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writerpeach · 4 years

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Fromis_9 Saerom x Male Reader

5223 words

Categories: smut, oral, model! saerom

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It’s not every day that a model walked into your studio who by every definition of the word, was perfect.

Dozens of gorgeous women came by each and every week, each one more beautiful than the last and you couldn’t ask for a better job.

The elevator doors opened and the woman scheduled for your afternoon appointment stepped inside your studio on the ninth floor, and you had never seen such an attractive woman with such stunning features.

Calling her gorgeous would almost be an insult. Words could not and would not do her beauty justice, or would be enough to describe how attractive she was.

She had dark shoulder-length hair and walked with confidence in an elegant looking black and grey dress and her sexy aura filled the studio.

“Hello, I’m Saerom!” she shyly introduced herself, a small smile on her rosy red lips and you melted just by hearing her voice.

“Nice to meet you, Saerom,” you replied.

“Please take care of me,” she said and bowed politely. Her hair and makeup styled perfectly, nothing looked out of place and the smile on her face only made her look even more beautiful.

“Shall we get started, Miss Saerom?”

Saerom nodded and you directed her to the set as you still had a few things to set up beforehand. She stood against the white backdrop, eyes roaming the bright lights and other equipment spewed everywhere, tripods and lights all ensuring that each model looked as best as you could make them look.

You readied your camera and glanced at Saerom, realizing how busty she was and what a curvy deadly body her dress showed off.

“Ready when you are,” you said as you removed your lens cap, giving one final check to all your equipment hoping to somehow do justice to the actual goddess standing in front of you.

Saerom flashed her best smile as you pressed the camera shutter and took the first shot of the shoot, capturing her beauty as best as possible. Her side profile was perfect, her features flawless in a way that they had been sculpted by the gods. Her striking jawline, her cute nose, her perfectly formed lips. The ideal woman put together as if to say it won’t get better than this.

Your finger moved faster than a cheetah hunting a prey, taking hundreds of shots per minute as Saerom displayed a variety of poses and facial expressions, each one perfect in their own way.

“How am I doing?” she asked.

“You’re doing amazing. The camera loves you.”

Truer words had never come out of your mouth. Saerom behind a camera was a natural fit, her smile beaming with confidence, every pose and angle flawless as she was. After all, when you’re being paid to be beautiful for a living you’ve really made it.

“Make sure to capture my best side.”

“You don’t have a bad side,” you responded. Saerom blushed cutely.

Two hours flew by, Saerom’s experience playing a huge part and even with makeup touch-ups and additional wardrobe changes there was time to spare.

“That should be a wrap. Thank you for your hard work, Miss Saerom” you said. You never wanted to stop taking pictures of her and definitely took more than necessary, but more was always better than less.

“Can I see some?” Saerom eagerly asked.

“It’ll take some time to get them all transferred and processed if you don't mind waiting,” you said as you removed the card from your camera and slipped it inside your laptop on the nearby table.

“Not at all! I’ll wait over here,” she said as she took a seat on the nearby black leather couch.

You had taken literally thousands of pictures and it would take some time to add them all, much less edit them. Sorting quickly through a handful of different outfits and looks you picked the best ones, doing a quick edit on them before transferring them over to the large monitor next to your laptop.

You gestured for Saerom to come over and she scurried over right away. Her eyes grew wide as she looked through the handpicked batch of pictures, proud of the hard work both of you had put in and the satisfying results.

“You’re an amazing photographer,” she shyly said.

“An artist is only as good as their art,” you replied, almost regretting spewing out such a cheesy line but earning another smile out of Saerom.

“We still have some time left don’t we?” she asked. Most of your appointments were scheduled in three-hour blocks, allowing plenty of time for preparations and in case something went wrong. And something almost always went wrong.

“You are correct, Miss Saerom.”

“Perfect. Can you shoot some more of me then?”

“I’d love to.”

Saerom returned to the set, the look on her face uncertain as you went to set up your camera again.

“I don’t have any more outfits to wear,” she said, unsure of herself.

“There’s a closet in the corner with spare outfits, I don’t know your size but they should fit.”

Saerom hesitated for a moment. “That won’t be necessary.”

In a moment’s notice, Saerom acted on impulse and shedded her dress, baring her immaculate body and the incredibly sexy pair of matching lace black lingerie underneath. You weren’t expecting this moment of spontaneity and your jaw dropped.

“What?” she smirked. “You’ve shot women in lingerie before haven’t you?”

“Y-yes, but-”

“Then you won’t mind me getting more comfortable will you?”

“N-not at all-”

“Good.”

Saerom continued with a playful smile and kicked her heels off to the side, leaving her standing in the middle of the set barefoot in her underwear, the insane curves of her tight body front and center for your viewing pleasure.

Her full breasts were barely covered, showing abundant cleavage and the flimsy piece of lace did little to contain them, showing off the size of her perfect chest as if they wanted to escape from their prison. Her gorgeous legs led up to soft creamy thighs, and Saerom’s toned abs looked as delicious as the rest of her body, clearly the result of hours of work at the gym.

"Incredible," you said in awe.

"Like what you see?" Saerom asked with a cute giggle. You found yourself speechless.

"I've always wanted to be an underwear model. My company would never let me though, they love protecting my image," Saerom said sarcastically as her eyes rolled.

"You certainly have the perfect body for it."

"Thank you," Saerom said as her cheeks reddened. "I work very hard for it."

"It shows."

Saerom switched from shy and cute to sexy instantaneously as she flipped her hair seductively, running her hands through it as she lifted her arms over her head. Your camera shutter went crazy as you started shooting your newly undressed model, not wanting to waste a second.

"How do I look?" she asked as she bit her lip.

"You're very sexy, Saerom."

"Am I? How about some closeup shots then?"

Without even responding you practically ripped your heavy camera from its tripod as you detached it, closing the distance between you Saerom, taking a deep breath as you approached.

“Think of these as exclusive shots. Just for us,” Saerom said, showing off to the camera.

While the previous shoot was rather professional, Saerom was rather quiet for the majority of it, focusing on her poses and angles. Now that she was opening up in more ways than one you wanted to get to know her.

“Tell me something about yourself, Saerom.”

“What would you like to know?” she asked, pouting her lips at the camera.

“Something...interesting.”

“Interesting?” she pondered. “I share a place with eight other girls.”

“Eight? That’s insane. I can’t imagine how long the line for the bathroom is.”

“You get used to it, it becomes fun most of the time. Having time on my own like this is actually kind of weird for me now.”

“I’m exhausted just thinking about it.”

Saerom laughed and you could tell she was becoming more comfortable around you,

“It was difficult at first but I think I would be bored living by myself now,” Saerom said as she spun around on her heels and placed her hands on her hips, bending over enough to give a good look at her plump round ass as her eyes kept contact with your camera, trying to keep your pants from tightening.

“Fuck, you have a really nice ass, Saerom,” you blurted out even without thinking. She didn’t seem to mind.

“Thanks. It’s my favorite part of me,” she proudly said.

You couldn’t stop staring at Saerom’s heavenly sculpted backside, wondering how soft those cheeks felt, but you quickly tried chasing those thoughts away as you didn’t want a bulge forming in your pants in front of her.

“You’re one of the best models I’ve had the pleasure to work with,” you said, distracting yourself.

“Really? You’re just saying that to make me feel good.”

“I’m not. Most models that show up don’t give me any trouble, occasionally you’ll get a spoiled diva that shows up late and clearly doesn’t want to be here and it ruins the atmosphere of the whole shoot.”

You made sure to get closeup shots of every part of Saerom’s body, taking extra care in framing her ass perfectly before walking to the front of her sexy body and taking several shots of her wonderful breasts.

“But you walked in and this whole place lit up.”

“That’s sweet.”

“It’s the truth.”

Saerom paused. “What do you think?” Saerom asked, cupping her breasts. You felt your heart racing.

“They’re perfect.”

“How about a closer view then?” she asked. You zoomed in and aimed at her chest, but Saerom shyly smiled and aimed your camera down.

“That’s not what I meant.”

Before you could put any thought into her words Saerom reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, divesting it from her body as she exposed her sizable pale breasts, bouncing as they were freed.

“Holy shit, Saerom.”

“How about you put that camera down and we have a little fun?”

Without having a chance to respond you got rid of your camera as Saerom’s topless body walked towards you, your eyes immediately drawn to her full round breasts and salivating over them.

“Do any of your models ever let you touch them?”

“I try to keep things professional.”

“That’s boring,” Saerom said with a seductive smirk as she grabbed your hands and guided them to her breasts, helping you squeeze them. You moaned at their softness and how they fit in your hands, the weight of her breasts, and how perfectly shaped they were made you lose your mind.

“You’re so perfect,” you said as you squeezed and groped Saerom’s tits, squeezing two perfect handfuls as her pretty pink nipples hardened against your palms as she looked into your eyes. The fabric of your pants constricted and there was no stopping it this time.

“You can touch all you want. Taste me.”

“I will,” you said hungrily as you crashed your lips against hers and wrapped your hands around her bare waist, The taste of Saerom’s cherry lips entered your mouth. You pulled her in tighter as she returned your advances, tongues dancing together as the scent of her perfume lingered in the air. You wanted Saerom, bad. You wanted to rip her panties off and fuck her against your set, forcing to pace yourself and keep yourself under control.

You broke the kiss and exchanged lustful stares, not wasting a second as you dove into her breasts, licking stripes up and down her cleavage, and brought your mouth to her tits and teased her sensitive nipples. Saerom moaned as you flicked delicate circles around each one before sucking tenderly, earning gasps and whiny moans.

Schedules be damned, you took your time with each of her breasts, giving each equal attention and not leaving your hands from her flesh, not moving on until her hard nipples were covered in your saliva.

“Mmm, fuck,” Saerom moaned, caressing your hair as you devoured and buried yourself in her tits. Playful licking turned into loud slurping, and when that wasn’t enough you nibbled on each of her swollen pink nubs, grazing on her stiff nipples in between your teeth gently as her moans grew louder and whinier.

With all of your attention on Saerom’s tits, you sucked and sucked with no intention of stopping until your lips were numb, looking up every so often to see the pleasure running through Saerom.

Meanwhile, with your mouth full of Saerom’s breasts you felt a hand move down to your crotch and squeezed as she felt you up through your pants which became painfully tight.

“I must be turning you on,” she giggled.

“You are, you really are. Fuck, you’re so hot, Saerom,” you growled.

“I could say the same to you,” she said. “I got you all worked up, didn’t I? It’s only fair I do something about it.”

Saerom stopped you in your tracks and led you over to the couch, playfully pushing you against it as you fell down and took a seat. Slowly lowering to her knees she rubbed up and down your thighs, biting her lip, watching as you removed your shirt in preparation.

“How many women have you fucked on this couch?”

“Not enough,” you smirked.

“Time to add one more to your tally then.”

With a sly grin on her pretty face, Saerom unzipped your pants, quickly yanking them with your boxers down to your ankles with your assistance. Your cock sprang free, throbbing in the cold air and Saerom’s eyes went wide at the sight of it.

Saerom licked her lips, feeling an insatiable desire and hunger deep inside her at the sight of your unleashed manhood. As she admired your rock hard shaft, finding herself unable to draw her eyes away as her long slender fingers wrapped tightly around your hard cock, applying firm pressure and began stroking you up and down, feeling every inch.

“You have a very nice cock,” Saerom said, lips curling wide as she pumped you slowly and drizzled her fingers with your leaking pre-cum. She kissed the very tip of your cock, making your whole body jerk as her soft lips explored your cock and traveled down your base.

Every kiss on your shaft was loaded with hunger, and once Saerom reached the end of your cock she flattened her tongue against your base while you watched her every move. You moaned as her wet warm tongue moved slowly up and down your shaft, giving delicate strokes until she found your sensitive tip and swirled around your swollen head, lapping up every leaking drop.

“Yummy,” she said, spitting on your cock several times and spreading it all over your shaft, jerking you off and keeping eye contact.

Saerom kissed your tip one more time before she parted her plump red lips with your cock, taking the first few inches of you into her warm wet mouth.

“Oh f-fuuck,” you moaned loudly as Saerom hollowed her cheeks and sealed her lips tight around your cock. Saerom sucked you off slowly and tenderly while her sexy gaze was glued to you, full lips sliding up and down your shaft.

With constant eye contact Saerom built up your pleasure, taking her time with sucking your cock, enjoying it just as much as she moaned around your shaft.

“Fuck, Saerom," you moaned and threw your head back."That feels fucking good."

She smiled with your cock in her mouth, the bright studio lights letting you see her face perfectly as she began to bob her head up and down, her tongue playing with the underside of your shaft.

Saerom upped her pace as she swallowed more of your cock inside her warm mouth, the redness of her lips fading as her dark lipstick began smearing on your shaft, combined with streaks of her spit.

Her pretty hands did not stay idle, using one to stroke up and down your thigh, digging her nails in as the other cupped and fondled your balls.

“So heavy and full," she said as her nose nudged against your cock and planted messy wet kisses on your balls."I'll make sure they’re empty when I'm done with you."

Saerom continued to pleasure your balls while jerking off your needy cock, licking wide stripes, and glazing your sack with drool. She sucked on each one tenderly, giving your balls equal attention and hungrily slurping on them individually as you moaned louder, letting your satisfaction be known.

Using both her lips and tongue all over your balls, Saerom blew hot air against each of them before bringing your cock back into her mouth. Those deadly eyes glued to your own as she sucked slowly from tip to base, swallowing up every last inch as you hit the back of her throat without any real effort.

“Oh god, Saerom…”

The satisfaction in her eyes was obvious as she took you down her mouth with ease, her throat tightening around you as she relaxed her muscles, not even letting out a single gag.

Her soft wet lips felt so good wrapped around your cock, and you instinctively grabbed the back of her head, guiding her movements as she bobbed faster, lips kissing your base with each stroke.

It wasn’t long before you encouraged an even quicker pace, Saerom hungrily slurping down every inch that impaled her throat, desperately trying not to go wild and fuck her throat as much as you wanted to.

Saerom kept your wet shaft deep down her throat, working her muscles and keeping her lips sealed around every inch as she played with your balls, drooling all over your cock.

"Fuck, Saerom. You're so damn good at that."

"I've had a lot of practice."

Saerom hummed and gave your cock one more slow satisfying slurp from base to tip, releasing it with a loud messy pop as she furiously jerked off your messy wet shaft.

Not even bothering to wipe off leftover spit and lipstick on her face, Saerom's lust-filled gaze focused on you as she made you wait in anticipation.

Keeping your cock in her small delicate hands, Saerom carefully made a show of

sliding her panties down her toned legs, tossing them onto your set.

"A little present from me. Keep them."

With barely any time to react, you stole a glance at Saerom's beautiful bare pussy as she straddled you, the warmth of her naked body radiating around you as her comforting thighs rested against your own.

Saerom really was like no other woman, as cliché as it sounded. You could see it in her eyes that she wanted your cock, not just for her own satisfaction but for yours, aching to share in mutual pleasure.

The way she held your cock in her hand, aiming it between her spread thighs and between the pink wet flesh of her pussy, slowly rubbing it against her folds was agonizing, deliberately teasing both of you with a sly expression on her face.

You understood what she was doing as Saerom continued to run your cock through the wet warmth of her hole, but that didn’t make it any less easy to hold out, each sensation running through your body making it harder to maintain an ounce of composure.

“Saerom…”

She didn’t say a word as she collected her slick on your shaft, mixing it with leftover saliva, coating your cock in her fluids. Saerom thankfully shared your impatience and knew when enough was enough.

“I’m so wet,” Saerom bluntly said, the first set of words that left her lips in several minutes.

In what felt like the longest few seconds of your life Saerom lifted her wide hips up in the air, aiming herself carefully, and sank down on the first few inches of your cock.

Saerom gasped loudly and you shared an equally loud groan at the feeling of penetrating her body, the intense sensation of entering her pussy for the first time was unlike anything else. There was a lot to take in. Saerom’s wetness surrounded your cock as expected, followed by extreme warmth and tightness that overwhelmed you.

Gently moving her body up and down Saerom took it easy at first, letting her wet walls be parted with more of your hard cock, clinging tightly around your shaft that gradually disappeared in between her thighs.

“How do I feel?” Saerom asked as she wrapped her hands around the back of your neck, using her hips and sliding up and down your cock, coating more of your shaft in her juices.

“So fucking tight.”

She beamed at your response, sinking deeper and deeper until she almost bottomed herself out and stopped just above the base of your shaft.

“You feel really good inside me.”

Her eyes closed and her head whipped back as you both moaned together and felt her tight walls squeezing you tightly, letting herself get used to the rock hard flesh fully entering her body.

“I need every inch inside me,” Saerom pleaded, not that you were in a position to stop her, letting her control every movement. You watched between her beautiful thighs every move she made as her slick lips gripped your cock, ensuring you never left the warmth of her body.

In one swift movement, Saerom lifted herself from your cock, moving so just the tip of your shaft was inside her, and slammed her hips down and impaled herself to the hilt, moaning at being completely filled.

“Fuck!”

Saerom didn’t allow herself any adjustment, she didn’t need it and neither did you as she smiled devilishly.

“Ride my cock, Saerom,” you demanded and your orders were followed right away as she began bouncing on your dick, her mouth agape as she threw her head back in pleasure. You snaked your hands around her slim waist and grabbed her ass with both hands, kneading the soft flesh and encouraging her to continue dictating the pace.

“Stretch me out...stretch my tight little pussy just like that. Fuck, I wish I could ride you all day.”

“I could always cancel the rest of my appointments.”

“F-fuck, don’t tempt me. But I have my own schedules after this too,” she frowned.

“Guess we’ll have to schedule another session then.”

Saerom nodded in response and your hands squeezed her cheeks tighter, giving her ass a few quick slaps as she gasped, looking at the way she was falling apart already as she rode you.

Continuing to test the waters you gave repeated smacks against Saerom’s plentiful backside, the satisfying sounds of both raised palms striking her bare cheeks filled your ears. Saerom whined cutely in response as her walls clenched around your cock with each impact, not using enough force to sting but just giving her body a little something extra.

“You like being spanked, Saerom?”

“I-I do.”

“I’ll have to remember that for next time,” you smirked. Saerom took the opportunity to increase the pace, allowing herself to adjust and found the perfect angle to take your shaft inside her, bouncing her delicious big ass on your cock.

“You’re drenched, Saerom. Do you always get this wet?” you asked. She hesitated before shyly nodding.

“It’s mostly your fault,” she timidly replied, establishing a harsher rhythm as she rode you with more intensity and fervor, her perfect set of tits bouncing hypnotically with every movement.

“I take full responsibility.”

Settling into the sharp pleasure Saerom gave in to her desires and rode your cock faster, covering the entire surface of your shaft in her slick as you explored her voluptuous naked body and ran your hands up every inch of her bare skin you had access to.

You started with Saerom’s creamy thighs, caressing them softly before moving on to her sexy toned tummy, feeling her tight sculpted abs against your fingertips. She reacted to every touch audibly as your hands made their way back to her luscious breasts, cupping them and keeping your hands filled as she slammed her ass harder against your cock, creating more pleasure.

"You ride me so well, Saerom," you said as you pinched her nipples, feeling her pussy tightening and more of her juices leaking out. You kept your hands filled with her wonderful pale breasts as her ass repeatedly slammed down on your crotch, using your cock for her pleasure.

"It helps that I love your cock," Saerom said as she rode you faster and faster as sweat began to mist all over of your bodies, thighs crashing against your own with every bounce.

"And I love you creaming all over my cock."

The mere act of Saerom taking your cock in and out of her body with ease was driving you crazy, her hot wet pussy wrapped so tightly around your cock you felt like you could burst at any moment.

You couldn’t keep up with all the sensations running through your body, each time Saerom’s ass smacked against your body brought you closer to the point of no return, her juices flowing down her thighs confirming that she was equally reaching past her own limits.

Saerom's tight pussy began pulsating around your shaft as she became breathless, every forceful slam of her full hips brought down on your body making her wetter and wetter as she was barely able to keep her eyes open.

"Are you close, Saerom?" you asked. It took several moments before she could form an answer, and even then she could only nod in response.

"I need you cumming all over my cock."

"I w-will, fuck. Can you cum with me?"

"I'd love to," you said as desperation and need filled her eyes, knowing neither could hold on much longer. You watched her riding your cock just a little longer before growing tired of being passive and grabbed onto her hips, thrusting deep into her tight dripping cunt as she impaled herself on you.

You wanted every bit of pleasure out of Saerom's body and you were going to take it.

"Oh fuuuck! Just like that!"

It took a few thrusts to find the perfect timing, hitting Saerom's spot at just the right angle, keeping a firm grip on her sweaty body and trying to match her rhythm, both of you working together to achieve your collective goal of reaching climax.

You couldn’t help but stare at her, watching her gorgeous features contorting every time you filled her to the hilt. The air in the room grew harder to take in as you drove yourself in Saerom with desperation, both aching for release. The loud slapping of hot flesh against flesh fought for dominance against the equally loud moaning escaping Saerom’s lips.

“Fuck, fuck, baby, I-I'm gonna cum!" Saerom cried out, the three most beautiful words you had heard all day as you held onto her body tight, preparing yourself for the intensity of what was about to happen.

"I am too, fuck!"

“Cum inside me, please, I need you to fill my tight little pussy,” Saerom begged, and you did everything you could to hold out just long enough to let her achieve orgasm first. You weakly smiled and savored the last few moments before the inevitable.

The final few seconds arrived as your breathing deepened, looking dead center into Saerom’s beautiful eyes filled with need and desire. Without another word you felt Saerom’s juices overflowing as her pussy tightened almost painfully so, thighs trembling violently as her cunt squeezed the life out of your shaft as she came, leaving a mess over your cock and wrapped her arms tighter around the back of your neck and desperately moaning into your ears as her body turned to jelly.

Saerom looked beautiful as her orgasm took over her body, unable to control the volume of satisfied moans leaving her lips as she slowly came down from her intense high. She rocked her hips back and forth to ride out her orgasm and helped you join her as you felt all the tension in your body being released.

Unable to take anymore your cock throbbed inside Saerom, letting out needy grunts and moans as you exploded inside her, emptying your thick hot cum deep inside her pussy and pumping her full of your seed as her body took spurt after spurt as she was filled to the brim.

She rested her head on your shoulder, swaying her hips to coax every drop out of you, the feeling of your warmth deep inside her satisfying her to no end.

