#you’d think having a whole ass plush on my keys would make it easier to find

[readingwriter92]

Anxiety is cancelled from now on. I’ve had too much of it today

[cyb-by-lang]

Leaning On Each Other (Remix)

This is a while later than I expected to get it finished, but here is @writer-and-artist27‘s birthday gift. She asked for a Kei-style take on this minific she wrote a while ago, so I did a full remix.

Apologies for making it a remix instead of the requested Kei's POV of this exact scene.

“I’m telling you, the difference is all in the wrist,” Kei said, holding out a kunai as though it was a katana. She spun it between her fingers as soon as her demonstration was over. “I mean, imagine this about four times as long in the handle and with ten times as much blade, but the point still stands.” 

“You’d have to get me a bokken and show me directly if you want that to make sense,” said Obito, shaking his head slightly. “Rin?” 

Rin shrugged, though her eyes didn’t quite leave the blade. “The blades I deal with are even shorter. I don’t really use them to stab people outside of a medical context. If you’re stabbing someone with a scalpel, something’s gone wrong,” Rin said, even as Kei made the kunai disappear into the holster on her thigh. 

“Like in the flying clipboard story?” Obito asked. 

“I still don’t know the actual story behind that,” Kei said.

Rin nodded along, but only smiled mysteriously when both of her friends in this conversation turned interrogative stares her way. “It’s funnier if I don’t tell you.” 

On the opposite side of the couch, Kakashi made an agreeing noise, then flipped to the next page in his book. Kei didn’t know for sure what he was reading, other than noticing earlier that the cover art was entirely in grayscale and looked kind of gloomy. If Kei had been the one reading, she probably wouldn’t have paid enough attention to the conversation to know where she was supposed to make obligatory listening sounds. 

Tomoko emerged from the kitchen at this point, flopping down on the couch between Kei and Obito. Kei raised a hand to keep her head from hitting the wall, and the three of them shuffled around a bit to accommodate her. 

“So, done working for now?” Kei asked, silently making sure that all of her weapons were stowed. Sure, she’d left her sword at home, but no shinobi was ever fully unarmed. It was a truth universally acknowledged that a kunai somewhere unfortunate would ruin anyone’s day. 

“You know me,” Tomoko replied, not noticing the shinobi weapons-check or not saying so. She leaned against Kei’s shoulder without hesitation. “Just for now.” 

“That’s what you always say,” Obito said, leaning forward over his knees to get a better look at their faces. “You should’ve let us help.” 

“There was batter on the ceiling last time, wasn’t there?” Rin asked. She’d only heard this story second-hand and the details changed in the telling because no one wanted to admit they’d been the one to start shit. 

“That was Kakashi’s fault,” Obito said instantly. “And we were at Kei’s house, so we only got banned there, so it doesn’t count!” 

“Getting banned from any kitchen still disqualifies you from going into a professional one, I think.” 

“Focus, team,” Kakashi said, but mostly sounded like it was a wordier version of the iconic Uchiha “hn.” He certainly didn’t put any force behind the order. 

“Okay, okay.” Kei nudged Tomoko with her elbow. “So, what’s up? Besides a clear need for a nap.”

“Nothing but the ceiling,” Tomoko replied.

“No, really?” Kei drawled automatically. “Would’ve never guessed. Congrats on your first well-timed pun, though.” 

Tomoko pouted. “It got your attention, even if it’s a horrible one. So I’ll try to be punny more often.”

“Tomo-chan!” Obito said, shaking his head. 

“I don’t regret it. Fight me.”

Kei considered her options carefully. A bad pun used in verbal combat came with a number of acceptable responses, but Tomoko wasn’t Hayate—who Kei would have already shoved off the couch by this point. Possibly backflipped him over the top of it, trusting his combat training to handle the landing. Tomoko needed more delicate handling. 

Therefore, Kei said, “Obito wouldn’t fight you if you paid him, puns or otherwise.” 

“It was a joke!” Tomoko protested, half-sunk into a combination of Kei’s jacket and the plush back of the couch. Her voice was a little muffled and pouty as a result. 

And Kei occasionally pretended she didn’t know about those conversational ripostes solely to exasperate Tomoko. She wasn’t sure Tomoko had caught on yet. 

From cross the table, Rin leaned forward and said, “You need to work on your delivery, Tomo. That landed pretty flat.”

“And the Earth is round and rotating on a crooked axis, sue me,” Tomoko said childishly in return, refusing to raise her head from her new resting spot. “I’m trying and I don’t wanna move.”

“It’s almost like overworking has totally foreseeable consequences,” Kei mused, her voice lilting to take the sting out of her words. 

Tomoko paused, thinking on it for a second. “…Would you have me any other way?”

