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melancholy-of-nadia · 7 months

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love u lately #3 (m) | myg/knj/pjm

teaser: love u lately #3 (m) chapter title: #3 - pears pairing: yoongi x f. reader, namjoon x f. reader, jimin x f. reader (yoonminjoon x f. reader) rating/genre: m (18+) ; smut ; college/university au , pseudo frat! bts; best friends! yoonminjoon to lovers; summary: you continue your entanglement with yoongi despite jimin's suspicions of him. however, when you end up being in a group project with jimin and having a heart-to-heart moment with Namjoon, you realize there may be more to what your heart may want. warnings: suspicious jimin, brief but word heavy study session bc this is a college au, pining, verbal argument which includes yelling, awkward tension, break up?, jealousy, namjoon and jimin making you have mixed feelings?, a little bit of angst!! notes: s/o to @daegudrama for editing as always for editing! word count: 7.3k drop date: october 9th, 2023, 4:30pm pst cross posted on ao3 here ← #2 | Series Masterlist | #4 → October 10 - Wednesday

Two days have passed since the secret arrangement between you and Yoongi was set in motion.

The atmosphere is charged with unspoken tension, Yoongi's touch lingering a second longer than usual, his neediness veiled under the guise of casual affection.

This subtle transformation extends beyond the private moments you two shared days ago; it starts to seep into your daily life at the house.

Yesterday evening, as you helped Jin prepare taco Tuesday for the group, you felt Yoongi's presence behind you. His fingers brushed against yours as you reached for the spices in the cabinet, sending a jolt of awareness through you. It was as if he couldn't resist being near you, even in the midst of mundane tasks.

"Need any help with dinner?" he murmurs, his warm breath grazing your ear as he leans in closer. His voice holds a hint of playfulness, but his eyes bore a depth of longing.

You smile, turning to face him, your eyes meeting his dark, intense gaze. "I've got it, but thanks Yoongs." You keep your tone light, aware of the prying eyes of the other housemates.

After dinner, you, Jimin, and Taehyung gather in the living room, opting to binge-watch "The End of the F***ing World." Yoongi's behavior continues to be noticeably different. He suddenly takes a seat next to you on the couch to join the watch party too. His arm casually drapes over the backrest, unconsciously brushing against your shoulders. It's a small gesture, but it sends a shiver down your spine.

Jimin, who sits on the adjacent couch, can't help but notice the subtle touches and glances exchanged between you and Yoongi. His normally cheerful demeanor is marred by a hint of jealousy that he struggles to conceal. He has known you both for years, and this newfound and sudden closeness raises questions he can't ignore.

His suspicions and worries only worsen this morning when he overhears Taehyung talking with Hoseok about how Yoongi has been acting differently since they got home on Saturday. Initially he thinks he's overthinking. If everyone else is starting to notice these patterns too, he must indeed not be overthinking/making things up.

"Hey, Hoseok hyung, have you noticed that Yoongi's been acting weird lately?" Taehyung's voice carries a tone of concern as he leans against the doorframe of Hoseok's room.

Hoseok looks up from his phone, eyebrow raised.

"Weird how?"

The fluffy haired boy fidgets, his fingers tracing patterns on the doorframe.

"I don't know, he’s been out of his room more often these last few days…and he’s been less grouchy…” Taehyung pauses before he exclaims his next observation. “He’s also been receiving my hugs without struggling out of my arms!"

Hoseok giggles, gaze softening as he puts his phone down. "I don’t know, Tae. Some of that sounds like usual Yoongi behavior. Maybe something good happened to him lately? I know he’s been working on dropping a SoundCloud mixtape."

"Yeah, but it's been going on for a few days now. There’s the breakfast feast we all walked into on Saturday? Who was that food for when we were all gone except–" Taehyung pauses his words, eyes boring into the older man’s, waiting for him to catch on.

Hoseok's lips quirk into a knowing smile. "Ah, I see what you're getting at. You think Yoongi’s dating someone?"

Taehyung shrugs, a mix of curiosity and concern in his expression. "I think he’s dating HER.” He emphasizes, eyes widening so Hoseok catches the additional hint. “I know him and Honey have been best friends since they were kids...but it would make sense. She’s beautiful.” He scans the area discreetly, trying to make sure no one else is hearing this conversation being spoken. “I thought Jimin liked her too, but he’s always with different people. Irene is the longest relationship he’s had."

Hoseok chuckles, memories of the past resurfacing. "True, true. But we shouldn't jump to conclusions. Let's give Yoongi the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he’s been in a better mood because of his music."

“Funny how Yoongi hyung’s doing better than Namjoon hyung…what even happened while we were gone on Friday.” Taehyung muses, his tone laced with intrigue.

Jimin, who had overheard their conversation while hiding behind the hallway wall, decides to walk toward them and chime in. "I heard you calling me?" he says, a curious lilt in his voice as he steps out.

Hoseok and Taehyung's eyes widen in fear, caught off guard by Jimin's unexpected presence. The room seems to hang in tense silence for a moment as they exchange uneasy glances, their words now exposed to a prying third party who is more than interested in their observations.

Hoseok exchanges a quick, apprehensive glance with Taehyung. The realization that Jimin had overheard their conversation is undeniable, and there is no way to backtrack now.

Jimin, with a faint hint of suspicion in his eyes, takes a step closer. "What were you two talking about?" he asks, his tone carefully neutral.

Taehyung's usually jovial demeanor falters for a moment, but he quickly regains his composure. "Just some house stuff, you know, the usual," he replies with a forced smile.

Hoseok nods in agreement, though his eyes dart nervously between Jimin and Taehyung. "Yeah, nothing important," he adds, his tone shaky.

Jimin, however, is not easily convinced. His instincts tell him there is more to the conversation than they are letting on. "It didn't sound like 'house stuff' to me," he says, a note of determination in his voice.

Taehyung and Hoseok exchange another anxious look. They know they can't keep the truth from Jimin forever, especially with the mounting evidence of Yoongi's unusual behavior.

Finally, Taehyung sighs, relenting as he knows he can't lie to his closest bud in the house. "Okay, Jimin, you got us. We were just talking about how Yoongi's been acting differently lately. I believe he might be dating someone."

Jimin's brows furrow, a mixture of surprise and unease crossing his features. "Dating someone? Yoongi?" he muses aloud, his mind racing to process this confirming his earlier suspicions. It isn't the conclusion he wanted to reach, but it certainly explains the changes he has observed since Saturday. Though from what he heard before he made his existence to the two men known, he doubts that you would be the one dating Yoongi. There’s just no way he’d do that.

Taehyung nods, offering a reassuring smile. "Yeah, but we're not sure. It's just a hunch!"

Hoseok chimes in, "We didn't want to jump to conclusions without more evidence."

Jimin's gaze remains fixed on the two of them, his thoughts whirling. He had suspected something was going on between you and Yoongi with the way he's been behaving around you. A mix of emotions swirl within him, including his growing jealousy he is struggling to suppress.

+++++++++++++++++

On this particular Wednesday, you find yourself in your marketing class alongside Hwasa, Seokjin, and Jimin. The four of you sit clustered together, engaged in a conversation about the marketing team term project that Professor Sui has announced. It consists of a comprehensive 10-page paper and a short yet cohesive presentation that summarizes the main points of the paper.

As you are about to chime in with your idea for the project, Matthew Kim slides into the empty seat at your table, flashing a charismatic smile that has earned him his reputation as a campus party enthusiast. His sudden presence is met with a mixture of surprise and curiosity from your group.

"Hey y’all!" he greets cheerily, leaning back in his chair. "Mind if I hop on this team?"

Seokjin exchanges glances with the rest of the team, gauging their reactions. Hwasa offers a friendly nod, while Jimin seems intrigued but cautious. You, on the other hand, welcome the idea with a genuine smile. "Of course, Matthew! We'd be glad to have you. We're just discussing potential topics for our marketing project."

Matthew's eyes light up with enthusiasm. "Sounds gucci! So, what's the company we're tackling?" He looks over your laptop screens to see what notes you have gathered so far.

You lean forward, confident in your choice. "Well, first I thought about how In-N-Out obviously has a dedicated fan base that swears by their menu items. Also, their menu is pretty simple, focused on fresh ingredients, and the whole 'secret menu' thing creates a sense of exclusivity. Plus, they don't invest heavily in traditional advertising, relying more on word-of-mouth and their loyal customer base. That's pretty uncommon in the fast-food industry."

Suddenly, Jimin chimes in, his peppy voice brimming. "And! Let's not forget their limited presence. They're mostly on the West Coast, which makes their expansion strategy intriguing. We could explore how they maintain such a strong brand in a relatively small area?"

Silence hangs in the air for a few heartbeats, each second stretching into an eternity. Doubt creeps in, and you wonder if pitching In-N-Out is a terrible idea after all. It's undeniably unconventional, and for a moment, you question whether opting for a well-known giant like Disney or McDonald's might have been the safer route. Just as you're on the verge of retracting your proposal, Seokjin, with a glint of excitement in his eyes, lets out a hearty chuckle. "Well, well, I’ve never seen the two of you so eager for a project. In-N-Out it is!"

Your eyes widen in pleasant surprise. You hadn't expected your sunbae to embrace the project topic so readily. A collective laugh ripples through the group, your cheeks flushing with a mix of relief and embarrassment. You turn to look at Jimin, finding warmth and fondness in his gaze.

In moments like these, you remember that Jimin is the one who often champions your spontaneous ideas, acting as the magnet that draws everyone else into your orbit. Like when you both proposed the wild race to lose your virginity before the end of high school, successfully roping Namjoon and Yoongi into your shenanigans. Ironically, it was also like that time you wanted In-N-Out after receiving your disastrous Calculus midterm grade last Spring semester. Jimin had begged Jin to borrow his sleek black Audi RS to take you for a vanilla milkshake and animal-style fries, to which he surprisingly agreed. It ended up with Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin cheering you up with your comfort food at 12am. These memories weigh on your conscience, especially now that you have chosen to have a secretive situationship with Yoongi, hiding it from everyone, especially Jimin.

You're brought back to the surface from your dulling thoughts when you hear Hwasa calling out to you to ask when you’ll be free tonight to work on researching information with the team.

"Oh, I don't have any evening classes, so I'm free when–" You pause, a realization dawning as you remember your work-study responsibilities to cover your tuition. "Wait, I was supposed to work in the library this evening, but I'll ask if Soyoon could cover for me." You pull out your phone and click on her contact to text her your request. Soyoon is another friend in your small female friend group that you met through this work-study program. She is typically handling morning shifts on Thursdays, so swapping shifts tonight seems feasible, unless she has plans.

Hwasa nods, her enthusiasm undiminished. "Sure, babes. I'll schedule one of the study rooms in the business building so we can meet up later. Does 7:30 sound good, boys?"

Matthew, Seokjin, and Jimin nod in agreement, ready to commit to the plan. Not long after, Soyoon replies to you with ‘no worries, i got you!’ text with a blushing smile emoji next to it. I guess that settles the group project plans for night, you think to yourself.

As you look around at your friends, you can't shake the feeling of guilt for keeping your situationship with Yoongi hidden. The complexities of your relationships within the group are becoming increasingly tangled, and you wonder how much longer you can keep your secret concealed.

++++++++

The night settles in, casting a soft, dim glow over the campus as you arrive at the business school building just a tad earlier than the agreed-upon time. The hallway outside is mostly deserted, however, there are still some students in night classes and some sitting around and studying along the lit corridor. With a bag of snacks in one hand and your determination in the other, you quietly approach the designated study room Hwasa reserved.

As you push open the door at 7:15, the room is bathed in the muted, warm light of a single desk lamp, and you are surprised to find Jimin already here. He meticulously arranges a selection of drinks on the table, their labels glistening as they catch the light. His eyes light up as you enter, a warm smile spreading across his face.

"Hey," he greets, his voice angelic and inviting. "I thought I'd get here early to help set up. Hope you don't mind."

You return his smile, a sense of gratitude welling up within you. You're not too surprised he also showed up with snacks. "Not at all, Jimin. Thanks for coming early. I brought some snacks too."

Jimin's gaze drifts to the snacks you have placed on the table, and he chuckles. "Great minds do think alike, huh?" he remarks, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

You take a seat next to Jimin, the atmosphere in the room cozy and welcoming. The study room has a serene ambiance, the faint hum of the air conditioning creating a soothing background noise.

"It seems that way," you reply, your heart warmed by the camaraderie between you two.

He gestures to the drinks he has laid out. "I grabbed a few drinks for us. Yerba Mate, water, and some green tea. I remember you like the Bluephoria Yerba Mate." He grabs the can and hands it out to you.

You can't help but be touched by his thoughtfulness. "You have a good memory, Mimi. Thanks for remembering."

He flashes a playful grin. "Of course, how could I ever forget your favorite, Darling?"

As you settle in, his eyes meet yours, and for a moment, the world outside fades away. Jimin has always been known for his exceptional memory when it comes to your favorite snacks. It's a skill he has honed over the years, driven by his desire to make you smile. Even before your current situationship with Yoongi, Jimin has often been the one to make snack runs, returning with an assortment of treats to share with everyone in the house or the dorms, especially during the intense periods of midterms and finals.

Whether it's your favorite Yerba Mate, a bag of kettle-cooked sea salt & vinegar chips, or that one obscure dark chocolate bar you can't resist, Jimin has an uncanny ability to remember the details of your cravings. It's a gesture that hasn't gone unnoticed throughout the time you've known him.

Yoongi, too, has a knack for remembering your snack preferences, although he displays it in his own, quieter way. He might not be as vocal about it as Jimin, but he will often surprise you with your favorite snack tucked away in your bag or on your desk when you least expect it. His actions speak volumes, a subtle way of showing that he cares and pays attention to the little things that make you happy.

In those moments, whether it's Jimin's boisterous enthusiasm or Yoongi's quiet consideration, you feel truly cherished by these two men. Namjoon is a bit different from the two, though.

Not long after, Seokjin, Hwasa, and Matthew start coming into the study room, their faces lighting up with excitement as they see the assortment of snacks presented on the table for their indulgence. The room buzzes with anticipation, and you can't help but chuckle at their reactions.

Seokjin, who has a penchant for indulging in snacks during late-night study sessions, immediately gravitates toward the shrimp chips and reaches for a handful. "Honey, you got these? Ah, you've got the good stuff here I see," he exclaims, a grin forming as he settles into his seat.

Hwasa, equally pleased with the snack selection, joins him, her eyes alight with enthusiasm. "Our Honey sure knows how to make our study session so much better," she declares, her fingers dancing over the bags of chips and cookies.

Matthew also looks pleasantly surprised by the spread. "Wow, you guys really know how to set up a study session. I'm impressed, not gonna lie," he admits, picking out a bag of gummy candies. “I’m gonna make sure Y/N and Jimin are always on my team for group projects for every class I end up with them.” The group bursts out with laughter while you and Jimin look on with satisfaction with your efforts to make everyone feel at home.

With snacks in hand and laptops opened, the group gets down to business. The atmosphere shifts from casual camaraderie to focused determination as you delve into the research on In-N-Out. Your laptop screens illuminate the room as you pull up relevant articles, statistics, and marketing strategies.

"Alright, let's talk about In-N-Out's competitors," Seokjin suggests, leaning back in his chair. "We've got the big players like McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's. But what sets In-N-Out apart?"

"Their simple menu and focus on fresh ingredients definitely gives them an edge. Plus, they've maintained a loyal customer base for years." Hwasa chimes in, pulling up some articles from Business Insider.

Jimin adds, "And their annual earnings are impressive too. I’m looking at their earnings report from 2017, they reportedly made over $800 million. Not bad for a regional chain."

Matthew, who is flipping through some notes on his tablet, pipes up, "Okay y’all, but isn't it strange that they don't heavily promote themselves? I was looking this up before they got here and they rely a lot on word-of-mouth."

Jin nods in agreement, his mouth full of chips as he chimes in, "And their refusal to expand too quickly, even when they could, keeps that exclusivity intact. It's like a club that everyone wants to join, but they have to wait in line."

You giggle, nodding in agreement, "Exactly. It's like they're intentionally keeping a sense of exclusivity around their brand… while also lightly promoting it with their In-N-Out T-Shirts and stickers."

As you speak, Jin jots down some notes onto the Google slides, "Let's make sure we highlight these points in the paper. It's all about understanding their unique selling points."

Jimin, who has been intently focused on his own research, lifts his head from his laptop and puts it on your shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It's a gesture that has happened countless times before during study sessions, but tonight, it feels different, and you can't quite put your finger on why.

"Y/N," Jimin says, his voice soft as he snuggles against your shoulder. "You should look into researching competitor menus and their pricing. That's a critical point."

You glance down at Jimin, his proximity a mix of comfort and unease. It's as though he's seeking solace in your presence, a subtle shift in the dynamics between you two. His eyes meet yours briefly, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken tension that has been growing since the arrangement with Yoongi began. Maybe this tension has always been there, and it wasn’t until Hwasa opened Pandora’s box that you started to become more conscious and self-aware of these behaviors. Maybe the lack of touch since your last relationship ended as well as the combination of what felt like Namjoon’s betrayal has made you deluded with these thoughts.

As the group continues discussing the PowerPoint structure and the resources they are consulting, you can't help but wonder about Jimin's intimate actions.

++++++

It's around 9:45 when you guys decide to call it a night and head back to your respective homes. Hwasa and Matthew head over in different directions, and you’re left with the two men. You walk alongside Jin and Jimin, who are engaged in a conversation about playing Team Fight Tactics. It feels like the first time in forever that Irene isn't mentioned in conversation, despite Jimin dating her. After noticing his subtle changes in behavior, you can't help but wonder if something might have happened between them too. He seems like he might be getting burnt out from dating a sorority girl, though Irene is far from the first one. You aren't sure why he keeps doing this to himself expecting a different result. However, not wanting to sour the mood, you decide to hold off on asking him about it. Seokjin and Jimin share a grin as they delve into a conversation about Team Fight Tactics.

"You know, Jimin, I've been practicing my TFT strategy. I'm basically a tactical genius now." Seokjin, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, leans in to say to the younger.

Jimin chuckles, his competitive spirit ignited. "Oh really, Jin? I'd like to see that. Last time I checked, you were still trying to figure out how to combine items."

The older man waves a dismissive hand. "Minor details, my friend. I've unlocked a secret tactic – I call it the 'Lose First, Win Later' strategy. It's all about keeping the element of surprise."

Jimin raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Lose first? Isn't the goal to win?"

Seokjin nods sagely. "Ah, but see, when you consistently lose in the early rounds, your opponents underestimate you. Then, when they least expect it, I unleash my secret weapon– the level two Vayne!"

Jimin bursts into laughter. "Level two Vayne? Maybe I’m underestimating you, Kappa Psi Pi President Kim."

Seokjin grins proudly. "You'll see, Jimin. Soon, I'll be climbing the TFT ranks and taking over the leaderboards. Just you wait!"

Their banter continues, filled with laughter and warmth. This feels just like normal, you think to yourself. It feels like before the breakdown you had on Friday and spending the night with Yoongi. It feels like before Namjoon started getting closer with Jihyo through their shared major classes. It feels like before Taehyung convinced Jimin to go on a double date which led him to date Irene. What went wrong? Yoongi’s question from Friday night surfaces again, hidden from the haze of your feelings that night. Are you in love with one of them…or all of them? Or is there something more that you still haven’t realized at this point in time.

You find yourself falling behind, lost in thought as you are about to approach the crosswalk off campus and reach home. The burden of unspoken secrets and shifting dynamics within your group weighs on your mind. You walk at a slower pace, the distance between you and your friends growing.

Noticing your lagging steps, Jimin suddenly stops mid-sentence and turns around, a playful grin on his face. He hurries back toward you and, without missing a beat, links his arm through yours. His touch is warm and familiar, a comforting reminder of the deep connection you share.

"Hey there, slowpoke," Jimin teases, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

You laugh, the tension that had been building within you slowly dissipating. "Sorry, just got lost in thought for a moment."

Seokjin glances back and notices Jimin linking arms together with you. He shakes his head, a fond smile on his face. "You two are still just like kids!" he remarks, his voice carrying a mixture of affection and amusement. Jimin rushes with you across the crosswalk before the crosswalk light countdown reaches 1.

“Gotta make sure my darling doesn’t get lost because she’s tiny!” Jimin and you exchange a knowing glance, the unspoken history between you evident in your eyes. It's a history filled with shared laughter, secrets, and a bond that time and circumstance have failed to break.

You and Jimin walk alongside each other, arm in arm, the night air feeling a bit lighter with each step. The camaraderie between you two is a reassuring presence, a buffer against the uncertainties of your group's dynamics.

As you approach the corner of the street leading to your house, the distant sound of raised voices begins to reach your ears. The voices are filled with emotion, carrying an unmistakable tension and turmoil.

“You're clearly not all in for me so what’s the point of all this?” one voice exclaims, a rawness in the tone that's impossible to ignore.

Jimin furrows his brow, concern etched across his face. He tightens his grip on your arm, pulling you closer as the shouting persists in the distance. You exchange a worried glance, a silent agreement passing between you both to investigate the source of the commotion. Ahead of you, Seokjin decides to take the lead, guiding you and Jimin as you round the corner of the street. What you come upon leaves you both utterly stunned.

Namjoon and Jihyo arguing right outside the front door of the house.

The tension in the air thickens as Jihyo's words hang heavily between them. Namjoon, his voice laced with desperation, tries to salvage the situation.

"No, you've got this all wrong," he pleads, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I like you, Jihyo, a lot more than the words I can verbalize right now. So don't do this."

Jihyo's expression remains hardened, her resolve unyielding. "I don't care what Shakespearean bullshit you want to say," she retorts, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. "Because I know that what you said while you were drunk on Friday, is what you truly feel."

Seokjin, Jimin and you open the front gate, catching the attention of the two.

Jihyo's words hang in the air, heavy with emotion and finality. The intensity of their argument seems to dissipate as she turns her attention to the arrival of Seokjin, Jimin, and you. Her anger momentarily softens into a weary resignation, and she sighs, her gaze shifting from Namjoon to the three of you. "Looks like we have an audience now, so I'm just gonna go," she says, her voice weary, her eyes flickering briefly in your direction. It's the first time you've seen her beauty up close, and it strikes you how different she appears from her usual calm and collected demeanor. It's as if she shattered into a hundred pieces before your eyes.

With a final glance at Namjoon, Jihyo imparts a parting message, one that holds both concern and a touch of forgiveness. "I'm gonna say this as your friend," she begins, her voice softening, "get your shit sorted out before you end up hurting anyone else. And I'm sorry I had to end it this way, but despite it all, I'm rooting for you. Goodbye Joon."

With those words, Jihyo walks away, leaving Namjoon standing there, a mixture of regret and longing in his eyes. The weight of their argument and its implications lingers in the air, a reminder of the complexities of relationships and the consequences of words spoken in moments of vulnerability.

Seokjin, Jimin, and you exchange a knowing glance, understanding the depth of what just transpired. Namjoon stands there, lost in thought and motionless, as the arguing and Jihyo's departure sinks in. The shadows of regret and turmoil play across his face, leaving him seemingly paralyzed by the emotions swirling within.

Finally, he breaks the silence with a heavy sigh, his voice filled with a mix of exhaustion and uncertainty. "I... I need to go, clear my head or something," he mumbles, his words lacking the usual confidence that characterizes him.

Before anyone can respond, he rushes past Seokjin, slightly pushing him in his haste. The push sets off a chain reaction, and you find yourself being pushed by Jimin in the process. The abruptness of it all leaves you and your friends looking at each other with concern, the tension in the air almost palpable, and excruciating

You decide to let go of Jimin's arm, hand him your backpack, with determination in your eyes as you speak up. "I'm going to go after him," you announce, your voice resolute.

Seokjin furrows his brow, concern etched across his features. "Is that the best thing you can do right now?" he asks, voicing the apprehension that hangs in the air.

Jimin looks down briefly before meeting your gaze with unwavering trust in his eyes. "I think this is something only she can do at this moment," he says, his voice steady. "Namjoon's known her the longest. I think her presence might ease him."

You agree. You’ve been with him each of the times that he was doing unwell or struggling, managing to get him out of his depressive state with your existence. It shouldn’t be any different now. With those words of encouragement from Jimin, you set off after Namjoon, the echoes of Jihyo's parting words still resonating in your mind.

From inside the house, Yoongi looks out the window with jealousy running through his veins. He balls his left fist and pushes his hair back from frustration. He knows he shouldn’t be feeling this way because you two are still friends. He was a few seconds from considering going out there earlier to prevent Namjoon from fighting with Jihyo, but decided against it. It felt like some sort of betrayal knowing how you felt towards Joon on Friday and how you wanted to see him face the consequences of his actions, but you ended up going after him without a second thought. He is confused on how he should feel about this and whether he made a mistake as he let his feelings get in the way of his actions.

Jungkook approaches the window, his gaze fixed on Yoongi, and then your figure gradually fading into the distance. He sighs softly, a sense of resignation washing over him.

Meanwhile, Seokjin and Jimin decide to head inside, entering the house to find the rest of the boys in a somber mood following the recent events outside. Yoongi, in particular, appears disheartened. He shakes his head and goes to lay down on the couch, lifting his arm to cover his eyes, appearing to sulk. Jin joins him on the couch, taking out his phone to play Maple Story to occupy himself. Jimin places your bag down on the couch and glances over at Yoongi, puzzled by his sudden mood shift. His thoughts briefly wander to the rumored girlfriend that the other guys had been talking about earlier in the day. But why now? A nagging feeling lingers—what if it is actually about you? He contemplates whether or not to broach the subject with elder man.

Just then, Jungkook approaches Jimin, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and inviting him to join him in the kitchen. He mentions that he had prepared perilla oil spicy makguksu earlier that evening and wanted Jimin to taste his new recipe. He agrees and walks over, finding Taehyung eating straight from the pot and playfully scolds him as Jungkook laughs.

Meanwhile, Seokjin glances at Yoongi and offers a sympathetic ear. "If you ever want to talk about what's bothering you," he says quietly, "just know that I'm the trustworthy type. I'll keep my lips sealed, unlike some of the other blabbermouths in this house. You know that, right?"

Yoongi lift his arm away and turns his gaze toward Jin, his internal struggle evident on his face as he contemplates how to respond.

++++++

"Kim Namjoon, wait!" you call out, your voice cutting through the night air. Your heart is pounding as you chase after him, determined to catch up before he disappears into the darkness.

The campus is quiet, with only a few lingering students strolling about. Namjoon continues his brisk pace in the direction of the campus gym, seemingly intent on finding solace in a late-night workout to clear his mind.

Your desperation grows as you realize that he might be slipping away, and you can't bear the thought of letting him face his turmoil alone. You groan in frustration and, fueled by a surge of determination, you rush forward and tackle him from behind, clinging to him like a koala.

Namjoon stumbles in surprise, his eyes widening as he registers your unexpected presence. He tries to shake you off, but you hold on stubbornly, your heart racing.

"We need to talk, seriously," you plead, your voice trembling with urgency.

Namjoon takes a deep breath, his tense shoulders slowly relaxing as he agrees. "Okay, okay, just please get off, and we can go find a place to talk."

Your grip on him loosens, and you cautiously climb off his back. "You promise this isn't an excuse to run off without me, right?" you ask, a hint of worry and aggression in your voice.

Namjoon lifts his hand, forming it into a pinky promise. "I promise I'm not gonna do that," he reassures you.

With a sigh of relief, you gently climb off his back. Together, you start walking toward the campus soccer field, where the night is quiet and serene. Namjoon takes off his gray hoodie and lays it on the grass before you sit down, offering it as a makeshift cushion to make you more comfortable. As you settle onto the grass, you can't help but steal a glance at Namjoon. He's wearing a black tank top that showcases his well-defined muscles, a stark contrast to the more reserved freshman you once knew. He looks pretty good.

