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writingsbychlo · 1 year

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HOME TO US | rhysand

summary; rhys and nyx are a family of two, but they're both pretty hell-bent on making it into a trio, with you.

word count; 12,151

notes; I have no idea how this got so long? I planned for it to be like 4-5k, and @azsazz can vouch for that. also big shout out to @acourtofwhatthefuck for proofreading this for me when I just had no motivation, but I needed this one to be perfect.

Fate had always seemed to have the worst timing for you.

Whether it be relationships, the sunny skies turned to rain, or simply this; balancing precariously on a stool and getting startled by your own phone, which you could have sworn was on silent mode.

Blaring out across the shop in a sudden burst of cheery notes and tones, you almost dropped the stacks of books in your hands, cursing a little as it vibrated in rhythm in the back pocket of your jeans. When the call persisted after the usual three rings signalling a cold caller or market salesperson, you sighed.

Shifting the books to one arm, you fished the phone out before it could go to voicemail, wondering just who would be calling you so urgently at this time of the day. The question didn’t linger for long, though, as your eyes widened at the caller across the front of the screen.

‘Velaris Young-Education Prepatory School’.

A ridiculously fancy name for an elementary school, you thought it every time you saw the name, and yet right now, your heart skipped a beat as you pressed answer. Bringing it to your ear as you shuffled the books in your arms more, you lowered yourself down from the ladder carefully.

“Hello?”

“Oh, hello! Is this Nyx’s mother, (Y/N)? It’s V-Y-E Prep.”

The woman on the phone sounded somewhere between relieved and panicked, and your heart leapt into your throat a little at her tone. “Well, yes, that’s me, but-”

“Oh, good, we weren’t able to get in touch with dad, I was worried I wouldn't be able to get a hold of either of you.” She cut you off before you had a chance to finish, your lips clamping shut as she let out a sigh of a laugh. “I’m Nyx’s class teacher, but he’s had a little bit of an accident today, do you think you’d be able to come and pick him up from the reception?”

Your heart felt like it stopped in your chest entirely. “An accident, what kind of accident, is he okay?”

“Oh, he’s fine! He had a fall during playtime, and he bumped his head. There’s a mark, and a scratch we’ve cleaned up, but he’s understandably a little shocked and upset. We know dad can get… concerned,”

Understatement of the century, you wanted to butt in, because Rhys was more than just concerned. He was overprotective, in an endearing way, but he tended to freak out over the smallest things. Then again, it didn’t help when teachers said things like ‘accident’ when it’s not so serious. Perhaps it was a good thing that they got you, not him.

“So, we thought we’d give you a ring, and see if you could pick him up?”

Your eyes flickered to the clock on the wall. You still had four hours left of your shift, and you felt terrible just ducking out, even if the store was dead, excluding the few people idling over lukewarm coffees in the connected café. “Sure, yeah, of course. I can be there in twenty minutes.”

“Wonderful, we’ll see you then.”

The line clicked dead, your eyes sliding shut as you let out a slow breath. You could have just said no, that voice in your head taunted, he’s not your child to fret over. And yet, the thought of his sad face lingered in your mind, triggering all those maternal instincts inside of you and sending them into overdrive.

“Sounds urgent.” Somehow, despite walking with a cane and always wearing heeled boots that clicked on the floorboards, Margaret had managed to sneak up on you. When you turned, the seventy-something-year-old was standing with a smile on her face behind you, eyeing the phone in your hand.

“I’m sorry, Margie. It’s Nyx’s school.” You grimaced, lips pressing together into a thin line. She only laughed lightly, waving a frail hand idly in the air as if to bat the moment away.

“Oh, don’t worry, dear. I know what it’s like to have your child’s school call you up in the middle of the day.” Her smile only widened, her eyes glazing over a little. “Our Tommy was a terrible little troublemaker, I had constant calls about his behaviour. And our Jenny, well, she was the clumsiest kid you ever saw. Tripped over thin air.”

A wistful sigh escaped her, and your lips flicked up at the edges. You’d met both Thomas and Jennifer, lovely people, but just as she’d described. Jennifer seemed even more prone to bad timing than you, and Thomas had turned all that troublesome energy into bad flirting and a heated temper.

“You do what you have to for your kids.” She’d finished her recollections, her voice snapping you from your own, and you could only nod.

“I know, but he’s not my kid. Not biologically, or in any way that matters. It’s not the same, and-”

“Hon, if I’ve ever seen a mother, it’s you to that little boy.” Her words made a lump in your throat that was impossible to speak around, a quick flash of emotion swelling up that you were quick to fight against, but the sparkle in her eyes told you she’d seen in. “He may not have your genes, but he’s yours. So, go get your son. The store will still be here when you come back on Monday.”

“Are you sure-”

“Don’t make me force you out of this door.” She tapped her cane at your feet, just close enough that you could feel the floorboards vibrate under the harsh taps, a wordless threat, and a grin broke out on your lips to hide the blush on your cheeks.

“Alright, I’ll see you Monday, then.”

She gave a curt nod, and you were flying through the store. Grabbing your bag and coat from the backroom on the way, you were out of the back door and at your car in less than a full minute. Only when you’d put your bags onto the seat and checked the car seat permanently attached to the back of the car did you get into your own seat.

How you’d gotten to this point, you had no idea. It hadn't been your intention four years ago when you’d first met baby Nyx, to end up with a box of his things in your trunk for emergencies, a child seat of your own in the back of the car and your name registered as a parental contact. Yet, as you stared, twisting to look at it and brushing your fingers over the fabric, you didn’t have a single regret about it.

In fact, only a smile pulled at your lips as you thought about him. Him, and his father. Rhysand had been your best friend for many years, and his baby only seemed to bring you closer. You’d never have wished Nyx’s mother to have abandoned him, you loathed the woman every day for what she did to them both, but it had created a space in their lives that you’d somehow patched a part of up.

When Rhys had needed support and guidance, you’d been there.

Now, you’d be there for Nyx, too.

As you started the car, flicking a glance back to check the mirrors on the seat were still aligned, Margie’s words flickered through your mind.

If I’ve ever seen a mother, it’s you to that little boy.

They lingered on your mind for the entire drive, hanging over you like a cloud on an April day, unsure if it was going to rain, or simply pass by. Until you were parked outside of the school, hands still clenched tightly on the steering wheel as you stared up at the tall glass entryway only a few paces away. You couldn't see Nyx yet, not with the doors on the other side that truly sealed off the building, but you could make out figures and shapes on the other side.

Your eyes moved to the clock, the digit clicking over another number, and your fingers felt numb when you finally released them from the wheel. With another sigh, you released all thoughts about mothers and genes and Rhys.

One day, perhaps, you’d confront them. Today wasn’t going to be it.

Stepping out of the car and swinging the door shut behind you, you didn’t even bother to lock it, as you took a slow jog up the main pathway before the school. The doors hissed open automatically before you, the smell of fresh cotton coming from the air freshener in the corner of the office, and the receptionist behind the desk looked borderline bored as she glanced up.

“Hi, um- Hi. I’m here for Nyx.”

Her eyes widened a little, looking significantly more interested now as she took your name, and called through to the classroom. The thought almost amused you, had you not been so concerned. Rhys had quite the reputation around here, the big checks and hefty donations gained him and Nyx quite the special treatment, one that clearly seemed to pass onto you, too.

The doors to the school buzzed open a second later as the magnetic locks released, and you stepped through. Sitting in one of the large plush chairs lined up along the wall of the office was Nyx, looking utterly swamped as his feet swung in the air, head bowed and hands clutching tightly to his backpack in his lap.

At the scuffing of your shoes, his head snapped up, eyes wide and hopeful, turning to relieved as he saw you. He dropped his bag to the floor, moving to slide out of the chair but you were faster, dropping down to kneel before him. Up close, you could see more, enough to break your heart.

His eyes were red, cheeks pink, tear-marks tracked into the smears of playground dirt and classroom muck on his face. When you brushed the edge of his inky hair back from his forehead, it was to reveal a cut across his forehead to his temple, bumped and bruised, growing into a lump on his head. His bottom lip wobbled, eyes growing shiny again.

“Oh, Nyxie, did you get hurt?”

“Yeah…” His voice trembled as he spoke, sniffling lightly and wiping at his cheeks with his sleeve. Patting his hair down once again, you tried to choke back the emotions clogging in your throat as a tall shadow fell across the both of you. With a glance, you confirmed that it was his teacher, looking more than a little nervous as she watched you take in Nyx for yourself.

“We just have some forms for you to sign, and I can tell you a little more about his injury, and then you’re good to go.” At your nod, she let out a heavy breath, wiping her hands down subtly on her skirt.

“Nyxie, I’m just going to go sign some forms for you, okay? Do you want to wait here?” He shook his head, eyes widening a bit as his little hand clamped down onto your arm, gripping tightly and shuffling across the seat closer to you. “You want to come with us?”

“Can I have cuddles?” His voice was low and shy, your heart swelling a little more.

“C’mere.” Opening your arms up for him, his damp cheek fell to your shoulder, nose tucking sweetly into your neck, and you scooped him up, his legs dangling on either side of your body as he slumped against your chest happily. Standing up with a little more effort than usual, Nyx’s hands patted idly over your knitted jumper, body bouncing with each step you took to follow her inside of the office.

The forms were already laid out, four to be signed, and she pushed the first one over to you. “This one is just to state you acknowledge the injury, the second is a copy for you, because dad requested always having a copy of forms.” Her cheeks flushed with a little colour, the edges of your lips flicking up at Rhys’ quirks. “The third is just an injury form, that you know we’ve given you all the information, and you’re satisfied. The fourth, another copy.”

You quickly signed your name on the first two, pushing one over to her and keeping the other on your side. The pen hovered over the paper of the third, your fingers clenching a little on it, eyes flicking over the page. “What did happen, exactly?”

“Well, uhm…” You rubbed a hand over Nyx’s back, a soft affirmation that you appreciated how patiently he was waiting. Putting on a smile, you tried to put the woman at ease, not having meant to sound quite so… pissed.

“I know kids have accidents, I didn’t mean to sound so… well, let’s just say, be glad I’m the one that picked up the call. Dad can be overprotective.” The boy in your arms giggled a little, and you placed down the pen, using your hand to now cup his head and rub at his hair lightly.

“He was playing on the climbing equipment. I think he went a little too high, because he couldn't climb down. Another child was trying to help him, but before anyone could get over to him once we realised he was stuck, he fell off.” Her voice was a lot more confident now, and you were glad you’d been able to ease just a little of that tension. “I can take you out to the equipment and show you what happened, if you’d like?”

“That won’t be necessary.” You grabbed for the pen again, signing both pages, and she pulled one over towards her files as you gathered the other two.

“Nyx was so brave, weren’t you, huh?” She swiped a finger over his cheek as she passed by to get the door for you again, and he nodded slowly against your body. “And he was so excited when he found out his mommy was coming to get him.”

There was that word again, all of those thoughts coming swarming back in a dizzying rush as you followed her. A hot blush settled on your cheeks, your mouth opening to correct her, before Nyx’s hands were bunching in your jumper as he let out another little giggle, making your lips snap closed again. He hid his face deeper in your shoulder.

Stooping down to pick up his bags, his teacher placed it over your arm, swinging as you gripped paperwork in one hand and Nyx in the other. “I put all of his schoolwork in his bag. We’ll see you again tomorrow, Nyx!”

She held the door open for you, waving her goodbye as she watched you go, the receptionist looking far more alert now than she had earlier, smiling widely as the two of you left, and you could feel their gazes on you all the way to the parking lot.

Putting down the paperwork and his bag on the top of the car, you opened it up, leaning in to settle him was like muscle memory now. No longer an awkward act but a practised one, as he slid from your arms and into the chair. Fastening the belt across his middle, you did the ones over his shoulders.

Eyes that were the same incredible shade of near-violet as his father’s were watching you, a ridiculously adorable smile on his face as you leaned in to press a kiss to the uninjured side of his forehead. Tucking his bags on the other side of him, you checked all his straps, not realising you were frowning yourself until his little fingers pinched at your nose.

“Got a nose!” He whispered excitedly, waving his fingers in a way that was supposed to mock his uncle’s, the way Cassian would always tease that he’d ‘stolen Nyx’s nose’ to cheer him up. When you smiled at him, he pushed his hand back against your face, giggling to himself as he continued to imitate his uncle. “You can have it back!”

“Well, thank goodness for that!” You teased, rubbing over the bridge of your nose and taking him in. Once you were happy with his safety, you closed the door, taking only the paperwork with you and folding them in half, tucking them into the glovebox of the car for safekeeping. When the car turned on, your fingers went to the radio, and a single button pressed had some of Nyx’s favourite songs pouring from the speakers as the kiddie-CD in the player came to life. “We’ll go and see your daddy now, hopefully, he won’t be too upset about your head.”

The boy only hummed to his song, leaning to stare out of the window, breath fogging it up and one hand resting on the windows he watched his school be left behind. “Daddy will be angry with us?”

For all the fresh set of worries now swirling inside of your head at Rhys’ reaction, you’d never considered how Nyx would interpret your words. “Oh, no, of course not, baby. Never us. We make daddy smile, not frown!”

Reaching behind yourself as you came to a stop at the red lights, you squeezed at his knee lightly, retracting it only when the light went yellow. Another few minutes of quiet went past, the roads clear for the middle of the day as you drove, and Nyx was happily taking in all of the Velaris scenery as you passed by.

From the small town outskirts and into the city centre, it was when you were almost there that Nyx stopped singing and decided to speak again.

“I heard daddy tell Uncle Azzy on the phone that you make him smile like nobody else ever has.”

Your eyes widened, your foot nearly slamming onto the brake a little too hard as you turned a corner, and Nyx went back to singing his song. Your heart was picking up speed in your chest, the traitorous organ fuelled on hope reacting in a way you tried to resist. Your head was empty, it took a full minute to form your response, and you gave out a croaky laugh. “Were you being cheeky and listening to your dad’s private phone calls again?”

“No!” His voice sounded indignant, but with a look cast in the mirror onto him, you could see the cheeky smirk on his face. “He answered it at dinnertime! I got to say hi to Uncle Azzy. He’s in a whole different country right now, did you know that?”

You could only smile at the excitement in his voice as he spoke all about Azriel’s current escapades in Spain, or at least, the version that was completely safe and child-friendly. Soon, though, his distraction was over, and he was circling back to a topic you had hoped he’d forgotten.

“Daddy loves you. He told Uncle Azzy. And Uncle Cass, and Auntie Mor.”

“Well, now I know you’re telling me fibs.” Releasing your hand from the gearstick at the next red light, you reached it behind you, tickling at his tummy until he laughed loudly and kicked his legs, slapping at your hands weakly as he wriggled in his chair. “He would never tell Uncle Cass about his feelings, because Uncle Cass would tease him!”

“I’m not telling fibs, I’m not!” He gasped the words between breaths, face growing red, and you almost forgot you were sitting at the lights until a car honked behind you, forcing you to pull away. His laughter died down as the car started again, but he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “He did tell him. He said that he loves you, and he thinks that you’re the prettiest girl in the whole wide world.”

Your lips pursed, your heart betraying you once again, stomach joining as butterflies erupted until you felt lightheaded, and the weight of his stare on the back of your head was obvious without you even needing to turn.

In a far less sure voice now, “Do you love daddy?”

You had no idea how to answer that question. You’d known he’d get curious about your friendship with his father soon, you’d just been foolish and selfish enough to hope it was his father that he asked, and so you wouldn't have to handle it.

Of course you loved Rhysand, but that didn’t make it easy to explain.

Rhys could never know, the wound of Feyre running away with Tamlin and abandoning Nyx was sure to still be raw, Rhys hadn't been on a date in four years, and if this conversation had confirmed anything, it was that Nyx wasn’t the best secret-keeper.

Your words had to be chosen carefully.

“Your daddy is my best friend, so, yes. I do love him.” You thought you’d done well, until Nyx made a non-committal sound, another question all ready to go.

“Does he make you smile?”

“Yes.” Your teeth gritted, the looming office building of the company HQ filling the sky as you pulled up to the security box, not even needing to roll the window down before the gates were buzzing open for you.

“And, do you think he’s the prettiest man in the whole wide world?” His arms flew as wide as they could, and you ignored how endearing it was, choosing a parking spot instead and focusing on your alignment.

“He’s very pretty, Nyx. Just like you.”

“Then why can’t you be my mommy?” That question felt like a punch to the gut, the car shutting off, silence filling the cabin around you as the engine stopped and the singing CD paused. He was waiting, playing with his fingers and staring at you when you turned to face him. His eyes were wide, confused, and you hated that he felt that way.

“Let’s clean up your face, huh? You’re all dirty.” The words were pathetic, you hated yourself, because avoiding his question meant avoiding your own. You were taking the coward's way out, pulling two wipes from the packet in the dash to wipe at his face. He stayed silent, lips pursed in an unhappy pout, but he didn’t push it. The next time he spoke, it was as you were unclipping him from his car seat and lifting him towards the ground.

“No, no, no.” He clung to you more, jutting out his lip and putting on puppy eyes he knew worked every time. “More cuddles?”

If it kept him effectively distracted, that was more than enough. Settling him in your arms and locking the car this time, the two of you set off towards the building, Nyx babbling in your ear about everything he could see around him so far.

Upon entering the lobby, his chatter cut off, head lifting from your shoulder to wave excitedly at the assistant behind the main desk. Long ago, you’d felt insecure stepping into this building in nothing but your jeans and a hoodie as everyone else wore dresses and suits and polished heels. Now, even as the elegant woman stood in her pencil skirt to lean over the counter to greet him, you felt at home. “Hi, Ana!”

“What are you doing here in the middle of the day, little mister?”

He only laughed, leaning out proudly to wave at her, and a new receptionist you didn’t recognise. “We’re here to see Daddy!”

She offered a knowing smile when you pushed his hair back just enough to show off the growing bruise, and turning to the intern beside her. “Take them up to the boss, and let him know.”

With a shaky smile and a polite introduction, she led your group over to one of the elevators, Nyx pulling faces and giggling over your shoulder at Ana the whole time. The ride up to the top floor consisted of Nyx counting the numbers off loudly, tickling them off on his fingers until he couldn't count anymore, and the doors chimed open at level twenty-six.

Guiding the both of you toward the boardrooms, you stopped outside of Rhys’ preferred meeting room, the one with ‘the good coffeepot’ he claimed, a smile flickering on your lips as you spotted his silhouette through the frosted glass while she knocked at the door.

As she entered, you could hear his voice pouring out, the back end of a speech on this year's profit margins that he’d practised on you a hundred times before today, only going quiet as all attention fell to her. “Sir, your wife and son are here.”

Your brows rose at her wording, still sitting high on your forehead as Rhys appeared, closing the door behind him and dismissing her thankfully. Left alone, his gaze flickered over you both, an emotion you still didn’t understand settling on his face when Nyx sat up in your arms, still cuddled against you.

“Hi, daddy! I got a bump on my head, look!” Pushing his hand over his hair, he moved his fringe out of the way, Rhysand’s eyes going comically wide as he stepped closer to get a look at it. “I fell off the climbing frame!”

