#and so i turned towards the archway from my kitchen to my living room and was expecting a small body

[apollyonsdarksecrets]

Knight in Cowboy boots

Joel Miller x Fem!reader

Summary: emotions and buried feelings are reviled when Joel protects you from a drunk ex boyfriend

Warnings: SMUT (Minors DNI 18+ ONLY), Friends to lovers, pre-outbreak, alcohol, fighting, swearing, blood, fingering, p in v (unprotected), cream pie, pet names, maybe one Y/n I tried not to use any because I know some people don’t like it.

Word count: It’s long boo, lmao.

A/N: Y’all tumblr has some kind of hold on me because I read one Pedro Pascal fic and now I want him to pin me to the bed and have me call him daddy 😭 #hornyonmain if you like this check out my other stories for more spicy fun 🥰

Joel Miller Master List

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I don’t know Sally, I just… how did I not see it? Everything was great, at least I truly thought it was…” You sigh, slumping back further into your friends couch, swirling the wine in your glass.

“I knew there was something wrong with him! He always seemed so sleazy.” Sally scoffs, crossing a long leg over the other, shaking her dirty blond hair.

“Your husband is the one that set me up with Michael.” You retort, propping your chin on your hand with a sigh, you stare out the window, the party in the house was at its peak, people from around the neighborhood mingling, laughing, and sharing a good time as you and your life long best friend discuss your most recent disaster at dating.

“I never said he was a smart man.” You snort, shaking your head when movement outside catches your attention. Your eyes widen slightly, spine straightening as you catch sight of your older neighbor walking towards the house. His hands are shoved into his pockets, head tilted down slightly as he walks. He only peaks up when he reaches the walk way, face illuminated in the moonlight.

Joel Miller. The man you’ve not so secretly pinned for since moving to this neighborhood two years ago.

Your head whips around to Sally, “You didn’t tell me Joel was coming!” You gape at your friend who just shrugs a thin shoulder, taking a sip of her drink with a mischievous smirk tugging at her lips.

“I didn’t?”

Of course Joel would be invited, he’s known Sally and Tim since they moved here and had become fast friends with the couple. You begin to fidget with your outfit, regretting wearing something so basic as you tug your top down slightly, displaying more of your assets. Sally snorts beside you. “To much?”

Before she can answer her husbands loud laugh fills the air followed by the clinking of beer bottles and other guests raised voices in greetings. You turn just as the two men walk through the living room’s archway and smile brightly when Joel’s chocolate eyes land on yours. “Hey there.”

“Hey there yourself, haven’t seen you around in a hot minute darlin’.” His draw makes something inside you tick, cheeks tinting pink as the two men sit in the arm chairs opposite of you and Sally.

“You know me, hard work no play.” Joel laughs at that, tilting his beer to his lips and you force your gaze to your glass, trying and failing to not look like you were checking him out as he stretches his long denim clad legs out in front of him.

“How’s Sarah?” Sally asks, giving you time to collect yourself, the sight of the man almost always turning you into a fumbling school girl.

“She’s good, over at a friends house right now.”

“Oh so it’s just you tonight?”

“Just me.” Joel doesn’t look to Sally when he answers, eyes trained on your flushed face drinking you in.

You all spend the next hour talking about work, life, family, all the minor things in between. It’s great, you’ve missed your friends, work prioritizing most of your free time more often than not, that you never have time for simple things like this.

“I’m going to pour myself another glass, does anyone need anything?” You ask as you stand, a simultaneous no resonates from the group, Joel smiling at you with a tilt to his head that makes your knees weak.

You find the kitchen deserted, everyone either out back enjoying the table top fire or have already left for the evening. You’re humming a tune to yourself, picking through the numerous bottles for something that looks good when an arm snakes around your waist.

Nearly jumping out of your skin you push the offending appendage away and spin around, coming face to face with your now ex-boyfriend Michael.

He definitely wasn’t invited.

“What the hell are you doing here?” You hiss, stepping away only to collide with the counter top.

Michael laughs like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. His normally styled blond hair is tussled, blue eyes glazed over as he leers down at you. “Um, partying?” HIs words are slurred and he stinks of alcohol, your nose scrunching at the pungent smell.

“This isn’t that kind of party, and I don’t believe anyone invited you.” You glare up at him, nearly a foot of distance makes him taller and easier for him to crowed into your space when he takes a wobbly step closer.

“A party is always an invite. You know that sugartits.” The nickname makes you cringe, the feeling of being trapped between a drunk and a hard spot making you antsy. You and Michael dated for just under a year, everything was fine, fun, romantic even until his secret habit of getting too drunk and sticking his dick into anything with a nice set of tits came to light.

“You’re drunk, how the hell did you even get here? No no i don’t want to know, just get away from me and go home.” You move to push past him, anger and resentment bubbling in your guts, but the man in front of you has another idea.

“Who the fuck do you think you are talking to me like that?” Michael grabs your wrist, twisting until you yelp in pain. “You’d think after being with me for so long, you’d learn a little bit of respect, woman.” He shoves you into the counter, your side hitting the granite so hard you lose your breath. “Do I need to teach you a lesson?”

Fear takes root deep in your chest, freezing you to the spot as Michael's hand raises above his head, ready to strike you when a booming voice fills your ears, stopping him in his tracks.

"HEY!"

Michael's head whirls around, his grip lessoning, to find Joel and Tim standing in the doorway, Sally peeking from behind their shoulders.

“Back off man, we are having a private conversation.” Michael spits, teetering on his feet. Everything is tense and silent for a second, Joel’s eyes lock with yours, fear so clearly written across your face, and that’s all he needs.

The older man storms forward, arm back, and swings for Michael’s face, a direct hit that sends your ex stumbling backwards, freeing you as he covers his bleeding nose. You run to Sally’s open arms, and Joel doesn’t stop swinging, barely giving Michale time to react before he’s on the floor.

You’re crying, yelling for Joel to stop as Tim and another man rush forward, struggling to separate the two as a crowd forms at the patio door. By the time Joel is hauled away, the man lays limp on the ground, groaning unintelligibly. Joel's face is red, chest heaving, staring at Michael below him, shaking off the two men holding him.

“I see you around her again and it will be the last fucking thing you do.” Joel’s voice is haunting, sending shivers down your spine.

You push away from Sally, grabbing onto Joel's shirt with shaky fingers. He turns to you, the look of hatred melting into concern. "Are you okay?"

"Am- Am I okay?" You ask incredulously, eyebrows pinched.

“I think y’all should go, I’ll get him out of here just…” Tim is rightfully upset, hands in his hair as he stares down at his friend, blood splattered across the white tile of the kitchen, and the rest of the guests are visibly tense.

“I’m sorry Tim… it had to be done.”

Tim sighs, nodding but says nothing more. Joel nods back, flexing his hand by his side, before taking your arm turning you towards the door.

“Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

“Is… Is your hand okay?” It’s the third time you’ve asked since getting to your house, this time peeking around the bathroom door with a cup of coffee for him. Joel insisted on cleaning himself up instead of your request to take him to the ER, when you saw how bloody and bruised his knuckles were.

“I’m sure darlin’. Don’t fret over me.” He holds up his hand, still bruising but no longer bleeding, wagging his fingers, showing you he’s alright, before wrapping some gauze and tape around it. You lean into the door frame, staring at the steam drifting up in front of you.

“I… I can’t thank you enough for what you did, Joel… I don’t know how I can repay you.” You feel meek and miserable for what happened, that anyone would get into a fight over you. You keep thinking about how you should of prevented it, instead of letting it go that far. “I’m so sorry it got to that point, I should have done something.”

Joel leans in beside you, brushing his fingers against your shoulder, gaining your attention. You glance up, caught off guard by how close he suddenly is, eyes warm and inviting like the heat radiating off of his body, this close you can see the gray streaks starting to pepper his hair and the lines of crow's feet by his eyes. “Don’t talk like you caused any of this. I’d do it again if it meant keeping you safe.”

Your heart flutters, a small smile twitching your lips as you dip your head again. “What a knight in shinning cowboy boots you are.” Teasingly, you poke his chest, unable to bring yourself to meet his gaze. Joel just smiles, taking the cup from your hands and turning to set it on the bathroom counter.

“I thought knights usually get a kiss for saving the damsel in distress.” His hand cups your cheek fully, tilting your head back up until you're forced to meet his eyes, his words sinking into your body, popping off your nerves like fire, setting you ablaze.

“That only happens in fairytales.” You breathe, relaxing into the stroke of his thumb along the apple of your cheek, watching his eyes dance back and forth between your own. Joel leans farther in, noses a hair width apart.

"How’s this for a fairytale?" His whispers all since of thought lost as he press forward, brushing your lips against his in the most tentative kiss that you barely registers it. You smile though inviting and wanting, and his hand slips to the back of your head drawing you deep.

Your eyelids droop, hands coming to rest on his chest, leaning in closer as heat coils low in your stomach, arousal swimming through your blood making you groggy and tipsy. His lips mold to your own perfectly, maybe a little chapped, the stubble of his beard bristling at your skin causing you to whimper. Joel pulls you further into the bathroom, leaning back into the counter bodies flushed as your hands slip to his neck, holding yourself to him.

In this moment it’s just you and him, the party is forgotten, the fight, the fear, the fucking blister on your ankle from walking two blocks in heels, is all forgotten. Joel doesn’t even care when he grips your waist with his injured hand, the gauze pulling tight across the cuts, scratching his palm, irritating and relentless but far out of his mind.

The kiss slowly turns more desperate, your fingers tangling into the hairs at the back of his head, his hips pressing against your own, and when he pulls away for air you’re kissing his jaw, his cheek, his neck, having waited two years you weren’t passing up the opportunity now.

Joel groans softly, eyes pinched, need shooting through his body with every open mouth kiss you place. He wraps his fingers in your hair, tugging your head back gently earning a whimper of disappointment. You look up at him, eyes glazed over, arousal humming through your body so fiercely you think you might cry.

“Let me take you to bed, I ain’t waited this long to fuck you in a bathroom.” Your breath catches on a moan, a glimmer of defiance shooting through you as you eye him up and down. You can never make it easy for yourself.

“The bathroom is where most house hold accident happen.” You snip back, beaming as he rolls his eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting in a suppressed smile.

“Why did I punch a guy for you again?” Your bark of laughter sends him over and he’s walking you out of the bathroom into the hall. “Bedroom.” You point over his shoulder and he’s lifting you off of your feet, wrapping your legs around his middle.

“B-because you were protecting my dignity?” You giggle, grabbing his face and peppering kisses across his lips and cheeks. You don’t think you’ve ever seen Joel smile this much, your heart feeling like it might burst just from the sight.

“Dignity… right.” He stops at the foot of your bed with a cheeky look that makes you raise an eyebrow.

“What are you thinking?”

His response is hoisting you higher before dropping you, unceremoniously onto the bed with a loud screech. “Joel!” You’re laughing, trying to scold him and failing miserably.

Joel climbs onto the bed above you, fitting himself between your legs and caging you, forearms resting on the mattress by your head. Your laughter sticks in your throat, heart rate picking up as the reality of situation settles over the two of you. “I can always take you to dinner first.” He jokes, hoping secretly that isn’t what you’d want.

“If you make me wait one more day Joel Miller I swear I will have a conniption.” You mock threaten wagging a finger in his face. He smiles, taking your hand and kissing your wrist gently.

“I’ll give you what you want baby.” His teeth nip your skin, staling your breath making your thighs squeeze his. “Yeah, I’ll give you what you want.” He breaths against your skin, goosebumps lifting the hairs on your arms.

You whimper slightly, breathy and thin, hooded eyes watching as he kisses up your arm and to your neck, forcing your head back so he has more room. He bites gently at your sweet spot, gauging how you react, which movement, kiss, or bite draws the most noise from your lips.

“Joel… mmmm…” Your hands slip under his shirt nails leaving a trail of red up his back that has his hips bucking slightly, groaning into your ear.

“Gonna be the death of me pretty girl, ya know that?” He asks, voice laced with arousal, leaning back to look at you under thick lashes as he bucks his hips against yours.

All you can do it whimper in response, bringing your lips to his and kissing him messily, all teeth, and spit like you both are horny teenagers all over again. Joel’s tongue slips into your mouth, taking dominance over your own and it makes you let out a noise that will be seared into Joel’s brain for the rest of his life.

He breaks away suddenly, ripping his shirt over his head and you’re following suit, shimming out of the tight material letting it fall to the floor as your hands find the expanse of his chest. He has defined muscles, years of manual labor under his skin that makes your mouth water, his body just a little softer with age but an underlying strength you’ve already witnessed twice tonight. The man is gorgeous.

“Need you Joel… please I need you.” You beg, trailing your hands down to his jeans tugging at the rough material, earning a chuckle.