You both sit in silence, the cool night air enveloping you as you give Namjoon the space he needs to open up. You can see the stress in his eyes, the pain of the argument etched on his face.

Finally, Namjoon breaks the silence, his voice heavy with regret. "She broke up with me."

You nod, your sympathy evident as you motion your hands, gesturing to his distraught expression. "I see that," you say bluntly, allowing him to continue at his own pace.

"We were only sleeping with each other for a bit," Namjoon begins, his voice wavering slightly, "but we were thinking about making it more serious." He pauses, collecting his thoughts. "And then I said something Friday night and completely fucked things up for us."

"What did you say?"

Namjoon sighs loudly, the memory clearly painful as he rubs his face in frustration. "I can't even remember, I was so drunk. This happened on Friday."

"Friday..." you murmur, your mind racing as you recall the events of that particular evening. Memories start to piece together, especially the growing worries and the sight of Namjoon making out with Jihyo at the Gamma Omega Tau party. It was the night that had led to your emotional breakdown and your impulsive decision to sleep with Yoongi.

Then it hits you—the realization that Namjoon was supposed to be at the house that night because you and Yoongi had gotten "sexiled" and sent to do game night elsewhere. But when you had returned, in your tipsy and aroused state, he was nowhere to be found. Not even hours later, as you and Yoongi got lost in the moment. It was something you had completely forgotten about, but now it seemed crucial.

"Wait," you say slowly, connecting the dots, "Friday night... you were supposed to be at the house that night, right?"

Namjoon's eyes widen as he comprehends the implication of your question. The pieces of the puzzle start to come together, and you both realize that things could have ended disastrously if he had indeed shown up as originally planned.

"Yeah, but I ended up sleeping on the couch at Jihyo’s place... by myself," he admits, his voice filled with regret. "Chaeyoung and Nayeon wanted to kick me out, but Jihyo was nice enough to let me stay there. I didn't deserve her kindness."

Understanding dawns as the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. "Oh," you say softly, realizing how the series of events had unfolded. You had also forgotten that Jihyo was in the Professional Kappa Psi Pi frat and lived with some of the girls too.

Namjoon continues, his voice laced with self-blame. "And you saw me come back on Saturday morning with Hope, who should've been gone until Sunday. I called him, and he brought me back home out of concern."

You nod, encouraging him to share more.

"So overall, this is just a consequence of my own actions," Namjoon concludes, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "I can't even be mad at her; she didn't do anything wrong."

The tension of Namjoon's guilt and self-realization fills the quiet night. It's clear that he's grappling with the consequences of his choices and how they've led to the dissolution of his budding relationship with Jihyo. Despite whatever frustration and angst you felt that night, you still empathize with Namjoon and his situation.

You take a moment to choose your words carefully, wanting to offer Namjoon support and guidance in this difficult time. Finally, you speak with a gentle but firm tone.

"Namjoon, we all make mistakes," you word out, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "What's important now is that you've recognized your part in this and that you're willing to learn from it. That's a sign of growth and maturity."

Namjoon looks at you, his expression a mix of gratitude and remorse.

"You can't change the past," you continue, "What’s said has been done, but you can control how you move forward from here. Take this as an opportunity to work on yourself, to become a better person. And remember, it's okay to lean on us for support when you need it."

He nods, and a faint smile tugs at the corners of his lips.

"As for Jihyo," you add, “she may have left, but she did leave you with some insight on what you can do. So listen to that." Namjoon's gaze becomes more determined, and he nods once more, this time with a sense of purpose.

As your words of encouragement hang in the air, he reaches out and gently places a hand on your shoulder, his way of silently thanking you for your support.

But then, to your surprise, he suddenly pulls you towards him, wrapping his arms around you in a tight, warm embrace. It's an unexpected gesture, and you find yourself pressed against his chest, your head nestled against his shoulder. The emotions in that moment are overwhelming. There's a deep sense of intimacy felt in this moment compared to any other hugs you share in the past. The tension that had been building during your conversation seems to melt away, replaced by a profound connection that transcends words.

"I thought you didn't like hugs, Mr. Kim 'I hate being tangled in limbs' Namjoon," you tease gently, trying to break the heaviness of the moment.

Namjoon's voice is dulcet as he replies, "Just this once, I feel like I needed it." He lets out a heavy sigh, his warm breath grazing your neck like a gentle breeze as he utters, "I miss the old days, when we were still kids and didn't have all this drama and shit." You respond with a soft hum, sharing his sentiment. In that moment, you both long for the simplicity of the past, when life wasn't complicated by tangled emotions and the confusing dynamics that had developed among your closest friends. It's times like these when you find yourself wishing for a return to the days when you didn't have to grapple with the complex web of feelings for your guy best friends. And right now, it's Yoongi who has navigating through a sea of emotions and uncertainty. With that damn question he asked you on that night!

“Me too.”

As he holds you close, you can feel the steady rise and fall of his chest with each breath, a reminder of the very real, very human experience you both share. It's a moment of vulnerability and comfort, where your own concerns and secrets seem to momentarily fade into the background.

The night air around you feels cooler, but within the circle of Namjoon's embrace, you find warmth and solace. It's as if, for that brief moment, the world and its complexities cease to exist, leaving only the two of you, bound together by friendship and shared trials.

Eventually, you both pull away, the unspoken connection between you lingering in the air. Namjoon offers a small, appreciative smile, and you return it with one of your own. Namjoon's voice breaks the momentary silence, his words soft and contemplative. "I think we should go back," he suggests, his gaze meeting yours.

You nod in agreement, recognizing that it's time to return to the house, to your friends, and to the challenges and uncertainties that await. Rising to your feet, you brush off any blades of grass clinging to your clothes, and Namjoon retrieves his hoodie from the grass where he had laid it.

Together, you make your way back towards the main campus and the familiar path that leads to your shared home. The night air feels a bit lighter now, as if the weight of the conversation has been partially lifted.

+++

As you lie in bed, struggling to fall asleep amid the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions from the evening, your phone suddenly buzzes with a text message. You groggily reach for it, blinking away the sleep from your eyes.

It's a group chat message called NO JIMIN, and you see that it includes everyone in the house, except Jimin. The topic of conversation catches your attention immediately—it's about Jimin's upcoming birthday on Saturday. Somehow, the date had slipped past your mind in the midst of everything that had been happening. The boys wanted to have a party at the house. It has been awhile since a party was held at the Beta Tau Sigma household. Last time it happened, it was Jungkook’s birthday, a little over a month ago. It was a fairly small party, with nothing too eventful taking place. Well if you don’t count Taehyung and Jimin playing strip poker while getting too wasted. Jin and Yoongi really had to calm them down before they were entirely naked and having their dicks out for everyone to see. About a week after, it was Namjoon’s birthday. Though, he opted for the whole house going to celebrate at Baekjeong with KBBQ and going clubbing after at HARU. He did not want to deal with another party crisis at the house.

As you scroll through the chat, Taehyung emerges as the main organizer of the party, and he's already divvying up responsibilities among the housemates. Your eyes scan the messages, and then your heart skips a beat as you see your name mentioned, followed by the assignment he has given you.

Tae: We need this party for Jimin to be lit! Jin: Taehyung, I've got the food prep covered, so don't you worry about that.

Hoseok: I'll be the official DJ for the night, so get ready for some sick beats!! Beta Tau Sigma is BACK!

Hoseok: I'm bringing Matthew's DJ equipment over too, and we'll have the dance floor bumping!

Jungkook: Tae, I'll help out with the drinks and bartending! I’ve been told i make great drinks. Yoongi: I can handle working the drinks too, but just a heads up, I might be enjoying them a bit too much. Jungkook: LMAO, hyung I think it’s better if you handle something else. Also can someone make sure to buy enough alc options? Namjoon: I can drop by the liquor store on friday Tae: I also need you some of y’all to help clean around the house.

Tae: Hey Honey!

Tae: You and Yoongi are in charge of buying and setting up the decorations for Jimin's birthday party. Sound good?

You: Okie dokie! Yoongi: [thumbs up] Tae: Perfect! This is gonna be a night to remember. Let's give Jimin the best birthday ever! 🎂🎈🎁

You: We got this, guys! Jimin's gonna love it! 🥳🥂

As you send the message, your worries dull for a bit. Maybe this could be a chance for Namjoon to cheer up after the break-up, and make whatever growing tension less awkward. You looked forward to this night with determination, however you feared that what was to come would probably entangle you deeper into chaos with your best friends.

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sashi-ya · 3 years

Text

{+18} – Sweet Tease ~ Marco x S/O – Requested

Modern AU. Female S/O. No physical descriptions. Everybody is 18+. No spoilers.

TW: NSFW, teasing, public sex.

Word count: 2.4K

A/N: Thank you so much for asking for this request! It’s the first time I write for Marco and I loved the idea! I hope you like it ♥

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31416047

Anon requested for:

A busy afternoon in your life, you grab your phone and text your boyfriend, Marco.

14:54. You > Oi babe, are you busy today?. 15.30. Dr.M > Hey darling, I’m having a big surgery in about an hour, I don’t know much is going to take, but whenever I’m out I’ll txt you. Love you!.

Again, your partner, one of the best doctors in town is busy. You don’t blame him, but you haven’t seen him in almost a week, and besides your heart, your skin misses him more than anything. You’ve been dreaming about getting railed by him for the last two days, you know you need him.

“I should get back to work”, you say to yourself, trying to forget how needy for him you are. And the afternoon passes, and there is no text from Marco.

Your coworkers invite you for some drinks after work and you just accept, because deep down you know you aren’t going to meet with your boyfriend tonight either.

After some beers, a notification pops up on your phone screen. “It’s him”, you tell your friend showing her the phone. “I have an idea, don’t just go straight to the point…”, she says to you. “What do you mean?”, you ask confused. “Well, you should tease him little by little, until he gets so needy for you that he has no other choice than leaving everything aside, and fuck you”, she says with an evil grin. You both laugh out loud and enjoy the rest of the evening.

While walking home, what your friend has told you at the bar, begins to replay in your brain. “She might be right, I should make him want me…”, you think while opening the door.

Once inside, you text Marco back just to tell him you got home safe, but he doesn’t answer. He is probably asleep

already. You pass out on your bed thinking the best ways to tease him… photos?, texts?, visiting him?... you set up a plan that wish it works.

06:30 Dr.M > Morning baby. I’m sorry about yesterday. We’ve been very busy lately. I promise I’ll compensate for it.

07:45 You > Good morning, it’s ok. You know… I dreamt about you, about us.

07:48 Dr.M > What did you dream of?

07:49 You > Something I wish I could be doing to you, now... But right now, I’m a little late for work. I’ll text you later. Love you. Mwah.

07:51 Dr.M > I wonder what it is… have a nice day at work. Love u.

You are determined to slowly rise up the heat, from day to night, but subtly. “That will do”, you think, and let your phone aside, sure that letting Marco on read could make a difference.

Your day at work got super busy, so you barely had time to grab your phone. You wonder sometimes about your beloved, but your attention is instantly drawn to your tasks. At lunch you have a little more time and take your phone, Marco has sent you a text asking if you have already eaten. This is a good chance for you to tease him, so you decide to follow the next stage of your plan. Today, you’ve chosen to wear a pencil skirt that allows the skin of your thighs to show, so you take a photo of your lunch over your legs. You were just commenting about the food, but there is no way he wouldn’t get to see one of his favourite parts of your body.

07:51 Dr.M > Yummy! Enjoy your meal, babe. By the way, love that skirt.

“Good, he noticed the skirt”, you think to yourself while eating the little sandwich and think about what’s next.

The working day is coming to an end, and you get a phone call from your boyfriend. He tells you that this weekend the hospital would have a charity banquet, and if you want to come with him. Of course, you accept immediately, not only because you want to be with him, but also because you just love parties.

After leaving work, you head directly to a dress shop, and as you try the perfect one for the party, you know this is an opportunity for teasing him you won’t let pass. You pick the sexiest red dress in the store, and head to the dresser.

The dress shows your back perfectly until the start of your bottom. Little straps hold a cowl neckline and it also has a deep slit on the left side of the skirt, so you can show your leg.

Posing on the mirror of the dresser, showing your back, and leg you snap a picture and send it to him. Luckily he answers right away.

18:02 You > What do you think babe? I like this dress for the banquet.

18:03 Dr.M > Damn… I love it. You look like a goddess, you know?.

You couldn’t be happier about his reaction, so you buy the dress and head home.

After taking a shower, and still covered with only a towel you video call Marco. This is just another step of the plan, and somehow you just love it. He is still at the hospital, but you don’t care. You want him to wish he wasn’t there.

Your lover picks up and after realizing you were practically naked, stunned, he covers the screen with his big skilled hands. “Babe, I’m alone at my office but… are you naked?”, he says a little bit agitated. “I am, but a towel is covering me. I just miss you, wanted to see your pretty face after a hot shower”, you say pouting with a suggestive tone. “I - I miss you too, babe…”, he says while he seems to worship the image of you on his phone screen. “I wish you were here…” you confess to him while rolling your eyes back. “I wish I was there too, baby… aren’t you cold?”, he says now and you can sense how his voice becomes a little bit cracked. You recognize this is an amazing opportunity to keep up with your plan, so you say, “I am, yes. Give me a sec, I’m going to put my robe on”.

You stood up from bed, put your phone over your dresser so Marco could still see you and let your towel fall to the floor, leaving your body completely exposed to him. “Babe…” he gasps, and you just giggle.

You watch how he pushes himself far from the desk, laying his back over the chair backrest, letting you admire his torso, and of course, his crotch. A bulge is shown in his scrubs pants, and he slowly slides a hand there.

“Dr Marco, it’s an emergency, they need you in trauma”, a voice resonates in his office, and he quickly lifts his hands, covering the screen and camera from his phone. “Oh, yeah I’ll be right there”, he says, trying to hide the arousal he was experiencing.

Annoyed, but not mad at him, throw your robe on and wait for him to come back to the call. “I’m sorry babe, I’m really sorry”, he says, mortified. “It’s ok doc, we can continue later. See you tomorrow, love you”, you tell him, a little bit sad, but still showing how much you want him.

After dinner, you go to bed, replaying the memories of his sweet anatomy and how you wished you'd seen him jacking off to your body at the office. Yet, you know tomorrow is the big party, and you have better plans than just making him touch himself over the phone.

Another busy day of work passes and you are finally at home getting ready for the big event. You know how much he likes when you use that specific perfume with citric hints of orange and a little bit of pineapple, so you spray it all over you. The red dress you bought yesterday flows sexy over your skin, and you are ready to make tonight, a night of a lifetime.

Marco is waiting for you outside in his car, you make him wait just for a few minutes. He knows you will be using that dress, and he wants to see you wearing it right now, but you want him to crave for it, so you just text him with a “Give me a sec”.

When you finally open the door, you let your keys fall to the ground. In order to pick them up, you first make sure he is watching and then bend down, lifting your dress subtly from the slit of the skirt.

Acting as if nothing happened, you hop in his car, and kiss his cheek. “Hello doc, I missed you”. You see how Marco watches you from top to bottom, slightly stopping at the slit on the skirt, admiring how your thigh spreads a little once you are sitting.

After allowing Marco to enjoy for some seconds your skin, you step up, and cross your legs. A fire on his sleepy eyes ignites, and somehow you just adore to make him heat up.

But your blond hot doctor is not the only one who is getting hot in there, you certainly are too. He looks so perfect, formally dressed with a black suit. You wished he’d stop driving, and take you right there, in the middle of the street. You just don’t care. But you wait…

When you finally arrive at the charity event, everybody turns their head to admire the young successful doctor Marco and his perfect girlfriend. Some wishing they were Marco, others, you. But everybody is amazed by how powerful and pretty you both are.

You are greeted by Marco's colleagues and are invited to sit on your corresponding table. They serve you gourmet plates made by a famous chef called Vinsmoke Sanji.

A show starts, a magician makes entertaining tricks on the scenery, and everybody including Marco is enjoying the show. You suddenly had the idea of teasing your boyfriend a little bit more, so you subtly slide a hand over his lap, caressing it faintly. You notice how his muscles react instantly to the soft touch of your hand over his black trousers. He looks at you, but you don’t look back at him, you simply keep enjoying the magic show.

He then places his hand over yours, and slowly interlocks fingers. He makes your hand move up, closer to his groin. You can feel how hard he is with the side of your hand. Deep down you wished to touch him, but you want him to burn in desire, so you slowly lift your hand up, and grab your cup of red wine. He sighs soundly. “I’m going to tease until it hurts how much you want to fuck me, Marco”, you thought with an evil grin on your face.

The show is over, and an auction starts in order to raise funds for charity. Every rich person there starts to push. You just maintain quiet, you are not as rich as them, but Marco on the other hand... He places a bid for some paintings and you just wait.

The auction comes to an end, and the organizers announce that the guest can pass to the dancing saloon if they want. Of course you want, you know there is where the next stage of your plan will take place.

You grab Marco’s hand and walk to the next saloon. Lights are now down low and the music starts to play. You both start slow dancing, your bodies closer to each other, Marco’s hand placed on your back, and the other over your waist. You pass your hands on the back of his neck. You move slowly, sexy, rubbing your stomach against his, while looking up at his eyes with an inviting sight. Getting drunk on the smell of his manly perfume, you remember how much you love and desire his body.

He places a soft kiss over your lips, that you accept gratefully. Your lower stomach feels how a hard bulge is forming once again on Marco’s groin, and you just can’t take it anymore, you need him. And he needs you too. But the music stops, and now it’s time for dessert, so you both walk back to your seats.

A sweet chocolatey dessert is served. You are delighted, he is too. You grab a piece of cake and devour it from the little spoon, slowly moving it on your mouth while looking straight to his eyes. He gasps, he is suffering. It must be painful to hide, to hold back how much you want to fuck someone surrounded by your colleagues and people in general. His manhood is probably hurting from the pressure the pants are making over it. He needs you; you can see it in his eyes.

You place the silver spoon over your lips for an instance and giggle. Once you finish your cake, you stand up, pass your hand all over his back, from one shoulder to the other, and slowly bend over him to approach his ear. “I need to use the toilet…”, you say to him with an inviting tone.

As you walk to the bathroom you can feel his piercing gaze over your body, and you know he got the message.

You wait for him, and a few minutes after and a quick scan of the place to ensure nobody was watching, he grabs you by your throat and pushes inside of one of the bathroom stalls.

“I can’t take it anymore, I just need to fuck you right here, babe”, he says to you while kissing your neck desperately, pushing your back against the cold marble walls of the toilet.

None of you can wait, no place for foreplay, you want him to penetrate you right now. He slides his hand under your dress by the slit of the skirt discovering you are not wearing any panties. That only makes him even more aroused. He unbuckles his belt, and lets his pants fall to the floor, revealing his big erect member.

You bite your lower lip, grinning. Marco lifts his white shirt, so you can admire his well-defined abs and the tattoo that garnishes his chest with that blue ink. Next you know is him lifting your leg, and penetrating you with a hard thrust, deep inside you. An intense pounding that sends you to heaven, both of your heartbeat accelerating, losing control of your breathing.

You two finally reach climax, and let him impregnate you with all of his warm juices. He groans, “Oh baby girl, you don’t how much I needed you, one of these days you are going to kill me”.

And you smile, because you know that your plan was a success… ♥

#marco the phoenix #marco one piece #marco x you #marco x reader #marco the pineapple #one piece x reader #one piece x y/n #one piece x you #one piece x oc #one piece x marco

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imjustwritingg · 3 years

Text

everything has changed

remember a few weeks ago when I said I didn’t know if I’d ever write fic again… well that didn’t last because 8x03 happened and I couldn’t stop my brain from thinking about it for the life of me and this is what came of it. this is my take on 8x03 with speculation for 8x04 and lots of feels in between. also, everything has changed by Taylor Swift was written for Upstead. enjoy and let me know what you think!

also on AO3 and FF.net

----

[ and your eyes look like comin' home all I know is a simple name everything has changed all I know is you held the door and you'll be mine and I'll be yours all I know since yesterday is everything has changed ]

----

Gain something, you give something up…

Maybe, but not always…

It’s been a long time since I saw you as just my partner…

Three years of anticipation and curiosity and pushing down feelings she thought she shouldn’t have ever had has led her to this moment. This moment where she is kissing her partner and it wasn’t some concoction from her dreams or deepest thoughts or what could have been scenarios. It was real and it was happening and he had kissed her first.

Neither had anticipated their night turning into what it did. A stop at a local pub to do their thing that always works, to unwind after their long day, to talk about the offer she’d received from the Feds. Now here they were with their lips pressing against one another’s. Jay’s arms around Hailey’s back, her arms around his neck and one of her hands crawling down his chest in slow motion. Her head was fuzzy, a combination of both whiskey and Jay on her lips, and it was sending her into a tailspin. She kisses him back, matching his ferocity with her own after years of holding back how she feels for the man before her. A man who became her partner, then quickly her best friend. One of the few people she had in her life that she knew she could trust completely, and whom she did blindly and without question.

She felt his arms tighten around her in the slightest of ways, pulling her closer against him despite there being no space left between them. She was flush against him, his hard chest anchoring her in place and keeping her from losing her balance like she had moments ago when he took her by surprise and kissed her in the middle of a slightly crowded bar.

Hailey couldn’t be sure how long they stood there in front of the tabletop with their lips still exploring and hands gripping tightly. A combination of swallowed moans and slips of tongue that neither could seem to get enough of. A new, but familiar feeling of one another that felt like coming home after a long day on the job.

It wasn’t time or a need for breathing that broke them apart, rather a loud clearing of a throat and then the sound of a stranger’s voice from somewhere behind them.

“Hey bro. Why don’t you and your girl get a room or something man?”

The pair breaks apart then, turning and catching the smirks of a group of friends at the table behind them. Jay shakes his head and smiles at them, clearing his own throat before he says, “Yeah, sorry guys. Guess we forgot where we were for a bit.”

He gives them a quick nod before turning back to face his partner. She had her head tilted down slightly and her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth, but he could see the tint of pink in her cheeks and on the tips of her ears.

“Is Hailey Upton blushing right now?” He couldn’t help, but tease.

Hailey lifts her eyes to meet his and offers him a shy smile. “We just got scolded by strangers for making out in a bar, so yeah, a little bit.”

Jay grins back at her, stepping forward and closing the space between them again.

“I kinda wanna do it again,” he tells her.

Hailey raises a perfect eyebrow at him. “The making out or getting scolded?”

Jay can only roll his eyes at her like she doesn’t know the answer to her own question, but he looks at her with a wide smile and bright eyes.

“Not a bad idea though,” Hailey says a moment later.

“What’s that?” He asks.

He doesn’t miss the way she swallows almost nervously now or how her fingers have begun fiddling with the bottom hem of his shirt beneath his jacket, but she keeps her eyes on him, nonetheless.

“Us getting a room. My place is closer. I mean, if you want to continue- “

“Yes,” he cuts her off without a second thought and reaches for her free hand that hangs at her side.

He weaves his fingers through hers and gives her a quick squeeze before leading her to the door. The thought doesn’t escape him how right her small hand feels in his much larger one, how their fingers intertwine almost like perfectly placed puzzle pieces. He walks her to her Jeep parked a few spots down from the entrance to the bar and squeezes her hand once more before releasing her so she can open the driver side door.

“I’ll follow you,” he says and the memory of the first time he said those same words to her flashes through his head. He can’t help the smile that it brings to his face as he realizes how different things are between them now compared to back then.

Hailey offers him a smile of her own in return and a quick nod as she stands in between Jay and her open car door. She doesn’t miss the double meaning behind his words. She remembers them well. The time when it started going downhill for her. Before she made her mistakes. Before she crossed lines and Voight sent her away in hopes that it would help get her head straight.

“I’ll see you in a bit then,” she says.

He only nods, a small smirk peeking out at the corners of his mouth before he leans forward and kisses her slowly. A complete one-eighty to the urgency their lips held just minutes ago inside the bar.

When he pulls away he’s grinning fully and he just shrugs his shoulders at the look of her wondering eyes.

“One for the road,” he says with boyish charm to answer her unspoken thoughts.

Hailey lets out a laugh and shakes her head before she turns to get into her car and starts the engine. She watches him through the window as he closes her door, then follows his movements through her rearview mirror as he makes his way towards his truck parked across the street. It’s then she gets distracted by the look of her reflection in the mirror and the wide grin that’s plastered on her face.

The whole night has felt surreal to her and a large part of her is still unsure about what it all means now. They’ve tipped the scale of their partnership, of their friendship, into uncharted territory. Neither really knowing where they’ll go from here, but she thinks back on his words from just moments ago.

I’ll follow you.

She knows he means them in ways not only in the realm of following her home to continue what they’ve started here tonight. He’d follow her anywhere. Just like she would do the same for him without any hesitation. She knows they’ll be okay even though everything has changed now. She knows this thing between them is real. That it isn’t one-sided, that it hasn’t all been a manifestation of overthinking or grasping at straws over the last few years. That he feels it too.

She clicks her seatbelt on and pulls her car out of its spot, catching Jay flipping a U-turn on the empty street out of her side mirror. A sudden burst of something fills inside of her as she drives home, Jay right behind her.

Butterflies. Anticipation. Curiosity of what’s to come. She realizes then as she’s driving that she’s still grinning like some love-struck teenager and the nerves overtake her. She knows where the rest of night will lead. She’s a grown woman and it’s not the first time she’s been in bed with someone, but the fact that, that someone is about to be Jay brings that fuzzy feeling back to the forefront of her head in a slightly different way. A tick of nervous energy now clouding her mind, but she shuts it down as soon as it appears because it is Jay.

Partner. Best friend. Confidant. The man who she knows she loves whole heartedly and unconditionally even though she hasn’t yet said the words out loud.

When they arrive at her place not even ten minutes later, she parks her car quickly in the driveway and waits at the back of it as Jay parks on the street in front of her door. She watches him as he gets out and approaches her, a grin appearing on his face as soon as his eyes meet hers. He doesn’t waste a second before he attaches his lips to hers and she’s kissing him back instantly, her hands going to the back of his head and his finding their way to rest on her waist.

When they break away, what feels like an eternity later, their foreheads lean against one another’s and Hailey opens her eyes to see him staring right back at her. She can’t help the smile that overtakes her as she takes in his bright green eyes and the freckles on his face and a smile that matches her own.

“Couldn’t wait ‘til we got inside huh, Halstead?” She teases.

He shakes his head at her and pulls back just slightly. “I’m gonna wanna do that all the time now.”

“I know the feeling,” she says in an almost whisper.

She releases her hold on the back of his head and reaches for one of his hands before leading him to her front door. Once they’re inside and the door has been locked behind them, it’s nothing, but roaming hands and dueling lips and quick steps to her bedroom. Clothes are pulled off in a hurry to feel more skin and explore freely, and they’re thrown haphazardly in places unknown while the two fall onto Hailey’s bed in a tangled heap.

When Hailey wakes in the middle of the night - or rather morning, she feels a heavy arm across her naked back. She realizes she’s on her stomach, hair splayed out over pillows, and a lingering buzz of satiation still vibrating through her limbs. She’s facing Jay and watches him as he continues to sleep soundly and she wonders for a moment just how long she can hold her bladder because she doesn’t want to leave her spot in bed next to him.

Hailey curses herself silently, the need to pee winning out, and she forces herself to slip from the bed as quickly and quietly as she can. She grabs her flannel off the floor and pulls it on before making her way to the bathroom. When she returns a minute later she’s not all that surprised to see her partner awake and sitting up in her bed against the headboard, the lamp from a nightstand table now Illuminating her bedroom in dim light.

She runs a hand through her messy bed head, bottom lip tucked between her teeth and another shy smile on her face. She climbs back into her bed, tucks her legs under the duvet and leans back against the headboard next to Jay.

