#and I want to read throug the notes

[snowy-vee]

All Mine (2)

oblivious loser bsf! ellie williams x posesive popular bsf!fem reader

n/a: I've spent my whole day squishing my head to finishing it today, and here it is! Also I won't be uploading the pt.2 of Academic Rivals, because I prefer to leave it as a One-Shot but I have in mind another, much better, plot with the trope Enemies to Lovers with Ellie. Read the final note!!

Pt. 1 Here Pt.3 Here

Inform yourself about what's happening and how to help! FREE PALESTINE, FREE CONGO.

Ellie knocked on your door for the third time that morning. The first one was before her morning run, the second one was after that and the third was once she was done in the bathroom.

When she heard no answer, she went in and opened the curtains right away. “Get up, it’s the same every morning.”

You covered your face with the blankets to avoid the sun, saying, “Give me five more minutes,” but Ellie wouldn’t have it.

She got on the bed and shook you. “You have practice in an hour; I’m not letting you leave without breakfast, and then you’ll complain I didn’t wake you up,” she said. “Come on, get up.”

Sitting upright in bed, you let out a sigh, looked at the clock on the nightstand, and let out a moan. “Els, just give me five minutes.”

She shrugged and said, “Your call,” but before she could move, you grabbed her arm and drew her nearer to you.

“Lay down with me for those five minutes,” you requested, hugging her until you managed to lay her down beside you, even though she was fighting to break free. You didn’t want to let her go.

“Fine! Just five minutes, I’ll set the alarm, I have places to be,” she said, taking her phone out of her sweatpants pocket.

When she was done, you muttered, “Yeah, yeah, whatever, shut up,” and placed her phone on your bedside table. With a smile on your face, you raised the covers to allow Ellie to slide into them, encircling her waist with your arms and placing your head on her chest.

She was trying not to touch you with her free hand and you could hear how quickly her heart was beating, as if it was your first time sharing a bed. “You can give me a hug too,” you muttered.

With a clear throat, she said, “If that’s what you want.”

You appreciated that she was a little flustered, even if you couldn’t see her face. It was something you truly enjoyed doing to her.

She relaxed and soon fell asleep. Your plan was to sleep too, but you were thinking about where she had to go when her classes didn’t start until 2 p.m. You turned around slowly and grabbed her phone, unlocking it.

¡Ding!

The notification startled you for a moment, almost making you scream. You quickly checked if Ellie woke up because of the sound, but she was asleep.

“You have to be kidding me,” you whispered, reading the notification from the panel.

Dina (Campus) : I’ll see you in an hour then! I truly want to try those croissants you’ve been talking about, and I also wan…

Rolling your eyes was the least you could do. You shook your head, going to the alarm and deactivating it. Dina was a big girl; she could eat those croissants alone. You hoped she choked on them.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

The sound of the TV, the microwave, and your humming was enough to wake her up. She yawned and stretched out, all calm until she saw how late it was.

“Fuck!” Ellie said getting up from the bed and grabbing her phone “No,no,no…”

You were scrolling on your phone, having breakfast, hearing how she was going side to side. From the bathroom to her bedroom and vice versa until she came to the kitchen.

“Why didn’t you woke me up? I told you I had places to be!” she walked past you to the entrance to put her white sneakers on.

“Good Morning to you too” you said sarcastically “I thought it was your classes where you had to go, it’s 1 p.m, you still have time”

Ellie shook her head “No, it was something else! What are you doing here, tho? Shouldn’t you be at practice?”

“I woke up like 30 minutes before you, so” you shrugged “You’re not going to drive me to campus today?”

“Uh…” She was roaming through her backpack making sure she had everything “I can’t today, sorry but here, call an Uber”

She left some money on the table beside your plate before stealing on of your toasts “Bye, see you later!”

“She is joking, right?” you thought picking up the money. “Seriously, Ellie?!”

You yelled from the balcony, seeing Ellie running to her car

“Sorry, no time!” She yelled back getting into her car with her mouth full of the toast.

The thing is, Ellie was in a hurry. She had arranged to meet up with Dina for breakfast before class at a café she had suggested herself, and on top of that, she had overslept.

She started the car and began to drive. When she reached a red traffic light, she took the opportunity to call Dina, who answered almost immediately as if she had been waiting for her. She sounded a bit annoyed; after all, she had been waiting for her for a long time. But she understood that Ellie had overslept. She suggested they meet at the entrance of the building where they had their only class together.

Obviously, Ellie agreed, but she couldn’t go empty-handed. So, as soon as she arrived on campus, she went to the cafeteria, ordered two coffees, and some cookies that Dina had mentioned she liked yesterday.

“Ellie, you didn’t need to buy breakfast,” the dark-haired girl said, trying to hide her big smile. She grabbed the bag and chuckled softly, looking at the cookies. “Wow, you sure know how to apologize.”

“Sorry, again, for standing you up. It wasn’t my intention.”

“It’s okay. Next time, I’ll come pick you up at your place.”

Next time? That meant Dina wanted to keep meeting up. Ellie nodded energetically. By the time class started, they had finished breakfast, talked about different things, sat together, and also had small conversations during class.

“That’s all for today. Remember, we start presentations in two weeks. Goodbye,” the professor said, collecting his briefcase and leaving the classroom.

“Well, on Tuesday, I’ll pick you up, and we’ll go to a café to finish it?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Ellie said, gathering her things. “See you tonight at the party?”

“Yes, but aren’t you going to the parking lot?” Dina asked, watching as Ellie walked in the opposite direction.

“No, I have one more class, and then I’m meeting a friend.”

Dina nodded, waving goodbye. Ellie didn’t have another class, but she usually waited for her outside hers to go eat together. She had no idea why she had said that.

Your building wasn’t far from hers, so in less than 20 minutes, she arrived. She went up to the second floor and could see people coming out of your class, and finally you, but behind you was Abby Anderson. Ellie saw how she grabbed your arm and pulled you away from the others. It seemed like you were arguing about something until you pushed her aside and quickly walked to the stairs.

“Ellie? I didn’t think you were going to come pick me up today. Never mind, let’s go!” you said, intertwining your arms, almost dragging her to get out of there quickly. “I think they’re serving carbonara pasta in the dining hall today. You love pasta, right? How great that it’s on the menu today.”

Ellie nodded, frowning as she glanced at Abby once more before leaving. She would ask you about it later…

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“I don’t like it, I’ll just wear something else,” Ellie said, entering your room for the third time with a different outfit than before. You rolled your eyes at her. “Ellie, I’m going to hit you if you don’t decide,” you said, watching her with frustration as she seemed unable to choose her clothes for the party. “Who do you want to look so good for?”

“No one. Could you help me instead of judging?” she replied, tossing the shirt she was taking off towards you. You dodged it, laughing, before throwing it back at her.

“Cargo pants and a black top, good combo, simple and it looks great on you,” you suggested. A few minutes later, she came back into your room wearing the suggested outfit. “See? I never fail,” you said with a grin.

“Fine,” she said, sitting on your bed as she watched you apply makeup. You were wearing a brown top tied at the top with a bow and a denim mini skirt. Ellie couldn’t help but admire your body, especially your legs, and you could see her doing so in the mirror. With a smile, you turned to her, and her gaze shot up to your face.

“Let me do your makeup,” you said.

“Why?” she narrowed her eyes and shook her head as she watched you approach with a playful smile. “Okay, but only the eyeliner.”

“Kay. Close your eyes,” you requested, opening the black eyeliner as you positioned yourself between her legs. “I’m going to sit on you.”

“Is that necessary?” Ellie asked, opening her eyes slightly, to which you nodded.

“I’m not comfortable, and if I’m not comfortable, it won’t turn out well,” you said, sitting on her and starting to apply the makeup. The only sounds in the room were your breaths and the low music from the speaker. “So… where did you have to go early this morning?”

“I had something important,” Ellie said, almost stuttering. She didn’t expect you to ask anything, but why wasn’t she telling you the truth? Why did she feel weird mentioning that she had plans with Dina?

“Ah, really?” you responded vaguely, clicking your tongue.

“Yeah… And what were you talking about with Abby?”

“Something important,” you shrugged. “There, it’s done, open your eyes.”

Ellie opened them, blinking a bit, smiling sideways. “Does it look good on me?”

You nodded, still on top of her. You grabbed her cheeks and squeezed gently, making her lips press together, and asked, making eye contact with her, “Is it for Dina that you’re getting all dressed up?”

“Maybe”

“Are you planning to kiss her tonight?”

“Maybe?” Ellie was confused about where these questions were coming from and at the same time thinking about how well you knew her. Perhaps she shouldn’t have ‘hidden’ her meeting with Dina from you in the morning…

“When was your last kiss? Like four years ago, right? Wow, you’re rusty,” you teased.

“Well, let’s not exaggerate,” she replied, her cheeks turning pink, not only from your grip that was tightening more and more but also from the image that crossed her mind of kissing Dina.

“Do you want to practice?”

“I mean… I don’t want her to think that I don’t know how to kiss. I know how to; I’ve kissed a lot of girls.”

“You only kissed two girls: me, for your first kiss and your ex-girlfriend, Cat. The little kisses at some parties while playing ‘spin the bottle’ don’t count.”

“Well, they should because I kissed plenty of girls,” Ellie mumbled.

“Decide before I change my mind or suit yourself,” you said, finally releasing her.

Ellie bit her cheek from the inside before nodding. “Okay, let’s practice.”

You did not wait to join your lips to hers, starting a slow kiss with a slow peace. Your arms were resting on her shoulders, bringing her closer to you, and your hands were starting to play with her hair. You wanted to explore Ellie’s mouth; you needed to feel her.

The kiss became deeper, and you buried yourselves more into each other’s mouths eagerly, feeling your lips closer as if there was a need that must be fulfilled. Soon Ellie’s tongue found yours, and they intertwined, making you moan in the midst of the kiss.

That made Ellie press her hands that were on your thighs; she had liked that sound a bit too much. Slowly she began to slide her hands upward until she touched the hem of your skirt, which was hiked up due to the position you were in.

Your breaths became more ragged as the rythm of the kiss quickened, and you wanted to continue, but no. If you didn’t stop, Ellie wouldn’t learn, she wouldn’t learn that only you could kiss her like that, you had to keep her yearning for more of you.

So you had to cut it off and watch as Ellie tried to reconnect your lips; it was so satisfying, you had to stop her gently, “Wow, Els, calm down, this is practice,” you said in a joking tone, getting off her, patting her knee to get her attention. She was still lying on the bed with an embarrassed expression on her face. “There’s a party we have to attend, come on.”

You grabbed your minibag and left your room to the front door, and Ellie did nothing but get up and follow you, not without first processing what had just happened a few seconds ago.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Ellie opened the passenger door once you arrived so that you could get out of the car.

She had to park a bit far from the house, but from there, you could hear the music and there were already drunk people in the street as you walked towards the entrance. You walked with your arms intertwined as you told Ellie the most recent gossip you had heard in the locker room or that you had been told, and Ellie listened, reacting when she could put faces to the names.

“He said that it was Sarah’s underwear, and Sarah denied it, saying that she was not ghetto and that she would never wear that. Imagine who snapped? April!”

“The church girl with brown hair?”

“Yeah, that one! It was so messy because the previous day she was preaching about how she was going to see the pearly gates since she was one of the last ‘pure’ girls on the team.”

“No way!”

“Yes, way! She’s so dumb, I hate her and more with the fa-”

“Hi, Ellie.”

Oh, you were going to kill this bitch. Dina was sitting on the porch of the house with a glass in her hand; she had probably been there for a short time. She looked at Ellie with a wide smile that decreased when she looked at you.

“I’ll see you inside,” you said, letting go of Ellie and passing by Dina without saying anything. Once inside, you joined your group of friends who were already quite drunk; they all greeted you, some with mini hugs or two kisses before giving you a glass full of rum and cola, more rum than cola. “You all know me better than I know myself.”

“Of course we do, silly, we love you.” You let yourself fall into the couch, tasting the drink, when your eyes diverted to see Ellie and Dina finally entering the party, giggling and whispering in each other’s ears because of how loud the music was.

“I love you too, April!” You smiled in her direction, drank all the liquid in your cup in one go, and handed it to her. “Be a doll and refill this.”

April looked at the rest of the girls and then at you, grabbing it. “Slow down, we don’t want you to repeat the Anderson accident again.”

The ginger girl beside April pushed her slightly, looking at you with her eyes wide open and laughing awkwardly. “She doesn’t mean that.”

Your eye twitched looking at April go refill your drink; you were going to brush it off for now because you had better enemies to fight than her. You had a whole plan on how to snatch Ellie away from Dina, but it hadn’t been formulated clearly, and you didn’t like to act on impulse. Anyway, you were at a party, and you were going to enjoy it.

By the time it was 3 a.m., you were already dancing on the table and shouting the lyrics of the songs you knew, swaying your hips against whoever. You stepped aside for a moment, saying that you were going for another drink, jumping off the table almost falling to the floor, but you could only laugh; everything was funny to you at that moment, and you wasn’t even that drunk! You had high tolerance, only your tongue was kind of asleep and you were stumbling from time to time but you loved to play silly and pretend to be more gone then you really were.

You reached the kitchen, looking for a new glass in the cabinets because you had no idea where you had thrown yours, when you found one, you began to decide what liquor to drink with eeny, meeny, miny, moe, before someone took away the glass and took you somewhere no matter how much you protested. The other person had a strong grip, and no matter how vaguely you were saying to let you go, they didn’t.

“I can’t believe you have me added as Dina (Campus), how lame, I’m going to change it,” Dina said, changing her contact name, but Ellie, who had seen the situation, was not paying attention.

“As you wish,” Ellie murmured, watching you disappear to the second floor; that didn’t sit well with her.

“Done!” Dina smiled, returning the phone to its owner, but Ellie’s gaze seemed worried. “What’s wrong?”

“Wait for me here, yeah? I’ll be back,” Ellie said, grabbing her phone and following where she last saw you.

She went upstairs dodging some drunk people and the long wait line to enter the bathroom, trying to see if you were in any of them, walking in the hallway close to the door to see if she could hear your voice in any of them until one door abruptly opened and you came out of it with teary eyes but laughing. (What happened in the room?)

“Are you okay?” She asked. Hearing her voice surprised you.

“How long have you been there?” Depending on her answer, you had two reactions.

“I just got here, I was searching for you.”

There it was! The cherry on top of your plan. You hugged Ellie and started slowly sobbing, whispering in her ear, “I want to go home now, please…”

“Hey, what happened? what’s wrong?” Ellie asked, breaking the hug to look at you and wipe your tears with her thumbs. “Let’s go.”

She held your hand and walked to the stairs, turning her head for a moment to look at you once more, and her eyes saw the other person who was in the room with you. Abby Anderson.

Had she made you cry? She was lucky that Ellie was more concerned about getting you out of the party than beating her up.

“Wait, Ellie, my bag is in the living room with the team,” you said before she went outside.

“Oh, okay, wait here, I’ll get it for you then.” You nodded and waited until you couldn’t see her to fucking smile because of your victory.

“Hey,” a touch on your shoulder made you come out of your little mental dance, “Have you seen Ellie? She went somewhere around 15 minutes ago, and I can’t find her.”

Of course it was Dina…

“She doesn’t feel well, must be something she ate before.”

“You sure? Should I take her to the hospital?”

“No worries, we are going now, but here, money for an Uber,” you said, taking some money out of your pocket.

The same money Ellie gave you this morning. You were giving it to her, and for you, it felt so good as you patted her shoulder and sighed with a little smirk.

Dina thought you were calling her poor and mumbled a “fuck you” before dropping the money on the floor and leaving you there just in time for Ellie to come back with your bag.

“Sorry, there were a lot of people in the way,” she handed the bag to you, “Whose money is that?”

“Yours,” you grabbed the bag and started walking out. Ellie frowned, confused, but still picked up the money; it was free money, and everybody was too drunk to miss some dollars. She felt as if she was forgetting to do something before leaving. “Els!”

“Coming!” Whatever, maybe tomorrow she’ll remember; now she had to assist her best friend and be there for her as she always did… like a loyal puppy, a cute and precious one of your property.

Note: I will upload Pt.3 once this chapter and the first one reach 250 so I have time to write and to know that you all like it and want more ty♡♡

#ellie x fem reader #ellie williams #ellie tlou #ellie williams x reader #ellie smut #ellie x reader #ellie the last of us #tlou ellie #tlou2 #ellie tlou smut #tlou #dina tlou #abby tlou #wlw #lgbtq #the last of us fanfiction #ellie fanfic #snowy vee

[hiddenonyx]

Obey Me! Characters Walking in on MC Showering

Notes: fem MC!, suggestive content, nudity

Word count: 3.4K - about 290 per character

A/N: You'll probably be able to tell, but this was written over the course of like...3 months? So it's a little disjointed and you can most certainly tell who I was more inspired for. Thank to Pen for giving me ideas for Simeon and Solomon. -------------

After a little planning mishap, you end up sharing a hotel room (and bed) with them. It’s a little awkward, but you’re too tired to truly care. Right now, you really just want a shower. Any other thoughts be damned.

—

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not gonna take forever, calm down," you answer back to your temporary roommate. "It's just a shower to refresh a little."

You shift your half folded clothes in your arms so you can close the bathroom door.  You don't bother to lock it - after all they'll have to know that you're still in the bathroom if you're not out in the room, right? You set your clothes on the oversized countertop, before going over to the shower. It's a simple rectangle shower with a glass door, but isn't so horrible small that you're crowding yourself inside of it. After a few minutes of trying to figure out how to even turn the damn thing on, you get the water running and turn away to strip as the water warms up. But before you step in, you grab your phone and set the all important music. You turn it up so it's just loud enough to contend with the noise of the shower, set it on the counter nearby and step in. A sigh escapes you as the warm water sprays on your skin. Maybe you'll take a little longer than you said...

—

Lucifer

     He watches you disappear into the bathroom, not believing you when you told him it'll be a "quick" shower (40 minutes is not quick, MC). He goes back to reading through the tourist pamphlet for a factory, allowing the soft noise of the shower and distant music lull him into a feeling of soft relaxation. It's not until nearly an hour later that he realizes that you're still in the shower. Mild concern paints his face as he stands up and makes his way over to the closed bathroom door. The sound of your music is a little louder now and he can hear you humming along.

    "MC?" he asks softly, gently tapping his knuckles against the door. He repeats the actions a little louder when you don't answer. When you still don't answer, Lucifer hesitates, before giving a resigned sigh and opening the door. 

     His question of if you're alright dies on his tongue as he's greeted with the image of your perfect naked body partially obscured by condensation on the glass door. Your back is towards him as you hum along to a song, hands busy washing your hair, completely unaware that Lucifer's walked in on you. He's frozen to the spot for a few moments, his mind screaming at him to close the door and walk away like nothing's happened, but his body simply won't respond. He's stuck staring at your gorgeous form for what seems like an eternity.

    Then you start to turn around. Lucifer's body suddenly wakes up and he damn near slams the door off its hinges as he hurries to close it. You startle and call after him, confused and so blissfully unaware, "Lucifer? Was that you? Is something wrong?"

—

Mammon

     He grumbles as he watches you disappear into the bathroom. He knows that you'll take forever, and there's nothing to do in this tiny shoe box-excuse of a room. He pouts a little more - how dare you leave the Great Mammon bored?! When he hears the shower start and the music kick up, he knows you're not going to come back right away (a small part of him hoped that you would forget something and have to come back out so that he could see you again). 

    Mammon looks around the room, eyes falling on your open bag. His eyes dart back to the closed door before he shrugs and starts to go through it. He's mildly interested by all the little knick-knacks and souvenirs that you've kept  from him and his brothers. He's just about to go through your wallet when a loud "thud" followed by your muffled cursing startles him. He bolts up from your stuff and looks to the bathroom, a guilty look painted on his face. But the door remains closed. Confused and a little concerned, Mammon approaches. 

    "MC? W-what was that?" he calls, but unbeknown to him, you can't hear him over the shower and your music. He pauses at the door and strains his ears to try and hear a response. When none comes, he starts to get nervous. Did you fall? Is that what the loud noise was? Are you injured?

    More than a little panicked, Mammon hurriedly opens the door, "MC-!" His voice dies on his tongue as you lock eyes. You're putting some kind of product on your hand (presumably to spread somewhere else), and fully naked. The condensation on the glass does a poor job of censoring your breasts and the curves of your waist. You look at him, surprised and confused, and perhaps a little embarrassed - he however, is bright red and stuck staring. It isn't until you start to say something that Mammon lets out a pathetic yelp and slams the door closed.

—

Levi

    Levi gives you a disbelieving look at your “I’ll be quick” claim, but shrugs it off; after all he has to do some daily tasks in “Ruri-Chan Flowers vs. Devils: Dance Dance Battle!”. He hears you start your shower just as the game loads. He cracks his knuckles before curling into his best gamer posture.

   �� Levi glances at the time as he closes the app - almost 2 hours later. He winces; he hadn’t intended to spend longer than 30 minutes doing his tasks, but a new event had started and he just had to get the ice queen skin for Ruri-Chan (it looks so elegant on her!). He listens for a second and doesn’t hear the shower running anymore. He looks around for you in the room (perhaps you entered the room when he was in the “zone” and didn’t notice), and is confused when he doesn’t see you. Curiously, he makes his way to the bathroom door and listens again: silence.

    “M-MC?” Levi asks nervously. When you don’t answer he opens the door tentatively. He’s greeted with the lovely embarrassing view of you mid change; wearing only your underwear.  He’s frozen to the spot, staring at how your bra barely contains your breasts, at how your panties accent and clings to your natural curves. 

     “L-Levi?” You ask, slightly embarrassed by his staring. His face is so red you’re worried he’ll pass out. After a few more seconds his brain seems to catch up and he covers his face and practically runs back to the bed, screaming apologies.

—

Satan

     He gives you a hum of acknowledgement at your announcement and turns the page of his new book. He hears the bathroom door click closed. He lets out a soft sigh of relaxation before settling fully in the chair. He knows that he'll have plenty of time to read in peace and quiet while you shower.

     Satan is fully immersed in his book when you call his name from the bathroom. He startles and almost bends the page. He looks over at the door, answering you back, "Yes?"

   "I forgot my pajamas on my bed. Could you bring them here, please?" Your voice is timid and embarrassed. He sighs softly - you make him do things that he wouldn't do for anyone else.

    "Yes. Just a second." He gently (and carefully) sets his book down on the table before standing up and going over to your bed. Your cute sleeping clothes are folded nicely in a single space (which he appreciates the neatness of). He picks them up just as gently as he had put his book down before walking over to the bathroom.

    He raps his knuckle gently against the door and waits for your answer. He doesn't hear the music or the water running, so he tries again slightly louder. When you fail to answer again, he gently opens the door and steps inside. 

    He's greeted with the view of you wrapped in a towel that just barely covers the important parts. Your breasts are nearly spilling over the top of the white towel (how the towel even remains wrapped around in the first place is a wonder). And the towel just barely covers the upper most part of your thighs. You scroll absently on your phone while you wait, unaware of Satan's presence. He stares for a few seconds, struggling to collect himself (how dare you be this nonchalant), before he softly clears his throat.

    You look over and give him an apologetic smile before reaching out to take the offered clothes. Satan closes the door and does his best to muffle the sigh he lets out. This is going to be a long trip.

—

Asmodeus

    He really wants to ask you if he can join you, but he figures that if you wanted him to join you, you would've extended an invitation. Perhaps you simply need a little bit to sort through your thoughts and memories of the day (which he understands - he does that too). Instead, he busies himself doing his skincare routine out in front of his travel mirror. It's far from the best, but it'll do for the night.

    Asmo hums idly to your muffled playlist, enjoying the odd domestic tone of the night. The situation is odd, with having to share a bed, he muses, but at least he can fall asleep right next to your cute self. It isn't until he's about to complete his last step in his extensive routine that he notices that your music has stopped. When did it stop? How long has the room been silent? Asmo strains his ears, but can't hear any other sounds.

    "Little dove? Are you done?" he calls softly. When you don't answer him, he gets up, and goes over to the bathroom door. He knocks, calling again, "Dove?"

    "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm done....hey, umm...could you help me? T-there's this knot in my hair."

    Asmo smiles softly before opening the door. He pays little mind to the fact that you've somehow managed to wrap and tie the hotel towel around your body (maybe you used a little magic), and instead focus on this knot of wet hair you're struggling to untangle. He gently takes the brush from you, his fingers ever so softly grazing your's, and gently pulls it from your hair. He hums as he begins to gently brush your hair out.

—

Beelzebub

    He nods in acknowledgement before popping another piece of candy in his mouth. It's some human world candy; some of the pieces are sweet and some of them are tart, and Beel never quite knows which kind he'll get. He sits on the bed, simply enjoying the snack and thinking - thinking about the day you've spent together.

    He's content for the time, but a loud "bampoof" followed by language Beel's only ever heard come from an angry Levi makes him pause mid chew. He swallows hard before rising from the bed.

    "MC? Are you okay?" His voice is soft but urgent. He rests his hand on the door, listening. He can still hear the water running, your music playing and...your mumbled curses. He breathes a sigh of relief; at least you're not unconscious. But still...

    He opens the door gently, eyes cast to the tiled floor trying to respect your privacy. "MC? A-are you okay? What happened?"

    You huff and rise to your feet, grabbing the offending soap bar that had slipped from your grip and caused you to fall after it. "Yeah, I'm fine...more or less. Hit my head slightly, " you mumble before looking over at Beel. His face, even staring at the title, is dusted pink. You can't help but smile and giggle. He blushes harder, before glancing at you.

    "Yeah, Beel, I'm fine. I'll be out in a few, okay?" you give him your biggest, most convincing smile. He nods, his face even redder now, before closing the door.

—

Belphegor

    He makes a half-assed noise to acknowledge you before covering his eyes with his arm. As long as he wakes up next to you, he doesn't really care how long you take. As he drifts off, he hears your music start playing. Despite the peppy-upbeatness it lulls him to sleep all the same.

     Belphie has no idea how much time has passed when he wakes up, but he does know that you're not in bed with him. Grumbling, he practically slides himself out of bed and stumbles to the bathroom door. He grumbles, some sort of half asleep noise, before unceremoniously opening the door.

     "Belphie!" You squeak, scrambling to wrap yourself in a towel, smearing lotion on the white cloth. He sleepily sways towards you - too asleep to notice your state of undress. He wraps his arms around you and sleepily nuzzles your neck, mumbling something about you being late. You're frozen to place, one hand gently touching on Belphie's shoulder. 

    "Belphie." you say again, holding your breath. He makes a noise of some kind but continues to lean into you. You both stand there for a few minutes before Belphie raises his face to look at you. His eyes seem a little clear and he gives you a questioning look, "What? You weren't in bed," he pouts. 

    "Belphie...I'm naked."

    He stares at you and blinks dumbly for a second before his sleepy brain catches up. His face turns red and he bites his lip. Reluctantly he pulls away and looks at the floor.

    "S-sorry. I-I'll go." You giggle and smile, "It's okay. I'll be out in a few more minutes okay? And then I'll give you all the cuddles you want."

—

Diavolo

     He watches you disappear into the bathroom with a soft hum and smile. He turns his attention to the small smattering of various important documents that need his attention and signature (even on "vacation" the poor prince can never seem to escape his work). He sighs and silently debates if Barbatos's lecture would be worth ignoring his work for the time being. Diavolo glances back at the bathroom door before picking up his pen - it's not like he had anything else to do while he waited.

    He's almost finished with his paperwork - actively in the process of signing the last document - when he's startled by a unusually loud "FUCK" from the bathroom. Diavolo spares only a half a second to frown in annoyance at the smeared lettering before setting the pen down and getting up.

    "MC? Are you-?" he starts as he approaches the door. He strains his ears to listen, hearing movement from inside and more importantly your grumbles of irritation. "MC?" he calls again, waiting by the shut door, concern worming its way into his expression. You don't answer, but he can still hear you moving.

     Carefully he turns the door handle and slowly opens the door just enough so that he can look in and see what's happened.  He sucks in a soft breath. You're completely naked, fiddling with a band-aid, a small stream of blood running down your leg. You must've nicked yourself while shaving, and as his eyes trace the blood, it looks to be around your knee (an annoying and troublesome area if one's not careful, or so he's been told). His eyes continue to travel past the nick to rake over the rest of your nude form. 

    And Diavolo has to bite his lip to stop himself from letting out a hot and noisy breath. You're gorgeous, absolutely stunning, drop dead beautiful - he could on. Every part of you is simply perfect. His trance of admiration is broken when you move again, having finished applying the band-aid. Carefully, and quietly, he closes the door letting out the breath he was holding. There's no way either of you are sleeping tonight.

—

Barbatos

    He gives a little hum to acknowledge you, but says nothing. It's a bit odd to see Barbatos of all people casually reclining in a chair with a book, but it's kinda cute (and an odd weight off your shoulders that the man does actually know how to relax).  You turn and make your way to the bathroom, gently closing the door behind you.

    Barbatos lets his eyes follow you as you walk to the bathroom, watching you go. His eyes narrow slightly - he expected your arms to be fuller...were you forgetting something? He glances over to your bed to find that you had forgotten to bring your sleepwear. He smiles softly, how cute of you.

    Barbatos sets his book down before getting up and carefully collects your clothes to bring to you. He knocks gently on the door and then opens it. It's a force of habit really, he truly didn't mean to intrude and walk in on you half naked.

     You hold each other's gaze for several long seconds, your hands behind your back holding the clasps of your bra. He simply stands in the entrance of the room, one hand holding your sleepwear, the other on the door knob. 

    He clears his throat softly, "You forgot these." Barbatos sets your clothes on the counter before quietly excusing himself.

—

Simeon

    He smiles as he watches you disappear into the bathroom. His smile dips into a slight frown when he realizes that he's not sure what to do now that you're busy. Should he read? His eyes dart to his bag. Or maybe he should work on his manuscript - he had been hoping to be able to work on it at some point during this trip and now seemed as good of a time as any, right?

     After almost twenty minutes of struggling to do anything writing related Simeon decides that it would be best to call it a night. He carefully put his manuscript away and makes his way over to the bed. He picked up the top item of clothing that he had set out for himself earlier, only to realize that it wasn't his - it was your's. He glances back towards the bathroom and then the shirt he had unfolded. You must've grabbed the wrong set of sleepwear by accident.

     Ever the gentleman, Simeon refoldes the shirt and picks up the stack of clothing, making his way to the bathroom. Even through the door, he can hear you softly singing along. He doubts that you can hear him, but he still knocks anyways, and isn't surprised when you don't answer.

    Gently he opens the door, his gaze downwards. He peeks up, looking at the counter to see where you had set down the clothes you took. He groans internally when he sees that they're almost right at the farthest end; he had hoped to just be able to quickly swap them out and not disturb you. 

    He sighs and steps in, "Um, excuse me, (MC). I don't mean to bother you, but it seems you accidentally grabbed my clothes instead of your's."  You look over to him, gently jolted out of your thoughts. You can't help but smile at Simeon; he keeps his gaze down and is quick with the exchange.

    "Oh, I'm sorry."

     "It's alright. Enjoy the rest of your shower," and with that, he gracefully leaves, his ears a soft pink.

—

Solomon

     He smiles and laughs a little to himself as he watches you leave towards the bathroom. He waits till he hears the door close before returning his attention to the small set up of magical equipment and knick-knacks. As he starts to tinker, he hears the soft noise of the shower and your music. He hums along softly as he works.

    Almost half an hour later Solomon sets down his tools and stretches in the chair before getting up. He makes his way to the bathroom, lost in thought about his recent project. It was being difficult and not quite working how he wanted it to.

    ...maybe a shower would help clear his thoughts. 

   He opens the door to the bath and casual walks in, pushing the door closed with his foot. He grabs his belt to start undoing it when a voice calls his name.

     "Solomon?! What are you doing?!"

