#I probably still screwed it up though lemme check again | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

penguinwithitsarseonfire · 2 years

Text

We never go out of style

Pairing: 13th Doctor x Reader

Word Count: 3,613

Warnings: Suit!13, a ridiculous amount of pining

Summary: Before going to an alien queens function, the Doctor tasks herself to fixing your outfit. There seems to be a bit of tension between the two of you, which isn’t helped when the Doctor begins to... experiment with it. Featuring the season 11 & 12 fam because I miss them.

A/N: Y’all there’s so much pining in this that I’m tempted to write a sequel, lemme know if you’re interested in that aha. Note: Reader is wearing a dress, but their gender is never specified.

You fiddled with the sleeves of your dress. They were bunching up slightly, and it was starting to frustrate you. Yaz looked up from her place by Graham, she had been straightening his bowtie, when she turned to you.

“Oh hey,” she said, the light from the console rooms crystals reflecting off of her blazer. “You need some help there?”

You screwed up your face slightly, pulling the material down, only for it to snap back in its original scrunched up form. “Yeah,” you said. “Maybe. I’m not sure what to do with it.”

Yaz hummed, nodding as she turned back towards Graham. “Yeah give me a mo’ and I’ll pop right over.”

You gave her a grateful smile.

“Oi wait, I can help,” Ryan spoke up, tying his laces by the steps. He looked up at you for a moment, giving you a bright smile, before looking back down to his loafers. “Shouldn’t take me too long to finish up.”

You nodded. “Yeah that’s fine, if you think you know what you can do for this?” You lifted your arms, wincing at the sight of your sleeves. They were bunched up around your forearm.

You heard, rather than saw, Ryan shuffle as he began to stand, when in an instant, he was bowled over. You whipped your head around, watching as a collection of limbs crashed into Ryan’s large frame, toppling him over and crashing into the floor.

The Doctor poked up from above Ryan, who groaned underneath her. “Sorry,” the Doctor said, but she was looking at you. “I’ll do it, I know how the fabric works.”

Graham and Yaz ran over, Yaz helping the Doctor up, Graham checking on Ryan. He began to say something, probably some reprimand towards the Doctor, but his words washed away, static in the back of your mind.

You watched the Doctor squeeze Yaz’s arm before breaking away, giving Yaz a grateful smile, then brushing herself down. The Doctor’s movements were languid, almost as if she had been pulled into slow motion. You tried to swallow, had the air gone hot? Why was your mouth dry? The light danced in her hair, draping down her face and making her skin warm. It reflected off the buttons on her suit jacket-

Wow.

She was wearing a suit.

Was she glowing? It looked like she was glowing. The top buttons on her white shirt were still undone, and you could see the outline of her collarbone underneath. Her suit jacket, black and long, without tails, sat so comfortably on her, it was as though it had been moulded for her figure. You tried blinking; your brain was fuzzy. The Doctor looked to you, her eyes – so warm, so vivid, locking onto yours. She moved a step, then another. You were frozen.

Why wasn’t your brain working? All you could process was her - if you could even call it processing. There was this power to her, this surge of confidence that well – you had always seen in her, but somehow it was more polished.

You could see the gold in her eyes – when had she gotten so close? You swallowed again, your mouth still impossibly dry. Her nose was practically an inch from yours, if you could, you could lean in. Your gaze flickered to her lips then her eyes, and they widened a fraction. Had she noticed?

You stifled a surprised yelp when her hands wrapped around your arm. Her hands were firm, holding you assuredly, but, as she moved them up and down your arm, her touch was gentle.

“It’s a copperoptic fibre,” the Doctor explained, but her voice had gone lower – softer even. “Created by the Maleryans in the 4th century of the New Age.”

You nodded dumbly. Her breath ghosted your chest as she looked down, focusing on you and your arm.

“It expands with heat,” she continued, and there was something about her voice as she spoke, almost as if it were strangled. “So, some friction should do the trick,” her hands jumped in their pace, and you could feel the heat from her hands under your sleeve. The Doctor looked back up to you, her eyes sparkling. “Stop it from bunching.”

You hummed, but your voice was high pitched, cracking at the strain. The Doctors eyes widened slightly, and she paused her movements so abruptly it was though she had been shot frozen. The Doctor eyes flickered from you, your wide eyes, your clenched jaw, to her hands on your arm, then back at you again.

“Hey, this is okay, right?” The Doctor screwed up her face. “I know Ryan said he’d help but I…”

“This is good,” you said, voice cracking, completely horrified in yourself as heat filled your face. You hoped you were imaging it, that maybe you weren’t blushing as hard as you felt.

The Doctor nodded, something so small it was a though she was nodding to herself, and maybe she was. She looked down, and you hesitated to follow her gaze. When you did, you noticed that your sleeve had indeed smoothened out, the creases settling against you skin. The Doctors long fingers were stretched over your arm, pushing, and pulling against your sleeve. You watched, entranced, as her thumb slipped away, disappearing under the silk and meeting your wrist.

Your breath hitched.

In slow, circular motions, she ran her thumb on the underside of your wrist, right on that sensitive bit of skin, where, if you looked closely, you could see your own veins. It was electric, the movement so innocuous that the way it made your heart skip a beat almost felt sinful.

You let out a heavy breath, and you gasped.

The Doctor’s other hand slipped free from your arm, and suddenly, she was lifting your head, her fingers ghosting over the base of your jaw and settling on the underside of your chin. You swallowed, your eyes locking onto hers and – oh. Had they gone darker? Her pupils were large, her eyes shadowed - you could barely see the golds and greens of her irises. Nothing but black and white.

It wasn’t a look you were used to, not from her. You had memorised her expressions, the way her eyes would sparkle, the turn of her lips, when her gaze caught onto the stars. Or the way her expression would harden, eyes sharp and jaw set, when she moved to outspeak some insanely arrogant alien hellbent on some sort of destruction.

Which was why now, watching as her mouth moved into a soft, almost not-there smile, like she had learned something fascinating, was transformative. You felt cut open as her eyes – black and white, flickered across your face, making no sense. Why was she looking? What was she seeing?

You couldn’t quite describe it; you weren’t sure you wanted to. Was she truly smiling, or was it more of a smirk? Something had clicked in her brain, you were sure of it, you knew her well enough now that the slight turn of her head, the way she chewed on her lower lip, made sense to you.

Then her tongue poked out, running across her lower lip. There and gone. Lightning quick. If you hadn’t been watching her, memorising this new… peculiar expression, you would have missed it – and wait. When had you been looking at her lips?

You forced your gaze back to her eyes, so dark, so… confusing, and her eyebrows rose just a fraction. Her thumb was still drawing circles on the base of your wrist, featherlight touches that made you crave more, driving into your chest and making you want to latch onto her hand and never let go.

Her voice, deeper – maybe, broke you from your trance. “I need your other arm… love.”

It caught you, and you swallowed your double take. Love? That was… that was new. Surprising, but not exactly unwanted. The Doctors voice, the sound her mouth made when she spoke that word, rolled around your head.

She had said it slowly, carefully, as if testing it.

Love.

You stuck out your other hand, knocking it into her gut. She was so close. “Oh yeah,” you said, your voice airy. “Sorry, here.”

And her hand, warm, solid, secure, left your face, the Doctors thumb tracing up your jaw as she did so. Her touch was soft, gentle, experimental. In a moment, it was wrapped around your arm, your hand still hanging limply between you.

Her other hand, the one on your wrist, the one whose thumb was drawing circles on your wrist, the one making the hair on your arm and the back of your neck stand, pulled away. You almost mewed in response.

You didn’t, of course. Because that would have been mortifying.

As her first hand worked on your sleeve – because that’s what she was doing here, after all, her second hand trailed up your arm. Slow but sure. A trail of goosebumps rose up your back, tingling like lighting through your spine.

Your breath caught. The Doctor rested the hand, the hand that seemed to revel in touching you, on your upper arm, fingers curling around your bicep. “It involves a particular movement to loosen it,” the Doctor said, her voice low, and you had to force yourself to listen. You didn’t know if what she was saying was true, her hand was simply moving up and down your arm.

And then she moved herself, so your fingers grazed over her hip, and any care you had about her not telling you the truth, about her talking nonsense simply because she always wanted to look clever, simply just sort of disappeared from your mind.

There was one nudge, then two. The Doctors hands were warms against your arm, and the fingers that were curled around your bicep began to drum a familiar pattern you couldn’t quite name. You barely noticed the third nudge, the fourth, or the fifth, but suddenly, your hand, the one that had been hanging so limply just moments earlier, the one that had grazed against her suit jacket, was now cupped firmly on the Doctors hip.

You swallowed dryly.

The Doctor focused on smoothing out your sleeve, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth. She made no move against your hand. In fact, she made no indication that she had noticed it was there at all. The beat on your bicep, light and gentle, continued, only slightly faltering as your hand gripped her side. You stuck your tongue against the back of your front teeth, eyes flittering across her face.

It was then you noticed it. The way her fingers around your bicep were lightly pushing the fabric of your sleeve down.

So no, for all you could tell, the Doctor hadn’t noticed you. You hoped, at least, that she remained oblivious of your hand, wary, unsure, but oh so desperate, curled around her waist. The fabric that made her suit was soft under your hand. The Doctor had told you once that it was a blend of rayon and tremberlite – a material developed by the Buchanan monks, and was designed for its softness and durability. It was also warm, so incredibly warm. Whether it was warm because of her, her body heat, the way she exuded brightness, or the creeping heat you could feel trail up your neck, you weren’t sure.

Eventually, the Doctor paused her movements, looking up slowly and giving you a brilliant smile. “There we go,” she said, and her touch lingered on your arm. “Now you’re ready for the queens function.”

She stepped away from you, her hands falling from you, but not before one lingered on the hand that was on her waist, brushing over it with the tips of her fingers. Her touch was so light that it took you a moment to realise it had been there at all.

You lifted your sleeves in front of you. They were smooth, like they had never been bunched in the first place. The dark red of them almost looked burgundy in the orange glow of the TARDIS’ lights, and for a moment you wondered if the Doctor liked the colour, considering she had chosen this dress for you.

When you looked back, the Doctor was already milling around the others, buzzing and hovering like a black and white bee, doing final check up on how everyone was dressed, how their clothing sat on their frames, how they had managed to tie a bowtie. You laughed to yourself. She was fussing over Grahams bowtie even though hers was completely askew.

Which – speaking of.

You jogged over to them, only to find the Doctor and Graham in a… pretty intense conversation. Yaz and Ryan looked on, Yaz, somewhat perplexed, and Ryan completely amused. It didn’t look heated, neither the Doctor nor Graham looked particularly upset. You figured he must just be asking general questions about where the Doctor was taking you.

“So,” Graham said. “You can promise me that there won’t be anything too weird this time, yeah?” He ran his hand over his bowtie, and Yaz groaned. She went to step in to fix it but Ryan placed a hand on her shoulder, making her pause. “No Death-Eye Turtle Army?”

The Doctor ran her tongue against her teeth. “I did apologise for that,” then paused. “Wait, I did, didn’t I?”

“Yes Doctor,” you said, coming to their sides. “A couple times actually.”

The Doctor nodded. “Ah – right then,” and refocused on Graham. “Look, I can’t promise that. You know me.”

Graham pursed his lips, but it was more out of disappointment than anything. “I suppose we shouldn’t expect a quiet day with you anyway, ey Doc?”

Ryan snorted, finally stepping over so he could fix Graham bowtie himself. “C’mon now, if any of us wanted a quiet day, we wouldn’t be here.”

You saddled up to Graham side, giving your friends a small, giddy smile and looking to Yaz as she spoke. “It’s part of the fun, don’t you think Graham?” She grinned as she stood onto her tiptoes, resting her hands on Ryan’s shoulder, folding them so her fingers were intwined and her elbow rested along Ryan’s torso.

You nudged Graham shoulder with your own. “We’re a family Graham, where else would be better than here?”

Ryan nodded, lowering himself slightly so he could support Yaz’s weight better. “Yeah mate. When you chose your family, you’ve gotta go all in on the whack stuff.”

Grahams eyes went glassy, the change so immediate that if you didn’t know him as well as you did, it would have shocked you. “Oh well,” he said. “That’s quite nice, huh.”

Yaz hopped off of Ryan’s shoulders so she could lean over and squeeze Graham’s arm. You looked up above where she had been, your eyes finding the Doctors. Her eyes were shining under the lights, and she had this expression you couldn’t quite decipher. It wasn’t quite upset, but her sad smile was certainly telling.

You gave her a small smile and gestured for her to come over, raising your eyebrows slightly and nodding your head backwards.

The Doctor mused on it for exactly one second, before she bounced on over. When she was close enough you reached out and took her hand, pulling her the rest of the distance. You didn’t really think much on holding her hand, it just felt right in the moment, and that was all you needed.

“What’s all this then?” The Doctor asked, and her smile was brighter now.

“Not to be completely cheesy,” you said. “But I think it’s time for a group hug.”

Ryan gave you a light-hearted laugh. “Super cheesy.”

But everyone came together without much protest. The hug was awkward, the Doctor didn’t let go of your hand, so you couldn’t wrap your arm around her or Yaz properly. And Graham was so much shorter than Ryan that it became your own personal feat to reach up from Graham and latch onto Ryan’s arm. Yaz made a noise of protest when Ryan accidentally pulled at her hair, and Graham almost tripped over when you and Ryan pulled him too quickly.

It was messy, and difficult, and standing on the steps probably didn’t help matters either.

But despite that, it was perfect.

Because no matter how many times Graham elbowed you in the ribs, or Yaz scratched against the back of Ryan’s neck, or you pulled too hard on the Doctors arm – you were with the people you loved most. The people who made you feel safe, the people who made you feel held.

It was when you untangled yourselves from each other, your hands still encased by the Doctors own, that you remembered why you had sauntered over in the first place.

“Oh Doctor,” you said, letting your hand slip from hers. “Your bowtie.”

The hand that had been holding yours flew to the Doctors neck, in the space between her collarbones. “Oh,” she said, her fingers grazing the lose fabric. “What do you know!”

You huffed out a strand of hair that had fallen into your face, giving her a small, amused smile. You reached out, standing closer to her so you could access her tie easily.

If you had looked up, you would have noticed that the rest of your fam had moved on, giving you and the Doctor your own space. It was something they did often.

You brushed some of the Doctors hair off her shoulder, and tucked the lose strands behind her ear. She had grown it out a bit, and if her casual mutterings about it suggested anything, she was vying to chop it off.

It was quite odd, really. You could feel the Doctors eyes on you, watching your every movement; your hands, the shape of your fingers against her tie, the way you turned your head so you could see clearer.

You brushed the edge of your fingernails along the bow tie scrap, straightening it up. As you did so, your fingers brushed against her neck, and you startled at the feel of her pulse beneath them. Her hearts were pattering fast, and you realised – somewhat belatedly, that they drummed at the same pattern that she had drummed against your bicep earlier.

Her heartbeat. She had given it to you.

You stilled, taking in a heavy breath, keeping your gaze locked on the bowtie. You saw in your peripheral vision that she swallowed, her throat constricting and relaxing with the movement. Was the Doctor as affected by this as you were?

You shook the thought away, focusing back on the bowtie. You tightened it, making sure it sat right. You resolutely tried not to touch her. You weren’t sure if you could take it.

You looked up for a moment, comparing her face to the tie, to make sure it was sitting right, only to freeze. The Doctors eyes were wide, her face flushed, a light shade of pink dusting her cheeks and her nose, all the way to the tip of her ears. Her mouth had fallen into a small, round ‘o’, and your hands faltered.

“Doctor,” you said, surprised that your voice remained even. “Are you okay?”

The Doctor blinked once, twice, then gave you a sharp nod. “Yeah,” she said – and was her voice strangled? “Never better.”

You pursed your lips, running your hands down her arms as you took a step away from her. She leaned forward slightly, then snapped back up.

You frowned. “You’re sure you’re okay, right? I didn’t make it too tight?”

The Doctor shook her head. “No, see,” for good measure she stuck her finger under the strap, giving it a bit of a wiggle. “It’s perfect,” she continued. “Just like you. Completely perfect, could give a Zirconian Mule a run for their money.”

You swallowed, the rest of her ramble falling just above your head. Perfect?

“Doctor, I-,”

The Doctors face fell, her eyes zeroing in on you. In the same instant she brightened into a too wide grin and rosy cheeks, and you wondered if you had imagined it. “Right then,” she clapped, and spun on the balls of her feet.

You looked up to where she was facing and saw that the fam had long since gone over to the console and had been casually chatting around it. When had they moved there? Had you been alone with the Doctor this entire time?

They looked up when the Doctor addressed them. “Time we get a shift on, huh.” She bounded over to the console. “We’ve got a ball to attend, people to see, places to meet. All of that fun stuff.”

You swallowed down that odd moment you’d had with the Doctor and followed her. That was what you did. You followed her, always. You knew that if the Doctor asked, you would follow her anywhere. It wouldn’t even take you a moment to agree.

A thought like that should scare you. But it didn’t.

The Doctor looked back at you, her smile soft and her gaze warm, and you knew the thought of staying with her always, would never scare you.

In a collection shuffling and small half jumps, you each found your own section of the console, always wary of how the TARDIS would throw your rag doll bodies around if you didn’t hold on.. You took in a shaky breath, drowning every thought and feeling you had just had. There was work to do, people to see, places to meet. All of that fun stuff.

And if the Doctor kept giving you furtive glances – well. You were none the wiser.

#the doctor x reader #thirteenth doctor imagine #13th doctor x reader #thirteenth doctor x reader #13th doctor #Doctor Who #DW

253 notes · View notes

thirsty4theextraordinary · 3 years

Text

Come on love, let’s get this freak-show on the road

I’ve been replaying Fallout 4 for like the 100th time recently and again I have fallen in love with Hancock all over again. So this is a little one-shot I wrote up last night that goes through how Hancock is feeling about the SS.

Hopefully you guys like it.

Pairing: John Hancock X Female Sole Survivor

Tags: Fluff, nothing else just some sweetness.

“To think I ever doubted you.”

That was how he had started this, how he had got to where they were now. Of course, she seemed unfazed like nothing had changed. It had been days since their conversation on the side of the road. They had made camp at a local settlement of hers, or rather the Minutemen’s. She chatted idly to the settlers as they sat beside the campfire, unaware of his eyes on her. She had achieved such an amazing amount since coming off of ice.

When they had first met, she had come strolling into Goodneighbour with Nick Valentine at her side. She was beautiful, and fresher-looking than any woman he had seen before. Like a poster of one of those pre-war movie stars. Of course, he was attracted, you would have to be blind not to be but he kept it to himself. And that vault suit hugged her curves aa though it were painted on.

Once they started travelling together that’s when things had changed. Into something that he had never experienced before. She was kind, intelligent, cunning and not afraid to hurt those who needed hurting. He had had pre-existing ideas of what the Vault-dweller would be like in a fight and it was nothing like this. She had the reflexes of a trained killer, and as much as he had thought he would be the one protecting her, it was sometimes the other way around. He couldn’t count the number of times she had stimpak’d him mid-battle, just to turn and shoot his assailant in the face, as though it was nothing at all.

The more they travelled together the more he fell for her. It wasn’t like him, John had always been a lone wolf, content with the occasional one nightstand. He had no problems finding lovers, even turning Ghoul hadn’t dampened his chances. The sexy King of the Zombies had no issues with the ladies. So why was he so hung up on the woman in a bright blue vault suit?

It was one night, when they had stopped to make camp and he looked over at her sleeping form, that he fully understood, that what he felt wasn’t just simply lust, like usual. At first, it disturbed him, he wasn’t used to feeling like this, this intense feeling was scary. The womaniser in him denied these feeling of course and he told himself that the last thing she need was the love of a Ghoul. While he had never had trouble finding lovers, he knew that not all soft-skins were so inclined to his kind. He wasn’t sure he could take the rejection from her. He huffed to himself, she had turned him into a teenager again, nervous about asking out his first girl. John Hancock was a confident flirt, never had he questioned himself before, but then never had he felt like this. She really was something else. And yet he had never expected her to say what she did.

He hadn’t expected the conversation to lead that way, he hadn’t even led it that way himself. He just simply wanted to let her know what a great friend she was, how impressed he was with her moral compass, deep down he wanted to be a little more like her. He felt it was only right that he shared, after all, she had been upfront since day one about her past, and what she was trying to do out here in the Commonwealth. But up until this point, he hadn’t really told her much about himself, only how he had become mayor and why he had wanted to leave. He had just wanted to share, to open up a bit. He hadn’t expected her to turn it on him like that. He had been telling her about what had happened at Diamond City.

“I felt like I was the only one who saw how screwed up things truly were, who couldn’t just pretend things were fine. Still feel that way… or I did. Until I met you” He mentally scolded himself for that last part would she notice, question him. But she just kept listening politely, she hadn’t taken it for any more than just a declaration of admiration. No feelings attached. So with a smile, he continued.

“I know I run my mouth, but having someone who sees the world for what it is and is willing to do something about it. It’s meant a lot to me. I feel damn lucky to have you as a friend.”

“And that’s what we are? Friends?” the words had fallen from her mouth like they meant nothing, like she hadn’t just propositioned him. He couldn’t help the flutter that he felt in his stomach or that grin that spread across his face, he felt suddenly exposed, was she playing with him. But like aways, John use crude flirting and overconfidence to hide his nervousness.

“Well, now that you mention it, I have been having slightly more impure thoughts than usual. Maybe we’ll get to…. act on those. Heh,” He had said to her. It wasn’t that he regretted saying it, after all, it was the truth. Watching her ass bounce in the vault suit, as she ran and few yards ahead of him as they travelled had undoubtedly been the inspiration for a few impure dreams. But did he want her to think that was all he had to offer? A few nights of passion on the road, just friends until they got into the bedroom. He wasn’t really sure what it was she wanted, maybe that was all she expected, after all, he did have a reputation. He told himself that with any other girl, especially one that looked like her, he would be happy. But as the days went past and he saw her save people who needed saving and take out those that threaten them, he knew he would never just been content with a sex only kinda deal. But it’s not like that had happened either since their talk nothing had happened. But it had been a tough few days, maybe she was simply worn out, he couldn’t blame. Or maybe it was all just meaningless flirting.

“I’m off to bed, thanks for the drink Ben” she suddenly announced standing from her seat beside him, the settler nodded his head to her. She turned to John and bent down.

“Goodnight, Hancock,” she said sweetly before she placed a tender kiss to his cheek. He couldn’t help but turn his head and capture her lips. Just because she made him feel something new, didn’t mean he had forgotten all his moves. She squeaked with surprise at first but kissed him back nonetheless. He pulled away, shooting her his infamous grin.

“You can call me John you know,” he told her and she smiled at him blushing pink.

“Goodnight, John” she replied trying his name out and he smiled like a fool. No one called him that much anymore, but it sounded so sweet coming from her.

“Goodnight, Sunshine” he replied. His whole life he had been running but at that moment he knew, he could never run away from her.

She stood fully and without another word headed off towards the small wooden shack that Ben had offered them for the night. With his mind whirling he took off after her. He closed the door behind him and she looked up from where she was sat on one of the mattresses on the floor. She was going threw her pack, checking out ammo supplies and the like.

“Hey, when you got time, I got something I still need you to hear,” he said as he perched himself in the rickety chair in the corner and pull the slightly smashed packet of cigarettes from his pocket.

“Is everything alright?” she asked suddenly looking a little concerned. God, why did she have to look at him with those big beautiful eyes of hers? He took a breath.

“Oh yeah. Better than that. This is just… tricky” he began. Pushing the cigarette between his lips and lighting it. He offered her one silently and she took both the pack and lighter from him without a word, lighting the cigarette and taking a drag.

He found himself opening up to her again, telling her things only he really knew. Things he hadn’t really told anyone. How he felt inside, not about her but about himself. He needed to know she understood, that she saw him for who he really was. All his self-loathing out in the open, the real John Hancock on full display. How he was just running away, with no real destination in mind. She hadn’t just listened to him spill his guts she had consoled him.

“You may have run, but you always ran for a reason,” she told him with a nod of her head. Hearing her say something like that from her, was like a warm shower, washing away his insecurities, his worries.

“Been trying to convince myself of that for a long time, but hearing that coming from someone like you…. I don’t know if you understand what that means to me,” he said with a smile which she returned. Again he took a breath.

“So, lemme get to the point. Throwing in with you has been the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s like I found a part of myself I never realised was missing…. Which happened sometimes when you’re a Ghoul” there he was joking again, protecting himself.

“If I hadn’t taken up with you, I’d probably be in a gutter somewhere, getting gnawed on by Radroaches. You have been one hell of a friend” He had used that word strategically, he hadn’t forgotten the stolen kiss they had just had but he needed to test the waters.

“Have you ever thought about us as maybe more than just friends?” she said her face serious. Was she testing him too?

“Heh. It that obvious? But come on. You don’t want to wake up to this mug every morning. Never wish that on anyone I cared for.” it was honest, there were no sexual undertones, no joking. He was checking, he knew he could charm the pants off most girls in the Commonwealth but this was more than that, he wanted to check he hadn’t made a mistake.

“Who I fall for is my decision. And I’ve fallen for you” she admitted with a smile and he swallowed hard.

“Wouldn’t expect that kind of lapse in judgement from you. But I guess that works out for me then, doesn’t it?” he joked, mentally he scolded himself he should have told her how he felt. What she meant to him. But she giggled at his joke and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Heh. Moments like this, I know all that karma stuff is bull. Because no one like me should be this lucky.“ he said looking down at the lit cigarette in his hand, the long line of ash waiting to be flicked off.

Her hand entered his peripheral vision and he looked towards her. She had thrown her cigarette away and she was holding her hand out towards him. He threw his cigarette out the hole in the shack wall and took her hand. She pulled him to sit in front of her. Her beautiful eyes staring into his soul.

“Look John, I know you joke to protect yourself. But I’m going to be honest now” she said and he blinked his heart beating out of his chest, she was going to tell him that he meant nothing to her.

“When I said I fallen for you” she began, he knew what was coming”

“I really meant it” she breathed holding his hand a little tighter. He let out a breath he hadn’t know he was holding. She meant it?

“I love you, more than I’ve ever loved anyone before,” she said and he smiled so brightly it hurt his cheeks.

“I love you too, Sunshine,” he said and she smiled.

“But I want to check what that means to you. What I mean is, I don’t one-night stands or friends with benefits. I’m either in all the way or not at all. So what do you say?” she said her voice far less confident than he was used to hearing from her. Had she been having all the same thoughts as him? God, he was a fool.

“You don’t know how happy you make me, saying stuff like that. With you, I’ve found the person I was meant to be with. My missing piece. I don’t want to ever be without you. So you wanna make this thing official?” he asked and she smiled so brightly he could feel the warmth of it.

Without a word, she leant forward and captured his lips in a kiss he wouldn’t ever forget. It was passion-filled but loving, with a swift movement he pushed her back so she was lying, her back on the mattress and he hovered above her. He looked down at her grinning like a teenager, who had just seen his first boob. She giggled before she leant up and captured his lips in another loving kiss.

#john hancock x sole survivor #john hancock x reader #John hancock x female sole survivor #John hancok #john hancock fallout 4 #fallout 4 #fluff #fallout 4 fanfic #mayor hancock #john hancock

369 notes · View notes

glowingbadger · 3 years

Note

How are there no SFW and nsfw modern day Felix HCs? I must remedy this.

Ah, I actually have a few Modern AU Felix thingies- they're just scattered throughout posts about multiple different characters lol. You can find them all in my masterlist, but lemme go ahead and compile everything I've written for him so far~ ((There aren't many NSFW ones yet, so if anyone has a nice Modern AU spicy concept for Felix for me to toy around with, I'm all ears :3))

Felix (FE3H) x Reader, Modern/College AU

SFW (nsfw below the cut):

From the BL Modern AU hcs: He’s a business major, but his heart clearly isn’t in it- he’s only doing it because he’s expected to run his father’s company some day. He’s at the gym every time you go (presumably plenty of times when you’re not there too), before you realize it, you start looking for him there. You tell yourself it’s just because you admire his motivation. He catches you staring though one day, and calls you out. Somehow, you stumble your way through introductions, but before long he’s telling you how you’re not stretching properly at all, how your jogging pace is inefficient, and just like that, you’ve got a gym partner who eventually becomes the most secretly-sweet boyfriend.

From 'modern AU w/ insecure Reader': He’s a funny one about this, honestly- his feelings for you are strong and enduring, and because of the intensity of what he feels, he does have a hard time understanding what you’re insecure about. He’ll grab your hand and grumble that, “I’m your boyfriend, aren’t I? I wouldn’t waste my time if I didn’t love you.” He’s also definitely one of those types who wants to help in concrete ways, so he’ll interrogate you about what’s making you anxious and what he’s screwed up- he knows he’s not good at romantic stuff, but he’s willing to do absolutely anything to make you happy. He will never admit it but he somehow finds himself lurking on relationship forums to better understand how you’re feeling

From escape room BL hcs: This poor boy. He does not understand why you would intentionally put yourself in the position of being trapped somewhere for fun. But you get so excited and so into the whole thing that he simply can’t help wanting to help you if he can- not that he would ever admit it. It’s just that your moods are so contagious to him and he can’t help wanting to see that adorable, triumphant smile you give when you’ve figured out the next clue. Absolutely the type to get impatient if one code or riddle is taking too long, and will 'test out’ the structural integrity of the doors, walls and locks.