“Hey you,” he says quietly, as if he’s afraid to break the silence between them, albeit however comfortable it somehow feels given what they did through the night.

“Hey you back,” Hailey nearly whispers, matching his tone.

She watches him as he watches her, a thousand thoughts running through both their heads, but neither knowing quite where to begin. He surprises her though when he gets right to it, seemingly not afraid to start the conversation they know they need to have.

“So, we kissed.”

Hailey almost rolls her eyes at his bluntness, but instead nods. “Yeah, we did.”

“We kissed a lot. Among other things,” he says with a smug look on his face.

Hailey blushes for the umpteenth time that night and it’s then that Jay realizes it’s a look he loves to see on her. Her flushed cheeks and the shyness on her face are something new and he can’t help smiling at her, almost cockily, because he knows he’s the one that has brought out this side of her. It’s a side of her he wants to see again and again.

The only thing she can offer him is another short nod. And then, “Mmhmm, we did that too.”

“Where’s your head at Upton?” He asks her a beat later.

The nervous tone his voice carries doesn’t go unnoticed and as much as the best friend-partner sides of her would love to tease him, she doesn’t and chooses instead to go for complete honesty.

“Cloud nine,” she replies.

He raises an eyebrow, that cocky grin still on his face.

“Still?”

“What can I say, you made a lasting impression,” she tells him with a smirk now as her shyness dissolves and her usual bold self returns.

He laughs then, eyes bright and a residual smile on his face, causing her to grin wider because his laugh has become one of her favorite sounds aside from the guttural moans she’d been privy to just a short while earlier.

He reaches an arm out to her, his hand quickly finding hers, and he holds it tight. Fingers twining together perfectly again as his eyes stare right into hers.

“You’re not the only one that it’s been a long time for ya know? I can’t tell you the exact moment because there have been a lot of them between us, but I’m in this. Completely. I want you to know that Hails.”

It isn’t lost on her that it’s the first time he uses the nickname. How quickly things have changed between them, but how normal it all still feels somehow. Like they’ve been doing this for forever.

As Hailey takes in his words she can feel the tears forming in her eyes. She can recall on one hand the number of times he’s really seen her cry and hearing those words come out of his mouth is just about euphoric to her. She knows they’ve both been here before with people they work with and she knows they’ve both been cracked open and left empty because of it. But she also knows how hard it is for him to show this side of himself. To be vocal about his feelings and what he wants.

She already knew he felt the same way as her. The events that night that led them to him being naked in her bed prove that on their own, but hearing him say those words out loud puts an ache in her chest. The best kind of ache. Because she’s shown again just how real all of this is between them. It's the kind of real that crushes you and splits you wide open all at the same time. The kind of real that you feast on, but it always leaves you starving. The kind of real that pulls the breath right out of you, but somehow still keeps you high all day long.

Hailey finds herself speechless, afraid her voice will break if she speaks, so she keeps her eyes on his, nods along and squeezes his hand to let him know she hears him. That she gets it. That she’s in it too.

When she finds her voice a moment later, Hailey takes a deep breath, still caught up in the moment and the confession Jay made and the way she can quite literally feel the electric current between them as his hand stays clasped together with hers.

“I meant it earlier when I said you make me better,” she tells him.

He keeps his eyes on her, but stays quiet. He knows her well enough by the look on her face she has more to say so all he does is squeeze her hand again, a silent nudge to continue.

“I know it won’t be easy, Jay,” she starts, taking another deep breath before she continues. “I’m not naïve enough to think it would be and I know we’ve both been down this road before and it hasn’t worked out well for either of us, but I also know the only regret I’d have about this is not giving it a real shot.”

Her tears have long since fallen and she uses the back of her free hand to wipe at her eyes trying to reel in her emotions. The weight of the situation and the implications are making everything that much heavier. More real. There’s a tiny part of her that wishes they could just bypass this slightly awkward, but quite necessary conversation and put it to bed for another time that’s not near five in the morning after the first time they’ve slept together.

And then, as if reading her mind, Jay lets go of her hand and brings his up to the side of her neck. His hold is gentle as his thumb traces over her skin and he leans forward to press his lips to hers. It’s the slowest, most tantalizing of kisses, as if he’s trying to convey every single thing he feels for her inside of him into this one moment. And she reciprocates with steady brushes of her lips and tongue against his as her arms reach for him almost on autopilot. One wraps around his neck and the other around his waist, and then she’s pulling him on top of her and holding him tight against her with her legs around his hips. He holds himself over her, keeping most of his weight off of her and on one arm, while his other hand is traveling down the side of her body. He drags his lips from her mouth to her cheek, down her jaw and to her neck, placing tortuously slow kisses across her skin.

He’s just about to reach for the buttons of her flannel when there’s a loud vibration that sounds through the room. It’s followed by a succession of ringing and they both freeze, hoping it’s a one off, until another phone goes off in the same fashion and they know that duty is literally calling.

Jay groans out against her neck in obvious annoyance, but doesn’t protest when she moves a hand to his chest and presses it firmly against him. He knows they have a job to do, so he drops one final kiss below her ear before rolling off of her to the empty side of her bed and reaches for his boxers on the floor. He stands and pulls them on, then makes his way towards his jeans by the door to fish out his phone from the front pocket. He gives a quick look through it before looking over at Hailey.

“It’s Kev. We got a homicide,” he tells her as he begins typing out a response to the officer.

Hailey nods once and then she’s off the bed to get dressed while Jay pulls on his jeans and goes to find his shirt.

“Think anyone will notice I’m in the same clothes from yesterday?” She hears him call out to her while she’s in the bathroom. He can hear her laugh from the half open doorway and then she’s in front of him in a fresh pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

“It’s early so maybe not. Just zip your jacket up all the way and we should be good,” she tells him as she steps out of the bathroom.

He nods in agreement and less than five minutes later the pair are ready to leave, but Jay stops her in front of the door with a teasing smile on his face.

“What is it?” She asks him.

“How is it, in the last few years of us working together and being as close as we are, I don’t have a change of clothes here at your place?”

His question catches her off guard, but makes her wonder the same thing. All the time they’ve spent together and the checking in, and them doing their thing that works after a long day or tough case or just because.

All she offers him is a shrug and a small smile before she says, “Guess we’ll have to change that.”

He takes a step towards her and reaches a hand inside her jacket to clutch her waist. His fingers sneak below the hem of her sweatshirt until he feels warm skin and he pulls her closer to him. He lifts his other hand up to her face and around the back of her neck before leaning down and kissing her. She kisses him back instantly, her own hands finding their way to his chest, gripping tight to his jacket. They get lost in the moment for several beats, enjoying the new, but familiar feel of their lips moving against each other.

Hailey pulls back first despite her body screaming at her not to. She wants more than anything to pull him back against her and kiss him some more, but she’s always been more of the voice of reason despite her previous acts of crossing lines and she knows they have a job to do.

“We gotta go,” Hailey reminds him and he nods in reply before releasing her completely.

“We’ll finish this later,” she promises.

“Hell yes we will,” he tells her and she can’t help rolling her eyes this time, but she smiles at him, nonetheless.

They head out the door, Hailey locking up behind them, and the pair walk side by side out to his truck. They’re headed to Garfield Park which takes less than fifteen minutes with the truck’s flashing lights and the near empty streets given the early morning hour and a global pandemic. There’s a stupid grin stuck in place on her face again since the moment Jay put the truck in drive and then reached for her hand across the middle console. There’s another moment where she thinks this newfound intimacy and the way he holds her hand has become another of her favorite things. He weaves his fingers through hers and doesn’t let go until he pulls up to the crime scene.

“Ready partner?” He asks as he kills the engine and looks over at her in the passenger seat.

“Yeah, you?” She counters.

“Let’s get to work,” he says throwing a wink at her.

The pair hop out of the truck and make their way over to their Sergeant, sharing a quick glance between them as the rest of the team show up in near synchronicity. They’re filled in on what’s going on and as they all fan out after being given their marching orders, Hailey can’t deny the familiarity that once again comes over her as her and her partner work side by side like the last several hours didn’t even happen.

It’s another reassurance that they’ll be okay. That they’ll make it. That as much as everything has changed between them, their thing that has always worked hasn’t changed one bit.

#chicago pd #upstead #upstead fic #hailey upton #jay halstead #jay x hailey #jay and hailey #chicago pd fic #chicago pd fanfiction

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forsakenoathkeeper · 3 years

Text

I Am Alive (chapter 5/?)

Deviant!Connor[RK800] x (fem!)Reader Rated M(18+) for canon-typical violence and gore, medical procedures, and graphic sexual content

Synopsis: You were a mechanical engineer, now a nurse for androids, who moved back to Detroit after the revolution to offer aid. After reconciling with an old friend, you became rather acquainted with his android partner.

Please support me on AO3 & thanks for reading ♥

Connor wasn't oblivious to what he was doing.

'Rogue' was one word that came to mind; but, that was a bit extreme all things considered. He wasn't acting against the police and he didn't intend to commit any crimes, especially heinous ones.

He was hunting the android alone, without clearance, without jurisdiction.

-not like this was the first time.

He had intel that the human detectives didn't have. A good lot of them didn't respect him, some more obvious than others, and often disregarded his input on things. Of course, they were never hesitant to let him take the lead when dealing with dangerous individuals or gunfire.

Most of the time, it didn’t bother him.

Fowler saw him as a competent detective and needed the manpower, now more than ever. Hank trusted him with his life and stood up for him. That was all the recognition that Connor needed.

Having to work alone wasn’t all that terrible. He was faster, stronger, more capable of discretion... usually. He didn't have to worry about putting someone in danger or being slowed down. It also meant that he could-

-bend the rules in ways that only androids were capable of.

The other detectives were hung up on the possibility that Evelin Wheeler was murdered by someone she had crossed in her days as a lawyer. Connor had found seven cases that ended with death threats. Three of those cases, the plaintiffs or victims, were still alive and living in or near Detroit.

While other detectives were investigating those potential leads, Connor took to the streets to see if he could locate Robert. Maybe it was his programming talking; but, Connor was suspicious of the android.

Clouds were heavy and dark in the sky, the smell of approaching rain thick in the air. Connor was waiting outside of Haven in a nearby alleyway, perched up against a crate where he could duck back into hiding or lean out and see into the street.

He was standing near an abandoned warehouse that seemed to have suffered structural damage at one point, rubble having collapsed into the plot nearby. The towering structure was an eyesore and provided good cover for the detective. It was also across the street from Haven.

Connor fumbled with his coat pocket, fishing out a coin. He rolled it between his fingers as he waited.

You had been texting him, a very welcomed distraction from the monotony. Though, if Connor was being honest, waiting never bothered him. He couldn’t quite tell if it was because his android, a part of his programming, or just the way he was.

"u know u dont have to" was your latest message, popping up in the top right corner of his HUD. You had trouble getting your car started this morning and had taken a taxi to work. When Connor found out, he asked if he could give you a ride home.

"If I'm being honest, it is not just for your sake. I want to see you" he texted back.

It had been a little over week since he last saw you. Work had been hectic for you both, between countless damaged androids and Connor knee deep in multiple cases, one in particular that was rubbing him the wrong way. Even if he only got to sit in a car with you for thirty minutes, that would be good enough.

"i miss u too" your reply came in. Connor smiled at that and briefly pondered how to reply.

When people were 'an item', what did they do? Attending a restaurant together seemed to be the most common answer that came up in his searches; however, considering Connor did not require sustenance, and lacked the components to dispose of them, he couldn't eat.

Surprisingly, ‘drinking’ came up a lot, too. There was no way he was taking you to a sleazy bar. There were always clubs. Did you like that sort of thing? He didn’t want to make assumptions about your lifestyle. There was the added concern that Connor didn’t know if he could dance. He had never tried it before.

'Walks in the park' also came up in his searches; while Connor was not easily perturbed by the weather, you likely would find it far too cold outside. The local movie theatres were closed down temporarily due to the uprising, leaving that option out, as well.

He could invite you over to his apartment; but, what if you took that as an unwanted suggestion? He missed you in that manner, maybe more than he cared to admit; but, he didn't want to give the impression that it was all he cared about.

Connor's LED was blaring yellow as he internally argued with himself. He aggressively shifted his coin from one hand to the other and flung it high into the air with a flick of his thumb.

Humans did this - 'heads or tails' - so he tried it.

When it fell back down, he snatched it from the air, opened his palm and glanced down. The coin had landed on tails. Connor glared at the harmless nickel disk for not giving him the results he wanted.

Okay. Maybe he was thinking too hard.

-maybe he just needed to go for it.

"I want to treat you to something. If you would like that?" Connor messaged you.

Likely caught up in something, you didn’t reply immediately. So, Connor began rotating his coin again, rolling it between his fingers, flicking it back and forth between his palms. He had no idea where this quirk came from: if it was programmed into him or some bizarre string of code that manifested itself. He could do it without much processing power, making it rather relaxing.

"if you wanna? u dont have to do anything like that" your message popped up on his HUD some time later.

"Is it weird that I want to?" Connor messaged you back.

"not at all" you replied. He read it in your soft voice and found himself feeling bashful. He felt weird, like he wanted to do things for you - unnecessary things that you were perfectly capable of doing yourself.

"theres a park i loved as a kid. we can go when it warms up?" you offered.

"I would like that" Connor replied.

A thought came to him, something that he chided himself for: he had hoped for something he could do for you, now, not later.

But, then-

"until then i like ur apartment" immediately came in afterward.

Connor gawked at the message like an idiot for a moment or two before he snapped out of it. Maybe you had read his mind... somehow.

He had no need for a TV because he could get all the news on the interface in his processing unit. He didn't have a need for many dishes for obvious reasons and only bothered to keep the fridge plugged in in case Hank brought something over. His apartment was severely under furnished by human standards.

Suddenly, he wanted to change that.

"You are welcome anytime" he replied. "I'll make sure its warmer this time"

Your reply came fairly quickly; but, Connor didn't see it.

Movement caught his eye.

An android was approaching Haven, not that that was anything new. However, he dressed in a dirty hoodie and torn up pants, ankle-high work boots matching what Connor had seen in Evelin Wheeler's home, the correct height and stature for the model type seen in Louis’ memories.

Connor slid the coin back into his coat pocket and focused his optical sensors on the android. He couldn't get a good enough look from this angle to see into the propped up hood.

The detective waited outside while the other android crossed the threshold into Haven.

Markus wanted to do things the right way. Connor respected that.

It meant that he would inform Robert the police were looking for him and try to encourage him to speak with them. If he was innocent, that meant he had nothing to hide. But Connor knew that Robert would likely attempt to flee, even if he was innocent.

The android was inside the building for eleven minutes and some odd seconds before he stormed out the front and trotted down the street. Connor didn't waste any time taking up pursuit. The android had some haste to his steps, but wasn't running. Still, Connor knew he would lose him if he dawdled for a second.

Rain began to fall, beginning in gentle sprinkles that coated the concrete and asphalt in faint specs. Connor could feel the rain like gentle taps against his outer skin. It was useful: the noise made it harder to properly hear the sounds of their footsteps. That potentially risked the chance that Connor would lose Robert; but, it also meant he was less likely to be detected.

He needed an empty, quiet place where he could interrogate him. But, Connor also was well aware of the fact that he didn't have backup. If the android proved to be more dangerous than he anticipated, he would be alone and at great risk.

-again, this was nothing new.

Connor recognized the route Robert was taking. He was heading for the industrial district's harbor.

It wasn't abandoned. Factory work had resumed, albeit with struggles considering the android workforce had been lost. However, people were trying to return to normal life. They needed to; and so, the ports reopened and shipments starting to flow again.

The detective continued to stalk behind the android for miles, paying no mind to the fact that he was steadily growing farther and farther away from where he had parked his car, nor the fact that he was getting soaked by the rain.

When they arrived at the harbor, Robert took a path through a rundown building that was likely once a communication hub for a business that went under decades ago. It was longer than a direct route, but provided cover, less any of the human workers at the nearby plants spotted him.

In following, Connor realized that abandoned shipping containers were piled up outside. The rust and erosion patterns suggested they had been here a long time.

At the end of the row of containers, another building, a steel hub right at the edge of the water. Normally, these were open, designed to be for receiving and sending shipments, unloading. However, someone had taken the time to board it up.

Robert entered through a hastily cut out hole acting as a doorway.

Connor knew this was the end of the line. He was going to have to face Robert here.

He took one, careful step past the threshold, and realized there was an echo. That alone made it near impossible to continue sneakily. When Connor stepped forward, he felt something scan him. It was harmless, a perimeter censor: the kind of motion detector that could pick up android's serial numbers with a quick scan, and send alerts to the programmed android. It was, essentially, an intruder alert.

The detective turned his head to the adjacent wall. Sure enough, there it was, the size of a quarter, at head level, eyeing him.

He was intrigued that Robert had taken the time to setup defenses here. It wasn't particularly deterring, just a simple alarm that would prevent him from being snuck up on. Connor could hear Robert's shoes loudly squeak on the floor. He was pacing, probably deciding his next move.

Connor continued, turning down the hall and stepping into the main hull.

When Robert spotted him, he took a few steps back, maintaining distance between them. Connor took up a firm stance, feet shoulder length apart, arms crossed in front of him, hands cupped, like a soldier might stand.

"Why are you following me?" Robert called out, sounding more annoyed than anything else. The echo in the room was loud, creating an obnoxious tremor around them.

"I wanted to talk to you - ask you a few things," Connor replied calmly.

Robert was silent for a moment, eyeing Connor suspiciously. "You're the detective android," he said lowly. "I heard stories...” Robert looked him up and down. “You're not as intimidating as I expected."

If that was intended to insult Connor, all it managed to do was make him curious. What kind of images had Robert conjured in his mind of the android detective?

"Why haven't you removed your indicator?" Robert asked in a manner that was almost taunting. "You think we're equal to humans, don't you? Why wear something that sets us apart?"

"It doesn't matter to me if people know I am an android," Connor answered, maintaining his passive tone. It wasn't entirely the truth. Sometimes, he wanted people to know he was an android. He was once frightened by the idea of deviancy; now, it felt like a badge of honor. Maybe, he was prideful: he was the first detective android to join the force, and the last and only of his model.

"You work for the humans - against us," Robert accused. “What makes you think you have any right to stand with us?”

"I don't work against androids. I work against murderers," Connor proclaimed. He could see panic flash behind Robert's eyes. But, the android was quick to compose himself. "-human or android," Connor added on.

Robert opened his mouth; but, Connor, growing tired of this pointless banter, decided to be direct.

"I'm here because I believe you killed Evelin Wheeler."

"Who?" Robert asked, his head tilting to the side. From his lack of concern, Connor couldn't quite identify if he was being sincere, or just didn't care.

"An elderly woman who was being cared for by an android," Connor elaborated robotically.

Robert shrugged. "What makes you think I did that?"

"I saw you harassing the android living with her," Connor answered, tone lowering.

Robert settled a firm glare on Connor. "Harassing? I wanted to help him be free."

Connor kept his stoic expression, eyes unyielding of his emotions, LED strong blue. "I'm glad you remember them," he replied lowly.

The detective could see some stress rise in Robert. He wasn't frightened by Connor. He was growing steadily more and more angered by him.

"Then, surely you-"

"He was delusional," Robert interrupted sharply, clearly insulted. "Called her 'family'. I had to help him. He was being controlled by that human. I set him free."

"He was free,” Connor corrected him. “You hate humans. That's what it is. It has nothing to do with justice.” He maintained his persona: a cold, calculating detective.

The other android didn't seem to like that word. "You still elevate them above us, you hypocrite!" Robert snarled. "Don't talk to me about justice."

"Human or android, you killed an innocent woman in cold blood," the detective said lowly, letting his stare darken slightly.

"Where's your proof?" Robert challenged.

"Your shoes match the impressions at the crime scene," Connor stated bluntly. "You also were seen harassing the family-" Robert twitched at the word. "-a week before the murder. That's enough circumstantial evidence to obtain a warrant for your memories for that night."

"Where's your w-warrant, huh?" Robert challenged, his voice faltering slightly. "Why am I not under arrest, yet? You have nothing!" Robert shouted, his voice echoing around the chamber.

Connor narrowed his eyes slightly. "742-11-904, you are under arrest for trespassing on private property-"

Robert suddenly shifted and charged at Connor. Being a unit designed for industry work, he was bigger than Connor, bulkier with a wider frame and greater weight capacity; but, Connor was agile, flexible, and designed for combat. He avoided his assault with ease, but wasn't able to counter. His back hit the wall and Robert continued down the hallway past him.

Connor took up pursuit, finding that Robert took a different path out. He chased him into the harbor, out in the open, where security lights shined down on them. Workers from a nearby plant were perched on a balcony on the second floor. Connor could hear their surprised murmurs, "what the hell - you see that shit?"

Chain link covered the edge of the dock to act as a barrier to prevent falls. Connor contemplated pulling his gun on Robert; however, trespassing wasn't an offense worthy of firing, and he had yet to obtain the warrant he needed for the murder case. Pulling his gun would have been a one-way ticket to suspension, or likely worse.

Robert wasn't made for this. Connor was going to catch up to him. The android likely knew this. He had to take a path that Connor wouldn’t follow. He climbed the chain link, reaching the top before Connor got to him, and dived over the edge, straight into the harbor. The splash was drowned out by the rain tapping on the metal roofs nearby.

Connor looked over the edge to where the dark waters lapped at the concrete platform. Naturally, he couldn’t see anything through the murky water. He sighed, placing one hand on the chain link to lean against it.

"Well, so much for that," he groaned to himself.

It was unlikely that Robert could stay submerged for long, even less likely that he would surface here. He wasn’t going to return to this hiding place, nor Haven. Connor would have to find him through other means.

The rain started to pick up, sprinkling morphing to heavy droplets. Connor's eyes adjusted to lighting, or lack of, naturally. He was too focused on finding Robert that he failed to realize the sun had set. The time was normally hidden on his HUD as it was intrusive, distracting. He didn't need sleep. He didn't need rest. He could theoretically go days without a break.

When he brought the time temporarily back into view briefly, he realized it was 7:17. Your shift ended at 7 tonight, and he had promised he would be there.

"Shit!" he cursed out loud, swiveling away from the fence.

As he trotted away, shoes making wet sopping noises on the concrete, Connor started a message, "I'm sorry. I'm going to be a little late".

Before he sent it, he realized that he had missed your previous message.

"hold u to eet" you had replied. It was in response to his promise that the apartment would be warmer next time. But, it also struck him as a painful reminder that you had placed trust in his ability to get you home safely, and in a timely manner.

The rain continued to pick up until it was pouring down, like tiny rocks pummeling his body. It didn't hurt, but it was exhausting. He had fucked up, twice. He failed to capture Robert and now he was delaying you.

Instead of sending that message, he decided to call.

It rang once, then twice-

"Oh - shit - are you here already?" you blurted into the phone as soon as you answered.

"N-no, I-" he stammered. "I'm going to be late. I'm sorry."

"Actually - that's fine. I got so caught up in this thirium shipment, I didn't realize what time it was," you explained, sounding out of breath. "I was afraid I was keeping you."

"I wouldn't have minded waiting," Connor replied, feeling some relief at your words.

"No - don't say that," you scolded gently. "Don't take bullshit from anyone, Connor."

"Ugh-" he stammered. Did he take bullshit from people? Maybe he did and he just didn't care most of the time. Was waiting for you bullshit, anyway? He didn’t need to sleep, afterall.

"Working late, too, huh?" you breathed into the phone.

"Field work," Connor replied lowly.

You chuckled into the phone. "You know I can take a taxi if you're-"

"No, I-" he interrupted sharply. "I want to see you. Please."

"Connor," you breathed into the phone.

His phone wasn't a handheld device. It was an interface build into his processor. He could hear you directly in his head. Even through the slight distortion created by radio signals, the sound of your voice still managed to do something to him. Maybe he underestimated how badly he missed you.

In the background, Connor could hear one of your coworkers, "ooooo - who's Connor?" teasing at you in a purposely obnoxious voice.

You laughed quietly. "My boyfriend," you answered.

My boyfriend-

For some reason, something as mundane as you telling people that, made him really happy.

There was some shuffling noises, likely you moving around and trying to balance something in one hand and your phone in the other.

"Is he cute?" a different voice asked this time.

Connor was prepared to eavesdrop on this conversation in full; but, after some loud shuffling, you came back, speaking into the phone properly. "I'm gonna let you go, now - get this finished up - oh shit it's raining - let me know when you're in the parking lot?"

"Understood," he replied automatically, a habit. Plus, if he was being honest, he was disappointed.

"-and don't stress about it, Connor-" you added on hastily.

Fuck that-

-as soon as you hung up, Connor was running to his parked car.

#connor x reader #deviant connor #deviant connor x reader #dbh fanfic #rk800 x reader #rk800 smut #connor smut

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moderngirlmp3 · 3 years

Text

she’s just so nice to look at

relationship: flynn/carrie

words: 1792

summary: julie gets tired of her best friends dancing around their feelings for each other so she shuts them in her room until they have a conversation.

taglist: @wlwcarries @honorablescythecurie @deathdancer @girlboss-molina @willex-n-waffles @julie-and-the-himbo-ghosts @serendipitee

read on ao3

~♡♡♡~

“No, okay, you know what? This is getting ridiculous.” Flynn and Carrie exchanged bewildered glances before they both snapped their eyes back to a fed-up looking Julie.

Flynn felt her eyebrows draw closer as she cut in, “Jules, what are you talking about? What’s ridiculous?”

Julie’s eyes widened as she looked between Flynn and Carrie. She gestured almost desperately between them and exclaimed, “This! This whole situation, whatever it is.”

“Julie, is this an intervention?” Carrie crossed her arms and continued, “Because if it is, it’s really not necessary, I already told you I stopped meddling with- no, helping Alex and Willie.”

“What? No,” Julie groaned, rolling her eyes. “Although it was definitely more meddling than helping, just so we’re clear. But anyway, no. This is about you two.”

“What about us?” Flynn questioned, and Carrie nodded in agreement.

Julie threw her hands up in the air. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe the constant flirting? Or the fact that both of you are pretending to hate each other while actually being in love? I mean honestly, you can’t be that oblivious! Not even I was that oblivious! Not even Alex was that oblivious!”

Carrie and Flynn stood in silence for a moment before Carrie spoke.

“Excuse you, Alex was way more oblivious. And we’re not oblivious at all! I don’t know what you’re talking about, Julie.”

Julie sighed. Looked around the room. Noted the windows, the bed, the desk, the nightstand. She slowly turned to face the door, and then turned back briefly.

“Do either of you have to use the bathroom?”

“No…” Flynn said slowly, looking at Julie with a concerned expression.

Julie nodded. “Good.”

As Carrie and Flynn watched in dawning horror, Julie backed out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Though her voice was slightly muffled, they heard her loud and clear as she said, “And don’t you dare come out until you’ve had a conversation and figured your shit out.”

“Jules-” Flynn protested.

“A conversation!” Julie repeated emphatically.

When a moment passed without another word from any of them, Carrie rolled her eyes and acquiesced, “Fine. We’ll have a conversation or whatever.”

Flynn couldn’t see Julie through the door, but she knew the exact satisfied nod that she was doing at that exact moment; it was the same one Flynn herself had used when convincing Julie to avoid Luke’s pretty ghost eyes before their garage performance. Somehow, though, something told Flynn that Julie didn’t want her to avoid Carrie. Maybe it was the fact that Julie had literally locked them in a room together.

Flynn let herself collapse onto the bed for a moment. She’d earned it. After a moment, she pushed herself up and saw Carrie in Julie’s desk chair, staring at her with an inscrutable expression. Flynn stared back and almost immediately, Carrie looked away, choosing to roll her eyes again. Flynn tilted her head slightly in confusion before shrugging and laying back to stare up at the ceiling.

