#and remove myself from the dating pool (<- implying he was ever even in it) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tiny-ghost-boi · 4 years

Text

Kinktober Day Three; Mutual Masterbation/ Toys, Bakugou

Warnings: Smut, lots of cursing, dirty talk, minor injury before everything

Reader’s Body Type: up to your imagination, no implied gender or sex (yes it’s possible to write smut without specifying sex, you can learn a lot from Yagami Yato)

Reader’s Quirk: can turn light particles into solid matter

NSFW Under the Cut

=============================================================

It’s common knowledge that you and Bakugou are dating. So everyone thought that if Bakugou was in a relationship, you’d be the only person he was sweet to, implying that he’d likely let you win when you sparred. This was half true.

Bakugou was really sweet to you in private, but he did not hold back when you trained. He wanted you both to reach your full potential and it wouldn’t happen if he held back.

You dodged every attack Bakugou sent your way, using your quirk to create small shields and walls to protect yourself from his explosions. The ground shook beneath you and the wall behind you shattered. You ducked and ran, keeping close to the ground as he tracked your movements.

You turned suddenly, ducking behind him and running up to grab him, hoping to trap him under a platform made by your quirk. He turned in an instant, his red eyes locking onto you. He quickly hit you hard in the face, setting off an explosion at the same time and blasting you hard to the ground.

When the smoke cleared, his eyes widened. You had quick reactions, so you should have been able to put up a shield to protect yourself, and even if you hadn’t you could get up from all his attacks.

But you lay still on the ground, unmoving. His eyes widened and he crouched down, grabbing you and picking you up. His heart sped up and his fingers tightened around your shoulders.

“Babe?” you didn’t answer. “BABE?!” you turned towards him, slowly opening your eyes and looking up at him, fear swirling in your e/c orbs. Then, a malicious grin grew on your face and his eyebrows cocked up in confusion.

You quickly made a long pole behind your back quickly swinging it around and slamming it against his back. His back gave in his surprise and he fell down on top on you. You grabbed his wrist and lifted him up over him and kicking him over you, he landed hard on his back, his legs out of bounds. You choked out a cocky laugh, ignoring the pain in your body.

“I win.”

“You cheated.” he grumbled back, reaching up and tangling his fingers in yours. You squeezed his hand, forcing yourself to sit up as he stood, helping you to your feet.

The two of you were laughing as you leaned against him, pressing a soft kiss against his skin.

“There were no rules about pretending to be hurt. Besides, you really did hurt me, meanie~” you stuck your tongue out, teasing him. He just laughed, putting you in a gentle headlock and practically dragging you to the sidelines.

“Whaddaya expect?” he chuckled. “That’s how sparring is going to end everytime with me. We’re both gonna end up with a couple bruises.” He let go of you and you leaned against the wall, rolling your eyes.

“A couple? Serisouly? You bitch slapped me with the extra force of a fucking explosion. That causes more than ‘a couple bruises.’ That could’ve killed me.” you meant it in a teasing way, but the way Katsuki tensed up in guilt made you feel bad.

“I- It couldn’t’ve killed you, r-right?” he glanced at you with nervous eyes. “Right?”

“Well it didn’t, so it’s okay. I’m sorry.”

“Why the hell are you apologizing? You’re right? I could’ve killed you!” he shouted, your chest constricted, Bakugou never wanted to hurt you, ever, he actively went out of his way to protect you, even if it was annoying at times.

“Katsuki, calm down. It’s okay.” you walked towards him, resting your hand on his shoulder. He tried to shrug it off but you only tightened your grip. “I was only teasing, I would’ve been fine no matter what! It’s going to be alright.” His shoulders untensed uner your fingers, and he pulled you into a hug.

“Yeah, I know, dumbass. I was teasing too.” you chuckled.

“We’re finished with training, so technically we can head back to the dorms now. Whaddaya think, scary movies I hate? Comedy movies you hate? Reenacting your fav romantic manga? Maybe something more... spicy?” you suggested, your tone starting out sweet and innocent and ending anything but. You felt heat radiating off his body as his fingers gripped you a little tighter.

“All of those sound good, but I’m particularly attracted to that last option.” his voice was a low growl in your ear, and you felt heat pool in your crotch. “Let’s have the old lady fix us ‘fore we head back, kay?”

“It’s a date~” you purred, giving him a kiss on the cheek before walking over to Recovery Girl.

You were on each other the second you entered Katsuki’s dorm, he was on top of you on the bed, making out with you as if his life depended on it. His hands trailed up your body, hastily removing your clothes.

“Ow!” you exclaimed when he brushed against a large bruise on your stomach. Both of you frowned as he sat up, still very horny.

“How the fuck am I supposed to fuck you senseless if you’re hurt.”

“You’re hurt too.” you scoffed, sitting up and kissing him. “I can fuck myself senseless anyways.”

“What so you’re kicking me out?” he pouted, disapointed. “When I’m so turned on?”

“No no, I want to try something new. Let’s touch ourselves and watch each other. Like double-youeryism or something. What do you think?” you winked at him and stuck out your tongue. his face reddened, but he smirked.

“That actually doesn’t sound half-bad, Teddy Bear~ you’re going to wish my dick was deep inside you instead of just your fingers~” you leaned forward, tugging his lip between your teeth.

“Who said I was using my fingers?” you purred. He growled against your lips, placing his hand on your hip.

“Just so long as you know my dick’s better than anything you’ll ever touch.”

You reach over to your dresser and dig through the drawers and pull out a small box. You opened it to reveal several sex toys. You pulled out a couple. One was a long purple remote-controlled dildo and the other was a string of small cylinder-shaped vibrators in a circle. Also remote-controlled. You handed him the circle of vibes and the remote to the dildo, while you kept the dildo and the remote to his toy.

“I’ll control your toy and you’ll control mine, got it? That way we can help each other cum.” he nodded, putting on his toy as you prepped yourself for yours. His eyes were trained on you as you pressed your finger-pads against that special spot inside you.

“Ah~ I bet you wish you were fingering me instead, huh? Wish you could feel how exited I am?” Katsuki bit his lip and nodded.

“I bet you wish you could be sucking my cock, wish you were choking on it, huh?” His hand teased the tip of his cock as you touched yourself. You grabbed the remote to Bakugou’s toy and turned it on to it’s lowest setting. He bit back a moan.

“Fuck, not fair, baby~ I can’t tease you like that~” he reached forward to touch you but you smacked his hand away.

“Hands on the merchandise~” you teased, licking your lips and eyeing him. “Trust me I wish I could touch your beautiful body but I’m obeying the rules of our cute little masterbation cult~” he chuckled, disapointed.

“Damn, too bad~” you pressed the tip of the dildo against your sex, eyes teasingly asking him to turn it on. He shook his head.

“If you want it, you’re not getting it. It’s your punishment for not letting me touch you.”

“Damn, I guess I’ll just have to do it the old fashioned way.” you chuckled, sliding down on top of it with a pleasured sigh. You let out a gasp when it suddenly started vibrating inside you.

“Ah~ I thought you weren’t going to- fuck~ turn it on~” you panted slightly, cheeks red. Bakugou just smirked at you, jerking himself off to the sight of you riding the dildo. You turned up the power of his toy and he threw his head back with a moan.

“Fuck~ Teddy Bear, damn I wish I was fucking you right now~” you thrusted the toy faster inside you, moaning.

“I- I wish that too~” you lay on your back, fucking the toy up into yourself as Katsuki turns up the power, you can feel yourself tighten around the toy as you moan out.

“Ah~ Katsuki I think- I think I’m gonna- fuuuuuck~” you came hard, Katsuki moaned out.

“Fuck that was so hot, cumming from that toy instead of my cock, such a bad little Teddy Bear, so naughty, (fuck) I can’t wait to cum all over that gorgeous body of yours~” he dirty talked “You liked it, didn’t you? cumming from something other than my cock?”

“Y- yes~” you murmured, looking up at him and turning the power up all the way, Katsuki let out a choked out moan twitching and cumming hard over his hand.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fucking fuck fuck fuck!” he moaned. “Teddy Bear~” you tossed your head back onto the pillows looking up at the ceiling. Your view was soon blocked by the smirking blonde.

“That was fun, more fun than I thought it would be, we should totally do that again~” you nodded, pulling him closer and kissing him deeply.

“I love you, Katsu~”

“I love you too... dumbass~”

#bakugou smut #kinktober 2020 #kinktober day three #bakugou x reader #bnha bakugo x reader #gn reader

209 notes · View notes

sserpente · 4 years

Photo

A/N: Random idea. Very fluffy. A little awkward… probably what would actually happen if you took Loki to a thermal bath spa when you are seriously crushing on him… enjoy! ;-)

Words: 4087 Warnings: a lot of fluff, sexual themes, implied smut

Birthdays were special—or at least, they should be. For the last decade, however, your own reflection in the mirror had been the only one wishing you a happy birthday. You had grown used to it. Loneliness was not so bad once you learned how to deal with the ache in your heart. But perhaps this year could be different, even though by now, you avoided telling the people in your life about your date of birth.

You had joined the Avengers a little over eight months now—and even though they were all nice and kind, there was only one other person you truly connected with. Loki. The man who had, only a few years ago, attempted to subjugate the entire planet. You shook your head quickly. It had not been his fault, not entirely. He had suffered under Thanos’ torments as much as you had been suffering under your loneliness. He was lonely too. Thor was his brother but he was no longer a friend, not really. The distance between them, albeit not physical, felt heart-breaking to even watch.

Surely, Loki would not be opposed to joining you in the thermal bath spa today. You intended to treat yourself, clandestinely and quietly, for your birthday. Having Loki with you—the man you could not only spend countless sleepless nights with talking about life, desires and fears but also caused your reoccurring and uncontrollable wet dreams. Seeing him shirtless for almost an entire day would put the cherry on top of your imaginary birthday cake.

Cautiously, you knocked on his door, your bag already packed. You would not need more than a book to relax with, some snacks (some of which were healthier than others), a towel and another bikini to change into, especially since the exclusive sauna was a no-clothing area anyway. Oh… if you got Loki to join you there…

“Yes…?” Loki’s disinterested face practically lit up when he realised it was you who had knocked. Smiling, you squeezed yourself through the gap.

“Hi.”

“Good morning.” He frowned, eyeing your bag. “Are you going somewhere?”

“I am, and I was wondering if you would like to join me. I’m heading to a local thermal bath spa to relax a little. You know… whirlpools, saunas, massages…”

Intrigued, he leaned forward. He remembered receiving positively amazing massages from Asgardian therapists in the palace when he was younger. They had worked wonders on his exhausted muscles after his training with Thor.

“Who else is coming?” He asked.

“No one. Just you and me.”

The God of Mischief smirked. “Very well.”

It had taken him time to warm up to you, and he had not just once questioned your intentions and sincerity. It warmed your heart, seeing him blithe, cheeky and curious now whenever the two of you were together. It almost felt like catching glimpses of his old, light-hearted self—before he had found out he was a Frost Giant; and that his whole life had been but a lie.

Loki had a good heart—he merely protected it well.

“Are you telling me we are going to share these pools with other people?!” He exclaimed in a downright horrified manner as you walked past the first swimming area to the reception.

“Oh… yes.” You giggled. “I’m afraid so, the spa is open for other customers too, after all. I’ve booked a booth all for myself… so we’ll have as much privacy as possible, alright? Hi!” You smiled at the receptionist who gave you a court nod.

“I’ve made a reservation, the name is (Y/L/N).”

“Oh yes, Ms (Y/L/N), you’re right on time. Please, let me escort you and your partner to your booth. Inside, you’ll find our welcome package, including champagne and the hot chocolate for your massage. If you need anything else, you can pay with your bracelets which will also give you access to our sauna world. Any purchases made will be added to your bill when you check out, other than that… we’re happy to help if you are experiencing any problems.” The words bubbled from her mouth like the gushing waterfall in the whirlpool area.

“Oh, uh, yes, thank you.” You stuttered. You blinked, blushing furiously. Loki spoke up as soon as she was gone and left you to change into your complementary bathrobes.

“Hot chocolate… for our massage?”

“Um… yeah… the package I booked to get this booth is intended for couples, usually.” You had almost forgotten about that when you decided to invite Loki this morning… Well, at least, the booth was nice. Opaque and dimly lit, it reminded you of an indoor-tipi. Inside, a giant round mattress took most of the space, along with a small table with, like the receptionist had promised, the hot chocolate and a bottle of champagne with two glasses.