From 'modern AU soft hcs': - He’s so bad at being soft, but he wants to be for you, but also doesn’t want to be because ew feelings. Which he has a lot of. This is why the main way he expresses his affection is through physical contact. It’s mostly in private, where he can be super cuddly with you- but in public, he’ll still find times to lightly brush his hand against yours, or an excuse to “fix” your hair, mumbling, “It’s flying all over the place, hold still-” even though it’s really not that out of place, he just wants a reason to touch you.

- Felix is a funny one to bring your problems to. He’s actually a surprisingly good listener for someone he cares about, so he’s happy to just hold onto your hand and listen to you vent about whatever’s bothering you. If it’s an interpersonal problem, he’ll probably offer to confront or straight up fight whoever is giving you trouble, which might at least get you to laugh, even though he fully means it. But for a more serious problem, he’ll quietly wipe away your tears and remind you, “Hey, listen- you just… keep living your life as you, okay? You can’t be anyone else, and I don’t want you to be.”

- He secretly loves it when you play with his hair. While he’s studying or gaming, he likes to lean back against the edge of his bed or a couch and have you sitting behind him brushing out his hair, or even braiding or pulling it up for him if you like. He finds your touch incredibly soothing, and there have even been times when he’s spaced out a bit and completely forgotten what he was doing because he was just enjoying your nails along his scalp and your fingers through his hair. Honestly, it’s a bit like scratching a cat’s ears- he’ll even subconsciously lean against you if he’s not careful.

From general modern AU hcs:

- he’s very cat-like in how he chooses to show his affection. He’ll almost never verbally express it, and to many, he comes across as cold. But if you know what to look for, the signs are incredibly obvious. The mere fact that he goes out of his way to just be near you, the fact that he’ll jump to your defense the moment someone dares to give you a hard time, small gifts that he’ll give with a carefully neutral, “It’s not a big deal, it just seemed like the kinda thing you’d like.”

- Once you’ve been together for a bit though, he’s extremely physically affectionate in private- only in private, mind you. Alone in your dorm or apartment, he’s very cuddly, holding you close to him at any chance he gets and resting his chin on your shoulder, or nuzzling against your neck. Sometimes he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it, but he’ll run a hand along your back or your waist when he moves by you, or his thumb will rub little circles along your thigh when you’re sitting together. Don’t call him out on it though- he’ll lurch away immediately and be too shy to touch you for an hour or two.

- His friends definitely know he’s developed a thing for someone very early on. He tends to be notorious among his friends for never checking his phone or responding to messages, and when he does respond, it’s in five words or fewer. Once he’s started getting close to you though, he keeps his phone in his hand while he’s hanging out with the other Blue Lions, glancing down at the screen every ten seconds, and completely impossible to communicate with when he’s thinking of what to send you when you do message him.

NSFW 18+ v

- he’s the type to feel most comfortable initiating sex when you’re just relaxing in one of your rooms together. In the middle of a movie or playing video games together- or even just sitting quietly and studying together on his bed- he glances over at you and it just hits him that you’re his, you chose him, and damnit he’s just so crazy into you. He leans over and kisses you without a word, then slides his tongue past your lips, pulling you closer until you can very evidently feel that he needs you now.

- His roommate (Sylvain) is quite the renowned flirt on campus, and likes to tease Felix by openly hitting on you in front of him. All three of you know that it’s genuinely in jest, and that Sylvain would never push things TOO far… but that doesn’t stop Felix from fucking you extra hard and deep once you have the place to yourselves again. He’s generally not very vocal during sex, but if his insecurities have been prodded a bit, he’ll lift your legs into a mating press and pound his cock into you, groaning out, “tell me you’re mine, Y/N. C'mon- again, louder-!”

- Overall, isn’t much one for intimacy in public places- but once or twice, you’ll encounter a bit of an exception. Gym dates with Felix are generally common and comfortable enough, and he’s actually very helpful in improving your technique and efficiency when working out. But he won’t let on for quite some time that it also turns him on immensely to see your body moving like this, and the scent of your sweat and pheromones drive him near feral. If it’s late enough at night and there’s no one else to overhear you, he’ll drag you into one of the changing room showers and fuck you breathless against the wall, his tongue dragging along your neck and his hands groping every inch of you he can reach.

#felix hugo fraldarius #felix x reader #fire emblem #feh #fe3h #fire emblem three houses #fire emblem modern #modern au #fire emblem headcanons #fire emblem x reader #x reader #felix fire emblem

84 notes · View notes

soramei · 3 years

Text

Intentional - Part 4

Pairing: Bang Chan x Reader (she/her)

Summary: Landing your first real job at JYPE was something short of a miracle. You were prepared to face the new struggles of this elusive career whilst moving to a new country, however, nothing could have prepared you for him. Will stolen glances, secret touches, and hushed nights spent in the recording room ever be enough for the both of you?

Genre: idol!bang chan au, forbidden relationship, coworkers to eventual lovers, slow burn

Warnings: none right now, eventual smut

Word Count: 3.4k

Masterlist

A/N: DOUBLE UPLOAD! So i decided to split this part in two since i didn't want it to drag on for too long... next part will be uploaded tomorrow!

Taglist (reply to be tagged!): @planetdemon @hvunvely @fluffybitch0325 @fashi0nablee @juststop88

You picked up the lanyard, looking between your burnt jacket in one hand and the vandalized piece of plastic in the other. The burnt polyester felt rough against your fingers. It was littered with black holes, almost to the point where it was unrecognizable as your jacket.

The lanyard, on the other hand, was almost untouched — save for the black marker that was sketched on the plastic. In the picture, on the part where your upper body was showing, there was only the black marker. The black blob stretched across your torso, the shape depicting a hoodie. Your eyes landed on the eyes in your picture. Thick lines drawn in the shape of an X covered both of them.

You quickly entered your apartment, hoping nobody saw you. You then stood completely still, listening to the silence, trying to find if anybody had broken into your home. After a minute, when it seemed as if you were the only person in there, you decided to lay the two vandalized items on your desk to further analyze them.

Your brain immediately tried to play this down by assuming that these were just kids who did this to your stuff, after all, it was something very immature. Children were the only people who had the time to play with fire and draw on other people’s pictures.

However, your gut told you something different. Why was your jacket along with your lanyard placed right in front of your apartment? Why was the marker outline specifically in the shape of a hoodie? Who could have known you were in the parking lot at that time of day?

Your mind drifted to one specific person. Manager Kim. He not only saw that you were in the parking lot that day with that jacket on, but also he knew your face from the lanyard. But why would he do something this childish? And how did he know where you lived?

The parking lot security guard had also been there when you wore that jacket, but he didn’t even look at you. And he would have no motive to do this sort of thing.

You rubbed your chin in thought, still not understanding everything. Was there somebody else that knew you were there?

Still feeling anxious, you began to prepare a cup of tea. You were reminded of Bang Chan. The tea. The smell of his hoodie.

His hoodie. The black hoodie.

Realization hit you like a truck as your eyes widened in disbelief. Was it maybe… Bang Chan?

Your heart was beating out of your chest. Hands shaking, you picked up your phone to call him, silently begging for the mysterious person to not be him.

He picked up.

“Hello? Y/n?”

You stayed silent.

“Is there something wrong?” He asked.

“I… I lost my jacket and it had my lanyard in it,” you tried to be careful with your words, not wanting to rouse suspicion from him, “have you seen it anywhere?”

“No,” you could almost see Bang Chan furrowing his eyebrows, “I’m still in the building though. I could look for it?”

“That’s alright,” you sighed in relief. He genuinely sounded confused, and plus, he was always so nice — there was no way he would ever do this kind of thing to you. You felt guilty for even suspecting him. “Thanks for offering though.”

“Y/n.”

“Hmm?”

“I know I said this before, but,” he paused, “if you need help with anything I’ll be there. I mean it.”

A chill ran down your spine at the seriousness of his voice. “I know. Thanks.”

You hung up, uneasy. The problem was unsolved, and to be honest, you were a little scared. There was somebody that knew who you were and where you lived. It was probably a good idea to change the passcode to your lock.

The kettle started to whistle. You turned off the flame of your stove and poured yourself a cup of tea, hoping that it would calm you down. Although it did a little, you still felt apprehensive about the whole thing. Your mood stayed the same the whole night, even when you tried to scroll through your phone or go to sleep.

The next day, you woke up with your mind cleared. No longer were you still feeling the aftershocks of the creepy jacket burner, and with your mood lifted more, you felt like you could think more objectively.

And that’s exactly what you did.

Throughout your whole week, this incident stuck in the back of your mind. Although your memory was getting fuzzier and fuzzier with the passing days, you still tried to work out who the culprit was in your free time.

Your mind was also filled with something else. Or was it someone else?

It seemed like, during the whole week, you couldn’t stop thinking of Bang Chan. You had to put part of the blame on him, though. Everytime he had a free moment in his busy schedule — granted it was rare that he did — he wanted to see you.

From secretly bringing you snacks from the vending machine to summoning you to his recording room in order to show his newest creation, he always seemed to stay busy even in his free time. You weren’t complaining, though. It was nice to have a friend who was so different from what you were used to.

You also spent a lot of time with Na-eun too. However, the time you spent with her felt different. Not in any good or bad way, just different. With her, it was mainly in the cafeteria, raving over the food after finally finding a free table. It was also trying to talk over everybody in the crowded streets as you two went shopping after work.

You liked it, sure. But with Bang Chan, every moment felt more intimate. Every smile, every laugh or brush of the hand. Was this what becoming friends felt like?

Other than these intrusive thoughts, the rest of your time was taken up by work. Although you were starting to get the hang of your tasks, there were still many mistakes made. Mistakes in which you had to profusely apologize to Manager Chen for, that you had to stay late nights to fix, mistakes which made you almost lose your mind. You hoped that Manager Chen could see your dedication to not only this project, but your job as a whole.

In the duration of this week, you managed to check in with every department involved with the project and partake in the finalization of the Mid-Autumn Festival content idea. It was decided that the group would do three activities: make lanterns, bake mooncakes, and share a fire while watching the moon. All while in the mountains.

You were surprised when Manager Chen asked you to come along to the shooting despite your inexperience. However, it wasn’t a chance you were going to pass up.

The week was hectic. So hectic, that you didn’t even realize it was almost over until Na-eun brought it up.

“Ugh, I wish I could just steal a whole tray of this food home,” you rolled your eyes. The two of you were raving once again at the cafeteria food. You wished you actually knew how to cook.

“Can you not cook?” She asked.

“I can fry an egg,” you said, stuffing more rice in your mouth.

“My six year old niece can do that,” she laughed. Her eyes widened. “What if I come over tonight and teach you? We’ll make fried rice, even you can’t screw that up.”

“Ha,” you said dryly. “I would, but I have literally nothing in my fridge.”

Na-eun gave you a deadpan look.

“How were you able to stay alive for the past couple weeks? At least you got skinner.” She sneered. “We’ll stop by the grocery store after work, I’ll teach you the bare minimum of living alone.”

And that was exactly what the two of you did. Right after you clocked out of work, you met up with Na-eun to go shopping. You decided to take out some cash to pay for your groceries, an action that Na-eun found hilarious. She was almost crying as she explained that a few groceries didn’t cost as much as you thought.

Your trip was successful. The two of you made it all the way back to your apartment and didn’t waste a second to get started. Halfway through setting things up, Na-eun got a text.

“Hey, is it okay if Yoojin comes? I guess she got jealous that I was here with you and she wasn’t.” She chuckled.

“Of course,” you eagerly nodded. “But, wouldn’t it be hard to get here with her injury?”

“What injury?”

“You know,” you continued, “her ankle.”

“She seemed fine to me.” Na-eun said as she started on the rice.

“Maybe she healed fast.” You shrugged.

“Maybe,” she shrugged back and returned to her task.

You texted Yoojin your address, and it wasn’t long before she was knocking at your door. You opened your door, and she immediately leaped at you for a hug.

“Oh, Y/n! I’m still so sorry for that day, I honestly feel horrible.” She pouted, her big eyes staring at you for a response.

“It’s really nothing, Yoojin.” You tried to sound casual. You let her in your apartment. “But, doesn’t your ankle hurt? There’s a lot of stairs coming up.”

“Oh, uhm, the doctor said it was only a minor injury.” She paused. “And I heal fast.”

“That’s good,” you smiled, patting her shoulder.

“But I still feel so bad, Y/n.” She whined. “Lemme make it up to you. I’ll set you up with this really hot guy I know. He’s a law student. You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”

“Kim Yoojin!” Na-eun yelled.

“How about it? You’re free tomorrow, right?” Yoojin looked at you, ignoring Na-eun.

“I guess so,” you hesitantly agreed, “since it’s the weekend tomorrow.”

“Great!” Yoojin wrapped her arms around you, jumping up and down. “I’ll text you everything tonight.”

Yoojin kept up with her promise. After the three of you stuffed yourselves with good food, your two friends decided to leave before it got too dark. It was just a bit later when Yoojin’s text came through. You were to have dinner with this man called Kang Taehyun at an Italian restaurant tomorrow. Although you weren’t too thrilled with the idea of eating pasta, you figured you could withstand it for one night on the basis of trying something new.

You didn’t know how you felt about going on this date. Although you were excited to meet somebody new, something just felt off. Plus, you’ve never been on a blind date before. Who knows how good Yoojin’s judge of character was, or if this guy was like anything that Yoojin described.

You sighed, putting those thoughts aside. It was just a one time thing anyways, and who knows? Maybe this could lead to something. You looked over at Bang Chan’s hoodie. His warm hoodie that smelled so much like him. You should return it soon.

It was almost like he read your mind. As soon as you looked away, your phone rang with a call from Bang Chan.

“Hello?” You picked up.

“Hey, did you find your jacket?” He asked. You were surprised he still remembered.

“No… not yet.” You drifted off.

“Oh. We’ll keep looking for it, yeah? I’ll just buy you a new one if you can’t find it.”

You giggled. A couple seconds of silence passed.

“My shoot ends at six tomorrow. Wanna go to that barbecue place I was talking about?” He asked.

That’s right. Bang Chan couldn’t stop raving about that barbecue restaurant the whole week. He was really excited as his diet would end when he was done with his photoshoot, and he was apparently craving meat the whole time. All his praise made you very eager to see what the hype was all about.

You were about to eagerly accept, but then you remembered the date you had just planned not even a moment earlier. “Can we go another time? I… kinda have a blind date tomorrow.”

A few more seconds passed before you heard Bang Chan’s voice again.

“Blind date?”

“Yeah, my friend set it up. We’re going to this Italian place. Apparently he’s a really nice and handsome guy. He’s a law student, too.”

“Wha- law student? Y/n, are you sure you should be going on a blind date now? I mean, you just got here. You don’t know the city that well and you don’t even like pasta. What if he’s dangerous?” Bang Chan scoffed, his words got faster with each sentence.

“Chan, it’s okay. You don’t need to worry, I’ll be safe. Plus, I trust my friend.”

“You mean your friend you only just met?”

Silence.

“I only just met you as well.” You spat, slightly insulted that he would speak like that about Yoojin.

There was more silence that lingered.

“Whatever. Have fun on your date.” Bang Chan spat back, his harsh tone matching yours. Right after he said that, he hung up.

You looked angrily at your phone. Frowning, you threw your phone on your bed. Who was he to get angry at you for having a blind date? You recognized the dangers of meeting somebody new, but you trusted Yoojin. You were confident that Yoojin was honest about Taehyun.

A boyfriend would be nice too. Ever since your last relationship early in your university career, you haven’t had the best luck with men. It could have been because of how closed off your old friend group was. Your friends stayed consistent ever since you were young, and it was way too awkward to date a friend. You also found yourself way too closed off to go out and meet any new people.

Yes, tomorrow would be a good experience, you told yourself.

The next day, the hours leading up to your date felt like they had passed way too fast. The call with Bang Chan from last night still lingered on your tongue like sour candy, but you were determined to push past that in order to get ready on your date. After all, you didn’t want any frown lines to show.

You were excited to get ready. The amount of time it took to do both your hair and makeup was embarrassingly long, as you wanted everything to look just right for tonight. You didn’t want a hair to be out of place. You also took your sweet time to pick an outfit. Although the skirt you picked out probably wasn’t fit for the fall weather, you stuck with it anyways, choosing to layer a jacket over your outfit. One of your non-burnt jackets.

Double checking yourself in the mirror one last time, you locked the door and headed out. The streets were busy tonight. They were filled with people of all ages trying to relax from their tiring week.

Finding the restaurant wasn’t a hassle as the place was conveniently located at one of the busiest streets for weekend night-life. Dim yellow lights illuminated the tall glass windows just enough for you to see just the shadows of people enjoying their Saturday night. Green vines wrapped around the building, twirling and twisting their way around every crevice available. You tried not to fiddle with your thumbs as you nervously entered the lavish looking Italian restaurant.

“Hello, table for Kang Taehyun?” You asked the hostess. She showed you to a little table right beside a window. It was illuminated by a single candle, and already had two glasses of wine placed on it. And sitting at the table, hands crossed in front of him, was a hideously gorgeous man.

He looked like something out of a drama, really. With his tall nose and his sharp jaw, you struggled to convince yourself that this was a real man. His hands looked twice the size of yours.

“Hi, Y/n?” He asked. “I’m Kang Taehyun.”

He smiled and gestured for you to sit in the empty chair in front of him. You politely greeted him back and sat down. The two of you made some small talk before ordering. He made some suggestions on what to order, but you didn’t really care. You knew you wouldn’t like any of the pastas anyway. Plus, you swore to yourself you wouldn’t be drinking alcohol in front of strangers again.

“I’m surprised you agreed to this date.” You said, awkwardly laughing. “Isn’t a law student supposed to be really busy, especially around this time?”

“Well, I’m mainly doing this as a favour for Yoojin. She helped me with one of my classes.” He took a swig of his wine. “That girl is crazy smart. Or should I say crazy, but smart?”

“Oh?” You didn't want to admit that you were a bit disappointed he only agreed because of a favour. But he was being honest, so that was fair. What he said about Yoojin, though, took you by surprise.

“I’ve only heard rumors,” he tilted his head, “but some say that once in first year she went crazy over a guy. Started stalking him and everything. Apparently she even burned all his textbooks just because he started talking to another girl. They weren’t even dating.”

Your eyes widened at the allegations. There was no way any of that was true. You couldn’t imagine Yoojin — sweet, sweet Yoojin — to be capable of anything like that. There was no way her big puppy dog eyes and her fluffy hair could hurt a soul.

“Are you sure that’s what happened?” You asked.

“I mean, the guy was put into a mental hospital shortly after everything happened,” he shrugged, “so who knows? Maybe he made everything up in his head.”

“Yeah, maybe.” You nodded your head in agreement. Some of your hair fell on your pasta. You blushed, quickly trying to dab the sauce away using a napkin.

“You know Y/n,” Taehyun chuckled, “you’re cute. You’re not my type. I mean, I’ve only ever dated models before, but maybe it’s time to start settling down since I’ll be working at the firm soon.”

Thanks, I guess? You thought. You honestly didn’t know if that was a compliment or a jab, but either way you felt slightly insulted. You didn’t know how to reply to that, but it didn’t take long before Taehyun started again.

“I mean, look at my ex,” he said as he pulled up a picture of his ex-girlfriend on Instagram. She looked flawless in her bikini. “There’s no way I could actually marry somebody like that, right?”

If he says ‘I mean’ one more time… You thought to yourself. This date was turning south fast. This man was extremely handsome — almost god-like — but every word that left his mouth was poison infused arrogance. You didn’t know which was worse: listening to the man in front of you talk about his ex, or eating the pasta that was ordered by him.

You tried your best to stay polite with him for the rest of the evening. It was hard, though, as his cocky personality kept poking you down the whole time. It wasn’t until you finally separated that you had space to breathe. Great, you were left both hungry and annoyed.

Turning the lights on in your home, you sat at the kitchen table, still annoyed over your bad night. You took out your phone, wanting to scroll through the food delivery apps to find something to eat. Your thumbs began drifting.

No, stop. You silently begged yourself. Please, not tonight.

Your body didn’t seem to listen to your mind, however, as your thumb stayed hovering over Bang Chan’s contact. You pleaded to yourself to not press it, but your fingers seemed to have an agenda of their own. You pressed his contact. The phone call started.

One ring. Two rings.

“Hello, Y/n?”

You were shocked. He wasn’t supposed to pick up. Not after how poorly your last conversation went. You didn’t know what to say.

“Chan, how was the photoshoot?” You didn’t know what to say. You didn’t expect him to even pick up.

“It went great — feels good that it’s over, though.” He chuckled.

You wanted to tell him about your date: how arrogant Taehyun was, how fancy the restaurant was, how nasty the pasta was. You wanted to say all that, but tonight it seemed like your body just wouldn’t cooperate with your mind. And sure enough, you caught your mouth running before your mind. But this time, you couldn’t stop yourself.

“Chan,” you took a deep breath, “wanna come over?”

#stray kids #stray kids imagines #stray kids scenarios #stray kids smut #bang chan smut #stray kids x reader #stray kids fanfic #stray kids fluff #bang chan scenarios #bang chan imagines #stray kids angst #bang chan angst #skz imagines #skz scenarios

129 notes · View notes

thatbanjobusiness · 3 years

Text

Oh oh oh ain’t that gorgeous. That is ❀*✧⋆♫ yummy ♫⋆✧*❀ .

My record sales browsing turned up a newly listed beauty tonight: the start of Elvis’s career and success. Here’s an E / VG graded (frankly I think they’re lowballing the grading... this is a sexy, sexy boi [yes I’m talking about the record not Elvis, though feel free to provide your own thoughts on Elvis below]) copy of the original Sun issue that started EVERYTHING.

Starting bid? Only $499 + shipping. ;)

Elvis had recorded a few acetates before, but this was the first session where Elvis’ music would be released. The first song nineteen-year-old Elvis recorded in the studio here was “That’s All Right” by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, a Black blues singer, on July 5, 1954. What started as clowning around turned into the record’s A side. Then they had to choose a B side, which took some time and also involved screwing around, until they came upon a heavily modified cover of Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe’s waltz “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” These two songs would comprise his first singles released... the record you’re seeing here... and they were enough to be regional hits in the South.

I still need to do MUCH more reading on Elvis, ergo why I’m sticking to a short explanation in hopes it remains factual. But there’s a ton of story to how this recording session went and what the response to these songs were.

Now, if this starting bid is too lame a number for you, don’tcha worry. There’s other copies on sale rn. There’s another 78 rpm for $1,200 on eBay that’s much more worn out. And if 78s aren’t your style, there’s several 45 rpms! And if purchasing the novelty of Elvis’s first record isn’t enough for you, never fear! You can always overachieve and buy the first PRESSING! Only $6,800, $8,500, or $8,500 (another copy) and it’s yours. Okay, like, that’s owning a gigantic-ass piece of history so I have zero surprise the price is that high, but also: yeesh. I have cancer in the United States and I haven’t even paid that much for medical costs (yet) this comment better not be jinxing it.

The seller’s explained cool stuff on how they identified it as a first pressing. I’m going to put a link here for citation purposes, though if this gets sold, of course it’ll be a broken link later. Check it out while it’s for sale! (probably a long while, I imagine... ) There’s audio samples so you can hear both sides and brag you listened to Elvis’s first release on his first pressing. Fucking rad. Just shhhh leave out the detail that you heard it second-hand digitally ;) .

Here’s what’s said about first pressing identification:

Holy Grail record and probably one of the most important records in the history of music.

Has all first pressing identifiers including the telltale pushmarks (believed to have been pressed in a limited run of a few hundred copies) and half inch spacing in the matrix runout. (72) This is the earliest version with the 209 upside down on the label.

"The three 1/4” indentations, used to hold the stampers in place by connecting with three opposing pins during pressing, are what created what are known to collectors of early Elvis records as “delta” marks. They form a triangle (or the Greek letter “delta”) of marks on the Sun labels. These marks are the tell-tale sign that a record is a “delta pressing,” pressed at the Memphis record plant. Copies pressed at other plants in Philadelphia or Los Angeles do not have these marks. The marks appear on all of Elvis’ Sun 45s except for his final release, “Mystery Train.” By the time of that release in 1955, the stamper production method had been adjusted." (Source: see below)

The mother stampers for this record were found recently with an accompanying sleeve listing the number of copies made in the initial run. Ive provided the link for more information.

Click on the link, and you’ll get good images of what the stamps look like. The seller continues:

Condition-wise the record is covered in light, superficial hairlines.

There is light wear on the labels (see photos) in the form of circular rings .

In terms of audio, the record plays with continuous background hiss (known as the Sun Hiss) on most modern turntables. This is due to the fact it was said to have been pressed with a 78 gauge needle and was mastered on an old Presto Disc Lathe. It is best played with a 2.7-mil stylus. I've provided audio samples below. Keep in mind I don't have the appropriate stylus.

Lemme show you the record. Here’s images where you can see the delta marks:

Notice the upside-down 209 is only on the B side with “Blue Moon of Kentucky”. Gonna zoom in again so you can really look at it.

Mmmmmm yum delicious.

That $499 starting bid’s starting to look low now, isn’t it? ;)

I may keep y’all updated and say what the final selling cost of this thing goes for, if the auction gets bites.

#Collectors Corner #thatbanjobusiness #that banjo business #Elvis #Elvis Presley #Country Music History #popcorn worthy auction ending coming right up #yes I watch the end of auctions sometimes #judge my entertainment free time all you like #this shit is cool!#blabbing Haddock #I fucking LOVE what finds pop up on sales #like wo #w #I am still online but I am looking at a verified piece of history right in front of me nonetheless #Haddock Deep Dives #apologies to all Elvis stans for any information I might have accidentally gotten wrong #please correct me and help me learn!

9 notes · View notes

itisannak · 4 years

Text

Luke x Firefighter!(Y/N) (Smut Fic)

Summary: Luke really likes the firefighter who treated him after a fire. And she does too. How do a firefighter and a rockstar mix, though? (Smut / Unprotected Sex / Doggy Style / Oral; Female Receiving) (T.W: Injuries / Hospital Setting) (Request: @saphseoul) (Words: 9.6k)

"Ok, but actually, whose idea was it to put an egg in the microwave?" I ask, putting the sleeve of the blood pressure monitor around the man's bicep. He mumbles something under his breath, looking at his hands; I knit my eyebrows together, trying to figure out what he said. "What was that?" I ask him and he sighs. "I was out of utensils and I wanted to eat something quick. And what's quicker than an egg? Can you ask if the fire damaged the house a lot?" He asks me and I hum. "Well, the kitchen was nearly burned down..." I reply and he groans, throwing his head back and bringing his hand to run it down his face. "Calum's going to kill me..." He groans, making me chuckle. "Your boyfriend?" I ask, getting in the fire truck to pick up an oxygen tank. "What? No... My best friend... I was supposed to house sit for him. How can I tell him I burned down the house?" He asks me before I help him with the mask. "Well, you didn't completely burn down the house. I have seen way worse... And you can either do it yourself, or I am pretty sure the insurance company will do it for you." I chuckle, turning the oxygen on. "Deep breaths. You are going to be fine." I smile at him, starting to gather up all the stuff I've taken out of the medkit.

I take the mask off his face, turning the tank off and climbing in to put it back in place. "You have oddly soft hands..." He comments like it is the strangest thing ever. "I guess I do. Alright, pal, you are as good as new. Well, to the extent that you can, I guess." I state, patting his shoulder. "Luke." He says and I tilt my head, looking at him in confusion. "Look where?" I ask and he sighs desperately. "No... My name is Luke." He extends his hand and I roll my eyes at how stupid I must have seemed to him. "Oh... (Y/N)." I shake his hand and he chuckles at me. "So... Um... I was wondering... Like, it is kinda stupid... But um... Fuck, sorry. Lemme start over." He stutters, fiddling with his fingers. "I would like to take you out... Sorry, this sounds dumb... I mean, I would love to see you again. When my face is not covered in smoke and you don't have to make sure I won't die. Shit, that is even worse." He sighs frustrated; his eyes dart everywhere but on me, his face turning red as he babbles the words. "I... This is the first time this has happened to me... I don't know what to say..." I am the one to stutter now, earning a chuckle from him. "This is too awkward... It's painful to look at..." My colleague Vic states as she puts the equipment in the back of the truck. "My shift is over at 9. There is a bar we go to after shifts, on the 9th and 36th. I am going to be there. Along with other firefighters. So, if you are one of those creeps, know that they will probably help me take you under." I state and he hums. "I'll see you at 9:30, at the bar on the 9th and 36th." He smiles at me, jumping off his seat in the back of the truck.

"You got a hot date tonight, I heard." Vic teases me, wiggling her eyebrows as I fix my shirt and tilt my head at her. "You were right in front of us when he asked me, stop mocking me." I reply and he coos at me. "I am not mocking you." She protests and I huff. "You don't think this is too impulsive, do you?" I ask, leaning against the lockers. She walks to me, fixing a strand of hair behind my ear. "I am proud you finally didn't overthink before doing something." She states, her eyes forming little lines as she smiles at me, cheeks getting pushed up from it. "He didn't look like a creep, did he?" I ask again, biting my bottom lip. "He looked like white Jesus, stop worrying over everything. You can always call me if you feel like you are in danger." She offers and I huff. "You are going to be there, either way. I told him to meet me at the bar after the shift." I state and she hums. "Smart." She pats my back and moves ahead to get ready.

