, praise kink. Also some weird thoughts about (cis) women who are fertile being ‘ideal’ and a preference for biological children. Just a warning. > word count: 5088. jesus christ. > [a/n: (smokes a blunt). ] > again 18+ only, damian wayne is 21

So, Damian has a breeding kink.  

You sit in bed (his bed), knees to your chest, trying not to smile.

The covers are wrapped around your bare body as you recall the night prior’s events. 

Last night was the farthest you two have gone physically. You’ve made out, of course. That was in short order after officially becoming a couple, the both of you starved for the other. You’ve groped each other, both over and under your clothes… You’ve given him a handjob… (To his utter dismay that you’ve brought him to orgasm first rather than the reverse.) And last week, you took him in your mouth for the first time. But yesterday night was the first time you had been on the receiving end. 

Now, you are no virgin, but the memory does make you clutch your metaphorical pearls. You didn’t know simple fingering could be so… perverse.

Damian’s two middle fingers are thrusting back and forth into your trembling cunt. Your ears are steaming at the resulting noises filling the air. They’re lewd, and entirely involuntary on your part. Sweat on your temple drips, your torso heaves with shaken breath. Your damp back lies flush against his hard chest, two perfect puzzle pieces. Damien’s chin rests on your shoulder, allowing him to have a beautiful view of the mess you’re making on his slender digits. Viridian eyes have their entire focus on you, utterly fascinated. 

The look in them is enough to make you blush, even if two of his fingers weren’t in you right now.

Sinful, reverent whispers into the shell of your ear marvel about how well you’re doing, how prepared you’ll be to take him afterwards. Damian’s free hand rests on your abdomen, pointedly over your womb.

He’ll fill you. Breed you. After all, you can handle that. You were basically made for it. He knows you’d be perfect at it.

Chin resting on the palm of your hand, you come back to the present. 

Yeah, that was really turning him on, you mull, with almost academic interest. Your lips curl into a catlike grin. How curious!

Hey, you aren’t judging! You can see the appeal. After all, you hadn’t exactly been complaining last night… just caught off guard. 

You sit with your thoughts as Damian washes up in his restroom. 

It is in his bedroom you currently lounge, absentmindedly fiddling with satin sheets. His bed is large enough to drown in. His room is a wash of dark emerald greens and deep blues, with golden accents. On a table sits a sheathed sword, its grip a beautiful gold.

Both of you are college students finishing up your last semester. During the school season, Damian stays in his penthouse. Yes, his penthouse. Why he couldn’t just stay at his billionaire father’s mansion, you don’t know. Bird has to leave the nest sometime, you suppose. 

Slowly lowering your knees and letting your back hit cool sheets, you lie down. You get lost in the ceiling – a beautiful Arabesque pattern is subtly molded across its expanse. Damian’s culture is so cool. Such was a sentiment you had communicated in such words, and he simply kissed your knuckles with a proud curve of his lips, and thanked you for the compliment. You blush.

Ugh. Damian is so cool. 

You start pulling up every uncool thing about him in your mental reservoir. You can’t have him getting a big head, after all. Or rather, can’t have his head getting any bigger.

Hmm… breeding kinkster, breeding kinkster, thy name is Damian Wayne.

You blink dumbly.

Breeding... breeding…

Pregnancy.

Your body stiffens. 

Wait. Does this… does that mean something? Is that like. A thing? What people call foreshadowing? You sit up, disturbed.

At that exact moment, Damian saunters out of the washroom. His eyes catch yours immediately, as if drawn by magnetism. He is still shirtless, navy blue sweatpants looking entirely artful on his tall, bronze body. His usual shrewd expression relaxes at the sight of you.

At the sight of him, your heart skips a beat, and not out of admiration for his looks. It was like you had been caught red-handed, speculating things. Sometimes you swear he knows what you’re thinking.

He stalks toward you, eyes loving. He places a kiss on your lips, punctuating it with “Good morning, my love.” 

“G-good morning,” you return, painfully aware of your nakedness under his sheets. He doesn’t seem to mind, though. He places kisses on your bare shoulder, trailing down until he’s kissing your hand. While normally you’d be melting, you remain stiff.

Damian pecks one last kiss when you blurt, “Do you want kids?”

You inwardly smack your forehead. Well, you weren’t one to shy away from a tough conversation. For better or worse.

Damian stirs, blinking at you.

You continue, trying not to wilt, “Do… Do you want kids? I-is that something you want? Like, someday?”

How the hell did this not come up sooner, you don’t know.

… Well. 

Perhaps it hadn’t come up because your relationship was fairly new. You’ve known Damian for five years now. And for the last two, your relationship had been under a taxing, soul-sucking ‘will-they-won’t-they-it’s-complicated’ vague denomination for quite a while. Both of you knew each of you had feelings for the other. But Damian confessing his vigilante secret and his assassin past was quite the double whammy. 

Damian was resolute in keeping you and himself safe and alive, but you had to think critically about a future with him. Eventually you said fuck it, throwing caution to the wind because you loved him, and you wanted him. And he, you.

Officially, it’s only been three months of dating – and you both are young. You both are in your last year of college. Talking about kids felt … fast.

Damian remains silent, face tentative. Having been leaning over you, he now sits on his bed, looking thoughtful. 

“... Is that something you want?”

You sigh. Of course he’d turn it on you.

“I…” Your throat feels tight. God, why can’t we just enjoy a damn honeymoon phase… “I mean…? I’m… open to it. But yeah, it seems kinda… Like. I don’t know. That’s a lot right now.” Your voice is uncharacteristically small and meek. 

You should stop there. Keep it vague. Keep things light. But you know which side of the fence you’re leaning on, and so should he.

“A-and you know– like, you know I didn’t have a good relationship with my mother– I just. Don’t know. If ever. I guess?” 

You sit in awkward silence with him. You pray God just decides to smite you where you sit, because Christ. That was horrible.

Things like this could break a relationship, you know. And your chest clenches painfully at the thought of separating from Damian.

Damian takes in your words, nodding. He’s usually so easy to read – you’re well-versed in Wayne-nese by now, having spent a lot of time with him and the rest of his family. But he seems to be withholding his inner thoughts intentionally from you. Your heart sinks. 

You nudge him with your feet.

“Damiii. Do you?”

Damian’s eyes glimmer with characteristic haughtiness, instantly making you warm. He crawls forward, hands sinking into the bed by your hips. He nips at your nose before locking lips. It’s a sweet, sweet kiss that’s like candy, until you feel the stroke of his hot tongue. You moan freely, not caring that he’ll likely tease you later for being so easy.

He retreats, licks his lips. 

“You fiend,” you blurt. The insult rolls off him.

“What I want is to be with you.” You swallow dryly, heart thumping like a chorus line. You wouldn’t be surprised if Damian could see literal hearts in your eyes. 

He puts a hand on your knee, stroking softly. You feel mollified at the action. Damian only did that when everything was alright. 

“We’ve got class. If you get dressed fast enough, I’ll buy you that confectionary you’re always wanting.”

You stick out your tongue. “It’s a frappe,” you say, adding before he could say otherwise, “and yes, it is real coffee.”

Back from class, you decided to read on his living room recliner while he drew in his study. Damian indeed sketched, as he did everyday. Unsurprisingly, you were the subject, along with your favorite flowers. But Damian chose his study, rather than drawing you from life, because he also wanted to check if today was the day he thought it was. He opens the drawer of his wooden desk, papers neatly filed. He picks up a sleek black folder that spends most of its time laid in hiding underneath.

… 

So, for the record, Damian did not lie. 

He merely obfuscated an answer with a truth. 

He does want to be with you above anything, and if children were out of the question due to natural causes… sure, he would learn to get over it. His brothers are all adopted and are as legitimate heirs to his father as he. But as it stands, Damian needs an heir someday and he knows your body can provide that. 

… A not-insignificant part of him quietly admits that he simply wants his children to be blood-related. He’d never express this to anyone. His brothers are adopted, so how could he? But instilled from infancy into Damian was that he was the result of two genetically perfect individuals. 

So why shouldn’t his child be the genetic amalgamation of you and him, both of whom are also two perfect beings? The thought of impregnating you sounds… good. Ideal. Natural, even. Call him a romantic.

When opened, inside the folder is a calendar for the year, with no notes or writing. Some days are blank. Some are highlighted in either red or green.

His eyes skirt down to the current day of the calendar, and Damian's pleased to see it is indeed among a week that's painted in green. You've ovulated, and the six days afterward are an ideal window. 

You've said in passing that your cycle is pleasantly regular and Damian's past investigations have proved this to be true. Not that he asks anymore. He snorts, remembering how last time you looked at him incredulously and asked if he was a Republican, since he was “all up in your womb.” 

However, you do keep menstrual products in your bag when he’s predicted it. You also spend quite some time at his place, so he does note when there’s pad wrappers in his bathroom trash bin.

Last year, the day he knew you were the one – his One – he brewed you a tea before bed. Its sedative contents ensured you wouldn't wake, and you were out like a light within minutes. So, Damian pulled off your pants, and collected a specimen from you as you slept. Of course, he did so with sterile, sexless precision –  Damian wasn’t a pervert or deviant. He sniffs. He’s better than that. Even if his hands did linger.

Test results proved you were healthy and fertile. He recalls this with pride. As expected, you were perfect in all things. Damian closes the folder and ruminates in his seat. 

Damian had assumed so, but now you’ve confirmed with him that you’re unsure about raising children based on your history with your own family. He hears you. As if he doesn’t have his own slew of mommy problems. If you bring it up again, he’ll wave you off. You’ll be an amazing mother. You just need a push, and you’ll be confident soon enough.

His fingers steeple. Hm… There’s the issue of having children before marriage… He doesn’t know how you feel about children outside of wedlock, but it’s not as though you’re very traditional. You don’t seem to have a problem with the fact that’s how he was conceived. It’s not a big concern regardless, because Damian is going to marry you anyway. If it’s an issue, you both could marry in as soon as a month. 

It all works out. 

It’s perfect, he thinks.

Damian puts up his sketchbook and folder alike, heading to his bedroom to change. It was about time he put his plans into action, and he knows just how to usher it into fruition.

“That doesn’t look like a very satisfying read,” Damian says, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. 

You don’t look up from your book, your cringing face only deepening. 

“Well, that’s because it isn’t. I was lied to! By my favorite Youtuber! By BookTok! And fuck it, by the government–”

"My love."

“You ask for one slow burn rivals-to-lovers and instead you get him fawning over her within three chapters–”

“My love,” he repeats, though amused.

“And let’s not even start about how this prose is abysmal–”

“My love.”

Since it was said oh-so-sweetly, you look up from your book. 

Damian is... oh. He's in that outfit he knows you like. The League of Assassins one that's sleeveless, dark, and form fitting with gorgeous gold trim. It turns his body into a marvelous painting of black and gold on the tanned backdrop that is his skin. And you’ve told him so… Except his eyes. His beautiful, intense green eyes. He straightens from how he leans against the wall, stepping closer.

You toss your book, not even watching its trajectory. It takes out a vase on the way down and you still don’t spare it a glance.

"Damian Wayyyyyne," you sing, hopping up to stalk toward your prey. Your hands land on his chest. Hello, tig ol' biddies, you cheer internally. It takes considerable restraint to keep from saying it aloud – you know Damian gets all flustered with his delicate sensibilities. “Why, are you trying to seduce me?”

An elegant, thick brow rises in amusement. Well, that was exceedingly easier than expected.

“That depends entirely on whether it’s working.”

“Oh, it’s working,” you say, running your hands down to his abdomen. His hands rise to capture yours. 

“Tt.” 

Damian takes steps backward, leading you by the hands into his bedroom. Your leer grows even bigger. Oh, yes. You two lock eyes the whole while until you reach the foot of his bed, merriment and attraction dancing in both pairs.

You push him onto the bed, on all fours above him. You dive down for a deep kiss, tongue eager for a dance. Eventually it’s you who separates to breathe, panting lightly. The sight below you is one for sore eyes, Damian Wayne lying with eyes glazed with lust. He’s acting awfully agreeable, and you can’t say you don’t like it.

“Habibti, I want you.” Damian slides his hand to cup your crotch. You shiver, at his touch and his words.

“And you have me,” you say, voice warm. “Habibti.”

He smirks, probably thinking your accent could use some work. 

“It’s Habibi, coming from you.” 

You nod shyly, but you can have a lesson later. You’re about to slip off your pants when he brings your hand in between your bodies, placing it on his crotch. You sharply inhale. He’s hard, and straining against sinful, elastic tights. 

“... And I mean, I want all of you.”

Your brows rise. So, he wanted to go all the way today? You feel your cheeks and crotch flood with heat. You find it easier to nod your head rapidly, lest you start barking. At your agreement, Damian’s face washes over with anticipation. You’re glad it’s not just you over the moon at the prospect.

You both rip your clothes off manically, laughing and elbows butting into each other’s sides. Damian expertly flips positions, boxing you in with his knees. You exclaim in surprise, a sound that drifts into shaky breaths and mewls of pleasure as he runs his fingers over your breasts, your stomach… He wets his fingers with his mouth before his digits start circling your clitoris.

You inhale sharply, mesmerized by the cyclical motion. Never until Damian has sex felt so flustering. Just watching his administrations was overwhelming, let alone the feeling– Your head reels back from an electric shock of pleasure. You gasp into the air.

"W-wait... wait, you have a condom, right…?" you whisper, though you have half a mind to just go without. You need him.

Damian tensed. 

"I... I don't like how it feels." You raise a brow. You've heard condoms can feel like a second skin, especially nowadays. Then again, men were always complaining about them. It's not like you had the necessary equipment to confirm, so hell if you knew how it felt.

You place your hands on his cheeks, and his hands ghost over your wrists. You bite your lip.

"Well… Just this once? And if... it's that important to you, maybe I'll get on birth control–" 

His head jerks as if struck, his brows furrowed.

“No.”

You stare, agape. There’s a small pause, both of you staring at the other. Damian’s face looks as though he’s betrayed himself. Your boyfriend didn’t strike you as so… traditionalist, to say the least. Lord knows you wouldn’t be with him if he was… so you will hear him out before nurturing any suspicion. 

Sitting up on your forearms, you ask, “... What do you mean ‘no’?” 

"I mean… I…” Damian sighs, looking utterly frustrated with himself. “I mean, you don’t need to.” 

You blink and raise a brow, unimpressed. 

“... Because?”

Damian’s jaw hardens. He grits out, “Because, I'm… sterile." 

You flinch, purely from surprise. Damian merely stares, eyes narrowed in what you presume is annoyance at himself. 

Uh. Okay, hello brand new information? Why hadn't this come up before? Well, it is pretty sensitive information. And since you hadn’t had penetrative sex yet, why would he have brought it up? And today was the first day you had even thought about kids. It… makes sense. 

"Y-you are...?" You settle down, much like a cat whose hair is lowering from standing on end. "Okay… okay...” Damian remains stony, but he cringes at your clear relief. 

Mistaking it as embarrassment, you quickly stroke his cheek. “No, baby, I'm sorry about that." You could assume it's quite emasculating. Men and their complexes about performing and wow, suddenly the breeding kink makes sense.

“So, you can’t…” you trail off. Knock me up? remains gracefully unsaid.

Damian nods stiffly. He really does hate lying to you like this. "I've been told it's very... unlikely." In reality, Damian knows his sperm count, and he's verified there should be no issues with reproduction. You both are in peak condition.

Despite the heat raging in your pants and your body begging can we just fuck already, you furrow your brows. All of this sounded fine, but it was still just… you needed specifics. To be safe. After all, there’s no rush, is there? Even if your pulsating cunt would beg to differ, painfully aware that two naked people were in a bed not doing naked-people-things.

"When did you get tested? And w-why? I mean, you're only twenty-one." 

He waves his hand, snorting with his typical condescension. "I'm an heir to a dynasty – as soon as I was of age, it behooved us to know." 

Us. That’s not a you-and-me “us”. You cringe, thinking about Talia and Ra's Al Ghul making it their business to know Damian's fertility. What an invasion of privacy for him… And no wonder he thought nothing of being in your body’s business as well.

"Well, unlikely is still possible, right?” You fear any surprises. Lord knows it would be just your luck to get fertilized by the un-fertilizable. You point at him. “And we should be using condoms anyway! It's not just pregnancy we should be afraid of."

Damian wants to assure you how insanely low the chances are of an infertile male getting anybody pregnant, and is about to do so, when his eyes narrow. 

"Is there a reason we would need to protect against venereal diseases? There are none between the two of us." You flinch at his tone, colored with the acidity of jealousy. Suspicion.

The implication (accusation?) causes you to glare at him. 

“...Yeahhh, okay,” you reply coldly. “Moment's ruined.” 

You push him off you, but in a panic, he hisses your name. You flinch. At your wary expression, the color drains from his face.

“I… I’m sorry,” he says, brows furrowed and looking utterly ashamed. “I… I’m sorry.” You don’t meet his eyes, simply nodding. He places kisses on your wrist, shoulder, nose. Damian sometimes had his moods, although he was truly confusing you today.

“It’s fine, really,” you reassure. And it’s true, it was mainly the heat of the moment. You were sure Damian could never really scare you.

Your words don’t persuade the shame and fear out of his eyes or lighten the heaviness of his brow. You smile, huffing. Taking his face into your heads, you kiss him chastely on the forehead, nose tip, both cheeks. Until you punctuate the action with a kiss to his lips.

“Damian, really.”

Damian nods stiffly. He’ll never truly forgive himself, but he’s probably okay enough for now.

You shift on the bed, and there’s the telltale sensitivity between your thighs. Damn it. You still want him. You two stare at each other, still very naked and aroused. You turn the idea in your head … He’s sterile, right? And pregnancy is your only reservation. 

As if hearing your thoughts, Damian’s face fills with determination. 

“... I-it’s–” okay, let’s have sex anyway, you are going to finish. 

“I’ll do it,” he interrupts. You blink. He leans toward you, close enough that you can see the flecks of gold in his eyes. You’re sure he’s about to kiss you, when he suddenly withdraws. 

Your eyes catch the glimmer of some metallic object. He holds a silver square wrapper in between his fingers, likely plucked from beneath his pillow.

You look at him, and he says frankly, “I’ll do anything for you.” 

You melt… before grinning, catlike. “My, my. So it seems Mr. I-Don’t-Like-Condoms still prepares a contingency plan. Very Son of Batman of you–”

“Shut it,” he groans, dotting kisses along your neck to make you do just that.

You feel relief flood your bloodstream. Then it is quickly replaced with raging desire. Oh, finally. 

“Lay back,” he says, too soft to be an order. You do so without fanfare, a little curious as to why he’s not following you. Then you see him scoot back, feel him hike up your lower half, and you feel a thrill of excitement. 

You squeak, feeling your ass leaving the bed entirely. A pillow is quickly placed underneath, and you are feeling quite pampered.

There’s curious licks along your labia, to which you twitch.

Damian finds his way to your clitoris, suckling and stroking heavily with his tongue.

“Hhnngh,” you speak. Keep going. Right there. 

“Truly, a poet,” Damian’s voice says, muffled. You bite your lip, unable to retort because it feels too good. Damian is curious, experimenting. You know he’s gamifying this, responding and changing his strategies entirely on what draws the most unintelligible noise out of you. He slips his tongue in, and you grasp at his hair. He responds by pumping it back and forth.

Eventually, you do fear he’ll bring you to orgasm with this alone, when you both have more plans for the evening. 

You wipe a layer of sweat from your temple, panting. “I’m ready. I’m ready,” you say, tugging meekly at short black locks.

Damian hums, and the vibration hits you straight in the clit. He sits up on his forearms, lips delightfully messy. His cheeks are ruddy and his brows are pinched with effort, chest heaving for breath. He looks very good like this. 

“I’m ready,” you say again. Damian doesn’t need to be told twice. Your head hits the back of the pillow, and you close your eyes as you catch your breath. You hear the rustling and discarding of a condom wrapper. Damian positions himself accordingly, hands sunk into the bed on either side of your waist.

“Ready?” he asks. His eyes hold… shyness, if you can believe it. You stroke his cheek, grinning. 

“Always ready for you,” you respond. You make sure to sit up. You want to see.

You watch, fascinated, as the head of Damian’s cock slowly disappears into your body. The consonance between seeing it and feeling it only stokes the fire of your arousal. 

You moan openly, the sound making your ears heat. Damian dares to chuckle, and you claw his back in retaliation. 

“Oh, shut up, and go deeper,” you breathe, eyes fluttering with pleasure. You didn’t realize how much you missed this. The feeling of being filled, of being full. You didn’t realize you could miss something you never had as well – Damian felt like he belonged in you. You feel every inch of you work to accommodate his sudden presence.

“And how can I deny such a request?” he gasps aloud, voice strained. 

You feel more than a little pride that you were among the few who could make Damian bend to your whims with this (or any) level of subservience. The proud, proud Damian Wayne. The same Damian that sinks into you further, into your tight, hot wetness. He finally bottoms out and you exhale.

“You’re… a perfect… fit,” you say, dazed and in between pants.

Little do you know the resulting pang that shoots into his groin at that statement. He grasps you harder, maybe even enough to bruise. He needs you badly. He needs to fill you badly.

Damian leans even more forward, and you squeal. You’re just along for the ride at this point. He does all the necessary machinations to fold you in half, thighs bending back.

"W-wait," you stutter, but it falls on deaf ears. 

He’s really stretching the limits of your flexibility here. Before you know it, you’re in a mating press. 

“Damian,” you moan, because you’re too overstimulated to say much else.

“You’re perfect,” he says into the shell of your ear. “You can take this. You were made for this.” You nod, slack-jawed. He rocks into you, skin slapping against skin as your pelvises meet. Your eyes flutter and roll back.

“I could spend forever filling you up. I could spend forever watching it spill out of you.” 

You close your eyes, cheeks aflame, much too embarrassed by his perverse whispers. You feel … almost ashamed at how much it arouses you. Almost. Majorly, it’s fulfilling a dark fantasy you didn’t know you liked.

“... Come inside me,” you breathe, unable to say anything more. You were embarrassed enough. He was using a condom, it was assumed he would be. But hopefully he’d see you were participating in his little fantasy, that you liked it too…

His thrusts are unyielding, and they only get harder, faster, more desperate as the time passes. Damian finishes with a groan, his abs clenching and flexing with effort.

You welcome it, taking it all because he’s right, you were made for this. In this moment, it’s like you were entirely made for this.

To your surprise, there’s sudden stroking on your throbbing clit, and that brings you to the finish line as well.

Your head jerks back violently, body snapping to attention as you ride the wave of an orgasm. A gasp by your ear. You’re clenching around Damian’s length, wringing him dry.

He collapses, narrowly keeping himself from squashing you flat. The two of you are a tangle of sweaty limbs, chests heaving.

“You’ve got to get out of me sometime,” you tease.

You’ve both been lying like this, too taxed to move for maybe ten minutes now. 

“Is that so? Honestly, I could die here without complaint,” Damian says, and you get the feeling he’s dead serious. Nevertheless, he rolls away. He does not let you go far, wrapping his arms around you. You shiver at the feeling of him unsheathing himself, suddenly feeling empty.

… And wet. Wetter than expected.

You keep from flushing. Damn, you were really enamored with him, it seems.

You rub your thighs together, relishing in the feeling. Until you pause.