“We’ve got all night, darlin. No need to rush.” He scolds mockingly, his own fingers working at the button of your skirt, yanking it over your ass and down your legs. He stops to take you in, hands pressing your hips down, thumbs brushing over the elastic of your simple black cotton panties. “Fuck… you’re beautiful.”

And you’re spinning in drunken bliss from those two words, Joel Miller thinks you are beautiful.

“Up.” He commands and who are you to say no? Your panties join the pile, bra following shortly after, until you are laid out, bare and vulnerable before him.

And Joel takes his time, thorough with his exploration, caressing your body with burning hands. His palms cup your breasts, tweaking your nipple gently, watching your reaction for what feels the best before moving on. Hands smooth down the valley of your soft stomach, kneading your flesh, making you shiver and squirm.

“Don’t go running away from me now.” He whispers, cupping your ass and dragging you closer, legs spread wide over his hips. You keen, the apex of your desire pulsing from being manhandled to where he wants you, and Joel notices with a dark smirk.

His hands slip down the inside of your thighs and you hold your breath, desperate to feel him touch you where you want him the most. And when he does, callused thumb swiping through your soaked lips, your back bows, eyes closing as a near pornographic moan flys from your mouth.

“J-Joel…” you gasp, his thumb circling your clit before dipping back down pressing into your opening. “Ah… please… please…” Bucking your hips you search for more friction, whining into the air head pressing into the mattress.

“Such manners.” You whimper louder as the muscles in your stomach tighten, catching your lip between your teeth. “Does that mean you’re gonna be a good girl for me? Do as I say?”

“Yes… yes, I’ll be good, Joel.” You whine, warm embarrassment filling your belly, hands curling into the blankets below you. Joel smiles watching your hips twitch as he swipes his thumb back up circling your clit again before sinking a thick finger into your heat, your slick walls clamping around him. The moan you let out goes straight to his cock, making it twitch and push against the confines of his jeans.

“Yeah… I know you will be.” He whispers, adding another finger, pumping into you slowly, curling his fingers searching for that mark that will have you melting underneath him. “So tight baby, have to stretch you out if you wanna take my cock.” He presses his hand down on your stomach, trapping you as his thumb rubs circles into your clit, his fingers working faster and you mewl and cry his name, punctuated with a few ‘yess’ and ‘please’

Joel hits a spot deep inside your gummy walls that’s leaving you breathless, pussy starting to spasm as he draws you towards your orgasm faster than you’ve ever experienced before. He keeps that same pace, flexing his fingers, hurtling you towards the peak of your orgasm.

“Don’t stop! Please don’t stop!” You beg, eyes shut tight, knuckles white, body flushing with white heat, making your jaw go slack, thighs shaking uncontrollably as you teeter on the edge.

He leans over you, warm breath against your lips, thumb working your clit harder. “Cum for me darlin, soak my fingers. Take what you want.”

And your body obeys, the band snapping in your stomach making you cry his name. He keeps his steady pace, marveling at the pink straining your checks and chest, the clench of your cunt around his fingers, and the way you say his name like a prayer. Joel is completely wrapped.

“Good girl, that’s right baby.” He whispers, coaxing you through your orgasm only relenting when you whimper wiggling your hips to try and get away. He brings his fingers to his lips, sucking your release from his skin with a groan. “You taste so much better than I ever imagined.”

You’re only able to whine a soft response, languid and docile below him. It’s only when you hear his zipper do you open your eyes. “There she is.” He’s kicking off his pants and boxers, your eyes drop to his cock stiff and angry red, your mouth flooding with spit, lifting your head to take in the view before you. He’s big, big and thick with a bed of black hair at the base, a bead of precum already leaking out of his tip and you’re stomach tightens in delight.

“You’re handsome.” Your voice is hoarse laced with ecstasy and foreign to your own ears.

His eyes widen slightly before he smiles, tan skin blushing. You reach for him then, hands slipping behind his neck and dragging him down into a deep kiss, stealing his breath and groaning at the taste of him and yourself mixed together.

Joel’s arm slips under your shoulders, his bandages hand cradling the back your head as his hips rut into your own. You gasp against his lips, the tip of his cock nudging your sensitive clit, your warm release coating him making him groan. “D’ya… do I need to grab somethin’?” He mutters, pressing his forehead to yours.

“I-if you wanna, I’m … I’m on the pill though and I’m clean.”

“Fucking Christ.”

Joel angles his hips, the head of his cock slipping to your entrance and nudging forward. You lift your legs, wrapping them around his hips, nails digging into his shoulders as he pushes forward, sinking into you with one slow thrust that has you breathless and reeling at the feeling of being so stretched, so fucking full.

“O-oh God Joel.” You breath, clinging to him. Joel groans, pulling out slowly before thrusting back in, the friction and pull overwhelming and yet not enough. “Please… Please Joel.” You’re begging, you want to wake up tomorrow and know exactly who made you feel so good with each step and wince.

Joel just groans, picking up on the rut of your hips and presses down closer, his weight welcoming and restricting all at one. “Hold on to me.” With that he sets a deep, hard rhythm, the head of his cock bruising your cervix with the snap of his hips against your thighs. Your bed creaking with the force he uses to drive himself into you with, your name spilling from his lips.

“Fuck… So good baby, feel so good around my cock.” Joel moans, burying his face in the junction of your neck. He bites at your shoulder, marking the skin making you whine into the air, your breath being punched from your lungs. You can already feel your next orgasm building up inside you, muscles clamping down on his cock making him groan and stutter in his pace.

“So-so good, d-don’t want you to stop.” You’ve been broken down to a pleading mess, your slick coating not only his cock but dripping down onto his balls, and pooling on to the sheets below you. Your nails are biting his skin, leaving crescent idents on his neck and shoulders that he will proudly wear when they bruise over. “M… I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum!”

“I’ve got you, I’ve got you pretty girl.” He grunts into your ear, his hands moving down between your bodies to find your clit, pressing tight circles into the bundle of nerves that has you withering below him, heels digging into his ass. Your lips are in that perfect O shape, eyebrows pinched and breathy moans filling your room. Joel sits back, slipping his arm to your lower back and holding you tight as he pounds into you, your hands gripping his arms for any form of leverage.

You scream his name, the sound bouncing off the walls as your orgasm rips through you, seizing ahold of your muscles and washing over your brain making you go blank and stiff in Joel’s hold. your pussy squeezing and milking his cock just right pulling his own orgasm from him with a low growl. He stills, hips twitching as he spills inside you, milky release filling you, warming you and spilling around his cock mixing with your own release.

“Fuck… shit…” Joel’s panting, eyes closed and head tilted back. “Oh baby… you’re gonna fuckin kill me.”

You pant out a small giggle, coming down from your high, thighs still twitching lightly as your brain slowly comes back to you. Joel pulls out gently, a small his through his teeth as he falls onto the bed beside you trying to catch his breath. Cracking open your eyes you stair at your ceiling for a moment, you reach across your sheets, fingers brushing against his.

Joel laces his fingers through yours, bringing the back of your hand to his lips, kissing gently. “That… that was…”

“Amazing.” You chuckle, curling into his side content and tired, body relaxing into his as sleep clouds your mind. Joel hums in agreement, the steadiness of your breathing lulling him to into his own dreamless sleep.

The end

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal smut #joel miller #joel miller smut #tlou fanfiction #the last of us #joel miller x reader #joel miller x female reader

[mingispelvis]

7 Minutes in Heaven

First time ever writing smut. Please be kind or provide feedback if you choose to read :)

Genre: yunho x afab!reader ft ot8 Length: 3.9k Summary: a drinking game turns into Yunho eating you

NSFW warnings under cut

Warnings: oral sex female receiving, alcohol consumption, yunho has no personality he's just a means to an end

A long week of promoting, practicing, and preparing winds to a close as the clock ticks towards 5:00pm. You couldn’t be more excited to spend the weekend Netflix and Chill-ing with your stuffed animals and a superfluous amount of unhealthy snacks. You’d been staying in the ATEEZ dorm while working as a stylist for their little brother group and you went ahead and hit up the group chat to let them know you were on the way home.

~Me~: I’m headed home. You guys want me to grab dinner on the way? (5:04pm)

~MomHwa~: PLEASE. I’m starving (5:04pm)

~Woo~: Chicken???? (5:06pm)

~Joongie~: We’ve had chicken three nights in a row. No more chicken. (5:08pm)

~Woo~: TT (5:08pm)

~Maknae~: I kinda want chicken again…get chicken (Y/N)-ah. (5:10pm)

You roll your eyes and place your phone in your back pocket. By the time they finish disagreeing, you’ll be in the dorms, up the stairs, in your PJs, and snuggled under the covers. You pull out one airpod and place it in your ear to continue listening to your favorite Friday playlist (but still have an ear out for any potential hazards). Your phone continues to buzz like a bumblebee with continuous messages from the boys, but you ignore it and fall deeper into your music as you walk the familiar streets. You’ve been working at KQ for a while now, and the boys of ATEEZ had sort of become like your brothers, so it startled you when your thoughts started slipping into sensual territory while listening to Deja Vu. As idols, the eight boys were clearly attractive, duh. But there’s no reason your lower belly should be fluttering and flipping as it is now that you’re imagining Yunho slowly turning his hips in the chorus choreo. You push the thought out of your head almost as quickly as it arrived, but it returned as quickly as it left.

“What the fuck is wrong with me today?” You think while scrunching up your nose. “Yunho’s a teddy bear. A golden retriever. And, like, my best friend. He’s not hot. Well..he is hot. But he’s not…UGH.”

You roll your eyes and pull your phone back out of your pocket to clear the stacks of messages you know you have.

*20 Messages above* 

~Yuyu~: Mingi and I will get the chicken. Who wants to grab drinks? (5:18pm)

Drinks? There goes your Netflix and Chill date with yourself. When the boys get drinks, they pout and whine and tug and pull until you’re 5 sojus in and 3 articles of clothing less.

~Mountain~: Wooyoung come with me to get drinks!!!!! :) :) :) (5:20pm)

By 6pm you were happily chowing down on chicken and laughing with the boys. By 6:30pm you were all sitting in the living room nursing a few preliminary beers, and you knew you’d need back up. The 2 cases of soju loomed eerily in your periphery, peeking out from behind the kitchen archway. You stepped away to call your best friend, Jihyo. She was ten times more willing and 100 times more fun than you and a perfect buffer for whatever drunken torture the boys could cook up for you. By 7:15pm, you were one bottle of soju in and Jihyo had suggested a drinking game. 

“The name of the game is King’s Cup!” Jihyo announced loudly, commanding the attention of the lively group. “Everyone sit in a circle on the floor.”

You all obliged without hesitation. You were sat with your back against the base of the loveseat. To your left, Wooyoung cuddled against San, who was to his left. Hongjoong sat to the left of San, with his back against the foot of the longer couch. Mingi and Seonghwa followed. Directly across from you, already smirking and wiggling her eyebrows at you, sat Jihyo. Jongho followed, then Yeosang, and finally, to your right was Yunho. He also sat leaning on the foot of the third, longer couch. You crossed your legs at the same time as Yunho, and you felt electricity as your knees slightly brushed. 

“Oh sorry!” you exhaled lightly as he mumbled something similar. You could have sworn you saw his ears turn a light pink as he quickly looked down to the floor.

“Enough flirting, you two!” Jihyo pouted, pointed at you and Yunho. “I’m trying to explain how to play King’s Cup.” She began explaining before you could protest. 

“You’re gonna pick a card from the stack, and depending on what it is, you’ll have to do something. If it’s an ace, it’s a waterfall so we all drink. Two is “you”, which means you choose someone to drink. Three is “me”, which means whoever drew the card drinks. Four is “floor”. Everyone has to put their hand on the floor as fast as possible. Loser drinks. Five is guys, so guys drink. Six is chicks, so (Y/N) and I drink. Seven is heaven. Same as four but hands to the sky, guys. Stay with me. Are you guys even listening??”

Wooyoung and San were whispering and giggling to each other. You saw a lot of empty soju bottles in their future.

Jihyo sighed and continued. “Eight is mates. Whoever draws picks a friend that has to take a shot with them..and…I don’t know, maybe we’ll spice it up a little. You have to sit in their lap and link arms to take the shot.”

You look over at Yunho to find him already looking at you. This time you’re sure you saw the tips of his ears turn red. You both turned away quickly. That fluttery feeling returns to your core and you can tell the soju is magnifying that feeling.

“Jack is Never Have I Ever”, Jihyo had continued on while you were debating your newfound unease around Yunho. “Queen is my favorite. It’s dare. Not truth or dare. Just dare. And finally, King. Pull a king and you chug your drink. Everyone good? I’ll start.”

