#and pang making peace with going back after all shes been through

[javiscigarette]

Bad Mood

Joel x f!reader (pre/no outbreak)

Summary: Based on this ask (thank u nonnie)!! Joel punishes bratty reader that's it

Warnings: SMUT! NSFW 18+ no use of Y/N, established relationship, straight up filth not much else, dom!Joel brat!reader, spanking, fingering, orgasm denial, oral (m receiving)

Word count: 3k

A/N: Using this as my 450 follower celebration! I'm so grateful for everyone who's followed me and enjoyed my silly little fics. I love this community <3. Also, this is relatively short but I am already planning a part two to this so stay tuned hehehe. my masterlist

Joel knew you were in a bad mood the second you walked through the door. 

The door slams behind you and carelessly toss your keys on the little entryway table. You keep your headphones on as you kick off your shoes and stomp off to the bedroom, not even bothering to look at Joel who’s sitting on the couch in the living room not even six feet away. 

Joel stays silent as he watches you stride down the hall to the bedroom, wincing just slightly when he hears the bedroom door slam shut. 

You keep your music blasting as you immediately change into your comfy clothes. Today was a horrible day at work. Your boss has been breathing down your neck for the last two weeks about a project you're working on, nitpicking every single detail and telling you to make a million changes. And today, despite all the edits and changes she told you to make, she still picked it apart, telling you that you were better off restarting the whole thing. 

And now you were left with a day and a half to “fix” this project before it’s due. So yeah, you were in a bit of a bad mood. 

After changing, it’s straight to stress cleaning. With your headphones on, you storm back into the kitchen and start to pull out all of the cleaning supplies from under the sink. Your music is loud enough that you don’t hear Joel clearing his throat behind you. You only notice that he’s there whenever you stand up and turn around. He says something to you and looks at you expectedly, forcing you to stop your music. 

“What?” you snap at him, ripping out one of your ear buds. 

Joel raises his eyebrows at you and holds up his hands in innocence.  “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Your narrow your eyes at him because how dare he interrupt you right now with his genuine love and care for you. 

“No.” you reply firmly, putting your earbud back in. 

You go to start cleaning, but Joel is saying something else before you can even pick up the rag. 

You rip your earbud out again and actually snap at him this time with a “What Joel?!”  

Joel tilts his head with his eyebrows raised, giving you a silent warning to lose the attitude. 

But the last thing you need right now is someone else telling you what to do. 

“Can I please just clean the damn kitchen in peace?” you ask, your words biting a little harder than you intended but you don’t care. 

Joel stares at you for a good five seconds, his jaw subtly shifting and clenching as he grinds his teeth. 

“Okay.”

That’s all he says before turning away and walking out of the room. 

You immediately feel a pang of guilt seeing him walk away, but the anger is quick to wash it away and cloud your head again. 

You spend the next thirty minutes scouring the kitchen from top to bottom. Every cabinet door and every drawer you open is shut with a slam and you scrub the countertops so vigorously that your arm is starting to get sore. 

Thinking he’s given you enough time, Joel comes back in, standing near you as you scrub away at the spot of burnt on food on the stovetop. You can see him in your peripheral, standing a foot or two away from you but you ignore him. You already told him to leave you alone once. 

He stands there for a few moments, trying to get you to look over at him but he eventually gives up and just takes out one of your earbuds. 

The saying “seeing red” never made much sense to you until just now. 

“What the hell, Joel!” you shout, finally turning to face him. The anger boils up inside of you and you can feel your whole body heat up you try to snatch your earbud back from him but he’s faster than you and holds it up high to where you can’t reach. 

“Joel I’m so fucking serious right now, just leave me alo-” 

Joel takes out your other earbud and tosses them to the counter behind him before you can say anything else. 

“Joel!” you nearly scream, your face red hot with anger now. 

“Quit acting like a fuckin’ brat” Joel says quietly, his tone serious and stern.

“I’m not being a fucking brat, you’re the one annoying the shit out of me right now” 

Joel’s eyes narrow, trying to mask his shock at your attitude. You’re rarely ever this angry and you almost never take it out on Joel like this. 

“Drop this attitude right now and I’ll give you one more chance and act like you didn’t just fucking say that” Joel says, his voice audibly tenser. 

You roll your eyes and reach for your earbuds again, but again, Joel is faster than you and pins your wrist to the counter with his hand. 

“Joel, just fuck off” you mutter. His grip on your wrist is so tight that your fingers are starting to tingle from the restricted blood flow. You look up at him and immediately realize how fucked you are. His face is hard as stone, a deep frown tugging at his lips while he stares holes into your own eyes. 

“Okay, baby. You want to act like a brat, I’ll treat you like a fuckin’ brat” Joel spits before tugging harshly on your wrist and dragging you out of the kitchen. 

“Joel, I am not in the mood right now” you say as he leads you to the living room, nearly pulling your arm out of socket as he does. 

“I don’t give a fuck.” Joel says firmly. He stops near the couch and release his grasp on your wrist. 

“Now get on your knees and shut that mouth up with my cock.” 

You snort at his words and laugh right in his face. 

“You think I’m going to blow you right now? You’re the one who should be apologizing to me” you snarl, accusingly poking him in the chest to emphasize your words.  

Joel is still as a rock as he stares at you again, the darkness in his eyes already starting to break down some the resolve inside of you. 

“You’re gonna regret that, baby.” Joel whispers from behind clenched teeth. 

Without another word, Joel grips your wrist once again and steps towards the couch. He sits down and pulls you until you’re standing in front of him before pulling down your shorts and panties in one go. He then pulls you down into his lap and even though you try to fight back, Joel is a lot stronger than you and easily maneuvers you until you’re on your stomach laying across his lap with your face pressed against the couch cushion and your ass in the air. Joel keeps a firm hand on the back of your neck, pinning your head to the couch with your face smushed against the cushion. 

He uses his other hand to rub your ass, the soft shorts you put on earlier easily riding up and exposing most of your skin. You try to wiggle out of his grasp but there’s no use. He’s not letting go of you now. 

“How many do you think you deserve?” Joel asks, his voice steady and calm again now that he has you like this. 

You don’t say anything, just humph and try to squirm out from underneath his hold again. Bad idea. The grip on the back of your neck tightens and then the room is filled with the loud crack of his hand coming down heavy on your ass. 

You yelp in surprise, tingles of pain radiating from the spot here he spanked you. Your determination to keep up this attitude is quickly crumbling. Joel knew exactly how to put you back in your place. 

“I think at least 10” Joel says before delivering two more harsh smacks to both cheeks. You bite back a whimper, still enough willpower to try and not let him see how affected you actually are. “Starting now.” 

Your eyes roll back, and your brows furrow deeply as he gives you another hard spank. The moan in your throat comes out through your nose as a sharp exhale as you keep wiggling in his lap. 

Joel’s hand comes down on you again, the loud sound echoing in the otherwise silent house. “And we’re gonna start over if you don’t count them for me.” 

Another spank has your eyes squeezing shut. “That’s three then” you pant.  

“Nope, we’re starting from the beginning” Joel says before connecting his palm to your ass again. “That’s one.” 

You try twisting out of his grip once again and his next smack is even harder. 

“Stop trying to escape or I’m gonna add more. Now count for me” 

You stop wiggling, slowly starting to accept defeat. 

“Two.” 

Joel hums in approval and lands another harsh smack to your cheek. 

“Three” you say obediently, still trying to cover the tremor in your voice. You’re still fuming and the fact that he has you pinned down like this, completely unable to move is fueling your fire. 

Another smack.

“Four.” 

By the nineth, you’re clinging to the last shred of your control. Your cheeks are burning hot, your skin raised in the shape of Joel’s handprint. By now, you can feel him fully hard pressing against your abdomen. 

“Nine.” 

Joel can hear the tremble in your voice now, clear as day. He silently rubs his palm over your cheek, soothing the warm, swollen skin. 

His soft touch is gone as soon as it came, his fingers quickly finding your slit instead. With no warning, he plunges two fingers inside of you, easily curling his fingertips against your g-spot. 

“Yeah, I knew you’d be fuckin’ soaked” Joel says with a breathless chuckle as he keeps prodding against your spot, the lewd sounds of his fingers moving inside you echoing around the room. You cry out in surprise as Joel relentlessly punches his fingers against the spot that sends massive waves of hot liquid pleasure up your spine. You try to swallow your moans, still refusing to give in to him all the way and bite your lip until you taste the metallic tang of blood.  

“Just give it up, baby. I know you want to” Joel coos. And he’s right, you want nothing more than to just give it up and let him put you in your place. But you can’t give up just yet. This wasn’t the first time Joel has punished you and every time he does, there’s something inside you, an urge to find out how far Joel will take your punishments. 

So, you shake your head as much as you can with his hand still holding your neck against the couch cushion.

 Joel clicks his tongue disapprovingly letting you know that you made another bad choice. You suppress a groan when he pulls his fingers out of you. He takes his hand off your neck and grips both of your cheeks and spreads you open. You quietly hiss at the bite of the cold air against your burning wet heat. 

“Such a pretty pussy” Joel whispers as he leans over to get a good look. It takes everything in you not to moan and wiggle your hips in his face as he keeps you spread open and inspects you. 

Then there’s the sound of Joel spitting behind you. You swallow thickly, pushing down another moan once you feel the warm liquid dribble onto your skin and slide down between your cheeks. Your chest tightens at the sensation, and you bite your cheek as a hot wave of arousal crashes down over you. 

He sits up straight again, his hand quickly coming back to wrap around the back of your neck and hold you in place again. With his other hand, he finds your puckered hole and rubs over it with the pad of his thumb, using his spit as lube. You let out one small whine when the tip of it catches on your rim. 

“C’mon, angel. Lemme hear those pretty sounds and I’ll let you cum” Joel presses.

You can’t possibly hold out any longer. Not with your skin hot and burning from your spanking, his fingers pushing hard against your g-spot, his thumb teasing your asshole and the big, strong hand holding you down by your fucking neck. 

There’s nothing you can do to stop the loud moan that tumbles past your lips as he moves his fingers reach deeper inside of you until he presses a spot even deeper inside you. 

“There it is” Joel sighs, his chest swelling with pride as you tremble and start to fall apart underneath him. “That’s a good girl.” 

He stays in position for a little longer, your pretty sounds filling the room as he gives you exactly what you need. You’re already close because of course Joel knows how to get you there in just a couple of minutes. He knows your body almost better than his, knows what makes you tick and recognizes all of your signs. 

So, it’s not surprising that he hears the specific moans and can feel the way that you clench around his fingers, wordlessly letting him know that you’re about to reach the edge. 

And it shouldn’t be surprising when he suddenly slips his fingers out of you and lands a final smack to your ass, heavier and louder than all the others, but it still makes you cry out. You whimper at the loss of his touch and the way the burning pain radiating from his hits mixes so deliciously with the pleasure coursing through your veins. 

“Count, angel” Joel says calmly, giving you a friendly reminder that you’re still in trouble.  Five minutes ago, you would’ve ripped his head off for saying that. But obeying is a lot easier when you’re teetering on the edge of an orgasm. 

“Ten. Ten, sir. Thank you” you mewl. You know that he’s probably not going to let you cum soon. You’ve been here enough times to know that much. Still, you wiggle your hips, hoping that he’d go easy on you and slide his fingers back inside you. But Joel is not known for going easy on anyone.

“Good girl using your manners” Joel praises. “But you were a very bad girl earlier. Do you think bad girls deserve to cum?” he asks, quickly washing away any of your hopes of an orgasm in the near future. 

Joel doesn’t say anything else as he maneuvers you again, pushing your legs to the ground and holding down on your shoulders until you’re kneeling in front of him while he remains seated on the couch. 

You look up at him with wide eyes, your chest heaving as your knees dig into the hardwood floors underneath you as you stay still and quietly wait for his instructions. You have no fight left in you, completely surrendering to him just in hopes of being able to cum at least once tonight. 

Joel smiles down at you and cups your jaw. You immediately nuzzle against his palm and bat your eyelashes innocently at him. 

“Now suck my cock like a good girl I know you are.” 

You follow Joel’s command easily and reach for the waistband of his sweatpants. You pull down his pants and boxers to his mid-thigh, his hard cock slapping up against his lower abdomen. 

With no other preface, you take him in your mouth, your lips wrapped around his tip as you roll your tongue all around his sensitive head. And apparently that’s more than enough teasing for Joel because his hand comes up to the back of your head and forces you down his length. 

You gag at the sudden intrusion and try to quickly recover, not wanting to give Joel another reason to punish you more. His hand remains heavy on your head, holding you in place with his cock down your throat as you drool around him for a few more seconds, your cunt throbbing between your legs as he uses you. 

“Gonna fuck that attitude right out your smart little mouth” Joel huffs. 

You give a small nod, and he lets go of your head, letting you pull off for a breath. He watches you intently as gasp for air, smirking when you start to cough. 

“My cock too big for you, angel?” Joel teases as he brings a thumb to the corner of your mouth to wipe up your drool before pushing it back in your mouth. You shake your head no and Joel smiles at you and removes his thumb so you can talk. 

“No, sir. I can take it” you reply breathlessly. 

“Yeah, I know you can, angel. Now show me how good you can be for me.” 

With another small nod you take him back in your mouth. His hand returns to the back your head and he rolls his hips up, pushing himself down your throat.

You stay as still as possible, keeping your mouth and throat open and letting Joel fuck your throat. You’ve had him in your mouth almost every day since the first month you met him, but your jaw already starts to ache like it’s impossible to get used to the sheer size of his cock. Drool starts to spill out of the corner of your mouth again and you shamelessly let it run down your chin.

Joel shows no mercy, bucking up into you like he’s completely disregarding the fact that you need to breathe. But you know he’s not. You know he has a careful eye on you, watching for signs that he’s pushing you too far. 

“Takin’ me so well, angel. Knew you could be good for me” Joel grunts, encouraging you to keep going as the hand on your head briefly pets your hair. 

All the anger that had been building for the past couple of days has dissipated. All the stress about your job and your ridiculous boss were miles away and now the only thing you're thinking about is Joel's thick cock down your throat.

You stay there for what feels like forever and allow him to use you as he pleases. Your neglected pussy clenches desperately around nothing, slick leaking down your thighs because how could you not be turned on with Joel using you like his personal fucktoy. 

You’re now drooling everywhere, absolutely soaking his cock as you breathe heavily through your nose, your eyelids heavy. And as much as Joel wants to continue to fuck your mouth until your jaw breaks, he can’t hold back his own pleasure for much longer. 

After a couple more thrusts down your throat, he abruptly pulls out and His hand is a blur as you watch him fist himself for a couple of seconds until he starts to cum. His moans and little whimpers send fire straight to your core as he paints your face with hot ropes of cum. He’s messy with it, letting it get everywhere, your chin, your mouth, your cheeks, and your hair. You mewl quietly and press your thighs together searching for any sort of friction on your dripping pussy as Joel marks you, claiming you as his.  

You patiently wait for him come back down, listening his quiet groans as he pumps out every drop. 

Finally, with a heavy sigh, he leans back against the couch and drops his hand from your head again. 

“You look so pretty all covered in my cum, angel” Joel says with a lopsided smile. You smile sweetly back at him, your eyelashes fluttering against your flushed cheek. He swipes a thumb through the mess on your cheek and slides it past your lips. You suck his thumb clean, swallowing down everything he gives you. 

He revels in the sensation of you suckling on his thumb for a little bit before slipping it out with a soft pop. You look up at him, waiting for his next instruction with the hopes of having your own release soon. 

“Knew you could be good, angel. Now go finish cleaning the kitchen and then I’ll think about letting you cum.” 

Your jaw drops as you stare up at him with wide eyes. Joel just laughs cruelly at your expression. 

“But...but Joel, please I want-”

“Should’ve thought about that earlier, angel. You know bad girls don’t get to cum. Now get up and finish cleaning” Joel says with a sickeningly sweet tone. You blink at him a few more times hoping he’d miraculously change his mind. 

But he doesn’t. So, with your attitude completely gone now, you follow his directions and shakily stand up. You give him one more pathetic, pleading look but he just smirks back at you. Accepting defeat, you turn and walk back to the kitchen.  

“And don’t even think about cleanin’ your face yet” Joel calls out from behind you. 

Ty for reading hugs and smoochies for all of you!!!

#joel miller smut #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller #joel miller one shot #the last of us #Pedro pascal #pedro pascal smut #javiscigarette

[mysweetlixe]

Secret child

Words: 5.2k

Chan couldn't find peace in its gentle light. Instead, he lay in bed, scrolling through Instagram until a familiar face caught his attention. In the photo, you were smiling, holding a little girl with curly hair and chubby cheeks.

As Chan gazed at the little girl, he noticed her dark hair and shaped eyes, just like Y/N. But as she smiled up at him with a mischievous glint in her eye, he saw his own playfulness reflected back at him.Chan's heart began to race as he realized that this little girl was his daughter.

His mind raced with a mix of emotions - fear, shock, joy. He couldn't believe that Y/N had kept her existence from him all this time and yet here she was, smiling up at him from the photo.

With trembling fingers, Chan pulled out his phone and searched through his contacts until he found Y/N's name. His heart was beating so fast, he almost dropped the phone as he pressed the call button - something he never thought he would do again after their messy breakup.When you answered, Chan could hear the surprise in your voice.

After a few moments of awkward silence , Chan finally found the courage to speak. "Y/N, I saw the photo of our daughter. I can't believe you never told me about her." His voice was shaky and filled with emotion.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Y/N finally spoke. "Chan, I didn't want to burden you with the responsibility of being a father. You have your own career and life to focus on."

Chan felt a pang of hurt at Y/N's words. "You didn't even give me a choice in the matter. I could have been there for you and our daughter."

Y/N's voice softened as she spoke. "I know, and I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. But things were complicated back then, and I was scared. Scared of what you would say, scared of how you would react. But I never wanted to keep her from you. She deserves to have a relationship with her father."

Chan let out a deep sigh, his mind racing with a million thoughts and emotions. He couldn't believe he had a daughter, and the fact that Y/N had kept her hidden from him made him feel a mix of anger and hurt.

But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of joy and excitement at the prospect of being a father.

"I want to meet her," Chan said finally, his voice firm. "I want to be a part of her life."

There was a moment of silence before Y/N spoke again. "I want that too, Chan. I want you to be a part of her life.But you have to understand that it won't be easy. She's only three years old and she's been without a father figure for her entire life. It's going to take time for her to adjust to having you around."

Chan nodded, even though he knew Y/N couldn't see him. "I understand. I just want to be there for her, to be the father that I should have been all along."

Y/N's voice was soft and gentle as she spoke. "I know you will be, Chan. And I'm not going to lie - it won't be easy. But it's worth it, for her. And for us."

Chan felt a sense of relief wash over him. He had been terrified that Y/N wouldn't want him in their daughter's life, but now that she had agreed, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

"I'll come over tomorrow," Chan said finally, his voice filled with determination. "I want to meet her, and I want to start making up for lost time."

Y/N's voice was filled with emotion as she replied. "Thank you, Chan. That means everything to me."

Minho sat outside at a small bistro, sipping his espresso and staring off into the distance. He couldn't help but think about Y/N, the girl he had lost five years ago. They had shared an unforgettable night together, but she disappeared from his life afterwards without a word.

Suddenly, a child yanked on Minho's sleeve, causing him to startle out of his thoughts. The little boy looked up at him with big brown eyes and, The young boy's voice trembled as he spoke, tears welling in his eyes.

"I'm lost, can you help me find my mom?" Minho's heart softened at the sight of the scared child, and he knelt down to be eye level with him. "Of course, let's find your mom," he said gently, taking the boy's tiny hand in his own and leading him through the crowded streets.

As they walked, Minho couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility for the child. He knew that he had to help him find his mother.

After a few minutes of wandering, they finally came across a woman who was frantically searching for her son. As Minho approached her with the little boy in tow, she let out a sigh of relief and ran to embrace her child.

Minho looked around for the boy's mother, but he couldn't find her anywhere. So he bent down and asked the little boy, "What's your mom's name?"

The boy replied, "My mom's name is Y/N." Minho felt his heart skip a beat as he stared at the child in shock.

The thought of Y/N having a child was overwhelming for Minho. He had always wondered what had happened to her after that night they spent together. He couldn't believe that she had kept this a secret from him.

But as he looked at the little boy, he saw Y/N's eyes staring back at him, and he felt a sense of connection to the child that he couldn't explain.

He looked into her eyes and felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he realized that she had been carrying this secret all these years. But before he could say anything else, Y/N hugged him tightly and burst into tears.

"Thank you for bringing my son back to me," she sobbed. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Minho's heart ached as he watched Y/N hug the little boy tightly and whisper words of love into his ear. As he looked at them together, it suddenly became clear to him that the child was his too.

He couldn't believe that he had a son, and the fact that Y/N had hidden him from him made him feel a mix of anger and hurt. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of joy and excitement at the prospect of being a father.

"Y/N, is he...is he mine?" Minho asked hesitantly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Y/N looked up at Minho, her eyes filled with tears. "Yes, he's yours," she said softly. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I was scared, I didn't know how you would react."

Minho felt a knot form in his stomach as he thought about the years he had missed with his son. "I don't know what to say," he said finally, his voice thick with emotion.Y/N looked at him, her eyes filled with understanding.

"I know it's a lot to take in. But he's a wonderful little boy, and he deserves to have a father in his life. I'm not asking you to make up for the past, but I want you to be a part of his life now."

Minho nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over him. "I want to be there for him, Y/N. I want to make up for lost time and be the father he deserves."

Y/N smiled through her tears, and Minho felt a sense of relief wash over him. He had been terrified that Y/N wouldn't want him in their son's life, but now that she had agreed, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

"I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner," Y/N said again, her voice trembling. "I just didn't know how to tell you, or how you would react."

Minho took her hand, feeling a sense of tenderness as he looked at her. "It's okay, Y/N. We'll figure this out together. And I promise to be there for our son and for you, always."

Changbin stepped into the party, laughter and music filled his ears. His close friend waved him over, but his eyes were drawn to Y/N standing with her boyfriend and a little girl in her arms.

She looked happy and content, completely unaware of Changbin's presence as he stood frozen in shock. He didn't expect to see her there, let alone with a child.

As the night progressed, Changbin couldn't take his eyes off of Y/N and the little girl. He felt a strange sense of sadness as he watched them together, and he was filled with questions as to who the child belonged to.

Finally, at the end of the night, Changbin mustered up enough courage to ask his friend about Y/N's daughter.

To his surprise, he found out that the child wasn’t her boyfriend's and Y/N never told anyone who the real father was Changbin's heart raced as he contemplated the possibility that he might be the father.

He wanted to approach Y/N and ask her directly, but he hesitated. He was scared of how she would react if it turned out he was the father, or even worse, what if he wasn't?

Finally, when all the guests had left for the night, Changbin decided to take a chance and confront Y/N about her daughter. His heart raced as he stepped towards her and pulled her aside.

"Y/N," he said nervously."I couldn't help but notice your daughter earlier. She's beautiful." Y/N looked at him with surprise, not expecting Changbin to bring up her daughter.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him. "She's my everything."Changbin took a deep breath, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. "Y/N, is it possible that she's mine?" he asked hesitantly.

Y/N's face fell as she looked at Changbin. "I can't believe you're asking me that now," she said softly."I'm sorry," Changbin said quickly. "I just needed to know.

I've been thinking about it all night."Y/N let out a sigh and looked down at the little girl in her arms. "Yes, she's yours," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

Changbin's heart skipped a beat as he heard those words. He couldn't believe it. He had a daughter."I'm so sorry," Y/N said, her voice trembling. "I wanted to tell you, I just didn't know how."

Changbin stepped closer and put his arm around her shoulders. "It's okay," he said softly. "We'll figure this out together." Y/N looked up at Changbin, her eyes filled with tears. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for understanding."

Changbin smiled at her, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

He had been terrified of how Y/N would react, but now that she had confirmed that he was the father, he felt a sense of joy and excitement at the prospect of being a parent.

"I want to be in her life, Y/N," Changbin said, his voice filled with determination. "I want to be the father she deserves."Y/N nodded, a small smile on her face. "I want that too," she said softly.

"I don't want her growing up without her father in her life. "Changbin took the little girl from Y/N's arms and looked down at her, feeling a sense of wonder as he stared into her eyes.

She looked so much like him, and he couldn't believe he had missed the first few years of her life. But now that he knew, he was determined to make up for lost time and be the best father he could be.

"We have a lot to figure out," Y/N said, her voice breaking the silence. Changbin nodded, still staring down at his daughter. "But we'll figure it out together."

As the three of them stood there, Changbin felt a newfound sense of purpose. He had a daughter, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she had the best life possible.

And he knew that he couldn't do it alone. But he was glad that Y/N was willing to work with him to make it happen. Together, they would figure everything out and give their daughter the love and support she needed.

Hyunjin sat cross-legged on a worn bench, sketchbook balanced on his lap and pencil flying across the page. He was so absorbed in capturing the curves of the trees and the play of light on the grass that he didn't notice the boy until he stood over him, curious about what he was drawing.The boy, dressed in a bright yellow t-shirt and jeans, smiled at Hyunjin.

"That looks really cool," he said with a grin. Hyunjin looked up from his sketchbook and smiled back. "Thanks," he replied, sliding the book into his backpack.The boy sat down next to him on the bench, their legs almost touching.

Hyunjin couldn't help but stare at him as he talked excitedly about his day at school and the new friends he had made. There was something about the boy's energy that drew Hyunjin in and he felt a strange connection to him.

As the boy talked, Hyunjin noticed something out of the corner of his eye and he gasped. It was Y/N, standing just a few feet away “ come on buddy it’s time to leave," she said gently, holding out her hand to the boy.

The boy looked up at her with a pout. "But mom, I wanna stay and talk to him," he said, pointing at Hyunjin.

Y/N smiled and looked over at Hyunjin, her eyes widening in recognition. "Hyunjin?" she said softly, as if she couldn't believe it was him.

Hyunjin stared back at Y/N for a moment before realization hit him like a ton of bricks. This was Y/N's son - his son - and she had kept him hidden from him all these years.

He was speechless as he looked between Y/N and the boy, not knowing what to say or do but feeling an overwhelming sense of joy that he finally knew the truth about his child.Y/N took a step closer, the boy's hand still in hers. "Hyunjin, I-" she began, but her voice caught in her throat.

She didn't know how to explain why she had kept their son hidden from him all these years. She had been so scared of what he would say or do, but now that he was here, looking at her with those intense eyes, she knew she had to tell him the truth.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know how to tell you about him."

Hyunjin stood up from the bench, his eyes never leaving Y/N's. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his voice low.

Y/N took a deep breath and looked down at the boy. "I was scared," she said, her voice shaking. "I was afraid that you would reject him or hate me for keeping him.I didn't want to take that risk."

She looked back up at Hyunjin, her eyes full of tears. "But I should have told you," she said softly. "He's your son too."

Hyunjin nodded, still staring down at his daughter. He slowly moved forward and enveloped Y/N and their son in a hug, feeling the warmth of their embrace for the first time in years.

He was so filled with emotion he couldn't speak, but when he finally pulled back, there was a smile on his face."I'm just happy to finally know him," Hyunjin said, looking at his son with wonder.

Y/N smiled back, her heart bursting with joy. She knew that from now on, their son would have both of his parents in his life and she couldn't be happier. Hyunjin reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from Y/N's face, the gesture so familiar it almost felt like they were back where they started.

"We'll make up for all the lost time," Hyunjin said softly, his eyes shining with love.

Y/N smiled and leaned into his embrace, feeling finally at peace after all these years. What started as a simple sketching session had now become something much more meaningful - the beginning of an unexpected family reunion.

Jisung sat in his studio, focused intently on the soundboard as he tinkered with a new track. It had been years since he had heard from Y/N, and memories flooded back to him as his phone began to ring.

He hesitated before answering, unsure of what to expect. As soon as he picked up, he could hear the glassy quality in her voice - she was clearly intoxicated. "Jisung," Y/N slurred into the receiver, her words slightly garbled and unsteady.

“I need to tell you something, remember two years ago when we got wasted at that party.Jisung's heart skipped a beat as he remembered that night.

It was a blur of alcohol and bodies moving together, but he had vivid memories of Y/N's lips on his and the way she had whispered his name. He had never been able to forget that night, no matter how hard he tried.

"Yeah, I remember," Jisung said, his voice low.

"Well, you ended up getting me pregnant and now we have a daughter," Jisung couldn't decipher if she was being serious or just drunk. “ Where are you I’m coming to get you," he said urgently, his mind racing with the news. He had a daughter and he had no idea.

Y/N gave him the address of the bar she was at, and Jisung quickly made his way there. When he arrived, he found Y/N slumped over at the bar. He helped her up and led her out to his car, making sure she was safely buckled in before driving her home.

As they sat in her living room, Y/N explained everything to him. She had been too scared to tell him about the pregnancy, and had decided to raise their daughter on her own.

She had never wanted him to feel trapped or obligated to be a father, but now that she was struggling to raise their child alone, she had no choice but to reach out to him.

Jisung listened to her story, his heart heavy with guilt for not being there for their daughter. He had always wanted to be a father, but never had the chance. And now he had a daughter that he never knew existed.

"I want to meet her," Jisung said firmly, his eyes meeting Y/N's. "I want to be a part of her life."

Y/N's face lit up with relief and joy. “ She’s at my mother’s house.” Jisung wanted to drive to her house but he couldn’t leave you in your drunken state , so he decided to spend the night at Y/N's house. As they sat on the couch, Jisung couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunity to finally meet his daughter.