“Ah. I see.”

Your heart skipped a beat, no, several at once, when Loki’s blue gaze met yours. If only he knew about your wet dreams… with a sigh, you undressed until all there was left was your bikini. You truly couldn’t wait to dive into the whirlpool first thing before your massage appointments, but what you were looking forward to even more was spending an entire day with Loki completely shirtless.

You gulped, quietly, when he followed your example. Quite hilariously, he had been rather unfamiliar with the concept of swimwear. On Asgard, nudity was rarely frowned upon when it came to bathing, whether it was a giant bathtub or a lake—still, Loki had always had the privilege of complete privacy as a prince, so he had told you.

He had refused to borrow one of Tony’s bathing trunks and instead opted for magic. Now, all he was left wearing were a pair of black swimming trunks with green and gold accents, complimenting his pale, yet well-defined and muscly chest.

“Do you like what you are seeing, my dear?” Blinking, you cleared your throat, quickly looking away. You blushed again, causing the God of Mischief to chuckle to himself. He truly was a tease. By now, you had learned this much—Loki was constantly torn between his smugness and confidence because of his physical superiority over you and his own shyness and insecurities whispering to him that as a Jötun, who would ever find him attractive compared to the mighty Thor?

You longed to prove him a lot more often he was indeed a lot more handsome than the Thunderer.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You said finally, his cheeky grin growing even wider when you grabbed a towel and headed for the whirlpools. Loki followed you amused.

“Loki…?”

“Yes, my dear?”

You had been watching him, secretly of course, for the past twenty minutes now. How his muscles danced when he leaned back and closed his eyes, arms spread on the edge of the whirlpool and his Adam’s apple moving slightly when he swallowed… his wet body shimmering in the dim light of the spa… focus.

“Is there a reason nobody else is willing to join us in this particular whirlpool?” He really liked this one. For the past hour, you had been trying them all out. You could tell he preferred those with lower water temperatures. Oddly, however, other customers practically seemed to avoid the pool. Granted, some of them might have recognised him… but surely not all of them.

“I would never…” He teased, opening one eye and glaring at you mischievously. You grinned, shaking your head. For Heaven’s sake, you would only love to swim over to him and sit on his lap, find out what it would feel like to straddle him and to explore his muscles with your wet palms… but you would probably freak him out if you did. Loki had never indicated he had a romantic, let alone sexual interest in you. Your wet dreams would most likely remain just that—dreams. Wishful thinking. You sighed, taking a peek at the huge clock on the wall.

“We have one and half more hours until our massages. I’m gonna dry off and head to the sauna for a bit but you can stay here if you like.”

“No,” he replied quickly. “I will join you.”

You climbed out of the whirlpool with a smile, your body, instead of freezing, growing hot as soon as you heaved yourself out of the water. The cool air should have made you shiver, yet you felt your back burning. Loki was watching you, you were sure of it. Intently.

You returned to your private booth to put on your bathrobe, with Loki following you suit. It was nice and warm inside, perfect for a short break.

“Ugh, stupid hair…” Grumbling to yourself, you struggled to make your wet ponytail presentable again. The God of Mischief chuckled and raised an eyebrow, a cheeky smirk tugging at his lips.

“Come.” He said, reaching out for you. Blinking, and ignoring your rapid heartbeat, you obeyed. He made you turn around so you were sitting between his legs, holding onto his thigh for support. You had expected so much out of this spa visit with Loki… but not that you would become so aroused throughout the day. This man could be breathing peacefully and it would make you horny. For Heaven’s sake…

You almost purred when he suddenly ran his long fingers through your wet streaks to untangle it a little. He removed the hair tie easily and soon began to part your hair in three. Before you even realised what he was doing, he was already braiding it neatly.

“You… wow. Thank you. How do you know how to do that?” And how do I get you to do this more often? His fingers had felt wonderfully in your hair and on your scalp. You could only imagine him pampering other parts of your body…

“I used to do it for my mother as a child. I always came to hide with her in her dressing room. It somehow calmed me down whenever Thor and his friends… never mind.”

Turn around, a seductive voice in your head screamed. Turn around and kiss him, now! But you did no such thing. Instead, you darted away from him as if stung by an adder, much to his surprise.

“S-sauna.” You said quickly. “ Loki nodded, eyes, however, widening fast when you started taking off your bikini under the bathrobe.

“What are you doing now?”

“Uh, there are no clothes allowed in the sauna.” You mumbled in response, curious about how he would react.

Gosh, ever since your arrival, you were torn between seduce him and pounce on him and run away screaming. You just couldn’t decide… in fact… in fact you wished he would just pull you on his lap and kiss you senseless.

“You mean to run around naked? Among strange men?” He countered as he approached you slowly. He looked good in that white bathrobe, it complemented his wet raven hair… argh, focus! Loki sounded almost… possessive. A sign? Would he kiss you? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Perhaps you should just tell him it was your birthday and ask for a proper kiss as your birthday gift.

“I do it all the time, Loki. No one cares about the nudity in there. Besides, it’s rather dark in the cabins. I understand if you don’t want to do it though, you don’t have to come with me, I can—”

The God of Mischief snorted. “I am not letting you go there alone.”

You paused, mid-sentence, a smile tugging at your lips. Now you couldn’t just kiss him but at least, you could hug him. Loki always acted like he hated the physical affection you often showered him with but in that aspect, he was a bad liar. A sigh escaped his lips when he reciprocated your hug and wrapped his arms around your body. It was so tiny compared to his, the urge to protect growing within him like an ancient, primal need. Mine… he blinked.

Oh no, you were a mortal. He would not make the same mistake as his brother and fall for a woman who would die centuries before him.

“Let us go.” He had not told you yet but he was not overly fond of saunas. He was familiar with the concept, of course—steam baths and alike—but had usually avoided them back on Asgard. It wasn’t until he had found out he was a Frost Giant that he realised why he despised the heat so much and yet… he was willing to sweat with discomfort just so he could see your half-naked, no, all naked body all wet and warm and… Loki cleared his throat and let go of you like a piece of blistering firewood. Mutely, he followed you to the sauna world and used his bracelet to get inside.

He already longed to snap the necks of the men turning around to glare at you hungrily when you both entered, his left hand jerking slightly as he almost brought it to the small of your back to show them you were taken. They glanced away again quickly, realising Loki was not to be meddled with.

As soon as the two of you had disappeared into one of the cabins—an empty one, much to his relief—he flicked his wrist. A green, barely visible shimmer of light surrounded the opaque door. No one else would get to explore your naked body with their eyes now—only him.

Only then did he start to feel the gravity of the heat around him. It enveloped him, slowed him down… he took a deep, disgusted breath.

You shouldn’t be shy. Fuck it. Drop your towel. So you did, avoiding Loki’s heated gaze on you as you did and sat down. While part of you meant to lean back and present your breasts to him temptingly, another wanted you to cover yourself up again this instant. You looked up and…

Loki’s lips were parted. He didn’t even think about removing the towel around his hips. Instead, his greedy gaze wandered up and down your body, slowly and intimately. You gulped. It took him a moment to pick himself up.

Then, finally, he slowly removed his own towel, revealing the sight of his member. You swallowed thickly. He was big. Bigger than the average man, even in his soft state. Loki sat down next to you, another mischievous smirk playing on his lips. He knew. He bloody knew. He must have… right?

With any other Avengers, this situation would have been super awkward and strange but with Loki… it was peaceful. Neither of you felt ashamed to be naked around the other, no sounds disrupting the silence. The heat felt amazing, sweating all negative energy from your system even better. There was only the steam hissing in the background, the rapid beating of your own heart and Loki, panting frantically. Panting?

“Loki? Are you okay?”

“I feel fine.” He lied. You flinched when you looked over to him. Loki was blue, his eyes glowing red in the dimly lit sauna and his bare chest decorated with dozens of ridges you longed to trace with your fingertips.

“You’re blue!”

Taken aback, the God of Mischief gazed down at himself, jumping up as if stung by an adder as soon as he realised.

“A-are you okay?”

“Fine,” he choked out. You barely had a chance to reply before he stormed out of the sauna.

“Loki! Loki, wait!” Grabbing your towel before you could dart after him, you clumsily wrapped it around your body to cover yourself up. Loki had disappeared into the shower room.

He glared at you from the corner of his eye when he saw you approaching him slowly—ignoring the other naked man taking a shower as cool as you please. The pattering of the water onto the wet files echoing through the room pierced your ears the closer you came but you barely even registered it. Loki was leaning against the wall, palms pressed flatly against it. He looked normal again. Not blue.

“You were not supposed to see that.” He growled quietly. Hesitatingly, you put one of your hands on his shoulder blade. He had no idea how this could have even happened. His body reacted to the cold. To objects of Jötun origin, not to heat and hot air. It must have been a defence mechanism to cope with the sudden temperature change…

“It doesn’t matter, Loki. I knew about… well.”

“You knew I am a monster? A wolf in sheep’s clothing?” He snapped bitterly.

“I knew you were a Frost Giant. You’re not a monster. You haven’t eaten me yet, have you?” You joked, waiting for him to reply. When he said nothing, you took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Loki, I didn’t think the heat would do… this. Are you… are you sure you’re okay? I don’t want to spend the rest of my birthday in the hospital.” Even though you were fairly certain a regular hospital could barely help the God of Mischief. You should have considered his race when suggesting the sauna. Why, for Heaven’s sake, hadn’t he refused to come with you? To… protect you, maybe? From other, greedy men? Your pussy clenched at the mere thought of it.

“What did you just say?”

“W-what? Nothing.” Shit.

“Your birthday. You said it was your birthday.”

Defeated, you gave him a court nod and shrugged innocently. “It… it is. That’s why I wanted to come here today, relax a little… and spend time with you. Let’s just… go back to our booth and forget this happened, alright?”

She is not afraid of you. She does not hate you. She is not disgusted. The thoughts tumbled through Loki’s head like a house of twigs collapsing in on itself. She wants to spend her birthday with you.

He nodded mutely, for once at loss for words, and followed you. He had sworn to himself to not make the same mistake as his brother, besides, a mortal was no match for him… right? How soon, however, would he once again find someone who liked his company simply for the sake of it? Someone who would spend their most important day with him of all people? Someone who did not despise his true nature? Perhaps… perhaps, he should reconsider.

Hungry for a snack to stifle the shock, you reached into your bag to retrieve a package of marshmallows once you were back in your private booth. It was your birthday, after all. You could have some additional calories today if you weren’t going to get any cake. Apart from that, you needed something to munch on, even after admiring Loki’s backside… and his very impressive manhood. You wondered, briefly, if his cock was covered in ridges too when he was in his Jötun form… and how they would feel inside of you. You should have looked down when you had the chance. Licking your lips with a hum in a weak attempt to distract yourself from your naughty thoughts, you ripped open the package and fished one of the marshmallows out.

In the meantime, Loki opened the champagne bottle and poured you both a glass.

“And what is that supposed to be?” He said as he handed you one of them.

“Marshmallows? You’ve never had marshmallows before?”

“No…” He responded slowly, rather suspicious towards the white sugar clumps.

“They’re sweet and soft and… here.” Unceremoniously, you dipped it into the hot chocolate. It shouldn’t go to waste, now should it? “Eat.”

Loki obeyed, still in doubt but he soon hummed in approval when he let it disappear in his mouth. “Delicious… Tell me, what was that hot chocolate intended for, initially?” He asked curiously when he had swallowed, nodding at it before taking a sip of his champagne.

“Um… well…”

Impatiently, he raised an eyebrow.

“It’s for, uh, couple massages. You know… you’re supposed to use the chocolate for… as…”

“Massage oil?” He finished your sentence with a nod. His blue eyes locked with yours, making your heart pound in your chest. By the Norns, he should have read the signs earlier. The way you looked at him—both shyly and provocatively at the same time… the way your breath caught in your lungs whenever he touched you, even if it was in the most innocent and decent way possible. You made him laugh, too. It had been a while since he had laughed, from all his heart.

“Hmm, I see. Well, perhaps you were wrong, my dear.” He mused and put his glass away, making his decision there and then. “Perhaps I will eat you after all.”

He smirked—maliciously at that when your eyes widened and he crawled up to you on the huge mattress, right until he towered above you. Unceremoniously, he reached for the hot chocolate and inhaled deeply. The scent was infatuating—Loki’s hungry glare, however, even more so.