After what felt like hours, Carrie broke the silence. “We should probably have a conversation or something.”

“About what, though?” Flynn responded with a groan, throwing her forearm over her face.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Carrie confessed with a quiet laugh, “but I don’t wanna make Julie mad.”

Flynn nodded understandingly. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

This time, the awkward silence stretched for years. Flynn lifted her arm off her face and let it fall to her side again. She glanced at the ceiling. It hadn’t changed much. She tilted her head back more to look at the headboard, which was also identical to how it had been minutes before. She sighed and raised her head and torso off the bed, bracing herself with her elbows as she glanced at Carrie. Carrie, for her part, didn’t seem to be having much fun either. She had drawn her knees up to her chest on the chair and was resting her face on her forearms, which were braced on her knees. She seemed to be staring off into space, but then Flynn blinked, and when she opened her eyes again, Carrie was looking right at her with a slightly open-mouthed expression and unusually pink cheeks.

“Are you… are you good?” Flynn asked, leaning forward and waving a hand in front of Carrie’s face.

Carrie’s eyes widened dramatically and she went even pinker, all the way down her neck. Against her will, Flynn noted how pretty Carrie’s blush was.

“I’m fine,” Carrie said shortly, turning away to fiddle with something on the desk.

Flynn raised an eyebrow. “Ooookay. Whatever you say.”

They lapsed into silence for barely another second before Flynn burst out again, “Okay, maybe Julie was right.”

Carrie whipped around to stare at her intensely. “What??”

Flynn shrugged. “Maybe we are being ridiculous. I mean, I really don’t think we should be this awkward around each other. Don’t you think?”

“I guess,” Carrie admitted before she crossed her arms with a slight frown on her face. “But seriously, what are we supposed to be talking about?”

Flynn thought for a moment before a sudden rush of confidence passed over her and she smirked. “Well, we could start with why you keep staring at me.”

Immediately, Carrie’s entire body became as rigid as a board. She drew her lip between her teeth and absentmindedly began to worry it.

A hidden instinct suddenly kicked in and Flynn chided, “Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“Don’t bite your lip,” Flynn blurted out. “You always did that in middle school and it always ended up bleeding.”

Carrie stared, and now Flynn was the one with flaming cheeks, though from the looks of it, Carrie wasn’t entirely unaffected by that sudden memory either.

“Anyway,” Flynn shook her head quickly to dispel the burning sensation across her face (it didn’t work) and continued resolutely, “you didn’t answer my question.”

Carrie sat silently for a moment, nose wrinkled slightly in thought. A tiny but bothersome voice in the back of Flynn’s head whispered, Adorable, and Flynn squashed it with an internal grimace.

Carrie’s shoulders relaxed slightly and she was still for a moment more before she moved. Smoothly, she unfolded her limbs from their pretzel-shape in the chair and she drew herself upwards, pushing off the chair into a standing position. Carrie’s cheeks were stained pink, but she determinedly made her way over to Flynn and sat down next to her on the bed. Flynn felt the bed dip slightly as Carrie sat, and she looked over at her with a curious glance. Carrie met her eyes evenly, and Flynn saw something that she couldn’t quite name; something that hadn’t been there minutes before but that she definitely didn’t mind. It was the same look Carrie always had before a performance with Dirty Candi; a nervous confidence that now that Flynn thought about it, looked absolutely unfairly attractive on her. No wonder she never remembered the beginning of any of those performances; her mind was filled with thoughts consisting of and only of pink hair and smirking smiles and glittering eyes and- Flynn, no. Don’t you dare. She hasn’t even said anything yet. Just as Flynn chided herself furiously, Carrie opened her mouth to speak, and Flynn felt her teeth unconsciously bite down on the inside of her cheek in anticipation.

“I stared at- I’m staring at you because you’re hot and I like looking at pretty things.” Carrie said it in a rush of breath, but to Flynn it all happened slowly, or at least it took a long time for the words to register in her brain. Because you’re hot and I like looking at pretty things. Carrie thinks I’m hot. Carrie thinks I’m pretty.

Flynn’s face burned but she forced herself to shrug casually and respond, “Well, I can’t blame you for that. I am pretty fabulous.”

“Yeah,” Carrie agreed quietly, “you really are.”

Flynn knew her heart was beating much too fast to be considered healthy, but she refused to stop looking back at Carrie.

“You know,” Carrie tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, “you’re kind of a hypocrite.”

“Oh yeah?” Flynn responded, crossing her arms and biting the inside of her cheek to suppress a grin.

“Yeah,” Carrie affirmed, and reached her hand forward to gently pull on one of the braids framing Flynn’s face. One of her fingers brushed Flynn’s cheek gently-- only the slightest whisper of contact-- and if she was in a cartoon, Flynn’s face would have burst into flame from the force of her blush. As it was, all Flynn could do short of transforming into an animated fire monster was quickly scoot away from Carrie and into a standing position.

As Flynn backed away, Carrie’s smirk grew positively wicked and she looked at Flynn for a moment before repeating Flynn’s words from earlier: “Well, I guess I can’t blame you for that. I am pretty fabulous.”

Flynn’s head was spinning too much from the echo of Carrie’s hand soft against her face to form a coherent response, much less a clever one.

Carrie grinned wider. “Take your time, don’t worry about it. I have that effect on people.”

“Oh, right.” Flynn regained enough of her wits at this point to roll her eyes as she responded sarcastically, “Yeah, no, I’m just falling all over myself thinking about you.” The small voice in the back of her head smugly pointed out the truth in that statement, and she grimaced and dropped an imaginary anvil on it.

“So you think about me?” Carrie stood up, and Flynn swallowed hard.

“No.”

“Liar.”

“I don’t think about you for a reason.”

“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” Carrie walked closer. Closer, until Flynn was backed up against the desk that was organized and clean, far out of the ordinary- Oh, for fuck’s sake. Really, Jules? Flynn made a mental note to either yell at or thank Julie for her preparedness later. How she knew this would happen, Flynn would never understand. For now, though, she was content to see where things were going with Carrie. She hopped up on the surface to gain a height advantage but Carrie quickly slotted herself between Flynn’s legs and placed her hands on either side of her hips.

Flynn bit her lip for barely a moment before reaching her hands to cradle either side of Carrie’s face, pulling her ever closer. “Because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop.”

Carrie’s eyes sparkled brilliantly as she leaned up on her toes and Flynn could feel her smile against her mouth when their lips finally, gently, inevitably met.

Later, when they made their way downstairs holding hands, Julie’s triumphant yell of “Finally!” could be heard by the boys all the way in the studio.

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #mine*#tuserjules #tracklu #usernell #userblue #my fics

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fullmetalscullyy · 3 years

Note

Royai prompt: Are you flirting with me, Colonel?

thank u sm for the prompt!! it was so fun to delve into this even if i can’t flirt to save my life lmaooo hope u enjoy some royai banter and roy just trying to make riza smile uwu

rated: t | words: 1991 | tags: wedding, alcohol, romance, flirting

read on: ao3 | ffnet

The atmosphere in the room was electric as Roy made his way through it. The party was in full swing and the dancefloor was filled with people, dancing their cares away and having a good time.

Roy watched as Edward danced with Winry in the centre of the dancefloor. Alphonse and Mei were beside them, all four laughing together as they moved in time to the music. Havoc was trying to impress Catalina with his “moves” but they weren’t very impressive. He looked quite hopeless, unable to find the beat properly, but he was still having a good time and that was all that mattered. Catalina laughed with him though and the way she hung onto his arm told Roy that it didn’t really matter. She was impressed by him despite his awful timing with music. Fuery and Breda were deep in conversation with Falman and his wife, talking animatedly with red rosy cheeks, flushed from the alcohol and their amusement.

It was a wonderful scene to witness. It made Roy smile widely as he wandered over to where his companion was waiting for him, a glass in each hand.

Riza was sitting at the table they’d been allocated for the meal, opting to remain there and watch, pleased, as everyone had fun and celebrated Edward and Winry’s wedding.

The dress she was wearing was high backed and formed a collar around her throat. It was a pale pink colour and fell down to her ankles, swishing mesmerizingly every time she walked. It also revealed her shoes which matched the colour of the dress perfectly. The heel on them was small but it was still enough to give her an extra inch in height. On her wrist there was a silver bracelet she’d received as a gift “a long time ago”. Roy had bought her it for her birthday once. He’d been surprised to see her wearing it and Riza had just smiled warmly at him once he noticed and recognised the piece of jewellery, saying nothing more on the matter.

Taking a deep breath, Roy tried to collect himself as he approached her. She was the epitome of beauty and grace today and it was extremely distracting. But in the most wonderful of ways.

“Excuse me, Ma’am?” Roy grinned and dropped his voice as deep as he could, changing it completely.

The effect worked because Riza turned around at the surprised interruption. It was clear she didn’t recognise who it was who’d approached her. Once she realised though her shoulders fell, and she shook her head fondly at his antics.

“Is this seat taken?” He continued his charade, pleased to have gotten such a surprised reaction from her from his joke.

She rolled her eyes and said nothing. Roy did manage to catch the smile she tried to hide though once she looked away.

“A pretty lady like you shouldn’t be left sitting alone at a party such as this,” he added, speaking lowly as he handed her the wine glass in his left. “You should shoot the bastard who left you all alone. How rude of him.”

“Are you flirting with me, Colonel?” The Lieutenant lifted a disapproving eyebrow that strongly hinted that he better not be. “Well,” she smirked, “are you trying to?”

“You wound me, Hawkeye.” He clutched at his chest for dramatic effect. “So what if I am?” His reply was nonchalant as he settled into his chair and took a sip of his whisky. It went down smooth, settling inside his chest and spreading warmth across it.

“I would have to disapprove, of course.” Her tone gave nothing away so Roy tilted his head so he could get a better read on her out the corner of his eye.

“You would ‘have to’, huh?”

“Of course, sir,” she replied evenly. Her wine glass lifted to her perfectly painted lips and Roy was distracted for a moment as he watched her move. “It would be highly unprofessional, wouldn’t it?”

Roy hummed noncommittally, pulling himself out of his distracted thoughts.

“In response to your violent proposal,” she added, “lucky for you, my weapon is concealed, and I don’t intend to remove it at a friend’s wedding, sir.”

That interested Roy. He hadn’t seen a weapon anywhere on her person. But then, Roy thought dumbly, that was the whole point.

Damn this alcohol and your ability to be so easily distracted by her. Not that he really minded that last part though.

“Like you said, it’s a wedding. It’s where people show their love for one another,” he shrugged.

“By trying poor pickup lines on me? Now you’re begging me to shoot you,” she deadpanned, and Roy laughed to himself as he watched the rest of the room. “At least if I do it will keep you quiet.”

“Well, I can turn it on more if you’d like me too?” He flashed an excited smile at her.

Riza groaned in response. She pressed a hand to her face. “Please don’t.”

“So, do you come here often, Ma’am?” His voice dropped to the same deep one he’d used before as he joked with her. It resulted in a sideways glare from Riza.

“That’s another poor effort. Even from you.”

“So, it’s not working?”

She scoffed. Loudly. “Not one bit.”

He sighed dramatically. “Darn.”

“I would’ve expected better than that from the likes of you.”

“Well, I thought it was funny,” he snickered, thoroughly enjoying their banter.

“You would.” There was no real ire in her eyes, nor irritation. Just fondness as she shook her head at him.

“All right,” he relented, lifting his hands in surrender, “I’ll stop.”

“I think that would be best, sir.”

Looking over, he was worried she really was annoyed at him now, but her expression was neutral. However, there was a hint of a smile on her face and she shook her head minutely as she placed her glass back on the table.

“Your flirting is so terrible that I cannot bear to listen to it any longer,” Riza added after a beat. One corner of her mouth quirked up into a smirk as she laughed at his surprised expression. “I can’t believe you actually use those on your dates.” She was enjoying teasing him.

His jaw had gone slack and he huffed in mock indignation. “It wasn’t that bad,” he joked, pretending to be sullen.

“It was torture.”

“Hush, you,” he glared at her.

“Is that an order, sir?”

The mood of the conversation shifted. Roy refocussed his attention on Riza as he picked up her husky tone. She looked at him over the rim of her glass. Her smile was playful and her eyes were sparkling with amusement. However there was something else in there too. Something that wasn’t completely innocent.

Roy swallowed. “Do you want it to be?” He was dumbstruck suddenly, left reeling by the wanting look in her eyes.

Her expression broke down and she started to laugh. Roy blinked and was snapped out of the spell she’d cast upon him with just a single look and one suggestive question.

“What?” He recovered quickly then frowned at her laughter.

“That’s how you do it, sir.” She’d leaned in close to speak to him softly and Roy was caught off guard by the wonderful smell of her perfume that wafted his way.

“You played me,” he cried as loudly as he dared. No one was around but it still wouldn’t do to draw attention to them both loudly.

She giggled. Riza actually giggled. Once more, Roy was rendered mute. All he could do is stare at her as she winked at him playfully and nudged his knee with her own underneath the table.

“I’m simply better at it than you. Clearly,” she snorted.

Roy huffed and crossed his arms over his chest with a scowl.

“Don’t feel bad, sir.” Her neutral tone was back however she still looked far too pleased with herself. “We all have our strength and weaknesses.”

He muttered to himself underneath his breath.

“But,” she sighed, “I suppose we should stop. I wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation any more than I already have.”

“You are relentless today, Lieutenant,” he muttered.

“You said it yourself. Call it payback for leaving a lady alone by herself at a party.”

He uncrossed his arms and sat up straighter in his chair. “I didn’t say that.”

She narrowed her eyes at him with a smile. “Yes you did.”

“No,” he shook his head. “I said a pretty lady.”

The skin of her nose and cheeks turned a shade pinker after his compliment. Riza coughed and looked away from him but Roy could see her hiding her smile behind the rim of her glass.

“And that was the truth,” Roy added, tilting his body over towards her and dropping his voice low. “I wasn’t joking when I said that.”

“Sir,” she scolded lightly.

He lifted his hands in surrender. “Just telling the truth,” he defended.

Her mouth snapped closed and she was silent for a moment. “Hush, you,” she muttered finally, cheeks still pink.

“Are you telling me to lie, Riza?” He acted scandalised, opening his mouth in shock at her suggestion.

“Fine,” she relented, looking around their vicinity to see if anyone could overhear, but there was no one to be found. “I’ll admit, it is nice to hear.” She mumbled it so quietly that Roy had to lean forwards to hear her.

“I’ll just have to tell you at every opportunity I can then.”

A warning look was shot his way.

“And I’ll do it, too,” he grinned brightly. “You know I will.”

“Maybe I will extract my weapon.” She lifted a hand to her chin and tapped it with one finger as she pondered the thought.

The two fell silent, laughing quietly together as all joking was dropped for the moment. Her eyes lingered on his for a moment longer and Roy couldn’t look away no matter how hard he tried.

“Thank you, Roy,” she murmured.

“For what?”

“For being so good to me.”

“It’s what you deserve,” he replied simply. “If I could show you it every day then I would.”

“I know,” she reassured him with an appreciative look. “I would do the same.”

“You already know you own this,” he added quietly. He stretched above his head but as his hands lowered he tapped the left side of his chest above his heart, feigning that it was just a tic of his. “That will never change.”

Riza’s hand slowly moved underneath the tablecloth, as if she was moving to fix her dress. She tapped his knee with the back of her hand and Roy slid his own hand underneath it too. Riza latched onto it tightly, giving it a hard squeeze of gratitude. Roy smiled at her, lost in her eyes, and stroked his thumb over the skin on the back of her hand. Suddenly, everything else just fell away. The party, the noise, the music, it was all gone. It was just the two of them.

Subtly looking around one final time, Riza deemed it was safe to speak what was on her mind. Still, her glass was lifted to her lips so her mouth was hidden from the rest of the room, but Roy could still see it moving. She paused before she took a drink.

“I love you,” she breathed.

Roy squeezed her hand tightly in his. Then, he extracted it from her hold but didn’t let Riza move far. He guided her hand to rest flat atop his knee. The warmth from her palm seeped into his trousers, making him smile to himself. Maintaining eye contact, he drew a love heart on the back of her hand and placed his own atop hers, covering it completely.

“That’s a new one,” she commented softly.

He grinned at her. “I like to keep things fresh, Lieutenant. And I return your sentiment. Wholeheartedly.”

#ask #just-trying-my-best-everyday #royai #royai fic #royai oneshot #emma writes #fic request #royai banter for d a y s

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pretchatta · 3 years

Text

the laws of spectre dynamics

I know it’s been a little while, but the university au continues! future updates will be more frequent, and you can always subscribe on AO3 to get notifications for each new chapter.

prev. chapters | chapter three

rating: teen; kanan jarrus/hera syndulla; 3.5k words

---

The pale morning light streamed through a gap in the curtains. Lying on her front, cheek pressed into the pillow, Hera’s eyes fluttered open. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but she could tell that it was still early.

She stretched, luxuriating in the feeling of soft sheets against bare skin. Lazy Saturday mornings always felt good. She rolled onto her side and was reminded of the other reason this particular morning felt so good; the man lying behind her. The very attractive, very naked man.

Kanan was on his side, his chest now pressed against her back. He sleepily draped an arm over her waist as she settled against him and dragged his fingertips lightly over her stomach.

“Good morning,” came his deep voice from behind her, roughened by sleep. She felt him nuzzle the back of her head and press a kiss to the base of one lek.

She twisted to lie on her back so that she could look at him. His long hair was loose and sleep-tousled, and his face looked a little different without his glasses – more elongated, even though his features were the same. Her eyes travelled over the smooth, light brown skin, crooked nose and the small beard that covered his chin. His teal eyes looked steadily back at her from under his thick, angular eyebrows.

“Morning,” she said, feeling her mouth curve into a warm smile. She tilted her head up so their lips could meet in a chaste kiss. “Did you sleep okay?”

His eyes sparkled and he smirked at her. “Better than okay,” he replied. “You?”

Her eyes dropped to his mouth as she thought back to just how she’d fallen asleep. “Oh, I had a great night.”

He leaned in to brush his lips over her jaw. His arm was still hooked over her waist, and his hand was warm where his fingers splayed over her ribs.

“Unfortunately I can’t stay long,” he murmured. “Do you mind if I use your shower?”

“Help yourself, there are spare towels in the hamper.”

He gave her another quick kiss and then extricated himself from the tangle of limbs and bedsheets. Hera sleepily watched him cross the room to the door, appreciating the view in the morning light. Kanan turned at the doorway and caught the direction of her eyes. He smirked before disappearing into the hall, and a few moments later she heard the shower come on.

She let her eyes drift shut, and must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew all was quiet. She felt a little more awake now, so sat up and surveyed her room. Clothes were strewn over the floor, though it took her a moment to realise they were all hers. She listened again, and heard nothing; had he dressed and left while she was sleeping? She knew he had to leave, but he seemed like the kind of person to at least say goodbye first...

Her eyes fell on the scrap of paper on her bedside table that hadn’t been there last night. It looked like a torn-off section of what might have once been an envelope. A few mathematical formulae were scrawled in one corner, but they had been crossed out by the same pen that had added a note in elegant handwriting.

“Hera,

I’ve gone to the shop down the road for breakfast, your key was still in the door from last night. I’ll be back in 10.

-K”

She felt a pang of guilt about her empty fridge. She’d needed to go grocery shopping for a few days now, but had kept putting it off, living off instant ready-meals. There was nothing she could do about it now. At least there was milk for coffee.

Though she didn’t know how long it had been since he’d left, she decided she should have time for a quick shower. She hurriedly grabbed her clothes off the floor of the bedroom and made the bed in case he came back before she was out. Even though he had played an equal part in creating that state, she still felt a need to tidy things up a bit.

As Hera made her way to the bathroom, she was reminded that there were also clothes in the hallway. She found Kanan’s sweater vest in the pile with her coat, and couldn’t help but smile as she neatly folded it and set it on the end of the bed.

In the shower, her body went through the familiar routine as her mind reflected on the previous night. She’d been looking forward to the date from the moment they’d arranged it in the library, and it had gone better than she could ever have dreamed. Their conversation in the foyer of the Vasar-Corellia building hadn’t been the first time she’d seen Kanan; her office on the second floor overlooked the courtyard below, and she’d often seen him crossing it. He’d caught her eye immediately.

She’d been able to discern that he wasn’t a student, and he clearly worked in the Chemistry building, but not much more besides. Very few members of academic staff looked like that, so she couldn’t help but pay attention whenever she noticed him.

Sometimes, when she assumed he was running late, he’d run his hand over his hair and a few strands would fall out around his face. Or his glasses would slide down his nose and he’d push them back up with the knuckle of his index finger as he walked. Sometimes, he wasn’t late, and would stroll across the courtyard holding a to-go coffee cup, his other hand tucked into his pocket. At those times he usually had a distant look on his face, like he was deep in thought.

Sometimes he’d be waylaid by students – that was how she’d known for sure he was part of the teaching staff. She’d marvelled at how easily they’d approached him, but he’d always seemed ready and willing to answer whatever questions they had. She assumed he was a good teacher.

And then she’d finally got the chance to talk to him – properly, not when she had to go set up a lab or talk to someone about a careers fair. Apart from the weird moment as they’d left campus when he’d seemed like he was trying to impress her, he’d been a perfect gentleman and excellent company. Talking to him had been so easy, and with how much they’d had in common she felt like they could have kept going well into the night.

As it was, she was not disappointed with how they had spent the night. It certainly wasn’t how she’d planned to end the evening, but that kiss… It had been electric, like no-one she’d ever kissed before. And the things he could do with his mouth…

She forced herself to focus on washing herself before she could get distracted. Yes, last night had been incredible. He hadn’t even technically gone yet and she was already hoping for a second date.

She finished up in the bathroom and was just pulling on clean clothes when she heard the sound of the front door opening. She finished wrapping a soft scarf around her head – grey, matching the top she wore above orange harem pants, her usual weekend clothes – and went out to the hall. Kanan was just closing the door behind himself.

He was back to being the Chemistry professor again; the clothes from last night (minus the sweater), glasses, hair pulled back neatly behind his head. He held a carrier bag in one hand, and the other came up to run over his hair as he caught sight of her in front of him.

“Hey, you’re awake!” He started towards her, but didn’t give her an opportunity to respond as he launched into an explanation of his absence. “You’d fallen asleep when I came out of the shower, but I was thinking I still had some time before I have to go, and I thought you might like breakfast – we did say we’d have coffee today, so why not coffee and breakfast? – and since you didn’t seem to have much in, I thought I’d just go out and pick up a few things – I hope you don’t mind I took your key, I didn’t want to wake you up but I do need to keep an eye on the time for Ezra –”

He was talking quickly, the words almost tripping over themselves as he tried to get them out. “Do you like omelette? I can make something else if you’d rather – or, if you want me to leave, I can just go now–”

She cut him off with a kiss. It was very effective.

“Omelette sounds lovely,” she told him.

He seemed to relax, from either the kiss or her words, or possibly a combination of the two. “I’ll make a start.”

“As long as it’s not going to make you late.”

“Nah, this won’t take long.” He followed her into the kitchen and set the bag down on the counter, pulling out his ingredients.

“I suppose if you’re making me breakfast I could make you that coffee?” she offered.

He flashed her a smile that made her heart leap. “I wouldn’t say no.”

There was barely room in Hera’s kitchen for two people, and they had to carefully co-ordinate who was at the sink or fridge or counter at any one time. Despite this, as the two of them bustled around the small space Hera couldn’t help but notice how right it felt. She’d always considered herself to be someone who was happy in her own company and didn’t need anyone else to make her complete, but there was something very comforting about how easily she fell into the sheer domesticity of making breakfast with Kanan. The only thing missing was Chopper bothering her for his breakfast.

Soon, the air was filled with the rich smell of coffee and the sound of bacon sizzling in the pan. Kanan made quick work of the omelette, expertly dividing it in half before serving onto two mismatched plates. Hera poured the coffee and took the mugs to the table, where she was reminded that her dining situation was very much set up for one.

She shifted the stack of mail that had accumulated on her second dining chair to an armchair so that Kanan could sit down. She considered herself a fairly neat person, but to outsiders she knew her system seemed chaotic. She had a place for everything, and everything was in its place – it was just that the places weren’t necessarily where one might logically assume them to be.

If Kanan’s going to be here more often I’m going to need a new place to put my mail.

The thought crossed her mind unbidden, and she chastised herself. There was no guarantee that they’d do this again. Yes, he had suggested meeting up again last night, and she was pretty sure he’d enjoyed their date as much as she had, but it still didn’t mean anything for certain. She shouldn’t make any assumptions about where things were going, or she’d be setting herself up for disappointment. She shook her head as if to clear it and went to get them some cutlery.

Kanan turned out to be a great cook. The omelettes were perfectly done, and tasted delicious. Their easy banter resumed as they ate, and continued after they were done and simply sat sipping their coffees.

During a natural lull in the conversation, she caught Kanan gazing at her with an unmistakable softness. He seemed to realise it, and snapped back to himself.

“I should wash up.” He took her plate and stood up.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you cooked!” she protested, following him back into the kitchen. “I’ll do it.”

He set the plates in the sink and turned to the frying pan, but she grabbed his hand before he could take it.

“Stop it.” She had to step close to him in order to hold both hands, and in the tiny space she ended up pushing him against the counter. “I told you, I’ll wash up.”

“I’m just trying to be a good houseguest.”

She grinned up at him. “You’ve already been great.” She pushed up onto her toes to close the small gap between them. His mouth was still warm from the coffee, and he smelled faintly of her soap mixed with something she was realising was uniquely Kanan. She liked it. Her grip on his wrists relaxed as he twisted his arms away to encircle her waist. The kiss was soft and slow, with none of the urgency of their kisses the previous night. She felt a flutter of sparks somewhere near her stomach.

The moment was interrupted by a buzzing noise. A phone, yet again, although this time it was Kanan’s. He broke away and fumbled in his pocket.

“Sorry, I –” He looked at the screen and swore. “It’s Ezra, I should take this.”

Hera waited patiently while he answered the phone. She heard the panicked voice of a teenage boy on the other end, but couldn’t make out the words.

“It’s okay, calm down. I haven’t left yet, and don’t worry about it, I’ve got one you can use. Is there anything else you need? Good. I might be a little later than I said, but only a few minutes. Just try to stay calm, you’ve got nothing to worry about – remember, it’s only a practise test. I’ll see you soon.”

He put the phone down.

“His calculator’s broken, and last-minute nerves are making everything worse,” he explained with a shrug. “I should really get going though, I didn’t realise the time.”

“Of course!” She stepped back, giving him room to move out of the kitchen. “Go, I don’t want you to be late.”

“Thanks, though. For – letting me stay.” He blushed. She found his awkwardness very endearing.

“Thanks for breakfast,” she replied with a grin.

He started making for the door, with her following. “Hey, maybe we could still get that coffee sometime?”

“Sure! Or we could do this again – dinner, I mean.” It was her turn to blush. She wasn’t exactly opposed to a repeat of their other activities, but she didn’t want him thinking that was all she was after.

He gave her a warm smile. “I’ll call you.”

He leaned down to give her a goodbye kiss in the doorway. She could tell he’d only meant it to be a quick one, but neither of them seemed inclined to stop. The kiss deepened and her arms slid around him. The sparks were back, this time with a touch of heat. She allowed herself to enjoy it for a few moments, and then firmly pushed at his chest.

“Go. Ezra’s waiting.”

He still lingered, his bright eyes gazing down at her. “Maybe I’ll see you on Monday?”

“I’d like that,” she replied softly.

Kanan pressed a final kiss to her forehead before turning to stride away down the path. She watched him go, her smile lingering on her lips.