He thought about all the things he had missed out on - her first steps, her first words, her first birthday - and felt a pang of sadness. But he was determined to make up for lost time and be the best father he could be.

Felix's heart raced as he approached Y/N, his long-distance friend who he hasn’t seen in person in a couple of months . They had always shared a special connection, but things took a turn when they started developing feelings for each other.

Suddenly, their once simple friendship became complicated with romantic tension.But, Felix refused to let that ruin their friendship and so he decided to pay her a visit.

As soon as he entered her house, Felix felt a strange energy in the air. He couldn't help but feel something was off - until Y/N slowly stepped out from behind the corner.

He was taken aback by the sight of her, cradling an infant in her arms. Her eyes widened when she saw him and for a moment, everything around them seemed to pause. "Felix," Y/N said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't expect you to be here."

Felix looked at her, the shock evident on his face. He had no idea she had a child, let alone one so young. "Who is this?" he asked, gesturing to the baby in her arms.

Y/N's eyes flickered down to the child before she spoke. "This is my son," she said softly, her voice trailing off. "I had him a few months ago."

Felix felt like his world had turned upside down. He had no idea Y/N was even in a relationship, let alone had a child. He took a step closer to her, wanting to know more.

"Who's the father?" he asked, his heart tight in his chest.

Y/N hesitated for a moment before she spoke. "His father is you," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

“What since when Felix stared at her in disbelief, unable to process what he was hearing.?" Felix exclaimed, his mind racing with confusion. "How is that even possible? I don't remember-"

"We were both drunk and it just happened," Y/N explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know how to tell you, and I didn't want to burden you with the news." Felix looked at Y/N “

How is this a burden ?" he asked, his voice filled with emotion. "He's my son too."

Y/N's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Felix. "I know, I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I wanted to tell you, but I was scared of how it would effect your career and your life."

Felix shook his head, taking a step closer to Y/N and the baby. "I don't care about my career or my life right now," he said firmly. "I care about my son and making things right between us."

Y/N looked up at him, her eyes shining with relief. "Thank you," she whispered, handing the baby over to Felix.

As he held his son in his arms for the first time, Felix felt a rush of emotions. He couldn't believe he had a child, but he knew he would do everything in his power to be a good father.

"I want to be a part of his life," Felix said, his eyes meeting Y/N's. "I want to be there for him and for you."

Y/N smiled at him, her heart filled with hope. "I want that too," she said softly. "I want us to be a family." And in that moment, Felix knew that everything was going to be okay. He knew that he had a long road ahead of him, but he was willing to do whatever it took to make things work.

Seungmin knew he was too young to be a father but that didn’t mean he didn’t want kids in the feature . He had always dreamed of having a family, of being a dad and watching his children grow up.

But those dreams had always been in the distant future, something that he would work towards when he was older and more established in his career.

So when he received a call from Y/N, his ex-girlfriend, telling him that there’s was something she need to tell him. So he met Y/N at her apartment , his heart pounding with anticipation. As soon as he walked in, he could see the worry etched on her face.

Seungmin's gentle voice cut through the tense silence. "What's happening?" he asked, his words barely above a whisper. Suddenly, the piercing wail of a baby filled the air.

Seungmin's eyes widened in surprise and concern. "I'm sorry," Y/N apologized, quickly excusing herself to attend to the crying infant.

The sound of her footsteps grew faint as she retreated into another room. Seungmin sat alone, his mind racing with questions. Was this Y/N's baby? Did he have a secret child with her?

He didn't know how long he had been lost in thought when suddenly the door opened and Y/N returned with the baby in her arms.

His heart stopped as he took in the sight before him, realizing that it was true. “ Seungmin this is my daughter ," Y/N said softly, holding out the infant for him to see.

Seungmin's eyes widened as he took in the delicate features of the newborn, feeling a surge of emotions he couldn't quite name. "I had her a few months ago," Y/N continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "And she's yours."

Seungmin felt like his world had turned upside down. He had no idea that Y/N was pregnant, let alone that he was the father. "How is this possible?" he asked, his voice shaking with disbelief.

Y/N looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. "We were together when I got pregnant," she said softly. Seungmin's mind raced as he tried to remember the timeline of their relationship feeling guilty for not realizing sooner.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, reaching out to stroke the baby's soft cheek. "I had no idea."

Y/N's eyes met his, filled with pain and regret. "I didn't know how to tell you," she said softly."But now that you know, what are you going to do?"

Seungmin took a deep breath, feeling the weight of responsibility settling heavily on his shoulders.

He knew that being a father was not something to be taken lightly. "I want to be in her life," he said firmly, his eyes never leaving the baby's face. "I want to be a good father to her."

Y/N's eyes filled with tears of relief. "Thank you," she whispered, handing the baby over to Seungmin. As he held his daughter in his arms for the first time, Seungmin felt a surge of love and protectiveness. He knew that he had a lot to learn, but he was determined to do whatever it takes to make things work.

Seungmin looked up at Y/N, his heart filled with determination. "I want to make things right between us too," he said softly. "I don't want to be just a father to our daughter, I want to be there for you too."

Y/N's eyes widened in surprise and hope. "You do?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

Seungmin nodded, his eyes meeting hers. "I know we had our differences in the past, but I want to put that behind us and work towards a better future for our daughter," he said firmly.

Y/N's eyes filled with tears once again, but this time they were tears of happiness. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I've always wanted us to be a family, but I didn't know how to make that happen."

Seungmin smiled at her, his heart overflowing with love. "We'll figure it out together," he said, his voice gentle and reassuring. "I want to be there for you, to support you and to be the partner you deserve."

Y/N's heart swelled with love and gratitude. She had never imagined that Seungmin would be so understanding and willing to work things out between them. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it tightly. "Thank you," she said again, unable to express how much his words meant to her.

Seungmin leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead, his lips lingering for a moment. "I'll do whatever it takes to make things right between us," he promised.

Jeongin was shocked to learn from friends that Y/N had a son and didn’t tell him. He had known her for years before she moved away from him and he had always thought they had a special connection.

But now he felt betrayed that she had kept such a big secret from him. He sat alone in his apartment, his mind racing with questions. Why didn't she tell him?

Did she not trust him enough? Did he not mean enough to her to be included in such an important part of her life?

Jeongin's thoughts were interrupted when his phone rang. It was Y/N. He hesitated for a moment before answering, unsure of what to say.

“Hey," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Hi," Y/N said softly. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I wanted to talk to you."

Jeongin took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "Okay," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my son," Y/N said, her voice filled with regret. “ hey it’s fine,” Jeongin said, his voice strained. “I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.”

Y/N sighed heavily. “ Because that’s not the only secret about him- he’s your son too, Jeongin. I found out I was pregnant shortly after we broke up and I decided to keep it from you because I knew it would complicate things.”

Jeongin was speechless, his mind struggling to process Y/N's words. He felt a range of emotions - surprise, shock, confusion - but most of all, he felt a deep love for the son he never knew he had. Tears filled his eyes as he realized that their family was bigger than either of them had ever imagined.

"I want us to be a family," Y/N said softly. "If you're willing to try."

Jeongin nodded slowly, his heart filled with hope and love. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” he said firmly. “To be there for our son and for you.” Y/N smiled, her eyes full of tears. "Thank you," she whispered softly. "That means everything to me."

Jeongin could hear her cry over the phone and his heart ached to comfort her. "I'm here for you," he said, his voice filled with tenderness. "We'll figure it out together."

Y/N's sobs quieted, and she took a deep breath. "I have to go," she said softly. "But please, let's talk more about this soon. I want to make things right between us, Jeongin."

Jeongin nodded, his heart filled with determination. "I want that too," he said firmly. "I'll call you tomorrow."Y/N's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke her final words. "Thank you, Jeongin. I love you."

Jeongin felt his heart skip a beat at her words, but he knew that they had a lot of work to do before they could truly be a family. "I love you too," he said softly, before hanging up the phone.

#stray kids x reader #bang chan x reader #felix x reader #hyunjin x reader #lee know x reader #stray kids imagine #bang chan #changbin x reader #han jisung x reader #hyunjin #lee know #felix #seo changbin #han jisung #seugmin #jeogin #skz x reader #skz imagine #skz imagines #straykids imagines

[akoyaxs]

˚༄ Tìyora Pt 2 ༊ Aonung x Fem!Sully!Reader ༊ Enemies w Benefits ༊ 5.6k words Warnings: arguing, Aonung is a little shit, reader is a little bit bitchy, oral (fem recieving), edging, p in v, THIS WILL BE A SERIES!!!! *Note that reader is practically Neytiri's twin, like mother like daughter. I chose this photo bc when writing I like picturing an OC or different face in my mind, and this one looks different enough from Neytiri's other scenes, but similar enough that reader has all the good Sully genes*

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You don’t sleep well. It’s not surprising, given that your body’s aching from your fight with Aonung, and you other… rendezvous, and when you finally can’t take the uncomfortable tussling on your sleeping mat, you let out a soft hiss and sit up.

The light permeating through the gaps in the marui’s weaving is watery and cool and dim. Not quite moonlight, but you doubt the sun’s even broken the horizon yet.

You look over at your family sleeping around you. Your parents share a mat with Tuk tucked between their bodies, and Kiri’s curled up beside you, her choppy hair falling over her peaceful face. Neteyam’s on his back, face twitching slightly from whatever dream he’s having, and Lo’ak’s slumbering facing his brother, head nearly lolling onto Neteyam’s shoulders.

You feel a soft pang at the sight of your family, all peaceful and still while you glance over them. All your annoyance at training with Aonung, and your tiredness after the events of the previous day fade away as your mind clears, and you remind yourself of your position in this family.

No one asked you to do it, of course not, your parents and siblings thought it may break you, but you’d always been the protector. Since you were born, minutes before your twin Neteyam came, you knew that it was up to you to defend your siblings, help your parents and do anything in your power to make this family work. If it was a fortress, you’d be the moat around it.

So, gently tucking Kiri’s hair out of her face and hitching Lo’ak’s blanket higher over him and Neteyam, you slip out of the marui into the still, watery morning. The village is quiet; the only sound coming from the gentle waves lapping below the walkways and maruis. There’s no one out, so you take advantage of the emptiness, the first moment of peace you’ve been able to steal since you arrived in the reef.

And there’s one more thing you haven’t done since you came. The one thing you truly loved, that was yours and yours alone. You sneak through the village, wincing at every creak the bouncy woven walkways make with every few steps. You have your bow slung over your shoulder and your knife tucked away into your tewng as you leap off the last platform onto the sand and then finally into the forest.

To be fair, they never said you couldn’t leave the soft beaches and cool water of the bay, to go beyond that line of bright white sand and into the closest thing to home you had here. It’s not like you’re breaking any rules, spoken ones at least, but you can’t help the feeling that you’re doing something wrong, that someone’s watching as you step off the sand.

But once your feet fall on soft grass and the open sky fades to soft emerald foliage, you can’t be fucked to worry. The lapping waves are replaced by rustling leaves and the twittering of hidden creatures, and the salty, tropical scents are replaced by what is distinctly forest. And then finally, a familiar shrieking noise calls through the forest, and your face lights up as you run towards it.

Your ikran is perched in the trees, obviously delighted to see you, though clearly disgruntled she was abandoned for so long. You reach up to stroke her long neck before connecting your kuru and sliding onto her back.

Eywa, you had missed the rush flying gave. The wind in your hair and the twist in your gut as you watched the ground soar past beneath you. The way you could twist and dive and swoop was terrifyingly breathtaking. You let go and let out a delighted cry, flying freely through the sky.

You finally make it past the forest and over the ocean. You swoop in ever widening circles, down and down towards the water. You tilt over the surface so you can reach out and brush the water with your fingertips and her with her wingtips.

As you spiral back up, you spot a very familiar figure gliding through the ocean below you. Broad, tall, hair braided back as he darts through the water on a tsurak. You scowl as he looks down hurriedly as you swoop over him, the sun having risen just enough for your shadow to cast over him.

You both know the other is there, but you ignore it. You continue to fly in wide circles, hair flowing behind you, legs holding tight to your ikran while you let your arms go and catch as much wind as possible. Aonung continues to do whatever the fuck he’s doing below, maybe hunting?

And then finally, you feel your ikran slowing down through your tsaheylu, and with a small sigh of disappointment, you swoop down to the beach below. It’s not the same one as the bay of the village, but it will just mean more time for yourself to find your way back. Unfortunately, there was someone already on the sand.

“What are you doing?” you ask bluntly, when Aonung looks over at you sliding off your ikran and disconnecting your kuru.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he says, nodding to your ikran. “Got sick of being incompetent underwater? Went for a little walk in the forest?”

“It’s not like I can’t-” you start to say, but he scoffs.

“You can’t.”

His voice is blunt, uninterested. It’s practically a command, and your eyes instantly narrow. You’ve never been good at following orders; something that always drove your dad crazy, something that always made Neteyam try to fix up, though you were a firm believer in dealing with your own messes.

“And who are you to tell me what to do?” you say sharply, eyes narrowing somewhat the longer you stare at his stupid, entitled face. Aonung’s face twists in a lilting grin, eyes trailing up and down over you as he scoffs.

“Your future Olo’eyktan,” he says simply.

“And what happened to me not fitting in, that I’ll never be a part of the clan with my baby tail and scrawniness?” you ask, your growing anger clear in your low voice.

Aonung doesn’t reply, just looking you up and down again, and you decide to stoop down to his level, eyes roaming across him, prepared to find some new insult to hurl if needed. He is admittedly very well built, with a sculpted, solid chest tapering into a slimmer waist, with broad shoulders and strong arms. He is broad and tall, something infuriatingly obvious already knew, but you hadn't noticed the sharpness of his collarbones and jawline, or the way the veins in his arm flexed when he tensed. Well you did, but you only noticed when he was moaning beneath you. And then you flick your gaze back up to him and find him glaring back.

“Are you going to storm off again?” Aonung asks, his voice sounding slightly amused as you turn away and stride away from him along the sand.

“No,” you scowl, trying not to let your irritation show too much. You don’t want him to realise how deep he can get. Under your skin. That’s all. But he seems to guess what you’re shamefully thinking, because his voice sounds even more cocky when he speaks again.

“Do you need some help freak?”

“Fuck off,” you growl, still determinedly not looking back at him over your shoulder as you definitely don’t storm away. “I don’t need help, least of all from a cocky, brainless, dull, oblivious, pestering, rude, taunting, tiny-dick-”

“Right,” Aonung laughs, and you can practically hear the amusement in that deep voice. You can also picture the smirk fixed on those fish lips as he watches you stride away. “Quite tiny-dicked, wasn’t I?”

You turn with a furious hiss, only to find him feet away, laughing at you. His eyes are sparkling with amusement at the sight of you, flushed and irritated and hair streaming behind you. He’s got you right where you had him yesterday, furious and frustrated while he can just enjoy the sight.

“Why are you still so cocky,” you snap, jabbing him in the chest. He doesn’t shift in the slightest, and if anything, he looks even more amused, grinning from at least a foot above. “I won. I beat you every time, but you are just so infuriatingly, incomprehensibly fucking arrogant that anything I say, any time I win, nothing can get into your stupid, cocksure head.”

You pointedly smack the top of his head, and he grins even wider, before reaching out to grab your wrist before you can hit him again.

“Let me go.”

“You know,” Aonung says, fangs glinting in his wide smile as he stares down at you, “you really shouldn’t be attacking your future Olo’eyktan.”

“You really should let me go,” you say bluntly, trying to tug your wrist free from him without looking like you’re struggling. “Before I smack you so hard that you never get to become Olo’eyktan.”

Aonung just laughs, pulling you an inch closer so once again, you have to tilt your head right back to maintain this glare. It seems unfair, that you always have to be the one working to bitch stare this stupid infuriating freak.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means let go of me before I smack your aquatic ass back to Eywa,” you hiss. Aonung’s mouth twitches again, but to your surprise, he lets you go. He doesn’t step back though, and when you try to walk around him, he just grabs your shoulders to stop you passing.

“Where are you going?” he sighs, as amused as ever.

“Away from you,” you snap.

“You’re going the wrong way,” Aonung says, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth as he glances over your shoulder, and you attempt to shrug him off and continue in your way.

“Like I’d believe you,” you huff. “After you left Lo’ak outside the reef.”

“The village is back this way,” Aonung says tightly, his amusement starting to finally fade somewhat as you finally manage to shove him off and start storming the other way.

“Yeah, I don’t really trust you,” you call over your shoulder.

“Fine,” he shouts back. “Get lost then, I don’t fucking care. Maybe there’s an akula around here that can make itself useful and finish you off.”

At that, you stop. Chest heavily as you suspiciously contemplate what to do, you wonder vaguely why he’d lie. But also, him telling the truth and actually trying to get you back to the village doesn’t seem like a very likely possibility either. You squint suspiciously at him for a few moments, and he just glares straight back. Reluctantly, you let your arms drop to your sides and you do the walk of shame back towards him.

“Decided to trust me then freak?” he asks with a cocky little grin.

“Don’t make me regret it fishlips,” you say shortly.

As you storm away, you can feel Aonung’s gaze blazing into your skin, and after a few moments, you can’t take it any longer, rounding on him with narrowed eyes and folded arms.

“Can I help you?” you snap. “Is there a reason you keep staring at my body, or are you just planning new ways to call me a freak?”

Aonung rolls his eyes, though he looks a little abashed you caught him. When you’re clearly waiting for an response and it becomes clear his little scoff isn’t answer enough, he clears his throat and pastes a frown onto his face.

“You have a lot of scars,” he says, slightly awkwardly.

“Sorry, is that repulsive to you?” you snap. “Are my freakish blemishes blasphemous to the perfect prince? Would you like me to dress like a fucking nun so you don’t have to see my scars?”

“No,” Aonung says, his frown becoming more gentle, though he clearly doesn’t even know what a nun is. “That is not what I meant. I just… some are very big scars.”

“Yeah well,” you say off-handedly, trying not to let some of your bitterness into your voice as you lower your gaze to your body. You’d rather die than let him think you feel sorry for yourself. “You’re very sheltered in the reef, very safe. Not everyone gets that privilege.”

Aonung’s frown becomes a little more comprehensive, and he blinks a little. “What did they all come from?”

“Why are you so curious?” you snap defensively. “Because if you’re going to taunt me about that, you’re fucked up-”

“We have to train together for who knows how long,” Aonung cuts you off, rolling his eyes. “I’m not saying we have to get along, you’re probably incapable of holding a conversation longer than two minutes without rage and violence anyway, but if we have to train all the time, I should know if you’re injured.”

“I’m fine,” you say shortly, tail wrapping defensively around your leg. “They’re all old anyway.” When Aonung’s clearly waiting for you to say more, you sigh and continue. “Mostly from training when I was younger, some from my iknimaya and encounters with animals in the forest.”

You hope to Eywa that’s all, because you don’t really feel like going into the nitty gritty of the other ones right now. Unfortunately, Aonung has a knack to do exactly what you don’t want him too.

“And this one,” he says, nodding to your hip. You freeze and shift uncomfortably. It’s hidden, as you’re always careful too, beneath the string of your tewng. A circular marr in the skin between your hip and stomach, perfectly round.

“What one?” you say, hoping he’s not talking about what you think of.

But he doesn’t just say it, point out that you’re hiding it, he reaches out and brushes his finger over the small bullet wound concealed under the delicate string of your tewng. Instantly, you flinch away and hiss, tail flicking up defensively and ready to fight by instinct. Aonung just drops his hand away, and you don’t need to even look at him to know he wants an explanation of it.

“It’s a bullet wound,” you sigh. “I was shot by an avatar in the forest, when we were ambushed. I was hit while escaping with Kiri.”

“Seems like something you should mention,” Aonung points out. “You know, getting shot seems kind of prudent.”

“I’m surprised someone so dense even knows that word,” you mutter to yourself, before speaking so he can hear. “It’s not that important really, I’m more focused on my family.”

“You were shot,” Aonung says, squinting at you as though confused. “And you’re thinking of your family?”

“Yes,” you say defensively, face feeling hot. “I mean, I had to protect them. Kiri and Lo’ak were scared, and I didn’t want Neteyam to get any blood on his hands-”

“And you have it then?” Aonung asks quietly. “Blood? On your hands?”

Your silence is answer enough, and his eyes widen slightly.

“We were at war,” you say stiffly, not quite sure why you’re trying to justify yourself to this skxawng. “I had to kill to survive, and I would happily kill to protect my family. I just did what was necessary.”

Aonung just stares at you. You wonder faintly if maybe you have something on your face, or maybe if your flight had made the wind blow your hair everywhere. Then you wonder why the fuck you’re even thinking about your appearance. It doesn’t make any difference to Aonung what you look like, you’re going to look like a freaky foreigner anyway.

“How’d you even see that anyway?” you ask dully, turning back and continuing to walk. He catches up beside you, staring down shamelessly. You feel a small pang of irritation that he can stare so casually; you’d have to lift your head up to glare at him, which seems like a lot of fucking effort when you don’t even want conversation.

“It’s pretty clear,” Aonung says, which doesn’t exactly clear things up. “It’s all pale and-”

“It’s always hidden,” you say stiffly.

“Well,” Aonung says, a certain slyness to his deep voice that makes you scowl and finally look up at him. “Only hidden when you’re wearing your tewng. So without it- OW!”

You storm ahead, having already whipped your tail across his chest and stomped on his stupid foot. You ignore the flush in your face, feeling stupid that you thought he wouldn’t mention it again. Stupid smug skxawng, needing to remind you that you fucked.

“You’re so childish sometimes,” he sulks, rubbing his chest, which now has a purplish streak from where your thin tail had whipped him.

“And what are you then?” you roll your eyes. “Because last time I checked, I wasn’t chatting about us fucking like some pathetic virgin.”

“You wish,” Aonung scoffs. “I was just saying it was interesting that no one else has seen you without your tewng yet-”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” you say slyly. That finally shuts him the fuck up, and he stops dead in his tracks. When you look up to grin victoriously, his eyes are narrowed and his face is deader than you’ve ever seen it. The coldness in his eyes, the anger that you don’t quite understand, only fuels your triumph that you finally managed to wipe that smirk off his face. “What’s wrong? Upset you didn’t get the first hit of the pretty new thing?”

“I don’t like sharing,” Aonung says stiffly, and you scoff.

“Good,” you snap. “Because there isn’t anything to share, I’m not yours. I’m also not some delicate little nun, just because you think I’m a peculiar freak doesn’t mean other people find me unappealing-”

“Who?” he asks, his voice a crisp, cool rumble.

“Like I’d tell you,” you roll your eyes.

“They wouldn’t.”

“You’re a fucking hypocrite,” you hiss at his sharp words, stepping in to glare at him. Again. “You’re looking down on your other clan mates for fucking me when less than a day ago, you were fucking moaning under me. You got fucking hard by me shouting at you.”

You expect Aonung to get angry again. He looks like maybe he’s about to shove you, maybe yell at you, maybe even grab your kuru again. There’s a certain dark, cold anger in his eyes, the same one he always gets when this happens, when you’re close to him, shouting him down and glaring furiously. But then his scowling lips loosen into a small smirk, and you brace yourself for some infuriating stupidity.

“I only wish they did a good job,” he says coolly. “I don’t like you, but I can’t have you getting a poor idea of the Metkayina. Honour my clan, protect my people, you know.”

“Your interest in my sex life is suspicious Aonung,” you say, eyes narrowing as you try to figure out what he’s doing. “What should it matter to you? Because I know I didn’t ruin any standards for Omatikayan sex, not with the way you were moaning.”

“Was I disappointing to you princess?” Aonung smirks, not in the least deterred by your dig at him. “And don’t bother lying,” he adds amusedly, when you furiously open your mouth. “I was there. I felt the way you were squeezing me-”

“And you liked that, didn’t you.”

“Yes,” he says, unabashed. He’s staring down at you in a way that makes you deeply suspicious. “But if you want to be pleased, all you have to do is ask.”

“You don’t like me,” you point out. It’s a basic fact, a mutual one at that, and he just nods.

“No, I don’t like you,” Aonung says simply, casually. “But I can’t have you sauntering around with the worst opinion of me. Infuriating I can handle. Taunting, yes. Pestering, I try my best. Cocky, absolutely. But tiny-dicked, or unsatisfactory… I’d rather get shot too.”

“What are you suggesting then?” you say wearily, eyeing him suspiciously as his smirk widens. You didn’t mean to sound quite so open to ideas, but he certainly looked like he was about to suggest the hell out of something.

“Let’s cut the crap. We both left satisfied last night, and don’t lie to my face and pretend you’ve had better. You help me, I help you.”

“And what does that mean?”

“I’m not going to pretend I didn’t have a good time,” Aonung says bluntly, and you look at him in surprise. You weren’t at all expecting him to be so open, and somehow it doesn’t feel as satisfying as you’d hoped. Somewhere deep, you’re too suspicious about what he’s about to say next to feel any pleasure from his words. “And you know you’d be lying if you said you didn’t. No matter how many moans you bit back doesn’t change the fact your lips were bloody from trying to be quiet. Even when you closed your eyes, I could see them rolling back. You weren’t as sneaky as you thought princess, forgetting I could feel you clenching, hear your heavy breaths, your heartbeat-”

“Stop!” you snap, scrunching your face up to hide your embarrassment, to cover it up with yet another wave of irritation and shoving him hard in the chest. “Just SPIT IT OUT!”

“I can help you out,” Aonung says slyly. “And you help me, whenever we need… release.”

“What?” you snap. You scowl, then consider it. He had been good, if you’re listening to him and stop lying to yourself. Not just good. Eye rolly, leg shaky, heart thumpy good. So good that you had to physically bite yourself to stop yourself from letting him know just how good he was. And then you scowl again. “Are you sure you’ll be able to keep up, fish lips?”

Aonung rolls his eyes, but before you know what’s happened, he’s flipped you onto the ground. Body trapped under his, arms pinned above your head. Your faces are inches apart, eyes scanning over each other, his breath fanning hotly against your neck. You’re aware of your situation. He’s smarter this time, legs trapped under him, arms pinned back. You can’t escape. And you aren’t going to flatter him by trying to. Instead, you find yourself nodding imperceptibly, your legs spreading unconsciously. Traitors.

Aonung smirks and hitches himself up slightly so he can slide further down your body. His fingers trail over your body, over your waist and the darker blue stripes across your stomach.

“You’re so strange,” he taunts you.

“Arent you supposed to be proving some kind of point right now?” you point out. “Insulting and freak-shaming me isn’t exactly a great way to get into my pa-”

He’s got experience, that much is for sure. You can tell by his expert movements as he swiftly unties your tewng, or when you shift, and he reaches to pin your hips still against the sand. There’s a moment of self-consciousness where you squeeze your thighs, and he frowns up at you. Then his strong hands are muscling them apart, and before you know it, his face is buried between your thighs.

When his nose nudges again your clit and he licks a long stripe up your cunt, you let out a small hiss and immediately reach to grip at his braided hair. He’s obviously hell bent on proving himself, because when he points his tongue and darts it into you, your hips rut straight into his face. And to his credit, Aonung doesn’t protest or make any snide comment. He sticks to his job, and he does a damn good one at that. Which is infuriating, by the way.

Because he is smug about it. He’s mean with it. He never stays somewhere to long, and when you try to tug his head, he grins against you and closes his lips around your clit and sucks. Hard. In a way that makes your head spin, and the first time he does it, you can’t catch yourself before a loud whine escapes your lips. He ignores your tugging, choosing to move your hips to his leisure rather than putting in the copious effort of moving his now slicked, shining face.

But he knows he’s doing well. He can obviously tell, given the way you’re rutting against his lips and tongue and even fangs as though your life depends on it. When he slides in a finger, you clench so tight to it you might as well have tried strangling him. You have no patience for humiliation, you’ll deal with his certain taunting and teasing once you’ve cum so hard Eywa will blush.

You wonder blindly where the fuck he learnt all of this, and if he usually puts in this much effort for people. Other girls wouldn’t be as difficult to please, you conclude. He’s putting in the fucking work. Stupid skxawng. You’re humping your cunt into his mouth hard enough that you probably would have caused a pretty serious neck injury if he wasn’t stupidly, ridiculously massive, but he’s just pulling your ass even closer to the point your little whimpers that slip through your mouth are audible.

And then he’s pulling away. You scowl and gasp, reaching to tug his head back towards you, but he just laughs crudely and pins you back up against the sand. You squirm and struggle with him for a moment, but when his hips slot between yours and his tented tewng slides against your clit, you’re cut off with a lewd groan of frustration.

“So wet, aren’t you?” he taunts, grinning at your slick smeared across his tewng now. You make to protest, to snap at him or maybe even shout, but his hips roll fluidly against you again and you let out a humiliating whine. “So eager. You’re the fucking hypocrite, whining for me.”

“Fuck off,” you mutter, face flushed and trying to pretend like your voice wasn’t actually as hot and bothered as it came out.

“Just say the words,” Aonung mock-coos. You try to turn away, to break the stare, but his face just follows, and you continue to be trapped in that smug, blazing gaze. “Say them, and I’ll help you out.”

“You’re a fucking perv,” you hiss, trying to level your breath, but his hips roll against you again and your growl is cut off by another lewd moan.

“Last time I checked, I wasn’t the one losing her mind over a few touches,” he grins. “Go on freak, just say it.”

“Fine,” you snap, relenting when he digs you a little deeper into the sand with a slower thrust against your clit.