His frantic gaze swept to you as he ran a thumb over his son’s forehead, the other hand settling on your hip subconsciously, but all your attention seemed to fix on the way his thumb swept over your waist in a matching way.

“I took care of it all, don’t worry.” You mustered the best smile you could, getting a whiff of his expensive work cologne when he dipped down to press a kiss to the same spot you had when tucking Nyx into the car. He examined the cut a little more, frowning at the mark on his son’s face, and you wanted to say something, to reassure him, to quash the thoughts about being a bad father that you knew were flying through his head. Before you could speak, though, he was acting once again.

He nodded, seeming to have already fought the war inside his own mind, and if the way his shoulder’s slumped from their tightened position, he’d won this one. Leaning in to press a kiss to your forehead too, your breath caught in your throat at the intimate brush of his lips over your skin. Rhysand had always been affectionate, this part of your friendship was nothing new, but somehow, it had become so much more than a flirty comment or wink. Your eyes fluttered shut, pressing selfishly into that hint of affection as it dragged on just a second too long, warmth coating your cheeks when he pulled back.

“Give me five minutes to finish this meeting up, wait in my office.” His attention moved to his son. “You can get one toy out, just one.”

At the mention of the toy-box tucked away in the back corner of the office, Nyx’s face lit up, hands clapping together excitedly, and Rhys chuckled at him. “Do you need anything?”

“We’ll be fine.” You’d been to his office more times than you could count, knowing the building like the back of your hand. “Go finish up, gods know you didn’t make me suffer through your rehearsals a thousand times just to mess it all up now.”

He only smirked, adjusting his blazer and ruffling his son’s hair, cautious of his injury. “I’ll be with you soon, darling.” Before you could respond, he was placing a quick kiss on your cheek, and backing away and returning to work, the door closing behind him.

When you stared at his empty space a little too long, Nyx let out an impatient sigh. “I want to play with the racing cars, darling.”

“Hey, now, cheeky! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were feeling absolutely fine, and perhaps I should take you back to school!”

Nyx burst out into more laughter, shaking his head and clinging to you. Even if his movements did make it harder to carry him, you didn’t care, grinning at the enthusiasm and excitement on his face. As soon as you had the office door open, he was squirming in your arms to get down, racing over to the box in the corner the second his feet were touching the floor.

Tearing off the lid, you flicked the light on, shutting the door and frowning as he began to pile toys up all along the floor. “Nyx, your dad just told you only one toy. Pick one, put the rest back.”

“But the cars all count as one, I have to get the whole set out!”

“Nope. You know that’s not how it works.” He scowled, but remained silent, making a point of pulling out the black truck with flames on the wheels, the one you hated, because it made terrible sound effects of grating engines and monster trucks. Piling the rest of the toys back inside haphazardly, the lid remained off the box, and he switched the volume up, glancing at you as he did. You only granted him a sigh, collapsing down into the plush leather chair of Rhysand’s desk.

Five minutes of watching Nyx push the truck around the floor and over every surface as he made car sounds himself soon slipped into ten. He changed toys to a small fluffy dog, and at fifteen minutes, an action figure. Just as he was setting up for his meeting with the plastic army man, Rhys appeared at the door, tugging his tie loose and smiling when you straightened in his chair.

Tucking the tie down into his suit pocket, he circled the desk, eyeing Nyx on the floor, who didn’t even bother to look up from his life-or-death mission. Taking a seat in one of the cushioned meeting chairs on the other side of the desk, he turned a questioning gaze to you, raising an eyebrow.

“He climbed too high on the climbing frame at school, and slipped when another kid tried to help him down. He got all checked out by the school first aid, he’s totally fine. No dizziness or headaches or nausea, nothing wrong. Just a bruise and a bump.” It didn’t stop Rhys from worrying, rolling his lower lip between his teeth as his gaze moved back to his joyfully-distracted son. “Rhys.”

He didn’t look up, biting down on that lip harder. With one hand, he popped free the button on his collar, and the one below, taking a deep breath.

“Rhysand.” With a firmer tone, you managed to gain his attention, a reluctant stare shifting to you, and you held your hands out across the desk, palms up. Wiggling your fingers, he placed one hand in both of yours, sighing sadly at the look on your face as you squeezed his hand. “It’s okay, Nyx is fine, I made sure of it. I checked him out myself, signed the forms after reading them, and I’ve been keeping an eye on him. Look at him. He’s perfectly okay.”

“I’m sorry you had to leave work.” He whispered, ashamed gaze trailing to your joined hands, the edges of his lips barely flickering as you smoothed your thumbs over his knuckles. He squeezed a little harder, tugging a little closer, ensuring you weren’t letting go just yet. You’d had no intention to, anyway.

Tugging on your hands a little more, he guided you around the desk, back to your feet until you were standing before him, between his knees, and he could tip forwards to brace his head against your ribs. He still held tight to one of your hands, running his fingers over your skin now, but you managed to fight one hand free. With it, you patted his hair softly, smoothing over it until he let out a shaky but light breath.

“Thank you.”

“You know I’d do anything for you two. Absolutely anything, you have nothing to thank me for, or say sorry for.” He only nodded, tipping his head up enough that the tip of his nose dragged over your skin, until his chin was propped there instead, glancing up at you.

“Not true, I’m thankful for you every single day.”

You willed your body not to react, not to give you away, other than the small smile you offered him, settling with your hand on the nape of his neck for a second. It was intimate, romantic, far too much for friendship, and the sudden flash of thought made your spine stiffen, and your hand retract down to sit safely on his shoulder instead. “Rhys?”

“Yes, darling?”

“Why does Nyx’s school have me listed as his mother?”

He blinked, once. “What?”

“When they called, they asked me if I was his mom, and I never got a chance to correct her before she was telling me everything. Then when I got there, she said it again.”

He was silent for a moment, before sitting up once again, disentangling himself from you and putting on an easy-going smile to match his shrug as he slumped back into the seat. “I have no idea. Maybe she just got confused, or forgot.”

“Okay…” You gave only a moment's pause, leaning yourself on the edge of the desk beside you, and crossing your arms. “Well, why does your receptionist think I’m your wife?”

“She’s new.” The words rolled off of his tongue so fast it was like he’d planned them, your brows shooting up a little. “I mean, you come in here carrying Nyx, and what else would she know?”

Despite his casual demeanour, a soft layer of pink tinged those tan cheeks, so faint you’d hardly notice it if you weren’t so good at reading him. His eyes studied you for a second, a deep look as he stared, gaze taking you in just as much as you seemed to take him in. There was a lull, a pause, like so many moments lately where the air seemed positively charged between you both, lingering on an adrenaline-filled precipice and just waiting for something to happen.

Rhys broke it, just a second before it would have become too much for you, too. Clearing his throat, he caught Nyx’s attention. “Why don’t we go and get some ice-cream, buddy? Put the toy away and we can go right now.”

“Before dinner?” The child’s eyes widened, throwing the army man into the box without a care for the way he slammed off of the wall, all love gone now at the mention of ice-cream. Clicking the lid back into place, you watched them interact in a daze, the joking and chatter becoming background noise.

You’d never given yourself a chance to think before, too scared to get your heart broken and to lose them both, but a small flame of hope in the back of your heart had been steadily growing bigger and brighter, and it was starting to become hard to ignore.

Only when a small hand slipped into yours did you snap out of it, Nyx swinging happily with one hand in yours and the other in his father’s, telling him all about the school work he’d done as Rhysand grabbed for his briefcase and coat. Once he’d acquired them, you were on the move, trailing through the building in much the same way, swinging Nyx between your bodies and letting him bounce excitedly at the prospect of frozen sugar before a healthy meal.

As you wandered through the lobby, you took stock of yourselves, noting just how much the three of you really did resemble a family. The receptionist would be right to assume, simply from what it looked like. And, even if the teacher did know you hadn't been, from the number of mornings you’d dropped Nyx at school or picked him up at the end of the day, it could easily be misread as merely a development in a complicated relationship.

Perhaps, it was nothing more than a misunderstanding, and Rhys was right.

The butterflies in your stomach died down to a heavy weight. One of both relief, and disappointment you refused to acknowledge, the hot flush of anxiety cooling into a steady calm, and you were finally able to take a deep breath once again as you reached the car.

“We just need to grab his bag and forms from my car, and-”

“You’re not coming for ice-cream?” Rhys’ head snapped up from where he’d been looking down at his son, brows furrowing at you, and Nyx fell silent, turning to stare up with an identical look of confusion.

“You don’t like ice-cream?” He echoed in his father’s tone, the two were far too alike for your good, and Nyx was nothing if not a clone of his father. One silver lining had always been that Nyx seemed to be 99% Rhys, only getting 1% from his mother. It was the smattering of freckles over his nose that only came out in the summer.

“Of course, I like ice-cream.” You tapped at the tip of Nyx’s nose and he beamed.

“So, you’re gonna’ come with us, then?” Your gaze moved from him, to Rhys, whose brows only furrowed further.

“What’re you lookin’ at me for? You know you’ve always got a place with us. Frankly, if you decided to move in tomorrow, I wouldn't bat an eye.”

Your eyes rolled, and when you were looking back at him, he was grinning. “What about my car?”

“I’ll drive you back here to get it.”

“What about work?” You motioned to the building behind you, and he opened his car door, motioning for Nyx to hop up into the back.

“I own the company, I can take off an afternoon to be with the people I care about.”

“What about-” He leaned in close enough that your noses almost brushed, a smirk forming on his lips at the hitch in your breath, cutting off your words.

“Shut up, get in the car, and let me take my family for ice-cream.”

You couldn’t breathe, never mind form a response, that word ricocheting through the inside of your skull like a bullet. Nudging you to the side, Rhys opened the passenger door, motioning you too, until you were sinking into the spacious car and letting him close the door behind you.

By the time he’d strapped in his son and gotten into the car himself, you’d regained your calm and your ability to speak. “You’re bossy.”

“I’m the boss.”

“Not in this car, you’re not.” You muttered under your breath, his chuckle only dulled by the purr of the engine as the SUV roared to life. Setting the car into gear, he cast a cheeky look in your direction.

“Oh, I know. You’ve been calling the shots here since the day I met you, and I’m just fine with that.”

He settled a hand on your knee, innocently enough, after turning on kid’s songs to match your car to keep Nyx happy. He never flinched, never even glanced at his hand on you, like it was the most normal and natural thing in the world. The scariest part, was that it felt exactly that way to you, too.

Nothing about it seemed wrong, or off, and the longer you stared at his hand, the more you wanted to take it. To lace your fingers together, set your hands in your lap after kissing his knuckles. Despite your attempts to push it down, it was seeming more and more like your ignorance of your situationship with Rhysand was making itself known.

It didn’t make sense. You were perfect together, in every other way, so why had he never made a move in this way? The spike of confused pain through your chest stung like a needle through the heart.

The drive to the ice-cream parlour didn’t give you much time to think, everything today was too fast, not enough time to think or clear your head. Before you knew it, you were pulled to a stop, Rhys climbing from the car to release his son who was practically tearing out of his car-seat to get to his favourite dessert store. He could have done with the run, the walk, anything to burn off some of that energy, but Rhys scooped him up into his arms, pressing several kisses to his son’s head, who only moaned and pushed at his father’s head.

He didn’t want kisses, he wanted sprinkles.

Too bad Rhys was beating himself up again about it all. Freeing yourself from the car to alleviate his worries, you squeezed his arm as you stepped out, shooting him a look to tell him that Nyx was more than okay. “One bumped head does not make you the world’s worst dad. Kids have accidents all the time, but look how happy he is right now.”

He didn’t need to look, shuffling his son to his hip and reaching out for your hand instead as he nodded. Lifting it up, he placed a kiss on the back of your hand before lacing your fingers together.

There was a bell tinkling over your head as Rhysand guided you into the cold store, looking for all the world, once again, like a real family, and you allowed yourself a few selfish seconds to eat it up. Finally, Nyx gained his freedom, darting over to the large glass display cabinet and plastering himself to the front of it as he took in all the flavours available today.

By the time the two of you had reached the front of the queue, he’d seemingly made up his mind, turning to stare at you both with a look on his face that could only mean trouble.

“You pick what you want, bud?”

Rhys’ cautious tone meant he’d picked it up too, his hand squeezing a little tighter around your own when you chuckled, cutting you a glare as Nyx rolled on the balls of his feet and nodded. “I want the chocolate fudge, two scoops,” He held up two small fingers, for emphasis. “With chocolate sauce and the little fudge-chunk sprinkles.”

The woman behind the counter only laughed, staring down at him adoringly as he placed his hands on his hips, expectantly. Rhys’ eyes widened, his head shaking a little. “How about vanilla, with strawberry sauce, and rainbow sprinkles?”

“Ew, yucky, no.” Nyx’s face crumpled, and Rhysand’s jaw dropped, glancing from his son to you, and back.

“It was your favourite last time.”

“But, this time my favourite is chocolate fudge with chocolate sauce and fudge chunks, Daddy!” Nyx stated it like it was obvious, and you tugged on your connected hands to bring an indignant Rhys’ attention to you.

“Oh, let him have his chocolate-fudge extravaganza, he bumped his head.” Rhys’ only scowled, muttering under his breath about being ‘ganged up on’, before nodding to the woman behind the till but indicating for only one scoop.

“You’re putting him to bed when he gets a sugar rush.” Was all Rhys could snipe back with, a smile forming on your lips against your control once again, letting him lead you over to the display stand as Nyx watched his ice-cream being constructed with rapt attention. Turning from the cabinet to you, he nudged his nose lightly against your temple, a feeling that had blood rushing to your cheeks and your head spinning at the intimacy. “The usual?”

“Yeah.” Your voice broke a little as you spoke the single syllable, and had you been capable of speaking properly at the time, you were sure you’d have been a little more embarrassed about it.

“One raspberry victoria-sponge chunk ice-cream with, two scoops, and one triple-scoop rocky road.” He added to the order, the woman only nodding, piling them up on top of the counter as Nyx tried to reach for his, sparkles in his eyes as he stared at his sickly-sweet monstrosity in awe.

Lifting it down for him, you stuck a wooden spoon into the cardboard cup holding it, a soft ‘thank you’ tumbling from his lips as he accepted it, cradling the pot patiently in his hands like it was a rare treasure. You remembered the same look being on Rhys’ face when he’d first held his son, the same tender and gentle astonishment, the shock in his eyes at something so special. You could only smile.

“Darling,” Rhys tugged on your arm, your head snapping up from Nyx to look at him, only to find both his eyes and the servers on you. You hummed, brows raising, and watching Rhys balancing two ice-cream cones in his hand. “I said, can you get my wallet? It’s in my jacket pocket, your side.”

“Oh! Right, sure.” Twisting to him, he smoothed his thumb over your hand in silent appreciation as you rooted around the inside of his pocket, fingers brushing across worn black leather, and pulling it free.

You were more than familiar with Rhys’ money and his cards, he often handed you a small fold of notes or one of his shiny cards whenever you took Nyx out or needed to buy something, refusing to ever let you pay, but you rarely held the whole wallet.

Flipping it open, your eyes scanned over the folds inside to search for the right card, but your gaze snagged on the fold of an image inside. Pinned lightly behind clear plastic, the image preserved perfectly, was a picture of you and Nyx. You remembered the moment clearly, you’d been out with the whole family, one of the rare moments that Azriel had been home at the same time Mor was back from travels and Cassian had a day off. Amren even freed the day up to sit in the park with you all, celebrating Nyx’s third birthday. Mor had been on her Polaroid camera hype, and you didn’t even know she’d snapped this picture.

Nyx’s hands were on your face, pushing your sunglasses on upside down after he’d finished playing with them. He was stood between your legs, the sundress you’d worn that day still had small stains from the muddy bottoms of his shoes, but the smile on his face that was caught in the picture was worth it. You rubbed a hand over the plastic protecting it, treasuring that day with all of your heart, and uncovering Rhys’ writing at the bottom as you did.

‘My loves’.

“Darling, the purple card. C’mon, the ice-cream is getting warm.” He nudged you again, Nyx staring pleadingly from the ground below as he clutched his treat, still waiting, and you slipped the purple card out with your thumb. Tapping it against the car reader and being sure to add a tip to compensate for your daydreaming, you slid the card back, sliding the wallet back into his pocket as the three of you found a table.

Just because you could no longer see the picture, didn’t mean it, and, more importantly, the caption, wasn’t seared into your mind. My loves. If he truly felt that way, why hadn't Rhysand ever made a move? It didn’t make sense, you’d been here since before Nyx had even been born, almost a decade of best-friendship and flirty comments that never became anything more, while secretly harbouring a picture of you in his wallet and holding your hand, kissing your forehead and smiling in a way that read as far more than just friends.

You’d barely even settled into the booth before Nyx was digging into his ice-cream, and your hand finally being freed and you were given your cone. Twisting it around and towards yourself, your eyes narrowed a little on the chunk missing from the side, somewhere where an obviously large piece of cake had been pulled out, and your glare turned to Rhys.

“You ate some of my ice-cream?”

“We always share, stop acting so surprised about it.” He grinned, taking a large scoop from his own, and you scowled at him.

“I hadn't even tried it yet, and you ate the best piece of cake!” He only smirked.

“Do you want to try my ice-cream?” Nyx offered, and you turned to look at him across the table. His hand was gripping the spoon like he was stirring in a cauldron, the contents inside had been churned up into a gloopy mess, and he held a spoonful of it out to you, chocolate and fudge-covered cheeks stretched in a smile.

“That’s okay, Nyxie, it’s all for you.” You passed your cone back to Rhys after unwrapping the napkin from around it. “Hold this, and don’t eat any more.”

He nodded dutifully, but eyed another piece of cake hidden within the ice-cream nonetheless, as he ate his own. There was a particularly large piece of dark chocolate with a marshmallow on the side of his own that he’d yet to notice, and you stored that away for revenge. Reaching across the table, you wiped at Nyx’s cheeks, unsure why you’d bothered since he was only going to end up in the same state again soon, but you did your best with the sticky mess anyway.

You gave up when he got ice-cream on your hand too, refusing to pause eating even when you tried to clean him up. Leaving the scrunched-up napkin on the table, his father only chuckled in your ear and handed you your cone back. Turning to him, you held out your other hand. Wiggling your fingers, his face pinched for a second, before he sighed, giving in. He pulled that same face every time, despite being right that you always shared, a victorious smile on your face.

You made a point of turning the cone, flashing the delicious chunk of chocolate and marshmallow to him, watching his jaw drop to stop you, but not fast enough. Clamping your mouth down around it, you pulled the chunk free, chocolate melting across your tongue as you let out a moan of appreciation.

His eyes flared, leaning in and snatching his cone back, but leaving his face close enough to your own that when you licked over your lips, you almost licked him too. “You’re so cruel to me.”

“Payback is a… well, you know the saying.” You smirked, ensuring not to swear in front of the child across the table from you both, and he only growled a little. His eyes flickered over your face, every spot his gaze touched made your skin burst out with heat, lingering for a moment on your mouth. He smirked, raising a hand, and brushing his thumb along the edge of your mouth as he pulled back a fraction.