“L-Loki… what are you doing?”

His lips parted, one of his hands reaching up to caress your cheek. You shivered, desire and affection rippling through you. What was happening here?

You couldn’t help it. Your eyes wandered down to his lips. What would it feel like to press your lips against his? What would it feel like… oh. He was kissing you. A moan escaped your throat when his mouth came crashing down on yours, kissing you gently at first and then, devouring your lips like his last meal. Your languishing glance, so it seemed, was all the invitation he had needed. Loki’s hands set your body on fire, exploring every inch of your skin, stroking your neck, your arms, your chest…

You squealed when he undid the messy knot you had tied into your towel, leaving you completely exposed beneath him. Once more, his blue eyes appeared to ravish you whole. Then, suddenly, you both witnessed and felt him pouring the warm chocolate over your chest and breasts, your already hardening nipples reacting to the sweet liquid immediately. Oh my… God…

You couldn’t have imagined it to be like this in your wildest dreams. Goose bumps lingered wherever his fingertips ghosted over your body, the droplets of chocolate tickling where they trailed down your sides, threatening to stain the mattress. Your breath was trembling from desire by the time Loki lowered his head to your body and finally released your now swollen lips, instead tending to the warm and sweet mess he had created on your upper body. His tongue darted out as he hummed in joyful anticipation, patiently licking you clean.

Your back arched, hips bucking up towards him and grazing his crotch. It was him who moaned this time, his free hand, for he propped himself up with the other, fondling one of your breasts. You wanted more. Oh, you wanted so much more. But not here. This booth was private but at the end of the day you were still in public. At home, back at the compound… if that was what he wanted too. Don’t be a fool… of course he wants it too, the horny voice inside your head complained.

“Hmm… this tastes much better than those marshmallows…” He purred. You whimpered when he sucked one of your hard nipples into his mouth and tenderly nibbled on it. The attention made you clench your legs. Betraying arousal was pooling in your centre, drenching your bikini bottoms. If he didn’t stop now…

“W-we’re going to miss our m-massages, Loki…” You attempted weakly.

Loki chuckled darkly. “Something tells me you wouldn’t very much mind that, my sweet.” My sweet… if you hadn’t been lying down, your knees would have given in now at the very latest. Loki had a lot of explaining to do, and so did you. You had pounced on one another like wolves in heat, like sex-starved beasts… but not now. For the time being, you would simply enjoy having broken the thin layer of ice remaining between you. “You are right, of course.” He added then. “I want to be the only one to hear you screaming my name…” Another low chuckle rumbled through his voice chords, sending pleasant shivers up and down your spine. Reluctantly, he released you and let you catch your breath. Naked, you sat up, eyeing him with a shy smile which Loki reciprocated. This spa day escalated quickly, you thought, giggling to yourself. Not that you were to complain.

He winked. “Happy Birthday, (Y/N).”

A/N: Check out my blog to find more Imagines and take a glimpse at my first (to be) published novel! If you enjoyed this story, I would appreciate so much if you supported me on Kofi! ko-fi.com/sserpente ♥

827 notes · View notes

dean-winchesters-gardian-angel · 3 years

Text

The Same Bed - Chapter 5

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Summary: Friends are there to help each other out, but can they help falling for each other when all the long days they spend together turn into late nights they have and their reliance on each other.

Word count: 2044

Warnings: Fluff, angst, blood, description of injury, swearing, heated scene, slow burn.

A/N: “Welcome to the end” as chuck so bluntly put it. This is the last chapter of The Same Bed and as exited as I am for the story to conclude and for you all read it, I am as much saddened by its departure. It’s been a highlight of my week. I love Fridays but to me it’s as mch because of the weekend as it is because of my posting the next chapter. You have all been so kind and your reactions to this story are so heartening but alas this is the end. Not to say there wont be more to come ;) So for the last time on The Same Bed; Read it, enjoy and I’ll see you on the other side. There’s a tag list, so be sure to tell me if you want in, as well as a masterlist so be sure to check it out. As are all that came before; Unbeta’d all mistakes are mine.

Series masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They sat in the bathroom without a word while Y/N pulled the glass from his palm. The occasional flinch would draw her attention up to his face. His eyes were half-closed all cockiness washed away. This was the Dean no one else got to see. The Dean that was allowed to feel pain even if from the comparatively small cuts on his hand though to anyone else they were considered bad and warranted a visit to the hospitable for stitches. This Dean didn’t use all his energy blocking out natural reaction to stimulus or emotions. This was Y/Ns Dean.

Y/N was delicate as one could be when removing glass from an open wound. She cleaned his lacerations with alcohol holding it over the sink as the reddened liquid pooled in his palm and streamed along his skin, dripping off the back of his hand. She rinsed off his hand and dried it before taking a bandage wrap from the kit and spinning it around his hand. Tapping the ends securely, she looked up at him. Y/N cupped his face urging him to look at her but as a result, Dean squeezed his eyes shut leaning into her hold, before pulling away avoiding her gaze.

“We should go to bed.” Dean nodded acknowledging her whisper. She followed Dean back to his room. He picked up the glass on the floor and nightstand as she watched him from the doorway. She took a step forward.

“You can’t stay here.” Y/N scoffed as Dean hardly even glanced over his shoulder moving the glass into the little garbage can next to the nightstand.

“Why the hell not? I don’t care how much you hate me, Dean, I’m just trying to help you.”

“I don’t hate you…”

“Seriously? You can’t even look at me god damn it! Dean what have I done to you other than support you! I don’t deserve this! You kick me out! You ignore me! You have no right to treat me this way! I helped with your nightmares! With anything you asked me to and even when you don’t ask me to, I’m there for you Dean! I deserve an explanation! That's the very least I deserve!” Dean spun around quick as a wink. He’s been expecting this but nonetheless hoped they’d manage to avoid it. He had scripted what he’d say though apparently, he subconsciously knew what he truly wanted to say because given the opportunity he went off.

“Because I fell in love with you! I was better off pushing you away and hurting you myself than risk losing you because I was too caught up with loving you. To get distracted and miss something on a hunt! Or have some demon take you and hurt you to get to me! I had to push you away because I fell in love with you!”

“That makes two of us Dean! You think you’re the only one with feelings! You really think pushing me away is going to stop me from getting hurt!? And you’re hardly careless enough to miss something on a hunt because you were distracted by me! Also, how dare you blame me for that Dean, what you’re saying is utter bullshit! God, I just want to punch you right now, knock a little sense in into that brain of yours, you’re being so stupid! You’re also not the only one with enemies! I’ve killed countless demons! Maybe you’ll be the one taken and tortured to get to me huh! Ever think of that! I’m not asking for a goddamn marriage proposal Dean! I want my friend back! I want you back Dean you have no idea how much I miss you!”

“‘That makes two of us?’ You’re in love with me too?” Dean was looking down at his aching palm, holding it in his healthy hand.

“Did you completely ignore everything I just said after that?”

“No, no I heard you, and you’re right. I have no excuse for the way I treated you and you do deserve better. And God did I miss you too. I’m really, truly sorry.”

“Good, you should be.” He could hear the smile on her lips before he looked up to see it. “That’s the most ridiculous reason I’ve ever heard for pushing someone away by the way.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Also, really unfair.” The smile was gone again.

“I know.” She laughed softly.

“Dean you realize I’ve loved you for -- jeez -- for forever. Notice I didn’t push you away when I became aware of it.”

“Forever? Like since we met?”

“Yeah, and I still outlasted you before turning into a complete dick.” Dean chuckled looking up to the women he now openly loved. She had moved closer to him and the door had been closed.

“Yeah, I was really just sick of you being so nice but look at you know.” His words were laced with sarcasm as he smirked, awaiting her reaction.

“Well, you did say you loved me so I guess I can stop now.” She took a step closer just as Dean did.

“It was that spaghetti sauce you made. I love a woman who can cook.” Another step closer.

“That, I must say, is one of your more sexist comments.” She reached for his hips pulling him against her body.

“Well, I guess since I’ve made one, I might as well make another. You’re mine.” His hands came to her cheeks as his eyes bore into her own.

“That’s not sexist, that just possessive.” Y/N had never been one to welcome possession in that way. She was her own person and would be treated as such, but the way Dean said it didn’t imply possession or ownership, it implied protection. He was promising that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe and she knew he would.

“I mean it though, you’re mine.”

“As long as you’re mine.” Dean didn’t waste any time, responding with a strong, insistent kiss. His demands were met as she pressed her lips against his. Their moves were synchronized, hands sliding over shoulders and under shirts, feet ambitiously stepping towards the bed, lips sucking on whatever skin they could get at, eyes closed as the verbal communication had been put to a minimum, all words translated into touches. Dean backed his way to the bed dropping his weight gracefully while still holding Y/N as she braced herself on her hands on each side of Dean's shoulders. Y/N moaned into the kiss as she straddled Dean's hips, moving her hand under the hem of his shirt sliding them over his taut torso. They parted, catching their breath as she rested her forehead on his breathing heavily, eyes squeezed shut, with a smile.

“Dean.”

“I know,” He opened his eyes brushing her hair from hers to look into them. “hunt tomorrow.” She smiled holding back a giggle.

“I was really hoping you would forget about that and just kiss me again.”

“I still can.” He leaned up capturing her lips with his. “We really should sleep though.”

“I know but,” She kisses him again working her hands over his body “I really don’t want to.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” he said as he sat up holding her in his lap kissing her once more. “I really, really want to, but there’s this part of me that wants to do this properly.” He brushed more hair from her face to behind her ear cupping her cheek.

“Properly?”

“A date, dinner, a movie maybe.”

She chuckled. “That’s lame. But I accept.”

“You realize you’re the cheese ball romantic who forced me to watch Grease.”

“Not anymore, mister ‘I don’t sleep with a girl before I take her out.’ Also, you love Grease.” He kissed her again acting as though he couldn’t get enough of her, which, had she asked him, was true.

“Sleep then?” She asked.

“Yes, please. Haven’t slept properly in two nights.”

“How’s your hand?” They shuffled around in the bed to be in their respective spots.

“It’ll be fine. Thank you by the way, for taking care of me even when I really didn’t deserve your kindness.”

“Just promise me you won’t push me when I try to help you next time, okay?”

“Nuh-uh, it's my turn to help you.”

“You know,” She lifted her hand for him to take which he did only to pull her over into his arms. “to be fair you had the opportunity to help me a couple of seconds ago, but you turned me down.” There was a smirk on her face as she looked up to him from his chest.

“Oh, don’t you worry your little head about that. I’ll make sure you get all the help you need…and more” He winked at her before kissing the top of her head as they did their collective best to fall asleep.

“Dean?”

“Mmm.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Course.”

“What are your nightmares about?” There was a substantially long pause in which Y/N considered telling Dean not to worry about telling her if he didn’t want to but he finally answer. Though it was a whisper, it rang through the room being the only sound to be heard.

“They used to be of my mum, or Sammy getting hurt.”

“And now?”

“You.”

“I’m not that scary am I?” Fully aware that that wasn’t why him dreaming of her was scary, Y/N rubbed his chest with her hand in a reassuring manner. She managed to get a chuckle out of him though.

“No…you dying. I’ve lost you thousands of times in thousands of different ways. And I’m never able to save you.” He stopped there fearing he’d sob if he kept going, nevertheless losing the battle against a single tear that ran its path on the side of his face. Y/N turned gently in his grip holding his face against her hand to kiss him tenderly.

“I’m not going anywhere, Winchester… Promise.”

“You can’t promise something like that.”

“Sure, I can. I just did, didn’t I?”

“Y/N—“ “Dean. Stop worrying, just stop. Let it all go. I’m right here, I’m in your arms, alive and safe. Stop worrying about what could happen, be thankful for what you have. With the life we live Dean, it’s the only realistic way of being happy.” Dean took what she said to heart though it would inevitably be hard to follow through.

“I promise to try.”

“That’s all I ask… me huh... you dream about me.” Y/N was flattered though unmistakably hurting on behalf of Dean.

“What can I say, I’m hopelessly devoted to you.”

“I knew you love that movie, and don’t even try to deny it Dean-o”

“Still sounds stupid.” Dean said with his eyes closed referring to his nickname.