“You feel so warm,” she faintly said as your bodies took a much-deserved rest and stared into each other's eyes, both trying to catch a breath at the wonderful experience you just shared.

“That...was...amazing,” you said, heavily gasping.

“It was. I haven’t been fucked like that in a while,” Saerom smiled and kissed you, giving you one more taste of lips as she savored the warmth left in her body.

She gradually lifted her body off yours carefully as your cock plopped out and the huge thick load you had left inside began slowly dripping out of her pussy, running down her flushed thighs. Responding only in tired gasps she tried to catch her breath, watching the mess inside her continue to show itself.

Both of you too tired to move let alone speak, Saerom knelt and licked your shaft clean and tasted your combined juices, lips slurping slowly from base to tip to not miss a drop.

She headed over to your workstation with your cum still dripping down her thighs, grabbed your camera and took several full-body shots of her naked sweaty body, running her hand through her messy hair and smiling for the camera.

"Thank you," Saerom said as she ended up in your naked lap again.

"For what?"

"For taking such pretty pictures of me."

"It's all part of the job. It's easy when I have such a pretty model."

Her cheeks reddened again, the smile etched across her lips something you couldn’t ever get enough of.

"I can't wait to see the full versions."

"I'll have them sent to your company by the end of the week. Just the ones for the magazine of course,” you said.

"I look forward to it. I had a lot of fun today."

"I did too, Saerom."

"Can I see you again? After work?" she asked.

"I usually don't finish until the sun goes down."

"I don't mind, I'll be pretty busy myself. Maybe I'll even take some photos of my own for you."

"Oh? I didn't know you were a photographer as well."

"I'm just an amateur," she shyly said. "It’s just a hobby when I have the time."

"I'd love to see some shots."

"I'll send some then. They might not be as risqué as what we took today."

"As long as you’re in them I’ll love them."

Saerom accepted your praise with a grin on her features and regretfully dressed and left quietly, leaving you tired, sweaty and in need of a shower with her occupied in your thoughts.

Whoever the next model was you knew they couldn’t compare to Saerom, and you couldn’t wait for work to be over.

#kpop smut #fromis smut #saerom #male reader #fromis #reader insert #kpop fanfic #kpop fanfiction #saerom smut #fromis_9

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victoria-daydreams · 3 years

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Of Vices and Virtues

AN: This story is being crossposted from my Fanfiction account. I figured I might as well post it up here, there’s not enough black!oc X-Men fanfictions to be honest. If anyone wants to be added to the taglist for this story let me know.

Summary: Claudia Walker created the perfect facade she had a simple life, a simple job. There was nothing remarkable about her. Until two men offer her the chance to do something with her powers to stop a war looming on the horizon. In a fight between good and evil, loyalties strain and relationships grow. The world's changing for better and worse, and Claudia is right in the middle of it.

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men just the OCs in the story.

Trigger warnings: none I can think of

Word Count: 4.3k

Chapter One: The Queen of Hearts

The music started up, with the sultry tango beats of "Whatever Lola Wants" by Sarah Vaughn. Her colorful voice lit like a spark in the air, and with it, the seductive lyrics of the song. The air seemed to crackle as I spun away from my dance partner, but a strong hand ripped me back into his grasp. With glittering eyes I pressed myself against him, his hand tenderly slipping over my back. We side-stepped as the singer continued to croon the audience with her hypnotic lyrics.

"Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets,"

"And silly man, Lola wants you," I sung to the man, who was completely entranced.

He stopped dancing to trace along my curvy figure slowly, extracting a long breath from my lips. He rejoined my hands smoothing his over my fingers. I crossed my left foot seductively in front of the right, while cocking my head mischievously to side. He smiled and placed his right hand dangerously low on my back. Before he could change direction again, I elevated my right foot, kicking it behind me, and situated behind his right leg, coquettishly hooking around his toned calf. I smirked, savoring the attention I was getting from my dance partner and the men who were watching me dance.

The man copied me by kicking his right leg between the middle of my two. He was daring, and he pressed my chest into his.

"I always get what I aim for. And your heart and soul is what I came for,"

The song finished up and I pulled away from him, creating space between us, "You may go now, I've had my fun," I instructed, trailing my index finger up over the man's tie.

He nodded and shuffled off of the dance floor. I made my way off of the dance floor, to order another drink. It was Saturday night, and the nightlife was at its height. I took my seat on the bar stool, signaling for the bartender to pour me another drink. I grabbed my clutch that was hiding underneath the chair and opened it, pulling out a compact mirror.

I looked at my reflection, my eyes were a brilliant almond shape, with dark brown irises that held knowledge and wisdom beyond my years. My lashes were long, dark, and thick. My lips were red with lipstick, but full and perfect. My wide nose curved in a delicate slope and I could clearly see my defined cheekbones. I combed my fingers through my hair making sure that every hair was in place and checking that my makeup hadn't smudged. I snapped my mirror shut and placed back it back into my purse, a sigh escaping me.

I had always known I was different since I was a child. I always felt out of place. I never blamed my parents for that. They loved me and they always did what they thought was the best for me. Well, at least what was good for them I suppose.

It was at the age of eighteen when I left my home, leaving my past in Pennsylvania far behind me. My memories from there were unpleasant, to say the least, and I needed to leave. To start a new life elsewhere, in central New York. Money was never a problem, I had a decent paying job as a psychologist's assistant at a private practice and a well furnished apartment. But I still found myself drinking away my sorrows. At this point in my life, I had to every reason to be happy, but I knew deep down I wasn't. There was always that loneliness, biting at my insides.

Someone cleared their throat next to my ear, something I wasn't all to fond of.

I glanced at them, raising an eyebrow, "Something I can do for you, stranger?" I asked, barely masking my annoyance.

He smiled, and I made a note to admire it. He was pretty handsome it, but he was overly cocky, I could tell by the way he made himself comfortable next to me, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the bar, and getting way too into my personal space. Not to mention he was easily in his mid-forties. I had just turned twenty-two

“Fucking creep, I thought.

"Michael, my name is Michael, Mike for short. You can help me by maybe letting me buy you a drink,"

I raised an eyebrow at this, he moved pretty fast. He must do this all the time to women he thought were drunk. Too bad for him, it took me more than a couple of drinks to have lost my common sense. Pushing my shoulder length, curled black hair out of my face. I faced him to reply as two other men approached, I didn't want any trouble, but the audacity of the man made my blood boil.

"And what do you expect in return for this drink?"

He smiled and leaned in closer to me, placing a hand on my thigh.

"The bastard thought he was in, didn't he?" I thought.

"Well, maybe just a friend," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes and smiled lightly at him, leaning in until our lips barely touched.

"With you? I'd rather watch the grass grow," I replied dryly, eying him up and down, as if he was something I'd find on the bottom of my shoe. "My mama didn't raise me to accept drinks from men I barely know, and my daddy taught me how to break a hand in seven different places, so remove it or I'll do it for you, Mike," I punctuated my sentence by grasping his middle finger in my fist and slowly bending it back, until I heard the pop that let me knew I dislocated it. "Next time I'll break it," I threatened.

"You bitch-" He began, but was interrupted mid-word by me.

"Run along, before I make you gouge out your eyes with a butter knife," I commanded boredly, putting effort into making my words go through the older man's head. The man walked away dutifully and I smirked. "There's a good boy," I cooed, turning away from him and took a sip of my vodka martini.

I heard a chuckle of laughter behind me, causing me to turn around again and examine the new arrivals behind me. The two men who I saw previously were now directly behind me, they appeared to be in their early thirties or late twenties. Despite being slightly tipsy, I couldn't help but gape a little when I properly looked at the two men.

The taller of the two had his thick and muscled arms crossing themselves in front of his broad chest. Clad in a short navy trench coat over a pair of long, black pants and a black turtleneck, his perfectly slicked back hair was the ultimate factor that completed the dangerous, rugged look he was probably going for. He looked like a mafia member, or something.

His icy blue eyes were fixed onto my wandering brown eyes unflinchingly, as a dark brow rose to mock me, to tell me that he had seen me appraising his impressive form. I raised my eyebrow and smirked saucily before I turned my gaze away from the taller man and shifted it to the other one, now standing in front of me.

Unlike Mr. Mafia Man and his dark attire, this man was significantly more professional looking. With his sharp pressed grey blazer jacket, a white button up shirt worn inside, the matching dark grey pants and his polished shoes, this guy pretty much screamed 'successful businessman'. He, along with the other man had sharp masculine features – sharp nose, strong, angular jaw line, and the clearest blue eyes I have ever seen. His eyes were so blue they resembled crystals, and were framed by his dark brows. His short, dark hair was tousled casually.

"Your quite clever," the shorter man complimented, with a thick British accent.

"So I've been told, but I've done nothing tonight that would warrant such a compliment," I replied, looking at the man as I lifted my glass to my lips, taking another sip of my martini.

"I think you have, actually. The song, 'Whatever Lola Wants', it fits you," the man remarked.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, although I had an inkling to know where this was going, "How so?" I asked curiously, tilting my head slightly.

"Has anyone told you that you have an excellent mutation?" the shorter man asked abruptly, a small smile on his face.

"Mutation? You call every woman you meet a mutant?" I snorted, widening my eyes and let out a chuckle that matched my expression, disbelief. "Wow! This must be the night, where the worst pick-up lines are thrown at me," I drawled, before taking another sip of my drink. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I am just me. I am normal," I laughed, and the taller man just huffed annoyed.

The shorter man smiled at me, then I noticed that his fingers were pressed onto his temple and he was still looking at me. I frowned at the slight nudge in my head. It didn't hurt, but it was very irritating. I focused on strengthening my shield against the nudges. I felt the nudge grow stronger, it was attacking my shield before it finally gave up and left.

The man looked mildly surprised and my mouth turned into a small frown. I really didn't know why he was surprised. Unless.

Mutant.

I glared angrily at him, "I don't know who the hell you are, but stay out of my head!" I snarled. "You have no right!"

I always thought I was alone, that quickly changed only a couple years ago, but ever since that encounter...well I'm uneasy around other mutants, my own mutation was something I kept to myself, only select people in my family knew about it even.

He put his hands up in surrender, "You're right, my apologies. But how? No one has ever been able to feel me before. Are you a telepath?" he asked, studying me with curiosity shining through his eyes.

"No, I'm just highly aware of myself and those around me," I answered with a slight growl, slamming my glass down on the counter nearly breaking it. "You have your tricks, I have mine," I added, glaring at him.

"My name is Charles Xavier," the man introduced in an irritatingly friendly tone. "And this," he said, gesturing to the other man, "Is Erik Lehnsherr. We're like you. We're different. And we need your help. We are-"

"Is there a private place where we could talk?" Erik interjected hastily in a strong German accent, looking mad and broody, as he looked from one side to the next.

I didn't particularly want to know what, if anything at all, they were to offer. I sat there in silent for a few seconds, first looking at Charles, then at Erik, then back at Charles. If this was a game, it certainly wasn't funny in the least.

"Why should I even try to talk to you two? The first thing Mr. Xavier says to me is that I have a mutation and then he follows that up by trying to intrude my thoughts," I argued. "It has been a long and trying night gentlemen, and I'm over it. So, I'm going to try and scavenge what little fun I can find," I concluded, flashing them a faux smile just as a saxophone moaned through the opening of "I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

"What do you know, my favorite song," I added grinning, and shook my head beginning to walk away from the two men, only to be stopped by Erik gripping my arm tightly. I leveled him with an icy stare, "Let go of me right now, or I will make you feel pain that you thought was unimaginable," my voice low and threatening.

"Erik..." Charles called warningly.

Erik loosened his grip, freeing my arm slightly, but he made it clear I wasn't going anywhere, "We know you know exactly what you are, and we know what you're capable of. Stop playing coy with us," Erik stated coldly.

"Two strange white men walk into a bar, approach a black woman and accuses her of being a mutant. Forgive me, but you expect me not to find that a bit suspicious," I sassed, before yanking my arm completely out of his grip. I spotted a booth occupied by two men and I walked towards the two men, I gently grasped their chins and looked them in the eyes. "Due to your undying love for me, you two are going to give up your seats," I demanded, manipulating their desires so they reflected my own wishes.

"Of course," one man said eagerly, sliding out of his seat.

"Your wish is my command," the other man stated, getting out of his seat as well.

"Hmm, I know," I smiled, lightly laughing. "Now leave me be," I commanded, shooing them away and the two men nodded their heads and kissed the back of my hands before their departure.

I looked over to Erik and Charles, to see Erik roll his eyes in annoyance and huff before he whispered something to Charles, whose expression was unreadable. Charles and Erik sat in the seat across from me, Erik sat a stiff as a board while Charles seemed relaxed.

I interlocked my fingers together, "Ah, now that is how a gentlemen should behave. I think you should learn from them, Mr. Lehnsherr," I suggested my lips curving into a smirk.

Erik scowled at me, "You never told us your name," he remarked irritated.

"You never asked, Mr. Lehnsherr. Maybe if Mr. Xavier, greeted me properly, you would know," I countered, looking between the two men. "Although, something tells me that you two already know," I added, arching my brow and leaning forward.

"Miss...Claudia Walker, am I right?" Charles asked.

I quickly glanced at Erik and it seemed like he had one eye concentrated on me whilst the other was focused at the crowd in the club.

I focused back on Charles, "You would be correct," I replied, lapsing back into an easy lean. "How exactly did you two find me?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I was in Cerebro-" Charles began.

"Cerebro?" I interjected, scrunching my eyebrows together in confusion.

"It's a machine that helps me locate people like us," Charles explained, he was way too excited to answer my question. He was almost bubbling with excitement. "I was surprised to find you. Your signature was so strong, powerful, which intrigued me. I quickly got your coordinates and here we are," Charles finished happily.

"You certainly didn't make it easy," Erik mentioned, in a slight annoyed tone.

"Hardly, you two are here now aren't you?" I questioned, my tone was playful and I could tell that it was grating Erik's nerves.

"Really? So my eyes weren't playing tricks on me yesterday?" he questioned, as he leaned forward slightly.

"Depends on what you saw," I quipped, a small smile beginning to show.

"I saw you start that brawl. The way your hand curled and your eyes narrowed, you made that skinny man kick the fat, bald one in his groin," Erik remarked, his own mouth curving as he smirked. "You nearly got us entangled in that predicament," he added, looking at me with his piercing eyes.

Not looking away I smiled dangerously, "Yeah that was me," I admitted with a shrug. "I had an inkling that was someone was following me yesterday, I just didn't know it was you two. Whoops," I commented, my voice dripping with sarcasm and shrugged my shoulders again.

"Well, speaking of powers, you know my power. And we would very much like to know all about yours, Miss Walker," Charles started.

"Please, call me Claudia," I started. "I'll demonstrate my powers, but Mr. Grumpy over there has to show me his first," I proposed, flicking my chin out, motioning towards Erik.

Erik's eyes met were now fully focused on me again and I returned his stare.

Charles smiled and leaned forward, his elbows on the table, "Erik has the ability to manipulate metal,"

I narrowed my eyes at Erik and he glared at me in return. He would be very powerful, even with the tiniest bit of metal he would be able to kill someone with the flick of his hand.

"What's that old phrase again?" I asked aloud, tilting my head up as if I was pondering the question. "Oh, that's right. Seeing is believing," I finished, looking back at Erik, raising my eyebrow in challenge.

Erik raised his eyebrows as well, before focusing his eyes on the cutlery in front of him. Nothing happened for a while before they started shaking and eventually they lifted off the table. My eyebrows raised as I stared at the floating knives and forks.

"Do you believe now?" Erik asked, and I could see a ghost of a smirk.

"Well, I'll be damned," I gasped smirking, as I watched the utensils gracefully land back on the table.

"There you go," Erik said. "We showed you ours, now show us yours,"

I sat up in my seat and reached a hand across the table and turned it palm up, "Mr. Xavier, would you be so kind to give me your hand?" I asked.

"Call me Charles, please," Charles replied, sliding his own hand into mine without a moment's hesitation, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Erik grimace.

"You’re too trusting by half, Charles," Erik commented, shaking his head.

I closed my fingers gently around Charles', and slowly a broad, blissful smile stretched across his face as I channeled sensations of contentment into him.

"An empath," he breathed. "My, that's...mmm, that's lovely," Charles laughed, I smirked as I slid my hand back across the table, and Charles took a moment to compose himself.

"Want to see something else?" I asked grinning.

"Yes, please!" Charles exclaimed, grinning back excitedly.

I focused my gaze on one of the knives on table, and narrowed my eyes in concentration. A purple aura surrounded the knife as it raised itself off of the table and floated in mid-air and I maneuvered it to have the blade facing Erik as Charles watched, fascinated at the display I was putting on.

"Remarkable," Charles breathed.

"You’re telekinetic," Erik stated boredly, snatching the knife out of the air by the handle.

"I am," I replied, looking at Erik. "Now, you two are going to tell me why I've been performing tricks like I'm in some circus show," I demanded, glancing between the two men in front of me.

Charles laughed, "You have amazing gifts, a mutation, an ability. Erik and I are recruiting people to help us and in the process you get to learn how to control your powers,"

"Recruiting?" I asked confused, looking at them suspiciously. "For what?"

"That is what we're here to talk to you about," Charles said, sensing the sudden guarded tone in my voice. His eyes held mine in an intense stare. "A war is upon us, Claudia,"

"Yes, I know. The one between the Soviets and America, everyone knows that," I stated, now leaning back into my seat. My mind was reeling at where the conversation was going. Charles nodded firmly. "But what has that got to do with mutants? Or me, more specifically?"

"One of the agents at the CIA discovered a plot, the spark that lit the fire for the nuclear war," This time, it was Erik that had spoken. His soft yet gruff voice flooded into my ears with its tough resonance. "She had gone undercover to see one of the American Colonel's getting pressured into installing missiles into Turkey. That was the first step to angering the Soviets, and they are planning to retaliate. From what she had described, it had been a mutant who was threatening the Colonel,"

"A mutant?" I questioned. "But why?"

"We have no idea as of yet," Charles offered, leaning back into his seat as well.

It was obvious to me that Charles was troubled by the fact that a fellow mutant would want to start a war between two powerful nations.

"Well, do you know who the mastermind is behind all of this?" I asked again, raising an eyebrow.

"Sebastian Shaw," Erik spat, the venom clear in his words. A frown was etched deep into his forehead and his eyes were glaring at the coffee table, as though willing it to break under the hatred burning in his cold blue orbs.

By the way I could sense the hatred coming from Erik's emotions, he was an enemy. A big one.

"So that's why you're recruiting people? Like me?" I asked.

"We're planning to stop Shaw before he could escalate this conflict any further. He has got his own army of mutants to help him," Charles replied. "We need ours," Charles finished.

I ran my hand down my face, closing my eyes and breathed out deeply. This was not how I planned my night going, these two men walk up to me, telling me how they are like me and need my help to prevent World War III. This was a lot for me to take in, in such a short period of time. I mentally made two lists, negative and positive. Positive points: Learn to hone my powers, meet other people like me and this was probably the only chance for me to fit in and have something. Negative points: This could be a trap and if it wasn't a trap my powers could probably kill someone else.

"Give this a chance," Charles' voice urged gently, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I opened my eyes and staring at the two men, Charles and Erik staring back at me. Charles looked at me patiently and Erik looked like as though he had just proven something to Charles.

I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and took a deep breath, "While this sounds very dire and adventurous, I can't," I answered shaking my head. "Why should I come? I have a perfectly good life right now, with a decent paying job. I don't want to be involved in any war,"

"What?" Erik started, raising an eyebrow. "You don't just charm your way out of everything?" Erik asked mockingly.

I looked at Erik pointedly and glared, "No, actually. Having everything handed to you, makes life quite boring," I retorted.

"We've already spoken to your boss about it," Charles chimed in. "He's willing to grant you an indefinite period of leave from work. Or at least until the whole thing is over," he explained.

"He agreed?" I balked, thinking back to the measly, overweight doctor who had many a times refused to grant me my annual break, unless I used my powers on him.

Charles smiled, "The words 'government' and 'CIA' can be very convincing in situations such as these,"

"He must think me to be some criminal or spy now," I muttered more to myself, before scowling up at the two when I realized what they had done. "You guys move fast. What if I didn't want to join your little team?"

"You'll get your job back," Charles shrugged his shoulders. "Your boss wouldn't even remember meeting anyone by the names of Charles Xavier or Erik Lehnsherr," He tapped his fingers against his temple with a proud smile.

"How convenient, but even if I agree to join you, my life will never be the same. I will be ostracized even more than I already am," I reasoned.

"You don't think the public will accept you?" Charles questioned.

"Charles, please tell me that you’re not this naive?" I asked back. "I don't know how you folks do it across the sea. But Charles, look at me, I am a black woman in America, I'm barely accepted now and I live in the northern part of America. Why would they accept me? Black people are being murdered for the color of their skin since this country was founded. People in the past have been killed for being different. Just look what happened with the Jews and Hitler," I pointed out.

I could feel Erik's mind radiating with anger. I frowned and when I looked up and saw Erik's face. He looked like he stuck in between an inner battle with himself.

"I think humans will accept us sooner or later," Charles stated optimistically.

"Perhaps, that remains to be seen. They don't even accept humans with a different skin color," I countered. Momentarily, a silence fell over us before I spoke up and broke it. "Just to be clear, this isn't some sort of a trap? You two aren't trying to experiment on me?" I asked in a serious tone. "And the CIA and African-Americans do not have the best history, so promise me that they won't try to assassinate me and label me as some black radical," I added.

Charles looked slightly amused, but shook his head, "No, we won't hurt you and the CIA won't hurt you, I promise," Charles reassured, and I nodded then stood up.

I was probably going to regret this.

"I'll...help you guys," I began.

"Thank you, Claudia," Charles interjected gently.

"But, let's be clear that doesn't mean I trust you. We've only just met," I explained, glancing at the two of them.

"Completely understandable, Claudia," Charles replied, nodding his head.

"One more condition, if you want my help," I stated, and Erik scoffed and I glared at him.

"This should be interesting," Erik drawled.

I looked back at Charles, "You have to promise me, if I occasionally let my mental shield down, you will not look inside my mind," I demanded.