Aonung smirks, looking infuriatingly delighted by himself. There’s a minute where you want to smack him right then and there, drag him by the kuru and drown him and maybe even toss him off your ikran, but then there’s a deeper, more urgent desire to get your annoyance fucked out of you. Stupid horniness, getting in the way of perfectly logical plans of justified murder.

“What was that?” he grins, hefting you towards himself in a way that grinds him in the perfect spot, and you bite down the moan you nearly scream. “I need words.”

“Fuck me then,” you growl, frustration etched in every fibre of your being, in your words and face and glare. And especially in your aching core.

“On one condition,” Aonung says. He has some twisted enjoyment of this scene, you splayed out and half-naked below him, teeth sunk stubbornly into your lips, yet not strong enough to hold back the stream of frustrated, lewd whines that slip through your obstinate cracks.

“What,” you seethe, seconds away from strangling this skxawng with your kuru. He takes his sweet fucking time before responding, thoroughly enjoying your squirming figure below him as he lazily rolls his hips against you.

“You stop holding back those moans of yours,” he whispers, hot and heavy right against your neck. Where he can doubtless hear, even feel how urgent and desperate your pulse is. “I want to hear how good I’m making you feel.”

You growl in frustration, pushing aimlessly at his shoulders in an attempt to do what you had yesterday, ride him until he was the one moaning and quailing beneath you. But his solid form stays stubbornly above yours, that stupid smirking face grinning right down at you.

“I thought this was about you trying to please me,” you grumble, letting your head fall back against the sand in irritation.

“You really are a brat,” Aonung grunts. His voice is getting more tense, eyes darkening further, and you realise all his attempts to tease you, all his efforts to drive you to a pleading point are edging him in the process. But you don’t have time to think of some sly plan, some way to taunt him later and a clever idea for now. You’re horny and impatient and you aren’t someone who takes teasing kindly. You aren’t one to give in easily, but you’ve protested enough.

“Fine then,” you huff, tossing your head so your hair’s out of your face. “Give me something to moan about, then we’ll see what happens.”

Aonung grins, finally sliding away long enough to disregard his tewng, and then he’s right back above you, lining himself up and holding your hips down to keep you still.

“You want something to moan about?” he grunts, snapping his hips forward in one fluid, deep movement, burying himself deep into you.

And you do. The sound you let out is a hoarse gasp, a breathless cry, but it’s strangled before it’s even fully out of your mouth. Aonung pulls out to the tip, where you’re gripping him so tight there’s no fucking possibility of him slipping out, before pushing back in with the force of a fucking rocket.

You aren’t even sure if you can moan, not when he’s literally fucking the breath out of you with each unrelenting, ravenous thrust. There isn’t much you can do, not much you think you’d be able to do regardless, when you’re pinned below him. You’re just being fucked further and further into the soft white sand, which feels like some ironic comfort to his insatiable pace.

But when he lifts your hips up a little, slamming into a new point that knocks a fucking cry out of you, you find your fist instinctively sinking into your mouth to hide it. Instantly, Aonung’s hand is pulling it carelessly away, eyes blazing as he pushes it away from your now vulnerably empty mouth.

“What did I say freak,” he snarls.

“You’re a fucking sadist,” you spit. “Calling me freak when you’re trying to fuck the breath out of me.”

“Call me what you like,” Aonung says carelessly. “Just don’t hold it back.”

And then, before you can snap back a retort, that familiar heat is growing again. Aonung can feel it too, by the way you’re clenching around him so tight you may as well be trying to strangle him. But there’s certain things you’re still trying to hide, especially now that you can’t even have your moans to yourself.

Like the way you’re watching his muscles ripple with each movements, arms tense and flexed beside you, back rippling and shoulders broad above your slimmer figure. When you think about his hands, the way just one could wrap easily around your whole throat, you moan like a fucking whore and tighten around him in a way that has him groaning.

And then finally, out of nowhere although it was a long time coming, the wave crests, and your vision fades to blinding white. You clench like a vice around Aonung, and he fucks out through it with deep, hungry thrusts. You’re barely aware of the face you’ve never come this hard in your life, or that you’re moaning loud enough on this echoey ass beach that the village can probably hear.

When you finally come down, Aonung’s let himself go. You yelp as he speeds up now, brutal and animalistic as the last tenterhooks of his final restraint snaps and he buries himself deep inside you. He's hissing a million unintelligible words against your skin as he spills himself inside you, rocking his hips the whole time until he finally comes to a shaky stop.

You both breathe heavily for a moment, Aonung having decided to unceremoniously flop onto the sand (which mostly means his massive body is crushing you). When you finally have enough breath, and probably forty perent of your usual life, you weakly shove at him.

“Get off my skxawng.”

He obliges, grudgingly, rolling the last few inches so he’s flopped and spent beside you. Who’s also flopped and spent. Neither of you speak. You can’t think of anything to say, and you wonder vaguely if that’s just you being fucked out or your just lost for words.

“Have an answer yet?” he says after a long moment.

“We have to go to training,” is all you say, sitting up with a groan and sliding on your tewng. Aonung huffs a laugh, also sitting up and watching you struggle to clothe yourself.

“Of course,” he rolls his eyes. “Ow.”

You leave him there on the sand, striding away back to the village before his amused voice calls out behind you.

“You’re going the wrong way again skxawng!”

──────⊱⁜⊰────── ༊ Taglist: @hadesbabygurl @wavesarchive @kqlopsia @tadomikiku @ntymavtr @mommyanddadskiller @thehoneymushroomhealer @tsireyax @integers @tiyawnyana @whatevenisagrapefruit @oakbuggy @sunsetviper @blue-slxt @simplyawh0re @yootvi @narwhal-swimmingintheocean Okay let me know if i forgot someone hope you pookie pies enjoyed 🙃

#avatar fanfiction #aonung #aonung fic #aonung x reader #avatar smut #aonung x female reader #aonung fanfiction #avatar fandom #avatar the way of water #avatar #enemies to lovers #enemies to friends to lovers #best enemies #enemies with benefits

[thelightsandtheroses]

and my soul has changed, and my heart

Your Hand In Mine | Joel Miller x female reader.

Drabble Summary: Joel and Tommy catch up on patrol after word of Joel's date with you spreads around Jackson. Word Count: 1245 Drabble Warnings: mentions of past child death (Sarah) and grief, 18+ blog MDNI Notes: I'm here with another Joel POV drabble! Thank you so much for your patience with this update, I am partway through chapter four so hope to update that shortly. The title for this drabble is from the song Orange Juice by Noah Kahan

Previous | Series | Next

The patrol route is quiet. There’s not a sign of infected or people around. Joel rests the back of his head against the tree he’s leaning against, watching Old Beardy drink from the nearby stream.

Joel can’t quite stop that alertness, the background wariness in case of something changing. It’s not a curse, it’s kept him alive this long.

It’s peaceful though. The area is illuminated by dappled sunlight between the trees hitting the water, the sounds of water babbling over the rocks and nature around are inescapable - you could forget about the world for a moment here.

Joel remembers how Ellie had taken everything in with such childlike wonder when they’d left Boston, how a world he’d known and taken for granted had seemed so new to her. He hadn’t wanted to let her in there, wanted to define her as cargo, as the reason Tess was gone, as a means to an end.

He was different then.

Joel allows himself one more moment of reverie before he focuses again.  He feels the familiar pang in his chest as he realises Sarah would have loved it here, would have been scrabbling up the nearby rocks. For just a moment he’s back in Texas, hiking with her on a weekend and nothing’s changed, nothing’s happened. He can almost see her, but he’s afraid to encourage that, too many nightmares start that way and end with her bleeding out in his arms.

Joel shakes his head, makes his way over to Old Beardy, runs his hands on the horse’s neck.

“I reckon we should make our way back now,” he says calmly.

“Yeah.” Tommy doesn’t move though; he stands there looking at Joel with a growing smirk on his lips. “So,” Tommy starts and Joel realises exactly what this is.

He’s unknowingly walked right into his brother’s set up here - patrol, getting out of Jackson.

“Just get it out your system, Tommy, ” Joel deadpans, arms folded. He should have known going to the Tipsy Bison, having a date in Jackson, would spread around town faster than a virus.

“I’m happy for you, Joel. The idea of you and Ellie putting roots down here, building a life, that’s - that’s what it was all about right? What you told me about why you -” Tommy breaks off.

They don’t talk about it.

They don’t talk about the secret Joel told Tommy only days ago on a patrol. He had to tell Tommy, had to tell someone. Tommy understood. He was worried about that, especially with the baby - he wondered if Tommy would ever forgive him for that, for condemning his niece to a world without a cure. Or maybe it’s because of her that Tommy gets it.

“I have one drink with someone and -”

“Small towns, man.”

“Didn’t miss that.”

“Nope. You’ll get used to it. She’s friends with Maria, you know?”

“No, I didn’t know that.” Joel pauses. “She’s … I don’t know, Tommy. I thought after - after Tess, after everything that was all gone for me.” He’d resigned himself to what his life could be - one better than he had expected over the past twenty years, but he hadn’t seen you in his horizon, hadn’t thought there could be a you.

“Fate works in funny ways, I guess.” Tommy pauses and looks at Joel quizzically. “I can see it, y’know.”

“See what?”

Tommy laughs. Sometimes it surprises Joel -  how easy his brother seems to live now and how foreign the sound of his laugh had become to him too. Getting to Boston, surviving those years … there wasn’t much humour. There was always laughter in the house before.

He can hear Sarah’s laugh faintly even now. The way she’d almost fold herself up with laughter sometimes, shaking her head furiously.

Since Ellie, since everything over the last year, it’s like he’s bleeding Sarah everywhere.

Every memory he’d boxed up and hidden away is here now, out in the open and sometimes they feel less like a knife, or shiv, in the gut and sometimes the loss is as raw as it was the day his world fell apart. There’s always a dull ache though. That will never fade.

You’re not supposed to have to bury your kid.

He tries to shake the memory away, to bring himself back to now and this moment.

Joel’s here. He has his brother and Ellie and these delicate tendrils of a future again - Jackson, you, a chance. He’ll take that.

“So, I’ve got to ask, brother, how did you even get talking to her?”

“You sayin’ she’s out of my league?” You are, he thinks, you’re different to him, if you knew what he’s done … would you let him sit with you at night? Would you have kissed him on your porch?

Would you get it? You’re a parent, maybe you would. Or maybe you wouldn’t.

“I didn’t say that,” Tommy says, “Just she usually keeps to the library and her home mostly, and you’re not exactly a voracious reader.”

“Maybe I’ve changed.”

It’s not like Joel has ever hated reading; it’s just it’s not been a priority. Escaping into someone else’s story is a luxury when you’re fighting to make rent, to provide for the people you love. After the outbreak, it seemed fanciful, foolish even.

“Maybe you have,” Tommy says with a weight and stare that says more than his words.

Joel knows what Tommy thinks. He thinks he’s softened in age, with Ellie and Jackson. He isn’t the man of those nightmares anymore, not a hunter, not dangerous. He broke down in Jackson to his brother after all, bared his soul on his age, his deafness, his fears. He’d all but begged Tommy to take Ellie then. maybe it was about more than that - maybe he was just putting up barriers. He did it though.

Tommy’s wrong though. That man hasn’t vanished, that man hasn’t changed. He’s still there under the surface.

You can never fully exorcise those demons.

To live and survive in this world, you probably shouldn’t either.

“So, how did you get talking?” his brother asks, “How’d this start?”

Well, I met her on a bench in the middle of the night in some secret insomnia club we’ve created because hey, I’ve not slept properly in months, years even. No, Joel can’t say that to Tommy.

“We bumped into each other a few times, got to talking.”

“She seems nice, from when I’ve spoken to her and she’s been around with Maria. I can see you two gettin’ on. I mean I really thought you and Esther could have had something though -”

”She had a Victorian doll collection, Tommy. That shit was scary before the end of the world.”

“Yeah, but other than that.”

“I couldn’t get past the dolls, they were in her goddamn bedroom, staring at me …” Joel shudders at the memory. The cracked porcelain heads, faded fabrics and unblinking eyes staring at him when he didn’t want their attention. Esther was a lovely woman but there were over twenty of those dolls in her bedroom alone.

Maybe they helped her. But they sure didn’t help him.

“Okay, I get it, I get it. What if -”

“She won’t have a collection like that.” At least, Joel hopes you don’t.

“Here’s hoping. We should head on back now.”

Joel nods, shifts his backpack, and moves to get on Old Beardy.

He takes in the scene around him just a second longer.

Peace.

Maybe it’s not so far away.

Tag List

YHIM: @orcasoul @pedropascalsbbg @yoursoulsunbreakable @iamskyereads @genetics4life @everyth1ngfan @frickatives @perennialdoll247 @joelsgreys @noisynightmarepoetry @pedrobaby @noisynightmarepoetry

Everything Pedro tag-list: @harriedandharassed @pedrostories @hiroikegawa @pedrosaidsheispunk @pastelnap

#joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller x female reader #joel miller #the last of us fanfiction #pedro pascal character #joel miller fanfiction #the last of us #your hand in mine fic

[witcher-and-henry-cavill-stuff]

ᏝᎧᏉᏋ'Ꮥ ᏰᏝᎥᏕᏕ

ᎷᏗᏕᏖᏋᏒᏝᎥᏕᏖ #2

It was a beautiful morning in Nueva York. The sun was shining, birds were chirping and the city was alive with its usual hustle and bustle. Miguel and his wife, Y/N, were sitting on their balcony enjoying their morning coffee.

Y/N was content with the peaceful moment, sipping her coffee and leaning her head on her husband's shoulder. Miguel's arm was wrapped around her waist, his thumb gently rubbing circles on her hip. They had been happily married for five years now and were expecting their second child.

Miguel was overjoyed at the idea of expanding their family. After losing their first child, Gabriella, in a tragic accident, they never thought they would be blessed with another. But here they were, happier than ever and eagerly waiting to meet their little bundle of joy.

'I still can't believe we're having another baby,' Y/N said with a smile, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Miguel turned to her, a loving smile on his face. 'I know, it's a dream come true Cariño. I can't wait to hold our little one in my arms.'

Y/N's heart swelled with love for her husband. He had been her rock through everything, especially after Gabriella's death. She couldn't have asked for a better partner in life.

As they sat there, enjoying each other's company, Miguel's holographic assistant, Lyla, interrupted their peaceful moment.

'Sorry to interrupt, but you have a meeting in half an hour, Miguel,' Lyla informed him.

Miguel let out a sigh, not wanting to leave the comfort of his balcony. He was the CEO of Alchemax and had to deal with all the responsibilities that came with it.

Y/N gave him a sympathetic smile. 'I'll go get ready for my doctor's appointment.' she said before giving him a quick kiss and heading inside.

Miguel watched her go, feeling grateful for the life they had built together. He quickly finished his coffee and got ready for his meeting.

The day went by in a blur of meetings and paperwork. Miguel couldn't wait to get back home and spend more time with Y/N. As the clock struck 5, he rushed out of the office to head home.

Upon arriving, he was greeted by the delicious smell of dinner cooking in the kitchen. Y/N loved to cook and he couldn't wait to taste whatever she had prepared for them tonight.

He walked into the kitchen to find Y/N humming as she stirred a pot on the stove. She turned to him with a smile when she heard him enter.

'Hey, how was your day?' she asked, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

'It was good, but I missed you cariño,' Miguel replied, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Y/N chuckled. 'I missed you too. How about we eat dinner first and then spend the rest of the evening together?'

Miguel nodded, not wanting to waste any more time. They sat down at the dinner table and enjoyed their meal, talking about their day and making plans for the weekend.

After dinner, they settled on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms. Miguel gently rubbed Y/N's growing belly, feeling the movements of their unborn child.

'I can't wait to meet our little Empanada,' Miguel said with a smile, leaning down to place a kiss on Y/N's belly.

Y/N chuckles and smiles down at him, running her fingers through his hair lovingly. 'Me too. I know Gabriella would have been the best big sister.'

Miguel felt a pang of sadness at the mention of their first child. He still missed her every day, but he had learned to focus on the present and be grateful for the blessings in his life.

They spent the rest of the evening cuddled up on the couch, talking and laughing. Miguel couldn't imagine his life without Y/N by his side.

As the night went on, Y/N yawned and said, 'I think it's time for us to go to bed. You have a big day tomorrow.'

Miguel nodded, knowing Y/N was right. He kissed her forehead before they made their way to their bedroom.

Laying in bed, Miguel pulled Y/N closer to him, wrapping his arms around her protectively. 'I love you, mi amor,' he whispered, placing a kiss on her neck.

Y/N smiled, feeling content and loved. 'I love you too, Miguel.'

As they drifted off to sleep, Miguel couldn't help but feel grateful for the life they had built together. Their love had overcome all the challenges and made them stronger.

The next day, they went to the doctor for a routine check-up. Miguel was excited to hear their baby's heartbeat, while Y/N was a little anxious. After the loss of their first child, she couldn't help but worry about everything that could go wrong.

But as soon as they heard the strong and steady beat of their baby's heart, all their worries vanished. They were both filled with joy and excitement for the future.

Nine months flew by, and before they knew it, it was time for Y/N to give birth. Miguel was a bundle of nerves as he sat in the waiting room, waiting for any news from the doctors.

After what felt like hours, the doctor finally came out with a smile on her face. 'Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. O'Hara. You have a healthy baby girl,' she said, handing the newborn to Miguel.

Miguel's eyes welled up with tears as he held his daughter in his arms. She was perfect, with a head full of black hair and her mother's beautiful features.

Y/N was wheeled out of the delivery room, looking exhausted but elated. Miguel couldn't wait for her to meet their little miracle.

They named their daughter Isabella, after Y/N's grandmother. She was a blessing, and they cherished every moment spent with her.

As the years went by, their family grew and their love only got stronger. They faced challenges and struggles, but they always stood by each other's side.

Miguel and Y/N were grateful for the life they had together in their comfortable apartment in Nueva York. They had everything they ever wanted, and most importantly, they had each other.

On a special evening, as they sat on their balcony, watching the sunset, Miguel whispered, 'I never knew love until I met you, Y/N. Thank you for being my wife and the mother of our beautiful children.'

Y/N smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. 'And I never thought I could find true happiness until I met you, Miguel. I love you more than words can express.'

As they shared a loving kiss, surrounded by the sounds of a bustling city, they knew that no matter what the future held, they would face it together as a family. And that was all that mattered.

#x reader #one shot #miguel o'hara #into the spider verse #fluff #Miguel O'Hara x reader #Miguel O'Hara x pregnant reader #baby #miguel o'hara oneshot #reader insert #Fem reader #miguel spiderverse

[meaningofaeons]

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ majesty: prologue

⊹ word count - 2.1k ⊹ warnings/notes - mentions of blood, violence, etc. ⊹ taglist - @xphantasmagoriax @thatweirdcheshirecat @sparkleasteroid @fluffy-koalala @chopid

⊹ majesty masterpost ⊹ next part ⇾ chapter I.

it's finally here... the prologue to majesty! this is just a brief look into what happened to you, dear reader, before you reincarnate... look forward to the rest! and as always, be sure to check the masterpost for any updates! ty for reading!! /ᐠ .ᆺ. ᐟ\ﾉ

A shriek filled the once-peaceful courtyard, all eyes turned to the sight of a maid falling to her knees. Before her lay a body clothed in pure white, wine hair draped across the soft grass as its owner lay unmoving.

Blood. Crimson red and cruel, it spattered the serene gardens’ flowering buds, painting their once-soft colors into violent vibrance.

Next, the nobles’ eyes turned to the shattered glass. And then… onto you.

“P-Poison!”

Saintess Kafka’s personal maid was quick to screech in alarm, holding the noble woman to her chest as blood trickled from her mouth. “S-Saintess Kafka has been poisoned!”

“Call the physician!”

“Move, the Imperial Physician is on her way! Make way!”

You felt your throat go dry, your own blood running cold.

Who would dare poison the Saintess? And on a day like today no less?

It seems the nobles already had their answer, their gazes pointed on your wilting form.

“Was that glass not the one belonging to Lady ▉▉▉▉▉▉? Does Lady Y/N not… resent her? Especially after Lord Gepard...”

“It seems you’re right… And she was standing quite close, no less.”

“Look over there. Poor Lady ▉▉▉▉▉▉, she’s trembling… She must be so frightened.”

Me…? No, but I would never poison the Saintess! What reason would I have?!

Their words were like venom, their eyes full of malice as the guards arrived at the scene. It only took one of them speaking up for your heart to drop to your feet.

“No, I swear—!”

“Lady Y/N did it! I saw her!” a young noblewoman cried out, pointing her fan in your direction. You froze, mouth dry as you tried to defend yourself. “I saw her pour something strange, almost like a powder, right into Lady ▉▉▉▉▉▉’s drink! Then, Saintess Kafka drank it by mistake! It was all her!”

“No!” you cried in response, whipping your head around to find someone, anyone who would defend you. “I swear, it wasn’t me! I would never!”

Finally, your gaze landed on one. A familiar head of raven hair stood in the crowd, aquamarine eyes staring at you in shock. You smiled wobbly, trying to reach out. He was the only noble who had treated you with kindness left.

“Lord Dan Heng! Oh, thank goodness! Please, please tell them…”

He squeezed his eyes shut, turning away with a look of scorn. You felt a pang through your chest. Somehow, his silence felt worse than any disdainful words he could’ve imparted upon you. You once again scan the area, and finally, you fell upon your last resort.

“F-Father!”

You walked over, clinging to your father’s coat. 

The cold Duke stared back.

“Father, t-tell them… I’m your daughter, aren’t I? Tell them it’s all a misunderstanding! I didn’t—”

Duke Louis Fleming slapped your hand away. His brow furrowed, and he turned to the guards.

“Tell the Emperor we must expedit this trial. I’ll not have my honor tarnished any further than it already has been by this child. I’ll have nothing to do with her.”

You dropped to your knees.

“O-Of course!”

“Right away, Your Grace!”

There was no fight left to be had in you. You had to be forcibly dragged to your feet by the Imperial Guards, taken away against your will as you gazed up at your father one last time.

He hardly spared you one last contemptuous look, almost as though it was difficult for him to even face you, before turning away, walking with the other guards towards the Imperial Palace.

The nobles continued to whisper and gossip.

Saintess Kafka was taken away, and you didn’t even have it in you to wish she was okay.

Eventually, you forgot what happened next.

—

The trial was mostly blocked from memory.

All you could remember was the cold, desolate prison cell you had been tossed into, the harsh meals you had to endure. As a noblewoman growing up in luxury, it was almost akin to torture.

Then, you remembered more guards, and the sudden brightness and commotion of the courtroom.

Even expedited, it had taken three days for your trial to occur.

In that time, Saintess Kafka had recovered, and was indifferently present when the charges were brought against you.

You recall being able to say nothing in your own defense. Not after the only man who spoke kindly to you and the only family you ever had had forsaken you.

It was traumatic, hearing the nobles clamoring for your execution, for your head to be displayed on the walls of the Stellaron Capital’s walls, a warning to those who would dare harm the purest woman in the entire Empire.

However…

“Considering her noble lineage and the weight of her family’s name, Lady Y/N of the Stella Duchy is hereby banished from the Stellaron Empire forever in lieu of an execution.”

You didn’t even have it in you to feel anything. The news was numbing, yet insignificant now that you’d fallen this far.

“Should she return to this noble Empire, she shall be executed upon sight.”

You only stared down at your feet, a single tear rolling down your cheek.

“This sentence will be carried out at once. Guards, summon the carriage.”

And now, you were here. Staring out the window of the dreary horse-drawn carriage, gazing up into the night sky.

Where had things gone so wrong for you? 

Was it when you first realized that your own father had no fatherly love to give his own daughter?

Was it when Lord Gepard denied your proposal? Was it when he perished on the front lines, the very battle he escaped to to avoid marrying you after you forced his hand with your family’s influence?

Was it the moment you decided to take out your anger on that noble lady of the Astral County, who seemed to hold the militant Lord Gepard’s affections far more than you ever could?

Or maybe it was when Lord Dan Heng, the only one to show you kindness after Lord Gepard’s departure from this life, turned away from you in your moment of need.

Maybe it was also when your father finally left you behind once and for all.

The one and only stain on his perfect legacy.

Was there… ever any love to be had for me in this life?

If I could just go back… start over, and do everything again… Could I find people who would care for me?

The rickety journey came to a sudden halt, shaking you from your thoughts. Outside, you heard commotion in an instant, clamoring and yelling following suit as metal clashed.

“...figure in the distance! Ready your swords!”

“Wait, it’s—!”

“...A-Archduke?! You cannot—! AAGH!”

“Someone, send for help!”

“Run! Run!”

Screams and shouts of anguish resounded, and you squeezed your eyes shut, covering your ears at the sounds. A splatter of blood splashed onto the window opposite you, and you screamed despite yourself.

Your despondency was replaced by fear as all went quiet outside mere moments after the havoc had risen. And then, the carriage door flew open.

Your eyes fell upon the glimmering sword that stabbed into the wooden floor. It was already soaked in blood—very likely the blood of your accompanying guards and coachman.

“W-Who are you?!” you trembled violently, the tall figure stalking towards you as you pressed yourself into the furthest corner of the carriage. “I-I’ve already been tried!”

“As if a mere banishment could appease me for the crime you’ve committed against Saintess Kafka.”

That rough voice was accompanied by a pair of blood-red eyes, and you froze once more.

The Duke of the North. A monster of a man—if he could even be called a man at all—known for both his exploits in war and his horrifyingly violent disposition.

Archduke Blade.

Surely, the Aeons must despise you, have some vendetta against you. Why else would they send this monster of a man as your executioner?

Was it because you failed to live virtuously in any capacity? Was it because, in their all-seeing eyes, the harm that befell their pious daughter was in some way indirectly your fault?

You clasped your hands together, tears springing to your eyes. He was blocking the only exit. You had no way of escape. Your heart raced, and you began to sob.

“Please, Your Grace! You have to listen! I-It wasn’t me! Please, p-please spare my life!”

His expression was cruel. There was no sympathy to be had anywhere.

“I can’t believe you have the gall to beg. You deserve this. All of this.”

Sharp, white-hot pain stabbed through you. You blinked away your tears, realizing in the final moment you had left that the legendary sword of the Duke of the North had pierced your heart.

Those crimson eyes were the last thing you ever saw in this life.

I just… want to go back…

And then, everything went black.

—

“...dy Y/N?”

You groaned, raising a hand to your forehead. The sun was too bright…

“Lady Y/N, you must wake up...”

Wait, sun?!

You shot up in bed, shocking your maid greatly. “Lady Y/N!”

A hand flew to your chest, right over your heart, feeling for a wound, a hole of some sort where the Archduke’s sword had cut you down. To your complete shock, you found nothing.

“Lady Y/N…? Are you all right?” Your maid looked upon you kindly, placing a hand to your forehead. “You’re quite pale!”

You ignored her, continuing to press. There wasn’t even a hint of pain at the site of your stabbing.

“What happened… to the Archduke? Where is he…?” you mumbled aloud, wincing as a thick haze covered your thoughts. How were you alive?

“The Archduke, my lady?” your maid was baffled, wetting a cloth in a basin as she gently pressed it to your cheeks. The warm water felt good on your clammy skin. “What in the world would you have to do with a man such as him? Last I heard, he’s been taking care of bandits in the North.”

“Bandits…” You recalled that, several years ago, troupes of bandits were rampant along the northern border. The Archduke was sent to subdue them, and ever since then, bandits hadn’t been reported—or at least, they weren’t prevalent enough for high society’s gossip to take an interest…

You nearly fell out of bed, if it weren’t for your maid catching you.

“My lady!”

“Cecilia…” your mouth went dry, staring into her eyes. You recalled at last those same eyes full of tears, begging for mercy on your behalf, only to be carted away as an accomplice… The only one who had done such a thing for you.

“What year is it?”

“It’s Stellar Year X90, my lady… Your debutante is in just three months.”

That was—that was ten whole years ago!

Your debutante?!

“It’s breakfast time, and you had a meeting with the dressmaker regarding your debutante dress, as well as your dress for the Imperial Banquet…” Cecilia explained warily. The strained expression on your face worried her, assuming the worst, that you might start throwing your belongings again. “And you need to find a partner…”

Your mind was racing.

You’d gone back. Back into the past.

“Cecilia, can you leave me alone for a moment?” you murmured, resting your head in your hand. “I… need to wake up.”

The raven-haired woman seemed taken aback at your calm demeanor, stepping back with a slightly shocked nod.

“I’ll… leave you be to wake up, Lady Y/N. Please ring the bell if you need anything.”

“Yes… Thank you.”

Your maid left, but not without one final glance at you in the large, lavish space you called your bedroom.

You sat on your bed, dumbfounded. Briefly, you raised a hand to your arm, pinching lightly.

“Ouch.”

It wasn’t a dream. Somehow, in some way, you have returned to the past.

At this point in time, your reputation in the eyes of high society was already quite low. However, that was only because of rumors that spread from within your house—you hadn’t yet made a fool of yourself publicly.

“Three months until my debutante, huh…”

Your mind raced, but one thing was certain.

With this chance granted by the Aeons, you would fix everything that befell you.

You would stop treating those around you with such unfounded vitriol and cruelty. You would gather people to your side, find your place in society, and ensure your standing was secure.

You would find out who really did plot to poison Saintess Kafka, hopefully before they could even get the chance. And you would ensure that your image in the eyes of the nobles was no longer that of a foolish, childish, selfish silver-spooned lady.