     He looks up and over to the shower, to see you. Already naked, in the shower, and in the middle of washing your hair. He tries to hold your gaze, but his eyes falter and flicker down to the rest of your form for a second. He had forgotten you were in here.

    He laughs, thoroughly embarrassed for the first time in a while and brings his hands up to rub at his shoulder in an apologetic gesture, "S-Sorry, sorry. I...I uh...forgot you were in here..."

    "Where else would I be?! Now get out! Shoo!"

     Solomon doesn't need to be told twice.

#headcanon #obey me nightbringer #om! nightbringer #obey me #obeymeswd #obey me writings #shall we date obey me #obey me fandom #obey me swd #obey me headcannon blog #obey me headcanons #obey me lucifer #obey me asmodeus #obey me levi #obey me satan #obey me mammon #obey me beelzebub #obey me beel #obey me belphegor #obey me belphie #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me brothers #obey me simeon #obey me side characters #obey me solomon #is this enough tags #grandma doesnt know how to tag here #send help

[sanjisjuul]

Therapist Law!

Summary: Law is a kinky therapist

Cw: fem reader, cursing, spanking, fingering

Note: if you've seen this before it's because its from my old account! i'm working on recovering all my fics and thanks to @pileofmush this one has been located in its entirety!

Word count: 3.2k

Mdni 18+

the ticking of the clock on the sad beige walls reverberates through your eardrums as you bounce your leg up and down in anticipation. a metallic taste tingles your taste buds as you draw blood from how hard you're chewing on your lip. 

therapy. something you've wanted to do, but simultaneously put off for years. a recent break up that you initiated caused you to finally seek a doctor. your past lover, while a good person, didn't provide the affection you so much craved. you felt ignored, a bother almost, everything you put in was almost consumed rather than given back. not to mention sexually you were more than less satisfied, your partner always getting their needs met and not bothering to give yours any attention. 

now you're sat in an uncomfortable leather chair, the squeaking making you cringe internally as you shift around. you try to search the walls for any distraction to calm your nerves, but the barren office offers absolutely nothing. 

"y/n?" the soft voice of the receptionist breaks you from your inner thoughts. you look up at her and hum in question as she smiles softly at you. "dr. trafalgar is ready to see you, he's in room 5 whenever you're ready." 

you stand slowly, the crack of your joints causing a jolt of pain to run through your body. you pull the sleeves of your sweater over your hands before heading down the hall in search of the room. blank white doors stare back at you as you trudge down the hall. each door with a large black number plastered on it. you come to a halt when seeing the door with a number five. you reach your hand to knock, but the creak of the door causes you to jump in place.

"come in," a deep man's voice speaks, quietly, but enough for the entire hallway to echo around you. without looking up you push past the door before closing it softly behind you. you turn around slowly, getting a glimpse of the room. Dr. Trafalgar's back is turned to you, he sits at a dark wooden desk adjacent to the door typing something rapidly on his computer. floating shelves litter the walls, filled with books, fidget toys, and what seemed to be action figures. a few posters hang from old movies and comic books which contrasts the sterility of the rest of the building, giving you a sense of comfort. there's a black leather chair sitting in the corner which rests next to a large monstera plant to which you take a seat. 

"you must be miss y/n." the doctor speaks his large back still turned to you. you fidget with sleeves, "yes," you smile although he still cannot see you. "alright then," he presses enter on his keyboard before swiveling around in his chair to face you. you almost choke on air upon his front side coming into view. piercing grey eyes bore into yours, a raven mop of hair sits atop his head styled a bit messily. his cheekbones and jawline defined with pretty pink lips and a black goatee resting on his chin. your eyes shamelessly trail down his body as yours heats up. he's dressed business casual, black slacks, black loafers, and long sleeved black button down. he wears two gold hoops on each ear, but what you least expected are the two large tattoos covering each hand, surprising to say the least, but you certainly aren't complaining. 

"so tell me," he breaks your trance, spreading his long legs to rest his elbows on each thigh, holding his face in his knuckles as he leans forward, eyes never leaving yours, "what brings you in?" he licks his lips, almost as if he's reading your mind. you could have sworn you saw a ghost of a smirk before you start speaking. "well um basically i just want to better myself. i just left a long relationship and want to understand why i stayed so long, why i put myself through so much mental anguish." 

dr. trafalgar nods his head, eyebrows furrowed as he actively listens to what you have to say, "well let's start with this. tell me about your last relationship. what occurred, and how it ended." he reaches for a notepad, pen and reading glasses on his desk, before sliding the glasses on and reassuming his previous position. 

you stumble a bit before starting your sentence, the glasses on his handsome face distracting you as you try to recall your memories. "um.. well yeah, i basically felt ignored, almost an afterthought," you start. you go on a long rant recalling all of your frustrating memories, the times you felt like a bother, the constant effort you put in to get none in return, and the way this affected you which ultimately led you to leave.

dr. trafalgar takes notes as you go, looking up every so often to give you a look of understanding, not one of pity which you've received far too many times as of late. you catch your breath as you finish, feeling a sense of relief as you finish your recollection. 

"well, if i'm going to be honest, he sounds like a complete idiot." dr. trafalgar starts, before leaning back in his chair. "i'm glad you were able to leave without many complications. it takes a lot of courage to leave something long term as you just have." 

you smile at his statement before continuing, "to me it should have ended long ago, being with him was more of a past time, i was just scared of being lonely. which in hindsight was a bit stupid because i have friends who have been there for me more than he ever was." 

your doctor smiles at you, "that isn't stupid miss y/n. many people fear being alone, it's completely normal. i am very glad to hear you have friends that support you" 

"i don't know,' you start. "it just feels like my life was on halt for such a long period of time. if anything i'm glad to be single now so i can actually explore other options." 

he cocks an eyebrow, "options?" 

you feel the blood rush to your cheeks upon answering, "options... as in other sexual partners, romantic or not." you close your eyes momentarily as you feel embarrassment creep it's way through your body. 

"were you not satisfied sexually?" he sets his notepad on the desk besides him, and removes his glasses, running a large hand through his raven locks. you try not to linger your stare on his long fingers, each digit tattooed, making you feel... things. 

"well to be completely honest no." you advert your gaze from your sexy ass therapist and chew on your lip before continuing. "it's just going back to effort. he didn't make effort for me emotionally, physically, nor sexually. i always made sure that he was taken care of.. if you know what i mean."

dr. trafalgar pauses for a moment, "well if you're comfortable we can go through that aspect of the relationship as well. just remember, this is all on your terms miss y/n." he locks eyes with yours once again, his face stern as he speaks. 

your face heats up as you look down. you planned on talking about this with your doctor, but didn't expect him to be so... attractive. you feel his gaze on your face before you sigh. you lift your head to meet dr. trafalgars gaze, to which he stares intently back at you.

his silence makes you continue, "in two years how do you not make somebody cum?" you question frustratedly. "he didn't even try, he even blamed me at one point, can you fucking believe that?" you sigh in anger. "i used to excuse myself into another room to take care of myself,"  you laugh in disbelief, "it was just so frustrating." you finish, if you were in a cartoon steam would be seeping out from your ears. 

"may i ask?" dr. trafalgar moves his chair a few inches closer, "when was the last time somebody besides yourself made you cum?" you're taken aback at his question, but not uncomfortable in the slightest. you lean forward resting your chin in your hands before pondering, "s' been years, i can't even remember to be honest with you."

your doctor bites his lip before speaking, "and would you say, that has caused some sexual frustration on your end?" you nod, too distracted to vocalize an answer as you watch him chew on his lip. 

"while in that relationship did you ever consider pursuing any other sexual partners?" he shifts in his chair crossing his legs. 

you pause in thought, "yeah, i honestly did. i never acted on those thoughts though, i would have felt terrible."

dr. trafalgar clenches his jaw, "how about now? do you have any desire to fulfill your needs as of late?" he leans back in his chair, legs still crossed as if he's hiding something. 

you feel feverish at this point, his line of questioning mixed with the pure aura of sex he exudes is too much for you to handle. "i-i... um yeah. i'm just waiting to find someone who is willing to do the same with me."

"can i be honest miss y/n?" he questions, his icy eyes trained on your lips before darting back to your face. you nod once again as you stare back in awe, nodding. 

"i find you to be incredibly attractive," he rolls up his sleeves, revealing more ink along his forearms. "fuck professionality, i want to make you feel good." 

you stare back in shock, your lips part slightly and your thighs clench together as you feel the heat in your body settle at your core, dampening your panties. you can't form a sentence even if you try as he stares back at you in dead seriousness. 

he rests his hands on his knees before standing, his stature making you feel small as he approaches you, bending down face level with you. . "let me repeat myself," he brushes your hair back, goosebumps forming at the warmth of his large hands. "i want to make you feel good, could i do that for you?" you shudder as his lips meet the shell of your ear, his hand resting on the nape of your neck, other in his pocket as he leans over you. 

"please," you squeak, eyes trained on the floor in embarrassment. you feel his other hand reach for your chin to which he tilts up, forcing you to look him in the eyes. his half lidded eyes meet yours as he bites his lip, "look at me when you speak miss y/n." your chest heaves at the proximity, his hand leaves the nape of your neck to grab a fistfull of your hair, holding it firmly to keep your gaze on his. 

"please," you whisper, your eyes darting down to his pretty lips, "make me feel good." he smirks, tugging your hair softly, "good girl." 

he closes the distance by pressing his lips onto yours. the kiss is soft and passionate. his hand stays wrapped in your hair as his lips dance on yours. he softly prods his tongue to tease your bottom lip. you open your mouth to accept his offering to which he presses his tongue fully in, savoring your taste.

you sigh at the intrusion, the feeling of being kissed correctly felt so foreign to you yet so fucking amazing. your tongues collide as you feverishly make out in his office. you gain the courage to grab the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer to you, however you didn't realize your strength as the first two buttons of his shirt ripped off completely.

you break the kiss to marvel at his bare collar bones, also littered with tattoos, you groan at the view to which he smirks. "miss y/n," he says in fake surprise, "didn't know you were so eager." you fake pout at his response and he chuckles before removing his hands from you to slowly undo the buttons of his shirt. as each button pops open, your gaze goes further down his body, taking in as much as you could. every muscle, every speck of ink prominent in your eyes as his shirt dropped to the floor. 

you reach your shaky hands up slowly to rest on his ab muscles, to which he grabs your wrists, planting them on his torso. you curiously glide your hands up and down, feeling the taut and warm flesh as your slick starts to seep through your yoga pants.

abruptly, he steps back from you, returning back to his chair and taking a seat, reassuming his manspread position. you now understand why his legs were crossed earlier, his cock is painfully erect through the fabric of his slacks. 

"cmere," he grunts, and you do as you're told, stepping closer until you're stood directly in front of him. he reaches his hands up to you, wrapping his arms around your torso, bringing you closer. "miss y/n," he speaks, causing you to look down at him. his face is yet again serious, his eyebrows furrowed. "we can stop at any moment you'd like, tell me if it's too much." 

you nod your head at his statement, smiling softly, "okay," you whisper. Dr. Trafalgar starts to kiss your stomach through your sweater, his hands raking down your back before reaching dangerously close to your ass. he suddenly halts, "want you bent over on my lap," he grunts, removing his face from your sweater to look up at you. "mhm," you hum as you position yourself over his lap before laying down. your ass is directly below his face, and your face almost touches the floor, but he holds your hair back to prevent that from happening. 

"i'm going to start now, tell me if this is okay," Dr. Trafalgar speaks before you feel his hand start to slide up the back of your thighs. he squeezes every so often, causing jolts of electricity to run through your body. once he reaches the crest of your ass he pauses, "this ok?" he questions. 

"yes, please continue," you pant out. he hums as his hand slides over your ass, he grips the flesh in his hand squeezing softly before letting go. "such a nice fuckin' ass," he growls before placing a soft slap on your right cheek. you moan in pleasure as he repeats the action to your other cheek. "hmm whats this?" he questions, moving his hand in between your legs, "this wet already miss y/n?" he starts to rub you through your pants collecting the juices that leaked through, humming in the process. 

you twitch as his hand makes contact with your clothed cunt. he rubs softly, the teasing driving you mad as your body slightly vibrates under his control. "so sensitive for me yeah?" he questions, before slapping your ass again, harder this time, causing you to moan loudly. "feels s'good doctor," you whine as he places another harsh slap on your ass, causing you to clench around nothing. "you can call me law sweetness," he sounds before spanking you again, this time leaving a stinging sensation behind. 

your clit starts to pulsate through your panties, your juices start to coat not only your opening, but now your thighs as well to which law notices, "you like it when i spank you miss y/n?" you yelp as another slap is placed on your behind, "fuck-law yes i love it." he chuckles above you, "good girl."

you feel his hands move up your ass and hook around the waist band of your yoga pants, "ass up," he commands to which you oblige. you arch your back as he slides your pants down your legs, revealing your soaked panties. he hums as his fingers come in contact with your cunt, rubbing circles around the area around your entrance, before slipping one finger inside the fabric. 

you shudder as he swipes his finger up and down, collecting as much wetness as he can while creating a delicious friction on your clit. "you like that huh?" he questions as he slips one finger inside of you. you twitch at the feeling, his long and slender finger moves in and out of you, pumping slowly as to warm you up. "y-yes," you pant out as you clench around his finger. 

before speeding up any further he slips another finger past your panties and into your entrance, stretching you out so good as you wail out. his grip on your hair tightens as you lose composure, your eyes screw shut in pleasure as his fingers work in and out of you. 

when his fingers hook over one particular spot, you twitch involuntarily causing him to chuckle, "so that's the spot huh?" he continues to hit the same spot, his fingers repeatedly hooking in and out of your hole as pressure builds in your lower stomach. curses and moans leave your mouth as you feel yourself losing complete composure. drool seeps from your lips as your body vibrates under his touch. 

just when you think it can't get any better he slips his thumb through your panties and onto your clit, rubbing circles as he continues the pace of his fingers. "f-fuck law," you cry out as a tingling sensation overtakes your senses. "yeah? tell me how good it feels," he groans. "feels so fucking good, keep going g-gonna cum," you whine out between breaths. he keeps the pace he set, not speeding up nor slowing down. he releases your hair as your head falls limp he reaches his forearm to catch you, hand moving down to your chest and flicking your nipple through your shirt adding a third point of stimulation.

"say my name," law commands as your climax approaches. your body spasms atop him, "wanna hear you fuckin' say it." you manage to choke out his name, "l-law oh fuck law gonna cum, please please please," you wail your legs shaking harshly. 

"that's it baby, cum for me," he grunts as your cunt flutters around his fingers. you cry out as your orgasm washes over you, the triple stimulation giving you the most astounding feeling ever. fire erupts all over your body as your juices coat his hand. his hands keep working you, making sure you ride out your climax fully, as your whole body shudders underneath him. chants of his name leave your mouth as a mantra as you pant for air.

he slows down his movement slowly but surely until he completely stills. your body lays limp on top of him almost collapsing on the floor before he catches you in his arms, pulling you to sit on his lap, wrapping his strong arms around you. you bury your head in the crook of his neck, gasping as you catch your breath. "how was that miss y/n?" law questions, his voice muffled by your shoulder, you feel the rasp of his voice rumble through your spent body. "so. fucking. amazing." you sigh becoming almost limp in his arms.

"i'm glad to hear that," you can feel his smile through the fabric of your sweater which causes you to reciprocate. he pulls you off his shoulder to look you in the eyes, smirking, "so, let's schedule your next appointment."

love, bia ૮ • ﻌ - ა

#love bia ૮ • ﻌ - ა⁩ #law smut #trafalgar law #trafalgardwaterlaw #trafalgar one piece #trafalgar d law x reader #trafalgar law smut #trafalgar d water law #one piece fan fiction #one piece law #one piece x you #one piece x y/n #one piece x reader #trafalgar op

[blackhairedjjun]

white peonies

pairing: choi yeonjun x gender neutral reader [reader is called "beautiful" once] | genre / tropes: royalty au, fluff, comfort, yeonjun and reader are engaged | word count: 1.25k | warnings: pet names (darling, love), mentions of classism

summary: the night before your wedding, you - a humble gardener who has won the heart of the crown prince - feel some doubts. fortunately, your husband-to-be is there for you.

author's notes: this is a spin-off to my previous multichapter fic, flowers of every color (specifically it is an epilogue to the good ending). but this can also be read on its own as a standalone oneshot!

(support by reblogging banner by @cafekitsune)

on the night before your wedding, the greenhouse is quiet. there’s no one else here but you, and you’re grateful for the solitude; the gardening staff hired to replace you have all gone to bed, and you can revel in your old life one more time. your fingers brush the petals of the newly bloomed white peonies on the greenhouse table and you smile. they’ve grown beautifully, their snow-white petals bursting out like fireworks, and they’ve been cut and arranged in vases and bouquets just in time to be put into position tomorrow. regret stings at you that you barely tended to them personally.

you’ve been told time and time again that you don’t need to do gardening work anymore now that you’re about to become the prince’s spouse and consort 一 and you’ve been too busy with new duties to do so anyway. still, you miss that old life, and the small garden plot assigned for “royal leisure” isn’t enough.

without even realizing it, you start checking each flower for signs of infestation or infection. you inspect the leaves, the petals, and the cut ends of the stems, searching for holes left by bug bites or parts that have gone mushy and brown. you examine the water inside their vases, making sure they’re clear and free of any debris. and when each cut flower is satisfactorily healthy to you, you move on to the next one; you walk slowly down the long table, examining vase after vase, caring for them as if they were your own. (they’re the flowers for your wedding; in a sense, they are your own.)

the task keeps you busy enough that the tumultous energy swirling in your stomach slows down just a bit. the solitude comforts you; it’s just you and the flowers, away from the prying eyes of the castle, of the royal council, of all the guests who will come flooding in tomorrow...

your inspection is interrupted by a creak in the door. as it opens, you jump back and start a response 一 i just want to look at them before i go, that’s all 一 until the dim greenhouse light illuminates the face of your groom.

your shoulders droop and relief washes over you.

“i thought i’d find you here.” yeonjun makes his way to you and wraps his arms around your waist from behind. he pulls you close and you relax in his hold, though your tumultous feelings haven’t been shaken off completely. he too can feel the hurried rhythm of your pulse.

“why is my darling still awake?” he whines, kissing the crown of your head. “you need to be well-rested for tomorrow...”

“i know, love.” you sigh and turn to face him. “i just needed to get my nerves out.”

“you always come here when you’re nervous. tell me, darling... you can tell me what’s on your mind.”

“i’ve already told you a hundred times, you don’t want to hear it.”

“but i do.” he pushes aside a stray lock of hair from your face and cups your cheek. even now the gesture makes your heart flutter. “i don’t care if you’ve told me a hundred times. if you’re worried, i want you to tell me.”

you’re quiet for a few moments. you turn away from yeonjun and glance at the peonies; even after admitting it to him so many times before, it never feels any less shameful.

“it’s tomorrow... all the dukes and counts and visiting royal families from other kingdoms... they’ll see me, and they...”

you trail off. yeonjun pulls you into a tight embrace, one hand coming up to run through your hair. he knows about this worry all too well after you’ve told him countless times throughout your engagement. he’s heard the gossip making its way through his circles of royalty and nobility. he’s even held several returned invitations from guests who have declined to come or even send a gift.

he’s a prince marrying a commoner 一 his family’s own gardener 一 and breaking tradition. many noble and royal families took the engagement as a personal slight that their own eligible offspring had been overlooked in favor of a common worker. others heard that the prince had turned down a powerful queen’s daughter for a love match and took the queen’s side, hoping to prove their allegiance. still others simply thought that he was being undignified.

but those whispers of disdain have little meaning for yeonjun. he holds you for as long you let him, slotting your face into the crook of his neck until your nerves have settled down.

“i know what you’re going to say,” you whisper into his neck. “you don’t care about any of that, they don’t see me the way you do...”

he chuckles and you can feel his breaths tickling your ear. “then you know that i mean all of it, right?”

“i know. but i still worry, i shouldn’t worry一”

“shhh.” he leaves another kiss on the crown of your head. “if you can’t stop worrying about these things, then at least let me carry the burden with you.”

“you don’t have to...”

“i want to.”

you nod and close your eyes, burying yourself in him; his hold on your waist grows firmer. you are reminded of how lucky you are to know yeonjun, to be in love with him, to be spending the rest of your life with him. the princely crown is a weight he carries with dignity, and the kingly crown he will wear one day is even heavier, yet he is more than willing to carry your own burdens alongside his. he proves it to you right here: instead of going to bed early like he should, he holds you close right before his own wedding — your own wedding — because you matter to him more than any duty.

what he knows is that he can carry his burdens only because you are by his side.

for a few moments you let him hold you, feeling your own heartbeat steady as it syncs with his. the tumult swirling within you doesn’t go away completely, but it does slow down enough that your mind feels clear again.

you give him a quick kiss on his neck right before you pull away. “thank you, jjunie.”

he smiles you see his ears turn red. even after all this time, you still have that effect on him.

yeonjun glances over at the white peonies lined up on the table, waiting to be positioned in the early hours of the morning. he purses his lips and tuts. “the ones you grow are prettier.”

“don’t say that! the new gardeners did a perfectly fine job. i looked at them and they’re all healthy.” your cheeks betray you anyway as they grow warm at his compliment.

“healthy, sure. but prettier? your flowers are almost as beautiful as you.”

now your face is a mess of red. “stop that! you’re making me一 i一”

“you know it’s true, darling.”

you shake your head but slip your hands into his. he gives you a teasing smile, but the redness in his ears hasn’t gone away.

“then will you convince the council to let me do more gardening once we’re married? or at least give me a real garden instead of that tiny plot?”

“oh, i’m already talking them into it.” he steps closer and brushes his nose against yours. “and if they don’t let you have it, then i’ll dig up one myself.”

notes: hehe happy holidays everyone!! i wanna give a special thank you to @doumachi - mey's prince yeonjun thoughts and letting me scream in their inbox inspired me to revisit this old world again and write this. i love prince jjunie so 🥺

bringing back the original taglist: @seosalad @lilplilplilp @yeonboy @pyuae @hyuneyeon @strawbrinkofdeath @yushiu @mazeinthemoon @banggyu0308 @shytubatu @kyaneosprincess @agustdiv1ne @whippedforbeomgyu @justineasian @skywithf1 @wrongbathroom @choizzn @bangchansbae @huskyhunny @catsyoon @flowerbe0m

#txt x reader #yeonjun x reader #txt x you #yeonjun x you #choi yeonjun x reader #kpop x reader #txt imagines #kpop imagines #yeonjun imagines #txt angst #txt fluff #yeonjun fluff #tomorrow x together imagines #txt fic #txt fanfic #bhj originals

[starryeyedjanai]

surface-level freak

kinktober prompts: teratophilia, rimming, prostitution (3 for 3 today!) explicit | 7k tags: werewolf eddie, transmasc human steve, full shift werewolf sex, vaginal and anal sex, creampie, come eating, somnophilia, little bit of spit kink and crying notes: full tags and cw are on ao3, but the gist is steve gets fucked by eddie while eddie is a fully shifted werewolf

read on AO3

This isn't exactly where Steve thought he'd end up in life, but he's absolutely not complaining.

What started as a desperate need for money after being disowned has turned into something he thinks he'd do for the rest of his life if he can.

The first time he gave a, probably subpar, blowjob in exchange for cash, he'd been scared out of his mind, dropping to his knees and trying to remember what Tommy liked the few times they had fooled around.

The first time he had a werewolf client, he didn't know that it would become his niche, his specialty, but it did. He took his first knot and took it well, and got paid handsomely for it.

That guy had friends, other werewolves who were lonely and yearning for someone to sit pretty on their knot, and a lot of them had the money to pay for it.

And so started his career.

Steve Harrington, Werewolf Fucker.

He thinks he should be able to put that on his business card, but Robin says it's a little crass.

He's on his way to meet a new client for the first time - a famous client, if his connection is telling the truth.

He's only a tiny bit wary, phone in his hand poised and ready to hit his proverbial panic button should he need it. Not that he thinks one of his clients would lie, necessarily, but when he said he had a famous werewolf that might be interested, Steve was imagining some commercial model or something, not Eddie Fucking Munson from Corroded Coffin.

He gets to the cafe and finds it eerily empty when he steps inside. It's nine in the morning on a Tuesday - people should be standing in line waiting to get their coffee. Which tells him this is the real deal.

Eddie Munson meeting him in a crowded cafe seemed like an odd choice when he texted him that they needed to meet somewhere in public first.

There's one table occupied when he scans the room and he marches over to it.

"You know, part of the reason for meeting in public is so that I'm not alone with a new client I don't know," he says, sitting down across from Eddie.

Eddie pushes his sunglasses up and back, pulling his hair out of his face.

"I couldn't really meet you here without having the place empty," he says with a grimace. "My fans are great, but I didn't exactly want to be talking with you while also trying to sign autographs."

Steve can appreciate that, he guesses. Still.

"You should have told me." He doesn't like not having the upper hand, especially with new people.

"Sorry," Eddie says sheepishly. "If it helps, my guy and your friend are standing right by the door."

Steve looks back and sees Robin and the tallest guy he's ever seen standing in front of the entrance. Robin waves when they lock eyes. Steve waves back, letting her know it's all good.

"Okay, fine. Apology accepted. Robin told you my rates. What were you thinking?" he asks, getting to business.

Eddie looks at him seriously and says, "Knotting, of course."

"Of course." People didn't come to him and pay his rates for nothing - knotting is par for the course.

"I was thinking the 17th. I leave for tour on the 19th, but I have no time between now and then to spend a whole night with you."

The whole night, Steve thinks. God, he's in for a treat. Most of his clients have him for a few hours, long enough to fuck him and knot him, sometimes long enough to spend a while cuddling after, but a whole night is going to absolutely fuck him up. He'll have to tell Robin not to schedule anything the few days after that.

When Steve doesn't say anything, Eddie continues. "And since it's the whole night, I want both of your holes." Steve tries to suppress the shiver that makes its way through his body at the sound of Eddie's voice. "I'll want to rim you, get you ready for me. And I'll probably want to eat you out after I come in you."

"That all sounds good. If you knot me twice in a row, I might fall asleep on you though," Steve says, intimately familiar with how his body responds to being rigorously fucked and knotted.

"Would you be okay with me eating my come out of you while you slept?" Eddie asks and Steve visibly shivers, unable to stop it this time.

"Yeah, that would be okay," he says, almost breathlessly.

It's not that he doesn't normally love his job, but the prospect of spending the full night with Eddie, getting fucked into oblivion over and over and then having Eddie eat his come out of him when he's not even awake to enjoy it has him shifting in his seat, his underwear sticking wet against him.

"Oh," Eddie says like he just remembered something. "I didn't see anything in the rate sheet about full shift sex. Is that off the table?"

He's caught off guard again, it seems. No one has ever asked for that.

He doesn't come by full shift werewolves often, but the ones that he has have all fucked him half-shifted like the rest of them, just claws and fangs and extra hair and their knot. Some of them have curled around him after fully shifted, taking comfort in him for a while, but none of them have asked to fuck him while shifted. He didn't even really consider that it was an option.

Steve's nothing if not good at thinking on his feet, though. He says, "It's a special request, so you'll have to work out the details with Robin, but it's definitely something that we can do."

"I'll talk to Robin then," Eddie says, licking his lips and looking him over. Steve's never felt more like a piece of meat and god if he isn't into it.

*

Once the payment details have been worked out between Eddie and Robin later via email - after Robin screeches at him and Steve reassures her that, yes, it is possible and safe - Steve sees Eddie's name pop up on his calendar and tries not to spend too much time freaking out about it.

He's not nervous, exactly. There's always the jitters he gets when he's fucking a new client for the first time because what if they see his body and don't like it, what if they thought he's a major asshole, what if it's the most awkward night of his life, what if, what if, what if?

He's feeling all that plus the apprehension of doing something he's never done before. He does a lot of research in the week leading up to it, subscribes to the OnlyFans of a lovely werewolf and human couple who do full shift knotting and make it look easy as anything.

Watching someone smaller than him take a knot bigger than his fist helps settle some of his nerves about feasibility. And he's taken knotting dildos that expand larger than some of the half-shifted weres' knots he's taken. He feels better about his ability to take it when he digs out his largest knotting dildo and spends a night devolving into an incoherent mess as he comes over and over from the stimulation of the knot pressing on his g-spot.

When the night comes, he gets himself ready to the best of his ability. He fingers his ass open in the shower thoroughly since Eddie requested that he not use lube before coming over and then slips a plug inside that's coated in the slick from his cunt.

Because he's been dripping slick in anticipation for days now. Thinking about it even remotely has him wet and open and aching about it, craving something inside him.

He gets a Lyft over to Eddie's place, or a place that Eddie's rented for the night - he's not sure.

When he steps inside the apartment building and is led to the elevator by the same comically tall man from before, he puts his game face on. Tonight is definitely going to be interesting, if nothing else.

Eddie opens the door to his apartment and ushers Steve inside. "Good to see you," he says, voice nervous, like he wasn't sure Steve was going to show.

"Good to see you too," Steve says, and it's not a lie. He's excited and nervous and horny and he's sure Eddie can smell all of that on him.

Eddie looks good. Steve takes a good look at him while he's grabbing some water bottles to bring to the bedroom.

He's not as put together as he was at the cafe. He's wearing a well worn shirt and soft looking sweatpants. He's barefoot and casual and this whole look is really doing something for Steve.

That, or the fact that he's about to get dicked down within an inch of his life. He's so fucking ready for this.

Eddie leads him to the bedroom, not really making small talk, which is much more pleasant than if he were. Robin always gives new clients the run down, but some guys don't really understand that he isn't there to be anything but a good fuck. He doesn't want to be anything else or for anyone to get any wires crossed. He knows he owes them a part of himself, but there are parts of himself that he doesn't share and doesn't care to know about in return.

And especially with someone new - Steve doesn't know him, so he doesn't really care how his week went other than if he was thinking of Steve. He isn't interested in hearing anything that's not related to him getting fucked right now, because it's the first time, because he doesn't have that kind of relationship with his clients - the ones who try to know more about him or get him to participate in knowing more about them quickly learn his boundaries.

"You can, uh, take your clothes off if you want," Eddie says as he closes the door behind them and Steve grins.

He's used to people wanting to get right down to business so he doesn't bother with elaborate outfits or lingerie unless requested. They both know what they're here for.

He strips down quickly and efficiently under Eddie's watchful eye, folding his clothes as he goes, placing them on the dresser he's standing by.

He lets Eddie look his fill, lets him drag his eyes up and down his body, as he walks towards him.

When he gets close enough, Eddie puts his hand on his hip and Steve shivers from the condensation left there by the water bottle he just set down on the nightstand.

"You're beautiful," he says, leaning in to press his mouth to Steve's neck, his lips right below his pulse point. He kisses down Steve's neck, his other hand coming up to grip the curve of his ass possessively.

Steve's cunt clenches reflexively at the gesture. Part of what does it for him, through all of this, is the feeling of being owned, feeling like he's owned and wanted, desired.

Eddie's fingers delve between his cheeks, looking to pet over his asshole, and he makes a surprised noise against Steve's throat when he feels the plug.

"I don't smell any lube on you," Eddie says, pulling back to look at him as he tugs at the plug lightly, too light to pull it out, but enough for Steve to feel the stretch of it wanting to slip out.

He shivers and says, "I didn't use any at your request. Not any that my body didn't create at least. And it's not a big plug, but I don't know how big your knot is and I wanted to prepare myself at least a little."

He's nervous he messed up or did something Eddie didn't like, but he was told to specify what he wanted beforehand and he didn't say Steve couldn't, so...

Luckily, Eddie just grins at him and tugs him closer so he's nearly pressed flush against him. He slips his fingers further between Steve's legs and says, "I think I want this hole first," petting over his cunt. "And I said I'd rim you before I fucked your ass to get you ready. I was thinking about doing that full shift if you're okay with it."