I sit on the bar, taking a sip of my beer while I check the door for Luke to walk in. Vic, along with our colleagues Maya and Clint, is sitting on the other end of the bar, occasionally giving me a thumbs up for encouragement. Luke walks in, spotting where I am sitting and rushing to me. "Hi... I am so sorry I am late." Luke states, pulling a stool closer before he motions the barman over. "Did anything happen?" I ask him and he shakes his head. "It will sound stupid, but my dog was whining every time I tried to get out of the house." He scratches the back of his head, looking at me for my reaction. "You have a dog?" I ask excitedly, making him smile at me. "Yes. A bulldog-terrier girl. Her name is Petunia and she looks like the cutest piggy you've ever seen." He replies, making me coo. "Do you have any pictures?" I ask him and he hums, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He scrolls through his gallery, chuckling as he turns his phone to me. On the screen, there is a picture of the dog, holding a stuffed fox as she lays on the couch. "She is so cute, I can almost forgive for being late." I state and he brings his hand to his chest, sighing in an obviously sarcastic way. "Do you have any?" He asks me. "What, pets?" I ask him, bringing my beer to my lips. "Yeah." "No... My work hours are crazy, I couldn't take care of anyone else but myself." I reply and he nods. "I get it..." He mumbles, shrugging his shoulders. "You get it, huh? What do you do for a living?" I ask him, sitting up a little better. "I am a musician. I am the lead in a band, we are quite known, actually." He replies, smiling charmingly at me. "You are?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow at him. "We are called 5 Seconds of Summer. 5sos for short." He states, making my eyes go wide. "You are the underwear song guy?" I ask in shock, making him sigh and close his eyes. "I... Fuck... We have a lot better songs than that one." He states, taking a swig from his beer. "I bet you do. But that song... That song slapped, dude. I still listen to it when I work out." I state and he hums. "You should really listen to our songs after that one." He suggests, making me bite the inside of my cheek. "Maybe I will. Any suggestions?" I ask and he chuckles, arching an eyebrow. "Maybe I will give you some suggestions on our second date. Scratch that, on our first date, because this is not a real one. Your friends over there have been giving me the death glare since I stepped in." He points out, gesturing to Clint. I look at them, finding that Clint wishes glares could kill, which only makes me giggle. "I am the baby of the station. They are looking out for me." I brush it off, clinging my bottle against his.

"Wine?" Luke asks me as we walk into his living room. "Yes, please. Red." I reply, looking around me; his house is fancy, like decor magazine cover fancy. "Can you wait here? There is someone I want you to meet." He says as he hands me the glass. I smile and nod, knowing damn well he is going to bring his dog out; a classic girl-magnet move. He leaves the living room, letting me just wander around it as I wait for him to come back. I wasn't expecting him to have such a tidy and clean house. I mean, we've been going out for 3 weeks now, and he always gave me more of a care-free vibe, to set it politely. "This is Petunia." He announces, walking into the living room with his dog following behind him. I gasp, kneeling down to pet the dog. "Hi, pretty girl." I coo, scratching behind her ears. "You are so cute." I sing as she lays on her back and shows me her belly. "Thank you. My friends say she looks like a gargoyle." He kneels next to me, stroking her as well. "But she is so cute. Cute lil' tuna." I reply, squishing her droopy cheeks. "So, I had to pull some strings and ask a few people, but, I got you something." Luke states, getting up and bringing a baby blue box near me. I look at him suspiciously, making him prompt me to open the lid. Inside I find a bunch of vinyl, all from his band. "I remember you said you have a vinyl player but not a lot of vinyl, so I thought since you told me you liked the 'Underwear song', I thought you should first get introduced to our records on vinyl. You said you like the sound and feel of vinyl, so... There, I guess." He seems a little awkward, scratching the back of his neck as he looks on the floor. I coo softly, running my fingers down the cover of the vinyl on top. "This is really the sweetest thing. Thank you." I lean in to press a kiss on his cheek, but as he raises his head to look at me, my lips land on his. It feels so weird, electricity hitting me straight away. And that was for just a moment.

We pull away from each other almost instantly, and I really look anywhere but him. Fuck, I screwed this up. "I am sorry. I didn't know you were... Fuck, sorry." He mumbles; I know he has seen how red I look right now. "It's ok... I... It was... nice." I struggle to let out the words, biting my lip as I turn to look at him. "Yeah, it was very nice... Pity, it ended so soon." He states, a little more confident now. I feel flustered, but excited, wanting nothing more than his lips on mine; he really, really has soft lips. "Well, we can always do it again..." I say self-assured, waiting for his reaction. "I guess you're right." He replies, smirking at me. "To be clear with you, I meant now. We can do it again now." I state and he chuckles. "Yeah, I got that." He assures me, scooting closer to me. His hand goes to my jaw, keeping my head steady as he leans in for a kiss. His lips are extremely soft, warm, and they go so slow against mine. I move closer to him, not breaking the kiss, and straddle his lap, bringing my hands to his shoulders to support myself. Hesitantly, his tongue makes his way past his lips and to mine, almost asking me for permission. I part my lips, letting his tongue slip in my mouth; it is actually very fun, having to test the waters with someone from scratch.

And then he moans into my mouth, he fucking moans into my mouth as if this isn't supposed to turn me on. His hands make their way down my neck, the grazing of his fingers making my skin erupt in goosebumps. I feel like a teenager, fooling around with my crush in a totally innocent way, but definitely having the horniest thoughts. "You are a fucking good kisser." He moans, pulling away from me to catch his breath. He stares at my lips, twisting a strand of my hair between his fingers. "You are not bad yourself either." I giggle, stroking my thumb over his cheek. "Lu, I... I don't wanna... I mean... I..." I stutter and he hums, pressing his lips on mine for a short moment. "We don't have to if you don't wanna. This is nice enough." He replies, making me feel warm inside. "Thank you." I utter, and he chuckles. "For what?" He asks, stroking my hair softly. "For respecting my boundaries. It is refreshing." I state, making him smile. "So, I was thinking of ordering some pizza and putting on some of the vinyl. I would love to be here when you discover more of my music." He suggests, resting his hands on my hips. I giggle, looking at him in the eye. "Would I destroy your plans if I said I have already listened to your albums on Spotify?" I ask him and he gasps. "You have? Crap, I would have loved to be there... Did you like them?" He asks me, staring at me excitedly. "I loved Youngblood. It was... fuck, it was beautiful. So lyrical. It had pain, hope, everything in between. I loved the rest as well, but Youngblood just stuck with me." I reply, bringing my hand to his hair. "If you liked Youngblood that much, you should wait until our next one drops. It is our best work to date." He states; he sounds so excited, so eager for it, it makes me feel woozy. "I can't wait." I lean in, bringing my lips to his.

I wake up in the morning by Petunia licking my face. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep, I last recall leaning my head on Luke's shoulder as the B side of Youngblood on vinyl started playing. And now I am laying on the couch, with a blanket covering my body and Petunia hovering above me. I giggle, sitting up and petting her before I get off the couch and fold the blanket. Petunia jumps off, walking slowly out of the room. I decide to follow her, hoping she will guide me to Luke, who is nowhere to be seen in the palpable house.

Petunia stops in front of Luke, who is standing by the stove, cracking eggs inside the pan. "Glad to see you are not putting them in the microwave..." I state, making him scoff and roll his eyes. "Sooo glad I send Petunia to wake you up." He mocks me, passing me a mug of coffee. "Why didn't you wake me up when you realized I fell asleep?" I ask, leaning my head on his shoulder as I watch the pan sizzle. "I remember you told me you don't like driving at night. And come on, I am not an asshole, of course, I would let you crush since you fell asleep on me." He protests, turning to look at me with knitted eyebrows. "So, you are not asshole enough to wake me up, but you are asshole enough to put me on the couch instead of a warm, nice, soft bed..." I point out and he hums. "You wake up in a stranger bed, the night after you told the guy you've been seeing for less than a month, that you don't want to take your make-out session any further than just that... How would you feel?" He asks me, putting the eggs on a plate. "Thoughtful. Thank you." I reply as he passes me the plate. I find it very sweet, actually wholesome that he went through the trail of thought, just to make sure I wouldn't get worried or upset. "Plus, I slept on the other couch. And my couches are comfortable as fuck." He replies, turning around to press a kiss on my lips.

"I need a drink. Definitely, at least one drink." Maya says as we get off the fire truck. I am still in shock, my heart pumping in my chest, even though it has been hours since we managed to contain the fire. "(Y/N), you joining?" She asks me. I stay speechless, thinking about the intensity of my night. "(Y/N)? Are you ok?" Maya asks, snapping her fingers in front of me. "I need a shower. And I need... Screw this, I need dick." I reply, leaving my helmet on the side. I rush to the locker room, going to my locker and picking up my towel, ignoring everyone else. I just hope he is home, that he is not having any interviews, any studio sessions, any fucking shit famous people have to do.

I knock on his door, bouncing on my feet as I wait. I am jittery, a bit nervous about seeing him now, but most certainly sure about how much I need him right now. He opens the door, smiling at me with his cheeks popping and his skin glowing with a beautiful flush. "Hi. I wasn't expecting you." He cheers, moving from the door for me. "Are you alone here?" I ask, fidgeting with my fingers as I look at him. "Yeah. Are you ok?" He asks me, looking at me a little worriedly. "You don't have anywhere to be, do you?" I ask, nearly pleading for him to say he is available. "No, I am free. (Y/N), are you ok? You seem, upset, to say the least." He asks me, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I will be. I need you." I state, looking at him in the eye. "You need me for what?" He asks in confusion. I huff and roll my eyes, frustrated about his innocence at this point. "Luke, I need you. Really need you." I repeat. "Oh." He manages to let out, staring at me as he licks his lips. "It's fine if you don't actually..." I begin but he pulls me in by my wrists and crashes his lips on mine. His fingers hook in the belt loops of my jeans, pulling me as close to his body as possible. "Bed?" He asks me and I shake my head no. "Here." I reply, sliding off my top and dropping it on the floor. He stares at me in shock, licking his lips hungrily at the sight. "Bed. Now." He growls, making my breath hitch in the back of my throat. I love the roughness he is letting through, my core pulsing for him. I nod my head, following him mesmerized and a little too excited for what's to come. "I'll go bring condoms. Make yourself cozy on the bed." He says, sternly, unbuttoning my jeans before he turns to walk away.

I walk into the bedroom, getting rid of my clothes. Thank God he didn't have to see me in the stupid floral panties I had as a spare in my locker. It's weird, standing in the bedroom, naked and alone while he is looking for condoms. I don't know where to stand, how to stand, how to basically wait for him... It is all weird and rushed and I... "Fuck me." I hear Luke from behind me. I turn around, finding him in his boxers, leaning against the door frame. "Yeah, that's the plan." I state, chuckling at him. "Smartass." He comments, walking to me. He pushes me on the bed softly, making me bounce against the mattress. I whimper in surprise, watching him hover over me. "Are you gonna fuck me, or..." I begin but he leans down, kissing me to shut me up. His hand travels down my body, grazing the curve above my hips softly before he reaches for low on my stomach. "I'm gonna touch you. Ok?" He asks me, tapping on my skin softly. I hum in agreement, letting him lower his hand to my sex. He brushes over my outer lips, making chills run along my spine. "Let's see how wet you are." He whispers, parting my lips and letting his finger slip on my clit. He runs his finger down, circling my entrance and picking up some wetness. "You really need me, huh?" He asks, making me nod vigorously. "What was that, pretty girl? Use words." He insists, pressing his fingers on my clit before he rubs on it slowly. I breathe out funny, causing him to smile. "I need you, Luke. I fucking need you so much. Please." I cry out, biting on my bottom lip. "You sound so good." He shakes his head, lowering his boxers and freeing his cock. I pulse around nothing; it looks so much better than I expected.

He slips the condom on quickly, stroking his length as he kneels between my legs. "Ready?" He asks me, gripping on my thigh as he angles my leg up and lines up to my entrance. I moan, watching him spread my legs more before he thrusts in me. "Fuck... Fuck, oh..." I moan, feeling him as he stretches my walls to accommodate his girth. "You are so fucking tight around me." He groans while I pulse. "Feels good, doesn't it?" I ask, causing him to smile at me. "Feels fucking awesome." He pulls out for a second before he slides back in. I reach down, digging my nails into his wrist as he pounds on me. "Harder." I beg, making his eyes glisten. His hand grips on my thigh, pushing it back until it nearly touches my chest, just to get access to me. He goes in harder, groaning as I tighten around him, his chest heaving as he looks at me with pleasure twisting his pretty face. "Luke..." I moan, turning my head so one side of my face is pressed against the sheets. "Yes, baby?" He asks, leaning closer to me to kiss my neck. I sigh; his lips feel like heaven on my skin. "Eat me out." I plead, arching my lower back as he thrusts in, even harder than before. I feel my stomach numbing and my brain going fuzzy at the edges. "What?" He asks through hushed breathing. "Eat me out..." I push his head down, sliding back to relax more on the bed. "Yes ma'am." He sighs, slipping out of me.

I try to take deep breaths while he settles in between my thighs. His lips travel along the inner part of my thigh, where it is soft and sensitive. I lick my lips, watching his messy head of golden curls get lost between my legs. He reaches my bikini line, bringing his tongue out to toy with it a little. I wiggle on my spot, becoming a little too ticklish. "I bet you taste so fucking good." He whispers, bringing my legs to his shoulders and scooting me closer. He parts my lips with his fingers, running his thumb over the wet part before he buries his face in. His tongue goes straight to my clit, circling it slowly and making me feel every stroke he is making. He sucks softly on it, keeping eye contact with me. Instinctively, my hand tangles in his locks, pulling at them as he lowers his tongue to my entrance. His nose is pressed against my clit, while he fucks me with his tongue; and I swear, he does it so well. "You are so good at this. Too good at this..." I tremble, making him chuckle against my core. "I was right. You taste so fucking good, baby." He resurfaces for a moment to draw in a breath, stroking his thumb over my clit. "God..." I cry out as he goes back to eating me out, focusing on my clit now and using his fingers to pump on the right spot inside me. "Oh fuck... Luke..." I moan, feeling my stomach tighten. I gulp the knot in my throat, my toes curling as this gets too good right now. "Stop, stop..." I tap out, making him nearly jump up. "What, did I do something wrong?" He asks, looking at me worriedly. "No, you did everything right. Everything. I just need you inside me... I am close and I want to cum around your cock. Please?" I gasp, making him nod, with his lips loose and his eyes scanning me. "You are going to keep me on my toes, aren't you?" He asks, wrapping my legs around his waist before he enters me again. He gives me all he's got, thrusting inside me at a fast pace. He goes deep, holding onto me by my thigh as I writhe underneath him. "Luke..." I moan while he pants for air. He reaches between our bodies, bringing his thumb on my throbbing clit and stroking it fast while he thrusts in me. "I know, princess. You are pulsing... It feels good around me..." He replies. I blink rapidly, arching off the mattress as I feel my orgasm get closer. "I wanna cum... I wanna cum so badly." I whimper. "Cum around me, baby." He encourages me, stroking my clit fast. I buck my hips up against his, keeping him inside me as I cum, walls convulsing and brain going into a spiral. I don't even mind how stupid my o-face looks, I just take my high, letting out slurred curses. "Fuck, princess..." He groans, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. He barely thrusts, sinking in the feeling with me.

He collapses next to me while I bring the covers to wrap them around my body. He smiles as he looks at the ceiling, while I still try to catch my breath. "Why today?" He asks, resting his weight on his elbow and looking at me. "What do you mean?" I ask him, turning on my side and facing him. "We've been out on so many dates, you've slept over my place 3 times, I've stayed at yours for a whole weekend. There were many opportunities for us to have sex, why today?" He asks me, scooting closer to me. "I... There was this call at work. It was a huge fire downtown, lots of flammable material, we've barely made it through with no casualties. And I... well, some colleagues were injured, not too serious, but heavy enough to be rushed to the hospital. I decided I didn't want to wait any longer. I like you, Luke. I really do. And I didn't want to hold back anymore. I decided to live the day, I don't know what will happen next time I get called to a fire or an accident, or... Whatever, you know. I like you too much to get hurt before having you, before getting to experiencing you in all your glory. So, I got off my uniform, jumped in the shower, put on whatever clean clothes I had, for god's sake I came over to have sex in floral underwear. And then I drove over, hoping that you would be here, so I could finally have you... And you were, and this was... magical, better than expected." I state and he gives me a side smirk. "Were you hurt? Were you in danger?" He asks me, bringing his hand to stroke my hair. "No, no, I am fine. I was just... Shocked." I reply and he hums. "Well, I am always here to help you feel better after calls. Any way I can." He licks his lips, looking at me softly. "Well, you are way better than drinking it away." I state, stroking his cheeks with my thumb. "Am I now?" He asks, cocking an eyebrow at me. "So much better than booze." I emphasize the words, making him hum happily. "I am famished... Wanna grab a bite somewhere?" He asks me, making me shake my head. "I'd much rather order in and have you on this bed for the rest of the day." I suggest and he sighs happily. "Sounds much better than what I suggested." He replies, tilting my chin up to bring his lips to mine.

"What's that smell?" I ask Luke as I walk into my kitchen. "Good morning to you too... Well, there wasn't much in your fridge, so I used your eggs and milk to make pancakes. You need to load up before you go to work." He replies, handing me a mug of coffee. "You are literally the best boyfriend ever." I state, standing on my toes to kiss his lips. "I know." He says cockily, moving his eyebrows. "But, you picked the most chill day to fill me up. I won't need the extra energy today." I state, sipping on my coffee. "Why?" He asks, flipping the pancake in the pan. "We have an open day today. Basically, a bunch of kids and their mothers will drop by, we will hand candy and badge stickers and let the children take pictures wearing helmets and climbing on the trucks." I reply and he makes this happy sound that makes my stomach jump. "Holy fuck, this is the coolest thing ever. Lucky kids." He cheers, making me chuckle at him. "You are welcome to drop by if you want." I propose, making him gasp in excitement. "Really? I've always wanted to climb on a truck." He pushes a pancake on my plate. "Sure. I'll just tell my captain that you're my boyfriend and you're harmless, no problem." I shrug my shoulders, smiling at how cute he actually is. "Great. I'll drop by and pick you up. We should really go grocery shopping for you." He states, walking to me and pressing his body against mine. I bring my hands around his neck, stroking the hair that cascades it. "I'll wear my pretty floral sundress, the one you like so much. We will make a date out of it." I smile, causing him to lick his lips and smile. "And then we come back and I cook for you." He whispers, placing his hands on my hips and pressing his lips on my forehead. "Do I really want you to? Need I remind you we only met because you burned down Calum's kitchen?" I ask and he scoffs. "First of all, it was part of the kitchen. And second, I have become so much better, you should really stop teasing me about it." He pouts and I coo at him. "I am not teasing you, I am just reminding you how we met." "I am kinda thankful I put that egg in the microwave..." He murmurs, pushing some strands of my hair away from my face. "Quick question about today's plans. Is sex anywhere on the schedule?" I ask and he hums. "With you, wearing that floral dress? Definitely lots of it." He replies, pressing his fingers under my chin and tilting my head back enough for him to reach my lips.

"(Y/L/N), your boyfriend is here." Clint announces, making me smile from ear to ear. "Hey, you, little girl. I leave you in charge of the candy. Everyone gets one. You are the captain now." I say to the little frizzy-haired girl who stands in the back of the queue. She walks up to me and I hand her my helmet along with the crater of candies before I walk away. Luke is by the entrance, smiling at me as I walk towards him. "You look hot in uniform..." He whispers in my ear as I hug him. "I know." I reply, kissing his cheek. "Come on in. I have a fake helmet, which will probably only fit Tuna, and candy and a shiny sticker budge for you." I say, taking his hand in mine. I guide him in, picking one of the helmets and handing it to him. "You really don't need to do that..." He mumbles and I hum sarcastically. "I am giving you the full experience." I reply, squeezing his hand. "You think this is funny?" He asks in surprise and I shrug. "Well, life is so miserable, we have to find ways to make every day a little funnier." I state, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Oh, Maya over there is going to give you your firetruck tour." I stop right in front of her, pushing Luke towards her. "There he is, the special little guy." She mocks, making me glare at her. "Go with her, I told her to be kind to you." I lean in and press a kiss on his cheek. I watch him from afar as Maya gives him a tour, enjoying him being excited as he climbs on. "He is cute." Clint stands by me, making me smirk. "He is." "Pretty nice guy." He comments and I nod. "I think he is the best." "You think?" "I know he is the best." "Good. Hope he knows I'll break his ribs if he breaks your heart." He says sternly. "Alright, Hulk. Let's calm down. He won't break my heart, not this guy." I smile, staring at Luke and the way his smile makes his whole face light up.

"I talked to your captain today. Neat guy, very cool dude." Luke comments as I serve the spaghetti on our plates. "Not so cool if you are working with him, but go on." I reply, making him chuckle. "Anyway, he actually told me what a hard worker you are and how you haven't taken personal days off since you started your service." He states and I shrug. "I didn't really have any reason to." I pass him his plate and he hums. "Well, it's time you do." "Why?" I ask him, eyebrows furrowed together. "Because I want you to join me on tour. We have a few dates in Europe, just 2 weeks and 3 days, and I really want you with me." He brings his lips to my forehead, resting his hands on the small of my back. "You know I can't afford that." I mumble and he sighs, running his thumb over the dip on my back. "I can! It will be our anniversary gift. And I know that you worry about your paycheck, but you really shouldn't. I wanna help you cover your expenses, I wanna help you with whatever you need." He rumbles, making me smile at him and what a sweetheart he is. "Europe sounds kinda fun." I mumble, rolling my eyes playfully. "It is. I promise. I will inform the management to take care of the details. I am so excited..." He squeals, pulling me to his chest for a hug. "You are squeezing me..." I giggle, feeling him nearly crash my ribcage. "I am sorry. I am so happy you are coming." He can't keep his dorky smile off his face, making me reach up to kiss him.

Luke's hand inches down my back, his lips pressing a kiss on my forehead while I trace a pattern on his chest. "This is the calmest I have been in the past month." I whisper, pressing my ear against his heart. "Glad to help with that." He says a little cockily. "I... I have been thinking about it for a while... I have been holding it in, which is really stupid, but..." I begin rambling, losing my words as I try to tell him how I feel. "I love you too." He smiles at me, tilting my chin up so he can look at my face. "Let me say it." I whine and he raises his hands in defeat. "I am not good at expressing feelings, I have always had a hard time not suppressing them, but I want to be honest with you and mostly myself. I love you. I feel safe with you, happy. It is weird because no one else has made me feel like that before, but you do and I just can't keep it in anymore. You make me happy, every single day. I love you." I say, looking at him as he smiles softly. "I love you too." He whispers, leaning closer to bring his lips to my lips.

He moves to straddle me, cupping my face in his hand as the other supports his weight on his elbow. "Shouldn't you be getting ready to leave for that interview?" I moan while his lips move to my chin and then my jaw. "In a bit..." He murmurs, his tongue peeking from between his lips and tracing a figure on my sweetspot. "Don't start things you can't finish..." I whine, throwing my head back further into the pillow the moment his hand goes from my face to my hip and then my lower stomach, toying with the hem of my underwear. "Oh, I can and I will finish." He chuckles, slipping a finger under the waistband of my underwear. His lips travel to my collarbone, sucking softly on the dip of them. I blink rapidly, still not used to the feeling of his lips on my skin. "I want you..." I utter, causing his hand to slip into my panties and cup my sex. He rubs his fingers on my clit, making me tense up at the stimulation. "Need to get your pretty little pussy wet for me first." He whispers, bringing his hand under my t-shirt. He brushes over my nipple, feeling the perked-up little bud before he brings his head under my t-shirt too. His mouth attaches to my breast right then, lips sucking hungrily as he lowers his fingers to my entrance. He pushes 2 fingers in, making my entrance stretch around his digits. He pumps them up, grazing over my spot with every move of his fingers. "You are so wet already. Were you thinking of me taking you?" He asks me, flicking his tongue over the tip of my nipple. "Please, Luke. We don't have much time. I don't want you leaving without finishing this..." I whine, squeezing my thighs together, causing the pressure on my spot to rise. "You are right." He brings his head out, making his hair fall messily on his face. He takes his hand out of my underwear, bringing his fingers to his lips. "Taste like heaven." He mumbles while he flips me on my stomach, raising my ass in the air.

"Look at fucking that..." He grips onto it hard; I swear, I will be covered in marks while this trip lasts. He lowers my panties, bringing the lacy underwear to my thighs and freeing my core to him. His thumb presses between my folds, stroking over and over again until he lines up the head of his cock to my entrance and thrusts forward. I gasp as he does, mouth going agape and hands gripping onto the pillow below me. He doesn't wait around for me to adjust before he thrusts into me with force. "Fuck... Fuck Luke..." I cry out, pulsing around him. "Shut up, princess. We don't want you being heard by everyone, do we?" He slaps my ass, pounding inside me. My stomach is tight, every thrust feeling like a punch in the gut. I grip onto the pillow harder, bouncing back to meet his thrusts. "You wanna fuck yourself on my cock, pretty girl? You wanna take my cock deep inside you?" He hisses, bringing his hand to the front of my body, grazing his fingertips over my clit. "Fuck, Luke... Fuck, I might cum now..." I whimper, turning my head to look at him. "Your little pussy is pulsing around me already. It feels so fucking good around my cock... But you will have to wait. Can you wait for me, babygirl?" He asks, rubbing his fingers on my clit fast, while his cock jams inside me, hitting on my cervix.

I whimper, shaking my head at him as I tug my bottom lip between my teeth. "Oh, I think you can, little brat." He chuckles, slowing down before he gives me a single powerful thrust, sending me a little forward. "I really can't. I wanna cum... Please." I beg, wiggling my hips and taking all of him inside me. "Cum and I'll make you regret it." He says sternly, slapping my clit as I squeeze around him, arching my back. Everything feels tingly, my toes curling as I moan louder with every thrust. "Please, Luke... I am a mess. Please..." I bet everything that my face is the reddest it has ever been. "Not... yet..." He hisses, becoming sloppy with his pounding. I fight with everything within me to hold back, trying not to focus too much on the sound his skin makes as it slaps against mine, or how good he feels, throbbing inside me. "Cum for me, pretty girl." He growls, grabbing my hips and forcing me to stay glued to him. I feel his cock pulse inside me, gasping as I hit my orgasm. My eyes go wide, my stomach tightens and I feel like collapsing on the mattress, but Luke keeps me steady, until he finally cums, pulling out of me and shooting over my ass. "Fuck, you look so good like that..." He praises, grabbing the tissue box from the nightstand.

I finally fall chest first on the mattress, gasping to catch my breath. "Am I supposed to let you leave me right now? Am I supposed to let you go to that interview now?" I ask and he chuckles. "I will be back very soon. By the time you're back from the spa and get ready for dinner, I will be here." He replies, pressing a kiss on the top of my ear. "Spa? Dinner?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows together. "Yes. I made a reservation for us tonight. Be pretty for me. Even prettier than you are now if it is possible..." He plants a kiss on the back of my neck. "Are you going to be pretty for me?" I ask and he hums. "The prettiest I can be." He whispers, making me smile. "What time should I be ready?" I ask and he takes a breath before replying. "Around 8:30. The reservation is at 9." He replies, nuzzling his nose in the crook of my neck.

"First day back from paradise, huh?" Maya asks, cocking an eyebrow playfully at me. "Yeah... I wish I was still there. I legit cried on the plane back home." I sigh, shutting my locker. She coos at me, patting my shoulder softly. "Was it that good?" She asks and I nod. "I didn't know life could be so stress-free. Well, for me, because he was on edge all the time. Shows, interviews, meet and greets. He had so much to do." I state, bringing the memory of him on tour in my brain. "Did he spend any time with you at all?" She asks and I nod, biting my bottom lip. "Every second he was free, he was with me. He was literally like a male protagonist from a romantic movie. He wined me, dined me, absolutely romanced me every chance he got. I thought I savored him enough to last me until the next time I would see him, but I was so wrong. I have been missing him since the second I went through the airport security." I pout and she chuckles at me sarcastically. "Poor baby (Y/N)..." She fake-coos at me, making me roll my eyes at her. "Don't tease. I mean, he has been on tour before since we have been together, but I miss him so badly right now, I would drop everything to go visit him again." I explain and she laughs, only to be stopped by the siren calling us to an emergency. "You'll tell me more afterward. And don't forget my gift." She points at me before running off while I slip my boots on.

I wait until the clock turns 12 so I can call Luke, who has probably just woken up in Germany. I press the facetime icon on my phone, bringing Petunia to my chest as I lay on the couch. "Hey, baby." I cheer, waving at him. He smirks and rubs his eyes, looking at the screen sleepily. "There are my girls... I've missed you both." He pouts, running his fingers through his messy locks. "We've missed you both as well. How's Germany?" I ask, stroking Petunia's head. "I haven't seen the city yet. We made it to Berlin late last night so we came straight to the hotel. I've been sleeping since. How was your first day back?" He asks me, smiling at me. "It was... eventful. We got called in for a house fire first thing in the morning. It was fine, everyone made it out of the house but the building is kinda fucked up. But I brought the first box of my stuff to your house." "You mean our house." He chuckles and I nod. "Yeah, I mean our house. It is still kinda hard to believe you asked me to move in." I admit and he moans happily. "You didn't see that coming? I was building the ground for so long. I've told you a million times that I love seeing your face first thing in the morning." He comments and I shrug. "There is a huge gap between saying you love seeing my face in the morning and actually asking me to move in with you, especially while you are on tour." I point out and he hums. "Did you eat anything today?" He asks, changing the topic. "Yeah, I went for drinks with Maya and grabbed a bite. Aren't you supposed to head to breakfast?" I ask and he nods. "In a bit. I wanna see your pretty face some more." He whines, making me smile at him. He looks so adorable sleepy, that if I was there, I would be cuddling him all day long. I just smile, taking in his face. "I miss you, pretty boy." I run my finger over my screen, pouting at him. "I miss you too, angel. I will be back before you know it, I promise." He assures me, eyes sparkling brightly.