You would alter the future, for yourself and for all those who suffered from your actions.

This time… you’d make it right.

#hsr #hsr x reader #honkai #honkai x reader #honkai star rail #honkai star rail x reader #majesty #majesty: hsr #m.updates #sampo x reader #sampo koski x reader #sampo #sampo koski #jingyuan #jing yuan #jingyuan x reader #jing yuan x reader #blade #blade x reader #stelle #stelle x reader #kafka #kafka x reader #dan heng #danheng #dan heng x reader #danheng x reader #gepard x reader #gepard landau x reader #gepard

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: '23 Bonnie & Clyde {One Shot}***

Title: 23 Bonnie & Clyde ***

Den Of Thieves Ray Merrimen x OFC Aria

Warnings: Action, Blood, Violence, Heavy Cursing, 18+ Mature Content, Gun Violence, Crime, Angst, Smut, Rough Sexual Activity, Glove Free Lovin, Plenty of Words

Words: 15,575k

Summary: Picks up with Ray being pinned down by Nick and his team after the heist. With his team dead and 2 bullets making it hard to go on, Ray believes his ticket’s been punched. Unexpectedly, an angel swoops in to save the day. However, is she an angel of mercy or heartbreak?

Note: @waterfallsandsunsets As my first accepted commissioned fic, I hope you enjoy this, and I hope it meets your expectations. I want to thank you for requesting this and even more for wanting to pay for a story from me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Note II: Ray Merrimen and Pablo girlies I hope you enjoy this.

***Very Loosely Edited***

~~~~~~~~~~

-Ray-

Around him, he could hear the echoing of the heavy gunfire he was currently in the middle of. It sounded like he was in a hollowed tunnel making it easy to hear every sound. The crunching of footsteps that were attempting to stealthily creep toward him, failing miserably by his military training standards, the zing, and whizz of every missed bullet, the painful beat of his heart that was slowing with every minute.

A strong pang of pain gripped him making him curse out. He clapped his hand over his chest and grimaced. He didn't know how he would make it out of this one. All his life he'd lived by the gun and knew he'd die by it too but somehow he didn't expect it now. He thought he'd be old and grey before that bullet with his name on it punched his ticket.

He slid his hand lower just underneath his heart and felt wetness there. When he raised his fingers to his face the crimson liquid that coated his fingers confirmed it. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he dropped his head back to look into the sky. It was yet another beautiful California day. He knew it was a hot one but couldn’t quite feel the warmth of the sun anymore. A shiver rushed through him then he heard his name.

“Merrimen, it doesn’t have to be like this. You’ve got nowhere to go. Come out with your hands up!”

He scoffed. That son of a bitch, he thought. If he really expected him to come out and surrender he hadn’t read his file properly.

“Never surrender,” he mumbled feeling the drowsiness trying to overtake him.

Shaking it off, he wiped his hands dry then gripped his weapon. Checking the chamber, he realized his clip was empty. With slow, painful movement he dug into his vest searching for his ammo but found none.

“Sh—shit!”

He was truly fucked. Either he was going to be cuffed and saved at the hospital then sent back or he would die a free man, right here, right now. It only took him a few moments to make his mind up. He meant every word he’d said a week ago. He was never going back to prison. He took several breaths trying to psych himself up for the next round of pain he would feel. No man wanted to face death but he’d long prepared for his death. He didn’t fear it.

Suddenly, her face popped into his mind making him freeze. He’d often thought of her. Every night her face somehow wandered in through the slips of his mental blocks, the ones he’d purposely put up in heavy efforts to not think about her. In those wee hours of the morning, while he laid in his bunk surrounded by other men in their 9 by 5 cells doing the same, he’d think about her. Since his release from prison, he’d thought of her more and more as people, places and things often brought back memories, good and bad.

He heard the thud of footsteps creeping up on his right and they brought him back to reality. Pretty soon he’d stop thinking about her completely. Maybe in death, he could finally get peace.

“Nut up!”

He rose to his feet then turned to where he knew that Detective Nick was waiting. He came face to face with the man aiming his weapon right at him.

“Don’t do it Merrimen!”

He waited.

“We can end this peacefully. It doesn’t have to end this way.”

His vision blurred and his heartbeat slowed. “I told you—I’m not going back.”

The man across the way clenched his jaw and he almost saw a look of disappointment across his features, but he didn’t wait. He raised his empty gun knowing he’d take the shot, truly ending this.

“Don’t!”

Suddenly, rapid gunfire rained around him sending the man jumping to seek cover while he dropped back. Chaos reigned around him in the form of three white vans rolling up creating a “U” shape shield around him. His mind recognized it as an operational defensive tactic, one he’d done in his years of service. Again, his eyes went blurry as his heart slowed. Gripping his chest, he focused on the sky trying to get himself in control so he could make sense of the situation and defend himself if needed.

“Secure the perimeter. We’re out of here in one minute!”

The voice was garbled like he was underwater, and they were above it. He grabbed his gun and pointed it forward making contact with a chest. The figure above him was masked with only their eyes revealed.

“I got you. ‘Till the end imma ride wit’ you.”

Recognition flamed in his head. He’d heard those words before. He’d said those words before. Only one other person in the world would ever utter them. He froze but before he could move again, he lost consciousness with those eyes being the last thing he saw.

~~~~~~~~

-Aria-

“What a fucking mess!”

Milla was pissed. One thing she hated was a sloppy op and what Ray had found himself in the middle of was a sloppy op.

“From the stories about this guy never thought he’d be part of something like this.”

“Shit went sideways,” Jada replied.

“Hey! Fucking focus on getting us the fuck out of LA and to the fucking jet!”

If Milla was pissed, you were downright seething. She was right, it was a sloppy op and shit had gone sideways. Fuck they went way past sideways. You made a mental note that you’d find Donnie’s ass and put two bullets through his skull for this bullshit.

“Apply more pressure!”

You, Uki, Keturah, and Lyn were each pressing on each bullet wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding. Your efforts seemed pointless as his blood poured out of him like a calcified showerhead.

It was a good thing you got there when you had. As you pushed harder on his chest, you stared into his face. You didn’t know how it was possible, but he looked the same given some wrinkles here and there. His face was the same but weathered, aged to that of a grown man. Your heart beat painfully thinking of how serious his condition currently was.

“Aria, I don’t know if he’ll make it,” Uki announced.

Your eyes snapped to her and in the same second that they made contact, she looked down.

“I’m just saying. His vitals are not good,” you mumbled not wanting to be the bearer of bad news.

“He’ll make it!”

The entire van went quiet. You hadn’t meant to scream at her, so you took a breath and looked back to Ray, and repeated your words in a calmer voice.

“He’ll make it. He’s lived through worse.”

The remainder of the drive passed in near silence. Except for updates from the other vans and checking in to confirm perfect execution of your plan and distraction no one else said anything that wasn’t mission specific. You split your focus between the next steps of the plan and keeping Ray alive. You’d estimated that the drive to the airfield would take 40 minutes and in those 40 minutes, he’d flatlined twice. You were glad that you were the type of person to bet on things going wrong. It was that foresight that found a mini hospital in every van.

With Uki’s help, you managed to bring Ray back every time he flat-lined with the aid of adrenaline and a defibrillator. Each time took longer but you refused to give up. It wasn’t his time; you’d make damn sure of it.

“Offload,” Keturah shouted as the van rolled to a stop.

Everyone sprang into action, tackling their tasks. Milla and Keturah handled stripping the van, and Lyn took care of erasing every bit of artillery so there would be not even a serial number left on anything left behind. You, Jada, and Uki lifted Ray to the waiting jet.

“Fuck he’s heavy!”

He sure was and from the looks of him, it was pure muscle. Prison had changed him. The two men in the jet hurried to help load him in.

“Let’s go. 40 seconds!”

Just then, the van went up in flames. As if that was the signal, all your femme fetales assembled and boarded the jet. Within a minute you were taking off. As the jet gained altitude the van on the ground exploded leaving flames, shards, and nothing else in your wake.

~~~~~~~

-That Night-

All was quiet, which was what you expected. This was your compound in Mexico, and it was heavily guarded. Only those who needed to know knew about it. You watched as the doctor finished his examination of your hurried work in the van and the jet. You’d had more than enough experience patching yourself and others up to know your work was sufficient, but you wanted to make sure you got all the shards out. You didn’t go through all this to have a bullet fragment sneak to his heart.

You sat on the window seat then continued tapping your combat boot-clad feet. The sound echoed in the room as dull thuds for several minutes before you sprang to your feet again to pace the room some more.

“You’ve never been anxious like this with anyone else,” Manolo said his voice filled with certainty. “Losing faith in my skill?”

“No. He’s just--not—anyone.”

He looked back at you and studied your face for a few moments then turned back to a still unconscious Ray. Manolo nodded then stood.

“Well, I think you turned a pretty horrible situation into a bad one, which is an improvement and impressive.”

“Will he make it?”

Manolo sighed and took his time before he spoke. The seconds that stretched only made you more anxious. You were milliseconds away from snapping at the man, but his voice stopped your outburst.

“It’s hard to say. His injuries are extensive. From what I can see you’ve got all the bullets and I don’t see any fragments so that’s good news, but I’ve seen men die from injuries less severe than these. It’s a miracle he is still alive.”

“What—what does that mean Manolo?!”

Your frustrations were getting the better of you now.

“I know you want a guarantee, but I can’t give one. If he—if he can make it the next 72 hours then I say his chances are very good but--.”

He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. His grey-speckled hair was coiffed in an effortless style that framed his face and showcased the wrinkles he'd acquired from years of work and little sleep. He and your father were good friends and one on the very short list of people he trusted, which meant you trusted him too.

“The next 72 hours I expect to be touch and go.”

You sighed and then looked at Ray. It wasn’t a death sentence, but it wasn’t a glowing bill of health. There was hope at least.

“Thank you, Manolo,”

He nodded then looked back to Ray. “I will stay close tonight in case you need me again.”

You nodded and watched him pack his things up to then exit the room. For the first time since you'd laid eyes on him, you were alone together. Half of you was relieved he was unconscious so you didn't have to talk but the other half wanted more than anything for him to wake up even if it spelled trouble for you.

You stood across the room for so long that the bottoms of your feet burned. It had been a long day and even longer 48 hours in prep for his extraction. Your body was exhausted, but sleep wasn’t an option. There was no way you could sleep now. Slowly you walked to his bedside never taking your eyes off of his face. you trailed over every detail of his face. Every wrinkle, every mole, every hair, everything that you’d missed out on. Your body buzzed to get closer, palms itched to touch him. The urges were so powerful that the exhaustion in your body was so strong that you gave in.

Sitting at the edge of the bed you slowly reached your hand to his full beard however when you were centimeters from touching him your hand stopped. Fear stilled your actions dousing whatever urges you had moments before. Looking lower at his torso, you decided to clean him instead of putting yourself in a position where things would quickly escalate.

As you wiped away the dried blood and sweat from his body your mind drifted to admiring what you now confirmed without a doubt was heaviness from muscle. For the love of everything holy, he was built like all he did in prison for those 10 years was pump iron. You tried not to think of the pictures you’d gotten over the last week of him disappearing into the blonde dancer’s house time and time again. You tried not to think of the things that happened behind that door that your cameras couldn’t get into.

Though you tried to keep the thoughts at bay, when you got to his “Peckerwood” tattoo you couldn’t help but drift to how she touched him, how he found solace after 10 years without in her body.

“Fuck!”

You threw the rag down into the water ignoring how it cascaded over the rim and onto the wooden floors. You stood, wiped your hands, and took a safer seat, across the room where your view of his body wasn’t clear.

Knock-knock

“Come.”

In walked a cleaned-up Uki with a tray. She placed it on the table near your chair then stood there watching Ray just as you were.

“Manolo told us.”

You nodded.

“I can take first watch so you can get cleaned up,” she offered.

You didn’t answer. In truth, you barely heard her.

Knock-knock.

“Come.”

Jada and Lyn came in next and stood to your left adding their two pairs of eyes to Ray.

“Found you some clothes,” Jada breached.

“Team 2 and 3 made it home without any problems after initiating endgame. Right about now they should have an ID on the body from the fire and that ID will be a one hundred percent match for 1 Mr. Ray Merrimen,” Lyn informed.

You released a slow breath as the final piece of your plan seamlessly synced with the others laid before it. That was it then.

“Come in Keturah,” you called before the knock you knew was coming sounded.

They all snorted as Keturah walked in and approached the bed getting a good look at Ray.

“Still can’t believe this famous Ray turned out to be a white man oh.”

That was just what everyone needed to hear before they busted out laughing. It went on for so long that you felt the stress that your body had harvested slowly leave you. You looked around at your girls. They’d been with you through thick and thin and you trusted them with your life. They were always there for you, and you were more than grateful.

“He might be a well-seasoned white man,” Lyn added which made them holler with laughter.

You’d expected their teasing once they saw him in person. You’d prepared yourself for all of this. In fact, you were enjoying their teasing. You’d been tense for so long it felt good to breathe for a change. You rotated your head trying to ease your sore muscles.

“You should eat, then shower. I know you’ll hate it if he sees you for the first time looking like you spent 3 nights in a hot hut.”

You pressed the back of your hand to your cheek. “I don’t look that bad.”

“Ya’ look worse,” they all collectively said.

Your jaw dropped but they only laughed more. The six of you sat around the room and chatted as you ate the meal Uki brought in. With each passing minute, you felt more and more like yourself. In the back of your mind, your fears and anxieties were still raging but they were quieted enough that you could celebrate small victories. After, Uki stayed by Ray’s side as you showered and made yourself less of a mess.

With your mind calm that Uki was around, and Manolo was in the house you took the time to pamper yourself a little. The hot water did the job of a pair of well-trained hands and melted away the knots in your shoulders and back while the scents from the diffuser worked on your mood and stress. You’d jumped over one hurdle and there were two more waiting for you, the final one was waiting for you at home.

When you went back into the room Ray was still unconscious and Uki was there on her phone.

“Ah, you look and smell a lot better.”

“Girl shut up!”

“Seriously, you look better.”

You nodded then sighed. “I’m holding up.”

“I just got word from Junu, and he is livid.”

You nodded. It was expected. You knew this whole operation would upset him especially since he’d vehemently forbade it.

“I’ll take the blame and whatever punishment he dishes out. You guys will be safe.”

“While your father terrifies me, I won’t let you be punished alone.”

“You all were just following my orders. I will take the heat.”

Uki studied you then looked back to Ray. “Is he worth it?”

She didn’t just mean the punishment you’d take but the risk and danger. You looked at Ray and slowly approached him. You knew the answer without a shadow of a doubt.

“Till the end!”

Seconds later you heard the click of the door as it closed. You were again alone with him. This time you dragged the chair closer and sat back down hunkering down for a sleepless night.

~~~~~~~~

You awoke to heavy shuddering and grunting. You’d only closed your eyes for a moment, or so you thought. However now, Ray was seizing in the bed, body riddled with violent thrashing.

“Shit, Ray!”

You moved to the edge of the bed and noted the way his body was drenched with sweat. Once you touched him you pulled back, he was burning up.

“Shit!”

You leaped up, grabbed the bowl beside the bed, and sprinted to the bathroom to fill it with cold water. When you returned you wasted no time applying the cold wet cloth to his forehead. When his seizing intensified you hollered for help as you turned him onto his side. With one hand you took up another cloth, dipped it into the water, and placed it in his mouth so he wouldn’t bite down on his tongue. It was then the girls ran into the room in a panic.

“Get Manolo. He’s seizing and has a fever.”

“On it,” Jada shouted before she disappeared.

The others approached the bed and tried to help you keep him on the bed and wipe him down. In what felt like a lifetime Jada returned with Manolo who sprang into action. He took your spot and administered an injection into the IV he’d placed when he first got here.

“This will help the seizure.”

Within minutes Ray’s convulsions slowed until they stopped altogether. Manolo then injected another needle into the IV.

“This will bring down the fever. He’s more than likely fighting off an infection. I already gave him something for that.”

“What do we do?”

“Nothing. We wait. I know you hate that answer, but I don’t have a better one. He has to do the work now.”

After thirty minutes of monitoring, Manolo left again satisfied that the seizure did not return. After that, you didn’t dare fall asleep again. Every thirty minutes you wiped his body with cold cloths and bundled him tighter, so he felt some warmth. By the time the sun rose the next day, he hadn’t gotten any better and your stress returned tenfold. He couldn’t be moved in this state, so your flight home was delayed until he made it through the other end of this.

The day passed with each of you sitting with him making sure his fever was kept in check and his seizures were managed. He fared well during the day but when the sun disappeared his seizures returned and persisted for much of the night. By the 2nd night there he’d begun spitting up blood. Manolo was hours away from making the choice to take him to a hospital when the sun rose on the third day and with that new day came calm.

“I think he’s passed the worst of it,” Manolo said as he took his glasses off after his very thorough examination.

“Are you sure?”

“His vitals are much better. Heartrate is not quite normal yet but considering he was close to losing a lung he is doing well.”

“Why hasn’t he woken up yet?”

“Well, I induced a temporary coma to help him heal. I’ve started to wean him off so the medication I put him on should leave his system within the day. Perhaps tomorrow he’ll come to.”

“Will he live Manolo?”

“If this continues and he comes out of this tomorrow I feel good about his chances.”

You rubbed your face pressing just a bit so the tension would go.

“Thank goodness.”

“If all progresses, you should be good to fly the day after tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Manolo.”

“Aria, you’re like family. I’d do anything for you,” he said placing his hand on your shoulder. “You should rest.”

You nodded knowing those were doctor’s orders you wouldn’t be following. Not yet.

~~~~~~~

-The Next Day-

You were sitting by Ray's bedside once again after another sleepless night. Uki's question had been playing over and over in your mind like an annoying one-hit wonder that you couldn't forget. The longer you sat with the question the more it warped. No, your answer hadn't changed but you began to wonder if he would also say the same.

The last 10 years or so couldn't have been easy. No one thrived in prison. The environment wasn't conducive to that. The system needed a change if it was tasked with reforming wrongdoers. You knew being inside chipped away pieces of who you were before going in so you knew he was hardened. What you worried about was; how hardened was he. Was there any bit of the person you'd known? Or was this man laying at death's door a stranger with a monster lurking within

Knock-Knock

“Come.”

You tried to make yourself look like you hadn't been hyper-fixated on watching the man before you all night, tried to look detached and nonchalant.

“You look like shit.”

“For fuck's sake Uki!”

“What? If I looked as bad as you, one of you better keep it real and tell me the same,” she replied as she put down another tray.

“Guess you're expecting a thank you for telling me I look like shit?”

Uki shrugged and crossed her arms as she took her place beside you.

“Fuck thank you.  Just tell me you know and I'm right. That's my love language,” she joked.

However, it wasn't a joke. She did love being right. She got off on it. She constantly wore a smug look across her beautiful flawless features. It was as if she always walked with an air about her that she was higher than those around her. To tell the truth, it was one of the reasons you gravitated to one another and formed a quick friendship when you were children.

As The Viper's only daughter and heir, you knew you were above them in rank and status, and while most would relish the fact it always suffocated you. Being at the top of the food chain put you on a whole different playing field and on that field, you always had a target on your back.

“We may have trouble.”

Your head snapped to her waiting for her to continue. Of course you did, it had been way too calm and quiet.

“Razu,” Uki muttered.

Her one-word response didn't need to be followed up with anything else. You sighed so heavily that it almost sounded like the danger declaring hiss of the creature your father got his name from. Everyone knew you didn't disturb vipers; it was a “duh” rule in the animal kingdom. Do not disturb the vipers and never disturb the den. Razu was the one who never quite understood the unspoken rule.

“Where is he?”

“Downstairs with an entitled look on his face. He demands to see you.”

That almost hiss came out and filled the room this time.

“He heard whispers of you going to America and wants to talk about why.”

“Why? Ha, do I answer to him now oh?!”

Uki sighed and shrugged. “Seeing how he is…”

“Finish that sentence and we will have a serious discussion on how much of my coming punishment you will be taking.”

Uki zipped her lips with her fingers and allowed the silence to stretch.

“If he heard whispers then he probably suspects something. Our people in Los Angeles probably tipped him off.”

Your eyes slipped back to Ray. Shit, you thought.

Another near hiss escaped you.

“Yep. Either he is here to confirm his suspicions and try to use it as his proof you are not fit to take over on your own or--.”

“Ipenija is iku,”{challenge to the death},” you finished.

“Yep.”

“Fuck! There is no way Ray can do a challenge right now.”

“No. This white meat would be dead meat,” Uki teased.

“Really Uki? Right now?”

She smiled then shrugged again. She was right though. You had to make sure Razu found nothing. You reached into the bedside drawer and took out your 3 guns then checked the chambers. Locked, loaded, and ready for action. You tucked one in the front waistband of your jeans and the other in the back. You then took up your thigh holster from where it hung on one of the posts of the bed. Rather than bringing along the third gun you left it on the bedside table and patted your arsenal of knives loaded on the contraption. It was time to remind Razu who you were and who he was not.

Before you walked out of the room you looked back at Ray once more then hardened your features and resolve. Once you walked into the large living room of the opulent hacienda-style property you found Razu sitting in the largest seat in the room which was made from a slew of precious materials. One leg was crossed over the other with his ankle resting atop his knee and in his hands he played with a machete.

Your femme fetales assembled behind you in an arrowhead formation, the five of them flanking each other’s left and right. With his tamed beard, dark and smooth skin, and dangerous eyes Razu slowly broke out into a toothy smile.

“Come on Aria. I am not the enemy no need for the famous formation.”

His voice was smooth and silky like a goading predator slinking its way around to find an opening.

“I don't know Razu. You come unannounced--.”

“And unwelcomed,” Keturah added.

Razu's eyes turned to slits as he glared at Keturah.

“I suggest you keep your femmes in line or something fatal will happen to one of the pretty bitches,” Razu said.

You pulled your guns with quickness and closed the space between you to then press one gun to his temple and the other under his chin.

“Say one more fucking word about or to my femmes and the only fatal thing happening is your death by fatality. One hair on any of their heads is worth so much more than your entire existence. So, tread very, very carefully.”

The fire is Razu's eyes blazed uncontrollably. You saw how badly he wanted to speak again and retaliate but the facts were simple. You were your father's daughter. His empire would be yours soon and no matter how badly Razu wanted it he would never get it. Not by challenge, not by infiltration, and definitely not by arranged marriage.

The fire in his eyes faded and a smile spread across his face.

“Easy Aria, I simply came to make sure you were all right. The dens in LA heard you were in town. They said a lot was shaken up and the dens had to close up ranks to stay off the radar.”

You pulled back and walked back to your girls who hadn't moved an inch. They knew you were more than capable of taking care of Razu. Once in place, you spoke.

“Did your spies actually see me in LA or are they spreading false rumors?”

“Rumors? So, you weren't in LA?”

“Are you questioning me Razu? It sounds like you are but I am sure I am wrong because in order to be remotely qualified to do that, you have to be someone higher than me. Right girls?”

They each replied with confirmation. Razu's jaw clenched tightly and you knew just how badly he wanted to lash out. Smiling you watched him struggle. This was fun. It had been a while since you had fun and you realized how much you missed this.

“Why is it always rank with you?”

“Because you forget your fucking place! You are merely a sergeant in this den. One of many. You do not question me, you do not threaten me, and you definitely do not demand of me.”

“Your safety is important,” Razu carefully added.

“My safety? Do I look unsafe?”

You turned to your friends so they could inspect.

“You look safe to me,” Lyn said.

“Sure do,” Jada added

“Picture of health,” Milla chimed in.

You turned back to Razu. “I feel safe so I say you have nothing to worry about.”

Razu stared you down clearly upset this wasn't turning out the way he wanted. When you cocked your head to the side and then nudged it toward the exit Razu grumbled but stood.

“I'll head home and tell The Viper that baby Viper is doing well in Mexico.”

Your father didn't know where you were right now and you knew that Razu still suspected you had gone to the States which meant his reporting your current whereabouts would imply you had in fact been in the States. You kept your face unreadable.

“You do that. You'd just be giving him news he already knew, but whatever.”

You shrugged then examined your nails playing up how unbothered you were. As Razu walked toward the front door he chuckled.

“I'll see you at home, little Viper.”

No one moved until you heard the door close. Before they spoke you walked out of the room across the estate.

“Have them scour that room for bugs. I don't trust Razu.”

Milla nodded and walked off to get it done.

“He has definitely overstepped his bounds,” Lyn said.

“He sure has but he just revealed he has spies within our dens. I am sure my father would love to know that.”

The only great threat to queens were peasants thinking they were smarter. Your father ran a tight ship and usually got rid of those who had the balls to have big ideas. Razu's days were numbered.

“If he is going home now then he will be sure to paint a horrible picture before you arrive. We should leave tonight,” Uki proposed.

She made sense and it was probably the best move. Only 2 things were wrong. Ray was still not out of the woods yet and if you went back in a hurry Razu would know you were afraid of something. 

“Have someone watch Razu until he leaves. I want to know if he so much as pisses and it's not yellow.”

You walked away up the stairs while putting the safety back on your guns and repositioning them in the waistband of your jeans. Halfway back to the bedroom where Ray was—your bedroom you had a thought that if you took Razu out here and now When you walked inside he was still lying on the bed which was a relief and disappointment all at once. You were glad Razu hadn't tried to lure you downstairs to have his men search the house, but more worried Ray was still unconscious. You knew the longer he remained so the worse his prognosis.

You pressed your back to the door and took some deep breaths and tried to push the annoyance of Razu out of your head. Every day your list of problems increased. You felt the stinging prickle of tears behind your eyes. They were tears you’d held in for so long, tears you didn’t dare shed, tears you knew would find their way down your cheeks one way or another.

You walked across the room to the side of the bed and peered down at Ray. His bandaged wounds were speckled with bright red blood reminding you how close he’d come to dying. The even rise and fall of his chest said his breathing was evened out and he was probably not in too much danger. You sat at the edge of the bed as the urge to touch him became stronger than ever. You brought your hand closer and closer to the tattoo swooped across his chest. Your eyes locked on the ‘A’ within the ‘KingHarbor’ tattoo and within seconds you could make something else written there.

You leaned closer and closer bringing your face right over his chest and it was then you saw it. Hidden within the ‘A’ was your name. Aria.

“No fucking way,” you whispered.

You turned to the nightstand ready to switch on the lamp for more light but an empty tabletop caught your eye. The cock of the gun and the warm press to your forehead said you’d caught it too late.

“Back—the fuck—up!”

You huffed a breath out half relief half annoyance. Slowly you moved back.

“Who the fuck are you?”

You turned to face him and saw the moment recognition hit him. The stone-cold set of his face turned to wide-eyed disbelief.

“A—Aria?”

“It’s me, Ray.”

Your voice was small. You hadn’t meant for it to be at all, but it was, small and timid. Ray’s expression went from disbelief to blazing fury. You brought your eyes to the gun still pressed to your forehead.

“You’re gonna shoot me with my own gun huh.”

“I can think of a reason or two why I should,” Ray gritted out through clenched jaws.

You could hear the pain in his voice. Sighing, you shook your head. You weren’t afraid of him.

“Put the gun down, Ray.”

“Like hell I will.”

You glared at each other for long moments. You got lost in the amount of hatred you saw in his eyes. He’d never looked at you like this before, never pressed a gun to your head either. You sighed again then used the move he taught you to unarm him. However, he did not let you have your way instead, he grabbed your wrist pulled you to him, and attempted to swivel you so he could put you in a chokehold. Evading the move, you in turn swung your legs over him and sat on his thighs.

“Stop! You’re going to bust your stitches!”

Ray didn’t listen. He still fought you as if he didn’t have three bullet holes in his body.

“Ray!”

He reached for the knives in your thigh holster but you grabbed his arm instead. When he tried to use his other hand to reach for your gun you stopped him. That was when the door banged open and your Femmes rushed in guns and chosen weapons drawn to see you straddling him and holding his wrists. It looked kinky.

“Uh—didn’t waste any time huh,” Milla teased.

Ray yanked his arm away then rammed the heel of his palm into your gut. He hadn’t used all his force, but he’d used enough to send you to the foot of the bed. The action took you by surprise and stole the wind from your lungs. Your femmes cocked and raised their guns and weapons.

“Stand down,” you choked out.

Ray laid there looking at the six of you as if he didn’t trust any of you and was expecting one or all of you to make a move any second.

“Are you okay?”

You raised to your feet then rested your hands over your knee while you tried to catch your breath.

“Fine.”

“You let him catch you off guard?”

You glared at Uki.

“Didn’t expect him to—pull my own gun on me.”

“Where the fuck am I and what the fuck is going on?”

“Thu, what a way to speak to the people who you owe your life to,” Lyn spat.

“What’re you talking about?”

Your eyes fell to the bandages that were speckled red before. Now they were soaked with his blood.

“Shit, you busted the stitches,” you said making a move to him.

Ray lurched back. “Stay away from me!”

“If I do that you’ll bleed out and after everything we did to keep you alive, I’ll be pretty pissed about it.”

He surveilled you then the other five women in the room trying to gauge the level of trust he could muster in this moment.

“If we wanted to kill you, we would have stayed in our country while your so-called heist went all the way to shit,” Jada said.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

You looked at Jada slightly annoyed she brought it up already.

“Later.”

“No, now!”

“The heist went south. Enson, Bosco, they’re all dead,” you carefully broke.

“Wh—what!?”

“Donnie ran a play in your heist. He knew all the players set it up with them and used you guys as the muscle. He set you up to take the heat and fall so he could take the money. Nick knew everything from him. Your life is burned. They shot the others and Nick would have got you too if we hadn’t gotten there in time,” you explained ripping off the rest of the band-aide.

His face was blank as he processed your words then the rage returned.

“Donnie that motherfucker!”

“That he is.”

Silence filled the room and slowly you got closer and closer to him. Once close enough you sat on the edge of the bed.

“Your only option now is to disappear and by disappear I mean dead man disappear,” you finished.

“Why the fuck should I trust you?”

It was a fair question.

“She risked her fucking life to save yours. She did all this for you!”

You looked back to your girls and shook your head hoping to disengage the situation.

“It’s okay guys, wait outside.”

“So he can try something? Like hell,” Jada voiced.

“He has three bullet holes in him. I’m sure I can take him.”

They nodded knowing you could then one by one exit the room. When it was just the two of you, you opened your mouth to speak but Ray beat you to it.

“You should leave too.”

“You’re bleeding. Let me redress those then I’ll go.”

He took a few moments to contemplate your words then nodded. You kept your actions slow and careful as you got closer then took off the soaked bandages. When you wiped at the wounds he barely flinched or made a sound. You could feel his eyes boring into you keeping an eye on every move you made. You knew he didn’t trust you and you understood completely.

With needle and thread in hand, you began stitching him again. Still, Ray remained quiet the whole time he watched you. Whenever you reached for something you felt him tense underneath you even more than when you worked. Was he really that leery of you?

“Where am I?”

“Mexico.”

He scoffed. “Mexico. Is this where you’ve been living it up in a Mexican hacienda?”

“Living it--,” you began but trailed off. Before you spoke again, you scoffed. “No.”

“Right. Is this your place?”

“It—belongs to my father.”

You peeped up and met his eyes and instantly regretted it. His eyes were cold, dead, and filled with anger.

“And those women? Who are they?”

You tied off the thread then reached for the alcohol bottle on the side table.

“This is going to hurt.”

In your other hand, you took up the tequila there and held it out to him.

“No. Go ahead,” Ray said not even trying to hide the distrust in his eyes.

You shrugged and took a chug from the tequila bottle then poured the alcohol. You watched Ray stiffen as the burn rushed through him. The veins in his neck and forehead pulsated just beneath his skin, his face got redder and the muscles all across his torso flexed and bulged giving you a show for the first time how much he'd changed. Before you right now was a very grown man, a very gorgeous grown man, a man you probably didn't know anymore. His groan cane out agonized and tight. Wanting to help you leaned forward and blew onto the freshly stitched and taut skin hoping to provide some relief for him.

You kept your eyes level with his chest and focused on blowing in a way that kept the air coming from you cool. You took up the cloth and dabbed the excess antiseptic from his bruised flesh taking care to be gentle the closer you got to his wounds. You happened to glance up and found his eyes on you. The anger in his eyes was gone as was the right clench of his jaw. He looked as if he were in some sort of trance. You didn't stop blowing but moved for the wound salve waiting to be applied on the table. Slowly, you spread some across each bullet wound. With every touch, Ray sucked in a breath like a startled gasp. You didn't know if it was entirely from the pain he had to have been on or something else.

By the time you taped down a few thick squares of gauze, the door banged open.

“Ah, you're awake. Good,” Manolo exclaimed. “How is he, Aria?”

“He busted open his stitches so I did the whole song and dance and voila,” you explained.

“It looks good. How do you feel amigo?”

“Who are you?”

“The doctor who helped save your life,” Manolo dryly said.

“This is Manolo. I've known him most of my life. He's a good doctor and an even better man,” you informed as you moved from his side to rinse your hands in the bowl of water beside the bed.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I've been shot.”

“Oh, my friend you have been…3 times. One of them was centimeters from your lung, another a hair from puncturing your heart. Jeez, I don't know which angel you have looking out for you but I need her.”

Manolo approached him and began taking his vitals, you sifted to the back of the room to watch on. Ray's eyes slipped from you to Manolo then back to you as if he expected either of you to make a move against him. Was this because of you or had prison made him this way? Milla slipped inside and came to stand beside you. She now had Ray's full attention. With her voice low, she spoke.

“Razu has men watching the hacienda from all directions. If we plan on leaving without him knowing there is only one option.”

You nodded and locked eyes with Ray.

“Is he ready to move Manolo?”

“He’s a walking miracle. I think he's good to fly.”

“I'm not going anywhere with you people.”

All eyes moved to him each with different emotions radiating from them. You sighed.

“Do you think you have a choice?”

Ray narrowed his eyes at Milla's question.

“Yeah, I do. I don't know you from Adam.”

“What else do you need to know besides I--.”

The door opened and the rest of your Femmes walked in and flanked your side assuming formation without even realizing it.

“We saved your life,” Milla continued.

“Enough. This is Milla, Lyn, Jada, and Uki. These are my Femme Fetales, you explained.

“Femme Fetales? What's with the name?”

“Let's hope you never have to find out,” Keturah slid in.

“If you don't come with us, what's your plan? Go back to LA? Wander around alone? Get into some more shit with some more untrustworthy fucks?”

“Those were my brothers! And now they're fucking gone!”

“I know and I know what a deep cut that is. I know you're angry but being angry doesn't mean you have to be stupid. I don't think you get it. Right now your only option is to disappear. No, returning to LA, no lone wolf shit.”

He studied you and you could see the storm of emotions swirling inside of him. He was rightfully angry. His world shifted yet again. When he didn't speak for a few minutes you sighed again.

“Well stay one more night, give you some time to think it over. If tomorrow you decide you still don't want to go with us then fine. You be on your way and we'll be on ours no questions no debates.”

“Aria,” Uki began but you held your hand up to stop her.

“Everyone out.”

“Would you like something for the pain?”

Ray shook his head and watched everyone pour out of the room one by one. When it was just you, he raised a brow.

“You too.”

You scoffed having half expected it. As you walked to the door he watched you. Before leaving you looked back at him.

“The windows have sensory alarms so they’re sensitive to touch and movement, you’re also three stories up. Patrol outside might miss you if you jump but the perimeter patrol won’t. You’re free to leave but use the front door. It’s safest. Say goodbye first.”

“Like you did?”

For the second time, you felt as if you’d been kicked in the gut and gotten the wind knocked out of you. Low blow, you thought as you nodded and left him. Pressing your back to the door you took several calming breaths and then walked down the hall to the kitchen. You needed a drink—bad!