“You missed a spot.” He breathed, thumb slipping to settle on your chin instead, and his eyes found yours once again. The air between you both crackled like it never had before, electricity sparking between you both again, but so much more intense. “I, uhm, I’ve been meaning to talk to you lately...”

“Yeah? Well, we never see each other, I can see how it’d be hard to find the time.” You teased, his softly sighed laugh brushing over your face as his gaze held yours. Smoothing his thumb along your jaw until he was cupping your face, it was only when a drop of ice-cream dripped from your cone and onto your finger, the cold sending a jolt through you that made you gasp and snap back.

Glancing down at it, you winced, licking away any more drops that looked like they may fall, and using Nyx’s napkin to wipe your fingers. When you turned back to Rhys he was facing the table again, eating his ice-cream and acting as though nothing had happened. The bubble was broken, whatever he was going to say he clearly wasn’t planning on anymore, and so you let it pass.

You ate your ice-creams together, conversation steadily flowing onto other topics, far safer ones, no doubt, and you did your best to clean up Nyx’s face once again. Smears of chocolate covered his cheeks, and you knew Rhys would have to scrub it off later before bed.

The ride back to the office was where you grew to regret convincing Rhysand to allow Nyx’s choice, his sugar rush beginning to kick in at full force. He screamed his songs at the top of his lungs, loud enough to make you both wince as you drove, bouncing chaotically in his seat and threatening to break right out like a miniature beast.

The hand, now sitting on your lower thigh rather than your knee, squeezed at a particularly loud shriek as he played with the window settings, up and down, up and down. “This is your fault.”

“I know!” You wailed, glancing back at Nyx, who was all but vibrating as he rocked side to side, giggling hysterically to himself. “I figured the sauce would be sugar-free, and fudge isn’t that much sugar, it’s like-”

“It’s half sugar!”

“What?” Your eyes widened a little, turning to look at Rhys with wide eyes, and he contained his laughter as he watched the road, trying to tune out the din from the backseat. “Regardless, I apologise for this.” There would be no calming him now.

Rhys rubbed his hand up and down your thigh softly. “I already told you, that's your problem. You think I’m going to let you go home and leave me with this?”

“I have some very important work to do-”

“Liar.” He called your bluff, and you scowled, turning your glare on his hand as it set warmth firing along all of your nerves.

When he finally pulled back into the parking lot, it was considerably emptier than it had been when you’d left, and he spun to park across two full spaces into place beside your car. He left the car with a happy sigh, closing the noise that his son was making inside the vehicle, and rolling his neck from side to side. Finally, he opened his son’s side, lifting the boy from his chair and setting him on the concrete, where he immediately began to jump up and down, holding onto his dad’s hand.

The pair accompanied you to your car, retrieving the school bags and taking them back to their own while you gathered the correct forms from the glovebox, meeting him by the back of the SUV that made your car look tiny in comparison. You pressed them into his hands, and he tucked them into the front pocket of Nyx’s bag, setting his son off to put the bags away, who remarkably, did as told.

“I know you said no thanks, but, thank you for today. I mean it, you were so wonderful. You’re always so wonderful, I couldn't do any of this without you.”

“Any time, Rhys. You know that.” He shrugged, hands tucking into the pockets of his smart pants, leaning against the side of the car only a foot away from you.

“I know, but that doesn’t make me any less lucky to have found you, and to get to keep you in my life.”

Small padding of feet came rushing back, bags no longer in sight but a picture clutched in his hands to be held up in the air as he came to a stop. It was decorated with pieces of glued-on dried pasta, glitter and sequins, and some splatters of paint. The most important part, though, was the drawing at the bottom.

You’d grown used to his style of drawing now, easily able to pick out what each scribble was supposed to be, or rather, who each scribble was supposed to be, and the attempt at writing underneath. It didn’t matter, though, because he was quick to enthusiastically point it all out.

“Look, look! It’s us! This is daddy, in purple. And this is you in blue, because it’s your favourite colour. And this is me! I’m wearing a crown.” His chest puffed up proudly, the broken piece of pasta on his head acting like a crown, and you traced the words written in matching colours under each figure.

Daddy. Nyx. Mommy.

Casting a look up, Rhys was staring at the paper, a horribly crushing mix of longing and pain in his eyes as he stared at it, throat bobbing in a swallow, before he was blinking it away. He’d always been good at playing another role, hiding his feelings when he needed to, but you’d caught him too many times.

All the pining and want, you’d always assumed it had been for Feyre, for the missing woman who had birthed his son, but when his eyes met yours, the façade cracking just a touch, you allowed yourself to wonder if maybe it was for you. Whatever it was today, this last few months, it was something new. It was like those walls you’d built up were finally crumbling, he was fighting through his own, and he let out a shaky sigh.

He let Nyx lower the photo, occupied with admiring his artwork. He leaned down, lips finding your cheek and lingering there in a soft kiss. You hooked a finger under his chin, twisting his head up until your noses were brushing, his eyes snapping open wide before you, as your lips brushed lightly. “What are you doing?”

“Well, I was thinking about kissing you.” You whispered, your voice shaking as you second-guessed yourself, second-guessed it all. His hand found your hip, smoothing around to sit on your lower back and tugging you close enough that your chests pressed together, his forehead resting on yours.

He didn’t pull away, he didn’t stop you, he just gave you your chance to decide.

So, you did.

You leaned up, pressing your lips to his in a delicate kiss that set your stomach into a frenzy of butterflies, and drew a soft noise from Rhys as he tightened his hold on you. After only a second of hesitation, he kissed you back, a push and pull with his lips that was as intoxicating as it was grounding. You felt like you were floating, tethered only to him as you gave into a desire you never thought you could have, his lips melding to yours in slow drags.

It felt like it went on forever, and you were certain that you could easily have stayed there, just like that, for the rest of your life.

When he let you breathe, when your mouths fell only an inch apart, you wanted to nudge closer to him once again, to seal yourself back to him, to sink into him wholly and entirely and never come apart again. If the tight grip he had on your hip was any indication, Rhysand felt the same way.

The fog cleared after a few moments, and he shifted back some more, eyes fluttering open once again, and this time, they were filled with questions. Swirling in the violet like a storm brewing at dusk, and you lifted a hand, running a finger over his cheek lightly, and smiling when his head tipped into your touch.

“I’m so telling Uncle Azzy that you kissed Daddy.”

You practically jumped out of your skin, having forgotten about the babbling little boy at your feet, who was now staring up at you both in nothing but shock and smugness, one hand planted on his hip as the picture that had sealed the deal hung limply from the other.

“Daddy and-” You scooped him up before he could even get started into that little riddle, the taunting making your cheeks warm, even if he was only four, and making your way back toward the car. Rhys shuffled along behind you in a silent daze, holding the door open for you and standing by as you tucked Nyx back into his car seat. He never gave up on his childlike-smirk.

“How about some dinner, huh? A little someone can have his favourite mac n’ cheese.”

“It's me! It’s me!” He cheered happily, and you took the opportunity while his arms were raised to strap the belt around his waist, sealing him back into the chair as his arms strapped through the other two. “I’m calling Uncle Azzy tonight. And Uncle Cassie.”

“You do that, Nyxie.” You bopped the end of his nose, switching on the small TV set that was attached to the headrest to face his way, and watching it load up. You could feel Rhys’ stare burning into you, like a fire crawling along your skin, impatient and needy and desperate for answers, making you grateful for this small distraction as you scrolled the shows on the tablet.

Like a warning, a warning not to make him wait much longer, Rhys settled one large hand over your hip, squeezing tightly and tugging you a fraction out of the car towards him, a shiver travelling down your spine. You hit play on the first show up.

Backing out of the car to close the door, you didn’t get far, Rhys didn’t move, only pulling your body back into his with the grip on your waist, slamming the door shut for you and leaving you pressed to him. In a quick spin, he had your back pressed to the cold metal of the car, out of sight of his son and closed in by your own, the cold metal making for a relieving contrast to the heat.

“Do it again.” There was a pleading note to his voice, his sights fixed entirely on your mouth now as he bit down on his lower lip, his forehead coming to rest on yours. “Kiss me again.”

You took your time, teasing him just a little, by running your hands up his arms, over his shoulders as he tensed, until you were holding his face. He sagged closer to you, like he couldn't even hold himself up anymore, pinning you between his body and the car. With a sweep of your thumbs over his cheeks, his eyes closed, noses brushing in sweet motions until he gave an aggravated breath at the waiting.

At long last, you gave in, closing the gap between you both once again. This time, he let out a soft moan when your mouths connected. He kissed like a man starved, like a man who had waited every moment of his life for this. It was like your first taste of air after being underwater, his mouth insistent and unrelenting, like he was memorising the way it felt to kiss you.

You gave him all you had, committing every part of him to memory too. Every sound he made, the way he panted against your lips before diving back in, teeth scraping your lower lip and sucking softly, before following it with a sharp nip. He ruined everyone else, no kiss you’d ever had compared to this and nothing else ever would.

When his tongue smoothed over your lower lip, you were forced to pull back, to try and think somewhat clearly, one of you had to, because if you let this go on anymore, you weren’t sure you could stop. His hand was already shifting, exploring, dragging his fingertips up your spine to tangle in your hair, and you lowered yours to his shoulders, pushing him back just enough to take a breath that didn’t taste like him.

He groaned, licking over his swollen lips to take away the taste of you, his eyes darker than before when they found you again, and you pressed your lips together to fight temptation. “You should… you should get our boy home.”

At that, he blinked, his gaze softening endlessly at the endearing claim, and his hand let your hair go to slip back to your back. Pulling you closer, he pressed a wet kiss to your cheek, nodding against your temple as he left a kiss there too. When he pulled back, it was to simply stare. There was nothing hidden now, the kind of dumb-in-love look shining in his eyes that you couldn't miss. Had it always been there, and you’d just never seen it before, or had he just stopped hiding it?

“You okay, Rhysie?”

He melted into you at the nickname you rarely brought out, eyes shining as he continued to stare. “So, so very okay, darling.”

Silence lingered between you both, the same comfortable quiet it had been since day one. No matter what, no matter how anxious or nervous or rattling, Rhys always had a way of making you feel at ease. You felt so vulnerable, and yet so safe with him, voice coming out in a whisper to speak into the gap between you both, “Can I ask you a question, Rhys?”

“Are you going to ask me if we can have carbonara with chicken for dinner again?” He teased, putting your nerves even more at ease, or maybe it was for his own, by making a joke.

You indulged him, “It’s a classic for a reason, because it’s so good. Besides, who said I’m coming for dinner, anyway?”

“You think there’s any way I’m going to be able to let go of you now?” He mumbled, head dropping down to rest on your shoulder instead, and you chuckled, feeling his lips press a soft kiss to your shoulder through your jumper. “What did you really want to ask?”

That brought the nerves back in full force. “Why did nothing ever, y’know, happen between us?”

His head snapped up, eyes widening to look at you, but no words came from his parted lips.

“Don’t you ever think about it, Rhys? I mean, look at us. There’s so much that would work, and I guess-”

“Of course I think about it.” He breathed the words in a rush, and your jaw snapped shut as words finally began to pour out of him, unrestrained and uncontrolled. “I think about it all the time. Every minute of every day you’re on my mind.”

“Rhys…” He let out a slow breath, but there was no stopping him now. You’d uncorked the bottle, the contents unable to be stopped from spilling.

“Since the day I met you all those years ago, I knew that I would hold onto you for the rest of my life. I couldn't let you go. But, I was a stupid kid who just inherited a company, and I was terrified of that. I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. You just dropped into my life and filled holes and cracks I didn’t know I had, you made me feel complete. I fell for you, so hard and so fast, and I was so godsdamned scared of that.” He looked away, unable to look at you any longer, and swallowing thickly.

“So, we became friends…”

“So, we became friends.” He repeated, sighing like he couldn't hold the weight of the world anymore. “I thought, selfishly, that I could hold onto you as my best friend, until I was ready for more. That it would be fine. I was too slow, though, and you started dating Lucien.”

Your mind flickered back, hardly remembering the man you’d been with for only a couple of months almost six years ago, flashes of red hair and tanned skin in your mind recalling it.

“He was good to you, and I hated that. I hated him, but I wanted you to be happy. But, I was so miserable. I was so sickeningly, maddeningly, obviously in love with you, and I had to do something before you noticed. So, I dated Feyre. It wasn’t… we moved too quickly, too fast. I threw myself into it and then she got pregnant. Nyx came along, and she abandoned him. I thought I’d lose you too. I was scared again, but you stayed. You helped with everything, you made it better.”

His voice started to crack, and so your arms raised, looping around his neck, pulling him in until his forehead was pressed to your own.

“I wasn’t scared when you were there. You taught me everything, you stayed for every step. I knew within days that you should have been Nyx’s mother, that being with you like this was all I’d ever want, I started to want everything cliché, a white picket fence and a little house of our own and a street where Nyx could learn to ride a bike with us. I mean, I picked out the house you liked best from the viewings even though it was gonna cost so fuckin’ much to renovate and repair and clean, but it was so worth it.” He laughed emptily, and you sniffed back tears.

“I had no idea.”

“I know, I never told you. I wanted you to see your dream house without the guilt.” He rubbed at his nose, and you kissed his cheeks, feeling him smile under your lips as you did, stopping the tears clinging to his lashes from falling. “But, you were still with Lucien, so I settled to take what I could get. If having you as my friend, helping me raise him like this, was all I could ever have, I’d take it. Then, you weren’t, and I thought maybe you’d be heartbroken about your break-up, or sad, and I wanted to give you time. I gave you too much time, I was a coward, I was nothing but a lonely man who already had a son. I couldn't offer you all the things you wanted anymore. I couldn't travel or go out and party or do anything. I’m always working or with my boy, and I didn’t want you to be forced to take that on.”

You were shocked, his candour had left you breathless, and he sniffled lightly, blinking away the tears he was unwilling to let drop. “We broke up because of you.”

“What?” He let himself look up, to you, of all the expectations he’d seemingly braced himself for, this obviously wasn’t it.

“Lucien and I. He- he said, understandably, that it felt strange to have a relationship with a woman who was practically a part of another family. It made him feel like some sort of home-wrecker. He didn’t say it, and he never would’ve, he was a good man, but it was a choice. You and Nyx, or him.” Giving the best smile you could despite the emotions overwhelming you, he matched it with a watery laugh. “I didn’t even have to think about it. That’s why I was never sad.”

“You chose us.”

“I’ll always choose you.” Your smiles were real this time, shared and intimate and frighteningly tender. “So, the real question, is whether you’re still sickeningly, maddeningly in love with me?”

“You forgot ‘obviously’. I can’t believe you don’t know it, I haven’t been subtle. I tell everyone you’re my wife, and let them believe you’re Nyx’s mom.” Your scoff only made him smirk, smacking at his shoulder lightly, pushing him away only to have him grip you tighter, tugging you closer to him.

“I knew those weren’t ‘little mistakes’, or miscommunications!” He only shrugged, dipping back in, every intention clear as he moved slowly.

“I intended to tell you today, and so many other times, but I was always so scared of losing you.” The confession hung between you both, the unspoken promises and words as he tried to give you a chance to leave, to back away, to call it too much, but you didn’t.

You let him kiss you, let him kiss you until your lungs burned for oxygen and your head was spinning, and it felt like hours had passed by as you learned one another’s mouths. You let him kiss you until you were sure he understood that you felt the same, that you always had.

“I still love you. I will always love you. You don’t just get over this kind of love.”

You could only grin at him, cheeks aching but you didn’t care, because you couldn't have contained your happiness even if you’d wanted to. “Good, because it would have been horrible if my feelings were unrequited.”

“Never.” A few more stolen kisses, mumbled promises between them. “So, you’ll follow us home for dinner?”

The leap in your chest at the word home was enough to make you breathless, the knowledge you now had that he’d chosen it just for you, in hopes you’d one day live with them. It was almost too much to bear. “Only if you’re making carbonara. And garlic bread.”

“I’ll make you anything you want if it means you’ll keep kissing me.” You hummed, pressing another peck to his lips before managing to disentangle yourself, despite his complaints and tight hold.

“I’ll see you soon, where we can continue this.”

“Don’t take too long, I’ll miss you too much.” He winked, looking messy and kiss-ruined as you stepped back to fully take him in. His shirt was rumpled, his blazer was a little askew, and his cheeks were flushed red, swollen lips to match.

He was perfect.

“Hurry home to us, darling.”

#rhysand x reader #rhysand x you #rhysand/you #rhysand/reader #acotar/you #acotar/reader #acotar x you #acotar x reader #rhysand #acotar #a court of thorns and roses

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jobean12-blog · 5 months

Text

It's a Wrap!

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female reader (Ft Alpine and Winter)

Word Count: 1,211

Summary: Getting anything done with two floofy floofs around is never easy...of course they're just so cute but also pains in the butt (in the best way!)

Author's Note: Just love Bucky with his animals so much and this idea popped into my head. There is no particular Holiday or occasion mentioned here so whatever one you want to use is perfect! The dog, Winter, is the one I always use in my stories- he has three legs and Bucky adopted him and of course there is Alpine our fav kitty. The photos in my moodboard are what I imagine they'd look like! Thank you all so much for reading! Much love always! ❤️❤️❤️Divider by the lovely @firefly-graphics thank you Daisy! 🥰

Warnings: Soft and sweet fluff and fun and the cutest animals ever!

“Hey mister!”

Bucky gently tugs the bow from Alpine’s claws.

“That’s not for you to play with! You have plenty of toys!”

Bucky turns to Alpine’s toy bin and points with a stern look. “See…too many toys!”

Winter hops over and nudges Bucky’s arm with a cold nose, a large stuffed duck hanging from his mouth.

Bucky scratches behind the dog’s ears. “I know buddy. That’s your favorite duck.”

Winter’s tail thumps loudly against the side of the couch as he cocks his head to the side.

“If I play now I’ll never get this done,” Bucky tells Winter softly.

He then leans closer to the dog and whispers in his ear. “And if Alpine doesn’t quit his shit I’m gonna have to lock him in the bathroom.”

Winter drops his toy and barks loudly, side eyeing the cat.

“I know,” Bucky says in comradery. “But let’s see how we do.”

Winter promptly does his best stretch and then lays down right next to Bucky.

“Ohhhh big stretch,” Bucky says before giving Winter a pat.

The dog’s long, fluffy and white tail thumps a few more times before he settles quietly, the majority of his body pressed against Bucky’s outstretched leg.

Alpine, not wanting to be left out, sashays over and sits right in front of Bucky, looking up at him with big blue expectant eyes.

“Alpine,” Bucky sighs. “You can’t sit there bud. How am I supposed to wrap?”

The cat blinks several times and then lifts his paw to lick it, clearly uncaring.

Bucky scoops up the cat and positions him on his thigh next to Winter.

Winter ears go up and he sniffs Alpine a few times before settling back down. Alpine gently bats at Winter’s nose before he lays on his side and gets comfortable.

“FINALLY!” Bucky huffs. “Now maybe I can get some things wrapped before Mommy gets home.”