Steve can't help the way his entire body buzzes at the thought. "That's- yeah. Yes," he says intelligently.

Eddie's mouth twitches up like he's amused, but the hand on Steve's hip comes up to cup his neck and pull him into a kiss, so he can't be too mad about it.

Eddie kisses him deeply right from the jump - tongue pressing inside his mouth immediately, heads tilting so they can both lick deeper. Steve rests a hand on Eddie's shoulder, his other hand pressing against the front of Eddie sweatpants which have tented up.

Eddie pulls the hand from between his legs back a little to play with the plug again. He holds the base and presses the little button there, starting up the low hum of vibrations that makes Steve moan softly into his mouth.

At the sound of Steve's moan, Eddie pulls away from the kiss with a slick noise. He says, "Get on the bed. On your back," and steps back, his hands falling away from Steve's body.

Steve gets on the bed. He lays back and spreads his legs, his right hand settling between his thighs, stroking his thumb over his dick slowly.

He watches as Eddie gets undressed, just strips his shirt off and pushes his sweatpants down and off to show off his body.

He's not shifted at all yet so he doesn't have much body hair other than a light dusting of hair on his arms and legs and a thick thatch of hair above his frankly gorgeous dick.

His dick is thick - not the longest he's ever seen, but he's got girth and Steve's cunt clenches at the thought of how much bigger it's going to get when he shifts. Even half-shifted, he'll be bigger, stretching out whatever hole he wants to fill. When he's fully shifted-

He doesn't even know how he's going to manage not immediately coming all over his dick as soon as it gets inside him.

He didn't get into this particular line of work because he was anything other than a size queen. He knows this about himself and he luckily has the clientele to make sure that he never has to go without being filled again.

Eddie climbs onto the bed with him after grabbing a bottle of lube.

It's not a brand he's familiar with and when Eddie sees him looking, he says, "It's a brand made 'by weres for weres', kind of thing. Regular lube, even unscented, has a weirdly strong scent."

Steve hums. "I'll have to look into that," he says, trying to make a mental note to get the name of the brand before he leaves tomorrow.

He gets between Steve's thighs and tosses the lube up near the pillows next to the one Steve is resting his head on.

He leans down and presses his mouth to Steve's throat again, breathing in his scent briefly. There's a rumbling noise low in his chest as he does, not quite a growl, but Steve knows he likes what he smells. He probably wouldn't be here right now if Eddie didn't like how he smelled.

"Wanna put my mouth on you," Eddie says, lips dragging along his collarbone.

Steve nods eagerly. "You can. I want you to."

Eddie kisses down his chest and Steve feels the moment Eddie starts to shift, his teeth becoming sharper as he nips at his hip bones, his nails becoming claws as his hands push his thighs open wider.

He looks down and groans at the sight. Where Eddie's body was sparsely covered with hair before is now covered in it. His chest, his thighs, his arms, probably his back too - all covered in thick hair.

With his legs spread wide, thighs pressed into the sheets, he knows Eddie can see how wet he is, can smell it too - not just his slick, but his arousal. He feels like he's choking on it and he doesn't have the same senses as a wolf, so he can't imagine how thick the smell of his arousal must be right now.

The plug is still vibrating inside him, but it's not big enough and the vibration isn't strong enough to really be doing much for him.

Without much fanfare, Eddie dips his head and laps at the wetness between Steve's thighs, pulling another groan from deep within him. Steve reaches up to grab the pillow underneath his head so that he has something to hold onto as Eddie licks from his cunt to his dick and back again, one hand reaching down to play with his plug.

He presses the button on the plug again to turn up the vibration. At the same time, he presses his tongue inside him, and it's not the same for all werewolves, but Eddie's tongue when he's half-shifted is longer than a normal human tongue.

He presses it inside and Steve's thighs shake, another wave of slick dripping out of him when Eddie pulls back.

Eddie gets his mouth on Steve's cock and he knows he doesn't stand a chance. His fists grab harder onto the pillow and he bucks his hips up into Eddie's mouth.

Eddie wraps his hands around Steve's waist and hauls him up, letting him hook a thigh over his shoulder for leverage as he fucks up against his mouth.

He sticks his long tongue out and lets Steve grind up against it, the sight of it driving him fucking insane.

He hitches his hips up, grinding against his tongue and his eyes nearly roll back when he feels the tip of Eddie's tongue teasing at his slick hole at the same time.

One hand comes down to fist into Eddie's hair, holding him there as he comes, feeling like he's going to shake out of his body. He grinds his dick on Eddie's tongue as he pulses through his orgasm, crying out as he does.

When he sinks back into the bed, breath shaky and feeling like he's going to melt into a puddle, Eddie nuzzles his face into the crease of his thigh. Steve runs his hand down over Eddie's hair, smoothing it down where he tugged it up earlier.

Eddie presses the button on the plug again, holds down for a few seconds, until it turns off, and then he dips his tongue back inside Steve's dripping hole.

Steve sighs and lets Eddie attempt to lick him clean.

When he's had his fill of sucking the slick from Steve's cunt, Eddie puts his mouth on Steve's thigh, his canines digging in as he sucks hard on the skin, marking the skin there.

He makes his way back up Steve's body when he's done making his mark on his thigh.

"Can I fuck you?" Eddie asks like the idiot he is.

"If you don't get inside me right now, I'm gonna strap you to this bed, sit on your cock until sunrise, and not let you come once," Steve says like the cock-hungry whore he is.

Eddie grins at him, baring his teeth, his canines glinting in the warm light of the bedroom. He lines his cock up and presses inside, the slide made so fucking easy from the amount of slick Steve's dripping. He's sopping wet and they both hear the loud, slick sound of Eddie's cock fucking into his core.

Eddie scoops up Steve's legs, his knees falling into the crook of Eddie's elbows as he leans down to kiss him. He fucks in deep until he's buried inside him, his hips cradled between Steve's thighs.

He starts up a slow rhythm, as slow as the kisses he presses to Steve's mouth, and it's not enough. The hair of the scruff on his face that wasn't there before is a delicious burn against the skin around his mouth, but Steve wants more. He wants to feel that burn everywhere, wants Eddie to leave him covered in beard burn, his skin raw and red from it.

The thought of that spurs him to try and get some leverage to fuck himself on Eddie's cock. Steve doesn't have that much leverage with his hips splayed out like this, but he wraps his arm around Eddie's shoulders and tries to roll his hips up anyway.

He kisses Eddie, trying to deepen the chaste kisses he presses on his mouth, but Eddie apparently wants to take his time right now.

He lets his fingertips dig into Eddie's shoulder and clenches around him, but lets him take his time getting into it.

After a minute, Eddie pries his mouth open with his tongue and presses it inside Steve's mouth. Steve groans as Eddie fucks his tongue into his mouth, nearly hitting the back of his throat and Steve is done waiting. They can take it slow in the morning if that's something Eddie wants, but Steve wants to be fucked into the mattress now.

Steve doesn't know if Eddie's taking it slow because he's afraid of losing control or if he's afraid of hurting him or something else, but either way, he begrudgingly pulls away from Eddie's mouth to say, "Remember what I said about tying you to the bed? Fuck. Me. Or I'll find someone else to do it."

Eddie sits up a little and looks down at him, like he's deciding if he's serious - he's not, of course. Eddie paid for this time and he'll gladly suffer through the slowest, most vanilla, missionary fucking of his life if that's what Eddie wants. But Steve doesn't think it is, is the thing. He thinks Eddie wants to get rough with him, wants to drag his body closer like he's a fucking ragdoll and use him, and that's why Steve's pushing so much.

"You're kind of bossy for someone who's paid to lay there and take it," Eddie says - calling him out on it - his mouth pulled up into a grin, softening the words. He rolls his hips gently, his cock dragging against Steve's hole deliciously.

"I think you're afraid to hurt me, maybe. And I'm going to remind you that I do do this for a living, so I can take it. I like it, even. And I want you to stop being so gentle if that's not what you want. I want you to press me into this mattress and fucking knot me already," he says, watching Eddie's darken at his words.

Eddie's grin slides into a smirk and his tongue slides along his left canine. He says, "I was trying to ease you into it, but if you're sure."

He raises an eyebrow at him and Steve fights the urge to say something bitchy about how he's already told him what he wants.

"I'm sure," he says instead.

Eddie lowers his body on top of him, pressing his cock all the way inside again. He leans in and takes a deep breath of Steve's scent right at the nape of his neck where it's the most potent. His entire body seems to twitch as he presses his nose into his neck and scents him.

And then it's like a switch has been flipped. Because Eddie's hands come to rest on Steve's hips and press him into the sheets. Because Eddie spreads his knees and starts fucking into Steve like the animal he is - rutting into him in quick, harsh strokes, humping him really.

And this is what Steve was waiting for. He drops his head back and can't stop the whine that escapes his lips as Eddie's dick hits deep inside him.

The only reason he's not more embarrassed about the noises that can't seem to stop is because Eddie's whining too, making these whimpering little punched out sounds as he fucks into Steve's cunt roughly.

With Eddie whining into his ear and fucking into him deep, there's no way to stave off the orgasm that sneaks up on him. He's tensing up and shaking through it before he even realizes it's coming, digging his fingernails into Eddie's back and clenching around Eddie's cock.

Eddie groans at the feeling of Steve's cunt squeezing him tightly and he presses up onto his forearms, looking down at Steve.

"I'm gonna-" he says, a moan cutting him off.

"Do it," Steve says. "Knot me."

Eddie shudders, pressing his cock in deep again, and Steve can feel the way it expands, can feel the knot forming. He manages a few more shaky thrusts before the knot catches on Steve's hole and they both groan.

He pulls it out and bullies it back in and Steve's eyes roll back at the feeling of his hole being stretched out to let him back inside.

Eddie rocks his hips now that his knot is too big to pull back out. His knot is pressing right on Steve's g-spot with every movement of Eddie's hips and he knows he's going to come on his knot before it goes down.

He swears he can feel it the moment Eddie starts to come inside him, can feel the added warmth and wetness inside him and it makes his entire body burn.

He watches as Eddie shakes through it, biting his lip, but not being able to stop the groans tumbling from his mouth.

Eddie keeps rocking his hips, his knot hitting Steve just right and pulling on his hole and Steve's tensing up again, too soon, too soon, too soon. He gasps as he starts to come again.

His body goes taut as he squirts from the stimulation of Eddie's knot pressing on his g-spot relentlessly. He quakes as he barrels through another orgasm, barely able to catch his fucking breath.

Eddie groans as his muscles squeeze his knot, trying to milk the come from him.

The pleasure is blinding and all consuming and he thinks he whites out a little, floating and weightless for a minute before he comes back down.

He lays there catching his breath, sweaty, cunt aching from being knotted up, covered in his own squirt juice, and there's no better feeling than this.

Eddie's knot is still pressed tight against his g-spot, a constant point of white-hot pleasure that he can't shake and doesn't want to.

As they come down, Eddie sits up, the motion pulling Steve's hips into his lap. Steve groans at the way the knot pulls him along with Eddie's hand on his hips.

Eddie's kneeling back on his haunches, but he straightens up so that Steve's not laying in the wet spot he made. If he wasn't supporting Steve's body with his hands on his hips, he would be dangling from his knot and that thought makes Steve's eyes roll back, his cunt clenching almost painfully around the knot inside him as he moans and comes again.

"This is what you wanted, right? To be hanging off my knot?" Eddie asks, almost snarling down at him when Steve clenches around him again.

Steve nods his head and brings his hands up, one gripping Eddie's hand on his hip, the other coming up to stroke his belly where it's bulging slightly. It's going to be so much more pronounced when Eddie fucks his ass, when Eddie's fully shifted, and Steve can't help the way he shudders thinking about it.

Eddie licks his lips looking at the way Steve pets his stomach bulge. "Wish I could feel that from the inside too. Feel you petting the head of my cock through your stomach."

The words make Steve groan again and he slips his hand down to rub at his aching dick.

Eddie puts his hand on Steve's and pulls it away, sitting back on his haunches again and hauling Steve up so they're face to face again.

He presses his mouth to Steve's again, licking inside. Their tongues press together gently, a slow, sinking kiss that leaves him breathless.

Their tongues slide together for a good few minutes as they wait for Eddie's knot to go down.

Steve can feel when it's small enough to slip out of him because it feels like a rush of wetness drips out of him.

Eddie pulls away from the kiss and says, "I'm probably going to knot for a lot longer when I'm shifted."

"That's okay. I might fall asleep if you do," Steve says, knowing he's bound to come at least a few more times and he's already feeling the exhaustion start to creep in, his body feeling the strain of their fucking. In the quiet aftermath, with Eddie fully shifted and seeping warmth, he's probably going to fall right asleep.

"I'll clean you up if you do," Eddie says and Steve groans. He nuzzles into Steve's neck briefly, nipping at the skin there, before he moves them.

Eddie pulls him neatly off his cock and deposits him onto the bed, rolling him onto his stomach. The sheets are wet beneath him, but it doesn't make sense to move because he's just going to get them wet again when he squirts on Eddie's knot again.

He feels the ripple in the air from the subtle change in air pressure that means Eddie's fully shifted now.

Eddie drapes himself over Steve's body and Steve moans at the feeling of Eddie's hairy, hairy body covering him completely. He's bigger like this, taller and wider, and it's turning Steve's brain to goo thinking about how big his knot is going to feel inside his ass.

Eddie's voice is a low grumble when he speaks and Steve shivers about that too.

"Gonna get you ready now," he growls out and all Steve can do is spread his legs further when Eddie pulls his weight off him. "Take your plug out."

He'd almost forgotten it was there, holding his ass open, nowhere near as big as what's about to come. He grips the base of the plug and slides it out before tossing it on the nightstand.

He's damn near shivering in anticipation when Eddie presses Steve's hips down and spreads him out.

Eddie ducks his head and licks at the mess between his thighs, lapping at his cunt. The feeling is so much. His tongue feels rougher than before.

Steve's cunt is so wet, from Eddie's come and from the fresh slick that drips from him as Eddie's tongue delves into him. Steve can't stop the wails that come out of his mouth.

He's crying out, almost sobbing with it as Eddie continues to lick at his sensitive hole and then as he licks inside with his long tongue, longer than his human tongue, longer than his half shifted tongue.

He licks into his cunt until he's shaking and then he spreads Steve's cheeks. Steve looks back over his shoulder and lets out a weak moan as he watches as Eddie lets a mixture of his spit, his come, and Steve's slick dribble down onto his asshole.

The tip of his tongue presses inside his ass and Steve relaxes into it. Eddie presses more of his tongue inside, more of his come and spit lubing the way.

He fucks his ass like this for a couple minutes and it feels like Eddie is lazily doing this, taking his time and trying to build it up, but Steve is on a hair trigger, has been all night.

He gets a hand under him and rubs at his cock and that's it, he's coming again, cunt dripping onto the sheets beneath him.

Eddie keeps licking into his asshole as Steve shudders through his orgasm.

He must have grabbed the bottle of lube at some point because when he pulls away, Steve feels something slick, wet, and cold being dripped onto his hole.

He looks back and almost laughs at how small the lube bottle looks in Eddie's hand. He watches as Eddie squeezes the bottle and drips lube onto his cock and he groans.

Eddie's cock like this is fucking outrageous. It's long and thick and Steve knows it's going to stretch him out like nothing he's ever experienced before, putting any time he's said the phrase 'rearranging his guts' to shame.

Eddie pulls him up on his hands and knees and notches his cock against Steve's asshole and presses the head inside slowly.

Steve breathes through it - the head popping inside makes his cunt clench in sympathy. He wonders what it would feel like inside his cunt, pressing on places that probably haven't been touched before. He shivers thinking about it.

Eddie presses in a little bit more, drizzling more lube onto his hole. He pulls out and presses back inside and Steve feels like he can't get in enough air - it's so fucking big.

When he's fully seated inside him, Steve feels overheated.

And then Eddie starts to move.

If he was overwhelmed before, he doesn't know what he is right now. There's so much to focus on - the giant cock stretching him out, the feeling of Eddie draping himself over his back, the feeling of Eddie's arm hair under his hand when he reaches back to steady himself.

Eddie takes it so slow for a few minutes, rocking in and out gently as Steve's body gets used to the intrusion.

Steve lowers his chest to the bed so he isn't supporting his weight and lets Eddie drag him back onto his cock.

He groans at the feeling, getting a hand beneath him and on his dick again. He presses two fingers inside his cunt where he's soaking wet and lets the palm of his hand rock against his dick as Eddie picks up the pace.

It doesn't take longer than another minute to come, crying out embarrassingly loud as he grinds against his hand.

That seems to spur Eddie on and he fucks into Steve harder as Steve goes lax after he's done coming.

He doesn't know when he started crying, but the pillow beneath his head is wet with his tears and Eddie's bent over and licking at his neck and the side of his face like he's trying to soothe him.

He wants to feel Eddie's knot in him as badly he doesn't know what to do with himself.

He pushes back against him, the slapping sound of Eddie's hips hitting his growing louder.

Eddie fucks into him with deep strokes and Steve knows without looking or touching that his stomach is bulging out on every fucking thrust.

He's so deep inside him. It feels like every nerve in his body is on fire with the way he's lit up from the inside out.

His fingers are still tucked inside him and he curls them up, hiccuping wetly when he presses on his g-spot. He fucks his fingers in and out, trying to match the speed of Eddie's thrusts and as soon as he feels his knot starting to form, he's squirting all over the bed again.

The knot stretches at his rim and it's like he can't stop coming, clenching over and over and over as Eddie bullies his knot inside him.

His knot already felt like it was going to split him open earlier when he was only half-shifted and now it's pressing in and in again and shattering his whole world. Steve feels his eyes cross at the unrelenting pressure.

Eddie presses it in and it catches on Steve's rim, unable to come out again so easily, so Eddie just grinds his hips against Steve's as he chases his orgasm.

Steve comes again, gasping and crying as he feels the warmth of Eddie coming inside him. He's clenching both holes, milking Eddie's knot again and he can't stop shivering and sobbing.

They stay like that until Steve stops shivering, until it feels less like he's going to float out of his body.

Eddie moves them, his knot tugging at Steve's hole, making him hiss.

He drags them off of the wet spot and under the covers that were folded on the other side of the bed.

Steve kind of blinks back into reality with Eddie spooned up behind him, nuzzling his face into his throat.

"Drink some water, baby," Eddie says to him, his voice still a deep growl, so Steve hadn't missed him shifting back yet. He's still knotted inside him, so it makes sense, but Steve's brain isn't operating at 100% right now.

They've wound up closer to the bedside table than when they started so it's not a far stretch to reach over and grab a water bottle. He sucks down half the bottle, his dehydrated body needing it.

He passes the uncapped bottle back to Eddie and bites back a quip about him needing a water bowl. He's too tired to make it funny anyway - it would probably come out sounding a little mean and he doesn't want to be mean right now.

He just wants to be wrapped up and taken care of.

Eddie deposits the water bottle somewhere and drags Steve into his arms.

The entire room smells like sex, like both of them, and he can't even imagine what that must be like for Eddie with his heightened senses. Maybe that's why Eddie keeps burying his face in Steve's neck, overwhelmed by their mingling scents and the scent of their come in the air.

He's so sleepy - the warmth seeping from Eddie's body, the exhaustion of being fucked good, and the feeling of Eddie stroking his hand over Steve belly makes his eyes drift closed. He can feel himself falling asleep soon as he settles back into Eddie's embrace.

He drifts to sleep still knotted up tight.

*

He wakes up soon after falling asleep to Eddie's tongue inside his ass, his human-sized tongue licking deftly over him, eating the come from his hole. He gasps at the feeling, at the loud, wet noises coming from behind him.

He's on his stomach again, so reaches his hand back and fists it in Eddie's hair.

"Hi, gorgeous," Eddie says before going back to licking and sucking at his hole.

With Steve awake, Eddie fucks two fingers inside his cunt slowly, immediately curling them down to hit his g-spot.

Steve groans loudly. Eddie sloppily eating his ass and slowly, but expertly fingering his cunt is such a good way to wake up.

Eddie licks into him over and over, his fingers stroking over his g-spot, and when his other hand comes down to stroke at his cock, he doesn't stand a chance.

It's a slow building orgasm, but he quakes and whines through it all the same. Eddie keeps licking and fingering and stroking him through it, and after another couple of minutes, he's rolling through another one, this one edging on painful - the pleasure tipping over into pain as he jerks through it.

He pulls at Eddie's hair and says, "Enough," before dropping his hand onto the bed beside him.

Eddie pulls his fingers out and Steve can hear the way he sucks them into his mouth and if he wasn't literally aching, he'd want to go another round.

He manages to stay awake as Eddie hauls him up and into the bathroom to clean up. In the shower, Eddie presses him into the shower wall and kisses him as he soaps up his body.

They fall back into the bed with clean bodies and wet hair and Steve is asleep the minute his head hits the pillow.

*

He wakes up in the morning with Eddie's head between his thighs again, licking into his sore cunt. He's fucking insatiable.

Steve sighs and stretches his arms out, spreading his thighs a little.

He looks down at Eddie and finds him looking back up at him, tongue licking into him with little kitten licks.

"You're going to kill me," is what he says, voice rough with sleep.

Eddie pulls his wet mouth away and grins at him. He says, "Or ruin you."

Steve shivers. He already has. How the hell is he supposed to go back to knots that aren't from a fully shifted werewolf?

"Can I fuck you?" Eddie asks, crawling up his body.

Steve pulls him into a kiss, tasting his slick on Eddie's tongue. He reaches down and guides Eddie's cock into his sore cunt, sighing into Eddie's mouth.

Eddie fucks him gently, slowly grinding into him, trading kisses the entire time.

After a minute, Eddie puts his hands under Steve's back and rolls them over so that Steve is straddling Eddie's lap.

Their lips never leave each other's as Steve rocks down against him, getting a good angle so Eddie cock is dragging over his g-spot.

The kisses turn desperate as they both get closer, Steve reaching a hand down to rub at his dick.

He comes on Eddie's cock, gasping into his mouth as he clenches around him.

It only takes another handful of thrusts before Eddie's coming too - he grabs Steve by the hips and fucks up into him, faster than before, but still gentle.

Eddie groans into his mouth as he comes inside him and they both collapse back onto the bed.

Steve lifts himself off Eddie dick and shivers at the feeling of his come leaking out of him.

"I don't suppose you'd want to clean me up before I go?" Steve asks, leaning back and spreading his legs.

He tracks the way Eddie licks his lips looking at the come dripping out of him and grins. He's got his number, it seems.

When Eddie presses him back into the sheets and licks the come dripping from his cunt and Steve starts thinking of how he's going to secure seeing him again, he supposes Eddie has his number too.

#heed the ao3 tags and notes etc #steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie fic #steve x eddie #steddie fanfic #eddie munson x steve harrington #steve harrington x eddie munson #janai.doc

[serasvictoria]

Title: Firsts

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Female Reader

Summary: You ask Eddie to be your first, but unbeknownst to each other your feelings for one another run a lot deeper than expected.

Word Count: 6084

Content Warning: P in V (safe) sex. Loss of virginity. Eddie and Reader are both 18, but it is never explicitly mentioned. Some swearing. One mention of drug use to calm Reader’s nerves. Loads of insecurities and feels.

Notes: A huge thank you to @adrille88 for beta reading and for helping me out with the ending, because I was pretty damn stuck before ❤️

Tagging @blackseapearl @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @istorkyou @quantumlocked310

*

“I-is this okay?”

Eddie's voice comes out all shaky, completely devoid of the usual mock confidence that he throws in all the time.

It was almost like all the layers had been stripped away completely from the moment that he had parked the van, stripped down right to the bone, until there was barely anything left.

The one who's responsible for it is you and he would like to think that you would be proud of it, too, if you could actually get any words to come out of your throat right now.

You huff underneath him instead, the sharp intake of air almost as wavering as his own, but you don’t reply. Your eyes are squeezed shut tightly and you’re biting on your bottom lip so hard that he fears that you’ll draw blood any moment now.

“Hey.” Your eyes open then, blinking once and then focusing on him. He presses the tip of his nose against yours until you offer him a weak smile. “You back with me?”

“Y-yeah,” you reply. “Sorry, ‘s just-“

“Hurts?”

“K-kinda, but not l-like… it’s just… f-feels weird.” You try to elaborate, but it’s difficult to find the right words to express how you're feeling. You shake your head and throw in a, “Sorry.”

“What for?” That makes him smile, you being all cute and thinking you need to apologize. “If anyone should be sorry, it should be me.”

“Why?“

“For doing this in the back of an old van.” At least that makes you laugh and he’s thankful for it. It’s a lot better than your slightly pained expression of earlier. “I’m serious.”

“Not like we could do this in my room.”

Your mother was almost constantly at home, always hovering around the house, either to clean, cook or keep tabs on what was going on.

Whenever Eddie came over, she was always asking if you wanted lemonade or snacks, constantly standing in the doorway of your bedroom as if she was afraid that the two of you would jump each other’s bones the second that her back was turned.

So your house was very much out of the question.

“Or mine,” he answers.

“Well, we could, but you’d have to clean it first.” There’s some mild discomfort laced through your smile and Eddie momentarily wonders if you're still sure about this, if you're only smiling to stop him from worrying. “I have standards after all.”

“Hey.” He squeezes your hips once in retaliation. “Not nice.”

The only option that the two of you had was Eddie’s van. He would have much rather made it more special, rented a motel room somewhere or something, but it wasn’t like he had the funds to do that.

He had been working at the garage whenever he could to pay for his van and whatever spare money he had left from dealing had gone into buying equipment for his guitar, a new amp for starters, so there wasn’t anything left.

When you suggested doing it in the back, he had been surprised that you had been up for that, but Eddie wasn’t going to complain about it either. Not when the girl that he’d known for years and who he’d secretly been crushing on for about the same amount of time asked him to take her virginity.

Didn’t matter that it was under the pretext of ‘if someone has to take it, I’d want it to be someone that I trust.’ He ignored that small detail, instead focusing on making sure he did it right.

Because it wasn’t like he had any experience himself…

“Eddie.”

“Hmm?”

“You can move.”

“Oh, thank fuck for that.” He gives a gentle and experimental roll with his hips and you hiss through your teeth. “Bad?”

“N-no. Just need to get-“ Eddie’s still unsure if he should just pull out completely and forget that this ever happened, but the muscles in your jaw tense and there’s this blazing determination in your eyes all of a sudden that makes his heart skip a beat. “Fuck, just keep going.”

“You sure?”

“Positive,” you reiterate. “Keep moving.”

Eddie pulls his hips back, out of the warmth that’s surrounding his cock, taking care to move slowly so as not to overwhelm you, because that’s the last thing that he wants. You whimper when he slides back in and he sees it then, a slight uptick at the corner of your mouth, the merest hint of a smile.

“Good?”

“Y-yeah,” you breathe back. “That almost felt nice.”

“A-almost?”

He panics a little, immediately thinking to himself that you might not enjoy this as much as he was.

And he was. He really, really was.

From the moment that his cock had slipped inside your tight, wet heat, it was like he was in heaven. He couldn't even describe how it felt for there was nothing that he could even compare it to.

Eddie had done everything that he could to make sure that it would be good for you, too, even going as far as asking the least intimidating guy that worked at the garage for advice, and getting told that he should make sure that you were aroused and wet first and to make sure that you had climaxed at least once before sticking his dick inside you.

But he was too big, wasn’t he? That must have been the problem here and he should have known that from the moment that your eyes had nearly popped out of your skull when you saw his dick. Even if you had no previous experience and would probably have been intimidated by just about anything, he knew that he was too-

“Eddie.” You run your fingers through his hair, as he reluctantly keeps moving, seemingly noticing his thoughts immediately. That’s what you get when you’re on the same wavelength. No hiding anything from each other. “I-I didn’t mean it l-like th- oh fuck.”

“W-was that-?” You nod before he finishes his sentence. He had managed to hit your sweet spot completely by accident. “I d-don’t even know w-what I did.”

“J-just- ah.” When he pushes himself in deep, it's written all over your face how much you enjoy what he is doing right now, how right he has gotten it. Eddie grinds his hips against yours and he can feel your walls grip him a little bit tighter. “R-right there.”

“There?” He still doesn’t know what the hell he did, his mind too scrambled from having his cock snuggly enveloped in your twitching walls, but as long as you keep making those noises, he’ll do anything. “C-can I move a bit f-faster?”

“Yeah,” you mewl. “Please.”

In all this time that he has known you, Eddie has never heard you beg for anything. Not even in situations where it would be in your best interest to do so you never did, almost as if your stubborn nature wouldn’t let you. He genuinely thought that you would rather die than to be forced to beg.

So hearing you give him permission to go faster, and not just that, but begging him to please go faster, makes his mind go completely blank and he snaps his hips harder than he had intended.

“Fuckkkkk, Eddie.” Thankfully, you don’t seem to mind. From the way that your mouth is opened in a perfect o-shape and how your thighs grip him a little tighter, you really seemed to enjoy that. There’s a flicker in your eye as you tell him, “Do that again.”

“Jesus, fuck, okay.” His next thrust is so hard that he can see your tits moving up and down from the ferocity of the impact and he manages to pull a sound from your throat that he has never heard you make before. “You’re s-so… damn.”

“W-what?,” you ask, but Eddie dips his head down. His lips are suddenly on the column of your throat, licking and sucking, a bit too preoccupied to recall what he had wanted to say. “Oh god.”

“Still good?” he pants against your flushed skin. He’s absolutely relentless now, slamming into you, your walls fluttering around his cock so deliciously, sending him closer to the edge with every messy thrust. “You like that?”

You let out a noise that’s meant to sound affirmative, beyond words yourself now that you’re almost being ripped to shreds by the building pressure inside you. Eddie’s hand, which had been stationary at your hip, simply gripping you tightly until then, moves to where your bodies meet and you clench your teeth when his fingers start rubbing your swollen clit clumsily.

“Please don’t stop,” you keen. “Please, Eddie. Don’t stop.”

“I won’t.” He presses his lips onto your cheek, to the corner of your mouth, and he can hear your voice breaking over the continuous repeated pleas that keep falling from your lips. “F-fuck,” he grunts. “I’m so close.”

No sooner has he said those words, barely even out of his mouth, that he feels your pussy gripping him tightly. You gasp and your fingernails dig into his back so hard that he thinks that he’ll be covered in marks for the next few days.

He will wear those marks with pride. Hell, he might even get someone to tattoo them on him simply to make it a more permanent reminder of what just happened.

His eyes are on you, even if it’s difficult to keep them open, watching your blissed out features as your climax washes over you. You never looked more pretty to him, something that he had wanted to voice out loud earlier if he hadn’t gotten distracted.

Eddie’s right behind you himself, his cock jolting inside you, buried as deeply as possible, his balls tightening first and then unloading. Your walls are still clamping down on him like a vice, attempting to pull him in deeper, and he can feel his cum pulsing up his shaft in waves. The rush that he experiences is like nothing that he has ever felt before.

Surely, nothing could top this.

Claiming the girl that he’d known for years as his own, being your first, and you being his first as well. He would never ever forget this.

Collapsing on top of you, he feels guilty for crushing you, but he can’t move since all his muscles have gone completely slack. He can’t even pull out. Then again, he doesn’t want to pull out, not even now that he’s softening inside you. It just feels too good.

You stir underneath him, crane your neck and press your lips against his temple gently. When your fingers tangle through his hair, he sighs deeply as you start dragging your digits through the strands, pulling out small knots.

He knows that he has to move eventually, but for now he'll do his utmost to burn this exact moment into his memory, how he feels and how you feel underneath him. He wants to remember every movement, every sigh, every touch… all of it.

Eventually, you nudge his side and he rolls off of you with a groan. He misses the warmth of your body immediately, even if he can still feel it from where your arms are still touching each other.

It's simply not enough.