The answer was immediate. “Nope.”

“Good.” A smile replaced the pout. Tomoko’s habit of puffing her cheeks out to pout mostly made Kei want to poke her. “What’s up with you?”

“Not much.” Kei shrugged as best she could with Tomoko’s head on her shoulder. “To make a long story short, Kakashi doesn’t want to give input on my totally half-assed kenjutsu lesson. Obito and Rin are being good friends and pretending they know what the hell I’m talking about.”

There was a crinkle signaling the turning of a page as Kakashi went back to reading.

“Okay, just for that? Rin and I are going to talk about things that aren’t swords,” Obito said with a comically exaggerated huff. “See how you like it.” 

Kei rolled her eyes. “Oh no. Traitors, et cetera.”  

Rin’s smile was helplessly fond. “All right, all right. No more sniping until we get you both on a practice range.” She turned her head. “So, Obito, did I tell you what happened when Akihito-shishō caught the nurses smuggling candy—” 

Rin’s tempting gossip drew Obito’s attention wholly, which was a good indicator that everyone was indeed done with the sword story. 

Tomoko turned her head so that her face was finally angled up toward Kei’s. “You know I was asking about you, health-wise?”

There were times when it seemed as though Tomoko did little else. The life of a ninja was like riding a rollercoaster with a rickety, rusted track that didn’t deserve to have so many twists and turns. Especially for how unreliable it was. Their lifestyle was a major risk to life and limb. 

Kei didn’t say any of that. Instead: “Yeah, I know.”

Tomoko thumped her head against Kei’s shoulder. “You’re my best friend in the whole wide world, y’know.” 

“I know,” Kei said by rote. Reincarnation time buddies! Who hopefully weren’t going to destroy the universe by accidentally turning something into a paradox. 

Another bonk. “Nagareboshi Café will always be open for you, y’know.”

“I know, Tomo.” Mostly because Kei had enough people in her life that she’d never forget it now. Being able to find half her social group there on a given day made the place a landmark, even if it wasn’t also a homey spot on its own.  

Sounding a little strangled now, Tomoko added after a short pause, “So then, Kei?”

“Hm?”

“Whenever you need help, whenever you’re down, you can call me up, y’know. I don’t know how well I can fix things, but I’ll try. I’ll always try.” 

Kei sighed. It was half from fond exasperation, but half from genuine frustration. There was always a part of her that utterly rejected the idea of pushing any of her emotional burdens onto Tomoko. Kei had volunteered practically from the start to chase whatever means of gaining power she could, all so she could make sure her precious people were safe. That was not the choice Tomoko had made. She’d never needed to, and Kei almost needed her to stay out of the blast radius. 

“Tomo, you know I’m not good at asking for—” 

Bonk. 

Kei went silent, raising an eyebrow in a silent question as Tomoko stared back. 

“Just listen, okay?” Tomoko rarely demanded direct, sincere statements toward Kei, who was equipped with a bone-deep inclination to deflect and dismiss what she viewed as excessive verbal reassurance. “No matter what happens, no matter what you end up doing, I’ll stay with you. To the end of our days.”

Kei bit down on the urge to interrupt. 

“I care about you, y’know. So when you need it, let me help you like you help me. Just get that memorized.”

Kei sighed again, reaching up to pat Tomoko’s head. “I’ll remember that.” 

When she could. It wouldn’t be as easy as Tomoko made it sound, but perhaps it could be, eventually. 

And that was when Obito bounced onto the couch hard enough to make Tomoko briefly airborne. She landed with a surprised “eep” with her weight still mostly on Kei’s side, but turned to face Obito. 

“Obi?” Tomoko said, startled.

“Nice of you to drop in,” Kei said over Tomoko’s head. It was so much easier to downplay any surprises when she could track everyone’s location within the room. Also, she’d seen Obito move out of the corner of her eye because he definitely wasn’t being stealthy. 

“Your conversation looked like it needed crashing,” Obito said lightly. “It looked heavy even from where I was standing.” He tilted his head to one side, tucking his legs underneath him. “Tomo, is Kei influencing you? Are you gonna start all your conversations with puns now? Please say no.” 

“It was my first try, Obi,” Tomoko soothed, reaching over with her right hand to rest against the side of his scalp. “I can try a different joke.”

Kei shifted her weight so that Tomoko ended up leaning more Obito’s way. 

“I don’t know, I think the debut worked,” Rin said, settling back in at her spot. Whatever she and Obito had talked about must’ve scared him back into this conversation. She added to Tomoko specifically, “Just maybe relax a little and let them come naturally.” 

“Wordplay and swordplay are both about timing,” Kei offered, “so I could probably help.” 

“I can see you being a bad influence, you know,” Obito said. “Even if you’re trying to be all underhanded about it.” 