Charles looked quite stunned, "Of course. But can I ask, how can you block me out? You're not a telepath,"

My gaze hardened again, "I once knew someone who was,"

Chapter Two: Division X

#x-men fanfiction #black fanfiction #x-men fanfic #charles xavier fanfiction #charles xavier x oc #black!oc #magneto x oc #charles xavier #erik lehnsherr fanfiction #erik lehnsherr x oc #erik lehnsherr x reader #charles xavier x reader #black!reader #x men fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #marvel fanfic

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x0401x · 3 years

Text

Jeweler Richard Fanbook Short Story #16

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Colombo’s Bookstore

Sri Lanka didn’t have as many bookstores as Japan. It had about three times as many used car shops as in Japan, I believed. But there were few bookstores.

In the first place, be them used car stores or bookstores, the shops were by no means big. This country was a tiny island with a national territory smaller than Japan’s, so lands that had forest reserves of local nature in them and real estate were probably valuable. If anything, I had an affinity for the place. But it was a pity that the bookstores were so few.

I often spent my time alone nowadays, so above all else, I appreciated having anything to read. I wasn’t the bookworm type, but there were just too many book-selling places in Japan. If you were getting off at some notable station in Tokyo, no matter which one it was, there would be at least one bookstore within walking distance. I also had a fresh memory of Saul-san telling me that “Japanese people really like their books”.

A street vendor was selling scissors in front of a bookstore in the sunlit streets of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Why did he decide to sell scissors by the road? And right before my eyes, a person on a bus riding slowly down the avenue was buying a pair of scissors from him. Did they have some bag that they wanted to cut open no matter what or something? I had no idea, but anyway, this was a world that operated with standards different from Japan’s, in which supply and demand were apparently well-established.

With glass doors, the bookstore had a magnificent structure and felt nice and cold when I stepped in. The study reference books were on the second floor, so I went up the arched stairs that parted to left and right, searching for the shelf that I was aiming for.

There you are.

I took three books from it, and when I went to the checkout, the female clerk, dressed in a sari, asked me, “Is this all?” in English. The official languages of this country were English, Sinhala and Tamil, with English being spoken by both Sinhalese and Tamils. I believed she was Sinhalese. Because the sari was not a Hindu but a Buddhist thing.

“These are volumes 2, 3 and 4. What about volume 1?”

“I bought just volume 1 a while ago. And it was really good, so I also wanted to learn the rest from this book series.”

“So you’re studying Sinhala. That’s rare. Where are you from?”

“I’m Japanese,” I answered.

What I had come to buy was a Sinhala language study reference book. It was a book for people who couldn’t read Sinhala, so it was, of course, written in English. Even so, I had read it a little before traveling. I also found and purchased a Sinhala language study reference book written by a Japanese scholar, which I was able to buy in Japan.

Regardless, it was kind of useless for my range of understanding, so I almost felt like throwing it away before I could learn anything. I told Saul-san about this when asking him for advice, at which he burst into laughter and then bought me a red paperback book.

A Sinhala book written in English.

The letters were very large and there weren’t too many words. As for the quality of the paper, on the bright side, it was straw paper, and on the downside, it was gray and flimsy. But the contents were very easy to understand and the insides were firmly packed.

This reference book taught Sinhala letters first, as well as the meaning and pronunciation of each one. From that point onward, I couldn’t be more thankful for it. Sinhala was a language written with a Sinhalese alphabet, after all. In addition to vowels such as A, I, U, E and O, it jumped on to a variety of consonants and other symbols that stuck one letter to another like joints. It explained each of them carefully so that even people who didn’t know Sinhalese at all could understand them. This book solved a large percentage of the problem that I had stumbled upon, namely “I can’t find the commonalities and differences between letters, so I don’t know how to tell them apart and can’t organize them in my head”. I was grateful for that. There was no need to ask Richard-sensei for a foreign language course via international call all the time anymore.

That being said, there were many letters in Sinhala. Meaning that there were several pronunciations. You’d think that the Japanese syllabary was cute in comparison. Not all of it could be explained in one book, and the lectures were extended over to the second volume, but Saul-san had bought only one book, in case it didn’t suit me. The results were as could be seen. It was the same kind of joy as reading one book from a novel series and then buying all the sequels.

Learning languages was fun. By the looks of it, learning how to link them directly to communication was what worked for me.

“But can’t you live in Sri Lanka while speaking English, even if you don’t understand Sinhala? Are you on a business trip?”

“Something like that, but if possible, I’d like to talk to people using a Sri Lankan language. I’m Japanese, but I’ve had the experience of being a bit happy when someone from a foreign country spoke in Japanese to me, so now I guess it’s my turn.”

“You have so much free time, huh!”

I had no words to reply. The clerk and I burst into laughter without any reserve and finished the checkout. As I went down the arched stairs, I found a space where they were selling festival tools, stationery and picture books. Many of the same books were arranged on two sides.

Or so I thought.

But that was apparently not it. What I thought to be the exact same large-format picture books were the English version and the Sinhala version. You’d miss it if you were distracted because the pictures were the same, but the picture book, which was probably a Sri Lankan version of a “Japanese folktale”-like work, was published in two languages.

“Y’see, the ones who buy these are parents who want their kids to learn English. ‘Cause speaking English comes in handy.”

When I turned around, the clerk who had been at the cash register on the second floor was right behind me. It seemed she had come to see me off. Apparently, the cashier on the first floor called out to her, telling her to go back to work or something like that, to which she replied at length, and the two exchanged laughs. Maybe the people in this bookstore were cheerful, as not all Sri Lankans expressed their emotions so openly.

“This one is the ‘Mean Old Man’. This one is ‘The Perahera Festival’.”

“Can even a small child understand it well?”

“Of course. This book is big so that it’s easy to read to them.”

Indeed, it was a thin picture book of a size larger than A4. In Japan, it wouldn’t be strange for it to have an anime or manga-style art, but the art of this one had an ethnic touch to it, perhaps to match the contents. The colors were rich, the mean old man was drawn in a vile yet comical way, and the blue gradation of the feathers in a bird’s tail looked tasteful.

“Hum, excuse me. Can I buy this too?”

“You’re going to buy it? Do you have children?”

“I’ll read it myself.”

The clerk laughed again, but after a moment, she made a straight face and told me that it certainly might be perfect for studying. I bought the picture book at the cash register on the first floor. Either way, it cost about 500 Sri Lankan rupees, which was about 600 Japanese yen, but in the eyes of this country’s people, that was probably quite a high price. This was a world of 10 rupees for a loaf of bread and 3 rupees for a cup of tea. Thinking like that, I could understand why there weren’t many bookstores and why there were so few people here.

You can’t eat or drink books. They’re not daily necessities either, like clothes, scissors or toothbrushes. Being able to spend money on such things as if it were obvious must be a sign of wealth. My country was all the more disagreeable for having bookstores everywhere. I’d never thought about it that way.

As I took the receipt and said, “Stūtiyi”, which was “thank you” in Sinhala, the black-haired woman smiled, looked at my face and said in Japanese, “Thank you very much. We will be awaiting your return.”

“Amazing!”

“Thanks.”

And so, she told me that her husband had been working with sheet metal in Ibaraki, Japan, for a while. Her pronunciation of the words “Ibaraki” and “sheet metal” was really good. Apparently, her husband had started up a small company with the money he had earned as an immigrant worker and was its president.

With her waving a hand at me and telling me to be careful, I left the store.

Even though it was early spring, the sunlight in Colombo felt like that of midsummer in Japan. But I was growing quite fond of this glare. Everyone walking in the streets was wearing mid-sleeves, and if they were so inclined, beach sandals too, but the humidity wasn’t as high as in Japan, so I could think that, indeed, this was also spring. The white of the temple flowers blooming along the road was refreshing as well. They reminded me just a little bit of cherry blossoms. And from this street, I could clearly see my favorite landmark.

Colombo Tower, a tower that had the lotus flower as its motif.

It was a Tokyo Tower-like landmark, not visible from my base camp, the mountain town of Kandy, and although the shape was grandiose, it was still under construction and nobody could enter it. However, one day – I didn’t know whether that would be while I was still in Sri Lanka or after I had settled somewhere else, but – I definitely wanted to climb that. I would.

May I be a little more proficient in the language of this country than I am now by then, and if possible, may I get to have small talk in the tower.

With a modest goal and a new book, I treaded the way to Saul-san’s office.

#housekishou richard shi no nazo kantei #housekishou richard #jeweler richard #the case files of jeweler richard #nakata seigi #richard #jr short story collection #tsujimura nanako #yukihiro utako #novel #my translation

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et-lesailes · 4 years

Text

hot young neighbor

pairing: andy barber x reader

word count: 2233

summary: you’re not expecting such a sexy next door neighbor upon moving into your new home. you already know you want to make a move, but he seems to do it first when he invites you over for dinner.

themes: smut, age gap, oral sex

taglist: @evanstush, @tanyam93, @bval-1, @wonderwinchester, @patzammit, @rohaintahquil, @deidrashouseofpain, @sammyslonglostshoe, @jadedhillon, @bohemian-barbie, @whysparker, @sebastian-i-stan, @sebabestianstan101, @lille-kattunge, @teller258316, @peach-acid, @allsortsofinterests, @xoxabs88xox, @heyiamthatbitch, @cptn-sgrogers, @heyyouwiththeassbutt, @bangtan-serendipity, @troublermalik, @beardburnsupersoldiers, @bookish-shristi, @kind-sober-fullydressed, @gingerninjaprincess16, @straightforwardly, @denisemarieangelina, @frencchfries, @xlanawriter, @littlemoistcarrot, @pottxrwolff, @arianatheangelworld, @ifuseekamyevans, @southerngracela, @nsfwsebbie, @rororo06, @savemesteeb, @raveviolet, @inactivewhore, @hurricanerin, @captainamerica-is-bae, @shaddixlife, @tessa-bl, @marvelouspottering, @pppsssyyyccchhhiiiccc, @thegetawaywriter, @dwights-new-plague, @rynabarnesrogers, @fckdeusername, @doloreschanal, @ssworldofsw

notes: sorry, this was supposed to be posted earlier but my laptop was getting fixed! hope you guys enjoy!

You’re going for a run in your new neighborhood when you see him.

You had just moved in a few days ago, and while you had already gotten to introduce yourselves to a lot of your neighbors, he’s the one you’re most interested in, and haven’t gotten a chance to talk to yet, either. He lives in the house right next door, and you sometimes see him from your window when he’s pulling up in his driveway or on the lawn throwing a football with whom you assume to be his son. You have yet to see a woman around, though, which pleases you.

He’s hot. Sexy, really, you’ve never seen someone as attractive as him. While casually digging for dirt when talking to the other neighbors, you only know his name and his occupation, but nothing about his love life.

You glance down at yourself, happy that you’ve chosen your cuter workout apparel consisting of a sports bra and matching leggings. Coming to a stop in front of his house, you call out just as he’s about to open his front door, his arm carrying what appears to be takeout.

“Hey! Sorry to bother ya, I just wanted to introduce myself- I just moved in next door.”

He turns around and although it’s quick, you notice his blue eyes take in your appearance. Your entire appearance. Just what you wanted. A charming but genuine smile crosses his lips, nearly making you swoon. “Oh, hey there! Sorry, I’ve been meaning to come by to say hi. Work’s been crazy this week, though, hence-” he pauses to nod towards the bag, “- Chinese for dinner tonight, no time to cook.” He sets the bag down by the door, though, coming over to you and extending his hand. “I’m Andy.”

Now it’s your turn to eye the perfectly form fitting outfit he’s wearing, that coat, the button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the tie, the dress pants. “You must work somewhere fancy, huh?” you tease (even though you already know). Shaking his hand, you reply, “Y/N. Nice to finally meet you!”

He laughs, and the mere noise in itself is arousing. It’s so warm and deep, you want to hear more of it. “I’m an assistant district attorney. And it’s very nice to meet you, too.” You swear you catch a bit of an emphasis on that “very”, and you smile up at him biting your lip. “I’ll let you get back to dinner, I’m sure your family must be waiting.”

“Actually,” he sighs, looking back towards the door before looking at you, “it’s just me tonight. My son, Jacob- he’s at his mom’s place for the weekend.” He suddenly tilts his head. “Would you wanna join me, actually? I got way too much food, to be honest. Got a little overexcited when I was looking at that menu.”

You can’t believe how lucky you are- sure, you wanted to get to know your incredibly cute neighbor, but you never thought it would happen so fast and so smoothly. “Really? You’re sure? Because that sounds great.” You smile, brushing a strand of your hair behind your ear. “I still have, like, no food at home. I’ll just go take a quick shower first, I’m kinda gross and sweaty right now.” You laugh, and he chuckles too. “Gross? No way. But yeah, sure, come on over whenever you’re ready- I’ll leave the door unlocked.” He gives you a smile and you return it, trying not to look as eager as you are as you turn back to your house to get ready.

Dinner with Andy is amazing. The two of you sit at his dining table and talk the night away, chatting about everything under the sun. He’s a perfect gentleman, always offering a drink the second yours is finished, urging you to eat more, and not even taking any phone calls while he’s in the middle of conversation with you. After eating, the two of you decide to watch a movie together- it’s Friday night, after all, neither of you have anywhere to be the next morning.

You’re walking to the living room when you notice a family photo on the credenza. “Is this Jacob? And your… ex wife?” you question, picking it up and observing it with interest. “It’s a really cute photo.” He looks over and nods, barely smiling though shrugging slightly. “Yeah. It was taken kinda recently, actually. Laurie and I divorced not too long after…”

“How are you doing with all of that?” you ask softly, coming over to the living room and sitting down on the couch. He aims the remote at the television, currently working on finding the movie you guys had decided on. “Honestly? Fine. Our marriage was a little messy for a while. I think in a way, I was always bracing myself for this to happen.” You listen to him somewhat curious, wondering how on Earth a woman could just let herself lose a man like him. He’s practically sex on legs.

“So are ya dating again?” you ask playfully, and he glances at you amused. “Hmm. Wouldn’t you like to know,” he replies in jest, and you laugh, nibbling on your lower lip. “I guess you’re not. I doubt a girlfriend would be very happy you invited the new neighbor half your age into your home for dinner alone, hm?” you muse with a smirk, and he scoffs in amusement. “Excuse me? Half my age?” He suddenly pauses and shakes his head playfully. “You know what? Don’t elaborate on that, you’re probably right. But yeah, I’m not seeing anyone right now.”

“That’s kind of surprising.” You blurt out, unable to help yourself. You’ve always had the tendency to speak your mind. “You’re, like, the most attractive guy I’ve met here.” He blinks in surprise but chuckles lowly, pressing play before coming to sit next to you. “Well. Thank you. And to think my son told me I had to step up my game.” You laugh softly, biting on your lip somewhat mischievously. “Yeah, I think you’re definitely doing just fine…”

He looks down at you, his expression suddenly becoming a little more serious. You’re practically lost in his deep blue eyes, staring back up at him as your heart begins to pound a little. It’s definitely happening. You can feel it. Whether this was always his intention or not, you’re unsure, but you know he wants you just as badly as you want him.

It all happens so fast. His hands are grabbing your waist and pulling you onto his lap, his lips against yours in a furiously heated kiss, his arms wrapping entirely around you to keep you close to his body. You kiss him back now straddling his lap comfortably, your hands already lunging for the buttons of his shirt to push it off. His grunts of arousal are turning you on more and more, showcasing his absolute need and hunger; it’s clear he's been deprived ever since his divorce, and you’re more than happy to give him what he’s been ravenous for. You let him pull your top off, adjusting yourself so you can remove your shorts. He pulls back and stares at your half naked body, already panting.

“Fuck. I forgot how sexy girls your age are,” he mumbles as his eyes rake over your figure, hands running up your waist to squeeze your breasts through your bra before traveling down to dig his fingers into your ass. “So damn tight and perky in all the right places…” You giggle breathlessly, unbuckling his belt as you lick your lips. “I think you’ll find I have a lot more… enthusiasm, too.”

You slowly slide off him, getting down onto your knees in between his legs. He looks shocked but pleasantly surprised when you push down his pants and briefs, his teeth digging into his lower lip in anticipation when you curl your fingers around his thick length. You can’t help but stare a little, somewhat intimidated by his shaft though excited at the same time. Looking up at his expression, you barely smirk. “What’s wrong, Andy? Your ex-wife didn’t like to get down on her knees for you?” You use your other hand to rub his thigh slowly as if to comfort him, leaning down to give his tip little kitten licks. “Mm… because I’d do it for ya anytime…”

He lets out a groan, bucking his hips already in greed. “Fuck, don’t tease, Y/N. You did enough of that today standing outside my house in that tiny little bra and those tight pants.” He mutters through clenched teeth, and you blink before giggling lightly, pumping his base. “Oh? You were checking me out even then, huh?”

“Of course I was… who wouldn’t be?” he growls, suddenly reaching out and grabbing a fistful of your hair, jerking your head forward. “Suck my damn dick already, honey, I want to fuck the back of your goddamn throat…”

You gasp slightly but feel the wetness pool between your legs upon the pet name and dirty talk, immediately leaning forward to wrap your lips around him. You’ve never wanted to please someone so bad. He’s older, much older, and all you want to do is impress him. You bob your head up and down as your tongue swirls around his length, enjoying the sounds of his pleasured grunts and groans, looking up to see his eyes practically half shut. “Shit. You’re doing so good, honey, so… fucking good.” He hisses, clenching your hair tighter as he bucks his hips upwards. “Keep going, just like that…”

You feel his cock hitting the back of your throat, your coughs muffled from how full your mouth is. You don’t want to stop, though. You want to do everything you can to please him, to show him just what a good neighbor you are. You keep sucking, peering up at him through hooded eyes, moving your tongue skillfully to draw him closer to his edge. “Oh… oh, fuck…!” he growls, his grip on your hair tightening. “Oh, baby, I’m gonna cum…”

He releases down your throat, his shoulders finally dropping as he releases his hold on your hair. You hum happily as you swallow his load, gasping for air immediately after, your chest heaving up and down. He scoffs in awe as he stares down at you, nibbling on his lip hungrily. “You look so good taking my cock like that, honey. But I want to taste you now.”

You squeak in surprise when he hoists you up, carrying you upstairs and to his bedroom with ease. You don’t even have time to look around before he tosses you down onto the bed on your back, crawling over and leaning down to leave a trail of kisses all the way from your collarbone, over the tops of your breasts, down your stomach and to the hem of your panties. He playfully bites on the lace to lower them down, making you giggle breathlessly. He stares at your soaked pussy, his blue eyes practically a shade darker from lust. “Look at you. All pretty and wet just for me,” he murmurs, voice dripping with fervor. “Taste me,” you whine, shivering slightly from the cool air now upon your entrance, arching your back desperately. “Please, Andy, I want you to tongue fuck me so bad.”

He groans just from hearing you. “What a naughty girl. I can’t believe how lucky I am you moved in right next door.” He smirks and leans in, swiping his tongue across your dripping folds. You whine slowly as your eyes flutter shut, fingers grasping the bedsheets. “Mm… something tells me I’ll be here just as much as… at my house…”

“I think so too.” His voice is low and husky, his sharp features displaying nothing but carnal hunger. He nibbles teasingly around the edges of your entrance before pushing his tongue inside, hands gripping your thighs to keep your legs spread apart. Plunging in and out, spitting once to create more wetness and saliva, his tongue travels all over and laps up everything it can get. He’s grunting to himself in enjoyment, his lips even finding your clit as he sucks on it carefully but excitedly, his fingers wrapping behind to squeeze your ass. You can’t help but moan loudly, your breaths airy and uneven, the occasional gasp coming out accompanied by pitchy and pleasured hums. “Andy…!”

“Mm… mmm…. so good…” he mumbles to himself in between, his tongue working your clit and wet core expertly and sending you closer and closer over the edge. “Oh! Ooh… I’m… I’m close…!”

You finally release and he happily cleans you all up, exhaling deeply as a satisfied smirk crosses his lips. He pulls back only to come lay next to you, his bare chest moving up and down with his irregular breaths and his fluffy brown hair now slightly tousled from his head in between your thighs. You look up at him with an amused and breathless smile, raising an eyebrow playfully innocent as you whisper, “Did I taste good…?”

“Incredibly.” He answers with a low scoff, suddenly rolling over to face you and throwing his arm around you. “You make the perfect dessert. And I think I’m going to want you every night.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m right next door…”

#andy barber x reader #andy barber smut #andy barber imagine #andy barber fanfiction #andy barber x you

540 notes · View notes

johaerys-writes · 3 years

Text

Where Blood Roses Bloom

Fandom: Castlevania Pairing: Alucard/Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades

Summary:

After Trevor gets grievously injured by a night creature, he and Sypha return to Dracula's castle to seek Alucard's help. The man they find there, however, is but a shadow of the friend they left behind.

Meanwhile, in far Styria, Hector does his best to survive in the vampires' court, a lamb amidst wolves. Little do the wolves know, the lamb has fangs of its own.

Chapter 5: Draw, is up! Where Alucard is trying hard to mind his own business (really, he’s trying so hard), but he absolutely cannot do that when Trevor invites him to a duel. A friendly one *wink wink*

Read on AO3! Read from the beginning

“Just do me a favour, will you, Alucard?”

The dhampir lets out a slow, exasperated breath. “What would that be, pray tell?”

Trevor turns to glance at Alucard over his shoulder. He is standing at the far end of the large, circular room that serves as his training room. It is filled with weapon stands, heavy with blades of every possible length, width and shape. Many of them Trevor knows of or has used at some point or other— epees, rapiers, bastard swords, greatswords, halberds and spears. Others, he has only seen in books, like the wide, flat blade that curves at the end, that’s hanging from a peg on the wall. Some of them he has never even beheld before, like that spear with the ivory-worked handle, sporting blades at both ends.

Now that is a weapon Trevor would very much like to use on that tall stickler of a man who is regarding him with thinly veiled contempt from across the room.

The pale grey morning light streaming in through the window illuminates Alucard's sharp features, casts dark shadows around his eyes, catches in the highlights in his golden hair. Alucard is gazing at him with a look of infinite boredom and forced patience, but underneath it all Trevor can see a faint twinkle of amusement.

“None of your little floating tricks, if you don't mind," Trevor says as he turns to face him. "They’re a bit unnerving.”

Alucard quirks a brow. “Unnerved so easily, Belmont? I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

“Do whatever you like with that information, just please. No flying around, or floating above the ground. I’d hate to see you falling from a great height after I kick your arse.”

Alucard clicks his tongue in disgust and rolls his eyes, and Trevor grins. There. That’s the spirit. Anything but that ice cold facade he’s been putting on ever since he and Sypha have stepped foot in that castle. Trevor knows there’s something there, underneath the surface, and he’s determined to pull it out of him.