I open my eyes, nearly going blind at the bright white lights above me. I look around, trying to blink until my vision becomes unblurred. There is a bunch of nurses around me, or at least I think they are nurses... A lot of people wearing medical clothes are surrounding me, making me panic. What happened to me? "Hey, hey. She is awake." One of the people on the medical team announces, making everyone turn to me. "(Y/N), stay calm..." One of the doctors tries to stop me from thrashing around. "(Y/N)... You were in a fire, you inhaled a lot of smoke, you lost consciousness due to monoxide poisoning. You need to keep the mask on." The doctor tries to explain. My head hurts, a headache forming to the front of my head and spreading to my temples. "(Y/N), you need to stay down. Follow my finger." One of the doctors steps in, moving her finger in front of my face, to a virtual line across my periphery. "Good. Now, squeeze my fingers." She instructs, placing her fingers in my palms. I squeeze her fingers and she nods, smiling at me. "Good, no signs of neurological deficiencies." She comments. I feel like I am hyperventilating, my eyes refusing to focus on anything.

My doctors decided to keep me in for observation, just to exclude the possibility of organ failure. The team cramped up in the room just an hour ago, but now I am left alone, moving my leg in jitters. My phone rings, making me pick it up from the little table next to my bed. I see Luke's contact pop up on my screen, bringing a smile to my face; he is the only person I really wanted to talk to right now. "Hey, bub." I smile as I accept the call and the video call goes live. Luke looks at me terrified, upset. I can tell he has been crying, his eyes are red and puffy and he looks tired. So, he knows... "Are you ok?" He asks me, gulping thickly. "I am fine. They are keeping me in for observation." I reply and he nods. He covers his face, sobbing and making my heart aching for him. "Baby, I am ok. I am fine, it is over. Hey, please don't cry." I try to console him, but he only sobs harder. "I... I can't do... I can't do this again... I thought I would die when they called me... I felt the earth crumble beneath my feet. I can't go through that again. I can't worry whether you'll make it home safe. I can't live in fear that something bad will happen to you..." I feel my heart stop, my stomach becoming tight and the urge to throw up taking over me. I bite the inside of my cheek and fight the tears that brim in my eyes, bracing myself for what I am about to say. "Say it. Say it, Luke. No need to be a coward now, say it." I nearly taunt him. "Please don't make it hard..." He pleads. I nod my head and swallow my pride, looking at him in the eye. "Ok, then. I'd hate to make this hard on you. It's over, Luke. I'll send Maya to pick up my stuff from your house and I will call Crystal to take care of Petunia." I say in my calmest voice, even though I feel like breaking down. "You don't have to... I mean, I won't be home for weeks and you can take your time." He suggests and I chuckle. "No need to worry about me anymore. Isn't that the reason you are breaking up with me?" I ask, but hang up before he could actually say anything more.

"Are you sure I can stay? Your boyfriend?" I ask Maya as she places pillows and covers on her couch. "He is fine... You can stay for as long as you need." She assures me, taking a seat on the armchair by the side of the couch. "I don't want to be a burden. I promise to find a new place within a week..." I state and she chuckles. "Yeah, yeah. No need to rush, stay as long as you want." She states, curling up on the armchair and bringing her beer to her lips. "You know, I thought he was the one... I thought we would last." I utter, leaning my head against the back of the couch. "I thought you would too, kid." She smiles sympathetically.

We rush out of the firetruck, heading towards the burning house. "You stay in the med truck." Captain orders and I nod. I haven't been cleared for duty yet, even though there have passed several weeks since the incident. I honestly don't trust myself either. Not only because the monoxide poisoning was traumatic, but the breakup has taken a huge toll on me. I have been living alone for a couple of weeks now, but I can't bring myself to actually live in the empty apartment. I sit on the edge of the truck, swinging my legs as I wait. Med duty is the most boring in the beginning but full-on action after a while. All the burns and trauma, trying to keep the person safe until you reach the hospital, times like this make me love my job, make me grateful for my certification. "Hey, girl... Wanna switch?" Maya rushes to me, plastering a psycho smile on her face. "No. Why?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows together. "Nothing, I thought you might want to take a walk... I can cover for you." She points to the street, making me chuckle sarcastically. "I am good, thanks." I stand up as someone from the team calls for incoming. "My offer is open if you change your mind. Alright, bring him in." She calls moving from the entrance of the back of the truck.

Clint carries Luke in, making me freeze for a moment. He is still conscious, but he had to be carried in by someone. "Do you think she'll kill him?" He asks Maya as he leaves the gurney. "If she doesn't, I might." She threatens, eyeing Luke, who looks just as nervous as I do. "Guys, mind taking this elsewhere? I am not going to kill anyone." I state, giving them my death glare. "Let's put this on." I fix the oxygen mask on his face, but he lowers it before I could turn on the oxygen tank. "You need that. And I need you to put it on so I can take a look at the burn at your leg." I sigh, picking the mask again. He pushes my hand away softly, stopping me. "Luke, please." I tremble, looking at him with tear-glazed eyes. "One moment. Just give me a moment." He gasps before coughing. "No moment. You need that if you don't want your lungs to explode." I point out, fixing the elastic on the back of his head. He surrenders, letting me put the mask on his face. "Deep breaths." I suggest, moving to take a look at his leg. "Second degree... Let me clean this and dress it before we take you to a hospital." I say, turning around to grab the kit. I hear him take breaths, somewhat rhythmic, which is a good sign. At least he won't die in my hands.

"I can accompany him to the hospital if you'd like... You can go rest." Clint offers and I shake my head. "I am fine. Really." "Isn't this kinda like how you met?" "Kinda. But it doesn't matter. Work before anything. I got this. I'll meet you back at the station." I smile and he nods. "If you need anything..." "It is just a drop-off." I reply and he hums. "It's not and you know it. But you know yourself better." He waves me off, letting me climb back into the truck. I sit on my seat and buckle up, watching over at Luke. He tries to remove the mask, but I shake my head at him. "Don't." I breathe out, turning my head away.

"(Y/N), my office." My captain calls, making me sigh as I drop my cleaning rug in the tool kit. I walk towards the office, closing the door behind me. "The man you transferred to the hospital earlier refuses treatment if he doesn't talk to you first." He announces, making my eyes go wide. "Is he insane?" I ask, taking a sit on the chair in front of the desk. "You tell me. They have been trying to convince him but he says he will only do it if you go there. The doctors said that if he keeps refusing they will have to release him." "Can he do that?" I ask. "What, refuse treatment? Of course, he can." He states, shrugging his shoulders. "No, ask for me, practically blackmail me..." I explain. "Well, apparently... Why do you want to do, (Y/L/N)?" He asks me and I take a deep breath. "I can't let him receive no treatment for a second-degree burn. He is going to get infected." I reply, bouncing my leg and biting my lip. "Well, you can. But do you want to?" He asks me, making me throw my head back, look at the ceiling, and huff. "I will be back as soon as I can." I promise before I jump up.

I walk into the emergency room, already feeling that everything I felt the night he broke up with me is rushing back to me. "Hi, a patient asked for me. Male, in his twenty's, has a burn on the left leg, refuses treatment..." I explain and the nurse nods. "Bed 5. Please be fast, the ER is getting overwhelmed." He begs, pointing toward the beds. I smile politely before I turn to walk to Luke's bed. He is sitting there, cross-armed and furrowing until the moment he sees me. "Are you stupid?" I ask, looking at him sternly. "I broke up with you, do you really have to ask me that?" He asks and I roll my eyes at him. "Why aren't you letting them treat you?" I ask, trying to calm myself down. "You didn't let me talk to you in the truck. And I really want to talk to you, because I haven't slept in weeks." He says, huffing at me. "I'll listen to you, while you take the treatment you need." I say, surrendering if that means dumb-head is not going to get an infection. "I'll take that." He says, letting the doctor finally approach him. "I messed up. Big time..." He admits, hissing as the doctor washes the wound. "You need to be more specific. My captain is this close to putting me in suspension." I state, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "I broke up with you because I was scared of losing you. Because I was afraid of you getting hurt on duty. And then you got hurt and I nearly died at the thought of something worse happening to you. I thought breaking up with you would be the best choice, that I would finally get rid of the tightness in my chest, but I was so wrong. I was worried because I love you, and breaking up with you didn't stop that. I am still worried about you getting hurt, I am still waking up with a tightness to my chest, I am still wondering if you will be alright. Fuck, I don't know what more to say. I love you, I need you back, I can't go on without you. It is driving me insane." He explains through hisses as the doctor takes care of him. "What makes you think that you will feel calmer if we get back together? I am still going to have the same job, you are still going to have anxiety because that's what it is, you are having anxiety attacks. I can't get back with you and then have you break up with me. I can't go through that again. You left me when I was hurt, you broke up with me over a video call. Do you know how bad that hurt? Do you know what big of a toll it took over me?" I ask, trying to whisper so the whole hospital won't learn our business. "I am a piece of shit and I deserve you leaving me and never talking to me. But I love you, I love you... And I promise to do whatever it takes. You deserve better, and I want to become better for you. I'll... I will do anything. I will sign up for therapy, I will learn to live with this... I promise to do better, I will never hurt you again. Please." He begs. "Please tell me you didn't set the house on fire just so you could see me again..." I sigh, making Luke shake his head. "No. I left the stove on after cooking and fell asleep on the couch." He replies, making the doctor chuckle. "You truly are a mess without me..." I point out and he nods. "I can't even tell you how big of a mess I am ever since the breakup." He looks at me with pleading eyes. I shake my head and roll my eyes, walking a little closer to him. "Oh, Luke... What am I even going to do with you?" I ask, cupping his face in my palms. "Apply antibiotics cream on his wound and dress it up 2 times a day until the follow-up because I really don't think he is capable of doing it himself?" The doctor asks me and I nod, leaning in to kiss Luke softly. "I will make sure of it, doc." I say after we part, making Luke hum.

My Masterlist

243 notes · View notes

aalissy · 4 years

Text

Alternate Timeline

I am reverse crush trashhhh! I love seeing Adrien pine over Marinette, especially if he’s flirty. I also love a blushy, stuttering Ladybug hehe. Also, a lil bit of Ladynoir slipped into this chapter. Hope you don’t mind hehe. I also hope you guys like this chapter <3. Lemme know if you do :)

AO3

Adrien sighed dreamily as Marinette stumbled her way into class, stuttering out an apology to their teacher after she crashed into her desk before making her way to her seat. How does she get away with being so perfect? It’s just not fair, he bemoaned to himself. He heard Nino snicker in the seat next to him and he turned his head to give the boy a dirty glare. Instead of responding to him, the DJ merely rolled his eyes, motioning his head back at Marinette with an encouraging smile. A deep red blush entered his cheeks before he shook his head once, murmuring, “No, Nino, I can’t. I don’t think Marinette knows that I’m flirting with her. She just sees me as a friend.”

“What do you mean she doesn’t know you’re flirting, dude? How bad are you screwing this up?” Nino’s head tilted in confusion as he spoke softly back at his best friend.

“I don’t know, I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m just playing around or something,” Adrien shook his head again, running a hand through his hair as he blew out a harsh breath.

His friend’s arms crossed, an eyebrow raising in disbelief, “Show me, then. I don’t believe that you’re not screwing this up somehow, dude.”

“Ugh, fine,” he groaned before his eyes glanced at the clock to check on the time. Seeing that he still had a few more minutes, the model whirled around to give her a hopefully charming smile, “Marinette, are you French because Eiffel for you?”

Instead of the red blush and giggle that he was hoping for, she merely scrunched her nose up, leaning over her desk to flick his nose slightly with a roll of her eyes, “Yes, I am French, silly. Now instead of teasing me, try paying attention. It’s almost time for class, Adrien.”

He managed to give her a small quirk of his lips before turning around to give Nino a small shrug. His friend’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Unfortunately, when Adrien opened his mouth to speak to him, their class started and he had to shut it reluctantly. After a while though, a note slid over to him, and he quickly opened it under the table before he could get caught.

You were right! Marinette may or may not be completely oblivious. You were so obvious, Adrien!

Glancing up at the teacher, he wrote a reply back as fast as he could.

I know... what I don’t know is if it’s just because she doesn’t see me that way or if she really doesn’t understand.

Adrien carefully gave the note to Nino, giving a small cough as he did so before burying his head in his textbook. After his friend read it, he glanced over at him only to see the DJ give him a small shrug with a helpless look in his eyes. With a quiet groan, he turned back to their lecture even as he ached with the urge to turn back around and stare at the beautiful, charming girl behind him.

Sitting behind her was both a blessing and a curse, however, because although he wished to stare at her throughout the entirety of their class, he also got to experience the feeling of her fingers ruffling in his hair whenever the school bell rang. This time was no different and Adrien’s eyes closed helplessly when Marinette mussed up his hair, a bright grin on her face as she looked at the three of them, “Are you guys excited for the weekend? I was hoping maybe we could get together and do something.”

“Works for me,” Adrien chirped up almost immediately and much to his displeasure, Marinette’s fingers left his hair to smile hopefully at the remaining two.

“I’ve actually got babysitting to do and I’ve already roped Nino into it, sorry girl,” Alya replied with a small shrug, “Maybe next weekend we can all hang out?”

The designer sighed disappointedly causing Adrien to blurt out his next words, “I mean, I can still hang out with you!”

“Just the two of us?” she looked at him curiously with a small blink.

He cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks turn a light pink, “If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Why would I?” Marinette punched his shoulder lightly, “I now have a willing subject to play Ultimate Mecha Strike III with. These two have already given up on me,” she stuck her tongue out at them.

“Works for me,” Adrien nodded his head at her eagerly.

“Good luck, dude. Marinette’s a beast when it comes to that game,” Nino grinned at them before he and Alya ducked out of the classroom.

He stood up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as the designer tapped her chin in thought, “Does Saturday afternoon work for you?”

She looks so cute when she’s thinking.

“Probably,” Adrien gave her a rather lovestruck smile, “I’ll just tell my father we’re working on a project together and I’m sure he’ll let me come over.”

Marinette’s brow creased with an adorable frown as she considered him, “Adrien, you don’t have to lie for me. If you can’t make it, you don’t have to.” “No, no! I didn’t mean it like that!” he practically shouted, before rubbing the back of his neck anxiously as he brought his voice back down to a quieter tone, “It’s just that if I don’t lie sometimes, I don’t think he’d ever let me out of the house. Besides, it’s not lying if I at least try and get some studying done,” he gave her a cheeky wink.

Marinette rolled her eyes before patting his shoulder, giving him a soft look, “Well, I’ll make sure to have plenty of croissants for you, then. I know they're your favorite.”

“You know me too well, princess,” he laughed.

“Yuck, what is up with you and that nickname for me. I am definitely not a princess,” she rolled her eyes again before opening the door, “Now come on, we had better get you home before you get locked up in your tower, because if anyone here is Rapunzel it’s you.”

Adrien chuckled, following after her only when he finished fist-pumping the air with happiness. He had a date with Marinette! A friendly one, sure. But it was still a date! Now, he just needed to survive patrol and he was home free.

He waved Marinette goodbye as he slid into his limo, watching her until she had completely faded away from his view as he was driven home. The short ride did nothing to stop the happy, dreamy sighs from escaping him as he managed what they would do tomorrow afternoon. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would get her to realize that he really did like her. When he finally got home and had to eat his dinner, a lonely feeling welled up within him as his father still managed to not show up for the third week in a row. Needless to say, when it was time for patrol he was restless and antsy for more interaction, calling on his transformation quickly, “Plagg, claws out!”

Chat Noir took the place of Adrien Agreste, leaving him feeling more confident and energized as he tore out through his window, heading to the Eiffel Tower to meet up with Ladybug. He arrived early for once, gazing out at the soft, glowing yellow lights of Paris as he took out his baton and practiced for a few minutes.

It didn’t take long before Ladybug arrived, a little breathless and a light flush to her cheeks, “H-hello, Chaton. I-I’m so sorry I’m late. I lost track of time like I usually do and suddenly it was past the time we usually meet so I-,”

He cut her rambling off with a loud chuckle, “It’s alright, Ladybug. You weren’t that late. Besides, it let me get some practice in,” he wiggled his baton around effortlessly.

“Wow, you’re amazing,” she breathed out and he was about to thank her for the compliment before she screeched, “AT THAT! You’re amazing at that! I mean, not that you’re not amazing all the time! I just meant that you’re particularly good at using your baton! You know, for when we’re beating akumas and stuff,” the superheroine gave him a wide, awkward smile.

“Thanks,” Chat shook his head at her with amusement.

“S-so, how’d your day go?” Ladybug asked after clearing her throat.

“Good, I get to hang out with the girl of my dreams tomorrow, so I’m pretty happy! What about you?”

The ladybug-themed hero seemed to deflate at his words, looking up at him as her blue eyes tinged with sadness, “Girl of your dreams, huh?”

“Yeah, she’s absolutely amazing. She’s got no clue I like her, but she’s special, Ladybug, I can tell! I’m hoping I can confess tomorrow.”

“T-that’s great, Chat,” she glanced away from him, her eyes scanning the streets, “I”m going to get started with patrol now, I’ll see you next Friday, then.”

He frowned, wrapping a clawed hand around her wrist gently before she could swing away, “Is everything okay, Ladybug?”

“Yeah, I-I’ll be fine, kitty. I just wanted to get started on my job, you know,” she laughed rather humorlessly.

“If you’re sure,” he let go, frowning after her as she zipped away. With a quick shake of his head, he used his own baton to head in the opposite direction.

#adrinetteapril2020 #adrienetteapril2020 #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #fic #fanfic #reverse crush #reverse crush au #adrinette #adrienette #ladynoir

168 notes · View notes

artificialqueens · 3 years

Text

Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, 13 (Branjie) (and background everyone) - Ortega

a/n:guess who’s realised she never submitted this to AQ? it’s ya boi. if u haven’t been able to read this yet then here it is, and look out for the final chapter coming soon! thank u to everyone who’s ever sent this fic some love, it means the world to me!!

fic summary: Strictly Come Dancing enters its 18th series and its producers, after being goaded by a rival dance show on its inclusivity, commission it to be an all-female cast. Unlike Akeria who’s just here to bone her potential dance partner, dancer Vanessa is ready to act like a professional.

And then TV presenter Brooke Lynn walks into the rehearsal room.

***

6th December 2020

Vanessa’s in the wine aisle of Marks and Spencers when she sees her again.

Her hair’s been dyed- she already knew that, she’s seen pictures of it on her Insta feed- and the demure tones of the honey-brown balayage are a contrast to the blonde ombré she’d had when they’d been together, but it suits her. She’s in sweatpants and a cropped jumper, because of course she is, and Vanessa recognises the matching pink set emblazoned with the Playboy logo from Missguided adverts on bus shelters. She’s wearing some form of chunky white trainers and Vanessa isn’t proud of the fact that she feels a little flame of satisfaction light up in her gut when she sees that they’re splattered with mud, contrasting with her clean outfit and perfect makeup.

Vanessa turns back to the green bottles in front of her, staring at them for so long and with such intensity that she thinks she might rip the fabric of reality in two. She consciously blocks out her peripheral vision so that all she can see is the label of one bottle of white which she reads over and over again. A light, dry white with citrus notes and lively green fruit flavours. Grown in the spectacular setting of the sun ripened vineyards of central Spain. Goes with fish, chicken and salads.

She doesn’t, in any way, shape or form, know how to play this situation, because this is the first time she’s seen Kameron in person since they decided to call it quits. One one hand she could just keep staring at the wine bottle, attempt to blend into the shelves via osmosis and completely avoid her ex, but on the other hand…Vanessa doesn’t really know what the other hand is, because she doesn’t know what a conversation between the two of them would look like. There’s a part of her that wants to find out.

And suddenly, with a cry that Vanessa recognises as hers, the decision is made for her.

“Vanjie?”

Slowly, timidly, Vanessa turns around to meet her eyes. Soft, brown eyes that Vanessa had once looked into and seen her whole world and future.

God, it’s fucking crazy how she used to be so in love with her and now she feels completely apathetic.

“Kam! Hey,” Vanessa smiles tightly, waving awkwardly with the hand she’s not holding her shopping basket with. “How are you?”

“I’m fine! Well, actually, not amazing. I tried to make this really fancy, complex coq au vin for dinner last night but I don’t know what the hell I did wrong because it tasted like fucking ass. So I’m here getting ingredients again because Mama didn’t raise a quitter. It’ll probably still taste like garbage though, you know what I’m like,” Kameron reels off, which makes Vanessa smile in spite of herself. Kam was never the best at cooking and it was usually Vanessa who made the dinners when they were together, but there were still a couple of times when she’d tried at something and had failed spectacularly. Kameron seems to pick up on what she’d said as a little look of discomfort flashes in her eyes before she follows her sentence up with, “How’re you? God, it’s been ages.”

“It has,” Vanessa shrugged a little. So much has changed since they’ve last spoken that Vanessa isn’t really sure where to start. “I’m good. Things are pretty great, really. Obviously had a good run on the show for my first year competing, so hopefully I’ll get a partner next year too an’ win it next time.”

“I know, you did so well! I was really shocked you didn’t make the semis at least,” Kameron frowns, and the flattery does admittedly soften Vanessa up a little. Kameron’s face lights up as she adds, “God, your girl was so amazing though too! Brooke Lynn Hytes, right? She was super talented. Now I know how good a dancer she is I can’t help but feel like she’s sort of wasted as a presenter.”

“Yeah, she’s incredible,” Vanessa nods emphatically, unable to help the heat she feels spreading to her cheeks whenever she gets to talk about Brooke with somebody. Kameron’s expression changes a little as she clocks Vanessa’s blush, and a cheeky glint appears in her eye. Vanessa frowns. “Hey. Behave.”

“I didn’t say a word!” Kameron laughs, and as she trails off there’s a smile on her face that’s affectionate and helps Vanessa warm up to her ex even more. “Listen, what’re your plans? I’d honestly love to catch up. It’s been too long.”

Vanessa tilts her head in thought. The conversation isn’t going too badly, and her only plans are going round to Brooke’s later on to watch the semi-final results and have dinner (hence the reason she’s gone to M&S to get wine and not the Tesco Metro round the corner from her). So Vanessa surprises herself when she shrugs, giving Kameron a little nod. “Okay, yeah. Lemme get this wine and then we can get coffee.”

The way Kameron’s face lights up makes Vanessa think that her decision was the correct one.

They’re sat at a little table at the window of a nondescript coffee shop roughly ten minutes later, Kameron stirring the hell out of a vanilla latte that’s sat in front of her and creating a tiny whirlpool in the coffee that puts Vanessa in mind of a Pirates of the Carribean movie. Kameron’s talking about the flat she’s in just now- she bought it after she rented for a while when she moved out of Vanessa’s place- and how furniture is so expensive.

“I mean I could just go to IKEA and just furnish the entire thing for, like, two grand, but I actually want some really nice stuff, you know? Like it’s a big girl professional flat, not a uni rental,” she screws her face up as she finally takes a sip. Vanessa bristles a little opposite her- she knows Kam doesn’t mean it, but Vanessa wants to remind her that most of her furniture is from IKEA, because they’d gone and bought it all together when they first moved in. Kameron doesn’t seem affected, though, and keeps talking. “What about you? You still living out at Finsbury Park?”

Vanessa nods. “I’m still in the same flat, I never moved.”

A look of shock passes over Kameron’s face and Vanessa can read her like a book- the fact she’s still in that flat where they made so many memories together is obviously surprising. Vanessa can’t help but laugh. “Kameron, chill. You don’t roam the fuckin’ halls like a ghost, I don’t burst into tears whenever I go into a room. It’s a decent flat at a decent price, I wanted to keep it.”

“Right. Sorry. Ego check,” Kameron smiles sheepishly, and Vanessa feels bad for poking fun at her. Kameron perks up after a second, laughs a little. “I like how you said ‘halls’ plural. Like it’s a stately home and not a fucking matchbox with an intercom system.”

Vanessa’s taking a sip of her own hot chocolate and she almost chokes on it in a laugh, Kameron howling and slapping the table in response. Vanessa’s forgotten that Kam used to make her laugh, still can. She always used to see it like some sort of secret privilege she had access to, the quiet girl’s funny side rare and only popping out on special occasions. That hasn’t changed over the years.

“How’s work, anyway?” Vanessa asks her as she composes herself. Kameron shrugs easily.

“Pretty good. I did a Dua Lipa music video the other week, that should be coming out in a month or so.”

“Is she actually as bad a dancer as that video made her out to be?”

Kameron smirks. “She had a shit choreographer; she’s actually alright. Not pop girl standard, but you know. My agent’s trying to get me on the Blackpink tour next, so I should hear back from that soon.”

Vanessa’s glad that work hasn’t dried up for Kameron- the backing dancer industry is treating her well.

“Anyway,” Kameron bats her lashes, looking at Vanessa coyly from behind her glass. “Tell me more about this dance partner of yours, miss.”

Vanessa feels herself blush, a bashful laugh escaping her lips before she can stop it. It’s weird- after they first broke up Vanessa always used to think she’d love the chance to rub her ex’s face in a new relationship, but it feels ever so slightly odd now she’s actually about to talk about Brooke in front of her. “Honestly, we’re just seeing each other and keeping things casual. Y’know, while the series is still goin’. We’re not even official or public.”

“Yet,” Kameron smiles cheekily at her, and Vanessa can’t suppress the smile she returns to her.

“Okay, yet. But it’s going really well. I really like her. She’s sweet, an’ she’s caring, an’ she’s the best listener.”

“And she won’t be a fucking idiot and cheat on you.”

“No, I don’t think she will,” Vanessa shrugs, the fact that Kameron’s brought the situation up casting a small grey cloud over the conversation. It’s clunky and awkward, a puzzle piece jammed in a place it shouldn’t be. It’s been brought up now though, so Vanessa grimaces and adds, “But then I never thought you would, either.”

Kameron’s face screws up in regret, and before Vanessa knows it she’s rested a hand on top of hers and is giving her a tentative smile. “I know I said it about twenty million times when we were together but I’m honestly so sorry, Vanessa. You didn’t deserve that.”

“Kam, you gotta stop beatin’ yourself up about it,” Vanessa cuts in and says swiftly. Her own words shock her; they’ve come from virtually nowhere, and she’s amazed at the raw sympathy she’s just shown her. “You were drunk, it was a kiss. Strictly is…it’s a weird show. You saw him more hours in the day than you saw me. Kisses between partners happen all the time, it just…sucks that it happened between you two.”

Kameron nods quietly, and Vanessa puts her other hand on top of hers. “I forgive you. Give yourself a break.”

Kameron squeezes her hand, shoots her a soft smile. “Thanks, Vanjie.”

They let go of each other’s hands and each take a sip of their own drink, the silence between them somewhat symbolic like someone wiping words off a whiteboard. Vanessa watches as Kameron swallows a gulp of her coffee and grins. “Hey, do me a solid and put in a good word with Asia O’Hara for me, okay? I really want to slide into her DMs but I need some context first.”

“Your face can be the context, fuckin’ look in a mirror,” Vanessa snorts, and the two of them laugh together.

It’s nice. This huge, big, massive event she’s built up in her head for all these months is happening- she’s bumped into Kameron and she’s speaking to her. She doesn’t need to build it up anymore, or wonder about how it would play out because she’s living it, it’s playing out and she never has to see Kameron for the first time since they broke up ever again. A wall crumbles down in her mind without warning and once the dust settles she realises that she feels somewhat lighter.

Vanessa has been carrying this burden around with her for all this time without even having known it.

The pair of them eventually finish up- hug goodbye outside the coffee shop and tell each other how nice this all had been and then go their separate ways. They don’t promise to keep in touch, but Vanessa knows they’ll probably like each others’ Instagram posts or occasionally tweet each other support or that kind of thing now. Little things that remind them they’re still on good terms.

As Vanessa heads to the tube, her mind drifts to Brooke and how excited she is to see her. The week has been long and Brooke’s been busy, but true to her word she’s messaged Vanessa whenever she’s had a spare moment, updating her on her day and asking her about her own. On Tuesday she’d invited Vanessa round to her flat on Sunday night as she has a day off on Monday and they can spend the night together. She’s not just abandoned her or left her hanging, and if there’s about to be a gap between her messages she always pre-warns her. Brooke’s treating her well. Almost like a girlfriend. Exactly like a girlfriend.

Vanessa still doesn’t know what they really are. She’s so far told herself that that’s alright, but now they’re out of the competition that answer isn’t really satisfying her any more. She wants to call Brooke hers, she wants to be with her properly. As Brooke’s apartment building comes into view, Vanessa wonders if she’ll bring it up tonight.

As she buzzes Brooke’s intercom, though, Brooke’s tone throws everything into a tailspin.

“Hello?”

Vanessa frowns. Brooke sounds ever-so-slightly icy and fed up. She wonders if she’s imagined it. “Uh, hey! It’s Vanessa.”

“Hey. Come up.”

As the door buzzes open and Vanessa steps into the building, she waves away the thoughts in her head. She’s probably overthinking things, and as she steps into the elevator and lets herself be carried up to Brooke’s 12th floor apartment Vanessa tries to calm her nerves. It’s the first time she’s been to Brooke’s flat- in fact it’s the first time either of them have been at either of their flats- so she’s a little anxious. It’s another layer of the relationship they’re adding on, and the thought of things getting a little more serious makes Vanessa’s heart flutter.