“You’re shinobi,” Tomoko said, “Everything’s sneaky and underhanded! I could’ve sworn bad puns are how eye roll considering the family-friend thing.”

Obito groaned, defeated.  “Kei, you had one job!”

“If she’s not making improvised bombs in her bedroom, I’m still coming out ahead,” Kei told him. “And she’s not. I think?” 

“I’m not!” Tomoko said, half-frantic at the turn. “Just baked goods, like usual!” 

“Oh, if that’s the breaking point,” Obito grumbled.

Tomoko frowned thoughtfully. She rested her hand against the side of Obito’s face in apology, then said, “I’ll hold off on the puns and you can have a batch of cupcakes later. Will that be better?” 

This time, there was a hum of approval. Obito closed his eyes and leaned into Tomoko’s hand like a cat, mollified for now. 

That’d probably last until the next time one of Kei’s friends opened their mouths. Peace reigned until the next half-joking argument in the life of Team Minato. And most of their associates.

“Can I join in?” Rin said, though she was already cramming herself into the space on Kei’s other side with a medical textbook in her lap. Kei didn’t bother wondering where she’d gotten it from; at some point, pulling a “nothing up my sleeve” routine felt like it was expected. “This looks like fun.”

“There’s cookies near the stove if you want to grab those first, Ricchan,” Tomoko said. Her chakra felt floaty with contentment. “Just to help with the studying you have there. The cookies are sugar and snickerdoodle.”

Rin’s smile widened. “Maybe later?” She still absently opened the front cover of her book, glancing at it before leaning against Kei’s other shoulder. “This feels nice right now.”

“Just make yourself at home, I guess,” Kei said with a toss of her head, settling farther down in the couch cushions. She shuffled to handle both hers and Rin’s weights before considering. “What about you, Kakashi?”

“Hn.” He instead disappeared briefly into the kitchen, out of easy spotting range thanks to the movement limitations of the human neck. “There’s not enough space for five people on that couch. There really wasn’t for four, but apparently we’re stacking like apartment blocks,” he judged when he returned, but he settled at the group’s feet and set the plate on the table in front of them all. “I brought the cookies.”

At this point, Tomoko started humming. 

Rin reached forward and retrieved her cookies, passing out others at random. Kakashi demurred, returning his attention to his book, and wrinkling his nose at the thought of eating such sweet things of his free will. He was content just basking in his friends’ company. 

“Just eat and relax?” Tomoko offered, passing a cookie from Rin to Obito. “We don’t have anything going on today, so let’s pass the time like this.”

Kei leaned her head back against the top of the couch, listening with half an ear to the world around her. With sight out of the way, she could focus on her friends’ contentment through her chakra sense and live in the moment. 

Tomoko’s voice rose over the impromptu cookie party: 

“Dream of anything; 

I’ll make it all come true.

Everything you need 

Is all I have for you. 

I’m forever 

Always by your side. 

Whenever you need a friend, 

I’m never far behind.” 

Obito shifted and the couch dipped under his weight. Felt like he was reaching for his next dose of sugar already. The plate scraped across the table. “Could you sing that a bit louder, Tomo-chan? I want to hear.”

“Eh?” A sudden wave of shyness swept through Tomoko. “You sure?”

“We’ve all heard you sing before, Tomo,” said Kei, keeping her eyes shut. “No pressure.” 

Rin’s sun-on-water chakra perked up along with her voice as she said, “You were the one to say we should relax, right?”

There was a brief back-and-forth between the boys—banter so played-out it was almost entirely fond. Amusement passed through each of them like an electric current. 

Tomoko’s voice rose again. 

“If the stars all fall,

When there’s no more light, 

And the moon should crumble, 

It will be alright.”

Being here, with these precious people, would tide Kei over through their next absence. With the life she and her friends lived, that separation was inevitable. There was always something else coming down the pipeline and eventually disturbing their peace, but that was the future. 

This was now. 

“Don’t you worry about the dark,

I will light up the night with the love in my heart.

I will burn like the sun,

I will keep you safe and warm.

Like the smell of a rose on a summer’s day,

I will be there to take all your fears away.

With a touch of my hand,

I will turn your life to gold.”

Kei seared the moment into her memory, to keep it like a light against the darkness still to come.

[reformedkingsmanagent]

Let me just say absolutely adore out of practice, had to fan myself a little after I read it. Would it be possible to request Charlie x reader, during The Secret Service Era, they have to do an undercover gala mission together and while collecting data almost get caught 'so kiss me, because public affection makes people uncomfortable' but Charlie actually enjoys more than the reader expects... maybe nsfw??