Jihyo shuffles the cards expertly and pulls out a six of hearts. You pour your peach Soju into a shot glass and throw it back to whoops and cheers from the group. Jongho picked a four of clubs. Glasses wobbled and there was a palpable “thump” as hands hit the floor. Wooyoung, hanging off of San’s shoulder, had his hand straight in the air. You heard raucous laughter in the background, but you could only focus on your steadily increasing heart rate. It felt like time had slowed, like in a movie. Yunho had put his left hand down milliseconds before your right landed in the same spot. You could feel his hand tense under yours, as if he wanted to pull away, but he just couldn’t. The heat pooled in your cheeks and the wetness pooled in your panties. 

Has it really been so long since you’ve been intimate that a simple hand touch with a hot guy can arouse you? Fuck it. The soju is flowing through you and you can see how flustered Yunho is. You’re going for it.

Rounds of sixes, threes, fours, and tens passed by with empty soju bottles racking up and inhibitions wearing thin. Seonghwa pulled the first jack of the night. “OHMYGODYES! Never have I EVER!” Jihyo screamed and clapped, preparing her five fingers. “You go first Seonghwa.” 

“Ok…never have I ev-” 

“WAIT!” Jihyo interrupted, “Nothing boring like skydiving or bungee jumping.”

“I’ve done that so, yeah, I agree” Mingi piped up.

“Make it sexy! It’s 불금(Bulgeum)!” Jihyo bounced happily in place.

Seonghwa sighed, shook his head, and placed his forefinger and thumb between his brows. “Ok fine. Never have I ever, I don’t know, gotten road head.”

Jongho quietly put down a finger, but Yunho was too observant to let it go. “WOAH MAKNAE!” He laughed heartily, clapping. 

“You gotta tell us the story if you’re the only one to put down a finger Jongho!” Jihyo put her hands on his shoulders and shook him back and forth slowly. 

“It was just some girl when I was, like, 16.” Jongho started. “She just kinda tried it while I was taking her home from the movies. It didn’t really work.” He shrugged nonchalantly. 

A chorus of “boo’s” erupted from the circle.

“My turn, my turn! Ok,” Jihyo started. “Never have I ever dry humped someone until I came.”

Both Mingi and Yunho put a finger down, silently thanking the other that they didn’t have to tell an embarrassing story from their youth.

Jongho’s eyes narrowed and a smirk slowly crept across his face. “I got a good one.” He stares directly into Yunho’s soul and states “Never have I ever masturbated to the instagram story of a KQ stylist.” 

All heads whip around to stare at Yunho. Yunho’s lips turn thin, his eyebrows furrow, and his entire face turns red with anger as he harshly puts a finger down. Wooyoung whispers, “Hyung? Are you ok?”

“Tell the story, hyung” Jongho goads.

Hongjoong starts to chastise the maknae, “Hey woah woah, this is a fun game. Yunho, you don’t have to-”

“Holiday party.” Yunho is boring holes into Jongho with his eyes as he ignores his elder’s request. “She posted a picture of herself in a sexy black dress. Strapless bodycon, I think it’s called, with a slit in the leg. Red lipstick. I couldn’t help myself.” Yunho spat out with more and more vitriol with each word. “And if you hadn’t been a fucking creepy perv looking through a crack in my door you never would have known. Your turn Yeosang.” Yunho got up from the circle and stomped away as everyone else stared at his retreating back with mouths agape. 

You remembered that dress. Jihyo picked it out for you. You thought it was way too revealing for a holiday office party, but she convinced you that it accentuated your ample bust in a “classy way”. You disagreed, but wore it anyway. It was a huge hit and you came home with a fine executive that night.

Wooyoung tried to liven up the mood by giving Yeosang ideas for his turn. “Have you kissed two girls in one night? Two GUYS in one night? Have you kissed anybody? Hyung, you’re no fun!” He rattled on beside you as you vacillated between chasing after Yunho and pretending like you hadn’t heard a word he said. 

Never have I ever continued on, with Jongho losing in 7 turns. Yunho returned after the minigame ended, refusing to meet your gaze, and sitting down with a huff. Jihyo happily drew her card, looked up at you, and said “I pulled a Queen. (Y/N), I dare you to sit in Yunho’s lap for the rest of the game,” she turns to Yunho, “if he consents to that, of course.” 

You froze like a deer in headlights, using your eyes to plead with Jihyo to choose literally any other dare. Yunho, on the other hand, shrugged and mumbled, “whatever. ‘S just a stupid game.” Your heart thumped and leaped practically into your throat as you slowly crawled over to Yunho and lowered yourself slowly into his lap. He placed his hands gingerly on your knees. “I’m not too heavy, am I?” you asked, voice a little more girly than you’d meant (the soju is really working tonight…). “Nah. You’re fine.” Yunho stated firmly. Your heart sank; you’re not sure why. More cards were drawn, more shots were taken. Yunho’s turn came and he drew an eight. 

“Take a shot with a mate!” San slurred, face flushed a light pink. 

Yunho poured two shots, “You’re already in my lap, we might as well drink,” he turned to face you, but still wouldn’t meet your eyes. You grabbed the shot, linked arms, and threw it back. As the slightly peachy after taste sizzled down your throat, you drew another eight. “Round two?” You turned to Yunho and gasped, as he was much closer than your drunken mind could comprehend, and you banged noses. 

“Oww! Shit! I’m so sorry Yunho. Are you okay?” You questioned, rubbing your nose. Yunho smiled and shook his head, attempting to stifle a giggle, but failing. You started to giggle as well, causing Yunho to laugh louder. His grip relaxed- he grabbed the shot glass with one hand, and lightly grabbed your waist with the other. “Round two, baby” he grinned. You poured two more shots, but your head was spinning. Baby? You could get used to hearing that from Yunho. You both threw back the shots, then Yunho placed both hands around your waist in a big hug.

Wooyoung drew a card and chose Mingi to take a shot. Yunho placed his head in the crook of your neck. “You smell good, baby.” He whispered in your ear. You couldn’t ignore the throbbing between your legs anymore and began to shift and fidget. 

“Stop it!” You whispered.

“Mmm I don’t want to.” Yunho’s lips ghosted the shell of your ear and your breath caught in your throat. Mingi took another shot. Yunho kissed your neck. A light moan left your lips and caught the attention of Yeosang. He raised one eyebrow at the two of you, but turned back to his drunken friends. You started to fall deeper into the feeling of Yunho surrounding you, the background noise turning into hazy mumbles.

“(Y/N). (Y/N)! HEY! (Y/N)!” Jihyo threw a pillow at you to bring you back down from wherever Yunho’s kiss took you. “I drew a queen, and I have a dare for you.” You and Yunho straightened up, to hear what your ultimate fate would be.

“You’ve heard of a little thing called Seven Minutes in Heaven, no?” Jihyo looked positively sinister as she eyed the two of you. “Why don’t you and Yunho head in the guest bathroom back there for seven minutes and make something shake, hmm?” 

You craned your neck to look back at Yunho, to find him biting his lip, eyes downcast. 

The soju demon struck again, giving you a confidence you’d never experienced and a horniness you’d never felt. You hopped up and started towards the guest bathroom behind the couches. You heard jeers and “oohs” from the boys and, as you reached the door knob, you looked coyly over your shoulder. “Well? Are you coming?” You batted your eyelashes and pouted your lips, then you opened the door and stepped into the bathroom. 

You were met with your own reflection in the bathroom mirror. Black tank top, no bra. Short shorts with a lacy thong underneath. Cheeks flushed and eyes glossy from the alcohol. You hopped up onto the marble counter and waited for Yunho to come around the corner. A few moments later he staggered into the bathroom, being shoved by none other than Jihyo. “I’m setting a timer! If I don’t hear anything sexy I’m pausing it! You know I’ll do it!” She pointed at you, then Yunho, then back to you, eyes stern and eyebrows furrowed. She turned on the lights and the bathroom fan (for a small semblance of privacy), then shut the door. Yunho bit his lip again, shoving his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. Seeing him so nervous somehow also made you nervous. Your plan to be a wiley seductress evaporated into the air. All you could muster up was a meek, “so…you liked my dress, huh.” 

Yunho groaned and covered his face in both of his large hands. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m so embarrassed. I’m gonna kill Jongho for that.” He spread his fingers and peeked out from between them to gauge your feelings. All you could do was drunkenly giggle and ask, “Why are you so nervous?”

“Well..you’re really pretty,” Yunho removed his hands from his face and shoved them back in his pockets.

“Well..you’re an idol. An international sex symbol! I should be nervous around you.” You countered, grinning ear to ear and kicking your feet like a child on a swing. The joy dissipated as you noticed Yunho’s hesitancy- he was frozen in his spot, looking downward and rubbing the back of his neck.“We don’t have to do anything, though, if you don’t want to.” You tried to not let your voice show disappointment. At this, Yunho looked up, as if he realized his window of opportunity was narrowing. He slowly approached your perch on the marble counters and eventually situated himself firmly between your thighs. “We can…” Yunho struggled to get out what he’d been dying to say since the holiday party. “We can, maybe, kiss I guess?” Yunho barely got out the suggestion before you had cupped his face in both of your hands and leaned up to kiss him.

You heard Yunho’s breath catch, and then felt him moan/sigh as he softened into the kiss. Your entire body felt like it was buzzing with warmth and excitement. You quickly turned the kiss from soft to sensual as you slipped your tongue between his lips. Yunho moaned again and shoved his tongue into your mouth, wrapping his hands around your butt and pulling you closer into him. He pressed himself into you and you could feel just how hard he was. The different flavors of soju danced on your tongues as you continued to make out, Yunho rubbing his hands slowly up and down the sides of your thighs. He suddenly bit your bottom lip and pulled back, allowing your lower lip to spring back into place. The two of you stared at each other, panting to catch your breath, then Yunho dove into your neck. “Oh fuck Yunho,” you moaned slowly and deeply. He kissed and nipped and sucked at your neck and slowly made his way down to your shoulders. Once there, he lowered your spaghetti straps and pushed your tank top into a bunch around your waist. His hands slowly slid up your stomach as he kissed down your shoulder until his hands and mouth met at your breasts. Yunho wasted no time twirling and kneading your sensitive nipple in one hand, and sucking and kneading your other breast. You ran your fingers through his silky locks and gave a small tug, just to hear that low moan reverberate onto your body. 

Seven minutes was up. Jihyo snuck up to the bathroom door and pressed her ear against it. Straining to discern the sounds inside the bathroom with the raucous drunkenness behind her proved difficult, but eventually she heard the tell-tale wet smacks of kisses and moans that signified a good time. She smiled to herself and turned back to her circle of boys, determined to distract them with a new game just to give you and your newfound lover a chance to have some fun.

By this point, you felt like you were about to explode. You needed Yunho to touch you and relieve whatever feelings were pent up behind your untouched clit. You pulled him by his hair off of your boobs and began to shimmy out of your shorts. You were about to hop off the counter and yank his sweatpants down when Yunho stopped you. He grabbed underneath your knees, pushed your legs apart, and rolled you backwards until your shoulders touched the mirror hung behind the counters. All you could do was gasp as your hands flew down to the counter to steady yourself.

“Yunho,” you started breathily. He kissed your belly button and worked his way down around your right thigh- nose lightly passing your clit. “Please-” you begged. You heard Yunho chuckle softly as he worked his way up your left thigh with kisses. He finally hovered over your pussy and you could feel his breath feathering lightly over your clit. He looked up at you and raised one eyebrow in a silent request. You nodded vigorously and that was all he needed to dive in.

He placed the flat of his tongue directly on your clit and wrapped his mouth around it to create a continuous suction. Then he went to work. Yunho sucked and worked his tongue over your clit in a way you’d never felt before. You had completely forgotten about your eight other guests on the other side of the door and you moaned loudly as both hands flew to grip Yunho’s locks. “Oh my- Oh- Yunho don’t stop just like that- OH!” A string of words left your lips at light speed, barely coherent as your brain was occupied with the growing pressure in your lower belly threatening to burst at any moment. Yunho moaned contently, and then pressed a finger tentatively to your soaking hole. You took initiative immediately, grabbing two of his fingers and guiding them inside you. You felt Yunho detach from you and looked down angrily just to see him grinning from ear to ear and laughing silently to himself. “Eager, are we?” He asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes. The normal you would have playfully swatted him, but the you with her legs wide, being pumped full of Yunho’s fingers just nodded with half lidded eyes. Yunho, with a smug look on his face, opened his mouth to continue sucking your previously abandoned clit. 