At the word “mommy,” both animals perk up.

“She’ll be home soon,” Bucky assures them with soft pets. “But I need to at least get her gift wrapped first!”

Bucky looks between the rolls of wrapping paper. “Which one should I use?”

Neither Winter nor Alpine respond so Bucky makes a commitment on his own. As soon as he starts to unroll the paper Alpine pounces, pawing and poking at it.

“Alpine!” Bucky chides as he lifts him up. “You can’t play with that!”

Alpine meows loudly as his legs swing back at forth and his tail swishes side to side. Bucky turns the cat so they are face to face.

“Listen you. Unless you’re gonna help you have to behave!”

“MEOW!”

“I’ll put you in the bathroom!”

Winter’s head lifts and he huffs.

“I know I won’t but still…” Bucky grumbles.

He takes Alpine and sets him on his shoulder. “Stay there!”

Alpine digs his claws into Bucky’s Henley and sits perched atop his broad shoulder.

Winter rests his head on Bucky’s thigh.

“Ok, here we go again,” Bucky sighs.

He takes your gift and sets it down in the center of the paper and begins to fold it.

Winter’s wet nose immediately pokes at the paper, leaving a wet spot.

“Doggo!” Bucky says sharply. “Watch that honker.”

Winter’s tail wags still and he scoots closer, inspecting everything with his big black nose.

Once Bucky has it wrapped as best he can he looks at the bag of ribbon.

“This one?” he says as he holds up a particularly pretty one.

Alpine immediately swats at it with a clawed paw and Winter tries to give it a small nibble.

“Shit,” Bucky mutters. “You two are no help!”

Bucky secures the bow as best he can then looks over his handiwork.

“I mean…,” he starts as he looks it over. “It’s the thought that counts right?”

Alpine grows bored with the now wrapped gift and starts to bat at the stray hairs that have fallen loose from Bucky’s bun.

Winter licks Bucky’s hand.

“Thanks guys.”

The sound of the lock turning alerts everyone to your arrival and Bucky quickly hides the gift then follows the animals in their rush to greet you.

“Hi doll face,” Bucky says as he takes you in his arms.

Winter shimmies his large body between the two of you until you pet him and Alpine slips between your legs to rub against you.

“Hi guys!” you smile.

“We missed you,” Bucky says.

“I missed you all more.”

You wrap your arms around Bucky’s neck and press your lips to his.

“What have you been up to?” you whisper.

“Nothin’ much,” Bucky answers.

Winter barks.

You raise an eyebrow and slip from Bucky’s grasp. As you approach the living room Winter bounds past you and starts to dance his paws on top of the mess Bucky left.

“Wrapping?” you ask as Bucky slides up behind you and circles his arms around your waist.

“I thought I should get started,” he murmurs against your ear.

“Want some help?” you ask.

“Definitely,” he answers. “Between these two floofs,” and he motions to Alpine and Winter, “I only got one thing wrapped.”

Bucky sits and leans back along the couch, spreading his legs wide and patting between them. You sit in the open space and rest your back to his chest.

As soon as you grab the wrapping paper, Alpine appears out of nowhere and attacks it.

“See what I’ve been dealing with!” Bucky whines even as you feel his body shake with laughter. “A menace!

Winter, as if knowing he was left out, tries to smash his way onto Bucky’s lap.

“TWO MENACES!” Bucky adds in a huff.

You giggle and pick up Alpine, smooshing him to your chest and cooing at him sweetly.

“Have you been driving daddy nuts all afternoon my sweet boy?”

Alpine nuzzles his head under your chin and purrs.

“And what about you,” you say to Winter as you wrap your free arm around his fluffy neck and scratch his head. “Who’s my good boy?”

Winter’s whole-body wiggles in joy and he starts to lick your face.

“Aw Buck. They couldn’t have been that bad!”

Bucky grumbles something inaudible from behind you and it only makes you love on the babies more.

“How about we just have a cuddle party? We can wrap later,” you suggest.

“I love this plan,” Bucky hums. “But first…we need sustenance!”

He stands and then helps you up before walking into the kitchen. You hear the rustle of bags and the banging of cabinets as you prepare the couch with the pillows and blankets.

As soon as you’re seated Winter paws at the spot on the cushion where he usually lays. You give him a small lift to help him up and then watch as Alpine walks along the edge of the couch and jumps down to the pillow below.

Bucky comes back in with his arms full of goodies.

“Look at this cuddle party,” he muses as he sits next to you.

You snuggle into Bucky’s side and Winter snuggles closer to you. Even Alpine curls up close to Bucky, his warm head pressed against his metal arm.

With your snacks at the ready and Lord of the Rings on the screen you settle into the soft warmth and comfort of your little family.

@hiddles-rose @kmc1989 @randomfandompenguin @blackwidownat2814 @buckysdollforlife @goldylions

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky and alpine #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes imagine #bucky x reader #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan #alpine barnes #winter barnes

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astralnymphh · 7 months

Text

ellie is definitely the type to toy with your boobs while ur chilling/watching tv. gives them a side–glance as a prelude to slinking her hand under your shirt cause they're just 'so warm' yet begins to massage them in circles, dimpling the plush skin and swipes a thumb over the nipple. hums little "mhhmmms.." and and chuckles verrryy quietly, focus maintained on the screen when her hands– are not.

that's why nine times out of ten she prefers you to lax between her thighs. perfect access! her thighs would hug you and her groin would be pushing into your butt. it's all like, half–intentional. wants to enjoy whatever is featured on the screen but also wants to spark some warm intimacy. 🌹

"babe, you've had ur' hands in my shirt for the past–"

"i know." and she'd say it in the softest voice, proudly, ducking her head in ur shoulder and kissing up on ur neck. now she fully lost focus.

i just need her so bad 😫😫😫

#ellie williams #⤹𓍢ִ໋aestras thoughts #ellie tlou #ellie williams smut #ellie williams x reader #ellie x reader #lesbian #sapphic #ellie williams x fem!reader #ellie williams fic #ellie williams concept #ellie williams headcanons #ellie williams brainrot

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short-honey-badger · 7 months

Text

Phantom Pain Part 4

No Money, No Problems

Have some fluff after the angst of the last part! Hope you enjoy it!

Masterlist

@writingmysanity @foggyturtleknightangel @kenkenmaaa

It may not seem like it, but Shanks was always paying attention. He may look a fool laughing and drinking, but he never let his guard down. Unless he was on board his ship, lost on the Grand Line with his loyal crew, only then would the redhead relax.

Anyway, he was getting off track. Shanks constantly watched, logged, and cataloged anything that passed close enough for him to hear. And because of that useful little skill, the Captain found out some very important, at least to him anyway, information about you, his perfect soulmate.

On a rather lazy day on board the Red Force, Shanks and Benn were playing a game of dice when You and Limejuice walked past the men's barrel. Shanks had immediately tuned in to what you were saying, feeling your enjoyment at whatever the subject was and shamelessly eavesdropping.

"-I can't wait to get to the next islands. I want a pole so I can stop bothering you and Roux."

Poles? Like a fishing pole? You liked to fish? Shanks had stored that under the very important file with your name on it, and then went back to the game.

Now, a week later, Shanks is approached by none other than his soulmate after the cargo has been unloaded from the ship.

"What's up, Darling?" He asks as you come to a stop by his side. He can't help but to feel excited. Shanks knows what this is about, having never forgotten your little comment and he was reminded more and more of it the closer they came to the next island. You were still learning that it was okay to ask him for things, even the most trivial ones, and Shanks felt like this could be the moment.

He can already feel your embarrassed reluctance, but he stays silent and patient as you struggle to get out what you want to say, "I, hmm," You begin and then clear your throat. Shanks takes this as his opportunity to butt in. He just can't help but tease you.

"What's wrong, Baby? Cat got your tongue?" The redhead coos and then proceeds to stick his tongue out at you, snickering when you smack his chest. But you are grinning, and that's all that matters to him.

His playfulness does the trick, however, and Shanks feels your jumping nerves settle.

"I want a fishing pole so that I can stop bothering everyone else. The spare ones are pretty old, and what line you've got is frayed and breaks easily," You rattle off quickly and then frown, "I'm also a little short on Berri."

Shanks' grin turns shark-like as he stares down at you, "Oh, so you want me to buy you one?" he asks. He loves this. It's not about the money, absolutely not. It's about having you rely on him, asking him for something that you wanted just because you wanted it.

You frown, becoming a bit defensive in the face of his teasing, "Well, You don't have to, obvio-Mumph!" You scowl at your childish captain who has pressed his finger up against your lips, effectively silencing you.

"Now, I didn't say that, Baby. I was just picking fun," Shanks says and softens, finger leaving your lips to instead crandle your jaw in his calloused hand, "I'll get you whatever you want. You should know by now that we aren't exactly strapped for cash," And it was the truth. He is one of the four Yonko of the Seas. He had plenty of Berri to spend. Especially on you. He searches your expression, forcing you to look him in the eye, "Okay?"

You swallow, dipping your head in a nod as best you can, "Okay," You choke out and wet your lips. You watch the way his eyes dip to follow the tip of your tongue and shiver at the way his eyes darken.

"Good," He murmurs and then ducks in close. He can't help himself any longer. While the two of you had yet to do much when it came to the sexual side of the relationship, that didn't mean that Shanks didn't pine for you daily.

You could feel his interest spike and bravely angle your face up to receive his attention. It's only been a couple of weeks since the misunderstanding that had sent Shanks into a drunken stupor. Since then, the two of you have grown much closer, and you would even dare say that the redhead loved you, even though he had yet to say it out loud. He didn't really need to, though, when his side of the bind shined like a live wire.

Shanks closes the distance, lips meeting yours in a passionate kiss that has your eyes fluttering shut and a sigh of content passing through his nose. You surprise him by opening up for him and welcoming him tongue inside without prompt. You don't want this kiss to stop, hands even tangling in his shirt to tug him closer, but soon, your need for oxygen outweighs everything else, and you break the kiss with a gasp.

"We," you begin and then lick your lips, blushing when all you taste is Shanks, "We should go shopping now."

The Captain laughs and pulls away, and you drop your hands from his shirt, "I'd that's what you want, Sweetheart."

You scoff, not finding it very fair that he wasn't as affected from the kiss as you had been. You turn and begin to stalk away, but Shanks falls into step with you easily and snatches up your right hand to tangle with his left.

"There. Now, you won't get lost. And if you do, at least we will be together," He quips and is rewarded with you, snorting with laughter and smiling at him like he'd hung the sun up just for you. The bond pulses like a firework show, and Shanks would do anything to keep that. To know that he was the one responsible for your joy.

"At least I'll have good company," you tease and squeeze his hand while you drag him down the gangplank. Shanks promised you a fishing pole after all.

#fanfic #reader insert #one piece #red haired shanks #shanks #shanks x reader #shanks x y/n #shanks x you #angst #fluff #kissing #Phantom Pain #opla shanks #soulmate au

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hornyhornyhimbos · 1 year

Note

save a horse ride a cowboy was amazing oh my god i've reread it like 3 times the smut was perfection 😫 please tell me that the reader stayed with cowboy!steve they're so cute together

hehehe i gotchu girly

"A Lucky Shot" ~ S. Harrington

gif not mine

Summary: The aftermath of falling in love with a certain bull rider in a certain bar in a certain city in Indiana.

Pairing: Bull Rider!Steve Harrington x AFAB!Reader

Word Count: 3,990

Content Warning: MINORS DNI (18+ content) protected piv sex, cowgirl activities, oral m!receiving, boot humping 🤭 oral f!receiving for like a split second, tiny mentions of food and alcohol, nicknames (sweetheart, princess, cowgirl; cowboy, daddy if you squint), blasphemy if you squint, explicit language, lmk if i missed anything!

Extra Notes: the Eddie, Tommy, and Byers' cameos have me crying 😭🤚🏻

Based On: the first part of this, which you can find here!

Originally Written: 03/16/2023 through 03/18/2023

Beta Read By: @dungeons-are-too-cold (thank u for putting up with me LMFAO)

stranger things masterlist can be found here!

hornyhornyhimbos ask box can be found here!

Your legs carried you as fast as they could to the locker room. A mix of adrenaline and sweat was pumping through your veins. You didn't know much about bull riding, but you did know that a 90 was good. Really good.

The locker room was surprisingly empty when you ducked in. You figured the room would be filled with big, sweaty bull riders, but instead, you only found one—Steve. Just to make sure there was no one else around, you let your eyes dart through the room before sprinting toward him and jumping up into his broad arms.

"Jeez!" he shouted, though his hands were quick to meet your butt. Your lips met his, showering him with a thousand loving kisses.

"Mmm," he chuckled into your lips. He pulled away and met your pride-filled eyes. "What are you doing?"

Your lips traveled down to his neck, suckling on the spot you knew was most sensitive. "I'm initiating celebratory sex," you said straightforwardly.

His chest rumbled out a low laugh as he helped you back onto the floor. "Not in here, you're not."

"But-"

"No buts," he argued, his palms settling on your hips. "This is a public locker room."

"Exactly! Which means it's open to the public. I am a part of the public. Therefore, I can do whatever I want in here."

He shook his head in disbelief before leaving a kiss on your hair. "It also means it's open to other people of the public. Anyone could walk in at any time. I want my eyes and my eyes only to see what you have to offer."

You pouted, and he kissed it away just like he always did. One of his hands traveled up your hip, toward your ass, slipping inside your back pocket. "Plus, some of the other riders will probably be done with interviews soon. Not to mention, I need a shower real bad."

A cheeky gleam appeared in your eye. "Can I at least help you with that part?"

A light huff escaped his nose. "Go," he insisted, giving your butt a light tap. "I need you be there if they call my number while I'm gone. Go wait for me in the stadium."

You gave him a scowl, but pulled away toward the door. "You're cruel, Steve Harrington. Just cruel."

"Love you too."

You rolled your eyes before heading back in for a tight hug. "You did really good today. I want you to know I'm proud of you."

His hands rested on your face as he pulled you in for a soft kiss. "Thank you, sweetheart. I love you."

You pulled the cowboy hat off his head, setting it on your own. "Love you too, cowboy."

You sprinted toward the door as he hollered after you, "Hey, you better take care of my hat!"

The next forty-five minutes were absolute torture. Sure, you had Steve at your side after the first twenty, but it was killing you that the judges hadn't announced the winners yet. Steve urged you not to fret, telling you that whatever happens will happen, but you couldn't stop wondering if Steve had won first place.

Steve's hand rested on the small of your back, his lips pressed against the top of your head. "It's OK, really," he urged.

"It is not!" you argued, your leg bouncing nervously against the concrete floor. "What if you didn't score high enough?"

He chuckled, pulling you in close. "Since when did you care so much about bull riding?"

"Since I met you," you rebutted. "And since the grand prize is $25,000. Think about what you could do with-"

Feedback sounded over the stadium's loudspeaker, breaking you from your previous conversation. Your eyes went wide with wonder as a man's voice broke through the feedback.

"In third place, with 89.75, we have Eddie 'The Freak' Munson riding Radagast," he announced. The stadium was overcome with thousands of screaming fans, and your heart vibrated in your body from the noise. Eddie Munson was a crowd favorite for many reasons. He was never too busy to talk to his fans, he was probably the nicest rider aside from Steve, and his whole image was dedicated to being yourself. From the bright yellow Stetson he wore, to the flame red cowboy boots on his feet, even his costume was about being different.

Your hands flew to your mouth in surprise. "Babe, you beat Munson!" you exclaimed. Your feet kicked and bounced like a teenage girl who'd just been asked to prom. "That's huge!"

He let out an amused huff, kissing your head. "We don't know that. They suspected I would get a 90. Hasn't been confirmed yet."

You shrugged before turning your attention back to the announcer. "Don't ruin my hopes and dreams. You've still got a shot at winning this thing."

"In second place, with 91.5, we've got Tumbling Tommy Hagan riding Monster," he said, and once again, the arena rattled with screams. Hagan had a lot of fans too, but nowhere near as many as Munson. If there was one thing to know about Hagan in the arena, it was that he was the most competitive rider in the league by far, and his fans were nearly as competitive as he was.

Your heart thrummed inside you and your ears rang like they never had before. He just has to win. He's gotta.

The presenter's voice filled the speakers one last time, and you felt your fingertips go numb as you waited to hear the winner. "And, at an even 92, with the highest score we've seen all season, for a grand prize of $25,000 and a draft into the PBR if he accepts…" his voice drifted in suspense.

"Oh, fuck this guy!" you shouted in frustration.

"Baby," Steve whispered into your ear, leaving a loving kiss there. "It's OK." However, you knew by the way his eyes were darting around that he was just as nervous as you were. He never would've admitted it though.

You swore you heard the fans screaming before the man ever announced the winner. It felt a bit like slow motion as you jumped up from your chair and screamed along with them. The announcer's voice echoed, "Riding Sundae, Steve 'The Hawk' Harrington!"

Your lips met Steve's for a long, passionate kiss. He smelled like fresh linen and men's deodorant, tasted like the lemonade he'd been sipping on, and still felt just like the Steve you'd fallen in love with the year prior. His preparation for this tournament had been hard, but it was that moment when you'd realized it had all paid off.

The afternoon was filled with interview after interview, question after question, but you didn't care. Your cowboy was beaming, and your heart was full. His hands had stayed protectively on your waist, like he was afraid the interviewers would snatch him up and take him away from you. You just smiled, knowing it was his way of saying, "You'll always have me, no matter what league I'm in."

He all but floated to the car and the wide smile didn't even think about leaving his face. He'd leaned you against the car, peppering your face in excited kisses, and all you could do was smile. His nerves had washed away, and he knew it would be just you and him until the last ride. And unsurprisingly, that was all he needed.

Steve's hand stayed in yours the entire ride home, and you couldn't help but be reminded of the year prior. That first night, his hand stayed attached to your skin, like he was afraid if he let go, you'd disappear. And even now, after the honeymoon phase had passed, even after petty arguments about toothpaste brands and television shows, even a year later, he still couldn't keep his hands off you.

The air was filled with excitement, the windows cracked and blowing wind through your hair, only aiding your senses. Steve blared his playlist of post-competition songs, screaming along to every word. You couldn't help but sing with him, feeling a pleasant sensation in your belly every time he'd sneak a glance at you. With the windows rolled down, you could smell the freshly mown grass as you drove past the Byers' house, some family friends of Steve's, and wondered if they'd been at the tournament to see him win.

You made your way into the house, and an exhausted Steve plopped onto the couch to pull off his boots. You kneeled in front of him to help him out of his shoe, but both of you knew exactly what you were doing.

He ran a tired hand through your hair, giving you a sideways smile. "Whatcha doin' down there, sweetheart?" he asked, even though he didn't need an explanation.

"I was hoping," you said, running a hand along his denim-clad thigh, "I could help you celebrate?" You smirked as you watched him squirming to readjust his hardening cock.

His hands met the button of his jeans, undoing the fastening for you. "You don't even have to ask."

You pulled him out of his boxers, and your mouth drooled at the thought of tasting him. It wasn't like you'd never tasted him before, but with the big championship, he'd been hyper focused on his diet, so you knew he was going to taste good.