~~~~~~~

-The Next Day-

“Did you sleep at all?”

You scoffed as you filled your coffee cup with freshly brewed Pu-erh tea. With the sleep you hadn’t been getting and the day ahead that you foresaw, you desperately needed it.

“Sleep? Don’t know her.”

Keturah snorted and shook her head. “I don’t know how you do it.”

You took a lengthy sip from the cup and moaned. “God that’s good.”

“Morning workout?”

“Just a little meet-up with the punching bag.”

“Ah, is this aggression release or sexual tension release?”

You snorted and shook your head before you took another sip from your mug.

“He is ripped, Aria.”

“That he is.”

“He is also a distrustful ingrate,” she added.

You laughed.

“The only reason he is getting a pass is because his friends are gone and he almost died.”

“He doesn’t trust me,” you solemnly said.

You could wallow in it, matter of fact you had already. The entire night you wallowed and sulked because his distrust of you was so evident, so strong that it tore you apart. You’d wallowed until you were at dirt level. Now, in the light of morning, you couldn’t afford to anymore.

“You sure he’s still up there?”

“If he can plan to break into the reserve and steal millions of dollars I am sure he can manage to sneak out of somewhere without raising alarms,” you said.

“Legend,” Keturah muttered.

He sure was. If Donnie hadn’t been a little asshole this heist would have gone down as an incredible legend. It was practically flawless. As Keturah filled you in on any new developments you flitted around the kitchen to put together some breakfast for him. The others rolled into the kitchen and brought you up to date with the new developments but then the conversation shifted to plans and prep to leave. When you gave the go-ahead to get ready to take off in an hour, you walked out with a tray full of food on your way to Ray’s room.

As you stood outside you contemplated if you should just try the door or knock first. You reached for the handle, turned, and cocked your head to the side when you realized it was open. With caution, you walked inside and found Ray walking out of the bathroom, shirtless with a towel hung low around his waist. What was air? You no longer knew because it ceased to enter your lungs. Your jaw hung open and eyes roamed all the skin on display. You remembered Keturah’s words from minutes ago and though you’d agreed then, those words were now your gospel. He was ripped like no one’s business.

“Holy shit,” you mumbled.

“No knock?’

You met his eyes then realized what you were doing. “Ehm. Sorry. I uh—I honestly didn’t expect you to still be in here.”

“You and me both,” Ray answered.

“Well, I brought you poison-free breakfast. Freshly made and still hot.”

You placed the tray on the bed then backed up when you felt him walking toward the food. He looked over the tray then at you then back at the food. You watched him ease down onto the bed then dig into the double stacks of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and tater tots. When he dipped a matter tot into the grape jelly you smiled, comforted that at least that was the same. The man loved his sweets.

You didn't know how long you stood there watching him eat but in no time at all the plate was empty and he was gulping down the tea you'd given him.

“Tea is not my thing.”

“I know but you were just shot and still recovering caffeine is on the list of no foods for a while longer.”

Ray stared at you with squinted eyes and underneath the scrutiny of his eyes you has to look away but your eyes went back to his body. God he looked good, you thought. Again your eyes went to the “A” part of his chest tat and stared.  He'd tattooed your name on him. If he'd done that he couldn’t hate you could he?

“What game are you playing? Whatever it is I don't want any parts of it this time,” Ray said, draining the hot tea.

“I'm not playing any game, never have.”

“Right.”

You'd had enough. “Look say what you gotta say, I've had enough with the passive-aggressive you. Speak your heart, because we gotta move. I don't like being away from home after a job for too long.”

“Home? Funny I thought LA was your home, that I was…”

He trailed off leaving the words unspoken but still felt.

“Guess things change.  You had no problem leaving LA and staying gone for 10 years. Had no problem letting me take the fall, the time, and all that came with it! No problem using me!”

“Okay, you wanna do this now? Fine!”

You pulled up a chair and sat in front of him. “I never used you. I also never asked you to take the fall for me. That was you, Ray!”

“Bullshit! You made a fucking choice and it wasn't me.”

“You told me to run. I ran.”

“Without hesitation you sure did.”

“Oh come on Ray! You don't know how hard that was for me. You have no idea what the fuck I've been through because of that night,” you spat.

“You!? I went to fucking prison Aria. Me! You disappeared. You never visited, never wrote, never called. Nothing! It was me doing the time alone. Me dealing with all that shit for 10 years. You abandoned me!”

His words hurt like 10 thousand blades slicing at your heart. He really had no idea and was just fine looking to the worst as the explanation.  The fury rolling off of him doused your anger. In a way, you guessed it was true. You had disappeared. You didn't call, write or visit. You did run when he told you to. Everything he said was true at surface level.

“I didn't want to leave you, Ray. I wanted to stay and take my chances, serve the time with you.”

“Bullshit! Don't fucking lie to me Aria. I've had 10 years to sit with your lies. 10 years to comb through every lie you said, every lie you weaved into your movements, every lie spoken with your touch. The ledger is in the red, Aria. You can never pay it!”

He was right. You couldn't make up for what happened. It was too late too much had happened. You'd been stupid to think that if you just showed up again things would work themselves out. Even if he knew the whole story nothing would change. You clenched your jaw trying to stop yourself from crying.

“I'm sorry.”

Ray scoffed harshly.

“Fuck your sorries. They mean jack shit.”

This one wasn't a blade. It was a bullet and it made dead center impact. Unable to control yourself you stood and stalked to the door keeping your face turned from him. Before you walked out you stopped and took a breath.

“We're wheels up in an hour. The choice is yours on what to do.”

You grabbed the doorknob and half walked out but stopped again. “Every word I've ever said to you, every action, every touch, every single moment was never a lie. I got you. ‘Till the end imma ride wit’ you. I meant that on everything.”

You rushed from the room knowing you were seconds from exploding with every emotion you'd caged in the last 10 years. You zipped past your girls who'd no doubt heard the shouting and hightailed it to the shooting range under the house where you fired round after round at nearly every target there hitting dead center every time. As you released bullet after bullet tear after tear fell filling the endless well you now knew you'd carry the rest of your life.

An hour later you'd pulled yourself together and were clean, dressed, and strapped up ready to face your shit like the grown-ass woman you were and the queen you were set to become.

“Everything good?

“Yep. Is everyone here?”

No one answered which told me Ray wasn't here. You nodded and took a slow breath in.

“Did you give him the heist money and some gear?”

“An hour ago,” Uki replied.

“All right then. Let's go home.”

You pressed the elevator button and the doors opened.

“Where is home?”

Ray's deep baritone washed over you stunning you still.

“Why?”

“I would like to know where I'm going before I get there,” he answered.

Your head snapped back to him and your eyes locked. Hope swirled within you and it was stronger than any other emotion. It truly was dangerous.

“Nigeria.”

His brow crooked. “Hm, I've always liked the heat.”

“Let's see if you can take it, white boy,” Jada teased.

They all giggled and you caught a ghost of a smile on Ray's lips and your stomach flipped. Shit, you thought. You didn't need this right now.

“You have your money. Why not just take it and go?”

“I still might but right now I have nowhere I need to be.”

You nodded, hearing the words between his words.

“Let's move.”

You got in the elevator and everyone else piled in after you. Once under the compound you took to the escape tunnel and followed the 2 miles until you climbed back to ground level where the truck waited. After loading the bags, you sped away knowing Razu would have never seen this move coming.

It didn't take long to get to the jet and when you were securely in the air and exiting Mexican airspace you began to breathe more freely. For the first hour or so Ray kept to himself. He didn't speak or interact he just watched everything. It was a strength of his and soothing he'd honed in the services. By the time hour 4 came around Milla, Lyn, and Keturah had pulled him into a card game where they grossly took advantage until he got the hang of it. Then the tides turned in his favor.

Slowly he looked like he was beginning to fit in, and it made you relax a little more. Four and a half hours after takeoff, you were landing toward the coast where you would take a boat to the compound. Being the serviceman he was, Ray constantly checked the perimeter with one hand on his gun and the other hooked in the bulletproof vest he wore. He looked like a fish out of water amongst the backdrop of dessert colored dirt, rocky mountains, and free-roaming elephants, Zebras, and Antelope but at the same time, he looked like he belonged. Perhaps that was wishful thinking.

“Home, oh!”

You looked out to the palatial compound that rivaled the vastness of The Alamo and smiled. While you felt like a caged bird at times you loved being home.

“That is home?”

“Home sweet home,” Lyn added.

“Jesus, who are you people?”

They giggled while you focused on your return. You could already see movement and knew everyone around was gathering. Once the boat docked you unloaded and made your way to the walls. The men on patrol there were starting at Ray like he had three heads.

“Ehm!”

The guards shook out of their stupor and then opened the gate allowing you to enter. As you walked through, they saluted you with the respect you deserved. However, before you made it to the house you heard the murmurs of the arrival of the man you knew you'd have to answer to sooner or later. Everyone around except for you and Ray dropped to one knee while bending one arm at the elbow and clenching a tight fist. Your father's salute. You looked to Ray he was clearly confused but not intimidated.

The 6-and-a-half-foot man approached you with a stern look on his face and dressed like the world's best businessman. When he stood in front of you, Ray still didn't drop to his knee. You didn't know if it was ignorance of who was before him or indifference. If it was indifference, you were highly turned on. As your father eyed you trying to intimidate you into submitting you stood there head high, eyes locked on his not wavering. Your father's eyes shifted to Ray and you took a sidestep to stand in front of him.

“I'm home baba.”

Your father’s eyebrow crooked. “Baba? You still recognize me as your baba? You still recognize me as the leader of this organization?!”

Everyone continued to murmur as they felt the air shift from his anger.

“Of course.”

He scoffed. “I explicitly told you to stay out of the States. I told you that you can't break him out. I told you so many things and they were all ignored by you. All disobeyed!”

“Baba, I couldn't just sit here anymore. I had to.”

He stared at you, eyes still blazing with anger but slowly his features cooled. “You accomplished it too, I am impressed.”

You smiled.

“But what if I would have lost you? What then? Did you plan that far in your elaborate schemes?”

“You raised me and I had my Femme Fetales, how could you lose me?”

He sighed, shook his head then cupped your cheek. “You are of my blood, I don't know why I was surprised. I'm surprised it took you this long.”

You smirked.

“Fine.”

Your Father's eyes shifted back to Ray who was still standing.

“Still standing I see.”

“I bow to no one,” Ray defiantly exclaimed in that nonchalant voice of his.

Your father cocked his brow then laughed heartily. “Is that so?”

“Viper, it's been settled,” one of the men informed bowing his has to your father.

Ray's eyes went wide. “Viper? As in The Viper? The most feared and respected man in the game? The man who is at the top of everyone's wanted list and who has a hand and foot in every country and every market? That viper?”

Your father looked impressed. “And if I was that Viper?”

Ray looked at you then back to your father. “Then you'd have a lot more of my respect.”

He laughed again. “Interesting. Still standing?”

“I told you; I bow to no one.”

Your father smirked. “If you stay here when she takes over I can't wait to see you eat those words.”

He and Ray squared off both stating the other down as if sizing each other up. You knew your father was trying to gauge what kind of a man he was and get a feel of what value he posed. Usually, he was a great judge of character, but you wondered if he’d be biased because of the past, because of what Ray was to you.

“Everyone back to work.”

All the soldiers began walking away clearing the center but when you began to move he spoke again. “Everyone except Ray. We have plenty to talk about.”

You once again leaped in front of Ray shielding him. “No way.”

His eyes dipped down to yours and he mischievously smirked. “Why?”

“Because I know you. To punish me and prove a point you would kill him.”

Your father put his hand over his chest. “You wound me, princess. I promise I won’t kill him much less lay a hand on him. However, if he can’t so little as take a beating then maybe he’s not an asset here.”

“Baba he’s already taken 3 bullets, 2 came close to his heart and lung.”

“And I’ve taken a bullet right in the head and I lived to talk about it and run this empire. Near a lung and heart is child’s play.”

You opened your mouth to counter, but your father’s voice boomed over yours. “Either I talk to him alone now or I will see if he can take a bullet to the head and live. What’s 4 bullets?”

You knew better than to push him. He was your father, and he was soft on you, but he was still in charge. You hated it when he threw his weight around like this. Gritting your teeth, you sidestepped.

“Go and make sure everything is okay with the mission for tomorrow night.”

With one more glance at Ray, then your father you walked off. If Ray was going to survive here he had to learn how to fend for himself. What better opponent to start with than the king himself?

-Ray-

The fucking viper. He’d heard countless stories of this man’s empire. In LA there were plenty of his viper dens, plenty of his people dealing in so much shit. His gambling den was always packed and usually, the place everyone went for information, and that was just one of his businesses. He’d had no idea his reach came this far. Africa. Holy shit, he thought. They’d walked to a more secluded part of the compound, a part that looked like a luxury desert oasis.

He watched Viper sit, pull out something wrapped in brown paper then light it. With one puff came another and another until he was surrounded by white fragrant smoke. He took a deep breath in. It had been a long time since he’d had one of these. With parole checks and shit like that, he had to stay clean of everything.

“Here. Live a little.”

He held a similar one to him. He took it and mirrored his actions until he’d taken one long puff of his own. He groaned long and loud which brought a laugh from the giant’s mouth across from him.

“10 long years without one huh.”

He took in this man in a designer suit, diamonds, and gold. He had no idea you knew The Viper. It dawned on him then that he probably didn’t know anything about you anymore.

“I will give you one piece of advice and a warning all wrapped in one. Never have daughters because they will cripple you worse than any bullet ever could.”

Once he’d said the words it didn’t take him long to piece it together. Daughter.

“Aria is your daughter.”

He nodded. “She didn’t tell you.”

He sighed and took another lengthy puff. “One of many things I’m sure. I’m not surprised anymore.”

“Sounds a lot like animosity.”

He sighed but remained silent. He was bitter—very bitter.

“I’m sorry about your brothers. I know a loss like that—is a serious blow especially not being able to say goodbye.”

He balled his free hand. he’d hit the nail right on the head.

“If I know Aria and I do, she’s already found your snitch and he’ll be gift-wrapped to you by tonight.”

He snapped his eyes to the viper. “What’re you talking about?”

He sighed and blew out a puff of smoke. “I suppose it’s time to come clean.”

A few moments passed in silence, and he waited as patiently as he could.

“12 years ago I knew the moment you met, and I knew from that moment every move either of you made. I knew every secret rendezvous, every phone call, text message, every mini heist, every small job, every crazy scheme, and plan. Aria had no clue I knew and though I was leery about you, hell any man who wanted my daughter’s attention. She’s my only child and the future of this empire. But I like to give her small freedoms, so I let her live, I let her think she was living this secret life and I kept watch as the two of you fell in love—to my complete dislike. Of all people, a white boy oh.”

He kissed his teeth, then sighed. “I thought—hoped it would be young love, a fling, but I knew the night she shielded you from that vato, we’d move way past that.”

His interest was piqued but his gut rolled as if he knew he wouldn’t like what came next.

“The night of that lift off the PerriP crew I had my most trusted guys watching her. I knew the deeper in she got with you the more risk she would take. So when the shit hit the fan and you guys figured out there was a snitch you got cornered. They reported it to me, and I relayed my orders. Get her out at all costs.”

He paused again to take another drag from the substance lit between his fingers.

“When you told her to run, and you decided to burn yourself to save her I knew she would have stayed right there with you no matter what. You got separated it wasn’t because she actually ran. my men came in and sedated her to get her out.”

Everything felt like it collapsed then, his vision went tunnel, heart pounded painfully and loudly.

“What!?”

“My men followed my orders and when she came to, she killed several good men in an effort to get back to you. Of course, I couldn’t allow that. Within 2 hours, she was on the jet back here.”

As his heart thudded more painfully he pressed his hand over it. All this time, he thought.

“For the last 10 years, she’s been forbidden from making contact, forbidden from stepping foot in the States, forbidden from doing anything that he didn’t approve of. She hated my order and rebelled like hell. For years she hated me. I’m sure she still hates me for it, but I knew without a doubt that she would have served that stint with you. As her father, I couldn’t allow that.”

In the span of five minutes, his entire world had shifted. Everything he believed was flipped.

“You may resent me for it but, even knights are meant to be sacrificed for the queen.”

He met your father’s eyes and saw aloofness. He didn’t look remorseful, but he could see something that he thought was close. He wasn’t sorry nor did he regret his decisions, but he felt badly.

“Since the day she landed here, she’s been keeping tabs on you. She knew about your life on the inside and kept her ears to the ground so she knew when to step in if she had to. She was the reason you only served 10 instead of the 20 they wanted to give you. She wanted to break you out, but I wouldn’t allow it because that move would jeopardize my empire because of all the moving parts and people in law enforcement and government it would have taken. I don’t like to cash in debts.”

As your father spoke he sat there thinking about the last 10 to 12 years of his life. The happy years with you then the darkness of the last 10.

“She knew about your heist plan, knew about Donnie but she let it play out because she had a bigger plan. She managed to be one step ahead of everything and executed her plans seamlessly. She went against me and my orders and put the entire den in jeopardy just to step in and save you. She did all this for one man.”

He sounded as if he were in disbelief.

“Were you worth it?”

He scoffed. Was he?

“I see a lot of myself in you. Your ferocity, brains, drive, creativity, and foresight, I see so much potential for you here. I’m impressed with what you can offer the den. I always have been. Now that she’s gone through all this effort it is clear to me that how she felt then never died, it lives still. The proof has always been clear to me though I was reluctant to accept it. She is my princess, and no one is worthy of her. However, it’s become time for me to step aside and let her choose who stands beside her. I’ll offer you a spot in my empire, a place in the Den of Vipers, but the role is up Aria.”

He couldn’t believe his ears. All these years, all this time. Everything he’d thought was real wasn’t, everything was wrong. Your father stood then patted him on his shoulders.

“Take some time to think about it. Let me know when you’ve decided.”

With that, he walked off leaving him sitting there in this oasis with a head full of thoughts and a heart aching in more ways than one.

-Aria-

It had been nearly 2 hours now. What the fuck could they be talking about for so long? Being home you were supposed to be at ease but during your soak in the tub, you hadn't felt any ease. You were as tense and worried as ever. Not even half a bottle of rum had helped. You paced your room in your mid-thigh length robe as you thought about your options. Your father was pissed with you but you knew he wouldn't be too harsh. If you interrupted whatever they were doing he wouldn't punish you for it.

With your mind made up you flung your door open the gasped seeing Ray standing on the other side. Immediately he took your breath away. Mere hours ago, his eyes still held anger and mistrust in them. Now they were softer. What in the world had happened?

“Uh…what’re you doing here?”

“We need to talk.”

You crooked your brow. Now he wanted to talk? Without waiting for your reply, Ray walked into your bedroom leaving you stunned. He couldn’t wait to get away from you before, now he was barging into the viper's den. After closing the door, you cautiously walked in. Ray was at the window scanning the perimeter. When he turned his eyes roamed over you taking in your attire. When he realized how little you had on, he turned his head then breathed out heavily.

“How did you find me?”

“I asked.”

“And everyone was so willing to give you, an outsider, the location of--.”

“The next Viper in line to rule?”

You took him in. Your father had told him.

“Your father must have given me the green light around here,” he said.

“What? After 1 conversation? What in the hell did you talk about? Did he pull a gun on you?”

“Nope. He gave me some weed.”

You gaped then shook your head because it sounded like something your father would do. “So, he gave you weed then approved your access, and bam here you are.”

“10 years of secrets. Don’t you think it’s time to come clean?”

You studied him for a few moments then sat at the foot of your bed.

“What’re you talking about?”

“I did 10 years for you. The least you could do is be honest.”

“You keep saying that like I made you take the fall, like--.”

“Like you didn’t leave me?”

“Ray you told me to run. I did!”

“Yeah, you did. You ran never looked back then disappeared.”

You pinched your nose bridge then pressed across your forehead. He had no idea.

“If I looked back I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave. I knew that we’d both get caught and then we’d both be fucked. I wanted to go back so bad Ray. I knew I could convince my father to plan a jailbreak for you before any sentencing even happened but then some of my father’s men grabbed me and the next thing I knew I was on a plane halfway across the ocean. I tried to get back. I swear I did but--.”

“Even knights are meant to be sacrificed for the queen,” Ray said in such a way that an eerie feeling washed over you.

He’d talked to your father. Those were his exact words to you when you tried to plead your case to go back for Ray or even plan a jailbreak. He’d told him everything.

“He told you.”

“Yeah, he told me.”

“And you’re still angry with me? Why?”

“There is nothing and no one that could keep me away from you. All it took was daddy’s words for you to give up on me.”

You sprang to your feet then, anger bubbling in your gut. “You don’t know my father. He would have killed you just so you weren’t a distraction for me anymore. I stayed away to keep you alive. I didn’t give up on shit. All these years I’ve been watching. All these years I’ve been trying to keep you safe. Do you have any fucking idea how exhausted I am?!”

“I don’t need your fucking protection Aria! I didn’t then and I don’t now! I—I fucking needed you!”

Your eyes were locked on his, jaw tight as a slew of emotions swirled within you. Ray was the kind of man who was quiet but expressive. When you were together those 2 years he wasn’t overtly expressive about his feelings. What he didn’t say in words, he said in plenty of other ways. However, when he used words he always took your breath away. Now, today was no different.

Slowly you watched his eyes fill with something else other than anger. Something—heart-wrenching.

“I needed you on visiting days. I needed you at nights. I needed you in the depressing darkness of the hole. I needed you in every fight, every attempt someone made to prove I was weak. I needed to know I still had you.”

Ray turned from you and looked out of the window again. Your tears fell from your eyes, and it hit you then. Yes, he was angry with you, but he was angrier at the situation you found yourselves in. Where you’d had 10 years to accept the shit, he’d just had it all flung at him. Ray’s shoulders were slouched, hanging low as if he now had all the world’s weight on them.

You wanted to touch him, but you were scared he’d shrug you off. So, you kept your distance but after a few minutes the urge became too strong, and you slowly crossed the room until you stood right behind him. Raising your hand, it took forever to close the space to his shoulder. When you laid your hand on his skin, he didn’t move or lash out.

“I felt like such a fucking fool to have burned myself for you. I took you disappearing as you proving how untrue you were that you didn’t mean anything you said. I hated you so much. I wished such horrible things on you but with every horrible wish, I felt worse and worse. I hated myself and--.”

You dipped under one of his arms that were pressed on the windowpane and came face to face with him. Holding his face in your hands you found the last of your courage.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered.

Ray raised his eyes and peered into your tear-filled ones. You repeated the words you’d wanted to say for years. You said them again and again and with each apology Ray melted. The tension in his shoulders crumbled.

“I’m sorry,” Ray croaked out.

It was your turn to melt. Within seconds of those words escaping his lips, you both crashed into one another, lips colliding for the first time in a decade. You’d often wondered if this was possible after everything, and if it were, how would it happen. Would it be slow and tender, teasing, and hesitant? It was neither. Ray kissed you with a hardness that wasn’t there 10 years ago. He kissed you as if he loved you and hated you all at once like he wanted to suck the very air from your lungs to have a piece of you with him always or to kill you so no one could ever have you. His kiss was delightful and torture, familiar but foreign.