… No, like, you’re really wet. 

You slowly sit up, investigating. To your surprise, you’re leaking… cum. And clearly not just your own. It’s smattered down your thighs, sticky. When you pause and can literally feel the cum drip out of you, you exclaim.

“Fuck… fuck.” You put a hand to your dripping cunt, and are surprised when it indeed comes back wet and pearlescent white. It’s for real. 

“What’s wrong?” you hear, but you hardly register it.

You pull at a scrap of wrinkled plastic, pulling it out. The condom is shredded. It broke. 

“Damian. It broke.”

You stare at it dumbly. It broke. You feel the onset of fear creep by… it’s held at bay, when you feel Damian hushing you, stroking your shoulders.

Damian holds you, asks why are you worrying…? He told you there’s no way. He can’t, he’s sterile. 

You dumbly nod, combating fear by reasoning with yourself. Well… you were about to have sex without it anyway, after all. What does it matter if the condom broke? 

You suppose it’s just the shock of a failsafe… well, failing to save you. So why do you feel so disconcerted? What’s this niggling feeling, you wonder. You stare at your inner thighs. His cum paints you like a mark.

“It’s nigh impossible,” Damian states. He’s doing what he does best – nullifying your emotions with facts. He pulls you back into his arms, your back against his chest. “The condom was really for your peace of mind. It’s not like it did anything.”

You don’t speak, simply staring at the condom in your hand. You nod. 

“Really, there’s no point in wearing condoms from now on anyway. They break.” 

Damian’s fingers trace circles on the bone of your shoulders. “I mean, they’re practically pointless. And either way–”

With his long reach, he grabs his phone off the nightstand. He pulls up an article, illustrating the likelihood of him successfully inseminating you. 

“See?” he says. “It’s not a factor.”

Unwilling to let whatever strange funk you’ve entered ruin the afterglow of your orgasm, you nod again. You turn your head halfway, smiling. Of course, without missing a beat, Damian kisses you sweetly. 

To hell with the condom. And to hell with getting stuck in your head. Lord knows you overthink everything. It’s as Damian says. 

His fingers dance on your abdomen, and it tickles. 

It’s impossible.

[norrisleclercf1]

Whipped

Pairing: Lando Norris x Assistant!Reader

Warnings: Smut mentioned, Lando is a secret simp, Fuckboi!Lando

Rating: PG-17

Requested: Yes/No

Being Lando's assistant, you've seen and heard many things. Girls coming and going at odd hours, girls leaving his driver's room in a mess, hell, you've even had to hide girls from the media after hookups. But you knew this when you took the job as it was the first sentence in the contract.

It has never bothered you because Lando was a playboy/fuckboi who wanted to have fun. Of course, you did more than just help him with his ways, interviews, photoshoots, media obligations for F1, and anything Lando needed you for. You did.

Lando flirted with you. Brains and beauty is what he said about you when people asked. He praised you to no end but never crossed a line with you, always keeping it professional; he cherished you too much.

"Lando! For the love of christ, put on clothes. You have the driver's interview!" You bang on his door, but that doesn't stop the porno noises in the room; you just roll your eyes.

Leaning against the wall, the door gets thrown open, almost hitting you, but you just stare at the blonde girl rushing out of the room with Lando following her.

"See you later." The blonde giggles winking at him as she rushes into the sea of people here for the race.

"Really? We just landed yesterday and couldn't wait, could you?" His head turns to your hard stare, and he has the decency to look ashamed.

"What? She's hot." Is his only argument which has you standing up straight again.

"Make yourself presentable. I don't need to get shit again from Zac about your.......look." Eyes roll over his messy hair, lipstick-stained skin, and love bites very visible.

"Damn, okay, don't lose your cool. I'll look nice." He smiles and goes back into the room and, not long after, comes out smelling clean, clearly taken a shower while you waited.

"Ready?" He asks and starts the walk to the media room having the media day with Carlos, Fernando, Pierre, and Max.

You don't say a word to him on the walk there, just stopping occasionally for him to take pictures and sign autographs for fans. Walking into the media pen, you wave at the others, but you have a slight blush when you wave at Max, who waves back, smiling too. Lando looks back and forth between you two, this little tightness in his chest with seeing the blush on your cheeks.

"Stay here. You've been trying to find me all day, so you don't have to stand the entire time." Lando mushes you to a chair in the back.

"Bu-" "Just stay here." He groans, walks up to the sofa, and sits between Max and Carlos, forgetting about that feeling in his chest.

You type away on your phone, answering emails and texts from the team and brands that want Lando to model or talk about their brand. You don't even look up when Carlo's, Lando's, and Max's voices are above your head.

"Lando's got you working hard, doesn't he?" Head snapping up, you meet Carlos's eyes with a slight blush forming, having always found him attractive.

"Not too hard. He needs a shock collar when he wonders after a girl." You joke, making Carlos laugh and causing the other two drivers to stare at the both of you

"Yes, he does. Honestly, it's impressive but also cruel to you." You nod in agreement with the Spaniard heading out into the sun and walking through the Paddock.

"It is; the girls sometimes come back expecting round 2 only to realize that he doesn't do that. One and Done." You gripe, which Carlos adds onto.

Lando tries to stay focused on his conversation with Max, but he's unable to when he hears you and Carlos laughing and quipping inside jokes back and forth. That earlier feeling returns to his chest, making him wonder why he felt this way.

"What's up with you? Why are you staring at Y/n like that?" Max asks, noticing how Lando is walking weirdly to keep an eye on the two people behind them.

"What? I'm staring at her. I'm just....I gave her a hard time earlier and ensuring she's okay." He rushes out, ripping his eyes off his assistant, trying his best to focus on Max.

"Translation; I was busy getting laid that I made Y/n run all around the Paddock trying to find me before the interview." Max snips.

The drivers hated seeing Lando give you such a hard time, especially regarding the girls. Carlos and Max hated it when you'd run to them out of breath or annoyed trying to find Lando when he runs off with some girl. Lando doesn't say anything as he stops walking, staring as Carlos and you walk past, not even paying to the fact you walked right past them.

"Honestly, if the money wasn't so damn good, I would've quite a while ago." You joke, but to Lando, it sucked the air out of his lungs hearing those words.

Max watches Lando's face, the color draining, and how his chest and throat tighten as he processes those words. He wants to tell Lando that it was a joke, you always joked about quitting, but the moment someone offered you a job or tried to tell you how horrible Lando was, you'd defend him.

Yes, he slept around. Yes, he sometimes made life unbearable, and you wanted to kill the prick, but you knew the real him. The gamer nerd, the doting uncle, the mentor for young karting kids, the guy who would drop anything to help anyone. You knew the real Lando but saw more of the Fuckboi than the man behind this persona.

Laughing and joking some more, you find yourself back in front of the Mclaren motorhome, and low and behold, a new girl was sitting in the spot Lando always told girls he met that he wanted to hook up with. Lando jogs up the steps and stops when the girl steps in front of him.

"Hi, Lando." The girl was practically shoving her chest in his face, and while you wanted to gag, you didn't blame her.

Lando was beautiful, and that boyish charm would make any girl drop. What would usually not bother you was. Why did you care if Lando paid more attention to them than you? Woah...where'd that thought come from. You didn't want that attention from him. Did you? No, you didn't because if Lando wanted you, he'd already have you. You fell for the man you knew personally, not the act he put on in front of the girls.

"Listen, umm Kelley, I'm sorry but.....I'm canceling plans. I have to do training with my assistant. Sorry." He rambles and yanks you inside, leaving your head spinning.

"Lando, you don't have plans; you can hook up with her. I'll cover for you." You smile, double-checking the calendar to make sure you got everything.

"The night before the first practice, we always watch movies." He states, looking at you hurt since you forgot.

"Lando.....we haven't done that in almost 2 years. You spend your nights hooking up with girls." You state cocking your head to the side, suspicious of his motives.

"Well, I want to do it tonight, okay. Just....I'm not always like that." You almost missed the last part since he turned his back to you and started to walk away.

"See you at 9." rushing past him and up the stairs to your mini office to get some work done. You swear you could hear Lando's smile.

When 9 hit, you knock on the door, standing outside his apartment door for the last 15 minutes trying to gather courage. You loved the Monaco race since you all could be home, but also you loved the view outside Lando's apartment that overlooked the marina and city. The door swings open after the 2nd knock. Lando wearing a black shirt and grey sweatpants, you almost blushed at the thoughts that whizzed past but quickly shook them away. It was cheating for him to wear this, but it wasn't for you; for all you knew, he could've just gotten home from a girl's place.

"Come on, I've got Fast and Furious on." Closing the door behind you, a soft giggle leaves your lips. Lando can't help his full smile come out, hearing your laughter, and follows you to his living room.

You slide your shoes off and lay comfortably on the couch, knowing Lando is probably fixing snacks as you hit play on the movie. He comes padding into the room and puts down fruits, pretzels, candy, and other things laid out, but you notice that all your favorite foods and the movie selection lined up as your favorite movies. Nothing of his was thrown into the mix.

Thinking nothing of it until Lando lifts your head and lays it in his lap, but he doesn't touch you, not even playing with your hair like he would typically do whenever you had your head in his lap.

"Okay, what the hell is going on with you?" You ask, pausing the movie as you sit up to look at him.

"What do you mean? We're just watching movies." His face scrunched up in confusion.

"No. We're watching my favorite movies only. Eating only my favorite snacks, and you aren't even trying to make a move on me! So what's going on with you?" You yell, hating this change in him all of a sudden.

"I don't want you to quit!" He yells back now you're the one making the confused face.

"What? Lando, I'm not going to quit."

"Yes, yes, you are. I heard you talking with Carlos. You said you'd quit if the money wasn't so good. I...I know I've been sleeping around a lot, but honestly, I can't...I'm just trying to forget that the person I want doesn't want me." He groans, running his hands over his face in frustration.

"Lando." You sigh, gathering your thoughts. "it's a joke. A gag between Carlos, Max, and me. I'm not going to quit. You'd have to fire me first." You laugh, touching his jittering leg, making it stop as he looks up at you.

"Also, no girl is ever worth that. You shouldn't even be dealing with your feelings like that. So, who is this girl?" You ask, wanting to know who is sending Lando into a tailspin.

"You." You both just stare at each other as you just blink at him before laughing out loud.

Lando groans and hangs his head. He knew he didn't deserve you; honestly, no one did; you were perfect. You try to gather yourself so you don't hurt Lando too much with your laughter.

"No, seriously, who is it really?" You ask, wiping away tears from laughing.

"You. It's always been you. You weren't supposed to have 3 weeks of vacation when you first started. It was supposed to be 1. I changed it. I changed the menu for your favorite foods on the road so you weren't homesick. Whenever you got sick, I left the little care baskets of your favorite things to make you feel better. You big ass raise you got last year? ME! I pay for it myself; Mclaren doesn't pay you like everyone thinks. I pay you because you're mine. I don't want you to leave because if you leave, no one, no one, could even replace you. You are what I want." He huffs out, breathing heavily.

Standing slowly, you nudge his legs open, move between them, and lean down, making Lando swallow thickly as he tries hard to control the urge to not kiss you silly.

"Want me, Lando? I'm yours?" You ask, smirking, moving your fingers through his curls.

"Then earn me. You wanted to be such a fuckboi, but you're really a simp, right? The moment we met, I wasn't yours. You were mine." Leaning down, you kiss the corner of his mouth before quietly leaving his place.

Let the Games Begin.

[yzzart]

okay okay hear me out: an interview compilation made after y/n and tom are public about their relationship that consists of all the moments they nearly slipped up/did slip up BEFORE they were public that fans didn't pick up on until it was confirmed

almost caught.

pairing: tom blyth x actress!reader.

summary: after you and Tom assumed your relationship, your fans carefully observe every detail of all of your interviews.

word count: 576!

notes: this request got me so much, anon! you guys're so creative and keep requesting!

"Who would you…" — Taking one of the small cards, which contained some questions and questions, the interviewer read it carefully. — "…rather be struck in an elevator with?" — After reading, she moved her eyes to each of you, waiting for the answer.

In a pure coincidence, or irony of fate, you and Tom tilted your heads towards each other; meeting in a look of complicity, with arched eyebrows. — Blyth could see your lips trembling in an attempt to hold a cheeky smile and almost risking laughing along.

Oh, the answer was so obvious and risky but it had to be kept secret, even at a certain point.

"We're talking a trivia quiz today." — The producer, behind the cameras, explained, duly and carefully, to you; pointing to the cell phone that Tom was holding. — And you can play together or you can compete against each other." — She clapped her hands, ending the explanation and leaving the two choices to you.

"Oh, no." — You spoke slowly, resting your hand on your knee and leaning towards Rachel, who was laughing and thinking about what could happen.

"She'll want to compete." — Tom exclaimed, pointing, indiscreetly, the cell phone that was in his hand, towards you and looking at the producer. — "I know you, my darling." — Now, he started to direct his eyes at you accompanied by a confident smile.

"Oh, shut up." — Your hand rested on his arm, slightly pushing him. — "And of course I'm going to compete." — Blyth raised an eyebrow as Rachel and Josh laughed. — "Just to watch you lose."

“Oh my god, Y/N!” — The interviewer's lively and expressive voice caught her attention, shaking the microphone a little frantically. — "Come here!" — She asked and Tom turned towards you, expecting you presence next to him.

Holding onto a part of your long and majestic dress, you directed your steps towards the meeting point where they were. — It was a simple surface, like a small stage, with only two steps to climb; it wasn't risky or complicated. — Tom tilted his hand towards you, wanting to help, and you held it; feeling the coolness, not bothersome, of your rings.

"You look so beautiful." — Tom whispered, and the camera recorded the moment he leaned into your ear, distributing a quick kiss through your hair. — "You always are, actually."

"Look who's talking." — Your brief laughs came into sync. — "Thank you, my love."

"Hi, i'm Tom Blyth!" — The camera centered on your presentation, your hand waved briefly at your along with a soft smile, slightly showing your teeth.

And also, biting your tongue to stop yourself from laughing at the joke that you and Tom had joined in on. — He was the one who suggested it.

"And i'm Y/N." — Tom nodded, shaking it just once, and quickly raised his eyebrows.

"I was going to say the same thing." — The oldest rested his arm against the back of his chair, before looking at the floor at a fictitious point and, quickly, looking at your face. — "Really."

"We have a kind of connection." — You clicked your tongue, pursing your lips, and moving one of your hands pointing at you and Tom. — “A connection indeed.”

"Like, soulmates, right?" — He leaned down, raising his index finger and pointing to his head, then to your; signaling possible telepathy and joking about it.

"Yes!" — Your laughter extended with Tom's, and the interviewer's, and you started to make the same movements, at a certain second getting in sync with him.

[landitolover]

𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, in which lando and his fiancée joke about having kids (cats), but they randomly just drop an actual pregnancy announcement! ౨ৎ lando x mexican!fiancée!reader

Liked by landonorris, carlossainz55, mclaren, oscarpiastri, and 109,122 others

yourusername que feo

tagged landonorris

View all 1,299 comments

user get this girl a kid for christmas!

→ landonorris 😉😉

→ user bitch WHAT

→ user plot twist he gives her an actual kid instead 🤷‍♀️

→ user OH NAAH..😭

user QUE PRECIOSA

user are u guys still trying for a baby

→ yourusername yes i rlly want a kitten for Christmas landonorris

→ landonorris yeah and i want a hippopotamus for christmas

→ user okkk xmas king ‼️‼️

user i love u queen 🙏🏼 and your lil white boy 🫶🏼

Liked by the creator

user jump-scare warning for the 1st pic yn

→ yourusername LMFAOO

→ landonorris babe you’re supposed to defend me

→ yourusername lo siento 😞

carlossainz55 por fin, un caption que es la verdad 😂

→ yourusername yo solo digo la verdad 😇

→ landonorris stop shit talking me guys!!!!

→ carlossainz55 pobrecito 😪

→ yourusername no, you THREW ME IN THE SNOW

landonorris SOOO HERMOSA 🤩

landonorris i don’t regret the last slide.

→ yourusername i see how it is.. calling off the marriage rn

→ landonorris BABY I WAS KIDDING I FELT REALLY BAD

→ user smh i’m already a child of divorce 😞

lilymhe 😍😍 become a runaway bride for me

→ yourusername ofc baby

Liked by landonorris, oscarpiastri, carlossainz55, and 220,029 others

yourusername when he hangs out with the opposition… he’s cute though, I guess?

tagged landonorris

View all 1,019 comments

user the opps 😒😒😷😷

user WHERES RHE CAT CAFE LOCATED QUEEN

→ yourusername tiki’s cat cafe in mexico city x

user my babygirl perfect angel pink princess bubblegum honey sweetheart sunshine shmuckums

→ landonorris that’s actually what i call her every morning

→ alex_albon good morning baby

user shes so gorgeous I just died dead

yourmom que preciosa mija ❤️❤️

→ yourusername te amo mami !!

landonorris DIOSA 😍😍😍

→ yourusername okkk mexican king 🤩🤩 !!

landonorris mi chula novia 👰‍♀️

→ yourusername 💕

maxfewtrell no

→ yourusername who r u

→ maxfewtrell fuck off

→ landnorris erm actually 🤓 don’t talk to my fiancée like that

Liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri, carlossainz55, and 1,290,192 others

landonorris we found a cat in our chair after we finished swimming, welcome to the family zanahoria 🥕 (this is her only Christmas present)

tagged yourusername

View all 2,291 comments

user OMG 😊😊 THEY HAVE A KID!!

user she’s so pretty

user LANDO U ARE THE LUCKIEST MAN ALIVE.

→ landonorris i know 😌

user UGHHHH IM SOBBING

user real baby next xx

→ user NOO GET OUTT 😭😭

user katnapped ❓

lilymhe she looks absolutely beautiful! uhm- and you’re there..

yourusername MY ONLY PRESENT?? YOU KIDNAPPED THE CAT

→ landonorris it was stray

→ yourusername u right.. i still deserve christmas gifts

→ landonorris i’m broke

→ yourusername …….🌝

Liked by landonorris, carlossainz55, mclaren, lilymhe, and 228,929 others

yourusername life update: back in my hometown, lando brought the helmet he quite literally dnfed in (🌝🌝), and my mom won’t stop showing him my baby pics. p.s. flo, can you please send me lando’s baby pics so he can stfu xx

December 21st, 2023

tagged landonorris

View all 1,029 comments

user tbf the helmet is rlly nice

→ user his rep era 😢 gone too soon

user WAAAHHHH

user best couple ever idc

user she was such a cute baby 🥹

→ user imagine their kids 😭😭

landonorris flo please don’t send her my baby pics

→ yourusername too late baby xx

landonorris wow u are so cool!!!! i am your biggest fan 🤩🤩

→ yourusername I’M (getting) MARRIED!!!!!!😡😡😡

→ landonorris he doesn’t have to know…😉😉

alex_albon u look disappointed in the first pic

→ yourusername i am

Liked by yourusername, carlossainz55, mclaren, lnfour, and 1,239,290 others

landonorris she isn’t dead!!

january 4th, 2024

tagged yourusername

View all 2,029 comments

user YN 😭😭😭 its been a year daddy

user i missed them so bad

user dont talk to me im sobbing

user SHES ALIVE!! AND HEALTHY!!!

yourusername 😇😇❤️❤️

alex_albon is your cat studious

→ landonorris duh, just like his dad 😉

→ alex_albon didn’t u like… not go to high school?

→ landonorris i can still be studious, mate!!!!

Liked by landonorris, mclaren, carlossainz55, yourmom, and 1,091,100 others

yourusername and it’s all just too much for little lando norris… surprise!! i am pregnant ❓(have been for like 3 months now)

tagged landonorris

march 1st, 2024

View all 2,019 comments

user OH MY GOD. THEYRE HAVING A KID????

user i am hyperventilating shut up

user LMFAOO THE 2ND PIC

user what about us….. your og children ☹️☹️

→ yourusername don’t worry 💕 you guys are the og!!!

user whats it finna play.. WOAAAHHH

user im throwing up i. Jsut fell on the floor

landonorris te amo mucho mi vida ☀️🤍🫶🏼

→ yourusername i love you more 🫶🏼🧡

lilymhe CONGRATS BABY 🎉🎉

→ yourusername thank you 💙💙💙

carlossainz55 i guess he isn’t so little after all? 😂

→ yourusername LMFAO CARLOS 😭😭

oscarpiastri is he crying over your cravings? cause they’re horrendous

→ landonorris yeah i am, but anything for my girl

→ yourusername STOP 🥹🥹

→ oscarpiastri ew don’t get all corny on me

yourmom por fin!!!

Liked by yourusername, carlossainz55, lnfour, and 1,678,919 others

landonorris daddy norris 🔜

tagged yourusername

View all 2,392 comments

user THE CAPTION? 💀

user i am so unbelievably happy for them

user mama y papa 💞💞💞

user who CHEERED

user omg she can’t have sushi until after the baby 😭😭

→ landonorris good.

user so i guess they were trying for an actual baby 😃

maxfewtrell mate get out with that caption

→ landonorris make me

→ maxfewtrell woah, you’re a soon-to-be-married man

→ landonorris 😐😐

yourusername 🔜

mclaren congratulations you two 🧡

→ landonorris thank you 🧡 (give me a life time contract??)

→ yourusername 🤍🤍

danielricciardo let me be the godfather (congrats mate 😁)

→ landonorris yourusername opinions?

→ yourusername uhmmmmmm

→ carlossainz55 let ME be the godfather

→ yourusername no güey

→ oscarpiastri pick me, choose me

→ yourusername 🐨🐨🐨

lnfour the soon to be better norris-l/n 💚

→ yourusername agreed

౨ৎ hi guyyysss 🤍🤍 sorry for not posting, i just didn’t have any motivation :,) but hopefully my motivation will come back though xx also i will prolly start writing part two of ‘say don’t go’ 🫶🏼

[mykoreanlove]

whispers of love

Felix was snuggled in bed with you, hugging you from behind. The smell of his favorite brownies still lingered on him, almost as sweet as his kisses on you. You squirmed in his embrace as his lips tickled the sensitive skin on your neck. “Lixie, stop that”, you laughed warmly. “Hell no”, he retorted and kissed you some more. The sensations were too much to bear, so you wriggled yourself out of his embrace and turned to face him directly.

“Hi”, he said and placed a kiss on the top of your nose. A warmth you had never felt before spread through your whole body. You relaxed, smiled some more and looked at him. This was your first time being with someone who saw all of you and decided to stay. Being with Felix made your heart flutter in the best ways and that was something you were grateful for every single day.

“You look so beautiful right now, baby cakes.” He gazed at you with a mixture of longing and infatuation. Felix grabbed your hand and positioned it to his lips, placing a chest kiss on your knuckles. “There is something I want to say to you, y/n. Actually, I already said it a lot of times, but you were always asleep, so now’s the moment.” He paused for a second, carefully selecting his next words.

“I love you.”

Butterflies were joined by all other animals as well, turning your stomach into a zoo. Your heart raced. Your brain thought a thousand thoughts per second. Your throat was dry.

“Love? You love me?”

Felix chuckled; he had already anticipated that reaction. No matter how much he tried and showed his love for you, you still had trouble accepting it. “Yes, love. I love you.”