Despite your best efforts to not give Yunho another reason to tease you later, you couldn’t help but grab his head with both hands to give yourself the leverage to rock your hips in time with his fingers. “God Yunho, I'm gonna cum. Please baby can I cum?” you pleaded breathlessly, losing all composure and turning into a puddle of submission from the euphoria building inside you. Yunho pulled off of you to mutter a quick “Of course baby, I’m not stopping you. Cum on my face.” You locked eyes with him right as he responded, and the lust in his eyes pushed you over the edge. You practically screamed his name, shuddering as you came, as requested, all over Yunho’s face. Yunho continued holding pressure on your clit with his tongue and slowly pumped his fingers to work you through your orgasm. As you began to come down, Yunho came up to lightly kiss your lips. 

“Wow..Yunho..” you panted, attempting to bring yourself back down to reality. You refocused your vision from your orgasmic haze and saw that typical Yunho grin. His mouth and chin were glistening and wet. “Ah there’s nothing to wipe your mouth with. Hold on, I’ll go to the kitchen and grab a hand towel.” You hopped down onto wobbly legs, gathered up your garments, quickly threw them on, and quietly opened the bathroom door. Jihyo had been thoroughly entertaining the boys, so they didn’t notice you slink towards the kitchen. As you went to grab the hand towel off of its rack, you heard a roar of cheers. Overlapping congratulations poured from the living room. You whipped around to see what the commotion was about and saw Yunho standing proudly in front of his members, wiping his chin with his thumb and immediately popping it into his mouth- signifying his pride from his previous meal of pussy. You smacked your forehead and shook your head, leaving the kitchen and playfully slapping Yunho with the now useless towel. 

“Did you enjoy your 17 minutes?” Jihyo smirked at you and you stuck out your tongue at her. “Well,” you responded. “Since the secret’s out, you all won’t mind if I borrow Yunho for 17 more minutes, will you?” You grabbed Yunho’s hand and pulled him towards the bedroom. All Yunho could do was grin as he let you lead the way. 

#jeong yunho smut #yunho smut #ateez smut #yunho x reader #jeong yunho scenarios #ateez x reader #jeong yunho x yn #yunho x yn #wonderlandnet

[a-kaash-me-outside]

the walls are thin - epilogue

in which atsumu is your college neighbor with whom you share a wall. previous | epilogue [masterlist]

// proudly unpredictable and awestrukenly trusting ~ ᴀᴛsᴜᴍᴜ x ʙᴏᴋᴜᴛᴏ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ~ 12504 ᴡᴏʀᴅs

a look into this chapter: 18+ minors dni omg even more smut, lots of fluff!, established relationships, seriously just a lot of fluff, we get to see all our favs, gatherings, party vibes, threesome, oral m!receive, throat fucking, oral f!receive, slight objectification but its hot?, afab she/her pronouns

a note from ♡ tori ♡: ah okay guys, i can't believe we're finally here. the END of twrt. i really didn't think that it would get this much love and all the interactions really just made me so happy and like would make my days, every week, all the time. tysm and ah, i can't wait for you guys to read THIS. it's like, ah, my fav. <3 <3 <3 can't wait to hear your guys' last thoughts on this silly little fic. ♡ ʀᴇʙʟᴏɢs ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ♡

ever since you woke up 3 hours ago, you’ve been an anxious mess. productive, sure, but still uneasy. even now, you’re tidying, moving about the kitchen, wiping down the counters, putting away dishes, moving with purpose, quick, short movements from task to task. 

“can ya stop pacing? it’s making me nervous,” atsumu calls from the living room, clicking his tongue and shaking his head as he emerges in the archway.

“how are you not more nervous already?” you ask, not stopping a single bit, actually pacing more now. before it was a way of getting around between chores, now you’re heel to toe, heel to toe, heel to heel toe until you reach the edge of the invisible barrier between your kitchen and dining room and then you turn 180° and repeat the process again.

it’s much roomier here than the kitchen in your apartment. the distance between your 180s is much longer than you had the luxury of before. you’re grateful for that, more time to overthink before spinning around. 

you’re grateful for a lot of things in this kitchen compared to the last. the countertops are much nicer, shinier, easier to clean. the cupboards are roomier, don’t slam as loudly. the sink is big, spacious, with a spraying feature that actually gets the food off of the dishes. the stove has gas burners and there are two ovens instead of one really shitty one (though, those were a part of the non negotiable luxuries list you and atsumu came up with months ago). the fridge makes ice without having to fill the trays and the freezer has built-in shelves. 

you’re grateful for the little things scattered around the kitchen too, the things that make it feel like home. the electric kettle is a matte sage and it matches your tea green dishware. the two cacti on the window sill, the hanging flowers to the right of the sink. photos of you and atsumu and friends, stupid lovey notes, oikawa and iwaizumi’s save the date, all attached to the fridge with tasteful souvenir magnets. the notepad on the freezer door where you and atsumu write your meal plan for the week. a dry erase calendar sprinkled with events in both yours and atsumu’s handwriting. 

“hey, c’mon,” he says, walking over to you, reaching out his hand and wrapping it around your wrist gently to stop your repetitive motions. “makin’ me dizzy too.” he lets your hand fall as you stop, walking a few more steps away from him, deeper into the kitchen.

you huff, leaning your lower back against the cool countertop, heels digging into the tile floor as you cross your arms over your chest. “seriously, tsumu, how are you not nervous?”

he leans against the adjacent counter, palms gripping the edge, “what exactly are you worried about?”

“i don’t know,” you mumble, head tilting forward slowly, base leaving your spine, chin coming into soft contact with your chest as you take a deep breath. 

you can’t see atsumu as he moves towards you, too busy looking down at your feet, but his voice is close to you as he speaks, “yea you do.” it’s soft, knowing, but patient. 

“i just…,” you trail off. atsumu waits a few moments, trying to let you articulate whatever you’re feeling and wherever your worries are stemming from, but you look up at him and you’re not making any attempts to explain, so he tries to fill it in. 

“everyone will get along, i promise. i know it’s been awhile, but that doesn’t mean that-,” he starts explaining.

you cut him off, shaking your head, “no it’s not that…”

“then what, baby?” he asks, nudging your legs apart, stepping in between them until the outsides of his thighs are pressed against the insides of yours. he grips onto the counter on either side of your hips.

you speak, small and somewhat under your breath, “we haven’t seen everyone in too long, i just really want everything to go well so i can enjoy the night.”

“come here,” he wraps his arms around your shoulders, pulling you into his chest, smoothing his hand over your hair as he presses a soft kiss onto the top. you let him move you, embrace you, wrapping your arms around his waist and finally taking a much needed deep breath. 

you’re already feeling so much better, but he keeps explaining, “we get to see friends, some that we haven’t seen in years, all in one place, under this roof, our roof,” he pulls you back gently, kissing your cheek and then your cheekbones, “we own this roof,” he says, kissing you again and you giggle, “and we get to just hang out and play stupid games and catch up with everyone.”

atsumu steps back from you, interlocking his fingers with yours and spinning you around until your back is pressed up against his chest, swaying with you. “and we will play terrible music and feel so weird when two obscure friends talk to each other and we don’t even have to worry about stupid downstairs neighbors,” he says, spinning you back so he can see your adorable face again, watch the worry melt right off of it as he often gets to do because he’s so good at the melting, “and everyone will give us gifts, some really cool and some really bad, and we get to just have a really great night with everyone all in exchange for hours of veggie prep and hundreds of dollars in sliced meats and days of setting up and coming days of cleaning up.”

well, fuck, you can’t even remember why you were so worried a second ago. 

“we still have so much work to do before everyone shows up at 6,” you note, no longer hurriedly anxious but still aware of how quickly time seems to pass when you’re being smothered in kisses by atsumu. your eyes flick to the clock above the stove that reads 10:15 am, but you don’t move an inch. even after all of this time, you’re still painfully aware of how difficult it is to unravel from a comforting atsumu.

bzz bzz. atsumu sits up, kisses your forehead quickly, and then walks back to the living room where his phone is buzzing. well, maybe it’s not so difficult for him. you almost yell out a pout, but realize that this sudden interruption should probably be welcomed, allowing you to actually focus on getting the house perfectly ready. 

“hey,” atsumu says into the phone, muffled by the distance of being two rooms over now. “yea.” … “great!” … “okay.” …. “alright.” …. “okay. see you then.” …. “love you too.”

you scan your list of things to do, open the fridge to truly take in the quantity of vegetables and amount of side prepping you have to do, put the last dishes from the dishwasher away, and make a tiny note to remind atsumu to grab the mini burners from the basement. “who was that?” you call out. 

“god, it’s a good thing we did all the shopping yesterday, or you’d be an even bigger mess today,” atsumu says, popping into the kitchen again, jumping up onto your freshly cleaned counter. 

you throw him a look, eyes narrowed and jaw open in faux shock. “i literally just cleaned that,” you say, gesturing to the counter he is now sitting on, “also, i probably would be a smaller mess if someone was a bit more helpful.” you can’t help your smile as he shrugs his shoulders, playing along. just as you spent the entire morning cleaning the kitchen, atsumu had spent the entire morning cleaning the living room. the two of you both knew this. 

you walk over to him. “can’t believe i’ve had to do everything today,” you shake your head at him, smile even wider as he leans forward and kisses it. “in return, i’d like you to go downstairs and find those stupid burners and also bring up the extra tables so i can set them.” 

even amidst the chaos, clock ticking down with your to-do list still impossibly full, atsumu has a way of pulling you into these small moments. he always has, your entire relationship. it doesn’t matter what you were worried about, how you were feeling, what you were doing, he always creates space for you and him to just enjoy each other. 

most of the time, just like this time, it comes in the form of teasing and poking fun. “y’know,” you tack on, leaning forward and kissing him back, “because you haven’t really done anything,” you explain.  

he wraps his arms around your waist, leans back pulling you with him, kissing the side of your face, “oh is that so?” 

you squirm to get out of his arms, but he holds tight, laughing now as he continues to press kiss after kiss after kiss wherever he can reach. “yes! it is so!!” you yell, laughter making it nearly unintelligible. 

“right, the living room cleaned itself?” he asks.

you can’t stop laughing as you quip back, “magic, maybe.” 

he lets you go completely now and shakes his head at you. “just like the table is going to magically find its way up here?” he asks, tilting his head. 

you place your hands on his knees. “nope. that’s all you,” you tease.

knock knock knock. the fear creeps up on you quickly, all rational thought leaving in an instant as you worry about how much time could have passed, wrong information you could’ve sent out, unexpected people that it could be. 

the crooked smile on atsumu’s face combats it instantly. “it’s a good thing i recruited back up then, huh?” atsumu says, nodding in the vague direction of your front door. your eyebrows knit together in confusion, but atsumu doesn’t say anything else, nods in the same direction again.

you make your way to the front door, tip toeing on perfectly cleaned hardwood floors and over brand new decorative rugs. just a week ago, this place was filled with boxes and disassembled furniture. now, in their places are the trinkets that filled them and the put together pieces.

the front door doesn’t even have a chance to open completely before you’re jumping into his arms, squeak of excitement leaving you, hanging off of his neck. whatever he was holding in his arms is set gently onto the ground so that he’s able to reciprocate the tightness of the hug. 

you pull back, eyes wide and smile even wider before wrapping your arms around him once more and hugging him even tighter. you’re so enveloped in his embrace that you don’t hear atsumu approach behind you, only notice that he’s there when he scoffs loudly.

“what was one of the first things i said when you learned that he existed?” atsumu jokingly scolds. you pull away from your hug, half turning to see atsumu’s smitten smile and teasing head shakes. “i said that you weren’t allowed to like my brother more than me.”

you take a step back from the doorway, allowing osamu to actually step into the house. osamu reaches down to pick up his bags, one neatly packaged reusable kitchen bag and a just as neatly packaged gift bag. “that is somethin’ he usually has to say,” osamu says, looking in your direction, “when people meet atsumu first, it sets the bar pretty low.”

atsumu reaches forward to hit the side of osamu’s head, but osamu ducks out of the way like he’s been anticipating it from the moment the thought popped into his head. “besides, most people can’t help it,” osamu loudly whispers to you, smirking, “i’m just the better twin.”

“never shoulda invited ya,” atsumu shakes his head.

“but i’m so much help,” osamu replies, leaving his shoes neatly to the right of the door. 

“yea, you’re just in time to go get stuff from the basement,” atsumu points out, nodding towards the basement door down the hallway.

“oh, absolutely not,” you step in front of atsumu’s nodding, blocking the view to the basement as if to prove a point. “samu’s gonna help me in the kitchen because duh and also so he can tell me all about the onigiri miya drama,” you explain to atsumu, shifting your weight forward onto the tips of your toes and smiling huge.

“god, i made a mistake inviting you over to help prep, didn’t i?” atsumu asks, but you’re already pulling osamu by the forearm into the kitchen, loudly excited to tell him every little detail about your new kitchen.