So her head is thrown into a tailspin when the elevator doors open onto a landing and she’s met with three doors- two closed, and the other (Brooke’s, a little gold 111 set into the smooth grey exterior) is ever so slightly ajar. Vanessa narrows her eyes, tentatively stepping out of the lift, crossing the hall, and pushing the door open a little.

“Brooke Lynn?”

Brooke’s voice replies, still something to it that Vanessa can’t quite work out. “I’m in here.”

Frowning, Vanessa steps through the doorway and into Brooke’s flat. The whole situation is so strange that she can barely take in everything she sees; a long, narrow hallway lined with high heels that leads down to what looks like a sunken living room with a cream sofa and a floor-to-ceiling view of London. There’s a room to the right halfway down the hall, though, and it seems to be where Brooke’s voice came from, so Vanessa closes the front door and hears the click of the lock behind her as she follows it. Maybe she’s in the middle of something. Maybe she’s just busy and she wants Vanessa’s company while she finishes whatever it is she’s doing.

And then, as Vanessa turns into the room, the situation becomes immediately apparent.

Brooke’s bedroom is dark- the blinds are drawn and the only light comes from a few candles that are sitting on the tidy grey dressing-table under the window and the soft pink salt lamp that sits on the bedside table. The large bed pushed up against the wall takes up most of the room, and its sheets are white and perfectly ironed and crease-free.

They serve as a perfect backdrop to the sight that’s currently greeting Vanessa- Brooke, in a matching set of black Calvin Klein underwear, curled up against the pillows and scrolling her phone. The dark material makes Brooke’s pale skin pop, and the sight of her toned thighs and stomach forces Vanessa to squeeze her thighs together in spite of herself. Brooke looks up as she enters the room and smiles smugly, clearly happy to get the reaction Vanessa’s given her.

“Hey, sweetie,” she says, her voice light and sing-song and making the entire situation worse because the fact she’s so perfectly put-together while Vanessa is slowly becoming a melting, gooey mess in front of her is, for some reason, only making her want to rip Brooke’s clothes off even more than she already does. “Come sit.”

She gently pats the space on the bed next to her and Vanessa almost knocks herself out kicking her trainers off and letting her jacket fall to the floor as she scrambles up onto the bed. She feels herself blush as Brooke gives a soft laugh (presumably in response to just how eager she is) then decides she doesn’t really care how she’s coming across as Brooke leans in and closes the gap between them, kisses her with soft Chapstick lips that Vanessa feels as if she’s addicted to. Vanessa expects the kiss to be more than it is- flames of seductive fire that make one thing lead to another all too quickly- but instead it feels as if Brooke is deliberately holding back, teasing her a little. It’s not helping Vanessa’s desperation at all, and just as she brings a hand up to rest on Brooke’s hip, Brooke breaks the kiss.

“So,” Brooke begins cryptically, as she reaches for her phone where she’d discarded it against the sheets. “I was just scrolling Instagram, you know, as you do. And, uh, I felt a little bit confused.”

Vanessa frowns in tandem with Brooke, who finally appears to reach the post she’s been looking for. Brooke’s voice keeps its light tone as she continues. “Because apparently, according to these photos…it looks like you had a cute little reunion date with your ex today?”

Vanessa’s heart drops as Brooke turns her phone to show her the long-lens photograph posted by The Sun’s Instagram account. It’s her and Kameron at the coffee shop window, taken at the exact moment that Kameron had reached out and taken her hand and Vanessa had shot her a forgiving smile and taken hers in return, probably the most affection they’ve shown each other in a whole year.

But Jesus Christ, has it been taken out of context and then some.

She’s panicking, and she can feel her mouth opening and closing rapidly as she attempts to explain herself. The one saving grace about the whole situation is that Brooke appears to be…calm? Relaxed? She’s not flown off the handle, anyway, which Vanessa wouldn’t exactly have expected, and there’s also the fact she’s in a matching underwear set so clearly can’t be that mad at her. So Vanessa finally finds her voice, tells Brooke everything- how she’d only bumped into Kameron in the shop, and how it was just a coffee and nothing more, and how she’d actually finally received closure for everything that had happened between the two of them.

As she speaks, part of Vanessa wants to bring up the fact that she and Brooke aren’t even together together, so why Brooke’s so pressed about all of this Vanessa doesn’t know.

Unless Brooke wants them to be more than what they already are. And Vanessa has fucked it.

Shit.

“It’s just all a massive misunderstandin’, honestly,” Vanessa finishes, and she’s relaxing a little more now that Brooke’s body language is warmer. “I maybe should’ve texted you but I was gonna tell you tonight anyway, I promise. I wouldn’t…I just wouldn’t mess you about like that, Brooke.”

Brooke slowly lets a bashful smile creep across her face as she nods softly. “Okay.”

And, just because she can, Vanessa pulls her in for another kiss. This time there’s a little more heat to it which makes Vanessa’s stomach flutter in anticipation, but she still feels as if Brooke’s holding back. It’s only then that Vanessa remembers how Brooke had told her she liked being in control, how much Brooke got off on hearing her beg for what she wanted the first time they’d slept together, and it all falls into place.

Oh.

Before Vanessa can say anything, Brooke’s trailing her hand from its position cupping Vanessa’s jaw down her body to rest on her waist, and Vanessa’s mouth goes ever-so-slightly dry. Brooke’s face is still close as she speaks again. “See I thought that would be the case, because I know you’d never do anything to hurt me.”

Vanessa responds by mirroring Brooke’s touches, resting her own hand against her exposed thigh and delighting as she watches something darken behind Brooke’s eyes. Her tone changes a little as she continues. “But it did get me thinking…what if you did forget how good you had it one day?”

“Won’t happen,” Vanessa shakes her head, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth as Brooke pushes up the hem of her oversized white t-shirt, rests the palm of her hand against the bare skin at her waist. Vanessa squeezes her legs together again and she watches as Brooke flicks her gaze down, suppresses a smirk badly.

“It won’t?” Brooke pouts mockingly, and Vanessa loves it. “Well, just in case…I thought I’d show you what you’d miss if you ever did think you could do better than me.”

“Fuck,” Vanessa verbalises what she’s thinking in a hiss, as Brooke tugs at the bottom of her top and removes it quickly without Vanessa having to do anything other than raise her hands above her head.

Brooke dips her down so that her head’s resting against the pillows and presses kisses to Vanessa’s jaw, neck, collarbone, right down to the lace of her bra. Vanessa’s pulse is racing and she finds herself already spreading her legs, unable to help the way she needs Brooke to touch her.

“God, you’re so needy,” Brooke tuts disapprovingly into her skin, briefly reaching her hands under Vanessa’s back in an attempt to unhook her bra. Vanessa’s stomach tenses as she lifts herself off the mattress to help her, and soon the bra that she spent entirely too long picking out this morning is thrown halfway across the room onto the dark wood of Brooke’s bedroom floor.

“Says the girl that’s trying to get my boobs out in the first two minutes of foreplay- ah!” Vanessa cuts herself off as Brooke sucks a hickey into her collarbone. If she wanted to get Vanessa to shut up she’s succeeded, and so Vanessa instead focuses her attention on trailing her nails up and down Brooke’s back, delighting in the way the other girl shivers gently at the contact.

Brooke brings her lips up to meet Vanessa’s and she licks gently into her mouth as she strokes her thumb over one of her nipples, the contact making Vanessa flinch against the bed in the best kind of way. Vanessa trails a hand up Brooke’s back and pushes her fingers into her hair, and when Brooke breaks away her stomach flips at the way it’s all messed up and imperfect. Paired with Brooke’s blown pupils and plush lips, it’s a sight that makes Vanessa buck gently into the air almost without realising.

“Jesus. It really doesn’t take much, does it?” Brooke laughs gently as she loops a finger under the waistband of her leggings, and Vanessa shakes her head and pouts self-indulgently.

“Brooke…” she begins, then trails off when she doesn’t actually realise what she wants to say. She’s very happy to let her be in charge if this is what happens as a result, and when Brooke moves to straddle her it renders her twice as speechless as she was before.

“If this is you now, I’m almost scared for how you’re going to react when you see what I’m planning on doing to you,” Brooke says softly, the fake concern to her voice sending shockwaves rippling through Vanessa’s body. Before she can respond Vanessa gasps as Brooke pulls off her leggings, leaving her in the red thong she’d agonised over and the white ankle socks she’d put entirely less thought into. Brooke is left kneeling between Vanessa’s spread legs; dark heavy-lidded eyes, mouth hanging ever-so-slightly open. When she speaks, her voice is ragged.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful,” she says, and maybe it’s the simplicity of it but Brooke’s words make Vanessa feel completely naked despite what she’s still wearing.

“You’re beautiful,” Vanessa breathes out in an instant reply.

Brooke pouts and trails one of her short acrylics up Vanessa’s inner thigh, ripping a whine from her. “You sure Kameron isn’t more beautiful?”

“Jesus,” Vanessa throws her head back against the pillow and lets out a breathy laugh. “I didn’t have you down as the jealous type at all.”

When she tilts her head up Brooke’s got an unimpressed eyebrow raised at her. “You’re already in trouble, this isn’t helping your case.”

Vanessa can’t resist the urge to tease her and so she sticks her tongue out in response. “Oh what, you gonna punish me? You gonna tie me to the bed an’ spank me?”

Brooke’s gaze darkens. There’s a pause as she crawls up the bed, hovers over Vanessa with her face close. Vanessa keeps her own eyes sparkling as she stays still, challenging her to see if she’ll crack even though she wants to grab her jaw and kiss her with the same intensity they’d shown each other earlier.

“Brooke Lynn’s jeal-ous,” she sing-songs right in her face, and when Brooke pulls back she’s wearing a dark expression. Vanessa brings her hands up to rest on Brooke’s waist, traces the outline of her waistband.

And when Brooke leans over to the top drawer of her bedside table, Vanessa’s eyes widen as she instantly realises what she means.

She produces a wireless pink wand vibrator, and Vanessa’s body hotwires.

“Fuck.”

“Mm-hm,” Brooke murmurs, lips quirking in a smile. “You’re going to get punished for the stunt you decided to pull today.”

“Oh no, I hate orgasms! What a terrible punishment,” Vanessa smiles back at her, sarcastic and indulgent.

“Who says you’re going to be allowed to have any?” Brooke frowns.

Vanessa instantly realises her mistake.

“Wait…but-”

“Yeah. I’d suggest you better start being extra nice to me,” Brooke interrupts her, resting the wand down on the bed beside one of Vanessa’s thighs and hooking her fingers around the waistband of her underwear to tug it off. While this is happening Vanessa shuffles against the sheets in anticipation, something curling tightly in the pit of her stomach and the throbbing between her legs becoming impossible to ignore. She wants so badly to be touched, wants Brooke to feel how wet she is and for her eyes to go all wide when she realises she’s the one that’s got her this worked up, but instead of her fingers or her tongue she’s using that stupid fucking vibrator and she’s not even going to be allowed to come.

Fuck.

“Please, Brooke Lynn,” Vanessa pouts, letting a hand trail up Brooke’s thigh from where she’s positioned herself between her legs.

Brooke gives a short laugh. “You think you’re begging me now, wait until I get started.”

“Promise I’ll be good for you,” Vanessa insists, the end of her sentence almost getting cut off with a gasp as Brooke presses the wand against her. It’s not even switched on yet but it’s something that Vanessa can grind against, and she bucks her hips gently against the head.

“If you want me to turn it on you better keep those hips still,” Brooke says quickly, and Vanessa groans in resignation, lies still like she’s been asked.

She’s rewarded with a soft hum and a gentle buzz against her slit, and she can’t help the moan of satisfaction she gives in response as Brooke holds the wand there for a few moments, letting Vanessa get used to it. After so much build-up it feels like heaven, and the feeling leaves Vanessa wondering how long she’s going to last.

Brooke starts to swipe the wand up and down against her; lazy, slow motions that leave Vanessa squirming against the mattress every time she feels the vibrations brush against her clit. It’s not helping that Vanessa can see Brooke’s own chest rising and falling increasingly quickly, her pink, flushed cheeks, her hair all unkempt from Vanessa running her fingers through it.

“This good, babe?” Brooke asks, her tone ragged and her voice hoarse. When she snaps her gaze up to meet Vanessa’s eyes her pupils are blown and black and it sends an arrow through Vanessa’s heart that instantly shatters it as if it’s a piñata full of confetti.

“Mm,” is all Vanessa can manage, along with a rapid nod against the pillow.

“Not quite hearing a yes or a no there,” Brooke raises an eyebrow. “Maybe I should just turn it off-”

“No, no, no, no! It’s good, it’s good, fuck, yes, please don’t stop,” Vanessa instantly reels off as if it’s a frantic prayer. Brooke’s probably the closest thing to religion she’s experienced in months.

“You sure? You sure Kameron wouldn’t do it better?” Brooke says teasingly, wiggling the vibrator against her clit as if to make a point and sending Vanessa into the stratosphere.

“No, I promise, I promise, babe, please, please, please,” she whines. She can hear herself pleading and she hopes it’ll help Brooke come round to the idea of letting her orgasm because if Brooke ups the setting on her wand then there’s no way she’s going to be able to exercise any form of restraint.

Brooke switches back to slowly sliding the vibrator against her, and Vanessa can feel Brooke’s grip on her thigh tighten.

“Fuck, I can see how wet you are from here.”

Vanessa feels herself throb, her body responding to Brooke’s words before she can. She fists both her her hands into the sheets, can’t see her knuckles but knows they’ve gone white. “You wanna taste me so bad.”

“So much,” Brooke pouts, nodding slowly. “But…you need to lie there and take your punishment.”

“Fuck. I miss when you were too shy to talk during sex,” Vanessa huffs, grumpy, and she’s immediately stopped from saying any more as the wand buzzes that little bit more intensely against her. Brooke brings it back up to her clit, rubs it in slow, small circles that drive Vanessa wild and render her almost incapable of thought.

“Sounds like you’re the one who can’t talk during sex,” Brooke deadpans, squeezing Vanessa’s thigh to punctuate her point.

She can feel how slick the wand is against her, only illustrating how wet she is. The hum of the vibrator and the gasps Vanessa can hear herself making are heightening her senses; it’s too much and not enough all at once. Both Brooke’s teasing and the sensation of the wand vibrating against her is making Vanessa’s inevitable orgasm build inside her, and it’s only a matter of time before she hits boiling point.

“Brooke- ah!- please…don’t know how much longer I’m gonna last…”

“Oh, no way,” Brooke says darkly, and in an instant the vibrator is off and Vanessa’s back is arching off the bed in frustration as she cries out in disappointment. “You don’t get to come yet, babe, not after the sass you just gave me.”

Vanessa instantly regrets opening her stupid mouth and teasing Brooke more than anything she’s ever regretted before in her life. She whines, reaches her hips up into the air as if she’s going to generate friction from nowhere, and Brooke’s pouting in mock-sympathy. Vanessa knows she could just spring up from her position against the bed, grab Brooke’s face and kiss her and pin her down and take the control back, but there’s part of her that knows how unbelievably satisfying it’s going to be when she does get to come if she’s this worked up already.

Brooke’s watching her with heavy-lidded eyes as she traces up her leg then fans her fingers out over her inner thigh and rubs her thumb against her clit. The contact makes Vanessa’s eyes almost roll into the back of her head; the wand has heightened her sensitivity and she’s by now so slick and wet from all of Brooke’s teasing that with every little rub of her thumb Vanessa can feel the fire between her thighs become completely out of control.

“God, you have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do this to you every fucking day since Blackpool,” Brooke bites her lip, and Vanessa bucks against her thumb helplessly. “We’d be having to rehearse but all I wanted to do was just to make you beg for it again and again, fuck.”

“Should’ve told me.”

“Mm. I almost texted you about it. One of the nights I was lying in bed fucking myself with my fingers and remembering how good yours felt…remembering how you felt like fucking heaven underneath me…I could’ve sent you so many pictures that night…”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ you need to stop talking or I’m gonna come,” Vanessa squeezes her eyes shut. Brooke’s still teasing her clit and Vanessa knows she’s deliberately applying just not quite enough pressure. She’s so on edge and it feels like the most incredible form of torture.

“You want the wand back, sweetie?”

“Please, fuck, yes,” Vanessa begs, almost wanting to sob. When Brooke’s thumb gets replaced by the vibrating head of the wand she feels lightheaded, lets out a cry that she instantly knows Brooke’s neighbours will hear but she doesn’t care. Brooke’s teasing her badly, holding the wand against her, taking it away for a second, then replacing it, and Vanessa feels so sorry for herself that she starts pleading with her.

“Keep it on me, please,” she gasps out, and when she looks up at Brooke she’s smiling at her wickedly.

“Like this?”

Brooke ups the intensity the moment she makes contact and Vanessa can practically feel herself give a little gush against the wand. Her breath is coming in shallow gasps now, and she’s only just registering the fact that Brooke’s got her hand that isn’t holding the wand down under the waistband of her own underwear, playing with herself. There’s a light sheen of sweat against her chest that’s making her glow like an angel and the way her chest is rising and falling is mirroring Vanessa’s.

Vanessa now realises why people yell out declarations of love right in the middle of their orgasm.

“Why don’t you tell me how much you like it?” Brooke murmurs. Vanessa can see her bucking against her fingers and the sight makes her press herself down against the wand, the way the vibrations roll over her clit in waves making her want to scream.

“So much…so fucking much…”

“Anyone else gonna fuck you like me?”

“No, baby, no-one else, just you, fuck, only you,” Vanessa whimpers. She looks up at Brooke and the sight of her eyes closed in ecstasy, grinding against her fingers and her nipples hard through the fabric of her bra is enough to tip Vanessa on a very gradual decline over the edge. “Fuck, can I come, please?”

“Yes, babe, you can come.”

When Vanessa feels her clit sieze up then pulse frantically against the vibrations of the wand, she shouts out into the bedroom, the pace of her fuck, fuck, fuck in sync with the waves of her orgasm flooding through her body. Brooke holds the wand against her until she’s sure she’s finished and Vanessa can only lie against the mattress, completely worn out and exhausted, as she watches Brooke take the wand and hold it between her own legs, the thin material of her underwear dark between her legs as Vanessa realises just how wet Brooke must be as well.

And even though Vanessa’s too worn out to help her out in the way she wants to, it doesn’t stop her from sliding a lazy hand up her thigh. She takes a couple of shallow breaths before pouting up at Brooke.

“Aww. Did watching me get you too worked up, baby?”

“Mm-hm,” Brooke hums in reply, running her tongue over her bottom lip as she squeezes her eyes shut. It gives her an idea.

“Not used my mouth on you yet. Bet you wish I was doin’ it now.”

“Fuck, Vanessa, keep talking.”

“You don’t get to boss me around any more, princess. Keep talking what?”

Brooke’s face contorts into a frown as she ruts against the wand, eyes still closed. “Keep talking please.”

“Good girl,” Vanessa purrs, and she almost feels as if she could go for round two as she hears the way Brooke gasps in delight at the praise. “You want me to tell you how much I want to put my tongue between your legs and taste you and watch you come apart under me?”

“Ah…”

“Maybe you don’t want that, though. Maybe you want to sit on my face instead. Ride my tongue and shut me up so I can’t talk back to you and drip all over my face all dirty while I just lie there and take it like a good girl.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Brooke hisses out. Vanessa’s surprising herself with what’s coming out of her mouth and how absolutely filthy it all is but she’s going with it because she knows Brooke’s close.

“Tell me how much you want it.”

“Fuck, want it so much.”

“You’re so close, aren’t you?”

“Vanessa…fuck, please…”

Vanessa regains enough strength to sit up and cup Brooke’s face with her hands, meeting her lips with her own and teasing her with a slow, deep kiss. Vanessa flicks her tongue inside her mouth and when she rubs it over Brooke’s she cries out against her lips, her moans almost-but-not-quite swallowed by Vanessa’s kiss as she comes.

Brooke breaks away as she falls against the mattress and Vanessa follows her, lying down beside her and gently switching the wand off. They lay there in silence, Brooke’s gasps and the buzzing in Vanessa’s ears the only things she can still focus on until Brooke reaches out a hand to curl around one of Vanessa’s. Vanessa throws a leg over Brooke, pulls her closer so that Vanessa can rest her head against her chest and feel her frantic heartbeat.

“Fuck me,” Brooke whispers breathlessly, and Vanessa lets out a chuckle.

“What, again? Thought you’d at least want a break first.”

“Shut up,” Brooke giggles. There’s a pause as she presses her lips to Vanessa’s head, mouths something Vanessa can’t hear or see. Then she mutters again, a little louder. “You’re so amazing.”

“You’re amazing,” Vanessa replies childishly, though the way Brooke’s chest judders against her in a laugh Vanessa assumes she doesn’t mind. She flinches a little as Brooke’s stomach gives a loud rumble. “Oh yeah. Forgot you were meant to be making dinner.”

“Hey, I have made dinner thank you very much! It’s in the slow cooker. Cuban beef and rice if that’s okay?” Brooke asks, and Vanessa doesn’t miss the little nervous tone in her voice. It’s adorable.

“Sure it is.”

Brooke lends Vanessa some pyjamas to shove on in lieu of the outfit she’d arrived in, and Vanessa’s heart swells a little at the implication that she’s going to be staying over. She’s not sure if she’ll try and breach the subject of what they are tonight- the evening is already so perfect and Vanessa doesn’t want to ruin anything, especially not when they’re curled up on the sofa with bowls of warm food in their laps and laughing guiltily at the way Jan is sobbing because she and Jackie have become the latest ones to leave the competition after a tense dance-off with Crystal and Gigi.

“It’ll be a close final, though. Like that’s everyone been in the bottom now,” Vanessa contemplates, tilting her head in thought from her position at the other side of the sofa. Brooke nods, then snorts again.

“God. I feel for Jan, but she just has such a memeable crying face. Like Kim K,” Brooke snorts again, as some ridiculous BBC One gameshow that seems to be based around celebrities strapped into a wheel starts in the background.

“Jan’ll be fine. She’ll recover, she’s a big girl. She’s got Jackie anyway,” Vanessa shrugs. Brooke hums in response, and then there’s a palpable silence that fills the room, almost like Brooke is about to say something. Vanessa waits.

“So today got me thinking,” Brooke finally says, reaching out and curling her fingers around Vanessa’s. Her eyes are in her lap and she’s not meeting her gaze. Vanessa is, in every sense, on the edge of her seat.

“Uh-huh?”

“When I saw those pictures of you and Kameron,” Brooke continues, the reminder making Vanessa’s heart drop. “I got so envious…and then I thought, well…what’s the only way I can make sure Vanessa’s just mine?”

Brooke finally looks at her, and every fibre of Vanessa’s being lifts in hope. “So, uh, I was wondering…if you would want to be my girlfriend.”

And when Vanessa blinks, she can see fireworks explode behind her eyes. She’s unable to help the huge, dumb smile that breaks out on her face as she blushes shyly, gives a nod.

“‘Course I would, baby.”

The smile that bursts onto Brooke’s face mirrors her own, and Vanessa can’t help but lean in and pepper Brooke’s face with kisses, wrap her arms around her in a cuddle.

“Officially yours, now,” Vanessa smiles excitedly, as she rests her head against Brooke’s chest. She can’t see Brooke’s face, but she knows she’s smiling too.

And suddenly, a little sentence appears in Vanessa’s head, three very small and simple words that she’s not thought about in a long time but just make sense in that moment. She looks up at Brooke, meets her gaze and feels her heart thump.

Maybe she can save that for another day.

#rpdr fanfiction #ortega #bet you look good on the dancefloor #strictly au #lesbian au #branjie #past kamjie #vanessa vanjie mateo #brooke lynn hytes #kameron michaels #smut

8 notes · View notes

uzumaki-rebellion · 4 years

Text

“Stark’s New Intern” Chapter 22

youtube

"Tell her be free, baby spread your wings Got your legs in the sky like a plane Let me guide that, I'm the pilot Can't nobody see you, 30 thousand feet On your knees in them Prada's Make the freaky shit come up out her…"

August Alsina—"Planes"

Twenty-Five Billion.

That was the annual revenue intake of Stark Enterprises.

The man himself was worth around thirteen-billion.

Erik sat on a stool inside a cavernous airplane hangar in Santa Ana watching Tony receive a touch up to the make-up he was wearing for the new Forbes cover he was shooting. The third richest man on the planet allowed a fussy ginger-haired man dab liquid foundation on Tony's heavily tanned face that was enduring a bit of sun damage from playing golf in Calabasas all weekend.

Erik scrolled through his work touchpad dropping notes to Pepper who was on vacation in New Zealand and wouldn't be back for three weeks. Although she was thousands of miles away, Pepper had a morning chat with Erik every day since the moment she left, and expected daily debriefings of Tony's antics.

"Turn to your left now Mr. Stark."

The photographer, Carmella, was a young Puerto Rican beauty with glossy blue-black tresses and sunburned dark pecan skin. She had been flirty with Erik when she first arrived at the hangar, parking her red jeep Wrangler near Erik's Porsche. The moment Tony arrived with his private driver, she got down to business, introducing herself and guiding Tony through the types of shots she wanted to take.

Tony's media team arrived to handle his make-up and hair and Erik hung back to make sure Boss Man stayed on schedule. They had to fly to Orlando, Florida soon after for a tech conference and Carmella was joining them for more candid shots.

Tony indulged her for she was one of the hottest photographers around and he wanted his newest Forbes cover to show a sophisticated side to himself and not just the playboy antics he was known for outside of the business. An hour into the shoot, the Forbes magazine interviewer showed up, a blue blood stiff who looked fifty but was only thirty when Erik checked his credentials before allowing him to approach Tony.

"Mr. Cormac, would you mind sitting over here," Erik said, directing him to an empty folding chair near him and the media team.

Tony switched out the dark blazer he wore for a lighter one at Carmella's suggestion and Erik witnessed their shared flirty banter. Tony could barely keep his eyes off of her legs that were gloriously displayed in the purple shorts and sandals she wore.

Tony served face in various contrived poses outside and inside his jet, and once they reached the allotted time given for the Forbes photographer, Cormac took over and interviewed Tony inside the plane. Erik sat across from them as Carmella snuck a few more candid shots.

Erik stepped off the plane to stretch his legs and Carmella followed him.

"You seem really serious," she said.

Erik looked up from his cell and eyed her.

"It's just work," he said.

Her eyes glanced over at the jet then back at him.

"So, Stark…is he single?"

Every damn time.

Erik gave a tired sigh.

"You see a ring on his finger?"

"No."

Erik looked back on his phone and texted Pepper an update on the interview.

"Attitude," she said.

He cut his eyes back to her and took in her face. She was a looker.

"Do you need to get anything from your car? We're leaving in thirty minutes," he said.

She nodded and walked away toward the private parking area.

The pilot arrived and Erik took his seat on the jet. Carmella sat across from him so that she could face Tony. Once they were in the air, Tony gave her a tour, and soon enough that tour ended in the back where his sleeping quarters were.

Cormac was busy typing on a laptop and seemed enamored of being on a plane with Tony. The security team assigned to the trip watched movies on individual chair screens.

Erik's touchpad chirped and the vid call came from Devika. He swiped his screen.

"Hey, is Tony available? He's not answering the jet phone."

"W'sup?"

"Sherrilyn Stein wants to speak with him asap. It's about the Monaco trip. Please have him call her right away."

"Will do."

He stared at her face. Her hair was flat ironed and styled a little differently. Her make-up looked overly done too.

"Where you going?" he asked.

"Girls Night."

"Hmmm-"

"What?"

"Nothin'. You look good."

Her eyes fluttered from the compliment but then she grew serious.

"How is it going?"

"Good. Pepper stays on me all the time. For someone on vacation, she can't seem to relax and leave work behind. When do you leave for your vacation?"

"I'm going to work part of Friday, but I officially start my time off Friday night. I have a red-eye to Vegas and my cousins will meet me there."

"Have fun."

"I will."

He stared at her. He missed hanging with her, but not being in a sexual relationship made them closer at work. He liked that change even though he could still look at her and feel all kinds of crazy urges. She looked happier too and whatever feelings went unspoken between them didn't cloud their interactions.

"I'll let you go. Pass the word to Tony."

He ended the call and slipped to the back of the jet. The soft hum of the plane obscured his footsteps. He wanted to be discreet, but the door was slid partially open and he could see Carmella riding Tony in reverse cowgirl. Her top was pushed up and her breasts bounced wildly as Erik's eyes dropped down to look at her vaginal lips sliding up and down Tony's sheathed erection. She began to slow grind on him and purposely pulled back her wet folds so Erik could see more. He felt his body reacting a little bit, but he pushed it aside and turned his head.

"Boss Man, you need to call Sherrilyn Stein," he said before walking away.

Ten minutes later, Carmella returned to her seat with a look of dissatisfaction on her face. When Cormac glanced at her, she quickly stood up and took the seat in the front right next to Erik. She seemed irritated. Cormac popped in some earbuds and turned off his overhead light. The humming vibration of the jet settled over everything. Erik put away his touchpad.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

She looked away from him.

"Sorry for asking," he said before staring out of the window.

"Rich guys can be pretty selfish," she grumbled.

"He didn't rock your world?" Erik teased.

She ignored his comment.

Erik smirked.

"He did have to take an important call."

"In the middle of fucking me?"

"Business is business."

"Rude is what it is."

"He's not a billionaire for nothing. He stays on the grind."

"Still rude."

"Y'all could've at least shut the door all the way."

"You liked what you saw though."

"I've seen a lot of pussy."

Carmella's neck tilted to the side.

"How old are you?"

"Old enough."

"You like being a smartass."

"I like being direct."