A/N: I really really really hope this is fine! I didn’t go proper nsfw, I’m sorry! But I hope to have some smutty smutty goodness out soon for the holidays?? Maybe. We’ll see how it all goes.

The new owners of the massive cathedral, recently repurposed as a home for the growing crime syndicate here in Madrid, were doing their best to host a party, but the reverence usually associated with setting foot in a place of worship wasn’t so easy to get rid of. Even for the not-so-religious, it was an exercise in learned respect and conditioning.

Must make them feel as if their schemes are god-given.

It was made easier, though, by watching a very questionable conversation being had in a corner. An uncomfortably intimate touch was all you needed to see to be sure you’d latched onto the right man.

“I’m glad I worked so hard to secure a spot as his date to this stupid thing only for him to go off chasing other women. What on earth was the point in inviting me then?”

“Are you jealous? Over that guy?”

Absolutely not. At least, you don’t think so…

You could hear Charlie’s very-much-amused laughter in your ear. “Don’t worry love, I still think you’re stunning—”

“Don’t even, Charles.”

“Please—”

“He’s walking over,” you interrupted, putting a fake smile back into place as your ticket into the massive gala event offered a glass of champagne as if he hadn’t just been running his disgusting hands up some woman’s thigh—

“It’s lovely, don’t you think?” he asked, his heavy accent slicing through your thoughts.

Still, the whole thing was making you laugh. Merlin suggesting you as a candidate for a honeypot mission? Well, honeypot-lite, perhaps. You still didn’t know how you managed to catch this man’s eye, but at least you hadn’t failed horribly.

Yet. There’s still time now.

You covered your amusement and discomfort as best as you could. The last thing you wanted to do was trash the whole mission simply by pissing him off.

“Mmhmm, very,” you agreed, glancing up at the incredibly high ceilings, taking in the elaborate chandeliers hanging above. It was a very old building, surprisingly well maintained, but for the moment it was cluttered with all kinds of decorations for the event, as well as fixtures like lights, a small stage, and the tables and chairs spread out across the room. One big change, an update made at the new owner’s request was a whole wall entirely composed of glass, giving a view out to a stonework terrace which offered an even better view of the Spanish capital.

You were sure the glass was bulletproof.

“This was added by a famous architect of Spain—”

“Yes, he’s a brilliant restorationist. Also did work on a few of the other big cathedrals around here, right?”

He is also familiar with the construction of vaults of all shapes and sizes, as well as hiding them in plain sight. You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you sir?

Your date for the evening raised an eyebrow. “Yes, yes he did. You’re very well-educated on our…architecture.”

Shit. Just keep your nerd side quiet, that was the one thing Charlie asked of you—

Thankfully a man in a dark suit very much like an unofficial uniform walked over and delivered a quiet message, one you caught the tail end of. You caught sight of the small earbud in his ear. Private security.

As soon as they were both out of earshot, you brought the glass to your lips to hopefully disguise them moving.

“Charlie, they’re onto you.”

“No, they’re onto my plant. I’ve already moved on. I caught wind of some people taking a private tour of the archives below and thought I’d take a look myself. Care to join me?”

You let your eyes close briefly in relief as a smile spread across your face, this one genuine. “I would love to.”

***********

“It’s alright, you can come out. They’re gone.”

You stepped out from behind one of the columns, heels in hand. “How did you—”

“You can’t sneak up on me, I’ve got ears like—”

“What, these?” you asked, flicking at one of them.

He jumped a bit, tucking his chin into his chest to try to hide them from you. “You’re lucky you’re you, or you wouldn’t have hands any longer,” he joked. You studied him while his attention was focused on the wall in front of him. He looked good. He was dressed in the same uniform that the man who’d pulled your date away was wearing. Charlie didn’t waste any time.

“What do we have?”

“Pretty basic security around here, Chump 1 and 2 are sleeping things off in a cabinet over there,” he pointed over his shoulder, “so we’re good for now.” After a few moments of pressing his fingers against the wood, a small round panel slid back within and revealed a round metal lock. “And would you look at that,” he mumbled in wonder. “Everything’s got to be behind this door.” He studied the lock tucked into the wood panelling, his watch scanning it. “I’ve got nothing with this. It’s not electronic, it’s just…ancient. Guess we’re not hacking our way in.”

“I thought you were the man who was prepared for anything?” you teased. He glanced down at you with a soft grin. After a bit of him not answering, you frowned. “Charlie, what?”

He looked away, back to the lock. “Nothing, just…didn’t get to see you before you slipped out for the evening, that’s all.”

You turned away to hide your reaction, pretending to at least be useful and watch the only way in or out of the large room as the heat faded from your cheeks.

“If we can’t get ahold of a key, we’ve got to pick it,” he announced.