“Are you quite done boasting, Belmont? Or are you planning on ending me with terrible jokes? I have to say, it’s working. I’m feeling rather faint.” He flicks his finger ever so slightly, and one of the swords that are hanging from a peg on the wall slides from its scabbard, flying directly into Alucard’s hand.

The sword in Trevor’s own hand, the one that Alucard gave him as soon as they walked in, is an unfamiliar weight. He slashes at the air a couple times, the blade hissing. It is a good sword, all things considered: freshly whetted and oiled, expertly balanced. Not as good as his own, of course, which is lying in its scabbard in his room, but good enough. Alucard is an irritating prick, but he does have a good eye for swords. Trevor was a bit surprised at first that Alucard gave him a sword that’s good enough to match his own, but he knows now that he shouldn’t have been. Alucard would never have given Trevor a sword that would have been less than a match for his own. If there’s one man that appreciates a challenge, an opportunity to show off how skilled he is, how smooth and how graceful, to have his flowy hair ripple as he moves, and his coat flutter in his wake, and perhaps even break out a bit of a sweat, just for the hell of it, just to make a fine performance out of it all, then who else other than bloody Alucard himself?

“That’s a nice sword you gave me,” Trevor remarks, pointedly ignoring Alucard’s earlier comment. “Did you polish it yourself? It’s very well done. Is that how you spend your time these days? Polishing swords?”

“I understand your powers of observation are… disappointing at best,” the other man replies acridly as he gets into position, body melting to the side, “but have you seen anyone else in this castle, all the while you’ve been here?”

Yes. The people hanging out on stakes by your front door, Trevor thinks. The question is right at the tip of his tongue, but Trevor holds it back. For all intents and purposes, Alucard behaves as if they don’t even exist. It’s a mystery if Trevor ever saw any; and he does not like mysteries he cannot solve. But Alucard is reticent, more reticent than he remembers. Unpredictable. Trevor still isn't sure whether he's the same person he and Sypha left behind. One wrong move, and they might both find themselves in trouble. It's best, he decides, if he takes things slow. Test him out a bit. Push him, just the right way.

Trevor gives him a small smile. “Not really, no. But one can never know with you vampires.”

Alucard’s eyes flash with indignation, but it’s quickly reined in as he takes a step forward, his sword singing in the air. Trevor brandishes his own weapon, his body melting in a defensive stance. The wound nips just a little under the bandage; he will have to be careful.

He lifts his sword when Alucard lunges for him. Their blades clash, small sparks flying when the metals collide. Alucard is fast— too fast for Trevor to fully engage him in his condition, but this is supposed to be a friendly training session, anyway. He immerses himself into the rhythm of the fight, getting a bit of satisfaction every time he swerves past Alucard’s attacks. He smiles when he sees the tiny flickers of frustration in the dhampir’s eyes, the pinch of concentration in his features. Even in his current state, he’s more than a challenging opponent.

Alucard falls back for a bit, letting him catch his breath. He swings his blade to the side, rolling his wrist to relax it. “You think you know so much about vampires?” he asks idly. There is a bit of an edge to his voice, and it’s lower than usual.

“I know that I’ve killed a good deal of them,” Trevor says. His pulse is thrumming in his throat, and he can feel the pleasant buzz of exertion already. “They’re an irritating lot, to say the least. Don’t you think?”

Alucard isn't looking at him. His features are calm, but Trevor can see the tension climbing up his shoulders underneath his snug-fitting coat, the tendons in his pale neck. “I think,” he says, “that people make a lot of assumptions about vampires. Some of them are true. Some are not.”

“So they’re not… irritating?” Trevor asks with feigned puzzlement, squinting at him. “Judging by you, I’d say they’re really bloody annoying. So much pomp and circumstance, and not much substance underneath.”

“Perhaps that’s just my human side showing,” Alucard says. “Have you ever stopped to consider that?”

Before Trevor has time to respond to that, Alucard lunges at him, aiming for his sides. Trevor evades the blow, stepping away, but only by a hair. He slashes at him, and misses, again and again. Now that he’s fully warmed up, Alucard is quick and agile, and Trevor is still weak from his injury. It’s perfectly clear that Alucard has not been idle while they’ve been away.

“Human?" Trevor pants, grinning. "Please. My horse is more human than you are.”

“Is that the ‘thank you’ I get for helping save your life? How lovely. I could have just left you outside, you know.” The dhampir floats backwards, regarding him with detached amusement and something -almost- sad.

“Hey. I told you: none of that floating business, yeah? One thing. I ask for one tiny, simple thing—” Trevor sighs and threads his fingers through his hair, scratching his head, then lets his hand fall. “Alright. You got me. Perhaps... I should have started with that.”

“With what?”

“With the ‘thank you’.”

Alucard tilts his head to the side. “For…?”

"For saving my life," Trevor groans and rolls his eyes. “Thank you, Alucard. Much obliged. You probably didn’t have to, but you did it anyway. You could have left me to bleed out on your front door, but you did not. How very kind, how noble, how magnanimous of you.” He gives him a sweeping bow, with a hand flourish. “I am entirely in your debt. Or, well, perhaps I would have been, had I not literally saved your sorry hide a few times myself, but who’s talking about that, right? It’s all ‘Alucard this’, and ‘Alucard that’, and ‘oh, look at me, I’m so pretty with my hair flowing all over the place, and so serious and broody, and I like to wear my shirts open to my navel because I’m just so sophisticated, it’s practically oozing out of me, and’—" Trevor stops when he notices Alucard's eyes widening in shock. "Oh, sorry. Did you want to say something?”

Alucard gapes at him for a moment. The quiet laughter he lets out is sudden, a bit startled. He seems more surprised at the sound of it than anything, as he blinks at Trevor. “That was… that was quite a performance. I didn’t know you had it in you, Belmont.”

“Is my gratitude accepted, then? Sypha will probably kill me if it’s not.”

"Did... Sypha ask you to thank me?"

"You know how she is. She wanted to make sure you know we're both grateful."

Alucard’s throat bobs as he swallows. He looks very uncomfortable all of a sudden, out of place. "Oh."

“What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?” Trevor asks. He brings his sword up, the edge of the blade glimmering between his eyes. “Will I have to beat an answer out of you?”

A huffed laugh escapes Alucard's lips. "If you can." His eyes flash red, then he disappears.

Trevor rolls his eyes. "I said: no vampire tricks." He spins on his heel, searching for him in the shadows that stretch around him. A whisper of fabric behind him— and Trevor brings his sword up only a blink of an eye before Alucard’s blade collides with his. He grits his teeth, holding the sword steady. Alucard has gotten closer to him than he would have liked. They are now staring at each other, the blades trembling between them.

“I’m not used to others being grateful for what I do,” Alucard says. His hand that is holding the sword is shaking, but his voice is flat like a cool, still lake. “If it was one of your tactics to get me off my guard, it worked.”

“Tactics? Oh, no,” Trevor grunts, giving him a toothy smile. “It’s the infamous Belmont upbringing you so like to sneer at.”

Alucard lets out a small harrumph, and the breath that brushes Trevor’s cheek smells faintly of almonds, a hint of clove. “I’m not used to being called pretty, either.”

Now it is Trevor’s turn to gape. He blinks at the dhampir, and if it weren’t for his sharp reflexes, he would have lost his balance. “That wasn’t— that— It was just a figure of speech.” He narrows his eyes, just to preserve some of his dignity while warmth is creeping up his cheeks. “Please don’t let it go to your head. You’re insufferable as it is.”

Alucard quirks a brow, and the look he gives him is more piercing than one of Sypha’s ice bolts. “Hm.” The pressure from Trevor’s blade eases away as Alucard steps back, floating out of his reach.

“Jesus,” Trevor grunts, ignoring the light pain in his sides as he straightens, “how many times do I have to say it? No vampire— oh, fuck it.” He lunges forward, slashing at Alucard as quickly as he can, in a flurry of quick strikes. One of them manages to graze Alucard’s shoulder, another tears slightly at the fabric of his shirt. The thrill of those small victories rushes through Trevor, and he grins in triumph as he starts gaining ground. He’s still careful to keep his strikes light, though, to simply graze and not to wound. This is only a friendly bout, after all. “You’re lucky I don’t have my whip with me.”

A soft, throaty laugh echoes in his ears. Alucard’s eyes flash red, then he disappears again.

“Ah, damn you,” Trevor grunts, glancing about him. He will never get used to this.

The brush of air against the side of his face is the only sign betraying Alucard’s presence, before he strikes in earnest. Their swords clash, the din of steel meeting steel filling the room. There is a strange vivacity in Alucard’s gaze, a sort of joy, a hint of a blush staining his cheeks. A part of his mind, the one that isn’t fully absorbed in the exhilaration of their fight, finds that almost… endearing.

The wound tugs at Trevor underneath the bandage, and he can’t help the sharp hiss that escapes him when he rolls out of the way of one of Alucard’s attacks. He tilts forward without meaning to, and presses his palm to his sides.

“Fuck,” Trevor breathes, wincing.

Alucard's blade stops only a few inches away from Trevor before he drops it.

“Are you alright?” he asks, and for a split second, Trevor thinks he sees genuine worry in his gaze, underneath his icy facade.

It startles Trevor, but only for a moment. He takes the opportunity and dashes for him. Their blades clash with a sharp, high-pitched clang that echoes through the large room. Trevor grins when his swift attack presses Alucard back.

“Never let your guard down,” he says with a smirk.

Alucard recovers quickly, much more quickly than Trevor expects. His surprise melts into a frown of determination, brows drawn together in utmost concentration. The bastard parries his blows like he’s meant for it; it’s not long before beads of sweat start arcing down Trevor’s brow. He had forgotten how quick Alucard’s reflexes are. If Trevor weren’t in such bad form, and if he had his whip as well as his sword, their odds would have been far more even, but as it is, he's barely holding his own.

He growls in frustration when, after a daring move that got him close enough to graze the dhampir’s cheek, his sword is knocked out of his hands.

Alucard smiles, a flash of sharp white teeth behind pale rose lips. It’s friendly enough, yet it still manages to look threatening. Trevor can only gaze at him in defiance, nostrils flaring as he pants, when the tip of Alucard’s blade is pressed under his chin.

“What’s wrong, Belmont? No more tricks up your sleeve?”

“There’s a few that come to mind.”

Alucard quirks a brow at him. “I do hope it isn’t another kick in the balls. We both know how well that went last time you tried it.”

Trevor huffs a laugh. “Nope. I tend to learn from my mistakes.” His gaze never leaves Alucard face as he reaches into his coat pocket. As expected, Alucard’s eyes flick towards the motion, pupils widening like a hunting cat’s. With his attention diverted, Trevor ducks to the side, escaping the sharp edges of the blade under his chin, then kicks Alucard’s feet from under him. The dhampir falls back with a surprised huff, and, before he can move or fly away, Trevor pins him to the ground, one hand holding his wrist down, the other pressing the tip of the dagger that was hidden in his sleeve against his heart. “You, however, do not.”

Alucard glares up at him, unblinking. He is completely still in Trevor’s hold, unnaturally so, not even a muscle moving. His hair is spread like a golden halo around his head, his skin gleaming bone white against the dark stone floor beneath him.

“You know I could still teleport and stab you in the back. Yes?” His voice is slow, his tone flat, not an inkling of emotion showing. It sends a slight shiver down Trevor’s spine.

“I suppose so. But you won’t. Because that would be cheating, and you don't do that, right?” Trevor lets the corners of his lips curl in a smug smile as he leans forward, holding the dhampir’s gaze. “I believe that means I am the victor of this match.”

Alucard’s gaze never leaves Trevor’s. From this close, Trevor can see the flecks in Alucard’s eyes, different shades of gold glittering in the light trickling through the high windows, the thin crease between his eyebrows, the tension at the corners of his lips. Alucard is holding his breath, it seems, his chest barely moving under Trevor’s blade.

Something bright, something feral flashes in Alucard’s eyes before he surges up.

Trevor freezes when their lips meet. For a moment —a brief one, a blink of an eye— he’s sure his heart has stopped beating, yet it’s not long before he can feel his pulse in his throat.

If he could move, he would have pinched himself, because this is surely not happening. Alucard’s lips are on his own. Alucard's lips, on his lips. They are slightly cold to the touch, but not by much. Soft. Softer even than Sypha’s, which are often chapped. His skin smells of almonds, of berries, a hint of woodsmoke.

A sudden spike of fear rushes through Trevor when he feels the edge of a shortsword pressing against his sides, through the fabric of his tunic.

“How did you put it before, Belmont?” Alucard whispers, edging back. His eyes are blazing with smug satisfaction underneath his fair eyelashes, but there’s also a hint of surprise there, that Trevor suspects matches his own. “‘Never let your guard down’?”

Trevor swallows thickly. They’re not touching anymore, not like before, but Alucard’s mouth is still frustratingly close to his own. “A hell of a cheap trick, that was,” he mumbles, trying as best he can to keep his composure.

“No cheaper than yours, surely.”

Trevor gapes at him for a long moment, unsure what to say. His pulse is still beating in throat; he wonders if Alucard can hear it. He finally lets the dhampir go with a huff and stands up, and the fact that his legs are a little weak now does nothing to lessen his frustration. “I’m still the winner of this match,” he says petulantly, to which Alucard laughs.

“That was most certainly a draw.” Alucard pushes himself up, sliding his shortsword smoothly into the scabbard hidden in his boot. “But you can keep telling yourself that, if it makes you feel better.”

“You really are one smug, arrogant bastard, you know that?”

“I’ve been called worse."

"Always so dramatic," Trevor scoffs and rolls his eyes. “With your agreeable disposition? That's hard to believe." He sheaths his own dagger without looking at him, then goes to pick up his sword that was knocked to the far side of the room. He busies himself with returning it to the weapon stand where it belongs, in hopes that the warmth that has crept up his cheeks isn’t too noticeable.

Why is he blushing, anyway? Trevor really isn’t in the best shape today, that’s for certain.

Trevor turns to glance at him over his shoulder. Alucard is boredly brushing the dust off his coat sleeves, thoroughly ignoring him, but Trevor finds himself gaping at him like a fish.

The front of Alucard’s shirt was ripped by one of Trevor’s attacks during their swordfight, but it must have ripped even further with his tumble, leaving his chest and stomach exposed. Deep, criss-crossing scars interrupt the expanse of smooth pale skin, red and angry against its alabaster-like whiteness. They’re not quite as deep as the one in the center of his chest, a souvenir from his fight with his father, but they look no less menacing.

Trevor’s stomach sinks at the sight.

“God,” he breathes. “What the fuck happened to you?”

Alucard glances up at him in curiosity. He freezes when he realises what Trevor is staring at. His spine straightens, his features turning as rigid and cold as ice. “Nothing,” he says, buttoning up his coat with lightning quick motions. “Nothing happened to me.”

“That doesn’t look like nothing.” Trevor takes a step closer, reaching out to stop his hand. “Who did this to—”

“I said: it’s nothing.” Alucard steps back as if by instinct, out of his reach. His expression doesn’t betray any of his thoughts, but the way he avoids Trevor’s gaze has his stomach clenching even further.

This doesn’t seem right. Nothing about this seems right.

They both linger in tense silence for several moments. It’s Alucard’s magical sword that interrupts the quiet, when it lifts off the floor and slides into its scabbard on its own.

“I would suggest you get some rest,” Alucard says flatly. “Your injury requires it, if your current fighting skills are anything to go by.” He turns around and leaves without a word.

There are several scathing responses that spring to Trevor’s mind, but they all die at the tip of his tongue as he watches Alucard walk away, spine straight and rigid as a plank.

When Trevor returns to their room, he finds Sypha curled up on the armchair next to the fireplace, a large leather-bound tome open in her lap. She beams at him when she sees him coming in.

“Well? How did it go?” Her smile falls considerably when she notices Trevor’s expression. “Oh, no. That bad?”

Trevor walks over to the bed and sits down slowly. Sypha is watching him with wide, questioning eyes, and he isn’t quite sure what to tell her.

“I invited him to a duel.”

Sypha’s eyebrows climb up her forehead. “Oh.” She lets the book fall closed and sets it on the low table before her. “Odd way to thank someone for their hospitality, but do go on.”

“It was a friendly one. We were just... practicing, I suppose.”

“Alright. Who won?”

“I did. But then he kissed me.”

“He what? ” Sypha’s eyes widen even more, her mouth falling open on a gasp. “Damn it! I knew I should have been the one to go and speak to him today.”

“What?!”

“What?” At his bewildered stare, she lets out a small laugh. “Oh, please don’t tell me you’ve never thought of it before.”

Trevor stares at her in affront. “I have not!”

“That makes one of us, then,” she mutters, and it could be Trevor's imagination, but her cheeks get slightly flushed.

“You’ve thought of kissing Alucard?”

“Once or twice. Alright, perhaps a few more times. I mean, he’s gorgeous, right? That's just a fact.” She leans forward on the armchair, setting her chin on her fist. “So, how was it? Is he a good kisser? Did he make the first move, or did you? And what weapons were you using for the duel? I want to know all about it. If I knew you would have got on this well, I would have come to watch.”

Trevor blinks at her, then drags his palm down his face. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with you,” he groans. He’d forgotten how relaxed Speakers are when it comes to romantic relationships. There’s usually no such thing as strict monogamous relationships in Speaker clans, unless a couple wishes it to be so; members of the clan are free to sleep or flirt with others, and no one bats an eye. Trevor himself isn’t particularly possessive or jealous of Sypha in that way, and he thinks that the Speakers might be doing something right there, but there’s something about the fact that she has thought of kissing Alucard that has this very frustrating blush creeping up his cheeks again.

“It wasn’t like that,” he says hastily. “He did it to distract me so he could win… I didn’t expect it.” He shakes his head, “He drew a knife on me, the sneaky bastard.”

“Oh,” Sypha says, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “Well, I still wish I was there to see. Anyway. So, did you talk at all? Did he tell you how he is, how he’s been doing? Did you ask him about the…?” She raises eyebrows in question, tilting her head towards the main entrance.

“No. I didn't get the chance. But…” Trevor frowns as he let his words trail away. A tendril of worry coils in his gut, same as before. “Sypha, there are scars all over him. I don’t know what caused them, but it must have been some sort of magical weapon… or something consecrated. Something that is used specifically against vampires.”

“Consecrated?” Sypha sits up in her chair, her expression darkening. “Like the ones you have?”

“Must be. Anything else, and those marks would have healed long before.” He rubs the stubble on his chin, taking in a slow breath. “If it was those people out front that did it…”

“Then they were trying to kill him,” Sypha whispers. Her lips tighten in a line, and her brows furrow in thought and worry.

Trevor nods, “Perhaps. Perhaps this is what happened. It could be the reason why he’s been so… so much more ‘Alucard’ than usual.” His frown deepens. “It still doesn’t explain why he mounted them on stakes. It could be that we have it all wrong. We shouldn't jump to any conclusions.”

“Then there’s only one thing for us to do.”

She stands up, and Trevor follows her with his eyes.

“Next time we see him,” she says, that same determination Trevor knows so well burning in her gaze, “we’re doing things my way.”

#castlevania #castlevania netflix #alucard #trevor belmont #sypha belnades #trephacard #alucard x trevor x sypha #adrian fahrenheit tepes #alucard/trevor belmont/sypha belnades #where blood roses bloom #johaerys writes

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thetravelerwrites · 4 years

Text

Monster Match #26: Duamutef (Lemon)

The Traveler's Masterlist

For @one-halloween: “My pronouns are she/her and my orientation is pan. I'm small (like 4'9") with waist length brown hair that's bleached in an ombre style. I dress in a kind of retro style (so like 80s acid washed jeans and crop tops). Uhh I love reading, writing and gaming as well as hiking and working on a car or something like that. I'm often quiet but around people I like I can be the jokester of the group.

Cliché but I like partners who are taller than me, and those I can joke around with. Someone who is also loyal and honest as well as loving and will take interest in hobbies. The things I dislike are dishonesty and secrets. As well as someone who takes life way too seriously and won't crack a joke here or there. Also someone who doesn't take interest in what others do. I was thinking if you could make it NSFW that would be great.”

You’ve been matched with Duamutef!

Duamutef is one of the four sons of Horus and one of the protection gods of the four canopic burial jars, specifically the jar which contains the stomach. In war, the most frequent cause of death was from injuries in the torso and stomach, and Duamutef protects this organ, both in life and in death.

Duamutef was originally represented as a man wrapped in mummy bandages; however, from the New Kingdom onwards, he is shown with the head of a jackal and is an example of cynocephaly which, in Greek mythology, is a creature with a human body and a canid head, specifically a jackal.

What gives a god their power was the belief of their followers; however, many of the ancient religions had either died completely or were far less worshiped during modern times, affording the gods of those pantheons less power. While some gods lamented this decline in their abilities, others found it freeing, and delighted in the opportunity of roaming the earth as they wished. One such deity was Duamutef.

As a lesser god, even people who followed the revival religion Khemetism didn’t tend to worship him as much as Anubis or Ma’at or his father Horus, so he decided to come to earth and travel the world, learning about an era with which he was unfamiliar.

Of course, you didn’t know all that when you met him. He introduced himself as Tua, an exchange student from Egypt. He was a mysterious figure and his age indecipherable to you. Sometimes he seemed young and boyish, easily a full foot taller than you, always smiling and laughing. However, there was this ageless look in his eye that told the story of a very old soul. He was tall and dark, just like in fairy tales, and already very popular on campus.

It surprised you when he took notice of you. You were a quiet girl, unassuming and not the type to draw attention, so his sudden interest in you was a little startling.

“Excuse me,” He said one day, coming up to you suddenly. “I’m afraid I don’t know your name.”

“That’s probably because we’ve never spoken before,” You said. “And I don’t think you know any of my friends.”

“An oversight. My apologies,” He said, smiling. “I make it my aim to know everyone in every place I go.”

You looked at him in alarm. “There are hundreds of people attending this college.”

“I am aware,” He said, still smiling. He had those deep, dark type of bottomless black eyes one could get lost in. “I’ve managed to at least introduce myself to most of the people, but it seems I have missed you. Forgive me.”

“Honestly, it’s not a big deal,” You said. “I’m nobody, really.”

“That’s not true,” He said. “Everybody is somebody to someone, and I’d like to be a friend to you. My name is Tua. May I ask yours?” He offered his hand to shake and you shook it, telling him your name. “Will you walk with me? The cafeteria is offering something called a corndog I’m eager to try.”