“But” your brain instantly presented a myriad of reasons as to why he shouldn’t do that. “But, how? I am just a normal person.”

For a split second you noticed him scrunch his face. He hated it when you talked down on yourself. He hated it when you thought less of yourself because of the dumbest reasons. He hated it when you hated yourself. By now he understood though, that arguing against you was fruitless – this was a journey you had to go on by yourself. Felix chose to stand by your side and hold your hand though.

“Don’t care. I love you.”

“But I’m not in the best shape right now.” He placed another kiss on your knuckles. “I love you.”

“Felix, what do you mean? I am a mess. I have anxiety every other day.” He squeezed your hand. “I still love you.”

You turned on your back and thought about all this while he was still holding your hand. How could he love me when I’m not perfect?

You thought hard, you had to present him with all the facts, so he could make a rational decision. Eagerly, you turned around again.

“Lix, I have health struggles.”

“Don’t care. I love you.”

“But I always assume the worst and get anxious.”

“I love you regardless.”

“But I.. I have debt I need to pay off!”

“Fine by me. I love you.”

Your brain fought hard. Surely, there had to be a reason that would scare him off.

“I got scammed once because I trusted those assholes blindly.”

“I love you.”

“I was bullied when I was younger. I was never a cool kid!”

“I love you.”

“It’s hard for me to control my emotions and I get overwhelmed a lot.”

“Still love you.”

“I got rejected a million of times – I’m really not the one you fall in love with.

Felix took a deep breath, trying to remain calm for the both of you.

“I love you, y/n.”

“But” – he interrupted you this time.

“I love you. You can think of every reason, you could invent any reason – I don’t care. I. LOVE. YOU. All of you. The good, the bad, the ugly. I love you.”

He stopped talking for a second and gave you time to process all of this. The confusion on your face was evident, which irked him but he was sure that someday you’d be able to love yourself like he did.

You took a good look at him – everything he said sounded so sincere. The look on his face was truthful and loving.

“Are you sure?”, you mumbled silently. Felix laughed out happily. “Yes, y/n. I am sure. I love you. I loved you yesterday and I will love you tomorrow. Now turn around and let me cuddle you, so we can fall asleep. Okay?”

Happiness and astonishment were dominant within you right now but you did what he said. You turned around and felt his strong arms around you again, comforting you like they always did. You closed your eyes and took a calming breath, you really needed to sleep. Felix’ lips brushed your ear once more and you fell asleep to him whispering his love for you.

[butterfluffy]

Hi!! Can you do a beautiful Y/n reader where she meets the One piece characters and then they have their first thoughts of her? Like what are they're first thoughts? I hope you do it!♡ But it's okay if not! :)

“pretty girl”

⠀⠀ੈ♡˳· what would be their reaction to meeting such a pretty girl like you?

⠀⠀➧ unlabeled | various!op × f!reader | headcanons

⠀⠀➧ warnings — none, purely fluff...! mistakes may be present though.. so do ignore them, thanks!

⠀⠀➧ requests are closed until further notice!

⠀⠀꒰ 🍨 ꒱ notes: sorry for the delay! here's your request! i hope you like it, ehe.

STRAWHATS

meeting you, a pretty girl

monkey d. luffy:

“hey, hello!!”

thinks you're aright, and he wants to be friends with you.

i mean, yeah, you're pretty. but he literally didn't give quite a damn to the most beautiful woman on the seas, who is boa.

though he is quick to turn his head to you when you enter the room.

roronoa zoro:

“ooh, damn.”

low-key thinks you're pretty attractive.

though he doesn't really care much, but he still appreciates your looks.

very subtle about complimenting your beauty, because he doesn't want to be seen being... sweet?

nami:

“shocks! how pretty!”

thinks you're really beautiful.

wants to achieve your level of prettiness, like a real lot.

will ask your skin care routine, hair products, make-ups, etc.

usopp:

“wow.. you're really pretty!”

his jaw will immediately drop upon seeing your beauty.

is also quick to drop a compliment.

will impress you too by his stories that he totally didn't make up.

vinsmoke sanji:

“melloriiineee, ah! how beautiful! is this how the most beautiful woman in the seas looks like!?”

immediately swoons and falls in love with you, i mean, how can he not when you're just so pretty?

turns into your biggest simp.

might actually focus half of his simp attention to you.

nico robin:

“oh? why hello there, pretty miss.”

agrees that you're pretty as hell.

casual and pretty chill with you.

will frequently talk to you about beauty and stuff.

franky:

“ow! what do we have here? well, it's just a suupeeeerr pretty girl!”

amazed by your beauty.

is a mix of robin and usopp—casual, and impresses you all the time.

drops compliments for you frequently.

brook:

“yohohohoho! what a beautiful lady.. may i see your panties?”

says that your beauty is blinding, even though he has no eyes, yohohohoho!

a gentleman and a perv at the same time, there's a no in between.

will play you a song you like if you ever ask him to. won't turn you down at all, bcs why would he do so?

BOA HANCOCK

meeting you, a pretty girl

“imbecile! how is your beauty on par with mine!!?”

not so amused by you being pretty, so she strucks you her iconic pose as she says what's above.

low-key is amazed by you though, like, you're pretty, and strong! just like her!

will not say it though. she's very prideful.

PORTGAS D. ACE

meeting you, a pretty girl

“whoah... you're real attractive, miss. wanna date?”

straightforward and says what he think about you.

you caught his eye faster than light.

and yes, he's down to date you.

CHARLOTTE KATAKURI

meeting you, a pretty girl

“mhm. pretty.”

yeeesss, he thinks you're pretty!

but he doesn't really show or say it, because he can't risk breaking his cool and calm self especially to you.

might ask mama to set up a marriage between you two.

DONQUIXOTE DOFLAMINGO

meeting you, a pretty girl

“ooohh, hey there, beauty.”

fell for you on the sight.

but great. you caught his attention by your beauty. no escaping him now, haha.

will try everything to make you his.

SHANKS

meeting you, a pretty girl

“wow! what a beauty!”

gasps and immediately dashes to you, eager to know you.

now you won't be able to shake him off you cuz—you caught his eye.

will follow you around like a dog, being so attatched with you.

© butterfluffy 2022

[starlightxsvt]

Beautiful Liar | part of the Treacherous Tales Series

pairing ➳ dk x fem!reader

genre ➳ mafia au, dark romance? angst, smut.

wc ➳ 16.8k

synopsis ➳ you have old scores to settle and he's a pretty pawn in your game. but one must remember obsession leads to destruction.

warnings ➳ violence, mentions of mafia, murder, kidnapping & suicide, stalking, breaking and entering, manipulation, gambling, mention of rape, protected sex, teasing, male oral.

playlist ➳ beautiful liar- monsta x, vigilante shit- taylor swift, part goddess part gangster- madalen duke, horns-bryce fox, don't blame me- taylor swift, no body no crime- taylor swift, the hills- the weekend.

"I need him."

Your words dissipate into the cool air inside the car as your gaze remains focused out your window, trained on one certain man.

"What do you need me to do?" Changkyun immediately asks with violence underlying in his tone. You click your tongue in disapproval, not letting your eyes stray from your pretty prey. "You won't be doing anything this time. He is mine."

The man sitting in the driver's seat next to you only grunts in reply.

Through the passenger side window, you keep observing him, as the man smiles and talks to some students before taking his leave, walking inside another building as he disappears from your sight, making you sigh.

"Okay. You actually do need to do something."

"What?"

"Get me his schedule."

-

Theatre and drama were never your thing. Yet, here you sit, in Professor Lee's class as he talks about the history of theatre.

While the lecture itself is boring and definitely not worth the trouble you went through to sneak into his class as you are not a student, the man himself is pleasing to listen to and look at.

There is something boyish and innocent about him and as you watch him give the lecture, his voice so sweet and soothing that it is almost impossible to believe that he is related to the Lee family.

The two-hour lecture is surprisingly quick to pass by as you sit at the very back of the classroom, watching him carefully. With the clock striking 2 pm, the lecture finishes and students clear out of the classroom, leaving you behind who sits immobile in her place.

That manages to capture Professor Lee's attention. He takes off his reading glasses and tilts his head to look at you, blinking as if he's trying to remember you from somewhere.

With an amused smile playing on your lips, you stand up from your seat and strut to the podium slowly.

"Good afternoon, Professor." You greet, holding out a hand. He takes a look at your face and then your hand before softly shaking it. "Good afternoon. I don't think you are a student of mine."

Up close, the man looks dashing. Perfect sharp features; prominent cheekbones and a sharp nose, soft plump lips on his slightly tanned skin. Covered up to the neck with a white turtleneck underneath a black cashmere suit, he looks far from what he truly is.

So innocent, so deceitful.

You grin. "You are absolutely correct, Professor Lee. I am not."

He looks amused as well, raising a brow with the expectation that you are going to explain yourself.

"I am just a fan, you could say."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I came across your presentation at the Royal Opera House this July. I have been a fan ever since."

"Well...I am pleased to hear that. I hope I have managed to inspire you in some way."

"Oh, you have. Plenty." You can't refrain from a grin.

"I am glad then." He pauses for a beat as he takes a look at his watch. "You'll have to excuse me now. I have a meeting soon."

"Of course. I just wanted to say hi. Have a nice day." You take a step back.

The man nods, giving you a small smile as he starts walking out of the classroom, his shoes clicking on the floor. He looks gorgeous even from behind, the afternoon sun streaming from the windows in the hallway casting around him in an angelic glow.

Just as he is about to fully exit the classroom, he stops and turns his head. "I didn't get your name, though. Where are you from?"

You can't help but smile diabolically. "From the wrong side of the tracks, professor."

-

Professor Lee has a pretty house, made up of a rustic brick structure and well furnished black tiles for the roof, a perfect blend of modern and old. The wooden fence around the perimeter of the house is not hard for you to cross as you make your way through his yard, careful not to step anywhere that would leave a trace.

The perfect time to break into his place is now, midday, as he is currently busy teaching a class. Changkyun is keeping an eye on him, camped outside the university, ready to inform you if his position changes as you take your time combing through his house.

The front of his house has a CCTV camera, which is precisely why you broke in through the back. Carefully crossing the yard, you tiptoe along the side of the house and turn right where there is a window. Making sure that you are in a blind spot, you pry the window open after a small struggle and gingerly make your way in like a sneaky cat.

His house is beautiful, exactly fitting his image. The floors are made of dark wood as well as most of the furniture; a dark yet soothing vibe emanating from his abode. The window you used to get in leaves you in a small hallway and after looking around a little, you get a general sense of direction.

Straight from the hallway, there is his bedroom which is where you head first. You are somewhat disappointed when you find it so sterile. The room, composed of a queen sized bed, a dresser and a closet is pristine. Everything is neat, not a hair out of place as if no one lives here. There is no decoration, no trace of personalization like a picture or a painting which you find odd because you expected something that would indicate his ties to his dear family.

Not letting the disappointment get to you, you walk out of the bedroom, heading for the closed door on the left; twisting the knob, you open the door to find his study and a smile spreads on your lips.

It's a fairly large room, the walls on both sides surrounded by large mahogany shelves containing books about art, literature and others. You carefully step in, heading straight for the large desk in the middle.

To your utter disappointment, it doesn't contain any schedule or indication about the life of crime that he comes from. There is not a single sign that would tell anyone that he is the younger brother of the notorious ruler of District 1.

Instead, aside from his computer on the desk, there are only a few books related to theatre on one side and a few lecture sheets on the other. It is so unexpected that you are stunned to silence, standing in the middle of the room, almost starting to think that you came to the wrong house.

Changkyun's sudden voice from the bluetooth disrupts your thoughts. "___, he is leaving early. He just got in his car. I'm following him. You have about 15 minutes to get out of there."

"Fine," you mutter.

There is still enough time. But by the looks of this, you could have all the time in the world and still not find anything that would tell you he's one of the heirs to District 1.

Grunting you lean down and start checking the drawers only to find nothing; no secret meeting location, nothing that you can use to blackmail him or anything that will lead you to the main culprit, his brother.

Sighing, you stand up straight and look around the room. Maybe he is being extra cautious and doesn't keep any evidence here. Maybe he has a secret hideout for his life of crime.

The idea, however, doesn't make sense because you have been stalking him and the only place he frequents is the university.

It's odd.

It almost feels like he doesn't have any connection with District 1.

No, no. That doesn't make any sense.

"___, you have 10 minutes!"

"I know, I know!" You snap, annoyed.

Walking over to the bookshelves you gently drag your fingers over the spine of each book, hoping maybe one of them would be the key to opening a secret room behind the shelves.

Nothing like that happens.

Accepting your defeat, you come out of the house but not before placing a bug underneath the table in his study with the hopes of getting some information by spying on him. Crossing the fence, you take special care to make sure you didn't leave behind any trace of entry before finally exiting the perimeter of the house.

Once safely out of the range of his house, you stand on the opposite side of the road and watch Professor Lee pull up a few minutes later. Changkyun's car follows him half a minute later as he drives straight to where you are standing, before coming to a stop in front of you.

You tug open the door and get in on the passenger side.

"Why the long face? Find nothing?"

"Shut up."

-

A change of plans is the only way.

Your second plan is to court him which isn't really a problem given the man is as pretty as a doll and toying with him would be absolute fun. With the decision set, you begin phase two of your operation, stalking him.

Well, you were stalking him before too but now, you start to follow every single footsteps of him, quite literally.

You follow him everywhere, discreetly, of course, getting to know his schedule as precisely as possible before striking.

His routine is rather bland, he wakes up, goes to work, then goes to the gym and then comes back home. It is something you find odd, once again. No matter from which angle you consider, the equation does not add up. Still, you try to make the best of whatever little ammunition you have at hand and pretend to bump into him randomly.

Like, one sunny afternoon you pretend to wait for someone in the parking lot of his university right when he is to leave for the day. Surprisingly, he's the first one to approach you, as he gently grabs your attention. "Hey. We uh, met the other day."

"Oh, hello, Professor Lee. Glad you remembered. One of your biggest fans."

"Have you enrolled here?"

"Ah, I wish. I'm here to...meet a friend's daughter."

"I see. What's her department?"

You blink, not expecting that question but recover quickly. "You ask too many questions professor. Let me ask you one instead. Can I have your number?"

You see the tips of his ears go red.

So adorable.

He blinks, taken aback as he searches for the right words. "Well, uh, why?"

"Why? You're hot and intelligent. I want to go out with you."

"Well, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?"

"Just because." He replies, almost unsure, looking at you as if you are a bizarre creature.

You take a step towards him, an amused smile on your face from his reaction. Leaning close to him, you slowly fix the lapels of his jacket. Perplexed, he looks at the motion of your hands before moving his gaze to your face.

"Please, professor? One date is all I ask." You give him puppy eyes.

There is a sharp inhale as his pupils widen just a little bit while you gaze into his eyes, unblinking. The proximity is intense, you can smell his perfume, feel his breath on your skin and from the way he keeps looking at you, there is an urge to kiss him building within you.

Just when you are sure you can sneak in a kiss, he breaks the moment by taking a step back, out of your reach. Clearing his throat, he says. "I can't. I have a girlfriend."

Liar.

Not waiting for your reply, he opens the door to his car and gets in. As his engine fires up with a hum, you walk near the vehicle and lean in to look at him through the half open window. "Don't lie professor. You don't have a girlfriend."

He looks at you silently for a moment, his hands resting on the steering wheel. "This is why I won't go out with you."

You are confused.

"You seem to know too much about me and I don't like that."

With that, he pulls out of the parking lot, leaving behind a trail of smoke and your baffled self.

It's fine.

You know you are on the right track. He is definitely attracted to you so it is not over yet. In fact, it is only the beginning.

This is going to be so much fun.

-

For the next week, you make it your mission to pop up in front of Seokmin while he is out and about. You first pretend to run into him at his favourite coffee shop, acting delighted when he notices you. He seems wary upon seeing you and since it was only the first day of your mission, you let him off easy, saying that this is fate telling that you two are meant to be.

The next time you pretend to run into him again at the car park of the university, once again announcing that you are waiting for your friend's daughter. He keeps the conversation short, simply by nodding and getting into his car rather hurriedly. You, however, don't forget to throw him a compliment, looking as innocent and genuine as possible; like an innocent young girl who has been rejected by her desired man and now longs for him from afar.

That seems to work a bit.

The lesser you speak and the more innocent your attitude becomes, the longer your encounters last. Seokmin would start initiating the conversation and then ask formal questions as if to keep the conversation going or maybe, to test you and see what your true intentions are.

Either way, you don't fall for that.

Instead, you act detached, like a damsel who failed to capture the eye of the man she loves.

Finally, one morning, when you are walking out of the coffee shop, he stops you on your way by extending his hand to touch your elbow softly. You have to hide your smile before turning around.

"You know, I never got to see the girl." He says.

"Which girl?"

"Your friend's daughter. The one you come to the university for."

Ah.

"Oh, you didn't?" You blink innocently. He looks at you for a beat, before giving you a knowing smile. "You know, I think we both know that that's a lie."

You avert your gaze, acting like you did not hear him.

"As much as you seem to be enjoying this, I need you to stop following me around." He says, voice soft but firm and you know it's a command.

It's a shame you don't take commands well.

Tilting your neck to a side, you pop a muscle before giving out a loud exhale, composing yourself. "Have a nice day, Mr Professor."

You walk away.

-

You were getting tired of playing around. The man may be attracted to you but you are coming to a realization that it will not be enough for him to give him. He is cautious and given who he really is, he will never let a woman like you get close to him, no matter how much he may like you.

"I told you, we should have just kidnapped him. His brother would show up immediately." Changkyun complains out loud. The two of you have been sitting in your study for the past hour, trying to come up with a plan.

"You know I don't work like that. It's too easy. And too risky."

You have a bad habit. You always end up getting emotionally involved in every case you encounter. This one should not be an exception. In fact, this is the best place to get emotional because his brother hurt you by hurting your family. It is only fair you do the same to him now. And along the way, you get to tease a pretty man like Professor Lee. It is a win-win situation for you, almost.

In your world, betrayal is the sweetest revenge. If you can betray Professor Lee after earning his trust, that will be the sweetest revenge.

"I don't give up so easily, you know," you whisper, planning your next move.

-

"No teacher needs that much muscles, professor!" Your voice echoes through the empty gym at night.

Dokyeom whips his head around, dropping the dumbbell that was in his hand, eyes wide at your sudden voice. "You! How did you get in here!" You don't appreciate his accusatory tone.

"I come to this gym as well." You shrug, strolling towards him with your hands behind your back before plopping down next to him on a bench. He gives you an exasperated look. "Really?"

"Mhmm." You smile.

"Liar. What do you want? I told you to stay away from me."

You shrug. " Mhmm, can't do that professor. I miss you."

His lips thin, a sign that he is clearly not amused by your antics but it's a shame. You find all of this way too amusing.

You find him amusing.

"I know you are after something else. I am not stupid, ___." He turns to face you properly, his eyes carefully watching you.

A soft smirk plays on your lips. Of course, he is not stupid. Heir to the Lee family, he is the farthest thing from stupid.

"Did you have someone look into me, professor?" You ask nonchalantly.

"Look into you? What is that supposed to mean?" He asks, leaning closer to you.

You're treading in dangerous territory. You cannot give yourself in so quickly.

"I mean a smart, famous man like you has a lovesick stalker. I'm sure you had a detective or someone take a look into me, no?"

More like an intelligence member of the mafia. Maybe even his dear brother.

"So you are admitting that you are a stalker?"

"Oh, not just any, though. A lovesick stalker." You blink innocently at him.

He remains silent making you wonder if he is buying your words.

"Since you are asking me what I want, I assume you asked around and couldn't find anything, then?" You tilt your head, tone playful as you continue the conversation. You are not going to leave today until you are successful.

After a moment, he admits. "Yes. You run on the wrong side of the tracks, that is all I could find."

You chuckle. "There is nothing else to find, professor. I'm just a bad girl infatuated with you and your words and your passion for art."

"You? I am not buying that."

"Me? What is that supposed to mean?" You feel a little offended. "Can a girl not be a gangster and love theatre? Not every one of us gets to chase our dreams, you know."

You see his eyes soften as he remains silent, pondering your words. You watch him, carefully leaning closer to him before dragging a manicured finger over his bicep flirtily.

"What do you want?" His voice comes out breathy this time, those deep pools of chocolate in his eyes boring into you and oh god, do you love your name on his lips.

It would be even better to hear him say that in bed.

"A date with you, professor." You whisper, inching your face closer to him, your lips a mere few inches away from his and you don't miss the way his gaze drops to them before coming back up to your eyes.

"And if I say no?" He swallows. You pout, snaking a hand over his chest, feeling the strong muscles beneath your palm, pleased that he lets you touch him. "Why would you say no, professor? I am really good in bed, you know."

He watches you quietly once again and you hate how you cannot tell what is going on inside his head. Is he falling for your words or is he simply piecing things together and trying to uncover you? There is a slight flush on his cheeks but you don't know if it's because of you or his workout.

His hand comes to grab your wrist, breaking your train of thought as he takes your hand off his chest and places it on your lap.

"Tell me something you have never told anyone before."

"What?" You are perplexed.

"Tell me something, anything, a secret, a wish, that you have never told anyone before. Then, I will go on a date with you." He replies.

Wait, what?

You blink, absolutely baffled at his words as he sits in silence, looking at you expectantly. His gaze is sombre and sincere, like he really wants to know you and for the first time in forever, your heart skips a beat, making you feel out of place and vulnerable. Quickly, you break eye contact with him and stare at your boots as you think of a reply.

"Don't think of making up a lie. I can tell, you know." He adds.

A soft sigh escapes your lips as you internally roll your eyes at him. "I...I have this urge to leave everything behind and just go to an island. Or a place near the sea and spend the rest of my life there, where nobody knows me, where my past doesn't haunt me."

A long silence follows after your words and you cannot make yourself look at him, afraid of what you will find in his eyes, afraid of how they would make you feel and at the same time hating that these thoughts are bothering you.

"I am free this weekend." He murmurs standing up. You look up, surprised, excited. He puts on his hoodie, acting like he did not just agree to a date with you. As he starts walking out of the gym, completely ignoring your presence, you yell. "I'll text you!"

He turns around to look at you as if to ask how you have his number but simply gives you an exasperated look which you reply with a cheeky smile.

"I'm only free after noon." He declares, continuing on his path.

"No problem, professor." You grin.

-

You agree on an evening library date which is not really an ideal date for you but because of the facade you are holding up, you agree. The library is situated near his campus, an old architectural piece, with dimmed yellow lights and gold details and large windows, radiating a little bit of a gothic energy. He chose the library because of your (fake)interest in theatre, saying that the library would be the best place to discuss these things and you agreed because other than that, it is also not crowded and you can have his full attention.

Dokyeom hand picks a few books on the topic with pure enthusiasm as you follow him around, nodding to whatever he is saying. For the most part, you observe him, watching him with rapt attention, the details of his face, the change of his expressions as he talks, the movement of his hands—

And you have to admit, he has very pretty hands; long and bony, perfect to suck on.

Shaking your head at the ridiculous thought, you follow him to a private study room.

He pulls a chair and helps you sit down, making you smile at his manners. Once he is sat, he turns to you and asks. "Okay, then. What would you like to talk about today? Let's start with plays. What is your favourite play?"