“You sound disappointed. Did you forget your toolkit back home?”

You could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m prepared for a lot of things, but this—”

He cut himself off as you turned back towards him, reaching underneath your dress through the slit for the small card-sized folio tucked into the band of your stocking. “Whoa, whoa, what on earth are you doing?” he hissed, eyes wide. His face was bright red.

“Relax, Charlie, and thank me for saving your ass from one of Merlin’s ‘always be prepared’ lectures, god knows I’ve had plenty of those—”

“If they start spending too much time in there, somebody’s bound to notice. I don’t know why this meeting couldn’t wait until after we’ve cleared out all the guests hanging around. Keeping them out of here has been a nightmare.”

Both you and Charlie froze.

You tucked your mini lockpicking kit into the front of your dress, taking a moment to straighten it while Charlie looked around the two of you, eyes wide.

“There’s nowhere for us to hide,” he whispered.

“We’ve got to do something, Charlie,” you frantically replied.

He took a moment to compose himself, closing his eyes to concentrate. “Hiding in plain sight… Wait—”

“They’re almost in here,” you interrupted.

His hands reached for your face and you instinctively moved to stop him, but he held up a finger. “You have to kiss me—”

“What?!” You felt a light fluttering sensation in your stomach as you looked up at him, mind trying to wrap around just what he was suggesting.

“Public displays of affection cause people to feel uncomfortable, they—”

“You seriously think now’s the time to test that theory?!”

“Got a better idea?”

Not how you expected your night to go, at all.

Out of the corner of your eye you could see the guards step into view, but as quickly as they appeared, they were covered by the side of Charlie’s face. Milliseconds later his soft, plush lips smoothed over yours. You could feel that he was holding back, it wasn’t a proper kiss, but it did enough for you to subconsciously lean into him and grip both sides of his suit jacket.

“Are they buying it?” Charlie mumbled against your lips. As much as you were secretly very much appreciating what was happening, you didn’t think a chaste kiss would be convincing enough to excuse your presence there.

With a frown, you pulled him back in, your mouth opening beneath his. He groaned, his thumbs smoothing over your cheeks as his tongue found yours. Your back hit the disguised wall the two of you had been attempting to get through, and Charlie blindly moved a hand to press the wood back into place over the lock so they’d be none the wiser.

Always thinking of everything.

You were just doing your job, you weren’t enjoying the kiss or anything…

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

“Can you believe this guy? Thinks he’s being paid to fuck around?”

Charlie let you go and you did your best to appear shocked. The sensations low in your belly weren’t an act though.

“I—I’m sorry, I—” Charlie’s Spanish accent wasn’t horrible but it could use some work.

The one closest to Charlie clapped his hand against the side of his arm. Chump 3. “Relax, my friend, your little slip-up is safe with us.” The two men shared a look that made you very concerned. The last thing the two of you needed was extra attention.

“Excuse me, I have to get back,” you explained, moving to head past them to the main room. If you could get around them then perhaps they wouldn’t see you preparing to stun them.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The Chump 4 reached out and pulled you back over, tucking you in against his side. You pushed against him gently enough to not betray your true strength, but he wasn’t willing to let you go.

You shared a look with Charlie and he nodded ever so slightly.

“I really have to go—”

Chump 4’s hand grabbed your arm tightly, holding you out in front of him so he could look at you. He grinned. “What happened to your shoes—?”

Charlie used his watch on the man holding you, stunning him with a dart to the neck. He was a bit slow to react, releasing your arm and reaching for his neck, his eyebrows furrowing as he found the tiny dart. As Chump 3 watched his friend slump to the floor in front of you, you took advantage of the distraction and pulled a small knife from its home along your upper thigh. It seemed to distract Charlie too as he raised his eyebrows.

You reached up and pressed the knife in against Chump 3’s neck, right against the carotid artery. Charlie used a hand at the man’s back to keep him in place.

Teamwork.

“Where do they keep the key to this door?”

He swallowed. “Only two exist. And they’re both on the other side.”

You glanced over at Charlie who had his watch ready to go. “We’ll have to pick it.”

Charlie shrugged, an amused smile on his face. “Alright. What do we do with him?”

The guard raised his hands in surrender. “If you let me go, I promise I won’t tell anyone you’ve been down here.” Charlie readied the watch. “I can’t afford to get on their bad side, please, if they think I’ve not done my job my family is at risk,” he pleaded.

“…Amnesia?” you suggested to Charlie. He quirked an eyebrow but changed the setting.

“Thank you,” he sighed, clasping his hands together.

“Alright, now turn around. Don’t worry, she’ll let you go,” Charlie grinned. The guard did, heading back towards the entrance to the archives. “You’re in desperate need of a drink,” Charlie insisted.