“you remember the old kitchen, right?” 

“yea, of course, was kinda shitty.”

“i know, i know, but look! look at this, samu, 2 ovens.”

“gas stove too?”

“yea! works much better with the pans you got tsumu and i last christmas.”

“oh! do ya wanna see the housewarming gift i got ya?”

“now?!”

“why not?”

“then, yea! duh!”

nope. definitely not a mistake.

atsumu peaks his head into the archway with every intention of telling you that he’s heading to the basement and asking you if you could think of anything else that was down there that he needed to bring up. instead, he gets to watch this scene unfold, doesn’t dare to interrupt as you tear the tissue paper out of the bag, throw it onto the floor that you were so worried about moments ago, dig your hand around inside to feel for the contents, and then pull out a wooden box. “no way,” you say under your breath, turning quickly to set it down on the counter with excessive care. “my own?”

“come on, yn, every time you and sumu were at my place when ya came to visit, ya wouldn’t stop talkin’ about it,” osamu says, beaming, watching you closely as you gently pop open the latch. 

“yea but then i went home and tsumu and i looked up how much it was and then we couldn’t stop randomly bringing up how much you spent on a fucking knife for 3 weeks straight,” you explain, shaking your head. you reach down into the box, running your fingers over the engraving on the side and it takes everything in you not to burst into tears as you read it. miya. 

“i heard ya had a lot of veggies to prep,” osamu says, shrugging, “you’ll get enough use out of it today alone, i bet.”

“this is insane, samu, fuck,” you say, turning towards him and hugging him for the third time today already. “thank you so much.”

“of course,” osamu says, hugging you back.

“not really a gift for tsumu, though, huh?” you ask.

“the gift for sumu was how happy it makes you,” he replies without missing a beat, as if he actually thought it all the way through when buying it, saw the price tag, and took into account how happy his brother would be if he bought it for you. you can’t stop smiling.

the food prep flies by, not just because of your incredible new knife, but also because of the company. it’s actually been hours by the time you get everything washed, chopped, prepped, and plated, but the entire time was spent catching up on months worth of onigiri miya drama and the trips that you and atsumu had recently taken.

the second that the door to the basement closes, you lean in close to osamu, “so how is it going with that girl who keeps coming in right before closing?” you don’t have to be as close as you are to osamu to notice how flustered he gets instantly. 

“i’m gonna switch jobs with sumu,” osamu threatens, shaking his head as he brings packages of vegetables to the sink.

you follow right along. “evading the question is just going to make it worse,” you explain.

“i don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replies, evidently evading the question.

“the last you told me, she was still coming in and you were still staying open just to make her food,” you say, turning off the faucet so that he pays attention to you. “is that still happening?” he doesn’t respond. “you have to at least give me that!”

he sighs, turning his attention to you. “the second that atsumu walks up those stairs, you don’t say another word about this,” he says, finger in your face.

“deal! deal deal deal!” you say, nodding along. “is it still happening?”

“and,” he adds, “you let me wash the veggies while we talk about this.” you reach over and turn the faucet on again, smiling. he continues, “yes, it’s still happening.”

“have you told her that you like her?” you ask, not contributing a single bit to the prep that osamu is doing.

“well, i’m not 12, so, no?” he replies.

you hit his shoulder, “you don’t have to be 12 to have a crush on someone, samu. but, seriously, do you get that vibe?”

“probably just hungry after work or something,” osamu mumbles.

“so nothing has happened since we last talked that would make it seem like maybe she’s into you?” you ask, squinting at him despite the fact that his attention is solely on washing the bunches of broccoli.

you hear the sound of ascending steps from the basement, the door knob jiggle open, and you know osamu does too as he quickly says, “i mean, maybe the one time we were chatting until 4 am.” the door squeaks open and osamu raises his eyebrows at you and shakes his head. you will get this information out of him later. 

it’s not long until it’s just a few short hours of everyone arriving. the decorating is mostly done, the food is prepped in the fridge, the tables are mostly set up. you entrust the rest of the prep to the miya twins- which might be a terrible idea, you’ll have to see once you come back downstairs- as you go upstairs to get yourself ready.

“i will keep an eye on him,” osamu says, flinging his arm around atsumu.

atsumu instantly pushes osamu’s arm off of him, shaking his head and reaching to smack the side of his head again. “it’s my house!” atsumu yells, missing once again and then instantly trying to hit him again. when osamu keeps moving out of the way, atsumu jumps at osamu, sending the two of them flying backwards and into one of the tables that needs to be finished setting up. the table bumps against the wall and even from your place on the stairs, you can see the ding in the freshly painted wall.

atsumu and osamu look at the wall and then up at you, waiting to see how you’ll react and how much they should start blaming each other. you just laugh, “the first of many, i suppose.” and then you make your way upstairs. 

/++/

5:39pm and you walk downstairs, breath held because you’re not exactly sure what the state of the house is going to be in, but whatever expectations that you had are surpassed. everything looks exactly how you want it to look.

atsumu and osamu are standing side by side looking down at the large, mostly empty table where, in an hour’s time, your closest friends will be gathered, enjoying food and each other’s company. “i still think we should just set up the broths and vegetables,” atsumu says. 

your torn between pulling out the camera or committing this adorable scene to memory, atsumu and osamu in the same exact pose, arms folded across their chests, posture mimicked, head tilted to the same degree. you opt for the camera. it’s more replicable that way, more provable. 

it’s over all too soon, osamu bumping his shoulder into atsumu’s and shaking his head. “i told ya already, stupid,” osamu jeers, “if people aren’t eatin’ for another hour, there’s no need to bring em out yet. ya don’t even have to do anything, just hafta take the plastic wrap off of em.”

“yeah, but when we’re-,” atsumu starts to argue.

“yer wrong, just be wrong, sumu,” osamu interrupts. 

atsumu moves to hit him again, but you speak up, “we can just bring it out when everyone arrives and settles.” the two of them turn to face you and atsumu can’t help the smitten face that quickly takes over, doesn’t even have the heart to argue with you right now. “seriously, everything looks great, guys, thank you.”

osamu sends back a quick, not a problem that you don’t have a chance to reply to, because atsumu meets you in two quick strides, kissing the side of your cheek. “you look a lot less stressed,” he says against your skin and then moves to pull away. osamu, the most perfect man in the world who can read any room and react with impeccable timing, tells the two of you that he’s going to finish cleaning up the prep mess in the kitchen.

you place both of your hands on either side of atsumu’s face, pulling him to kiss you. “you’re really good to me, y’know that?” you ask.

“ya look really good tonight, y’know that?” he asks back.

you shake your head at his evaded question. you know that he knows that. you kiss him again. “don’t you have to get ready? people are going to walk through that door any minute.”

“yes,” he says quickly, kisses you once more, and is then bounding up the stairs, “i’ll be 10 minutes tops!” he yells from your bedroom. 

/++/

atsumu is the third person that shows up to your party and that’s not including you and osamu. the first person that shows up is maki at 5:58pm because, sure, he could’ve waited for those 2 minutes and shown up right on time, but that would’ve been 2 minutes that he could’ve been spending with you. he earns a hug just as hard as osamu, harder even, longer, despite the fact that you saw maki just last week when he helped you move in. 

“you’re early, y’know that?” you ask when you pull away. maki steps inside of your house as if he’s been there a million times, leaves his shoes right next to osamu’s and nods. 

“2 whole minutes,” maki replies, shrugging, “issei’s on his way and i’m sure oikawa and iwa will be late,” he informs you and you nod along. sure, maki had helped you move in, but he hadn’t gotten to see your house put together like it is now. he takes the liberty of exploring the rooms of the ground floor and you follow him around as you ask him how his drive was. 

when you make it into the kitchen, excited to start rattling off everything about it that you love, osamu is in there casually on his phone. osamu and maki had met before, several times. it was inevitable, really, the most important person in your life other than atsumu and the most important person in his life other than you knowing one another. and you’re grateful for the fact that you don’t need to introduce or entertain the two of them as they instantly start a conversation because someone is already at the door and atsumu is nowhere to be seen.

the second person that shows up at your party is kita at 6:00pm on the dot. you know everyone that’s coming to the party, but you know kita the least and yet, the second that he starts talking, you feel like you’ve known him forever. you’ve only really met one other time, but kita steps inside and tells you how gorgeous the entryway to your house is and hands you a small gift and you understand very quickly why atsumu and osamu have raved about this person for years. 

atsumu makes his way downstairs, quickly and haphazardly and almost falling on his ass, at 6:14pm. he just barely beats out sakusa and hinata who show up together at 6:15pm. in fact, he’s there to greet them at the door with you. they’re the first people that you greet as a couple and it, along with the soft chatter in the kitchen from osamu, maki, and kita, is making the night feel very real. 

sakusa and hinata don’t need any introductions or hand-holding. even though they have never been in your house, they make themselves feel at home, walking in and leaving the two of you in the doorway as they explore. “this is crazy, right?” you ask atsumu, unable to focus on one conversation that’s happening and it’s filling you with a joy that is unmatched. 

he answers by pressing a kiss into your forehead and nodding down the hall where hinata is touching something that he maybe shouldn’t be and sakusa is scolding him, something about how he’s so glad bo isn’t here yet. you can’t help but laugh, taking a single step in their direction before the next person is knocking on the door. 

issei shows up at 6:16pm. he’s the first person to say the word, congratulations! to the two of you and it feels warm on your mind and in your chest. “maki’s already here, right? he said he was coming early to see you,” issei says, peering down your hallway.

“two minutes, issei,” you say, shaking your head, “he was two minutes early and it’s a good thing too, because i haven’t been able to spare anything other than those two minutes.”

“ah, there’s that college you,” issei jokes, pulling you in for a hug, “i knew it was in there somewhere, that interesting mixture of super stressed and in love with atsumu.” you narrow your eyes at him, but can’t get a comeback out as he continues, “where’s kawa and hajime, anyway?”

“come on,” you check your imaginary watch, “it’s still practically six o’clock.”

“true, but iwa did say that he was really going to try to get oikawa here on time,” issei notes as you shut the door behind him.

“and i’m saying that even really trying, there’s no way oikawa shows up before 7pm,” you shoot back and pull issei into the direction of the kitchen. you make quick eye contact with atsumu who gives you a warm smile and gestures towards the living room, making his way over there as soon as you return an affirming nod. 

“i know you’re right, but sometimes i just want to have faith in them, y’know,” issei says, the two of you entering the kitchen. maki immediately (and politely) leaves his current conversation to join you guys when he sees you. 

“who?” maki asks, quickly and very nosy.

“hajime trying to get oikawa here early,” you reply.

“oh, there’s no way that oikawa shows up before 7pm,” maki says matter-of-factly.

you grab onto his shoulder, nodding with your whole body because it’s really nice to have someone in your life who understands you as much as maki does. “that’s what i said!!!!”

the three of you catch up as much as three people who are in four different group chats and who talk to each other every day can catch up with one another. it is different, though. you hadn’t seen issei in months and maki hadn’t seen him in almost as long as you and you feel like you’re back in college in the best way possible and you really wish oikawa and iwaizumi were here.

you’re so immersed in your conversation that you actually don’t hear the door open. instead, you hear the voices traveling from the foyer, through the halls, and to the kitchen at 6:43pm.

“i don’t think you’re supposed to just walk in, rin,” you hear a familiar voice at the front door. 

“well, then, maybe they should lock their door, aran,” you hear a different familiar voice reply.

you excuse yourself, walking to go greet the two people at the door. atsumu beats you to it, practically running down the hallway and pulling aran and then suna into a half hug. “yo, careful, atsumu, geez,” suna pokes, but hugs him right back. “you’re gonna break whatever this gift is.”

“how do you not know what it is?” atsumu asks, grabbing the large bag from him.

“because rin just asked if we could get something together so he wouldn’t have to go shopping,” aran says before suna could offer any sort of bullshit excuse. suna doesn’t deny it then, only lets a knowing, lazy smile creep onto his face. 

“yea, guilty,” suna shrugs, “but to be fair, it was really expensive, whatever it is.”

aran nods, “it was really expensive.”

atsumu shakes his head, “you guys really didn’t hafta get us anything.”

“i mean, if it was just you, we wouldn’t have,” suna explains, looking passed atsumu and walking towards you. “thanks for havin’ us.”

you are pulled into two more hugs. you should have been keeping count of the amount of hugs you’re giving out tonight because the number is definitely getting up there and you’re not sure that it’s going to stop anytime soon.

“of course,” you reply, “thank you for whatever this really expensive gift is.”

“yea, whatever it is,” suna laughs.

you rest your hand on aran’s shoulder, “kita’s already here and osamu’s been here all day.”

“what? where was our all day invite?” suna asks.