"So… w-was it…" Eddie starts to say as he sits up and removes the condom from his now soft cock. He ties up the end and places it in the corner, right behind the driver’s seat, hoping that he won't forget to toss it when he's home. "What I'm trying to ask is…" he clears his throat and blurts out the rest of his question. "How was it for you?"

"Weird," you reply and when he looks back at you, you're fiddling with your bra, getting ready to put it back on. "But not as bad as I…" He watches you shake your head and absentmindedly sees you rubbing a hand over your knee. "I expected worse? Not that I thought that you'd-!"

"No offense taken," he laughs. Eddie knew that if not done right, it could be worse for girls. His eyes are still on your hand and they slowly drift up your thigh, ever higher before you manage to cover yourself up. His eyes widen when he sees what happened. “Oh, baby, shit. You’re bleeding.” He reaches for his jeans, pulls his signature bandana from the back pocket and gently rubs it against the apex of your thighs before he freezes and realizes what he just called you. “I uh-"

“What, Eddie?” His eyes are dragged away from what he's doing and then he locks eyes with you. You're awfully close, close enough for him to feel your warm breath on his face. "It's okay… it happens sometimes. Apparently."

Your eyes keep flicking back and forth between his eyes and his lips and all that he'd have to do was lean in just a little bit more, only a couple more inches and then your lips would meet.

But he couldn't.

Because friends didn't kiss.

Even after what had just happened, he was still too cowardly to actually lean in and kiss you, almost as if he would be overstepping some boundary if he did. The kiss to the corner of your mouth was the closest that he'd ever gotten that evening.

"Y-yeah." Eddie pulls his hand away, the bandana stained with your blood, and then he turns his head to toss it right next to where he had put the used condom. "What time are you supposed to be home again?"

"N-nine," you stammer as you finally put your bra back on. "What time is it now?"

Eddie checks his watch and replies, "Quarter past eight so we have plenty of time left." He puts his own clothes on a lot quicker than you get back into yours and he slides back into the driver's seat a mere minute later. "You want a smoke?"

"Yeah, but just a normal one." With his eyes firmly fixed on the rearview mirror, he watches you get dressed, memorizing every inch of your bare skin. "My parents will kill me if I show up high."

"Fair enough." He grabs a packet of cigarettes from the dashboard and sticks one between his lips. "Some other time?"

"Yeah sure." You sound oddly distant, but Eddie blames that on the awkwardness of the current situation. After what you two had just done, it will probably take some time for things to be normal again. If they ever can be. "Light it for me?"

"Sure." He grabs another cigarette, digs his lighter from the pocket of his jeans and lights them both. When he looks back in the rearview mirror, you're almost fully dressed. Your sneakers are in your hand as you step between the seats to the passenger seat. "Thanks," you reply as you take the cigarette from him. "Music?"

"What?" Eddie realizes that he had been staring at you and follows your finger as you point at the radio. "Oh. Music. Sure."

You finish your cigarettes without saying another word, instead listening to a mixtape that you had made the week before with various punk rock songs until it was time to bring you home.

Last Caress from The Misfits was playing when you got out of the van and bid him a good night. It was the first time that you had said anything since asking him to put on some music. Eddie waited a bit longer, until you had opened the front door and entered the house, which was what he always did, before pulling away and heading back to the trailer park.

He ejected the tape fairly quickly after he pulled away though. Something about the lyrics of Last Caress rubbed him the wrong way for some odd reason.

One last caress, sweet death

It simply felt wrong…

*****

Eddie doesn’t see you the entire weekend and he’s too scared to go to your place or to pick up the phone so he can ask you if you want to hang out.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this anyway. You had said it yourself, you had asked him to take your virginity because you trusted him. There wasn’t anything more going on there. He had convinced himself that there wasn’t, that the act itself was ultimately meaningless.

On Monday morning, when he was waiting outside your house to come pick you up like he usually did, that was the main thing that was on his mind, but he didn’t want to make things awkward between you by asking you questions that would confirm his suspicions.

You slid into the seat next to him, saying a quieter “morning” than was usual for you, but Eddie does his best not to comment on it. All he does is incline his head in greeting and then his foot is on the gas as he drives to school.

Nothing else is said. Maybe there’s a reason for it, for your silence.

Embarrassment for one, because you can barely look him in the eye. Nervousness perhaps, because you can’t stop fidgeting with the hemline of your shirt. Regret? He hopes not, but who knows.

The silence drags on and you look out the window, alternating from rubbing your shirt between your hands to grasping the strap of your shoulder bag and twisting it around your fingers. You could cut the tension with a knife and you’re unsure how to lift it, not knowing what you could or should say.

You clear your throat and Eddie finally looks at you right before he comes to a stop in front of a traffic light.

“S-s-so,” you finally stammer out.

“So. What's up,” Eddie replies, but his voice sounds all weird. Detached. Angry almost. And he wasn't, not really, but the rational part of his mind seemed to have switched off completely and he is incapable of sounding normal in any way.

“A-are you angry with me?” Unlike Eddie, you don’t avoid the potentially awkward questions now that he has finally opened his mouth.

“Angry? Why would I be angry?” he snaps, but he seems to realize how that sounds and amends himself. “I’m not angry,” he sighs, his tone softer now. “There’s no reason for me to be.”

“Oh,” you mumble as the light turns to green and he starts driving again. “It’s just- I didn’t see you this weekend.”

“We saw each other on Friday.” He notices how you look down at your shoes when he says it and for someone that was able to read every single emotion on your face before, he sure has trouble deciphering them now. “You didn’t call.”

“I-I usually don’t have to,” you reply. “You just show up and then we hang out.”

That was true. The two of you hardly ever called each other beforehand to schedule anything. There were certain times during the day that you kinda kept empty for each other so neither of you had to call to ask “Are you free right now?” It had been like that for years.

“I was busy,” Eddie says. “Maybe I should have told you.”

“Oh no, that’s okay." You seem unusually flustered by this and immediately stare out the window again. "Fine. That’s fine.”

"What is the-" He begins to say, but even though your head is turned away, he can see your bottom lip wobble. "Hey, are you-"

"Fine," you repeat like a broken record, a bit more forcefully and he can definitely hear in your voice that you're on the verge of tears. "I'm fine."

“You don’t sound-“

“Just stop talking!” Eddie visibly flinches when you raise your voice. Okay, you’re definitely crying. “I don’t want to… just don’t say anything.”

Even though he’s close to school, Eddie still pulls over to the side of the road. If he reaches the school parking lot, you’ll bolt out of his van and he won’t see you for the rest of the day, he just knows it. But he’s still far away enough now and you’re too upset to actually get out and walk. He knows you well enough to know that you won’t get out here.

“What’s wrong?” He tries to reach for you, but you turn away. Your arms are wrapped so tightly around yourself and you’re leaning forward as if you’re trying to curl yourself up into a little ball. “Is this about what we did?”

Even though he didn’t want to, he had to broach the subject. There’s no other way around it anymore.

“What do you think?” You wipe at your cheek furiously, the tears falling in full force now. “Enlighten me, Eddie.”

“I told you upfront that we probably shouldn’t do it, alright!” He hates himself for raising his voice as well, especially since you’re so obviously hurt but fuck, he was hurting, too. “But you-“

“Don’t blame me for it! You got what you wanted and then you couldn’t even be bothered to pick up the goddamn phone?”

“I got what I wanted?" He wasn't expecting that response, especially not after you so obviously used him. "You’re the one that-“

“It was an excuse!” you shout. “I knew that you would never touch me like that, so I fucking lied!”

“What?” It’s all he can say as he stares at you dumbfounded. “What?”

“I-I-I figured if I’d offer you that… if I’d let you… that maybe you’d see me in a different light, that you’d think of me as a woman instead of… actually I don’t even want to know what you think of me…" Eddie has no intention of answering, but you hold up your hand anyway, apparently under the impression that he had been about to speak. "But it obviously… fuck, it’s so obvious now… it didn’t fucking work… and it’s not like I can take it back...”

You ramble on, more to yourself than to him by the looks of it, and Eddie doesn’t know what to do. He’s heard you rant before, usually about books or bands or whatever other subject you're passionate about, but never like this. This was pure, unfiltered self-doubt talking and it's a side of you that he was oddly unfamiliar with, because it was a side of you that you had never once allowed him to see.

Part of him knows that he should stop you, before you run out of breath since you’re babbling so much, but another part of him wants to know what you’ll say now that your internal filter seems to be malfunctioning.

“So I ruined everything… and I want to fix it… for things to go back to how they were, you know? But I can’t just… wave a magic fucking wand around and make everything go back to normal.” You hang your head in your hands and he can see your back begin to shake, signifying that you’re close to sobbing. “S-s-so now I’m going to have to… learn to live with that, I suppose… but fuck, I wish I could… really, really wish I could make you-“

“Stop. Fuck, please. You’re not making any sense.” Your mouth snaps shut and you wipe at your eyes with the back of your hand. “So, here’s what I got from that… that speech. When you told me that you trusted me, that you wanted me to be your first because you trusted me, that was a lie?”

“N-no. Not r-really.” You shake your head and quickly add, “I do. Trust you, I mean, but that’s not why I asked you if you wanted to… you know.”

“So why then?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Oh, trust me, babe, it is.” When you were mid-rant, the pieces kind of fell into place and he felt like a right idiot for not realizing it before. “I just wanna hear you say it. And say it to my face.”

He watches you take a deep breath, trying to steady your breathing because right now it sounds like you ran a couple of miles. You close your eyes and repeat it a couple of times.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

It takes a short while for your breathing to even out, but when it does, you look a lot calmer than before. Eddie can see your hands shake and to stop them from doing that, you grip your knees so tight that it's hurting him just from looking at it.

“Okay,” you say softly as you turn to him. Your eyes are red and there are streaks on your cheeks, but you seem to have found the determination to want to do this, to tell him what’s going on. “Eddie.” A shiver runs down his spine from hearing you say his name like that, his mind suddenly filled with reminders of last Friday. “I love you.”

“And that’s why you asked me to f- make love to you?”

“Yes.” You look ashamed of yourself and you don’t seem to catch that Eddie very deliberately said that he ‘made love to you’ instead of ‘fucking you.’ “I shouldn’t have asked you, I’m sorry, and now I ruined everything.”

“Why would that ruin everything?”

“You think that we can go back to being friends after that?” He shakes his head in reply. “See? I messed up.” Your eyes well up again and you rub at them before the tears can fall. “I’m so sorry, Eddie,” you sob and he can see your hand gripping the car door, getting ready to open it and get out.

“Wait,” he blurts out. You sniffle and pause, but your hand doesn’t let go of the handle. “You don’t want to hear my answer?”

“Your answer?” You frown, a brief flash of anger crossing your features because you’re convinced that he’s making fun of you now. “I’d rather not know if that’s okay.”

“No way. You got to say what you wanted so I should get the opportunity as well.”

“Just… be gentle, okay?” You seem to have resigned yourself to the fact that whatever you felt could never be reciprocated, hence why you had even come up with that badly thought out idea to have him be your first to begin with. “I don’t think I can handle much more today.”

“Babe…”

Seeing you like this was breaking Eddie’s damn heart.

All the thoughts that had been plaguing him these last two days seem to have been on your mind as well.

He wonders how many times you had the phone in your hand, ready to call him, before deciding against it. Wonders if you had been thinking of grabbing your bike to cycle over to his place, with the excuse that you’d lost some random thing that you desperately needed right that instance.

Because those were all things that he had been thinking of doing, too. He’d even made it as far as a few blocks away from your house on Sunday before turning around and going back.

The only problem was that now that he had the opportunity to tell you exactly how he felt, and how he had felt for several years now, that he couldn’t find the words.

His entire mind was drawing a blank.

And the longer the silence dragged on, the more your face seemed to fall. He could see every single insecurity written all over it, a million doom scenarios flashing behind your eyes, each one worse than the other.

Eddie wanted to take all your doubts away, but he didn’t know how. For someone that had an answer for almost everything, he sure was struggling now.

“Eddie,” you said softly. “You don’t have to-“

Practically lunging forward, he cupped your face in his hands and kissed you instead. It was just the one kiss and when he pulled away, you were staring at him with wide eyes, like your brain was struggling to process what the hell had just happened.

“I um… I didn’t know what to say,” he whispers. “So I just-“

“So you just-“

“Yeah. You don’t mind?”

“No, no, I don’t mind,” you blurted out. “Why would I mind? I mean, I-“

Eddie presses his lips on yours again before you can go on another nervous ramble. The first kiss was over before it even started and you hadn’t gotten a chance to respond then, but you do now. He feels your hands on his shoulders, your touch uncertain at first, but your grip tightens when his tongue swipes over your lips.

You sigh and he takes the chance to lick into your mouth, seeking out your tongue. You match his eagerness and then take it further than he had intended to.

You shift in your seat until you’re sitting on your knees and looming over him. The kiss breaks for a few seconds and you push him back, moving in to straddle him immediately. There’s not a lot of room with the steering wheel right behind you, but you won’t be deterred and Eddie doesn’t stop you either. His hands circle around your back, pulling you into him.

You’re basically grinding into Eddie’s lap while most of Hawkins is on their morning commute to work, dropping their kids off at school, passing by his van without having a clue what's going on in there. Whenever they hazard a look inside, they’re treated to the sight of two horny teenagers who look like they’re seconds away from tearing each other’s clothes off.

Some random woman that passes by on the sidewalk bangs her hand against the window, muttering something about devil worship. She didn't even have to look twice to check who was behind the wheel, because everyone in Hawkins knew exactly who the proud owner of that van was.

“What’s the devil got to do with you sitting on my lap?” Eddie murmurs against your lips, amused.

“No idea,” you shrug as you pull away and move back to your own seat once more. “Probably thought that you’d brainwashed me or something.”

“Sure I did,” he mutters. That’s when he thinks of something else entirely. “What’s first period again?”

“Phys ed.”

“Fuck that.” Eddie turns the key in the ignition and makes the engine roar back into life. He turns the van around and drives back in the direction that you had come from. “We’re skipping class.”

“Oh, are we?” If you had asked him to, he would have turned around and driven right back to school, but he knew that you wouldn’t challenge him on this. “And what are we going to be doing instead?”

“Some physical education of our own. It’ll be loads better than playing dodgeball again.” Eddie starts chuckling and couldn’t resist adding, “You can dodge my balls instead.”

“God!” Your arm shoots out and smacks his bicep. “You’re such a child,” you say with a laugh. “Honestly.”

“I’ll make sure that you get your workout, baby, don’t worry about it.”

“You gonna make me sweat?”

“That’s the idea.” He holds his right hand out to you, palm up, and you take it without hesitation. He gives your hand a quick squeeze and throws in a, “Best way to work up a sweat.”

The rest of the drive is relatively silent. The only noises are coming from the car stereo, which wasn't set to its usual volume for once, interspersed with the occasional laugh when the two of you happen to make eye contact.

Eddie drives to the exact same place where he parked the car last Friday afternoon, a relatively secluded spot near Lover's Lake which was eerily quiet at this time on a Monday morning.

It had taken quite some time to coax you into the back on Friday, nervous as you were, and even sharing a joint with Eddie hadn't made your nerves subside.

You'd sat in the passenger seat for at least a half an hour longer before you had joined him and then it had taken another half hour for you to even take your shirt off. All that happened while Eddie had his back turned to you by the way, while he continuously promised that he wouldn't face you until you were ready, even if he was hard as a rock already by that time (uncomfortably so).

There wasn't any hesitation now.

Seconds before Eddie had turned the engine off, you got up, squeezing through the space between the seats and sat down in the back. Eddie hadn't gotten round to putting all the blankets that he had grabbed from the trailer back yet so you were sitting quite comfortably among them when he joined you.

His mouth falls open when you take your shirt off like it's nothing and when your hands start moving down, fingers already moving to open your jeans, is the moment that apprehension sets in for him this time.

"Nice to see that you're so comfortable now," he laughs nervously. "But there's one thing that I need to tell you first."

Your fingers stop moving, jeans pulled open far enough so that your light blue cotton panties are visible. "What is it?" You move over to where Eddie has sat down and ask, "You don't want to do this anymore?"

"Fuck, that's not it. I definitely want to do this." He very crudely takes your hand and places it on his crotch so you can feel exactly how hard he is already. You give him a quick squeeze and he groans in reply. "I just wanted to clarify something."

"And what's that?" Your eyebrows arch in amusement and he doesn't really know why. "You can tell me, Eddie."

"Well, when you first suggested that we sleep together, you did that with the assumption that I'd slept with someone before."

"Yeah?" You briefly cover your mouth with your free hand and clear your throat. "Are you trying to tell me that you didn't?"

"Yeah," he says quietly. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Eddie." You lean in and peck his cheek. "I already knew."

"Wha-?" he says, dumbfounded, and you can't stop yourself from giggling now. "How did you know?"

"You did say that you didn't know what you were doing. It was just the once, but it was kind of a dead giveaway," you reveal. Eddie smacks himself in the forehead. He had said that. "It made me feel a bit better, to know that we were both new to it and were experiencing it together."

"Can't hide anything from you." He reaches out to touch you then, his hands skimming up your chest until he's cupping your tits. "My girl's so smart." You let out a moan, one that's a bit too loud for what he's doing, and Eddie's face lights up like a goddamn Christmas tree. "You like being called my girl?"

"Uh-huh," you pant as you arch your back and press your chest into his hands. "I love it."

"Good." Eddie leans back until his spine is pressed against the side of the van, pulling you along with him and making you straddle his lap. "'Cause you are my girl, right?" You whimper when he runs his hand through your hair and grips the back of your neck gently. "Tell me."

"I'm your girl." You pop the button of his jeans, pull his fly open and slip your hand inside. "I've always been your girl," you tell him as he pushes his hips up into your hand. "Eddie." There's a sense of urgency behind your voice. "We're gonna have to hurry up if we want to make it back in time for the second period."

Eddie presses his forehead against your shoulder and groans, "And what's that again?"

"Maths."

"Fuck that," he replies as he reaches around your back to unhook your bra. "We're skipping that one as well." He licks a stripe from your collarbone up to your ear and growls, "Now stop talking about school please? It's putting me off."

"Oh really?" Your hand jerks upwards over his shaft. "If anything, you're only getting harder," you observe with a grin. "Or is that because of-" Your sentence ends in a yelp when Eddie suddenly flips you onto your back and gives you a searing kiss to shut you up.

"You done?" You nod, your sass now completely gone. "Good, because we have about an hour left and I want to make you come at least three times before we get back to school if you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind," you squeak. "I don't mind at all."

"That's my girl…”

#stranger things #stranger things fic #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson smut #stranger things smut #mar writes #mar moodboards

[buckyarchives]

Metal arms and short skirts | Bucky Barnes. {4.}

summary: waltzing in as the new head of the Avenger's medical division, impressing everyone, and... scaring Bucky with your incredibly short skirts. while Bucky's having a hard time looking at his arm as anything other than a deadly weapon, and you're more than happy to help him.

word count: 7.4k

author note: the way this chapter originally was 11k words… i had to cut it down a little and also kinda end it mid chapter and pick up next update? so it may seem like it ends weird? idk. also unfortunately Vivienne Westwood’s death was recently so i thought of to use her dress in the chapter to honor her :) enjoy reading. not beta’d (please i needs a beta reader) important! opening my inbox for drabble request since this series is coming to an end soon

warning: bucky’s self loathing (like usual tbh.), people being mean to bucky (making remarks about his trauma, specifically brain damage), creepy and annoying men.

outfit reference here

read on AO3 | masterlist

Bucky is convinced his life is just one sick joke, and whoever finds this funny— deserves death. his legs bounced wildly, eyes frantically checking the watch on his wrist. it was Steve���s, very expensive, not Bucky's type. the ticking was starting to annoy him, bucky wanted to smash it, then he wouldn't know how late you are.

the navy blue suit, Steve gave him that too, said it brings out his eyes. god- bucky was practically sweating through it, the night hasn’t started yet and he feels like he needs to change. he was overthinking, everyone keeps telling him. but there was a plan, 5 pm and after work, the common room down the hall to your lab. maybe it was just nerves, but it still didn’t excuse the impending doom settling in the bottom of bucky's stomach.

“James, it’s been 10 minutes,” Natasha spoke, dressed in a long black dress. she sat on the floor before a couch, wanda held a curling wand in Natasha's hair as she sat above her. bucky had tried to distract himself by watching the curls form, it was quite fascinating if he wasn’t so distant.

“she is probably just fashionably late, it would make sense,” Wanda said— which felt true. but you’ve never once been late because of your appearance before, bucky can't even think of a time you’ve been late for any reason.

frustrated, Bucky abruptly got up and ran a hand through his hair, beginning to pace. “hey! I am not going to reapply all the gel!” Wanda shouts and bucky's flinches, putting both of his hands to his side like a child obeying their mother.

“what if she doesn't want to be seen with me, you know- like, like that? what if after yesterday she changed her mind, oh my god. Nat, I can't do this.” Bucky rattled on. Natasha rolled her eyes to the back of her head.

“Stop with the what if” Natasha groaned, “she is not even that late.”

“Have you even tried to text her?” Wanda mentions.

Bucky stops pacing.

“you haven’t even called her?'' Natasha looks at Bucky like he's stupid, he feels stupid. “do you know who you are? what if something happened to her that would make her late?”

Bucky's face dropped, oh my god, what if something happened? Bucky doesn't feel stupid, he is stupid. he is the fucking winter soldier, and you’ve been out with him, something could totally happen to you. Bucky's breath hitched before he felt like he was choking on it, was this a panic attack? he can’t call you while having a panic attack, but you could be in danger.

Almost instantly, Bucky grabs his phone on the coffee table. his fingers stumble as he looks for your number, but just as his fingers hover over your name. a loud, annoying ring comes from Natasha’s phone. Bucky's head perks up so do all the heads in the room.

Natasha's eyebrows furrow, looking down at her phone. Wanda follows suit as she looks over her shoulder. “it’s Y/N?”

“pick up!” Wanda shouts.

Natasha taps on the phone, “hey, you oka-“

“no!” you shout from the other line, a matching panic in your voice. “no, I am not! I’ve cycled through like 12 dresses and I have like 3 more but I swear, I’m going to go to Versace or Mytheresa— I will fucking call Valentino right now if I have to.”

faintly, everyone heard the sound of fabric rustling, your heels echoing as you paced through your room, and your heavy breathing. panicking about your outfit.

“Hey, hey, y/n calm down.'' Natasha hushed, your faint rattling didn't stop as you continued on talking about some black dress that made you look bloated. “you don’t need to impulse spend 8k on a dress, don’t make a big deal out of this, you’ll look perfect.”

“But Bucky! What if he doesn't like it, or thinks I look fat, or if I'm trying too hard! or too little? ugh!” you groaned, screamed, and rattled. Bucky had half the mind to shout through the phone that he’d think you're perfect however you showed up. but Natasha knew him well and sent a glare that told him not to.

“I just- just, Natasha… I really like him, I don't want to mess this up.” you sighed in defeat. Bucky's heart surged out of his chest, his face felt hot. He just wanted to cradle you close and tell you everything was okay.

“y/n.” Natasha started, her voice stern. “what are you doing right now.”

the other line went silent for a moment. bucky can imagine your thinking face, eyes narrowed, and tugging your lip under your teeth. a sigh escapes your mouth. “I'm on the floor in my closet, trying not to back out or cry.”

“Just don’t back out, okay? I'll be over to help you, sounds good?”

a small sniffle that broke bucky’s heart, “yes.”

“Okay, don’t die of panicking.” Natasha finished, hanging up the phone with a sigh.

Bucky sank down onto the couch, raking his hand through his hair again despite Wanda's protest. letting out a heavy exhale.

you were safe, that’s really what matters. but you were also on the brink of crying, probably tearing through your closet like a mad woman just to appease bucky’s opinions. He felt like a dick.

Natasha sat still, staring at Bucky like she knew more, knew better. Bucky couldn’t read her.

“Are you going?” he said weakly.

“No,” Natasha said plainly, making her way towards Bucky and dragging him to his feet by his suit— before straightening Bucky out. from his suit to his hair, even smoothing the small nervous wrinkles on his forehead.

Natasha always felt like a sister to Bucky in this way. helping him, worrying for him, supporting him, and seemingly reluctantly saving him with Steve couldn't. They shared many painful experiences that brought them close. Natasha was always there for bucky.

“you are.”

“What?!”

Bucky stood dumbfounded, “you’re going to go over there. get her out of her head, pick a dress that makes her look like a fucking goddess, maybe one that matches yours. and make her feel beautiful.”

“I can’t-“

“Shut up, Barnes,” Wanda interjects, the same determination on her face as Natasha's. there was no way he was getting out of this. “go, or I'll make you.”

Bucky watched as Wanda conjured up the red ball of pure power in her hands, an empty threat; they already talked about using her powers for this reason. but enough to scare the shit out of Bucky and make him nod violently. almost to convince himself that he could go.

“go get your girl.” Natasha encouraged.

******

Somewhere between throwing dresses around and banging your head on your walk-in closet walls, you decided that it didn't matter that you weren't mid-age yet, this was a mid-life crisis. Never in your life have you second-guessed your judgment on what to wear, not even in the eyes of the greatest designers the world knows.

But here you sat, verge of tear on your floor. Piles building up around you of dresses, shoes, tights, et cetera, et cetera. You were practically drowning in silk, crepe, and chiffon. Moments ago you really had a dress, it fit perfectly and made your complexion glow, but then the thought of what Bucky would think made you spiral.

Honestly, you knew deep, deep down that he wouldn't care. A day ago he saw you covered in Sam Wilson's blood, so there was really only going up from there. You knew he was a good guy, not one to point out fat rolls on your back or if your stomach was bloated. But the female experience constantly sabotaged those positive thoughts and brought out the ‘what ifs’.

Natasha wasn't much help on the phone. She just spared you from spending your paycheck on another Valentino dress and told you to calm down. She'd be over in a few, you trusted her taste enough, at least you'd have a second opinion. she always looked good, but it was easy for her.

You didn’t think of yourself as an envious person, especially the looks or body category but it was hard in this fragile state of mind to not long for a widows physic.

The loud and echoing noise of your doorbell shook you from your thoughts, you had been spacing out. Throwing on the first piece of fabric you saw on the floor, a large dress shit? Sure, whatever, it was just Natasha. Another loud ring.

“Gimme a moment, Nat!” you shouted, seeing a flash of yourself in a full-sized mirror. you look pathetic, with black tights, a dress shirt, and hair lazily put in a claw. You were already late, how worse could it get?

Spoiler. Much worse. very, very worse.

Opening your front door abruptly, a spew of apologies and worries left your mouth before you could notice the lack of red hair. Eyes wide and mouth gaped, Bucky stood before you. And like the fucking pathetic idiot you are, before Bucky could get a word out, you slammed the door in his face with a high-pitched yelp. A hand flew to cover your mouth, to contain the groans and curse words directed at Natasha. Because of-fucking-course she’d do this.

A wave of guilt and mostly embarrassment washed over you before you could kick yourself more - you opened the door, again.

“I'm so sorry, bucky! I didn't mean to do that– you just surprised me.” the words stumbled over themself, a stuttering mess. You were an udder wreck, this is so embarrassing, you thought. Your voice rose a few octaves, almost certain your makeup had smudged off by now. “Wha- what are you doing here?”

“Nat sent me,” he spoke plainly, standing dumbfounded in your apartment hallway.

“Of course she did.” you cursed and gritted under your breath, words coming out harsher than intended. An unsure face washed over Bucky and he took a tiny step back.

“I can go if you’re uncomfortable.'' Bucky sounded small, it broke your heart.

“No! Please don’t, I'm just freaking out right now– not sure why.” you definitely knew why. Stopping in the middle of your sentence once you notice Bucky's attire. Experiencing whiplash at the sight of the slick, noticeably expensive navy suit he wore. You practically did a double take, blinking like an idiot as you looked him up and down. “Wow! You look great, like really great.”

“And you look…” Bucky's eye trailed up your body, his eyes landing on your face. “Perfect, as always.”

Maybe it was the stress, or nerves, but you were a flustered mess. Complements, embarrassment, running around crying– you shouldn't even try to imagine what you looked like.

“I just threw this on, I…” you noticed the way Bucky began fidgeting and shifting his feet, standing awkwardly with his gaze finding the apartment behind you. “I'm sorry! Come in, come in.”

Moving out of the way for Bucky and letting him in, his eyes travel to every corner, eyes wide in awe. Your apartment was more of the ‘rich, new york snob, with high ceilings and large windows.’ but it was still you and Bucky was taking it in.

Bucky hummed, finishing his look over of the front room and turning back to face you. Fuck, he looked so good, from head to toe, his hair was a little messy and you could see gel residue that made you want to pounce and fix it.

And you were so– a mess.

“I'm sorry for my appearance, I've been panicking and I'm so late, I didn't mean to make you late or worry. Gosh, my makeup is probably messy and–”

Bucky found himself right in front of you, tearing you from your rambling as he grabbed your face. Cradling your jaw in his palms as your eyes met his, wide and frantic. “Doll, stop apologizing, please. You'd done nothing wrong, you look perfect. Everything’s okay.'' Bucky spoke slowly, sure of himself and successfully bringing you back down. You breathed and nodded.

“Now, let me help you get dressed.”

You could kiss him right now if you had a slight nerve. Where did your confidence go all of a sudden?

Bucky must have read your mind, slightly. Pressing a kiss to your crown that made you lean into his hands, worries slowly leaving and almost forgetting about that stupid dress and gala.

Grabbing Bucky's hand with a giddy smile, pulling him into your room slash tornado mess of fabrics. And it showed on Bucky's face, a large huff left his mouth as he stopped in your doorway, eyes exaggeratedly wide..

Maybe it was just growing up in the depression era, and also being just straight-up poor, but the amount of fabric on the floor felt infinite and slightly unnecessary to Bucky. He knew you were a science prodigy and had been paid highly for your research and machines, even more, evident after seeing your place. He's never known luxury and pleasure like this.

“Why do you have so many dresses?”

Shrugging, “fashion is like art to me, and so in some ways, i'm just collecting art. I also have a horrible spending problem, but that's a conversation for another time I think.”

“What are the options?” Bucky asked.

“Uhh,” you stumbled around your room and threw a few dressed around. “Versace, very nice. Christian Dior, is expensive, also nice. Dolce and Gabbana…”

Bucky lazily caught the very expensive dresses you threw around like nothing, peaking into your large walk-in closet. As if your personality summed up into a room, colorful and expensive textiles piled up. Bucky was positive the room was usually clean and organized to the tee. You kept yelling out random French or Italian names Bucky had no knowledge of.

“Okay, slow down. I can speak like twenty-two languages but high fashion is not one of them.” Bucky stopped your rambling, pulling up a long, blood-red gown to your body. “What's wrong with this one, this is pretty.”

You looked at Bucky as if he grew three heads, “way too long, I’d trip over myself all night, and if I’m going with you– red and blue? I know your cap's best friend but come on now, Buck.”

“Okay.” Bucky sighed, picking up a black slim dress. Even imagining you in this one made a pink tint rise to his face. “And this one?”

“Makes me look like a bloated ballon,” you said plainly.

Now Bucky was looking at you like an idiot. “Stop it with that, you’re perfect.”

“Gee thanks, but that doesn't help right now.” you snapped, instantly recoiling at your harsh tone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Bucky just smiled, his charming and stupidly sweet smile that makes your knees weak. Wrapping his hands gently around your shoulder and staring intently into your eyes. “Baby, calm down.”

You breathed, tried to at least. The sweet name also made you choke but besides that, Bucky's smooth voice distracted you. “I’m calm.”

“Good.” Bucky nodded, his eyes glancing to the far corner of your closet. A certain light in his eyes showed before his gaze came back to your face. “What about that one?”

Bucky pointed to a certain very special, navy blue dress. Your eyes were wide as you looked between Bucky and the dress. As the silky fabric hung from the hanger, you only took it out of the “vault” to look at it, and didn't even think to try it on. Just wanted to relish in the beauty of it.