Your lips and tongues wrestled never remaining still for long. He swirled his around yours, and you sucked his until he groaned. When Ray pressed your back against the window the hardness of his body made you whimper. This was the body of a fully grown man, not some young adult. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him closer. In response, Ray dipped down and lifted you into the air so you could wrap your legs around his waist.

All of this was muscle memory. Your body never forgot him. How could it? He’d been your first in so many things. You bit down on his bottom lip dragging a fierce groan from him. Ray pressed into you giving you the first feel of his hardness.

“Fuck!”

Like a command received, Ray quickly yanked open your robe then cupped your breasts. His hands were rough, calloused, and larger than you remember. Using his thumbs he flicked your hardened nipples sending jolts of pleasure through you that settled in your core and turned to molten lava.

“Now! I can’t wait anymore,” you rushed out in between kisses.

Ray must have felt the same urgency because he released your breasts then lowered his hands to fumble with his pants. As he freed himself then kicked the pants off they went across the room and banged into one of the lamps bringing it clattering to the floor. With the room in half darkness, Ray locked eyes with you and a second later he split you in half sending his large, thick cock to the hilt.

“Aah! Fuck!”

Ray shuddered as he pressed his forehead to your collar. When he pulled back he rammed himself inside of you again making you throw your head back into the window.

“Ugh!”

His thrusts started slow and punishing. Each quick flick of his hips sent a powerful message that both your brain and body received. You held on to him afraid he’d disappear and you’d realize this was yet another dream. His hands tightened around your hips then he moved you against him, so he was directing his hardness into you the way he wanted, the speed he wanted. Every time he sank into you, your body shook, and goosebumps peppered your skin.

Soon, you both were panting, grunting, and groaning as you fucked right in front of the window not caring who could see. He turned, leaning his back on the wall as he locked eyes with where your bodies were joined.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck! Uuuugh!”

“Fuck me, Ray. Fuck me!”

That was just what he did. His thrusts were unrelenting, his power all-encompassing and with every minute your pleasure became so intense you knew you would break in half once you came. Ray tightened his grip then moved you more forcefully against him losing all control. The veins in his neck protruded as he lost himself to the pleasure you were sure he could only find with you.

You felt him walking across the room then your positioning changed as he sat you on top of him.

“Take all this dick, Aria!”

He slapped your ass, and it was all the encouragement you needed. You planted your hands on his shoulder then slowly lifted your body up only to slide back down. He felt so good. Ray dropped his head back and closed his eyes. Every time he almost slipped from your heat he bit down on his bottom lip. Then when you sank down on him his nose scrunched. Soon you were bouncing on him using the power and skill of your hips and ass.

Ray gripped your derriere, spread your cheeks then thrust up.

“Mmm!”

That one thrust unlocked something inside of you, something rabid and primal. Raising onto your feet you bounced on him increasing your speed until sweat rolled down your bodies. You pressed your lips to his and kissed him with as much heat as you felt within. It was heat he returned.

“Mm, I’ve missed your tight little pussy.”

Locking eyes with him you bit his bottom lip. “Show me.”

Ray stood, pulled you off him then pushed you over the chair so your ass was propped up like a gift for him. Without warning he slammed into you making you fling your head back. Ray’s hand wrapped around your throat as he held you in the position you were in. With your back arched creating a ‘u’ shape along your spine he lowered his lips to your upside-down ones and kissed you senseless. When he pulled his lips from yours he fucked into you with reckless abandon. Every stroke make you shout his name and every time you did he only fucked you harder and harder.

In no time at all you were seeing stars and your body was begging for mercy. You didn’t dare listen though. When you felt his teeth sinking into your shoulder you screamed from the pain but your body convulsed from the pleasure.

“Still like a little pain with your pleasure huh.”

Ray pulled from your body. You turned to him on shaky legs and peered at him through lust-clouded eyes. He hoisted you into the air again then slid you down on his length. Again you kissed him as he began his torturous pleasure all over again. When you tasted copper, you pulled back to realize you’d bitten his lip and drawn blood. Ray smirked then slammed you into a wall and jackhammered into you.

“Yes!”

“Is this still my pussy, Aria?”

“Yes.”

“Do I still own it?”

“Yes!”

“Ah, ah, ah!”

With each thrust, you could feel his body shaking. He was close and you wanted everything from him. You were tired of the last 10 years of longing. You wanted everything now.

“I love you, Ray.”

His brow quirked then his face scrunched and that was when you felt him release deep inside of you. It was a release that triggered yet another orgasm from you and brought darkness with it as your body exploded.

When you opened your eyes you were in your bed naked and sore.

“What the--.”

“Welcome back.”

Beside the bed, Ray sat just as naked as you. It all came back then, and you couldn’t hide the smile that spread across your face.

“Was I too rough?”

You glanced at his chest and saw the blood soaking the bandages. You jerked up. “What happened?”

“I’m fine. Some of the stitches popped.”

You slowly looked around the room and saw everything was in disarray. Lamps were broken on the floor, sheets and clothes littered everywhere, broken glass and furniture were here and there, and blood was smeared on some of the walls and your body.

You snorted, “Just like old times I see.”

Ray smirked.

“I’m sorry,” Ray began.

“Don’t. Let’s stop with the apologies here and now. No more. We missed so much time, so much was missed out on. I don’t want to miss it anymore. I don’t want to keep going like this Ray. I can’t. I miss you so fucking much I can’t breathe. I’ve loved you for 12 years and I don’t see it ever changing.”

Ray walked over to you, his hard cock bobbing in the air. Once beside the bed, he took your hands and raised you to your knees so you were in front of him. When his hand cupped your cheek you melted.

“This is the second time I’ve lost everything. Now I have nothing else, and I don’t want to lose you again. I can’t.”

His hand slid to the back of your neck to cup your skull. “I have loved you since I was 20 years old. A decade later not a damn thing has changed. I will love you for the rest of my life.”

Your tear slipped from your eye and Ray’s thumb swiped it away.

“Do you mean that? Do you forgive me?”

“I mean it.”

Rau brought your face closer and gazed deeper into your eyes.

“‘Till the end Imma ride wit’ you. There’s nothing to forgive.”

You scrunched your face and tried to contain yourself. “Ray,” you whispered, voice full of emotion.

“Tell me again,” he pleased.

You pressed your forehead to his. “I love you Ray Merrimen. “I got you. ‘Till the end Imma ride wit’ you.”

He smiled and then pulled you into a searing kiss, a kiss that revived your very heart and set your soul on fire. This man was all you wanted and all you would ever need.

“Your father offered me a spot here. He said the role is up to you though.

You held your breath waiting for him to finish.

“I want it. So tell me what role you want me to have?”

“You cupped his bearded jaw.

“I want you next to me.”

He smiled then slowly nodded.

“As your knight?”

You pulled him closer.

“As the king in my den because every queen needs a king.”

Ray laid you down then climbed on top of you ready to make you blackout again but a knock on your door stopped him.

“What?”

“It’s here,” Uki’s voice sounded.

You smiled. “I got you a present.”

“What present?”

“Come.”

The two of you dressed, you in your robe and Ray only in his pants. He didn’t even bother cleaning up the blood off his skin. you like it, he looked fierce. Once you made it outside to the center of the compound, the men had gathered. You glanced at Uki who smirked and nodded at you clearly knowing what had gone down and that Ray would now be a permanent face around here.

“What’s going on?”

“Consider this your welcome present. A token of my undying love.”

The men parted to reveal someone kneeling in the center with a burlap bag over their head. Ray looked at you with confusion.

“Open your present, my king.”

Ray approached the body then yanked off the burlap and came face to face with Donnie. When Donnie looked up at him the terror in his eyes faded.

“Ray—Ray help me. What the fuck is going on?”

Ray looked back at you, and you smiled wider nodding at him. You approached and stood beside him.

“Who’s this?”

“The Viper.”

Donnie’s eyes widened. You loved when your family’s reputation preceded you.

“Fuck, wha—wha—.”

“Shh. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You’re not?”

“No. I have no quarrel with you. It’s him you have to worry about.”

Donnie looked at Ray again. You leaned forward to Donnie’s ear.

“He knows what you did. He knows everything you did,” you whispered.

Donnie now looked horrified. You smiled when you stood upright again then laughed.

“Ray look man don’t listen to her. She’s lying. I didn’t have anything to do with any of that. Shit just went south. I don’t know how Nick knew about the heist. I don’t know how the money went missing.”

“How did you know the money went missing if everyone who knew that is dead?”

Donnie stuttered at Ray’s question. He’d given himself away.

“Fuck. I’m sorry man. I just--.”

“Shhh,” you repeated. “What was it that you like to say—oh right. You’re in complete control of your environment?”

He looked like he was ready to piss himself. You smirked deviously. “Guess what. You’re in my environment. You always have been in my environment. My den sees and hears everything.”

Ray stared at Donnie with so much anger that you wondered how he’d handle this. Donnie was the reason his brothers were dead. He looked at you.

“Whatever you want,” you said.

Ray nodded then kissed you sloppily making you moan. He then pressed his forehead to yours.

“Gun.”

You repeated the order and took the gun that was given to you to hand to Ray. Donnie then began pleading using every slick word he could find to plead with Ray not to do it.

“I’ll get you the money back.”

“How can you give something you don’t have? I took the money back already.”

Donnie dropped to the ground realizing he had nothing left.

“You got my brothers killed. Do you know what happens to those dropped in a viper’s den?”

“Ray man please.”

“They get bit!”

You watched as Ray released bullet after bullet into Donnie. He didn’t stop until the bullets stopped and the gun clicked over and over and over, and Donnie lay dead on the ground. He dropped his head back and stared into the night sky.

“It’s done. Rest up brothers,” Ray said into the night.

You looked up and saw Razu standing across the way. his eyes wide and jaw clenched tight. You smiled then wrapped yourself around Ray who wrapped his arm possessively around you.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“I mean it Aria. You’ve done so much. Thank you.”

You touched his cheek and then kissed him. “I told you. I got you. ‘Till the end Imma ride wit’ you.”

Ray pressed his lips to your forehead then the two of you turned to go back inside.

“Aria! I challenge you and that white abomination!”

You smirked and took the gun Uki handed to you, ever prepared for the shit that could rise. You turned, took aim, and shot quicker than he could realize what had happened. Your shot rang true sending the bullet dead center in Razu’s head.

“Spies and traitors don’t have the right to challenge. Uki will show you all the man Razu was.

She pressed a button on her wrist and the screens around played Razu’s dirty dealings within the den. Everyone whispered words of admonishment as they spat at and on Razu’s dead body.

“Let it be known that as of today I am his, and he is mine. If anyone objects speak now.”

Not a soul spoke and from the corner of your eye, you saw your father standing high above it all watching the events unfold. You held his gaze for a few moments and caught the smile on his lips. He nodded then pressed a kiss to his fingertips and sent it your way. His approval. It was 12 years later but better late than never.

Once you’d returned to your bedroom and ravaged each other thoroughly, you both laid there staring at each other both afraid to sleep for fear it was all a dream. Ray reached out and caressed your cheek.

“I promise to be loyal to you, to love you, and always come back for you.”

You smiled. “I promise to be loyal to you, love you and always come back for you.”

He rolled onto you and captured your lips.

“This is forever, Aria.”

“Forever.”

~End~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#ray merrimen fanfic #ray merrimen #den of thieves fanfic #pablo schreiber fanfiction #fanfiction comission #den of thieves #ray merrimen fanfiction #pablo schreiber

[acoraxia]

End

Chained Memories AU

(Day 1 of Monkie Destiny Challenge Prompt Month Oct. 2023)

Wordcount: 2.3k

Summary: Baigujing, in her final moments, remembers what was lost to her.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

She’s tired.

She has no true name to her body, she has no real way of identifying herself when placed side by side with a decaying corpse—she’d call herself a phantom, nothing more, nothing less, and then with a shake of the head she’d change her mind and go for a more regal name. One fit for a person destined for greatness. For a world without pain or suffering, for one where the Heavens would be made anew and the Kings of the Underworld would carry on with helping the souls pass on in peace. 

She called herself Baigujing.

Baigujing feels nothing to her soul. She has witnessed all the suffering of mortals and yao, the pain and heartache mothers and sons went through. It was loss upon loss, the feeling of stitches being pulled apart, a heart cut open and never allowed to heal itself. Yet, she felt nothing but a single pang across her chest before it dissolved into a breath of frost upon her lips. She felt nothing. She feels nothing and has come to terms that that’s how it would be for all her life.

Up until Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong is not meant to exist: he was born by chance, a single rock that was flicked off its pedestal by the wind, and everything that’s happened after his birth has been a hindrance to her plans. He’s found cradled in her arms, only a few years old with no true wisdom or knowledge yet, and she stares at him with eyes devoid of light and warmth. I’ll make you proud, Wukong tells her, I’ll show you I’ll be the greatest hero this world has ever seen, and she witnesses it first hand. 

Baigujing wants to regret having taken the Great Sage Equal to Heaven under her wing, but she can’t. She falls in love with the hope Sun Wukong shouts to the Heavens, the brilliance of light that pushes him to be on top of the world, letting himself fall back down into her arms because he knows she’ll catch him. He’s an enigma, he’s not meant to exist—and yet she smiles despite herself, listening to him go off about how his name is no longer Shi Hou and it’s now Mei Houwang. How certain words are banned from his kingdom, how he looks at her with gleaming eyes of gold and light and asks, “Am I the greatest king you’ve met?”

And she answers, “Yes.”

Even when he swears death to her name, screams that he’ll kill her himself—she finds herself proud of everything he’s accomplished. She’s withered and weak, a mere memory of the terror she used to be a thousand years ago. She was meant to bring the world to its knees—she was meant to rebuild it all, make it perfect for everyone to thrive in. Make it perfect for them. And he shatters that ideal, brings it to pieces right in front of her, even though he cries and screams and weeps; he causes her heartache in one fell strike, he brings her to tears and causes her to break apart. 

She remembers a time when he doubted himself. Doubted his place as a rightful king and great sage. 

“Is it true? Am I not worthy of calling myself Qitian Dasheng?” Sun Wukong says when they gaze upon an empty banquet. The monkeys have all gone to sleep, the yao and creatures that accompanied them for wine and fruit and fresh cut meat sprawled on the floor of the cave. The youngest monkeys shiver and hiccup, huddling onto each other for warmth, though Wukong keeps his feet planted where they are. “The Jade Emperor—his people aren’t what I expected. I thought they’d welcome me. Am I not worthy of being respected for my achievements?”

Perhaps raising a child had changed her.

Wukong frowns, clenching his fists. “Azure was right. I’ll never be anything else than a weak-willed—” “Do not speak ill of the Handsome Monkey King, young man,” comes the quiet remark, and she takes in the way he startles and looks at her. “I’ve watched him grow from a young monkey into a wise scholar and, when his kingdom was in danger, he became a warrior for them. A soldier. A protector. And I will not have you sully his name because some nameless celestials gave you a bad day.”

Baigujing crosses the cave’s path, beginning to make her way towards the mansion that was found behind the walls of the waterfall. She waits for the sound of footsteps following her, but when they don’t come she stops and sighs. 

“There will never be a time where you are unworthy of your name, Sun Wukong. You were gifted that name for a reason,” she says quietly, beckoning him closer with an extended hand. He hesitates, stepping over sleeping leopards and qilin, his steps a quiet crunch of stone against soft sand. She takes his hand once he’s closer and holds it. She knows she’s cold, she knows she cannot provide the same warmth he gives to his children and subjects—yet she speaks quietly and softly. 

“Please understand, Sun Wukong, that though you are nothing the world asked for, you are everything the people need.” You are a weapon, you are a savior, you are many things, and I know you won’t fail me.

He always appears more human than she expects him to be. So he brings his body to hers, wraps his arms around her, and presses his cheek to her shoulder. It’s meant to be comforting. He’s meant to seek comfort from a mother made of cloth and paper, cold and unable to feed him, uncomfortable with all her sharp edges and hollow eyes. Yet he stays there all night, murmuring how he’ll show the gods that he is worth the title of a sage. That he’s going to be the most extraordinary being the Heavens have ever seen.

And she, with all her demon qualities, cannot bring herself to control him anymore. She cannot do this when she’s sure it would make him suffer. It would make him bleed and weep real tears of anguish. 

He could be loyal.

Chained and leashed for her to use as her own.

She knows how easy it would be to manipulate him; she knows to what length a child will go to make their mothers happy.

So she leaves him.

She kisses the brow where his crown will rest on, tells him to sleep alongside his grandchildren and little suns, and stays with him until she’s certain he won’t wake when she moves. “Goodbye,” she whispers against his ear, breaking the silence of the cave. It’s safer this way. She cannot sacrifice her plans for him. She cannot change her destiny. She cannot make him change for her. 

Sun Wukong deserved to keep his freedom.

And it breaks her heart to know he gave it all up for the ones who hated him the most. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

“I’m tired,” she says with a shaky breath on her final day of life.

Or in other words, her last day of running from Sun Wukong.

Baigujing sees him from the corner of her eye. He’s gotten taller, brighter, and yet he looks battered and broken all the same. She left him in the hands of destiny, the sweet whispers that promised her justice and righteousness—and he looks so tired that it breaks her to pieces all over again. She pulls herself up, trying to sit more properly, but Wukong stops her. His hands are on her shoulders, eyes scanning her face, and he helps her sit against the wall. There’s cracks along the edges and her blood on stone. 

It has not yet dried.

Wukong makes sure to rest her head carefully against the wall. 

She’s not sure how she winds up sitting next to Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the very same soul she abandoned when he was only a boy to pursue a path that… led to nothing. Nothing at all. Only pain. 

“Do you hate me?” she asks quietly. Her voice quivers and she doesn’t know why. Wukong won’t look at her.

“No,” he says.

“I did everything right,” Baigujing murmurs against the air. It’s as if the very essence of her soul is trying to get away from her. Abandon her. Leave her for dead. Her vision’s blurring and her cheek feels wet.

Though she doesn’t know why.

She says, “I found myself a champion. I made my army. I challenged Heaven. I tried to remake the world into something perfect and yet—” She takes in a sharp breath, unsure of herself. Her visions. Her calling. They’re replaced with the faint memory of tiny fingers running through her black hair, forming shapes of flowers and carefully decorated river streams. She sees herself holding a young infant, happy and waiting to see the sunrise, holding her hand as tight as possible, and breaks into pieces, mouth open to release a silent wail of regret.

She never got to see him grow.

She promised the world to him.

She swore she’d make storm clouds cry for him.

She made him clothes and carved pathways for him to choose what he wanted to do.

She watched him run with eager steps to a master who could teach him all the things she couldn’t and embraced him with open arms when he returned a scholar, a proper name to his unique soul, and kissed his head with glee over his proud achievements.

And she left him to die.

In all her selfish desires—Sun Wukong did not fit into her ideals. He was too powerful, too impulsive, too imperfect, too human for her to take him with her to destroy everything that was impure in her eyes. She wanted to start anew and forgot the faint fingerprints of tiny hands against her wrists that carried her through the years. So she cries now, because she cannot find the proper way to say she’s sorry.

“I lost Flower Fruit Mountain to a fire,” he says quietly. He doesn’t look at her either. Something soft brushes against her wrist. A flower.

It’s an illusion made of gold and ichor—yet she feels its warmth.

“The Samadhi Fire?” she rasps, finding it hard to breathe all of a sudden. As though something’s lodged in her throat. She gasps quietly, gulps down the little air she can muster, and tries to stay awake to hear her son’s tale.

“No. My—there was this Huntsman. Erlang Shen. He burnt down my mountain out of anger and,” Wukong breathes in sharply, exhaling that burst of air with a quiet sigh, “he made me his sworn brother. I’ve been with him in Heaven. I only left because…”

“Xiaotian.”

“Xiaotian,” he murmurs.

“His birth… I don’t know why I took him. I don’t know why I did it.” She closes her eyes, feels herself growing weaker. “I thought… if it were someone else. If it were someone that was made by Heaven’s wretched blood, I wouldn’t feel guilt. But he is so much like you, Wukong.” She thinks of bright smiles and golden-brown eyes staring at her, waiting for the words of appraisal. She thinks of tiny fingerprints against her arm, finding comfort to her side. “I hurt you both so much.”

“That’s not right,” Wukong croaks. She tries to open her eyes—but she can’t. She can’t see his expression, can’t tell what he’s thinking. She can only hear how his voice breaks right in front of her. And she can’t even hold him anymore. She’s too weak. “You left… and ruined a young boy’s life. You made him—me—us think we were only good for one thing. I searched for you. I missed you. I was found by someone who was too flawed to notice my suffering, I was dragged away by a soldier who would not hesitate to seal me away again—you left me.”

“I’m sorry.” 

The world is quiet.

Her vision is white. 

And then, she can open her eyes again. 

It’s an empty void. It’s only them, standing opposite to each other, Wukong’s armor and red-eyes gone, the traces of the Samadhi Fire nowhere to be found on his body. Baigujing breathes. Her clothes are the ones she wore when she found him. White with traces of blue and lilac. Her hair is down, black rivers that have no end, the feeling of herself fading away strong with breath she takes.

She sighs, closing her eyes to savor the taste of life one more time, and says, “I told Xiaotian the road he’s chosen can only lead to one thing.” Baigujing looks at Sun Wukong. His eyes are filled with tears, hands and arms and body covered in scars that have not yet healed. His clothes are tattered, covered in smoke, and his fur burns with fire that could not be described by any words she knows. “Pain,” she breathes out, stepping closer to the boy she abandoned all those years ago.

She touches his cheek. Ice washes over him as he leans into her palm, eyes closed and tense, the fire fading away and turning into short, tiny tufts of light brown fur. He gets shorter, forces her to descend to her knees, and when he opens his eyes again, they’re a light shade of gold. Not yet made of a sun’s glow. She holds his face, bringing her other hand to touch it, and smiles shakily for the first time in years.

“But you can change that,” she sobs, smile widening when Wukong places his hands over hers. “Please, Wukong, take care of him before he thinks he’s undeserving of love.” 

Wukong says nothing.

He steps forward, tiny hands coming to touch her face. He squishes her cheeks, curious yet firm, and, in the tiniest voice, says, “Goodbye mama.”

Baigujing smiles.

She brings him to a hug, squeezing him tightly, and with her final breath says, “Goodbye.” 

#writers note #sun wukong #lmk lady bone demon #lmk sun wukong #Monkie Kid Chained Memories AU #my writing #UHM #ANYWAYS #POSES #chained memories au #lego monkie kid #lego monkie kid au #THIS IS UH THE PROLOGUE YKNOW.... so we'll be going backwards #poses elegantly #alas #Monkie Destiny Challenge #❄️🌸 #lady bone demon #this was supposed to be silly and yet here i am yknow idk im just sitting here guys

[songbirdseung]

on live together / sim jake

In one of HYBE's many vocal rooms, y/n had an hour free time and she decided to spend that time on weverse, communicating with fans. She could not put in words the peace and comforting feeling to be able to spend time with fans like this.

Today was no different than her other live streams. She tried to subtly leave breadcrumbs or spoilers for her fans, give out comforting statements for fans, and giving any recommendations on music she recently likes or movies she has watched.

The chatroom buzzed with curiosity as fans eagerly awaited Y/n's response to the "TMI for today?" request. Y/n couldn't help but smile as she voiced out her reply, careful to leave out any giveaway details.

"Well, today's TMI is that I had a great time with a close friend," she shared, deliberately keeping it vague. "We caught up, had some delicious food, and just enjoyed each other's company. It's moments like these that make life truly special. 😊"

The fans reacted with a mix of excitement and affectionate comments, showing their support for Y/n's happiness. Little did they know that the "close friend" was actually her boyfriend, Sim Jake, a secret she had kept hidden for two years to protect their privacy.

Y/n continued to engage with her fans, sharing anecdotes and laughter, all the while keeping the secret of her relationship close to her heart. The vocal room was filled with an atmosphere of warmth and connection, and Y/n couldn't have been happier to share this moment with her loyal fans.

In the midst of it all, y/n's phone starts ringing. Her eyes widen and excuses herself, then proceeds to play music.

As Y/n excused herself from the fans to take Jake's call, she discreetly moved away from the camera, ensuring her face was not visible to the live stream. She answered the call with a hushed voice, a loving smile creeping onto her lips as Jake's voice came through the phone.

"Hey, babe," she whispered, trying to contain her excitement. "Is everything okay?"

Jake's voice was warm and reassuring. "Everything's great on my end, sweetheart. I just wanted to hear your voice and check how your day's been going."

Y/n's heart melted at Jake's sweet words. She leaned against the wall, feeling a rush of affection for her boyfriend. "My day's been amazing, just like any other day when I'm with you."

Meanwhile, back in the live chat, fans couldn't help but notice the familiar ringtone. The comments section filled with excitement as they recognized the tune, especially the part that featured Jake's voice. They began to gush over it, writing comments like:

"OMG, Y/n's ringtone is one of ENHYPEN's songs! 🥺"

"Did anyone else catch that part? It's Jake's voice! 😍"

"Even her ringtone is giving us ENHYPEN feels.❤️"

Unaware of the fans' comments, Y/n and Jake continued their sweet conversation, sharing stories and laughter, grateful for this stolen moment of connection in the midst of their busy lives.

After ending the call with Jake and returning to the live stream, Y/n noticed the flood of comments from her fans regarding her ringtone. Her heart raced, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks as she tried to maintain her composure.

"Sorry about that, everyone," she chuckled nervously, attempting to downplay the excitement surrounding her ringtone. "It's just a fun ringtone. You know how we like to support each other within the company, right?"

She continued to read the comments, feeling a pang of guilt for lying to her devoted fans. She had always cherished the close relationship she had with them, and the thought of deceiving them troubled her deeply. But she also knew that revealing her relationship with Jake could cause a media frenzy and disrupt their lives in a way neither of them wanted.

Wanting to set the record straight without divulging too much, Y/n decided to address the fans directly, her tone sincere and apologetic. "I want to clarify something, guys. Jake and I are really close friends, and we support each other as fellow artists. I value your support and love so much, and I'm sorry if there's been any confusion. Let's focus on the positive energy and continue to enjoy our time together."

The fans, understanding and respecting her choice, responded with an outpouring of understanding and affectionate messages. They reassured Y/n that they would support her no matter what and that they appreciated her honesty.

Though the guilt still weighed on her, Y/n couldn't help but smile at her fans' unwavering support. She hoped that one day, when the time was right, she could reveal her relationship with Jake and celebrate their love openly with her fans, who had been there for her through thick and thin.

As Y/n continued with the live stream, her phone buzzed with a new message from Jake. She couldn't help but grin at the message, knowing that he was just teasing her. "Close Friends, huh?"

She quickly typed back a playful response, "Haha, you know I had to keep it lowkey, babe! 😉 Our secret's safe for now."

Mintues went by and as Y/n started to bid her fans goodbye on the live stream, a sudden knock on the door startled her. She quickly excused herself, saying, "Hold on a moment, everyone." Her heart raced as she opened the door, only to find Jake standing there with a mischievous grin.

"You still on live?" Jake asked, his eyes sparkling with playfulness.

Y/n could only manage a shy nod in response, too stunned to form words. She watched in shock as Jake confidently walked past her and toward the camera, his charismatic presence radiating through the screen.

"Hey there, everyone!" Jake greeted Y/n's fans with his trademark smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important, but I just couldn't resist saying hello."

The chatroom exploded with excitement as fans realized that they were getting an unexpected visit from one of ENHYPEN's members. They typed in a flurry of messages, welcoming Jake with enthusiasm and admiration.

Y/n, still in disbelief, stepped aside and let Jake take center stage, her heart filled with a mixture of surprise and affection for her boyfriend. She couldn't help but smile as Jake interacted with her fans, making them laugh and sharing stories, just as she had done earlier.

It was a memorable moment that Y/n and her fans would treasure for a long time to come, a surprise visit that added an extra layer of connection between the idol and her devoted supporters.

As the comments section went into overdrive with excitement, Y/n and Jake exchanged amused glances. They decided to make the most of this unexpected interaction with the fans.

"Wow, it seems like you guys are just as surprised as I am!" Y/n laughed, reading the flood of questions pouring in. "Alright, I was going to end this but let's see if we can answer some of your burning questions!"

Fans started typing their inquiries in rapid succession, causing the chat to scroll rapidly.

"Jake, what's your favorite thing about Y/n as an artist?"

"Y/n, can you tell us what Jake is like when he's not on stage?"

"Any hints about upcoming projects for ENHYPEN?"

Y/n and Jake took turns answering questions, giving fans a glimpse into their lives as artists and individuals. They shared anecdotes, laughed, and even dropped a few hints about ENHYPEN's future plans, much to the delight of their eager audience.

The spontaneous Q&A session became an unforgettable moment for both Y/n and her fans, strengthening the bond between them even further. As the live stream came to a close, the chat was filled with messages of gratitude, love, and excitement for the future.

After the surprise live stream interaction between Y/n and Jake, fans on social media went wild, sharing screenshots, highlights, and analyzing every moment of their brief exchange. It didn't take long for them to start putting the pieces together, and some fans began to playfully ship them as a couple.

Fan accounts and social media platforms buzzed with discussions about their chemistry, using the hashtag #Yake (a combination of Y/n and Jake's names) to celebrate this newfound "ship." Memes and fan art depicting the two of them in various romantic scenarios began circulating online.

The secret couple found the fans' reactions amusing and heartwarming. They watched as fans tirelessly debated whether they were just close friends or something more. Y/n and Jake knew that they had successfully added an intriguing layer of mystery to their relationship.