“we’re literally here 45 minutes late, rin,” aran says, face unphased but voice questioning.

“yea, and you wouldn’t have helped,” atsumu tacks on.

“alright, yea,” suna says and the four of you walk into the kitchen. you note in your head that another thing you’re very grateful for about this kitchen is how much bigger it is than your last one, the open connection to the dining area granting the ability to fit everyone without having to worry about being too cramped. 

you note the different groups of people forming, the different conversations that are taking place. you’re still playing host right now, walking from group to group and adding a few words or giving a side hug or asking if anyone wants a drink.

“who else is coming?” aran asks when you interrupt his conversation with kita and sakusa.

“oh, my friends, oikawa and iwaizumi, and then bo, i think, right?” you answer and ask atsumu across the room.

“yup,” atsumu nods, returning his attention to the conversation that he’s having with issei and suna. 

“oikawa and iwaizumi are usually this late, but i’m not sure why bo is so late,” you say, thoughtful, but then shrug your shoulders. as if on cue, there is a knock at the door. “oh! that’s probably him.”

you rush over to the door and are very surprised to see oikawa and iwaizumi at 7:02pm. “i’m sorry that we’re late. i really tried this time,” iwaizumi says, looking at oikawa with a death stare rather than you with an apologetic one. you laugh, shaking your head. you hug them both, one arm around each of their necks as you squeeze them tight.

you hadn’t seen them even longer than you hadn’t seen issei, almost an entire year. sure, you kept in contact all the time, but you hadn’t physically been able to hug them and see them in far too long. they had just been much too busy with life and travel and wedding plans and life. “‘ts fine, but you’re staying later to make up for it,” you reply, still not letting go.

“oh, we’re staying in town for a few days, actually,” oikawa smiles, “surprise?”

“oh my god!” you say, indeed surprised. “that’s incredible!”

“yeah, atsumu helped us set the whole thing up the second we even made a mention in passing,” oikawa explains. 

“guess that’s why kawa thought it would be okay to be the last people here?” iwaizumi says, evidently still playfully bitter about the fact that oikawa made them late again.

“actually,” you say, “not the last people to get here. somehow.”

“dammit! no way?” iwaizumi says in disbelief. you’re about to question why that’s such a bad thing, but oikawa’s sweet smile contorts into mischief and told ya so. 

“ha! pay up! i told you, hajime,” oikawa says, poking his finger into the side of iwaizumi’s cheek.

“ridiculous,” iwaizumi shakes his head, “who else?”

“oh, just bokuto. i’m still really not sure why he’s so late. i thought you guys were him,” you reply, shaking your head. “i’ll send him a text-.”

“hajime,” oikawa says monotonously, cutting you off, “pay. up.”

“what? not here?” iwaizumi says, shaking his head, eyebrows furrowed like oikawa has just asked for something he should not have. knowing oikawa, he probably did exactly that.

“yes, here. pay up!” oikawa says, nodding back in the direction that they came from. you tilt your head curiously, wanting to ask questions, but just letting whatever is happening unfold.

“absolutely not,” iwaizumi refuses.

“no, because i said that-,” oikawa starts, finger in iwaizumi’s face once again.

“okay, okay, fine,” iwaizumi gives in. you’ve known the two of them long enough to know exactly what’s going through iwaizumi’s brain. there were times before that he didn’t give in to oikawa as quickly as this, but all three of you know that when oikawa starts droning on about whatever he said, it never ends in iwaizumi getting his way. 

“it’s in the car,” oikawa smiles.

“i’ll be back,” iwaizumi grumbles, turning around and then he’s gone again. 

you choose not to ask any questions because oikawa is not responding to your very confused face and instead starts asking you about your new home. you only get halfway into a partial conversation when iwaizumi shows back up at the door, shaking his head, sighing heavily with a white t-shirt that reads oikawa was right. “perfect,” oikawa says, placing his palm against the words and patting softly. 

he walks down the hallway on his toes, swaying back and forth proudly, “issei, come look at this stupid fucking shirt that hajime’s wearing!” within seconds, issei appears in the hallway, attacking oikawa with a hug and then pointing at iwaizumi, shaking his head and laughing. maki follows behind with less force, but all of his composure vanishes the second he sees the shirt. 

“god, i can’t believe i get to marry that idiot,” iwaizumi says softly and you know that if anyone else were standing here with him, he wouldn’t have let it slip out into the air, but he knows that you get it more than anyone. 

once everyone is settled, back into small groups conversing, you take out your phone to shoot bokuto a text message to at least ask him where he’s at. he responds in seconds.

> bokkun ♡ /  7:14 pm> SORRY. walking up now ♡♡♡♡♡♡

“well, well, well,” you say, clicking your tongue as you open the door. you’re there before he’s even knocked. “you’re very late, bokuto.” 

“i’m sorry! i’m sorry,” he says, leaning down and wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you into an enveloping, warm, tight hug. “but i have a good reason?” he says as he steps back.

emerging from behind him is akaashi with an almost embarrassed, sheepish smile.

“oh my god! i haven’t seen you in so long! ah!” you say, greeting him with a hug as well. it’s less warm, more friendly than bokuto’s, and you can feel how nervous he is. you met akaashi a few times before and really hit it off. he was easily one of your favorite people even though you’ve known him much less than some of the other people at this party. but he didn’t live in the area and neither of you were very good at keeping up with each other.

“i’m sorry i dropped by uninvited, but bokuto said that it would be okay and-,” akaashi smiles apologetically. 

“of course it’s okay!” you say, pulling him inside. 

“well, okay, i didn’t bring kaashi so that you would ignore me,” bokuto says, stepping inside on your other side, throwing his arm around your shoulder and pulling you into his side.

“me? ignore you? come on, you’ve gotta be joking,” you tease, wrapping your arms around his neck, practically hanging off of him. “tsumu!” you yell excitedly, walking as quickly as you can with bokuto attached to your hip into the living room where everyone has migrated, “bo is here!” you emerge from the hallway. “and look who he brought!”

you’re so excited to start introducing anyone who doesn’t know akaashi to akaashi because everyone loves akaashi, but just as you’re about to start pointing everyone out and giving names to faces, akaashi speaks, soft and timid in this room of so many people, but clear nonetheless. “samu?”

osamu’s head swivels around quickly, following that voice that he evidently knows so well, because the word is already coming out of his mouth, before he’s even made eye contact with him. “keiji?” there are conversations still happening, people still chatting, but a few of them stop, and most importantly you hear it and notice it. 

“you two know each other?” bokuto asks, surprised and excited all in one.

for you, it’s more about figuring out what’s happening than being excited and happy that they already know each other. “you two know each other that well?” you question.

osamu turns away, tilts his head down to the floor and clears his throat, but akaashi isn’t that quick. you watch the blush spread across his nose and cheeks.

“yeah, i work near onigiri miya and i usually stop there after work,” akaashi explains, “samu- er, osamu is usually kind enough to let me stay and eat while he cleans up.” 

it all clicks.

you can’t stop the expression from creeping onto your face. the warning glance that osamu sends your way is just more proof of how heavily it’s showing. you have so many questions, need so many answers, at the very least want some sort of confirmation that you are as right about this as you feel and akaashi gives you just that.

he laughs, light and airy, and you can see the effects that it has on osamu. “just the other day he let me stay until like,” akaashi lowers his head, slightly embarrassed, “i had a really annoying day at work and he let me hang out in the restaurant until like 4 in the morning. and you had to be in at like 9 the next day, didn’t you?” he asks osamu.

“oh, even earlier, actually,” osamu teases back, “like 7 or something ridiculous.”

akaashi shakes his head, tucks a piece of hair behind his ear and exhales, “i’m not even going to make any promises that i won’t do it again.”

“well, i would never ask that of ya,” osamu says and you can feel how genuine it is and it’s not even pointed at you. 

atsumu shoots you a questioning look, very aware of the silent exchanges between you and osamu. you shoot him back a wide-eyed, excited expression and mouth the word, later to him. atsumu nods back at you, gives you a quick thumbs up, and then continues talking with hinata, sakusa, aran, and suna. 

osamu and akaashi practically don’t talk to anyone else that night, moving over to the quiet corner of the living room. osamu takes it upon himself to drag him into the kitchen, to grab him a drink, to ask him about work, and to tell him that he looks really nice tonight. 

“it’s just because i’m actually freshened up,” akaashi reasons.

“no way.”

“yes way. you usually see me after an 8 hour shift.”

“or maybe it’s just because i always think it, but we’re finally outside of my restaurant and so i can say things like that.”

a pause. “well, i think you look better in your onigiri miya shirt.”

“oh is that so, keiji?”

“yeah. you look good in black.”

“well, i’ll have to keep that in mind.”

now that everyone is here, you’re leaving host mode. everyone is settled. everyone is having their own conversations. everyone looks like they’re genuinely enjoying themselves. you scan the people, the different groups that everyone is forming and then reforming. it’s weird, but deeply moving, to see every single facet of your life come together like this. people that would have otherwise never have met, all together in the same room. interactions that you never could have predicted, going really well. and all within these walls, your walls. 

everyone eats and everyone laughs and you get to show off your new knife to everyone and halfway through the night, atsumu pulls you into his lap and wraps his arms around your waist, and you know that this night was meant to see everyone and mingle, but you’re not sure that you want to move from this very spot for the rest of the night and neither does he. in fact, he orders osamu around from his place at the table, telling osamu to clear the table and to grab the game that’s in the cabinet of the tv stand. 

osamu doesn’t want to listen, really, he doesn’t, but akaashi starts walking towards the tasks before osamu can refuse. akaashi helps clear the dishes and laughs when atsumu starts yelling at osamu for making akaashi do his work and before you know it, everyone is at the table and all of the dishes are in the sink and the food is put away and there is two stacks of cards in the middle of everyone.

“game’s real easy, even samu can play,” atsumu explains, nodding towards the colorful cards. osamu doesn’t even bite back, just seems happy to be sharing a bench with akaashi. “someone draws a question card and they have to answer it or drink unless someone at the table uses their veto card which they can accrue more of by doing the dares in the other card pile, got it?”

everyone nods. “honestly, we’ve never played with this many people or this many veto cards, so it should be interesting,” you say.

“so, basically, no one is getting out of not answering a question,” sakusa replies.

“that is definitely what that means,” aran agrees.

“alright, atsumu should go first,” osamu says, “it’s only fair.”

“fine, fine,” atsumu says, waving his hand, grabbing a card from the pile, “who is the worst dressed person in this room?” he reads. “okay, actually, a lot of them are like this and there are a lot of people here.”

“well, are you going to drink or answer it?” kita asks.

“you gotta answer it,” hinata says.

“well, someone would be stupid to use their veto on this anyway, because it’s obviously iwa,” atsumu answers quickly, shaking his head and throwing the card down. iwaizumi nods in agreement as oikawa stands up in his seat.

“hey! that shirt is the best piece of clothing hajime owns!” oikawa says.

plenty of insults fly across the table as the game continues. atsumu wasn’t lying. a lot of the cards are very similar in nature, just calling out people in the room for various things like being a bad kisser or still being caught up on an ex. no one even has to use a veto card. they’re all harmless enough, poking fun and joking around, or no one cares enough to force someone to answer.

until it’s your turn.

you reach forward, getting out of atsumu’s lap for just a second to draw the card before he’s pulling you back into him. you and atsumu read the question at the same time, but atsumu reacts much quicker than you do, laughing loudly. if he had been drinking something when you pulled the card, he would have made a huge mess.

“what does it say?” maki asks, nosy, trying to peer over your shoulder and at the card before you read it.

you move away from him, cheeks warm, hoping, praying, if there’s a god out there, that no one uses their veto. you move your hand, ready to drink already as you read, “if you could have sex with any of your partner’s friends, who would it be?”

the only people in the room that aren’t laughing are akaashi and kita and even they are giggling and wide eyed at the question. “i’m drinking,” you say, already bringing the cup to your lips.

“not so fast,” oikawa says, slamming his veto card down on the table, “i’m sure i’m not the only person who would have done this anyway. and besides, i can use hajime’s card later if i need it.”

“no, you will not,” iwaizumi scoffs.

“fine, then you want me to take my card back?” oikawa asks.

“no, obviously not, i want to know yn’s answer,” iwaizumi laughs, directing his attention back to you. in fact, everyone’s attention is on you.

“i don’t think this question was designed to be played when every one of my partner’s closest friends are in the same room?” you challenge.

“tough shit, answer the question,” suna says, pointing his finger in your direction.

“right, and to clarify, that doesn’t include people that used to just be your friends like iwa and maki,” issei says, “because then obviously we know your answer would be me.”

you shake your head, ignoring his comment and taking a deep breath, “this is so stupid.”