“Good” There was a giggle before they settled. With one last kiss she rested her head over his heart and fell asleep closely followed by Dean.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They never go to ‘properly’, instead, agreeing, after a not so long talk, that they had had enough dinners and movie nights to last a lifetime— though they wouldn’t write off their traditional movie night. In reality, they were both too impatient after sleeping in the same bed, the sexual tension had become tangible. They had also come to an agreement to continue sharing the same bed seeing as it was the only way either would sleep properly, holding hands of course. Y/N had gotten hurt on multiple occasions and Dean naturally blamed himself. Meanwhile, Y/N didn’t give in to his behaviour; telling him to grow up and that ‘Shit happens’ as she politely put it before telling Dean to get the first aid kit or back in bed seeing as he always picked the topic back up before going to sleep. Dean had also gotten hurt on several occasions as well, though Y/N would help him without a word. Y/N didn’t care about how many times she would get hurt and Dean was the same with himself. They were both happy at the end of the day, as long as they got to fall asleep in the same bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been here since the beginning as much as those who have join since; I appreciate you all.

I had so much fun writing this story and even more fun having you read it. I’ve gotten so much love out of writing this and it’s thanks to my readers. So thank you.

Tag List: @akshi8278 @bargedog @just-someone-difficult @mila-dans @valhallavxlkyrie @thoughts-and-funnies

Series Tag List: @autobotgirl15-blog @classyunknownlover @laycblack @lovememisha @music-is-all-i-need @redbarn1995 @wellfuckmyexistence

#fanfic #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural #supernatural masterlist #spn #spn fanfic #SPNFamily #dean winchester #dean #dean x reader #dean x you #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester x you #spnfanficpond #dean fluff #fluff #dean winchester fluff #spn fanfic series #the same bed series

71 notes · View notes

thevelvetseries · 5 years

Text

The Halstead’s (Part 1)

Overall Summary : This story will follow Will Halstead, Jay Halstead and Y/N Halstead. We all know Will as being a Third-Year Attending Physician in Emergency Medicine at Gaffney Chicago, and Jay Halstead as a detective at the 21st district. Y/N Halstead is a 17 year old girl about to start her senior year of high school. She is a grade A student and always does the right thing. One night her friend hosts a party and Y/N loosens up and get a little drunk. What consequences will follow?

Pairing : Jay Halstead x Sister Reader / Will Halstead x Sister Reader

Warnings : Fluff, Angst, Implied Smut, Pregnancy, Brotherly Love, Natalie Bonding, Passing Out

Series Masterlist / Main Masterlist

Chicago. The Windy City. The home of the bears, and where I have lived my whole life with my two older brothers Jay and Will Halstead. I’m there little sister Leah Halstead. I’m currently in my last coming weeks of junior year before summer vacation and I head face first into my senior year of high school. At this moment in time I’m living with my older brother Will in his house, and spend weekends round Jays apartment, since I have a room at each place. I stay with Will during the week since it’s closer to school, longer time to sleep.

It’s an early Friday morning. I can hear a loud ringing by my head. I know its my alarm clock, its time to get up. With my eyes still close I blindly. After a few minutes my eyes start to open. The glare of sunshine starts to burst through the window and blinds me, I shut my eyes and rub them. Once my body has adjusted I remove my duvet from my body and slip on my slippers that sit by my bed, and starts to walk downstairs to the kitchen. The smell of waffles feel my nose. Will was making his famous blueberry waffles which I’ll admit everyone loved.

“Morning Will” I say while thinking about the science test I have to take today during 3rd period. Will turns around with a plate full of food and places it down in front of me and does the same for himself.

“Morning kiddo, you ready for today” he asked while eating his own breakfast. I nod.

“Yeah, I’ve studied. I think I’m going to do ok.”

10 minutes pass and I’m now done with my breakfast and headed upstairs to get ready for the day. While I was doing my hair my phone goes off and it’s a text from Veronica. ‘Hey, we are all going to get ready at Shay’s tonight for her party. Meet me after school at the gate, bring everything you’ll need’

I finished getting ready and get out the outfit I had already got together for the party. It was a simple red maxi dress and some black heels. I placed them in my bag and added my makeup bag as well for retouches. Jay and Will already said I could go, when Shay came up with the idea, we never normally would host the party’s but this time we were. Since I was driving myself to school today, I’d just leave everything in the boot of the car to keep everything safe.

Once I was ready I collected everything I need for tonight and that I needed for school and made my way downstairs. Where I found Will in the front room getting his shoes on, getting ready to leave for work himself.

“Hey Will, instead of come home after school and getting ready here, we’re just gonna go straight to Shay’s from school to save time. Oh, and don’t forget I’m staying over after so I’ll be home sometime tomorrow morning, early afternoon.” I tell Will

He got up from the couch and out his coat on. “Yeah ok, just text me or Jay so we know you are safe and sound please.” I smile and nod and say goodbye before heading out and going to school.

On the way to school I stop by and pick up Veronica and Shay like normal, Shay was going on about how she was really excited about tonight since it was her first time throwing a party and she couldn’t wait. While Veronica was reading over her science notes so she could ace this test. Once we finally arrived at school we all head to our home room. I go inside and sit at the back of the classroom like normal. I’m scrolling through Instagram while the bell rings and Mrs Boden walk through the doors. She take all our attendance gave out important messages for the day before we all headed off for our first lesson of the day.

Once the school day was over, we all gather up our things and head towards the school gates, I turn left towards the parking lot and wait for Shay and Veronica in my car since it was cold. Suddenly a loud bang came from the passenger side window, I jumped 10 ft in the air and looked and saw Shay and Veronica laughing there heads off, and getting inside.

“OMG! Guys you’ve got to stop scaring my like that. I’m going to die from it one day.” I say while starting the car up and headed out the school parking lot.

When we got to shays we all gather around in the kitchen eating the left over pizza Shay had from last night and talking about random things. When it got to around 5pm we all thought that we should start to get ready for the party tonight before setting up everything. We each took shower and redid our hair and makeup before getting dressed. Around 7pm Jeff, Dean, Spencer and Chloe arrive with the keg and some extra snacks. The boys tap the keg and place it in the backyard while the rest of us finish getting ready. I started putting chips into different bowls and ordered some different pizza’s for everyone to enjoy.

The party was now in full swing, people dancing, drinking, talking just having fun. Relaxing. I’m currently sitting outside by the pool talking to Jeff and was on my 4th drink of the night. I’m starting to feel a little buzz from the alcohol that I’ve consumed in the past few hours, but was still alert to know what was going on around me. I was feeling happy. The cool breeze hits my body and goosebumps arose on my skin. I’m wearing a maxi dress in Chicago, of course it’s cold but I didn’t care, the alcohol was definitely taking affect.

Me and Jeff kept talking, laughing and just having fun like we always do. After about 30 minutes me and Jeff start to kiss, it wasn’t the first time either. Me and Jeff have had a sexual relationship for a year now but we aren’t dating. When things start to get a little heated we headed upstairs and found a vacant bedroom and locked the door behind us. Next things next we are both naked on the bed, what I didn’t know was that this decision would cause a huge bump in my life later down the road.

I was awoken by daylight coming through the window. I was in Shay’s bedroom laying next to Veronica on the floor surrounded by pillows. While Shay and Chloe and Spencer where in the bed. I look up and see Spencer on he phone and Chloe watching TV on mute. I sit up and put on my hoodie to warm myself up a little, since the window had been left opened all night long. “Morning Y/N/N” Spencer said while getting up to use the bathroom.

“Morning Spenc” I yawn as I head over to Shay’s vanity and brush all the knots out of my hair. Bit by bit all of us girls wake up and head downstairs to Shay’s kitchen to find something that we wanted for breakfast. Shay and Veronica decided to get McDonald’s for breakfast so why the rest of us where waiting for them to come back with breakfast we starting watching a movie in the front room and talking about the party last night.

After breakfast we all got cleaned up, and watched a few more movies before all heading home. I dropped Veronica back at her house and continued until I reached mine. One I turned down my street and got closer to the house I notice that Jay’s car is parked out, he’s probably came over to have breakfast with Will before work. When I finally I entered the house it was 10am and I came home to the sound of the TV, and found Jay and Will eating waffles and watching the news.

“Hey guys” I say while taking my shoes off and hanging up my coat on the hook by the door.

“Hey” they both say in unison. “How was the party? Hope you had fun.” Jay said while taking another bit of his waffle.

“Yeah, I had fun. It was nice to just relax for once.” I say while taking a seat between will and Jay and taking part of Will’s waffle. He gave me a little looked, like he was annoyed but he couldn’t hold it and smiled.

An hour later Jay left for work and me and Will stayed relaxing on the sofa watching the horror movie channel. At some point in the movie I feel asleep and woke up with a blanket covering me and no Will in sight and hearing the front door close.

“Will?” I voiced loudly to see if her was still home. I heated footsteps coming closer Jay and Will both came in into the front room.

“How long was I asleep?” I say while sitting up.

“4 hours, you must have been really tired from last night? How much. Did you drink?” Will asked. I rubbed my eye and started to sit up.

“Errrmmm. I didn’t have a lot. 4 drinks altogether.” I say even though I know I had about 6 by the end of the night. I know it may not seem like a lot, but for me someone who doesn’t drink that often it was. He looked at me suspiciously and nodded.

I placed my head on Jays lap and continued to watch the TV. After about an hour and Jay tells me it’s time to leave. Since it was Saturday I stay with him. I get up and pack some things I need and put on my coat and shoes, say goodbye to Will and head down to Jays car.

“Jay can we get Chinese for dinner?” I ask while trying to look as innocent as possible to try and get my way. He looked at me with raised eyebrows.

“Fine, only because I want an egg roll.” I giggled at his response.

We got to Jays around 6pm with dinner in our hands. We go inside and eat and relax in the front room watching Netflix. I’m sitting on the other end of the couch to Jay, I can see him thinking things in his head. Everything since I was little Jay has always been the brother I go to when I want to talk about my feelings or when something was bothering me ever since I was little and Will was more the one who would help me out with my problems, so I could always tell when something was bothering Jay like he could with me.

“Jay, what you thinking about?” I said while looking at him.

“It’s nothing sweetie, it’s just a case I’m working on. Nothing for you to worry about” he says. I move up the couch and cuddle into him. He stokes my hair and I start to get tired and end up falling asleep in his lap.

The Halstead’s Tag-List

@ms-reader @thatwrestlingfan91 @shootingcosmos @graziapetrova @graciecliffx @myhre99 @novelty-keeper @wdwiskey @gushinim @immis95 @jellyfish-0fficial @fwirwin @aspiring-fangirls-world @qualitypolicelady @livibrendlinger @angelreyesgirl100 @scatchia @angie1djonasgg @vxxn128

#chicago med #chicago med imagine #chicago med fanfiction #chicago med fanfic #chicago med series #chicago pd #chicago pd imagine #chicago pd fanfiction #chicago pd fanfic #chicago pd series #will halstead #will halstead x reader #will halstead x sister!reader #jay halstead #jay halstead x reader #jay halstead x sister!reader #the halsteads

98 notes · View notes

iffeelscouldkill · 4 years

Text

Adjusting [Part 3: Campbell]

A/N: It liiiives! Here is a long overdue Chapter 3. As compensation for the wait, this chapter is longer than the other two chapters put together :D

I originally drafted this chapter some time ago, but then once I started serialising the fic on AO3, decided that I wanted to rework the middle part. I wound up redrafting most of it over the past few months, and it was a bit of a slog at times, but I'm much, much happier with the final result. A big big thank you once again goes to my wonderfully encouraging beta @dragonsthough101, and to @whelvenwings for writing with me and listening to my Fic Woe and helping me fix That One Section that I was struggling with!

A heads up that this chapter contains some quite heavy conversations about wartime under an oppressive regime, loss and regret. There are no graphic descriptions of violence, just a lot of fairly grim introspection. It probably goes without saying, but I'm not a military veteran myself, so I based all of this on the podcast canon and my own imagination.

Please take care of yourselves, and I hope you all enjoy 💜

---

Summary: It turns out that there isn’t a blueprint for quitting your job, turning your back on the organisation that you’d built your life around, committing treason and abandoning your friends and family to go travel across the galaxy with a band of wanted criminals. Fortunately, RJ now knows some people who have been there.

Or: Five times that RJ McCabe shares a late-night drink with someone on the Iris 2.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Read on AO3

---

About three weeks on from the Iris’ flight from New Jupiter, Sana calls a crew meeting. It isn’t their first by any means, but until now, crew meetings have either been about the division of chores or about pooling information to convey to the resistance movement. This one is different.