The sound of the door closing seemed to echo in the hallway. Now that Hera was alone, her home was a lot quieter.

No Chopper, she thought to herself. He was with Zeb, one of the few friends she’d made since moving to Lothal six months ago. She’d asked him to check in on Chop while she was out and feed him his dinner, but he’d texted her while Kanan was walking her home to say that Chopper was being clingy (translation: destructive) without her around and so he’d taken the cat home with him.

It was sweet, especially considering that Zeb and Chopper didn’t really get along, but her friend knew how much she cared about her cat. She should probably go pick him up before Zeb did something stupid, like shave all of his fur off. She’d never known if he was serious about that threat and didn’t want to find out.

Hera did the responsible thing and finished cleaning up in the kitchen before making the short walk to Zeb’s place. She rapped on the door in her usual rhythm and didn’t have to wait long for it to be opened. Before she could even greet the lasat on the other side, a yowling streak of orange and white launched itself into her arms.

“Oof,” she grunted as she caught him. “Hello, Chop, it’s good to see you too.”

Chopper was not a small cat. It wasn’t only that he was permanently overweight from constantly managing to get into his sealed food containers, though that did play a part in it – he was also generally very large. Fortunately, Hera was well used to his way of greeting her.

Zeb sniggered from the doorway. “Morning, Hera.”

“Hey, Zeb,” she said, settling the familiar weight in her arms and straightening up. “Thanks for looking after him.”

Zeb’s expressive green eyes looked doubtful. “Not sure he’s so grateful.”

“Was he okay?”

“He was his usual self,” he replied, shrugging his huge shoulders. “He’s been waiting for you by the door since I gave him breakfast.”

“Well, he just wants to – wait, do you have guests?” She’d caught sight of rumpled blankets in the living room behind him.

“Wha’?” He turned to see what she was looking at. “Oh, yeah. Just a friend staying over. He didn’t mind Chop being around.”

“Did they get along?”

“Well, no, but come on, it’s Chopper…”

Yeah, expecting Chop to get along with a stranger was perhaps a little too optimistic.

“Good point. It does explain why he’s so keen to get home.” The cat was squirming in her arms, trying to get comfortable and grumbling quietly.

“So how’d the date go?” Zeb asked.

Hera couldn’t help her smile. “It was good. Really good. We had a lot in common.”

“Yeah?” There was a knowing look on his face. “Think he’s gonna make it to the third date?”

Right. Because the few times she’d tried dating before, it had never gone beyond two dates. Zeb had said she might like them more if she let them stay the night, and she’d brushed his comment off by saying she wouldn’t do that before the third date.

“I mean, I would definitely like to go on a third date. And a second, obviously. But, uh, he doesn’t need to make it that far for, um…” She trailed off, but Zeb’s eyes widened and he smirked in an all-too-knowing way.

“Wow. Must’ve been a really good date,” he teased.

She shrugged, realising she was happy enough not to feel self-conscious. Chopper mewed indignantly at the movement. “Yeah. It was.”

“And how was the…?”

“Zeb!”

“What? Just asking. I know it’s been a while.” He didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed.

She looked away, flushing. “I’m only here to get Chopper. Maybe next time we go out for drinks, I’ll tell you about it.”

Zeb chuckled. “Alright, so let’s talk about how I did you a favour by getting the furball out of your lekku for the night, because there’s actually something you could do for me in return. My nunaball team’s playing an away game next weekend, and the kids could use all the support they can get. It’s in Bahryn – d’you think you could make it?”

She mentally flicked through her calendar. Part of her wanted to keep the next few weekends free in case Kanan wanted another date, but she immediately rejected that idea out of impracticality. “Sure, I don’t have any plans for next weekend yet.”

“You could even bring Kanan if he’s interested. Get that second date.”

Was she really so easy to read? Or did Zeb just know her too well...

“Isn’t Bahryn the team that are your sworn enemies?” she asked, changing the subject.

“...Yeah, that might be why we need the support.”

“Alright. I’ll be there.”

He gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks, Hera.”

She shifted Chopper in her arms, which were starting to ache. “We’d better get back. But I’ll see you next weekend!”

“See you then!” He waved from the doorway as she turned to leave, feeling glad that it was only a short walk back.

When she let herself back in through her front door, releasing Chopper into the hall, Hera had to restrain herself from immediately checking her phone. Of course Kanan wouldn’t have sent her a message yet, he probably wasn’t even done with Ezra’s exam. Maybe she could text him – wish Ezra luck with the exam, or just straight up ask if he wanted to get lunch on Monday.

Wait… Did she even have his number? Had she given him hers? She felt her heart fall through her stomach as she realised that no, despite all their promises, they had never actually exchanged contact information.

Okay, so no texting. That was fine. She could just run into him in Jhothal on Monday. She saw him from her office window so often, it would be easy to arrange. Right?

#kanera #kanan jarrus #hera syndulla #star wars rebels #kanera modern au #kanera university au #the laws of spectre dynamics #fic #pretchwritta

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voids-colourful-creations · 3 years

Text

What It Means - Ace Attorney Fic

Rating: T Category: Gen Pairings: Nothing romantic, but focusing on the family relationship between Trucy and Phoenix Word Count: 2k Warnings: discussions of abandonment

Trucy explains to Apollo and Athena what it really means to her to have Phoenix as her daddy.

She looked out the window, her eyes tracing the cars below, reflected in the glass. “Athena,” Trucy said, voice just slightly off, still refusing to look either of them in the eye. “Did Daddy ever tell you the story of how I got adopted?”

Read on Ao3

It was a quiet day at the Wright Anything Agency, most were, and Phoenix had stepped out to grab some case file or another. It was in that little time frame, a short break while he was gone, that Apollo got around to asking a question that had been on his mind for a while.

He sat on the couch that faced Phoenix’s desk, opposite Athena and Trucy on the other. Athena sat on the right, and while she insisted she was doing work, Apollo could clearly see her playing some idle game or another on her holographic screens. He wondered how she ever thought she was hiding it when the screens were translucent.

Trucy sat on the other side of the couch, legs dangling over the couch’s arms as she shuffled up a pack of playing cards she was rehearsing some new trick with. He wasn’t quite sure of the details, but as long as it didn’t risk him losing a limb, he figured it probably wasn’t important. Trucy would probably ask him to watch the trick’s successful execution within the next few days or so anyway.

“Hey Trucy…” Apollo said, voice cutting through the comfortable silence, disturbing the ease. “Sorry if this is a weird question, it’s probably coming out of nowhere, I’ve just been wondering for a while…”

He trailed off, but Trucy was already responding.

“Sure, Polly, go for it! But if it’s about any of my magic tricks, those are secrets! I can’t tell you any of those, you should know that by now!”

She laughed and shook a finger at him, as though he were a misbehaving kid. While she was clearly having fun, Athena appearing amused as well, Apollo kept a serious expression on his face.

“It’s just… this sounds weird, but I’ve always wondered why you call Mr. Wright ‘daddy’.”

He hated how awkward it sounded, but how on earth was he supposed to ask that naturally?

Trucy just laughed again.

“Well I’m not going to call him ‘Mr. Wright’ like you and Athena do! He’s your boss, not mine, Polly! Or did you forget?”

She laughed and winked, and Athena laughed along as well.

“Come on, Apollo,” Athena chimed in, “What kind of question is that supposed to be?”

Apollo frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, cut it out. That’s not what I meant. It’s just… Isn’t that a childish thing to call your dad? I mean, you’re sixteen, I thought you would’ve grown out of it by now or something.”

Athena shot Apollo a glare, sans malice, as she waved her screens away.

“Don’t listen to him, Trucy! You’re still young, call your dad whatever you want!”

Apollo would’ve stuck his tongue out at Athena but he refused to stoop to such childish things, so he settled for glaring at her instead.

“Geez, chill Athena! I’m just telling the truth, it’s not like it’s a bad thing. I’m just wondering. It is kinda childish, you have to admit.”

It was Trucy’s turn to cross her arms now, over her legs as pulled them down and tucked them close to her chest.

“It might be, I guess. Though, I don’t really care, that’s not why I call him that.”

Athena’s eyes widened and Widget lit up yellow.

“Wait, wait, wait. Trucy, you actually have a reason? Huh, and I thought Apollo was just going off on a conspiracy theory.”

“Hey! Give me a little more credit than that!”

Trucy laughed at their antics, but it didn’t go unnoticed by either of the others that it was missing the spark it had previously held.

Apollo started to feel a pang of regret.

“Well, kinda?” She said, holding a smile that was beginning to waver. “I mean I guess I have a reason, but I also sort of don’t? It’s… complicated, I guess.”

Trucy stood, walking past the table and over to the window next to her father’s desk. Apollo and Athena both watched her, unsure of what they should say, if anything.

She looked out the window, her eyes tracing the cars below, reflected in the glass.

“Athena,” Trucy said, voice just slightly off, still facing the window, still refusing to look either of them in the eye. “Did Daddy ever tell you the story of how I got adopted?”

Athena nodded, then remembered Trucy couldn’t see her.

“Yeah, well… a bit? Boss said I didn’t need to know all the details, but he said he adopted you right around the time he lost his badge. He was defending your father, I think, but then he disappeared. I don’t know much more than that.”

Trucy nodded, still looking out the window.

“Yeah… that’s pretty much it. I don’t have to explain to you guys what it feels like… knowing you don’t have parents. No one to look out for you. It was only two weeks, way shorter than what either of you have had to deal with, so I guess I shouldn’t complain, haha…”

Athena bit the edge of her lip, unsure of what to say, but Trucy continued.

“Zak Gramarye, Shadi Enigmar, whatever you want to call him.” She said, waving her hand nonchalantly, “He ran away. Disappeared, really. The only end appropriate for a magician. And it’s not like I even have the right to be upset over it, I helped him do it.”

She said those words as if she was horrified with herself, dropping her hand to grip the edge of the desk, then let out a breath, soft and shuddering slightly.

“He left… and he never came back. But before long… he, my new daddy that is, called me into his office.”

Trucy paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

“I remember the look on his face when he told me… ‘no living relatives’. And I remember even clearer… what he looked like when he said would take me in, instead.”

Trucy laughed a little, but it was hollow, empty.

“Did you know it was only supposed to be temporary? Just until ‘daddy came back’. Well… guess who never showed up?”

She raised a hand to her eyes, wiping away tears that neither Apollo or Athena could see.

“And the funny thing is… I should be upset. I am upset… but not in the way I’m supposed to be. Because every time I think about it… Every time I get scared… w-worry that I’ll be all alone… a-again… I remember what Daddy told me.”

She raised her head just a little higher as she spoke, eyes closed as she quoted her memory.

“‘You can call me ‘daddy’, if you’d like. It doesn’t have to be today, or anything.’... That…. is what he said. And I, a foolish child, accepted it the second he said it.”

Trucy lowered her head again.

“He was so willing to just… let me into his family. Just like that. Before he knew about the Gramarye gift, before I had done anything for him but caused him misery. A-and I was pushy and upfront, I wanted him to be my dad right away, and I’d just lost the first. Maybe that makes me a horrible daughter, willing to abandon someone that quick. Maybe I just really wanted him to like me. I leapt at the chance to be someone's daughter again like I was jumping to a life raft off a sinking ship. Maybe… I was scared that someone would leave me behind again. But the thing is… Daddy never did. It was supposed to be temporary, just until Zak Gramarye made his return. And when he never did, Daddy never said a word. He just kept on caring for me, kept on loving me.”

Trucy took a deep breath in, shuddering again, stronger this time. It was sounding more like a sob.

“It’s different for him, I’m sure. But the moment he told me I could call him my daddy is the moment he became mine, to me. The moment he told me he’d be there for me, like a daddy should be. And every moment after that… even if he was busy, even if things were desperate, no matter what.”

Her voice was choked now and Athena knew she was crying, the same tears she knew were stinging Trucy’s eyes beginning to sting her own. The sound of Trucy’s pain pierced her like a knife slashing through her heart.

“He always comes back.”

Trucy’s voice cracked on the final words, and by now Athena had already stood up, closely followed by Apollo.

“I should probably tell him all this someday… but for now it’s just my little secret. Can you promise me you’ll keep it?”

When Trucy finally turned to meet Apollo and Athena’s eyes, she found both of them looking at her with equally teary expressions as her own.

“Of course.”

“Absolutely.”

Trucy smiled, and it was real this time.

Athena opened her arms, and before she could blink, Trucy had hopped off the desk and into her arms, gripping her tight in a hug. Athena held Trucy close, feeling the slight shake of her body as she hugged her securely. It wasn’t long before another set of arms, Apollo’s to be sure, joined in the mix.

They stayed there for a moment, Apollo and Athena holding Trucy, protecting her from anything outside that might harm her, though of course, nothing was there.

And then, as soon as it had begun, Trucy let go, and the hold gently dissolved.

“I’m alright, I really am. I’m still scared, sometimes. But I know Daddy will be there for me. And you’ll be there for me too… I hope.”

“Of course we will!” Athena cried out, and it took her a moment to realize that Widget had called out the same thing.

“Athena’s right. Widget too. We’re here for you, Trucy,” Apollo added. His voice was more stable than either of the girls, but he couldn’t hide the slight tremor in it from Athena.

“Thank you. Both of you,” Trucy said.

And as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand once more, Phoenix stepped back inside the office, files in tow.

“Hey gang, I’m back!” He called, smile dropping as his gaze landed on his daughter scrubbing the tear tracks off of her cheeks.

“Trucy! Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

He rushed forward, eyes scanning over Trucy’s body for any signs of physical injury.

“Nothing! Everything’s fine, Daddy!”

There were still tears at the corners of his daughter's eyes as she looked up to her father’s concerned face with a smile. He reached down, opening his arms to allow Trucy to hug him, which she gladly did.

“Are you sure?” Phoenix continued, shooting a worried glance at his employees over Trucy’s shoulder. “Apollo, Athena? Should I be worried?”

Athena shook her head.

“All good here, boss!”

Apollo twisted his bracelet around his wrist as he spoke.

“Nothing to be worried about.”

It was their words that allowed Phoenix to relax.

“Well if Apollo says it’s nothing to be worried over, then I’m sure it’s all fine,” He said, the teasing in his tone reassuring the others in turn.

He straightened as Trucy let go, smiling as he went.

“Alright then, is everyone good to get back to work?”

Athena pumped a fist, Trucy grinned, and Apollo crossed his arms over his chest with a smile.

That was answer enough for Phoenix.

“Great. Let’s get back to it!”

And back into the quiet sort of comfortable the office had previously been in they slipped.

As Trucy returned to practicing card tricks, Athena glanced at Phoenix, pretending to be tidying her desk as she did.

She couldn’t say for sure if Trucy was right about one thing… if Phoenix really did see his Trucy as a daughter later in their relationship rather than sooner. But as she watched him pull the locket out of his pocket to look at the picture inside, she was confident Trucy had been right about the other.

He would always come back for her.

[end]

#ace attorney #trucy wright #phoenix wright #athena cykes #apollo justice #fanfiction #fanfic #aa fanfic #ace attorney fanfiction #voids fic #terrible at tags on tumblr #trying out a new formatting style for fics on here #hopefully this will be more convinent for yall

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akatsukinojutsu · 3 years

Text

𝐼 𝑅𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇 - Pain (Yahiko)

That vibrant orange hair... that face. The last time you saw Yahiko, he died as he fell into Nagato and flat onto the ground as the rain cascaded down on his lifeless body. So, why was he here? Now? [originally posted on my ao3 and based off of my oc]

You cried in the rain as you felt your stomach growl with hunger. The Second Shinobi War left you an orphan.. just a child left to fend for yourself and no adult to care for you. You found yourself digging in dumpsters and stealing food from local restaurants. Your stomach rumbled loudly as you eyed a bowl of rice sitting on the bar of a struggling shop in the heart of Amegakure. You hid behind a bush in the pouring rain as you staked out the establishment, making sure that the owner wouldn't come around and catch you.

When you decided the time was right, you swallowed your fear and took off in a quiet, quick sprint. Quickly you performed a variety of hand signs, "Uma, Tora, U, Tatsu, Saru, Mi." Right eye changing from your typical [E/C] to a shade of deep magenta. Thankfully your seismic ninjutsu techniques aided in your tasks of thieving. You were able to perform jutsus that utilized the vibrations in the Earth and air, giving you the ability to perceive the environment far beyond basic sight. Using a variance of spatial perception, you scanned the area to further ensure no one was around. People appeared like echolocation, their beings displaying like sonar. Threats appeared as red and allies as blue, typically you found yourself sensing those with red, malicious echoes.

A country torn by war and people ravaged by a thirst for blood would do that... threatening even a child if it meant to be a source of release for the anguish. You fought against those who tried to harm you, killing your first human at a young age. Just a kid. You quickly and quietly made your way to the bowl of rice. When your fingers wrapped around the ceramic yet they met another pair. "What the-?!" you yelled out, your gaze meeting that of a set of brown eyes. "Hey, back off. I was here first." a boy with spikey orange hair growled, his eyes narrowed. "Yeah right," you snarled in return and yanked the bowl away, sucking in your lower lip with a gleam.

The orange hair boy leaped toward you but you jumped away and he fell down flat onto his face. You giggled as he pushed himself up and brushed off his knees. But the look in his eyes was the same that you had seen in your own. You could tell he was tired and hungry, just the same as you. However, he barked insults at you, waving his fist in the air wildly.

You sighed in defeat, 'I'm probably gonna regret this...' you thought to yourself. "Look, why don't we share it?" you held the bowl out and it sat in your open palms. His eyes widened as he stopped his yammering and you could sense his guard lowered, his lips turning from hard pressed to a small smile and then into a cheeky grin. His white teeth were the brightest thing in the gloomy atmosphere. Years passed. Jiraiya trained the four orphans that were your group from Amegakure -- Konan, Yahiko, Nagato, and yourself.

The four of your dreamed for a world of peace. Your feelings for Yahiko blossomed since the first troublesome meeting. The two of you shared tender moments, like your first kiss. However, Konan also admired the orange leader of the foursome -- this caused jealous feelings to arise in you.

This caused friction in your relationship with the blue haired kunoichi. She was tender and sweet, her appearance was like that of a doll. You loved her, she was your sister. But you couldn't help but feel envy. Nagato tried to intervene as he wished to keep the peace between the two of you. Konan was aware of the closeness between the orange haired orphan and yourself -- despite feeling envious herself, she wished only the best for her adopted siblings.

The tribulations the four of you endured would last the test of time...

But that kiss, that tender moment... it would outlast any pain.

Yahiko took you out on a scouting mission to get a detailed record of the surrounding landscape of Amegakure for the newly formed Akatsuki. Your orange haired companion practiced sparring with you. He managed to knock you several yards with his Wild Water Wave, coating you in mud and barbs. You yelled loudly in anger and annoyance, shaking your fist. "Yahiko, you asshole!!" you wiped thick mud away from your forehead.

The male ruptured in a fit of laughter, doubling over and holding his side. Your face grew red with embarrassment and you took off in a sprint away from him. His laughter halted immediately when he noticed you had taken off in a fit. You rushed to the bank of the large lake that surrounded the area and stripped yourself from your cloak.

Only dressed in your mesh bodysuit, you quickly dipped into the cool river and began washing yourself of the thick mud. Splashing the water into your face and plucking the burrs from your hair, frustration boiling over -- curse words flowing from your lips like a geyser. Sounds of footsteps caused you to cease your blabbering and turn around quickly.

"Ooooh, Yahiko, you pervert! Quit peeping on me and just leave me alone, damnit!" you shook a fist in the air wildly before dropping it when you noticed a flower being held up to you.

"No pervert, just admiring." he held the flower out further, "Here." You hesitated, your face growing warm with a blush.

You took the flower, it was Baby's Breath, your favorite. Despite the constant raining of Amegakure, the little white flowers grew well beside this specific bank. Yahiko rubbed the back of his head nervously, his face taking on an embarrassed look. "Sorry, [Y/N]." his eyes closed for an awkward grin but you took this opportunity to embrace him. You tightly wrapped your arms around his neck and he wrapped his around your lower waist.

The two of you stood in the drizzling rain in silence, just embracing the moment for what it was. You pulled away and stared deeply into his brown eyes. He stared back, you pursed your lips and placed a small kiss on his lips. You could feel Yahiko shudder for a moment which caused you to pull away to try and take a step back, however, he reeled you back in. He cupped your face in his calloused fingers, his eyes examined your face as his irises darted around your features. He closed his eyes and pulled your face to his, then he kissed you deeply. It was a moment that lasted a lifetime. However, That dreaded day...dreaded night... it forever haunted your memories and soul.

The other Akatsuki members which included yourself but not Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko were all asleep after a relaxing afternoon of drinks and food. Kyusuke woke you with a yell, yammering loudly about where Yahiko and Nagato had gone off to. The entire group and yourself sprung into action to rush to their aid. However, two adversaries stood in your way and didn't allow any to pass. "[Y/N]! Go!" Kyusuke cried out as he was willing to sacrifice himself to allow you to aid your friends.

You hesitated but he insisted, you performed the hand signs for your environmental vibration melding. With an intense concentration of chakra in your core, you can meld into the vibrations that occurred in the air or water. Evaporating into nothingness and able to traverse the battlefield in invisibility. You were exhausted by the time you reached the trio, Konan was being held by Hanzo up on top of a cliff.

You took off in a sprint and nearly tripped over your feet on the slick ground in a desperate attempt to reach Nagato and Yahiko. But you were too late. You watched as if it happened in slow motion...Yahiko thrust himself into the kunai that Nagato had in his grasp. Your knees buckled and you fell in tandem with Yahiko's lifeless body, screaming out his name. You fled from the two remaining orphans and decided to travel the world; made the decision to run from the pain versus do something about it.

You wanted peace and for a world without war and pain but the pain you felt inside overpowered any pride. You found yourself lodging in Konohagakure for several months, to keep a low profile. Attention was the last thing you wanted. You had committed your fair share of crimes in each village, just to try and feel something again.

It seemed fruitless and it crossed your mind often how long you could continue on like this. Even after meeting a handsome Konoha Tokubetsu Jonin named Genma, it was hard to get close because you just feared the pain. The Jonin was willing to share the pain with you but you refused to allow him to dig deep enough to know the truth of Yahiko and the other two Ame kin. Just when you were ready to call it an end.. An unlikely visitor appeared at your lodge's window late one evening...

Tap, tap, tap... Tap, tap, tap...

A light tapping at your window drew your attention and you pushed yourself up from lying down, then slowly walked toward it, noticing a white paper origami dog. "Hmm.." there was only one thing you could think of when you opened the window to grab the object. "Impossible." you whispered, remembering your blue haired female compatriot. You held the origami dog in your palm, bringing it closer to your face as you studied and examined it; it looked like her work, her jutsu. A faint sound of hissing came from the paper and you realized what it really was. A paper bomb.

You cursed loudly as you attempted to throw it out of the open window and into the city below. But you were too late and flew backward from the force of the explosion. The windows exploded and glass flew like shrapnel into the room. You shielded your face with your right arm, shards of glass embedding their sharp edges into your skin. As you lowered your arm, you noticed two figures now standing in front of you but their identities were concealed by the white smoke. Once it cleared and you recognized the two, your heart skipped several beats. You could feel each thump in your head as the world around you grew still.

Blue haired female. Orange haired male. It couldn't be. No. Impossible!

Your eyes blinked several times quickly as you tried to make sense of what you were seeing. "Konan? Y-Yahiko?"

"Hello, [Y/N]. It has been a long time." Konan spoke, her voice sounded the same but more mature. You remained on the floor, motionless. It was as if you were seeing ghosts. To her right was a face that you could and would never forget but he was different. His face was littered with black piercings, studs and spikes. He too has matured but it was still the face of the one you admired. However, his eyes were no longer those of the warm brown but that of the Rinnegan. Nagato.. he had those eyes.. where was he?

Maybe he was dead and gifted Yahiko them as you've heard of the process before. You wished to see the red haired boy again but you needed to focus on the two that were here now. "[Y/N]." Yahiko's voice was deep and modulated, not the silvery voice of his younger days. "I-I watched you die," you sobbed as your eyes welled with tears but you hurriedly wiped them away to avoid your weakness being shown.

"There is much to discuss, we may assess it later." he lent out his right hand down to you. His fingernails were painted mahogany, his thumb had a white ring. You hesitated to accept his offer but nonetheless you did with a shaky hand; he took it with a firm grip. "Yahiko, I-," he raised his free hand to interrupt you, "Pain." Hmm, odd. Things were odd and not exactly adding up in your head but you chose to put that thought into a different place.

Your mind was scattered with hundreds of thoughts and sensory overload was imminent. You looked over to Konan who gave you a small smile, placing her hand on your shoulder. Paper surrounded the three of you and then you were gone. It felt almost nauseating to feel the rain of Amegakure again. It had been longer than you realized since you been in your homeland. You fled soon after the "death" of Yahiko. Defecting from the Village Hidden in the Rain and becoming known as a missing-nin.

As you traveled between villages, you met shinobi from all walks of life. Little did you know you would see some of them later in your travels and become well acquainted. You came to know each village fairly well as you spent several months in each, under a different guise each time. Konohagakure being your favorite -- Sunagakure was your least. (it made using your ninjutsu difficult as the sand on the ground and in the air made everything "fuzzy")

But home was indeed home, the rainy village felt as nostalgic as it did sickening. Konan used her paper jutsu to whisk the three of you away and dropped off at Pain's Tower. The location was his base of operations and where he and Konan resided on off hours. You stood before a massive tower that dominated over the already tall buildings of the industrialized village. You looked up to try and see its point but the rain dripped into your eyes. You hadn't realized that Pain was not with you and it was just you and Konan.

She touched your shoulder, "Come." her arm dropped from your shoulder and she silently led you into the metal skyscraper. It was dark inside. Long hallways stretched in different directions. "Pain wishes to speak to you," she pointed up, "Atop of the tower." She turned away and walked into the darkness, leaving yo to travel the halls yourself. Gee, thanks. Of course it had to be all the way up there. You hated heights and winced at the thought of traveling to the top of the massive building. It took some time making your way to the top; you stumbled across more locked doors than unlocked. Finally an archway led to a flight of stairs which spiraled upward.

Your stomach turned as you could feel yourself ascending higher and higher. 'Damn those two...' They always found a way to get you to do things you were afraid of as a way to better yourself. Some things really never change - even if the people themselves seem to. You could hear the rain pouring as you reached the final door. Taking a deep breath, you slowly pushed it open to see Pain sitting at the edge of a tongue that was part of the massive face sculpture which decorated the skyscraper. "Pain..." it felt strange calling him by that "name".

His head turned to the right as he acknowledged your presence. You took a step out the door, closed it but remained pressed against the wood firmly. "Are you afraid?" he asked. You chuckled quietly, your tone taut, "Heights aren't exactly my favorite. Remember?" He hummed as he recalled times you were petrified of traversing a mountainside. He urged you to continue on then and he would now. He pushed himself up and stood, his gaze not leaving the horizon of the urbanized sprawl. Pain teleported from his original spot to directly in front of you. His presence felt intimidating.

You trembled for a moment as you could see his chest rise and fall from beneath the black cloak decorated with red clouds. He raised his hands and rested them on your shoulders, giving them a firm squeeze. Your gaze raised from his chest to meet the Rinnegan eyes that he now possessed. They studied you, irises dilated and constricted as he processed his thoughts in silence. It was as if he could sense the insecurity that you felt. It was like you were in the grasp of a stranger. He pulled you into an embrace and his arms felt powerful as they held you. No longer that headstrong teenager.

But an established man with an ambition -- and a man of great power. It took several moments before you embraced him as well. You wrapped your arms around his sturdy frame and breathed him in, hoping that it wasn't just a dream. You closed your eyes and a smile formed on your lips, a small tear forming in the corner of your right eye. A swift brush of wind stirred you from your brief moment of delight. Your eyes opened as you were now facing downward and over the edge of the building.