You laughed. “Don’t get too excited about that. It’s not exactly a culinary masterpiece.”

“But it’ll be new. I like new. I spent a very long time in one place, and now that I’m out in the world, I want to experience as much as I can.”

“Were you homeschooled as a kid or something?” You asked.

He laughed again. “Or something. My family had a lot of responsibilities many years ago, you could say. After working my whole life in the service of others, I think I’ve earned a vacation.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” You said. “It can be tough when your parents expect a lot from you.”

“That’s the truth,” He replied. “So, corndog? I’ll treat you.” He extended his hand toward the cafeteria.

You echoed his laughter. “I don’t know if I’d call it a treat, but sure. That sounds nice.”

From then on, Tua spent a lot of time with you. He seemed to go out of his way to seek you out. He said he enjoyed listening to you talk about things, saying that your perspective was entertaining. You didn’t mind his presence. He was earnest and funny and he always wanted to hear your opinion on things. He’d often come to the bookstore where you worked to get your recommendation for new books to read. He seemed confused by a lot of western culture’s practices and often asked you for advice or to explain things to him. His open curiosity and wonder with the world around him was very endearing.

You weren’t sure why he chose you to help him navigate life in the western world. Surely there were better candidates in the large pool of people who followed him around. He had a legion of fans who hung on his every word and shadowed him like love-struck puppies, but he dodged them consistently to spend time with you. There were more attractive people of several genders that he could have had his pick of, but he decided on you, and you were slightly baffled by it.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” He asked you one day while you were ringing up his new purchases. He must have a significant library by this point. “There’s something called a farmer’s market I’d like to go see.”

“I can’t go tomorrow,” You said. “My friend’s car is acting up and he wants me to take a look at it. From what he’s telling me, it sounds like his alternator is shot, and if that’s the case, that’s a full day’s work.”

“You can fix cars?” He asked. If he had animal ears, you’d swear they had perked up when he said that. “How interesting. I don’t know anything about cars. Can I observe?”

You shrugged. “If you want to. Make sure to wear stuff you don’t mind getting dirty. It is very hard to get motor oil out of clothes, trust me.”

“Of course,” He said.

“Here,” You said, taking out a pen and running out a length of receipt paper to write on. “Here’s my address. He’ll be dropping it off around 9 A.M. and picking it back up after his shift at work.”

“Excellent. I won’t be late.”

“If you say so,” You said, handing him his purchases. “Here you go. That D&D book is a classic. I think you’ll really like it.”

“Much appreciated,” He said with a smile, nodding politely as he left.

He arrived the next morning carrying a sack of donuts and coffee. You were glad he already knew what kind of coffee you liked, because he drank his very strong and you wouldn’t be able to stomach it. You had to do a double take when he took off his jacket and revealed a v-neck black shirt and tight black jeans. Normally he wore a pair of slacks and a button-up, so this look was quite a change and you were having trouble not staring. He was skinny, but he had a lot more muscle definition than you would have suspected.

“I hope I’m not late,” He said. “There was an accident on the way here. No one seemed to be hurt, but there was quite a backup on the highway.”

“No, you’re fine,” You said. “My friend hasn’t even shown up yet. Let’s eat before he gets here. Eating with grease on your hands is a bad idea.”

Your friend pulled up as you were inhaling a bear claw. You introduced him to Tua, they exchanged brief pleasantries, and your friend took off for the bus stop down the road.

“He seemed nice,” Tua said.

“He’s gay and single, if you want his number,” You laughed as you popped the hood of his Honda Accord.

Tua laughed as well. “I appreciate the offer, but he’s not my cup of tea. Or coffee, if you will.” He took a big gulp, and you shuddered.

“I can’t believe you take that black. It’s got to be so bitter.”

“We didn’t have sugar where I grew up, so I’m used to it.”

Your head rocked back. “Where did you live that you didn’t have sugar.”

“Near Cairo,” He replied. “It was called something different when I was born, though.”

You made a face. “Cairo was founded in 969 AD. You’re not that old.”

He smirked. “How old do I look?”

You stared at him, trying to gauge his age, but blanked. “Let’s just get to work.”

The alternator was indeed going out, and while changing it out wasn’t rocket science, it was labor intensive work for someone as small as you were. You were actually glad to have an extra set of hands to help. In addition to the alternator, you also found a crack in one of the hoses that was also going to have to be replaced, as it was leaking coolant.

Both of you were elbow deep in grease by the time you decided to take a break for lunch. You went to order a pizza as he went in to wash his… self. He somehow managed to get grease all over his face. You had a sneaking suspicion he just liked getting dirty.

After putting in your order, you went back outside to clean up the area around the car and put away the tools you didn’t need anymore in their rightful place in the toolbox when you happened to look up to the bathroom window. You had to squint and blink, because something was… off.

Tua had taken his shirt off to clean up, but something was odd about his head. It was larger, darker, and blurry almost. It almost looked like an animal’s head. Maybe it was just how the frosted glass reflected the color of his hair, but it didn’t look… normal. Something on the top of his head resembling ears flicked back and forth. Something that looked like a snout opened and shut, as if inspecting its teeth. The head shook like a dog slinging water from its fur. You blinked, and he had put his shirt back on and his head looked completely normal again.

Were you going insane?

Tua came back out of the house, the water from washing his face and neck glistening on his skin. You didn’t realize how bug-eyed you were until he tilted his head in concern.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

You shook your head to clear it. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I thought I saw… nevermind. It doesn’t matter. Pizza’s on it’s way.”

“What did you see?” He asked neutrally.

“It doesn’t matter,” You said. “It was probably a trick of the light.”

“What if it wasn’t?” He asked in the same neutral tone, watching your face. “Hypothetically.”

“What are you talking about?” You asked.

He sighed, shook his head, and his usual smile was back in place. “No matter. What kind of pizza did you get?”

You let the matter drop, but it nagged in the back of your mind for the rest of the day.

That night, your dreams were unusual. You dreamt of a dry place, of women in soft, sheer gowns and men in short skirted garments. Shaved heads and wigs.

In one of the dreams, a woman led you to a huge, grand hall made of stone. There, sitting on a throne of ebony inlaid with gold and jewels, was a man. He had a falcon’s head on a fit human’s body. He held a staff in his hand, and on his head perched a red and white pschent, the crown of Pharaohs. Behind him were four gigantic statutes of other men and women. He sat at their feet, surrounded by attendants.

The woman gestured for you to walk forward, and the man on the throne waved a hand. All of the attendants left him, leaving you standing there alone with him.

“My son has shown you interest,” The man said, his voice booming throughout the chamber, though his mouth never moved. “That is unusual. He and his wife have divorced millennia ago, and he has not taken interest in anyone for many, many years.”

“Your son?” You repeated. “Who is your son?”

“Know you not who I am?” He asked, standing and laying his staff against the armrest. “The god of the sky above and kingdom below. The wisest of my siblings, the most benevolent. Am I a stranger to you?”

“I’m sorry,” You said hesitantly. “I’m not really religious.”

He sighed. “I suppose that’s to be expected. The power of our pantheon has declined dramatically. I must be grateful that the revival in modern times has allowed us to rise from our sleep and reclaim any sort of rule.” He stood to his full height, which had to be at least seven foot. “I am Horus. You are a friend to my son, Duamutef, blessed with the head of a jackal, the animal of death, guidance, and protection.”

“The head of a jackal?” You asked. “Like a dog? So I wasn’t hallucinating? Tua really has the head of a dog?”

“In so many terms, yes. Tua, as you know him, asked for my permission to travel the world, and I granted it to him, hoping he would stop pining and bring his knowledge of the new world back to his peers.”

“How long is he allowed to explore?”

“Not that long,” Horus said. “A few centuries.”

You gaped at him. “You realize that since the industrial age, humanity and its technology is advancing very quickly. The world isn’t the same as it was ten years ago, and it will be different in another ten years.”

“Oh,” Horus said, seemingly baffled. “That’s alarming. In the ancient kingdom, it was as if time stood still. Once we gave humans the knowledge they needed to live and create, things carried on as it always did for over three millennia.”

“Things are different now,” You said, perhaps too boldly considering you were speaking to a god.

“It would seem so,” He replied thoughtfully. “Duamutef is eager to learn, however. As long as he sends back a report, I suppose he can stay in the mortal plane as long as he wishes.”

“I’m sure that would make him happy,” You said.

“I think you would, too,” Horus said, looking down at you. A falcon can’t smile, but you felt kind approval radiating from Horus’s body.

“I would?” You said. “I’m his friend, just a girl he follows around because I explain things to him. I’m not special. Besides, I don’t even think he likes me that way.”

“Aren’t you?” Horus asked patiently. “Doesn’t he?”

You flushed. You hadn’t really considered it. He seemed way out of your league. “Well… even if he did, how can I be worthy of a god?”

“You are worthy. You do not need me to tell you so, nor do you need him to. But he has chosen you, and I am pleased that he is happy and moving on. He has been alone for a very long time.”

“This is a lot to process, you know that?”

“Indeed,” Horus agreed. He turned and went back to the throne, sitting in it. “Take some time to think it over, but do not make him wait long. My son’s happiness is important to me.” He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

You woke covered in sweat and gasping. That… that couldn’t have been real, could it? Thank god… or gods… that tomorrow was Sunday. You needed a full day to just… deal.

Monday, you returned to school, both confused and… a little excited. There was something innately fascinating knowing an actual god was walking around campus, acting like a human. While you weren’t a fan of the fact that he was hiding it from you, you were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Just this once.

You saw him in the courtyard surrounded by his usual fans. His magnetism suddenly made a lot more sense. You wondered why you were so resistant to it.

“Tua!” You called. He looked up, caught your eye and smiled, walking over. His gaggle of… worshipers?… followed behind him.

“I need to talk to you privately,” You told him in a terse undertone.

“That sounds serious,” He said, still smiling, though he looked concerned. “What about?”

“Your father came to visit me,” You replied.

The smile slipped and the color drained from his face. “Uh…” He said to his group, trying to laugh lightly. “Sorry, friends. Family business.”

They groaned in disappointment but thankfully dispersed. He took you by the hand and led you to the side of the Sciences building.

“What did he say to you? Was he angry?”

“No,” You said. “He told me he was pleased.”

Tua sighed in relief. “I’m glad. I was worried he was annoyed with my decisions. He said he wouldn’t interfere, but I’ve been concerned because I hadn’t heard from him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” You asked, folding your arms.

“What, that I’m a lesser god of an ancient religion that had almost died out, until the recent revival?” He said shrewdly. “Would you have believed me.”

“Your real head might have convinced me,” You replied. “The jackal?”

“Ah, yes,” He said. “I figured you had seen it the other day, but you didn’t press the issue, so I hoped you’d think it was a figment of your imagination.”

“Why didn’t you want me to know?” You asked.

“I did,” He said. “But I wanted to tell you myself, when the time was right.”

“When would the right time have been?”

He shrugged and looked at the ground. “I don’t know, I guess. I almost did, the other day, but I was nervous.”

“Your father told me something else,” You said carefully. “That you had been alone a long time. That your wife divorced you and that you had been pining for a long time. He also said…” You cleared your throat and swallowed. “That you had chosen me.”

He looked at you through his lashes, looking apprehensive. “Can… can we discuss this later? Somewhere private?”

“Come to my house after school. We’ll talk, okay?”

He nodded, looking self-conscious, turned, and jogged away, dodging his fan club and ducking into the Arts building.

Later that night, you paced in your living room, waiting for him to arrive. When you heard his car pull up, it took every ounce of willpower to not dash outside.

When he knocked, you opened the door to find him holding flowers and a gift bag.

Oh god.

“I figured if the cat was out of the bag, I might as well try,” He said. “Here.” He handed you the flowers, which were your favorites, and the bag. Inside was a book.

“Someone wrote a book about me,” He said. “Well, about me and my brothers. It was written while we were sleeping, so there’s a little missing, but I’m happy to fill in the blanks.”

“I don’t like that you hid this from me,” You said as you moved aside to let him in.

“I’m sorry,” He said. “I didn’t mean to hide it. Most people don’t look that closely. You’re the first person to see my true self.”

“That’s not entirely true,” You said. “I only saw an outline, a shadow.” You folded your arms. “So show me the real you. I want to take a good look.”

He took a deep, calming breath, and his body shimmered. His head elongated, black fur sprouted from his neck up, trailing down his spine and the middle of his chest. His normal modern clothes disappeared and the traditional gathered skirt of ancient Egypt appeared around his waist, ending at the knee. His eyes were silver and had markings around them. He wore no crown, but there were markings where a crown might have once sat.

“Is this what you saw?” He asked. Like his father, his mouth did not move when he spoke. Instead, his voice came from all around you.

“Something like it, yes,” You confirmed.

“Are you frightened?” He asked hesitantly.

“No,” You replied. “I’ve had time to come to terms with it. I think I’d be more freaked out if you had sprung it on me out of nowhere, maybe.”

“See? What else was I to do but keep it to myself?” He said in exasperation.

“I guess I see your point,” You admitted. “But no more secrets, okay? There’s nothing I hate more than people keeping secrets from me.”

“If that’s so, then… there’s one more thing I must confess,” He said slowly.

“I think I know what it is,” You said, bracing yourself. “But I’d like to hear you say it.”

He cleared his throat and stood tall. “I have become… enamored with you. I don’t know when it started, but it came to me quickly. Perhaps it was because you didn’t fall into worship of me, as others have done. As gods, it is humankind’s natural inclination to bend the knee to us, but you did not. Perhaps it was your patience with me and my multitude of questions. Perhaps it was the extent of your knowledge. Perhaps it was all of those things. But I care for you. I do not expect you to return my feelings, but I would wish to remain close to you, in whatever form you desire. Friend, companion, lover. It is your decision.”

You laughed a little. “That’s a hell of a declaration. I mean, you haven’t even kissed me yet.”

He looked startled. “Is that something you wish?”

“I don’t know.” You moved closer, considering him. “Are you any good at it?”

He took your hands. “Well… it has been some time. I may be out of practice.”

“Give it your best shot,” You challenged.

His lips curled into a smile, and he pulled you into an embrace. Tall as he was, he had to bend to reach your lips. His kiss was light, but experienced, and he lingered for many minutes. When he pulled away, you were seeing stars.

“How was my technique?” He asked playfully.

You shook your head to stop it from spinning. “More than adequate,” You chuckled. “You’re not quite as rusty as you claim.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear,” He said, and kissed you again.

You weren’t sure how the two of you made it into your bedroom, but suddenly there you were, the bed right next to you. You began shedding clothes and pulled at the belt that gathered the skirt at his waist. It fell into a pile at his feet, and he stepped out of it, lifting you into the air and setting you gently down onto the bed.

You began to shake a little. You hadn’t had a serious partner before and while this wasn’t your first time, the sex you’d had before hadn’t been as… significant as this was turning out to be. Were you going to fast? You’d known him for months but it was only in the last few days that you’d known he was carrying a torch for you. It had been a lot to process, and still was. Were you rushing into it?

He seemed to feel you tense. “Are you alright?”

“I…” You struggled to find the right words and not sound insulting. “I feel like we’re moving to quickly? I’m not even sure how I feel, and we’re already in bed with each other. I just… feel…”

“Rushed?” He said. “It’s alright, I understand. This was a lot to lay on you at once. We can stop.”

“That’s just it, I don’t know if I want to stop. I don’t know if I want to keep going. I don’t even know for sure how I feel about you, or the situation. I feel really overwhelmed.”

“It’s alright,” He said. “Why don’t we just lay here for a while and be still and give you some time to find your bearings. I can leave you to think for a while, if you’d like.”

“No. No, stay,” You said. “Just turn off the light and let’s be quiet for a little while. I just want to think.”

“Of course,” He said, reaching for the lamp switch. The two of you were bathed in darkness. He lay next to you, and you allowed him to put his arm around you. You put your head on his chest and listened to his slow heartbeat. It was strangely reassuring: you almost expected him to not have a heartbeat at all.

At some point you must have fallen asleep. He still lay with you, his body illuminated in the moonlight, slightly propped up on the pillows, watching you sleep. He smiled when he saw you rouse.

“Good evening,” He said quietly.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to doze off,” You said.

“It’s no problem. I actually rather enjoyed it. You’re very cute when you’re asleep.”

“Don’t be silly,” You said, smacking his chest.

“I’m not!” He chuckled. “You make very adorable noises.”

“Hush, you!” You said, tickling his side.

“Hey, hey!” He exclaimed, squirming away. “Don’t do that!”

“Oh, is the big, bad god ticklish?” You asked playfully, dodging his arms and going in for more tickles. “Is he? Is he ticklish?”

“No!” He cried, trying to wiggle out of your grasp, whimpering like a puppy. “I shall retaliate if you don’t cease!”

“Oh yeah?” You taunted. “Whatcha gonna do about it, big man? Sniff me to death?”

“I may just!” He said, putting his muzzle in your ear and sniffling.

“Ah!” You squealed. “It’s so cold!”

“You like that?!” He said, tickling you back and pressing his nose to your neck. “Have some more, then!” He licked at your neck and shoulders. He grabbed your hands and held them above your head as you wiggled underneath him.

At some point, the mood shifted. The weight of his naked body on top of your naked body was exhilarating and made your heart race. His licks slowed and went from playful to deliberate and were interspersed with open mouthed kisses. He let go of your hands and touched your body. You instinctively pulled your knees up and wrapped them around his waist, holding him close by the back of his head and petting down the fur of his spine.

“Is this alright?” He asked heavily, breathing hard.

“Yes,” You whispered in reply. “Yes.”

Some more minutes of touching and kissing and licking later, he reached between the two of you and rubbed his knuckles on your clit, making you moan against his lips. He rubbed himself and you at the same time, then pushed the tip against your entrance, gently pushing himself inside of you. Your head fell back onto the pillow, your mouth wide open, your brows furrowing. He was thick and long, but no so that it was painful. You whimpered as he inched all the way inside and pulled out slowly, thrusting inward and pulling outward.

Slowly, but with gaining speed, your bodies moved together. Wordlessly, he flipped you so that you were on your stomach and pulled you toward him, reentering you and thrusting vigorously, while you gripped the sheets desperately, crying out in pleasure. You bit the pillow and shut your eyes as you felt the ecstasy well up in you, your inside walls clenching and contracting. He huffed and grunted above you, gripping your hips as your bodies smacked together over and over.

You could feel beads of his sweat dripping onto your back as he sped up again, groaned loudly, and spilled himself into you, gushing out with each jerk of his hips against your body. When he was spent, he withdrew and fell sideways as to not crush you. You lay on your stomach for a few moments, allowing yourself to catch your breath and cool down, before turning over and sliding into his arms. You’d change the sheets tomorrow.

“I hope this means you accept me,” He said sleepily.

“I always accepted you,” You said. “I just wasn’t sure what I wanted my role to be in all this. I’m still not sure. I think starting with a date might be nice.”

“Of course,” He said. “Anything you want. I am your humble servant, at your beck and call.”

“You’re not my servant,” You said firmly. “And I’m not yours. We’re partners or we’re nothing at all.”

“I understand,” He said, turning on his side. “So, my partner, where would you like to go for this date?”

“I don’t know,” You said. “This’ll be your first date on the mortal plane, won’t it? Do what you love to do: research it.”

He laughed. “That sounds like fun.”

To get your own Monster Match, buy me a Kofi!

Since my work is no longer searchable, please do me a favor and reblog this story if you enjoyed it. Help me reach a wider audience! To help me continue creating, please consider becoming a Patron or donating directly to my PayPal.

Thanks for reading!

My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

#Exophilia #Monster Match #Ancient Egypt #Egyptian God #Duamutef #Four Sons of Horus #one-halloween

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fyrapartnersearch · 4 years

Text

Hello! After easing back into writing and regaining my inspiration, I’ve decided to begin a dedicated search for partners! Name’s Noeul, but I go by a myriad of other nicknames. I’m 22, non-binary, located in the US, Central Timezone. Fan of Kpop (EXO, VIXX and ATEEZ), movies, anime, video-games, photography and travel! I consider myself to be very friendly and laid-back, and maybe even a bit too loyal for my own liking haha.

Before I get into the important details of what I’m looking for and my general set of rules and whatever else, I want to address one thing that has unfortunately become a problem for me: please, please do not reply to this ad if you are going to ghost/suddenly block me without warning.

And to add, while writing is a passion for me and it helps me deal with a lot of my personal issues, I am not looking for critique or constant negative remarks and ridicule aimed at me. I am still dealing with past harmful encounters and I ask that if you have a penchant for being critical (even in sarcasm) of your partners, you should move on from my ad.

Okay, so now to the fun stuff–

I have eleven years of writing experience, and I write in third person past tense only, multi-paragraph to novella style. I am that type of person that really likes to get into my characters’ heads, and I really enjoy laying out their thoughts in detail. I don’t like pressuring anyone to do the same; if you want to write just a few paragraphs, that is perfectly fine! As long as the story progresses I am cool with whatever length you reply with. Generally, I can be expected to send out replies within a day, but sometimes I may only be able to get one out every few days or once a week if my life gets hectic; I’ll always let you know if I think a reply isn’t going to get sent for a bit.

I enjoy communication outside of the RP and would love to get to know each other; I love sharing moodboards, draws/sketches of my/our characters, aesthetics, playlists, silly memes that remind us of our characters, anything and everything to do with the stories. I’d rather it not be just ‘two strangers exchanging words but not actually saying anything,’ you feel?

I write all genders but predominantly lean to male/non-binary/genderqueer, and I favor fantasy/modern supernatural/dystopian/sci-fi/futuristic genres with a dislike of slice of life (unless there’s a twist). I’m not bothered by mature themes and pretty lax with most topics; your limits are my limits so please do tell me of any triggers you have before we begin writing. Not looking for smut/romance-centered plots (if explicit scenes are about to happen, I’d like for it to fade-to-black, no exceptions, sorry), but I am totally cool with sexual themes, innuendos, stuff like that.

I don’t really have a giant list for pairings, plots, settings whatever else at this time. But some things I am NOT interested in are: Mafia, very base supernatural (vampires and werewolves for example - I don’t care if you have these types of characters, I just don’t want it to be the central theme of the story), medieval, Hunger Games type of worlds, and some magic-type plots. As much as I like the concept of a fandom-based story, I prefer OC plots–

That said! I have a giant list of “pre-made” OCs that I prefer to use in lieu of creating new folks. I know this isn’t everyone’s thing and I get that, but my characters have been with me for a long time and I just can’t commit to making totally new identities for stories. I enjoy having large casts for our stories and I really prefer to have platonic/familial/enemies/whatever type of relationships! I’m not against romantic relationships completely, but it will have to be something to discuss further down the road of getting to know each other.