You placed his head on your tongue, licking small circles around it and already he was a mess. Like putty in your hands.

You licked a long stripe up his length, and his dick became even harder. "Oh, princess," he sighed, nearly squirming when your mouth moved down to his balls, sucking them slightly.

You left a trail of kitten licks from his balls back up to his tip, finally taking him into your mouth. Your cheeks hollowed around him, and he let out a soft groan. "Needed this," he sighed, slotting his hands into your hair.

You whined around him, your way of letting him know you needed it just as much. His head fell back as you inched closer to the hilt.

"God, you're so good at this," he grunted. He tugged at your hair, longing for you to take all of him.

You released for a moment, long enough to say, "Yeah? Am I your god tonight?" You took his cock back in your mouth, one of your hands moving to his balls.

Steve moaned as he nodded. "Always. You will always rule me."

Your hips rutted against the boot he hadn't taken off, searching for any friction you could find. You gagged around him as you finally took the entirety of his dick, your nose resting softly in the thatch of hair under his belly. His heavy balls hit your chin, and you moaned around him at the feeling.

"Fuck, I'm close," he grunted. He gripped your face, pulling you up and down his length. You whimpered as drool oozed down your cheeks, your hands moving to wipe it away. Your hand purposely slid from your chin to his balls, twisting them in your palm.

His cock jerked inside your mouth, his saccharine seed spilling down your throat. Your eyes watered as he rode out his high, fucking in and out of you. "Shitshitshit," he muttered, his grip tight around your hair. Your hips chased friction on his boot, winding against the leather.

Despite desperately needing to finish, even after you considered getting yourself off right there on his boot, you forced yourself to release his cock. You slowly pulled off of him, licking your lips where his cum had dripped out. He bent forward for a kiss, moaning at the taste. His tongue slipped into your mouth, running along your teeth and savoring the taste of what only you could do to him. You rocked against his boot, eliciting a chuckle from Steve that rumbled from his mouth into yours.

You forced yourself to move away first. You stood, practically throwing yourself into his lap. He leaned back on the couch, your legs on either side of his waist and your arms around his shoulders. "Congratulations," you giggled, still giddy from the high you'd provided him with.

"Thank you, sweetheart," he sighed. He pulled you back in for another kiss and trailed his hands down your body. Once they'd reached your waist, he pulled you up, lifting both of you from the couch. He managed to kick his boot off the rest of the way before walking out of the living room.

"Hey!" you pouted, but tightened your legs around his waist.

"Cowboy hat rule," he simply said as he carried you through the house.

You rolled your eyes, gripping the hair at the nape of his neck. "What if I said, 'Fuck your cowboy hat rule.' What then?"

He shook his head and pulled you in for a desperate kiss. "I don't make the rules, sweetheart. I just follow 'em."

Steve swiftly carried you into the bedroom, laying you down on the mattress with ease. His lips met yours for a dominating kiss as he reached toward the bedside table, presumably pulling out lube or a condom. His other hand worked at the fastening of your pants.

You keened at every swift motion of his limbs, your body arching as his mouth dragged down the front of your neck. His lips ended at your collarbone as he stopped to suck a spot he knew you loved.

After a moment, both his palms were on you, his fingers making quick work of your jeans. He pushed them down your legs to reveal you'd nearly soaked through your panties.

"Might not need that lube after all, huh?" he teased, his hand cupping your clothed core. Steve’s digits pressed your clit through the wet fabric, eliciting a low mewl from you as you opened your legs further for him. You wanted to give him complete access, let him have free reign of your entire body. He chuckled as his fingers played with you through the cotton. "So wet already, filthy girl."

You keened at his touch, your hands palming at his hair. "Please," you begged. "Need you, Steve."

"I suppose you do deserve a reward after being so good to me, yeah? So sweet of you to put me first." he teased, slipping a finger underneath the soaked material. Your eyes fell shut in pleasure, letting out a whimper as the digit teased your entrance. "Well then, your wish is my command, princess."

He pulled your jeans off your ankles, tossing them toward the general direction of the hamper. He then tugged his own jeans and his boxers off, his dick springing up as he tossed the clothing in the same place. Finally, after much too long, he slid your panties down your legs, and his mouth met your cunt for a split second, just long enough to lick up a stripe of your wetness, his tongue lingering on your clit. You moaned, hips bucking toward his face. "Uh-uh," he tutted. "As good as you taste, I think I need to be in you first."

You could never say no to that. You threw your shirt off as he reached for the condom he'd pulled out, making quick work of the foil before rolling it on. Your heart pumped fast with every passing moment, pure excitement running through your veins.

He removed his own shirt too and hurled it toward the slowly growing pile, while you reached for the lube. You squeezed some into your hand before pressing it to Steve’s cock, spreading the lube down his length.

He grunted and hung his head as your palm worked up and down his cock. Your hands never ceased to amaze him. He was the clay, and your hands were nothing short of a potter's, the way you had him.

Your digits met your cunt, mixing what was left of the lube with your slick. Steve moaned at the sight, wishing he'd taken you up on that offer of letting him go down on you.

Steve slowly pushed inside you and you went glassy-eyed at the feeling. You couldn't count how many times you and Steve had had sex in the past year, but no matter how many times it was, his size never ceased to amaze you. He slowly inched inside you, uncontrollable gasps and moans tumbling off your lips. You were sure all of your senses had gone awry in that moment, positive that you couldn't speak, couldn't think a single coherent thought.

He hovered over you, every inch of his abs marked with sweat. His lips met yours for a heated kiss, your mouths molding into one. His hands traveled down to your hips and gripped them tightly. He counted down a quiet, "One, two, three," before flipping the two of you over, giving you a moment to settle. A cheeky grin appeared on his lips as his eyes met yours, and you found yourself getting lost in his fanned-out lashes. He pushed a hair behind your ear, smirking, "Well, giddy up then."

No matter how many times he made that joke, your stomach still did flips every time. It truly amazed you how someone so dorky, so sweet, could manage to be the sexiest man you'd ever known.

You slowly started to rock against him, letting out a quiet whimper as you were still adjusting to his size. Steve could stretch you and fill you like no one else ever could, and it was pure heaven every time.

He chuckled and planted his giant palms on your love handles. "Damn. And they say I look good riding things."

Your hips rutted against him and the friction was absolute bliss. "Hey, that reminds me," you sighed, eliciting a chuckle from Steve.

"If I had to pick a favorite thing about you," he said, "it's that you're a talker during sex." His words were filled with sarcasm, but you still managed to take it as a compliment. You kept grinding your hips into him slowly, pulling noise after noise out of Steve, his head hanging low.

"Thank you," you replied in a whine. "Anyway, I was- fuck- I was wondering what you wanted to do with the money."

Steve sighed a soft, "Shit," as your hips bucked at his, hands tight on your waist. "Two things."

"Yeah?" you said, rocking against him, your fingers running soft circles along his happy trail. "That's not a lot of things considering you just won twenty-five grand."

"Well," he started, bouncing his legs and shoving himself further inside you, "first thing I want to do is buy this cute, little- fuck- local business. You might've heard of it. It's called The Lucky Shot."

You stopped mid-roll. Your eyes widened as your face filled with shock. "Full stop, are you serious?"

"Don't tease me like that." He all but whimpered, fucking up into you harshly.

Your hips rocked along with his, like two metronomes ticking in time with each other. The past year had been like that. The two of you were puzzle pieces, made to be slotted together. "Seriously though, are you really buying The Lucky Shot?"

"Owner's an older man who had a heart attack earlier in the year. He's having trouble- shit- keeping the place up and running. Figured I'd- oh- take it off his hands. Told him I knew a young couple who'd love to take over for him."

Your lips found his for a long, loving kiss. He bounced you on his cock, and you moaned into the kiss, but somehow the noise just made it even more sickeningly romantic. "I love you, Steve Harrington."

"I didn't doubt it for a second, Y/N Y/L/N," he mumbled against your mouth, inhaling and taking you all in. "Hey, you're wearing that perfume I got you."

"Mhm," you smiled against his lips. "Thought it might- oh, god- bring you some good l-luck today." You leaned back up, your hips rutting with extra force as you chased down your high. You let out a low mewl. "What's the second thing?"

"That-" his voice hitched as he led you along his cock, "depends."

"On what?"

"I need your- ah- permission first."

The rolls of your hips slowed and your eyebrows furrowed in some mixture of pleasure and confusion. "OK, shoot."

His hands stilled your waist, his eyes soft as he looked up at you. "Marry me."

You knew it wasn't humanly possible, but you were fairly positive your heart flew out of your chest as you processed his words. "What?"

He tipped his chin toward the nightstand. "Look in the drawer."

Your eyebrows creased even harder. You were just still, somehow managing to completely ignore the current task at hand.

He let out a light huff, running his hand up to the small of your back. "Just trust me, princess."

You pulled at the handle of the drawer, looking around for anything that could be a clue as to what he was talking about. Your vision began to blur with happy tears, though you still weren't sure what you were searching for.

He watched as your concentration face became apparent, a chuckle tumbling off his lips. "Trojan box."

Your hand flew to the little black box, lifting the top. With a flick of your finger, you flipped open the box, inspecting the ring that was hidden inside. Tears started to slide down your cheeks as you registered what was happening.

Steve stole the box from your hand, holding it as though he was proposing normally, as though he wasn't balls deep inside you. "Will you, Y/N Y/L/N, marry me?"

"You hid my engagement ring in a condom box?" you asked, still flabbergasted.

"Well, I figured what better way to propose to you than by doing something that reminds you of the first time we met?"

You placed your hands on his cheeks, tugging his face toward yours and meeting him for a kiss. He tasted like your slick and his sweat, and somehow, it was the most amazing aroma you'd ever experienced. You took all of him in, letting him fill your senses like a breath of fresh air. His chest heaved underneath you, and his lips moved in sync with yours like he couldn't get enough.

You parted from him, lying down his chest and raising your hand. He chuckled at your speechless form as slipped the ring onto your finger. The band fit perfectly, just like he knew it would. Puzzle pieces.

"It's so pretty," you smiled. By the tone in your voice, Steve was convinced you were either cock-drunk or delirious. Probably both.

"Anything's pretty when you're the one wearin' it," he said, kissing the shell of your ear.

"Awww," you beamed, your hand combing through his deep brown hair. "Hey, you do realize that one day, when our kids ask, 'Mommy, how did Daddy propose?' we're gonna have to explain that your dick was inside me and you hid my engagement ring in a Trojan box?"

"Let's not get the cart ahead of the horse now," he chuckled. "You're the only one I want callin' me Daddy for a while."

You giggled, meeting his lips for a blissed-out peck. "Just think. You and me, together forever. Just like this for a lifetime."

"Just like this?" he teased, earning him an eye roll.

You pushed yourself up, your hands on either side of his head as you hovered above him. Your lips connected to his like magnets, this time for a steamy kiss, one filled with pure want. "Hey, you wanna know something, cowboy?"

"What's that?" he huffed in amusement, his thumbs caressing small circles on the fat of your hips.

"I say yes. To a lifetime of your love, your kisses, your stupid cowboy hat rule, all of it. I say yes a thousand times over."

"Can't argue with that, cowgirl."

A FORMAL APOLOGY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK ME TO POST 😭🤚🏻

I wish I had a good reason. I think I really just kept putting it off and didn't wanna read through it because I was overwhelmed (not with the fic, just with life) but I forced myself through it and I'm so happy with how it turned out!

Special thanks to @dungeons-are-too-cold for staying up with me until 5 am again to make sure this fic was at its best! Love you forever!!

-> taglist: @dungeons-are-too-cold @rupsmorge @writer-in-theory @esoltis280 @liberhoe

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bisexualvampires · 4 months

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Live Laugh Leather

happy 3rd wedding anniversary to these idiots :)

(846 words) Also on AO3

Dean knew the rhythm of Cas’ footsteps from the kitchen all the way to their bedroom. Knew it better than the pulse of his own heart; as familiar to him as the scent of the warm coffee that carried with his husband every morning like clockwork. He found himself smiling against his pillow, feeling the early sunshine through the lake house window heat the frosty February air.

So the routine goes; any minute now Cas would pause to bump the door open with his pajama-clad butt, scooting backward into their bedroom, two coffees in hand. Dean would fake the grouchy attitude as if the gentle interruption had pulled him from sleep. As if, minutes earlier, Cas hadn’t waited until his spidey senses told him Dean’s REM sleep was done and he was ready for his daily stubbled kiss at the back of his neck. For the arm that tightened around his waist, sinking suggestively lower until Dean cracked open an eyelid. Falling for the same old trick every day, before Cas would rise his heavenly ass out of bed to start on coffee. Leaving Dean tethered between the land of sleep and this world of dreams.

Same old, same old.

And wasn’t that a hell of a thing.

Dean scooched over to Cas’ side of the bed. The warmth had faded but it was the scent he chased; like rich earth pounded by the heavy rain of a thunderstorm, the charged promise of lightning still to come. Like honey and ether and so like home, Dean could drown himself in it. Smother himself in his husband’s pillow with a smile on his face and a bulge in his pants.

And so, it began.

The gentle clink of the spoon dropped into the sink. The ceramic scuffling on the kitchen countertop. The first bare footstep on the warm wooden floor.

Three years of this, Dean thought, and he knew he could go a thousand more.

A squeaking sound broke the routine, and Dean perked up his bedhead to listen to the audible eye roll and soft sigh that accompanied it. The footsteps and squeaking drew nearer, and Dean propped himself up on an arm to watch the regularly scheduled show.

The ass that greeted him was familiar, but Dean’s eyes bulged out of his head like Donald Duck at the first sight of Daisy. Cas backed into the room, letting the door swing softly shut behind him.

Dean’s husband paused, breakfast tray in hand and a look of genuine surprise on his face that quickly morphed into a feigned innocence.

“Sweetheart,” Dean managed to say with a tongue that now weighed an ACME ton. “Are you wearing leather pants?” He was dreaming, right? Had to be. If the next words out of Cas' mouth were "tell me about it, stud" in Olivia Newton-John's voice that would surely confirm it. A laugh threatened to burst all the way from his belly, born of shock more than anything, because this was Cas. His Cas. In tight leather pants. Like he was Jon Bon fucking Jovi and Dean was eighteen, alone in his motel room and realising some shit.

But Cas ignored the question, setting the breakfast tray safely on the bedside table. When he turned to find Dean’s gaze still locked on his broad thighs, mouth hanging open like it didn’t know where to start, he placed his hands on his hips.

“The third wedding anniversary gift is leather, is it not?”

Dean glanced up from his stupor, feeling his heart swell like a damn balloon at his husband’s words.

Leather. Anniversary. Right.

How Cas heard "leather" and thought "pants"... actually, he didn't need to know how or why, because this was happening. Somehow this was real life.

Dean licked his lips. Didn’t mean to, but he did.

He’d tell Cas about the new leather couch he’d secretly set up in the Cas Cave later. Right now…

“The salesperson insisted this was the perfect gift,” Cas frowned down at himself. “Perhaps this was a mistake.”

“Whuaa-“ Dean started, tangling in the sheets as he struggled to sit upright. “No, no, they’re – hell of a – gotta tip the guy… god, Cas.” Only the need to defend these pants with his life gave Dean the strength to tear his gaze from them a second time.

He’d expected to find that frown he loved so much – the one that crinkled Cas’ brow, and tugged his soft lips into a flat line. Instead, his husband grinned at him, eyes blazing with that smugness that was the bane of Dean’s life.

Son of a bitch. He played him.

“Happy anniversary, Dean,” Cas said, stepping forward to crawl on his knees across the mattress, caging Dean in between his thighs.

Dean pulled him closer, sunlight glinting on the band of his wedding ring as he ran a hand through Cas’ hair. Three years of this. Already three. Only three.

And he could never have enough.

“Happy anniversary, Cas.” The words were a whisper against his husband’s lips.

The rest, he already knew. They both did.

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boba-beom · 1 year

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❦ With You | K.TH

pairing: taehyun x f!reader

genre: fluff, bestfriends to lovers | oneshot

warning(s): senior year high school, set in 1984, relationship to be established, confessions, ft. the rest of txt, taehyun’s a lil nervous <3, yn a little bold, kisses.

summary: before the school term comes to a close for the festive holidays, your best friend of four years had asked you to go to the winter ball with him. however, there’s one more thing he wants to tell you.

wc: 2.3k

note: inspired by the last scene in s2 ep9 of stranger things. and the song ‘Every Breath You Take’ by The Police was perfect after I remembered taehyun talking about it and playing it on one of his vlives at the time :’) this was also written a while ago but I edited it a little and wanted to post this as my last taehyun fic to end tyun month :> thank you again @fairybinie for beta reading and for the advice 🫶🏼

SHORT PLAYLIST (recommended)

the hazy, vertical streaks from the moonlight passes through the open blinds, caressing over taehyun's face as his sister, hyunjae, straightens out the frills of his collar and adjusts the flimsy ribbon after. he turns his body, puffing in front of the mirror, loosening the tension and nervousness in his wrists, tilting his head left and right.

"aw, my not-so-little brother knows how to clean up well." hyunjae coos, lightly patting the top of his head.

"agh, you're gonna mess up my hair!" he swats her hands away, caving over his hair before fidgeting with the front pieces of his hair, making sure they would stay in place until he meets his date.

"so... are you gonna ask her today?"

the young male adjusts his outer coat, brows scrunching as he looks at his sister through the mirror, "ask who?"

"yn? aren't you going to ask her to dance with you tonight?" she sighs as she pinches the bridge of her nose, thinking how her brother could possibly be lacking in basic knowledge of making the first move—especially with his crush.

if there's one thing taehyun is good at, it's definitely being oblivious towards any female kind and their attempt to flirt with him. he's never dated, he's only confessed to one girl in middle school when he gifted her a heart-shaped box of chocolates. she accepted them, but refused to be his valentine, and since then he's never wanted to embarrass himself like that again.

"of course I'll ask her to dance with me. she's my date anyway, and I should tell her then..." he trails his words, thinking about what he would say once he finds the right moment later on in the evening, "I just hope a good song comes on." as cliché as that may sound.

hyunjae sees how anxious he is as he lets out a deep sigh. both their heads turn towards the open window from the sound of a car's triple beep in front of their house. the loud noise was soon followed by a few male voices shouting out his name, almost chant-like.

"good luck, 'lil man." hyunjae reaches out to pat his hair once again, but misses as he ducks and opens the front door.

"ayeeee, someone looks dashing tonight!" beomgyu screams with the upper half of his body out of the window. the other three males starts cheering and whistling as taehyun approaches the car with long, confident strides.

opening the door behind the driver's seat, he sits comfortably as he looks at the rest of them, "not too shabby yourselves guys." he chuckles, buckling his seatbelt.

"how are we feeling, boys?" yeonjun laughs, excitement clear in his voice. he briefly locks eyes with taehyun through the rear mirror, expecting him to answer the question.

"i just hope she doesn't reject me." taehyun speaks without hesitation. kai and beomgyu looks at him with their brows stitched together.