“What?”

Charlie shot the guard with the less powerful dart. The guard didn’t break stride for a second and continued out of the room as if the whole thing never happened. As you put away your knife, Charlie dragged the stunned guard over to a large cabinet and shoved him in with the others.

You turned back to the wall, pressing in to expose the lock again.

“It didn’t work,” you mumbled, lips still tingling.

“What didn’t?”

“The…kissing.”

“Oh, but it did.”

Before you could explain that he was wrong, a large hand spread wide across your abdomen as Charlie pulled you back against his chest, his other hand moving to the top of your dress, fingers skimming over your skin.

“Charlie—!”

You couldn’t breathe.

“What?” He lingered, his fingertips ghosting along the edge of the dress. You reached for his hand but did nothing to stop him.

“We can’t—”

“Relax,” he whispered, his long fingers pulling the thin card-sized toolkit free. “Just needed this.” His hands disappeared and you stepped away from the lock, giving him space and taking a second to try to recover from where your mind had slipped away to.

A click and a quiet “aha” from Charlie brought you back to the present as the whole wood panel slid aside to reveal a narrow hallway.

Charlie turned to face you, the small case in his hand. You took it, still a little dazed. “Ready to go finish this mission?”

Before he had time to react, you pulled him in close and smashed your lips against his, moaning into his mouth. Something you never expected to do, but also something you found you desperately needed. After a few seconds of deep, deep kissing, you forced him back before you went too far. He leaned against the wall, doing his best to catch his breath and compose himself.

“Mission first,” you sighed, kicking yourself for willfully wasting the opportunity right in front of you. “When we get back to the hotel—”

“We’d better get going then, yeah?”

You stood up straight, fixing your dress and taking in a deep breath. “Yeah,” you agreed. “But I’m taking point.”

He raised his eyebrows as he smiled, that all-too familiar charm working its magic. “By all means, please, after you,” he conceded. As you stepped in front of him down the narrow hallway, his hand on your arm stopped you from getting too far ahead. His chest met your back and his lips pulled at your earlobe. “Don’t think for a second that’s going to extend to the rest of the evening though, love,” he whispered. You swallowed.

[hsincerely]

Sickeningly Sweet Like Honey

Yesterday I posted this drabble, so today I came up with this short fic. I hope you all enjoy it, I haven’t written anything in a very long time.

Read on ao3

It was a long day. School had just finished session for the year, and the bookshop had had a steady stream of business all day. Students looking for summer reading, parents looking to kill time before their kids got home from daycare, and of course the casual patron who just needed the Wi-Fi for an hour (or three).

Zane was tired. He would even go so far as to say exhausted. All he wanted was to climb into bed, watch something mindless, and fall asleep.

He locked the door and made his way towards the kitchen. Not only was he tired, but he was also starving.

“Ty?” he shouted to the house at large. He didn’t hear any sign of movement, so he assumed Ty must be out. He had been at the bookshop that morning, but claimed he had “super-secret husband business” to attend to later in the afternoon, whatever that entailed. It was hard telling with Ty.

Zane opened the refrigerator, considering what they actually had available to eat. It wasn’t looking promising. Just as the void was about to swallow him whole, he heard keys jingling before the front door swung open.

“Zane?” Ty yelled from the entryway.

“Yeah, I’m in the kitchen,” he hollered back.

“Hey,” Ty said as he walked into the room. “Are you looking for Narnia or something? I heard you’d have more luck in a wardrobe.”

Zane furrowed his brows before turning around to look at his husband. He caught the small smirk on Ty’s face and let his features soften.

“I was trying to figure out dinner, but I don’t really think we have much of anything here. What’s behind your back?”

Ty held out one empty hand and waved it through the air. “Nothing? I think we need to get your eyes checked, Garrett.”

“Ha ha, aren’t you funny,” Zane said as he walked over to where Ty was standing. Ty backed up just the slightest bit, but Zane didn’t miss the crinkling of plastic bags. “Come on, Grady. Spill.”

“Well,” Ty started, drawing out the word. “I know you were slammed at the store today, so as a thank you for putting up with everyone, I thought I’d bring us dinner home.” He pulled the bags from behind his back, the Chiaparelli’s logo catching Zane’s eye.

“You braved seeing Ryan just for me? My hero,” he swooned before stealing a chaste kiss.

Ty gave him a quick pat on the ass before heading towards the table to set up their dinner. “Yeah, yeah, I’m a white knight, what can I say?” he said as he pulled out the different Styrofoam containers.

“How’s he doing?” Zane asked, pulling plates and utensils out of the different cabinets and drawers.

“Seems fine. He asked about you. Seemed a bit disappointed it was me picking the food up, if I’m honest.”