"I could tell you liked what you saw. You were staring hard."

She fidgeted in her seat.

"You still horny?"

He laughed softly when he saw the frustration still on her face. She didn't say anything, just tugged on the bottoms of her shorts.

"Lemme guess, he came and you didn't. Left you hanging."

Bingo.

The slight grimace on her attractive face told him everything. What a waste.

He decided to mess with her for fun.

"That's what you get for running after him."

"I didn't run after him. We had a connection."

"A connection. I see. You took the tour and then fell on his dick."

She couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"Money makes any dick attractive," he said.

"It's not just money, he's crazy gorgeous—"

"Was the dick good?"

She turned her body toward him.

"It was better than I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"A decent screw. Everything is heightened on a plane of course."

"Of course."

"You just sound so….so…."

"So what?"

"Smarmy."

"Hmmm. If you say so."

Her eyes took in his face and then she stared at his lips. He let the tip of his tongue dart out and then he looked away from her while stretching his legs. When he glanced at her again, she was looking at his chest, and then her eyes slid down to his crotch.

"He's probably done with his call by now. Maybe you should go back there and see if he can make you cum."

"Too much of a bother. I'm comfortable up here now."

"Bet your pussy is still swollen."

Her mouth fell open in shock and he watched a slow flush of color darken her already sun-bronzed complexion.

He let his hand slide on his crotch and he squeezed himself just enough so that she could catch it. She squirmed in her seat. He leaned closer to her. She was his height so he didn't have to shift too much.

"Show me your pussy. Lemme see if it's still juicy."

She gasped then, her eyes darting away from his for a second before she was staring at him again with her lips parted.

Staring at her face he saw wanton desire there. It was making him feel strong arousal. His dick strained against his slacks. The bulge was growing and Carmella could see it.

"Pull your shorts off. Lemme see that fat puss."

She whimpered and her hands unbuttoned her shorts. She pulled them down without fear. Everyone else was in the back of the jet.

"Yeah, that pussy still ready," he whispered, "what happened to your panties?"

"Still in the back," she panted.

Licking her lips, she watched him adjust his dick and then squeeze it.

"You left your panties on his bed?"

"Yes."

"Did you do that on purpose?"

He squeezed his bulge again and his dick rose up stiffer.

"No."

"I think you did, so you'd have an excuse to go back there. Do you want to go back there?"

She shook her head no.

"When you were riding his dick you pulled your pussy lips open so I could see all that pink. Open your pussy for me now."

She was quick to peel back her folds.

"Oh, you wet-wet. Is that for him or me?"

She squirmed harder in the seat.

He reached down and pinched her clit.

"Answer me."

"Yes...you."

Carmella had nice lush red lips and small dark eyes with black eyeliner giving her haughty 50's bedroom chic. From her dark hair to her dark eyes, and small dark thatch of pubic hairs at the top of her mound, she was sexy as hell and it didn't surprise him at all that Tony took to her so fast.

But she had flirted with Erik first, so now he was going to play with her a little longer.

He tugged on her clit and she gave a soft moan, her inner labia spreading open wider from her own deepening arousal. So warm and sticky.

"Play with your pussy. Lemme see how you touch yourself. You like me watching you. I know you do..,"

She rubbed her fingers around her engorged clit and he lifted the armrest between them so he could face her better. She kicked off her shorts and lifted her legs onto the wide seat. He rubbed himself and it turned her on. Her pussy became wetter.

He reached for the loose blanket that sat up against his hip and placed it between them in case anyone woke up and came toward them.

"You look wetter than when you were fucking Tony," he said.

Her eyes grew tight.

"You wanna see my dick?"

She nodded.

He lifted up and glanced behind his seat. They were good to go.

He unfastened his pants and pulled out his erection and Carmella's mouth really fell open and he saw her pussy contract and open up with more pink for him to see.

"Look how wet you are," he growled as he moved closer to her so she could see how big and stiff he was.

"Bet you wish you were riding me, huh?"

"Yeah!"

"Going up and down on my dick."

"Big Black dick…" she whimpered.

Oh. It was like that.

Could be a general observation. Or it could be some fetish shit.

At that moment, he didn't care. His pole was rock hard and ready to spit, and she had a needy pussy that was neglected by selfish dick and a man who could care less if she was satisfied.

He stroked himself slowly so she could savor every inch of what she wouldn't get. Twisting his fingers under the fat cap of his glans, he teased her further with his words until she was sweating and ready to cry.

"You'd let this Black dick nut in your pussy raw, huh? You seem like the type that would let me do that. Get deep in your pussy and make a mess…"

Her head pressed into the headrest and her toes lifted up. Her fingers ran up and down her slit teasing her clit. She was about to break and he wanted her to go down hard.

"Would I fit in your pussy? You look really tight. I'd hurt that pussy good. Stretch you all the way out. Bet you'd take it like a dirty bitch, huh?"

The slick sound of her fingers had his balls pressing up tight in his pants. Only his stiff shaft was visible in his hand. He fisted himself faster. He could see tears wetting her eyes. She wanted to explode on top of his dick

"You want me in your pussy?" he hissed low into her ear.

"Yeah! I want that big dick in me," she panted in his ear.

If he had access to a condom, he would probably lift her up and slam her down on his dick, but his belongings were under the plane.

"I'ma show you how much cum I'd put in your pussy," he grunted.

Holding his left hand down near his waist, he stroked hard on his dick while taking quick glances at her glistening wide-open folds.

"…show you how much cum…shit…oh, shit…all in your pussy girl!"

The rush at the base of his dick made his body jerk toward her and he splashed an obscene amount of cum into his hand. Grinding his teeth together to keep from yelling out loud, his ejaculate splashed onto her thighs. He reached down between her legs and smeared his hot semen all over her pussy. She exploded and he sat back to watch her pussy contract with his cum dripping all over her mound. Her body flopped in her seat and her eyes rolled back in her head as she worked her clit to milk every last earth-shattering orgasm out of her body. Keeping her mouth shut tight, the only sound that was heard was harsh inhales and exhales coming through her nose.

When she finally calmed down, she patted her vulva and played with his semen.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

Carmella laughed then covered her mouth. She licked cum from her fingers and pulled her shorts back on. Covering herself with the blanket, she watched him fasten his pants back up.

He stepped away from her and went to the restroom to urinate.

After washing his hands, he stared at himself in the mirror. He wanted to cum in Carmella's face. The compulsion to nut on her and have her down on her knees was strong. She had bounced on Tony's dick and tried to play Erik like some unlucky dweeb, but now the tables were turned. Tony had used her for quick stress relief, and he wanted to do the same just to teach her a lesson about teasing him as if Tony was worth a damn. It was petty.

When he returned to his seat, he had already lost interest in her. She slipped away to clean up her pussy and find her panties, and when she returned, he pretended to be asleep and leaned his head against the window. He felt her leaning her head on his shoulder for the rest of the flight.

When they landed in Orlando and got settled in their hotel rooms for the evening, Erik received a call on his cell phone. It was an overseas number he didn't recognize.

When he answered the phone, he recognized the voice.

"Mister Erik Stevens. I hope I haven't called you too late in the evening."

It was Francesco Grimaldo.

The Prince of Monaco.

Erik rubbed his chin.

"W'sup," he said.

"I'm ready for our rematch."

Erik stared out of his hotel room window. The midnight hour had him antsy.

"Bet," he said.

Chapter 23 HERE.

###

Tag List:

@fd-writes @soufcakmistress @cherrystainedlipsbaby

@tclaybon @thadelightfulone

@allhailqueennel @bartierbakarimobisson @cpwtwot @shookmcgookqueen @yoyolovesbucky

@raysunshine78 @the-illlestt @terrablaze514 @l-auteuse @amirra88 @jimizwidow @janelledarling

@chaneajoyyy @sweetestdream92 @purple-apricots @blackpinup22 @hennessystevens-udaku

@scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @bugngiz @stariamrry @honeytoffee @meilintheempressofdreams

@tyees @eye-raq @writerbee-ffs @chocolatedream30 @childishgambinaa @mygirlrenee @thewaysheis—awkward

#Stark's New Intern #Killmonger Fanfiction #Tony Stark #Killmonger Smut #Black Panther Fanfiction #Uzumaki Rebellion's Pantherverse

30 notes · View notes

maatryoshkaa · 5 years

Text

young god | chapter 4

serial killer!han jisung au

chapters: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | epilogue |

word count: 1.8k

warnings: themes of domestic abuse, descriptions of violence, and foul language.

description: jisung keeps getting flashbacks, and he’s determined to do whatever it takes to keep them at bay. tonight, however, he makes one mistake that sends everything spiralling out of control.

watch the trailer here!

04| two roads diverged

A light fog was seeping into the night air when Jisung stepped out of your apartment complex, flinging the empty takeout boxes into the Dumpsters as he staggered past. There were no cars on the street at this hour, the campus having shut it gates an hour or so earlier. He checked his phone. 1:00 A.M. on the dot.

He ducked into an alleyway -- a shortcut -- which was also dim, lined sparsely with flickering street lamps that split his shadow into distorted fragments. In his peripheral vision, it almost looked like someone was following him. Yanking his hood over his head, Jisung began walking faster.

“You’re dead,” he mumbled, eyes darting around as he wove through the alleys. A dull throbbing was beginning to ebb and wane in his head. “You’re dead, you’re dead, you’re supposed to be dead.”

His fist slammed into the brick wall on the last word, entire body slumping forward. The sound of his own heavy breathing seemed to echo in his ears as he screwed his eyes shut, images flashing behind his eyelids. Your smiling face under the veil of moonlight, eyes softened into crescents. Her bled-out, empty one, eyes staring back at him but not seeing. Jisung had thought he could take it -- the hot flashes of memories you seemed to draw out of him without even trying. He’d thought that maybe, he could last one night, that if you were by his side, the nightmares would finally stay at bay. That maybe, if you thought that he was a normal boy, he could convince himself, too.

Feet feeling like they were dragging through cement, he stumbled to the end of the alleyway, which opened up into the clearing of a park. In front of him now was a children’s playground. During the day, it was alight with shrieks of laughter and joy, mothers and fathers chasing their delighted children up and down slides and colourful swing sets. Now, however, it was hollow and barren as a graveyard, cold metal waiting for the new day to bring back its warmth.

On his left lay the Yellow Wood, where two paths of the park diverged into a thicket of sparse forest. Across from the playground, Jisung could see the main street, lined with shops. Their windows were dark now -- if he wasn’t wrong, the latest shop on campus closed at 1 A.M. -- the buzzing of their dim neon signs echoing like sinister whispers down the empty street.

Jisung felt two eyes watching him, the back of his neck prickling, and he turned to see a stray dog, small and scraggly. It had floppy ears and matted fur that might have once been blond -- like a teddy bear that had been through the wash one too many times. Letting out an incredulous laugh, Jisung bent down, shaking fingers reaching to scratch it behind its ears. A breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding escaped his lips. He was okay. He was still in control.

“Why the fuck are you crying? Get the fuck up.”

Jisung’s head snapped in the direction of the voice, squinting through the hazy darkness. He held his breath, and heard muffled crying, the voices growing closer.

“I said, stop crying!”

A sharp slap rang through the night air, and Jisung’s hand froze in the stray dog’s fur. He narrowed his eyes, making out the outlines of two figures by park entrance. It was a man who was speaking -- yelling, really -- his voice slurred, evidently drunk. Cowering in front of him, face buried in her hands, was a smaller woman. The man’s hand shot out again, seizing a fistful of her hair.

“Fuckin’ bitch. You want to leave me? I’d like t’ see you try.” He yanked her head up, sneering. “If you make another sound, I swear I’ll--”

Crunch.

Jisung didn’t register his feet moving across the playground until he felt his fist connect with the man’s jaw, sending him flying back with a surprised squawk. When the man turned his head back, eyes blazing with fury and confusion, one flared nostril was gushing blood.

“What the--who the fuck are you?” The man’s voice was shrill, gruff hands shoving at Jisung’s chest. “Do you want to die?”

Jisung glanced at the girl, whose hands had flown to her mouth in shock. The two looked as if they’d been back from a night out, the girl--a brunette--wearing black heels, a ripped, damaged blouse, and a skirt. The man looked not much older than Jisung -- maybe a senior, it was too dark to tell. Tears shone on the girl’s cheeks, an angry red welt where her boyfriend had hit her blooming across her face. Jisung’s eyes flashed back and forth between her and the man, back to her again, head beginning to spin.

This was all so, so familiar.

“I asked you a question, kid!” The man was still screaming, the stench of alcohol on his hot breath momentarily jarring Jisung out of his thoughts. “Hey, are y’ fucking crazy or sumn’--”

Wrenching himself from the man’s grasp, Jisung snapped his arm back and buried his elbow in his face. Blood seeped through his hoodie as the man gave a roar of pain, crashing to the ground. The girl screamed, and Jisung turned to her. She flinched, and he jerked his head towards the main street. “Get...out of here. Go--go home.”

Her wide eyes flickered from her boyfriend, who was currently groaning on the pavement, to Jisung, and took off running. The sound of her frantic heels clicking grew fainter as Jisung stepped closer to the man, who was scrambling to his feet like a chicken with its head cut off. Sighing, Jisung looked around -- his apartment was still a few blocks away, but making a scene on the main road was practically begging for someone to see. His eyes landed on the Yellow Wood.

Ah. That would do.

Seizing the man by the front of his jacket, which was already wet with dark blood from his shattered nose, Jisung dragged the drunk across the artificial sand, through the playground, and into the forest, stopping only when the glow of the street lamps had disappeared behind them, and slammed him against a tree. The man felt like a bag of wet cement and moved like one, too -- limbs sluggish and waterlogged with too much alcohol. Jisung shook his head, a humourless laugh bubbling in his throat. Some people almost seemed to be looking for death.

“Wha--whaddaya think you’re doing? Who--you can’t--”

Jisung picked up a rock from the base of the tree, fingers absently rubbing its cool, jagged surface. It was heavy, with one blunt side. His head was beginning to pound again, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he studied the man. Fear was scrawled all over his features, fingers scrabbling against the tree as he tried -- hopelessly -- to crawl away.

“H-hey! Calm down! I w-won’ do it again, promise -- j-jus’ lemme--”

“You have his eyes,” Jisung breathed, and drove the rock down. They were all he could see -- those eyes, the same ones from thirteen years ago, burning into his own, soaking his vision with red, red, red, as his fist came down again, and again, and again. His own face felt wet, the metallic tang of someone else’s blood trickling through his lips as it spurted from the dying man’s gaping mouth. The screams had turned to gurgles, the hard skull he was striking was beginning to cave in, the jerking of the man’s body beneath him subsiding into feeble twitches instead. And yet the blood in Jisung’s ears was still roaring, and his head was still splitting apart, a thousand voices hissing in his mind.

You killed her. You killed her. You. Killed. Her.

────────

Yang Jeongin wiped away the sweat dripping into his eyes, slapping his face lightly to stay awake as he pedalled through the alleyways, a list of deliveries rustling in his hand. He had just dropped off his last parcel. Earlier today, he’d gotten hired for deliveries at another store -- this one specialized in late-night shipments, with his latest one running until 1 in the morning. It was probably closer to 2 A.M. now.

Jeongin stifled a yawn. He’d been up since 5 in the morning, and, though he was used to working long hours, he had to admit that this first day was a little hard. Near the end of his shift, his mind had begun to wander to his one-bedroom apartment -- sure, it was small and rundown, and the AC was broken beyond repair, but it was still home. He thought of the warm herbal tea he would drink before crashing for the night. He thought of the stray dog -- it was small and scraggly, and looked more like a worn-out teddy bear -- that often slept outside his window, and smiled, pedalling faster.

His hand reached into his back pocket and pressed the Record button on his Walkman, straightening his earbuds before speaking.

“I.N. here!” He cleared his throat, voice a little hoarse and out of breath from all the biking he’d done. “It is currently...2:04 A.M.! It’s my first late-night delivery -- or is it early-morning? Anyways, it’s exciting, huh? The whole campus seems to be sleeping; no one’s out on these streets at this hour. It feels pretty cool, like I’m carrying out a secret mission or something.

“Anyways. Why did I take up another job? Well, today Hyunjin -- he’s the barista, owner, really, of Glow Cafe -- asked me why I didn’t apply for, you know, a driver’s license or something. At first, I thought, well, there’s no point -- I can’t afford a car, anyways. But --” he let out a long sigh, and laughed. “I’ve decided that it’s worth a try, right?

“I want to pay off my student loans soon. Maybe fix my bike up. It’ll be hard at first, but nothing Yang Jeongin can’t take! Me and my bike, we’re unstoppable.”

He turned onto the main road, cutting into the children’s playground across the storefronts. He knew Miroh Heights like the back of his own hand -- every nook and cranny, hidden alleyways and shortcuts -- and the trail that ran through Yellow Wood led almost straight to his neighbourhood. The leaves and fallen tree branches rustled and snapped beneath the wheels of his bicycle as Jeongin hummed lightly.

Not too far into the Wood, though, an odd sound began to prick at his ears. Was that...breathing? Or just the wind? He looked around, and, as his eyes adjusted in the darkness, he saw the vague shape of...a boy? The figure had his back turned to Jeongin, and was trembling -- as if an electric current was running through him.

Jeongin skidded to a stop and hopped off his bike, pulling out an earbud. “Hello? Is everything okay over there?”

Silence.

The boy had his hood up, and seemed to be holding something heavy in one hand. Jeongin stepped closer, and realised with a start that there was another man -- was it a man? -- lying at his feet.

“U-um. Is he--do you need help? I can call an ambulance. What hap--”

Without warning, the boy swung around and slammed a rock straight into Jeongin’s head.

#stray kids #han jisung #stray kids imagines #stray kids au #han jisung au #han jisung imagines #skz #yang jeongin #i.n. stray kids #stray kids angst #han jisung angst #stray kids yandere #han jisung yandere #serial killer!AU #stray kids fic #stray kids series

1K notes · View notes

maverick-werewolf · 4 years

Text

Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends Preview - Story 6, “Troubled Waters”

Interior illustration from The Hunt Never Ends story, “Troubled Waters”

We’re almost there - the book releases one week from today!

I am a very special kind of stressed, lemme tell you.

This preview is of the final story in the story collection and my personal favorite: “Troubled Waters.” If you didn’t know, this is a preview for my upcoming story collection, Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends. It’s a book, but it’s something in-between a novel and a short story collection.

Each story in the book is individual and stands on its own, but they also go in order and build upon each other. So I’m not sure if one should really call it a novel, but it’s also different than just unrelated short stories. It bridges the gap between the two mediums.

Anyway, here’s another preview - enjoy!

For more info on the book itself, you can also check out this post. Also be sure to check out the Hunt Never Ends tag for a whole lot more book previews!

And remember - Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends is available for preorder (digital only; physical available on release date) on Amazon.com!

Pre-Order Link

Please note that, while the ebook is now available for preorder, Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends will also be available in paperback on October 30 from the same Amazon listing! Paperbacks cannot be preordered using Amazon’s system, however.

Be sure to check back October 30 for the physical (paperback) edition!

If you’re interested in purchasing the book digitally, you can now pre-order it right here and have it immediately on October 30!

(Paperback edition will be available on Amazon on October 30)

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

There were a lot of things Caiden knew how to do. Clean a sword. Maintain a bow or a crossbow, even customize the latter almost beyond recognition. Make his own arrows or bolts. Investigate a crime scene. Bandage a wound, make a tourniquet, brew a potion, hunt, forage, track, forge his own tools or weapons, carve wood, build houses or fortifications, command an army, cook meals…

But one thing he didn’t know how to do was read. And it pissed him off.

The beds in Castle Greywatch weren’t much. Some straw, changed daily, for a mattress, and some sackcloth to cover it. Any Venatori better off liked to buy their own beds, but Caiden wasn’t exactly drowning in coin. Following the dullahan encounter on Samhain, Kiya had given him a feather pillow as thanks – he didn’t want to think it had belonged to Relgar, but it probably had – and that was the nicest part of his sleeping arrangement in the castle.

He shifted his back against that pillow, currently squashed between him and the shoddy headboard and struggling to retain any fluffiness as a result. He tried to focus. Focus, he tended to be good at, but staring at the book in his hand almost made him wonder. It was a much smaller bestiary than the one Gwen had been given by Illikon, with a likewise smaller amount of illustrations.

If he had any sense, he would have just asked Gwen for help with reading. But his dignity – or maybe his stubbornness, or both – had long since thrown that idea out. He had all day to struggle with this, unless something came up. So, he reached to the nightstand beside him for the bottle of whiskey there. If there was something Castle Greywatch did have, it was decent booze.

Not that it seemed to be helping right now. It made things a little fuzzier, maybe. Slightly dulled that deep, gnawing, empty pain inside him, but not enough.

After they left Illikon, that feeling had grown louder, rowdier – tried to make itself more known. Whatever it was found claws to dig into his spine, using them to reach his skull. There, it chewed into him, left seeds of growing frustration – restless anger he couldn’t seem to muzzle. Any unwanted feelings of loneliness, of being lost, only got worse. A pulling, a need, telling him to do something.

After a few nights spent at Greywatch, it had grown to take a shape he almost recognized: hunger. Impossibly deep hunger that absolutely nothing satisfied.

That was why he couldn’t think. Not the drink. Not the page in front of him, covered in small symbols supposedly forming words, all of which made no sense. It was the smoldering flame in him turning into an empty inferno, and he had no idea how to put it out – or how to give it more fuel to burn.

Caiden’s eyes lost focus on the bestiary, staring at something inside rather than out. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, his grip on the book loosening, letting it droop.

Some tentative excitement came creeping up the stairs just outside the room. Caiden snapped the book shut and shoved it under his pillow, folding his arms and feeling an awful lot like a five-year-old trying to hide something embarrassing.

Except the bottle of whiskey. Couldn’t really hide that. Not like it mattered, anyway; she already knew it.

Gwen rounded the corner, peering into the room past the partially ajar door. She gave a few tentative knocks, eyes on him.

Caiden grunted. Yeah. Come in. You already have.

When she stepped into the room, Caiden instantly noted she was fully suited up, wearing her leather jerkin, belt of potions, weapons… Which for her, unlike him, was unusual to see when they were around the castle. Something was up.

Gwen paused, looked at him, followed his gaze to the far wall obviously in search of something interesting there, then at him again.

He met her stare evenly. “What?”

She shot the whiskey bottle a glance. “It’s a little early to be drinking, isn’t it?”

Caiden shrugged. Did that actually matter right now?

“Sure… Okay.” Cool worry filled the room, emanating from her, lapping jittery and mildly annoying waves against him. Gwen fumbled with a letter she’d been holding halfway behind her back. “Well, everyone in the great hall was talking missions, and a new one just came in. I snatched it up – thought it might be interesting. It’s not really like anything we’ve done before…”

An unnatural urge to snap at her, tell her to get on with it, rose in his throat and forced him to swallow it. Barely. It settled in his stomach, uncomfortable and heavy, and he tried to tell himself not to be a half-drunk asshole.

“What is it?” he prompted, voice coming out too flat as he struggled to find his usual patience.

That made Gwen screw up her brow at him more than a little, but she said, “There’s a village in the mountains not far from here – secluded little place called Norhaven. It doesn’t seem very noteworthy, except it has its own freshwater spring coming out of a mountain. But now a monster’s attacking them over the water, or that’s what they’re claiming. They say it’s been burning people, of all things, and it only attacks in the dark.”

For half a second, Caiden’s mind stuttered and ground to a halt. The first time he met something that only attacked in the dark, it had been his first monster hunt. It wasn’t something he liked recalling.

But he nodded.

“They… want us there as soon as possible,” Gwen added, almost tentatively. No, not almost. Definitely. Her nerves were frayed. She was worried about something, and it only seemed to get worse the longer she looked at him.

Caiden didn’t much like people worrying about him. He never had.

So he huffed, trying to figure out how to give what she might consider a ‘normal’ response. He stood and popped his neck in a short shock of painful relief. Even if it didn’t help the pinching headache he’d gotten from being bent over a book and trying to read for so long, it felt slightly better.

“Maybe we should wait until tomorrow morning,” said Gwen, still eying him like he was sick.

He eyed her right back. “I’m fine.”

“Caiden, you’ve drunk way more than usual lately – and that’s already saying something – and way earlier in the day. You know how terrible that is for you, right? And besides that, you’re talking even less.”

Gwen frowned. Some kind of hurt came off her then, enough to make his insides almost start to shrivel.

“You can trust me,” she said at length. “If something’s wrong, talk to me about it. Wouldn’t you be the first one to tell me that you need to know if I have something going on, so it doesn’t jeopardize our mission?”

Caiden’s jaw tightened, hard, before he gave it permission. You know she’s right. Yeah, she was right, and he couldn’t tell her. Every word, every phrase that came to mind sounded dismissive. Uncaring, or at least untrusting.

But Gwen gave up fairly quickly, still wearing a frown. She nodded and said, “Okay. Want to leave in an hour or two? It isn’t far to ride. We’ll get there before sundown and we can find a place to sleep.”

Caiden nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll meet you by the stables.”

With that, Gwen turned and left – though not without throwing a quick, and decidedly worried, look back at him over her shoulder.

(More preview under the cut!)

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

“These attacks,” said Gwen, “do they usually happen around the spring, under the trees?”

Asger nodded. “Mostly.”

“And has anyone been in that cave since it started?”

“Where the source is? Gods, no. Gotta have a deathwish to walk into the dark after this thing.”

“Yeah,” Caiden said, already walking around the trees and toward the cave. Behind him, Asger sputtered, while Gwen’s quiet footfalls and building, anxious excitement followed in his wake.

“Go on back to town and get some rest, Asger,” Gwen called back to him.

Caiden stopped before the mouth of the cave and squinted into it, reaching for a potion on his belt: one to enhance his senses. Beside him now, Gwen shifted, tension radiating from her like constant lightning.

“If you drink that and that thing burns you, it’ll really hurt,” she said. “I heard some Venatori pass out from pain if something catches them with one of those.”

Caiden huffed. “I didn’t last time. I won’t this time either.”

Just as he drained the potion bottle, Asger’s panting caught up with them again as he stopped by their side, drawing his bodkin dagger and holding it up in a shaking hand. Gwen blinked at him, and Caiden furrowed his brow.

Asger’s face slowly drained of color as he stared at Caiden’s eyes – a side-effect of the potion was his eyes glowing. Not much, just softly, but it tended to scare the hell out of the average person.

“You probably shouldn’t come with us,” Gwen offered slowly, like she was trying to calm Asger down from some fit of panic. “Especially since… your weapon there looks like something my partner might pick his teeth with.”

“This’s a finely-made dagger, I’ll have you know,” Asger blurted. “And I’m the watchman here, this is part of my job. Let’s go on then—”

He stepped forward, but Caiden snapped one hand out and got a firm grip on Asger’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

“I’m on point,” he said. “You shouldn’t come, but if you’re following us, then stay behind me. Gwen…”

“On it. I’ll cover your rear— I mean, the rear.” A blush quickly rose in her cheeks. “Tom ruined me,” Caiden faintly heard her mutter under her breath.

Caiden grunted. Then he turned and led the way.

Didn’t take long for his eyes to adjust, then to adapt, thanks to that potion. Faint moonlight spilling in let him see limestone walls slick with condensation and a violently gushing spring, churning the water on the far end of the cavern at the base of the wall. Spitting it out straight into the reservoir, the flow of it turning gentle by the time it left the cave.

Heavy mist hung in the air here, maybe kicked up by the water. But something didn’t seem right.

Then he realized why.

Fear washed down upon them like frigid rain – so much fear that, for half a second, it froze every muscle in Caiden’s body. His nerves pulled taut, ready to break and snap down on him like a whip, hard enough to leave a few more scars on his back. Hand shooting to his sword hilt in a white-knuckle grip, he drew in a sharp breath and fought the chill that ran fast up his spine and forced him to be afraid.

This wasn’t natural. Gwen, from the way she was suddenly fumbling with her gear, seemed to know it.

Asger, on the other hand, didn’t. He bellowed out a hoarse shout, nearly fell spinning around to face the exit, and ran for the cave mouth.

All around them, a shrill voice echoed, “Leave this place!”

It spoke the words very clearly – not the gibberish he’d been told about.

Everything happened at once. A rush of air ripped by him, trailing cold in its wake, like off the surface of the spring itself. Asger screamed, his heavy boots scuffing the stone as something made him stumble and fall. Caiden charged forward at a surging shadow, blade ready to swing.

And an arrow lodged itself in his upper arm with a hard lance of pain and a meaty thunk.

Caiden coughed out a grunt and staggered from the impact, the arrow locking up his sword arm and stopping him mid-strike. Whatever had come past him and attacked Asger seemed already gone, moving faster than he could even understand.

Gwen appeared beside him in an instant, hand on his uninjured left arm and sputtering apologies. “Caiden!? I – gods— I shouldn’t have tried to shoot it, it moved so fast—”

The cave around him was far from silent. Asger swore as he scrambled to his feet, Gwen kept on apologizing as she tried in vain to tug Caiden out of the cave until he, halfway in a stupor, finally staggered along after her.

Boots against stone. Grass under their feet, bright moonlight overhead. Plenty of pain in his right arm that twitched useless and limp at his side.

These sensations stayed, but something was missing.

He’d heard once that silence was golden. He had never understood what ‘silence’ entirely meant. This was the closest he’d ever come.

The whispers had stopped – the fleeting memories. All of it. The fear from the monster was gone – his, Asger’s, Gwen’s – he felt no terror from anyone, though they still looked afraid. Sounded afraid. Moved like it. But he couldn’t sense it. It didn’t invade his mind, twist into him, and try to make itself at home.