“I- no, I can't wear that.” you studdered.

Bucky knew nothing of fashion. What looked good, what was in season, or what was acceptable in the fashion industry. All he knew was the dress looked expensive, matching his and even the thought of you in it made bucky want to fall to his knees. He wasn't leaving this apartment without you in it, to hell any stupid excuse you gave.

“Why not?” he said, stepping carefully over the clothes littered beneath him and picking up the dress. Putting it up to your body, it looked perfect.

“James Buchanan. This was personally gifted to me by Vivienne Westwood. I can’t just wear this.” you shouted.

“I don't know who that is or what that means, put it on.” he shoved the dress in your hands.

“Buck-”

“Please, for me?”

Blinking like an idiot in front of Bucky. You couldn't protest anymore, Bucky was more stubborn than you, and you soon realized he probably wasn’t gonna let you out door without at least seeing it on. You held the dress in your hands, running the fabric under your fingers, huffing dramatically. “Fine, I’ll be in the bathroom, wait here”

Your steps cascaded as you left for the bathroom connected to your room, Bucky awkwardly settled himself on the edge of your bed. Beginning to fidget with the hem of his coat jacket as he waited nervously.

Meanwhile, cursing to yourself in the bathroom as you slipped the dress on it. This dress was gravely special to you, because on your off times and not nose deep in the labs, you'd spent them at fashion events and runways.

Meeting Vivienne was one of the best memories of your life, (next to offering Bucky a new arm) and you'd almost dropped dead when a box decked with the familiar orb logo showed up in front of your door. You had only worn it twice - in your bedroom, too scared and almost feeling unworthy to wear such a thing.

Bucky Barnes sure was special for getting you to go to a stark party with it on.

grunts came from the bathroom as you struggled to slip it on, the zipper reached your middle back and out of reach. Slowly unlocking the door, Bucky's head whipped in your direction. And god, suddenly he couldn't breathe. Even as you clumsily shimmied toward Bucky with your arms awkwardly holding the back up, he thought you looked like the most beautiful girl in the world.

“Buck, can you? The zipper, please?” you turned around and showed the back. Bucky couldn't move for a moment, utterly stunned by your presence. You whispered his name again to catch his attention. Then he stumbled to his feet like a flustered 15-year-old boy. He sure felt like one.

“Yeah. sorry, doll. I got it,” he spoke. You tensed up when Bucky's warm hands touched your bare shoulders. His hands held you like you were glass, slowly zipping the dress up fully. But you didn’t turn around yet, facing him now just felt wrong. You could feel Bucky's breath as his hand trailed across your shoulder blades, Bucky felt goosebumps slowly rise to your skin, and all self-control was gone.

Bucky leaned down and placed a small peck on the crook of your neck, he didn’t even know what he was doing but you practically shuddered under his touch. A chill shot through you and your knees went weak. And then another kiss, and another, and another. His lips slowly made their way up your neck, and one of his hands rested on your waist now.

“You're breathtaking, doll. I’m serious, I've never seen someone so beautiful in my life.” bucky whispered close to your ear, hot breath on your skin that made you ache. His featherlike kisses made you ache, he was so gentle and careful like you’d break under him. You ached for more.

Ever so swiftly, you turned to face bucky. Your hands latched to his neck, “kiss me like you mean it, Barnes.”

In a single instant, bucky’s lips crashed to yours as if his life depended on it, like he couldn't breathe without you. Your back arches into him as he pulled you closer, tongue swiping across his as he let you in. bodies pressed against each other, clinging, aching. More, more, more.

“Bucky…” you wined against his lips, and Bucky quickly pondered if this gala was even worth it. You both were already late, anyways. He hummed sweetly against your lips, your knees hit the edge of your bed and with a surprised yelp, bucky fell atop you on the bed. Kiss unbroken, but you smiled and felt bucky smile into the kiss, following him.

Your hand tangled in his long hair, successfully messing it up farther than it was before. Buckys pulled away just enough to look you in the eye, adoration you found and almost melted. The ends of bucky’s lip quirked up into his infamous dorky smile you only saw on a few special occasions.

“We’re already late…” he whispers so softly.

“Yeah.” you can only mutter out in a daze, falling surrender under bucky’s gaze. Your fingers still tangled in bucky’s brunette hair, getting your nails deep and scratching at his scalp. A quiet pleasured groan escapes his lips. “I messed up your hair.”

Bucky chuckles, “it's okay.”

Tugging your lower lip under your teeth, smiling widely as an idea pops into your head. “Get up, come with me.”

you usher him off you, playfully grabbing at his hands and stumbling over your clothes with bucky following close behind you. leading him into your bathroom and in front of the mirror.

Bucky stood much taller than you, especially without heels. Bucky chuckled as you dragged a small step stool and stepped up behind him. He speaks through a grin, “What are you doing?”

“I messed up your hair, but to be honest– whoever did it added too much gel so I’m going to fix it,” you spoke, grabbing a brush and spray bottle and beginning to spritz his hair in the water. Bucky seemed more than content with your hands raking through his locks.

First parting his hair in half, pulling the top half into a bun, and let the rest fall down. Cocking your head at the sight, he always looked good but not this hairstyle for a gala. Bucky's face crunched up too and you took that as a big no. you just left the hair to fall down naturally, being so used to the regular middle part, you thought to grab the comb and give him a side part.

“What do you think about this?” you asked, brushing the hair out.

Bucky hummed, “Different.”

“Bad or…?”

“No.” bucky smiles, then you realize he's not even looking at himself, his eyes are trained on you. “I like it.”

Leaning down to kiss the top of his head, bucky grew flustered. Jumping down from your stool and kicking it away. Grumbling under your breath, “I gotta get my height back.”

And with that, you grabbed a pair of black heels and before you could go to slip them on, bucky swiped them from your hands and wordlessly knelt down and grabbed your leg. Halfway convinced you were dead and gone to heaven before going along and letting bucky slip the heels on your feet.

Bucky’s eyes gaze slowly up your legs, and body and found your eyes. Your breath hitched as his hand begin to slowly travel up your calve, thigh, and waist. Not taking a moment before his lips were on yours again, the kiss was sweeter now, so sweet you felt your teeth rot.

But then it grew wild, and needy when bucky’s hand squeezed at your waist and thigh. Pushing yourself against his body like a puzzle piece, kissing him was so natural to you, like a motion you were meant to do your whole life. Nipping at Bucky’s lower lip, earning a hungry groan from the soldier.

Both his hands found themselves on your thighs, catching you by surprise when he lifts you up to sit on the counter. Giving himself a better angle to push you flush against him, feeling pleasure shoot through you when your hips met his waist. you knew where this would go if you even got a taste though– and you both were already incredibly late. At this point, you wondered if you'd even go.

“Bucky, I'm serious, we gotta go…” you wine against his lips, Bucky chased after your touch but you pulled away.

A dramatic groan escaped his lips, his head falling in the nook of your shoulder. “I know, I know.”

You hopped off the counter, half mindedly grabbing a Vivienne Westwood pearls to finish the look, because god forbid your outfit to be boring. Bucky watched you with adoration as you both walked hand in hand, leading him out of your apartment. One last glance was spared at your mess of a bedroom, you sighed and told yourself you'd clean it later.

Bucky called over a cab and you two headed off to the Stark tower. One quiet and comfortable ride, bucky’s hand stayed placed on your thigh, your head fell onto his shoulder as your gaze landed on the passing new york streets. A small hum escaped your lips, Bucky squeezed your thigh gently and soon enough you were in front of the huge and practically sparkling tower.

The press and flashing paparazzi that found word of the gala yet were not invited littered around, most were gone as you were at least 40 minutes late. Sometimes you forgot these people you worked with were essentially celebrities in the public eye, they had PR teams and brand deals. You'd see tabloids with iron man's names or magazines in the streets talking about Captain America’s new love interest.

And apparently, Bucky Barnes was no different.

“Bucky Barnes! Winter soldier sir! Is this your new girlfriend!” a young man shouted from behind the barricade, a couple of flashes of cameras. You’d expect your pictures on some website with some arbitrary statement about you and Bucky soon. Even so, this man seemed much nicer than the overbearing fangirls of Steve or scum of the earth reporters yelling bottom-line misogynist comments towards Natasha or Wanda.

Bucky kept his head down as you wrapped an arm around his shoulder and forearm, he wasn't one for crowds or simply people who only knew him for what the media portrayed him as.

“You’re okay.” was all you spoke into his ear as you made your way into the doors, being hit with the cool air of the building. Your arms loosened around Bucky now you were in the somewhat safe zone, but his arm snaked around your waist as you walked into the more crowded area.

“Holy shit, I don't know which one to call the arm candy.” Sam's voice yelled from behind you. Being met with Sam in a nice black suit, along with Wanda in a sparkly red dress and Clint in an all-black suit as well.

Everyone looked amazing, it was rare to see them out of kevlar and super suits, or raggedy clothes thrown on after feeling like shit from tough missions.

“And Sam, wow! You clean up nice!” you complimented him.

“You look good, man.” Bucky said, a small smile on his face.

“You too, buck,” Sam said, nodding towards his new hair. “I like the hair, suits you, I still think you need to shave your beard.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, along with a small quirk at the end of his lips as he playfully smacked his shoulder. “Whatever.”

The small chatter continued, a glimpse of the inside of the loud ballroom as guests came and went. Bucky seemed to warm up to everyone more, a smile gracing his lips that made him look at least two decades younger. Soon a smooth and low voice was heard behind you.

“Sometimes I wonder if you are in the wrong profession, you know?” Natasha said, her vibrant red hair pinned up and wearing a beautiful black, slim dress, with two small cutouts on by her waist. You couldn't help but think it was a nod to looking more like the iconic widow hourglass she wore on her belt.

Your eyebrows furrowed slightly, “really?”

“Look at yourself, model material in front of me.” Natasha's eyes scanned up your body, a small smirk on your lips.

“You should thank Bucky.” you smiled, eyes glancing towards the man as he conversed with Sam and Steve. He looked genuinely happy and comfortable, a part of you swelled with pride for him. “He convinced me to wear this.”

“And thank god for that.” she laughed. “Also, I think Tony and Bruce were looking for you.”

It took just that for you to excuse yourself from the group, and give Bucky a comforting squeeze as your heels echoed and left the small gathering of avengers. Going to search for Bruce and Tony, apparently to speak about some new projects and talk with some foreign scientists looking for collaborations.

Meanwhile, the cap quartet was left sitting lazily around hallway couches and successfully avoiding the overbearing and bluntly disrespectful politicians and reporters, fans even. Natasha snuck close to Bucky and next to Sam as they spoke about nonsense or missions.

“You make her feel beautiful?” Natasha spoke, nursing a drink in her hands despite the fact she had only taken 2 sips in the past 20 minutes.

Bucky's mind went back to the bathroom counter or the edge of your bed, the way his heart raced and cock twitched as his hands roamed your body. when your breath hitched as he bent down before you and trailed his palms up your legs, and pressed himself against your core. Bucky hummed, trying to cover up the pink-tinted ears at the more than erotic memory,

“yeah, yeah, I think so.”

******

“I’m really glad this collaboration is going through, I’m hoping we get some really good things done soon.” Miles franco's upbeat and excited voice spoke.

your heels echoed in the hallway, just leaving a semi-empty meeting room with Bruce, Tony, and Pepper. Miles was a scientist and developer with new ideas and resources for some big projects Tony’s been wanting to start. He spoke kindly and had confidence in him that made you feel secure in working with him.

After a text from Bucky that the group had gone into the ballroom to actually do what they were there for, you excused yourself while Bruce continued to look over the contract you’d be signing in a few days, and Tony and Pepper went off to… you’d rather not think about it. Miles kindly offered to walk you back, as long as you introduced him to Natasha. with a smile and laugh you began to walk back.

“I am too, I’m also just glad to be back and working in one place.” you laughed, referring to your last few years of constant traveling, researching, and volunteering. meeting as many high-level and reputable people to kick start a better career. “Tony’s been very good to be over the past month.”

Miles clicked this tongue, making a tsk sound as his steps faltered. He wore a smirk that didn’t match his friendly smile from earlier, like something hidden beneath his conventionally attractive smile and dimples. Once you stopped, he began to close the gap between the two of you, shaking his head.

“You know, you don’t need Tony.” Miles' voice sounded coy, cocky. As if he knew better and had to teach you some lesson.

“Pardon?”

he chuckled, “you're smart, sexy, young, and know your way around a room. in a few years you’ll be running laps around both Tony and Bruce, they’re holding you back by making you work under them.”

you blinked, almost flinching from the sudden change in tone. “they aren’t making me do anything, and we’re partners if anything”

Miles flashed his smile again as he stepped closer and tried to reach for your hand, you smoothly avoided his touch, but he was practically in your face now.

“you know what I mean.” he sighed, “you could be so much more, making millions and having anything your heart desires. make a deal with me, I can give that to you.”

“I’m content with what I have now, thank you. and I’m definitely not making a deal with someone who insults my colleagues— my friends.” you snarled, trying to remain as professional as you could. not wanting to drag out any hostility from the man before you, the hallway was far away from the main ballroom and empty.

you were mentally done with the conversation, wanting away from Mile’s hot breath and uncomfortable stares (you were sure he was staring down your dress as he crept closer). Turning your back on the man, steps speeding up from before as you fumed with anger.

a low chuckle was heard from behind you, making your skin crawl. “fuck, that man really has you dickmatized or something.”

okay, what the fuck?

stopping dead in your tracks, gasping under your breath as your whipped your head back around. face scrunched in anger— stop, you have to tell yourself. He’s trying to make you mad, calm down.

“Excuse me, what now?”

“Barnes. You don’t think everyone knows by now? I’m positive he’s the only reason you're still at that shitty compound, working with those super freaks. you could be so much more if it wasn’t for him.”

Breathe in— breathe out.

trying to settle the rage settling low in your stomach, slowly rising to your chest. trying not to make your voice shake as you responded. “Bucky has absolutely nothing to do with my job.”

another low laugh. God, this man was fucking evil.

“Come on! you’re fucking amazing and potentially one of the smartest people on earth, that guy doesn’t deserve you! I’m sure with the amount of brain damage the commies gave him he can’t even count to 10.” Miles frustrated, closing the gap once again, you felt stuck in place. “face it, he’s a fucking nut who only knows how to handle a gun like a mad man, a ticking time bomb.”

your fist clenched until your nails dug into your palm, blood trickling down your hand. Your breath was unsteady with rage, but you couldn’t move— you felt frozen under his disgusting gaze. Mile's hand moved to grab at your waist and pull you close, you jerked back.

heavy exhales, your voice raised slightly - keep it professional - you must have been shaking. “don’t insult my- my boyfriend’s intelligence, you are not even an ounce of the man he is. and do not even try to touch me again.”

Miles rolled his eyes, trying to step closer again if possible. “come one, don’t be like that babe-“

“and consider your part in this collaboration gone. you will not be making any more money or deals with Stark industries from now on.” your voice settled, you sounded stern and strong. holding your head high as you held back from screaming in his face.

Mile’s features dropped, the cocky smirk faded and he looked weak – desperate and small. “you don’t have the right to do that.”

now, you got in his face. “yes, Miles. yes, I do.”

he genuinely looked scared and pride warmed in your chest. getting one last ‘fuck you’ in as you very harshly slammed your heel on his foot. he groaned and curled into himself, you hoped to draw blood there. you were wearing stilettos.

picking up your pace as you fled from him, head still held high but you felt shaky. this wasn’t the first time you’d experienced sexual harassment or insults and you were sure it wasn’t going to be the last but the meer mention of Bucky shook you, the insult towards Bruce and Tony. the way he felt like he held something over your head and felt obligated to touch you. your skin crawled.

you were left in a daze, finding your way back to the ballroom, warm lights and loud chatter everywhere. instantly hiding from the crowded areas and searching for Bucky. you edged with anxiety.

Breathe in— breathe out.

Bucky stood near the bar, nursing a drink that probably had zero effect on him. you sped over to him and pushed out a smile.

“Buck! sorry, I got caught up!” you spoke as you approached him. Bucky’s eyes lit up lighter than any light in the room, making you feel warm and comfortable again.

“Hey, doll.” Bucky smiled, reaching to wrap his arm around your waist. “don’t worry, how’d the talk go?”

you opened your mouth to speak of the contract and project, finding a way to leave the hallway interaction out. but Bucky interrupted you abruptly, worry fell onto his features as he brought your hand into his.

“Sweetheart, what is this? are you okay?” he looked down at your bleeding palm, small cuts the size of your nails and the tips and cuticle of your nails stained red.

“It's nothing.” you shrugged it off and slipped your hand away from his grasp.

“No.” Bucky spoke, stern and clear. Grabbing your hand back and running his fingers along the small cuts. “It's not. What happened?”

You sighed heavily, avoiding eye contact but Bucky knew much better. He grabbed your chin between his thumb and index, your eyes still gazed down.

“Baby.” bucky whispered.

“Seriously, Bucky, it's nothing. I just had a frustrating person in that meeting, didn’t even realize I was doing it.” you rattled, grasping for an excuse without having to lie to the man.

Bucky sighed, pulling you away to the side with no word. Wetting an entirely too expensive Stark napkin with alcohol and wiping at your plams, stinging slightly. Bucky worked so gently, his hand wrapped around your forearm made you feel warm.

“I've seen you handle Stark at his lowest moment, bark off assholes like it's nothing. It is obviously not nothing, doll”

You wouldn't win this, not with the most stubborn man in front of you. You watched as he smoothed his thumb over your hand.

“this guy…” Bucky listened intently, his full attention on you and adoration yet, worry dripped from his features. “The collaborator from France, he said some rude things about Tony, Bruce and, uh… you. He tried to sweet talk me into leaving Stark industrie. Kept calling me all these objectifying names, he’s a dick I can’t believe I was excited about this project.”

Bucky's back straightened and his jaw clenched. He looked around the room, almost to find the man responsible. It was Bucky's turn to clench his first, knuckles turning white.

“and you?” was all Bucky could manage to mumbled out.

“I told him off and smashed his foot with my heel, and I'm making Tony diminish the contract.” you replied.

“Good.” Bucky nodded, snarling under his breath. “deserves a lot more than that.”

“I’m okay, seriously. just shook me up for a moment.” you reassure the man, because there was no way he was letting go of this. you took Bucky’s hand and dragged him towards the dance floor. “now dance with me, sergeant.”

the bright, boyish smile reluctantly returned to his face. hands almost instantly falling at your side and pulling you flush again this chest. you chased into the touch, grinning.

And that's how you and Bucky spent the next few moments, soft live music played in the background, other couples and friends swayed around you two. Bucky would quietly hum along to the music sometimes, your head rested on his chest and you'd feel the soft vibrations from him. You'd never understand how safe and secure you could feel in someone's arms, the idea sounded so out of reach and impossible only a few months ago. God knows you had never even thought to make time to explore that idea, but here it was, coming to you without even realizing it. It felt so natural now.

Bucky's hand smoothed on the exposed skin on your back and arms, he breathed freely, not feeling tense or on edge like most of his life. And for the first time since the alps, Bucky felt soft inside– in a sense. Bucky didn't feel dangerous, like he would break the person that he held in his arms. He didn't feel like an animal, a machine, or a murderer. Bucky smelled the lavender conditioner in your hair, the expensive smelling perfume on you. Bucky felt like a man in love with a girl, he is one.

Oh god, Bucky Barnes is in love. A feeling he has not felt since maybe 1942? when he took that red headed girl to coney island, but even that could never compare to the feelings swelling in his chest now. Being in love was scary– so, so scary. But with you warm and smiling in his arms, it was hard for Bucky to think of anything else.

“Bucky.” you wined, Bucky pulled away just enough to see your face. Your eyelids flutter in tiredness, a haze filtered across your eyeballs. “Are you obliged to stay for anything?”

“Not that I know of, doll. You want to get out of here?” Bucky spoke so smoothly, so flirtatious. He felt younger and more confident.

You nodded lazily, and Bucky looked around to see the crowd had begun to disperse. People hung round and talked, most were slightly tipsy. The craze of politicians and reporters settled. Bucky's hand smooth from your shoulder to your hand, ready to pull you into him and guide you home.

But his hands grazed the small cuts on your palm, he tensed. Gladly, you didn't notice. Bucky had one more thing to do before he left.

“Sweetheart, I have to go ask Steve something real quick, meet me in the lobby and i'll take you home?”

“Everything okay?” you asked, Bucky hoped you didn’t pick up on his… scheming. Flashing a smile, “of course, I’ll be quick.”

Nodding again, your heels echoed away from Bucky, the dress train cascading behind you beautifully. You reminded Bucky of some sort of angel.

A slight scowl fell upon Bucky's face as his blue eyes searched the ground, he found Steve with ease. Bucky had some sort of sixth sense when it came to finding Steve, ever since they were just two pre-teens getting lost in the city, Bucky was always the one having to search and rescue him from large crowds. The added height now just made it even easier.

His steps were heavy and with purpose, finally approaching the blonde. Standing close to Sam, Bruce and Clint. Good.

“Hey, buck. Where did your girl go?” Steve asked, all eyes now on him as he joined the small circle. Bucky's ears tinted pink towards the mention of you being his - he hoped you'd want that.

“We’re about to leave, she's getting tired.” Bucky replied. Steve opened his mouth to respond, small talk maybe, or a short goodbye and a pat on the back but Bucky was already onto other things.

Bucky turned to the timid scientist, getting Bruce’s attention. “Hey, banner! Who was the guy that y/n was with earlier? Looked french.”

Somewhat of a rhetorical question, Bucky kinda knew of the guy, he knew enough from what he heard from you. Steve was watching from the side with realization soon growing on his face, but he didn't speak a word.

“He's a scientist that Tony and I were wanting to collaborate with, I think he is still here if you're looking for him. At the bar I think.” Bruce replied.

“Great, thank you.” Bucky forced out a half hearted smile and began to turn away from the group. Steve grabbed onto his shoulder before he could heave.

“What are you doing?” Steve asked, he knew Bucky better than most and recognized the off look in his eyes. Steve grew concerned.

Bucky looked at the others in the group, pulling Steve close and hoped none of them picked up the words he whispered into his ear. “Some punk tried to come onto her like a creeper, shook her up real good, talked badly about the team and kept trying to come onto her.”

“And you plan to do what?” Steve knew the answer to his own question.

Bucky gave Steve a knowing look. Bucky was clearly growing annoyed and Steve could tell when he started talking like it was the 40s again, strong Brooklyn accent coming out with it. “Gonna teach the fella’ a lesson.”

Steve exhaled, slowly letting go of Bucky's shoulder. his eyes fell onto the bar as he found the man. steve didn’t object.

It’ll be okay if he is a little late, right?

tag list: @matchat3a @sebsgirl71479 @heavenswrld @ivywasmaroon @nt-multi-fandom @michaefuckinglangdon @fand0mskullfa1ry @lilliarussell @athenabarnes @almosttoopizza @genlovesdcb @i-l-y-3000 @timotheesrealgf

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #james bucky barnes #marvel #marvel fanfiction #bucky fic #bucky fluff #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x female reader #bucky imagine #fic rec #fic update

[steddiealltheway]

Part Two of Not-So-Secret Secret Admirer!! Part One. AO3 Link.

Eddie comes into the video store only to be immediately shoved out the doors by Robin who follows him out. Eddie nearly trips over his own feet, but Robin grabs onto his shoulders with crazed eyes. “Get. Him. Another. Gift. He thinks his admirer has vanished, and he’s worse than before. Inconsolable,” Robin says. She turns Eddie around by the shoulders then pushes him away yelling, “Go!” 

With the head start, Eddie finds himself jogging towards his van as if his life depended on it. It’s only been five days, but Eddie honestly has been desperately awaiting the next gift from E.R.. He already has the start of one at his trailer, so he makes the drive back and finishes it off. He wonders how he’s going to sneak it into Family Video once again. 

He spends his drive back contemplating different methods when he realizes Robin can be his look out. Whenever she spots his van, she can distract Steve. Eddie just hopes Steve doesn’t link it all together. Maybe he should add some variation but... he wants to see Steve’s reaction to his gifts. Just to make sure he likes them so he knows what to get next... really. 

He pulls into the parking lot and thinks for a moment. He tucks the present behinds his back and carefully sets it on the trunk of Steve’s car as he walks in. He jumps as he finds Steve sitting at the counter immediately as he walks in. 

But Steve looks... sad. Like overwhelmingly so. He glances up slowly from whatever tape he’s fiddling with and sends Eddie a half-hearted smile. That simply won’t do.  

“You okay?” Eddie asks as he leans on the counter. 

“Yeah,” Steve says entirely unconvincingly. 

Eddie hops up on the counter and swings his legs around to sit on it. “Talk to me.” 

Steve sighs. “I just... don’t think the whole secret admirer thing worked out. It’s no big deal really.” Yeah, that’s a lie. 

“And how do you know it isn’t working?” 

“She hasn’t left anything in days,” Steve replies solemnly. 

Eddie tries not to cringe at the thought that Steve thinks it’s some random girl. “Well maybe you aren’t looking hard enough.” 

Steve looks up at Eddie with furrowed brows. He glances around him and looks at his car. “The front of my car looks pretty empty.” 

“Who says they left it on the front of your car?” Eddie questions. 

Steve gives him a look of confusion, but then seems to have a lightbulb moment as he bumps Eddie off the counter to leap over it and rush out the door. He squats down looking at the tops of his tires before trekking around to the back of his car, finally spotting the red heart shaped box. He immediately breaks out into a wide smile and holds it up proudly. 

He comes back through the door, already reading the note on the top of the box. “What does it say?” Eddie asks. 

Steve stares at it confused. “Words I would use to describe you.” He opens up the box and finds the assorted chocolates inside. “What?” Steve wonders aloud. 

“Maybe they put it in the chocolate or something,” Eddie suggests, thinking about how that had been his first idea before he realized that would be some type of hazard. 

“Wait!” Robin yells, coming out of the break room from apparently eavesdropping on their conversation. “What if they’re poisoned!” 

“Robin, what?” 

“What if they’re poisoned, Steve,” Robin repeats slowly. 

Eddie picks up a chocolate and shrugs before taking a small bite out of it. He chews slowly and swallows. “Seems alright to me,” he comments then promptly collapses to the ground behind the counter. 

“Eddie!” Steve yells scaling the counter at an alarmingly fast rate. He finds Eddie staring up at him with a huge smile and shoves him. “Dude, I thought you had died again or something.” 

“I’m trying to keep that as a one-time thing for as long as possible,” Eddie half jokes before taking Steve’s hand to help him stand up. He finds himself quickly in Steve’s space as he stares at him. “Do I have something in my hair or...” Eddie asks running his fingers through his hair. 

“No, I was just... making sure you didn’t hit your head or something when you decided to be dramatic.” 

“Well, the dramatics established there’s nothing wrong with the chocolate, so what does it say this time?” Robin asks. Eddie kind of forgot she was there. 

Steve glances back at the box and looks down at the empty pocket the chocolate was in. He reaches down and grabs a folded-up piece of paper. Eddie grabs the lid and shows it to Robin to explain what it means before Steve reads it out. “Kind, caring, and giving.” 

“They didn’t see when you stole the last gummy worm out of the bag this morning,” Robin comments. 

“They were in my car, and I bought them!” Steve argues. Eddie tries to hold back his smile at their antics, knowing that they’ll both yell at him for thinking their “very serious” conversation is funny to him.  

Robin sighs. “I’m going to raid Keith’s secret snack stash to see if he has anymore.” She walks back to the break room. 

Steve rolls his eyes then grabs a chocolate and pops it in his mouth, chewing as he unfolds the note. He swallows loudly as he reads it. “Now I know they really don’t know me,” Steve says folding the note back up and putting it back. 

Eddie snatches it and unfolds it, ducking away from Steve’s hands as they try to snatch the note back. He glances at the note for only a second before it’s taken away. Eddie knows exactly what note it is – insanely intelligent. Steve flushes red and looks ashamedly at him. “It sounds like they know you as well as I do,” Eddie says honestly and tries not to reveal how true that statement is. 

Steve stares at him for a few moments, as if he’s afraid Eddie’s going to take it back or make a joke out of it. Then, he breaks out into a small smile. “Thanks, man.” 

Eddie heart beats a little faster. “Alright, one more before I hit the road.” He needs to get out of here and clear his head. 

Steve takes half a bite out of a chocolate and holds out the other half for Eddie who accepts it, trying not to think about how Steve’s mouth was just on it. Steve unfolds the note and laughs loudly. He turns it around and shows the note in all caps – HOT. 

Eddie laughs with Steve, trying to convince himself he’s laughing at his own note and not just laughing because he’s so overjoyed to see the way Steve responds to his gift. He easily makes his way over the counter and out the front door. 

“And they are right!” Eddie announces, just in time to see Steve’s jaw drop as the door closes. Eddie laughs and tries to figure out what to get him next.

Part Three

Tag List (This is going to be an overwhelmingly cheesy and fluff filled one. Hoping to make it a pretty short series):

@wrenisflying @gobbledy-gluk-gluk @swimmingbirdrunningrock @ghostlyjax @wheatnoodle @yet-still-more-banched @moonshadows-13 @princessstevemunson @adankrivervalleynearyou @manda-panda-monium @brassreign @bornonthesavage @unclewaynemunson @bird-with-pencils @themardlonk @fangirltofangod @csinnamon-fox @mightbeasleep @theysherobinbuckley

#steddie #steddie fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #secret admirer

[tropes-and-tales-archives]

More Precious Than Rubies: Part 3b

This is an alternate timeline story that has a Rafael Barba track and a Sonny Carisi track. The two paths split off in part 3.

WC: 2771

TW: Angst; end of relationship drama.

AN: The prompt was "I Made a Mistake"

When the jury read their verdict of “not guilty” on all counts, you breathed a sigh of relief and then tended to your client, who collapsed against you in broken sobs.  You got him collected, then you both went out and made a brief statement to the assembled press.  You shook Jeremy’s hand and wished him well, and then you stood a moment in the weak April sunlight.

You descended the steps of the courthouse slowly, one at a time, and thought about what you should do. 

It was late in the day – you could go back to your airless little utility closet of an office and wrap up you paperwork on the case.  Or you could start making your way towards home.  Most of the cops and ADAs went to celebrate or commiserate at Forlini’s, but two blocks up was a charming little Spanish wine bar that most tourists walked right past.  It was right near your subway stop – you could go finish your paperwork there.

You had been a good student in high school and undergraduate, and you’d been top of the class in law school.  The sole subject you struggled in had been math and calculus, so it was fortunate that law didn’t require much higher math beyond calculating what consecutive sentences would add up to.

If you had been good at higher math, you’d know what an inflection point was – a moment when a curve changes from being concave to convex, or vice versa.  Life was full of inflection points – when the path a person could take is changed or decided on.  Most times, the person in question had no idea how their little choices affected the larger arc of their life. 

Take the subway or walk.  Eat the street meat or the leftovers you packed from home.  Go to Fordham law or Columbia law.

Turn right, towards your office.  Or turn left towards home.

Today, you turned right.

-----

Sonny would have claimed that he was finally over you, but when you strode into the precinct, as a public defender, no less – he knew that’d be a lie.  All of his hard work to accept that you were gone fell away.  He had been frozen on the spot as you gave him a curt nod and then tossed Rollins and Fin out of the interrogation room.  A moment later, you marched your client out, and you tilted your head in that defiant way that Sonny recognized instantly.  It was adorable…until one realized that it meant you were digging your heels in and spoiling for a fight.  Not that you’d ever done it with him – he’d only seen it when you argued with classmates at Fordham over tricky legal precedents and controversial cases. 

Maybe if you had argued with Sonny more, he’d still be with you.  You’d bitten back all of your frustrations with him until they grew too big, and you’d left him as a result.

Sonny could barely focus on the case that was falling apart for Barba.  He couldn’t tear his eyes from you:  when you gave your opening, when you questioned witnesses, when you sat at your table with your client, your head bent over your notes and the slim column of your neck rising out of your polished grey suit.