While the fans were determined to uncover the truth, Y/n and Jake reveled in the excitement, knowing that they had created a special connection with their supporters. They continued to focus on their music careers and share their talents with the world, all the while cherishing the delightful banter and playful shipping from their loyal fan base.

The secret couple couldn't help but laugh at the fans' dedication to uncovering the truth, and they secretly enjoyed being at the center of the playful speculation. As time went on, Y/n and Jake's love story remained hidden, but the fans' unwavering support and endless enthusiasm made it all the more special.

#enhypen #enhypen imagines #enhypen au #engene #enha #enhypen x reader #sim jake #jake #sim jaeyun #jake enhypen #jake imagines #sim jake fluff #sim jaeyun imagines #jaeyun fluff #jaeyun x reader #enhypen jaeyun #jaeyun imagines

[ghost-with-a-teacup]

𝐓𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 ~ 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Summary: It had been weeks since you have genuinely spent time with Sevika, and frankly, you missed her. Communication is important in any relationship, right? So you make it a point to tell her and well...that goes wonderfully (it doesn't).

Sevika comes around though, she always does. Because your relationship is more than just a stupid little argument.

Pairing: Sevika x Reader

Warnings: Some light arguing, nothing much. It's Hurt/Comfort lol.

Authors Note: Haha! I have finally gotten around to writing Sevika, lmao. I was nervous to write for her for the longest time because I adore her so much I didn't want to mess it up, but this prompt was sitting in my mind for a few days so I just had to write about it lol. I hope you enjoy!

The early hours of the morning in Zaun were of the sparse times when the bustle of the Underground had quieted, it was thoroughly a city that lived at night after all. This didn’t mean it was any less beautiful though, in its unique kind of way. The few rays of sun that could reach this far down shined through the windows of the apartment you lived in, painting the room in a green-tinted glow and effectively pulling you out of your slumber.

With a groan you curl into yourself a bit to escape the day for a little while longer and flop onto your side to look at Sevika, hoping you could get her to do the same.

It seemed as though you were the early riser of the two of you today you thought to yourself with surprise as you admired her in the light, her firm expression softened as she slept. With light fingers you trailed them over her light blue scars, their pulsing slowed with the peaceful beat of her heart. Smiling to yourself you watch as an eyebrow twitched, once, twice, before steely gray eyes met yours sleepily.

“Morning, baby,” she says, her morning voice making it lower than usual and had you forcing back a shiver at her tone.

“Good morning, my love.” The pet name has Sevika smiling back at you softly for a moment before she tiredly trails a hand down her face, already moving to get out of bed even though she had just woken up.

It was like this every day. Despite the fact that mornings were the few times that you and Sevika could spend together in the day, she was more than eager to escape them as soon as possible. From morning to late at night she was at work, you hardly saw her at all anymore as she drowned in work that had to be done. It had been like this for weeks, the only sign she was still around was when she pulled you close late at night or now.

You didn't say anything because you understood her job's importance; she wanted to repaint Zaun in the light of her choosing and make it a better place. So you said nothing usually, but you couldn’t stop yourself today. You missed her, more than anything. Missed the times when she would pull you close to her on the couch simply talking about the day, or when you would both go to The Last Drop to drink the night away. Now those times were few and far between.

So before she could climb out of bed you grasped onto her waist, sitting up so you could hug her from behind as she sat up.

“Please…stay home today Sev. We hardly see each other anymore, I…I’ve missed you” you say softly but firmly, not wanting to be brushed off. Shifting a bit so you could see her expression you watched as a flash of annoyance went through her eyes, but regardless you pressed forward. “Surely one day off wouldn’t be so much?,” you reason, “You work so hard, after all, anyone would be a fool to not see that.”

A sharp sigh. “Don’t make this harder than it already is baby, a job is a job,” she says simply, nudging your arms away and brushing you off just like that before getting out of bed and walking over to the dresser.

Your heart pangs with hurt as you realize she completely disregarded your feelings, and unwillingly tears well up in your eyes from frustration and sadness but you blink them back.

“Yeah, but the world doesn’t stop the moment you relax for a bit, Sevika. This can’t be good for you, and besides, Silco and his goons can more than manage,” you argue.

“Enough, I won’t hear any more of this,” she says, not even turning back to look at you, her tone final.

“Fine,” you mutter, before flipping over so your back is turned to her and cuddling into your pillow in place of her. Tears flow hotly down your face, and you try to stifle your sobs since you didn’t want to seem pathetic in front of Sevika. It worked for a while, but when you heard her footsteps leave the room, it was like a dam exploded as you sobbed.

She didn’t come back for the rest of the day.

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

To be honest, you had no will to be productive after the argument you and Sevika had in the morning, instead turning to mope around the house all day. Later in the evening, you settled on the couch to read, a blanket wrapped around your body like a protective barrier to the outside world. It was pretty nice.

You lost yourself in the words, transported to the world of your choosing. You had been lucky enough to learn how to read growing up, a luxury not so common in the Undercity, so whenever you could you brought it upon yourself to read.

All of a sudden the click of the lock draws you out and back into the waking world, and you watch the door as it opens and Sevika makes her way through. You couldn’t help the look of surprise that passed over your face, this was the earliest she had been back home in ages, you thought to yourself. Regardless, you turned back to the words and promptly ignored her. If there was one thing you were, it was petty, although you had to admit it warmed your heart to see her trying to be more present despite the argument the two of you had.

Despite your eyes on the page your focus was anywhere but on it. You heard the clink of keys on the countertop, her heavy boots loud as she stepped around before taking them off. Before long, the usual scent of Sevika filled the room, a mix of cigarette smoke and pine, comfort.

You heard her sigh before she made her way over to you, settling down on the couch by your side. You both waited for a moment, the air heavy with hesitancy before she wrapped you up in her arms, blanket and all and pulled your back to her chest holding you close.

“I can tell you don’t want want to talk right now baby, but I just needed to say I…” she hesitates for a moment. “I’m sorry.” Your eyes widen once more in surprise. Arguments in any relationship were inevitable, you and Sevika were no different, but she was never one to apologize. Instead, she would make it up to you in other ways, so hearing her say sorry almost made you want to cry again.

“I should have heard you out before getting short with you. Work has been…difficult lately, but that’s not an excuse I can give. There is none, frankly, I was shitty and I haven’t been spending enough time at home where I should be, by your side. I talked to Silco about it because you were right, I’m not the only person capable of doing jobs. Maybe the only one who can do them properly,” she scoffs, which makes you laugh lightly, “but still. I’ll be around more often, I promise,” she finishes before quieting again, waiting to hear what you have to say.

You wiggle around in her grasp for a moment and she lets you go immediately, a sound of displeasure coming from her throat as she probably thought you were trying to leave. But you were only trying to turn around to face her, and that was a bit difficult when she had effectively turned you into a human burrito with the blanket.

Straddling her waist you throw your arms over her neck.

“It’s alright Sev, I forgive you,” you say, pressing your lips to her cheek chastely. “That’s all I wanted, I have missed you a lot lately.” Sevika has a far-off look in her eyes for a moment, regret flashing through them.

“I’ve…missed you too baby,” she says before she grasps your chin between her fingertips and captures your lips between hers in a passionate and tender kiss.

“But you won’t have to anymore,” she grins.

A/N: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I HOPE THAT WAS OKAY LMAO.

#i love her so much #big buff scary wifey #idk why this prompt lived in my head but here we are #sevika #sevika arcane #arcane sevika #sevika x reader #arcane sevika x reader #sevika arcane x reader #sevika x y/n #arcane league of legends #arcane netflix #arcane imagines #arcane x reader #arcane #arcane fics #league of legends fanfiction #arcane league of lesbians #league of lesbians

[impyssadobsessions]

Raising Phantom Chpt 9

Jazz sighed as she sent a text to Danny and Vlad, running her fingers through her hair. She had PLANNED and PROMISED to be home by dinner. Glancing at the clock on the school computer, it was already ten minutes past eight o'clock. She hoped Danny wouldn't be too upset, she really didn't mean to.. to-be like their parents.

Oh god. Jazz leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. She clenched her fist repeatedly, trying to calm herself down. Tears painfully pricking at her eyes. Trying her best to avoid breaking down. There were still a few students in the computer room.

She wasn't like her parents. She reminded herself, trying to ignore the doubt in her inner voice. She really meant to be home and she told them she'd be late. Maddie and Jack sometimes forget to even do that when they were busy. But they worked in the basement. Just a staircase away. Stop!

She shook her head. She sat up focusing on the screen, clicking print on her report. She was turning in her work for her classes for the week as well as chatting with her teachers, when one of her professor's refused to accept the format of her work for him. So she had to go and change every single one.

Jazz rubbed her eyes and got up to grab the report from the printer. Borrowing a stapler and returning to logout of the computer. He also demanded it to be in paper. She never in her life disliked a teacher, but he was the first.

Though she had to admit to herself, it wasn't all because of work and school she was late. Talking to Sam and Tucker was very therapeutic. Of course they didn't like that she left Danny with Vlad, but they understood that she needed her space. Encouraged it, even.

“Tch. Of course, the only time I would have loved to go to one of those stuck up rich parties.” Sam muttered, upset to miss the chaos. “Oof. Luckily I don't think Mr. Wayne would remember you. So at least you still have a future job!” Tucker has said, trying to get her to look on the bright side for her, “Annnnd if he does, then no offense, but I don't know you-OW! Sam! I was just kidding!” Jazz suppressed a chuckle with a smile at the memory. Despite having been Danny's friends, they closely became hers too. More so since... She shook her head, looking straight on, she marched back to her professor's office to hand him her work.. again. Refusing to focus on another thought that wasn't on what was around her.

Then it was time to head home.

The walk back was peaceful, well relatively. It was getting dark, which meant danger, but the streets were crowded enough where it didn't feel terrifying. The shops still were lit, and their displays proudly shown in the windows.

Jazz stared at them as she walked by. She never was much of a window shopper before, but after living in Gotham, it had quite an appeal. She smiled as she passed a jewelry shop that had beautiful necklaces on display, clear that they were only for show as the real products lay protected inside. One of the necklaces reminded her of Dora's amulet.

Danny had explained to her one day, after he took her to various allies across the ghost zone. So she knew who to contact if he needed it. Dora was a sweetheart, but the amulet could cause her to turn into a dragon when upset. Jazz liked having tea with her. They'll have to make a trip to see them, next time she takes Danny to Frostbite for a check up.

Another reason she was working with Vlad. Vlad had a working portal and Danny couldn't rely on conventional medicines. Neither could she. She reminded herself, as she walked past a closed pharmacy.

She did worry about what would happen if she got hurt, if they tried to take her to hospital. Or worse, did get murdered. She felt a sharp pang in her heart. She clenched at the strap of her bag. Jazz glanced back at the windows, trying to avoid that thought.

Death wasn't an easy concept. Accepting it was hard. She wanted to believe it wasn't something that happened as often as it did, despite the evidence around her. Even at times she forgot that Danny had actually-

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!” a blood curdling scream broke Jazz from her window shopping and her thoughts.

Jazz slapped her back against the wall, as a car came tumbling through the street. She peaked around the corner, hearing the growls and terrified screams. People were trying to flee the streets as another car was picked up by a giant reptilian man. Killer-Croc.

Jazz furrowed her brows, having studied a lot of the reoccurring rogues of Gotham. After-all, her chosen future workplace, she needed to be informed about all the potential patients. She kept to the corner, watching the behavior of the man as he tossed the car into a building.

Killer-Croc was an unfortunate soul, cursed with a body that looks far more monstrous than human. Jazz felt empathy for the giant reptilian. The parallels between him and ghosts were so similar. Creatures that deserve to be treated with the same rights as humans yet both denied based on how they look or how powerful they were. People feared them and used their fear to cast judgment.

Jazz yelped as she rolled out the way of a light pole being swung into the corner of the building she was at. It bounced and flipped into the street, smashing down a traffic light with it. But just like ghosts, there were some merits to their fear. It was a sad fate.

Fate was cruel like that.

The red-headed woman jerked as a motorcycle whipped down the street, jumping over the crushed poles that laid on the street. It skidded to a stop. There was no mistaking the red helmet vigilante that perched on the bike.

“Croc! Don't make me do this same song and dance!” Red Hood yelled, immediately cursing as he jumped off his bike, dodging another car tossed his way.

Killer-Croc was still rampaging, without making any attempts to verbally communicate. Growls and roars coming from the man. People kept running by her, screaming. Jazz should leave, but something felt wrong. She couldn't do anything about it though. She SHOULDN'T do anything about it.

She watched as Red Hood disappeared around the corner, assuming he was running towards the man. Her eyes glanced up as she noticed another vigilante land on the building opposite of her. She had to let them do their job, one day she'll get to do hers. So, she steadied herself off the building and decided to cut through the alleyway to her right.

That had to be the hardest thing about living in Gotham. Having to standby and watch instead of trying to help, especially when she just imagines Danny in their place. Danny, or Phantom as he called his hero persona, the ghost boy that took on everything without knowing how bad it would get. Took every punch, every shot, and every weight on his shoulders to protect people around them. Ghosts and Ghost Hunters included.

She felt tears prick her eyes, making it hard to see. She rubbed her face as she continued to run to the other street. It didn't help that the buildings and cars were now on fire. Smoke filtering into the alleyway. She wanted to be home to hug Danny. She should have been home. She needed-

“What's the rush girlie? Don't like the show?” There was a click of a gun.

Jazz froze, putting her hands up. She didn't know how good of an aim they had, but they sounded way too close to miss. She turned her head slowly to look behind her. There stood a man in a trench coat and a fedora covering his face in shadow.

“You haven't even seen the best part, yet~”

She could see a hint of a grin on his face. A cold dread in her bones. He walked up to her and threw an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to him. His gun pressed to her neck. She could see him more clearly, but refused to do so. The red mouth and the cracking white paint of his neck was more than enough for her.

“Come on, I'll get you front row seats! Generous as I am. It'll be a blast.”

----------------------------@w@ '''

Danny poked at the cold lasagna on his plate as he kicked his feet that dangled. His stomach was in knots. Jazz had called them at five exclaiming she was going to be late, and then texted that she was about to leave around eight. Vlad was pacing around the living room, his plate empty on the coffee table with an empty wine glass. Both of them were growing anxious.

Danny was torn as part of him wanted to go and find her right now, but the other part was clearly reminded of how she was before she left. He didn't want to bother her... she said that she'll be fine. And Jazz was always right... He squinted at his food as if it gave him a questionable look back.

He shook his head and stared at Vlad. He had to admit, Vlad wasn't... so bad.. at least not all the time. Today was actually kind of fun, even if they were both crippled by worry at the moment. Honestly, they didn't even know it was time for dinner by the time Jazz called.

They had flown across the sea all the way to Italy and back. They haunted a grapevine yard and visited old buildings. Something Danny didn't think he would be interested in, but being able to explore endlessly was fun. Danny even found an old toy that was hidden in between the walls. Danny phased it out and gave it to a ghost girl he saw. She was fun to play with too.

Maybe this is how Danielle must have felt traveling? Maybe she'll take him one time.

Though Vlad was upset that Danny had insisted they still get food from the restaurant back in Gotham, but folded as Danny reminded he promised Jazz. And maybe his puppy eyes might have helped. So they had settled on a compromise... which ended up with the fridge being filled with Italian cuisine from both the restaurant and various places in Italy. Vlad even got himself some expensive wine.

His eyes glanced at the bottle on the coffee table. It was already empty.

He glanced back at his food. He hardly had taken a bite. At first they were worried they would get home after Jazz and be scolded for their impromptu trip, even if they brought back souvenirs and food. So once they managed to make it back, they scrambled to get everything put up and set out as if they had been waiting on his sister to return the whole time.

Danny was even ready to get his pajamas on and go to bed, but Vlad insisted they wait. Then they waited. Vlad told him to go ahead and eat, Jasmine would be upset if they didn't, but Danny didn't feel like it now. He poked at his food again. He felt a familiar sting to his eyes as he tried to keep his breathing stable.

It was dumb to be so scared. She was fine. She had to be. Yet, Vlad's conversation with him earlier in the day just reignited the fear into his mind. If she...

He heard a deep sigh, and a pat on his shoulder. “Hurry up and eat Daniel. Please. We'll wait another thirty minutes and then go search for her. Her stubbornness be damned.”

“No pastry swears?” Danny sniffed as he stabbed his fork into the lasagna, ripping a bite size from it.

“I'm too tired and not buzzed enough to care. Though I would appreciate it if we it kept between us, hmm?” Vlad returned to his pacing. He would call her if he wasn't worried the call would get her in more danger.

Danny snorted as he forced himself to take a bite, rubbing his eyes. He wasn't going to promise, but he was also too tired to care. It would be funny to out Vlad for cursing, but only if Jazz hadn't been so upset today. He just wanted his sister home already. He took another bite, mechanically. All he wanted was to hug her right now, embarrassing as it was to admit.

He snorted again to himself, reaching for his glass of milk that was starting to warm up from being left out. He blamed it on being so young again, that he wanted his “mom”. Even if the circumstances were different. She was his sister.

A loud boom thundered across the city. Only sound after was Danny's fork dropping onto the floor.

#raising phantom #dpxdc #dp x dc #jazz fenton #danny fenton #vlad masters #red hood #dc crossover #deaged danny #ahhhh nerves its been a while #fanfic #sorry it took so long ;w; #cliffhanger #hoping that makes me write next chapter quicker #writing is hard but i like it

[elisysd]

23. Cause space is just a word made up by someone who's afraid to get too close

Masterlist - Previously - Next

Please note that some parts of this chapter below the cut might not be suitable for an underage audience. Thank you.

Chapter soundtrack: Close - Nick Jonas, Tove Lo

After the proposal, they all gathered in a pizzeria that Charles had fully booked and privatized for the occasion. Everyone was invited, from Charles' loved ones to friends and drivers. Needless to say that the restaurant was crowded. The music was loud but not as loud as the laughter. Champagne was circulating for all the guests but for the drivers that had to be completely focused for the free practices. But still,it didn’t prevent them from having fun. Romy had forced Kyle into dancing with her in the middle of the room. He was spinning her around until she had no balance anymore and he pulled her against his chest, slowly swinging to the rhythm of the music. Julia was laughing with Louis to something their uncle Arthur had just said. Lyanna and Charles were both in an animated conversation with Elijah and Martin. Ludwig was moving his arms in stupid circles as he was talking to Percy, Leo and Lucas , probably explaining something related to racing as the other boys were all involved in different motorsport categories. As for Ethan, he was alone, in corner observing all the people he got to know for years, enjoying themselves while he was sipping on his orange juice, feeling like an underage kid.

He never thought proposals would made him so emotional, but truth was it did. Charles was like a father-figure for him, in a different way his dad was. Always there to support him and cheer him up after a bad race. Always a nice word for him. And Ethan had an immense respect for the Ferrari Team Principal. His eyes fell on his mom and dad, quietly enjoying some peace and quiet with Lando and Lily. His dad had his arms around his mom’s shoulders and she was comfortably resting her head against his chest. An intrusive thought popped in his mind as he wondered if Julia and himself would look as cute as them. Thinking of her, he found her in the crowd, she was not talking to Louis anymore who was still with his uncle but in the meanwhile had been joined by Percy. She was talking to Martin, a drink in her hand that definitely didn’t look like the kid’s drink Ethan was on. It was so loud that he had to lean in so she could hear him and he couldn’t help the pang of jealousy on his heart.

He didn’t notice straight away the heels clicking next to him and the tanned hand in his field of vision.

“Verstappen.” Daphne said in an annoyed voice after ordering another drink.

“Daphne. Long time no see.”

“I would have rather kept it this way, believe me.”

She played with her earring while contemplating her drink before she looked up and followed Ethan’s gaze.

“She is my friend. Julia. She once looked out for me, it’s my time now.”

Ethan sighed. He wasn’t expecting Daphne to show up. To be perfectly honest, he had kind of forgotten about her. Sure, he had very vague memories about her and the holidays in Greece but that was about it. He never thought she would still hold a grudge after what he had done a few years ago. He was young and stupid, she couldn’t hold it against him.

“I don’t want her to go through what you’ve put me through.”

“Come on Daph’, we were kids. Water under the bridge, no?” he sighed.

“I don’t want her to feel used. And I know boys like you. All you do is lie, and cheat and use girls for your image and reputation. And it’s not fair.”

“Don’t you think that maybe, just maybe, I care about Julia? That I’m not the boy I was almost ten years ago?”

“Guys like you don’t change. And sooner or later she will see it, I’ll make sure of it. ” she said, obstinately.

She was starting to get on his nerves. Firstly Martin and his proximity to Julia, now Daphne and her judgemental comments. He put his drink back on the counter with more strength than necessary and looked at her deeply in the eyes.

“Listen to me, and listen to me carefully, Daphne. I don’t care about what you think of me or of my relationship with Julia. You can hate me all you want, I don’t give a fuck. But one thing I won’t tolerate is you poisoning Julia’s mind in hopes to tarnish my image. You don’t want me as your enemy, Daph. So let us be. I make Julia happy, that’s all you should care about.”

“Do you? Because, it’s not you she is laughing with or seems close to.”

With one last glare, she left him alone, going back to the party. Still, her words stuck in the back of his mind, carrying more truth than he wanted to admit. Had he really change? After all he was using Julia for his image, having this committed image was reassuring to the sponsors that were now more willing to invest in the team knowing their names wouldn’t be associated to scandals. He just didn’t think feelings would get thrown into the mix and that his heart would start to beat faster when she was around. But he couldn’t forget how he tricked her into starting this with him, how he almost blackmailed her. It didn’t make him a better man, no matter how hard he was trying to convince himself he was one.

His gaze lingered on her and Martin. They looked close, that was true. She looked happy, carefree, her hand on his shoulder as he was showing her something. She looked beautiful, ethereal. Her red dress hugging her in all the right places, her red lips so tempting, her hair falling in waves on her back. And Martin that always had this soft look on his face when she was around, the glimpse of playfulness in his eyes, the way his body always leaned to her when she was near. They would make a pretty couple, he could make her happy. And that was killing him inside.

Julia was indeed truly happy. Everything had worked out the way she hoped it would, her dad and mom looked even more in love than before and she never thought it would ever be possible, everyone was having fun and she could finally relax and enjoy herself. She had drunk a bit too much wine to be slightly lightheaded. She was going from guests to guests, exchanging a few words and thanks for coming, before sitting down in a calmer area. She removed her heels and closed her eyes for a brief moment before feeling movement next to her and noticed Martin.

“That’s an amazing party.” he said, smiling at her.

“You can’t have an amazing party without amazing people.” she shrugged.

“You all seem so close, like a big family. I wish I could have that, one day.”

“You are family. You are part of Ferrari and my dad considers everyone working there as an extension of his family, so… you’ll always have your place around the table.”

He looked at her and she swore she could see his emotions in his eyes, as if he wasn’t expecting her to say something like that.

“It means a lot, Julia.”

“It’s not because I don’t reciprocate your feelings that we can’t be friends and… I’m not sure I’m supposed to say anything but we are going to see each other a lot in the next few weeks and I don’t want things to be weird between us. I like you, Martin.”

“Can I have a hug or is it off limits?”

She didn’t let him answer as she put her head on his shoulders as he got closer. They spent a good amount of time talking and laughing and Julia had to admit, she missed this close proximity. She missed his friendship and she hoped that no matter what, Martin would be able to set his feelings for her aside, for the sake of her mind.

She forgot how easy it was to talk to him, how good it felt, how natural and she was even more happy when Louis and Percy came to them, Percy saying how Martin was his favourite driver and how he hoped that next year he would have a real chance to fight for the championship. As for Louis, he wasn’t talking much but observed Martin before taking place, next to his sister and whispering to her hear how Martin had the same look that her dad when he was looking at her which made Julia feel guilty.

The two teenagers talked a bit with Martin, asking him questions after questions which he was happy to answer, no matter how silly they might sound. Julia found it cute the way he was acting with them and how he answered seriously despite the obvious will of the kids to embarrass him .

“You are a natural with kids.” she said.

“I love them. Your brother is something. He is cute. He seems shy, though.”

“His social skills are not as on point as ours. That’s it.” she answered, a bit defensive as it was always the case when someone was mentioning her brother.

“I’m not saying it as a bad thing. My sister is a bit of a loner as well. Louis reminds me of her. I have pics of her, do you want to see?”

She nodded and he took his phone out of his pocket and proceeded to show her every single picture he had of him and his family, not forgetting to tell her the story behind each of them, until one made her pause. It was still Martin and Georgia, on a boat during what seemed to be a very hot day but they were not alone. A pretty brunette was leaning on him. They seemed close, intimate, even.

“Who is that girl?” it was none of her business, she knew that but still. She wanted to know.

Martin didn’t say anything and looked at the picture, his thumb slightly sliding on it.

“Cecile.” he answered, with a stern voice.

“Ex-girlfriend?” she assumed so if she was referring to the way he had replied to her.

“We can say that like that, yeah.”

She didn’t ask anything else. He didn’t seem to want to talk about it and she didn’t want to force him. She excused herself, saying that she needed to mingle with other guest and went to the bar to order another drink. Ethan was there, brooding, something that was quite usual these past few days.

“Having fun?” he asked and she could feel how he wanted to rile her up. He had seen her with Martin, she was sure of it, but knowing that it pissed him off flattered her.

“A lot. Not you?”

“I do. A lot.” he nodded his head towards his drink and Julia couldn’t help but laugh.

“Stand on the podium this weekend and you will have the right to drink something stronger.” she nudged him in the shoulder and as she was about to leave, he took her hand and pulled her against him.

“Don’t go back to him.” he whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

“I wasn’t about to.”

“Perfect.”

He released his grip on her and let her out of his sight.

She felt hot, so hot. She didn’t know if it was because, she felt so happy, because of the alcohol or because of Ethan or maybe it was all of that, but she needed some air or at least to be alone, just the time for her to get a grip. She avoided Romy that wanted to pull her in the middle of the room for a dance and her mom that wanted to thank her again, and headed for the bathroom. She splashed her face with cold water and took a deep breath to calm her down. When she felt better she left and was about to go back to the party when she felt two hands gripping her waist and pulled her against the wall. She was about to scream when she recognised two ice blue orbs and suddenly she forgot why she even had to go to the bathroom in the first place.

“Do you know how crazy you drive me? Totally insane?” Ethan whispered in her ear, pressing her even harder against the wall. He didn’t want her to go back there and to mingle with other people. He wanted to stay there with her, his body against hers, away from everyone and everything.

“The good kind of crazy, I hope.” she laughed in his ear. She was slightly drunk and seemed to have let go of all her inhibitions. It was risky, Ethan knew it. The last time she had been in this state, in his arms, she had confessed her deepest fears and secrets to him.

He felt her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. He slightly avoided her face, resting his face in the crook of her neck, his breathing shallow. He could feel her nails slightly scratching the back of his neck as she was playing with his necklace. Her hands were so cold. Why were they so cold? It was making him shiver.  He wanted nothing else but to take them and put them under his shirt, where his heart was beating fast, to warm them. He could feel her breath in his ear and her red lips brushing against it. It was too much, way too much. He should back off now. But he found it so hard to do so. Everything in him was screaming to stay, to taste her, just once. He put both of his elbows against the wall in a desperate attempt to stabilize himself without caring that he was crushing her body between his and the wall until she let out a small gasp as he felt her breasts against his chest. The sound sent a wave of warmth mixed with pent up desire down south without him being able to do anything about it. He should feel ashamed but he was not. He was past that. He didn’t care anymore.

She had consumed his thoughts tonight. Her and her red dress and red lips and long wavy brown hair and blue-green eyes. Her and her laughs and her voice and her smiles and everything in between. It was her. Her, her, her. And if she had been sober he would have taken her right here and there. In the middle of the corridor. And someone could have walked in on them but he wouldn’t have cared.

But here they were. He nuzzled his head in her shoulder not resisting kissing the little bit of skin that was on display. So tempting. So wrong.

“Ethan…” she said in a voice that was betraying everything she was feeling.

“Julia…”

“I want you. All of you.”

Think with your head, Ethan. Not anything else.

“I can’t, Joolsie.”

“You can’t or you don’t want me?” she insisted.

“I want you. So bad you have no idea.” he confessed.

He knew she wouldn’t remember the conversation anyway, there was nothing wrong to admit it. He felt her hands moving from his neck to his arms and his chest, until they wandered even lower to the hem of his jeans. He didn’t dare to move, waiting for her next move. How far was she willing to go? When would she back off? Would she? He wanted to know. She slowly and shakingly let her fingers go under his shirt, tracing the lines of his abs and he felt his breath getting caught in his throat. Her lips started to travel along his jaw. In a desperate move he threw his head back giving her access to his throat. He felt her going from left to right and right to left before settling right where she could feel his pulse beating fast. The softness of her lips made way to the sharpness of her teeth and the roughness of her tongue and this time, it was him who let out a moan that looked like a cry for help.

That was the reaction she silently prayed for, an invitation to keep going. Maybe it was the alcohol that was helping her but tonight, she felt like nothing could stop her. She could feel him against her thigh and she had to admit, it was flattering knowing that she had this effect on him. Her. Not anyone else. Just her. She was burning. Completely burning and she didn’t want the fire to stop. She wanted to keep it alive. If he was the kerosene then she was a dry forest. The more she was near him, the more she was burning. Her hands still wandering along the lines of his muscles, her mouth still busy driving him crazy, she set a leg between his as she started to rock her hips against him in a hopeless way to relieve the tension.