“We’re making another stop-off,” she tells the crew once they’re all assembled, Arkady looking half-asleep and disgruntled at the earliness of the hour. “I’ve arranged to meet a… long-time contact of ours. I know that we need to be careful about who we trust outside of the crew on this ship and confirmed members of the anti-IGR resistance, but… he’s a friend. An old friend.”

RJ raises their hand. “Is it Ignatius Campbell?” they ask, feeling like they’re on a quiz show.

Arkady revives slightly and snorts. “Got it in one, kid.”

“Don’t call me that,” RJ shoots back automatically. This is old, well-worn banter between them at this point.

Sana blushes slightly. “Right. I forgot that of course… you and Park know exactly who Campbell is.” She gives them a sidelong look, and RJ suspects that she’s remembering her fractious exchange with Campbell after Elion, and thinking about exactly what they would have heard.

“If it’s any consolation, we’ve been trying to forget about the recordings, too,” Park offers, slightly abashed, as he always is when this subject comes up.

RJ finds it awkward, too, but doesn’t see any point in pretending that they weren’t at one point on very different sides. Or that listening to the recordings from the Rumor wasn’t literally their job. But Park is right – they have been doing their best to forget about those long days and nights spent cooped up in their tiny office, replaying audio over and over. Know thy enemy had practically been RJ’s motto back in those days, but the Rumor crew aren’t their enemies any more. And RJ wants to move on from the person they were back then.

“I’ve spoken to Campbell a couple of times since… Well, since Elion,” Sana continues. “Trying to smooth things over since we-”

“Accused him of backstabbing us?” Arkady volunteers drily.

“To be fair, we really didn’t have any other good theories about what was going on,” Brian puts in. “None of us would have ever jumped to ‘an invisible robot nanoswarm’ as the source of our leak.”

Sana nods. “I know, and Campbell understands that, too. That’s why he’s willing to meet with us, and help us out – with supplies, and with information about the situation on Telemachus as well as some of the other Regime planets.”

“What about payment?” Violet asks. “We’re pretty light on funds at the moment, and we don’t have any cargo to trade either.”

“Campbell has agreed to effectively give us the goods on credit, with the understanding that we’ll pay at a later date,” Sana replies. “We’re also trading a little information in exchange for what he knows. Nothing top-secret, just a bit about the Regime’s movements, to help him keep two steps ahead.”

“And did you ‘barter’ with him to get him to agree to that deal?” Arkady asks, raising her eyebrows in a significant way.

Sana reddens a little, but says with dignity, “I don’t know what you’re implying. But yes, we did haggle for a bit.”

“Nice to hear that you two are back on ‘bartering’ terms,” says Arkady with a smirk.

Krejjh, looking between Arkady and Sana, grins as if Ferin has come early.

Ignoring this, Sana continues, “It’s obviously too dangerous for us to land on any of the IGR planets, so I’ve arranged to meet Campbell on Halton Station, in the Neutral Zone.”

Brian instantly perks up. “Dude! We’re going to Neuzo? Wait, isn’t Halton Station-”

“Where Thasia and Emily Craddock grew up,” Krejjh finishes eagerly.

“Yeah. To be honest, I picked it half because I knew the name, but it happens to be in a particularly convenient location for us, too,” says Sana. “It’s also not that populated, so there’s less chance of us attracting unwanted attention.”

“Does this mean I’ll be able to go outside?” Krejjh asks, practically vibrating with excitement. “Oh, for the gentle caress of the wind! The touch of the ground beneath my feet!”

“I don’t see why not,” Sana says with a smile. “Just try to keep things, uh… low-key?”

Arkady snorts eloquently.

Later on, RJ is on joint kitchen cleaning duty with Violet, who is chatting aimlessly about the rendezvous with Campbell.

“…it’s just going to be Sana, Krejjh and Arkady going out to meet Campbell on Halton Station,” she says. “It’s still not safe for Brian to set foot on Neuzo, and having a huge group would definitely attract unwanted attention. So, I guess we won’t get a chance to meet Campbell this time, unless he comes back to the ship.”

“Is that likely?” asks RJ.

“If things go well between Sana and Campbell, I guess,” Violet says with a small smile. “At least, that’s what Arkady thinks.”

“So, are Sana and Campbell… a couple?” RJ clarifies. Violet laughs a little, moving a dishrag in slow circles over the countertop.

“Not that I know of? My impression from Arkady is that they’ve always been close, but never actually, uh… been romantically involved,” says Violet. “Then, after Elion… well. We didn’t really know who we could trust, and… Campbell was one of the only people who knew about our destination and had our new IDs. Or at least, so we thought.”

“Mmm,” RJ responds, which seems safer than ‘Sorry for being part of the evil government eavesdropping operation that made you paranoid and destroyed your friendships’.

“But now it seems they’re patching things up, so maybe…” Violet smiles brightly. “It would be great if they could make it work.”

“That’s true,” says RJ with as much enthusiasm as they can muster. Romance has never held much of an appeal for RJ – it’s nice for other people, but RJ realised some years ago that they just don’t feel the thing that people have devoted endless poems and novels and movies to, and trying to get invested in other people’s romances feels similarly awkward. But RJ likes Sana, and she deserves to be happy.

Violet, who is sensitive to that sort of thing, seems to pick up on RJ’s train of thought. “Sorry, I realise we might seem a bit… romance-obsessed on this ship sometimes,” she says with an embarrassed smile. “If it gets to be too much… feel free to tell us to knock it off any time, really.”

RJ thinks about working under the IGR, and the way that no-one ever felt safe being themselves. They’ve already started to take this new freedom for granted – but that doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten the way things used to be.

“It’s fine,” they say.

---

This time, it’s not unsettling dreams or racing thoughts that are keeping RJ awake. It’s just energy. It’s midnight, but they feel as tense and jittery as though they’ve just downed four mugs of that overbrewed sludge the IGR used to serve employees in the breakroom.

A lot happened during the day. A huge amount of planning went into the rendezvous with Campbell on Halton Station, and even though RJ wasn’t part of the group who went out to meet him, they were involved in every other part of the endeavour.

Halton Station might be in the Neutral Zone, but they’d already established that the IGR was willing to cross huge lines and even violate the Treaty in order to get what it wanted, and the crew of the Iris is wanted on every IGR planet. It’s impossible to be too careful. Park and RJ had advised Sana to the best of their knowledge on steps that the IGR might take to try and survey the area, on the resources that they might try to use.

Meanwhile, Brian and Krejjh – both over the moon at being back on Neuzo, where they first met – had taken it in turns to tell stories about Ryedell Station, where Brian once worked as a bartender alongside his friend Alvy Connors.

Inside the Republic, the Neutral Zone was referenced only sparingly, and always characterised as a den of vice and iniquity. RJ had hardly ever thought about it except to be glad that they’ve never had the misfortune to set foot on any of its stations. But hearing stories about a place where humans and Dwarnians co-existed alongside each other, talking, trading, bartering… It’s made RJ realise just how narrow their world was until recently. And it’s sobering.

Sure, they’ve been watching Dwarnian soap operas, which deal with a completely alien (literally) species and set of cultures – but those are overblown and feel removed from RJ’s day-to-day reality. This doesn't.

So, RJ processes by pottering around the kitchen, making a late-night cup of tea. The light in the kitchen is kind of busted and it only emits a very dim glow – Sana has been swearing that she’ll tackle it once they’ve got the supplies from Campbell, but RJ finds it soothing, particularly at this hour.

It does make them jump, however, when the door suddenly slides open to admit a tall, dark shape.

“Apologies,” says the man, in a rough voice accented with a slight drawl. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Ignatius Campbell,” says RJ in realisation. His voice, though RJ has only ever heard it over comms (and recorded comms at that), is pretty distinctive. Also, process of elimination dictates that there’s only one person this could be.

“The very same,” says Campbell, inclining his head forward. The door slides shut behind him. “And you must be RJ McCabe? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

RJ would like to say something witty like ‘The one and only’, but doesn’t really think they could pull it off. Instead, after a few dumb moments of deliberation, they manage, “You can call me RJ.”

Okay, so maybe they’re more tired than they realised.

Campbell raises his eyebrows a little. “Well, then, you can call me Ignatius.”

RJ doesn’t think so. Even Sana still calls him ‘Campbell’ – well, at least as far as RJ knows. Does his presence on the ship mean that the rendezvous has “gone well” like Violet and Arkady hoped?

The water comes to a boil, and RJ busies themself with pouring it out. “Would you, uh, like some tea?” they ask, mostly out of politeness – Campbell doesn’t really look like the tea type.

“Actually, I was planning on drinking something a bit stronger, if you don’t mind of course,” Campbell says, pulling out a battered metal flask from the pocket of his heavy brown coat. “It’s not moonshine,” he adds, at RJ’s slightly sceptical expression. “Just whiskey. You’re welcome to some, if you want.”

The opening notes of ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ immediately start up in RJ’s head, and they inwardly curse Violet, who has a habit of humming it when she’s nervous. And when she’s happy. And when she’s been spending time with Arkady.

“I’ll pass, but thanks,” says RJ, taking their tea and sitting down with it at the table. Campbell manages to locate a mug and pours his whiskey into it, but stays standing, drinking it slowly and staring into the middle distance. It puts RJ a little on edge, but they force themself to relax and remember that Campbell isn’t a threat.

It’s harder to resist the impulse to run through the collective intelligence that the Intergalactic Republic had on the man known as Ignatius Campbell. Known contact and long-time associate of the crew of the Rumor; expert forger; suspected aliases include Alexander Cole and Jonathan Johnson. Based in Telemachus, but with an extensive network of affiliates and possible connections across multiple galaxies.

As if picking up on their thoughts, Campbell suddenly asks, “You used to work for the IGR, right?”

RJ tenses. “Emphasis on ‘used to’,” they reply.

Campbell waves a hand. “Don’t worry, this isn’t me trying to accuse you of anything. God knows everyone on this ship has stuff in their past they’d rather not go back to – me included,” he says, a little darkly. “No, I was just wondering what kind of intel they might have on me up there. Any good rumours?”

“Most of it was inconclusive,” RJ tells him, but thinks back anyway. It already feels unnatural trying to access the headspace and knowledge that they had while working for the IGR, after going to such pains to put it behind them. “W- They suspected you might have links to the notorious pirate Kim Hoff and her Bald-Cat gang, potentially as a supplier of intel or documentation, but nothing was proven.”

Campbell gives a low chuckle of amusement. “Believe it or not, I’m not the one on this ship with links to Hoff,” he says. “Though I can’t say we’ve never crossed paths.”

In response to RJ’s look of confusion, he elaborates: “She was Brian Jeeter’s thesis advisor.”

“You’re kidding,” says RJ in disbelief.

Campbell lays a hand on his heart. “I swear – you can ask him about it. For all that he might seem mild-mannered and harmless, Brian Jeeter has some interesting connections.”

“I’ve heard about his run-ins with the Dwarnian mafia,” says RJ, partly to show that they aren’t completely uninformed.

“Yeah, that’s another good example,” says Campbell. “There’s a reason why I’ve kept doing business with the Rumor crew all these years: they have some damn good stories to tell.”

RJ snorts in acknowledgement. If it weren’t for the fact that they’ve listened to some of the Rumor crew’s insane exploits (and been present for one or two of them) they wouldn’t have believed half of the stories that they’ve heard since they came aboard the Iris.

Neither of them says anything for a while, and RJ contemplates taking their tea back to their room so that they can carry on thinking. But the prospect is dull and a little claustrophobic, and part of them wants to take this opportunity to find out more about this person who is obviously so important to their crewmates.

“So…” says RJ, and Campbell’s gaze flicks over to them from where he’d been contemplating the cupboards. “What’s got you up so late, drinking whiskey in the kitchen with a total stranger?”

One corner of Campbell’s mouth quirks up. “You’re not a total stranger,” he points out. RJ just raises an eyebrow, and Campbell relents.

“Not sure, really – Sana and I were talking, but then she wanted to crash, and I wasn’t quite ready to sleep yet. Got a bit too much going round in my head.”

RJ nods; in other words, a very similar reason to their own. “So I take it you’re staying the night?”

This immediately makes Campbell flustered, and RJ can’t make out his face very well but they imagine that he’s probably gone red. “I – I mean I am, but I promise that there’s nothing improper- It’s just for the one night. And we’re bunking in separate rooms,” he says in a rush.