One last thing– I really prefer writing over email (or Google Docs if need to), and communicating via discord! Plus discord makes it easy to reply back quickly since my phone notifies me!

So I believe I covered most of the essentials, but feel free to ask me about anything I left out! If you think we would be a good match then please do contact me! I look forward to meeting new people! ^^

Email: [email protected]

Discord: noeul#7777

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chillassimagines · 4 years

Text

Say It Once - Lucien Castle Smut

(REQUESTED)

“So, what have you been up to lately?” You asked your beloved partner, Lucien, as you took a sip of your champagne.

“Oh, just some Mikaelson business, an occasional killing, the works.” Lucien spoke back sarcastically with a smile. You rolled your eyes and broke out into a smile. You and Lucien tried to have a night to yourselves at least once a month. Tonight you decided to stay in your luxurious home, dress a little fancy, and have a nice dinner. You had just gotten back from a 3 week long trip from Spain and you missed your boyfriend. You knew he missed you as well, especially since he was eager for date night to happen.

“No, I mean really, Lucien. How have you been, like, mentally or emotionally?” Lucien’s facial expression definitely faltered, he was in deep thought. You waited patiently, because you knew not to rush him.

“For the first week you were gone I was fine, myself. The second week I felt kind of lost? Did some things I’m not proud of, and the third week I basically awaited your return. It’s nothing to dabble on though.” This odd opening session made you undeniably inquisitive.

“Lucien. I would like to say I don’t want to know, but...then I’d be a liar.” You gave him a dry laugh, really meaning that he needed to tell you. His face turned almost defensive, but his eyes told you, his lover, everything. He was scared.

“I honestly don’t feel like discussing it further until I’m ready.” He put his hand softly on the table, signaling that he wanted to be done with the conversation. Then his finger twitched. Lucien had a slight case of twitching when something dark was afoot. Sometimes it was his eyebrow, sometimes his mouth, but this time, fortunately for you, it was his finger.

“Lucien, I’m not comfortable with ending the conversation like that. Talk to me.” You tried to reassure him by taking the twitched hand in both of yours and kissing it. However, as you held his hand you were trying to assure yourself that it wasn’t bad.

It was bad.

“Literally any other being in the world, and you choose Aurora?!” You had long since smashed your champagne glass to the floor and broken the chair Lucien sat in against the wall. You were aiming for his face.

“Y/N! I told you that it had to be done!” Lucien shouted back. You turned your back to him and you wanted to cry.

“To what? Help the Mikaelsons? No! To get what you want from the Mikaelsons! And maybe do a little fucking along the way?!” You were too angry to cry.

“I told you we didn’t.” He lowered his voice, it sounded almost pained. You turned around to see his slight pout. You stormed up to him and poked your finger to his chest.

“No, you didn’t. But, you broke our trust in your own selfish prosecution of triumph. You could have caved into your desires, because that’s why you chose her as your bait. You get a little lonely and you turn into an insecure monster.” Your voice was lowered so you could get through to his thick skull. You looked into his eyes and you swore onto all that you ever believed in, he was turned on.

“Y/N-“

“Don’t you Y/N me!” You went to pound your fists onto his chest, but his hands grabbed your wrists. His eyes never left yours.

“I’ll say it once only. You are so annoyingly seductive when you’re angry...and I need you. Only you.” His forehead drew in to lean on yours as he spoke. Your anger was boiling hot inside of you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to turn away from him.

“Show me that it’s only me.” You whispered to him, afraid your voice would break.

“Gladly, my love.” Lucien’s arms wrapped around you and pulled you close to him as he began kissing you feverishly. Your arms wrapped around him and clutched onto his shoulder blades. You were afraid to let him go...afraid he’d disappear. He could sense it. “What do you want? How do you want it?” He asked against your lips in pause.

“I want you close. Talking. Hot. Just raw.” You felt your emotions heighten to a new level. You wanted to blame it on vampirism for making you feel this way. Lucien began to grin and lifted you up by your ass.

“Gladly, my love.” Within a moment, Lucien sped up the stairs into your shared room and placed you softly on the bed. “Arch.” You arched your back so his cold fingers could unzip your dress off of your hot angry body. He slipped the straps off and tugged the velvet material down your figure. His eyes explored the body he had nearly committed to his memory.

“Like what you see?” You smiled, noticing how he was affected by the lingerie, or lack of, that you wore. The set featured a lacy panty, reduced nearly to a string, with only a lace rose to hide your womanhood. And a matching bra, the only thing left to imagination was your lace covered nipples.

“España treats me well from across the ocean.” Lucien spoke softly, tracing around the lace on your nipples, making them rise to attention. His finger traveled down your stomach to wrap around the string of your underwear. “I’ll treat you well right here, though.” He pulls the underwear off of your body and snaps the clasp off of the front of your bra.

“I’m an impatient woman, Lucien.” You grabbed his wrist as he pulled away from your body, letting him know that you were ready. He took his cue and got on his knees on the bed and began to lay down on his stomach to line his face right next to your heat.

“After I taste you, I’m going to hold you so close to me as we reach our highs.” Lucien’s hands wrapped around your thighs and began his heavenly feast.

“You’re so good at this.” He repeatedly sucked your clit into his wet mouth and pulled slightly, only to let go and repeat the action. One of his hands inched up your thigh to let his thumb rotate on it instead while his tongue delved inside of you. “Yes, baby. Take it all. Fuck!” You let out a high pitched moan as he pinched your clit. Your hand reacted and grabbed his head full of hair to press his face against you as your hips gyrated against his face. He moaned as his tongue moved up and down your folds repeatedly to match your grinding. The vibration sent pleasure up your spine making your thighs shake against his head.

“So fucking wet.” Lucien muttered before he encased your clit in his mouth once again, but began non stop humming against it as he moved his head with your hips still.

“Oh my fucking god! Don’t stop!” You squeezed your eyes shut and your jaw fell open as you furiously grinded against his face and your thighs slowly began to close in tighter on his head. His hand came down to slap the side of your ass and you cried out. “Lucien, I’m cumming! Don’t stop!” He continued to hum louder, intensifying your orgasm as you came. You felt an odd sensation come out of you and moments later you felt Lucien’s tongue running over every part of your pussy.

“Never done that before, my love.” He commented after sucking harshly on your clit, making your hips stutter up into his mouth, and he held you up in the air by grasping your ass cheeks. You whimpered and clenched your toes as he showed no mercy to your sensitivity.

“It’s all yours, baby. All yours, f-fuck.” You whined as you felt yourself clench against his now inserted fingers.

“Damn right it’s mine. Who’s making you feel this way?” Lucien’s fingers dug further until they hit your g spot making you cum again immediately.

“You!” You squealed as he kept thrusting his fingers inside of you. “Fuck’s sake, Lucien!” Your eyes rolled into the back of your head as his thrusts slowed down and he pulled out his fingers. You closed your eyes as you heard the obscene sounds his mouth made while you knew he was cleaning off his fingers.

“Delicious.” Lucien whispered, and you didn’t even realize that he had gotten close to your ear. Your body was slightly worn.

“I know.” You replied with a tiny attitude but let a smile spread across your face as you opened your eyes to your lover. He looked at you with pure adoration and you noticed at some point he had stripped.

“I love you.” Lucien remained leaned down and his hand wrapped underneath you to hold you close to his chest as you felt his length slide into you. You wrapped your legs around his waist and grasped onto his biceps to feel his body against yours better.

“I love you too.” You leaned up to kiss him and he dirtily snuck his tongue inside of your mouth. You moaned into his mouth as he began slowly moving in and out of your soaking core.

“You’re so wet, yet so fucking tight. I’m gonna have to fight to cum.” He whispered harshly and began to buck his hips inside of you hard and pulled out slowly. Your hand trailed up to his cheek.

“But wouldn’t it feel so good to cum? I’m so hot and wet for you, Lucien. You feel how ready I am for you?” You absolutely loved riling Lucien up. It made you feel so powerful in no matter what position you were in.

“I’m gonna make you cum like that again, my love. I want to feel your high drip off of my cock. Fuck, stop doing that.” Lucien looked down and watched himself slide in and out of you. You giggled because you were purposely clenching around him repeatedly.

“I wanna feel you fill me up...so who’s gonna get what they want first?” You teased and arched your breasts against his chest to let out a long moan. Lucien’s slow thrusts turned real fast, real quick.

“Me, because you like it fast. You say you like it hot and slow, but I know how fucking dirty you are, Y/N. You goddamn minx.” He grunted as you clenched once more and began grinding against him to meet his thrusts. His other hand that held your bodies up braced Lucien against the rocking bed as your headboard began to crack into the wall.

“Yes! Tell me what I like, baby!” You cried out as your body shook back and forth, not even bothering to grind or clench anymore. You let yourself give into the pleasure he wanted to give.

“When bite your nipples and when my saliva is left to get cold on top of them.” He proceeded to follow through with that. You hissed in pain and pleasure as he bit your nipples and then used his wet tongue to soothe the pain. He looked into your eyes as he let his saliva drip out of his mouth onto them.

“I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna fucking cum.” You admitted your defeat. But he kept spurring you on.

“You like it when you’re about to cum on my cock and I touch you right here.” His hand left your back and his thumb circled your clit. You wrapped your legs tighter around his waist, intensifying the sound of skin slapping on skin. “You like hearing our skin collide. You like feeling the soreness after. Shit!” He hit your g spot and you clenched around him, but didn’t let go. Your thighs acted as an earthquake as you came on him like he desired.

“C-cum, baby.” You stuttered out as you let your high take over your mind. You felt his cum shoot inside of you and you pulled him down by wrapping your arms around him to pull him to your chest.

“Only you.”

#imagines #preferences #chillassimagines #tvd #the vampire diaries #the vampire diaries smut #the originals #the originals smut #lucien castle #lucien castle the originals #lucien castle imagine #lucien castle smut #smut

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saiilorstars · 4 years

Text

Next Stop Everywhere

Chapter 17: A Goodbye Theory

Fandom: Doctor Who

Pairing: Female OC x 10th Doctor

(Minerva’s face claim: Victoria Camacho)

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

Chapter summary: Before Minerva is dropped off, the Doctor takes her to one more place in hopes of convincing her to stay aboard. At the same time, as a last resort, Martha urges Minerva to really think about her feelings for the Doctor, but Minerva is sure that there is NOTHING at all...

// Story Masterlist //

"My, you two look lovely," Yue, our newest friend, admired Martha and I as she backed away from us, "China's best fabric! You're definitely ready for the Lantern Festival."

Martha and I looked at each other, both pleased with our outfits. Martha wore a lavender, short cheongasm with a flower pattern. It reached just above her knees and had a Yeshu Mandarin styled-collar. She wore simple, purple heels so her dress would not be overshadowed. Her hair was tied up with a bejeweled, dark, purple pin on top.

I on the other hand, was a bit more shy with these short dresses. I wore a bright red cheongasm that also reached mere inches above my knees. However, I wore black leggings underneath, thus adding comfort. The cheongasm was also in a Yeshu Mandarin styled-collar and had a black outlines running around the hemlines of the dress and sleeves. I wore comfortable black flats and left my hair down to its natural, long length with only a simple red clip building a little hair bump on top.

"Now, if you want to go outside to see some entertainment, you're more than welcome to," Yue said, leading us towards the doors, "But Mother said you could visit the other rooms of the house to see what you like."

"I heard there was a painting room," Martha said, glancing at me with a smile as we stepped out into the hallway of Yue's house, "I'm sure Minerva would want to visit that."

"I would," I admitted, shrugging, "But I also heard you have a practice room with swords..."

Yue laughed softly, nodding her head, "You heard right. You're more than welcome to check it out and have a practice."

"She's gonna poke someone's eye out," Martha shook her head, "It's best not to."

"I think I will," I strolled ahead of her, "I never handled one of them so it should be fun. Can we squeeze it in before we go outside?"

"I don't think the Doctor's gonna like that," she gave me a sharp look, coming beside me and swinging an arm around my shoulders, "Weapons and him don't exactly mix."

"Yeah well that's what I say about cats and me. Yet I've been summoned to be around them twice. Therefore, I have the right to grab a sword for fun."

"You two are quite strange," Yue chuckled as she caught up again, "But most fun!"

We laughed together as we continued to walk out, going for that practice room that I desperately wanted to see.

~0~

I stood in the center of the room, Martha and Yue to the sides as Yue's brother, Jing, was helping me keep a still grasp of the long, silver sword I held.

"Now, take a deep breath," Jing instructed, moving my arm slightly up, "And just remember, keep the pointy end away from you."

We laughed and I lowered the sword, "Thanks, I'll remember to keep that in mind."

"She's pretty clever," Martha started walking towards us, "I'm sure she can manage remembering that."

"I can too," I re-held the sword, aiming it at her as she approached, "Care for a match, Miss Jones?"

She raised her hands and shook her head, moving around us, "No thanks, Souza. I'm good."

"Alright, no one wants to go against me..." I sighed, pretending to pout, "I guess it's because I'm just that good."

Now that one made everyone laugh, and this time I really did pout. Martha set her hands on my shoulders and turned me for the doors, "The Doctor is outside and is probably wondering where we are. We should go."

I frowned as Jing took my sword, and I looked at Martha, "I'm sure he's found someone to entertain him..." I started frowning, "Yue's sister seemed to be the right entertainer."

She raised an eyebrow, "Is that...bothering you?"

"No, not at all," I muttered, "Why do you ask?"

"You have the look of murder on your face," she pointed, now smirking wide.

"Do not," I turned away from her and headed for the door.

"You're jealous!"

"Martha, I don't have time for this."

"Why is it so hard to admit it?" she crossed her arms, "Just say it, Minerva," she walked closer and spoke in a hushed tone, Yue and Jing putting away the other weapons we had used, "You like the alien, and you're jealous."

I looked at her with a good serious face that would convince her otherwise, "I do not," she sighed, "And I am not jealous. The Doctor can spend time with whatever woman he chooses, even if she's a prune and has nothing going for her except that clearly fake tan and chest."

Martha blinked and started laughing a moment later, "Honestly, if that doesn't spell jealous I don't know what does!"

I rolled my eyes and looked over to Yue and Jing, the pair finally finished and walking towards us, "Who is jealous?" Jing asked, curious.

"No one," I replied at the same time Martha said, "Minerva!"

"Martha!" I turned to her with exasperation.

"Who are you jealous of?" Yue questioned.

"No one," I tried to keep my mouth shut but it seemed like it had a mind of its own, "Certainly not your sister who's probably the biggest flirt I've ever seen! I mean seriously!? She just met the Doctor and she's all," and I started imitating the woman, "Oh Doctor, you're so kind, you're so funny, you're so unique, I've never met anyone like you! I love your clothes! And your hair, it's so...wow!' OH, and let's not forget the excess twirling of her hair and...why are you looking at me like that?" I stared at Jing who now wore that look of murder Martha had talked about earlier.

"Mei is about to be my wife!"

I blinked, "Oh...oops. Jing, I'm so sorry!"

Martha 'coughed' and out came, "Jealous!" I glared at her with real intentions of actually strangling the woman.

"Jing," Yue began, sensing the oncoming tension, "I'm sure Mei was just showing him around. They don't know much of this place...and plus, with the Lantern Festival happening today, there's a lot to show!"

Jing didn't seem so convinced and so he opened the door, nearly flinging it I should say, and rushed out. Martha and I looked back at Yue, she looking with a soft smile.

"Oh Mei, always getting men fighting over her," she shook her head and gestured for us to go out, "I tell you, I think she does it on purpose."

"You don't say? I hadn't noticed," I crossed my arms, rolling my eyes with irritation, "She was practically all over the Doctor..."

"Jealous!" Martha 'coughed' again.

"Do you have a cold or something!?" I demanded.

"Sorry, just a cold," she cleared her throat, smirking again, "Actually, it's more of a phobia, you see. I have a phobia where I can't stand people who can't admit what they're feeling," she shrugged casually, "Common phobia."

"Well get it under control because there's nothing to feel," I snapped and walked out into the hallways.

"Honestly, Minervaaa!" she drew out my name as she and Yue followed behind.

"Stop it!" I ordered, waving her off.

"I have theory a you know."

"Oh, and here we go again!"

"What is the theory?" Yue asked, confused yet still making an effort to catch up.

"There is no theory!" I quickly said but Martha covered my mouth.

"My theory is, Minerva does not wan to admit her feelings because she's scared."

I made a face and pushed her hand down, "I am not afraid!"

"Yeah you are," she scoffed, "Of what the Doctor could say."

"That's not it..." I mumbled, "...at least not all."

"You two are so odd," Yue remarked, "Where are you from, again?"

"I'm from London," Martha answered first, eyeing me with concern at my sudden quietness. Usually when we're on this topic, I'd shout and refuse everything. To answer with something besides 'no' or 'shush' was big,"And she's from America."

"And the Doctor?"

"London," I answered.

"And you two are..."

"NO," I gritted my teeth, glaring at Martha for getting the woman to believe that as well, "Just friends."

"Well then, why are you jealous?"

"Ah! I'm not jealous!" I cried.

"See, they're in that phase where neither wants to admit anything, though I haven't spoken to the Doctor about what he thinks," Martha paused as she considered it.

"Martha, don't you dare!" I warned, pointing a violent finger at her.

"What? I could get the real thoughts from him then tell you!"

"Why is so hard to just LET. THIS. GO?"

"Minerva," she stepped up, very calm and serious, "We're here. In China. That's my case."

And she and Yue walked off, Martha walking in triumph.

I was supposed to go back to London where I would remain indefinitely. But, the Doctor had surprised me with this location; China. It was the day of the Lantern Festival, the ending of the Chinese New Year celebration. I needed to go home, I needed to. But somehow, the Martian persuaded me to stay for this last trip, a goodbye to our permanent traveling trips. And as much as I needed to go back to Earth, I wanted to stay here, I wanted to stay with him and Martha.

Oh, and that was another thing: Martha was going home as well. I wanted to smack myself against the wall for provoking that one. I don't know for what reason, but the Doctor had decided to bring Martha back home as well. As much as I insisted before actually staying in China, he would not go back on his decision.

Martha was going home...and it was all my fault.

Now, we had found ourselves invited to Yue's family's home. The Doctor, Martha and myself were just walking down the streets when we heard a series of crashes coming from a vase shop. The Doctor had rushed inside to see what was going on when he saw Yue's little brother about to be hit with one of the vases. He managed to save the boy, with only a broken ankle as a result. The boy, Liang, then told us where he lived so we took him home, only to be thanked eternally for it and thus invited to spend the festival with them as a thank you.

This trip, just like always, was turning out to be wonderful...and that only made it harder to insist on leaving the TARDIS.

~0~

I entered the courtyard of the Zhao family, where everything was beautifully decorated. There were tables spread out in the center of the courtyard, the food being set around the center. Lanterns were placed on strings and then hung at each corner. They weren't lighted yet as the sun was just starting to set, but I knew they would look beautiful once it was dark.

"Minerva," Liling, Yue's mother, greeted me, my two companions not in sight for the moment, "You look wonderful."

"Thanks," I replied sheepishly, looking down at myself.

"The food is ready for whenever you and your friends would like to eat," she gestured back to the tables.

"Thank you, but...I'm sorry, but I heard there was a paint room..." I bit my lip, feeling even more shy than before.

"Ah yes, the Doctor informed me you draw," Liling nodded, "Says your wonderful."

"Did he now..." I smiled a little, then caught myself and shook my head, "...well, I was wondering if I could maybe take a look around?"

"Go right ahead. I think there's even a few empty canvases around and paper if you'd like to draw or paint something."

"Wow, really?"

"Of course!"

"Thank you," I hugged her.

She chuckled, "It's nothing."

I pulled back just as I heard Jing's voice nearing us. I looked back and saw him walking out, his hand on Mei's arm and practically pulling her out with him, "And from now on you are going to be staying with me!" he was angrily saying, "You are unbelievable!"

Liling blinked as the young couple passed by us, going after them, "Mei? What's wrong?"

I just smirked, watching after the woman with so much satisfaction...

"Careful there," Martha whispered behind, "Your jealousy is showing."

I turned around, mouth open to respond when we heard the Doctor's low mumbling as he walked out, his hand rubbing his neck.

"You alright, there?" Martha asked, moving beside me.

"Can someone just explain to me why a random man just punched my neck?" he looked past us, probably where Jing and Mei were.

"Maybe because the woman you were flirting with is engaged?" I crossed my arms, sounding cross but in reality I was more concerned with the red mark his neck bore.

"What? I was not flirting!"

"Uh, really? Because that's not what I saw!"

"We were having a good conversation, nothing more," he shrugged, making a face as he continued to rub his neck.

"You really know how to get yourself into trouble, don't you?" Martha shook her head.

"I didn't do anything! Mei came up and started talking to me so naturally, I did the same."

"And she flirted," I stepped up and pulled his hand down, "But you're so oblivious you didn't even notice it or you just liked it and flirted back," I yanked him down to check his neck.

"Ow, that hurt!" he pouted, "And I did not flirt back, honest."

"Hm..."

"Jealousy," Martha coughed once more.

"Well, you have a knack for never noticing when woman like you," I ignored her.

Martha scoffed, "I'll say."

I rolled my eyes, "I believe you," I let go of him, "And you're going to be fine."

"Keep them away from me," he looked at the couple, "Don't you dare leave me alone anymore."

"That I can do," I nodded, smiling and receiving one back, "That is the point of this last trip, isn't it? To spend time together."

"Yes! And have you heard about the painting room? I thought we could check it out," he linked arms with me and moved us for the fruit nearby, Martha walking beside with one of her stupid smirks again.

"Yeah, I asked Liling if we could go and she said yes!" I picked up a couple grapes.

"Looks like the Doctor isn't the only one receiving attention tonight, Minerva," Martha declared, taking my grapes and dropping them into her mouth.

"Martha, let it-"

"No, over there, look," she nodded to her left.

We all looked over and saw a young man across us, smiling at me.

"Huh, that's new," I remarked, offering a small smile back,

But then his eyes started looking up and down and it just made me uncomfortable. I turned around, wanting to forget his trailing looks, and picked up some more grapes, "I only have to say that these grapes are delicious."

"Well, what do you have to say about that, Doctor?" she turned to the Martian.