“Fuck, Julia.” he groaned as he put a hand around her waist, the other still against the wall near her head and started to join her movements as if his hips had a mind on their own. He pulled her even more against him, earning another moan from her lips as he could now feel her nipples, hard against his chest.

“Ethan…” she sighed.

He felt like a teenager, unable to control himself. He had to stop but oh feeling her against him, moving against him, in total sync, it was heaven. And it was stupid, they were in a corridor, fully clothed looking like two kids that were discovering what desire was. He felt like being thirteen all over again and trying to discover how his body was working and how to control it. He was not an animal for God’s sake. And here he was, humping like a dog against a girl completely drunk because he wasn’t able to control himself anymore. He felt so dirty.

“I’m sorry, Julia.”

It took everything in him but he finally let go of her and ran away to the closest bathroom, leaving her gasping and shaking, wondering what had just happened.

When she woke up the next morning, her head was pounding and shame was all she could feel. How would she be able to look into Ethan’s eyes after what had happened the night before in the corridor? She hoped he wouldn’t say anything. It has been a spur of the moment, all this tension they both were feeling had to eventually come out and now she only prayed that they both could move on. but if she was honest with herself, all of this only left her with the need of more.

Today was the day and she didn’t know what to feel. She didn’t know how to dress either, she was supposed to wear her team attire but maybe she could arrive to the paddock in a more neutral outfit? Maybe she could match with Ethan, that could be cute? She was about to call Romy for help when someone knocked on her door. When she opened, Ethan was there, looking as good as ever.

“Morning. I wanted to go over the last few details before heading to the paddock.”

She hated the professional tone he was using with her, as if nothing had happened, as if whatever was between them was purely business. Did he feel nothing, after yesterday? Could Daphne be right and she was just another girl on his list? Did all they have shared meant nothing? She wanted to scream those words at him, demand an answer. But who was she to do that?

“I… I was thinking we could have matching outfits? Or is that too much?” she asked hesitantly.

“Dress however you want that’s not important. Ashley wants us to hold hands and to look close to give people the feeling we love each other. Which shouldn’t be hard since photographers sold pictures of your mom and dad proposal and we are on them. People already know we are together, today will just give an official confirmation.”

He was cold. Really cold. Not the Ethan she knew and had learned to like. He was back to his old facade, one she thought he would never wear again when she was around. Not knowing how to react, she simple nodded.

“Perfect. I will be waiting for you in the lobby, then.”

And without adding anything else, he exited the room, leaving her once again wondering what she had done wrong.

Monza was always a special race. Italians supporters were crazy and the vibes there were immaculate. It was always a sea of bright red and yellow wherever they were going. But as Maserati and Lamborghini had their factories not so far away from there, it was not unusual to see navy blue colours popping here and there. The media attention had also been more present these past few years and Julia was not surprised to see journalists and photographers coming to them. Ethan got out of the car, flashed a bright smile to them and opened her door to find her completely frozen, like a doe in the headlights.

“Joolsie? Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

“I didn’t think there would be so many people.”

“I thought you were aware of that when you said that we should hard-launch in Monza. It’s too late to go back now. Come on, I have places to go.”

He took her hands and pulled her out of the car as she crashed against his chest. She heard him say to the photographers to make way for them before she felt his hand gripping firmly hers as they walked to the paddock entry. Inside, it was a little less crowded. Not many people were interested by the free practices but still, they had to pretend. They didn’t even have made an official post that social media were crazy about them. They were the new power couple, they were cute, they looked so in love, they looked so happy, they were perfect and she wondered how people could draw these conclusions based on some blurry pictures, without knowing them. Because if they did, they would know it was fake, that she didn’t look happy even if she had to admit that they looked cute. It was definitely not how she wanted this hard-launch to go. She thought it would be easy, that since they got along it would all run smoothly. But the shift in his behaviour was so sudden that she had not had the time to adjust. Fortunately, it was only Friday and she still had the whole weekend to learn how to fake being happy and in love.

But as if her day couldn’t get any worse, as soon as she arrived in the Skoda garage to change her clothes and start her work, she was intercepted by Wilhelm who asked her if she had a minute. They needed to talk. She went in his office and as he closed the door, she understood that it was no good.

“Ethan Verstappen?”

She opened and closed her mouth, not knowing how to answer.

“You understand that it’s putting the team in a delicate situation, right Julia?”

“Excuse me, but… I failed to see how my private life is and my work life are related.”

“One could say that it could leave to a breach of data privacy, or possible conflict of interests. That’s bad, Julia, really bad.”

She gulped and somehow she knew what was about to happen. She closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow.

“We can’t keep you, Julia. You are a liability. It’s too risky to have you here. You don’t give me any other choice but to fire you.”

Author's note: Well, well, well... the tension is slowly breaking and the temperature is rising heheh... What do you think will happen next? Let me know your theories, I love to read them.

Don't hesitate to leave a comment or an ask, as well as reblogging and leaving a like. It helps a lot for the story to find its audience. I also have a taglist for this story, so if you want to be added so you never miss a chapter, let me know.

Taglist:

@herondalism @aundercover @musingsbyshreya @karmabyfernando @reengard @mycenterfold @smoooothoperator

#writing #fiction #charles leclerc #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 x oc #max vertsappen #max verstappen fanfic #charles leclerc fanfic

[robincantfunction]

𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 ♪

pt. 11

|series masterlist|main masterlist|taglist|

ex bf - friend!james potter x reader (platonic)

bf sirius black x reader

summary: after sirius left his family, james starts to realise quite how badly he screwed up, and although he appears to already be forgiven by everyone involved, there’s one last person that still hasn’t. himself. (this is quite repetitive i won’t lie, but it’s mostly just a look into james’ guilt.)

warnings: kinda angsty on james’ part. swearing, mention of hospitals, smoking (just cigarettes), talks of cheating, self loathing from james - i have a habit of writing james really ooc, so hopefully this has redeemed it slightly. because we all know if james cheated on someone his guilt would be through the roof. i should also mention, sometimes this series (especially this part) might seem a little bit like i’m condoning cheating, and like it’s not a big deal. i assure you that’s not the case, and if y/n was my friend i might have to stage an intervention.

a/n: this randomly switches from lowercase to not all lowercase, back to lowercase again cause during my 8 month hiatus i put my caps lock on and off again and couldn’t be bothered to change it, and i started writing this before i took an unplanned break.

but anyway hello! i’m back. hopefully for a while cause i have some wip’s that i’m very excited to start writing again. but yes i hope this was worth the wait (it probably wasn’t)

gif not mine

when lily wasn’t there for him to be blinded, he started to notice the reasons he began to fall for y/n in the first place. of course, he wasn’t going to do anything. she was happy, he was happy. but seeing her happy with someone else made him admittedly more jealous than it should’ve. he broke her heart, he left her alone, it was his fault. he shouldn’t have been upset, but standing in st. mungos seeing y/n curled up into sirius’ side asleep whilst he was looking at her, just studying all of her features, and playing with her hair, he felt a pang to his heartstring. but if he was completely honest with himself, instead of living in a constant state of denial, he would have realised that feeling wasn’t jealousy. it was guilt. because watching them made him think about when he could have had that, and he threw her on the floor like he would a crumpled up potions essay.

“prongs, mate. sit down. y’alright?” sirius said softly, as to not make him jump, and to not wake up y/n. james chuckled slightly, bringing a chair beside his bed. using the same soft tone, he responded “you’re in a hospital bed, and you’re asking if i’m alright?” sirius shrugged with a slight laugh “y’just looked a bit in your own head s’all.” james nodded, barely meeting sirius’ eye “d’you think she hates me?” he nudged his head towards y/n, worried of what sirius would think his question insinuates.

“well… i don’t know. i don’t think so. she was a wreck, james, but i don’t think she could ever really hate you.” taking a bit of a pause, he thought about his next words carefully. “she really struggled, y’know. found it hard to find a reason to get out of bed. thought she wasn’t good enough, not just for you, but for the world. it took its toll. but…” he looked down at her then back at james, stroking and playing with her hair unconsciously. “if she hated you she wouldn’t have cared she wasn’t good enough, she wouldn’t have tried to keep the peace when with our friends, she would have shown you how mad and sad she was, instead of letting you be happy because that’s all that mattered.” james looked relieved, but his speech didn’t do much for his guilt. but that was ok, he deserved the guilt. he knew that.

“so to answer your question, i don’t know. because i’m not y/n, but i do know her. and i can safely say that if she truly hated you, she would have done everything in her power to ruin your happiness. but she didn’t. she didn’t even tell anyone what happened.”

those words were stuck on a loop in james’ head for about a week. over and over, each words replayed with a different meaning. each word held a story, her story, his story, their story. and each one ended with lily and james. but not all of them ended with sirius, because what if? what if sirius hated james for initially ruining his chances with the girl he liked? what if he didn’t stick around? what if he wasn’t there to save the day when y/n needed him?

what if?

what if?

what if?

every time it would just get louder, the voice in the back of his mind. “you could have ruined her belief in love.” “you could have left her alone and someone might not have been there for her.” “you were so selfish, sleeping with lily.” it all drowned out and merged into one big noise, every voice somehow making an appearance every time he opened his eyes, closed his eyes, looked the other way, turned around…

“james.” he was cut off by y/n, her and sirius were staying with him for the rest of the summer. sirius because he had no where else to go, and y/n because neither her nor sirius wanted to leave the other. both james and his parents were understanding, and he wasn’t going to get in the way of her happiness again. “what’s wrong?” she asked, mildly concerned by his behaviour the past couple of days.

“I just want to say sorry” she cocked her head in confusion. “Sorry? Why?” He chuckled humourlessly. “I was a selfish dick to you, who used you to get over a girl i slept with not too long afterwards. And you’re asking me what I’m sorry for?” She shook her head. “James I don’t care anymore. Ok, I was hurt. I wanted to hate you. But I wouldn’t have Sirius without what happened. Because we’d have broken up in a nice clean way, and sirius wouldn’t be needed to help my heartbreak. Things happen for a reason, james. Don’t beat yourself up so much”

That conversation stuck with him, he never thought he’d be missing y/n. And he wasn’t, not really. He was just hiding behind denial and guilt, forcing himself to belief that he hurt her beyond repair. turns out hindsight is a bitch, and james didn’t know how to handle it. he always prided himself in being a classic, charming ‘nice’ guy. but what he did was anything but, and he couldn’t stop the thoughts swirling around his mind telling him that he was a bad person, that he didn’t deserve y/n when he had her, and he certainly doesn’t deserve lily now.

————

james was standing outside his house in the rain, hiding in the little shelter near the back door, he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket, along with a lighter. as he was fumbling with the box, trying to get one out and light it, his mind was continuing to wander. over the past two weeks he was being plagued by guilt, by the idea that he could have hurt someone so badly that they could have stopped believing in something like love. in something that he strongly believed was one of the best things anyone could ever experience.

he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear sirius open the back door, also sneaking out for a cheeky cigarette whilst y/n was getting ready for bed.

“didn’t realise you were anything more than a social smoker, prongs”

he jumped at sirius’ words, making the boy across from him chuckle as he, too, pulled out a pack from his coat. “well, not normally. just too much going on in my head at the minute, needed something to take the edge of, i guess.” sirius nodded, hesitating slightly before he spoke. “yeah, i noticed that. seriously, prongs, what’s going on. you’ve been acting funny since me and y/n/n got here. since st. mungos. do you not want us here? cause we can-“

james was quick to cut him off “no. no! it’s not that, i just-“ he stopped for a minute, debating whether or not he should be honest with sirius. “i keep thinking about what i did. about the way i treated y/n. and i know- i know that she’s ok, and i know that you two may never have been together if i didn’t, but- but that’s still a person that i hurt. that i completely disregarded the feelings off for my own selfish reasons. when i could have just had a conversation with her and everything would have been fine.” he took a breath and looked up from where he’d been gazing down at his shoes, trying to judge how sirius was going to act based off of his face. he didn’t know what he was expecting, but he certainly wasn’t expecting the sympathetic half smile that he was currently wearing. “i didn’t have to hurt her, if i’d have walked her back to her dorm when she was drunk, like any decent person would have, we’d have spoken about it and we’d have probably broken up before we even got to her common room. but i didn’t. i chose to hurt her”

after he’s finished speaking sirius shook his head slightly, taking a long drag of his cigarette whilst trying to form the right words to say, without trying to add to james’ guilt. “mate, everyone makes mistakes. granted, it was a shitty, shitty mistake. but a mistake is a mistake. and it’s not ok, and you did hurt her, a lot. but you feel guilty about it. most people that cheat don’t care, it’s a game to them. they’re happy to pretend like nothing happened and all is still perfectly fine. but you’ve been torn up about this for weeks, probably more than that. it’s just finally sinking in. y/n’s okay prongs. she’s okay. and as shitty as it was, everything happens for a reason.” just as he finished speaking he saw y/n through the window on the back door. he gestured to her that he’d be inside in a second, and gave her a smile. she smiled back and he watched as she walked towards the kitchen.

smiling slightly at the look on his friends face, james nudged sirius with his shoulder “you really love her, pads… don’t you?” sirius was quick to nod his head absentmindedly, before his eyes went wide. he looked at james before nodding his head again, this time really letting it sink in. “yeah, yeah i guess i do.”

————————

aghhhhh thank you for reading that and sorry for the long wait. hopefully the next part shouldn’t take nearly as long. honestly i don’t know if i like this, but oh well. it was always going to be a filler chapter, but yeah hopefully it’s not too bad.

taglists:

d.t.n.f.a.j @jessyballet @Snigdha-14 @haroldpotterson @cherryslushyslut @nyks-bella-blog @aliendemigods @wherewitcheslive @adriennebarnes @espressopatronum454 @thepersonbeep1 @melliegorl @idli-dosa @siriusdumblittlepuppy @allise4 @blackqueens01 @-kazbekkarluvbot- @directionerarianator @theonethatmustnotbenamed @mortui--flores @ilovedilfs32 @allise4 @eclipsedsuns @rslry @cassiopeia1042 @hcloangcls

j.p @kissmeunicornbaobei @s8liva @momoewn @roundbrownlover @slut-for-matt-murdock @chandlemania @cassiopeia1042 @hcloangcls

s.b @messy-insomniac @imintofictionalmen @spookybooisa @siriuslyjanhvi @blackst0nes7077 @sassybadqueen @itzzzzcookie @x-heartrender-x @j-cat @nestiaisgod @kissmeunicornbaobei @dcvilslvr @momoewn @roundbrownlover @eyelovelhh @slut-for-matt-murdock @chandlemania @cassiopeia1042 @hcloangcls

(sorry it’s been so long quite a lot of people’s names have changed. also if you don’t want to be on the taglist anymore just let me know! :)

#sirius black x reader #james potter x reader #sirius black angst #sirius black fluff #james potter angst #sirius black x you #james potter x you #james potter #sirius black

[narzissenkreuz-ordo]

oh my gosh i actually wrote a complete drabble in one sitting.... theres a possibility for a continuation but i've haven't written this much in FOREVER... have wrio pov reflecting on his prior relation with silvanus:

There was no reason for Wriothesley to come to Palais Mermonia in person this often.

He very easily could continue his regular correspondence with Neuvillette from the comfort of his own office back at the fortress, rather than make the trip for his meetings with Neuvillette every month. He keeps trying to tell himself that these trips were got for himself: to breathe in fresh air and feel actual sunlight on a regular basis. Though partially true, he doesn’t want to pass up on the opportunity to see Silvanus semi-regularly again.

It was extremely selfish of him, after all he was the one to end their short-lived tryst while Silvanus was still interning at the Fortress of Meropide. Aside from their relationship being a theoretical nightmare for the Human Resources department, It was a horrible decision by both of them. Wriothesley had never let himself experience these affections before, finding it hard to trust anyone after everything he had been through. But he genuinely cared for Silvanus, more than anyone else in his life.

It scared him.

But despite his own emotional baggage, he finally wanted to find solace in another person. Even though the two of them had grown up in very different environments, there was too many similarities. His love grew out of the desire to protect her, to make sure she would find happiness and peace far sooner than he did. And he unfortunately knew that he could not bring Silvanus this. He had his responsibilities to the fortress and it would be too cruel to ask her to stay. She deserved so much better than a life underground.

So he left her go. He used the excuse that she had far too much potential to be stuck as a low-level official within Meropide and gave his reference to the Fontaine Research Institute on her behalf. He was sure she understood his true feelings on the matter and chose not to question him further.

He would would ensure her happiness, even at the cost of his own.

And Wriothesley was correct about Silvanus’ abilities. Hearing in passing about her accomplishments and eventual employment at Palais Mermonia.

But after seeing her again in person. He couldn’t stay way, he wanted to see her despite knowing it would only hurt himself more. Wriothesley knows she must have moved on at this point but couldn’t help but feel guilty trying to worm his way back into her life.

This was a bad idea, but he couldn’t stay away

When Wriothesley announces his leave for the next meeting, Sigewinne gives him a knowing glance with a small smile and wishes him luck.

On his walk through the streets of Fontaine, he thinks about how Neuvillette is starting to catch on. At the same time, Wriothesley senses a change in Neuvillette’s demeanor and suddenly realizes that the Iudex’s feelings may be similar to his. He feels a sharp pang of jealousy and protectiveness, mixed in with his own sadness but it quick passes after another realization: Neuvillette could give Silvanus the adoration and happiness she deserved and Wriothesley would make it happen.

‘Yes, that’ll do’ Wriothesley thinks. ‘this will be a good thing for her’

#eitan writes #teatime rabbit #oc: silvanus avenir

[theillusionmachine]

The Serpent and the Dove (Blurb 2)

Previous blurb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The next he heard from her was… unintentional.

He had been resting in one of the many alcoves of the Hogwarts, the drowsiness from History of Magic still lingering in his marble eyes. When suddenly, a boisterous yet familiar voice echoed through, taking the peaceful silence that had greeted Ominis mere moments ago.

“Ah, there she is! My new charge.” Sebastian greeted enthusiastically, making Ominis feel a pang of annoyance.

“Is it too hard to get just another ounce of rest?”

Though, when he heard who Sebastian was greeting, his energy came back rather quickly.

“Hello Sebastian.” 

Salem…

Even as a week had gone by, Salem still managed to have this hold on him. It truly baffled him, how a girl he barely even knew could have such a strong effect on him. He hoped that he could’ve settled down around Salem, to act with her like he did with Sebastian and Anne. But, there was just something about her that made him feel as though caffeine was constantly swimming through his body. Or like he was being shocked.

And, if Ominis was telling the truth, his feelings and reactions toward her were beginning to frustrate him deeply.

“I’ve been told that you’re in dire need of some supplies, and that I am to accompany you down to Hogsmeade.” Sebastian spoke up, making Ominis escape away from his thoughts.

"You heard true. I hope it isn't too much trouble taking me there though."

" Not at all," Sebastian reassured, Ominis could hear sets of footsteps growing closer to him. "I'm actually quite glad Professor Weasley asked me to accompany you to Hogsmeade today." He added, making a low bitterness begin to seep into Ominis.

"Why is that..." Ominis thought, as the bitterness continued to grow.

"Oh really?" Salem questioned, letting out a light chuckle after she spoke. "And why is that?"

"You're one of the only people to best me in a duel. I think it'd be wise to keep my eye on you."

"Oh..." Ominis began to feel a little foolish now, and even a little embarrassed. "There's nothing wrong with Sebestian being around Salem. I have no reason to feel so tense about... them together.

"What, am I your enemy now or something?" Salem joked. "Are you going to take me to Hogsmeade or are you going to secretly lock me in a broom closet or something."

"No, no, I wouldn't do that... yet." Sebastian muttered, being just as humorous as Salem was. "All I might do is challenge you to an honest duel is all."

"Our first duel wasn't honest?"

Sebastian let out a short laugh, Ominis could hear that their footsteps has slowed down a smidge, making Ominis grow curious.

"Salem, there is absolutely no way that was your first duel. I can spot an experienced dueler from a mile away."

Ominis could hear Salem let out a soft scoff, but with that scoff came a newfound tension.

Why is she so nervous all of the sudden." He pondered.

"Maybe I just got lucky." Salem said, though, if anyone heard her, they would've been able to tell that she was lying through her teeth.

And Sebastian was no expection.

"And maybe I have a feeling that you aren't telling me something." Sebastian replied skeptically.

Salem just let out a distant hum in reply. "Well, you can feel whatever you need to feel Sebastian."

"So, you're not going to tell me anything are you?"

"Correct."

"But you aren't denying the fact that you are hiding something?" Sebastian pressed.

Salem didn't say anything in reply, instead opting to just shrug her shoulders. Her silence only made Ominis's curiosity grow.

But the fact that he could still feel the tension radiating from her body only made that curiosity and worry even stronger.

"Alright, alright, I won't interrogate you any further." Sebastian grumbled, feeling slightly grumpy that Salem didn't at least reveal a bit of something. "I think a change of topic is in order." He added with a sigh.

"Yes, very much so."

They continue to walk in silence for a short moment. Before Sebastian spoke up again. "So, what do you think of Hogwarts so far?"

"Oh, it's quite nice... absolutely gigantic though." Salem answered her voice a twinge more at ease.

"And the people?"

"Great, your sister Anne is absolutely hilarious." Salem spoke, Ominis could sense for some reason that she was beginning to smile.

I wonder what it looks like... he thought.

"And me?" Sebastian asked innocently.

"Eh, you're okay, a bit pushy though." She teased.

"Giving me forgiving and find nature, I'm going to let that little comment pass." Sebastian huffed.

"How kind of you sir." Salem said, now forcing a posh accent. She then cleared her throat before continuing. "Say Sebastian, I was wondering."

"Yes?" Sebastian drew out, wanting her to continue.

"Has... has Ominis been... acting as he normally would?" Salem asked meekly, as if she was suddenly hesitant to speak.

She's asking about me. Why? Did I do something to make her uncomfortable?

"What do you mean, Salem?"

"Well, before, I came to school did he always act so-"

"Awkward? Tense? Strange?" Sebastian listed off humorously, clearly joking around.

Salem scoffed, giving Sebastian an incredulous look. "I wouldn't say that, just... uncomfortable! Uncomfortable because of... me."

Ominis felt his heart sink as he listened to the pair. "I wasn't meaning to make her feel that way."

"Oh Salem, you have nothing to fret over." Sebastian reassured her. "Ominis wasn't uncomfortable because of you."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe. I mean, every time I see him or I'm nearby, he looks so on edge. I can feel... I mean, see how tense he gets."

"I can assure you, Ominis can just get... overwhelmed sometimes is all." Sebastian explained, proud of the fact that he came up with a cover up so quickly.

Truth be told, Sebastian had never seen his closest friend act that way around anyone. Unless he didn't particularly like them of course. But considering the fact that he spent quite a few hours nearly every night talking with Ominis about Salem confirmed that Ominis certainty didn't hate her.

"Really?' Salem practically chirped, making Sebastian bite back a laugh. "You're positive I don't make him-"

"Absolutely positive." Sebastian cut her off, smirking. "Now come on, we need to get to Hogsmeade and back before curfew." His footsteps then grew faster, even louder before Sebastian quickly zoomed past Ominis, making him wince back into the alcove.

"Hey! Slow down, would you?" Salem called after him, she too zoomed past Ominis. "What kind of tour guide are you!?" She added, before her voice quietly echoed further and further away from him.

Ominis didn't come out of the alcove till he was sure they were gone. Though as he continued to navigate the halls of Hogwarts the urge to rest had come back. As if the rush of energy and adrenaline from before hadn't even occured.

"I swear that girl is like a burst of caffeine for me..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Another blurb written; I hope you all enjoyed it!

Until next time, Illusion.

#ominis x mc #ominis gaunt x mc #ominis gaunt #anne sallow #sebastian sallow #harry potter #hogwarts legacy x mc #hogwarts legacy

[tamayosclinic]

"I've never felt this way before, and truthfully it scares me. But, the idea of never trying scares me even more." is just so Giyuu I can’t resist xx

"I've never felt this way before, and truthfully it scares me. But, the idea of never trying scares me even more." | Giyuu x GN!Reader

Warning(s): Manga Spoilers regarding Giyuu's connection to a certain character, Mentions of alcohol consumption but no full-blown drunkenness occurs

Author's Note(s): I'm officially out of Tumblr jail! That aside, this fic turned out longer than it was supposed to be, but it is what it is. Enjoy.

Word Count: 1,134

100+ Followers Event [Closed]

A night celebrating your promotion to Hashira at home with your best friend, Giyuu, is your idea of a perfect party. You got an excellent first impression of the Hashira at the meeting, but you wanted tonight to be just you and Giyuu. 

You both had been paired up on a mission months after becoming demon slayers and kept in touch after many run-ins. You two have become inseparable, always making time for each other even as your responsibilities increased with your ranks. 

“I promised you I’d become a Hashira too. Now here I am, Giyuu,” you flaunted the new uniform you had received. Golden ones had replaced the silver buttons to represent your new rank. 

“You will look great in it,” Giyuu nodded affirmatively. His cheeks were rosy from the bottle of saké he downed, making it more adorable when he smiled. 

In the back of your mind, you wondered if Shinobu was heartless. Like seriously, how could she hate such an adorable smile? That aside, you stretched out your exhausted limbs before laying sprawled out on the futon beside Giyuu.  

Your house was small, consisting of a kitchen and a large room that doubled as the dining room and bedroom with a separate bathhouse. That meant that you and Giyuu had to share the room, but you didn’t mind. You kept an extra futon for him, and it was almost whimsical to be able to wake up and see him first thing in the morning. 

You had the option of an estate like all other Hashiras but kindly declined. It was just you, so what would be the point of an estate if it would be mostly empty? There would be no reason to continue sharing a room with Giyuu. 

Now Giyuu is cute when he is awake, but it shoots through the roof when he is asleep. He looks so peaceful. The light rumbling snores he makes is oddly calming to listen to, and sometimes he would curl up into a ball, making him irresistibly cuddlable. It was not hard to fall head over heels for him, especially after becoming so close. 

Usually, you would stay up waiting for him to fall asleep and then take a few minutes to observe his sleeping form. Tonight, however, exhaustion caught up to you, and a big dinner didn’t help either. 

“Today was nice. Thank you for celebrating with me, Giyuu,” you yawn as you snuggle under the covers. 

Giyuu’s cheeks were still rosy, but he was otherwise coherent and relaxed. “Anytime, (Y/n). It’s nice to have some time together finally.” 

“Yeah, it has been a long time since we last did something like this. I’m sure it’s only going to continue now that I’m a Hashira.” 

“We will make time, somehow. I promise you that.” 

You smile contently, though your heart panged a bit. You were going to wait until tomorrow to confess your feelings while sober. It felt like the high stakes were touching the sky now. If Giyuu rejected you, it might become too awkward to make good on his promise. 

“Thank you, Giyuu. Goodnight,” you roll on your side, your back facing Giyuu. You shut your eyes tight, but the worries swirling through your mind have pushed sleep miles away. 

“(Y/n), are you awake?” Giyuu whispers after a long while, and you immediately bite down on your gums to keep yourself from smiling. You knew juicy stuff tends to be said when one thinks the other is asleep, and you certainly weren’t going to miss out on what Giyuu had to say. “We have come along, haven’t we?” 

Not this nostalgic shit. You hold back the urge to cringe. 

You never liked to look back on the past. All that led to was guilt and regret for things you failed to do or could have done differently led to more survivors. Some may call it cowardly not to face the past, but you’d gladly take the insult if it kept you sane. Regardless, you continue to fake sleep and listen to Giyuu. 

“You know, after all that happened with Sabito, I had sworn off becoming close to anyone, but here I am sharing a room with you, my best friend,” Giyuu tittered quietly, not to wake you. 

You buried your hands under the pillow so he couldn’t see as you fisted the covers. Best friends, eh. Is that all we will ever be? 

“I can’t say I regret it. Having you in my life has made me happier to be alive this long. Each night, I can’t help but think of you and all the memories we made these past years. I think of your beautiful smile, your ambitiousness, and how you seem to know how I feel even before. I understand why I fell for you.” 

You would have gasped in shock had you not bitten your gums earlier. Those high stakes came crumbling down in an instant. 

“I was so afraid to say anything. I have lost everything I loved. I honestly thought I was born into this world to be made a fool of again and again. But now, I can’t keep my feelings secret any longer. You are a Hashira now. You will face more dangerous foes, so I can’t let you slip away from me like everyone else. 

I love you, (Y/n). I know this doesn’t count as a confession since you’re asleep, but I will get to it tomorrow, so you don’t think it’s the saké talking. It may not go the way I want, but I’m looking forward to finally letting it all out.” 

You hear the shuffling of the covers as he settles into his futons, “I never felt this way before, and truthfully it scares me. But, the idea of never trying scares me even more.” 

With your worries eased, you rolled onto your other side, so now you were facing Giyuu, “I love you too.” 

Giyuu inhaled in shock, giving you a deadpanned expression before turning red enough to glow in the dark, “How much did you hear?” 

“All of it. I love you too,” you say again to let it sink in. Then you remove your covers to reveal the space in your futon. “Get in here. I’ve been dying to cuddle you for so long.” 

Giyuu didn’t budge as he continued processing that you managed to fake sleep for the duration of his supposed monologue. You gave him all the time he needed and beamed when he finally moved into the space. You draped the blanket over him and laid your head on his chest. 

Now that you both know of each other’s mutual feelings perhaps moving into an estate would be nice as long as you can continue to share a room and a bed with Giyuu. 

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #giyuu tomioka #giyuu tomioka x reader #giyuu x reader #demon slayer x reader #kny x reader