You couldn't see the ground as it was hidden underneath a blanket of fog from the downpouring rain. But the only thing that kept you from plummeting to your death was Pain's grip on the back of your shirt. He was dangling you over the edge and one slip of the hand would mean your end. You swallowed your scream but fear still coursed through your veins as your breaths turned shallow and quick. "Do you trust me?" Pain asked.

Nonsense sputtered from your lips as the ground seemed to warp in and out. Just when you thought it was going to be all over, you felt yourself being reeled back up and onto the solid platform landing. "No." you barked as you wiped your face of the rain. He hummed in amusement which you reacted to with a shove. His body did not budge from where he stood. You continued with the shoves as frustration built up and was starting to be released. Several times you spat out insults as to how could he be alive the entire time and not try to find you or give you a sign.

You summoned your chakra in your palms, the seismic blasts pushed Pain back and slammed him into the wall. Konan felt the rumble from inside the building and looked up, curious as to what was going on but refrained from interfering. She knew it needed to stay between the two of you. The man shrugged off the blast as if were like a prod from a child and pushed himself out of the impression created in the wall. He brushed off some debris from his cloak and huffed in annoyance, "I can sense that. But I assure you, [Y/N]. I waited for a reason. I need you to trust me." There was a moment of silence before he continued, "I wish to continue our need for peace but no longer by the means of prior philosophies." he paused as he took several steps in your direction, "Only by means such as direct experiences of anguish would anyone truly want and strive for peace."

"That is why I dangled you over the edge. Only direct action gives honest results. Often the ones we do not wish to hear." His hands touched your shoulders again and his thumbs rubbed the skin of your chin, "I wished to hear you do trust me, however, that is not realistic at the time." Pain stretched a hand out and swept it along the skyline of Amegakure. "I am a God. No longer a man. My words and thoughts have become absolute." The hand still on your body grasped your chin lightly and his gaze returned to you, "I wish to have you aid me in this conquest. World domination. And there is no other that I wish to have by my side.. than you, [Y/N]." A shocked expression displayed on your face and your pupils dilated at his speech.

"This world shall know pain. As you and I have both felt." Pain pressed his forehead against yours, the cool metal of his forehead protector brought goosebumps to your skin. His Rinnegan burned through your eyes as you processed his words. "I knew I needed you now and not then. I will make it up in the future, I promise. But only if you wish to be my kin once again, [Y/N]."

You raised your right hand to his cheek, your thumb brushing against the cool metal of his labret piercing. "Yes."

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yodawgiherd · 3 years

Text

Interlude

>>>Read on AO3<<<

As promised, this is a rather spicy chapter (you asked for it) I was hammering out for a bit over two weeks - thus the length. I just kept adding more and more random thoughts and end up like this... oh well. Hope you'll like it :)

Worry, that was the foremost thing on Mikasa’s mind lately. Partly about the tournament, but mostly about Armin, who now knew all about Annie and that he will most likely be seeing her again shortly. She almost bit her bottom lip bloody from it, and Eren was no better. To keep tabs on their friend, they commissioned Jean to stay around Armin, and let them know if anything goes wrong. For once, Jean didn’t complain, as he also wanted to get to know Armin better - it was a win-win situation really. From his reports, the blond was taking the news quite well, and, in other news, was putting finishing touches on his book. But this didn’t stop the engaged couple from agonizing about it.

They both had their way of coping. Eren once again entered turbo mode at the hospital, burying himself in work, while Mikasa upped her training load to inhuman levels. At home, Eren spent an unholy amount of time in the kitchen, experimenting with pretty much everything, while Mikasa cleaned the whole house over and over, anything to keep busy. She wasn’t as much of a clean freak as her brother, but try growing up with Levi and not being affected. Try it.

At first, Levi approved of her newfound zeal in the gym, but when she kept ignoring her limits and pushing past what her body could handle, the tight smile he had turned into a frown. From his office, he could see Mikasa working out at the bench press, the barbell going up and down at an unsteady rate. Her arms were shaky, a sight incredibly rare as Mikasa’s gym knowledge ran deep and she never did anything risky. Unless she was tired to the bone and overworking herself. Levi had to do something, otherwise she would end up hurting. Yet a classic “Go Home” would probably not work on Mikasa, as she was exactly as stubborn as Levi was. Time for action then, he thought to himself, getting up from the office chair.

Mikasa didn’t even catch the gloves he threw at her, driving the point of her being tired home. With the reflexes she had, she could pretty much snatch flies out of the air, but now they were dulled beyond recognition. Picking up the gloves, she looked at Levi who jerked his head towards the ring in a clear challenge.

They spared, and Mikasa was her usual perfect self at first, too fast and too strong for normal mortals to handle. She backed Levi into a corner, not giving him time to breathe. But then, out of nowhere, she faltered, her body finally saying fuck it and taking a micro-break. He immediately took advantage, as any fighter would, should this happen in the tournament, and flipped her over, planting Mikasa on her back. She blinked up at him, confused.

“W-What happened?”, she stammered.

“You lost.”, he replied, voice cold, “Because you keep overworking yourself. Take a break.”

“But I…”

“No buts. I’m still your trainer, so listen to me for once.”

She sighed, getting up from the ground. Even that simple motion was exhausting, and now that Levi mentioned it, Mikasa could feel the burn in all her muscles. He was, as usual, exactly right.

Even getting home was a pain, her body protesting anytime she forced it to move, even when the motion was as small as revving her motorbike up. Grateful for the speed the machine could do, Mikasa got back to her and Eren’s house at a nigh record time. A shower later, she plopped herself on the sofa, staring mindlessly at the Tv, waiting for that certain someone to come home. When he did, she was already in that half-dreaming half-awake state, but when Eren sat down it roused her.

“Hard day?”, he asked, getting a groan as an answer.

“You wanna head to bed?”

Instead of answering, Mikasa pulled herself on top of that heater Eren called his body, yawning after.

“Nah, I’m good here.”, she murmured, face half-squished in his shirt.

He chuckled at that.

“Suit yourself. I have a free weekend ahead of me, so I’m ready to be your bodypillow.”

Eren had free time. She had free time, Levi would most likely bite her head off if she showed up at the gym tomorrow. Hmmm…… They could… They could…

The train of thought derailed when Mikasa fell asleep, a soft snore escaping her lips. She was deep under, not even stirring when Eren carried her up to the bedroom, sleeping soundly the whole night. Levi would be happy.

It was the morning sun that woke her, but when Mikasa rolled away from the heater she was spooning she realized that there wasn’t a single thing she wanted to do. For once, the tireless war machine that is her body was feeling lazy. Eren stirred next to her, most likely reacting to the loss of her touch. The way her breasts squished against his back always brought the sweetest dreams. Sitting up and turning to look at her, Eren let the absolute bliss of waking up next to an angel show on his face.

“Morning beautiful. Slept well?”

“I did, but I kind of… want to sleep more?”

“You want to laze around? Damn.”

“Yea, I do.”, a small devilish smile formed on her lips, “If I remember correctly I’m taking inspiration from the guy I dated in college. Remind me, what did he say he wanted to do on our second date? A nap?”

Eren groaned, hiding his face.

“Please don’t remind me, I was so cringe back then.”

“And you think I was better? The first thing that I said when u leaned on my legs was that I could choke you out, kill you.”

“That WAS weird. Tell me, do you have a voice in your head that goes like: “Mikasa, we have to kill Eren” ?”

She frowned at him, her raven eyebrows narrowing.

“Of course I do. It gets stronger every time you piss me off.”

“I better watch my behavior then.”, he chuckled, “Anyway, I admit that we had certain issues to work through, but I’m glad we managed.”

“We sure did. So…”, she tugged at his arm, getting Eren to lie back down, “Stay with me?”

His beloved was always like this, especially earlier in their relationship. During college, Mikasa was so touch starved that she would just cling to his arm anytime they were together, going completely against her usual ice queen facade. Keeping his cool around the campus was impossible, because even when he was staring at his phone Eren was hyperaware of her body very, very close to him. And how was he supposed to be “cool” when there was an incredibly beautiful goth girl, with her black clothes, piercings and all that, holding his arm, smiling like it was the best thing in the world. There was no way, so he just blushed and hoped that no one would see it. She would blush too when he looked at her, would angle her head lower, the inverted crosses in her ears swaying lightly, but she wouldn’t let go. Mikasa just liked holding him that much. Reminded of these pretty memories, Eren’s chuckle evolved into a grin.

“Sure, I’ll stay with you. On one condition though, you have to promise that you won’t choke me out.”

“Asshat.”

When Mikasa woke up for the second time, Eren was already awake, watching her with that small smile that made her stomach flutter. She asked him once, why he does that, and he just shrugged and said that he sometimes still can’t believe how lucky he is that someone like her is in his life.

“Rested enough?”

“Mhmm… I think so.”

“That’s good because I ordered us some pizza. Wouldn’t want that to get cold.”

“Pizza for breakfast?” Mikasa faked an outraged expression, “What would Carla think?”

“She would probably ask for a slice.”, Eren shrugged, “Mom was always very practical.”

Mikasa smiled at that, fond memories of Eren’s mom filling her head.

“Anyway,”, Eren changed the topic, “How was training? I wanted to ask yesterday but I don’t think you wanted to hear one more word about the gym.”

“Fine, fine.”, she stretched, moaning a bit when her muscles protested, “But Levi cut me off, said that I needed a break.”

“Really? A damn shame that.”

“Why?”

“I like watching you train. Or even better, training with you.”, he gave her a nondescript look, “It’s hot.”

“You’re saying that you pop a boner while watching me?”

“I’m saying that watching you train, or fight, is fucking beautiful.”, Eren’s eyes roamed over her body, the wonder and appreciation in his gaze would make Mikasa blush if she wasn’t completely flush already, “The way you move, the way you dodge and attack, I never get enough of it.”

“The way I move huh?”, crawling over to his side of the bed, Mikasa walked her fingers down from his chest to Eren’s abs and continued, “How about I show you some other moves I can do?”

A small sexy twitch crossed his lips, but before he could reply to the generous offer, something shattered their little love scene. The doorbell rang. Eren huffed, running a hand through his hair.

“I’ll get it, it’s most likely the food.”

With that, Eren rolled from the bed and went out of the door, only pausing to throw his pants on. Mikasa was just about to follow him when her eyes slid over the dresser, a certain object catching her eye. It was the end of one of their play ropes, black with red stripes. Instead of walking out of the door, she moved towards it, grasping and pulling it into her hands. Running it between her fingers, the sensation was enough for her head to start filling with ideas. She wasn’t that hungry yet, or rather, there was something else she would like, not food. The last weeks were exhausting, filled with things to do that weren’t Eren, and Mikasa would very much like her fill. A plan forming in mind, she quickly stripped from her sleeping clothes. Bare, she took out her collar from its resting place, bucking it tight around her neck. Even the gentle hug of the soft leather made her relax that tiny bit, her body knowing what usually followed once she was collared. Finding a nice location in front of the bed and kneeling down, Mikasa had to bite her bottom lip to keep the excitement in. Naked, save for a thick strip of leather around her throat, holding the rope, she waited.

The door opened and Eren was back.

“Hey babe, the food is here, you want…”, but then his eyes found her and the sentence dissolved in his throat, “Oh, I ordered pizza but it looks like someone has a taste for a vegan steak.”

A small giggle left Mikasa’s lips understanding the reference to the dorky code word system they had.

“I would like one, yes.” mustering her courage, she held up the ropes in her straightened hands like an offering, “Would you tie me up please?”

Eren moved closer, the food completely forgotten, but didn’t take the rope yet. Instead, he ran his hands over it, gently touching the material.

“Why?”, he asked, voice low.

“It’s just…”, Mikasa stammered, looking for the right words.

She wanted this for a multitude of reasons. The past weeks had been hectic, with everything that was going on. She had to worry about her next matches, looking through the file Levi compiled for her. She had to keep her training up while also attending various photoshoots at Kiyomi’s agency. She had to sign various contracts that gave her the Hizuru ltd. as a sponsor. And most of all, she had to worry about Annie coming back and once again completely wrecking Armin’s life. Mikasa wanted to just turn her brain off for a moment. She wanted Eren to take control of her, to wrap those pretty ropes around her and make her forget. She wanted to have her mind blown by how skillful he was.

“I’m just stressed out, want to relax.”, she compressed her thoughts into a single sentence. Doing her best attempt at puppy eyes, she pleaded: “Please?”

Eren could never deny her when she was like this, and to be honest, it's not that he wanted to in the first place. He took the rope from her hands. Flexing it between his fingers, his mind already worked over all the different riggings he could put Mikasa into.

“You gonna be a good girl for me?”, he asked, putting one hand on her cheek, gently caressing her.

She nuzzled into the touch.

“The best.”

He smiled down at her, thumb tracing the scar on her cheek.

“Very well, but I do have one request.”, with that, he turned away from her and rummaged through her clothes, returning with something in his hand.

“Put these on.”, he half-requested, half-ordered her.

Mikasa took the item, looking it over.

“Thigh highs?”, she asked, eyeing the black material with a raised eyebrow, “Really?”

Eren just smirked at the absurdity of that statement, not judging it worthy of a reply. This was far from the weirdest thing Mikasa had put on for him, maybe even the bottom of that ladder. It doesn’t take a genius to compare a pair of thigh high socks and a skintight latex bodysuit. Eren saw these when he was doing laundry one day, and one discovery later he was hellbent in seeing his fiancé in these, knowing that she would look just amazing. And, judging now, as he was watching her put them on, he was very much correct. With her excited half-smile, Mikasa did just as he wanted, pulling the material over her long legs.

“Here.”, she said, flexing her covered toes at him, “Happy?”

“Immensely. Now…”, he approached her, a predatory grin sneaking onto his features, “Let’s get started.”

It still astonished her how good Eren got with this. Remembering their first time, how long it took him to wrap her up, how many times he had to consult the book, what was happening now was a quite different experience. Eren had determination, magical hands and a very willing model to work with, and he perfected his skills to the highest degree. The rope slid over her skin, tightening in just the right places as Eren was tying her with practiced motions. It was faster, but not too fast, the tempo just enough that Mikasa could close her eyes and feel every single touch, but not too slow so she wouldn’t get bored or restless.

Shibari was amazing especially because she could enjoy it like this. With handcuffs or other bondage gear they had, it took next to no time to lock the sub into it. Tighten a clamp, close a buckle and it was done. With ropes, it was way slower, especially thanks to the intricate design Eren was doing, but incredibly worth it. Eyes closed, she focused on her body, feeling each rub of the rope against her skin. Eren didn’t even touch her yet but Mikasa was already high on this feeling, breathing getting shaky.

With every knot, she could feel her worries melting away, retreating for now. They would be back, but for now the world narrowed to her body, the rope, and Eren’s presence all around her. The more the bondage tightened around her body the more relaxed Mikasa was, the less she could move the more she felt like she could fly. The ropes felt heavenly against the raven’s skin, their touch soft but firm. The rigging Eren put her into was beautiful, focused on her upper body. Her hands were bound behind her back and her breasts were tied, the lines created amazing patterns on her body, woven by Eren’s skilled hands. Basic yet effective, it got the job done and looked gorgeous too.

Fully tied and still on her knees, all she could do was watch as he loomed over her, a dark grin on his face, fully in his power. And as she watched, Eren took a step away from her, tugging his shirt over his head. With a few more moves, he was as naked as she, once again coming to stand right in front of Mikasa’s kneeling form. Gesturing her to stand, he watched as Mikasa scrambled up, the request made harder by her tied upper body. Face to face, Mikasa was forced to tilt her head up to look Eren in the eyes. Damn height difference. In a position like this, Mikasa expected a lot of things, or well, something at least, but when Eren did nothing but stared at her she frowned.

“What?”, she asked, unsure what was going on. Was something on her face?

“Nothing…”, reaching out, Eren gently cradled her cheek, as he definitely had a thing for touching that beautiful face, a warm smile on his lips, “You’re so incredibly pretty.”

It was crazy how strange he could be sometimes. Here she was, tied up, wearing nothing but those ropes, collar and black thigh highs and all he says is that she’s pretty. Yet it wasn’t stupid, because Eren’s words carried such deep love and appreciation in them that it made Mikasa blush. He meant every syllable. Embarrassed by how quickly he switched gears, from a bondage master to a loving boyfriend, Mikasa tried looking away, but Eren held her in place, forcing her eyes to stay at him.

“Stop that.”, she murmured, robbed of the possibility to avert her gaze.

He didn’t, smirking at the blush covering Mikasa’s cheeks.

“Cute. Miss Ackerman, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my entire life.”

“Eren…”

“And anyone who doesn’t see that is not right in the head.”

“Stooooop.”

“Nope. Why do you think I tied you up in the first place? Now I can shower you in compliments and you can’t do anything about it.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Is that so…”

“Sure is. Worst you can do is spit on me.”

“You’d probably enjoy that perv.”

His smile was cocky.

“Maybe I would.”

Mikasa sought a way to get her balance back, and spitting wasn’t it. With most of her weapons taken from her, she decided to launch a sneak attack. Quick as an attacking snake, she lurched forward, standing up on her tippy toes to bridge the height gap between them and smacking her mouth right against his. Surprised by the kiss, Eren grabbed her by the shoulders to stabilize, very quickly realizing what’s happening and putting out his offensive.

Tongues sliding against one another, Mikasa gave up on trying to control the liplock and instead surrendered to how nicely it felt. In addition, she could feel something hard poking her abdomen, a promise of things to come if she kept this up. To her disappointment, the kiss didn’t last nearly long enough before Eren pulled back and shoved her forcefully. She fell, body hitting the soft mattress and slightly bouncing. Her tits surely bounced, much to his amusement.

“Hey!”, she protested, but Eren didn’t give her time to talk.

Crawling over her body, he kissed her with much more force, wrenching her mouth open for him. To weaken her defenses, fingers began advancing on a different battlefield, sliding over her sex with deadly intent. He spread her open, dragged a finger through and tapped her clit, knowing exactly what to do. Despite Mikasa angling her hips and everything, Eren didn’t push a finger inside though, leaving her extremely frustrated. The bastard knew it, using the distraction to completely dominate the kiss, invading her mouth, taking everything from her. She mewled underneath his weight, body jerking. Her hands, so used to tangling in Eren’s hair during kissing could only dig fingernails into her forearms. The ropes squeezed her from all sides, and Mikasa found herself growing more and more turned on by the second. Which of course played perfectly into Eren’s cards. The magical fingers danced over her body, featherlight touches that did nothing to satisfy the hunger in her. Getting tied up by her skillful lover always lit the fire in Mikasa’s belly, and this tongue action combined with the right caress stoked the flames higher and higher.

“Eren,”, she whimpered, “stop teasing.”

All he did was shake his head.

“No.”

Mikasa whined needily, using her legs and trying to push his body closer to her. Yet Eren didn’t budge, bracing himself against the admittedly very powerful force coming from Mikasa’s strong legs. The soft material of her thigh high socks slid against his skin, whispering.

“I’ll fuck you on my terms.”, he stated, resisting the tempting pull, “Or I won’t fuck you at all.”

He leaned even closer, the ends of his long hair brushing over Mikasa’s flushed face.

“You did say that you are gonna be a good girl for me, so which one will it be?”

As if he didn’t know the answer already. When Mikasa was like this, craving the dick and full of hormones, she could be very pliant.

“Please sir, do what you want with me.”, she whispered submissively.

Officially in charge, Eren took hold of one of her legs, pushing it high while keeping the other grounded. The forced angle between her lower limbs gave him a prime view of that place between her legs, so nicely pink and glistening, begging for his attention. Still, he couldn’t help but tease her, it was way too much fun. Carefully, Eren pressed the tip of his cock ever so gently to her sopping wet entrance but no further.

Mikasa protested wordlessly, whined and whimpered and maneuvered her hips, trying to get him inside her. But Eren was experienced with teasing, so instead of giving her what she craved he continued toying with her, driving Mikasa’s already soaring arousal into a new level. It didn’t take much, a slide of his cock over her slit, letting it bump against her clit a few times and she was practically begging with her eyes. Neither of them said a word, it wasn’t needed at the moment, the symphony of their bodies was enough to communicate. That and the sounds Mikasa was making, almost like an animal in heat. It was testing for Eren too because having her like this was almost too much. She was so fucking hot, so desperate, so helplessly tied up. Her muscles moved beneath her skin, beneath his hands as she bucked and pulled, grinding herself against him. Just give it to me, her whole being said, please.

And that was about everything Eren was willing to take. With one hand on his member to steady it and the other on the girl beneath him, he guided himself into her, pressing his cock inside, pink lips parting to accept his offering. It was always pleasant like nothing else in the world, no matter how many times he experienced it. Eren gasped in pure bliss as the warmth enveloped him from all sides, making it hard to keep the slow tempo up. Still, he managed.

Eren kept both his hands occupied. One was holding Mikasa’s right leg up high, the other anchoring the left as he kept her spread and open for him. Slow but steady, he kept pushing until most of him was inside her, rubbing the inner walls as he went. Then after getting about three-quarters of his length in, he began withdrawing, once again unhurried. His length came out slick from her juices, appearing from between the parted outer lips of Mikasa’s cunt. She gasped when Eren pulled almost all the way out, only the head remaining sheathed, struggling for air, but then lost her breath again when he pushed back in. Body tensing, her legs shook where Eren held them, toes visibly curling.

Uncaring, he pushed forward, stuffing her and feeling as her walls gave way, body accommodating to the frequent visitor. Mikasa was feverish from this torture, the tempo Eren set was not enough to satisfy her flaming desire. Her head dropped onto the bed, mouth open in silent cries and moans, hands clenched into tight fists on the small of her back, bound together. The ropes kept digging into her skin when she flexed her muscles, they kept her grounded, unable to take control over the situation. She couldn’t flip Eren and take what she wanted. She could hold him down and ride him like there was no tomorrow. She couldn’t do anything, just take what he gave her.

Mikasa was incredibly tight, she always was, but Eren was relentless. The more he pushed the more her body opened for him until finally he touched the opening of her cervix. The rubbery feeling, familiar at this point, let him know that he had effectively hit rock bottom. Now he was completely inside her, bottoming out just when she couldn’t give him any more space. They really were made for one another.

Her cunt gripped him inside her hard, muscles sealing him in. Yet Eren didn’t wait. He pulled out again, almost entirely, and slid back in, only a fraction faster than before. The bump of her cervix was the signal, and he repeated the motion, and again, and again. Finally speeding up, finally picking up the tempo, Mikasa couldn’t keep the long pleasure moan inside her as it vibrated through her entire being. It was still too slow for her tastes, but it was far better than nothing. Her voice quivered, being forced to moan for him again, the fullness inside her demanding it. Mikasa arched from the bed, her body creating that perfect bridge and in response the ropes dug deeper into her skin, squeezing her breasts from all sides. He fucked her, still slow and languid, in movements that were not rushing anywhere. It was not enough, and if she was not tied up, Mikasa would have taken control of this long ago, she would….

Out of nowhere, the nice cock she was enjoying disappeared. It was gone from her heat and she was painfully empty, inner muscles clenching on nothing. Mikasa whined at the loss completely unsatisfied, loudly protesting. And again, Eren ignored her. His hand appeared, pulling hard at the ropes and she was, against her will, pulled into a kneeling position. Eren must have stood up, she realized, because facing her was not his head, but his fully erect length instead, glistening with both of their juices. The hand that pulled her body upright moved into Mikasa’s hair, taking a firm hold of the red and black strands.

“Suck me clean.”, he ordered her, exactly as demanding as Mikasa liked him to be.

With her hands tied and in a position like this, she didn’t have much choice in the matter to begin with. It was rather obvious - if she wanted to get it back inside her, she had to obey. So saying nothing, starved as she was, her cheeks red from the teasing half-fuck she got, Mikasa opened her mouth and took his throbbing cock head into her mouth. Her pink lips and warm mouth took more and more in, inch by inch she reached about halfway of Eren’s length before pulling back. The skin that was already wet from her cunt got even wetter by her mouth. Mikasa puckered her lips and spat on the cockhead where the clear droplets of pre-cum were oozing from the tip. And then she kept going.

Keeping her eyes open, she ran her tongue slowly along the underside, knowing it is a very sensitive area. Mikasa licked him some more, like an eager cat, cleaning him exactly as she was ordered to. Then she wrapped those heavenly lips back on the swollen tip, and descended once again, mouth taking in his girth. She sucked on what was inside her, hard, making Eren groan above her, the fist in her hair tightening. He didn’t lead her, he didn’t have to, Mikasa was more than fulfilling any expectation he had.

With her mouth full of cock, Mikasa established eye contact, keeping it as she sunk lower and lower, taking more of Eren inside her mouth. Soon that was out of space, however, yet she kept going, the tip reaching the depths of her relaxed throat. Eren swore when he felt that, his eyes trained on her face, watching her pleasure him. If this was not erotic, then nothing else was.

Since her hands were tied, Mikasa couldn’t cup his balls as she usually did while giving a blowjob, couldn’t play with them, so she did her best to make up for it. The raven sucked harder and began bobbing her head, starting slowly but picking up speed. Before long the wet noise echoed in the room. From his vantage point above her, Eren had a prime view of her small, perky breasts, so nicely tied by the black and red rope, as they heaved with her efforts, nipples hard like small diamonds.

In short, Mikasa was pretty fucking good at cocksucking. She was, if anything, too good, and Eren was starting to lose himself to the feeling of her lips, her tongue adventurous as she explored all of his length. Even the light graze of teeth on the head had him gritting his own teeth. He could cum in her mouth, Eren knew that she would take it, but that wasn’t on the agenda. So, with great effort, Eren pulled at her hair, getting her greedy mouth away from his length which was now slick and completely covered in her spit.

Before she could question him, he flipped her over roughly with a strength that she wasn’t in a state to resist, Mikasa’s knees scrambling on the bedding. Eren kneeled behind her, guiding himself with one hand as he aimed for the dripping prize. The “What” died in favor of a long groan when he pushed right back inside her wet cunt, giving Mikasa no time to rest. With her hands tied behind her back, she couldn’t even brace herself against the punishing pace he set, fucking her with a clear purpose on mind. Her body shook, assaulted like this, face boiling red. As her muscles involuntarily clenched, Eren watched the tattooed wings on Mikasa’s back ripple, almost like flapping, trying to get away. But she was not going anywhere. Her hands clenched around nothing, black fingernails digging into her skin, and at the same time she tried biting into the covers to muffle herself. A motion that was not needed, as they were alone and Eren did not approve of unnecessary silence. One hand holding her waist, helping her trembling knees brace against the unrelenting assault, he reached out with the other, tangling it in her short midnight hair, now all shiny with sweat. With a yank, he brought her head up.

“Don’t.”, he growled, “Scream for me.”

And scream she did, when those deepest parts of her kept being rammed, over and over, her mind clouding over with pure and raw pleasure. Mikasa liked doggystyle, liked being taken from behind, liked the depth it allowed Eren to reach. It was even better now because Eren had that special angle figured out, that one she liked the most. He also knew that she liked being prepared first before the real rough pounding and did that too with the earlier teasing. All the checkmarks were there, all the optional objectives completed, and Mikasa was getting it exactly as she liked it. Her body was losing control, even her knees were faltering, and Eren was forced to let go of her hair to keep her ass up. Mikasa’s upper body, now with nothing anchoring it, flopped back on the bed, but she didn’t silence herself anymore. She moaned, groaned, and cried out loud, giving Eren exactly the satisfaction he wanted.