"I don't know, what is yours?" You ask, blinking innocently at him as you rest your chin on your palm. He frowns. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"My favourite play is whatever your favourite play is." You reply sweetly, making him throw an exasperated look at you.

"Is this how you are going to be?"

"Deeply infatuated with you? Yes, professor."

Shaking his head, he opens a book, murmuring something under his breath but you see the soft hint of a smile playing on his lips, making you smile as well.

This should be easy.

Your date goes smoothly, with him discussing his favourite plays, playwrights and whatnot and you nodding along and watching him, throwing in some pointless questions here and there to appear interested. All the while in the back of your mind, you keep planning your next move. Seokmin isn't a stupid man and you know deep down, he sees through your pretence but seeing how he is still entertaining you means that you have captured his interest. And you have to use this to your benefit.

Fate seems to be on your side as on the way back home, Dokyeom suddenly asks if you are free for dinner.

You have to work very hard to mask the huge grin of satisfaction on your face when you say yes. Your response pleases him, visible from his reaction as he excitedly turns the car around and selects a restaurant.

Dokyeom goes all out for dinner, as you are guided to a private dining room upon entering the restaurant. You have to say that his effort impresses you. And of course, it solidifies your belief that he is falling for you. Smiling, you strut behind him.

He pulls out your chair for you, helping you sit down before ordering some appetizers and wine for you to get started.

"I'm a bit surprised you agreed to come." He speaks after a small pause.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I- I just had a thought that you were not serious about me. It almost felt like you lost a bet. I had the impression that you were just playing with me and wasting my time the last few weeks but I'm surprised you pulled through."

You only give him a smile in reply.

"You know, I believe you are one of two things. A weirdo who wants to bed a professor just for fun or, someone with a hidden intention, playing the long game."

"Aren't you smart, professor?" You grin condescendingly, resting your cheek on your palm.

"I know you are bad news, yet..." He pauses for a beat, sighing at himself. "Yet for the past week, I could not stop thinking about you. I'm in deep trouble, no?"

"You are," You smile. "In the sweetest trouble, I promise you."

He scoffs, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Let's order the main course, shall we?"

The dinner begins with casual small talk as he tells you about his work and you listen, asking casual questions here and there. When you are taking your second serving of the alfredo pasta, he asks. "Tell me about yourself. Why do you do what you do?"

"Come again?" Your movements halt as you look at him.

"Your... profession." He seems to not find his words. "Killing people, threatening them, weapon business, fraud... whatever you do."

"Hm, I do a little bit of all of that but," you set your utensils down, looking up. "Interesting question, professor."

"Is it like a family business?"

Your eyes fly to his, looking for a sign in them of whether he knows your background or not. For a moment you tense up and hold your breath but his face remains the same, looking at you curiously as he sips his wine.

"No, not really." You reply before finishing your glass of wine. "Parents died early. They knew a few people who were in this business and I got involved."

"What business is it exactly?"

"Aren't you curious, professor?"

He shrugs, looking at you in silence, waiting for you to continue. You sigh, dropping your cutlery down and leaning back into the chair.

"My father was in the weapons business. After he passed away things were messy for a bit and I realized dealing with weapons was not my strong forte. Now I'm in the loaning business and I also do contract killing."

Dokyeom's eyes widen significantly and you can't help but laugh at his reaction. He is acting like he hasn't heard something like this before, living in the world that he lives in.

He looks around before lowering his voice and asking. "So you are like a thug that lends people money with high interest?"

"Yep."

"And you beat them up if they fail to return the money on time?''

"Precisely," you grin.

"And what was that about contract killing? What are you? A hitman?"

"You can say that. But I have clients of various ranges. I kill for politicians, for local gangs and even for civilians."

"For civilians?" He hisses.

"Yes, professor." You take a sip of your wine, swirling the bitter liquid around in your mouth. "Three months ago, the news of a young girl getting raped by a senator's son broke out. I'm sure you have heard of that. The girl was only seventeen and the guy came to her birthday party without any invitation, caused a ruckus and raped her that night because she refused to drink with him. The mother of that girl ran around tirelessly for help while she recovered at the hospital. Everyone she went to, told her to drop the charges for her own good. For one, it would take months, even years to complete the investigation and during that time they'd only get harassed, and two, they could never win the case."

"One day, the mother came to see me. I don't know how she found me and I didn't ask. She offered me her entire life savings and begged me for justice for her daughter. I didn't accept her money but I promised her I would avenge her daughter."

"Then...the death of that senator's son, you were behind it?" Seokmin whispers.

"Yes. I castrated him and then slit that bastard's throat."

"And the incident of the senator that came on the news, were you behind that as well?"

"Yes. He was equally at fault. He let his son go astray and then covered up his crimes. He did not deserve to speak another word so I cut his tongue. Fun, no?'

He doesn't reply to you but falls into a deep state of thought as you continue your dinner.

"Did I scare you, professor?" You ask, seeing him so silent.

He blinks a few times, coming out of his reverie. "No."

"Hm, doesn't sound like that."

Once more, you are met with silence as he watches you from the opposite side of the table, the look in his eyes serious, almost as if he is scrutinizing you. You start to grow uncomfortable under his stare, slightly worried that he might piece two and two together and see through you.

Surprising you, he says, "Looks like I misjudged you, ___. I shouldn't have. I apologize."

"What?"

"Not all actions can be boxed into black and white. What you did may be illegal but it was necessary and right. It won't undo everything that the girl went through, but it still makes the whole thing a bit fair."

For probably the first time in your life, you find yourself speechless. You open your mouth to reply but you realize that you are incapable of forming a reply to what he said. So, you just sit in silence, mirroring him.

"I don't know your past and I don't know what your struggles are but you are a good person, ___.''

Your throat has dried up by now as a weird sensation starts settling in your heart. It is uncomfortable and your appetite is ruined.

The man can probably sense your discomfort because he lets out a soft chuckle and leans back into his seat. "I just thought you should know that. I was not trying to woo you or anything."

You swallow a lump in your throat and force a smile. "Let's order dessert, shall we?''

Soon after that, you finish dinner and Dokyeom offers to give you a ride home and you accept it but only after a little internal debate.

Your own attitude baffles you. Why are you hesitating to let him drop you home? Is it because you have started feeling weird things under his company and now you want to avoid them?

No, that's outrageous. You are just tired from a long day of playing pretend.

The drive to your house is silent as you actively avoid having any conversation with him by facing the window and closing your eyes, your arms crossed as you pretend to go to sleep.

A good amount of driving later, you reach your house and tap in the code number for the main gate to open.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?'' You ask upon noticing his reaction; wide eye and mouth slightly open as he drives into your compound, coming to a stop in front of the steps that lead to your main entrance.

The house resembles a haunted mansion in many ways. It is at least a hundred years old, huge but empty, creepers growing around the black tiles, surrounded by dead trees and an abandoned garden. This is where you used to live with your family a long time ago and after your father's death, you left, letting that house collect dust. It is only recently that you started living here after you formed your plan to take the Lee family down.

"She is." He agrees with a nod before undoing his seatbelt. Before you can do that and open your door, he rounds the car and holds the door open for you.

The chilly night air hits your skin as you step out of the car. Dokyeom's gaze travels past you, marvelling at your home.

"Would you like to come in?" You surprise yourself by asking. He immediately nods with a sheepish grin. "I would love to see the interior."

"Well, it is a mess and full of dust but come along," You lead the way as he follows you closely. Holding the door open, you let him step in.

The door opens to a large space in front of a staircase leading upstairs. This area used to be for sitting, and now it is barren of anything. There is a large floor to ceiling window by the staircase, pouring the moonlight inside the space which is dimly lit by an antique chandelier.

"I see you didn't renovate." Dokyeon comments as he walks around, eyes scanning the space in wonder.

"Moved in recently."

"Hm, I like the style. If you end up renovating, I'd say don't change it too much." He advises. Humming, you start climbing the stairs. "My bedroom and the dining are upstairs. Wanna take a look?''

"Sure," he enthusiastically trails behind you as you come upstairs and show him the dining first and then the second bedroom before leading him to your bedroom.

"And here is my room," you hold open the door for him as he walks past you, the same look of wonder constant on his face.

"Wow," he walks straight to the open balcony, the night breeze flowing in strong, making the curtains dance. You slowly follow him, "I know right."

"I almost want to live here. Do you want to trade places with me?'' There's a boyish charm in his eyes and a genuine hint of glee in his voice as he looks at you with a smile.

"No thanks." You cannot help a small smile yourself.

A silence settles, a comfortable one in fact as you watch the view by his side in the cool night air.

"I had a good time today," he confesses, voice soft. You try hard not to acknowledge the funny feeling that spreads inside you upon hearing his words. Softly, you say. "Me too."

Your gaze moves to him and you find him looking at you, the look in his eyes is something you are unfamiliar with. Something that threatens to make your heart skip a beat, and make you forget what you are set out to do.

While you are lost in your thoughts, Dokyeom seems to have moved closer to you. His gaze has deepened and his face is suddenly mere inches away from you, taking you by surprise.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispers.

Fuck it. Part of your mission is to get him to bed, no? You will have to do it sooner or later.

You press your lips to his and fireworks go inside your head. It feels right, his lips moving against yours as you grab his jacket to pull him closer. By the time you two separate, you are breathless, your mind hazy. Dokyeom keeps looking at you like you are the most magnificent thing on this planet, his hand softly caressing your cheeks as your fingertips dance on his neck.

"Should I stay the night?"

There is a cheer of satisfaction within you. You let out a soft hum of acknowledgement which immediately brings his hands to your shoulders.

His lips are the epitome of temptation, your hooded gaze trained on it, stuck in a trance of pure desire. His fingers brush over your back in tantalising touches as he drops your coat from your shoulders, his eyes never straying from yours. Your hands move in a rhythm as you unbutton his blazer and reach for the hem of his turtleneck, helping him to get rid of it with a tug while simultaneously moving back inside your room and towards your bed, discarding the clothes messily on the floor.

His body is like an ancient Greek sculpture, lean and toned and you don't hide the hunger in your gaze. In silence, you push him towards the bed as he drops down to the mattress while you peel off your top along with your bra and then reach for the pants. Once you are left only in your panties, you strut towards him, a small smile on your lips because of the way he keeps looking at you, full of desire and burning passion.

Your hands move seductively as you take off his pants along with his boxers, making sure your nails scrape his thigh. With the fabrics gone, you see his cock for the first time, and my god is he blessed.

"What do you think? Will it please you?" He asks, making you smirk.

"Lie back professor," you order, standing up as he moves back into the bed, half lying against the headboard. You climb on the bed on all fours, positioning yourself on top of him. Leaning down, your lips tease him as your noses brush together softly. You whisper. "Let me give you a time you will never forget."

Something flashes in his eyes for a brief moment which you don't get to observe because his lips crash into yours, ensuing a fierce kiss. You moan into the kiss as his hands come to cup your neck and jaw, his lips pressed against yours relentlessly.

When you realise he is about to press you down into the bed, you break the kiss and inhale deeply. "Mhmm, no, professor. Let me take care of you first." You throw a wink at him and move down, your lips softly dragging against his skin, down his abdomen before reaching his half hard cock.

You take him in your hands, rubbing the base of his dick at a slow pace and watch his face raptly for reactions. As he grows hard against your hand, you lean down and take him into your mouth with one big swallow that makes Dokyem grunt out loud.

"Fuck!"

You smile as you continue your ministrations, moving your mouth up and down against his length while his body grows tense beneath you. Your tongue laps around his entire length, tasting him, teasing him as his breaths become shorter and shorter.

"Fuck, I'm gonna come soon."

His words work as a motivation for you as you increase your pace, swiping your tongue over his leaking tip before he finally explodes inside your mouth with a throaty groan.

You swallow every drop of him, a few trailing down the corner of your lips and you make a show of licking it with unwavering eye contact. Dokyeom lies flat on his back, panting harshly, hooded eyes watching you in an intense stare.

"Good, professor?" You grin, licking your index finger.

Exhaling loudly, he tugs you by your arm. "Come here!" Pinning you underneath his body, he kisses you, his tongue prodding into your mouth, tasting himself. You don't hold yourself back either, kissing him with equal passion until you forget where you end and he begins.

His lips meet your neck, kissing and sucking softly before trailing down to play with your sensitive nipples. As your whines grow in pitch and you grow restless, trying to break free from his grip and take over, he sits over your thighs, spreading his legs on both sides and resting on his knees.

"Do you have a condom?" He asks.

"Multiple," you reply, reaching for the bedside drawer.

As he puts the rubber on, you take the moment to appreciate his figure, his beautiful face, his bed-messy hair, his toned chest and abdomen and of course, his monster of a cock.

"You are one fine man, professor." You find yourself saying. You hate how you genuinely mean it.

"You are not too bad yourself." He flashes a grin before aligning himself with your pussy. As you take a deep inhale, he pushes in, making your body rise as you grip the sheets tightly in reply to the intrusion.

"Fuck, you're so tight."

Your response is to squeeze him tighter as you wrap your legs around his ass, pushing his body closer to yours. Delirious with pleasure, you start chasing his hips right away in a desperate rhythm of your own.

"Harder," you tempt, slinging your arms around his neck to pull him close. His breath fans your face, the slight perspiration on his temples clearly visible in this distance. In the yellowish hue of the room, his skin glows, giving him the appearance of a god, his messy hair tying everything together.

Dokyeom takes you up for the challenge as he increases his pace, making your head fall back as you let out a deep moan from the pits of your belly. He hits the perfect spot every time, driving you wild, bringing you deliciously close to the edge.

"Fuck, I need to come," you pant, hands reaching between your legs to touch your clit. Dokyeom, however, stops you by grabbing your both wrists and pinning them on top of your head, a cocky smirk on your face as he leans into your ear and whispers. "Say please first."

"Never," you immediately reply.

"Then you don't get to come."

"You asshole!" You hiss, trying to writhe free from his grasp but every time you move, his dick goes deeper inside you, amplifying the pleasure that makes you shudder.

"Come on sweetheart. You know you want to come."

"Ugh, no," you grunt, squeezing your eyes shut in a futile attempt to tone done your need for release."

"It's just one tiny word," the devil keeps whispering in your ear, continuing his ruthless thrusts as you teeter on the verge of begging.

"Fuck! Okay, okay!" You yell. "Please!"

"Hm, that didn't sound nice." The bastard complains, making you furious.

"I swear to god—" He interrupts you with a fierce kiss, pushing his tongue so deep inside your mouth that you forget to breathe. Letting go of your hands, his fingers move down, trailing along your skin before reaching between your legs and flicking your clit. That action is enough as you come, fireworks going off inside your body as you twist to a side, your toes curling in pleasure. Dokyeom's body shudders on top of yours as he comes, continuing to kiss your mouth, your chin and your jaw.

Soon, a silence settles in the air as his body rests on top of yours. You don't find it in you to push him off so you let him be, comfortable in his warmth and embrace as you close your eyes, soon to be overtaken by sleep.

-

Days bleed into weeks that turn into a month as you start dating Seokmin. He grows fonder of you each passing day, the look in his eyes and his actions mirroring what he holds for you in his heart. He starts accepting your obsessive tendencies along with your profession, which pleases you immensely. You have your enemy where you want and things seem to be going your way.

Except one thing.

After you started dating Dokyeom, you have stayed over at his place only a few times. Of course, you made use of those times, snooping through his house in hopes of finding something that would lead you to his brother or at the very least, tell you of his ties to the mafia family of District 1. You never found a single thing. When you asked him about his family, he replied that he is an only child whose parents passed away because of a car crash.

A lie, of course.

Your plan is in motion but at the same time, you feel stuck. You have Dokyeom in the palm of your hand, you just need to get to his brother for everything to come together. You had dramatic plans for a reunion but at this stage, that looks quite impossible.

Maybe you should have just kidnapped him.

-

One weekend he invites you to his house for dinner as a celebration of him securing a contract with one of the biggest publishers in the country for his next book.

You put on your nicest dress and your fanciest heels for the occasion, your lips painted red as you strut to his front door with a bouquet of flowers.

Dokyeom opens the door looking a little more gorgeous than other days; his black hair brushed back sleekly, and wearing a cream coloured Ralph Lauren sweater with black pants. Tying the look together is his steel framed glasses which he looks fantastic with and which you adore seeing him wearing.

Whenever he wears those glasses you two end up having the most mind blowing sex.

Dokyeom remains rooted in his spot as he watches you, his eyes moving over your full frame with a look of appreciation and desire. You flash a grin, "Good evening, professor."

He blinks before smiling, "Good evening, ___. You look absolutely stunning."

"Thought I should dress up to celebrate you." You shrug. "May I come in?" You smile teasingly and he lets you in with a flustered laugh.

"Dinner is cooking in the oven. I will set the table up," he supplies as he helps you to take off your coat once you are inside. "Would you like some wine?''

"Sure," You follow him to the kitchen which has a soft aroma of the chicken roast, making your stomach rumble slightly. One of the many delights of dating Dokyeom has been his exceptional culinary skills. You watch as he pours wine into two glasses before offering you one, "The chicken will be done in ten minutes. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks," you receive the glass from him and stroll around the house, looking at his decoration, in the back of your mind thinking if any one of these plain items hides the key to his other identity. A phone call echos in the kitchen and you realize Dokyeom is getting a call. He accepts it with an apology directed at you before going to the porch to speak.

In the meantime, you sneak into his study. It is not even sneaking in, to be honest, because he has given you full access to every inch of his house and in fact, encouraged you to visit his study and take a look at his little library. You found it odd at first because his transparency shows that he has nothing to hide and as days pass by and you come up with no leads, a sinking feeling has started appearing in your belly. Not to mention that the bug you put underneath his desk has picked up nothing of importance, no conversation or phone call about District 1 or his mafia family.

Maybe you have made a huge mistake. Maybe he is some random innocent guy who just looks like the youngest son of Lee family and has fallen to your prey.

Still, you step inside his study with the hope of finding something new. Like every other time, your fingers comb through the shelves of his library before moving towards his desk, shuffling through the papers carefully to not disturb the arrangement. You also peek beneath the desk to make sure the recorder is still there and active before going through his drawers. It has become a routine check at this point, your fingers moving through his stuff in experienced movements as you hold your breath in anticipation of finding a lead.

It goes futile, of course.

With a defeated sigh you stand up to find Dokyeom standing at the entrance of his study with a completely foreign look on his face.

Shit.

A gasp of surprise and terror leaves your mouth as your eyes meet his and for several moments, a gut-wrenching feeling wreaks havoc within you. You hate how you feel, guilty like a criminal or even worse, a person breaking the trust they were given and getting caught red handed by the person who trusted them the most.

"What are you doing?'' His tone is flat and cold, something you are hearing for the first time. It takes a second for your brain to start functioning properly. "Just looking around, professor. You know I get snoopy sometimes." You tilt your head to the side, giving him a coy smile.

Dokyeom gives no reaction. He takes a few, slow steps towards you, his footsteps matching the beat of your heart as he comes to a stand in front of the table.

Then, his hand reaches below, searching for something beneath the table before coming back up with the bug in his hand.

Ah, fuck.

"What is this?" He asks.

"A bug? Who would do that to you, professor?" You ask innocently.

He keeps staring at you, the look of disappointment growing permanent on his face as you realize you are caught for good.

Fuck it, you had to reveal yourself one way or the other anyway.

With a loud exhale, you ask, "When did you find out?"

"Last week," he replies, tone clipped. "I was baffled when I found it. Nobody visited my place in the last few weeks except you. Stupidly, I told myself it cannot be you so someone must have broken in. I looked through the CCTV footage but I found nothing there was well." He blows out a long breath, shaking his head dejectedly, "I still prayed it wouldn't be you but the reality says otherwise, ___."

Hmm, it does.

"It was me," you announce, plopping down on his chair behind the desk while he watches you unamusedly. "And you are right. Someone did break in. That was me as well." You flash him an evil grin.

Whatever colour that was left on his face drains out as he keeps staring at you, unblinking, for a long period. You return his stare with one of your own, except you are curious to see his next reaction. There is also a feeling of dread somewhere within you but you decide to ignore it.

Dokyeom's palms come to rest on the table as he hangs his head low, remaining motionless. Finally, when he looks up, the look in his eyes has completely changed and his jaw is tight, giving you the first glimpse into the mafia heir that he really is.

You watch as he reaches for the scissors in the stationary holder sitting on his desk, and rounds the table before coming to stand right next to you, holding the tip of the scissors right against your neck as he leans down and hisses. "Should I slit your throat right here or should I hear you out?"

You must admit that you find this look on him very attractive.

You cannot help the grin, "Finally, you are acting like the youngest heir of District 1, professor. I like it."

His eyes widen slightly as the scissors move just a bit away from your skin. "What do you want?"

"To tell you that, I have to tell you a long story." Your smile drips with venom as you stand up and walk over to the sitting area. "Sit down. It's a long story." You say, motioning towards the sofa in front of you. He isn't enthusiastic but he follows your direction, sitting down in front of you, the scissors still in his hand.

You lean back into the cushions throwing one leg over the other as you look him in the eye.

"Once upon a time, six years ago actually, there was a man who used to deal weapons. His general clients were not high profile but one day he got orders from the mafia family of District 1. They had some issues with their regular supplier so they chose that man for a quick supply."

"The man had two daughters. One who was 18 at that time and another who was 16. Their mother passed away a couple of years ago and their father was always busy with either work or gambling so the sisters only had each other. The older sister took very good care of the younger one, making sure she was happy and protected all the time."

"Then one night, the mafia barged through the door, surrounding their house with armed men. The eldest and the youngest son of the Lee family also came. They dragged the father and the older daughter outside on the porch where they killed him with a clean shot in the head. Then they grabbed the older daughter and dragged her into their car, making her disappear forever."

"Meanwhile, the younger daughter watched all this from far away as the father's right hand man told her to remain hidden to save herself. After some digging around, it was found out that District 1 went to war with the Russians and they lost that war while also losing the head of the family, the father of the two brothers, Lee Jihoon and..." you pause before looking him dead in the eye and whispering, "Lee Seokmin."

Thick silence stretches in the air.

Dokyeom keeps looking at you, his fingers intertwined under his chin. "So, all this was a grand plan of yours to what, fool me? Betray me after making a joke out of me?" He asks. making you chuckle.

"You were only the beginning of my plan. I wanted to mess with you, of course, but I thought I would find out about your brother's whereabouts through dating you. I initially had a fun plan that I would show up uninvited in one of his business deals and ruin it, damage his reputation for good. However, that plan failed because I found no information about him or your family from you. You really hide that part of you well, no Professor?"

He remains silent.

"Now that my initial plan has failed, I think I will have to kidnap you, hm? Ask your brother for ransom. He would have no choice but to show up then."

Your words make Dokyeom scoff as he shakes his head, the corners of his lips turned up as if you have said the funniest thing ever. You don't like his reaction.

"You want to see my brother? I will arrange that."

"What?" You must have heard wrong. "What game are you playing now?"

"I'm not playing any game."

"Then why?" You narrow your eyes on him, your hand reaching to your back pocket to pull out the switchblade if necessary.

He looks at you for a long moment before letting out a breath. "I am impressed, that's all. I have to acknowledge your talent, no? Also, you deserve to know the truth." He looks you in the eye. "The real truth. Not some bullshit your father's right hand man made up."