“Oh, did he? I’d be pretty disappointed about not seeing me either,” Zane teased.

“Hey, Garrett? Bite me,” Ty replied, but there was no heat to his words.

Zane set the plates and forks down on the table before wrapping his arms around Ty’s waist. He leaned down, placing his mouth right under Ty’s ear. He gave him a tiny nip before leaning up and whispering, “Don’t tempt me.”

He heard Ty’s quick intake of breath, gave his neck one last kiss, and backed away. He caught Ty’s wide-eyed stare and chuckled under his breath. As he set the table he heard Ty mumble, “I’ll show you tempting,” to himself before going back to piling food onto both of their plates.

Dinner was a quick affair. After placing the dishes into the dishwasher, the pair made their way upstairs to the bedroom. Ty stripped his shirt off, and Zane couldn’t help but stare. It had been years, and he still couldn’t quite believe how turned on he got simply by looking at Ty. He was still in amazing shape and had just the slightest hint of a tan from weekends spent helping his parents in West Virginia. He looked up and caught Ty’s gaze. Ty arched an eyebrow up, and Zane gave a small shrug, a “well what did you expect?” gesture.

“Shower?” Ty suggested. Zane nodded and headed towards the bathroom. He adjusted the temperature the way he liked, knowing that if he let Ty do it he’d have first degree burns rather than a clean body, and stepped under the spray.

As he was wetting his hair, he felt Ty open the shower curtain and step in beside him. Before he could open his eyes to get a look at his husband’s naked body, he was being spun around and pushed up against the shower wall. Plush lips met his in a rush, and it wasn’t long before Ty’s tongue was pushing against his mouth, begging for entrance.

He parted his lips and let Ty explore, allowing his hands to roam down his husband’s shoulders before grabbing a handful of his ass. Zane gripped Ty’s cheeks roughly and pulled him closer. Ty let out a soft moan before shifting a thigh in between Zane’s legs and pushing them apart.

Ty pulled away and started trailing kisses across Zane’s cheek to his neck, latching there and biting the tender skin. Zane let out a groan and reached a hand down to cup Ty’s balls. He felt Ty pant against his skin before he was moving again, mouthing his way down his chest.

“Ty,” Zane groaned as his husband worked his way lower. Ty dropped to his knees and placed his mouth right under Zane’s naval. He looked up, hazel eyes glistening in the dull shower light, and smiled before sucking a mark onto Zane’s stomach. Zane let his hand travel into Ty’s hair, grabbing a handful and tugging gently. Ty pulled away from Zane’s stomach and gave him a quick wink before taking him fully into his mouth.

Zane grit his teeth and hissed out a stream of air, letting his head fall back against the tiled wall. Ty’s mouth was sinful. It had always been sinful, and tonight was no exception. He readjusted his grip on Ty’s hair and moved to the motion of Ty bobbing along the length of his cock.

“Baby,” he moaned, and Ty moaned around him in response. Zane tugged harder on Ty’s hair to restrain himself from bucking into Ty’s mouth. Ty trailed his hands up the back of Zane’s thighs before gripping his hips. He pulled Zane forwards slightly, and Zane blinked down at him. “Babe…b-babe, are you sure?” he stuttered out. Ty blinked up at him and nodded slightly. Zane groaned and grabbed both sides of Ty’s head. He pushed forward gently, testing the waters.

When Ty moaned in response, Zane pushed a little faster, feeling the back of Ty’s throat open up.

He felt his gut clench, knowing he wouldn’t last much longer. Ty was somehow managing to let out little groans around Zane’s cock, and it was driving him crazy. He snapped his hips forward quickly, managing to grit out, “Close,” allowing Ty the chance to back off. Ty grabbed his hips harder and moaned, and that was the last push Zane needed before he was spilling down Ty’s throat. Ty swallowed hungrily, shifting his hand to Zane’s cock to work the last of his load out of him.

Zane panted, his head falling against the shower wall once more. He chanced a look at Ty and caught him licking the last bit of come off his lips. Zane trailed his finger across Ty’s cheek, stroking the delicate skin before grabbing his hand tugging him upward.

When Ty rose, Zane spun him around and immediately went for his neck. He gripped the base of Ty’s cock and started stroking him quickly, using his precome to make the slide easier. Ty dug his nails into Zane’s back and groaned, his breath picking up.

“Zane. Baby,” Ty moaned as Zane sucked harder on his neck.

Zane pulled off and leaned right up against Ty’s ear. “Yeah, doll, come on. Come for me, Ty.”

Ty panted harder, pushing into Zane’s hand.