And when the verdict came back as not guilty, Sonny couldn’t help but smile at your own smile of triumph.

He wanted to stick around and congratulate you, but Rollins tugged on his arm and pulled him out of the courthouse with the rest of the squad towards Forlini’s, where they’d drink and console each other and pretend that they hadn’t handed the ADA a completely flawed case.

Sonny paused outside of the door to the restaurant though.  Rollins looked at him questioningly.

“I’m gonna go for a walk,” he said.  “Clear my head.”  Before she could argue, he turned and walked away with a wave.

It wasn’t technically a lie.  He was going for a walk, and if it led him to your office, then that was just a coincidence. 

Sonny had shown remarkable restraint throughout the entire case.  He’d only spoken to you twice:  once to remark on the rainy weather that day, and once to remark on the sunny weather on another day. 

It was another sunny day.  He could always stop in and tell you so, maybe congratulate you on your case.  And if that went well, maybe beg you for a chance to really talk.

-----

You gave yourself a quick five minutes to enjoy your win, and then you settled into your desk to address the stack of files that threatened to topple over.

You were interrupted every so often.  Your admin assistant stopped in three times to offer you coffee.  Your boss stopped in to congratulate you.  A few other public defenders drifted past your door.  The nicer ones just said “good job.”  An older one, jaded and bitter, said he was glad that you “stuck it to Barba.”  This made you frown – you weren’t trying to stick it to anyone.  You just wanted people to get a fair trial.

You wrapped up the paperwork from the Michaels case and slid it to one side.  You looked over the stack of open cases you had and decided to work on the simple assault one.  You might be able to plead it out and avoid a trial.

You were deep in the situation of the case (two drunk men, brawling in the street, one ending up with a broken arm, the other unharmed and charged with assault in the third degree) when there was a knock in your doorway.  You looked up with a smile, expecting another public defender, but it was Sonny.

It felt like the air was pulled out of the room.  You tried to keep your face expressionless, but a million emotions roiled through you:  anger at how things had ended, and guilt too.  And a lingering bit of love for him.  You had held yourself together through the trial, being polite and professional around him.  You even managed to exchange small talk about the weather, and you only glared at Amanda when her back was turned to you.

It didn’t help that he was wearing a blue suit that made him look absolutely delicious.  In the year since you’d seen him last, he had only aged like a fine wine.  The bit of grey at his temples made him look even more handsome, and he’d finally figured out how to style his hair. 

Standing in your doorway, he looked nervous.  His hand fidgeted at his side, and he ducked his head in that adorable Sonny way he had when he was feeling uncertain.

“Hey,” you said.

“Hey,” he replied.  He fidgeted for a moment and stared at the floor, then looked up at you.  “Congratulations on your win today.”

You shrugged.  People kept praising you, but the case had fallen apart on its own.  You had just nudged it along.  “Thanks,” you said simply.  After a beat, you gestured to the seat in front of your desk for him to sit, and he did gratefully.

“It’s a nice day,” he finally offered.  “Sunny, nice breeze.”

You glanced around your windowless office – it was little more than a glorified storage closet, so cramped that Sonny’s knees were jammed against the edge of your desk.  “It’s hard to tell from in here,” you joked. 

He smiled at this.  “You should go out and enjoy it,” he said.  “Knock off a little early.”

“Maybe.”  You tapped the stack of files on your desk.  “These aren’t going anywhere.”

You could feel your desk moving, almost unnoticeable.  Sonny was obviously bouncing his leg in nervous tension.  “If you want, maybe we could go grab a bite?  My treat?”  When you didn’t answer right away, words started tumbling out of his mouth, about how it wasn’t like that and he was going to go eat anyway…

“Okay,” you said.  Truth be told, you felt a complex guilt about how you had ended thinks with Sonny over a year ago.  True, he had basically ghosted you throughout the last few months of your entire relationship, leaving you to sit alone at restaurants and bars and once, alone in your apartment during your anniversary with a home-cooked meal that got cold and new lingerie that went unseen. 

It didn’t excuse your own behavior though.  You could still access those old feelings of jealousy towards Amanda, the feeling of not being good enough for Sonny.  But your anger had also cooled down into a sort of gloomy acceptance.  What remained was the guilt:  you’d cut Sonny out completely, blocking his number and deleting his emails.  You never explained your position and let him guess it himself.  And you’d heard from mutual acquaintances that he had been pretty torn up about the whole thing.

Which didn’t mean you forgave him.  It just meant that the bad feelings were tempered a bit, and you had to work with him anyway, so establishing a professional relationship would help.

But Sonny smiled so brightly when you agreed to grab a bite with him, you couldn’t help but smile back at him as you gathered up your stuff and walked out of your building together.

********

Sonny’s first instinct was to lay his hand on your back to lead you to the elevator, but he caught himself just in time.  He also did it again, as the two of you went to a nearby El Salvadorian restaurant.  He wanted so badly to touch you.  It wasn’t even a sexual thing, though he’d not turn that down if hell happened to freeze over and you offered it. 

He just missed the intimacy of casual touching.  When you were comfortable with someone, you touched them – hugs, grasped hands, shoulder taps, ruffled hair.  With Sonny, you always had your hands on him.  You’d work out the tension in his shoulders with your deceptively strong fingers.  You’d run your hands through his hair.  You’d hold his hand when you walked somewhere.

It had been well over a year, and he’d been on a few dates, but the last person to really touch him in a comforting way had been you – when you’d been making out on his couch, and he had pushed you away to call Amanda.  The memory made him wince as you both made your way to a two-top near the back of the restaurant.

You were obviously a regular here – the waiter recognized you as he brought you water and chatted with you a moment, and you never touched the menu in front of you.  Sonny took up his own, struggling to understand the pictures and Spanish dishes.  He glanced up and saw your mouth twisted into a smirk.

“Go with the pupusas or tamales.  When it comes to meat stuffed into corn tortillas, you can’t beat a Salvadorean,” you said. 

“You order for me,” he said with a smile.  “You know what I like.”

You placed your orders with the waiter, who dashed off to the back.  “They don’t do cannoli, sadly.”

Sonny pretended to act offended.  “I eat all sorts of foods.”

The two of you chatted amicably.  You each discussed your final classes at Fordham, he asked about your internship, you asked about SVU.  You compared bar exam experiences and the nearly unbearable stress of waiting for the results. 

You asked about his family, and he told you about Bella and Tommy and how they were expecting their first baby.  He asked about your own family, but you shrugged and said they were fine, even though that’s what you always said.  Sonny had never met your family, and you hardly ever mentioned them.  He had never pressed it, just assuming that you weren’t close with them.

The waiter came back with your food, laying down a ridiculous number of platters that covered the table top.  You explained what each thing was, and then you both tucked in with relish. 

Sonny watched you as you both ate.  You looked just the same, only more polished.  Your hair swept up and back instead down, your makeup subtle.  The sharp suit, the jacket hung over the back of your chair, revealing a sleeveless blouse underneath and your lightly muscled arms.

“I appreciate you meeting with me,” he said between bites.  “I know things…didn’t end the best between us.”

You slowed your own chewing to look up at him, and he couldn’t read the expression in your eyes.  You swallowed your bite then daubed at your mouth with your napkin before taking a sip of water.

“No,” you said.  “Things didn’t end great.”

“I wish…” he started, but stopped to think about how to phrase it.  “I made a mistake.  I should have done better.”  He didn’t mention that you could have given him a chance to fix it before dumping him unceremoniously and then refusing all communication from him.

“I didn’t handle it well myself,” you conceded after looking at him for a long moment.  “I just held it all in until it boiled over.”

“So why, then?” he asked.  It felt like opening an old wound.  Painful, but necessary for it to heal properly. 

You snorted.  “Why did I break up with you?  Sonny, you were never around.”  You took another sip of water, and he noticed the faint tremor in your hand.  “I didn’t handle the breakup the best, but how else was I supposed to do it?  Schedule an appointment with you that you’d only break because Amanda was having a bad day and needed a shoulder to cry on?”

“Are you implying that I cheated on you?” he asked, stung at the insinuation.

“No,” you replied carefully.  “Not physically.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

You sighed.  “Sonny, even when you were around, you weren’t with me.  You were always texting Amanda, calling her, talking about her.  Even when we were literally making out, you pushed me away to call her.  Emotionally cheating can hurt just as much as physical.”

“She’s my partner.”

You nodded at him, your eyes sad.  “She is.  More than I ever was.”

“That’s not fair,” he said, and he let some of his anger bubble to the surface.  “She needed – needs me.  Her life isn’t as easy as yours.”

At this, Sonny watched as your face changed, like a door slamming shut.  Your eyes narrowed and you pressed your lips together in a hard, thin line, as if you were physically holding back words.  Then you balled up your napkin and tossed it onto your empty plate.  You reached into your purse to pull out your wallet, and when Sonny tried to stop you, you shook off his hand angrily.  You tossed down a couple of bills and turned to nod at the waiter, then stood up.  The chair scraped along the floor, and you threw your jacket over your arm.

“You know fuck-all about my life, Sonny,” and if your thunderous expression wasn’t enough, your casual use of the eff word told him all he needed to know about how mad you were.  You never swore.

“Maybe you should have shared that with me,” he snapped, unable to stop himself.

“When?” you said, and your voice was low and steady.  “When did I have a chance to share my life with you?”  You gave a bitter bark of laughter.  “You couldn’t even show up for our anniversary dinner, Sonny.  You expect me to believe you’d have been there for the bad stuff when you couldn’t even bother with the good?”

That anniversary.  As long as Sonny lived, he’d never forgive himself for missing it.  It was the beginning of the end, really – you who could barely cook had spent an entire day fussing over cookbooks, pulling together an amazing meal that he ate as leftovers in the days that followed.  He hated to think about you sitting and waiting for him…while he was at Forlini’s with Amanda, nursing a beer as she pounded them back, making sure she got home safely. 

In his mind as he imagined it, you had blown out the candles you’d lit for dinner at about the same time he eased Amanda’s shoes off after laying her in her bed.

You took a few steps toward the door, then paused.  “Tell your partner to get her shit together,” you said.  “Because while I really enjoyed tearing her apart on the stand with this case, I do prefer a challenge.”

Then you walked out, your heels clicking on the tiled floor, leaving Sonny behind.  Again.

#sonny carisi #sonny carisi imagine #sonny carisi x reader #law and order svu #law and order svu fanfiction #tropes and tales

[ahmedmootaz]

Hello Ahmed! This time, instead of questions about the cast, I want to ask questions about you. What's your favorite fic for LobCorp/ruina/limbus? Imo yours (TMFOA/AiP) are my favorite simply because of the depth that you go into and the characterization the cast being in point. Second, how far would you say you are from your next chapter, and do you plan on implementing a segmented release like how you did chapters 26/27? Lastly (cast related fic), since you're technically God in your fics, how would the cast react to your existence (Assuming they don't know that they're fictional, only that you made their world. We don't need any existential crisis on top of the mountains of angst!!)

Dear hncdhnmfr,

Oh, questions for me, personally? You flatter me too much, but hey, who am I to complain about it? Also, hey, would you look at that! I'm actually responding to an ask before 24 hours have passed since it was published, what has the world come to?!

On a more serious note, I feel you certainly deserve a quicker response considering the ludicrous wait you had to go through last time, so apologies again for that.

So for you questions...Ironically enough, for as much as I write about it, I don't read too many PMverse 'Fics, mostly because I can't find Ayin 'Fics that have a focus on his as I want them to, although off the top of my head, Silent Resonance by KABN (https://archiveofourown.org/works/31268576/chapters/77295107) and A_Random_Reading_Person's LC works (https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Random_Reading_Person/pseuds/A_Random_Reading_Person/works?fandom_id=14487746) have always scratched my itch when it comes to Eyucar content and even Roland-centric stories. They're not bloated messes like my 'Fics, they have lots of monologues and character introspectives, and frankly speaking, they're a lot fluffier than my works. Who can say no to some PM fluffiness at last without having to suffer a whole ton of angst to get to it?

As for how far I am from the next AiP Chapter...that's an answer I wish I had covered. I'm writing more and more of Epilogue II every day, but honestly...it doesn't end. It keeps going on, and on, and on...although I have hopes I can finish it relatively soon, I also had plans to release it in August of 2023, soooooo...take from that what you will. What I will say is to keep your eyes peeled for April or May, or so I hope.

Also, yes, it's definitely going to need to be split into two parts, believe me. Even if I don't want to, the Archive editor can't post a Chapter that's longer than 500K characters...

As for that last question...I don't think of myself that way at all, not in the slightest sense. I would say I am closer to the Narrator when it comes to my role in the plot of AiP; sure, I write some elements, but I just nudge things in the right direction while letting the Narrator explain what, exactly I nudged and in what direction...at least, that's how I would describe it if I were to place myself within the Canon of my PM 'Fics.

So how would the cast react finding out I exist...honestly? They'd probably laugh it off or think I'm just another power-tripping lunatic from the City, although once they realise what I'm truly capable of, maybe they'll be resentful I didn't just write "Oh also Carmen suddenly unDistorted" or did something to aid them on their journey, which is frankly a good question. An answer of "well, you were never in any real danger, and lots of people love reading about you since you're celebrities" will sound more unhinged than I would intend to come off across, but with the correct wording and explanations, I'm certain that we can have an amicable relationship of sorts. Although Ayin and Yesod would definitely begin to worry if every action they partake in has been nudged by me or whether it's whatever free-will they have acting.

Overall, considering the nature of the City, it's not far-fetched to say they can get used to it...the question is just what, exactly, they'll go through before getting used to it. Hatred? Confusion? Indifference? All are possible options considering how wide the range of our dear cast is, although I'm almost certain the primary reaction will be anger for all of the angst I've pushed them towards for our sick pleasure, but then again, maybe I can argue my way out of that one by saying that in the end, the events I pushed them towards led to better results in the end, no? It's quite the fun thought exercise!

What do you think, hncdhnmfr? Surely you have your own opinion, hmmmmm? Regardless, and as always, thank you for your fun ask! I always look forward to them, and I hope this one makes up for last time's delay. Until next time, be well, take care, and see ya'!

#lobotomy corporation #library of ruina #my writing #ask #ayin

[theratboyking]

Can You See Me Longing For You

Pairing: Terzo/Reader/Copia (This is part of my story Softly Into The Night but can be read as a stand-alone fic)

Word Count: 937

Summary: Looking down at my hands, which are now covered in pitch black, my nails are razor sharp. I sigh, falling back into my bed. The specks of silver that were scattered around the canopy looked like stars. My assistance with being alone tonight was a bad idea. The boys seemed hesitant to leave me alone after they found me that faithful night, and I can’t say I really blamed them.

Warnings: None

Ao3 Link Masterlist

Little Author's note: I'm stupid and forgot to upload this here :')

I sat upright, a scream leaving my lips. Another nightmare waking me from another restless night. The sheets were rolled around my body, and the pillows were scattered around the floor. I was still home…

Still trying to regain my breath, I throw my head into my hands. This was starting to get out of hand. I can’t even remember the last time I slept a whole night. It was starting to get to where I could hardly fall asleep anymore. Sleep was beginning to become more of a rarity.

Looking down at my hands, now covered in pitch black, my nails razor sharp. I sigh, falling back into my bed. The specks of silver that were scattered around the canopy looked like stars. My assistance with being alone tonight was a bad idea. The boys seemed hesitant to even since the night they found me that faithful night, and I can’t say I really blamed them.

I can only bring myself to fall asleep nowadays when Terzo and Copia are around. They have a way of keeping the nightmares at bay. Despite their constant reassurance, it was hard to admit that I needed the help. I don’t want to worry them more than what I already do.

This is ridiculous; I’m probably just being overdramatic. But I’m so tired. Groaning, I finally make up my mind. Throwing myself up from the bed, wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, making my way to the door.

The hallway is always so dark at night; I let out a breath, igniting a dull flame in my palm to guide my way. Despite Terzo’s room being right down the hall, it always felt like I was a child running away from the monster under my bed.

“You should have brought him here, to begin with…” A harsh, hushed whisper reached my ears, making me stop in my tracks.

Peaking around the corner, I could make out the three figures talking in hushed whispers in front of Terzo’s door. The pale light cast shadows onto the wall. A dark blue surrounded the unmistakable aura of Omega; another ghoul stood along with him, sporting a similar anxious aura around his being.

“I tried to, sir, but Sister insisted he finished the ritual. It took Alpha dragging him away for her to let up finally.”

“avrei dovuto conoscerlo meglio.” Terzo mainly spoke to himself, “She becoming bolder with her blatant disobedience. One can’t help but think she’s up to something, no?”

“We’re not alone, sir.” The other ghoul (Alpha?) finally spoke up. A flare of maroon passed just as quickly as it showed.

I tense, finally rounding the corner. Bring the blanket closer around my shoulders. I look sheepishly toward Terzo and the ghouls. “Is not a bad time?”

“No, no, of course not, bella .”He begins–looking towards the ghouls, “We will talk more about this in the morning.” waving them off, Terzo stiffened, turning his attention to me, only looking more worried. “Tesoro, what’s wrong?"

Suddenly bashful, I gaze at the floor like it is the most important thing in the world. “I had another nightmare…”

“Tesoro…” He begins

“Can I sleep in here tonight?” I pause, cutting to the point. Feeling stupid for even asking, “Please.”

“Of course, tesoro” The tense nature that occupied his voice had vanished, replaced with the much softer gentle nature I was used to, “I’m afraid someone else has already beat you to it, though.”

“I don’t mind at all.” In fact, I prefer it when it’s both of you; I couldn’t help but think.

He takes my hand, leading me through the familiar room. I couldn’t help but take him in while he led me to his room. He wore a royal purple robe, and his hair was messy, like he had just woken up. He looked tired but not upset about being awake. His whole demeanor had changed from what it was in the hallway.

There was a soft light coming from his room. This was the first time I had been in here. His bed was even bigger than mine if that was possible. Copia was lying in the center of the bed, lying on his stomach. He looked like he had been hit by a bus, dressed in only an undershirt and boxers. His hair was a mess–chest slowly rising and falling

. I would have thought he was sleeping if he didn’t move his body so that he was facing us and the soft “Topolino?”

“Yeah. It’s me,” I spoke just as softly, “What happened?”

“Just a little extra work for the ministry…” He paused for a second, a yawn escaping him, “Another nightmare?”

I could only nod my head. He moved his body more so that he was facing me fully. Copia made a grabbing motion toward me. A small smile broke out on my face. Falling into his arms, relaxing into his hold. Smoothing his hair out of his face, trying my best to soothe him.

I was sandwiched between them. Still half asleep, Copia had pulled me into his chest, holding me as close as he could. Terzo had settled back into bed, one arm resting under my head, playing with my hair–throwing his other arm around my side, taking Copia’s free hand in his.

“Thank you…” I breathe out. My exhausted form finally relaxed under their protective holds. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

“Prometto che non lascerò andare i miei amori.” He whispered into my hair, pulling Copia and me closer. I could feel myself finally drifting off. “Ti ho preso.”

#the band ghost #ghost bc #ghost band #cardinal copia #ghost #copia #papa emeritus iv #papa emeritus iii #cardinal copia x reader #papa emeritus iii x reader #papa emeritus x reader #terzo x reader #copia x reader #popia x reader #papa emeritus iv x reader

[yzeltia]

FFXIVwrite2023 29.Contravening

Characters: Azem(Gelos/U'rahn), Emet-Selch, Elidibus Expansion: Endwalker Rating: T Notes: N/A

“No.”

Emet-Selch didn’t bother to look up to Azem as he gave his answer. It was always something with him, usually trouble. This request didn’t seem to be any different and he refused to set his eyes upon him when took off his mask.

“C’mon C’mon. You’re being unfair. I think it would do him some good. A well traveled person would certainly make for a better Emissary.” 

“You insist on testing my patience don’t you. Elidibus would not be in his position if he were not fit for the role upon nomination.”

“And are we not always chasing betterment for the star? Personal growth and all that other stuff?”

Emet-Slech still refused to dignify the protest by looking up, continuing to read throug his paperwork while Azem fussed about in frustration.

“The only thing you are seeking to nurture is your youthful passions. The Convocation will not abide you running off with another member, especially given our history with the last two who held your seat. It was hard enough to get a consensus on you, we do not need to make our power weaker by needing a second seat.”

“I’m Venat or Methe! I will not just vacate my seat. My…My ego likes it too much,” Azem huffed, crossing his arms.

“Yes, I know. The Hero of Ethryis? The Traveler was not good enough for you.”

“Not this again. Hade-”

“Don’t you dare say it,’ Emet-Selch spat, “It will not be allowed. Did Lahabreha’s indulgence not prove to the dangers of such distractions? Enough begging. Elidibus will remain in Amarout until the Convocation sees fit that the Emissary is needed elsewhere or we approve your little lovers’ retreats.”

Gelos flushed then punched his fist against the table in frustration. 

“I don’t need your permission…what are you going to do? Censure me again? If Themis wants to-”

“Elidibus,” Emet-Selch hissed, “Put your mask on and leave my presence or I’ll put you on loan to Hermes and have him throw you into the Gymnasuion Agonon and let his people’s creations pummel you to your senses lest you cause trouble for the Emissary. You are used to censure, he is not.”

Gelos grit his teeth then put his hands into Emet-Selch’s papers, scattering them all about before sharply making a turn to storm off, cursing as he pulled on his mask and let it smack against his face. Striding through the halls of the Convocation, he found his wrist seized. Startled, he jumped back, pulling his captor toward him.

“Azem!”

Gelos flushed under his mask as he found Eldibus looking up at him.

“When do we get to head off?”

The taller man balled his fists as he heard the hope in the other’s voice. His mouth opened, but he could not bring himself to tell the other it wasn’t going to happen. Instead, he inhaled deeply and leaned in to steal a kiss.

“I’m needed elsewhere for a time and Emet-Selch will no doubt have you see urgent business soon. When I return, I’ll bother him about our traveling again.”

Elidibus nodded, letting Azem pull back to go.

“Then I’ll await your return, Gelos.”

His name stopped him in his tracks. With a whine, he turned, stealing yet another kiss before running off to find a map and random location for him to fly off to, hoping work would ease his guilt and longing.

#final fantasy xiv #ffxiv #final fantasy 14 #ff14 #ffxiv oc #ff xiv #ffxiv miqo'te #u'rahn nuhn #elidibusxazem #elidibus #azem #gelos/u'rahn #emet selch #themis #themisxwol

[mirkwoodshewolf]

IATCOD Chap. 25; The siege continues

*Author's note*

So confession time, I've had this chapter done for about a week or so but I wanted to rework some things because I've got a double update for you guys today. Now this was probably my fav. chapter to write bc I absolutely LOVE the battle of Pelennor fields scene, and I wanted to do it justice through Cain's POV. So I'll stop typing and let you guys get to reading :)

NEXT CHAPTER

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@queen-paladin

@thats-s0-ravenn

@gay-and-ready-to-cry

_____________________________________________________________

*Cain’s POV*

After our departure from Dunharrow we rode on till midday where Eomer and some other Rohirrim members went to meet with some scouts who went ahead towards Gondor to inform us about the severity of the White city.  From what I heard, it wasn’t looking good.  Orcs taking over the capital city of Osgiliath, the walls overrun with orcs, and all nine Nazgul raining down their terror upon their fellbeasts.

Suddenly my ears picked up a piercing scream.  I tensed inward as my face contorted into pain.  The screams were getting louder and louder until all that was left was this piercing ringing sound.

“Lord Cain?” I heard Gamling say my name in concern.  However his voice sounded muffled while some sounds like the horses huffing and eating sounded normal.  “Are you alright?”

“I-fine I’m-I’m fine.” I assured him as I stood up and walked over to Wysteria and felt around for my waterskin.  Things seemed to return to normal as I drank my water but then suddenly there was silence.  Absolutely silence.  I couldn’t hear anything, no wind, no voices, not even the sound of Wysteria’s heartbeat.  My body froze as my tastebuds were suddenly enhanced further than they’ve ever been before.  The taste of cooper and iron suddenly came across my upper lip, I knew the taste anywhere.  Blood.

I raised my hand and my sense of touch had picked up the feel of blood running down my nose.  My heart raced as now my hearing had finally been taken from me.  How was this even possible? And more importantly how long would it last?  I felt someone touch me and in fear I twisted the man’s arm before kicking them to the ground.

As I too collapsed to the ground, I felt through my hands the thundering sound of something surrounding me.  But without my eyes I couldn’t see just what or who was making that sound, and now without my hearing I—I can’t tell what is going on around me.  The only thing I really could do was scream as loud as I could until I was able to hear something.

*3rd Person POV*

Gamling quickly raced back towards Theoden and called out to him.

“My king, something’s wrong with Lord Cain!” Before Theoden could ask, Cain’s screaming was soon heard throughout the entire platoon.  He, Gamling, Eomer and the other leading captains raced towards Cain to see him lying on the floor on his back, screaming as loudly as he could.  His mare Wysteria was going frantic, not out of fear but she wasn’t allowing anyone to come near Cain.

She circled around him, stomping her hooves and rearing towards anyone who came near snarling and neighing protectively.

“What happened to him Gamling?” asked Theoden.

“I don’t know sire. He just—froze in his spot holding his ears in pain. He told me he was fine until one of our soldiers tried to grab him and he nearly broke his arm off.”

“There’s no point in going near him his mare won’t let anyone near him. I’ve seen this only once before with Brego and my son long ago. We’ll have to wait it out. Hopefully Lord Cain will come to his senses.” Theoden said.  That being said, Gamling ordered every man to not go anywhere near Lord Cain and to steer clear of Wysteria’s protective barrier she was making around him.

In the back of the crowd, Merry and Eowyn looked at each other worriedly, Merry most of all.  Eowyn wrapped an arm around the young halfling in assurance that Cain would somehow pull through.

After a few minutes, Lord Cain finally became calmer as he now just laid there on the grass, his hands resting over his stomach as he took calming, deep breaths.  Meditating and focusing on his breathing, Wysteria still circling around him.

*Cain’s POV*

After screaming didn’t help, all I could do now is do what Ajak taught me shortly after I had been resurrected and had lost my sight.  Whenever my senses became too heightened or the world became too much for my darkened eyes to take, she taught me how to focus my breathing and find peace within me.

I took deep, calming breaths and remained still.  After awhile the silence around me soon turned to muffled conversations until finally I heard Eomer say.

“How long do we have to wait?”

“Not anymore.” I spoke up.  I soon heard the sound of every man’s heartbeat that surrounded me pick up.  I then heard Wysteria’s hooves walk closer to me and she lowered her head nickering softly as I felt her warm breath at my face.  “I’m okay girl, thank you.” She knelt down softly whinnying and I reached out to her and allowed her to help me stand up.

“What happened Cain?” I heard Theoden ask me.

“The Celestial roar.” I answered.

“The what?”

“The Celestial roar. It’s not necessarily a power, but in pure, raw rage, a Celestial can let out a scream so loud and so thunderous, it is said to make the Misty Mountains themselves tremor. Only few Celestials in history have ever done such a scream, most of them being from Thena’s side. Something must’ve happened in Gondor to allow Hela to roar like that. Something bad, and I fear it’s not because of the city falling.”

“Lord Cain I must ask this, are you able to still fight? Or even ride?” Theoden asked to which I immediately responded.

“Yes. I know what all of you must be thinking, and I sincerely apologize to whoever it was that I hurt. But I am still able to fight and ride.” Theoden remained silent for awhile until he said to me.

“Very well. But if you should have an outburst like that again, I will have no choice but to order you to return to Dunharrow and recover under my niece’s care.” Little does he know that his niece is closer than he thinks.

“Yes my lord. Again I severely apologize for making everyone worry and for delaying our trip to Gondor.”

“We ride through the night.” Theoden told me.  “Sound the call!” I then heard the horns of the mark sound off and Wysteria nudged her face into my chest.  I patted her nose and got onto her back and soon we all rode in full gallop, long through the night and day without rest until we would reach the white city.

*My POV*

I had hoped I’d never even get within 20 feet of this place.  Ever since the Witch King took over this place, it brewed an aura so foul and evil, it made me tremble in fear at the mere mention of it’s name.  Now Haldir was inside this horrible place, who knows what tortures those council members have already done to him.

I took a deep breath and exhaled before finally taking that first step across the bridge and came to the doors.  Using Thena’s strength, I kicked the doors opened and it was so quiet.  No orc guards, no Nazgul, not even the torches were lit.

“Show yourselves cowards.” I hissed lowly.  I looked around as I summoned Aeglos to my hand and slowly walked further into Minas Morgul.  Already the dark magic of this place was starting to affect my mind as I heard the dark chants of not only the lost souls who had been trapped here after the fall of Minas Ithil, but also the Witch King himself.

Perfecting his dark incantations he’d use in battle long ago before his fall in Angmar.

“So, you’ve come at last.” I heard Deimos’ voice echo through the darkness.  “I was beginning to think you were too weak to come here to this place.”

“Why hide in the shadows like a snake in the grass?” I said looking around in every direction to where he could be hiding.

“We have nothing to hide.” Nergal’s voice soon spoke up.

“Then show yourselves.” I sneered.

“To find us, follow the cold shiver running down your spine, and the cold spots that cling to the back of your neck.” Nergal said, almost mocking me.  Then all went silent once again.

I slowly walked further into the fortress until I came to the stairs that led up to the watch tower.  Like Nergal said, I felt a cold spot as my breath suddenly became visible and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck begin to stand up.  A shiver of fear ran up my spine as I made the climb up the stairs.  Finally I made it to the top level of the tower and I was horrified at what I saw.

Haldir lay there on his back unconscious and surrounding him looked to be the same symbol that I had seen branded on Théodred’s soul when he came as a hybrid Deviant back at Helm’s Deep.

“Haldir.” I quickly raced over to him and was shocked to see that his entire body had been cut with what almost appeared to be a thousand knives no not knives, they were too shallow to be knife wounds, thread? But how could thread do something like this? “Haldir? Haldir? Come back to me.”

He remained still, like he was in a deep sleep.  I pressed my lips to his forehead and remained there for a solid minute until I felt him awake choking and gasping for air.  His eyes (for the first time) showed true, blind fear as he frantically looked around.

“Hey, hey, hey look at me. Look right at me Haldir. It’s me, it’s Hela.”

“Hela….” He croaked.  His voice completely parched from lack of water.  “Y-you sho…..”

“Shhh, save your strength.” I whispered to him.  “I’m here to get you out. Can you stand?”

“Trap…..”

“What?”

“Trap……it’s a trap! They—they’re after you. They—AHHH!!!” suddenly Haldir’s body contorted itself inward before he was lifted into the air.

“Don’t you just hate it when puppets don’t do what they’re told?” I growled and summoned a whip and captured Nergal by the waist.

“Whatever spell you have him under release him now or I’ll have your bones crushed underneath this whip!”

“The smell of rage, yes. Almost as pleasant as the smell of fear.” Deimos soon came out from the darkness to my right.  Another pair of footsteps soon followed and there stood Perses just a few feet in front of me.

“That is a rush isn’t it? Knowing you have someone’s life under your will.” Perses spoke with a growl to his voice.  It was almost as chilling as Sauron’s voice itself.

“What do you want with me? And why bring Haldir into this? If you wanted me you should’ve come for me directly and left him out of this!” I snarled at Perses.

“Then you wouldn’t have felt what you’re feeling now. Can’t you feel it Hela? The power you had unleashed when you found out about your precious Elfling being brought here. The rage, the anger, it fueled you did it not? We heard it ourselves. The Celestial roar.”

“So what? You want it? Hate to tell you it’s not really a power that can be taken by any means.”

“No, you misunderstand me Hela. Much like you misunderstand why you and your kin were brought to Middle Earth.”

“What?”