"Don't you fucking tell me what is the truth and what is the lie, you murderer!" You seethe, clenching your fists.

You should just gut him right here.

Once again, he just smiles. "I will text you when he is available for the meeting. However, it will be one on one. If you bring someone else, he will not show up."

"I could still kidnap you."

"You are welcome to try but I guarantee you, that plan is going to fail. You are a smart woman. I'm giving you a good option. Just take it." He stands up.

"Well if you think that I alone am not a threat to your brother then you are mistaken. I can make his blood spill if I want to," You stand up and take a menacing step towards him. "If you find your dear brother dead after the meeting, don't blame me, hm?''

You don't wait for a reply as you turn on your heel and march out of the room. On your way out you find the dinner served on the table, the chicken cut nicely into pieces along with vegetables. Picking up a fork, you stab a few pieces of chicken, shove them into your mouth and then take a sip of the wine.

As always, his food tastes great.

With your coat slung over your shoulder, you pull open the door and yell behind you, "Thanks for the dinner, professor!"

You slam the door loudly behind you.

-

Lee Jihoon agrees to have a meeting with you one day later. Initially, you wanted Changkyun to drive you there but Dokyeom sent a text saying that he would pick you up because outside vehicles are not allowed entry into Jihoon's compound. Reluctantly, you agreed and after an absolute silent drive later, you reach the mansion of the mafia family of District 1.

The compound is stunning and heavily guarded, with checkposts and watch towers set at certain distances as well as multiple security screenings that you have to pass through. Once Dokyeom passes the final gate, the gorgeous mansion comes into view. Just upon entry, there is a large compound surrounding a giant water fountain in the middle of neatly trimmed rows of trees. Dokyeom stops the car at a small parking space near the front yard where the meeting will take place.

As the car comes to a stop you notice a small table and garden chairs set up underneath a large umbrella that is surrounded by multiple guards— the place of your meeting. With a deep breath, you step out of the car, along with Dokyeom who comes out of the driver's side door. Surprising you, he leans against the car with his arms crossed and starts looking around.

"You are not coming?''

"No."

You are perplexed but don't ask any further questions, busy with the task ahead of you. Tilting your head side to side, you pop your neck before marching towards the garden. Spotting you, one of the guards speaks into his comm. Throwing a mock smile at him, you drag a chair out and sit down, waiting for him to arrive. Out of curiosity, you turn your head behind to see Dokyeom in the same spot, staring off into the distance.

Weird.

A maid comes to serve two cups of tea before hurrying away and soon after, the man arrives.

Dressed in full black, Lee Jihoon steps out of the mansion and walks towards you, closely followed by two bodyguards, his body language is relaxed as he pulls out the chair in front of you and sits down. Taking off his shades, he looks at you, his eye contact calm yet unwavering along with something very powerful and dark brimming underneath as you come face to face with the man behind all your misery.

"Good morning, ___. My brother informed me about our interesting past." He speaks, his tone light, his facial expression laced with amusement as if he is catching up with an old friend.

"Then you know why I am here." You cut to the chase, trying to keep your tone as even as possible. Just hearing his voice irks you to your core.

"Remind me again." He hums, wiping his shades with a piece of cloth.

This motherfucking bastard.

"You killed my father! You kidnapped my sister! What—" You inhale deeply. "What did you do to her!" You hiss, unable to keep your voice from raising as your hands form fists, violent rage bubbling within you. There is a knife hidden underneath your bra and you consider pulling it out and stabbing him.

You can be quick but it wouldn't cause enough damage.

Besides, you need to know if your sister is alive.

"I see you are furious and I understand that feeling." Jihoon begins, throwing one leg on top of another as he links his hands together, leaning back to sit comfortably.

You hate how nonchalant he is about all this.

"Since I'm in a good mood today and my younger brother has asked for a favour after a very long time, I'll answer your questions. Let's begin with your father's death, shall we? My family had a deal with your father. He was to provide us with weapons and artilleries for a year because our usual supplier got murdered earlier that year and we chose him as a temporary replacement. In November of that year, a war broke out between us and the Russians. We went to war with those weapons. Guess what happened?"

You remain silent, staring at him in rage.

"The weapons stopped working. The guns would either jam or misfire. Hundreds of my men died and we lost that war. Your father sold us weapons that were crap. They were a batch of second grade weapons that he had lying around." Jihoon pauses for a second before resting his arms on the table and leaning closer to you. "You know why he did that?''

"Because he had gambled away the initial deposit we gave him. That led to an argument with his manufacturer who said the deal would be on hold. He could neither get the weapons nor cancel the deal with us so like a fucking coward, he sold us those shitty weapons."

"You are lying." You hiss.

"I was hoping you would say that. You see, I don't care whether you believe me or not, ___. You asked for the truth and here it is."

Bullshit.

Lee Jihoon is the master of manipulation, there is no way he is being honest right now.

"Then where is my sister? What did you do with her?"

His eyes darken at your words.

"She is alive. That is all you need to know." His tone is clipped.

You are immediately on your feet, the chair scraping backwards by your sudden motion. "Where is she, you fucking son of a bitch!" You bang your fists on the table, ready to jump on him. His bodyguard starts to come to you but Jihoon raises his hand as a signal for him to stand back.

"Sit down, ___." He remains unbothered. "Wherever she is, she is safe and well."

"Like I believe a word that comes out of your mouth! If she is really alive why won't you tell me!" You scream.

"Because your sister told me not to."

The ground slips away from your feet as your heart starts galloping. "What— what you talking about, you fucking liar!"

Jihoon gets up and walks towards you, fixes the chair back in its place and forces you to sit down by grabbing your shoulders.

"Look, ___. I am doing you the favour of explaining everything which I never do for anyone else. You can either act civil and stop calling me names or I have you escorted out right now." He threatens in your ear, his body leaning against the garden table. Your hands form tight fists in your lap as it takes everything within you to hold yourself back from punching him.

He says, "A word of advice for you, don't believe everything you see. Your sister has her demons that she had been hiding for a long time. She had them when we took her and she still has them. When she overcomes all of them, she will come find you."

You are stunned to silence.

"I- I don't believe you. You are making all this up." Your brain is scrambling, trying to fit the pieces together that you seem to have missed.

"Alright then. I'll contact your sister and tell her to write you a letter, maybe even attach some pictures. How about that?"

You remain silent.

Jihoon sighs and sits back down on the chair, before reaching for his phone inside his jacket. Swiping through the device, he finds what he is looking for before turning the screen towards you.

A gasp escapes you as your hands come to cover your mouth. It is a picture of your sister. You recognize her immediately despite the change in her features throughout the years. She sits by a window, a very subtle smile on her lips as she looks at the camera.

You could look at that picture forever but Jihoon takes the phone away, putting it inside his pocket as you blink away the tears from your eyes.

"You are all murderers. You ruined our lives." You whisper, your head hanging low as you stare at the green grass below your feet suddenly overcome with a feeling of helplessness.

Has she really been alive all this time? Has she been well?

"We never said we weren't. Our world abides by some rules and your father was well aware of those rules. His greed got the best of him and in a perfect world, his family wouldn't have suffered for his crime but in our world, that is the rule."

Tears brim in your eyes as you are overwhelmed with distraught.

"Thousands of people in district one had to die for your father's greed. It is only fair that he died. We didn't even make it painful and that is something our men were not blessed with." His tone becomes dark by the end.

"If you still don't believe me, I will mail you some of the investigation reports on that case. But this is as far as I'll entertain you, ___ and this is the last time I wish to see you in my premises unless I call you." Jihoon stands up, putting his hands in his pockets as you keep glaring holes into the ground.

"One final piece of advice, if you aren't serious about my brother, leave him." His words make you look up at him. "Me and Seokmin don't talk to each other anymore but for you, he contacted me after years, leaving behind his pride. He seems to have serious feelings about you. If you don't feel that way about him, leave. You got what you wanted."

Did you? Did you really get what you wanted?

"Goodbye." He puts on his shades and strides out of the garden, his bodyguards trailing after him as you are left alone with your thoughts and the tea which has now gone cold.

You get back into Dokyeom's car in silence. The man does not ask any questions or acknowledge you, mutely starting the car almost as if you are not even here.

You sit still, stuck in a trance as Jihoon's words replay in your mind over and over again. Now, you truly do not know what is the truth and what is the lie as you spiral into a dark pit of hopelessness. Could it truly be that Changkyun and his father lied to you? But why would they do that? Why would Jihoon lie to you either? He has no reason to. He is not afraid of anyone and he has no benefit from lying to you.

Your mind starts to numb from the continuous onslaught of thoughts. When you finally take a break from them and focus on your surroundings, you realize the car has come to a stop. It is parked on a small cliff that overlooks a mountain range far away. Seokmin looks at you expectantly, almost as if he is waiting for you to step out of the car. Without much thought, you do that and he follows you as you both silently tread towards a small bridge nearby. Resting against it, you take in the view for a few minutes, the man next to you doing the same.

"I heard you don't speak to your brother anymore." You decide to speak. It caught you off guard when Jihoon first mentioned it but you have been too preoccupied with other worries to address it. It is making sense to you now as to why you could not find anything at his house.

After a moment, his soft voice floats through the silence. "I used to be really close with my brother. I looked up to him ever since I was a child. In a world as grim as ours, he was a source of hope and a shelter for me." He breathes, his eyes focused ahead, clouded with memories. "It was a given that he was going to be the next don since he was the oldest but he always told me that I'd be a better leader, that I should be prepared to take over if anything were to happen to him. Sometimes, it felt as if he trusted me more than he trusted himself and I didn't want to let him down."

Seokmin comes to a pause as his gaze shifts from staring straight ahead to coming lower and lower, finally stopping at his shoes. With his head hanging low and a dejected posture, he whispers. "Everything changed after that war. Our father died along with so many of our men. The bloodshed was too much for me. I tried to suck it in by telling myself that I will overcome this. I will get used to it but the thing was, I didn't want to. I didn't want to get used to the violence, to the bloodshed, to that life and finally, after killing your father and taking away your sister, I gave up."

There is a heavy pause in the air. Your breath is trapped in your lungs as you watch him, waiting eagerly for his next words, urging him to continue while failing to find your voice.

"That night, I told hyung I was going to leave. I was going to denounce everything. My title, my inheritance, everything. My final gesture of loyalty and love for him was to aid him in killing the man that caused all the mess but my brother...He was...livid. He punched me, yelled at me and finally begged me not to leave. When I still said no he looked at me for a long moment." His breath shudders as he pauses shortly.

"I remember it so vividly. His face went completely blank as he ordered his men to escort me out, not even saying goodbye or looking back. That night I left and I never saw him again until...today. To the members of District 1, it was like the Lee family expanding their territory by having me step into the world of art under a new name. You also thought the same but now, you know the truth."

His eyes finally move as he shifts his position, leaning against the edge of the rail to look at you.

"Our world isn't fair, ___ and you cannot judge our actions based on the laws of the normal world. I do not like bloodshed or violence but I've realised that sometimes it is necessary to keep the balance. Killing your father was such a moment and—" he pauses, his brows furrowing as he looks at you desperately, almost like he's in pain as he searches for the right words.

"I do not regret it. I regret a lot of things but do not regret his death. I'm sorry that you lost your father and I'm sorry that you had a tough life. More than anything else, I'm sorry that you harboured all these negative feelings inside you only to realise that the truth was something else entirely. I'm sorry it had to be like this, ___."

You swallow, blinking to hold back tears. His eyes shine, mirroring yours as you both stare at each other in silence. You want to scream, yell at the top of your lungs that he is lying but you know that if you open your mouth, only sobs will come out. So you opt for watching Seokmin in silence as a gust of cool breeze flows by, messing your hair while you pray that it takes away your despair along with it.

"I'm going to leave you alone now. I'm sure you need some time to process everything. I just wanted to say my part." He whispers, slowly taking steps away. He pauses for a beat on his way to see if you say anything but you keep staring at the sky as if hypnotised. As his footsteps get farther away and the car's engine roars to life, your tears fall, cascading down your cheeks in endless streams.

-

Sleep doesn't come easily to you that night. With the rise of the sun, you get some shut eye before waking up and lying in your bed for hours, sinking deep into the hollow in your chest that feels like it's devouring you whole. Beside you, your phone rings multiple times with Changkyun's calls but you ignore them, not prepared to face him, not prepared to confront your best friend that he has been lying to you. When the growls of your stomach finally grow too loud for you to tolerate, you get up to eat something.

Inside your large house, you float around like a ghost, the emptiness and coldness of the structure mirroring how you feel on the inside. Your brain is too broken to think yet thoughts overflow, numbing you.

As you eat some cereal you finally decide to check your phone and you see Changkyun's message.

I dropped by your house this morning. You didn't open and you are not picking up.

Come to the seaport when you see this. We need to talk.

Your first reaction is to put your phone face down, ignoring the text. But as time ticks by and you see the afternoon sun going lower and lower in the sky, you change your mind. You need to talk to him. You deserve to know the truth from his mouth. Besides, the sooner you get this over with the better.

Maybe it's finally time to retire to a city by the beach, you think to yourself as you drive to the seaport.

-

The wind is high and the sun is about to disappear beneath the horizon when you reach the port. Parking your car, you walk along the edge of the platform, letting the cold her blow into your face as you watch the ships nearby get loaded with containers. As you stop to watch the sunset, you soon hear footsteps behind you and years of familiarity let you know it's Changkyun.

Sure enough, a few seconds later he comes to stand next to you.

"I have been trying to reach you all morning."

"Hm."

Your response probably comes unexpected to him as he shifts his position, turning to look at you, eyes intensely boring into you.

A gust of a particularly strong wind flows, disrupting your hair, covering your face with a few strands, almost as if shielding you from his scrutiny.

"Well?" He prods. You remain silent, staring ahead, racking your brain for the right words to start this conversation.

"___, what did that murderer say?" He asks again, his pitch rising.

"Not what I expected to hear." You give in with a sigh, turning your head to look at him in the eye. Changkyun's eyes widen just a fraction, a look of alarm settling on his face.

"I think we were not completely innocent, either." There's a coldness in your voice but he misses it, hissing. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

You tell him how the meeting with Jihoon went before posing the million dollar question. "Is that really the truth, Changkyun?"

With every word leaving your lips, you see his expression change, going from disbelief to betrayal to anger and then, to guilt.

A silence falls as you wait and watch him, holding your breath as his head hangs low, his hair covering his face as he stares at the ground. The remnants of your hope fade away with every passing second.

"Tell me the truth, Kyun! Did my father really gamble away the money?" Your voice is a desperate plea.

"So what if he did!" He scowls at you.

Your whole body freezes as your fears get confirmed. It takes a good moment for you to speak. "Why did you and your father lie to me? You said he was completely innocent, that he did nothing wrong yet got murdered by Ji—"

"For revenge! I lied so that we could take revenge!"

"Revenge for what!" You cry, frustrated. "You and I know very well what the rules are in this world. You would not spare me either if I did to you what my father did!"

"They took your sister, ___. God knows what they did—"

"She's alive." You whisper.

Changkyun's eyes widen, his mouth opening to say something yet failing to do so. He brushes a frustrated hand through his hair, exhaling loudly as he processes the information.

"What is the plan now?" He asks, his voice muted, looking at the ground.

"What do you mean what's the plan!" You cry. "Did you not hear me? There is no plan, Kyun. This is as far as I can go!"

"You do not mean that, ___!" His voice booms, eyes wide with rage. "They killed your father, ruined his empire, ruined every one of our fucking lives! They have your sister locked away for fucks sake!"

You say the words you never thought you would. "My father did not have an empire. What he had was a gambling addiction and a business built on a house of cards." Your voice grows meek, eyes shining with tears of pain and exhaustion. "As for my sister," you take in a deep breath. "Jihoon said he would make her write me a letter. He said she has reasons for hiding but she is safe. I have decided to trust his words for now."

"You—" Changkyun looks at you, baffled. "You are a fucking coward, ___! What about the work we put on all these years? What about us? What about my father? Who's going to avenge him!"

You sigh, rubbing your forehead. Blinking back tears, you try to compose yourself by taking in a deep breath. "I had a harsh wake up call that made me realize that all these years you were lying to me and using me to quench your bloodthirst. Who's going to avenge your father? Maybe you, if you are crazy but not me. His addiction led him astray and he committed suicide. What is there to avenge?"

"___! He ended up like that because the Lees killed your father and ruined our business!" He's like a madman as he steps closer to you, yelling. You yell back, "Just stop it, Changkyun! What do you want me to do, huh? March into Jihoon's house and start firing? Do you know the levels of security that place has? Whatever men we have, he has ten times more and I do not want my team to walk into a suicide mission without any cause. And most importantly, I will not jeopardise the safety of my sister! Jihoon knows her whereabouts and I need him if I want to see my sister again!"

"You... you—" Changkyun has turned red with fury as his words fail him.

You do not like how this conversation is going and your exhaustion makes you take a step back.

"We were carrying their sins with us but I have realised, we don't need to. Our parents...they made their decisions and paid the price for it. Let it end with them, please. I don't want to drag this any more. I am tired, Kyun." You whisper, praying the words to reach him.

Years of hunting and planning the destruction of one man has left you tired to your bones along with a general disdain for the world you have been living in. You were alone all along, chasing a ghost.

It is time to stop.

"No. You are not tired. You are a coward. A brainwashed coward." Changkyun sneers, venom dripping from his eyes.

"If that's what you would like to believe, then so be it." You conclude, not finding the energy to argue with him anymore. Your indifference irks him as he scowls at you, his hands clenched into fists.

You announce. "I am going to retire. You can take over from here on but I suggest you look into doing something new. Our business—"

"Don't you fucking dare give me advice!" His voice booms as he charges towards you. In the blink of an eye, he grabs you by the collars, livid. "Don't utter a single fucking word, you traitor! You fucking liar! You got some dick and decided to switch sides huh!" He seethes, gripping your collars tight and violently shaking you. The headache you already had intensifies but that isn't the thing that's hurting you.

His words hurt. Despite his lies, you considered him your best friend for the past six years. And maybe it's the attachment or the nostalgia of all these years that prevents you from fighting back.

You are done.

You have done enough fighting for a lifetime.

Mean words roll off Changkyun's tongue as he pushes you to the ground in a fit of rage, throwing his legs over your torso as he wraps his arms around your neck.

The next moment there is a click of a gun and you manage to peek over Changkyun's shoulder to find Seokmin standing behind him, pointing a revolver at the back of his head.

Your breath catches in your throat.

What the hell is he doing here?

Changkyun's grip on your throat loosens when he feels the presence behind him as he attempts to turn around. However, Seokmin presses the nozzle of the gun harder into his head, hissing. "Let her go. Now."

"Changkyun, please. Stop." You whisper, finally finding your voice. You do not like the look in Seokmin's eyes, something you've never seen before, something lethal and untamed and paired with the gun in his hand, you do not trust what he might do.

"Speak of the devil." Changkyun scoffs, looking at you, still holding a steady grip on your neck. "The boyfriend is here to save the day."

"Let. Her. Go." Seokmin repeats.

Changkyun looks torn, fury blazing in his eyes while also being aware of the gun being pointed at his head. With a frustrated grunt, he loosens his grip on your throat and you use that fraction of a second to tackle him by grabbing his arms and pinning him to the ground as you come on top. "Stop it, Kyun." Your plea is a whisper that is met with eyes full of wrath.

The next second Seokmin abruptly tugs you behind by your arm as he takes a step forward, becoming a barrier between you and Changkyun. The gun is still in his hand, pointing towards your friend.

"Seokmin put the gun down. It's fine." You try to step forward and pry the weapon out of his hand but he doesn't let you, holding you behind protectively with an arm outstretched.

"You may trust him, but I don't," Seokmin replies, eyes fiercely trained on Changkyun who has sat up. His eyes are equally furious with an underlying hint of challenge, as if he's daring Seokmin to shoot.

And he just might.

"For fucks sake, both of you! Enough!" You holler, clutching onto Seokmin to drag him further away from Changkyun who slowly stands up and brushes the dust off of him before looking at you with a deathly stare. Seokmin's grip on your arm tightens, the gun still in his hand but not pointed at him now.

You can almost physically feel the air thicken with tension.

"Don't try to contact me, ___. If I see your face ever again, there will be a bullet hole between your eyes." Changkyun grits out, sparing one last look of scorn at you before marching away.

With the kaleidoscope of colours of the dusk sky, you watch your best friend of years walk away, experiencing heartbreak and a weird relief at the same time.

Silence settles with the sun dipping below the horizon. Seokmin let's go of you, putting some distance between your bodies. Your eyes meet his as you exchange a silent look full of turbulent emotions.

Emotions you can't quite name yet feel overwhelmed with.

"How did you find me?" Your soft inquiry breaks the silence. He removes his gaze from you and looks at the ground. "Went to your place this afternoon. As I was pulling up I saw your car leave and I just...followed you."

"Why?"

"I... don't know. My gut told me I should." He replies calmly.

You sigh as another beat of silence fills the air. The sky is now fully dark, spread wide with different shades of purple. The wind has gotten significantly colder and you feel like if you stay out too long, it will settle into your bones.

Like the echoing coldness in your heart.

"You should not have interrupted. I was dealing with him."

Seokmin frowns. "Dealing with him? By lying still and letting him choke you?"

"Like I said—"

"Forget that,'' Seokmin interrupts you with a huff. "I went to your place because I had to tell you something." You look at him inquisitively as he fishes out something from the breast pocket of his trench coat.

Extending his hand towards yours, he pushes something into your palm.

A ticket.

"What is this?" You find yourself asking.

"Remember how you said you wanted to go to a place by the sea." He begins, his voice soft like his gaze. "Well, this is it. Now that everything is over, you can go and live by the beach. This cruise leaves tomorrow afternoon. It'll take a few days to reach Barcelona."

You look at the little piece of paper in your hand, letting his words wash over you.

"Think of this as an apology for everything. For what me and my family put you through." He adds when you don't reply.

"I see." Your voice is almost inaudible.

Seokmin says nothing for a few moments, as if waiting for you to speak but when you don't, he continues. "I am going as well. To Barcelona, I mean."

You move his gaze to him and blink inquisitively.

"I felt like taking a break after everything. I haven't been on a vacation for a very long time. I, too, wanted to see the ocean. When I got tickets, I thought I'd get one for you. We don't have to go together or see each other if you decide to go, that is..." He trails off.

You gaze at him for a while, memorising his features. Swallowing a sudden lump in your throat, you force a smile and give him a shaky nod.

"Well, then. I'll get going." He takes a few steps back, rubbing his palms together.

"Bye."

"If you don't come tomorrow, this is goodbye, no?" He asks as he continues to take small steps away from you, still facing you.

"I guess so." You reply. He stops and takes a long look at you before saying. "It was really nice knowing you, ___. Despite our history, despite the short time, I don't regret meeting you and... loving you." The last two words fade into a whisper, making you doubt if he even said them.

You don't get a chance to reply. You don't even get a chance to wholly process his words before he gives a wave, a small smile on his face before jogging away.

You stay rooted to your spot.

I don't regret meeting you and loving you.

-

The sun is shining stronger than any other afternoon when you step out of the taxi with nothing but a small bag pack on your shoulders. Receiving the boarding pass, you walk into the deck which is now empty because the ship is set to leave in just five minutes.