"are you kidding me? i'm sure she won't reject you, it's yn we're talking about." beomgyu sighs.

"and what's that supposed to mean?"

"that you have to be really dense to think she has no interest in you." soobin butts in, looking back at him from the passenger seat.

"he's book smart, just not girl smart." kai joins in.

"okay, okay. that's enough guys. i'm sure our boy can manage." yeonjun cuts off their bombarding banter towards taehyun.

taehyun rolls his eyes at his friends' continuous teasing, completely ignoring yeonjun. the topic for conversation slowly went round to each person—and about their dates—until they arrived at the venue for the winter ball.

the group of five made their way towards the entrance, keeping their eyes out for their dates. it was convenient that majority of their dates arrived together, as expected when asking people from the same friend-group. taehyun watches his friends greet their dates and entering in with linked arms, their outfits complimenting each other's nicely.

"we're gonna go ahead." soobin firmly pats taehyun's shoulder as he nods in response.

a few minutes passes by and taehyun is still standing by the entrance, yet his posture never fails him. he looks down at the cuffs of his black dress shirt, adjusting them out of restlessness, in the hopes he hasn't been turned down.

"taehyun? sorry i'm late." a soft voice speaks.

from the cuffs of his sleeves, he sees a shiny pair of white, mary jane pumps pointing towards him in his line of vision, less than half a meter away from his own black, dress shoes.

lifting his head slowly, his eyes travel up the figure in front of him; skin-toned stockings visible until the thin layer of white chiffon material just about lingers by the knees. he looks up to admire you in your entirety, a sweetheart neckline accentuating the length of your neck with a dainty pearl necklace sitting prettily at the base of your neck.

"yn," his voice almost breathless, "you look beautiful."

you chuckle at his compliment, looking down at the ground before your fingers subconsciously fiddles with the pearl strap of your purse.

"you don't look too bad either, kang."

he smiles at your implied compliment, holding out his arm for you to take, "shall we?"

as soon as the both of you walk through the tinsel curtain, you're met with snowflake-shaped lights projecting on the ground. your peers' arms are linked with their dates while they meet up in groups and you do the same.

you meet with a few friends, separating yourself from taehyun while he went to see his friends too. long conversations were made, and pictures were taken at the open photo booth that the school had hired for the evening. there were props and multiple photos could be taken so you were willing to try it out.

taehyun is sitting at his designated seat on the same table as his friends, locking eyes with you for a split second from across the room before you start making your way through the sea of students.

as you make a bee-line towards him, your eyes are trained on him, getting closer and closer. his side profile was stunning; his sharp jawline in full display as he slightly leans over the table to talk to yeonjun opposite him, and with every laugh, you saw the occasional appearance of his sharp canines which showcased his dimple.

in your four years of high school, you never found anyone just as handsome as kang taehyun himself. and you granted yourself lucky to have him as your best friend.

you approach his seat, resting a light hand on his shoulder until the boys stopped talking, causing taehyun to look up at you.

"hey, want to take a photo together over at the photo booth with me?" the freckles of light from the disco ball sparkles over your face, looking almost angelic as he gets up on his feet.

"that's our boy!"

"go taehyun!"

you hear beomgyu and kai exclaim along with the others as you take ahold of taehyun's hand in yours. taehyun could only pray that you don't look back at him because only then would you see how enamoured he is by you. the heat from his cheeks quickly spread and made its way to the tips of his ears—he's in too deep.

opening the curtains to the photo booth, he picks up a white feather boa and loosely twirls it around your neck accompanied with a quiet laugh from you. in return, you pick up a black masquerade mask for him to wear, only making his full attire look more complete than it already was.

you continue shuffling, making sure you were in the middle of the photo booth, "come closer." you speak up, gently tugging on his sleeve making him shuffle closer to you until he reluctantly resorted to resting his hand on the small of your back.

"i- is this okay?" taehyun was always wary of his hand placements, you knew that and you were more than comfortable with being this close to him.

"perfect, these photos are gonna look really nice." you're smiling at the photographer, posing your wrist as you splay your palm open and the end of the boa hanging off it. all while taehyun looks at you in awe. you've always been one to try new things, even putting yourself out there and not giving a single care to what people think of you. he found that quality admirable, really.

after a few more pictures were taken, and keeping the same props, it was time for the last photo.

"tyun, look at me." you whisper.

he turns his head to face you, your faces within centimetres apart until your noses brushed against each other. you hold the end of his chin still with your index finger and your thumb, closing your eyes, he mimics you until you feel the softness of his lips against yours, it was almost euphoric.

you just kissed your best friend.

the sound of the photographer snapping the last shot interrupted the momentary trance you were both in, the flash visible through your eyelids.

"we'll get them later, let's go." you pull back and hold his hand again. he was trailing after you while you make your way towards the bowl of fruit punch.

"so how did your photos go?" beomgyu comes into view beside you, passing the both of you already full cups of the punch.

taehyun stays silent, taking a sip from the drink while his other hand is still holding yours.

"it was fun, i think you should try it out. i heard there's more props if you ask the photographer." you take a sip from the drink, keeping eye contact with beomgyu while you watch his eyes flick back and forth between you and your date.

"if you say so," he says, walking away with a small smile tugging at his lips.

a new song fills the room, a song that only released last year. you remember hearing it a few times on your parents' radio and it being one of the most replayed songs since it was released. your peers and their partners gather onto the dance floor, girls with their arms draped over their date's shoulder, and some guys nervously resting their hands on their date's waist.

perfect. taehyun clears his throat before taking away your cup and placing both of them down on the closest table. he lifts a hand up, the other tucked behind his back as he asks, "yn, would you perhaps want to dance with me?"

you observe the way he's slightly bowing in front of you, your heart fluttering in your chest from his chivalrous gesture. "perhaps I do, kang." you say as you accept his hand, leading you onto the empty spot on the dance floor.

the lights dimmed down a little more than before, only the ambient lighting from the decorations and the disco ball reflected onto your faces. taehyun's hands were fumbling with the material around your waist, you could tell he was nervous but you wanted him to be comfortable with you like he always is. the only difference this time is that you're both dressed up and he hardly ever sees you dressed up.

"hey, ease into it. left then right, remember?" you reassure him after he visited your house one time and your older brother teased you about dancing with taehyun. your mother made sure to teach both of you the basics.

you hold onto one of his hands on your waist, letting his palm relax against you then letting go and bringing yourself closer so you could rest and bend your elbows over his shoulder, your temples leaning against each other.

a couple of minutes into the slow dancing made you feel so weightless. the strong scent of his cologne lingering by your nose, his soft and controlled breathing in front of you just felt so comforting. your faces were centimetres apart, no different than before, but both your eyes were briefly shut.

"yn?" taehyun speaks up softly, and you hum back in response. "there's something i've been meaning to tell you."

"mhm? and what is that?" you pull back to look at one of the features you love on his face. it's just one of those instances where you capture how his eyes could quite literally encapsulate the entire galaxy if possible.

"as a best friend, you're amazing, truly." he starts. you huff out an airy chuckle with your fixed attention on him. "but I want to get to know you beyond that. I really like you, yn. more than words could ever explain."

your eyes soften from his confession, knowing this was your best friend since freshman year and without a doubt, you were feeling quite the same.

"can i be your boyfriend?" he asks, head slightly tilting down to read your expression.

you pull him towards you, closing the proximity until your lips were just about grazing against each other. "i would love you to be my boyfriend, kang taehyun." you whisper before closing the gap and giving him a longer kiss than at the photo booth. he securely wraps his arms around your waist, chests colliding until your lips part.

"you really thought after i kissed you back there i'd say no?" you nudge his shoulder, catching his cheeks flush the smallest pink hues you could see.

"i really wasn't sure what that was, but if it's a kiss from you then i don't really mind." he shrugs nonchalantly.

"so i could say no as long as i give you kisses?" you tease him back.

"well... not quite, i want both." he shyly smiles with his dimples caving in his cheeks.

you peck his cheek in response to comment, "you really are cute, kang taehyun."

taglist: @bb-eilish @iggynor4 @ericyjun @bluejin0812 @luvsoobs @yeonyeonyeonjun @junniieesbby @kyrkitten @hyuntaena @day6andetcetera @amethysts-1620 @gorechoi-backup @dainsleif-when-playable @felix-housewife @choiwrld @yjusei @feyregels @dearkamal @ahnneyong @potaeto-writes-on-wp @wccycc @lizdevorak @fairybin @laylasbunbunny @acaiasahi @ttyunz @cha0thicpisces @vatterie @yunkiwii @prodsh00ky @ashxxgyu @onlyforgaeul @aprilisque @ja4hyvn (send me an ask if you would like to be part of my taglist while I fix my form).

#kflixnet #hybenet #taehyun x reader #taehyun fluff #taehyun imagines #taehyun scenarios #taehyun oneshot #txt x reader #txt fluff #txt imagines #txt scenarios #txt oneshot

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sceebybeeby · 2 months

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⚠️ blood, jfa spoilers ⚠️

just an insane mix of media, so sorry

( a long rant about my no phoenix pov DD/SOJ au below)

(DD/SOJ spoilers of course)

ok, so my biggest issue with DD/SOJ is that it would be better (in my opinion) if phoenix weren't a pov character. i liked aa4 because we didn't see the inner workings of phoenix for most of the game, and it felt nice because we're not phoenix. his arc was complete. the only cases i think work with phoenix's pov are the DLC cases. but we can easily make the games work with only apollo and athena as the pov characters, and having phoenix as co council and as athena's weird little girl.

DD is mostly athena and apollo's pov, just change the first case and last cases to make phoenix co council and not butt in and make him lead attorney. add him consoling athena at the beginning and her recovering and getting back into the case. we can get a fun dynamic between apollo/athena and edgeworth, see what they're like in court as a team.

SOJ is definitely going to be much more different. apollo is going to khura'in instead of nick. it can still be cryptic until case 3 on why he knows so much about khura'in, but it can also be chalked up to him doing research about the country before traveling. he can see maya by nick hearing about the trip and telling him to say "hi" to her while he's there, and we can see what the dynamic between him and maya is. case 2 can have trucy still be maya'd, but since nick is here, athena can ask to defend trucy as a way of showing her commitment to the agency and nick's trust to athena. we can see like what nick is like not in charge. case 4 is perfect and needs no changes

idk i'm rubber ducking rn, if y'all got any thoughts i'd like to hear it ^^

#ace attorney #ace attorney fanart #ace attorney au #rant #nahyuta sahdmadhi #tw blood #semi long rant #traditional art #dd and soj have so much potential #they're my fave games i can bully them #i don't write stories so uh

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surprisingmarch · 6 days

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(𝐉𝐉𝐁𝐀) 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐨 𝐊𝐮𝐣𝐨 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥) (𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 :) )

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TW: Mentions of Anxiety and PTSD related symptoms.

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I'll tell you what, it's an absolute blast! Jotaro's specific Marine Biology field is fish biology, he enjoys fishing for different species and collecting DNA samples to see if there are any unique changes and when there is, he gets very excited. He makes sure to show you the fish immediately and if you happen to be inside the boat he'll drag you out just to see the slightly mutated fish.. They almost always look the exact same as any other fish of their species but you still think it's neat.

He also likes how hands on the job is and how interactive it is with the animals, he's always been a nature boy. He enjoys catching every fish he can and petting every penguin he can get his grimy little hands on. Some times you have to pull him away from the penguins because he'll just sit there and refuse to leave because he's, and I quote: "Been adopted by them and shall be raised as one of their own." ..They aren't even part of your department's field of profession, he just has to go pet the fluffy penguins. He also rants to you as he sits there, explaining every little fact he has about the penguins… he knows alot of penguin facts, so you get comfy.

And god forbid this man catches a shark, he'll be so damn proud of himself. He'll make sure that you praise him or else he'll pout until you do. The longer you leave him hanging the more pouty and mopey he gets… Please tell him he's a big strong man who absolutely did beat a shark.. even though five other men helped him pull it up onto the boat in a giant net. Listen, it's little Jotaro's dream to do this, just encourage him and his antics.

Of course he won't openly ask for praise, he'll just gloat about the fact he caught a shark and wait for you to catch onto what he wants. You do immediately, you just like to pester him sometimes and make him wait. He wants praise every time he catches a shark, he is always just as excited and proud of himself each and every time… it's honestly very sweet. The child in him must be very proud of himself.

You two share a room and you both sleep on a pretty nice set of bunk beds attached to the wall. You started giggling as soon as you first saw the size of the bunks because you knew within an instant that Jotaro probably wouldn't fit.. and he didn't. You glanced beside you and saw the shock on his face as he slowly entered the room, his hulking form having to duck to even fit through the doorway. You immediately lost your cool, you could hardly breath from laughing so hard. As you were laughing your ass off, he ended up crawling onto the bottom bunk to test it out and see if he'd fit, he fit.. okay. He has to sleep with his legs either hanging off the end of the bed or have them slightly bent… seeing him like that just made you laugh even harder. He ended up chuckling with you, you laughter is very infectious to him and even if he is the butt of the joke, he likes the fact that he makes you laugh.

About a week into your first month there, Jotaro ended up giving you a pretty big surprise gift. Turns out, one of the suitcases he had brought had a fish bowl and other aquarium materials within it that he had planned on giving you… eventually. It took him a while to catch a fish the right size, way longer than he had hoped. But when he finally managed to catch a fish small enough to keep in the damn thing, he carefully put some colourful aquarium rocks in the bowl and made sure the water was absolutely perfect before he placed the little guy in there. He wrapped a beautiful scarlet ribbon into a neat little bow around the rim and sat it on the desk across from the bunk for you to find. He also left a note stating that it was a gift for you from Jotaro.. That's about all it said… but the gift spoke for him.

The fish became a permanent member of the crew and everyone referred to him as "Chuck Norris". The reason he got that name is because if you put your finger in or around the bowl he immediately hits it with his tail and starts attacking it in any way possible. But luckily for you and the crew, he's too small to actually cause much damage so people can do so if they really want to see his "fury". Many crew members will sneak into you and Jotaro's room to sneak Chuck some tasty snacks… he's gotten fat, to say the least, but at least he's happy.

Jotaro will often be seen playing with Chuck by dragging his finger along the glass to tempt him, Chuck seems to enjoy the hunt.

Jotaro always makes sure you get whatever you want during meal time, he doesn't care if he has to trade with someone, you will get what you're craving if it's the last thing he does. It's the least he can do to make up for you actually doing this with him.. you keep telling him not to worry about it and that you enjoy the job, but he still wants to pamper you and there's not much you can do about it.. You're starting to think it's just an excuse for him to pamper you without your teasing.

Many of the staff suspects that you and Jotaro have a fling going on, but after they see you annoy Jotaro and watch him literally stand up and flip you upside down by your ankles and just hang you there as you wiggle and wriggle and yell curses at him, they are reminded that you're both just freaks who are very close.. like siblings.

Whenever the boat has a particularly cold night Jotaro offers for you to sleep next to him.. he gets very shy about it, mostly because you tease him.. Maybe you should stop doing that before he gets a mental disorder of some kind… at least one he doesn't already have.

You walk into the bedroom, pull out the metal folding chair from it's usual spot under the desk, and plop down onto it with a sigh. You turn towards the entrance and watch as Jotaro's giant lurking form bends down to fit through the doorway and enters the room. You watch him as he fixes his bunk bed's blankets a bit before he very carefully sits down on it. You assume he's being so careful because he's scared he'll break the damn thing. "Y/N..?" He hesitantly asks as he looks up at you, his baby blue eyes are soft but have a hint of concern glistening within them. You hum in response, tilting your head slightly as you take in his expressions. Jotaro pauses to look down at the ground, he sighs deeply before he finally looks back up at you. "Would you like to sleep with me on my bunk tonight? I'm afraid you won't have enough blankets to keep warm since you're so small and have been shivering already anyway.." Jotaro asks quietly, He coyly fiddles with his hands like a nervous child, you giggle at him. "I'm serious." Jotaro retorts at your chortling, his voice was louder this time, more annoyed but still very concerned. "I know, I just think it's sweet that you worry about me this much." You say with a soft chuckle. "Well?" Jotaro asks again as he adjusts the brim of his hat down over his face, this time his voice sounded more demanding of an answer. You contemplate for a few moments before you finally answer. "..Sure, you're probably right, I'm cold just sitting here and you are basically a giant heater."

Whenever you have a particularly clumsy day, Jotaro makes sure to always follow behind you the entire time, he's paranoid you're going to fall off the damn boat one day and he wants to be there to catch you when it happens, he has no doubt in his mind that it's not going to happen one day. A few times he has actually caught you and stopped you from falling by grabbing you by your collar.. he usually chastises you after.

On particularly rough nights, when Jotaro can't sleep because of PTSD, he wakes you up so you can climb down from your glorious top bunk and cuddle him so he can feel safe and secure. At first he didn't wake you up at all, instead he tried his best not to wake you, but you often woke up during his fits as he would quietly pace back and forth through out the room and you ended up comforting him anyway. So after you kept pressing it for a few months he finally gave in and promised to always wake you so you could help him. Ever since you've been comforting him and cuddling him more often he rarely has a flair up, but when he does, he goes straight to you. Even on duty he'll stop everything and move his work over to where you are so he can pull you into his lap and bury his face into the crook of your neck as you two work… you don't mind it one bit, he's very comfy and warm. Though… sometimes you do fall asleep on him and he ends up doing your work too. You win some you lose some.

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totes-tubulardude · 10 months

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First Trial

Part two of the size shifter trooper au!

One of the most important lessons any clone learned from growing up was how to survive.

The long necks were always watching them for a moment where they’d slip up, to show a sign that they were in the slightest bit defective and needed to be decommissioned to ensure perfection for their buyers. The Mandalorian trainers were less predictable. Some seemed to like the clones a lot, seeing them as actual people instead of products. Others saw them as the latter. CC-1010 and his brothers learned to watch out for those ones.

They especially learned to watch out for those ones when their specific genetic mutation began to show.

He and his batchmates spent many days strapped to tables as the kaminoans ran tests and injected them with strange substances that made his limbs burn.

It had all started one day during a particularly nasty storm swell. The wind was howling loud enough that they could hear it through the walls of Tipoca City and the rain pelted down hard enough that CC-1010 thought there would be dents in the wells afterward. He’d been followed Alpha-17 through the halls, his brothers in a single-file line behind him as they made their way to the training rooms. They always preferred the days that the alphas trained them.

Sure they were scary and sure they pushed them so hard that CC-5052 had thrown up on Alpha-17’s feet after a conditioning day, but they did it in a way that was unlike the Mandalorian trainers. They treated the younger clones like family, aliit, because at the end of the day, they were clones too.

They’d been right by the windows when there’d been a particularly bright flash of lightning, likely redirected right off the roof of the building, followed by a clap of thunder loud enough to shake the building. CC-1010 hadn’t been able to stop his jerk reaction to jump and duck, hearing similar shouts from behind him.

There was also the strange sound of ripping fabric that came from somewhere near him but he wasn’t sure where.