“I’ve seen how she’s trapped you. Fighting the Valar’s ‘holy, moral mission’. Bringing peace to Middle Earth and guiding it’s new comers to a better world. That’s not the mission of the Celestials, let alone the mission of the Celestial of Death.”

“And what would you know of why I was brought here? You don’t know anything about me!”

“Don’t we?” Deimos said.

“Middle Earth doesn’t need you to save them, they don’t deserve your help!” Nergal said.  “What you are is not a curse, it’s a gift.”

“You three don’t know what you’re talking about.” I tried to ignore them and redirect the conversation elsewhere but Perses soon spoke again in that haunting grovel of his voice.

“I myself have watched you from behind Denethor’s cowardly eyes. Struggling to have everything you want. While the world makes you choose. Celestials don’t have to choose, we take.” Not wanting to hear another word, I threw Aeglos straight at Perses and saw as it pierced right through his chest but it had no effect on him.

A sadistic smile came across his face as his eyes grew wide and glowed pure white and his hands began to glow white and he fired a powerful magical blast right at me.  I summoned a Celestial shield to block it and I soon saw Deimos’ hands glow red as he began to fire at my other side.  I summoned another shield but together both of their blasts were too powerful for me to hold back.

Soon I had no choice but to disband the shields but using Makkari’s speed I got out of the way as their blasts hit each other creating an explosion of white and red.  I then saw as Nergal began twisting his hands around (much like my water elemental sisters did) and saw Haldir land to the ground on his feet, his hands going straight to his belt as he was forced to draw out his sword.

Against his will, he came at me swishing and slicing his sword frantically.  I dodged each of his attacks before flipping over him and used Makkari’s ability to chi-block.  Hitting each of Haldir’s pressure points hurt me but I had no other choice.

‘I’m sorry Haldir.’ I signed to him.

“You did what you had to do.” I felt the vibrations of his voice say.  Suddenly my arm began to twist backwards before it was pulled behind me.  I gripped my arm but I couldn’t bring it down, then I felt myself being forced to stand fully erect like a guard of the Watch tower.  I soon felt myself being lifted into the air and slowly being turned around to face Nergal.

“You should’ve learned this technique before you faced us. It’s impossible to fight your way out of my grip. I now control every muscle, even your very soul is mine to command.” With a twist of his hands and arms, I was jerked to the right before I felt my feet sliding across the floor towards the left only to feel both my arms being thrown behind my back to stop me.

My body contorting, almost spasming as I felt my entire body crumble then go erect before crumbling again.  Until finally I was forced down on my knees, tears falling down my face in pain.  In the pain, I was forced to let go of Makkari’s powers and I pleaded with Nergal.

“Stop……please.” Nergal only cackled at the sight of my agony.  But then through the pain, I felt this rush of power surging through me.  I breathed sharply through my pain as I used the magic that surrounded me.  I slowly stood on my feet and said, “You’ve underestimated me Nergal. You, Deimos and Perses all underestimated me. I am not the same Celestial of Death I once was, and technique is useless on me!”

Using my own Celestial magic, I drew in some of the dark power from this very fortress and converted it to my own personal brand of Celestial of Death magic and fired it at Nergal.  He took the beam and redirected it back towards me as well as drew in dark power from the fortress as well and all three beams of magic combined into one as it headed straight for me.

I took a strong front stance and did a palm-heel strike at the beam which dispersed and scattered around the fortress like millions of fireflies.  Nergal was shocked at what I had done then using Makkari’s speed I slammed right into him and repeatedly came at him punching and kicking him into the wall until he was all but unconscious.  A gleam soon caught my attention and I took his left wrist to see a vial with both a red and watery speck within.

The vial was what one of the Blue Wizards called a voodoo vial.  If someone’s blood or any form of fluid got into this vial, the magic bearer could control said person using their own fluids against them.  Nergal must’ve used both Haldir’s blood and the sweat from my armor after the battle of Osgiliath and put it into this vial.

But how he got it was the question, these vials hadn’t been seen since the Blue Wizards vanished from Middle Earth.  I tucked it away so that Nergal couldn’t use it again before racing back to Haldir.  I helped him up dropping Makkari’s powers and said to him.

“I’m sorry again about what I did earlier.”

“And as I said, you did what you had to do. I probably would’ve done the same thing.” I smiled softly and got us back towards the stairway and we tried to get out as fast as we could.

Once we had reached the main level, a powerful blast was shot behind us which threw both Haldir and I off our feet.  We both turned to see Perses and Deimos levitating above us.

“Haldir, run.”

“But Hela—”

“This is not up for debate, you’ve already been in this foul place long enough, I refuse to allow you to stay another second here!”

“My, my how adorable they are. Seems ashamed we’ll have to tear you both apart. Limb from limb.” Deimos mocked with a sadistic grin on his face.

“Haldir please. Just get out of here!”

“I won’t leave you to fight them alone!” Valar above Haldir don’t make me do this! I took the vial and thought my command.  Soon Haldir stood up, his eyes widened in shock.

“Go.” Then he turned and against his will, he ran out of Minas Morgul leaving me to fend off both Deimos and Perses.

“Such a noble cause, but he won’t get far.” Perses said to me monotonous, almost devoid of any feeling.

“If either of you want him, you’ll have to kill me first.” I summoned Aeglos back to my hand as well as used Kingo’s power to summon a cosmic energy ball.  Deimos soon summoned out his two sickles flipping the blades together making a clanking sound.

“I’m going to enjoy this.” He said lustfully.  Then the three of us charged at each other.

The battle lasted throughout the night, by the end Minas Morgul was left with various openings and cracks within its structure.  As we stood upon the highest tower once more, I was panting and breathing heavily, my body bleeding and bruised whilst both Perses and Deimos barely had a scratch on them.

How were they able to get by with barely a scratch?! They couldn’t be normal mages or sorcerers so just who or what were these men? Suddenly I became overwhelmed with the crying voices of the people of Gondor.  Hearing their heartbeats beat their last beat or feel the souls leaving their bodies as they were being slaughtered like pigs.

“Ohhh that is a delicious scent. Death. Feeling the souls of the departed and their blood pour out.” Deimos said taking a deep inhale before exhaling in pleasure.  His eyes seemed to glow redder as he slid his sickles across the ground and walked towards me.

“You’re even viler than Azog himself.” I muttered.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Deimos mocked.  I charged at them again but they quickly disbanded and took to the air.  I fired at Deimos using Kingo’s cosmic arrows firing them one after the other when I felt Perses coming at me from behind.  I quickly ducked his punch and went to punch him but he grabbed my wrist in his hand.

“Strong enough to have it all,” he then kneed me in the gut which knocked the wind out of me.  “Too weak to take it!” he then kicked me in the face sending me across the tower but I got back into a low crouching stance.  I then used the peaks of the tower to run up and capture Perses with my legs (a technique favored by Thena and Makkari).

I used my monetium to pin him to the wall and with as much force as I could I began punching Perses in the face repeatedly.  But what frightened me was that with each punch, he kept turning his head back towards me, a wicked smile spreading across his face almost as if he were enjoying it.  As he cackled I cried out and punched him harder even elbowing him straight down on the head.  But Perses held me by the back before finally slamming me down through the roof of the tower sending me falling straight back to the same room where I had found Haldir.

I groaned and coughed up some blood as I tried to pick myself off the ground.  I then felt a foot on my back and saw as a sickle came at my throat.

“I say it’s time we put an end to this little game of ours.” Deimos said to me.  Just as I felt the blade start to touch my neck, a horn was heard in the distance.  A horn that I knew all too well.  “Impossible!” Deimos growled and I let out a laugh.

“They’ve come.”

*Cain’s POV*

With the sound of the Horn of the Mark echoing through the sun’s rising in the East, we had finally arrived at Gondor open fields.  Our horses neighing and whinnying as we marched over the Pelennor fields and looked down upon Gondor.

Even though I couldn’t physically see the destruction that lay before us, I could easily compare it to one other city that had been this badly attacked.  The night Gondolin was attacked.  The fire, the panicked screams of the people, the smell of decaying flesh, it all came back to me as we stood upon the hill.

The haunting chants of the number of orcs that stood before the walls of the White city were probably the greatest I had ever felt in my lifetime.  Sauron was willing to take no chances to allow the city of Kings to remain standing.

Wysteria nickered and stamped her hooves nervously, and I could pick up the fear coming from Merry deep within the armies.  I patted Wysteria’s neck comfortingly and whispered to her.

“Steady girl, steady.” ‘You too Merry. This is what true war is like, but if you remember your training, you may yet survive this.’ I soon sent a telepathic message to Merry.

“Form ranks you maggots! Form ranks. Pikes in front, archers behind!” I heard a general orc command his army.  I heard as the orc armies got into position and I tightened my grip on Wysteria’s reins.  I then heard the thundering hooves of Theoden’s horse Snowmane and he gave out the orders.

“Eomer, take your eored down the left flank.”

“Flank ready!” Eomer called out to his section of the army.

“Gamling, follow the king’s banner down the center. Grimbold, take your company right after you’ve passed the wall. Forth, and fear no darkness!” The two men got into position and soon Theoden stopped before me and Wysteria, “Master Cain, you ride with me at my side. Together we lead our men to battle!” I nodded and urged Wysteria to follow Snowmane as Theoden proclaimed to one and all of his riders, pacing across the entire army of Rohan.  “Arise, arise, Riders of Theoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered. A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!”

The riders lowered their spears and I heard the orcs wielding their pikes get into full position crouching down with their pikes standing outward.  Snowmane soon rode onward and I urged Wysteria behind him, Theoden’s sword clanking with each spear as he gave his men the courage to ride forth into battle and death.

“Ride now! RIDE NOW! RIDE! RIDE FOR RUIN AND THE WORLD’S ENDING!!” When Theoden stopped at the middle of the army to lead us onward, he proclaimed out for one and all to hear, his sword raised. “DEATH!!”

“DEATH!” the men echoed back raising their own weapons.

“DEATH!” I then cried out.

“DEATH!” the men echoed back, accepting me as their Celestial General as they and their ancestors had done for Hela so long ago.

“DEATH!!!!” Both Theoden and I cried out once more and this time the riders, Merry and Eowyn echoed back death so loudly, the sun fully rose behind us.  Lighting up the darkness that had befallen Gondor and giving their people back their hope.

“FORTH EORLINGAS!” Theoden proclaimed as the Horns of the Mark pierced the dawning sky.  And with the final horn call, Theoden and I lead the charge as the riders all yelled and cried out a battle cry, I could swear it would’ve rivaled a Celestial’s roar.

Wysteria went from a slow trot to a run and finally a full on gallop.  I gripped my axe in my hand as I urged her to go faster.  My confidence urging her onward as she neighed fiercely.  I soon heard the orc general proclaim the archers to fire and the sound of whizzing arrows filled the skies, and the sound of horses tripping and falling as well as men being taken down off their horses.

But we did not stop.  We kept charging towards the orc armies head on.  As Theoden let out the full command to charge, I could already hear the shift in the air from the orcs.  More arrows continued to come down at us, but even the orcs soon realized that we weren’t retreating, they became shocked, nay frightened.

I raised my axe into the air and proclaimed out to Gamling and the rest of the men at the center.

“CHARGE!!!” The sound of the orcs’ heartbeats beated furiously with fear and some even started to retreat back but it was too late.

Like a tidal wave crashing down, the horses ploughed through the orcs like they were nothing.  I sliced every orc that was within range, relieving them of their heads or slicing their necks open.  Wysteria rammed down each orc and made sure to trample over each one she had knocked down as we continued to charge deeper within the ranks of the orc armies.

Rohan had come to Gondor’s aid, and the old Alliances of Men was finally reforged.

Swords clashed, spears broke, shields splintered, just as Theoden said but we managed to slay most of the front lines of orcs and free the gate of any orcs that tried to enter the city.

I beheaded two orcs one after the other before coming across another orc who tried to come at Wysteria.  I grabbed his spear and headbutted him before using his own spear to stab him through the heart.  Wysteria reared as she kicked another orc that came near us before riding onward.

“Drive them to the river!” I could hear Eomer’s voice call out and his men did as they told.  The orcs quickly retreating as Theoden proclaimed.

“Make safe the city!” that’s when a deep rumble was heard.  I knew I was the only one who could hear it because the Riders had yet to notice what was coming.  I knew those deep, thunderous footsteps well and just the smell of them coming I knew who was now here.

“Find Theoden Wysteria. Hyah!” she rode onward but it was too late.  Soon the fighting stopped as the sound of chants echoed through the plains.  The deep bellowing horn and the chants of the Men now became clear.

The Haradrim had come.

The spiked heartbeats of the men around me grew in fear as they now looked upon the beasts that stood before them.  The Mumakil or as my kin called them once Oliphaunts.  Long ago, the Celestials once bred them for helping to build our great castles and removing dead trees to make room for new ones.

But shortly after the Deviants destroyed our home, they had been scattered and found themselves into the hands of people of Harad.  Nowadays they bred the Oliphaunts as war-beasts.  Which soon earned them their new name, Mumakil.

Wysteria nickered and paced fearfully.  I patted her neck and urged her to find Theoden once more.  She huffed but obeyed my command.

“Reform the line! Reform the line!” I heard Theoden’s voice proclaim.  What no! Theoden you can’t lead these men in a direct attack against these Mumakil, you’ll be slaughtered!  The Oliphants’ soon roared out furiously as they now began to charge.

“THEODEN! THEODEN WAIT!” I cried out as I rode towards him but it was too late.

“Sound the charge! Take them head on! Charge!”

“NOOO!!” I cried out but my voice was drowned out with the Horn of the Mark and the cries of the Men as they charged head on towards the Haradrim soldiers.

Within seconds, the sound of horses being flung through the air, men falling to their deaths at great heights, and giant hooves squashing both men and horses bones were all I could hear.  Arrows whizzing from both Haradrim and Rohirrim soldiers silenced any and all (but I could mostly hear the Rohirrim being slaughtered).

I growled and urged Wysteria forward and as I got closer I advised to them.

“NOT THE BEASTS! TAKE DOWN THE RIDERS! AIM FOR THE HEAD RIDER! EOMER!! TAKE DOWN THE LEAD RIDER! BRING HIM DOWN!!” Eomer’s head turned to me and I felt him grip his spear tightly as I heard a Mumakil coming right towards him.  He waited and waited for the right time to strike, then he let out a grunt as he threw his spear straight at the lead rider bringing him down.

By killing the lead rider, you force the Mumakil to go wherever they go.  And since this one was now dangling dead to the right, the Mumakil he was controlling was forced to go right, straight into another Mumakil bringing them both down.  I rode to Eomer and told him.

“Nice throw.”

“Thank you.”

“Tell your men to either aim for the riders, the head or their lower legs and ankles with your swords and spears. Their skin is too think to use arrows anywhere else.”

“I take you’ve dealt with these soldiers before?” he asked.

“Unfortunately yes. Haradrim soldiers, they’re twisted, vile, and kill for the pleasure of it. If I had to say whose worse orcs or them, you’d be surprised to say I’d rather take my chances with the orcs before these men.”

“Thank you for the advice Lord Cain.” I nodded then urged Wysteria onward to find Theoden.  Taking my advice, I heard Eomer command the men to fire their arrows where I had told them to.  One Mumakil was getting ambushed on all sides having arrow after arrow being fired at him.  He reared up taking down some of the men before a spear to the leg finally brought him down and finally give the men enough fire power to kill him.

It was sad to see these once innocent creatures now being used for war but I couldn’t let it interfere with my part in the war.  I urged Wysteria onward and used my axe and orc spear to cut one Mumakil at the ankles which brought it down.

I then used the orc spear to take down one of the archers before he had a chance to take either me or Wysteria down.  I then heard Eowyn’s voice calling out for Merry in a panic.  No! What happened!

“Hyah!” I kicked Wysteria’s sides and she raced onward.  I followed Eowyn’s heartbeat and soon tracked her near Theoden who was surrounded by orcs.  But her love for her uncle fueled her fire to fight and defend him in battle.  That’s when I heard the sound of coughing nearby and the familiar choked grunts of Merry.  “Come on Wysteria! Ha!”

She raced ahead and I soon picked up Merry’s racing heartbeat and his labored breathing.  Surrounding him were three Haradrim Soldiers.  Two of which had him held prisoner, while the third was ready to behead him.  I urged Wysteria on and she raced ahead before rearing up and kicked the Haradrim soldier holding Merry by the neck hard in the head, breaking his neck.

I then sliced one of the soldiers holding Merry across the face before twirling it and threw it at the other one, silencing him.

“Master Cain!” I got off Wysteria and knelt down in front of him, cupping his face.

“Are you alright?”

“I am, thanks to you.” I sighed in relief and embraced the young hobbit tightly. 

I was forced to live with the fact that I had allowed Hela to be tortured by the Haradrim soldiers for an entire day just because I couldn’t allow anyone to see how a blind man could fight.  I refused to allow anyone else I care about fall victim to these vile men ever again.

“Are you okay?” I sniffled softly and separated from him and said.

“Yes. Now that I know you are.”

“I remembered what you taught me, but they came out of nowhere from the orcs that also came by to take advantage of me.”

“As I said, they’re clever but they also fight dirty. Come.” I took back my axe and whipped the blood off of it and put Merry on top of Wysteria and got on her back just behind Merry.  “Let’s finish this, Hyah!” together Merry and I rode into battle slaughtering any stray Haradrim soldier that came at us or aiding the men who needed help.

Suddenly a piercing screech filled the air which made me clench my ears in agony.  Wysteria reared in such a panic, she had bucked both Merry and I off her back.  I soon heard the growls of a fellbeast and the crunching of horse’s bones before hearing the cracks of Theoden’s lower back snapping in two.  With an injury like that, even if he did somehow survive, he’d never be able to walk again.

“What happened Master Cain? Why did you horse do that?”

“The Witch King. He is here, and he means to kill Theoden.” I then heard his haunting voice say.

‘Feast on his flesh.’ But then a heartbeat filled with both fear and anger stepped forward and I heard Eowyn say.

“I will kill you if you touch him!”

‘Do not come between the Nazgul and his prey.’

“No, Eowyn what are you doing?”

“Lady Eowyn is there? Facing that thing? I have to help her!”

“Merry no! You can’t. No man can beat the Witch King of Angmar. He’s too powerful.” I gripped his arm before he could run off.

“But I’m no man, I’m a hobbit. Please Master Cain, I have to help Lady Eowyn. She’s helped me just as much as you have. I’d never forgive myself if I let her die when I know I could’ve helped.” I looked at the halfling and nodded.  I released his arm and told him.

“I’ll cover you.” He quickly embraced me before racing off to find Lady Eowyn.  Any man or orc that set their eyes on Merry, I slaughtered them where they stood.  Until finally the evil aura of the Witch King was so close, I couldn’t take another step out of fear.

With no other choice I turned and ran the opposite way, hoping Merry would be alright.  That’s when I felt a strong spiritual wave overcome the fields of Pelennor.  The same ghostly presence I had felt back at Dunharrow just days ago.  They did it! Aragorn and them succeeded in bringing the Army of the dead to help aid us.  Knowing the dead cant be killed nor have anything else to die for, the armies of Sauron were doomed far worse than ever before.

I slayed a few Haradrim soldiers and as I was crossing blades with another one, our strengths equally matched until he headbutted me and sliced at my leg through my disorientation.  But before he could deliver the finishing blow, Wysteria came and kicked the soldier in the chest cracking his ribs and then trampled his face in.

She came up to me and helped me stand back up.  I patted her neck as I slowly got on her back once more praising her on saving my life once more.  She whinnied and charged onward while I beheaded or cut the throats of any enemy that came near us.  But as I relieved two orcs of their heads, three arrows whizzed and Wysteria suddenly collapsed rolling forward neighing in pain, sending me off her back and down in a crouch position, my axe held close to my chest.

I heard the heartbeats of six Haradrim soldiers surrounding me and I took out my small dagger kept behind my boot and with grace and agility, I sliced through each of their necks, ending their worthless lives before turning back to Wysteria.  I knelt down beside her and could hear her heartbeat starting to slow and her breathing was labored.

Tears filled my eyes as I stroked her neck and pressed my head to hers.

“You were very brave Wysteria. So very brave, and I am honored to called you my faithful steed. You can rest now. Be at peace wild mare of Rohan.” She nickered softly once more before her heart went still and her breathing stopped.  I kissed her muzzle and stroked her neck once more.

I wish I had more time to grieve but the battle still needed to be fought.  I ran away from Wysteria and continued fighting on foot, cutting down any enemy forces that came my way until I came across a few familiar heartbeats that I knew had come with the army of the dead.  I sliced off an orc’s head and proclaimed.

“Aragorn!” I heard him chuckle as the two of us came together and embraced each other.  “Glad to see your mission was a success.”

“Glad to see you’re still in one peace. Not that I doubted from Hela’s older brother.” We both chuckled.

“Hate to say you were wrong before but 6000 was enough to break the lines of Mordor. At least until the Haradrim came and tipped the scales with their Mumakil. But with you and the armies of the dead here, we may yet reclaim the city back in your name.”

“Yes. Fight at my side Lord Cain?”

“To the death, King Aragorn.” I said gripping my axe and dagger tighter and giving him a smirk.  Together we both charged at any enemy in range.

As the battle continued to rage on, I sensed something.  Something far beyond the fields and pass the White city but not at the gates of Mordor.  It was somewhere inbetween the two kingdoms, a dark fell place and suddenly there was a loud boom.  A boom so loud, it shook the very earth and I could hear what sounded like a building starting to crumble down.  More explosions followed and I turned to Aragorn and asked him.

“What do you see to the West?”

“A fog of green and black smoke. A shape of a skull now forms in the sky, just over Minas Morgul. I knew it was a fell place of dark magic but never before have I seen something like that before.”

“Seems we’ll have to wait till after the war to decide what it was that caused that explosion.”

“Agreed. We’re almost at victory, we can’t afford to stop now.” I nodded in agreement.  After a few more minutes of fighting, I felt as the army of the dead swept the city and all the orcs that had breached the city were silenced.  Soon all went quiet except for one faint heartbeat.

I followed it and soon discovered that it was Theoden King.  He was barely clinging to life even with his body broken.  I knelt down beside him and stroked his head softly, I could feel the muscles around his eyes struggle to open and soon he said.

“You have your sister’s heart.” I smiled softly.  “And her smile, Master Cain.” His voice was soft as his heartbeat was slowly beginning to fade.  His gloved fingers came to my cheek softly stroking it, “My eyes darken.”

“I know…..I know.” I softly told him.  “I’m sorry I cannot spare the pain of your passing like my sister can.”

“You already are.” He assured me.  As a tear slowly slid down my face, Theoden stroked the tear away.  “Master Cain, do not weep over me. For your sister has taught me to not fear death.” I smiled softly.

That was what I had hoped Hela would give to the world.  For if she befriended all races that live in Middle Earth, when death comes for them no matter what shape or form, Hela is the sign that death is not a path to fear, but to one day embrace.  And look to like one looks at a dear friend.

“I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not know of yet shame.” Ever so slowly his heart beat got quieter and quieter until he choked out my sister’s name before he went silent.  His heart beating no more.

Theoden King had now passed.

Tears fully ran down my face as I cupped the face of the now dead king and whispered to him.

“Be at peace, Theoden Horse-master.” I kissed the center of his forehead before closing his eyes forever.

*My POV*

With the arrival of Rohan coming to Gondor’s aid and the Alliances of Men finally being reforged, it seemed to anger both Deimos and Perses in a way I had never seen before.  It fueled their attacks which took a deep toll on my body.

I tried to fight back with all my strength but even that wasn’t enough for the two of them combined together.  At first their fighting style had been to toy with me in order to keep me here and not go back to aid Gondor.  Now, now they were fully out for blood.  They weren’t holding back on anything whether their physical attacks or their magic.

I had been thrown against the tower by Perses before he came at me holding me by the throat.  He then picked me up and together the two of us slammed through the walls of Minas Morgul until we came to the main level of the fortress once again.  As I slammed hard against the floor, creating a large crater-like dent in the floor, Perses and Deimos soon appeared on top of me, Deimos taking my hands and pinning them to the ground while Deimos squeezed my throat with both his hands.

“Your weakness Hela, is morality. It’s choking you!” Both of them stared me down with insane, wide eyes.  There was nothing I could do now, my body was practically beaten and my vision was quickly going black as the air from my lungs was quickly running out.

“Can’t you feel it?” Deimos taunted as he gripped my left wrist and snapped it within his palm.  I didn’t even have any air to scream as I could literally hear the bones in my wrist crack but then the both of them screamed and finally let me up.

I let out a loud gasp as coughed and crying were mixed together.  I looked up and had seen that Haldir had returned.  Deimos and Nergal growled lowly as they withdrew Haldir’s twin daggers out from their backs and tossed them aside.

“Stupid Elfling you really thought those daggers would work?!” Deimos snarled.  As I continued coughing and rolled over to my side cradling my broken wrist and slowly tried to stand up.

“Nergal was right! She got it from you that pathetic sickness that is love!” Perses snarled.  I then felt a foot slam into my back sending me face first back into the rubble of the marble floor.  Haldir stood his ground now wielding Aeglos.  Both Deimos and Perses forced me up gripping either my hair or shoulder roughly.

“The cunning warrior attacks neither body nor mind.” Deimos taunted me.

“Haldir go…..” I choked.

“They attack your heart.” He finished.

“Haldir……please…..” I pleaded.  But he stood his ground.  Then suddenly a fellbeast bursted through the main entrance of the fortress knocking Haldir off his feet and threw him across the room.  I cried out his name as the fellbeast flew around before landing.  Riding on top of it was Nergal, he gave me a smirk and soon joining with him on top of the fellbeast were Deimos and Perses.

“Hela, Hela, Hela. No good deed goes unpunished. You can thank us later.” Perses told me.  I saw as Haldir lay there on his side near one of the columns grimacing in pain.  I watched as Perses nodded to Nergal who took out a circular vial filled with green colored potion.  He tossed the vial towards Haldir but I leapt towards it.

But the second I touched it….BOOM!! Just like at Helm’s Deep, a large explosion happened everywhere and I was thrown across the other side of the fortress.  I heard two more additional explosions ring out and the last thing I saw before I briefly blacked out was nothing but green and black mist forming around me.

#lord of the rings #lord of the rings fanfic #lord of the rings fanfiction #lord of the rings imagine #lord of the rings imagines #lotr fandom #tolkien fandom #haldir #haldir imagine #haldir x reader #haldir x oc #haldir imagines #haldir fanfic #haldir fanfiction #lotr imagine #lotr imagines #lotr fanfiction #aragorn #aragorn imagine #legolas greenleaf #legolas greenleaf imagine #aragorn x oc #aragorn x reader #legolas x reader #legolas x oc #gimli #pippin took #merry brandybuck

[appreciatingtokrev]

HELPPPP I WAS LOOKING THROUG MY OLD NOTES AND WAS READING SOME DRAFT FICS I HAD FROM LIKE 2021 TO EARLY 2022 AND BRO.

I JUST WANT SOME FUCKIN CONTEXT MAN 😭😭😭

ADHJGSSHG YEAH I ALSO WANT THE CONTEXT 😭

detective takemichi go brrr lmao adhjfshf

also i love naoto so so much but saying he has good humor is questionable imo lol idk he just gives me. unfunny vibes 😭 tho trust i would read a naoto fic where he finally has his gifted kid burnout bc he figures out he’s gay pfahaha okay that was a terrible description but yk 😭

#taku that’s beautiful content right there #elys n taku rambles #☆—`ask

[not-a-space-alien]

All Creatures Great and Small Chapter 3: Bring Your Fairy to Work Day (Part 1)

As always thanks to my collaborator @static-stars and my beta/sensitivity reader @appelsiinilight! <3 And special thanks to @ratcatcher0325 for some beta reading as well!!

Story masterpost

AO3 link

Content warning: this chapter contains descriptions of hate speech, especially misogynistic and homophobic/lesbophobic hate speech.

Thistle felt a lot better after the conversation with Sierra, but he still felt ill at ease.  The humans who cared about him did a lot to assuage his nerves, but as soon as Marcy fell back asleep, Thistle lay there awake and shivering, still feeling quite alone.  He grimly thought that he was just going to have to get used to feeling this way, if the presence of humans didn’t abate it.

He hadn’t even told Sierra anything meaningful.  He’d told her he was upset because “It’s hard being so small,” but she had just agreed knowingly, as though he’d been talking about being symbolically or emotionally small.  He hadn’t had the courage to press that he’d meant it literally, in a way she would never be able to relate to.

She’d said she’d come meet him in person sometime.  Wouldn’t that be nice?  She could fly out there.  They could go to the museum, and the zoo, and get ice cream.  He’d had to stifle the panicked whines.  The idea fucking terrified him.  She would be nervous about this potential encounter the way everyone was nervous to meet their pen pals.  He would be nervous about it because he was sticking his neck out to trust that Sierra wouldn’t just crush him.

He repeated Marcy’s words to himself, curling up against her and desperately trying to fall asleep.  I promise you will never have to go through that awful experience again.  You have me to help you.  You can do anything you want to.  You have me to help you.  You have me to help you.  You have me to help you.

Marcy would help.  Marcy will help.  Be selfish.  Be selfish.  Let Marcy help.

He shivered, snuggling closer into her hand.

He did manage to fall asleep, better than when he’d had the nightmare, but not deep enough anymore to have dreams.

***

The two of them awoke the next morning when Teddy sat on the edge of Marcy’s bed.  Marcy sat upright, flailing in the sheets, eyes puffy with sleep.  “Hm?” she said, voice thick.

“Good morning,” said Teddy.

Marcy briefly looked around her bed like a child searching for the stuffed animal that had fallen off the bed during the night, then found Thistle tangled in the sheets next to her knee.  She got a handful of him and dragged him out, putting him on her lap.  He had the same squinty-eyed, bedhead ridden look of tiredness on his face that Marcy did.

“Bad news,” said Teddy.  She held her phone up.  Marcy looked down at the video Teddy was showing her, trying to force her muddled brain to comprehend.

It was YouTube guy again.  The video this time was of her, of the incident on the porch yesterday.  

That jolted her awake.  “Fuck!” said Marcy, grabbing Teddy’s phone with both hands.  “What is this?  He posted this?”

“Last night,” said Teddy.  “There’s only about two minutes of actual footage of us, but the whole video is 14 minutes long.  He’s talking about how you’re working for the government and hiding things to protect the power of the ‘elites.’”

Marcy rubbed her face.  God, she looked stupid, trying to gently shoo away this asshole from her porch without offending him, like waving away a fly.  Colin came crashing into frame a moment later, all confrontation and aggression.

The video was appended with a note at the end, promoting his newest drop of NFTs, which of course you could purchase with any number of cryptocurrencies, including his own.  He was also promoting a new eBook he’d just published about laws useful for sovereign citizens.

Marcy sighed and put her face in her hand, scrolling down.  “Well, surely nobody has seen it yet, right?”

“Wro~ong,” said Teddy in a singsong voice.  “The comments are already full of completely unhinged people eating it up.”

Marcy’s heart sank as she skimmed through the comments.  Robert had apparently previously given his followers some framing about “little people who live in the walls,” and hypothesizing how such creatures could be a vital part of the shadowy network that secretly controlled the government and were therefore a sinister threat to American liberties.  The comments were full of people saying he was onto something and how he needed to investigate further.

This crowd was purely interested in the wellbeing and prosperity of the American people, in an objective way, and only interested in the cold, hard, unbiased truth, half the comments said.  The other half could only comment on how ugly Marcy was, with zero of them showing any self-awareness of that ironic clash.

Marcy typically had thick skin when it came to these sorts of things, but the sheer vitriol and hatred that poured out, conflating her appearance with her sinister motives, her agenda to hurt people–it was almost too much.  One commenter called her a fat slut, another jumped in that it would be a good hatefuck, another added that she was definitely a lesbian when someone hypothesized that she was just angry that no man would ever fuck her–and Marcy had to doublecheck the colorful phrasing on this one–dusty, cobweb pussy.  They were merciless, commenting on everything, her haircut, her acne, her stomach, her arms, her breasts, her legs, her clothes.