It is not fully empty, however, because one person stands, looking anxious, his eyes skirting around wildly.

When his eyes land on you, a smile of relief seems to appear on his face, triggering the corners of your lips to rise slightly as well. In silence, you walk to him.

"You came." His voice sounds glad but also as if he is trying to school his excitement.

"Did not want to waste a free ticket." You shrug, looking away.

Seokmin nods. "Right. Well, you are just on time."

"I know." There's a pause for a second as he looks like he wants to say something. A staff gives out the final boarding call which makes you continue your way into the cruise, followed by Seokmin.

Once you are boarded, you walk towards the front of the vessel, glad that it is not too crowded. The whistle of the cruise booming in the air signals the start of its journey as the sunlight and the warm breeze kiss your face.

"I'm glad you decided to come," Seokmin says, making you turn around to look at him. In the soft glow of the sun and the wind playing with his hair, he looks breathtaking.

After a moment, you whisper. "Me too."

Giving you a nod and a friendly smile, he walks away with his suitcase into the upper deck and out of sight while you stand and watch him go, the sun warming your skin.

-

1 month later

The evening air has a slight chill, not uncomfortable but just pleasant. You walk barefoot on the sand, hands crossed over your chest as your feet carry you down the edge of the ocean with practised ease. Around you, people enjoy the beach after a hectic day, children playing around laughing, parents taking videos, friends flying kites, couples walking hand in hand. The sound of the waves crashing to the shore along with the remnants of orange hues in the sky sets up a wonderful atmosphere, which, after almost a month, you have become used to but certainly not bored of.

You have never felt so much at peace.

This getaway was truly what you needed as you learned to spend time by yourself, alone with your thoughts, isolated from the world yet watching it pass by. It has been a palliative experience so far. You came to terms with your life, your past, your actions and your feelings for a certain individual.

Just one day into your getaway, a letter was brought to your room by a hotel staff and upon opening it, you realised Jihoon kept his promise.

It was a handwritten letter from your sister, along with a picture of her, sitting next to a large painting that she created. She looks different, not how you remember her, a different glow on her face that you did not remember because she was almost always melancholic.

You now feel a little guilty because you never asked her why.

Dear ____.

It has been a long while, no? I am sorry for being out of touch. It is unforgivable, I know but I finally found the courage to write to you after you came to visit Jihoon. When we were first separated something was chasing me that made me want to run away from everything. I put off connecting to you for your own good when I heard you were living with Changkyun and his father and just like that, years had passed. I occasionally looked into your whereabouts and I knew you were doing fine but I never found it in me to get rid of the guilt and just write to you.

I tried hard not to show it but life was not so kind to me before the last six years and getting taken away from our dad was probably the best thing for me.

It is a story for another day and there are still demons that I need to defeat. After that I will come to see you and ask for forgiveness. Until then, live well and rest easy knowing that I have been doing better for the past few years.

Your sister.

Reading the letter was bittersweet, the first emotion invoked within you was hurt and longing as you shed a few tears seeing your sister's picture, mused about the old days and wondered what she went through all by herself.

Initially, you had thought of writing back a reply but you decided against it because the words you wish to utter can not be confined within a paper. Instead, you sent out a prayer to the universe, hoping you would get to meet her sometime soon.

From a distance, someone calls out your name, calling your attention back to the present and you turn instinctively to find Seokmin jogging towards you through the sand, two cones of ice creams in his hands. A smile appears on your lips as you take a few steps towards him, reaching your arms out. Wrapping him in a soft hug, you plant a sweet kiss on his lips before taking an ice cream from his hand and reaching for the other as well.

"Both of these are for me right?"

The poor man looks conflicted. "Well, uhm, no but if you want you can have them."

You snort a burst of laughter. "You can have it, Min. Maybe save a bite for me."

Hand in hand, you two walk a little closer to the shore and sit down, letting the flow of the waves occasionally touch your feet.

Your relationship with Seokmin developed surprisingly but quickly after coming to Barcelona. Initially, you did not expect anything, too overridden with the guilt of your tricks and the history of your families to make any attempt to talk to him. Two weeks went by as you did not see each other, except for occasionally bumping into each other at the beach or the hotel lobby because as fate would have it, you two shared the same hotel. It was hard and uncomfortable, pretending not to see him when you ran into him and it would make you wonder if he felt the same.

It all changed one night when you were returning to the hotel after dinner and some drinks. Tipsy and wobbly, you focused extra hard to not bump into anyone as you made your way into the lobby of the hotel.

And there you bumped into him, quite literally.

"Hey there, easy," The man's hands hold your shoulders to stop you from falling on your ass. You look up and find Seokmin. Thinking that you are seeing things, you blink two more times before coming to terms with the fact that it was indeed Seokmin in front of you.

"Someone had a lot to drink," He says as you try to regain your balance. "Can you go to your room by yourself? Should I come with you?"

With a huff, you push him away, trying to appear independent as you take wobbly steps. Seokmin decides to escort you, as he follows closely behind all the way, one hand outstretched, ready to catch you in case you fall.

When you reach your room, Seokmin assists you in unlocking the door. Once the job is done successfully, you pause in the entryway to look back at him. He stands there, somewhat awkward and you consider whether to shut the door on his face or ask him to come in. Neither of them sounds like a good idea but still, you kick the door to open it a little wider and murmur as you walk in, "Come in, if you want."

You don't look behind as you head for the small fridge to retrieve a water bottle and chug it down. Seokmin steps in, a bit hesitant, closing the door behind him. You take a seat on the edge of your bed as Seokmin gingerly sits down on the couch placed in front.

A small moment of silence passes by as you two observe each other. He is dressed in running gear and judging from the pristine condition of his hair, you assume that he was on his way for a late night jog.

"We keep bumping into each other," Seokmin tries to break the silence. You nod, "Must be fate." You are not quite sure if you said those words genuinely or sarcastically. Seokmin does not reply, probably thinking that you are being sarcastic.

You find yourself asking, "How have you been?"

"Good."

"How long do you plan to stay here?"

"A couple more weeks maybe."

"Are you having fun?''

"Yes."

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

He takes a moment before replying, "Not really. I'm more worried if I am making you uncomfortable."

"Hm," you hum and with that, the conversation dies down. You have a lot to say on your mind but your mind is not in its top condition right now as you have had a few drinks, which makes it a bit harder to arrange your thoughts and address them accordingly.

"I should get going, I suppose," Seokmin says, rubbing his palms on his thighs.

"Wait," the words slip out of your mouth in urgency and you are not even sure why you are telling him so.

The man blinks at you.

"I—" You don't know what you wish to say. "I guess I just wanted to say...I'm sorry."

Seokmin appears a little surprised hearing you say that as he sits up straighter. You huff out a long breath, looking down at the empty water bottle in your hand. "What I'm trying to say is that...I am sorry that I played with your feelings. I- I am sorry for using you. You are a nice person, professor."

You calling him by his old title makes him smile as he says. "I just realized I missed you calling me by that name."

"Professor?"

"Yes, ___?"

A small smile appears on your face as well as you bite your lip to stifle it.

"___?" Seokmin's soft voice makes you look at him. He looks unsure but also hopeful. "Hypothetically, if I told you that I still miss you and that I still long for you, what would you say?"

"Your breath stalls as you watch him, wide eyed. There is a sudden lump in your throat that makes it impossible for you to speak. You are scared you might start crying if you do so. Still, you breathe, "Hypothetically, I would say that I feel the same too.''

"And would it be a lie this time, my beautiful liar?"

You swallow as you watch him take slow steps towards you. When he stands right in front of you, his hands gently cup your cheeks, carefully tilting your head upwards so that you can meet his eyes. They shine with emotions unsaid, just like yours and the look on his face makes your heart soar, makes you forget everything, makes you want to be selfish.

"No," you whisper.

You get to see the slightest tilt of his lips to a smile as he leans down and presses his lips to yours, softly at first before you eagerly chase his lips and he reciprocates, moving the hair away from your face and holding your neck with one hand and stroking your cheek with the other.

The kiss is full of passion but also slow and sweet, an addictive combination that tells you that you are done for. With another kiss on your forehead, Seokmin lets go, stepping away from you.

"Will I see you tomorrow morning or will you declare this as a drunk mistake and start hiding from me?" He asks cheekily.

You can't help a smile. "I will expect you to pick me up at 9 am sharp. We will have breakfast together."

You will take it slow this time.

"Whatever you wish," He flashes his beautiful smile, heading for the door. As he is about to close it behind him, he turns his head around. "Goodnight, ___. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Seokmin."

-

Fast forward a couple of weeks later, you two moved out of the hotel and instead rented a small villa near the coast for an indefinite amount of time. You have no plans of going back home but you know that Seokmin's nature of work will require him to leave sometimes which you are fine with.

"So, I got an invitation to a seminar in London." Seokmins words jolt you out of the thoughts running in your head. "I don't think they are going to accept a no." He adds sadly.

"You don't have to say no." You reply. "Just go and attend it. Share your expertise with the world."

"Mhmm," he hums, looking at you in a contemplating gaze. "Would you consider coming with me?"

You blink. "Well..."

"It's a one-day seminar. We can stay a couple of days more and look around the city. It would be fun, I think."

You consider his words. It would be fun, actually.

You have no reason to hold yourself back from having new experiences now. You have punished yourself enough.

"It's a good idea." You reply with a soft smile that makes your boyfriend grin as he puts his arm around your shoulder, gently pulling your body closer to him. You let your head fall on his shoulder as you watch the sky grow dark.

No more lies now, it's just peace.

Your story that began with lies painted in red will end in red too, but this time the red will paint love.

A/N: Thanks for reading it till the end! I would like to apologize for the delay as this was supposed to be posted two weeks earlier but yk, life happened. The other two stories of this series are in the making but the next story will not be out before May. Also, I am planning on making a standalone for Jihoon's story which will not exactly be a part of this series but it's in the same timeline. It will be posted after all the stories of this series are completed. Anyways, stay safe and toodles!

Also, please leave a comment and reblog! It really motivates me to create more!

© startlightxsvt 2024 | All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, repost, translate, adapt, or repurpose any of my works.

[iloveyouemanuelmarco]

I don't understand how Vivziepop still has a fanbase anymore that unironically still supports her after all the scenarios of controversy where she brushes it off as petty internet drama from "petty envious antis" atleast before she runs off into her crowd of chronically online and discourse obsessed problematic adults on any social media platform(Mostly Twitter to be specific but still)who are just a group of yes-men for her to use to attack not even only children on the interwebs who just happen to be uncomfortable with the fandom she's cultivated over her career of a wannabe artist and animator, but other adults too who by the way are somewhat consisting of survivors of abuse, rape, are LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, neurodivergent/disabled and possibly more. It honestly makes me sad as it does angry because the concept of the show isn't that crazily impossible in my opinion atleast and it could of had so much potential to do way better if not only the obvious subject matters were treated with much more care in an attempt to rework the scripts but also if Viv didn't do half of the stuff she did just a bad person in general. Like...is that really the best you can do for your fanbase???You cannot be not-joking atleast a little bit when you're telling me that apparently not only are children not being stopped from engaging with an 18+ rated show(even though the amount of vulgar language is done so poorly that it could pass of as your average failed Newgrounds animation), but that they're literally being encouraged to interact with the fandom???Are you out of your mind???Don't even get me started on the other stuff that you all probably already know about such as the blatant mockery of S.A., abusive relationship dynamics, hypersexuality in victims of said scenarios that happen irl, having other such "jokes" including some sort of rapey scene at all and having someone who actively and openly supports "non-con" fiction???!!!! What is wrong with you people??And apparently I have to share the home of the beautiful planet Earth with these idiots choosing to have the cognitive dissonance and brain function of an almost-empty and dusty old peanut...Along with the fact that the woman herself treats her animators at Spindlehorse Productions(her studio I suppose)like utter dog-dung, she has proven to drag anyone who defies her problematic and dare I say dangerous behavior through the mud and gets away with it all because of her stans/fans making her the "face of independent animation/indie animators". I honestly feel so awful for those who may have genuinely looked up to her at one point, atleast not knowing how much of a horrible person she was behind the scenes of the computer screen but its whatever anyways I guess. If any aspiring makers of cartoons or comics(LGBTQIA+/BIPOC/Disabled preferred) would like to promote the stuff they male down below in my comments section than feel free☆. It's the least anyone can do under the storm that's being made and has happened for such a long time ughh. The project should have been attempted a little more to be prevented from the confines of those echo-chambery and gross parts of fandom-centric social media communities and It's so discouraging how long this has been going on too, but hey. She's the lady that unironically made a literal pedo character that she attempted to present as a villain while just having the original character end up as a sort of "cool af bad-girl aesthetic uwu" character. Oh my fucking God please stop at once I swear to the highest Heavens and the deepest, most darkest depths of Hell(Ironic).

[juanarc-thethird]

If interested please DM him

Nora: How was your Valentine's Day?

Jaune: Um... Normal.

Nora: You didn't ask a girl out?

Jaune: No...

Nora: Why not?

Jaune: Because no one is interested in me?

Nora: What?! How is that possible?!

Jaune: Trust me, it is possible.

Nora: Not on my watch! *Leaves*

Jaune: Hey! Where are you going?! *Sighs* Whatever, it's not my problem.

The next day....

Jaune: *Reading a book*

*Ting!*

Jaune: Huh? *Checks his phone* An unknown message?

*Ting!* *Ting!* *Ting!*

Jaune: More?

*Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!*

Jaune: What the?

*TING!TING!TING!TING!TING!TING!TING!TING!TING!TING!TING!TING!*

Jaune: WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!!

Momentas later

JNPR's Room

Nora: *Playing games on her phone while lying in bed*

Jaune: *Shows up* *Angry* What did you do?!

Nora: Do what?

Jaune: You know very well what I mean. What did you do?!

Nora: I seriously don't know what you're talking about.

Jaune: I'm talking about this!

Jaune shows his phone, still being bombarded by messages from unknown numbers.

Jaune: Why do I have a bunch of strangers asking me on a date?!

Nora: *Excited* Really?! That means that my post worked!

Jaune: *Confuse* What post?

Nora: This one!

She selects something on her phone and shows it to Jaune.

"Do you want a Man that has abs? Do you want a man that can cook? Do you want a man that is literally the dream house husband?! Well look no further.

Jaune Arc, the only son of the Arc Family.

Let's talk about features: - Power: No - Money: No - A car: No - Great confidence: Nope... but he has a humongous dick that makes up for everything else.

Let me tell you a story. One day I entered the bathroom without checking to see if anyone was there using it. And when I did it, he poked my eye. "With what?" you might ask. I think we both already know answer to that.

You can present him to your parents, to your sibling who never stops bothering you that you are single and alone, to your weird creepy uncles, to your gossiping fat aunts, to your racist grandmother who no one dares to tell her to stop saying rude things, because for some reason everyone is afraid of her. And I can assure you that all of them will change their ways when they see what a good boy this man is. God damn it! Everyone will want to protect this golden retriever of a person!

Good boy Approved!!

Things this man is old enough to do: - Vote: Yes - Consent to Sex: Yes - Becoming Huntsmen: HE IS ALREADY A HUNTSMEN!

This man has history. He's seen some shit. He has done "things" for his friends. He has killed for his friends. He will not judge you like other people.

Interesting facts: - He is a good boy on the outside, but he is a beast on the inside~ *Wink* *Wink* - He is an Arc, so he is designed for breeding. - He holds the record for most boxes of cereal consumed in one day!

What more can you ask for?!

Look...

Let's face the facts. He may not be the most beautiful person in the world, but you aren't either (I mean that's why you're still single). So stop lying to yourself and stop lying to your mom about that "guy" you met at the supermarket. (We both know that's a lie). He may be too good for you, but he's really desperate. So send him a message and try your luck.

Jaune Arc 206-XXX-XXXX"

Nora: What do you think? Very cool, right?

Jaune:...

Jaune: Am I a joke to you?

[togrowoldinv]

Tattoos

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Natasha invites you to a pool party and you see more of her body than you ever have

Note: I am a simp for Scarlett’s tattoos so this is definitely inspired by her. Enjoy!

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 1, Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 2, Main Masterlist

You’ve been dating Natasha for a few months now, so it felt only natural for her to invite you to little Morgan Stark’s birthday party.

You picked out a gift for the girl together and Natasha promised to pick you up on her motorcycle.

She shows up right on time and walks up to your door. She knocks a few times and you open the door.

“Hey there,” Natasha says when she sees you. She steps forward and kisses your cheek.

“You’re wearing-“

“It’s a pool party,” she explains her summer attire. Shorts and a tshirt. You’ve not seen her in this clothing before.

“Oh shit. I guess I might need to grab a swimsuit,” you say. She nods. You step back and gesture for her to come in.

“I have mine on, so yes you should get one too,” she says. You freeze for a second thinking of her in a swimsuit. “We have about five minutes.”

She pulls you out of your trance and you go to your dresser to find a bathing suit. You put in on under your shirt and change into some shorts as well.

Natasha is waiting patiently when you emerge from your room.

“Ready?” She asks.

“Definitely.”

She places her hand on the small of your back and leads you to her motorcycle. Like always, she slips a helmet onto your head and gives you a soft kiss when she buckles it tight.

The ride to Tony’s goes quickly and the sun is beating down on you as you approach the party. You’ll definitely have to get in the pool to cool down.

You greet everyone and drop the present off at the gift table. You’ve met the team before, but only briefly. Wanda quickly became a friend though, so you find her when Nat goes inside to ask Pepper if she needs any help.

“Hey y/n!” Wanda greets you with a hug.

“It’s so good to see you again, Wanda!”

“You too. How are things with Natasha?” She asks.

You catch sight of the redhead emerging from the house and you smile at her.

“Pretty perfect. She’s so beautiful and kind,” you say.

Wanda grins at your answer. She knows Natasha is completely enamored by you.

Nat makes her way over to you two and hands you a drink. She shares a light conversation with Wanda.

“I think it’s getting hot enough to swim. What do you think, detka?” She asks you.

“Oh, yeah I think so,” you reply.

She sits her drink down and you anxiously await what kind of bathing suit she might be wearing underneath. She slips off her shorts first and you realize just how toned her legs are. The bikini bottoms don’t leave much to imagination.

Wanda chuckles when you don’t even notice her poking your arm to try and bring you back to reality.

But then Natasha takes her shirt off. You figured you’d notice her breasts first, but instead your eyes are drawn to the tattoo she has right on her ribcage. It looks like an owl with its wings spread wide.

“That’s better already,” Natasha says, turning to you with a smile. She notices your eyes on her tattoo. “I didn’t tell you I had them?” She asks it as a question but she knows the answer.

“Hm? Oh- no,” you say.

“Right. Well I do,” she says. She smirks and starts walking towards the water. It’s then that you notice her back tattoos.

Your knees buckle and Wanda holds your arm up.

“You’re down so bad,” she jokes.

“Did you know she had those?”

“I did, yeah. Only from training.”

“Wow,” you remark. Your eyes are trained on Natasha. She’s playing in the water with Clint’s kids.

You watch on for a while before she’s dragging you into the water with her.

“Come on, baby. It’ll be fun,” she says. She leans on the edge of the pool as she reaches for your hand.

You let her grab it and pull you into the water. You kiss her cheek once you come back to the surface.

“I have a feeling you like my tattoos,” Natasha says.

“I do. They’re really hot,” you say honestly. She chuckles and pushes you into the pool edge behind you. Her knee threatens to touch not so innocent places.

“I’m glad you think so. I was waiting for you to find out about them. I wanted it to be during sex, but-“

“I can pretend I didn’t see,” you say.

“Cute.” She kisses your lips ever so quickly. It leaves you hungry for more. “I don’t think anyone will notice if we disappear,” she whispers in your ear. Your eyes widen and she smirks.

If anyone notices you two, they don’t say anything as you make your way into the house.

Now you’ve seen everywhere on Natasha’s body and you want to do it again and again. Thank goodness for her tattoos and a sunny day.

[zwhoreo]

A fic of Luffy and Reader first meeting please 😍🙏 ( I love how you write Luffy)

tysm !!! <33 this turned out so cute i think

meeting him - luffy x gn!reader

fluff

summary: while watching the ocean on your front steps one evening, you meet a boy named monkey d. luffy. he tells you about his life as a pirate, and teaches you how to skip rocks in the sea

words: 1.6k

________________________

Evening is just around the corner but the sky is still high enough over those clouds on the horizon that there’s warmth on your skin, golden and marinated. You’re sitting on the stone steps of your front garden and watching the waves crash on the white sand in the distance, because it’s warm enough that it’s still worth it to be here, letting the breeze weave your fingers.

Not many people are around at this time of night, the world is peaceful and still, but that’s why your head turns, in curiosity and focus, at the sound of wooden sandals on the sidewalk ahead, a heavy thwacking of aimless stumbling, the horizon bends with a silhouette of a boy walking down the cobble path and looking ahead, dazed, smiling over nothing.

You lock eyes. Large, brown, thoughtless and friendly eyes. You’re captivated and for some reason your heart folds in on itself in a way you can’t quite explain. His features are delicate, oddly beautiful in an unlikely sort of way, a hazel tan and greasy black hair blowing gently in the wind beneath an old, frayed straw hat. He looks like he’s been out at sea for a very long time, but although weathered he’s incredibly youthful, an older teenager, you think. He’s dressed like a pirate, you know this look well, they come into taverns drunk on cheap rum and leer at the young girls, picking fights, you didn’t think there were many good pirates left these days but something about this boy is so profoundly different. He’s not like anyone you’ve ever seen before, in some way you can’t place.

You watch him, keenly interested now, chin resting on your hands. Maybe this is why he comes up to you, crouching so close in front of you, no shyness present in his face. There’s an old scar under his left eye, tight and pale with age.

“Hiya!” His voice is raspy and loud. “You seen my crew anywhere?”

“Your crew? Mm, I don’t know. I haven’t seen anyone come by here for a while.” You find yourself talking differently than usual, not like you normally do with strangers, it’s something in your voice, your annunciation, that catches you off guard.

“Aw, really? There’s a lady with orange hair and this guy and he’s got green hair and three swords and-” He stops in the middle of a frustrated gesticulation when he sees your blank eyes. “Mm. Ok, I’ll go look in town.”

And just like that he gets up to leave. You’re saddened, but you find your words catching in your throat. Don’t leave.

But he pauses a few paces away, turning back after a brief consideration. “Hey, ya got any food? I’m real hungry.”

You look up, breath hitching. Yes, yes, this is something you can do. “Oh, yeah, I just baked some bread, actually. I’ll go get it if you wanna wait here.”

“Ooh! Sounds good. Hey, thanks!” he calls to you warmly, turning back, trotting to your front steps as you go inside.

The bread basket has been cooling on the windowsill, the crust is golden and steam wafts through the room and wets your hands as you pick it up to bring it to him. But when you come outside again he isn’t on your steps, or in your garden, you look around to find him but he isn’t anywhere, not until you step into the road and look over the rock embankment.

There’s the boy, he’s sitting in the white sand and playing with rocks, stacking them in lopsided towers with great intent. You smile when you see him. He isn’t gone. So you climb onto the beach and come to him, he grins casually, like you had been there all along, and his eyes light up when you set the bread in front of him.

“Ahh! This looks soo good!” Before his words are finished he’s already eating messily, he doesn’t care about the sand on his hands, he’s so focused.