When the shaking finally stopped CC-1010 quickly straightened back up and immediately realized that something was wrong. The floor was further away than it had been, his body ached like he’d been pulled in every direction, and he was now eye to eye with Alpha-17. The older clone looked about as surprised as he was upon this realization considering that just a moment earlier he’d only been about hip height.

“What the-?” CC-1010 stumbled backward, tripping over too-small boots.

He looked down at himself to realize that the sound from earlier was from his own clothing. His cadet uniform now hung in tatters from where his body had outgrown them. He glanced around to see the rest of his batch staring up at him in shock.

He tripped over himself again and landed on his butt. The air was knocked out of him and suddenly he felt a strange tingling sensation over his whole body. His head spun and CC-1010 closed his eyes to fight off a wave of nausea.

When he opened them again, his batchmates and Alpha-17 were kneeling on the floor around him. He could see a few Kaminoan’s heading their way as well while others tried to usher other groups of clone cadets out of the way.

“You alright 1010?” Alpha asked cautiously, placing a large hand on his once again narrow shoulder.

CC-1010 opened his mouth to answer before his eyes rolled back into his skull and he passed out.

CC-1010 -> Fox; CC-5052 -> Bly

Mando'a: aliit: family

#the clone wars #clone troopers #cc-1010 #comander fox #commander bl #cc-5052 #commander bly #alpha 17 #cadet fox #cadet bly #command batch #size shifting #my au

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hazbin-luciferalastor · 3 months

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Lucifer- Hey char char no no that's not good oh this is the first time she called you in years this has to be perfect, HEY Bitch

Danny- You nail it dude that was perfect

If I called my dad and for the first time in years and he hit me with the hey bitch any strife we previously had would be instantly resolve.

Charlie- I told you when you called me 5 months ago or did you not listen.

Lucifer- no no no no just you know just forgot you know i've been really busy you know with um.

Danny: with ducks dude say with your ducks this is a good business you have here.

Lucifer- Important things

Danny- also accurate

is the duck thing like a inside joke i don't get like why is Lucifer just a just a duck loving clown i feel like this is a joke you come up with your friends in sunday school and i guess go and make a wildly successful tv show out of it.

Lucifer- absolutely oh i be there in a hour my daughter wants too see me take that depression

Danny- suck a butt depression

this guys daughter is using him for his connections

#hazbin charlie #hazbin lucifer #danny motta #hazbin hotel

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duckit7 · 9 months

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Online Dating Can Be Hard 15

Spicy week this week! I have a couple more chapters I'm gonna try to get out this week! Enjoy. And as always with my work there is some strong language used.

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I let out a long sigh as I stood from my seat by the gate. I guess now was as good of a time as any to conduct preflight. I showed the gate agent my badge and within seconds I was running through the usual checklist with my first officer.

“Good afternoon!” A cheery little voice spoke from well below me. I looked down to find a parvus flight attendant. This was a mixed flight so her presence didn’t surprise me.

“Afternoon!” I replied warmly. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing good! Beautiful day to go flying! I’ve also never been to the cities so I’m excited to finally see them!” she exclaimed. She was a cute little thing. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a professional bun. Every inch of her uniform seemed to be well put together as did she.

“Well, I’m happy to welcome you to the cities then! When we get there I mean.” I said with a smile. “I’m Kate by the way.”

“Sara!” She tossed back.

She was a very quizzical woman. During the flight when there were lulls, she would come and chat with me in the cockpit. She wasn’t really supposed to do this but it didn’t bother the first officer or I so we let her stay for a couple of minutes before she would return to her passengers.

She asked about the parvus scene in the cities and I told her about my parvus friends. I didn’t know I had talked mainly about Cam till Sara let out a little chuckle and asked, “Are you two dating?”

My face immediately turned a deep red as I looked away. Images of Cam in his tux flooded back into my mind. The way he looked at me. The look in his eye. Was it desire?

“Nah. We are just friends.” I said hoping to not give my real feelings away.

“So this Cam character is single?” she asked haphazardly.

I nodded. “Yep. How he is still baffles me too.” I said with a laugh.

“Do you know what he is up to tonight by chance? I would love to meet up with some local parvuses.” She said with a smile.

“Well Cam, Sal and Marcy are coming over to my place for game night tonight. It’s not the downtown scene you are looking for but you are more than welcome to join if you would like.” I said trying to be nice. Deep down, though, I hoped she would pass on the offer and just go downtown.

My heart tightened as she said sweetly, “I would love to join you!”

Well duck. How bad can it be? She seems nice. Maybe it will be fun with her around tonight I tried to tell myself.

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Tonight was game night at Kate’s place and I was excited! I had my master plan already. We would have a great night playing games. Everyone would go home and I would be left with Kate. She would walk me home like usual. I would confess my love to her under the streetlights. It was going to be perfect!

I was basically buzzing as I walked up the stairs to her apartment. Cresting the top I rang the doorbell as usual and waited for my blue eyed beauty to answer. Like clockwork the door opened to reveal Kate. She immediately took a knee and we went through our usual dance of her saying hello and grabbing my jacket before offering me a beer which I always said yes to. Lilith then greeted me in her little wiggle butt way.

The dance was thrown off, though, when a parvus woman I did not know rounded the corner and beelined for me. She wore skin-tight jeans and a crop top that showed off her nice form. “You must be Cam!” She exclaimed as she came up and gave me a big hug which threw me off. She was shorter than me by a couple of millimeters. Definitely be someone mom would love for me I mentally chuckled as I tried to cope with the odd situation.

“Ugh… Hi. Do I know you?” the confusion plain as day in my voice. I didn’t know whether to hug her back or not so I voted for not.

“Oh I should probably introduce myself. I’m Sara. I have heard so much about you and I’m really excited to meet you! Kate and I flew together today and she told me all about you and invited me over!” Sara’s voice was bubbly as ever.

Kate was talking about me at work today?! My heart fluttered at the thought. A weird feeling struck me, though. Why did Kate invite Sara though? And why was Sara so excited to see me?

“Well looks like you two met already.” Kate’s voice from behind pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see her take a knee not too far away. She handed me my beer with a warm smile.

“Yes Ma’am!” Sara was practically giddy. She then covered her mouth with the back of her hand to try to block her words as she said, “And he is way more handsome in person. Your words do him no justice.” She added a wink at the end for a touch.

“That he is.” Kate chuckled before smiling down at me.

I was so confused what was going on, but couldn’t dwell much on it as Sal and Marcy started to yell at us to hurry up. Kate gave both Sara and I a ride to the table where Sara proceeded to sit way too close to me all night. As the night went on Sara tried harder and harder to make more advances. I tried my hardest to be nice because I didn’t want to seem rude to a parvus that Kate invited over.

As the night progressed though, my irritation rose. Kate was just letting this woman do all of this to me and didn’t once try to stop her. Was this not eating Kate up like it was me? Did Kate not care about me the way I cared for her? Is Kate trying to set me up with this girl or something? Is that why she invited her over and told her all about me beforehand…

I shoved down the hurt and tried to put on a happy face. I didn’t want to be the one to ruin game night. After everyone had their fill of games and decided it was best to go home, I found myself alone with Kate and Sara. Kate had been quiet all night and barely interacted with me at all. Sara dragged me to the door and half asked half demanded I walk her back to her hotel room because she ‘didn’t know the city well and needed a strong man to protect her.’ My mom would have killed me if I told a tipsy woman I would not walk her home, so I said yes.

Kate said nothing as she stood on. Kate had never seemed so distant as she did towering feet above my tiny form. Did she really not care at all? Was she really ok with me walking another woman home? A woman that was flirting with me all night. A woman who for sure wanted to sleep with me. I wanted her to say something as she handed me my jacket, but all I got was an emotionally disconnected, “Please be safe on your way home.”

That was it. The straw that broke the camel’s back and split my heart in two. Kate didn’t care about me. Not in the same way I cared about her. How stupid I was to think someone like Kate, a human, could ever love me. She was just trying to set me up this whole time. To get me out of her hair. She probably knew I had feelings and tried to deflect them onto someone else. That’s why she invited Sara over. That’s why she told Sara all about me. That’s why she let Sara flirt with me all night. I really was pathetic for thinking Kate and I could have been something more than friends.

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I had a feeling Sara might be trouble from the start, but never imagined it was going to be that bad. Watching her all over Cam crushed me. I just wanted to pick her up and toss her out the window. From the very start she was hiding in the shadows, waiting to ambush Cam. And I could do nothing but stand by and watch as she worked her magic on him.

Cam never pushed her away. Even as her advances grew more bold he just let it happen. If I would have known it was going to be this bad I would have worn a mouth guard to protect my poor teeth from all the grinding. I wanted to be that crazy human who kicked her out without hesitation. But that would have been terrifying for everyone. A colossal crazy picking up a parvus and tossing her into the street because she was flirting with the parvus I was in love with… Definitely not ok…

What made it wall worse was I think Cam liked her back. Again, he never seemed to push her away. He even said yes when she asked if he would walk her home… Maybe I am crazy. Maybe this whole time while I thought Cam liked me, he actually was waiting for his small and cute parvus woman to come along. I was just a place holder until someone more acceptable came into his life. Who was I kidding… Cam was a parvus and I was a human. No parvus wanted a human looming over them. Especially not a fine parvus like Cam.

I wanted to slam my head into a wall for being such a fool. For thinking we could have been more than friends. Now I questioned if we could even continue being friends…

#g/t #duck it #giant/tiny #wholesome giantess #cam and kate #angsty #love triangle but maybe not #oh these fools

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obetrolncocktails · 2 years

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Holy Figures | Josh Kiszka X Reader | Part 1

Warning: Alcohol consumption, parody on religion (if that upsets you, do not read this fic), flirting. The next part will be extremely NSFW. Minors DNI

Word Count: 2.2K

A/N: Idk, something about the Halloween pics of the boys made me feral, particularly for Josh and whats hotter than Pope Josh undressing nun Y/n? Anyway, enjoy!

“The Pope?” Are you fucking serious?” You asked, your head already spinning from the punch that had every liquor known to man in it. You chugged the bittersweet liquid down, feeling the burn of the concoction as it slithered down your throat and into your empty belly. You’d pay for that mistake later.

“What? Come on, Y/n. We’re the perfect team. You’re literally Mother Teresa!” He reached for your fake crucifix, lifting it in the air to watch it dangle. His breath smelled of the same alcohol, and it was obvious that it was working well in his favor.

“Such a shame we’re here. It’s so sinful,” Sammy said, dressed up as a priest. “Sexy devils? Angels? Oh my God, you should have seen the guy with the fake bloody chainsaw.” He held a solo cup in his hand, pulling it up to his lips as he scoped the room.

“Don’t say the Lord’s name in vain,” Josh warned, pointing his finger at Sam. “You should know better, Father.”

“Yeah, Father. Come on,” You agreed, flashing him a brilliant grin.

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Oh my Goodness,” he repeated, mending the word slip.

You rolled your eyes playfully, stepping further into the large house. To your delight, Josh followed you. You had a crush on him for years, and everyone knew it, including him. The feelings were returned in flirty acts here and there, and you both had kissed once in highschool, but college had sent you in two different directions.

“So tell me,” he said with a grin. You knew he was about to say something smart. “What turned the Halloween party into the Hallelujah party?” You punched him in the shoulder.

“You tell me! You’re the Pope for Christ sake,” You said, not realizing the pun you had made.

“Very funny, Y/n. I never realized how much religious rhetoric we use in everyday language,” he said with his hands on his hips, his chin turned upward in thought.

“Care to enthuse me with an etymology lesson?” you asked him with sarcasm. He eyed you mischievously.

“No, but how about another lesson?” He knew what he was doing, manifesting success when the heat rolled up your neck and into your cheeks.

“Stop,” you warned, swatting him on the butt. “Act priestly, Pope Joshua.”

“Has he prayed over you yet?” Jake said, appearing out of nowhere, his body cloaked in a black cape, his face covered in a black bandana, his head topped with a sleek bolero hat.

“Zorro?” You asked, taking notice of how well his facial hair worked with the costume. Oh God, Jake too? You thought, appreciating how effortlessly sexy he looked in the costume.

“No! I’m Westley from the Princess Bride.” He said, lifting the hat off of his head and tipping it to you.

“You’re totally Zorro,” you said, stealing his hat and placing it on top of your head, on top of the nun’s habit you already wore.

“Either way, you still like it, don’t lie,” he said, blowing you a kiss and stealing his hat back. “Also,” he said, taking a step back, pulling out a full length sword that looked alarmingly real. “I will fight for your honor,” He said in a fake British accent.

“He didn’t get the whole ‘Heaven and Hell’ memo,” Sam said, edging his way back through the crowd to join you.

“I wanted to try something different this year. Plus, I can easily send you to Hell,” Jake said, waving the fake sword in the air.

“Jake, you’re going to put someone’s eye out!” you said, ducking below his swing.

“Relax! It’s fake,” he said, sheathing it back on his belt.

“Beer pong anyone?” Josh asked, somehow having disappeared and reappeared, this time with a single ping pong ball. “It’s either beer or jäger bombs. Take your pick.”

“Go big or go home. Jägerbombs!” Sammy yelled above the music, pointing deeper into the house. “Let’s go!”

You followed him through the crowd, finding the game set up in the garages, twenty or thirty people lined up around the ping pong table, chanting drunkenly over their choice to win. The floor of the garage was awash with all sorts of spilled alcohol. You heard the crunch of several solo cups as people stepped on them and kicked them underneath the table.

“Game!” a raucous partygoer yelled, pounding on the table and pointing his finger at the winner. “Jason wins by a landslide–Drew, you’ve got fucking terrible aim, man. If you bet on this fucker here, you’re fucking stupid,” He said, laughing as he stumbled off into the crowd. “Who’s next?” He asked, raising his voice above the music.

“Us!” Josh wailed loud enough so that he could hear.

“Come on over…Pope?!” he said, drunkenly waving Josh over, who reached for your hand and pulled you toward the table. Admittedly, your belly flipped with butterflies as he held your hand, even though he thought nothing of it.

“Jake! Hey! Come prep the drinks,” the game maker said, watching as Jake walked into the game. “What will it be?” He asked Josh.

“Jägerbombs,” Josh answered confidently, bending to pick up loose ping pong balls from the garage floor.

“Ever played before?” He asked you, handing you the stray balls. You shook your head no.

“Well, that’s a lie. It’s been years,” you told him. You both watched as volunteers arranged solo cups in a triangle on each side, pouring Redbull into each cup before carefully placing a shot of Jägermeister in the middle. A few minutes later, the table was prepared and bets were placed on who would win, most people choosing Josh as the winner. A few of your friends bet on you, placing twenties into a cut open empty water jug.

“Heads or tails?” Jake asked, revealing a poker chip with casino branding on one side, the other blank.

“Tails,” You told him.

“Josh you’re heads,” he said, preparing to flip the chip.

He flicked it up in the air with his thumb and you watched it spin before landing back in his hand.

“Heads wins. Josh, your serve.”

“Hell yeah! Hey, Y/n?” Josh asked, moving to his side of the table, bouncing a ping pong ball on it. Your face contorted with confusion and before you could respond, he had already bounced his first ball across the table, making it into a cup on the first try. Whistles and cheers erupted from the room. You sighed and reached forward, pulling the ball out of the cup and tipping the drink back into your mouth. The combination of alcohol was vile; it burned as it went down and you knew that you were in for a long night. His third ball landed in another cup and you took it too, draining it as well.

“Alright, Y/n. Beat Josh’s ass,” Sammy said, sipping on a beer. You offered him a sly grin. What Josh didn’t know was that you were about to dominate the game, because fortunately for you, but unfortunately for him, you lied. You were an expert at beer pong. In the early days of college, you and Sam had become reacquainted, frequenting parties with one another, challenging each other all the time. After a while, Sam had lost his edge, making the mistake of giving you too many pointers that you eventually used to beat him.

“So Josh. Remember how I told you I didn’t play beer bong?” You asked him. “Well, I lied.” You prepped your first shot, bouncing it at the best angle, landing the ball directly in the tip of the triangle formation of cups.

“Oh shit,” he said softly, reaching for the cup, disposing of the ball and drinking the contents. “You’re going to make me shitfaced,” He said, his lips spreading in a brilliant grin.

“Eh, maybe. You gonna pussy out?” You asked with a devilish smirk.

“I never thought I’d hear that word coming from such a good christian lady,” he said, wiping his lips with the sleeve of his costume.

“You flatter me,” you said, bouncing the next shot against the table, almost missing the cups. The ball bounced off of several cup lips before ricocheting into the bottom line, scoring once more. Josh sighed, lifting the cup again to his lips.

“Alright woman, make it three for three and I’ll be impressed.” His eyes sparkled as he watched you. He crouched to be eye level with the cups, trying to intimidate you.

You breathed in, steading your hand as you prepared for the next shot, taking an extended moment to choose where you’d attempt to score. This time, you decided to toss the ball directly in the cup, and actually to your surprise, it made it in without even hitting the walls of the cup.

“Holy shit, you’re so fucking good at this. What the fuck,” Josh said, throwing his hands in the air. You couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Holy,” Sam snorted.

“What’s wrong, Joshy? Scared you’re gonna suck?” You said flirtatiously.

“Yes, actually. You’re making me work for it.”

By the end of the game, you had cleared Josh’s side of the table, while he still had four cups left on your side. “Winner!” The game maker shouted, coming over and lifting your hand over your head. Your head swam, the liquor lowering your inhibitions. The crowd roared and several people stepped forward to drink the remaining cups.

“I am impressed,” Josh mused. “You’re deadly accurate, woman.”

“It’s a secret talent, I guess,” You answered. You were beginning to feel a bit nauseous, your face flushed from the alcohol. “Hey, I’m gonna take a walk outside. It’s hot in here,” you told him.

“Mind if I join you?” Josh asked. “I could use the fresh air, too.” His face softened, and you swore you saw a glimmer of eagerness in his eyes. You nodded, feeling the butterflies reappear within your belly.

The crowd was dense, it was dark and music was blaring. He reached to take your hand, leading you through the throngs of people onto the deck outside. Immediately you felt better, the fresh air filling your lungs, making you feel less and less inebriated by the second.

“Ugh it feels so much better out here,” Josh said, pulling off his hat, fluffing his hair. “It’s hot as hell in there.” He leaned against the railing of the deck, tilting his head back to look at the stars. You couldn’t help but notice the flush that had reddened his cheeks and the sweat that had left a glistening layer on his skin, contouring his features in an almost sexual way. How is he so fucking hot? You thought, before clearing your throat. With how tipsy you were, you weren’t quite sure if you had said it out loud.

“You’re staring,” He said, the words filling you with dread when his eyes met yours, catching you in the act.

“Oh, um,” you said, adjusting your step. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” He said, stepping forward toward you, his hands reaching for yours. “I like it. Can I be honest with you?” He asked softly, his face just inches from yours. Your eyes fell to the plush of his lips, watching them move as he spoke.

“Yes,” you said in a low murmur, bringing your eyes up to meet his gaze. “I haven’t been able to get you off of my mind. For years.”

“Josh, we’re drunk. You don’t mean that,” You reasoned with him, though you wanted his words to be true.