"Me? What would I have to say?" he raised an eyebrow, clearly confused which only proved Martha was wrong about all these 'feelings' and whatnot.

"What if the guy's engaged and Minerva ends up punched by the fiancee?"

"She'd have to answer to me, then," he quickly replied, "No one hurts Minerva."

Martha winked at me, satisfied with the response.

"I told you Doctor, it's impossible never to be hurt," I reminded. He'd taken his job of never letting anyone or anything hurt me quite serious. Sometimes, I'd try to make him see that it was impossible because there would always be something that would emotionally and/or physically harm someone, but he wouldn't listen!

"I must say, I really do not care for the way he's looking at you," he nearly glared at the stranger across.

"Yeah, it's a bit uncomfortable," I admitted in a low mumble.

"Maybe you should go meet him!" Martha suddenly pushed me towards the direction of the man.

"Wha-HEY!" I frowned, looking at her as I pushed her hands down, "I'd rather not."

"It'll be fun!" she insisted, pushing me once more. Before I declined once more, she stepped back and linked arms with the Doctor, waving sweetly as she walked away with him.

What the hell was this plan? What was it supposed to accomplish!?

Well, my mind didn't have nearly a minute to think more when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw the same young man from across standing before me, "Oh..."

Well, I had to admit he wasn't bad looking. He was pretty handsome...

He was tall, tanned, black hair that swiveled at its tips, and had chocolate brown eyes. He stood before me, his hand reaching out to shake mine without even saying a word, "Sorry if I'm a bit forwards..." he chuckled, sounding as if he was nervous, "My name is Zian."

He stopped shaking my hand and looked down, almost shameful. It didn't look that bad on him either...

"Minerva," I said quietly, still staring at him as I decided whether or not I'd be giving any further conversation with him.

"I know, you're...American," he took my hand and lifted it up to his lips where he placed a kiss, "My you are...mesmerizing," he whispered.

"Thank you..." for some reason, I just want to snatch my hand back and run off. It didn't feel right...

"Apologies," he lowered my hand but kept holding it to my misfortune, "I have never seen a more beautiful creature than yourself."

"Again, thank you," I gave a polite smile.

"Where are you from?"

"California."

"How old are you?"

"It's a bit direct, don't you think?" I frowned, "A woman never wants to admit her age."

"Sorry," he chuckled, "It's just you make kind of nervous and I tend to ask stupid questions when I get nervous."

"You're nervous...of me?" I blinked, that was a new one for me, "No one is ever nervous of me."

"I do not understand," his eyes trailed me over again, making me shift on my feet with discomfort, "I cannot seem to even form a decent sentence with you."

"Right, well, um, I have to go now..." I moved to walk off when I felt his hand grip mine, keeping me in place, "...um, something wrong?"

"Can we talk? Get to know each other?" he asked, smiling as if I hadn't just tried walking off.

"Well, I would but, I have some friends I came with and-"

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind sharing you with me for a couple of hours," he lifted my hand again to give it another kiss.

"Minerva, something wrong?" the Doctor strolled over, a drink in his hand.

"Um...I just wanted to go see that art room now," I looked at him, hoping he'd just take me away from this uncomfortable spot.

"Wonderful! Let's say goodbye to your...friend," he reached to where Zian's and my hand were together and practically pulled mine away from the man's, "And we can go together, how's that sound?"

"Good," I nodded fast, showing him I most definitely wanted to leave this spot now.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, what ever your name was," the Doctor handed Zian his drink, a fake grin plastered on his face, "We'll be going now, bye, bye," and he took my hand then walked us away.

"Oh thank goodness," I breathed a sigh of relief once we were a decent distance away, "Thank you so much for coming to get me."

"Was it me or is there something not right with the man?" he frowned.

"Well, the way his eyes seemed to keep looking over me every damn second could be a start," I shivered a bit.

"Tell me about it," he muttered.

"Can we go to the art room before the fireworks start?" I glanced at him, wanting to just forget the bad moment and spend time with the Martian, "Please?"

He smiled, "Of course. I sent Martha off with Yue."

"Why?"

"Because she sent you off with a stranger. I did not approve."

"Oh..." and I cursed myself for smiling at that, but I still kept doing it.

~0~

"Remind me again what we're doing?" the Doctor asked as he walked around the art room, picking up things here and there. The poor Martian seemed so bored but he clearly was making a struggle to not show it while I tried my hand at an art work in front of me.

"Well, I'm trying to create The Early Autumn and you're so bored out of your mind," I replied, watching him secretly.

"I'm not bored...bored out of mind..." he stopped, 'casually' looking around.

"Yes you are," I said, about to make another comment when I messed up and yelped, "Ah! Stupid butterfly!"

"What is with you humans and butterflies?" he walked over, standing beside me and tilting his head as he studied my attempt of recreation, "I don't see any mistake."

"Yes, right there!" I pointed to the black butterfly that had a slightly shorter wing on the left, "I can't get it right!"

"Minerva, it's not that hard, just brush it again."

"It's a bit more complicated than that. I can't do paintings," I shook my head and dropped the brush back to its place, "I quit."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do. I'm done."

"Why not draw another bird, instead?" he picked up the brush again and held it to me.

"Because I wanted to draw a butterfly."

"Then draw a butterfly."

"But I can't!"

"Yeah, you can, just try again," he took my hand and placed the brush on the canvas.

"I...no."

"Then try a dragonfly. It needs a new one."

"Doctor, I don't want-"

"Yes you do," he moved behind me and placed his hand over mine, lifting it to the artwork, "And you will."

"Is this really necessary?" I tried to sound as annoyed as I could, but the horseback rides started flashing in my head, making this position a tad more blush-worthy.

"This way you can't escape me," he teased, setting his chin on my shoulder, "Now draw, clever girl."

"It's pain, stupid," I mumbled, "And can you get off me?"

"Are you going to paint?"

"No! I said I was done!"

"Then no."

"You're such a child sometimes," I sighed, creating a new butterfly.

"Call me what you want but you're doing another butterfly..." he smirked," ...therefore I win."

"I hate you."

"Not really, you don't."

"Hey, I'm actually getting it!" I grinned up at the sight of an actual even-winged butterfly. All wings were coming out well!

"See, what I tell you? That you'd-"

"Shush!" I elbowed him, focusing on my work now.

"What exactly do you-"

'I said shush!"

"But-"

"Doctor! For god's sake, be quiet!" I chuckled, ready to scold him more when I turned my head and found our closeness a bit beyond...nervousy. Yes, that wasn't a real word but the Doctor had made me put a 'y' after nearly everything! Which, now that I think of it, was also a strong point for Martha. She claimed the Doctor and I spent so much time together that at times I said stupid words like him.

"Are...you finish with your painting?" he asked, mumbling really if I had to describe.

"Y-yes...yes!" I blinked back to reality, looking back at the painting, "What do you think?"

He moved beside and studied the painting, meanwhile I recollected myself, "I think it looks wonderful, just like the rest of your work."

"Are you sure?" I cleared my throat, "Because I've never painted before. It's okay to admit there's flaws."

'But...there isn't!"

I rolled my eyes, "Why do you feel the need to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Act like all my drawings are perfect when I know for a fact that's there's visible flaws."

"I do not do that!"

"Yeah you do," I chuckled, "You lie and say it's perfect but I know you're lying because sometimes I purposely make it bad. You're not supposed to do that, you know. It's wrong!"

"Oh yeah?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!"

"Minerva," he stepped up, his hands behind his back and a fake, innocent look on his face.

"Yes?"

"How's my dancing?"

"Um..." I was going to answer 'you're a horrible dancer' but found that rude, even if it was true, "...well...you're, um...you're this," I put a hand on my cheek as I thought of some nice words, "...wonderful...unique...dancer?" I don't know why it came out like a question in the end.

He smirked, "You are such a liar! I can't dance! I can't dance to save my life!"

"So then why did you ask?" I frowned.

"Because I know you'd lie to spare my feelings, and you did," he tapped my nose and wandered around the room.

I blinked, did he just...tap my nose? When did we ever start doing that?

"Face it Minerva," the Doctor turned around, "We're prone to compliment each other even if we're lying. And we'll do it because we like to see each other happy."

"I'm sorry I lied," I apologized quietly, faintly smiling, "But you really can't dance," I whispered, making him chuckle.

"I know, but I do it because it makes you happy. And besides, you can't make symmetrical wings except for this one," he looked at the current artwork beside us.

"But hey, we can always learn, right? That's how we're supposed to do it."

"Of course," he nodded.

"But seriously, Martha mimics you," I started chuckling, "Perhaps you should consider some lessons before you try to dance again. I know you do it for me, but I'm alright."

"Are you really?" he questioned, but it didn't have to do with the dancing anymore, "Are you okay?"

I sighed, "Well, right now I am...sort of."

I mean, it wasn't like apart from ridding myself of my guilt of Liv's death and my grandmother's disappointment of me I now had to deal with some developing feelings for a 903 year old Time Lord.

It wasn't like any of that was happening...

Not at all...

"It'll get better, I promise," the Doctor said, "I know I keep saying that and I know it's annoying but I mean it. One day, you'll look back and see how wrong your guilt. You'll see how much your grandmother loves you and only wanted to see you again. And you'll always smile, finally moving on with your life."

"Let me teach you how to dance," I said instead of a common answer like 'Maybe one day' and whatnot.

"What?" you could tell he was expecting one of those common answers.

I didn't feel like torturing myself with my usual guilt thoughts for today. I wanted to be happy, and I was going to do just that.

"I can't give back anything incredible like what you've done for me, but I can teach you how to dance. Just a little bit, anyways. I'm not grand myself but...let me try."

"Minerva, I don't...I don't understand," he admitted, poor thing looking confused.

"It's my lame attempt of thanking you," I reminded, stepping up, "Plus, I'm a bit guilty for making fun of you too," I said very quietly but still heard by the Martian.

"You made fun of me too!?"

"Sorry..." I bit my lip, "...but Martha did it too!"

"I don't care about Martha! She can't do math to save her life, and she's a doctor!"

"Now, let's not go insulting our companion, okay?" I pointed a warning finger at him, "And you better be nice to her when I leave."

"I told you Minerva, she's leaving. It's settled," he said, dead serious it quieted me for a moment as he moved to walk away.

"Hold on!" I grabbed his hand, stopping him, "I feel bad because you want to bring Martha back because I'm leaving. And it's not fair, Doctor. It's really not," I looked down, feeling another weight settling on my shoulders, "Martha is brilliant and...and you can't bring her back home because of me. I can't take more guilt, Doctor. Please don't take her home."

There was silence for a moment before he sighed and returned, keeping a firm hold on my hand, "Teach me how to dance, c'mon?"

I looked up at him, raising an eyebrow, "What?"

"Teach me how to dance and I may consider keeping the human doctor."

"But..."

But I stopped talking when he brought us to the center of the room, his arm winding around my waist till his hand rested on the small of my back, his other hand letting go of mine and moving my right hand up to his shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't know how to do this?" I asked curiously, seeing his hand return to my left and held.

"That's as far as I go," he shrugged, "Now teach me, clever girl!"

"Will you reconsider Martha's departure?"

"Uh...it's...debatable..."

It was not. He was just doing this to distract me, which he seemed pretty damn good at.

"Well..." I looked around, "...you just...step back," which he did, "Then, um...move here," and we did.

"Then we step to the front?"

"Yeah."

Which he did...

"Ow!" I flinched.

"Sorry!" he let go of me.

He had stepped on my foot, "No, no, it's okay," I lifted my foot and rubbed it.

"You know what, on second thought we should just go back out. We'll miss the fireworks!"

"Oh no, Martian, get back here," I pulled him back to his place, reforming our position.

"I don't want to hurt you," he frowned with himself.

"It was just one small step, it doesn't even hurt anymore. C'mon," I started moving us again, feeling the tips of his shoes brush mine, the poor Martian being extra cautious.

"I don't want to step on you..."

"Hm, that didn't seem a problem when you asked me to dance in the 50's," I reminded, "And you didn't seem that bad of a dancer either."

"Well, I was kind of focusing on getting your forgiveness."

"Then focus on the learning now, spin!" I ordered, and he obeyed, "There we go," I smiled, lightening up the gloomy mood that was threatening to fall over us.

"And dip?"

"What?"

But he dipped me down without asking again. I laughed when my hair actually touching the floor. He pulled me right up a few seconds later, leaving us closer than what he probably anticipated. Flashes of our dance in the 50's came rushing in my head when we ended face-to-face. How did he keep doing this to me!? I bet he didn't remember any of that!

"How was that?" the Doctor whispered.

"G-good," I awaited for him to move back since I was too frozen to move myself. But even then, if I had to admit it, I didn't really mind how close we were.

"You're a wonderful teacher," he smiled softly when he returned us to our normal positions.

"Yup, thanks," I cleared my throat, ending the so called lesson, "Now you can ask any pretty woman to dance with you."

"I'd probably step on them, again..."

"That's why it's called lessons, you learn them repeatedly until it sticks," I walked for my artwork, "So, I think we should get going, yeah? Martha's going to be wondering about us."

"Oh, um, yeah, let's go," he walked over, taking my hand and leading us out, "We'll pick up your work later."

"Mhm," I nodded, my racing heart not allowing a full answer with actual words. I hated him for making me feel these things that should not be. That won't be.

~0~

"Good, you're here! The fireworks are about to start," Martha gestured for the Doctor and I to take a seat, "How much fun is an art-room that you take an hour and a half in there?"

"I tried replicating an artwork," I shrugged.

"Well, I heard after the fireworks, we get to solve lantern riddles in the streets," she smiled, "I thought we could check them out. Apparently, if you win a riddle you get a prize."

"That does sound like fun," I considered it, "Intellectual fun. And hey, Doctor," I glanced at him, "I challenge you to see who can solve the most riddles. What do you say, Martian?" I crossed my arms and waited for his response, my grin turning into a playful smirk.

He looked at Martha who was just smiling, "You'll keep score? I don't trust Minerva. She can be a cheater," I gasped quietly and hit his arm, causing him to laugh, "Alright, alright, challenge accepted."

"Oh, so who's gonna win this new challenge? Riddle solving?" Martha chuckled, "Ridiculous, by the way."

"Oh, I will," the Doctor and I answered together, both scoffing afterwards. We then looked at each other with a frown, "Hey, stop it."

Martha simply laughed at our faces, neither the Doctor or I backing down from our stare down.

"Minerva, no offense, but I'm a bit more experienced than you..." the Doctor began, "I have lived much longer than you."

"Yeah, you've lived 903 years and in all that time you still can't tell when people flirt with you," I leaned forwards, "Or maybe it's just because you're a guy. Either way, one of those characteristics is gonna bring you down on this challenge."

That got under his skin, his face just looking at me with an irritated expression. I smiled sweetly and leaned back on my chair, glancing at Martha who was more than amused, "Miss Jones I assume you'll get the notepad and pen? Not that you'll need it because the Doctor will only have zero."

She laughed, shaking her head, "Are you two this competitive over riddles? That's incredible!"

"You think you're so clever..." the Doctor continued to glare at me.

"You always say I am why shouldn't I believe it?"

"She's got you there," Martha said, shrugging, "How about you get us something to drink to cool your selves down? Such heated competition."

"Hm," he frowned and stood up, walked around my chair and leaning beside me, "You're gonna lose, Souza."

I glanced at him with a smirk, "Don't be so sure, martian."

"You two are ridiculous I'm telling you that now," Martha shook her head and laughed once more.

I nodded at her, holding back my scolding until I did this...

"Ow!" she jerked back her arm after being smacked by me, "What was that for?"

"That was for leaving me with a stranger," I whispered, looking around to make sure I hadn't been heard, "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

She smirked again as she looked down, rubbing her arm, knowing what she had done, "Well it worked," she mumbled so low I had barely heard her, "The Doctor left me to go take you back. He was so upset you should've seen it! He was jealous!"

"Yeah right," I rolled my eyes, "We were supposed to be together, all three of us. I'd be upset too if a friend just ditched me to be with a stranger."

"Would you quit making this so hard!" she whispered-yelled, looking frantic at the demand, "God, you're both so hard to work with!"

"It's just...jealous? No one would believe that. Perhaps, a little annoyed, maybe...irritated? Sure. But jealous would imply things that are simply not true."

"What is so hard about accepting it? I don't get it! Remember my theory!"

"Your theory sucks!"

She blinked, snorting, "That's a comeback!"

"There is nothing to accept, now shush!"

"A person who who shares more than a friendship has a set of double standards between that person they like and a friend, examples are you and me," she gestured to us. I rolled my eyes but let her continue, "Biggest example I can think of is that Torchwood job you had."

I shifted on my feet, wishing I could truly forget that awful job. I told her the brief story of my experience that and how it ended in the meantime Yue had picked out our clothes.

"He hated that place, right?"

"Well, it's more-"

"Shush," she covered my mouth, "Did he or did he not hate it?" I nodded and she took her hand back, "Okay, now, is he still angry you worked there?"

"What? No!" I shook my head, making a face at the ridiculousness of that question.

"But I bet if another friend worked there he'd be very angry," she smirked.

"Look, I explained to him in great detail why I took the job in the first place, how I didn't even know what Torchwood actually was and why I stayed there after discovering what its real purposes were. Now it's bad enough what we did to Rose, I'm so grateful he didn't stay angry."

"What we did to Rose?" she frowned, forgetting her point for a second, "Why do you say that?"

"Because it was true, it was Torchwood that sent her mom and Mickey to another world. I worked at that institution so I sent them to another world. She was right."

I don't think I would ever forget Rose's look after she told me everything was my fault. I knew I reacted like I was crazy, but now that I was better and though about it, she was right. It was my fault. Perhaps if I had told the Doctor from the start about the job and the sphere, he could've prevented the battle.

"God I really hate Rose," Martha crinkled her face with distaste.

"No, don't say that," I shook my head, "It's not right to talk bad about someone when they aren't here to defend themselves."

"And how exactly would she defend herself, hm!?" she nearly shouted, still attracting several looks around the place.

"Martha, shush," I put a finger to my lips.

"I'm sorry but, she's awful! I bet if the Doctor knew half the things about the real Rose, he wouldn't dare speak about her anymore."

"Don't you dare," I immediately warned, knowing anger could drive to impulsion.

"For example the threat," she began counting on her fingers, "The yells she gave you after the Doctor regenerated, blaming you for her choice of worlds-"

"Please stop," I sighed.

"No! I will not! Because while you proceed to belittle yourself, the blonde is left as a goddess who wouldn't hurt a fly."

"She was never violent," I mumbled, the thought of actually speaking bad about a woman who was once my friend didn't quite go with me.

"That was the last thing she needed," she huffed, "I'm just saying, maybe a little revelation to the Doctor wouldn't hurt."

"And then what? Huh? How would that help me?"

"He could support you. He could make you see how different you are from her, and he himself would finally see the biggest differences between you and her."

"And for what?"

"What do you mean for what? So you two can finally be-"

"No, it's not gonna happen. It's never going to happen. You don't seem to remember Martha, he was in love with her."

"That's what you think," she cut me off, both filled with tension, "But after everything you've told me, and after what I've seen, I wouldn't agree."

"But you weren't there, alright?"

"No, but I'm here now. And this time, you have a friend who actually cares about you and is not going to let you push away possibly the biggest piece of happiness you have. Nope," she crossed her arms and shook her head.

I sighed, sometimes I loved Martha but at other times I really wanted to strangle her.

Her eyes wandered past me suddenly, "Um, I think your new friend is pretty jealous too."

"What?"

"That guy I pushed you to," her look turned of one of discomfort as she continued looking, "In fact, he looks pretty mad."

She gestured with her head and I looked behind, finding Zian speaking to another man, almost angrily, "So?"

"I don't like him anymore..." she said just as Zian happened to look at us, his face pretty scary, "In fact, I forbid you to speak to him again."

I quickly looked away from him and back to her, "Thanks Martha, I think I just made a new enemy."

"Sorry, he didn't look like a creep earlier."

"Who didn't look like a creep?" the Doctor returned, struggling to hold three glasses.

"No one," I quickly took a glass, "Don't worry."

"I think I'm gonna go ask for that notepad," Martha started getting up, her eyes seeming to be fixated on what I assumed was Zian behind me, "Don't separate."

"What?" the Doctor asked, confused.

She had caught herself and shook her head, putting a smile, "I'll be right back."

"What's wrong with her?"

"She's just a bit irritated with our competitiveness," I shrugged, taking a drink and hoping he'd forget about it.

"Yeah why are you so competitive?"

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow, "You're serious?"

He chuckled, "Sorry, sorry."

I shook my head, disapproving but laughing anyways, "You know, when I'm not in the TARDIS, you're gonna need someone to be competitive with..." his chuckle faded as he realized where I was headed. I did feel a little nervous as I continued to speak but I just had to make an argument against her departure, "...Martha could be a good match. She's fun, eh?"

"If I'm not gonna have my friend, then I'm sure as hell not gonna have a companion."

I blinked at his seriousness, the way he had said it...it was just...kind of cold and harsh. It was as if Martha was no where near a friend to him, like she was just a stray that we had picked up and sometimes remembered she was with us.

And Martha was most certainly not that. Ever.

"How can you say that after everything she's done for us? She saved our lives in New York. She killed the pigmen before they killed us. And apart from that, she supported me when I needed friends the most. She had no obligation to do any of that stuff and yet she did. How can you degrade her like that?"

"I'm not belittling her, I just don't see her as a close friend to me, alright? I understand the bond you two have but I don't share that bond, okay? I have that with you, not her."

"We have a bond..." I whispered, smiling to myself.

"Yes, and I respect Martha, I know she's done a lot but...you can't ask me to see her the way I see you."

"And...how do you see me?" I dared to ask, my cheeks flushing red.

"As the most incredible woman that's ever traveled with me."

"Really?" I blinked.

He nodded, "Martha is wonderful. She's okay..."

"No Doctor, she's brilliant. She is fantastic, she is good. And she is exactly who you need to be around when I'm not there. She's yet to see what I've seen and I know she'll keep a good reign on you like me. But most importantly, she's a good friend to you. She helps, she fights, she listens," I started to chuckle lightly, "And we both know that with your mouth, it's a good quality to have," that made him smile a little, as he knew it was true and there was no denying it, "So c'mon, why don't you let her stay?"

He set his drink on the table and looked me in the eyes this time, a new expression on his face that I had only seen once.

The day he had lost Rose.