You sit by him. You lean in, admiring his face, finally speaking, “I’m [name], by the way.”

“I’m Monkey D. Luffy!” he proclaims with enthusiasm, still not looking up. “It’s good to meet ya!” And he goes back to eating, as if this simple greeting has made you best friends and now everything is solved, but that name is familiar somehow and you like him so much already and you need to know more.

“Are you a pirate?” you ask with a tilted head.

“Mhm!” Luffy says through a mouthful of bread, “and I’m gonna be king of ‘em!”

“Pirate king, huh?” You raise your eyebrows, you’re charmed by him.

“Mm! Do you like the sea, [name]?” You feel like he’s been shifting closer to you, you hear him all around you now, his chewing remains consistent, loud.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s one of the prettiest things in the world,” you say honestly, the waves glitter in front of you, an infinite land-sky, glitter on pearl on galaxy-blue. Sunspots, stars, they twinkle on its surface.

“It’s real fun to be a pirate,” he chirps, finishing the bread and turning to you, his smile is gleaming and his voice is soft but gleeful.

“Yeah? What kinda stuff do you do out there?” You just want to hear him speak more, you realize.

“Ah man, everything! We go on tons of adventures, and we sing, and we get to make new friends wherever we go… and we look for treasure! We’re tryna find the One Piece!”

He returns your enchanted stare. He makes it all sound so easy, taming the cruel sea. His chest rises and falls, breaths heavy with excitement, his hands palm at the sand and hey, he’s really moving closer now, isn’t he? His eyes are so sparkly, it’s impossible to look away from him.

“Wanna skip rocks with me?” he asks before you have time to reply. He’s distracted so easily, reaching happily for his little tower, weighing the smooth gray stone in his hand.

Aren’t you looking for your crew? you want to ask. But you can’t let go of him yet, this mysterious, perfect boy. So instead you say, “sure, if you can teach me. I’m not great at it.”

“You live by the sea and ya can’t skip rocks?” Luffy laughs at you, tossing his stone into the sea with a snap of his wrist, it bounces once, twice, spinning in the air, a battle to fly from the ocean’s hunger, before it’s pulled beneath, disappearing into the surf.

Your hands touch as he gives you a rock, perfectly round and smooth, warmed from his palm. You throw it but your arm falters, it falls with a splash, gone before it could fly, a ripple of a memory left on the water, nothing more. Luffy laughs at you again.

“Nah, that ain’t it, you gotta flick your arm and keep it straight.” He moves close enough where you can feel his breath on your skin, hot and thick. “Mm,” he murmurs in your ear, voice low and ripe, “like this…”

He’s behind you, leaning against you, taking your arm and positioning you for the right sort of throw. His skin feels strange, like warm rubber, but your mind is so clouded with him, with his musky, overpowering scent and the tickle of his hair, you don’t notice much of anything. By accident, for the briefest moment, his salt-dried lips brush your shoulder, this is like lightning within you. But for Luffy this is nothing, it means nothing to him to be this close, it’s just what seems so natural.

You throw again, a smaller rock this time, aided by his hands on your arm. You’re so dizzied by his touch and you expect it to be even worse this time but to your surprise the rock skips once, a single heartbeat.

“See! Ya did it!” Luffy shouts joyfully, slapping you on the back, a little too hard, before pulling you in for a hug.

This is the best hug you’ve ever had. So tight, so warm, he buries his head in your shoulder, his weight nearly knocks you into the sand. You grab him back, by pure instinct, you want this closeness never to leave you.

But in an instant he’s pulled away again, unfazed by his own affection. He adjusts his hat carefully, looking back at the water, face content. He throws and skips one last stone.

“Mh, my crew’s prolly looking for me, huh?” Luffy stands up, dusting off his jeans, tilting his head at you. And then he offers you a hand, pulling you up with him, you’re face to face again and he places a hand firmly on your shoulder and says, “you can come if you want.”

“Huh?”

“On my crew. You can come be a pirate with me!” And again he has that way of saying things so simply. He doesn’t know you, how could he be so sure? But in his eyes you feel so incredibly, impossibly known.

He turns around, ready to walk away down the beach into the dying sunlight, and he turns to you once more and says, “you gonna be here tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I will!” you call to him, and he flashes you a broad smile, a thumbs-up, before running away into the horizon. You know he’ll come back.

Romance isn’t even in your mind. You just have this intense feeling for him, a certain kind of instantaneous love that goes deeper than any of that. You feel bonded, like you’ve never felt before, and you don’t know how it happened. You just stand there in the sand, dazed and misty eyed. You want so desperately to see him again. Deep breaths, calm your body, tonight you’ll have time to dream about what you’ll say.

You could see the world with him. You want to right now, very badly, so why not? Maybe it is that simple.

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

Ok ok ok!

I have curious for a while...

What if... The BSD Cast know that their Guiding Light is down bad for them?

Like- Y/n squeal every time they see a random BSD chars.

And when they finally have the access to their Guiding Light phone, browse on the Pinterest just to see most of them is the BSD Cast?

That would be hilarious 😂

Especially Dazai, when he browse the Pinterest, he sees that most of them (fanart or sum) were he being sussy and a BOTTOM👀

(Bottom Dazai is my life source 🛐)

How would the Cast react to this tho?

Also, yes, the reader just see the minors in BSD as platonic, the reader seriously want to kidna- i mean... Adopted all of them right away 🤡💦

Big fan

Self-Aware! Dazai Osamu x GN! Reader

Description: BSD Cast knew that they have fans from the real world. And, of course, they expect, that you are also one of the fans. But, yiu not a simple fan. Yiu are quite a fan.

Warning: OOC, English is my second language.

🪢🦀 Having fans became an expected, but, slightly unpleasant surprise.

🪢🦀 On the one hand, BSD Cast don't like to think about being fictional, but, it's the fact, they have fans, and, even after BSD cast reach the real world, fans won't disappear.

🪢🦀 On the other hand, fans were kind of interesting to observe. Fanarts were nice. Cosplay photos, while a little bit awkward, were fun to look at. Fanfiction... And some fun theories were interesting.

🪢🦀 So, they expect, that Guiding Light also will be BSD fan. They aren't against it. Because of that, they got you as the Reader, and they can't ask for a better person. And, hey, a reason for some friendly teasing.

🪢🦀 Yet, they have a feeling, that you really liked BSD. Otherwise, they can't explain, what happened few days ago.

______

They were close in getting full access to your phone. They were close to browsing the Internet without you. But, even right now, they can take a look at whatever you were looking at.

Someone posted a top twenty manga characters. Dazai, Ranpo, Yosano and Tetchou were on the list.

And each time you giggled, when you saw them.

You sounded so happy, when you saw them.

It happened before.

Each time, someone online mentioned Bungou Stray Dogs as a recommendation to watch, they heard you talking.

"That's right! BSD deserves more recognition!"

__________

🪢🦀 So, they knew, that you were are devoted fan. Now, they wanted to find out, who is your favorite among them.

🪢🦀 So, the day, when they gain access to your phone, became a moment of truth. Now, they will see, who is your favorite.

______

You were... not just a devoted fan...

You were quite a fan.

You had galleries, full of arts, for all of them.

And you leave comments under every art!

"[Adult Character name] is so handsome/beautiful."

"[Child character name] is so cute. I want to adopt."

"[Old character name] looks cool."

The meeting room was silent. They were looking at the Screen.

"That's a lot of Dazai's fanart" finally spoke Kunikida, looking at your gallery with Dazai's saved arts.

You had galleries for all BSD characters. Dozens or hundreds of art. But, with Dazai... You had few thousands of arts.

And, on all the arts, Dazai looked... Soft to touch.

And your comments...

"Dazai looked so squishy. I want to squeeze him."

"Look, how soft he looks. Maybe, if you listen closer, you would hear him meowing."

You do have similar comments about others, but, it was clear. Dazai is your favorite.

_______

🪢🦀 Dazai is in heaven. He feels so happy and proud of himself.

🪢🦀 He is your favorite! He! Others can gift you their cards or send you in-game presents, but, he will remain your favorite!

🪢🦀 Dazai is secretly training his 'soft face and eyes', so he can make you happy.

🪢🦀 Also, he is planning to tease you for years.

🪢🦀 Still, it's cute, to see, how much you love all of them. It feels nice.

[libby-for-life]

Lilith coming back to hell, to see Lucifer moved on and it's with Adam

Tender Sex; Lucifer reassuring Adam that he won't leave him to go back to Lilith(also queen of hell adam)

Oof. For this to work, I would need it to be with Sinner!Adam under contract with Lucifer. Hope that's okay.

Adam watched everything in a blur. She walked into the hotel with grace and fire. She looked just as beautiful as ever. Her long blonde hair, purple eyes, and elegant smile completed her look.

Lilith, the first woman, the first queen of Hell, had returned. And she was in the Hazbin Hotel. Adam felt numb as Charlie hugged her mother hard and how Lucifer asked how she was.

Adam rubbed the ring on his finger. He shouldn't be this fucking worried. He was Adam for God's sake! Not only that but the Queen of Hell. A year he had been proposed to by his partner Lucifer. He almost said no. With two failed marriages, it was hard to not think of the cons of what could happen.

But Lucifer looked so fucking earnest that he couldn't help but say yes. Fast forward to the present. Adam had thought that he had gotten over his insecurities of being abandoned after being with someone as attentive and loving as Lucifer. 'Obviously not.' Adam thought as he saw Lilith place a manicured hand on Lucifer's shoulder.

He tried to fight the urge to yell at the bitch for touching his partner. Adam did perk up when Lucifer beckoned him over.

"Lilith." He managed to say out as he stood next to Lucifer. He brought an arm around his partner and pulled him closer. Adam watched as Lilith's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she looked at him.

Could she see it now? Did she see everything she left for a place in Heaven? A petty place in Adam's heart hoped she was jealous about the whole situation.

"Adam." She said in her usual cool and condensing voice. It took everything in Adam not to snap at her. He guessed those anger management lessons Charlie had been forcing him into had actually been helping. Not that he would ever admit it.

"I could really go for a drink," Lilith said as she walked over to a free couch. Adam could already tell this was going to be a long night.

Adam clutched the sides of the bathroom sink. His mind was spiraling with everything that had just been said not just an hour ago.

'Do you really think you're the Queen of Hell?'

'You know he's only fucking you because you're easy, right?'

'He only gave you the title Queen because it feeds into your delusions. You're a toy. Something to be used and thrown away. He'll grow bored eventually. I did.'

'A Queen certainly doesn't look like you. My, you've really let yourself go.'

Adam felt like he was going to throw up. He knew Lilith would try to get into his head but he didn't think it would be so soon. He bit his lip so hard he felt blood drip down his chin.

All of the insecurities that he'd been battling for years came bubbling to the surface. What did Lucifer even see in something like him? A Queen didn't look like a pig. A Queen wasn't so ugly. Is this what Lucifer saw in him? A toy? A novelty only to be discarded when something better comes along?

A knock on the door and a familiar voice called out to him.

"Adam? Sweetheart, is everything okay?"

Damn it all to Hell! That was Lucifer!

"Um, I'm good!" He said and Adam winced when he heard how wobbly his voice sounded. Apparently, so did the King of Hell because he portaled into the bathroom causing Adam to yelp.

"What the fuck, Lucifer?! I said I was fine!" Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Clearly not. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Adam refused to look at him. "I'm good. I'll be in bed in a moment."

"Adam, pet, I don't like when you lie to me. Tell me the truth." Adam felt himself lose control and everything came tumbling out about Lilith.

He was prepared for the backlash. That Lucifer was going to defend his ex-wife and that he better behave for her instead of causing fights and lying about it.

Instead, he felt strong hands cup his cheeks and this caused Adam to look at his partner. Lucifer had a kind but sad look on his face. "Oh, Adam. Why didn't you come to me sooner?" He took a hand away from his face and grabbed a fistful of brown hair. He yanked causing a moan to bubble up.

"Now, I need you to know that I would never go back to my ex. She's my ex for a reason. And I will be talking with her about everything." His eyes flashed red for a moment before it turned back to normal.

"Hm. I see you're still doubting me. Well, that just won't do." Lucifer said before scooping him up bridal-style. Adam let a squeak, a manly one, and struggled for a moment.

Adam shook his head, tears threatening to fall. He didn't want to cry. He didn't want to cry.

"Hush, now my pet. Daddy's got you."

Adam was soon lying in their large bed. Lucifer was straddling his waist with a gentle smile. "I love every inch of you." He began and Adam shivered as he trailed his fingers down his shirt. "You're beautiful, Adam. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

A hand slipped under his shirt and caressed a love handle. "This is mine. Don't you trust Daddy's judgment?" Another hand slipped inside Adam's shirt and gently squeezed his chest. The sinner was now squirming under Lucifer, his face felt warm and Adam knew he was blushing.

"This is also mine." A finger pinched his right nipple. "Mine because I would never give you up. Mine because I would fight Heaven and Hell for you." A cruel twist had Adam moaning and panting. Lucifer's hands left his body and Adam felt them take his shirt off. "Isn't that a pretty sight?"

Adam tried to cover his body, but Lucifer just pinned his wrists with one hand. "Don't hide yourself from Daddy, pet." The sheep demon nodded hurriedly. Using his free hand, he dragged his hand down to the waistband of his pants and tugged gently.

"Can I take this off?" Adam nodded with a whimper.

Lucifer gently removed his clothes and smiled at his naked partner. He really was beautiful, soft in all the best ways.

He fondled his pet's balls and watched as Adam fell apart. He was so sensitive. It didn't take long for Lucifer to start preparing him with lube. Adam moaned high and needy even though the King of Hell knew his pet would never admit it.

He had three fingers in, stretching and rubbing Adam in all of his special places. "Daddy! I'm going to cum!" Adam wailed and Lucifer took out his fingers quickly. His pet whimpered and begged for more but he was firm.

"You gotta let Daddy in first, pet." And then he slowly entered into his hole. Adam was still tight after all these years. Lucifer was gentle as he slowly thrusted in. He would make this loving and gentle for his pet. Then he wouldn't have any more doubts about Lucifer's love. He gave praise and encouragement as he made love to Adam.

He could feel himself getting ready to climax and Adam moaned higher and needier to indicate he was close as well.

"Cum for Daddy, pet. My good pet." They both climaxed at the same time, breathing heavily. They both snuggled into each other's embrace. As soon as Adam was asleep, Lucifer felt their earlier conversation repeat in his head.

Why would Lilith do that? What was her goal in upsetting Adam this badly? He knew they had bad blood, but this was on another level. Lucifer felt his eyes turn red again. She wouldn't be doing that again. He would make sure of that. There was a new ruler of Hell and it wasn't Lilith.

Hopefully, that was good!

[dvrk-moon]

COOL ABOUT IT - JAY PARK

— synopsis: you came prepared for absolution, but were only met with what seemed like self-punishment.

— word count: 6.7k

— warnings: alcohol usage, cursing, bad parental figures

— featuring: jake, iz*one minju

— genre: angst, exes to friends, a bit of hurt/comfort

— playlist: cool about it - boygenius

— a/n: anyone else a jay lover here

The air was damp and smelled like rain as you hopped out of the Uber. It was a moderately humid April night, though a cold breeze wrapped itself around you, sending an odd sensation down your spine. It wasn’t a chill; no, it was more of a relief. You had missed how the air could leave you with this feeling.

The Uber bid you a goodbye when you slammed the door of the black car shut. You sent him a thankful wave as you started walking.

You were headed towards a dive bar: a dingy, locally owned, little shack that was a couple miles from your apartment. You’d been there multiple times in the past; in fact, the visits had become more frequent ever since you’d crashed your car — hence the Uber.

It was sprinkling. You let your eyes trail the sidewalk and saw reflections of the bar’s LED signs in the small puddles on the ground. In a way, the situation could be beautiful. 

Emphasis on could. It really wasn’t to most people.

More raindrops danced on your hair as you finally reached the door of the bar. There wasn’t a bouncer tonight; there hadn’t been one for the past few times you’d gone. For it being a dive bar, you figured that they just didn’t care about busting minors in there anymore. It hurt to think about in a sense: since when did this generation stop caring about the youth?

But then you remembered that no one cared for you when you were that age. You pushed the thought out of your mind.

You patted your hair down in an attempt to de-frizz it from the humid raindrops and look a bit more presentable. It was a dive bar, so no one would bat an eye at you for the state of your hair, but then again, appearance in general was moderately important.

You strode up to the bartender and asked him for a Vodka lemonade on a closed tab. You hadn’t come here to drink, really, but more to just enjoy the environment here. It was a sketchy location, the dim lighting casted shadows upon the faces of strangers and majorly kept you from seeing anything. In general, the bar wasn’t very popular, but you still had to keep a guard up, even if you did find yourself comfortable here.

The bartender handed you your drink after you paid and watched you stalk your way down a small, dimly-lit hallway towards the pool tables.

On nights like these, you opted against listening to conversations with others or trying to socialize with anyone new. Most of the time you had come with a friend, but this time was different. You weren’t sure exactly what it was, but tonight needed to be a solo event. 

Which was why you were headed in the direction you were. If you didn’t want to socialize, you’d just watch people play pool. They always asked you if you’d want to join, to which you’d always decline. They never seemed to mind when you stayed and watched the game, though.

You brushed a piece of hair out of your face as you entered the doorway of the pool room. It was yet again another dimly-lit room, but because you were familiar with the surroundings, you could still make out everything. There were four pool tables: each in a line starting from about three feet from the entrance of the room to all the way to the opposing wall. The noise was surprisingly quiet tonight.

You made your way to a stool that was sat against a wall at a high-top table. Setting your drink down on the surface, you scanned your surroundings. No one you knew seemed to be here, so you’d just watch the games, just like you’d planned to.

You opted to watch the game closest to you; it was being played at the second table from the entrance by a group of three men and two women. You had friends of your own, so you didn’t even feel anything like yearning towards the group of friends in front of you, not even wishing that yours were here with you. Instead you smiled at the fact that love is found everywhere. In its own way, it was beautiful.

You rested your head on your hand and let your eyes wander around the place. A group of men in the back of the room laughed melodically as their friend failed a shot miserably. The dark haired boy threw his face in his hands as his friends teased him.

If you had to guess, you’d think he just lost a bet of some sorts. Your guess was proven right after you’d focused your attention on the first game again; the aforementioned raven-haired boy passed right by your line of sight.

On his return, he carried three different drinks with him. You let your eyes scan the man up and down; he looked devastatingly familiar. It wasn’t the alcohol in your system, but you almost called out an all-too familiar name when you’d seen him.

“Y/N?” A question from a familiar voice cut through the crowd at you. Your hunch was right.

The voice came from your ex-boyfriend, Jay Park. Seeing him at the drive bar wasn’t something you expected, but it wasn’t a negative experience to see him. He looked good, almost better than when you’d seen him last: your breakup.

You remembered the moment as clear as day. Jay’s swollen eyes, his fucked-out lips that began to chap from him biting them, his messed up hair, his red face, the emotions, the words exchanged, everything. The sudden interaction hit you like a freight train, every emotion that you had tucked away since that time making themselves known.

You widened your eyes at his figure in surprise, swallowing the ghost of a lump in your throat. “Jay,” you breathed out at him.

He also swallowed and his face softened into a small smile. Jay began approaching your high-top table, drinks still in hand. You let your eyes trail to the drinks while his eyes were trained on you still. You heard another familiar voice call his name from the furthest pool table, “Jay! The drinks?” 

Squinting your eyes, you realized the voice had come from someone you hadn’t seen or heard from in many months, yet still, somehow, you recognized it like it had been yesterday when you’d seen him last: Jake Sim, one of Jay’s best friends.

Jay’s head whipped around to his friends. He sent you an apologetic look as he scrambled over to his friends. You assumed that the small interaction you two had engaged in would have been the end of it. A small run-in with your ex at a dive bar and it would be one and done.

That was until he approached your table again, this time with no drinks in hand, just himself. He ran a hand through his hair and stood across from you.

“Long time no see,” he smiled, hints of sadness on his face.

“Yeah,” you said, slightly awkwardly. It was weird to see Jay again. You’d done really well at not running into him for the time between when you two broke up until now, and a part of you had wished that your streak of not seeing him had continued. Every single feeling you had towards the man was rushing at you at the speed of light; you weren’t sure how to handle it. It’d probably be best if you just left. But a part of you wanted to relive the past and talk with him.

“Kinda dead in here, right?” Jay joked as he sat himself on the opposing stool very cautiously, “Do you mind if I take a seat?” You shook your head at him, nodding your head towards the seat as you took a drink of your Vodka lemonade, “Go ahead.”

He sent you a quick nod and scooted his chair forward, “What are you doing here?”

You swallowed the lump again, and laughed softly at him. Why else would you be at a shitty dive bar, if not to drink?

“I don’t know,” you offered, stirring your straw in your cup, eyes trained on it, not wanting to make eye contact with Jay. You let out a breath before attempting to make small talk, “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Yeah,” he laughed semi-dryly. He looked over at the pool table with his friends and then turned back to you, “but I’m here with people. I feel like that makes more sense than coming here alone.”

“How do you know I’m here alone?” You shyly teased him.

Jay laughed, “I can tell when it comes to you. I think you may have forgotten that I dated you for quite some time. Those kinds of things don’t just leave your memories.”

The confession felt like an anvil being dropped on your chest. He was right, he did know you extremely well. The two of you had only broken up a couple months ago, so obviously things like that would not have left his memory in the short time period. You fought back a frown as you responded, “Yeah. You’re right.”

An immediate silence consumed the two of you. Even with the background noise of the other dive-bar-goers, you still felt like you could hear a pin drop. You took a look outside the small window at the end of the room. Though it was mostly covered by blinds, from what you could see, the rain had picked up quite a bit. You brought your eyes back to Jay, whose gaze had never left your figure. He was yet again the first one to break the silence:

“Um… so how’s life? Do you still work at that flower shop?”

You blinked at him once before finding the words to respond, “Yeah… yeah, I do.” You smiled softly at the thought of your workplace; it was a little corner store that sold locally grown flowers. It was right beneath your apartment, so you could wake up and smell the flowers, which always put you in a good mood. You relaxed a bit, “What about you? Do you still work at that restaurant?”

“No,” he admitted, “I quit a bit ago. I work at a record store now, the one we used to always go to.”

“Oh,” you remembered, again finding your gaze on your drink. The record store had been one of the first places Jay had ever taken you, so of course you knew what place he was referencing. It caught you off guard with the fact that he was so willing to reference the past you two shared, for it was still a sensitive topic to you.

“What made you leave?” you inquired, looking back at him.

“Well,” he started, “I moved. The record store was way closer than the restaurant, and I hated the management anyways.”

“I remember you mentioning you hated it,” you said, nodding at him, “but I didn’t think you’d quit. Where’d you move to?”

“I have a new solo apartment about a street away from the record store.”

You nodded again, “Does that guy with the weird hair still work there?”

He gave you a genuine laugh, “Yeah. Somehow, his hair is now worse.”

You also laughed, recalling the odd man’s hair. You tucked a piece of hair behind your ear and tilted your head at him, “Did you ever end up changing your major?” The small talk was becoming more and more relaxing as the minutes passed by. In a way, it hadn’t even felt like you two were exes. It was more like catching up with an old friend. The way the dim lights illuminated Jay’s features ached your heart. The rain outside started to rattle on the roof.