“come on, ya gotta play the game,” osamu jeers.

atsumu squeezes your waist, pressing a kiss into the back of your shoulder, “yea, babe, you gotta play the game.” you turn your head and narrow your eyes at him. 

“ridiculous that the first thing you two agree on is making me answer this in front of everyone right now,” you scold.

“just get it over with,” atsumu teases, “it’s not hard. even i know it.”

“no you don’t,” you scoff. 

“so there is someone on your mind right now?” maki says, leaning forward as if that will make the answer come faster.

“i-,” you start, but anything that you could think of saying would just dig this hole deeper. “well, i-.”

“come on, just say it,” sakusa pokes.

your eyes flick over to him quickly, face burning, absolutely radiating heat now, you’re sure. and you’re sure that everyone can tell how flustered you’re getting, because there is an obvious answer in your mind, one that’s been in your mind since the moment you met him.

“obviously, it’s bokkun,” you mumble and atsumu, true to his word, does know it. he says the name right alongside you, laughing at how perfectly the syllables align. you and atsumu seem to be the only two people at this table that are expecting this answer because the rest of the table is in an uproar now. symphonies of what?!?!?! and bokuto?!!?! and what about me?!?? arise in stereo. 

“me?” bokuto asks, floored and flustered in a way that affirms your answer perfectly. you’re feeling just as shy as before and everyone is screaming around you and at atsumu and each other and bokuto, but you offer a small nod to bokuto, just to bokuto, and you watch him attempt, and fail, to hide a smile.

after everything calms down, you’re able to play a few more rounds, thankfully not getting any other question that tops that one, not even when you get the question that reads, was your ex good in bed? and you answered a quick yes and then pushed forward. 

the clock is ticking down, the night is getting later and later and as the game is packed up and put back in its safe place beneath the tv, people start to trickle home. hinata and sakusa, issei, kita, aran and suna. you offer goodbyes and thank you for comings and when you walk oikawa, iwaizumi, and maki to the door, you say a very sincere, “i don’t want it to be this long until we do something like this again.”

“come on,” oikawa says, shaking his head, “hajime and i are getting married in less than two months.” oikawa lifts his hand, showing off his dainty ring as if you forgot that they were engaged. 

“shit, it’s already that close?” you ask.

“yea,” oikawa nods along, smiling, “most of those dumbasses are invited too, so, it won’t be long, i promise. it’ll be louder, and i’ll be the happiest i’ve ever been, but it won’t be too long.”

you nod, hugging oikawa tightly and then iwaizumi and then maki. “seriously, thank you guys for coming.”

“wouldn’t miss it for the world,” maki says, smiling, “i’m crashing your guys’ lunch tomorrow, so i’ll see you then.”

“obviously,” you reply, locking the door behind them once they’ve left.

the only people left in your living room that don’t live there are bokuto, akaashi, and osamu. before you can make your way back in there, atsumu grabs your forearm and pulls you into him, kissing you hard, hand cupping your cheek, fingers scratching over your jaw. 

“what was that for?” you ask when he finally pulls away.

“because i can,” he shrugs, and you take that as an okay to start to move again, but he holds you in place, “and because look at this house we own together, isn’t that crazy?”

you laugh, “yes, yes it is.” you wait to see if there’s anything else.

there is.

“and because i trust you more than anything in this world.”

you cock your head. “okay…,” you say, hesitant.

“and if you want to have sex with bokuto tonight, i would be okay with that,” atsumu finishes, proudly unpredictable and awestruckenly trusting. 

you physically have to jump back, unable to process that sentence any other way. “what?!” you ask, loudly, and atsumu can’t stop laughing, shushing you and shaking his head. “no! what?! why would you say that?”

“because i’ve known that you’ve wanted to fuck bokuto our entire relationship and if you want to ask him if he wants to spend the night with us, that would be okay with me,” atsumu says, calmly. way too calmly for what’s coming out of his mouth, you have to admit.

you don’t know what to say. you can barely think or understand what he’s saying, let alone how to respond. “with us?” you ask for clarification.

atsumu nods, “i’m sure he will not be difficult to convince if that’s what you want.”

you’re afraid to ask it because you’re afraid that all of this is just some elaborate joke. or, rather, you’re afraid for only a second after thinking it, because atsumu doesn’t surprise you anymore. he squeezes your forearm, looks you directly in the eyes as you ask, “and it’s something you want?”

“i offered, didn’t i?” he asks back and you nod.

“okay,” you say, nodding again. “i’ll ask him.”

it’s easy enough to pull bokuto aside with osamu and akaashi being as involved in their own conversation as they are. you don’t really know how to approach it, not completely. how do you just ask someone that? but the second that you pull him into the kitchen and away from the few people that are still in your house, he exhales and steps close to you. and it’s not anything that you’ve said all night, it’s just how he’s always acted around you. 

you lean against the counter and he follows, shaking his head and standing right in front of you. “you’ve got a lot of cool friends, y’know that?”

“oh, yea,” you nod, punching his shoulder and then poking your finger into the middle of his chest, “the coolest.” he laughs and you can feel it against the tip of your pointer finger. you can hear murmuring in the living room. it fills up the comfortable spaces of silence. you look up at bokuto, chewing on the inside of your cheek. “i don’t really know how to ask this,” you say back, softly enough so that the people in the other room can’t hear your murmur.

bokuto tilts his head, “what’s up? is everything okay?”

“no, yea, really great,” you say, nodding and then you take a deep breath. just say it, just say it, just say it, just say it, just say it. “would you,” you say, you curl your fingers against his chest, “want to spend the night?”

the first emotion to come to the surface is excitement and then quickly after that confusion hits bokuto’s face much harder, like his mind filled in the blanks, but didn’t let himself get his hopes up. “like…,” he trails off, hoping that you’ll explain further without him having to ask.

you reach forward and tug on his forearm, coaxing him closer to you. “like…,” you say, heart beating violently against your chest. you try to evade his gaze, head down, focusing on the feeling of his soft skin against yours, nails scraping against it eliciting a tiny shiver from bokuto. 

he reaches down, places his finger beneath your chin, and tilts your head upwards. “like?” he asks, eyes evidently flickering down to your lips. it couldn’t be helped, the way your tongue swipes against your lips and your breath catches in your throat. you just nod. 

before his lips meet yours, you both talk at the same time, overlapping one another, but hearing the other perfectly.

“is this okay with atsumu?”

“like, with atsumu too.”

you put both of your hands into bokuto’s hair and he reciprocates quickly, putting both of his hands on either sides of your face and pulling you towards him, lips crashing into his. it’s like he reads your mind, one arm around your waist, one hand bracing the back of your thigh as he props you up on the counter to get closer to you.

you wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him impossibly deeper into your lips, leaning forward as if there was any space for you to move into. large hands grip onto the fats of your hips, sliding you to the edge of the counter, stomach pressed up against his, arms sliding down his back, fingernails dragging against the fabric of his shirt. 

bokuto pulls away, laughing softly, “so this is why tsum tsum comes into practice complaining about his back.”

“it actually gets much worse than this,” you say back, low and airy, pressing your forehead against his and kissing him once more, quick.

atsumu appears in the archway, leaning against the wall, not an ounce of jealousy on his face, but rather, a very devilish smile. you feel warm regardless, but you don’t make a move to untangle from bo. “so, are you staying the night, bokkun?”

bokuto almost immediately says yes, but then hesitates. “god, yea, i’d really love that, but i-,” he sighs, “i have to make sure akaashi gets home and-”

“i can take akaashi home,” osamu calls from the living room. 

“oh, you don’t have to do that, i can just get an uber or something-,” akaashi dismisses.

“no way,” osamu says, shaking his head. from where atsumu is standing, he can peer around the corner and see his brother’s hand grasped around the back of akaashi’s elbow. “let me take you home, keiji.”

“whose home, samu?” akaashi says so quietly that if you were not actively listening for whatever akaashi’s response is, you would not have heard. you decide that that’s enough eavesdropping, actually, allowing them their private conversation and turning your attention back to bo, having your own private conversation as you repeat atsumu’s question.

“so, are you staying the night, bokkun?” you mimic exactly.

he nods, about to say something else maybe or try to kiss you again, but it’s interrupted very quickly as osamu calls out, “we’re out of here.” you barely have time for bo to help you hop off the counter before osamu and akaashi appear in the archway behind atsumu hand in hand. 

you look directly at their interlocked fingers and akaashi’s pinkish cheeks and you tilt your head at osamu. osamu looks at bokuto’s hand on your hip and your disheveled hair and he tilts his head at you. you decide to call it even. 

you contemplate letting them walk out on their own because there is nothing else in your mind right now than bokuto, atsumu, and a whole bunch of fantasies coming to realization. you don’t do that. you leave bokuto’s grasp, walking towards the front door with akaashi and osamu. atsumu offers a goodbye to akaashi and osamu, unbothered because he’s sure he’ll see osamu a few more times this weekend before he makes his way back home. atsumu is much more concerned with having a very quiet conversation with bokuto.

you only catch bokuto’s concerned, “are you sure about this?” as his head moving back and forth from you to atsumu. and atsumu’s assured, “i’m the one that brought it up.”

“have a safe drive home,” you say to osamu and akaashi at the doorstep. “and a fun rest of your night.”

“yn,” osamu warns, but you just feign ignorance.

“you also have a fun rest of your night, yn,” akaashi says in the same exact tone, tugging on osamu’s hand, placing the other on his bicep. 

“ha!” osamu laughs, turning around and pulling akaashi to the car. it’s like he can’t get out of here fast enough. “thanks for having us!” osamu calls from the car window and then they’re gone. 

when you shut the door, locking it for the last time, you realize how quiet the house is without the different areas of chatter. in fact, you can’t even hear the conversation that you know is happening in your dining room. 

except, there isn’t a conversation happening in your dining room. instead, there is atsumu, the love of your life, the most important person in the world to you making out with bokuto, your closest friend of atsumu’s, the one person you’ve wanted to fuck other than atsumu in the last 4 years. your voice is small, not because you’re timid or embarrassed, but because you think if you speak any louder, a whimper will come alongside it. “can you take me to bed?”

the whimper escapes you anyway as a tiny string of spit connects atsumu and bokuto’s lips and as atsumu looks like he’s trying to regain composure and as he leans over to bokuto and says, “i get to do it all the time, you go ahead.” your stomach is doing a million flips and as bokuto approaches you, your mind goes blank. not that you need it. 

because bokuto picks you up, same hold as before. his touch feels familiar and his grasp feels strong. “i don’t even know where i’m going,” bokuto admits as he reaches the top of the stairs. you gesture in the direction of your bedroom and open the door as he walks close enough to it. he leaves the door open, lays you down on the bed and as if he’s pictured this in his mind a million times, he quickly and assuredly kisses down your clothed chest, lifting up the bottom of your shirt to press kisses into your stomach before sinking onto the floor. 

everything is happening so fast and you cannot explain how grateful you are because you’ve wanted this for so long and you’re finally getting it. bokuto doesn’t waste a second in hooking his arms under your knees, pulling you to the edge of the bed, spreading your legs, and ducking under your skirt. your thighs squeeze the sides of his cheeks as you feel his warm breath between your legs. 

“enjoying yourself, pretty girl?” atsumu asks as he sinks into the bed beside your head, smoothing over your head and lifting your shirt. you can feel both pairs of hands on you independently, but somehow moving in perfect time with each other. it’s overwhelming in the best way. atsumu doesn’t even take your shirt off, just pulls it up far enough for your bra to show and then pulls your bra down enough for your tits to pop out and the way that you are so clothed, but so exposed all at the same time is making you grow warm between your legs. 

you whimper at the question, nodding as atsumu runs his hands down your sides and then back up to your tits and then off of you all at once. without them, you can feel bokuto’s completely, nothing to distract you from how big they feel on the inside of your thighs. with him under your skirt, you can’t see anything at all and you want to watch him, but the fact that you don’t know what’s happening, relying on touch alone, is causing you to flood.

he licks a strip into your panties, harsh enough to cause them to push between your lips, digging his tongue into your hole, slipping past the fabric, thick tongue pushing them out of the way with no help at all. you roll your hips into the sensation. “shit,” you breathe.

so focused on the feeling between your legs, you don’t notice atsumu’s cock until he’s pressing the spongy tip against your slightly parted lips. you turn your head for a better angle, parting your lips further, opening your jaw, and taking him in your mouth. atsumu puts his hands on the back of your head, pulling you onto his cock. you’ve had years and years of practice with this which means atsumu knows your limits and capabilities and he gets to move you however he wants as a result.

bokuto’s hand creeps up your inner thigh as he laps at your clothed pussy, sucking the fabric into his mouth and swallowing all of the accumulated juices before slipping his finger into you. your jaw opens further, moaning around atsumu’s cock involuntarily and atsumu needs to feel that again. “shit, bokkun, ‘m gonna need ya to do whatever ya just did again.”

he laughs against your pussy, adding another finger inside of you and you already feel so full. his fingers are so thick, they’re so fucking thick, like four of your tiny fingers are jammed inside of you in two motions, but they’re longer than your fingers too, can reach so much deeper. you’re squirming on his fingers, moving your hips to fuck yourself on bokuto’s fingers and you can’t help how much your hums and whimpers and whines are effecting atsumu. “holy fuck, don’t stop,” atsumu says, hips pressing forward, hands pulling you onto his cock to meet his thrust. 

the angle is still slightly awkward, hitting the back of your cheek rather than sliding down your perfect, tight throat like he loves so much, so he swings his leg overtop of you, both knees on either side of your head, balls resting on your chin as he lifts your head and places a pillow underneath. “fuck, that’s better, baby,” he says, barely giving you a warning before fucking into your mouth, letting you hollow your cheeks on his head, tiny movements of his hips pulling the tip in and out of your tight lips. 