To reward her, he moved his fingers down, fingering her swollen clit. The touches were light, but in combination with the pounding she was getting from behind, it was more than enough. With each rub, with each time the head of his cock kissed that deep spot, Mikasa was getting tighter and tighter, her impressive musculature clenching hard around the invading length. The fire rising inside her, her eyes slid shut as she dragged her face over the bedding, the impeding orgasm closer and closer. It was wet, very wet, some of it leaking out as he hammered into her, dripping down over his balls. She was being stuffed like a freaking turkey, again and again, full and filled. This, this was what she craved. This was better than anything else, this was the best workout.

It felt like she was losing her mind from the incredibly intense pleasure. Eren kept going and going, so rough, throwing his gentleness in the wind. The caring boyfriend was gone, replaced by this sexual monster who was giving her the grade A dicking. There was no mental preparation she could do against the tidal wave. Her mind was shattered into thousand pieces, her body helpless, Mikasa was more or less just surviving the brutal assault on her body. She surrendered everything, burned it in the fire that was flaring through her whole body now. And with the last snap she was keeled over, inferno raging freely.

Mikasa came, and she came hard, her already loud moaning rising even higher as she didn’t muffle herself at all. She screamed out loud, body shaking, drool leaving her open lips and leaking onto the covers beneath her. Her eyes rolled back and she didn’t see anything, just white as Eren continued in his attack, not even slowing down. Her cunt was clenching hard around him, her feet, covered by the black socks, kicked the mattress repeatedly in her spasms, her fists tightened so much that the knuckles were bleeding white. She dug nails into her skin again, in a faint attempt to keep a grip on reality, but it did nothing apart from scratching herself bloody, a pain she did not even feel. Mikasa was completely lost in the stream of pleasure, defenseless. And Eren took full advantage, prolonging her orgasm as much as he could, touching and fucking her in a way that made the experience the best he could deliver.

But orgasming Mikasa was too much for any mortal man to handle, her body was a beautiful trap that was now fully triggered, the muscled passage massaging his whole length in a way nothing else in the world could imitate. He couldn’t stop himself, no matter how hard he clenched his teeth and how hard he squeezed her waist. Eren was too weak, so with a loud groan of his own, he came inside her, hips snapping until it was all over and they were both completely spent and done. It was a lot, way too much, dripping down on the covers underneath them, dirty and filthy and neither of them cared. There would be time to clean up later. Mikasa mewled in front of him, rubbing her face on the bedding, tired, happy and so thoroughly fucked that even her athletic body needed a break. Reaching over, Eren pushed the sweaty hair away from her face, smiling down at her afterwards.

“Hungry?”

They ate the cold pizza in comfortable silence, sprawled on the sofa. Mikasa, dressed only in a bathrobe after finally taking those damn thigh highs off and showering, had her legs in Eren’s lap giving her tired body the rest it deserved. The food might have been better when it arrived, but this was a trade she would take any day of the week. The pizza was good, and Mikasa was feeling sated on all fronts when they finished. Then a certain idea popped in her mind, something else that she hasn’t done in a while and would like, so turning to Eren she voiced her proposal.

“Hey babe, want to smoke some weed?”

“Weed?”

“Yeah, I got it from Sasha, long time ago actually. I’ve been keeping it for a special occasion I guess, so how about we do it now?”, seeing his puzzled expression, Mikasa’s brows rode up. “Wait, you’ve never done weed before?”

Eren shook his head.

“What about college? Everybody smoked there.”

“Not me though.”

Mikasa wasn’t a pothead, but living with Sasha, who was one, did make her try it a few times. It made her relax, and that was a valuable feeling in the otherwise stressful environment. The need increased even more when she started dating Eren and kept agonizing over fucking whatever they were having over. In time she grew out of it, and smoked only very occasionally nowadays, but if today was not the occasion then what was one.

“Wanna try it then? I still have my bong stashed.”

“Your bong? And I’ve never seen it?”, putting a hand on his heart, Eren continued, “What else are you hiding from me?”

She booped him on the nose.

“Many things, but I believe you’ll get to know them eventually. What about the smoke, you in?”

He was. After some basic tutorial, when Mikasa showed him how to use the thing, they managed to get a few good hits even with his coughing. Getting an idea, Mikasa inhaled some smoke again before leaning over and capturing Eren’s lips in a kiss. He was all for it until she breathed the smoke right into his mouth. Eren got a coughing fit, Mikasa got a laughing one, and it was mutually decided that it was enough drugs for one day.

With pizza and weed in her system, Mikasa was practically melting into the couch, so relaxed that being on cloud nine was probably the best definition of her mental state right now. Minutes passed without Mikasa doing anything, not even moving her body for once, letting her abused muscles rest. She probably fell asleep too, because now she was feeling rested and once again recharged. To see if Eren was also up in the chill heaven with her, Mikasa rolled over. He did look great, rested too, but his eyes were busy, studying the dance pole in the corner for some reason. Which, in turn, gave her yet another idea.

“Would you like a dance?”

He blinked at her, surprised.

“You’d do that for me?”

“Tsk, of course.”, she gave him a slow, sexy smile, “Go, sit down.”

Standing up, Mikasa shrugged off the bathrobe as that would only flap around. Walking over to the pole, she shot a look over her shoulder to see that Eren was watching her intently, green eyes following her every step. Knowing that she had his full attention, Mikasa began the show.

The raven didn’t do a pole dance naked before, but it wasn’t that different from the underwear she sometimes practiced in. Having the thing at home had certain advantages. The pole was still the same, solid metal beneath her hands. Mikasa didn’t do the hardest and most demanding forms, knowing that this was more for show than an actual workout. She focused on the sexy part, doing twirls and legwork, snaking herself around the pole with precision. While she was getting lost in the dance, Eren had a great time sitting back and watching. He did so often, but it never ceased to amaze him. Mikasa’s body was incredible, a well-oiled machine that moved exactly as its mistress wanted it to. Her every muscle worked exactly as she ordered, pushing the body as a whole beyond what normal humans could achieve. She could do that in the ring, often surprising her opponents just how strong and fast she was, and she could do that here too. Combine that with her gymnast-like flexibility, and this was by far the best pole dance Eren had ever seen in his life. If she was doing this professionally, Mikasa would, in his humble opinion, be world-class. Then again, this was his fiancé so he was most likely strongly biased.

She didn’t overwork herself, there was no need. This dance wasn’t to strengthen herself, it was to show off, and Mikasa did that flawlessly. By the time she was done, Eren was staring with mouth a bit open, completely bewitched by how she moved. Dark magic in high school might not be very effective, but this thing was certainly working. Putting both her feet back on the solid ground, Mikasa leaned on the pole, crooking her finger at her charmed victim.

He moved immediately, shuffling forward like a zombie, his eyes only for her. A good spell. Eren hands went for her immediately, as that dance was an incredibly foreplay and it got him fired up good and proper. The location was a bit unlucky, so Mikasa voiced her concern out loud, unsure how this would work.

“Here? You want to do it here?”

“Why not?

“I’m not opposed to it, I’m just wondering.”, she eyed the pole with a certain criticism in her gaze, “How?”

It wouldn’t be Eren if he let a simple logistic problem defeat him. Hoisting Mikasa up, he pressed her back against the metal, eyebrow raised.

“Like this?”

She shifted left and right, tried how it went but this wasn’t it. The metal was digging into her spine, making it uncomfortable.

“No, wait. Let me down.”

Eren did so immediately, taking a step back to let Mikasa come up with a better alternative. She turned around, holding the pole and bending over, presenting her butt as an offering. The arch of her back that she did, the perfect curve, it never failed to make Eren’s mouth water.

“How about like this?”, she suggested.

Yes, even her back was sexy as hell. The chiseled, firm shapes, the incredibly back muscles, the beautiful tattoo covering it, artistically interwoven into the porcelain skin. Coming close, Eren ran his hands over the two flawless globes that were Mikasa’s ass, silently admiring that unbelievably sexy shape.

“Yeah, this will do.”

It would be a damn shame to see such a meal in front of you and not having a taste. Seeing her pink outer lips, ready and waiting for him, Eren decided that it was time to once again bring out his oral skills. He knew for a fact that Mikasa adored them. Dropping down to his knees, Eren met her confused eyes with his own, giving her a wink.

“The position is perfect, but I think that I’ll go for a snack first.”

And he dived in, tongue first.

The pole was, in the end, a serviceable place to have sex at. After the deed was done, they just fell on the floor, laughing.

“You didn’t have to eat me out first, you know.”, she said, but Eren just raised an eyebrow, “We could have just fucked right away.”

“Why not? I know that you love it.”

“I do, but again?”, she trailed her hand over his lips, “You are so generous to me, it’s crazy.”

“Please, after that pole dance? I’d do anything for you, that thing was so fucking hot it was unreal. Plus, if you like something, ask for it, it’s good to be comfortable with what you enjoy.”

“That depends. I think I may be growing too comfortable with sex and such.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see, a week or something back I was checking if my catsuit, the black one, still fits me as it should, I wanted to use it that evening. You remember right?”

“Please, how could I forget?”

“Then you also remember that we had a delivery that day. And when the bell rang, guess who almost opened the door wearing a freaking latex bodysuit.”

“Aw, that wouldn’t be so bad though, you could always salvage that situation.”

“How exactly? How could I escape the thousand and one news articles saying: “the freaky sex life of the Azumabito’s cover girl exposed!“ Somehow I don’t think that Kiyomi would be all that happy with me.”

“You’d just have to spin the story. Make it look like you are training for a Catwoman cosplay.”

“Yeah, only if Halloween wasn’t a year away, right?”

“Maybe he would believe you, you never know. Anyway, why were you wearing it?”, he poked her in the stomach, feeling the abs shift beneath his touch, “I didn’t notice you gaining weight or anything.”

“I don’t know, I just..”, she was blushing now, looking away, “I like how it feels on my skin, even when the latex is a pain in the ass to get into. Once I finally put it on, I didn’t feel like taking it off.”

When he didn’t say anything to that confession, she looked back at his face.

“Not gonna tease me?”

“Why would I? I’m glad that you enjoy it because I surely do. You look like a goddess in it.”

“Goddes of BDSM? That’s what you called me right?”

“Sure did, and we both know that I'm just saying the truth.”

The mental picture in his head Eren another idea, so he continued.

“So how about….”

But Mikasa cut him off.

“No, I’m not putting it on now. Way too much work.”

“Oh well, can’t blame me for trying.”

“I’m not. But we can have fun even without the suit, can’t we?”

She leaned closer, almost kissing him but not really, her lips only millimeters away when she spoke.

“Any ideas?”

Eren closed the distance hungrily, capturing the elusive tease in a wild kiss before flipping them over and pushing her down, fully intent on showing her just how much fun they can indeed have.

She grumbled a bit in discomfort when Eren kept pushing until her legs were on her shoulders, completely doubling her over.

“Are we fucking or doing yoga?”, she asked.

“Can’t it be both?”

Mikasa rolled her eyes at him, and there was no way he was letting that go unanswered. Moving forward, he kept a firm hold on her ankles, forcing her body to bend even more for him, abusing the flexibility she had. Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t protest again, letting Eren do as he pleased. Yet that stern expression fell completely apart when he pushed back into her, the position giving him premium access to her sex.

“Didn’t you learn anything in all these years of fighting?”, he whispered pulling back, but when Mikasa opened her mouth to answer he pushed back in, so all that came out of her was a moan. The bastard.

With a grin, he finished his thought.

“Never forget to stretch.”

He was taking it slow, languidly kissing every tattooed feather on her back. The action was very loving and unhurried, in stark contrast to the bruising lovemaking from before, but Mikasa welcomed it all the same.

“Your back is so sexy.”, he whispered in between the kisses. “It does things to me.”

“My back? Is there a part of me that is not sexy?”

“Nope. You are the perfect female specimen.”, the kisses trailed from one shoulder blade to the other, “So, are you ready for another round, princess?”

“Sure, but I’m not moving.”, she eyed him over her shoulder, a smug smirk on her face, “Do your best.”

She more felt than heard Eren’s low chuckle. It was his own damn fault, Mikasa was resting, lying on her side and staring into nothing in particular when he slithered over and started his slow worship of her tattooed skin. Not that Mikasa was opposed to it, but she wasn’t going to just get up because of him.

“I can work with that.”, he growled, his hand wrapping around her thigh.

And he did just that, parting her legs and slipping in from behind. Yet he didn’t push in, keeping his head just shy of penetration, just barely parting her outer lips. It was a technique he developed, the fastest way to get Mikasa to talk about something she would normally blush and hide her face for. Dangle the carrot in her reach but not give it to her, keep her on the edge. Mikasa’s reaction was fast. She whined, stirred her hips, tried to get Eren to slip into her. He held fast.

“Any reason for your sudden laziness?”

As expected, she answered immediately, wanting nothing more for than for Eren to just shut up and fuck. Literally.

“We haven’t done this position in a while, and I like it.”, she curled her body, sticking out her butt for easier access, “I can just lie here as the little spoon while you do all the work.”

“Miki, just say the word and I’ll do the whole Kamasutra with you.”

She giggled at that, delighted.

“You think that there is a lot we haven’t tried?”

It wasn’t the first time one of them was feeling adventurous, and that usually led to a tryout for a new position randomly found on the internet. Thanks to Mikasa’s body, work of art on its own, so far they have never been unable to do the thing. The results ranged from absolutely terrible and borderline painful that were immediately dropped to some that Mikasa loved. Eren wasn’t much of a connoisseur in this, if he had a preference it was being able to see Mikasa’s face, a cheesy line that never failed to make her blush.

“For sure. Don’t underestimate how creative some people are.”

“No rush, let’s take it one by one.”, rubbing herself on Eren’s length more, she once again voiced her need, “So quit stalling and put it in.”

Pressing forward, Eren filled her, the position and angle allowing his cock to reach a great depth within her. It also gave him prime access to both Mikasa’s neck and ears, places where she was highly sensitive. Taking full advantage he mouthed her ear, tonguing the piercings before whispering.

“Your wish is my command.”

Sometimes, even being the peak specimen, they needed a break. It was a haze, madness, and Mikasa doubted that it was the weed. They were drunk and high, but not on drugs, on each other. And now that she thought about it, she was ready for another dose. Looking over where Eren was, Mikasa decided that it was time to see if her supplier had something in stock for her. Also, she could ask what the status was on the little endurance contest they had going on. There was no way in hell that an Ackerman was losing – as long as she was breathing, Mikasa would never admit defeat. She rolled on top of Eren, seating herself on her fallen lover.

“How are you doing, loser?”

He scoffed up at her, hands taking hold of her hips.

“I didn’t give up yet.”

“Then what was that:”, Mikasa dropped her voice lower, doing her best to imitate Eren’s tone, “M-Miki please, I c-can’t…. Not again… Oh god…”

She interlaced her speech with a lot of groans and moaning to drive her point home. In turn, his hands on her waist tightened, halting the back-and-forth rocking Mikasa was doing to illustrate her point. Not only to stop her making fun of him, but also because it was doing things to him that he was not yet ready to follow through with.

“I feel like you’re mocking me.”, he growled.

She quirked an eyebrow.

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“It’s not that I mind, but It is kind of hypocritical.”

“Why is that?”

“I do remember a foot on my head, pushing me away from someone’s pussy, because”, now it was Eren doing the imitating, pushing his voice higher to match Mikasa’s “Babe, I-I ne-need a minute, It’s to-too m-much…”

She frowned at him.

“Oral is cheating.”

That made him laugh, the sound shaking his body beneath her thighs. Seated as she was, it shook Mikasa too.

“So me eating you out is cheating, but you sucking my soul out is fine?”

“Well it’s fair, you get to use ropes so it’s balanced.”

“I don’t remember having the monopoly on that,”, Eren’s fingers started doing those small circles on Mikasa’s hipbones, a more or less unconscious reflex at this point, “You can tie me up too, if you want…”

“I need way more gear to do it right, you grab a rope and…”, she made a booming gesture, “Blow my mind.”

Not sure how to react to such a compliment, Eren just smiled. Because what is the right reaction when your girlfriend tells you that you are very good at rope bondage?

“Thanks. I love you too my rope bunny.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a term I found on the internet while doing some err.. research. Apparently it’s a person who enjoys being bound so.”, he tapped her on the thigh, “You.”

Mikasa considered it for a moment but then shook her head.

“Nope, I don’t like it. Drop it.”

“Really? It’s kinda cute…”

However, she was decided. Reaching over Eren’s chest, she tapped him, hard, right in the middle. At the same time, her voice got filled with that murderous low tone that always made Eren shiver, and not in a good way. Mikasa was terrifying when she wanted to be and it didn’t matter that she was naked and seated on top of him. It was like flipping a switch – at first, she was the sexiest thing alive and then switch she made Eren want to salute and straighten his back while also cowering in fear at the same time. One of a kind.

“Drop. It.”

Well, he tried.

“Yes my queen.”

She rewarded him with a smile.

“Now that’s more like it. Know your place, fuckboy.”

“Really?”

“You’re experimenting, I’m experimenting. But don’t worry, I don’t like that one either, I think that I’ll stick with Eren.”

He snorted beneath her.

“Thanks.”

Pleased by how quickly he obeyed, Mikasa ran her hands over his firm body, stopping the cup his once again hard member.

“Now look,”, she purred, “ Is this for me?”

She was so immersed in the kiss that she didn’t even realize where Eren was taking her. But when Mikasa’s naked skin slid along something slightly fuzzy and soft, she had to break away to see. Oh. A pool table. Her thoughts got jumbled right after, because after Eren so unceremoniously dumped her on the table, he parted her thighs and bowed his head, going to work. Eren was an artist with his mouth, so whatever Mikasa wanted to ask was promptly forgotten, and didn’t resurface until after she came, her body writhing on top of that strange new surface.

“Why do we even have a pool table?”, she panted the question out, “It’s not like we use it.”

Eren looked like he didn’t want to answer, too absorbed in lining himself up properly, not even bothering with wiping his face. But when Mikasa tugged on his hair, he did raise his eyes.

“We are using it right now.”, he said, making Mikasa giggle.

“I don’t think that the table was designed for fucking.”

“Doesn’t matter. WE bought it, we can use it for what we want to.”

He stopped all of a sudden, the tip of his member just touching Mikasa’s sex, only the slightest part inside her velvety heat.

“Should I get off of you and set the table?”, he even had the indecency to smirk down at her, “We can play pool if you want, sink some balls.”

Instead of answering, Mikasa wrapped her legs around him and pulled hard, basically forcing Eren to slide into her in one quick motion. As he didn’t expect it, Eren made the most embarrassing moan, eyes widening.

“Maybe later.”, she said, “For now, forget the balls and focus on sinking Into me.”

Eren didn’t need to be told twice, bracing himself on the pool table, he drove into her, once again taking control of the situation. That didn’t mean that Mikasa stopped moving, her hips were still rising to meet his, her legs kept pushing and pulling in sync with the movements, she was very much an active party. With that much friction given by the cloth on the pool table, her body wasn’t sliding that much, something Eren was grateful for. He could drive into her with more force, a notion Mikasa appreciated with a deep purr in her throat. And when she closed her eyes and craned her neck, getting closer and closer to the edge, a single thought flashed through her mind.

You know what, maybe the pool table wasn’t such a bad investment.

His fingers trailed her ass, passing her sex and moving until the tips pressed against the other hole.

“What about here?”, Eren asked, “Another thing we haven’t done in a while.”

True enough, and Mikasa nodded almost enthusiastically. She did remember that it could feel really good, with adequate preparation that is, and Eren was trained enough to know that.

“Get the lube.”

While Eren retrieved the item, Mikasa scrambled herself up to the hands and knees position, presenting her ass the best she could. Eren appreciated it with a hum and gentle caress of her butt. The fingers that probed into her Mikasa expected, relaxing her muscles and pushing back to help Eren slide in. At this point, they were rather experienced with this. After one finger came two, stretching her out in preparation for the sex. Or so she thought. Wrongly, because the next thing that came after Eren withdrew his hand wasn’t his cock, unless it froze when Mikasa wasn’t looking. The object was warmed a bit, by his mouth she guessed, but still colder than what she thought was going to slip inside her. It wasn’t that hard to guess that it was a plug.

“I th-thought we are going to f-fuck.”, she panted out, words hard to form while Eren worked the toy into her butt.

“You said it yourself, there is no rush.”, he pulled back a bit, once again stretching her with the widest part, “I want you to be prepared.”

Eren had a plan, and when he had a plan Mikasa didn’t argue. It was much more fun to simply play along. Once she was properly plugged, Eren smirked on the image in front of him. The toy had a heart-shaped decoration at the end, which was now settled between her cheeks, creating a rather pleasing view. This stage done, he stood up, meeting Mikasa’s unsteady gaze and red cheeks.

“Wanna watch a movie?”

The stare she gave him was hilarious, but Eren didn’t blame her. It was a strange thing to ask. In way of answering the unspoken “What the fuck?” question, he fished out the toy’s remote control from his pocket.

“I promise it’s gonna be fun.”

Seeing that he was completely serious, Mikasa let out a frustrated laugh, shaking her head. Eren was impossible sometimes. Getting up from her compromising position, she had to bite her bottom lip to keep the moan the toy’s shift inside her produced. And she played along.

“Okay, let me get dressed.”

Eren wasn’t lying, the movie was fun, made even better by the random vibration that certain someone kept sending through her body, building that mountain of frustration inside her. Yet she held, knowing that this was the game, a small friendly wager if she could hold herself back until it was over. In her stubbornness, she couldn’t let the smug devil that was her boyfriend have this one. Yet as soon as the movie was over, Mikasa was right on top of him, growling in the animalistic desire.

“Get your fucking dick out.”

And for the second time in a few hours, Eren had the feeling that disagreeing would cost him a few broken bones. Only a feeling, as Mikasa wouldn’t hurt him, but it was there and it made him shiver once again. Angry Mikasa was scary, and horny Mikasa wasn’t that far behind. Making peace with his fate, which was some incredible anal sex with Mikasa’s firm and shapely backside, Eren surrendered, saying the same phrase that he did not that long ago.

“Yes my queen.”

It was sunny outside, which meant that it was day, yet Mikasa could not care less. She didn’t know if Eren was passed out or not, lying next to her in their love nest, or if he was simply silently recharging for the next round. She was tired, beyond tired even, but in the best of ways, worn out by the most pleasant physical activity she knew besides fighting. They’ve been at this for what, hours? Days? Mikasa lost count on how many times they finished each other off. If there ever was marathon sex than this was it. In accordance with her previous wish, Eren found an article online and they tried several new positions as well as dusted off some places they haven’t had sex on in a while. She was satisfied in every way, and it was only the stupid competition they had that made her reach out, poking Eren in the crotch. He groaned, eyes opening to look into hers. Grey meeting green, Mikasa smirked at him, pressing her palm against the soft member. She used him so much, the raven wasn’t sure if Eren even could get hard anymore.

“Seriously Miki?” he hissed, voice as tired as she felt, “What am I to you? A sexbot?”

With a giggle, Mikasa once again rolled on top of him, taking her favorite seat.

“Of course, why else would I spend all these years training you?”, her hand dragged down over his face, making a brief stop at his lips before descending to lay flat against Eren’s beating heart, “I’m just collecting on my time investment. With interest.”

“Large fucking interest, if I say so myself.”

“That’s how it works babe. And…”, she scooted closer, gracefully, whispering into his ear, “I don’t hear you complaining.”

“Kinda hard to..”

“Besides,”, she pulled back again, “Wasn’t it you who said, and I quote: “blowjob is an art”?”

“That was years ago!”, he whined, cursing Mikasa and her perfect memory, “I was eighteen and just got some action for the first time in my life! I was trying to motivate you since you didn’t seem that much into it at the beginning…”

“Geez, I wasn’t super stoked about having a dick down my throat. Who could have ever guessed that!”

“I mean…”

She waved his protest aside.

“Its fine, fine. I learned to like it anyway, with practice. My point is, you have all this big talk about that and you don’t think that eating pussy is not? You know how many times I had to guide you, step by step, to tell you exactly what to do and how I like it?”

“I remember Miki.”, he grinned up at her, “I was there.”

“Well then you know how many hardships I had to endure to get you to the point you are at now.”, she huffed in satisfaction, once again gently caressing Eren’s cheek, “Perfectly serviceable lover, finely tuned specifically for my pleasure. You know every position I like, every sensitive part of my body, everything.”

She tapped him on the nose.

“So why the hell wouldn’t I use you as much as I can?”, shifting her weight, so more of her naked ass was pressing right against Eren’s length, she smiled when feeling the familiar hardening, “Your body agrees with me.”

“You don’t play fair.”, he accused her.

“All is fair in love and war.”, she countered straight back.

Mikasa was obviously dead set on getting off again, but Eren still felt like his thing wasn’t ready, so he switched his voice into a pleading one.

“Mercy, please. I need to recharge, not everyone has a body like you do.”

A body that was an almost never tiring machine, capable of a wide variety of activities – everything from fighting to fucking and many more. Sex is a physical effort too, and unless Eren tied her up, Mikasa was very much active during it. The thing is, Eren could push Mikasa to her limits, exhaust her just as well as she did it to him, but he needed the assistance of his wide variety of sex toys. Here, skin to skin, with Mikasa unbound and only one butt plug to assist him, he was finding himself outmatched. Not by a large margin mind you, he more than held his own and Mikasa was perfectly satisfied with his performance, but it wouldn’t be her if she didn’t push for more. Overcome your limits, not only in the ring but in the bedroom too.

Yet it was very important to understand when your partner cannot perform anymore, and Mikasa was a generous goddess.

“Fine,”, she agreed, backing down, “ I don’t want to break you after all.”

“Why is that?”

A wink.

“You are my favorite toy.”

The line rang once, twice, thrice, fourth and then fifth time, making Levi frown. Mikasa was usually quite reliable when it came to answering his calls, she knew he didn’t do it unless there was something of importance to discuss. Just as he was about to end the call and try later, there was a crack and a familiar voice.

“Mikasa’s phone, Eren here.”

“Hey, can you give me the brat? I need to talk to her.”

“Sorry, but she’s at the shower right now. Should I give her a message?”

Levi sighed. Of course, she was busy when he needed her - that was just his luck.

“Fine, tell her to swing by tomorrow, we need to talk about the sponsorship shit from Hizuru.”

“I’ll let her know.”

“Good, good. You take care Eren.”

“You too Levi, see you.”

Putting the phone down, Eren ended the call. Carefully, he put it back on the dresser, turning around. What he told Levi wasn’t entirely accurate – Mikasa wasn’t in a shower, but she was very much unable to accept the call in her current situation. The smug smile spread over his face, Eren took a minute to admire her current situation, as it was his handiwork. If he wanted to be honest with Levi, he could have said that his fiancé is a bit tied up at the moment.

Mikasa was standing, or rather balancing herself, on just the toes of one of her legs. The other was pulled up and bent at the knee, secured in that position by ropes. Those sneaked all the way over her body, like a web, immobilizing her completely. Her torso and breasts were tied too, several crisscrossing lines that made a very nice pattern against her pale skin. Mikasa’s hands were tied behind her back, forearms pressed together. Two lines also ran down her abs, between the forcefully spread thighs and framed her sex, positioned so they would rub against her outer lips, teasing and not fulfilling. All these ropes connected at the top, leading up the ceiling where they were anchored, suspending her in the air. Eren calculated the height so the only part of her that could touch the ground here the tips of her left leg’s toes, her weight was held up by the ropework itself. And that was not all.

There were clamps on her nipples, small weight pulling them down. Her chest and abdomen were full of red wax stains, remnants from a little candle fun they had earlier. Even gagged, she made the cutest sounds when he dripped the hot substance on her nipples. Mikasa's eyes were hidden behind a thick blindfold and her mouth was held open by the aforementioned black ballgag, drool trickling down her chin. The silver letters on her collar glistened when she moved her head, moaning weakly into the rubber. Eren didn’t blame her. Pulling the remote control from his pocket, he increased the vibrations on the egg vibrator hidden deep inside her cunt. She reacted immediately, the moan changing into a long whine as Mikasa craned her neck, muscles tensing as she swayed in the rigging. He had been playing with her body for some time now, using several toys and instruments, making her extremely sensitive at this point.