Jay swallowed again. His phone suddenly lit up with a text notification, and he opened it. “Shit,” he commented, locking his phone. He placed it face down on the table and brought his attention back to you.

“What’s up?” You asked cautiously, furrowing your eyebrows in worry at the man in front of you.

“Nothing, nothing.”

He played off whatever had occurred on his phone and shook his head at you, hints of being defeated ghosting the features on his face. He glanced back down at his phone.

“No,” you furrowed your brow deeper at him, “Jay,” you placed a hand on his forearm, gaining his attention again. You sent him a caring half-smile before asking again, “What happened?”

Jay shook his head once again, “Nothing… it’s just…”

You left your hand on his forearm, not going unnoticed by him. Your ears perked up at the sound of thunder outside.

“The guys left. They didn’t even tell me,” he sighed, “but it’s fine. I drove here. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m sorry,” you apologized. You knew it wasn’t your fault that he was left alone, but you still pitied him.

As if on cue, thunder struck again, causing the lights to flicker before going out shortly after. You didn’t expect the rain to have picked up as much as it did, let alone cause a power outage. You sighed, “What comedic timing.”

Jay laughed again, turning his phone flashlight on. He looked at you through the darkness, “I feel like that may be a cue to leave.”

You nodded. Looking at your phone, you realized that the Cellular tower nearby must have also gone out, because you had no service. You rolled your eyes as you hopped down from your seat.

“Everything okay?” Jay asked, copying as you did and getting down from his stool.

“I would lie to you,” you laughed, “but in this situation, I quite literally cannot. I have no service, and I took an Uber here.”

“Oh,” he said, “I can drive you home. I drove here. What happened to your car, though?”

“I crashed it.”

“Not out of character for you,” Jay teased, “but let’s get going. The rain is probably going to keep picking up.”

You nodded as you two navigated your ways to the exit of the bar. To no surprise, the rain had in fact picked up. It was pouring. You spotted Jay’s car to the left of the bar, grateful that it was as close as it was. As you approached the car with an urgency, you shielded (or attempted to shield) your hair from the rain.

Jay unlocked his car and you quickly sat in the passenger seat, watching the rain pound on the front windshield. You could barely see anything in front of you.

“Are you sure you’re okay with driving?” You asked, facing him. You were both drenched, even though you’d only been outside for around 30 seconds. Jay removed his wet jacket, took at look at himself in the rear view mirror, and then finally brought his gaze to you.

“Y/N,” he smiled, “I really don’t mind. I live pretty close.”

“Okay.”

Jay started the car and a soft flow of AC filled the vehicle. He turned on the radio, which was at half volume, so he lowered it to talk to you.

“Do you want aux?”

The question was simple, but it still made your heart ache for the man. You knew for sure that there was a part of you that was still in love with him, no matter what you told yourself. It killed you to know your past was over.

“If you don’t mind.”

You plugged your phone into the aux and queued a song that reminded you of him. He didn’t know, and you would try to keep it that way. He seemed happy now, and you were too, on the surface. The breakup was mutual. You had no reason to be sulking over it.

“Damn, it’s pouring,” Jay commented, his windshield wipers going at record speeds. He took a look at the time, it read 8:49pm. Sighing, he continued, “I really didn’t think it would rain this much.”

“Jay, it’s probably not safe to drive,” you said, looking at him as he put the car into drive, “you really didn’t have to drive me home. It’s probably too far to drive there safely.”

“Well,” he started, “I live close. We could just go to my place until the rain blows over, if you want?”

You contemplated before answering, “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind? What if your power is also out?”

“We have an energy generator,” he said, “so it should be fine. Plus, it’s only around a two minute drive.”

“As long as you promise you don’t mind.”

“Y/N, it’s you. When have I ever minded?”

You breathed a laugh out of your nose, trying to hide any hint of sadness that had seeped its way into your heart. Jay really was an amazing guy. You hated that things ended like they did with him.

The rain picked up even more as Jay pulled onto the road, and it was almost impossible to see anything. You worried for the man- if it were you, you’d have probably just stayed in the car and waited out the rain. He truly was a caring person.

The car ride to Jay’s new apartment was silent, but it was majorly a comfortable silence. You could still feel awkwardness leaking through the air, but you were just grateful that there was even a lack of noise. You needed to sort out your thoughts. It wasn’t necessarily a bad idea to go to Jay’s alone, but you were afraid you’d have a hard time not spilling everything you could towards him. You two would catch up as friends, and then you would leave as soon as the rain passed.

You swallowed the lump in your throat and attempted to push away the sinking feeling in your chest.

The car ride ended with Jay somehow smoothly pulling onto what you assumed was the side of a street. You couldn’t tell- it was raining too hard to see anything. 

“Here,” Jay handed you his jacket, “hold this over your head.”

“Jay, it’s okay,” you replied, not taking it. You tried to lightly push it back to him, “you should use it. It’s your jacket.”

Jay tilted his head and rolled his eyes at you, “Please just take it.” No other words were exchanged as you held the jacket over your head and shoulders and quickly exited the car, waiting for Jay to also leave.

He met you outside of the passenger door and spoke over the rain, “Follow me.”

You trailed behind his figure as he led you both to the landing of the first floor, then beckoning you to follow him upstairs. To your surprise, he was right, and despite the thunderstorm, he still had power. The whole building did.

Once you two reached the third level, Jay stopped you and dug in his pocket for the apartment keys. He quickly found them and unlocked the door to his apartment.

He opened the door for himself and beckoned you in, then turning on the lamp in his hallway. Jay walked to the room that you assumed was the main living space, where a couch that looked to fit two people sat. “Take a seat,” Jay offered, moving to the electric fireplace in front of the couch. You cautiously followed him and sat down as carefully on his sofa, positioning yourself as best as possible to not touch any of his furniture with your wet clothes, though realistically that was impossible.

“Do you want me to take my shoes off?” You asked, looking at the trail that your shoes had left with water from where you’d walked in the apartment. Jay looked back at you and shook his head, “You don’t have to. I forgot to take mine off too.” He turned back to the fireplace and within seconds, he had turned it on and it had started heating up the room.

Thunder struck again from outside the apartment, causing you to turn your head suddenly at the noise.

“I have a bit of a headache, so I’m going to turn off the lamp as long as that’s okay with you.” He said, getting up from where he was crouched in front of the fireplace.

“Jay, if you have a headache, I can leave-”

“No,” he responded immediately, not facing you. “Stay.” Jay paused as he switched off the lamp, then walking back slowly to the couch. The next word was much softer than his previous ones:

“Please.”

You felt your face freeze at his words and felt his presence sit at the other side of the couch. 

“Okay.”

You attempted to relax at the situation, but you couldn’t take your eyes off the fireplace. It was killing you to be around Jay; every single emotion you had towards the breakup had been pushed aside for so long. It would be impossible to ignore it all now, and it was. You tried your best to keep a happy front.

“It’s been forever since I saw you last,” Jay started from the other side of the couch. You could tell he was facing you, but you refused to give in and look at him. The last thing you wanted was for him to see you in this weak spot when you’d done so well at pretending you were okay. He laughed bitterly, “If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought you were avoiding me.”

You finally turned your neck to look at him, catching him pursing his lips. You relaxed back into the couch, “Very funny, Jay.”

“I like to think I am,” he said.

“I know.”

You tilted your head at him, waiting for him to say anything in response to your comment. He waited a few moments before saying anything, “It’s really nice to see you, Y/N.”

“Yeah, it is,” you agreed, rubbing nervously at your forearm. It was a mutual break up. You needed to get your head in the game and not be willing to admit your feelings as easily as that.

Another silence fell across you two and you looked back into the fireplace. The crackling of the flames was inaudible in comparison to the thunder that was still making its presence known outside. Furrowing your eyebrows, you let your heart win, and sighed out:

“I’m sorry.”

Jay’s eyes, which were once trained on his hands, had joined his head in snapping up to look at you. Your words could barely be heard, but they cut through the excess noise like a knife.

“Huh?” He asked, taken aback. You didn’t let your attention leave the fireplace. Out of your peripheral, you could see that he had leaned slightly forward at your words, “You’re sorry? About what?”

“I don’t know,” you said, still not facing him, “everything, I guess?”

Jay scooted closer to you, leaning his head so that you could see it if you just shifted your gaze to the left of you. He cautiously put a hand on your knee, “Y/N. You have nothing to be sorry about.”

“I mean,” you said, finally looking at him again, “I feel like there’s a lot to be said. At least from my end.”

“You can tell me whatever you want,” Jay replied, a genuine look in his eyes. He removed his hand from your knee, “I won’t judge. I feel like you know me well enough to know that’s true.”

“That’s the problem,” you sighed, covering your face with your hands, “because that’s exactly what I’m sorry about.”

“What?” Jay asked, furrowing his eyebrows. “You’re sorry about knowing me well?”

“No, no,” you rushed to ease his nerves, removing your face from your hands and looking at him, “no. I’m sorry for knowing you so well but making us strangers.”

His gaze immediately softened and you saw him swallow. Jay blinked a few times before turning his face to the fire, “I appreciate the apology.”

A beat of silence followed. He turned to look at you before he started again, “I guess I should also apologize.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Jay. I initiated everything and it was my fault that-”

“I’m sorry I ever let you go.”

His words made your own get caught in your throat. You weren’t sure if Jay meant it in the same romantic way you did, but even as a friend, his truth still stood strong. You were sorry you ever let him go too, even beyond the relationship. But back then, you knew deep down that distancing yourself would hopefully make the healing process easier. And you thought that was true; until, of course, you caught sight of Jay just hours earlier in the dive bar.

You breathed a shaky breath as you tried to formulate your next processes of thought. As if a dam had been opened, feelings and truths that you’d withheld from Jay all those months ago during the breakup had come rushing out at full speed.

“Jay, it’s not your fault that we fell apart,” you said, feeling tears brim in the corners of your eyes, “it’s mine. I pushed you away. I should have been honest with you but I was a coward. And I ruined something really good. I- I just want to, y’know, apologize for putting you through that. Because you deserve better.” 

So much for being cool about it. Your voice cracked at the last sentence and tears threatened to fall. Turning away from him again, you pursed your lips and fought a frown as you breathed heavily.

“Y/N,” Jay started, grabbing the hand of yours closest to him to get your attention, “I want you to know that I never, never was mad at you for that. Never.”

Thunder struck again from outside the apartment window and yet your attention never faltered from Jay. You blinked at him twice, nodding at him slowly.

“That’s good to hear,” you said shakily, “but even if you were never mad, I still want to give you an apology. I put you through some bullshit because I couldn’t get myself together. And it’s not fair to you.”

“Y/N, it’s okay. Our past is the past. We had some great times, yeah? But you’re happy now, and that’s what matters. Dwelling on what happened is only going to take that happiness away from you.”

Nodding again, you snuck a glance at the hand of his that was still laid on your own. Your heart fluttered for a second before you realized that you yet again needed to get a hold of yourself.

“Can I ask you something?” Jay started cautiously. He looked worried, but continued, “I mean, now that the breakup has been months past at this point, I hope it isn’t a very sensitive topic for you.”

You shook your head at him, lying through your teeth, “It isn’t.”

He took a deep breath before laying the question down on you, “What happened?”

The two-word question was exactly what you expected him to ask, yet hearing it was like a tree falling silently in the woods. You, of course, knew that the tree would’ve fallen no matter what, and although you didn’t hear it, it still fell. It was just a matter of time before you discovered the fallen wood.

You swallowed the lump in your throat before trying to explain yourself, and as you told the story, everything came back to the both of you. An image was painted well in your minds:

It was about a year and a half into your and Jay’s relationship, around May. You and Jay had both just finished your second years of college. Jay had recently finalized paperwork for a transferring of universities, which would occur around late August.

He had received a scholarship from his dream school that he had applied for on a whim months prior to the acceptance. He, of course, loved the university that you were both dually attending, but Jay wanted to give his dream school one more shot. This worked out well for him, as he not only got accepted, but received a scholarship for the honors program. You both were beyond stoked.

The excitement ran through both of your veins for the first few weeks after the acceptance letter, but Jay’s seemed to last much longer than yours did. The school was seven hours away by car. With this information, there were multiple ways you thought of outcomes:

Jay would accept the scholarship, he would move up to where the school was located, and you would also have to try and transfer to his school.

This was ruled out almost immediately- you loved Jay, but you knew if you tried to transfer for him, you’d be sacrificing your own stability. With your financial state, the likelihood of you even being able to afford a school of a higher level was out of the picture.

So you considered another option:

Jay would decline the scholarship and stay with you at home. 

You didn’t even entertain the idea at all. There was no way Jay wouldn’t accept the scholarship; it was his dream school and the major was even covered. The odds of him staying home were next to zero.

So finally, you settled on what seemed like the final option:

Long distance.

To be honest, you were totally against it. Knowing how in-deep you were with Jay, you had no clue if you’d even be able to handle long distance. But even so, you tried to stay happy for him. It was really a dream come true for him, so to the best of your ability, you would act like it was for you too.

You still tried your best even when he started figuring out housing, which was when he left for a week in July to go to the college town.

It was in that same fateful week that you’d gotten news from your sister, who was the only person in your family that you’d been in contact with, that your grandmother, who had raised you, was in a critical condition in the hospital.

To say you had a simple home life would be the definition of a lie. Your life growing up was majorly normal, at least from what you were aware of. Now reflecting on that, you knew that wasn’t the case. Your father was deadbeat and your mother was in and out of rehab constantly. So, at age five, you and your sister had been sent to live with your grandmother.

At age ten, your mother had remarried and regained custody of you and your sister. Your new stepdad was the worst person you’d ever met, and he regularly abused your mother and manipulated her into thinking you and your sister were some sort of villains. Your mother ultimately ended up relapsing. As soon as you were able to, you fled. You found yourself hours and hours away from your hometown, and had no intentions of returning.

The only people you’d kept in contact with were your sister and your grandmother.

With the news of your grandmother’s condition and the lack of emotional support you had from Jay (as he was not only a time zone away, but also was extremely busy), your world began to implode in on itself.

You had decided to keep your family troubles a secret from Jay. Of course, he already knew about your past, but with everything that he was dealing with, you didn’t want to dampen his mood with your own problems.

By August, Jay was still riding his high and had found not only housing, but had visited the school many times. Meanwhile, your grandmother’s condition had only worsened. On top of it all, your estranged mother had tried contacting you, asking you for money. Your only support system at that point had been your sister; you’d still refused to talk to Jay about anything.

As a result, you kept distancing yourself from him, more and more. You started to get in your head about everything more as time progressed, with your brain being plagued with thoughts like ‘Jay is happy, and if I bring any of my problems up to him, I’ll probably just ruin his happiness’ and ‘my problems will only become a burden for him’. 

Right before Jay was set to move, you decided you needed to finally break things off with him. You knew deep down that it wasn’t really fair to him, but you had way too much on your plate to even consider his feelings at the time.

“So I didn’t want to become your burden,” you finished, breathing out a deep breath that you didn’t realize you’d been holding in.

“I see,” Jay said slowly, his eyes trained on the floor, processing everything you’d just laid down on him. It obviously wouldn’t be an easy situation to swallow, but with the heavy rain, you’d try to give him all the time you could. He licked his lips, “I wish you would’ve been honest with me, Y/N.”

“I know, I know, and I think about it almost every day-”

Your rushed words were cut off by him, “I would’ve stayed. You meant so much more to me than that scholarship did.”

“I-” your words got caught in your mouth as you tried to respond to him. You let a tear fall, “I’m so sorry, Jay.”

No words were exchanged as he pulled you in for an embrace and you just let the tears fall. You had desperately needed this closure, and unbeknownst to you, Jay did too. You were almost sure he had also let a tear or two slip.

Within the silence, you’d picked up how the rain had slowed. The once rumbling thunder had regressed into a regular shower.

You two finished the embrace and looked at each other. You cleared your throat before speaking, “I can’t explain in words how sorry I am for leaving you like that. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself.”

“But I’ve forgiven you.”

You nodded, trying to change the subject. You wiped at the tears that had now nearly dried against your cheeks, and tried starting a new conversation:

“So, how’s the new university?”

“I left after a semester,” he admitted honestly, shrugging. You took his hand in yours again, not lacing fingers, but giving his hand a squeeze before responding to him, “Why?”

“I couldn’t imagine a future without you. Sure, the university was great, but that wasn’t what mattered to me. I missed you, you who were the only person I could come to after a long day, you who I brought home to my parents, you who my parents liked more than me, and you who made me feel like I meant something to someone.”

You were unable to form a response.

Jay continued, “It was never about the scholarship money. Y/N, I would’ve gone years in debt if it meant I spent those years next to you.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do. I would do it now, too. I came back for a reason.”

Jay laced your fingers with his and pulled you slightly closer to him, “Even if you never wanted to be near me again, I would be fine living in the debts of my past just knowing that I had you at some point.”

“Don’t say that, Jay,” you said, teasing him, “I’ll fall in love all over again.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Your heart melted as you eased into the fact that even after what you’d done, Jay still had some feelings for you. And you obviously did for him. You squeezed his hand again, relaxing into the couch, laying your head on his shoulder and looking down at your interlocked fingers. You brought your attention back to the fire.

Jay broke the silence, “How’s your grandmother doing?”

“Oh, uh,” you trailed off, feeling the lump reappear in your throat, “she.. um, she passed away. About two months ago.”

With no response, Jay released his hand from your own and wrapped his arm around your back, bringing you in for a more intimate embrace.

You stayed tucked in his chest for a couple minutes before breaking the silence again, “I appreciate you. So much.”

“It feels good to be appreciated by someone that you appreciate,” he said, looking down at you. He tucked a piece of hair behind your ear before speaking again, “I appreciate you, too.”

You smiled into him, “I’m glad you appreciate me.”

“You know who I don’t appreciate?” Jay started, suddenly fired up. You giggled at the sudden change in attitude, “Who?”

“Bryan.”

“Who…?”

“The guy that I work with. With the weird hair.”

You laughed, “Oh, I see now. Why? His hair is… he’s… got gusto!”

“That’s one way to put it,” Jay laughed too, bringing his arm from your back to your shoulders. He sighed, “He’s also just a dick.”

“No way,” you feigned shock, “the guy with the most ridiculous appearance you’ve ever seen is a dick? I can’t believe it!”

Your phone suddenly rung from the table in front of you, making you pull yourself out of Jay’s grasp and reading the caller ID.

“Minju”

It was your roommate and closest friend. You picked up, but sent Jay an apologetic look.

“Hey!” Minju called from the other line.

“Hi, Minju. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I was just wondering where you are? I don’t recognize your location. Is everything okay? Oh- am I being a cockblock?”

You laughed melodically at her realization but quickly eased her nerves, “No, you’re not. I saw an old friend at the dive bar and we decided to catch up at his place.”

“Oh, okay. Did you forget about our plans for tonight?”

You bit your lip before letting out a slow and guilty, “Maybe…?”

“You’re horrible,” she teased.

“I know, I know. We can still go, though.”

“Okay, great! Do you need me to pick you up?”

“If you want to.”

“Okay, be there soon. Bye!”

“Bye, Minju.”

You hung up the phone and looked back at Jay, “Sorry about that.”

“Everything okay?” Jay asked, tilting his head at you. You nodded, “Yeah, I forgot I agreed to plans with Minju tonight.”

“Oh, I see. Do you need a ride home?”

“No, I think she’s coming to pick me up. I appreciate the offer, though.”

He nodded, watching you sink back into the couch next to him. You craned your neck to look at him and said, “Thank you for letting me stay here until the rain blew over. I really needed this.”

“So did I,” he replied, craning his neck to look at you, “I’m glad we could have that conversation.”

You smiled genuinely at him. Pausing before your next statement, you let your mind wander. You swallowed, “Do you think that in the future we could ever try a-”

Your sentence was cut short by your phone ringing again, and to no surprise, it was Minju. You answered the phone:

“I’m outside!”

Minju only said that and immediately hung up, leaving you at a loss for words.

“Oh god,” you laughed, shaking your head, “I think that may be my time to leave.”

You stood up from the couch, grabbed your stuff, and watched Jay copy as you did, walking you to the door.

“It really was good to see you after all this time,” Jay admitted once you both reached the door.

“I agree,” you said, facing him.

“What was it you were going to say earlier?” 

His question seemed eager, and so you smiled at him genuinely. You grabbed his hand as you answered him, “I was going ask if you thought that in the future, we could ever try again. But I don’t think I need you to reply to know the answer.”

You let go of his hand, started opening the door, and got ready to walk out the front door. Within seconds, Jay grabbed your wrist.

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

You laughed at him, “I was supposed to go see some friends but… I think my calendar is suddenly free.”

He let go of your wrist.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

a/n : i love boygenius. and jay from enhypen

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Trey Clover - Platinum Jacket Voice Lines

When Summoned: Never expected I'd ever end up an art museum supporter... I'll do my best to tout the beautiful art.

Summon Line: An art museum, hm... This is a good opportunity to train up my imagination. Alright, I'm going to take a look at everything I can.

Groooovy!!: A cat that can turn invisible, huh. Ooh, maybe it's right behind you even now～ Just kidding.

Home: Celebrating the 100th anniversary is pretty amazing.

Home Idle 1: I'm not terrible at designing cakes, but drawing is a whole different matter... Even if they both require the use of imagination.

Home Idle 2: Cater told me to go on ahead, because he just couldn't get the angle right on a photo he wanted to take... How he can keep up with that for each photo, I'll never know.

Home Idle 3: I think I should be able to recreate the cake that was in the picture with the Queen of Hearts... I'll use mousse for the base, and add meringue on top... Hm...

Home Idle - Login: With all these exhibits, what's the best route to take to view them all? ...Well, I guess I'll just have to start heading towards the exit and view them all in that order.

Home Idle - Groovy: I was pretty impressed that even though we were looking at the same painting, Leona was capable of thinking on the actual story it might have been trying to tell. Art appreciation goes deeper than I thought.

Home Tap 1: Azul shared with me an anecdote about the Sea Witch that I had never heard of before. It's very cool to see the difference in which stories get told on the surface and under the sea.

Home Tap 2: Idia was checking out a painting of the Lord of the Underworld, but I don't think I've ever seen him be that focused before... He must have really liked it.

Home Tap 3: The shop had some toothpicks made to look like the card soldiers' spears. Might look good to decorate the dishes for our parties, so I think I'll buy some.

Home Tap 4: So, the magic lamp only grants three wishes, huh. I feel like even if I got my hands on it, I'd just end up asking for something worthless.

Home Tap 5: I can't help but be a little stiff wearing formal attire like this. ...It suits me? Well, that's good, at least... Thanks for the compliment.

Home Tap - Groovy: Did you find a painting you liked? You'll have to tell me later which one was your favorite.

Duo: [TREY]: I'm counting on you, Leona. [LEONA]: You owe me one, Trey.

Birthday Login Message: Thanks for celebrating my birthday. But I have to say, I wasn't expecting you to have my gift delivered to my dorm like that. You should have just handed it to me directly, since we were meeting up, anyway. Was I shocked? Well, yes... Ah, so it was supposed to be a surprise present! Haha, oh man. You're always finding ways to startle me.

Requested by Anonymous.