And he suddenly felt blind. Deaf. Neither of those things, yet both at once – because it was gone. A sense he had known for his entire life, something that was always there. Gone, no trace left. He felt dumb.

Caiden blinked. Furrowed his brow. His shoulders tensed, pulled against the arrow still biting deep into his arm, and made him wince.

What the hell was going on?

In the corner of his vision, he saw Gwen fumble for something in a pouch on her belt, only to draw out the shattered neck of a bottle. She swore and threw it aside, turning her attention to him instead as he stared straight ahead at nothing in particular.

“Caiden – Caiden, hey, look at me!” Gwen grabbed the harness around his shoulders and tugged on it hard enough for his eyes to snap to her and stare. Her face was pale. “That arrow was poisoned. Okay? You’re probably woozy right now; it’s very fast-acting…”

“Gwen—”

She sucked in a hard breath and blurted, “Caiden if you say ‘I’m fine’ I swear to Athena I will punch you in the stomach.”

He paused and cocked his head at her, his mouth ever so slightly ajar.

“Listen,” she said, voice quivering and straining to sound strong, “the bottle for the antidote I had on me broke – I have more of it, but it’s in my saddlebag. We have to get you to the inn so we can get that arrow out and I can give you the antidote. Okay?”

“Just pull it out,” Caiden mumbled, his words coming out slurred.

“I’m not doing that, you don’t just suddenly pull an arrow out – there are procedures for this!”

One sharp tug on his uninjured arm later, and he was following her back down the mountain path, both of them led by a stumbling Asger. The watchman looked at a deep welt on his forearm, his flesh twisted and reddened – what was left of it. Most of it had burned off entirely. Asger swore more colorfully than the average sailor, wearing a deep grimace.

He separated from them with a few hurried words to Gwen – words Caiden should’ve heeded, but paid no attention to – and disappeared into a nearby home. Gwen kept leading the way, up the stairs and into the inn, still tugging on Caiden’s uninjured arm.

“By Jove!” the innkeeper shouted, starting up in an instant from where he’d been sitting in his quiet tavern.

He quickly started throwing questions, which Gwen just as quickly deflected. She mostly did that by dumping a handful of coins on the counter and asking for two rooms. All the while, Caiden leaned his uninjured arm on the nearest table and pulled in one deep breath after another.

Pain quickly found its way across his body, tightening every muscle and settling heavily in his chest, like having molten lead poured into his lungs. It didn’t leave him any room to breathe, and that didn’t leave him much room to think.

9 notes · View notes

is0gild · 4 years

Text

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 17

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 12,131

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

Day three of Operation Boyfriend But Shh Not Really and so far, so good.

Though the thought of this triple date had my inner recluse curling up into the fetal position, I'd manage to convince myself it actually was a good thing when you really thought about it. One, it gave me more practice for trying to do this whole couply… thing I was trying to do. More practice meant I'd eventually, hopefully be more comfortable with it all, as well as less chance for screw-ups in front of my parents when the dreaded but inevitable weekend with them at last came. Two, we were trying to maintain this image of being boyfriend and girlfriend in front of everyone else at the mall. And boyfriends and girlfriends went on dates. What better way to be seen going on said dates than by going out with other actual couples? And three, we couldn't forget about the person the Duke had hired to tail Anna originally and could quite possibly still be keeping tabs on me now. If they were still out there lurking, it was important that they, even more so than anyone else,see me dating.

It was still kind of weird to think about - that an actual, real life PI or whatever had been surveilling me constantly for who knows how long and I'd had no idea. It felt so surreal. Unreal even. But the Duke was absolutely that crazy and I wouldn't put it past him to still have someone keeping an eye on me, looking for any cracks in the story, any slip-ups or mistakes. I'd have to start paying attention more when I was out and about, see if I could figure out who it was, spot any faces that seemed to always show up everywhere I went.

But then, even if I did identify a likely culprit, I would have absolutely no idea what to do with that information once I had it. Even if I marched right up to them and told them their cover had been blown so they may as well scram, the Duke was just insane enough and rich enough to keep hiring new people to do the job instead.

...jeez, I was really starting to sound paranoid now, wasn't I?

With my luck, it'd turn out the Duke no longer had anyone following me after he'd confronted me in the food court.

Best not to think about it too much, because honestly? It'd get me nowhere.

Sighing, I banished the thoughts from my head as I watched the buildings blur past my window from the backseat of Riku's silver Ford Focus. The three of us were on our way to the restaurant now and Lea, Kairi and Sora were going to meet us there. My hand anxiously smoothed out the creases of my outfit - a dark magenta sheath dress with long sleeves and a hemline at the knees. It had a tastefully low v-neckline and a double layered skirt, the top layer made of a shimmering gossamer material. Nice, but nothing too fancy for our "nothing too fancy" date, to use Kairi's words.

Per Lea's request, I'd also worn his leather jacket. It made sense, after all. Nothing screamed "dating" more than one half of a couple wearing their other half's clothes, so it certainly helped maintain the facade. His boy scent still lingered on it, even though he hadn't worn it in a couple of days now, given it had been in my possession. The smell was somehow both soothing and butterflies-in-the-stomach inducing at the same time. It was an odd mix of emotions, to say the least.

I felt a buzz in the jacket's pocket. Pulling out my phone (gosh, it was so weird having one again after going so many weeks without) I checked my notifications to discover I'd received a text.

Well, speak of the devil.

Still cant believe u didnt lemme come pick u up

Shaking my head with a small snort, I tapped out a reply to Lea.

It just made the most logical sense for me to ride with Riku and Rayne since we were all coming from the same place.

Rayne suddenly cried out happily, drawing my attention to her as she clapped and bounced in the front passenger seat. "Ahh, I'm still just so excited for date night! Good food, great company, hot hubby," she slyly pinched Riku's cheek, which he endured with dignity as he drove. "What more could a girl ask for?"

He chuckled as he shifted the car over into the turn lane. "You make it sound like I never take you out."

"You know that's not what I mean!" she playfully smacked his shoulder. "But with the baby on the way, I don't know how many more of these I'll have! This is one of my last chances to enjoy freedom! Jesus take the fucking wheel, hallelujah!"

I felt my phone vibrate in my hand again and I looked down at it.

I know not this logic u spk of

I felt a tiny smile pulling at my mouth as my thumbs typed.

Don't worry about it. Tis beyond your mortal ken.

"I just hope no one's drinking tonight," Riku snerked as I watched those three dots bounce at the bottom of my screen. "Don't need you dancing on any more tables, thank you very much."

"Your face dances on tables!" Rayne shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

"That doesn't even make any sense."

"You don't even make any sense!"

Rude. Ill have u know I had half a mind 2 drive ovr n get u NEway, logic b damned

My smile turned a touch wicked.

I'm impressed. That's half a mind more than you usually have.

"Here we are!"

My head shot up as I heard the engine shut down. I hadn't even realized we were in a parking lot. I hadn't even realized the vehicle had stopped moving.

As I looked out my window again, I heard Rayne saying, "Have I mentioned how happy I am we're doing this?"

"You may have said something about that once or twice." I could hear the smile in Riku's low voice.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her leaning over towards him, her hand coming up to run slender fingers through his long, ashen strands. "Yeah, but maybe I should show you."

"Maybe you should…"

And that's when I, being the absolute clueless, blissfully naive little fool that I was, chose to turn and fully look at them, just in time to get a front row seat to their little game of tonsil hockey. I blushed, threw up a hand to block my line of sight and made a tiny noise of disgust in my throat. "Ugh! You know you're not the only people in the car, right?"

Rayne pulled away to smirk back at me. "Well, other people can shoo," she flicked a dismissive hand in my direction before grabbing Riku by his collar and yanking him over for a deeper, more passionate kiss. Ding, ding, round two!

Squeaking, I fumbled with my seatbelt until I heard the click release, threw my car door open, stumbled out and slammed it shut behind me with a huff.

Oi, that was the main drawback to this group date plan. We were going to be around actual couples, and actual couples actually, ahem… snogged. Rayne and Riku were going to be bad enough, but let's not forget Sora and Kairi were along for the ride too and I'd seen firsthand how gross those two could be as well. Mark my word, this night was going to have more than its fair share of uncomfortable moments with those four around, being all besotted and smitten and other such rot. But I would survive this and make it through to the other side. Somehow.

Sweeping my braid forward over one shoulder, I glanced up at the building before me now. It bore a colorful banner over its entrance that read Fuente Del Oro. A local, family-owned Mexican restaurant, or so Rayne had told me. I could already tell this was going to be a very different experience from the types of restaurants my ex used to take me to for our dates. Those restaurants had all been about the look, the prestige… you didn't go to any of those places for the food, you went there to be seen, to give off an air of importance. Those places were… dull. Lifeless. This place before me now, on the other hand, was… nice. Colorful. Vibrant and full of character. Not elegant or frilly, but warm and inviting. And the aromas that I could smell coming from it, even all the way out here? Delicious.

I was actually kind of looking forward to this.

Phone still in my grasp, I looked back down at it and frowned.

No message back from Lea yet.

A giggle suddenly echoed out across the parking lot and my eyes snapped towards the source. It didn't take long to spot Kairi a few vehicles over, squirming and laughing in Sora's arms as he hugged her from behind, blowing raspberries against her neck. They were standing with a very familiar redhead who was leaning against a very familiar black muscle car. Said redhead had pulled his hair back into a ponytail again and was dressed in a snug, black tee with a second shirt on underneath, red and black horizontal stripes running down its full-length sleeves. His slim, dark jeans made his already long legs seem even longer and he was sporting his bright red Converse. He had his phone in hand in front of him, but it wasn't the phone he was looking at. Our eyes met and a grin tugged at one corner of his lips.

Suddenly, whatever boldness that I had felt behind the safety of text on the tiny, glowing screen in the palm of my hand had abandoned me and I felt a small pang of anxiety pierce my chest.

But I rallied.

Alright, Elsa, pep talk time. You can do this. You've been mentally and emotionally preparing for this since yesterday. Let him throw at you whatever fluffy, sappy moves he decides to today, all in the name of pretending to be your boyfriend. You can take it.

Shields raised and at full power, captain!

Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I pocketed my mobile and started making my way over to those three. Probably hearing my footsteps against the asphalt, Kairi and Sora looked over at me as I approached and greeted me with waves. I gave them a shy smile and returned the wave as Lea held his phone up, turning the screen towards me and showing the last message I'd sent him as he tsked, "Brutal. You wound me, madame."

I stopped a few feet away from him, my smile twitching wider. "You like it."

"True. What can I say, I've always been a bit of a masochist," he hummed a low chuckle, slipping his phone into the back pocket of his pants. His head tipped to one side and he stared at me for another second, then his eyes crinkled as he stretched a hand out towards me with a soft, "C'mere."

I bit my bottom lip, hesitating for a heartbeat before moving another step forward to take his offered hand.

"Lookit you," he whistled, closing his fingers around mine and leading me into a little twirl. "Digging the look." He then gently pulled me against him, drawing my arms up to hug his neck before slipping his hands beneath the jacket to wrap around my waist, enveloping me in his cinnamon scent. "Didn't get a chance to say it the other day, but my jacket suits you."

I rolled my eyes up at him, doing my best to be impervious to our sudden closeness. I wasn't succeeding. "Not really. It's too big."

"Yes really," he insisted, bowing his head slightly towards mine. "It looks way better on you than it ever did on me."

"Where's Riku and Rayne?" Sora interjected and I turned my head to look at him.

"They-" my words tripped over my tongue as Lea pressed a tender kiss to my temple.

Critical hit, captain! Shields down to thirty percent, but holding!

Ignoring the heat rushing to my face, I did my best to regather my scattered thoughts. "They, uh… they're back in the, uh… the…" Drat, what was the word again? "...car! They're back in the… the car."

Sora pulled a face. "Swapping spit, no doubt."

"Oh-ho, we'll see about that! C'mon, Sora!" Kairi cackled with an evil gleam in her eye, slipping free of her boyfriend's hold to instead grab his hand and pull him behind her as she ran off towards Riku's car.

"Seriously," Lea spoke up again, his voice hushed as I slowly returned my gaze to his. "Pretty sure I've lost all claim to that jacket. It belongs to you now."

My eyelids drooped. "That's not how that works."

"Sure it is." He rested his forehead against mine and I could feel his thumb rubbing light circles against the fabric of my dress just above my hip. "You don't choose a leather jacket, it chooses you. And trust me, that one has definitely picked you over me."

I gave a soft snort. "I'm giving it back to you after tonight."

"Don't you dare," he chided, his breath warming my lips. "You'll hurt the jacket's feelings."

"Stop anthropomorphizing the jacket." I was fighting a smile now.

"Make me," he murmured, something in his voice causing my insides to do that whole warm, fuzzy, squishy thing.

And the academy award for best leading actor in the role of Elsa's boyfriend goes to this guy right here.

But had to say, I thought he might be overdoing it a bit. I mean, Sora and Kairi weren't even around anymore to hear any of this. And if we were being monitored by someone under my great uncle's payroll, they certainly couldn't hear it either. I suppose Lea just… really liked getting into character?

Clearing my throat, I unclasped my hands from behind his neck and shifted them down to his chest in an attempt to push myself free of his grasp as I whispered, "We, ah… should probably go speak to the hostess now."

However, his hold on me didn't loosen, his arms remaining firmly secured around my waist. He didn't say anything, just continued to grin down at me. His eyes became hooded as they flicked down to my lips now, making my heart skip a beat.

What was he-?

A sudden loud yelp ruptured the air around us.

Rayne.

Followed by an annoyed yell of, "Goddamnit, Sora! Kairi!"

And that would be Riku.

The two delinquents in question blurred past us and towards the restaurant's front doors, whooping and snickering and razzing their tongues back at their victims climbing out of the Ford Focus. "We'll grab us a table!" Sora called quickly at the same time Kairi shouted, "See ya inside!" Then they both disappeared through the entrance with Rayne and Riku hot on their heels.

I heard Lea sigh. Or maybe he didn't. It was so soft that it was fully possible that I imagined it. Then he released me, slipping one hand into mine and jerking a thumb towards the restaurant with a lopsided smile, "Shall we?"

I stared at him, feeling the night air cool my warmed face. Then I gave a tentative nod and let him lead me inside.

The others hadn't made it far past the doors and we stepped in to find Riku doling out Sora's punishment: death by a thousand noogies. Sora was smacking his cousin's arm and trying to wriggle free, but to no avail. Apparently Kairi had gotten off with only a warning for she was standing off to one side with Rayne, both cracking up as they watched the boys. I looked past them, taking in the restaurant. Strings of fairy lights hung from the ceiling intermixed with strings of multi-colored papers, each bearing cutouts depicting various imagery. The walls were painted with murals of fantastical, mythical creatures of various shapes and sizes with wings and prismatic fur, feathers and scales. This place was absolutely beautiful.

Once the roughhousing had finally settled down, we all approached the hostess, an extremely tiny, extremely old lady wearing a name tag that read Coco who seemed far more interested in napping than greeting new customers. However, she woke up long enough to squint at her list and find our reservation before calling over a man to seat us. He led us through the restaurant and to a large booth in one of the back corners, leaving menus, chips and salsa on the table before flashing us a warm, genuine smile and saying he'd be back to take our orders in a minute.

I started shrugging out of the jacket, feeling Lea assist me before folding it over his arm and gesturing towards the booth with bow and a, "Lady's first." Smiling at him, I took a seat and scooched towards the middle. Lea wasn't too far behind, sitting close enough for our knees to bump against one another. He tossed the jacket on the back shelf of the booth before draping his arm across the top of the cushioned seat behind my head. Rayne took the spot to my left with Riku of course beside her, and on the other side of Lea sat Kairi and Sora. The waiter came back after giving us a little time to peruse the menus and he gathered our food requests before dashing off again.

"So Ray," Kairi piped up, popping a heavily salsa-laden chip into her mouth, "how's the preggers-life treating you?"

"Really well," she nodded contentedly, one hand going to her tummy. "The jellybean's happy and healthy so far and I've just started barely showing in the past couple weeks. No weird food cravings yet, thank god, but those are supposed to be right around the corner."

Sora leaned forward, propping his chin in both hands and beamed, "Do we know yet if I have a lil nephew or niece on the way?"

"We're cousins, Sora. Nephews and nieces would only be if we were brothers," Riku corrected with a wry curve to his lips.

"We don't know yet," Rayne shook her head, "but I'm about four months along now, so hoping to find out at our next appointment."

Lea had shifted his hand to dangle down so he could idly twiddle my braid between his fingers. I could also sense his gaze on me, causing a bit of a flutter in the pit of my stomach. Reminding myself he was just playing a part and it wasn't real, I resisted the urge to squirm and instead pretended not to notice, directing all my focus into reaching for a chip to dip into the salsa.

"Well whatever the wee monkey turns out to be, you can bet Auntie Kairi and Unkie Sora will be here to shower it with all the love and kisses!" Kairi cooed.

Riku twitched and frowned. "I just said that isn't how it-"

"Shush, hon, they're just teasing you now," Rayne poked his cheek with a laugh before looking back over at Kairi. "And you? How's the new gig over at Mickey's going? You've been there, what? About a week now?"

"Mm-hm! It's been a lot of fun working the jewelry counter. Oh sure, there's the occasional asshole customer, but turns out I'm really good at killing them with kindness."

Riku kicked Sora's foot under the table, "What about you, ya freeloader? Any prospects yet?"

He shrugged with that big smile he seemed to always have permanently glued to his face. Just looking at it was starting to make my cheeks hurt. "Couple of interviews coming up, so we'll see!"

Smirking, Riku said, "Can't wait to hear how you screw them up this time, knucklehead."

"Hey!"

Kairi turned to look our direction now. "So what's new and exciting with you two, hm? Lea, you just had that big test, right?" Silence was her answer as I went for another chip. "Lea? Hello, earth to... ah-ha, there!" She rocketed up to her feet, slamming one hand down on the table and pointing the other right in Lea's face. "Lost puppy look!"

"Hm, what now?" he jolted, his hand jerking away from my braid to lay across the booth backrest once more. "Lost pup-? Bah, I told you already, there's no lost puppy look. You need to get your eyes checked, princess."

She scoffed, plopping heavily back down into her seat and smugly take a sip of her soda. "Please. You were bad at hiding it when you guys were dating in secret, and you're even worse at it now that it's all out in the open."

"What's the deal there anyhow?" Sora cocked his head at me. "There's all sorts of wild rumors flying around the mall, like that you're runaway royalty from some far off country just living off the lam now."

"What?!" I blanched, gawking in disbelief. Doing my best to recover with a tiny, awkward laugh, I hastily said, "No, nothing quite so, ah… dramatic. My parents, they're… well off, to be sure, but certainly not royalty. And not from so far away either. Just Arendelle, which is only about an hour north of here."

Chewing on her straw, Kairi eagerly leaned in closer, "I'd love to hear the story of how you two met!"

I stiffened.

Fudge.

Welp, add that to my ever growing list of things I should have thought about in advance but failed miserably to do so. I fiddled a chip between my fingers as I tucked in my bottom lip. Shoot, what was I supposed to tell her? It's not like I'd gotten any better at lying in the past few days since my visit with Father. In fact, I'd been mostly skirting by since then by dodging questions and letting people fill in the blanks for themselves so I didn't have to. Heart thudding in my chest, I opened my mouth, not quite fully sure yet what was going to come out.

"Last summer," Lea was quicker. "In another city."

"Oh, during that big cross-country road trip you took?" Rayne asked him as she leaned into her husband who slung an arm around her shoulders.

Lea tapped his own nose, "That'd be the one, Raindrop."

Kairi gasped, "You two met in a foreign city? How romantic! That's the dream!"

"You have to leave the country in order for it to be a foreign city," Riku shook his head.

"Cram it, you knew what I meant!"

"It was like one of those scenes straight outta a movie," Lea planted an elbow on the table, rubbing a curled finger over his smirk as he watched me out of the corner of his eye. "There I was, just strolling along minding my own business, smack dab in the middle of a jam-packed city street. But then the crowd parted and there she stood. The most gorgeous creature to ever walk the face of this or any other planet in all the cosmos."

Cue my face turning all new shades of red never before witnessed in the history of human eyesight.

Jeez, laying it on a bit thick there, Lea, don't you think?

"So whatdja do?" Kairi pressed, eyes bright and on the edge of her seat. "Sweep her off her feet right then and there?"

He snerked, "Shit no, I walked headfirst into a lamppost."

I smothered a grin behind my hand as the rest of the table erupted into laughter. Sora reached over to punch him lightly in the arm, "Smooth, ya stud. What city was this anyway?"

"Corona," I was the one to answer, surprising myself. Suddenly self-conscious with all eyes turning to me, I quietly added, "I was there for part of my vacation last year."

"By yourself?" Rayne quirked a dubious eyebrow at me. She knew this story was as made-up as my current relationship status was. I could only assume she was trying to poke holes in order to help us solidify this little tale that was being spun so we'd be more prepared for the next time we had to tell the lie.

The thing is, the best lies have a grain of truth to them. I really had been in Corona last summer. "No, I was taking the trip with Anna. We were actually staying over in Traverse Town, but had planned to visit Corona for the day to enjoy a festival there, since it was only a short train ride away. However, Anna disappeared with a guy before we could go. I'd really been looking forward to this festival though and didn't want to miss it, so I took the train over on my own."

"Wait," Kairi slapped both hands down in front of her, eyes widening. "Are you talking about that big lantern festival they do every year?" At my nod, she squealed. "Lucky! Punzie has shown me pictures in magazines, it looks so goddamn pretty! Oh man, I've always wanted to go! Hint, hint," she shouldered Sora, who just chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"It was actually right as they were launching the lanterns that I saw her," Lea said, folding his arms atop the table now. "She was wearing this cute sundress. White with a lil diamond patterned hem. Split sleeves that were all flowy. Hair down and dancing in the slight breeze." Wow, he was really selling this. He'd even nailed that whole far away look in his eye, like he was seeing something the rest of us couldn't. "And the way those lanterns lit up her smile as she watched them float up, I knew my lowly mortal self was in the presence of a goddess. Knocked the wind right outta me."

"As did that lamppost," Rayne sniggered.

"As did that lamppost," he agreed with a chuckle.

Totally enthralled now, Kairi breathed, "So what happened next?"

"Yeah, what did happen next?" I grinned over at him, the barest note of a challenge to my tone. To the others, it probably just sounded like I was teasing him since obviously I was already supposed to know this story. But now I was almost as invested as Kairi and was genuinely curious where he'd go with it next.

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he looked over at me and he leaned back, propping his elbows up on the back rim of the booth and once more slipping an arm behind my head. "Well after the lantern bit was over, I watched her get onto her train heading back to Traverse Town. So I did what any self-respecting, red-blooded, utterly bewitched male would do: I followed her."

"Stalker," Riku singsonged.

His wife smacked his leg, "Hush, it's sweet!"

He snorted, eyelids drooping, "Yeah, so sweet, the dumbass left his car behind in Corona."

"Psssh, I just took the train back for it later," Lea brushed off. "Anyway, when I found her on board, I sat across from her and worked up the nerve to strike up a conversation."

Rayne looked at me. "You? Talk to a handsome stranger on a train?" She squinted, repeating for emphasis, "You?"

"Heh… what can I say? He can be very charming," I smiled down at my drink, swirling the ice with my straw.

"Even with all of my roguish charm and devilish good looks though, it wasn't easy," Lea laughed. His hand had drifted down to start toying with my braid again. "But she warmed up to me eventually. By the time we arrived at Traverse Town, I was completely smitten. A total goner. She still needed more convincing though, so I managed to persuade her into joining me for a night out on the town. Luckily for me, Traverse Town has a very active night life that goes on for hours long after most other cities have gone to sleep."

"Yeah? Like what?" Sora burbled out around a mouth full of chips, making Kairi giggle as she put a hand over his face to hide it.

He pursed his lips to one side, looking up at the ceiling, "Oh, nothing too exciting. Few odds and ends here and there though… wandering around a record store… a café with a palm reader… a street poet at one sidewalk corner, a belly dancer at another, some stargazing in a park…" Now he smirked over at me, "A carnival with a kiss at the top of the ferris wheel."

A mock gasp from Rayne, "Scandal! And you with a fiancé, young lady!"

I looked away, suddenly feeling guilty and flustered over something that hadn't even really happened. "...ferris wheels can be very enchanting."

And my streak of helping the lie along while not actually lying myself successfully continues!

"And then, and then?" Kairi insisted impatiently, just eating this whole bit of fiction right up.

He chuckled and shrugged, "Just mostly a lot of meandering the streets and talking. We were out all night and watched the sunrise together. Eventually, she had to go meet up with her sister so they could move on to another city for the next leg of their lil vay-kay. But I didn't let her leave without agreeing to meet with me again in a few months."

Kairi was slackjaw now as she whispered, "And did she?"

"Mm-hm!" he hummed happily. "And from there, we kept meeting up, our little get-togethers getting longer and more frequent over time."

"Then what?" She was relentless.

A wolfish curl tugged at one side of his mouth. "What else? I slowly seduced her until she fell helpless into my bed, hungry for the pleasure only I could give her," he waggled his eyebrows.

Of course I'd chosen that exact second to be taking a sip of my drink. And of course I promptly spluttered and choked on it. "Excuse me?" I coughed, laughing incredulously as I elbowed him in the gut.

He gave a pained grunt, but grinned and snagged my hand before I could retract it, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. "I mean that in the most gentlemanly and respectful way possible, of course," he winked at me before looking back over at Kairi. "From there, I convinced her to run away from her family and ditch her two-bit, loser fiancé to be with me. And the rest, as they say, is history!"

"Wow!" she sighed dreamily, slumping back and fanning herself. Then she blinked, "Wait…" A gasp. "Oh my god! You swore off dating about a year ago, which was last summer! Was it cuz that's when you two met and it was love at first sight?!"

"Huh. The two certainly seem to line up perfectly, don't they?" he chirped. He'd rested my hand back down onto the table, his on top of mine, threading our fingers together.

Our waiter popped up again just then. "Your food will be just another moment. In the meantime, please allow us to entertain you with some music." He then turned, clapped his hands twice and called out, "Miguel!"

Out charged a boy in his early teens wearing a red hoodie and lugging a guitar that was white, etched in swirly patterns, and nearly as big as he was. He flashed us a smile huge enough to rival one of Sora's and without further preamble, started strumming away and singing. The kid was actually really good too!

Kairi clapped in delight and Rayne cooed over how adorable he was. Sora gaped in awe at the boy's obvious talent while Riku just grinned, digging into the chips. As I watched him perform, I couldn't help but feel Lea's eyes on me once more instead of on our little musician. I shifted in my seat, slipping my hand free of his and bringing it up to tuck some bangs behind my ear, hiding the growing warmth I felt in my cheeks behind my fingers.

At this rate, I didn't know how I was going to survive fake dating this guy for the rest of the evening, let alone for two more weeks.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Lea's hand closed around mine, stopping me in my tracks. I glanced over my shoulder at him, then back towards where Rayne and Riku were climbing into their car across the parking lot. "With them?"

"Ahhhnt," he made a buzzer noise, grinning. "Wrong! Would the contestant care to venture another guess?"

I gave him some side-eye, feeling one corner of my lips turn up. "...with you?"

"Bingo!" He started walking towards his car, gently tugging me along with him. "I was already so rudely denied my god-given right as the boyfriend to pick you up from your place. No way am I missing out on giving you a lift over to the movie theater. Same goes for driving you back home later tonight, so better make your peace with it now. It's happening."

I felt my smile twitch a fraction wider as I fell into step beside him. "I suppose being my chauffeur is quite the honor and privilege. Wouldn't want to take that away from you."

"Glad that's settled then," he gave a chipper nod, unlocking the front passenger door of his vehicle and holding it open for me as I got in. As he then jogged over to the driver's side while I buckled in, there was a loud meep meep of a car horn and I looked up just as a hot pink Jeep blurred past where we were parked - Kairi and Sora, it seemed, going on to the cinema ahead of us. I waved at them just as Lea had settled in himself and started the engine.

"So," I began once we were on the road, resting my temple against my knuckles with my elbow propped on the window sill, still grinning as I watched him out of the corner of my eye, "you took a road trip last summer?"

He gave a low hum of confirmation, reaching over to turn down the volume on the rock oldies station coming through the radio. "Decided to have one last big adventure before I really buckled down and started taking school seriously. Did a lil soul searching, that whole shtick."

"Ah." My gaze focused on the road ahead once more and I hesitated for a second, gnawing on my lower lip. "...that was a nice story you told. About how we met."

Lea chuckled, leaving one hand on the wheel while moving the other to lay atop the headrest of my seat. "Liked it, didja?"

"Oh definitely." Now I hid my growing smile behind my hand, trying to keep a straight face. "Though I have to admit, I think I was a bigger fan of the original movie adaptation."

I watched him visibly stiffen. "The…?"

Tapping a curled finger to my chin, I muttered, "What was the title again? Before Sunrise, I believe?"

He snerked, then broke out into a full laugh. "Crap, ya caught me. Yeah, I may have borrowed from the plot there a tad."

"Just a bit," I shook my head at him. "You're lucky Sora and Kairi haven't seen the film."

"Kinda surprised you have," he turned the car down a road that would take us towards the mall. "Pretty sure it's older than you are."

"Nothing wrong with old movies," I shrugged before wrinkling my nose at him slightly with a tiny smile. "Kind of sappy though. Wouldn't have thought that'd be your kind of movie."