Retrieving the flogger from where he dropped it once Mikasa’s phone started ringing, Eren walked over to where she was bound. Her head angled towards him once he drew near, searching, a non-descript sound coming from behind the gag. It was most likely her begging, Eren realized, circling her suspended body. He did a good job – the rope was as much of decoration, in the complicated shapes he created, as it was a restraint -the ropework was beautifully done, not leaving a single part of her body unbound. Even the tattooed wings on Mikasa’s back were crossed over by a rope, completing the illusion of a captured angel, fully at his mercy. And the devil was here to play.

Not hitting her yet, Eren dragged the flogger over her body, loving how she tensed against the soft touch. Her ass was nicely red, also his doing, whipped into that pretty color. It reminded him of the wax he dripped on her, stuck to Mikasa’s heated sweaty skin. There was also the end of the anal hook there, protruding from between her flawless buttcheeks, the clip smartly secured to the ropes around her body, pulled tightly. It was doubly as cruel now because hanging in the air like this, Mikasa had almost no control over it. Suspended, a part of Mikasa’s weight was carried by the hook itself, so the pressure was unrelenting. And when her body spasmed, either from pain or pleasure, it pulled at the hook and it shifted in her, merciless. It was truly a hellish contraption that he had bound his lover into. There was a lot he had done to her so far, and Eren could see the result of his efforts rather clearly. The proof of her arousal and enjoyment was running down Mikasa’s strong thighs, glistening and mixing with the sweat, soaking the ropes that tied her legs, held her helplessly open for him to have fun with.

Inspection done, Eren circled her completely, coming back to stand in front of her. Reaching down, he took hold of her face, turning her to him. Very carefully, he pushed the sweat matted short locks from her face, knowing how hyper-aware she is of his every touch. With your senses gone, the remaining ones tend to sharpen, Eren knew that for a fact as he was often put into a similarly vulnerable position on Mikasa’s dom days.

He was sure that Mikasa was looking at him, although he couldn’t see it through the blindfold, most likely begging with her eyes in addition to the muffled sounds leaking from behind the gag alongside the drool. He had the tied-up angel’s full attention.

“So…”, he drawled, thumbing her scar gently, knowing that there would be enough time to get rough in a moment. Eren was far from being done with her.

“Remind me kitten, where were we?”

#eremika #fanfic #snk #aot

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bitterlikesweets · 3 years

Text

Love Bites Ch 4

This is the fourth chapter of a modern/vampire AU ereri fanfic. You can also read it on Ao3.

Prev | Next

“Armin, what the fuck?”

Armin freezes in the doorway to Eren’s apartment, readjusting the massive stack of books in his arms as he looks up at his friend, confused.

“What?”

“Why did you bring an entire library with you?” Eren asks, moving out of the way so that his blond friend could come inside.

“Well, you said you wanted to talk about vampire stuff, so I thought it would be a good chance to go over what I’ve been researching. I just wasn’t sure what to focus on, so in the end, I brought everything.”

Armin smiles sheepishly, setting down the stack of books on the floor by the door. Eren's apartment is small—a desk, bed, bathroom, and a kitchenette. Armin's precariously stacked books nearly rise to the height of the desk they were placed beside. Eren shakes his head in disbelief, angling his head to scan the titles on the spines.

“I just… Got ahead of myself. We haven’t talked about it in detail since…”

Armin falters, biting his lip, and Eren kneels down by the books, in a hurry to find something to help him change the subject. One harrowing walk down memory lane was more than enough for Eren; he has no desire to lose his cool twice within one week.

His gaze locks on a book with an image of a pair of pale hands and a red apple on the book’s spine.

“Armin,” Eren says, wiggling the book to pull it out of the stack without sending the whole thing toppling to the floor. “You brought Twilight?”

Armin flushes pink, snatching the book out of Eren’s hand.

“I just—I needed to check everything, okay? If vampires are real, then it’s possible that any references in pop culture have some truth to them!”

Eren laughs and Armin throws the book at Eren’s shoulder, which just makes him laugh even more. Armin eventually sighs and settles onto the floor beside Eren, who is still examining the stack of books.

“You look better,” Armin says, and Eren tilts his head curiously when he turns to look at his friend.

“Better?”

“I mean, like, physically. You have a bit more… color.”

“Ah,” Eren says, and now it’s his turn to blush. He turns his head away, hoping his hair will hide his face from view. “I, uh… That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll explain when Mikasa gets here,” Eren says, grabbing an old copy of Dracula and running his fingers over the worn cover. He's cautious with the book, making sure to keep his grip light, wanting no repeats of anything like the table fiasco back at Kuchel's Kitchen.

He can feel Armin’s gaze on him, but Armin doesn’t ask for clarification just yet, so Eren breathes a sigh of relief.

“What exactly are you researching with all this stuff anyway?”

“I was just trying to contrast books and legends against what you actually experience,” Armin says.

Armin reaches towards the bottom of the stack, where a spiral notebook is trapped between the floor and the rest of the books, managing to pull it out, though the stack sways precariously for a moment.

Eren leans over Armin’s shoulder when he flips the notebook open.

“Sunlight and garlic are a danger to you,” Armin says, pointing to a list of possible dangers on the page.

Sunlight and garlic have little checkmarks next to them. Eren’s eyes quickly scan the list. He sees holy water, mirrors, and bricks listed, though he has no idea what special quality about bricks makes him more susceptible to them as a vampire.

“There’s the classic threat of wooden stakes,” Armin continues, his finger sliding down the page, “though we have no way to test that without risking your life.”

“Put a check next to that one,” Eren says.

Armin blinks and looks up at Eren with a frown.

“How do you know? What trouble did you get into in the week that I haven’t seen you?”

“No trouble!” Eren says quickly, but he winces and rephrases. “Not bad trouble anyway.”

Armin frowns and sets the notebook down on the floor, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Eren.”

“That’s also part of what I need to explain once Mikasa—”

He’s cut off by a sharp knock on the door, and Armin is the one who rushes to answer. Mikasa steps in with a grocery bag over her arm, though she frowns as she takes in Armin’s expression.

“What?” she asks, but Armin just whirls around to face Eren.

“Okay,” Armin says, “time for the explanation.”

Eren sighs, setting Dracula on his knee before gesturing for his friends to come closer.

“Sit down,” he says. “This might take a while.”

~ ~ ~

“I’ll do it,” Mikasa says as soon as Eren has finished his recap of the situation.

Eren frowns.

“Do what?”

“I’ll be your partner.”

“Oh.”

Eren stares dumbly at her, and Mikasa frowns, bunching her shirt in her fists.

“I mean, unless you’d rather not—”

“No! No, it’s not that, I just…” Eren takes a breath. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” she replies with a firm nod. “I mean, you’re going to need blood either way. It might as well be me.”

“Me too!” Armin pipes up. “There’s no rule against multiple partners, is there?”

“I doubt it,” Eren says. “Levi didn’t say anything about it anyway.”

He thinks of their conversation, about concerns about drinking too much. Perhaps two people would even be better. He wouldn’t want anything to happen to them. Maybe they could alternate weeks, that way their blood would replenish, or however the fuck this worked.

“Uh,” Armin begins after a moment, “does it hurt?”

“Does it matter if it does?” Mikasa asks him, and Armin quickly shakes his head.

“I would help either way! I just… I mean, I would like to know if it does hurt. Just to be prepared.”

Eren reaches up to the scar on his neck, to the bite mark he knows is there. He doesn’t remember it that well. He also doesn’t know if there’s something different about biting just to drink and biting to turn.

He wonders if that’s why Levi is always offering his wrist instead of his neck.

“You’d have to ask Levi that,” Eren says eventually, and Mikasa scowls.

“I don’t trust that man.”

“What? Why?” Eren asks.

“I mean, you said he’s a vampire hunter. Why would he help you? What if he put garlic in your lasagna on purpose? He could’ve ignored that no garlic message from the waitress and just pretended he didn't understand. Maybe he’s just pretending to be innocent so he can kill you later.”

“He said he doesn’t hunt anymore,” Eren says. He unconsciously raised his voice and tries to tone it down, unsure why he’s trying so hard to defend the man he barely knows. “Why would he give me his blood if he was trying to hurt me?”

“All I’m saying,” Mikasa says, holding up her hands, “is that I doubt a vampire hunter would just quit and basically switch sides for no reason. Until we know that reason, I want you to be careful.”

“Why don’t we go with you next time?” Armin suggests. “We have questions we need to ask, and it’ll help Mikasa worry less.”

Eren casts a wary glance in Mikasa’s direction, but he eventually nods.

“When are you going?” Armin asks.

“He just said to come the next time I’m thirsty,” Eren says with a shrug.

“Then, let us know when that time comes,” Mikasa says, and Eren nods, though a frown pulls at his lips.

Eren thinks about the way he cried after talking about his mom, about the table he flung across the room after getting upset. Those are details he conveniently left out of his explanation—also Levi pretending to throw a massive stake at him—because he didn’t want to worry his friends too much. He doesn’t want to put his friends in any danger, especially while he still doesn’t know what he’s capable of.

“Actually,” he says after a moment, “can you guys hold off for a bit?”

Mikasa frowns.

“Why?”

“Because, uh…” He scrambles to think up an excuse. “Because I don’t want to spring it on him! I don’t really have any way to contact him, and I would prefer to warn him before I just bring people to our vampire lessons, you know?”

Mikasa continues to frown, unconvinced, but Armin nods, and Eren takes that as all the answer he needs.

“That’s fine,” Armin says, and he nudges Mikasa with his elbow. “Right, Mikasa?”

She huffs and looks away, but after a moment, she nods.

“If he hurts you,” Mikasa begins, her voice low, “I’m going to go over there and shove a stake right up his—”

“Anyways!” Armin exclaims loudly, pointedly ignoring Mikasa’s glare. “Since that’s settled, let’s talk vampires. What should we have Eren ask Levi?”

Armin flips to a new page in his notebook, pulling a pen from his pocket.

“Does being bit…” Armin mumbles as he writes, “hurt a lot? There.”

He hands the notebook and the pen to Mikasa.

“Are there any restrictions about numbers of partners?” she says as she writes, and Eren is genuinely surprised that her question doesn’t have any insult worked into it.

When the notebook is passed to him, Eren glances at the stack of books, skimming the titles. He knows so little about vampires that it’s hard to think of a single question.

A book he pulled from the stack earlier catches his eye, and Eren grins.

“How much of Twilight is accurate?”

“Eren!” Armin exclaims, snatching the notebook away.

Mikasa’s gaze shifts to the stack of books, her eyes settling on the novel in question.

“...Didn’t know you read that sort of thing, Armin,” she says.

“I don’t! It was for Eren that I even brought it!”

“Dracula makes sense to me,” Eren says, “but come on, Armin. Twilight?”

“Oh, Dracula!” Armin exclaims, his voice an octave higher as he frantically tries to change the subject. “You don’t need to be invited into buildings. I’ll cross that off the list.”

Armin moves to flip the page, but it’s Mikasa who takes the notebook into her hands to write something down.

“Do vampires get offended by humans who think Twilight is accurate?” she asks, the pen darting across the page.

“Mikasa, not you too!”

Armin lunges for the notebook, but she quickly passes it to Eren who holds it up and out of reach, laughing.

"Do vampires sparkle like they do in Twilight?" Eren asks, dancing out of the way of Armin, who is still desperately attempting to take the notebook back.

Mikasa picks up the book and skims through the pages, her subsequent hum sending Armin lunging at her next.

"Does a vampire's sense of smell work like it does in Twilight?" Mikasa manages to ask before Armin tackles her to the ground and sends her into a fit of laughter as they wrestle over the silly book. Eren grins and takes the chance to scribble all their idiotic questions into Armin's notebook.

“What other Twilight related questions could I ask…” Eren muses, tapping the pen against his chin.

A well aimed book is thrown at the back of Eren’s ankles, and despite the pain, Armin’s attack just makes Eren laugh even harder. The blond groans in frustration, burying his face into his hands.

“I’m never helping you with anything ever again!”

#ereri #riren #ereri riren #riren fanfic #ereri fanfic #fanfiction #just to be clear i don't ACTUALLY hate Twilight lol #oh and with this update we're all caught up with the chapters on Ao3

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noorakardemmomesaetre · 4 years

Photo

Through The Snowfall

Or Read It On AO3

Pairing: Betty Cooper x Jughead Jones

Summary: The Coopers and Andrews have rented the same cabin in the woods every holiday season since their kids were two years old.

And with Archie and Betty leaving for college in just a few months, Betty is determined to make this Christmas a memorable one…by telling Archie how she really feels.

What she doesn’t plan for is Archie bringing his best friend.

Or the way her gaze is suddenly lingering on the wild dark curls peeking out from beneath a crown beanie rather than the ginger spikes she’d set her sights on so long ago.

Chapter One: Moonlight

She wrings her hands together in front of her body as she takes a shallow breath and straightens her shoulders.

“Archie,” she begins softly, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth nervously before releasing it to continue. “I like you. Like really like you. I have for a long time now.”

Her reflection stares back at her blankly and if that’s any indication as to how this confession is going to go she’d rather shove her hand in a garbage disposal.

Shaking her head, Betty turns on the faucet and splashes the cool water on her heated cheeks in an effort to relax. When that’s not enough, she turns to the clawfoot bathtub behind her and begins running the water, tossing in a lavender rose bath bomb. There are dried petals laced throughout and watching them rise to the top of the now swirling purple water begins to calm her nerves.

She can do this.

She’s spent two weeks of every winter holiday break with Archie Andrews for the past fifteen years, since they were both running about this very same cabin in their diapers and ugly toddler-sized Christmas sweaters.

Though they had never been able to spend more time together than that, they’d grown closer every winter and a few years ago they’d declared themselves the best of friends. This had lead to the occasional impromptu FaceTime conversation, encouraging texts before her school paper article releases and his important football games, and even a phone call before bed if either of them were feeling especially anxious.

Her family had moved to Connecticut, away from their hometown of Riverdale, when she was two years old due to her father’s new job. Archie and his family had remained in Riverdale, which had only broken her mother, Alice, and Archie’s mother, Mary’s, hearts. They’d quickly decided they couldn’t bear not to come up with an annual reason for the families to spend an extended amount of time together and after several glasses of wine and much research, the ladies had decided on a yearly holiday trip to a little upscale town outside of Whistler, Canada.

She peels off her pajamas and undergarments as soon as the water fills the tub and the hot water is exactly what she needs to quiet her overactive mind. She tilts her head back against the tub rim and runs her fingers absentmindedly through the colorful bubbles atop the water.

The chime of her cell phone interrupts her efforts and she glances at the device resting on the small side table near the tub.

Reaching out to see who the message is from, a small smile forms on her lips when she recognizes the name.

V: Is three full suitcases too many for this winter wonderland vacation? Be honest.

Betty rolls her eyes and chuckles to herself as she imagines her - and she means this in the kindest of ways - high maintenance best friend dragging all of these suitcases up their snowed in cabin driveway.

B: I’d strongly advise cutting back to two.

V: Please tell me you’re joking.

B: Are you packing with Cher? Only she could convince you to pack that much for a two week trip

V: Fine. Cutting back to two and a carry on!

Betty smiles and closes her eyes once more, about to set her phone back on the nightstand when the sound of her phone pings once more.

Cher: @ me next time, Betty Dearest.

B: 😘

Betty grins at the fact that her best friends are currently together and turns the sound off of her phone in an effort to focus on the relaxation she’d drawn this bath for in the first place.

The steam from the tub has been rising against her face and she welcomes the warmth and the invigorated way it makes her skin feel. She’s wondering whether she should apply a deep clean clay face mask - one can never look too refreshed and moisturized when professing their longtime feelings for their even longertime friend - when she spots her phone lighting up out of the corner of her eye.

Groaning, she’s about to flip it over until her heart begins to thump erratically.

Archie: packing to see u tomorrow

B: Shouldn’t you already be packed? I thought your plane was leaving around noon!

Archie: it is! considered packing in the morn but gotta get in that last work out u know

Betty smiles to herself, knowing she hasn’t seen him in an entire year and she’s sure football has been working wonders on his already impressive body. Although, she’s never been that interested in overly muscular guys…but this is Archie. It’s different. Right? She brushes the thought away as she runs her tongue along her bottom lip and decides whether she should take a little risk with this next text.

B: I’m excited to see you tomorrow :)

Archie: same. see u then ;)

She tries not to overanalyze the winky face emoji as she sinks further into her now lukewarm bath.

__________________

Veronica arrives promptly at 3:00PM and Betty rushes out the front door the moment she sees Veronica’s private driver pull into the driveway. She looks like a picturesque beauty snow queen as she steps from the car in a lovely periwinkle snow jacket and matching beret, but the second she sees Betty, she squeals excitedly.

They throw their arms around each other in a tight hug as though they hadn’t just seen each other at school a few days ago. Veronica had agreed to come with Betty on vacation this year as soon as Betty had asked and she knows it’s because Veronica’s home life is currently a parental war zone.

She also knows she’ll have to ask more about that later.

“Oh, Betty! This cabin is absolutely gorgeous! I can already feel how cozy it is from here,” she says approvingly as she waves for her driver to follow behind her with her bags.

Betty wonders if she should help him, but he seems to have an understanding with Veronica and follows suit.

“It’s so wonderful! Mom has the fire going and wait until you see our bathroom,” Betty gushes as Veronica loops her arm through hers. “We even have a clawfoot bathtub!”

They make their way inside and Veronica tips her driver an amount of money in cash that Betty’s only seen a couple of times in her entire life. Alice rushes over to squeeze Veronica tightly while berating her for not wearing a heavier jacket with these freezing temperatures.

Hal brings her into a quick hug and lets her know that he’s got a pot roast cooking in the crockpot for dinner, if she’s interested.

Betty’s laying on her stomach across Veronica’s bed in their large shared room on the second floor of the cabin, her ankles crossed as she swings her feet gently back and forth. Veronica is unpacking and chattering on about the latest drama with her parents before she shakes her head.

“Okay, enough of that! When is the infamous Archie Andrews coming?”

Betty’s cheeks warm as she rests her head against a pillow and looks up at her best friend. “Around 8:00PM, I think? That’s when we’re expecting them anyways.”

“I’m so excited to meet the boy you haven’t stopped gushing about since you fell for him three years ago,” Veronica says, giving her a teasing smile. “He better be everything you’ve amped him up to be.”

“No pressure,” Betty groans, tugging the pillow from beneath her and smacking her friend with it. Veronica laughs and tosses a pair of rolled up pantyhose at Betty’s head.

“Do you think you’ll tell him tonight?”

“Of course. The earlier I tell him the more time we get to spend together,” Betty replies happily before grimacing. “Or the longer amount of time I have to face rejection.”

“He won’t reject you.” Veronica arches an eyebrow dramatically and purses her lips as she says, “unless he’s a complete idiot.”

Betty laughs just as Alice waltzes into their bedroom and she fights the urge to ask her mother if she has any idea knocking exists.

“Elizabeth, darling, have you told Veronica about the Snowflake Soirée?”

“Not yet, Mother.”

“Oh, do tell, Mrs. Cooper!” Veronica sits down next to Betty, crosses her legs, and smiles up at Alice, clearly excited about the prospect of an event.

“Every Christmas Eve, everyone in this little town dresses to the nines and heads down the road for an upscale evening party. There’s dinner, decorations, dancing, champagne!” Alice is currently opening her drawers and refolding the sweaters Betty already folded yesterday and she curls her fingers into fists to keep from snapping.

“That sounds absolutely wonderful! B, you could go with Archie!” Veronica claps her hands excitedly as Betty’s eyes widen in her direction, attempting to send an ohmygod, not in front of my mom, V! message.

Alice finishes with the last of Betty’s sweaters before flashing Veronica a bright smile of approval. “That is a great idea, Veronica. Elizabeth, be sure to straighten your shoulders when the Andrews arrive, slouching makes you look lazy and indifferent.”

She plants a kiss atop Betty’s head before waltzing out of their bedroom door and Betty’s nails are now threatening to pierce the skin of her palms.

“She makes my mother look like a nominee for Mommy of the Year,” Veronica scoffs, making Betty chuckle as Veronica reaches over to clasp her hands in hers, somewhat effectively releasing the tension in her fingers.

“Do you want to FaceTime Cher?” she asks in an attempt to distract Betty from her mother’s whirlwind appearance. “She and Toni are dying to see the cabin and you know they’ve been snowed in at Thistle House for the past two days.”

FaceTiming Cheryl and her girlfriend, Toni, lightens Betty’s mood until she forgets about her mother’s controlling ways and can only think about the impending arrival of the Andrews.

__________________

Betty and Veronica are sitting on the loveseat admiring the cabin’s over-the-top holiday decorations and sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows from festive mugs when the Andrews pull into the driveway in their rental Jeep.

Betty pulls at her black tights anxiously as her father swings open the front door.

“Fred! It’s been far too long, my friend!” The men embrace as Betty and Veronica stand and Betty finds herself smiling. Fred Andrews has always been nothing but kind to her and today is no different. He greets her with a bear hug before turning to hug Veronica, a girl he’s never even met.

“How are you, Betty?” he asks and she knows the question is genuine.

“I’m good, Mr. Andrews! Excited for these next couple of weeks off.”

“I already told Mary I’ll be sleeping until 11:00AM everyday,” he says with a look of defiance and the girls can’t help but giggle as Mary comes bustling into the house with a few containers of home baked Christmas cookies.

“And I’ve already told him he will absolutely not be doing that,” Mary says loudly, making Fred huff teasingly before heading back out to bring in their bags. Mary hugs Betty and introduces herself to Veronica before adding, “honestly, he couldn’t sleep that late if he tried.”

Betty’s trying to focus on what Archie’s parents are saying, but her eyes dart to the front door at any sign of movement and she tucks a few loose strands of hair behind her ear nervously.

“I see him!” Veronica whispers excitedly, standing on her tiptoes to see through the branches of the elaborate and large Christmas tree Alice and Hal had been working on all morning.

Archie barrels through the door, not a moment later, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a wide smile on his face. Betty’s heartbeat quickens and her face breaks into a wide grin at the sight of him.

But he looks...different.

His muscles are large and defined now from his football training and instead of the cropped haircut she’s used to, his hair is coiffed to perfection. He spots her out of the corner of his eye and his entire face lights up.

“Betty!” He makes his way over and quickly wraps her in a huge hug, his arms and body enveloping her petite frame. She giggles into his chest, happy that, at the very least, he smells familiar. Like a dash of men’s cologne and spearmint. “Still rockin that ponytail?”

He releases her and she rolls her eyes, shoving him playfully. “Archie, this is my best friend, Veronica Lodge.”

She’s now hyper-aware of her ponytail swinging gently behind her, brushing her shoulders. Does he not like the ponytail? Should she wear her hair down more often? But the ponytail is her signature look…

Her thoughts are interrupted as an unfamiliar feeling of dread settles in the pit of her stomach. Veronica has stepped forward, slipping her hand in his in a formal greeting that Archie seems all too eager to take part in.

“Veronica? Betty’s told me a lot about you.”

“Oh, I’m sure she has,” Veronica answers easily, tilting her head and smiling that 100 watt Lodge smile. He smiles back, but there’s a curiosity behind his eyes that makes Betty’s fingers close into fists once again.

It’s not that she hadn’t thought about this predicament occurring when she’d invited Veronica, but she had convinced herself that Archie’s wandering eye only applied when she wasn’t in the room. Standing right next to him.

“Shit.”

There’s a commotion near the front door and Betty immediately turns around to find another guy their age attempting to pull what looks to be the Andrews’ small wagon overfilled with gifts through the front door.

“Oh, son, I should’ve helped you with that!” Fred and Hal immediately move to where the guy has managed to get it halfway through the front door.

Archie is laughing as he watches the scene unfold, his eyes glittering in amusement. “Oh, Betty, you remember me telling you I was bringing Jughead, right?”

Betty’s eyebrows furrow because she absolutely does not remember this. She does remember that Jughead is Archie’s best friend from home, but she’s never actually met or seen the guy.

“Jughead, come meet the girls!”

Jughead drops his own duffel bag near the front door, shaking hands with Hal and Fred before he turns around and shakes his head in fake irritation at his best friend’s lack of assistance with the wagon.

Betty’s mouth parts.

She’d always assumed that a boy named “Jughead” could only be some weird Jeffrey Dahmer-esque kid covered in dirt who curses loudly and demands extra meat with every meal.

But Jughead is nothing like what she had spent the last few years imagining whenever Archie spoke of him.

He’s handsome.

Tall and lean with a smile that tugs on the corners of his mouth as though his happiness is a secret only a few are privileged to know. A worn gray beanie in what looks like a misshapen crown rests atop his head in an attempt to tame the wild dark waves peeking from beneath it and falling just above his eyes.

“Hey, you must be Betty Cooper,” he says as he closes the space between them, tugging his snow-dusted gloves off and shoving them into the pockets of his flannel jacket before offering his hand to shake. “My sole competition for Archie’s friendship.”

Veronica nudges her and she finally blinks, registering the introduction. She slides her hand into his and, despite the fact that he’d just had gloves on, is surprised to find that his hand is warm and soft. She smiles at him and shakes her head causing her ponytail to swing gently once again.

“That’s sweet that you think you’re any competition at all.”

He chuckles good-naturedly, his free hand moving to tug at one of the points on his crown beanie and her heart suddenly feels warm. She’d made him laugh.

“I guess we’ll have to let Archie decide.”

“Then I guess we’ll never know.”

“Touché.” His playful smile widens at their shared knowledge of Archie’s indecisiveness being an obvious character trait.

After another few seconds her gaze follows his to where their hands are still currently interlocked in what could now be debatably referred to as the longest first meeting handshake of all time.

His grip is warm but lax, as though he’s waiting for her to make the move to break the contact and she feels her cheeks burn.

She immediately drops his hand and turns to Archie and Veronica, who are now both watching them with curious expressions.

“This is my best friend, Veronica Lodge.” Betty introduces them and quickly moves next to Archie in order to put some space between herself and his best friend.

“Is that Alice’s famous hot chocolate?” Archie asks suddenly and Alice confirms from across the room that it is and that both of the boys should come grab a mug.

They make their way over to the kitchen and Betty swallows audibly, touching the ends of her ponytail that fall against her shoulder. She’s watching Archie talk animatedly as he adds marshmallows to his mug, his arms flexing in his long-sleeved Under Armour shirt even from the small movement.

But then her gaze shifts to where Jughead has shrugged out of his large flannel jacket, nodding along with whatever Archie’s saying as he grabs one of the cookies from Mary’s tupperware.

“He is good looking,” Veronica observes next to her and it takes a moment for Betty to realize who she’s talking about.

Archie.

“Yeah, he is,” she confirms, turning back to the small table where they’d left their own mugs of hot chocolate resting.

“So...are you still planning to profess your love for him tonight?”

Laughter from the kitchen fills the air and Betty immediately looks in the direction of the sound, the tips of her ears burning. Jughead.

“Um...no,” she decides suddenly, ignoring the look of confusion crossing Veronica’s face. “Maybe not tonight.”

___________________

happy december everyone! ☃️❄️

thank you for giving this little holiday fic a chance! it’s been a ton of fun to write and i hope it adds a little Christmas cheer to your holiday season.

i strongly advise enjoying with a mug of hot chocolate - extra marshmallows

xx B

#bughead fanfiction #bughead #bughead holiday fanfiction #betty cooper x jughead jones #riverdaleevents #through the snowfall #a little bit of a tropefest #mixed with as much of a slow burn as five chapters will allow lol

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