RJ snorts and manages to keep from rolling their eyes – just about. “Calm down. I wasn’t trying to imply anything,” they tell Campbell. “I only asked because I’m on breakfast duty tomorrow morning, so I wanted to know how many people I’d be cooking for.”

“Oh.”

“Also, ‘improper’? What millennium is this, again?”

Campbell coughs, and says with the air of someone trying to pull the conversation back on track, “So – what about you? What has you up in the kitchen past midnight?”

RJ sips their tea, stalling for time as they try to decide how much to say about what has been keeping them awake. They settle on,

“I guess I’m… learning a lot about the universe that I never had the chance to before. Working for the… for the IGR, you’re told that only you have access to the real facts about everything – Dwarnians, the war, the upper limits of science and space exploration – and that anyone who tells you differently is lying or trying to confuse you. I prided myself,” they stress, bitterly, “on the thoroughness of my research. On having all the information. Now I realise just how little I really knew.”

Campbell nods, slowly. “All repressive governments control their people’s access to information,” he says. “The better to make sure that no-one gets any ideas of their own.”

“Yeah, I know,” says RJ, a little wearily. “I’m not under any illusions about what the IGR really is. Not anymore.”

“But you were,” Campbell points out. “Sure, maybe there were things you could’ve questioned and didn’t. There are also folks up at the top of the whole operation who have access to all the information and make a very different choice with it. At the end of the day, you still thought for yourself when it counted. You got out.”

RJ eyes Campbell warily. “I’m not fishing for reassurance here,” they tell him. “You don’t have to make me feel better.”

Campbell holds up his hands in apology. “I know,” he says. “It just sounded to me like maybe you were being a little harsh on yourself.”

RJ shakes their head and searches for the right words. “When I joined up with the Rumor crew on New Jupiter, it wasn’t some heroic stand,” they say eventually, quietly. “It was a strategic decision I made to survive. If I’d stayed where I was, I would have been killed on sight.”

“The crew of this ship knows a thing or two about survival,” Campbell tells them. “They’re not all on some grand moral crusade.”

RJ knows that Arkady worked as a guard for the IGR, that Violet used to be a government scientist, that Krejjh fought in the war on the Dwarnian side. But on nights like these, the gap between their experiences still feels vast.

The others, they all have this bond, a camaraderie forged from venturing out into the deepest parts of space, from facing near-death experiences and defying the Regime side by side. RJ might have tagged along at the end, but they don’t have that history. They haven’t earned that bond, yet.

RJ realises that Campbell is still watching them – considering, almost. Their first instinct is to break eye contact and look away, but instead they meet his gaze, raising their chin slightly. RJ thinks they see Campbell’s mouth twitch into a small smile.

“You know that I served in the military,” he says suddenly. It isn’t a question.

“Yes,” RJ replies cautiously.

“Do you want to know why I left?”

“Uh…”

RJ is well aware that Campbell fought in the war. They vividly recall the argument with Sana where Campbell angrily spoke about losing ninety percent of his first unit. RJ remembers listening to that exchange in their cramped office with Park, and looking over at him, wanting to ask for more information. But Park’s brow had been furrowed, his expression dark as he stared down at the wood of the desk, and the question died on RJ’s lips.

Park had fought in the war, too.

RJ doesn’t feel like they have a right to Campbell’s story any more than Park’s, but apparently, he's offering. “If you’re… okay with telling me,” they say uncertainly, pressing their mug between their palms until it’s a little painful. “I’m… sure it was nothing good.”

Campbell gives a short nod, his expression grim.

“I enlisted in the military in 2178, two years before the coup,” he says. “My first unit, they were… a really good group of people. Some of the best I’ve known. When the coup took place in 2180, we were excited. The old government had left the military drastically under-funded and over-stretched. The Regime promised better funding, better resources, more troops – of course, they accomplished that via the Mandate, but they made that seem like a great thing. A stable career path; an opportunity for everyone who was able to “serve the human race”. As they put it.”

RJ nods slowly. “I know. They’re pretty big on teaching that as part of the history of the Republic,” they say. “‘How the Intergalactic Republic transformed our military’.”

“Yeah, well, I experienced it first-hand. And for about a year, everything was as promised. But then my unit got word that we were being redeployed to the Dwarnian stronghold of Nreech-shlegga.”

RJ frowns. “As in… the Battle of Nreech-shlegga?”

“The very same,” Campbell confirmed. “But this was years before that battle. We were told that it was a small outpost, largely unmanned – an opportunity to score an early victory over the Dwarnians and make an incursion into their territory.”

RJ feels a sick sinking feeling, and unconsciously grips the edge of the table with one hand. “What happened?” they almost whisper, although they know the answer.

“On the basis of the briefing we were given, we stormed the stronghold,” Campbell says, and RJ suspects that he might not really have heard their question, lost in the memory. He’s not looking at them anymore, staring down at his mug, but he doesn’t drink from it. “Of course, Nreech-slegga was the exact opposite of what we'd been led to believe – it was an extremely well-defended military stronghold. My entire unit, barring myself and six others, was wiped out in less than an hour.”

Campbell is silent. RJ breathes out quietly, trying not to interrupt his thoughts by drawing attention to themself. Their throat is dry, but they’ve drunk all of their tea and daren’t move to make some more.

Several long minutes later, Campbell shakes himself a little, seeming to come back into the present. “Sorry,” he apologises gruffly, taking a swig of whiskey.

“Don’t apologise,” RJ says quickly, and then clamps their mouth shut, in case they sounded overly familiar. But Campbell nods, and they think they see his lips quirk upward slightly.

“What did you do… after?” RJ ventures, after another long moment of silence. They hate to pry, but they’re still not clear on why Campbell decided to tell them this in the first place. Maybe he’s not sure anymore either.

Campbell nods again, once, as if agreeing to something inside his head. He meets RJ’s eyes again. “Would you believe me if I told you that I defected from the military?”

“Of course,” RJ says immediately. “After what they did to your unit? Your superiors must have known the reality of the situation, but they withheld crucial intel. It cost the lives of dozens of good soldiers.”

“I notice you haven’t considered for a moment that the IGR might have had a good reason for giving those orders,” Campbell points out. He sounds amused.

“I—” RJ falters. “I mean. How could they have?”

People died needlessly, they want to say. But they know that while they were on the IGR’s payroll, they came across all kinds of evidence of similar incidents and found ways to rationalise them, to explain away the devastating loss of human life. Like the planet where the inhabitants were left to starve without aid after their food supply was consumed by ants – because of “improper paperwork” and “budgetary concerns”. Or the fate of the original Iris, in which an entire crew had been murdered in order to silence one man.

Why had it taken RJ so long to see the Regime for what it really was?

Because it’s easy to make excuses, to explain things away, when it’s not your life on the line, RJ’s brain supplies. When you’re not the one they’re coming for.

“If you see any of the Rumor crew, or Agents McCabe or Park, shoot to kill.”

Until you are.

“You’re right,” Campbell says, and RJ stares at him for a few seconds, having lost the thread of their conversation. Their head feels heavy and over-full, their mind whirling. “My superiors had perfect intel on the situation in Nreech-slegga and knew the full extent of its defences, but they lied to us because they wanted to test the Dwarnians’ response times on their own territory. We were just cannon fodder to them.”

The phrase rings a bell in RJ’s mind – they remember him using the same words to Sana in ‘Report 6: Parallel’. They nod mutely.

“But in the wake of The Nreech-Slegga Disaster, as it became known – though only among the troops, as official reports of the incident were largely suppressed – they told us that they’d been fed false intel by double agents working for the Dwarnian Federation. They even used it as an excuse to purge a few members of the rank and file who’d fallen out of favour.

“I could tell something was off about it all – if the Dwarnian counter-intelligence efforts were so effective, why tip their hand so obviously? Why waste them on eliminating a single ground unit? But at the time, I couldn’t envision a life for myself outside of the military. And I was afraid to follow that train of logic any further, for fear of where it might lead me. So I stayed enlisted – for three more years.”

“Three… years?” RJ echoes in shock. “But…”

“Why would I stay?” Campbell finishes for them. “It takes a lot of guts to choose a different path to the one you’re on, to leave behind everything you know. I didn’t have them, then.” He stares off into the middle distance, mug held loosely in one hand. “A lot of people who fought in the war didn’t really believe in the Regime’s cause. They had their own reasons, and I told myself I had mine.”

Campbell raises his mug to drink from it again, and then – evidently finding it empty – picks up his flask and drinks directly from there instead. “But I spent a hell of a lot of time regretting those three years.” His voice is a low, bitter growl, almost too low to hear.

A more profound silence descends this time, and RJ isn’t sure how to break it. Their instinctive response to hearing how Campbell lost his first unit had been to assume that he would have left the military and refused to serve under the regime that caused the deaths of his comrades – just as many people would question why RJ had stayed and continued to work for the IGR after Park was taken away.

Like Campbell said, at the time, they thought they had their reasons. It's only in hindsight that those reasons become a lot harder to justify.

It takes a lot of guts to choose a different path to the one you're on, Campbell had said. RJ can't find it in them yet to think of their decision to turn against the IGR as something that took "guts".

But no matter how adrift they've been feeling since then, they also haven't regretted it for a moment.

“Apologies,” says Campbell abruptly, and RJ looks up from toying with their mug, surprised. “I probably shouldn’t have dropped all of this on you at once. It’s just been… on my mind, what with the renewed crackdowns from the Regime, and skirmishes breaking out everywhere…”

RJ’s stomach turns over. They knew that there were protests on Telemachus, and a couple of the other large planets as well, the ones that were harder to control. But they hadn’t realised it had broken out into all-out fighting.

They realise that Campbell is still looking at them, and try to force their mind back to the subject at hand. “No, it’s fine – it actually helped. Uh, it’s nice to hear…” They trail off, not sure if it would be presumptuous to say, ‘a story similar to mine’. RJ isn’t a war veteran. It’s not the same thing at all. “That is, I uh, really appreciate you… trusting me with this.” There.

Campbell gives them a slight smile, and then ventures, “I’m not sure how well it’ll go with the aftertaste of whiskey, but… can I take you up on that tea?”

“Oh! Sure!” RJ jumps to their feet so quickly they almost upset their chair. They do their best to cover it up by holding the box of tea out to Campbell, who raises his eyebrows. “What kind would you like?”

“Uh… Why don’t you choose,” Campbell suggests.

“Oh, if you’re sure…” RJ looks down at the tea, wondering what kind would be appropriate to give a former-soldier-turned-forger after a heavy conversation about serving under an oppressive regime. They decide to go for vanilla and honey.

As RJ is busy boiling the water again, making another cup for themself at the same time, they realise that Campbell never actually told them how he came to leave the military. They wonder if it would be pushing it to ask him, or whether it would be best to leave the topic alone.

They procrastinate by pouring out the water, then finding a spoon to stir the tea with. “You can leave it in for as long as you want to – three minutes is usually a good amount of time,” they tell him, handing over the mug and the spoon.

“Thanks,” says Campbell appreciatively. “It smells good.”

“You’re welcome.” RJ goes back to pour out their second cup of jasmine green tea. Campbell gives a little chuckle to himself, and RJ looks over, curious.

“Oh, it’s just – I realised that after all that, I never finished my story,” Campbell explains. “But uh, I’m sure you’re sick of hearing-”

“Actually, I was wondering-” RJ begins, and then stops awkwardly. “Uh. That is. I’d like to hear the last part?”

“All right then,” says Campbell. His manner is a little more relaxed than before, and RJ senses that this part of the story is easier for Campbell to tell.

“I served in the military for three more years,” he says, “after the Nreech-Slegga Disaster. I rose up the ranks a little bit – but not that much. I wasn’t great at taking my superiors’ orders without question, especially when they were irrational, stupid orders. A lot of soldiers who started out below me on the pecking order quickly got promoted ahead. But that was fine – I never wanted to be in command. I knew there was all sorts of corruption in the upper ranks of the force – bribery, dirty deals, a comfortable life lived on military funds.

“But the breaking point really came when I was put into a situation that reminded me vividly of the Nreech-Slegga Disaster – a campaign where we were given almost no information about the situation on the ground, and were ordered to go in, guns blazing, and mount an attack. I refused to lead my men in blind – I demanded more information from the officers in command. And when they ordered me to go ahead with the offensive regardless… I left. I couldn’t watch it happen again.”

“Where did you go?” RJ asks.