It was of pain, but also of sadness. When he's around with other people, he would show his pain of the loss of Rose, but only to a certain extent. Even when we first traveled together, he believed he could trick me and make me believe he wasn't as badly affected as he actually was. But then we started getting closer, and gaining each other's trust, and slowly he started letting me see just how hurt he was. I hated that look, feelings or not, I simply hated it. Ever since we took Martha on, the look seemed to falter...and now I made it return.

"Well, Doctor? Why won't you let her stay?" I repeated, a little more nervous now.

"Because if I let her stay, and you go, I'm afraid that you'll never come back and I'll have the reminder of you in Martha."

I swallowed hard, "Just like I was reminder of Rose, huh?"

"It's not like that!" he quickly said, shaking his head.

"I know," I said quietly, taking a deep breath, "It's not..."

"You're not a ghost of her, Minerva. I don't know how I'm gonna make you see it. Look, whenever you react to something I say, whether to scold me for being daft, or laugh at something funny I said," he sighed, "Or simply shine those big eyes both of you had when you see something new for the first time...I can't help but remember Rose. You two seemed to get along really...good."

I shifted on my seat, sure I'd let him believe that...

"I imagine her standing right beside you, reacting similarly to you...and I don't want to see that happen with you. You're not a ghost of Rose, you're two completely different people and I need you to understand that. Now, I don't want to see you beside Martha when you're not there. I don't want another reminder. If I can't have you, in the TARDIS, in person, then I don't want anyone else," I looked down, scolding myself for having a little ray of hope that his last sentence might have had a double meaning, "Hey," he called softly, making me look up, although silent because I had no idea how to respond anymore, "I don't have anything against Martha, I simply don't want another set of reminders."

He tried smiling but I knew it was just fake. He remembered Rose and now he was hurting again.

"I got it!" Martha's voice called from a distance, causing both to glance back, seeing her walking for us, waving a small notepad and a pen in her hands, "And just so you know, I'm not gonna have a soft spot for either of you," she pointed at us with the pen, giving a stern look. She noticed our quietness and became concerned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I answered first, looking around for a good excuse, the sky being the last thing I saw and the perfect excuse, "C'mon, take a seat. The fireworks are gonna start."

"Alright," she reached for her drink and eyed the both of us, "Fireworks it is."

In the short time that we had before the fireworks actually began, there was just silence. I couldn't shake off the Doctor's words, as friend-zoned as it was, it was still concerning. And another thing, I was a little on guard with the looks I continued to receive from Zian. Martha was right, he did seem angry. I didn't care what it was for, I just needed him to stop.

"Oh, look!" Martha suddenly pointed above. We followed her gaze, and heard the beginning of mini-explosions, to the sky.

The fireworks had begun and had started in a lazy manner, I should add, with simple colored sparkles. However, as the seconds passed, the colors began to merge into twists and shapes. There came the shape of a lantern, a brilliant shade of red and a radiant yellow. Other figures arose into the sky afterwards, one of a large dragon shooting the familiar flames from its nostrils.

"That one! That one's my favorite!" Martha laughed as a figure of a man on stilts was formed.

I laughed along with her, watching another form appear beside it, one of a little girl, dressed in the traditional attire, "I like that one!"

A good hour passed by and the fireworks were not even close to finishing. Knowing they'd last all night, we agreed to go ahead and do he lantern riddles.

We stood up from our tables, bid our thank you's to Yue's family and then headed for the exit. I was left behind when a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back. It was Zian, and looking slightly less angry. He came around and faced me, a small smile on his face.

"Uh, Zian, hello..." I looked past him to see Martha and the Doctor still walking away; they hadn't noticed I wasn't there yet.

"Minerva, I wanted to say something to you," Zian began, and I immediately looked at him with the little bravery I had gathered in the last two seconds.

"So do I. Listen, I don't know if I did anything to make you angry but the looks you were giving me are kinda scaring me so if you could stop, that'd be great."

"Oh...sorry, I didn't mean to. I was simply a bit...taken aback, by your, um...friend?"

"I really gotta go, we're going to solve riddles and...we have a challenge," I rushed off, catching up quickly with my friends.

"Everything alright?" the Doctor asked, looking past to Zian.

I nodded, "Yeah, but, can we get out of here? I just want to solve riddles," he nodded and put his arm around my shoulders, leading us off.

~0~

We headed for the parks, to where millions of lanterns were hung around, the business around doing the same thing. Lanterns were everywhere...and ready to be riddle-solved!

"Alright, so now that I've had a go and we won prizes," Martha wiggled her finger that now bore a fake, gold ring, "We can start your competition."

The Doctor and I smiled, looking at our own hands that also wore the fake, gold rings thanks to Martha. She'd wanted a go at a lantern herself, and actually solved it and won a prize of rings. We offered to let her into the competition, making it three against each other, but she declined.

The deal with the lanterns was that every single on of them bore a riddle and a hint, called tips, for anyone to solve. If the person thought they got the answer right, then they'd take the lantern to its owners. The owners, either shops or stands or anything else, would hear the answer the person had to say and told them whether or not they were right or not. If they were correct, the person earned a prize from the owner's. In Martha's case, the owner of the lantern she solved the riddle from was a jewelry store keeper.

"Here's one," Martha left us and walked towards a lantern that was hanging from a window's top layer of a flower shop, "Are you ready?" the Doctor and I nodded and awaited for her to read the riddle, "The riddle is 'What building has the most stories? Tip: Things.'"

The Doctor and I scoffed simultaneously, "That's easy, a library."

And then we both glared at each other, turning to face one another.

"I said it first," I said.

"No, I said it first."

"No you didn't. I did."

"Martha, tell her I said it first," he glanced at her, not backing down.

"No Martha, you tell him I said it first."

She smiled as she looked between us, "This is gonna be fun."

We turned to her, our anger gone and replaced by a whining session.

"Martha, I said it first," I pointed at myself.

"No she didn't," the Doctor shook his head, "I did."

"Okay!" she exclaimed, startling us, "It's a point for both of you."

"No!" the Doctor frowned.

"Damn it!" I turned for another lantern to solve. I pointed at one hanging on a branch of a tree, "That one!" and I ran for it, leaving the other two to follow.

"You can't read it first!" the Doctor shouted as I stopped before it. Once he had caught up he pulled me back beside him as Martha walked up to the lantern.

"Okay, second riddle."

"I am so ready this time," I shot a look at the Doctor, "And I'm gonna take this one."

"You sure?" he asked, just as smug as I was.

"Yes," I crossed my arms and looked back at Martha who was just staring at both of us again, a smirk on her face, "Martha, go ahead."

"Okay," she nodded and turned back to the lantern, "The riddle is actually for English speakers so this should be fun."

I glanced at the Doctor, "Well considering you're an alien, I already have this one."

"What?"

"English speaker," I pointed at myself, grinning widely.

"And what do I speak?"

"Hey, how do I know the TARDIS isn't translating your language right now?" I raised an eyebrow, resuming my smirk, understanding perfectly well he purposely spoke English, but it just ticked him off even more so I went with it, "You could be speaking gibberish for all I know."

"You know damn well what my language is!"

I gasped happily, "He's angry now," I looked at Martha quickly, "Quick, do the riddle! He can't think right when he's angry!"

Martha let out a laugh as she looked at the lantern once more, "'What is the longest word in English? Tip: Being happy."

"Easy, the word 'smiles'," I replied before she even looked back at us.

"Yes but do you know why?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, a severe doubt on his eyes.

"Yes, actually, I do," I turned to him, "Because the word 'smiles' has the word 'mile' in-between two S's."

He was surprised nonetheless, but he still wasn't giving this one up, "Alright, but the actual longest English word-"

"Is 'Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis'," I finished for him, leaving his him wide-eyed and a mouth half open in shock, "And the meaning of the word is a lung disease in which the inhalation of very fine silica particles cause the inflammation of the lungs. Anymore questions?" I asked sweetly, walking around him with another smirk.

I scanned for a new lantern and when I found one I looked back at the other two, seeing only Martha had moved and the Doctor remained where I had left them, his back to me, "Doctor, are you coming?"

Almost like he was in a trance, he shook himself and turned, making his way to join us again, "I am ready."

Martha smirked as she walked past me, "I think you just made him snap," she whispered, "And he liked it."

I blushed, turning away from both of them, "Okay, let's try another one. Doctor?"

"Oh I'm ready," he declared, coming back to reality and fixing his coat.

"Which is the word in English that has nine letters, and remains a word at each step even when you remove one letter from it, right up to a single letter remaining."

"'Startling'," the Doctor answered in a mere second, my eyes snapping to him as his met mine, "What? You didn't think to remove the 'L', therefore making it 'starting' and then taking away the 'T', making it 'staring', then remove 'A' for 'string', take off 'R' for 'sting', 'T' for 'sing', 'G' for 'sin', 'S' for 'in' and finally 'N' for good old 'I'," he grinned with a devilish smile.

I blinked, taking in his speedful explanation that went at light speed. And now with a proud smirk, he turned on his heel and headed for a new lantern.

Martha stepped to my side, peering at my face, "Wow, that's the same face the Doctor had when you beat him."

"I think he just got hotter," I exhaled a shaky breath, not even realizing my words until I heard Martha's laughter.

"Admittance! Finally!" she linked arms with me, "It's about time!"

"It's not admittance to anything," I pushed her arm down, my eyes still on the not-so-stupid-alien, "It's just...I've never been outmatched before...it feels amazing..."

"Attraction between geeks is so weird," she shook her head, getting an elbow on the stomach but no look as I was too preoccupied staring after the Doctor, "But if figures you'd like it too, ugh," Martha crinkled her face in distaste, "This isn't going to be a riddle match. It's gonna be a flirting competition," she faked a shiver before laughing again. I was partially ignoring her, truthfully, and as she laughed, I started walking for the alien.

Oh, it was so on now.

~0~

"Until I am measured,

I am not known.

Yet how you miss me,

When I have flown!

What am I?"

"Time!" The Doctor exclaimed, throwing me a simpering look.

I scowled and crossed my arms, "Well obviously you're at an advantage!"

"What!?"

"You're a time traveler!"

He mock-glared while Martha laughed, writing down his newest point on the notepad, "That has nothing to do with this. So quit making that face," he wagged a finger at me.

"What face?"

"The one of 'Wow I'm losing to such a genius'."

"You're not a genius and this is my face."

"It is," his smirk played on his lips as he moved around me, "And it looks well on you."

Martha's mouth opened in surprise and happiness, "He just flirted," she moved right beside me, nudging me, "Alert, he just flirted!"

"No he didn't, shut up," I gently pushed her away, "Read that one, Martha," I pointed to the lantern across us.

"The person who makes it has no need for it. The person who purchases it does not use it. The person who does use it does not know he or she is. What is it?"

"A coffin..." I uttered in a hushed tone, my gaze slowly falling to the ground.

Suddenly winning wasn't so much fun anymore...

"Minerva?" Martha called, her smile fading as I looked up, "What's wrong?"

I looked at her then the Doctor, "Nothing. Point for me..."

"And no snide remark against my slowness?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, "No, that's wrong. C'mon, where's my snide remark?"

I sighed, looking at him sadly, "Olivia."

With that, I walked away from the two. And, as if I was being teased, a few children, specifically a brunette and a blonde that seemed to fit in the age gap Olivia and I used to, passed by. I watched after them, seeing the smaller brunette excitedly point at a lantern while the blonde simply smiled and took the lantern off its place.

"I'd ask what you were thinking but I think the answer has pretty much been given, huh?" the Doctor strolled over to my side.

I sighed, nodding my head as I watched the brunette and blonde go, "I can't help it. Anytime I get a memory of Liv, I get all sad and...this," I gestured to myself, and he chuckled.

"Imagine me when I remember my whole planet?"

I know he said that to light up the mood, but I looked at him with such sadness. Suddenly, I felt like I had no right to feel like this over one person when he had a whole family, whole planet to mourn.

He must have caught my thoughts because he smiled and shook his head, "No, this is part of the process. Learn to remember the memories you had with good intentions. Don't be sad they're over..."

"Be glad they happened," I finished, knowing the words too well, "But it's just hard..."

"Hey, I get it, don't worry."

"I'm sorry," I shook my head. Here we were trying to have a good time and I come and ruin as usual.

"It's okay, would you like to continue the riddle challenge or do you want to call it a night? Whatever you choose is fine."

I bit my lip, looking back at Martha who was scribbling something on the notepad, "I think...we should continue. That's what we came for, right?" I looked back at him, "To have fun?"

"Definitely," he took my hand and started walking us to our friend.

"Minerva?"

I stopped walking and looked back, finding Zian across us, "Oh..."

"Can we talk for a moment?"

"Minerva, don't," the Doctor mumbled, "Something's not right with the guy."

"I'm sure no harm can come from a little talk," I replied, though the nervous feeling returning to me.

"I assure you it'll only take a moment," Zian said, unable to hear us from his spot.

"Uh, sure..." I moved to approach him but the Doctor gripped my hand. I looked back, sighing, "...just stay close with Martha."

"I don't like him," he muttered, "Something's wrong."

"You don't like a lot of people," I reminded, taking my hand away and following Zian to a distant spot.

I happened to see Yue not too far away from us, she saw us and gave us a wave then returned to chatting with her friends. Zian walked us towards a stand where an elderly man stood behind.

"Zian, I have to be honest-" I began but he put a finger to my lips, leaving me wide-eyed. I was going to tell him his actions from earlier made me nervous but now I suppose it'd be more difficult with his finger on my mouth.

"Can I offer you a cup of tea?"

"Um..."

He didn't await my answer and simply turned us for the stand, "Two cups please."

The man nodded and handed us two prepared cups to each of us. I smiled awkwardly and moved to sip some. The man reached out and stopped me from drinking it, "You need these," he held out two red-flowered bracelets for us, "You must wear it."

"Why?" I asked, confused as Zian took them and placed it around my wrist before doing his.

"Tradition."

"Um, okay..." I said slowly, watching Zian smile as he reached for his cup again.

"Here, take this," the man handed me a strip of paper, "Read it. It is for good fortune."

"Although in the beginning it is never sure what will happen with me and you, forever I will always say 'I do'...?" I looked up after reading, more than confused, "What does that mean?"

Zian took the paper and looked at it, "Although in the beginning it is never sure what will happen with me and you, forever I will always say 'I do'."

"What does that mean?" I looked back at the man who had disappeared all of a sudden, "Hey, where'd he go?"

Zian shrugged and took a sip of tea, "Probably off to get more of the coffee. It sells out fast. You should try it."

Slowly, I raised the cup to my lips and sipped a little, "It tastes just like regular tea."

"Really? I think it's delicious!"

"Um, I think I'm gonna go back over there..." I looked back at Martha and the Doctor who weren't that far off anymore.

He grabbed my arm suddenly, "No you're not."

I shot him a look, confused and a beginning of anger, "Yes I am," I took back my arm, setting my tea on the stand and removing my bracelet, "Thank you but I'm gonna go now."

He frowned and snatched my arm again, "I said you're not."

"I said I am!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

At his sudden yell I flinched, and looked around before I figured what to do next, what I always did next, "Doctor! Doctor!"

"What are you doing?" Zian demanded as he started tugging me towards him, "We're going home!"

"Let go!" I cried, trying to pry his hand off my arm, "You're hurting me!"

"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" the Doctor ran beside us, Martha right behind him.

"Doctor, he doesn't wanna let me go," I gestured to Zian's hand on my arm, "I don't want to go with him!"

"Listen, if she says she doesn't want to go with you, she's not," he said, placing his hand over Zian's and forcefully detaching it from me, "And now, we're off," he brought me to his side and turned us away, walking Martha and I from Zian.

"You're not going anywhere with my wife!" Zian snapped, freezing all three of us in our tracks.

I looked back at him, raising an eyebrow, "What do you mean 'wife'?"

"What you heard, lovely," he sweetly smiled, "You're my wife now."

"I never agreed to that."

"You did. You took the cups of tea, the bracelet and most importantly, you said 'I do'."

"No I-" I stopped at the reminder of the strip of paper, "The fortune..."

"Minerva, what is he talking about?" the Doctor asked, looking between us in confusion.

I shot my eyes up at Zian, angrier than ever, "You tricked me!"

But the man only bitterly smiled, "And I said 'I do' as well, making us husband and wife."

"Why would you do that?" Martha questioned.

"Because I like her," he gestured to me, "Look at her."

I wanted to hide myself from his scanning eyes that were looking me up and down. I hated the way he did that.

"You listen to me and stop it," the Doctor snapped, moving in front of me, "I see your eyes trail again and I'll personally dump you in a black hole."

"Not to mention the big punch he's gonna get from me!" Martha added, glaring daggers at the man, "It's obvious he doesn't like her. He just wants what every man wants!"

"Oi," the Doctor frowned, giving her a quick look.

"Sorry, what every human man wants."

I swallowed hard, my nervousness turned to terror at what they were talking about. I've never been in a situation like this and it horrified to me to think of what could happen if Martha and the Doctor don't succeed in helping me.

"You tricked her and therefore your marriage is invalid," the Doctor said.

"No, see because she read it out of her own will. She's my wife and by tradition and law you are not allowed to take my wife anywhere," Zian took a step forwards.

The Doctor took my hand, gripping it tightly, "Over my dead body."

"I don't have problems with that."

Yue was making her way over to us at the sounds of our snaps and yells, "What's going on?"

"Your friend tricked Minerva into marrying him!" Martha exclaimed.

"Is that legal?" the Doctor asked her, "She was tricked and didn't know anything about it."

Yue looked at Zian who then gestured for the stand that held the cups, bracelet and paper. She sighed, "I'm afraid so. It's a custom for the festival, only."

"But I was tricked!" I cried, the water in my eyes threatening to spill, "How can that be legal?"

"Isn't there somewhere around it?" Martha asked, "Like a loophole or something? C'mon, marriages aren't sealed off!"

"Doctor, don't leave me here," I turned him to me, "Please help me. Please..."

"N-n-n-no, don't worry," he took my hand in his and lifted it to his lips, giving it a kiss on the back, "You are not staying here."

"Let go of my wife!" Zian ordered.

"I'm gonna need you to shut up!" the Doctor yelled, quieting down the man for a moment, "You tricked her. Her place is home, with me and Martha."

"Are you married?" Yue suddenly asked, looking at our interlocked hands, and upon seeing her perked up eyes, I took the opportunity.

"Yes," I quickly answered.

"In that case," she looked at Zian, tilting her head with a smirk, "Your marriage, Zian, is invalidated."

"Impossible," he shook his head, "They're not married."

"Yes they are," Martha stepped up, having caught on, putting her hands behind her back and removing her ring, "I was a witness. Bridesmaid. And look, they're wearing rings."

"Those are fake gold," Zian spat, "You give a fake gold ring to that kind of girl?" he gestured to me, only making me hide once more behind the Doctor.

"Haven't you ever heard it's the thought that counts?" Martha countered, "Unlike you, he," she gestured to the Doctor, "Doesn't care about appearances and actually likes what's within."

"Zian, let it go, this was a foul trick you played on the poor girl," Yue shook her head, "She's married."

"I don't believe it," he insisted, staring me down, "And in any case, you know this Yue, if they are truly married then they need to provide evidence."

"What kind?" I asked, my heart beating faster with each second we remained here.

"Something to prove you are actually married," Yue informed, sighing with defeat on that point, "Could range from the rings to the certificate. Something that proves it."

"Like a kiss!" Martha suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" the Doctor and I looked over at her.

The woman had finally lost it.

"Anyone can fake a kiss," Zian crossed his arms.

"Not these two," she pointed at us, "Believe me. They flirt, they do the sweet gestures for one another and they can snog the hell out of each other!"

I rubbed my neck, feeling my face warm up as they looked at us. If I got to leave from this place, I was so gonna kill her for this.

"How long have they been married?" Yue asked, casting a look at Zian who was simply not backing down.

"One year," Martha answered, "Minerva is only eighteen, naturally it'd only be a year of marriage."

"But you said you were seventeen..." Yue said slowly, glancing at me.

"...I feel like I still am," I said, coming around to this crazy idea, "You know, in the eyes of my parents. Still a child and all."

"Child or not, you're my wife!" Zian exclaimed.

"No I'm not!" I yelled, "I already have a husband and that is not you! So leave me alone!"

"I don't believe it!" he yelled back, growing angrier.

"Well that's not my problem! What do you want from us? A damn kiss? Because I'll give you a real, damn kiss," I spun to the Doctor, silently pleading him to help me get out of this, "You want a kiss...I'll give you a kiss," I stepped up, my hands going up to cup his face.

Everything that Martha had said to me about my feelings started rushing through my head. And now that I was here, so close to getting another kiss from the man I refused to say I liked, I felt my heart racing yet still willing me to go ahead and prove myself wrong. The question was, did I really want to find out whether or not I had actual feelings for the Doctor? Did I?

The Doctor was looking down with such shock that I was actually gonna do this. I expected him to push my hands down at any second...but he never did. I took a silent breath in, not waiting for this small act of boldness to slip away, and pulled him down for a kiss.

I felt his surprise but didn't feel any sort of rejection. In fact, in mere seconds I felt his hands placing themselves on either side of my face. We moved our lips together once more, reminding me of the last time this had happened. It was slightly weird suddenly, just like the last time, but...a different weird. I liked the feeling, I admitted. One could even say it felt familiar in a sense, like we'd already done this and we knew exactly how to best please each other. That mere act made my entire body feel the rush.

This might have been to prove something utterly fake but it felt so real to me. But I didn't know what was worse, the fact that I had taken advantage of the moment to prove a theory, or the results that I got. When we finally pulled back, neither of us let go of each other. We simply looked at each other and I dare say we were both dazed.

"See," Martha stepped in front of us, her back to us as she directed herself to Zian, "And if you're wondering, the marriage has been finalized if you know what I mean. So if I were you, I'd get to looking for another bride because this one's taken."

"Get out of here, Zian," Yue then ordered.

"Good job guys," Martha turned to us, hands on hips and a relief sigh coming from her, "I think we should head home, right?" but neither of us answered her, "Guys? Hey guys? Let's go...guys?"

My theory had been proven. There was no denying anymore. If I had the chance to kiss the Doctor again, I would do it. Martha had been right this whole time, it wouldn't matter what I had to say because my heart had the final word. I accepted it now.

I had fallen for the Doctor.

#10th doctor #doctor who #ocappreciation #ocapp #dw imagine #10th doctor imagines #dw imagines #10th doctor imagine #doctor who fics #doctor who imagines #10th doctor fics #martha jones #oc: Minerva Souza #fic: next stop eveywhere

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