“But I do,” He said, lifting his fingertips to your chin, tilting your head upward. “I’ve just always been too sober to be honest with you.” He earned a grin from you that time.

“Well, can I be honest?” You turned the question on him.

“Of course,” He spoke.

“I think about you a lot,” you spoke, stepping forward towards him, backing Josh up.

“You do?” He asked softly, his eyebrows rising with intrigue.

“How often?” He asked, biting his bottom lip, his hands moving to graze your hips.

“Every night,” You answered honestly.

You watched him visibly swallow, his cheeks reddening, but this time it wasn’t from alcohol. “Mmm,” he hummed softly, floating his lips just above yours. There could have been a crowd of people watching but in the moment, you couldn’t have cared less about them. The music was nothing but a low warble and your friends were long forgotten within the party.

“Remember that time we kissed?” Josh asked with a song chuckle. “We were young. And innocent.”

“Of course I remember, Josh.” You answered too eagerly.

“Well, I’m not feeling so innocent anymore. Are you?” He asked, his fingertips slightly digging into your hisp through your costume. You shook your head no.

“I’m tired of being good,” You answered honestly.

“Then maybe we should stop trying,” He suggested.

“Sinning on Halloween dressed as holy figures?” You asked, snaking your hands up his costume, grabbing a fistful of the fabric at his chest.

“Well, it’s one day of the year. I think we can get away with a night of breaking our vows,” He said, knotting the costume crucifix around his fist, pulling you in for the first kiss in years.

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darklydeliciousdesires · 1 year

Text

The Dark Passenger - Chapter Sixteen.

I am, as ever, hugely appreciative to you all for your engagement in this. As usual, 40 notes are needed to unlock the next chapter :) let’s try not to leave it all to @r3dskywaterfall and her endeavours, though!

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen

Words - 3,836

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, minors DNI!

Tag list - In the comments. Please DM to be added/removed

5am, and the chirping of birds came with the orange and pink light bathing the sky in a rich glow as the sun was welcomed back upon the horizon it rose from, the light coming in through the open blinds. Looking down at her snuggled against his chest, EZ could barely believe she was really there.

“There are things I need to tell you, things I have to tell you, before you make a decision that this is... that I am what you want.”

Camille’s smile was as warm as the sunbeams that shone over his apartment, her nails gently stroking his chest. “My decision is made.”

He looked uncomfortable, sitting up a little. “It might not be, once you know some of the things I did to you over the utter disaster that was our six-month long relationship. Well, disaster from my point of view, at least. You were perfect, the only thing you did wrong was putting your trust in a man who didn’t deserve it.”

“EZ.” She leaned to kiss him, her nail softly tapping his forehead. “That was this thing in there, not you who caused all of that. I understand. I always knew it wasn’t you.”

“I still need to confess, though.”

She nodded, sitting up properly, drawing up her legs to her chest and hugging them. “Okay, I’m listening.”

He chewed the side of his thumb with trepidation, scared of her reaction, but knowing he had to give her honesty. She deserved it, and so much more. “When I first met you, that guy who grabbed you, I paid him to do that. I set it up to make myself look like the hero, because I wanted to get in your good graces faster. Also, I was never faithful to you either. I cheated on you with three other girls, one regularly. I used to leave you and come right back here to her, to Dina. I would deliberately leave you hanging to make you become hooked on me, the number I gave you isn’t even for my actual cell, it’s for my burner, and yeah, yeah I think that’s it other than what you actually saw in my temperament and mood swings. Feel free to get up and leave, and not once look back.”

She looked hurt, he saw pain there clouding her pretty blue eyes, but her actions did not match, nor were they what he expected. Leaning to him, she rested her forehead to his, tutting softly. “Do you think they’ll let me have that brain tumour once they’ve gotten it out? Because I'd like to soak it in kerosene before throwing a lit match onto it, for what it did to me.”

He sat there stunned, shaking his head in wonder. “How can you even be this calm and accepting of it, of being treated so fucking horrifically? I’m more upset about it than you are, and I’m the one who did all of that to you!”

“Because it wasn’t you. It was the thing inside your skull, and I get that. Of course, it’s hurtful to hear such, and I’ll need a minute, but I know it wasn’t the man I fell in love with, the good parts of you that still shone through, those parts that I’m seeing nothing but right now. In fact, do you mind if I take that minute right now?”

Reaching for her cheek, he stroked it, his smile weak, but so very, very fond. “As long as you need.”

Getting up, she patted her leg, sliding her feet into her flipflops. “Come on, waggy butt. Let’s let you out for your morning pee.” Sally slowly manoeuvred from her bed, being told by Camille that her stretch was big, as was the unwritten law when dogs did that. You had to tell them it was a big stretch, scampering down the stairs after her into the empty clubhouse, Camille pausing to duck behind the bar, grab a bottle of rum and a shot glass, and pound back two in quick succession.

“Phew!” she exclaimed, taking a second to let it warm through her. “Okay, better now.” After hearing what she had, she’d needed something to take the edge off the hurt at hearing her beloved had never been faithful to her, even though she knew his actions were because of what had hampered him for so long. Catching up to where Sally waited at the door, tippy tapping her paws, she unlocked and swung it open, the little, chunky dog running across the yard, squatting down next to the wreck of an old Lincoln, Camille taking a seat on the steps.

She felt it hit her in waves, him arranging to have her manhandled, knowing he’d been unfaithful, knowing who with, too, the girl who often eyeballed her in a certain way whenever she’d encountered her within the clubhouse, the girl Dina, who was not well liked among the women. Bella in particular loathed her, after finding out she’d made a play for Angel while she’d been away on tour.

Her reaction had been the only time her gentle friend had acted in physical aggression in her entire life, so she’d revealed, telling Camille that she’d slapped her around the face for it and told her if she ever waved her pussy near her husband again, next time, her fist would be closed.

“You have to become a little tougher, to survive in their world. There’s no other way around it.” Bella had told her at the time, her words resounding with her right at that moment, but for a slightly different reason.

Scraping her fingers through her hair, she massaged her scalp, resting her forehead to her knees, her shoulders tensing. “He couldn’t help it, it was the tumour.” No matter how many times she uttered that, either aloud or in her head, it didn’t quite quell the anger. Camille, she was mostly her mild-mannered, easy-going father, but sometimes, only very occasionally, she was very much her mother’s daughter. The Randazzo fire was hard to extinguish entirely.

EZ looked up from where he’d been having a mass delete of promotional emails on his phone to see his girlfriend striding towards him, her jaw set, folding her arms as she came to a stop at the foot of his bed. “I know it wasn’t you, I know this. But I need to yell. I need to let tumour EZ fucking have it, even if that manipulative bastard isn’t in control right now.”

He placed his phone on the nightstand, turning back to give her his full attention. “Go for it. I know you need this; I can handle it.”

Go for it. Oh, boy. How she did.

“You lying, sneaky, low down, fucking asshole! How dare you! How dare you set me up to be hurt, how dare you be unfaithful, fucking other women while you were with me! What kind of scumbag are you, to do that to me, to someone who loves you! And excuse me!” She paused, gesturing to her body with a vigorous sweep of her hands, her eyes wide. “You really had all of this, but still looked elsewhere? What are you, insane? I might not be the most confident woman a hundred percent of the time, but I still know what I got. I’m a five foot five, size two, E cup, tanned blonde, with the best blowjob lips in the entire state of California and an ass like two ripe peaches bound in a handkerchief, and you choose Dina to fucking climb on?”

He couldn’t help it. When she got to the part about her ass, he snort laughed. Even more so when she mentioned him climbing on Dina. It was the exasperation as well, and he really wished he could have held it in, but he couldn’t. As soon as she saw him crack, neither could she. They tried, though. Lord, how they tried, before they promptly fell into hysterics.

“I don’t know what’s funnier, you likening your ass to two ripe peaches in a handkerchief of all things, or seeing you lose your temper in the first place. Jesus Christ!” he hissed. “Apart from you completely cracking me up, and giving me the first real laugh I’ve had in weeks, I’m damned proud of you for doing that, because you needed it, even if the me who did it couldn’t hear it. The me who truly loves you says you can scream at me whenever you like until you feel better.”

Camille took a big breath, letting out a little ‘ahh’ on the exhale, climbing onto the bed with him. “I think I’m good now. Yeah.”

“All berating over?”

“Uh-huh?”

“Sure? You can shout some more, I don’t mind.”

“Nope, I feel cleansed for it.”

He leaned to kiss her forehead, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “Well, the offer is there. Just so you know, when I’m better, I’ll really make it up to you, you know. Anything you want. In fact, I’m pretty much going to treat you like the royalty you deserve to be treated as from now onwards. I love you so much.”

She looked up at him, moving her head to rest against his thigh. “Yes, I’ll take that.” He chuckled softly, leaning to kiss her again, the sunshine of her love brightening him inside. “Love you so much, too.” Hearing her say it again was a tonic he needed, and one he knew he’d be relying on as they weathered the storm together. He was returned to his safe island, at least, no longer adrift and alone. The rage of the storm was easier to withstand with her there with him.

He smiled fondly at her, his thumb stroking her head. “You look sleepy. Lovely, but sleepy.”

Those were choice words, coming from someone who looked as haunted in the eyes with sleeplessness as he did. The truth was, though, she’d only nodded off here and there throughout the night, watching him sleep when he’d managed to rest, being there for him while he’d been under the duress of sickness, gently massaging his pounding head, rubbing in her thick cocoa butter hand lotion to soothe the area just above his forehead where the skin was affected from the radiation.

“I’m fine,” she vouched, sitting up again, stretching her legs. “How are you feeling?”

“Not nauseous, which is good. I only start feeling sick when I eat, though. I’ve tried everything, no dairy, no meat, good fats, low fats, junk food, everything makes me feel sick.”

She was thoughtful for a second. “How about fruit? Also, have you tried things like pasta and rice? Relatively plain, but a good source of carbs for energy.”

“Full confession time, I’m really lame at cooking pasta. I overcook it and it goes all squishy, same with rice. As for fruit, I’m not much of a fan other than bananas. My stomach doesn’t like those, either.” His eyebrows fluttered, a small frown creasing his forehead, reaching out to pick at a stray strand of cotton on the flannel shirt she wore, a shirt it took him a moment to realise was actually one of his. Oh, how his observances sucked, his mind running a little slower. Still, seeing her wearing his clothes gave him a little fizz of happiness he hadn’t expected. He knew it was something he’d come to like.

“Well, why not let me go and grab some? The convenience store three blocks away opens at six, so if I take little miss for a walk, it’ll be open by the time we arrive. I’ll pick up a bunch of stuff, try different things.” She knew that he sometimes had a predisposition to be lazy with his cooking, using packaged foods, except for the large quantities of chicken, fish, eggs, oatmeal, quinoa and broccoli he ate for health reasons, to fuel his workouts cleanly, so perhaps a few foods he wouldn’t normally choose might be of benefit.

“You sure?” Her smile confirmed. She was off the bed, flipflops back on, Sally called for and her bag picked up within a blink, kissing him goodbye, EZ lying there wondering how the hell he’d gotten so lucky. He had his baby back. The contentment settled right down into his tired bones, lying back, managing to fall asleep, his eyes permanently heavy but sleep mostly evading him. Little naps were what got him by, just like he had that morning, waking just under an hour later to see Camille stirring a pot at his stove, humming to herself softly.

“Please don’t be offended if I end up not being able to keep down whatever it is you’re making. It’s a fifty fifty if the anti-nausea meds kick in first, or my stomach decides to be pissed off,” he spoke, Camille preparing things further before turning to him, walking over and handing him one of the bowls she carried, EZ taking it from her with thanks.

“Oatmeal with honey, blueberries, bananas and I noticed you had chia seeds, so I threw some of those in as well as a swirl of peanut butter. I tried to combine taste with nutrition, should you actually manage to keep it down,” she smiled, EZ leaning to kiss her, resting the bowl down and opening his nightstand drawer, pulling out pill bottles, Camille’s eyes widening.

“These for the mood swings,” he explained, gesturing to the first two, “these to keep the tumour from growing any further, these for the headaches, these for the seizures and these for the nausea.”

“I thought I heard a rattling noise when you turned over earlier.” Her joke had him laughing softly, counting out his doses and drinking them back with a few mouthfuls of water, placing the bottles back and picking up his breakfast. If there was one meal he usually kept down, it was that, and he hoped this time wouldn’t fall into the fifty percent chance he wouldn’t. It smelled too good for one thing, and tasted even better.

Two hours after eating, and it had stayed down, both of them deciding since it was only 8:45am and they’d been awake for most of the night that they’d go back to sleep, EZ curling around her, the scent of her hair sweet and comforting in his nose as he drifted off, no nausea and no headache to bother him. They managed a few hours, EZ waking first, his head pounding again. Not wanting to add more nausea to that, he decided to skip lunch, letting Camille sleep, going for a shower and dressing.

Walking outside, he found the source of the occasional clanking noises he’d been hearing while pouring himself an icy soda water, seeing Bishop there working on his bike in front of the steps he sat down on.

“Don’t you have a garage for that?” he asked lightly, his VP poking his head around the front wheel, his hands and arms streaked with grease.

“I also have two daughters who like to nag me to death into this and that, Cece with expecting me to have her treehouse built in an afternoon and Hadleigh finding ways to punk me. Believe me, I get more peace here.”

“What’s Hadleigh’s latest?” he asked, swirling the ice around in his glass.

Bishop snorted laughing despite being the target of it, shaking his head. “She’s back to the ole’ faithful of sneaking up and screaming. She did it this morning, but I saw her reflection in the toaster, and turned around and got her before she could get me. She nearly pee’d her pants, but I know that I have something coming, hence part of the reason I’m here, so I can do this without worrying what she’s up to.”

While EZ chuckled quietly, Bishop jerked his head backwards at the red Mustang parked just behind where he worked. “So, I couldn’t help but notice that.”

“Yeah,” he confirmed, smiling. “We’re back together. Fuck knows how, though, what I put that poor girl through. I got some serious making up to do there, even though she keeps telling me that she knows it wasn’t me. I still need to do it, prove to her that the good person she always knew was there beneath it all is worth everything she went through, you know?”

Bishop had been noting it all, the damage control EZ was currently undergoing as much as he could around how weak and sick his treatment was leaving him. He’d quietly wondered if he’d change his mind and reach out to Camille in order to do the same. “I don’t know, no, but I get it. Rewarding her devotion, something that girl really does deserve.” He softened a little there, placing his spanner down, picking up the old rag he had nearby and wiping his hands, satisfied the repair was adequate. “We all know it wasn’t you, EZ. Nobody doubts that. It’s real commendable that you’re rectifying the heap of shit that fuckin’ tumour caused, though.”

His statement was Bishop all over, giving kindness when it was called for, but not sugar-coating whatever truth was to be said also. “A heap of shit is perhaps the most reasonable way you could describe it. In truth, I fucked us. Now we deal fentanyl laced heroin for a woman who has since decided to permanently cut her product with it, since it halves the cost, leaving the predictable trail of dead you all tried to warn me over. I gotta get us out of it, Bish.”

“One sec.” Getting up off the floor, Bishop entered the club house, returning with two cold beers, handing one to EZ as he sat. “And how do you propose to extract us from it all, el jeffe?”

EZ took a swig of beer, the cold bubbles tingling his tongue. God, he hoped he didn’t throw it back up again. He’d been avoiding alcohol on account of the fact it tasted so foul once it came back up again, but for what he had to propose, he felt a drink harder than his usual soda water a little more appropriate.

“Now, it’s tentative, but all the same, feel free to jump in with your superior wisdom if you feel, to use a Bella-ism, that I’m completely off my bloody rocker,” he began, Bishop rumbling softly with laughter. “So, we need to move something else to keep the money rolling in, something significant, that something being weapons. I propose we go to Chibs and ask him if we might sit down with his wife, see if we can negotiate something in that department.”

He turned to his side, watching his face twist into a slight cringe. “EZ, Soledad isn’t about to cease a trade that’ll ultimately end up netting her a third more than the movement of weapons to the cartel.” He put his president’s slightly ill-thought-out idea down to him being sick, choosing the gentler route than exclaiming ‘are you fucking insane?’, which he kept up in his head instead.

EZ bit his lower lip as he nodded, swigging his beer. “Who said anything about Soledad? If she wasn’t around, there are a dime a dozen other cartels we could reach out to in order to push IRA guns south of the border, thus opening up a new pipeline for the cause.”

Bishop scoffed lightly. “And how is Soledad not gonna be around? We can’t just cut her out.”

“Nope,” he agreed, grinning. “But Abigail Telford can make her disappear. She has motive to as well, since us running heroin through her husband’s turf is causing all of this carnage between the clubs. If we remove the cause, and give hers the chance to net even more bank while smoothing tensions with the Sons, we tie up every single loose end, and everybody is happy.”

Swigging his beer again, he looked out into the bright sunshine, feeling a hand grip his shoulder. “Would you fucking look at that?” Bishop began, EZ turning to see him beaming. “The president you were always capable of being is finally here. I missed the shit out of smart, shrewd EZ.”

He reached back to grasp his forearm. “Thanks for being patient while his return was delayed.”

“Of course,” Bishop nodded, swigging his beer. “So, when do we take this to the others?”

“Let me get the radiotherapy done with first and see how the land lies there. If it isn’t shrunk enough then I’ll likely be put forward for another course after a rest period, but if it has then I have an operation and subsequent downtime to factor in. Even if it’s bad news for me though, I want you to take it to them. If I’m not gonna make it, I want to see it put into action while I still have the comprehension to know that I did the right thing before I die.”

“I get it, but EZ, you ain’t dying,” Bishop vouched, his hand returned to his shoulder. “The devil ain’t taking you back on my watch, hermano.” El Rey Oscuro might have been no longer, but he was adamant that the rest of him would not follow.

“And I’m gonna try like hell not to let him either, but I have to be realistic, and I know I can be with you.” Bishop realised it then, that he was his stable person, not as emotionally close to it as his family or girlfriend. He was the one who he was trusting with the task of getting his affairs in order, should his long-term prognosis be bleak. “There’ll be a lot I’ll need to confide in you, should things go sour.”

Bishop nodded. “I’ll be here for that.”

“If you’ll excuse me for now,” he began as he stood, draining his beer. “There’s someone I have to go and be there for now, continue the damage control.” The look on EZ’s face left Bishop in no doubt exactly what he had on his mind, and lord, if he had Camille in his bed, the same thoughts would never be far from his either.

Coming back into his apartment, he found Camille in the bathroom, rinsing with mouthwash, his hands gripping her hips as his thumbs stroked her bare skin. “So, I’m actually feeling pretty good for once. Slight headache coming back, but if you felt like distracting me, I can assure you I’d make it very worth your while.”

Spitting into the sink, she ran the tap to rinse, turning to stroke his chest, her hands lowering, cupping his cock in a gentle grasp. “Baby, you never need to talk this up.” He returned her smile, picking her up with ease, carrying her out to the bed, tugging her undies down.

“I wasn’t going to give you that first.” He wasted absolutely no time in burying his mouth between her legs, Camille gasping softly as she lay back and let him eat her alive.

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