“I disappeared,” Campbell says simply. “I had an old friend I’d never completely severed ties with who had links to the criminal underworld. Not, uh, Sana,” he adds quickly. “We met later. I went underground with a new identity, and set about methodically erasing every trace of my former life. Officially, I’m listed as Killed in Action during the offensive that I refused to participate in. I honed my skills as a forger at the same time.”

“Did you have, uh…” RJ realises partway through asking the question that it might be an uncomfortable subject – well, another uncomfortable subject. “…family? You don’t have to answer that,” they add awkwardly, but Campbell is nodding.

“My parents had passed away, but I had a brother I’m close to. I wasn’t able to make contact for several years. But now I… see him, occasionally. And his kids, my nephews.” He says the last part softly.

“That must be nice,” RJ says without thinking, and then flushes when Campbell looks at them quizzically. “Um, that is…”

At that moment, the door slides open and a voice says, “Hey, I woke up and I wasn’t sure where you’d – oh! RJ, sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

Sana stands framed in the doorway, wearing loose sleeping clothes, her hair twisted into a side braid. Because she’s Sana, rather than being embarrassed or discomfited, she immediately shifts into Concern Mode. “Is everything all right?” She looks between the two of them, obviously curious as to how they came to be talking in the kitchen.

“Hey, Sana. Everything’s fine, we were… just having tea,” RJ says.

“I think mine’s vanilla and honey,” Campbell adds, lifting his mug. Sana seems tickled by this, grinning broadly.

“All right, well I’ll leave you both to it, if you’d prefer – I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No, it’s okay–” RJ says, at the same time as Campbell begins, “Actually, I’d be happy to come back to–”

They both stop, and RJ presses their lips together in amusement and then stands. “I’m gonna head back to my room. It was… really nice talking to you, Mr. Campbell.”

Campbell gives an exasperated huff at being called ‘Mister’, which makes RJ smile. “Likewise,” he says.

“Goodnight, then, RJ,” says Sana, standing to one side so that RJ can get past her. “Don’t be afraid to come and knock if you still can’t sleep.”

RJ nods, though they have no intention of doing anything of the sort. “I will. Oh, and Campbell?”

“Yes?”

“Do you like eggs?”

This throws Campbell for a loop. “Do I… like eggs?”

“For breakfast tomorrow. Sana said there would be some eggs in the supplies we were getting, so I figured I’d make eggs.”

Campbell laughs a little with surprise. “Sure. I’ll eat pretty much anything.”

“Great.” RJ looks back at Campbell. “See you at breakfast.”

What they really mean is:

Thank you.

#TSCOSI #The Strange Case of Starship Iris #RJ McCabe #Ignatius Campbell #Sana Tripathi #Violet Liu #late night tea drinking and heart to hearts #war stories #I want to promise that RJ will get a break from chatting to traumatised war veterans in the next chapter but uhhhh #let's just say I can't promise that quite yet

20 notes · View notes

callgirlkarachi-blog · 5 years

Text

Sex Trafficking Vs Sex Work

What is Sex Trafficking? Sex Trafficking is and always has been a long-standing global problem which is often confused with sex work. Accurate statistics for the number of people enslaved into the sex industry are almost impossible to accumulate because of the hidden nature of the crime. Undeniably, Sex Trafficking or Sexual Exploitation is a human rights violation and it can happen to anyone, adult women, young girls, men and boys are all at risk. The distinctions might seem obvious, but they are often overlooked. When a person willingly takes part in the sale of sex, it is consensual and doesn't affect their human rights. This is called Sex Work. When a person takes part in the sale of sex through threat, abduction or other means of coercion this is called Sex Trafficking. The differences can almost be invisible, so you may not recognise a trafficked victim. You may see a girl in the streets looking for "work" and assume she is a sex worker but, the reality could be far from that. Remember, someone who offers sex work is not necessarily trafficked, but it's really important to spot the people who are. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to Spot The Signs that a person is being trafficked. Is the person closely guarded? Are there any signs of physical abuse, such as cigarette burns, bruises or tattoos indicating ownership? Is the person allowed to keep the money or do they have to give it to someone else? Does the person sleep in the brothel where the sexual act is happening? Are the conditions in the room or home poor and unsanitary? Sex work is a sensitive issue but it is important that we understand the difference and are able to Spot The Signs of Sex Trafficking. If you suspect someone is being trafficked then you should report it straight away, this can be done anonymously if you are worried about your protection. Click here for local authority information. STOP THE TRAFFIK is building intelligence on global human trafficking activity to help combat this issue. If you have seen anything suspicious, you can share it on our online form, safely and securely. The headline on the cover of the Vancouver Province read: To catch a creep. I'm sure everyone in the photo is too young to understand the quote or the diss. Many years ago there was a quasy detective series on TV called To catch a thief. It was based on a reformed thief who started working with the police to catch other thieves. The full quote was it takes a thief to catch a thief. So the headline in the Province would imply it takes a creep to catch a creep. Take a look at the photo. They dont look like a group of law biding citizens to me. When I see that picture the first thing that comes to mind is, OK let's run these names through the CSO database and do a criminal record search. The Vancouver Sun article states Ryan LaForge is the president of the Surrey chapter of Creep Catchers. When you search his name on the CSO database the most recent altercation he has had with the law was possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was found guilty. Ryan was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking in Surrey Sept 22 2009. Three years before the brutal drug related murder of Janice Shore. Martin Luther King was right. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. Whalley crack dealers are no better than pedophiles. On that note I have a true story about Whalley crack dealers trying to pimp out a 14 year old girl. The other concern I have is entrapment. One of the articles said they had an under age girl go on an adult dating site and say she was 18. Then after a contact was made she would tell them she was younger than that. I'm an old man myself. Nevertheless, how many of those creep catchers have been to a club and met a girl there who had fake ID and was pretending to be older than she really was. Luring someone in is not catching a predator. To catch predators they need to be on underage sites. Then there's the question just what is under age. Up until recently the age of consent was 14. Old men from Idaho and Creston, BC were swapping young girls to become polygamist brides. 30 year old men were marrying 14 year old girls and it was entirely legal. The Conservatives finally brought the age of consent back up to 16. As far as I'm concerned that means if two 16 year olds fall in love and have sex, it's not a criminal offense it's no one else's business. I don't think it is illegal. As for me, I don't go anywhere near that kind of stuff. I was totally creeped out when my daughter was in high school and her friends were getting fake ID to go to the Mirage. That creeped me out forever. If you have any inquiries concerning where and ways to utilize Escorts in Karachi, you could contact us at the internet site. The idea of going to a bar where there are patrons my kids age is nasty. A few years ago I went out for a beer with an old friend. The guy kept saying isn't the waitress hot over and over again. I finally looked up at her squinting and said she looks pretty young. She looks about my daughter's age. When you have a daughter it changes your perspective completely. So are the Surrey Creep Catchers going to go after the crack dealers in Whalley pimping out 14 year old girls or are they just gonna keep slinging crack on the side? Are they the ones selling fentanyl pretending it's cocaine? Mind you if they caught Bill Fordy I'd sure give them the thumbs up. Charges are pending. Interesting. No doubt they will try to cover it up. In addition to that I'm not sure what they can charge him with since he just met a girl in public. I guess that would depend on the conversation they had and if sex was mentioned. The thought of a cop meeting a 15 year old girl is indeed creepy as hell. However, unless he was propositioning her in their correspondence I'm not sure what they can charge him with. Teen girls removed from home of Mountie in Creep Catchers sting. CNKW is reporting that It appears the Surrey RCMP officer embroiled in an online sting by the Creep Catchers group isn't the first public officer to be caught. The so-called Creep Hunters caught a Kamloops sheriff last month. In August, Steph was the decoy, a 14-year-old girl new to town, taking to Craigslist looking for someone to talk to. Premium New York Asian Escorts Agency ✅Agency Level Asian Escorts NYC ❤️ Perfect For any Social Event! Still Looking for more Premium New York Asian Escorts? Asian Amour Outcall is an Asian escort site based in New York. We offer premium outcall escort and massage services. Our services and Our business targets adults (persons above the age of 21 years ONLY) who have made a conscience decision to engage us, fulfill their fantasies, have their fetishes met and all these under lawful circumstances. All fantasies and fetishes shall be entertained except pedophilia, illegal prostitution, sex trafficking. We shall not entertain illegal activities on this website or business. Looking for a rich, diverse gallery of Sensual Asian Escorts NY? Want some of the most gorgeous call girls you'll ever see? Or simply looking for a high-quality New York Escort agency? Asian Amour Outcall has a wide collection of sweet call girls in New York City. Each Escort girl will make her clients happy, ensuring that his every need is fully met. We provide reliable Escort services at affordable rates in New York City. Also, we have served thousands of customers with a high satisfaction rate. As a famous New York Asian Escort agency, we offer you the perfect companion for dinner or an intimate, private date. This, with our attractive and experienced Asian Escorts whose charm and beauty will make you feel like a million dollars. Whatever the event, our New York Asian Escorts are perfect companions, WHY? Our NY Asian Escorts portfolios and featured best New York Escort services we offer have an optional section with questions about the intended event because people visit New York for various reasons. Perhaps, taking in the nightclub experience of a lifetime or simply going out to dinner with friends. Maybe you could be in town for a bachelor party, business convention, work retreat or any other social function that you need some relaxing, exciting time away from. Whatever your reason for being in the city, the ultimate goal is normally to have fun and refresh for a new chapter in life. Good because of the fun you can have. Bad because you'll be thinking about the end of the meeting so you can get to the fun. Those business trips and other occasions are perfectly spiced up with a hot, amazing Escort. Ideal for any event, at the end of the day. This is usually a difficult decision and hiring one of our girls is an easy solution that would allow you to enjoy the day with a glamorous woman who can be anything you need. Our girls could tag along to a movie, a favorite concert, a wild pool party or a tour of town. She is a beauty with brains and will be one of the best companions you have ever had. A stunning beauty walking around with you will offer perfect advertising, with other business partners admiring your choice and maybe wanting to get a few tips on finding one like that. This will improve your networking because amidst the glamour talk about your woman, business talk will not be far behind. While your wife or girlfriend may not be free to attend your business dinners and other events, our New York Japanese Escorts can fill this void perfectly at affordable rates and with no strings attached. Whether it is a social or professional event, the ladies can adapt to the situation perfectly, giving you an improved and low-stress experience. They are fun and exciting to have around. Intelligent conversationalists, with knowledge of business etiquette that will make you look good in front of business associates, clients, and even bosses. Have you never been to New York City? Our girls are excellent tour guides who would be more than happy to show you the town. WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE A NEW YORK ASIAN ESCORT FROM US? Among New York Asian Escort agencies, your experiences with our girls are entirely exclusive. First and foremost, we care about customer satisfaction. Our sweet and professional customer service ensures our customers are consistently coming back for future engagements. All of our Escort girls provide some of the best companionships you will find in the city. We know that every client has different expectations. Thus, we offer a wide selection of Escort models chosen to fit clients' varied desires. With our agency, there are absolutely zero hidden fees or travel costs. Our New York Asian Escorts agency provides kind and experienced Asian Escorts in New York City. From curvy to slender, native New Yorkers to more recent arrivals. Thus allowing the possibility of experiencing different cultures. Unlike many of our rivals, we provide real profiles for all of the girls on our site. It is a dedication to honesty and quality customer service. We have proven this many times which has led to very high customer satisfaction ratings. You will meet attractive girls, the same as you saw on their profile pages in our Escort gallery. In addition, we stick to any and all laws imposed by the United States of America. Hiring an escort girl is the best service for a man who seeks companionship for their business trip, private party or simply satisfying their relationship desires. However, generic escort services usually have issues on the elegance, satisfaction levels, and overall service. Why Nancy Tired from a long trip? Or maybe just bored with the same old stuff happening every day? Well, let us fix that for you. Meet Nancy, perhaps one of the finest Asian Escorts you will ever meet. She's the kind of sweet girl you had a crush on back in school with a body built for sin that loves having a good time with people, especially if having that time means only you and her. Though she may look strong and aggressive, she actually has a pretty shy attitude when you meet her in person. She shows a different side of her if she's alone with a friend, and would love to find that kind of friendly comfort with you, as she always enjoys having a good laugh and watching movies. Look into her beautiful, innocent eyes and you might find yourself getting lost in her beauty. Spend enough time with her and she might actually start getting cozy with you and start giving you random kisses from out of the blue, one of her favorite things to do! About I have perfected a very sweet and sexy attitude, but I also enjoy intimacy and discretion; especially if these traits meet a client's demands too. At the same time, I am excited to fulfill the client's desires and get closer in order to achieve the highest levels of pleasure and intimacy in your escort experience. Furthermore, I am an open-minded person and I value communication as a determinant factor for a great, absolute GFE. Call in advance and book her today.Why Lydia Lydia won't only help you explore the fantasies you dream of, but will also give you deep relaxing massages better than any you've received before. You can order her Japanese escort service for a period of 1 to 24 hours, and the best part is that you can book any kind of escort service you desired at any time, day or night. Even a glimpse of this escorts will make you fall in love with her, so why not set up a meeting to see her face to face? College girl escort, Air hostess escort service, Model escort service, Celebrity escort service, all of these services and more are available from Lydia. In addition to her great beauty and high intelligence, she makes great effort to gain high quality skills to be a high quality Japanese escort so she can provide you with the most memorable time. EmilyName: EmilyAge: 23Height: 5'4"Hair: 115 lbssize 36C-26-38Body Type: slimNationality: Korean Languages: Fluent EnglishLocation: New York CityServices: Outcall Escort ServiceDrink NoSmoke No Emily is a gorgeous and radiant Asian beauty who would love to make your acquaintance. She has smooth skin that will definitely leave a mark in your memory should you touch her, and a body with curves that must be seen to be believed. Whether you wish her to wear something demure and conservative or wild and revealing, you will be anxiously imagining what her curves look like during your entire time with her. ZoeyName: ZoeyAge: 23Height: 5'3"Hair: 98 lbssize 34C-26-36Body Type: Busty slimNationality: FilipinoLanguages: Fluent EnglishLocation: New York CityServices: Outcall Escort ServiceDrink NOSmoke NOOh hi there! And no matter what our time together consists of, you can be sure that I'll never run out of energy - no matter what our night or time together consists of! There's no stopping me, Mister. Be as adventurous or wild as you want, because I'm ready for whatever you have to throw at me anytime. If you're ready for the time of your life, what are you waiting for? It's easy to get started. You can find out how much I'll cost here on the website, but can you really put a price on pleasure and passion beyond your wildest dreams? I didn't think so? What are you waiting for? It's time to have a little fun. It's time to live a little on the wild side.I do love that after all. It's crazy cute and I like it a lot. I sure do. I am a girl who loves to flaunt my cute curves and natural breasts. I can give you company when you are going to a dance, a hike or even to a business meeting. As you can tell, I'm up for anything! Even if you just want to stay indoors and have awesome moments in private, call our agency today and ask for Jenny. I will not only give you awesome moments while out and about but also on your bed. I am that crazy girl who is capable of talking dirty and giving you the best sexual experiences you will remember always, because I am a girl who is ready to do anything that pleases you. Doris would love to meet you. That in addition to her exceptional and erotic skills with CIF, CIM and many more talents should be enough to excite you to the core. Look at her, and these sensual skills of hers, and try explaining to yourself why you're not calling her up now! Sandy is clear and confident and a great conversationalist. As well, she is very well acquainted to the tricks and tactics of comforting men around and is sizzling enough to give you a memorable time while you're with her. At website can find some exceptional escort offers, as there are so many amazing girls to choose from. The best part is that the list of choices just keeps growing and new and exciting girls are constantly available. It has been only three months since I joined Asian Amour Outcall and I am very excited about that, as I love serving my clients. I offer some exclusive services to the most demanding clientele. First of all, I am a Korean/US after college graduate and in my opinion I could become a fantastic choice for clients who want to experience outstanding, fully passionate Erotic Asian massage, body rub and adult games. But the list of my unbelievable exclusive offers does not end there. I am also completely into providing a superb girlfriend experience (GFE) and engage in mutual sexual means of pleasure as well as FSK services. I am a single girl, 27 years old, 5'6" feet tall and weighing 102 lbs. In addition, I am well educated and available to provide the best escort services 24/7 for outcall only in New York City. CeciliaName: CeciliaAge: 24Height: 5'4"Hair: 106 lbssize 32C-27-35Body Type: Busty slimNationality: KoreanLanguages: Fluent EnglishLocation: New York CityServices: Outcall Escort ServiceDrink NOSmoke NO Standing at 5'4" tall, this pretty Korean Model is a complete package of everything you're looking for. Her beautiful and friendly face will make you always want to see her smile, while her magnificent body and smooth skin will make you want to see so much more. Why Cecilia She loves giving pleasure to any man she spends her time with, meaning choosing her as your escort will give you an experience you'll never forget with pleasure you'll hope will last forever. With her wide-ranging services and top class skills, your time with Cecilia will leave you begging for more. I can offer you a heavenly experience because I believe my man deserves the best. I can touch you in all the right spots in ways you never knew possible, and when I declare it is time, you will be screaming in ecstasy. But beyond what I can do for your body, know that my body is yours. Don't just be satisfied by these profile pictures, I promise that I am much much sexier in person. I guess you'll have to see for yourself, won't you? Touch me, tease me, kiss me, please me. I am yours for the taking. Imagine your strong body rubbing against my sweet and supple soft flesh on the road to climax. Baby I taste sweeter then the finest wine.