“That’s it, baby. Come for me.” With one last twist of Zane’s wrist, Ty was spilling over Zane’s hand. He moaned as his dick pulsed out white ribbons of come. When he was finished, Zane rinsed his hand off under the shower spray, and pulled Ty into a kiss. He grinned against his lips as he caught a hint of himself still on Ty’s mouth.

“Hey,” Zane whispered, looking down. Ty blinked one eye open and quirked a brow. “Thank you,” Zane said. He pressed a gentle kiss against Ty’s forehead. “I love you,” he muttered against Ty’s skin.

“Love you, too,” Ty breathed out against Zane’s neck. After a moment, he said, “Let’s finish up in here, I’m starting to prune.” Zane chuckled, but he backed away and lathered up his hair while Ty squeezed his body wash onto his loofa.

Finally clean and feeling less tense after working out some tension, Zane made his way to the bed. He pulled the sheets back and starfished himself across the mattress. Staring at the ceiling, he felt Ty’s gaze on him.

“What?” he asked, still not looking over.

“Ya know, Garrett, some of us also have to sleep in this bed tonight,” Ty joked before hopping into bed and straddling Zane’s hips.

“Hi,” he said, looking down at his husband like he had hung the stars in the sky.

“Hi,” Zane whispered back, gazing up at Ty with pure adoration. He grabbed his left hand and mindlessly played with his fingers. He brought them to his lips and placed a kiss over the infinity sign adorning his ring finger. “We should get them touched up soon,” he said, staring at the ink that had just barely started to fade.

“You think?” Ty asked, running his hand up down Zane’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I do,” Zane responded gently. “Come here,” he said, tugging Ty down next to him.

Ty settled himself onto Zane’s chest. Zane hooked his chin over Ty’s head and hummed in contentment. “Where are the cats?” Zane asked, suddenly realizing he hadn’t seen them since he’d been home.

“I’m sure they’re around here somewhere. Probably hiding under the bed because of how loud you were grunting earlier.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re one to talk,” Zane laughed. He would never tire of Ty’s teasing. It was one of the first things he fell in love with, and he loved how Ty could always keep up with his ribbing. He felt Ty grin against his bare chest, and pulled him closer to his body.

Almost as if on cue, he felt two sets of paws land gently on the edge of the bed. If Ty would have picked up normal kittens, they would have been content to curl up at the foot of the bed and fall back asleep. But, of course, because they were Ty’s cats, they were rowdy and in the mood to play. They batted and pounced on Zane’s feet. No matter how hard he tried he wasn’t able to push them back off the bed. Ty huffed a laugh out and started popping his own foot up and down, shifting that cats’ attention to his own feet and giving Zane a break.

They finally got bored, hopped back onto the floor, and sauntered out the door, probably in search of something to eat. Zane started rubbing light circles onto Ty’s back, getting lost in his thoughts. Ty’s birthday was coming up, and Zane still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do for him. He had gotten as far as closing the bookshop for the day, but he quickly ran out of ideas. He wasn’t sure what you could get for a man who deserved the world. Nothing seemed good enough.

He was jerked from his thoughts when Ty twisted his nipple lightly. Zane yelped and looked down at his husband. “What was that for?” he asked breathlessly, rubbing the sore spot on his chest.

“What are you scheming, Garrett?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he answered, looking away from Ty.

“Um, wrong answer,” Ty replied, letting his hand hover over Zane’s chest again. “What are you thinking about, huh?”

Zane peeked down at Ty, considering. He opened his mouth like he was going to answer before squeezing Ty’s sides quickly. Ty gasped and started laughing, trying to bat Zane’s hands away in vain.

“Zane. Zane! Stop, quit it!” he shrieked in between breathless laughter. Zane got a few more quick pokes in before he settled back down and pulled Ty back into his chest.

Ty glared at Zane with a look that probably would have killed a weaker man. Zane grinned down at him, quickly kissing his temple.

“This isn’t the last of this discussion, Garrett,” Ty warned after his breathing had steadied again.

“Whatever you say, doll,” Zane drawled. He went back to drawing hearts into Ty’s back, and Ty settled in, rubbing soft circles across Zane’s ribs.

Zane was exhausted. He started to drift off here and there, floating in and out of consciousness. Ty’s breathing was also getting slower, warm breath spilling over Zane’s chest. He was almost asleep when he felt Ty shift slightly. He pressed gentle lips right above Zane’s heart, and Zane heard a quiet, muffled, “I love you.” Readjusting his arm around Ty’s shoulder, he gave his arm a gentle squeeze and turned his face into Ty’s hair. He breathed in the scent of Ty’s Old Spice shampoo, and breathed out, “I love you, too,” into his still damp hair.

Sighing happily, Zane shut his eyes and focused on Ty’s breathing. Once it had evened out, he pressed one last kiss onto his head and allowed himself to finally drift off to sleep.