The bits of the video where Teddy was visible made it even worse–despite being completely silent in every frame and standing barely visible in the background, a flood of comments with racial slurs were visible.  A few comments had been removed by a moderator, citing violating the TOS–if these were the ones that had remained, what could have possibly crossed the line and merited removal?  Teddy was also much skinnier than Marcy, and yet they still called her fat–being fat seemed to be one of the worst offenses a woman was capable of to this crowd, almost as bad as being part of a conspiracy to manipulate the populace.

With the power of crowd-sourcing, they even managed to find slurs to hurl at Colin, a cisgender white man who even on his most rebellious days never managed to look more countercultural than the average saltine cracker.  If the fire hose of boiling malice hadn’t been so scary, it might almost be impressive.

Marcy’s attention was jerked from the screen down to her lap by Thistle’s featherlight touch on her hand.  “Marcy…You’re crying.”

Marcy paused the video, swallowing and realizing that he was right.  “Ah…” she said, wiping her eye.  “It’s–This is–worrying.”

Marcy put the phone down.  Thistle swarmed onto it, scrolling it with his tiny fingers, to take a closer look at what had upset Marcy.

This is when Thistle realized that Robert, as a person, was the fundamental opposite of the principles Marcy strived to uphold.  Marcy sat and observed, watched, and listened, and then tried to draw conclusions on what the truth was.  This man, this horrid group of people, had already decided what the truth was, and was violently trying to manipulate reality into giving them the evidence they needed to convince other people to agree with them.

He looked back up at Marcy.  She was blubbering to Teddy trying to come up with a plan, her voice wobbly–he could see the tears threatening to leak over and out.

He looked back down at the virtual conversation–all these cruel things people who had never even met her were saying about her.  He stood, quivering, and waved his hands.  Marcy stopped, and she and Teddy both looked down at him.

Thistle was entering a new era.  The anxiety of not knowing was gone, but it'd been replaced with knowing exactly where he stood, and having friendship…..now he had something to lose if he fucked up, and it was very easy to fuck up when you didn't know what you were doing….even more dangerous to have a little familiarity and have a false sense of security and confidence.  He knew enough to make mistakes, but not enough to fix them.  It felt…bad.

“I put everyone in danger,” said Thistle.  “This is my fault.  I can’t be selfish.  I just can’t.  I can’t do this to you all.  Please let me fix it somehow.”

Marcy sniffled and wiped her eye.  “That’s sweet of you, but…”

“You can’t un-dox yourself,” said Teddy.

Thistle crossed his arms darkly.  “I…I don’t know.  But surely there must be something I can do.”

“There….kind of isn’t,” said Teddy.  “By necessity.  Because you’re the one at risk here.”

“But you’re also in danger!  I dragged you into it!”

“Teddy is right,” said Marcy sadly.  “You can just hunker down and let us take care of this.  I’m sure we can deal with it.”

“No!”  Thistle hopped up onto her knee.  “No, no, no!  That isn’t how it’s supposed to work!  I’m the one who messed up, I’m the one who has to fix it!”

“Look,” said Teddy, rubbing her temples.  “If you think of something really clever, I’m all ears, but I think this is beyond your capability to fix.”

“Then–then I’m supposed to be the one to suffer!  Not you three!”  The look on Marcy’s face, the suffering at the hands of ephemeral concepts he had no idea how to parry, was too much for him to bear.

Teddy and Marcy looked at each other, then down at him.  “You’re already suffering,” said Teddy.  “Suffering more isn’t going to help anything.”

“But–But,” said Thistle.

“What do you want to happen?” said Marcy.  “You think we should hand you over to him to get him to leave?  Is that what you think?”

“Yes!” said Thistle.  “If–If that’s what it takes.”  

Marcy and Teddy stared at him as tiny tears sprung up in his eyes.  “That’s ridiculous,” said Marcy.  “Who knows what that guy would do to you if he got his hands on you.  If me and Teddy and Colin just handle this carefully, we’ll all come out the other side okay.”

“You can’t sacrifice yourself for me!  I’m supposed to help my family, not make everything harder for them!”

He stopped, breaking eye contact, eyes wide, staring down at Marcy’s knee, realizing what he’d just said with a fierce tremble.

Marcy’s hands came around him.  He still refused to look up.

“Thistle, look at me please.”

He did so, rocking his weight onto his back foot and leaning into her hand at his back.

“Stop.  I don’t know what things were like with your family, but we solve our problems together.”

“That’s what we–”

“I’m sure, I’m sure that–”

“You make–”

“Just let me finish.”

He shut his mouth.

“We already talked about this.  I thought it was closed.  Your instinct to just throw yourself into a meat grinder to stop us from suffering any temporary harm is concerning.  If your family really loved you like you say they did, I’m sure that’s not what they wanted from you, even if you’re right about isolating yourself to keep them safe.”

Thistle sunk down, shoulders at his ears, face red.

“And if we’re your family now, then you need to start acting like it.  Let us keep you safe.  We defend the nest together.  I don’t care what you did.  It doesn’t matter.  I love you unconditionally.  I will only ever want what’s best for you.  I would throw every electronic device I own into the ocean and move away forever if that’s what it took to keep you safe.  You are precious to me.  The idea that you’d throw yourself away because you think I need you to would hurt me more than anything this asshole with a braindead YouTube following could ever say.  Understand?”

He swallowed and nodded.

“The only reason you’re here struggling with things you’re not equipped to deal with is because of my fuck up, because I snatched you up from where you belong.  I’m the one who messed up, not you, so I’m the one who has to fix it.  I’ll keep saying this as many times as it takes for you to believe it.”

Thistle turned around and buried his face in her palm.  She felt a small wet spot where his tears pricked at her.  “Thank you, Marcy.  Thank you.”

“And do you remember when I made a careless, thoughtless decision that made everything harder for you?  All it took was picking you up in the field.”

He refused eye contact.

“Now you know how easy it is to make mistakes.  You get excited by the whole big wide world, you don’t know everything about it, you get so curious to know more and forget to imagine all the consequences.  I’ve done it, and I’m still here.  You did it, and you’re still here, and that’s not changing, okay?”

Colin’s feet could be heard stomping up the stairs.  Marcy had a sinking feeling hearing that.  She gently wrapped her fingers around Thistle’s torso, under his arms, and lifted him up to give him a kiss.  He was blushing fiercely, tear tracks streaked down his cheeks.  “Thank you, Marcy.  Teddy.”

Teddy let out a sigh and extended her hand.  Marcy set him in her hand, and she nervously gave him a quick peck as well.  Thistle was frozen, sprawled out in her palm.

Colin was finally in the doorway.  “Guess who’s back.”

“No,” gasped Marcy.  “Again?  He didn’t get enough?”

“I guess not.  He’s parked just shy of the mailbox.  It’s like he knows where the property line is.”

“Should we call the police?” said Marcy.  “Surely this constitutes harassment.”

“Nope,” said Teddy.  “No thanks.  Not interested in being the next Twitter hashtag.  We call the police only when we’re prepared for someone to get shot when they show up.”

Marcy wrung her hands.

“Not to mention,” said Colin, “do you really want a bunch of people who might be interested in searching the house over here?  That would only increase the chances that someone spots Thistle.  Not to mention if the police get involved, it’s a whole thing that will bring even more attention to his stupid internet show.”

Thistle pinned his ears back on his head.

“Okay,” said Marcy miserably.  “But then what do we do?”

“Okay,” said Teddy.  “Everyone listen to me.  We have to do one thing.”

All eyes were on her.

“Stonewall him.  Give him the cold shoulder.  The silent treatment.  Whatever you want to call it.  We say not one damn word more to him, pretend he isn’t there.  He’ll get bored eventually and leave.  We’re not feeding the trolls any more.”

“Okay,” said Marcy.  “That sounds easy enough.  It’d just be a matter of not talking to him as I walk to my car for me.  I work every day this week, and the building is only accessible to people with student or staff IDs.”

“Me too,” said Teddy.  “I work Wednesday-Thursday-Friday.  He’d have to come in through the hospital entrance, since the back doors are all staff only, and they’d turn him away for sure.”

“Me too,” said Colin.  “I work all three days since my shift last week was canceled.  I’m outside, but I’m also moving around a lot.”

All three humans stared at each other awkwardly.

“Shit,” said Teddy.  “We can’t leave him home alone, can we?  Not with that maniac parked outside.”

“Surely he won’t break in,” said Marcy.

“Sure,” said Colin.  “Just like how the guy at the electronic store surely won’t give your home address out.”

Marcy mentally made a note that she might be able to press a lawsuit once this had blown over.  At the very least, she would be switching service providers.

Thistle wrung his hands.  “I–I think I’ll be okay.  I can hide.”

“Nope,” said Teddy.  “When we first met, I found you and I wasn’t even looking for you.  I’d rather not risk that.”

Thistle glowered, but swallowed his protest that he could have hidden fine if Mochi hadn’t been loose in the house.

“I don’t suppose you can just work from home?” said Colin hopefully to Marcy.

She bit her lip and shook her head.  “I–Well, if I really needed to, if it’s an emergency of course I would but…I have so many dissections I need to get done this week.  I can’t stay home for three whole days.”

“I don’t have any sick time left to call out,” Teddy said grimly.

“I’ll–I’ll go with you to work,” said Thistle, standing up ramrod straight and putting on his bravest face.  “One of you can take me with you, surely.”

The three humans looked at each other.  Marcy muttered, “I guess that might work…”

“If you come with me, you’ll have to stay in my purse the whole time,” said Teddy.  “Four people sit in my office.  You’d have to be quiet the whole day.”

“I hesitate to bring you to work with me,” said Marcy.  “Considering the, uh…nature of the work I do.  Buuuut…if I can do doubletime today and tomorrow, the lab should be empty on Friday if I can convince the undergrads not to come in.”

“Yeah!!” Colin roared.  “Then today he can come with me!”  He picked Thistle up and held him aloft.  “Boy’s night!!”

Thistle steadied himself in Colin’s hand.  “Right…”

“Come on, T, it’ll be OK.  I can keep you safe.  Everyone is always a zillion miles away from me during the day, and there’s not usually anyone home.”

“Oooh, wait!” Thistle cried.  “Will the fish tank be okay if he tries to get in and we’re not home?”

They all looked at him.  He drew his arms in towards himself, blushing fiercely.

“Why would he do anything to the fishtank if he broke in?” said Colin.

Jewel had his disguise magic.  He would be fine.  Right?  Thistle hadn’t had much opportunity to check in with him since this all started.  He was sure Jewel would just say he’d be fine, though; he would refuse any help, surely.

“I–I–I don’t know,” said Thistle, shuffling his feet.  “I don’t know why he’d mess with the fish tank.  I was just worried he might.”

Colin ruffled his hair.  “I think the fish will be okay, and your silkworms will be, too.”

“So that’s it, then,” said Teddy.  “We just hunker down and wait him out.  Right?”

They all looked at each other, nodding.

“Well then,” said Marcy.  “Shall we?”

***

Robert was sitting in his van outside their house, technically on public property, talking to the camera on his phone, when the front door opened and all three of them spilled out at once.

“Oh, excuse me!” said Robert, throwing his door open and waving.  “I know you couldn’t talk yesterday but I was wondering if–”

Marcy hustled past him to get to her own car, sitting down and locking the doors as soon as she was in without a word.  Colin had reached his truck and was starting the engine by the time Teddy finished double checking that the front door was locked.

“You’re acquaintances with Marcella, right?” he said, hounding Teddy as she hopped and skipped across the stones on the walkway.

“I’m not at liberty to say,” said Teddy, clambering into the passenger’s side door.  She shut it right in his disappointed face, and Colin had pulled the truck out and swung around before he could even decide where to point the camera.

***

The cold, metallic darkness keeping him trapped–something that would have once sent Thistle into spirals of anxiety–parted, and a wave of heat came in.

Thistle squinted at the bright light entering as Colin opened his lunchbox.  He shuffled away from the freezie packs that were keeping all his food cold.

“Hey!” said Colin.  “You ate the cheese out of my sandwich!”

Thistle sheepishly turned to the aforementioned sandwich, where little bite marks and evidence of tiny handfuls being removed were evident.  “It smelled really good.”

“Well, it’s whatever.”  He held out his hand for Thistle to step into.  “We’re doing a really fancy house today.  Get a load of this.”

The world went up and Thistle saw out the truck window: a positively enormous house, three floors at least, with several add-ons, a spacious lawn with a pool and a hot tub, surrounded by hedges boxing it in.  It was positively luxurious.

Thistle sniffed at it.  “What makes it so nice?”

Colin blinked.  “Well, it–it’s big.”

“And…?”

“And expensive!”

Thistle looked at the bare lawn disapprovingly.  “It doesn’t even have fruit trees or anything.”

“Well–Well I think you just have a different idea of what makes a house fancy.  That’s OK.  I mean of course you wouldn’t be impressed by a house just because it was big, I guess.”

Colin took him out of the car and set him on top of the mailbox overlooking the lawn Colin was about to cut.  “Mark might be showing up later, but I told him I could do the lawn and hedges by myself no problem.”

Thistle nodded and sat down.  “I still don’t understand exactly what you do for your job.”

“Landscaping.”

Thistle kicked his feet.  “Right, but…You come and cut down the plants?”

“I don’t cut them down.  Just back a little.”

“Because they’re growing too tall?”

“Yeah.”

“But you’re not harvesting them or anything?  You don’t use it for anything?”

Colin scratched his head.  “Well, no.”

“Then why are these plants here?”

“Well, because they look nice.”

Thistle looked scornfully at the lawn.  “We do have different ideas about what makes a house fancy.”

“Well–Well that’s OK,” Colin said, caught off guard.  “You don’t have to like it.  I’m just gonna go attack it for a bit with the trimmers.”

Thistle watched as Colin took out what appeared to be an enormous pair of scissors from the back of his truck and started cutting the hedges.  He hunched over, suddenly wishing he’d brought some paper and pencils so he could draw or something.  He’d been so focused on getting past the guy in the van on the way out he hadn’t even considered what he would actually do all day watching Colin…

…attack plants.

After watching him painstakingly trim the bushes into a neat and artificial shape–which Thistle honestly thought looked quite dreadful–Colin brought out the lawnmower.  He warned Thistle that it was loud, to which Thistle responded all sounds were loud to him.  Colin then shrugged and turned the machine on, after which Thistle desperately shouted about how loud it was.  Colin offered to put him back in the car and shut the door to muffle the noise, but Thistle complained that the car would get to be like a hundred degrees.

“All right then, smart guy,” said Colin.  “What do you want me to do then, because I have a pair of earmuffs but they…uh…the size….”  He trailed off, looking at something over Thistle’s shoulder in the distance.  “Shit!” he suddenly yelped, then grabbed Thistle with an overeager hand, slapped the mailbox open, and ungracefully tossed him inside, slamming it shut behind him.  A familiar white van was pulling into the driveway.

Colin hustled back over to the lawn mower and acted like he hadn’t been doing anything.  The van rumbled to a stop behind his truck, and Robert got out.  “Hi there!”

Colin glared at him, pulling the mower and bending down to pull the ripcord to start it.

“I was hoping you might have some time to answer a few questions–”

His remaining words were drowned out by the sound of the lawnmower as Colin started to push it over the lawn, spitting grass everywhere.  Robert shuffled to the side to avoid his feet being buried.

Colin made a lap around the yard, coming back to find that Robert was standing directly in his path.  Colin made a waving motion to signal to him to move, but he didn’t budge.

Colin sighed and stopped the lawnmower.  He looked tiredly into the camera Robert was already using to film him.  “This is private property.”

“I’m legally allowed to film anything I can see from public property.”

Colin seethed, not knowing enough about law to know if that was right or not.  “Well–Well it doesn’t matter!  You’re on private property!”

“I’m just asking questions, sir, that’s all I’m doing.  You’re being filmed right now, I’m getting this all on camera.”

“Look,” said Colin.  “This isn’t even my private property this time, it’s someone else’s, and they barely want me on it to mow their lawn, let alone you doing…”  He waved his hands to Robert’s whole body.  “...your thing.”

Robert leaned on the mailbox.  Thistle’s eye peeked out of a microscopic crack, getting a good eyeful of the interloper’s hairy forearm. 

Colin walked over and made like he was going to smack Robert’s arm off the mailbox.  “Don’t touch that.”

“You see that folks, he’s already threatening me,” said Robert.  He had the tone of voice of someone absolutely convinced they were in the right, but he still took a few steps back, as though he’d anticipated Colin would be an easier target.  “The left preaches tolerance, but as soon as you start asking questions–”

“You need to leave.”

“This is public property.”

“It’s not, it’s really explicitly not.”

“I’m just asking questions, sir, that’s all I’m doing.”

“You followed me to work to harass me.”

Robert turned the camera around to address it directly.  “He went so far as to lug this equipment to someone else’s lawn, to make it look like he actually works in landscaping.  Maybe this goes deeper than I thought.”

Looking on the verge of apoplexy, Colin walked over the mailbox and opened it.  Robert was standing behind it, so he couldn’t see the shocked expression on the face of the fairy crouching among the mail.

“I thought you said you didn’t live here, but you’re getting the mail. Curious.  I’m getting this all on camera, you seeing this?”

“I’m removing the mail because I’m about to turn the sprinklers on,” said Colin.  “And I don't want it to get wet.”

He curled up the junk mail and flyers in the mailbox up around Thistle, squishing him out of sight.  He slammed the mailbox shut with the mail bundled against his chest. 

Dragging the hedge trimmers behind him with his other hand, Colin approached the truck.  Robert followed, continuing to press him to answer questions.  Colin opened the truck and tossed the mail in, then slammed the door shut and locked it before circling around back and throwing the hedge trimmers into the bed.

Robert leaned over to examine the tools in the truck bed.  “Interesting assortment of equipment you got there.”

“They’re for work.”

Thistle stayed huddled underneath the seat next to the mail where he’d been tossed down.  The two men’s voices started to get fainter as they apparently moved away from the truck.  He cautiously crept out, looking up between the seats.  All was quiet, the voices faint.

Thistle crawled under the seat, under the armrest, staying hidden as long as possible until he could stand on the door handle and peek up out the window.

Colin and Robert were a ways away.  Colin had a garden hose and was using it to water some bushes nearby.  Robert hovered behind him, apparently unfazed.  Their voices were muffled and too far away to make out the words, but after a few moments, Colin turned around and drenched Robert with the hose, a very "oops, did I do that?" look on his face.

***

Some other human eventually came and chased Robert away–Thistle couldn't tell who it was from this distance, but Colin seemed supremely irritated either way when he came back.  He found Thistle still hiding under the seat, and let him crouch there as he drove them both home.

The incident did make Colin say that Mark would probably be sticking more closely to him the next day, and this next house had a smaller lawn anyway.  Marcy still hadn't finished all the preparations to make sure she was the only one in the lab for a day, so for day two, into Teddy's purse he went.

He didn't come out until lunch. Teddy set her bags on the table and unzipped the top.

Thistle burst out, covered in graphite smears, because this time he'd thought to bring something to occupy himself with.  "Teddy!  I have something new for the Etsy shop!"

"Oh yeah? Let's see it."

Thistle proudly held up a rumpled piece of paper smudged with incomprehensible shapes.  After a moment, he turned it around, examining it critically.  "Hmm…it looked a lot better when it was too dark to see and I was just imagining what it looked like."

Teddy took the slip of paper between her fingers, holding it up to the light.  “I think I see what you were going for, though.  I’m sure you can recreate it later.”

Thistle beamed, wings vibrating.

“Anyway,” said Teddy.  “This is my spot a zillion miles away from everyone else.  I usually eat lunch under this tree here.”

Thistle craned his neck to look at the tree far above, face delighted.  “It’s a wonderful tree, Teddy.  You picked a wonderful tree.”

“Uh, thanks.  And if anybody starts walking over here, we’ll have plenty of time for you to hop back inside.”

Thistle scaled up the bark, flickering his wings to assist.  “It’s been so long since I’ve been in a good tree.”

“What makes a tree good?  In your opinion.”

Thistle rustled some leaves up in the branches.

“Don’t go too far.  Marcy will kill me if I lose you.”

He peeked his head back out.  He’d put a little acorn cap on top of his head.  “A really good tree is…Too hard for things on the ground to climb, but easy for us to climb.  And it has long, thick branches good for climbing and anchoring a nest.  Er…”

“Oh, you meant a good tree for, like, nesting.”

“Not that you’ll be doing that, I mean…”

She shrugged.  “Who knows, maybe someday.”

“Teddy, if you nest, I’m sure you won’t use a tree for it.”

“Why not?  Apparently I’m really good at picking out trees for it.”

His face flushed.  “You’re too big, that’s why!  A tree isn’t what you need!”

She smiled.  “I’m just teasing you.  Come on down so we can eat.”

Thistle leapt, drifting down like a parachute, and landed on her knee.  “So what exactly do you do at work?  I kept peeking out of your bag and it looked like you were writing on papers and typing on a computer all day.”

“Do you know what a doctor is?”

Thistle nodded vigorously.

“I work in an office where people can come to see a doctor.  I help people as they come in, and fill out paperwork and stuff.”

Thistle looked down at his ankles as Teddy got out her lunchbox.  “You…You guys all seem to have very specific jobs.”

Teddy’s hands paused.  “Huh?”

“Colin cuts plants.  You help people walk into a specific building.  Marcy looks at very, very specific chemicals.  I…don’t really get it.”

“You guys never did stuff like that?”

“No, not really…  With my family, I helped with foraging, and making clothes and building things.”

“You’re right, that does sound pretty vague.  Were you like a handyman?”

He shrugged.  “It was never really worth it to learn how to use magic when we had others who were better at it, and I was good at working with my hands.  We all just did what we were good at.”

“You can’t do magic?”

He dipped his head, ears drooping, blushing.  “No.”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed about it.  I can’t either.”  She unzipped her lunchbox.  “But like, could you learn?”

“Hm?  I mean, I guess.  It’d be hard with no one to teach me.”  He flushed again, biting his lip.  The prey instincts crept back up whenever he talked about this.  The humans could probably force him to try magic if they wanted to, to take advantage of him…but no, he knew by now they wouldn’t do that.  He just had to make himself feel it.

It helped that Teddy brushed right past it…Maybe she saw the flickering discomfort on his face.  “Well, I guess we can have such hyper-specialized jobs because there’s so many of us, so we can focus on one really narrow thing.”  Teddy took out a sandwich, a bag of chips, a bag of baby carrots, and a tupperware container that had been taped shut. 

“Right.”  Thistle suddenly wished that Pixies formed big societies the way humans did.  It sounded nice.  He’d barely ever talked to anyone outside his own family before he’d met Marcy.  He’d never been to one, but a big city sounded wonderful.  A big swarm of humans, all working together to help each other?  They must get so much done!  It was basically a super-hive!

“Well, enough about that, let’s eat.”  Teddy untaped the container and opened it to reveal a ziploc bag, which she opened and from which she removed a second, smaller bag, which was also taped shut.  Inside that bag was a wad of paper towels, which Teddy unwrapped to reveal a small plastic container with a few mealworms inside.  She slid it over to Thistle, who clapped with excitement.

Teddy gave him one baby carrot and a potato chip, then unwrapped her sandwich.  She took a bite, sighing.  “This is kind of nice.  I usually eat lunch by myself.”

“Oh no!” said Thistle.  “That sounds horrible.  I hate eating alone.”   He had already eviscerated a mealworm, which he suddenly became conscious of and turned to hide it from Teddy. 

“Yeah.”  She gently bumped him with her pinky finger.  “Even if your food can be kind of gross, your company is nice.”

Thistle crossed his arms.  “You’re one to talk.”

Teddy looked down at her lunch, baffled.  “What, my sandwich?”

Thistle crinkled his nose and pointed.  “It smells like dead meat.���

Teddy lifted the bun slightly.  “What, cuz it has ham on it?”

“Yeah.”  Thistle crunched on a bit of exoskeleton.  “Imagine if I suddenly up and drank the bottle of nail polish remover.  That’s what it smells like.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t smell like that.”  Nevertheless, she gave it a sniff.  “Have you even tried it?”

Thistle tapped his fingers together.  “I don’t really eat red meat.  Anything that’s a vertebrate, really.  And even then, I really only eat stuff that’s freshly killed.  I’m a forager, not a scavenger.”

“Being freshly killed makes it better?”

“It makes it safer.”  He wrinkled his face.  “Since I know it hasn’t been sitting around rotting in the sun for hours.”

Teddy slid a slice of ham off her sandwich.  “I mean…I know that about this, because that’s how we process meat.”

Thistle shrugged.  “Well, whatever.  I mean, I’m not saying you can’t eat it.  That’s just not really what I eat.”

“Well, can you not eat it, or do you just not want to?”

He held up a worm.  “Same question for you about this worm.”

Teddy and Thistle looked at each other with morbid curiosity.

“I’ll try yours if you try mine,” said Thistle.

“Deal,” said Teddy.

Teddy ripped a shred of meat off and held it out, and Thistle swapped her for a wriggling worm–he’d picked what in his opinion was the best one.

Teddy held the worm up between her long, painted nails.  “I’m suddenly second-guessing myself.”

Thistle held the meat with both hands, looking like he was going to gag.  “Me too.”

“On three.”

They counted to three and bit down.  Thistle immediately spat it back out, letting out a few curses in his native language.  Teddy handled hers slightly better, chewing slowly and flickering her tongue out with an exaggerated smacking.  “Mmm…Hmmm it’s…”

“What did you put in this?  It tastes salty.”

“That’s the salt!  It keeps it fresh.”

Thistle dropped the sliver of meat into the grass.  Teddy gracefully turned and spat out the contents of her mouth.  Wiping her mouth on a napkin, Teddy suddenly sat bolt upright at the sight of a white van in the hospital parking lot.  “Ah…fuck!  Really?  Really?”

Thistle spotted the source of her ire and darted back into her purse.  Teddy instantly piled the contents of her lunchbox back in, zipping it up and slinging it over her shoulder, taking her purse in the other, lunch over in an instant.

Robert could be seen stepping out of the van, shutting the door and crossing the lawn to where Teddy had been sitting.  Teddy started walking back towards the building, arcing around awkwardly to avoid him.

Robert picked up his pace, “Excuse me!”

Teddy pretended not to hear him, also picking up her pace a bit.

“Can I ask you something?”

“The information desk is that way,” Teddy said, pointing at the hospital main entrance.

“No, I-”

Teddy sped up into a power walk to cross the last few yards to the employee entrance.  She swiped her card, stepped in, and shut the glass door behind her.

Robert reached it a few seconds later, trying the handle, knowing it was locked but trying anyway.  He gave up after a moment and tapped the glass where Teddy was still standing, looking at him.  “Excuse me!” he said, voice muffled.  “Can’t you talk for just a minute?”

“Sure!” said Teddy.  “Just a sec.”

Without breaking eye contact with him, Teddy reached over and picked up the phone on the wall next to her, punching in a number and holding the handpiece to her face, finger in the cord.  “Hello, security?”

———————————–

Tag list

@cloudwatchingtoday   @theepiccreatorofmagic-blog-blog  @waitisthatgt @itssmoltime @ratcatcher0325  @alarcomet  @borrowerbecca @crazytinygirl @bittykimmy13 @cheeseybeans8 @whumpsday @theroyaleemily @kitn-underfoot @lucentbliss

@cheeseybeans8

#g/t #gt #gianttiny #giant/tiny #fairy #size difference #fluff #fearplay #angst #hurt/comfort #angst with a happy ending #my writing #my original writing #watch your step

[thewriteflame]

15 Questions, 15 Tags

Thank you @emelkae for the tag! ^^

Rules: Answer these 15 questions as yourself or as an OC, then tag 15 mutuals.

Tagging: @blue-kyber @megarywrites @pinespittinink @moonscribbler @lucysnotebook @jamieanovels @the-finch-address @isherwoodj and open tag

Since I prematurely started And They Were Roommates I've decided to do my "little prince." I will base the answers around the beginning of the novel/series.

---

The rising influencer, Jayme Matthews, enters the empty classroom enthusiastically, apologizing for his lateness with an iced latte. His iron curled, shoulder length raven hair bounces as he plops into the chair across from me. His feminine beauty and friendly air add to the allure of this eccentric freshman who has quickly become the talk of the art college. I have taken it upon myself to interview him as part of my project for the school paper.

Jayme starts to fidget with a purple and gold bracelet as I set up my recorder.

Are you named after anyone? 

"Nope!" He responds, brightly, kicking his feet out. "My mom thought Jayme with a y was a cute name so she took the chance to name me it. And she was right, it is the best name!"

When was the last time you cried? 

"Oh, uhm..." He pauses to think and switches to playing with the hem of his royal purple Gucci top. "I forgot!" He finally says after a moment with a chuckle. "But I do cry a lot so it probably wasn't that long ago."

Do you have kids? 

Jayme giggles, a hand over his mouth. "I really want a daughter some day. I want to name her Violet or Lily, after my favorite flowers."

Do you use sarcasm? 

"When I want to, yes." He nods, taking the question seriously. "But Takashti- he's my roommate and best friend- uses it far more than I do."

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Jayme thinks for a moment, his eyes going to the ceiling. "Oh!" He sits up straight. "Their outfit! I always notice someone's outfit! And how I could make it better."

Self-confidence seems to be something Jayme is not short on.

What’s your eye color?

"It's sort of a blue-ish violet isn't it?" Jayme asks, tilting his head and staring at me with wide eyes. The violet in them pop with all the purples in his outfit and make-up. "It's the prettiest color in the entire world." I can't help but agree, they are some of the most striking eyes I've ever seen. "It was my mom's favorite color." He adds with a sad smile.

Scary movies or happy endings?

Jayme blanches at the question. "Anything but scary or sad movies!" he says fervently. "I can't handle scary movies."

Any special talents?

Jayme laughs as if the question is a no-brainer. "Everything about me is a special talent." He seems rather proud of his answer.

Where were you born?

"Oh, you know, California." He looks down as he mutters, "I've never left California."

What are your hobbies?

Jayme starts counting on his fingers as he says them one by one, "Designing clothes, putting outfits together, cosplay, playing games with Nim and Cris, watching anime, reading manga, and uh... Oh! Social media! I like posting things and taking pictures."

Have you any pets?

"I just have my plush squirrel, Ella. Do you want to see a picture of her?" Before I can respond Jayme pulls out his phone, his case pale blue with a glittery violet crown. I can't help but note that his cute and unsurprisingly purple squirrel has more followers on Instagram than I do. In each picture I see she's dressed in a little jacket or dress, bows and necklaces completing each look. It's an impressive wardrobe for a plushie living inside a dorm.

What sports do you play/have played?

"I don't do well with sports... plus there's hardly any sports with cute outfits! I think there's just tennis and cheer-leading. I was banned from the tennis court in high school."

"Banned from the tennis court in high school?" I ask, curious about the story.

"Oh, yes. I kept hitting the teacher with the ball, no matter where he went. And then I managed to hit the ball really hard through a hole in the fence and broke one of the school's windows."

How tall are you?

"I'm far too tall." Jayme replies with a sigh. "I wish I was short and cute, like my best friend, Nim."

Favorite subject in school?

"Art is always the best! Even if it the first class cut when school funding is low..." He rolls his eyes. "Of course football doesn't have that problem. It doesn't matter if the creative students get to have fun as long as the jocks can get all sweaty and brain-dead."

Dream job?

"I want to be a world famous designer and model!" Jayme bounces back from his earlier rant. "Nim and I will design clothes together and make this world a prettier, more fashionable place! And I'll be on magazines and-and talk shows. And we'll be-" he suddenly stops, a blush spreading across his face and ears. "Well, Nim and I will be the envy of everyone, won't we." He finishes, his grin somehow managing to be shy and confident.

#tag game #15 questions #oc: jayme #atwr intros