1 note · View note

recrypt · 6 years

Text

Dial Tone

There’s something sacred about childhood friends, something shining and bright that makes Hollywood try repeatedly to immortalize it on movie theatre screens. People can’t seem to get enough of two freckle dusted, flaxen haired, conventionally attractive kids making the transition from adorable to alluring.

We weren’t like that. My skin is too dark and my nose too hooked to ever be featured on billboards, and up until your fourteenth birthday, you spat on anyone you spoke to, flecks of saliva flying off of your braces like raindrops bouncing off of the windshield of your mom’s car. When we were fifteen and always planning our next escapade I used to rack up dozens of dollars in surplus phone charges, but now the only person on my call history is my mom. Yesterday, I looked down at my phone and saw the number typed out: 206-810-1212. The number you’ve had since your first flip phone at thirteen years old. I wish I could say this is the first time I’ve seen your number on my dial pad since our friendship withered to dust. It’s not; I do this once a month. And I take that back. Our friendship didn’t ‘wither’. That implies a natural end, a plant in October past its summer glory, leaves that crumble into dust in my palm. Our friendship was hung, the noose promising an eventual end but leaving me dangling for as long as the human body can possibly sustain. I still dial your number by heart, and it’s never as accidental as I pretend it is. —

I wasn’t a particularly shy child, but maybe I should have been. Picture my childhood gymnasium. The walls papered with championship flags (all dating from last century), the stench of diluted lemon disinfectant, the screech of cheap fold-up chairs as everyone settled down. Underneath the shined loafers of the dads who came straight from their offices, the colourful etchings of basketball court boundaries are visible. It might’ve been May, but it was probably June. In either case, it was hot enough that the PTA moms kept dabbing at their upper lips with tissues they kept in secret pockets. I was by the music room door, wearing some sort of furred monstrosity of my own creation. Keep in mind that I was seven, and not a particularly creative seven year old either. Our elementary school was putting on a production of the Wizard of Oz, and I was the Toto to your Dorothy. I was still too young for social anxiety to catch up to my trail, and I thought that I was God’s gift to acting. Perhaps I was the only one who thought that, considering the roles I got, but I performed them all with no holds barred enthusiasm. “Bark! Bark! Bark! GRRRRR!” My reedy voice echoed through the makeshift theatre. A pause. The audience held their breath, or didn’t, as the baby who had been wailing throughout the show continued without hesitation. My smile was strained when I glanced in your direction. Had you forgotten your lines? “It’s, uh,” you shifted in your ruby red Walmart-bought sandals. Our drama teacher looked panicked from her chair in the first row. “It’s pronounced ‘Woof’” The audience burst into laughter and I beamed, too greedy for applause to care that they were laughing at my mistake. — After the show you grabbed my hand in the corridor. “My mom says I gotta say sorry for correcting you.” I didn’t even slow, tugging you along where we’re attached. “Sorry for what?” You stumbled along behind me, and mumbled something about “embarrassed y—” but I didn’t let you finish. “Your hair is really pretty.” We were in our homeroom class by then, and I was trying to find my running shoes amidst the rest of the costumed kids. “When I do braids, my hair gets too puffy and I look like a lion” “I wish I looked like a lion,” you say. My shoulders straightened at your words, and as I wiggled my foot into the shoe without undoing the laces, I was coy in the way that only kids are when they’re trying not to act pleased at a compliment. “Well! Maybe my mom can give you lion hair too. She works at the salon.” You were a shy child, but I still remember how big you smiled at that.

—

Fast forward eight years and you never got that mane you wanted, but you did get your braces removed and your older sister taught you how to pluck your eyebrows into manageable arches. Suddenly, you were beautiful in a way that I still don’t quite understand. Once, while we were swimming in your pool— or more accurately, while you were swimming in your pool and I was lounging on the blue floaty, I saw you without a friendship’s worth of memories and scared myself. You hauled yourself out of the water and shivered under the overcast sky. As the rivulets raced down your tanned thigh, I thought I understood why the boys in our math class lined up with flimsy excuses to spend time with you. You never ended up tutoring any of them, always refused movie tickets while casting a nervous glance in my direction, but still. I sat up abruptly, almost toppling into the water. My face was warm with either blush or sunburn, and I felt like I had been caught sneaking peaks at someone else’s test responses. Then the clouds broke and you smiled at me while squinting in the sunlight and you were you again, my best friend, and I shelved the moment with all the other memories marked ‘Do not disturb’. It was a very full shelf. —

A year later and it was sixteen, sweet, saccharine, slowly-rotting-my-mouth sixteen, when you cut me off. It happened like this. Saturday night we were texting about the winter dance. We had some sort of nebulous plan of going together, like we always did, but this time there was a chance that someone would ask you out. I didn’t like the guy, didn’t think he was your type. Don’t get me wrong, he hasn’t done anything, is probably a great guy, but something about him rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it was the way he put his hand on your shoulder while talking to you at your desk. You shrank at the touch, like if you were hunched over enough his hand would pass right through you. I’m not sure what your type is exactly, but surely not him. It doesn’t matter anymore, anyways. It was my duty as your best friend to look out for you, and that included sending you a screenshot of his latest instagram post with a few well chosen emojis. You replied, “I’ll think about it,” and I went to bed, proud of my accomplishments despite the twinge in my chest. It wasn’t your fault that I would be going alone if you had accepted his offer. Turns out that it didn’t matter who I would go with. The next day, you successfully avoided me for all six periods of school. I guess you turned off your phone, as all my calls went straight to voice mail. I waited by the south parking lot garbage can until 5pm. The gym teacher gave me a weird look as he walked to his car, so I stopped waiting and trekked the three kilometres to your house— you usually drove me home. No one answered when I knocked at your door, and your older sister intimidated me enough that I didn’t dare hound your doorbell. I went home, didn’t sleep, did text you, didn’t do my homework, did stare at my ceiling for hours and imagined worst case scenarios. I was already out the door when my alarm went off. Even covering the long walk to school on foot, I arrived with enough time to stake out your chemistry class.

Passed the time til first bell by alternating between loitering and trying to look like I wasn’t loitering. Maybe I was still Toto because I heard you before I saw you, my ears attuned to the exact resonance of your voice. It was your fake laugh, the polite giggle you give when you don’t know what else to say. “Is everything okay?” I said. I was directly in front of you, impossible to ignore. You didn’t ignore me. You just didn’t bother answering me, gave me a look 20 degrees cooler than I was used too, and tugged that guy with you into the room. I didn’t go to the dance.

It’s been two years, but I still remember the way you sounded when answering my calls. I had my own special ringtone on your cellphone, so your voice was ebullient when you picked up, rising so much that it cracked, like you were trying to pronounce an exclamation point out loud. Playful, excited, happy that I called, you would always say “Haven’t heard from you in ages!” It didn’t matter if I was calling you after that week I spent miserable in summer camp, or if you had just dropped me off at my doorstep. “Yeah, I missed you too,” was how I always replied, even if I just saw you, even if you had just stole my new Converse and stepped in dog shit. I wasted three weeks of newspaper route money on those shoes, and Dad made me throw them out after they stunk up the foyer. —

And now you actually haven’t heard from me in ages, but yeah, I still miss you too.

#mine #long #prose

0 notes