Looking my way, he smirked, "What can I say? I'm a sappy guy. And hey, at least I didn't steal everything from that flick."

"True. The stuff before the train was all you."

"You helped," Lea pointed out as he pulled up to a stop sign. He then tapped his index against the steering wheel a couple times. "...outta curiosity, why'd you say Corona? Out of all the other places you must of visited on your trip, what made you pick that city?"

As the car accelerated once more, I tilted my head in thought. "Don't know really… I guess I just felt it would be a nice place to meet someone new in. That'd it make for a good story." I paused, watching some tail lights streak past us. "...the lantern festival really was beautiful. Have you ever seen it?"

Lea shook his head as he glanced up at the rearview before shifting lanes, "Nah. Had plans to on the road trip, but something else came up."

"A shame," I sighed wistfully. "You missed out."

"Wouldn't say that," he murmured, a warm flicker in his eyes. "'Sides, there's always next time."

"Suppose that's true," I nodded. "Nice touch, by the way, describing the dress I was wearing. I think I might even own one that's pretty close to it." Don't think I'd been wearing it in Corona though. But I couldn't really remember. It had been over a year ago after all.

He laughed again, fingers combing his scalp before returning the hand to my seat, now on a spot next to my ear. "Well, I did help you pack your clothes from your old condo just a couple days ago. I probably saw it then."

"Good point." That made sense. It would have been too much of a coincidence if that'd actually been what I'd had on that day. But now… should I be worried that I hadn't really been in that dress? What if someone found out the mismatch in the story? No… no, that was just me overthinking things again. Even if the tale ever reached the ears of the Duke's goon, it's not like they could go back in time to fact check. "Just one more thing now." My eyes narrowed at him, at odds with my grin. "Might want to edit the ending a bit."

"Which part?" he asked a touch too innocently, already turning us into the Dusk Town Center parking lot. "Running away to be with me? Hasn't that been the story all along?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Try a little before that."

Wouldn't have thought it possible to both purse one's lips and smile at the same time, but Lea proved me wrong in that moment. "Hmm… oh! Well, figured wooing you over the course of months sounded more believable, but if you think it works better as weeks or even days, then-"

"No no. Little after that."

"Well then, now you got me stumped cuz I know you just couldn't possibly be talking about the absolute masterpiece that was the slow seducing, helpless bed falling, pleasure hungry part."

A snort. "Why yes, actually, I could be talking about that and in fact am."

"But that's the best part!" he protested, turning to park in a space right next to a familiar Ford Focus. "It's the heart and soul, the very essence of the story! The pièce de résistance, the crowning glory."

With a good natured scoff, I unfastened my seatbelt as the car shuddered into powering down. "Well decrown it because you're dropping that bit."

He lifted his chin slightly and gave a dignified sniff, "I am a storyteller, El. An arteest. You wouldn't ask Leonardo da Vinci to remove the smile from the Mona Lisa."

Well someone had a high opinion of himself. Which honestly came as zero surprise. I fixed him with a dull stare. "Drop it or your jacket gets a giant, sticky stain before the night is out." And with that, I opened my door.

Lea scrambled out of the car and rushed over to join me on my side just as I slammed the door shut behind me. He had the decency to only spend a couple seconds looking mildly miffed at having been denied the opportunity to open and hold the car door for me before his frown melted into a smile once more. "Jeez, blackmail? Never thought you'd stoop so low. But eh," he shrugged, "jacket's black, it'll be fine."

"You're failing to see the big picture here," I crossed my arms as I waited for Rayne and Riku to get out of their own vehicle. My guess was they were probably going for another round of Seven Minutes in Heaven in there. Smirking at Lea, I elaborated, "Because then I'll wash it."

"Egads," he mocked gasp, splaying a hand against his chest, "the horror."

My smirk curled wickedly. "In a washing machine."

As my roomies finally vacated their car (faces flushed, I might add), Lea actually paled. "But it's dry clean only!"

"That's right," I said smugly and turned to walk away. "So nix that line or the jacket gets it."

"You fight dirty," he muttered as he caught up to me, slipping his hand into mine. However, he was grinning.

Huh. That wasn't what I'd been expecting. IE the face of a man who'd just suffered a crippling defeat by my hands.

I narrowed my eyes up at him. "You certainly seem pretty happy about the impending, inevitable demise of your jacket."

Now the grin was joined by a dimple as we walked. "Well, it's just that in order for you to make good on your threat, you have to take my jacket hostage. Meaning you're gonna hafta keep it after all." His head dipped down closer to mine as he swung our hands slightly. "I count that as a win for me."

...well crud.

Score one for Lea there.

Shrieks and giggles suddenly erupted behind us before Sora tore past us towards the mall's entrance with Kairi riding piggyback. Rayne laughed and tugged Riku into a stumble behind her so they could catch up while Lea and I continued to take our time, bringing up the rear.

We made our way through the food court and over to Cinema XIII. The manager with long, silver hair that I'd seen there last time was present again, off to one side where he was setting up a huge cardboard display for the latest Star Wars movie. I watched him scowl and fiddle with the lifesize lightsaber cutouts as our group purchased tickets from a blonde chick with a weird hairdo that kind of resembled antennae. As we'd approached, I could have sworn I'd seen her boredly cleaning her fingernails with a small knife, but there was no sign of the blade by the time we'd reached her register. Perhaps my eyes had just been playing tricks on me.

Tickets for our whodunit comedy flick in hand, we then moved over to concessions which was being worked by that same teen with the emo haircut that I'd also spotted here a couple weeks ago. He hardly glanced up from the book he was reading as Riku and Rayne ordered snacks and drinks from him, Sora waiting in line behind them with Kairi still latched onto his back.

"Alright, whatcha want? My treat," Lea asked as he watched the flat screens hanging behind the counter scroll flashy ads for crisp, buttery popcorn and fizzing, bubbly soda.

I blinked. "What?" Then I frowned at him. "Oh no, not happening. You already paid for dinner despite my multiple protests. I'm not letting you buy me candy too."

We were only fake dating after all, and I wouldn't even want to make a real boyfriend pay for everything!

"But it's my right as-"

I put my finger to his lips, silencing him as my eyelids drooped. "Enough with playing the boyfriend card already. You're having too much fun with that."

He puckered up and planted a tiny peck on my fingertip, sending a small jolt straight to my heart as I quickly jerked my hand back. He chuckled, "Just tell me what your fave candy is."

"Shouldn't you be able to guess?" I arched an eyebrow, stubbornly ignoring the way the tip of my finger still had a slight tingle. "Isn't that like your special gift or whatever?"

"Only with ice cream," he lightly corrected.

"Right," I crinkled my eyes at him. "How's that coming along again?"

His shoulders bobbed up and down. "It's a process."

"My turn!" Sora suddenly proclaimed loudly in front of us, dropping Kairi off his back and spinning around to get behind her.

His girlfriend gasped, "Sora no!"

"Sora yes!" he cackled, jumping onto her back, arms hugging her shoulders tight and legs wrapping around her waist as her hands automatically shifted to grasp beneath his knees. To her credit, she managed to stand for three whole shaky seconds before collapsing beneath her boyfriend's weight into a tangled heap on the floor with him.

Ah, to be young.

Never mind the fact that I was pretty sure I was only like a year older than them.

With a soft snort through my nose, I glanced back at Lea. "Well, while you keep processing, I'm going to go find our seats."

I turned to go, but he pulled me back with the hold he still had on my hand. "C'mon, just lemme buy ya something small," he insisted as he hopped over the Sora/Kairi knot that was still trying to disentangle itself, forcing me to gingerly step over the two of them as well.

Shaking my head with a sigh, I said, "Why won't you just let it go?"

He beamed. "Cuz what schmoopsie-poo wants, schmoopsie-poo gets."

Oh no he didn't.

"Uh-uh, no. Veto. You are not calling me that," I jabbed a finger into his chest.

There was a sly gleam to his eye. "Tell me what candy you want or I won't stop."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna bet?" he flashed a toothy grin as we stepped up to the counter now that my roommates had stepped off to one side, already munching away at their newly purchased sweets. "You'll think you died and went to schmoopsie-poo heaven."

I gave a small huff and looked away. "Small price to pay. Not budging on this."

"Fine. You've forced my hand." He turned his head to the concession worker, slapping his palm down on the countertop and proudly declaring, "I'll have one of everything, my good man!"

"What?! No, no, stop, he's joking," I hastily told the cashier, who froze mid-ringing the order up as he gave us a flat look with the one blue eye not hidden behind bangs. To Lea, I whispered, "What do you think you're doing?"

He shrugged, grin not faltering. "Figure ya gotta like at least one of 'em."

I stared at him. Then my shoulders slumped and I hung my head, grumbling, "...Junior Mints."

"You heard the lady," he chirped to the theatre employee. "And throw in a small popcorn and large Kupo-Kola too please!"

Once the junk food was acquired and paid for, we moved out of the way to join Riku and Rayne as Sora and Kairi bought their own goodies. While we were waiting, I opened up my candy and reached inside, retrieving a minty, chocolate-coated treat and popping it into my mouth.

"Can I have one?" Lea asked beside me.

I gave him a blank look. Then I glanced down at his hands, otherwise occupied with a full soda cup and a bag practically bursting with popcorn. Digging another Junior Mint out and holding it up between us, my gaze met his once more. "Say ahh."

Face brightening, his lips parted wide.

I inserted it into his nostril.

He blinked a couple times, then snorted which had the byproduct of dislodging the Junior Mint. "Okay, guess maybe I deserved that for being a lil pushy about getting you the candy."

"You most certainly did," I said matter-of-factly, eating another one. A pause while I slowly chewed before swallowing and mumbling, "...but thanks for doing it anyway."

"Heh. Don't mention it."

Kairi and Sora rejoined us then, arms piled high with sugary delights. Jeez, all that on top of the gigantic Mexican dinners they'd both devoured less than an hour ago? One had to wonder how the two of them managed to stay so skinny.

It didn't take long for us to locate our theater and when we entered, all the lights were dimmed for the trailers that had already started to play. We quietly found our seats close to the middle of the auditorium and we settled into them, Lea to the right of me and making up one end of our group while Rayne took up my other side, the rest of the gang to her right. It seemed the cinema had recently renovated with new, barely-used cushiony sofa seating, the kind that reclined.

As I pushed the button that popped out the chair's footrest and made myself more comfortable, I caught a glimpse of the others. Half way through a strand of red licorice, Rayne flinched when Riku was suddenly in her face and chomping down on the other end of the candy. Grinning, he took a few more bites, bringing their lips closer together until he could give her a smooch before pulling away, looking quite pleased with himself as she blushed and snerked, giving his shoulder a light shove. Kairi was tossing Milk Duds towards Sora's open, awaiting mouth and rewarding him with little kisses every time he successfully caught one.

Worrying my lower lip between my teeth, I glanced towards Lea out of the corner of my eye as he crunched away on some popcorn. Should we be acting all… couply right now? Like the others were? I mean, it was a dark theater… did we really need to keep the act up in here too? Would anyone really notice? Then again, I'd noticed our friends being all sickeningly cute and I hadn't even been trying to, my eyes had just wandered. So maybe it wasn't such a stretch to consider the two of us were also possibly being observed, even in here.

My gaze flicked down to the armrest I shared with Lea. It was wide enough for both our arms to lay on it side by side, elbows touching. He wasn't holding my hand at the moment, instead just resting his about an inch away from mine. Which, now that I noticed, actually felt a bit weird, oddly enough. I guess I was starting to get used to it. But perhaps I should look at this as an opportunity for some more practice. An exercise in me being the one for once to initiate a display of affection. I seriously couldn't get away with him being the one to start it all the time, right? Surely, I had to act like I liked him too.

Which, to be fair, I kind of did.

Even if it was a secret.

But now I had to wonder how does one go about, ah… what was the term? ...making a move? I'd never had to do it with my ex. I'd never particularly felt the urge, nor had he ever really encouraged me to have more initiative in that area. He'd always been the one to take charge and that seemed to be the way he'd liked it. It seemed to be what was expected of our relationship, by him, by my family, by the world of upper society that I had lived in for so long. But I was no longer in that world. Things were different here. I was different. And I needed to show that to my parents. And one way I could show that was by doing this.

So then… exactly how do I do this?

...well I suppose I could start by moving my hand in the general direction of his. Seemed simple enough… right?

Gulping and holding my breath, I slowly, oh so very slowly started reaching for his hand. As my fingers crept closer, the pounding in my ribcage grew louder and louder. A hairbreadth away from skin contact, I hesitated, what little courage I'd mustered already dwindling. But after a second, my face hardened. I needed to do this. For the sake of Operation Boyfriend But Shh Not Really. For the sake of a continued future free from my parents' control. With a newfound resolve burning in my chest, I pushed on.

My pinky barely brushed against his knuckle.

Nope! No way. Mm-mm, not happening!

I snatched my hand back, blushing furiously.

The blush of a failure. Pathetic.

However the touch, no matter how light and brief, hadn't gone unnoticed. Lea glanced my way, his head tipping slightly. Then he smiled, shifting his popcorn out of his lap over to his right while moving the soda from the cupholder between us to the one on his other side. Then he lifted the armrest separating us, folding it back between our chairs before slinging an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close so my head was pillowed by his chest.

I tensed for several seconds before relaxing against him, clearing my throat and, if possible, blushing even harder.

Well then.

Guess I no longer needed to worry about us not looking couply.

Even if I hadn't been the one to initiate.

...tomorrow. I would do a better job tomorrow.

As the last of the trailers ended and opening credits for the movie began filling the big screen, Lea ducked his head down next to mine. I could feel him grinning against my ear as he whispered, "This boyfriend model comes equipped with all the latest technology, including hilarious movie commentary. Would you like that feature enabled now?"

I leaned my head back a bit as I turned to look him in the eye. He cocked a playful eyebrow at me. Feeling one corner of my lips tug up, I whispered back, "Commentary on."

"You got it."

I was not disappointed.

"Is this really totally necessary?"

"Oh absolutely. Your uncle's spies could be anywhere, ever vigilant and watching at all times."

"Even here? In the parking lot for my own apartment?" I frowned dubiously.

I could feel him nodding against my hair. "Especially here. I'll have you know I've seen at least three cars pass us already, each one more suspicious and shady than the last."

Date night had been a rousing success, if I did say so myself. We'd had a good time with friends, dinner was amazing and delicious, and the movie had been excellent. But as everyone knows, all good dates (even the fake ones) must come to an end. And at the end of every date, some sort of goodnight ritual is often at the very least customary, if not absolutely essential. Traditionally, this usually takes the form of the infamous goodnight kiss. However, since I'd already taken any sort of liplock completely and one hundred percent off the table, Lea had instead opted for a hug.

One… extremely and uncomfortably long hug.

...okay, that was a lie. It wasn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, was actually quite nice. Pleasant, even. Ten out of ten, would recommend.

We stood next to his car at the moment, my apartment building just a few yards away. After he'd parked and we'd both climbed out, he'd pulled my arms up to wrap around his neck, his hands once again finding their way under the leather jacket to encircle my waist, hugging me close as he'd rested his cheek atop my head. And so we had remained for quite some time now.

Kairi and Sora were no longer with us, having parted ways back at the mall, but I could see Rayne and Riku off to one side near their own vehicle, enthusiastically taking part in some cuddle time themselves while they waited for me. Which actually I really appreciated. Without their added presence here, I'd probably be getting a lot more awkward a lot more quickly about The Hug That Would Not End.

That said…

"We've been at this for at least five minutes now. Wouldn't you call that a bit, er.." I shifted my feet, resisting the urge to squirm, "...excessive?"

His hold on me didn't budge. "Gotta be convincing. 'Sides, we're obviously still in the honeymoon period of our relationship. You know, when the couple takes forever and a day telling each other goodbye a thousand times before actually leaving. Otherwise known as the No-You-Hang-Up-First phase."

My brow furrowed. "I thought that was only made-up for TV. Real people don't actually do that, do they?"

"Yup," I felt another nod. "Trust me, I'm an expert. I know these things."

I squinted off into space. "...haven't you only ever done one night stands?"

"Shush, I said trust me on this," he murmured.

And shush I did. I suppose I could look at this as a sort of… endurance training? Get me more used to his hugs so I'd be less awkward about them in public? Make them seem more natural? Yeah, okay. This might be good for me. Let's see how long I could keep this up.

...answer? Not long.

Tentatively trying to pull away, I began, "Alright, maybe we should-"

"One more minute," he insisted, squeezing me tighter and shifting his head down now to instead nuzzle against my neck. His nose was cold and his breath tickled against my skin, making my cheeks warm. Welp, so much for not squirming.

Huh. He really seemed to be taking this whole pretend boyfriend thing very seriously. This was some extreme dedication to the role.

And there my insides went all over again, doing the whole warm, fuzzy, squishy thing. Alright, just breathe. Deep, calming breaths. Remember: Conceal, don't feel.

...maybe just focus on the concealing part. The not feeling part was already a lost cause.

"Ya know," Rayne's voice suddenly piped up nearby, causing me to jump, "maybe you two don't have to say goodnight just yet." Lea straightened up, loosening his grip on me just enough for us both to turn our heads to see she'd joined us. Gracing us with a sly smirk, she said, "I mean, if you want to really drive this date home for any eyes that might be prying, Lea could always, ya know..." her eyebrows bounced as she leaned in closer to whisper conspiratorially, "stay the night."

"What?!" My face erupted into blistering heat, the likes of which would've put the Sahara Desert to utter shame. "N...No! Absolutely not! How could you possibly even-"

She laughed, her finger booping my nose. "Relax, you silly goose. Of course he'd only sleep on the living room sofa! S'not like your grunkle's minion would have x-ray vision into our home."

Oh.

That's what she'd meant.

Well of course that's what she'd meant. It's not like she'd ever really suggest…

Actually, no, this was Rayne we were talking about here. I honestly wouldn't have put it past her.

She elbowed Lea in the arm, "So whaddya say, stud?"

He smiled, removing one hand from my waist to rub at the nape of his neck. "Well, I'd planned on getting some reading done for my classes tonight. But I do have my book bag in the backseat, so I suppose I could just as easily read here on your couch." His gaze shifted back down to mine, "That is of course, as long as you're okay with it!"

My face still recovering from its abrupt and devastating heatwave, I looked down and muttered, "Well, I… I suppose, ah… sure. Okay. I mean, just to keep up appearances… " My eyes flicked back up towards Rayne, "Thanks. I guess that's… actually a pretty good idea."

"Of course it is! I came up with it!" she beamed, planting her fists on her hips and puffing up her chest. Then she turned back to her husband, pressing her lips to his cheek as she linked her arm in his and led him over to the building entrance. Lea at last fully released me, but only long enough to unlock his car and pull out a messenger bag that looked heavy with textbooks. Kicking the door shut, he slung the strap of the bag over his head to hang across his chest before slipping an arm around my shoulders, grinning down at me as we followed the other two inside.

Once in our apartment, he removed the arm while Rayne pulled some spare pillows and bed sheets from the closet, tossing them onto the longest couch for Lea. Then grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, she unscrewed the cap and held her drink up high. "A toast! To Lea's sleepover! May it be the first of many!" she declared before tossing her head back to chug half the bottle.

Riku just snerked, shaking his head while Lea scratched his cheek with a weak chuckle and walked over to drop his bag on the sofa next to the blankets. I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my fingers between my eyebrows with a soft sigh. Still, she had a point. I suppose it was only natural for my "boyfriend" to stay the night with some amount of frequency. Oh gosh, I hope this wouldn't be too much of an imposition on Lea.

As Rayne recapped the water bottle and put it down on the kitchen table, Riku stepped up to her, taking both her hands in his and pressing their foreheads together. "Hon, why don't we head to bed early tonight?" he asked, tone low and eyes hooded.

"Mmm," she breathed him in, smiling up at him through lowered lashes and nodding, "sounds good." As he pulled her towards their bedroom, Rayne glanced back at us. "Good night, you two! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she winked and waved before disappearing through the door, closing it behind her.

Silence followed. It felt strangely sudden and almost deafening.

I slowly turned to look at Lea.

He looked back, giving me a tiny smile.

That's when it struck me.

This was the first time in two full days I'd been alone with Lea. Like, really alone. Not in public, not where we had to put on the boyfriend-girlfriend act. Even when it'd just been the two of us in his car earlier tonight, even then we'd still had kind of been in the relative safety of pretend date mode. Besides, driving around in a car was completely different from being alone with him here, now, in my apartment late at night. Now that there was no more reason for all the hand holding, forehead kisses, and other little touches, things felt… well I wouldn't exactly say wrong per se, but more felt just kind of… off?

Panic was beginning to set in.

My mind was drawing a total blank.

I… didn't know how to be around him now. Not when we didn't have to fake a relationship anymore.

I'd forgotten how to act normal.

I think he could sense it too. The weirdness that had suddenly popped up out of nowhere. His eyebrows knit together, his gaze shifting about for a couple seconds. Then he opened his mouth to say something.

"Good night!" I loudly blurted out first.

Then I was in my bedroom so fast, you would have thought I'd spontaneously developed the power to teleport.

I slammed the door shut behind me, pressing my spine flat to it, eyes wide and taking shallow breaths through my nose. A few seconds passed where I just forced myself to inhale and exhale slowly a few times, trying to calm down. Then I winced, lightly banging the back of my head against the door.

Good job, Elsa. Way to make things mildly awkward. And for no real reason at all, you useless, hermitic dope!

With a small scowl, I shrugged out of the leather jacket and tossed it onto my bed. Then I unzipped my ankle boots, kicking them off and started pacing the length of my room back and forth, my hands twisting at my braid.

I couldn't just leave things like that. I had to talk to him. I had to toughen up and find an excuse to march my butt back out there. But what excuse?

My feet paused mid step as I glanced around my room for a minute before landing on one of my walls. Not just any wall. The one I shared with Riku's and Rayne's bedroom. Then I lightly tapped one fist into my palm. That's it! I quickly moved to my nightstand, opening the top drawer. Amongst its contents was a plastic baggie of earplugs. Digging out a pair and dropping the bag back into the drawer before closing it again, I then stepped over to my door. I took a second to take a deep breath and gather myself, standing up straighter and flicking my braid back behind me. Then with a firm, determined nod, I turned the knob and pulled, walking back out into the living room.

Lea was sitting on the couch that would be doubling for his bed tonight, arms splayed out wide to either side atop its backrest while he read the textbook that laid open in his lap. He'd pulled his hair out of its ponytail so his crimson locks were once again wild and free and he'd taken off his long-sleeved undershirt, now just wearing the tee.

Looking up at me, he all but leapt up to his feet. "El! Hi! I-" he grunted as the book he'd apparently forgotten was in his lap crashed down hard onto his foot.

I sucked in a tiny breath through my teeth with a frown, taking a step forward and reaching a hand out, "You okay?"

"Fine," he groaned. "I didn't need that toe anyway. It was only holding me back. Just dead weight." He laughed it off as he picked the textbook up off the floor, tossing it behind him onto the cushions before crossing his arms, "So, was there, ah… did you forget something?"

"Yes," I took a little step towards him, then frowned, glancing away. "Well, no…" I started to take a step back before catching myself. Wrong way, dork. "That is to say, sort of… er, I just...hm…" I thrust one fist forward, opening it palm facing up to reveal the earplugs, "Here!"

He stared down at them blankly. Then at me.

"Oh!" I gasped. "Right! Some sort of explanation would probably help." I gave a nervous heh. "So… uh… you know, those two," I gestured with my chin towards my roommates' bedroom door, "well, they just… the look they were giving each other before they went to bed, it's… well, it's a look I'm very familiar with from them. You know the look, the kind that should come with its own Marvin Gaye soundtrack. And those two… when they get going, they can really rattle the old headboard, if you know what I mean." A beat. Then I blanched. "Of course you know what I mean! Right, moving on. So uh… they are not quiet about it and they're definitely not quick. And these walls? They're thin. I'm talking like tissue paper thin. And not even the good Kleenex Deluxe kind of tissue, more like the cruddy, two-bit kind you'd get at the dollar store that just disintegrates if you even so much as breathe on it." Great, now I was just plain babbling. "These walls may as well not even be there for all the sound they block. Or rather, don't block. Then again, if they weren't there, then we'd not only hear but also see-" Wrap it up, girl, wrap it up. "A-Anyway! So just… just take these. You'll thank me later, believe me."

His eyes crinkled and he nodded, plucking them from my hand. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. Thanks."

Good. Okay. Yes, this was going well.

...huh. Though… slight hitch in the plan…

What now? I hadn't exactly thought this far ahead.

Maybe this was enough. I could now just make a graceful exit, leaving things in a better place than where I had previously. Yeah, that sounded good.

I gave him a tight-lipped grin, inching backwards as I pointed towards my room. "Okay then, I think I'll just…" But as I turned, my eyes landed on Rayne's and Riku's door again and I froze and grimaced. "Ah, shoot," I hissed under my breath.

"Problem?" I heard Lea ask behind me.

I shook my head, "I meant to ask Rayne to unzip my dress before she went to bed since the zipper is just where I can't reach and-" I blinked, then glanced over my shoulder at him sheepishly before fully turning to face him. "And why am I even telling you this? Forget I said anything. It's nothing, I'll figure it out."

"I can do it," he tossed the ear plugs onto the coffee table between us before stepping around it.

Waving my hands rapidly back and forth in front of me, I said, "No, it's fine. Really, you don't have to-"

"Don't be silly, just let me help you," he came to stop in front of me.

I tucked in my lower lip. Maybe I was just being silly about this. I mean, what was the big deal? Really? "...o-okay," I sighed, turning my back to him once more and sweeping my braid forward over one shoulder, running my hands down its length a few times. At least my old nemesis, The Blush, had the common courtesy to wait until I was no longer looking at Lea before creeping its way up into my cheeks.

I could sense him taking another step closer to me, could hear his gentle breathing as I felt his fingers undo the clasp at the top of the zipper. One of his fingertips incidentally grazed my skin and I couldn't stop a tiny shiver. Then there was a pause. Like… a long pause. I frowned straight ahead, uncertain. Nothing seemed to be happening. I turned my head slightly, stopping just short of actually being able to look back at him. "...everything okay?"

"Uh… yeah, the uh…" he cleared his throat, "...the stupid thing just got stuck for a sec there, but it's all good now." At last, the sound of the dress unzipping reached my ears. "There ya go, you're all set!"

My hand darted to clutch at the back of my dress, holding it together as I whipped around to face him. My blush? Only seemed to be growing in strength. I started backing away, "Th-thanks… for that. That was really… something. Nice! That was nice. Of you. To do that… for me. I-" I crashed into my door frame and stumbled. "Oops. Heh. Who put that there? Um… anyway…"

And on that eloquent and fully formed note, I dashed into my room, banging the door closed. Then I puffed out a breath, slumping down to sit on the floor as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

Great. Just dandy. I hadn't left things mildly awkward this time. Oh no, I'd only left them mega, ultra, super awkward now. Progress! Superb. Just perfect.

That's it. It's decided. I'm not fit for human contact. I was just going to barricade myself in this room and never come out ever again. Ever. Period. The outside world would be better off without me anyhow. Good bye, people. Hello, sweet sweet solitude. I-

I heard a muffled buzz and my head snapped up. It'd come from Lea's jacket on my bed. I squinted at it for a second. Then it clicked. My phone! I half crawled, half scrabbled over to it, digging into the pocket and pulling it out, swiping the screen.

There was a new text from Lea.

2nite was fun

I blinked, looking over at my door. Then back down at my phone, pursing my lips to one side. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard for a second. Then slowly I began to type.

I thought so too.

I waited as those three little dots hopped in a row.

We shud totes do it again sometime

A huff of amusement escaped through my nose, the tension starting to leave my body.

I'd really like that.

Then I tipped my head to one side, grinning slightly as I tapped away further.

I'm paying next time though.

The dots were dancing on my screen again.

Aight, if u insist. But b warned, Im not a cheap date

Now I actually laughed.

I can live with that.

Perhaps I'd been a bit too hasty. Maybe there was no need to barricade myself in here. Not just yet anyway. I'd hold off for a bit.

At least long enough to see what tomorrow would bring.

Author's Note: Anyone else notice Lea's shirts seem to be getting tighter and tighter every new excuse he has to see Elsa out of his work clothes? I think he's subconsciously putting on a courtship display to present himself as a sexually viable mate xD Ahem, moving on… Fun Fact 1: Fuente Del Oro is a real, Coco-themed restaurant over in Disneyland Park in Paris! Google translate says the name means "Gold Fountain", oooOOooo pretty! I really hope Coco makes it into one of the future KH games eventually! Fun Fact 2: Elsa's dress this chapter is inspired by her purple dress from when she sings Into The Unknown in Frozen 2! Just picture it shorter and more cocktail-dressy. And I know in the movie, that purple dress is a nightgown, but shhh, we'll just forget that part. And the dress Lea described in his "how we met" story? Loosely based on Elsa's Show Yourself dress - again just picture it shorter, more practical and more sundressy xD Also if you haven't heard of it, Before Sunrise is a real movie, not to mention a real SAPPY movie. Kind of slow, but cute. I'd actually never heard of it until I started writing this chapter - saw a gif go by on tumblr of the lead couple from the movie doing something adorable that made me go "oh gosh, that's SO Lea and Elsa!" and had to watch it xD I'm kind of happy it came along when it did though, cuz it gave me inspiration for Lea's "how we met" story :)

Next chapter, what new challenges will Elsa face in her adventures in fake dating? Will she ever be able to work up the courage to initiate a display of affection herself? Just how much of a "not a cheap date" is Lea really? What about his shirts? CAN they get any tighter? Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

17 notes · View notes