“she’s close,” bokuto announces into the room, talking about you, not to you, and you tighten around his fingers even more. bokuto pushes his fingers inside of you completely, pulls them out to the tips, pushes inside of you completely, pulls them out to the tips, and then he curls them over and over again, and you come so fucking hard that you can’t even imagine the mess underneath your skirt. 

“so fucking wet,” bokuto says, mumbles against your cunt as he moves your panties to the side, pulls his thick fingers out of you and uses the tip of his tongue to coax the come out of your fluttering hole and down his throat. the lewd sounds are filling the room and your ears even more than the sound of atsumu whining and whimpering watching his cock disappear between your lips.

“shit, fuckin’ mouth feels so goddamn good, fuck,” atsumu growls, pulling you by your hair onto his cock and you can barely breathe, spit drooling out the sides of your mouth and down your chin and neck. his strokes are long and slow, relishing the feeling of his length being squeezed by your tight throat. “gonna fuck yer throat all fucking night. won’t even be able to talk tomorrow.”

“fuck,” bokuto says, “gotta- fuck-” all at once you feel even more fucking full. bokuto slips inside of you without a word, stretching your drenched hole around his huge cock. you can feel it in your fucking guts, so fucking deep, speared. you wrap your legs around his waist, holding him in place because you don’t want to not feel him so fucking deep in you. you need to feel him this deep in you forever. 

you feel the breeze on your stomach, on your sloppy clit, as bokuto pushes your skirt up and out of the way, not that you could see anything anyway with atsumu where he is and his cock destroying your throat how it is. bokuto reaches down, rubbing small circles into your sensitive, swollen, pretty clit with his thumb. “so pretty,” bokuto mumbles.

you pull bokuto closer with your legs, moving your hips to meet him and he understands perfectly, pulling his hips back and slamming into you. his moans are lower than atsumu’s, more grunts than whimpers, and the fact that you can hear them both is making your walls flutter around bokuto’s thick length. “god, so fucking tight,” bokuto praises, “shit.”

“i know,” atsumu replies, rolling his hips, sliding the underside of his cock against your tongue. “feels so fuckin’ good.” he presses forward, pulls your head onto him until his head hits the back of your throat and then he holds you there. you can’t breathe, gagging on his thick head in your throat, but the noises that are coming out of him are well worth it. they always are. you swallow around his length and something breaks in him.

bokuto starts fucking into you faster, harder, the inside of your thighs already sore and very reminiscent of another first time you had. his fingers are gripping into your waist and your fingers are gripping onto the sheets, unsure of where else to put this pure need, unable to reach atsumu’s back or arms. atsumu sees you, hands moving across the bed, looking for somewhere to root as you take all of the abuse that’s coming to you. 

he removes his grip from your hair for a moment, reaching over and grabbing your hand. “pretty girl, hey, baby, here,” he guides your hands to his thighs and tears are streaming from the corners of your eyes because your cunt is throbbing and your throat is burning and you can’t breathe and atsumu is still there to take care of you in ways that you don’t even understand. 

you curl your fingers around his toned thighs and everything feels right in the world, everything feels more manageable. it’s something for you to ground yourself on, the feeling of the soft, toned muscle in your hands, against your fingernails, scraping and digging. “shit, doll, feels good, harder, yea?” you nod, effectively shoving atsumu’s cock down your throat even further. you dig your fingernails into the skin harder, harder, not dragging across, but digging into. “fuck, baby.”

bokuto is fucked out of his mind with the feeling of how tight and perfect you are around him and the exchange that’s happening in front of him with you and atsumu. it’s all so fucking much. he can’t stop pounding into you, fucking as deep as he can, slamming the tops of his thighs against the insides of yours, holding you in place with his large hands spanning over your stomach. “fuck, gonna come,” bokuto breathes, stare not pulling away from the way that atsumu and him are making you feel so used, so good. 

atsumu answers for you because you couldn’t be expected to answer with your mouth as full as it is. “you can come inside,” atsumu says, looking down at your tear-pricked eyes and swollen lips as you hum an affirmative plea. “she wants you to come inside,” he corrects himself. 

“fuck,” bokuto says with a shaky exhale, because he wasn’t exactly expecting that, but it’s exactly what he wanted. 

“and where do you want me to come, pretty?” atsumu asks, relentlessly fucking into your throat. the only air that you’ve gotten is in tiny breaths between harsh strokes and inhales from your nose. you feel lightheaded, but the fact that it’s about to be over is much worse than your inability to get a proper breath. 

you can’t speak so you move your hand from his thigh, dragging your finger down your throat and fuck, if that wasn’t the cutest gesture atsumu had ever seen. there’s a lack of pressure on your chest as atsumu changes positions, leaning forward, bracing himself against the wall as he changes angles so that he can get even deeper in your throat, can fuck your throat like a pretty cunt. 

bokuto watches this unfold and he can’t fucking hold it any longer. it’s so much different than atsumu, the way that bokuto unloads inside of you. he doesn’t still, doesn’t stutter. his hips keep moving at an abusive pace, fucking you even harder than before as stream after stream of his thick come coats your gummy walls. you’re coming around his cock, sobs trying to escape you, but failing because of atsumu’s cock crammed down your throat, heavy balls slapping against your chin with every quick stroke inside of you. 

bokuto’s come is spilling out of you. it was inevitable with how fast he was still fucking you and how much he was coming inside of you. it feels like it’s never ending, coupled right along with the noises that are leaving bokuto, low and needy. even after he’s finished filling you, he stays completely inside of you, breath catching, not ready to pull out just yet. 

atsumu’s cock is throbbing against your tongue, pulsing, leaking, and he shoves it as far as he can fit it and you’re so sure that he’s going to pump his come directly down your throat, but then he pulls out, opening your mouth with his thumb, letting his tongue fall open in hopes that you mimic it and you do. “needa see it all pretty on yer tongue, baby, open, yea, fuck.”

he doesn’t even stroke himself, comes at the sight of you with your tongue out and messy eyes and swollen lips and gasping for air. his thick come doesn’t spray in ropes against the inside of your mouth, it drools onto your tongue. it leaks out of the tip lazily, pooling and collecting on the dip in your tongue until there’s too much to fit and a part of the fat glob slips down the back of your tongue and he grunts, replacing whatever disappeared down your throat. “all of it, baby, suck,” he directs, tilting your head, placing the tip between your lips and coaxing you to suck whatever’s left from his sensitive slit. you do exactly as you're told and as a reward, you get to hear the sob tear from his throat and watch him wipe away the tiny tears that threaten to fall. 

everything is quiet. no one moves for at least two minutes. it takes the entire time for you to catch your breath.

“fuck, shit, i’m sorry i didn’t savor that more,” bokuto breaks the silence, shaking his head, inhale and exhale heavy as he stands up completely, putting his boxers back on.

atsumu takes this as a cue to move as well, getting off of you maybe as he should’ve from the very beginning to help you recover faster. though, you’re actually certain that lack of immediate movement is what allowed you to feel as okay as you do this quickly.

“next time,” you say, or try to say, because it hurts and it comes out shaky and hoarse. atsumu leans down and presses a kiss into your neck and then the side of your face and then your lips. he would be more phased by this if it wasn’t a weekly occurrence. 

“yea, maybe come to town more often,” atsumu says, confirming. 

“don’t say that,” bokuto says, shaking his head, “because i really will.”

“then, maybe come to town more often,” atsumu repeats, a tiny smirk forming on his lips.

“alright,” boktuo affirms. 

atsumu leans down, places a kiss on your forehead. “c’mon, let's get you cleaned up,” he says, helping you up. you don’t try for a thank you or a yes, just give a small nod and move towards the attached bathroom. 

“do you have a guest room or something in this cool big house?” bokuto asks, clearly feeling like he’s invading. 

“we do, but,” atsumu says, walking out of the bathroom, over to the dresser and pulling out a big t-shirt. he disappears into the bathroom again, water running, clothes shuffling, and emerges with your clothes in hand. he throws them into the laundry hamper in the corner of the room. “you’re welcome to spend the night here.”

“oh! no, no, i wouldn’t want to-,” bokuto starts, but is interrupted by the sink running again, teeth brushing, and now he really feels like he’s invading. but then you walk out of the bathroom, as fresh and clean as you can be without having taken a shower, and you wrap your arms around bo’s bicep. the feeling of displacement fades pretty quickly then.

“yea,” atsumu says, hand on the back of his neck, “someone gets a bit clingy after sex.” atsumu nods towards you and you playfully scowl back at him even though you know it is very true. “just until she falls asleep though. in the morning, she’s usually like, tsumu, fuck off, i’m trying to sleep. it’s weird, really.”

“i mean, if you- yea, i’ll stay if you want me to,” bokuto says and looks down at you nodding very convincingly. you walk over to the bed, pulling bokuto along by the arm and you crawl under the covers, laying perfectly in the middle of the bed. this wasn’t the exact use that you thought you would get out of your king size bed, but you can add it to the list of splurge items that are turning out to be very worth it. 

“didja need anything before ya go to bed?” atsumu asks because he knows it’s something that you would ask if you weren’t so unable to ask. bokuto shakes his head no. he can’t imagine needing anything at this moment. “cool.” atsumu shuts the light off and the room goes very dark. 

it’s awkward first, weird for only a few moments, figuring out your place in all of this, and then it just kinda works out. 

huh, reminds you of something.

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[jakekiszkasmommy]

The Professor Part 3 📖

Warnings: entire series 18+, a little fluff/angst, mentions of sex, kissing

Author's note: I am NOT condoning teachers and students having a relationship like this. This is just my reminder that this is a story made up in my brain. I hope y'all enjoy 🫶 Grammy U Jake sent me into an absolute SPIRAL!!!! I know these parts are shorter but I can't give you all the details at once- gotta leave you wanting more 😘

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

............

You wake up, fully nude, wrapped in your sheets and an empty bed. How foolish were you to think that he would stay?

You roll over and find a few Tylenol on your nightstand with a glass of water. You quickly swallow down the pills and wrap the sheet around you as you step into the chilly hallway.

You wander to the kitchen and find a plate of scrambled eggs with your favorite veggies. A note sits next to it.

You smile as you run back to your room and snag your phone off the charger. You throw on a pair of underwear and an oversized sweatshirt. You add his number to your contact list and open a new text message.

You:

Hi, thank you for breakfast! That was very sweet of you! :)

You lock your phone and toss it off to the side on the counter. Grabbing your plate, you snuggle up on your couch and put on your favorite movie. You were pleased to find that the eggs were still warm and tasted phenomenal!

It passes into late evening and you are still snuggled up in your oversized sweatshirt. Your sister stopped by during lunch to chat but you didn't see the need in changing clothes. Your hair is now a mess in a bun atop your head. You have a notebook and some pencils scattered around you as you heard a knock at your door. You look out the small window next to your front door and see Jacob standing on your porch.

You quickly dart to your room and throw on a pair of shorts before running back to the door. You open it and he turns around to face you, hands stuffed into his pockets. He dressed in baggy jeans that have been patched in countless spots and a dark blue button down. His same necklaces hang around his neck.

"Hey, sorry to pop by. I sent you a text but you didn't amswer. I, uhh, think I lost my wallet here last night." He stands there nervously. Such a change in attitude from last night.

You swing your door open wider for him to enter. "Oh, absolutely! Sorry I haven't been on my phone at all today!" You say, jutting your thumb in the direction of your living room. "I will go check my room really quick."

You head towards your bedroom to search for his wallet. Meanwhile, he steps further into your living room. Approaching the back of your couch, he notices a few sketches strewn across the coffee table and a new one you were working on. He picks up your notebook to get a closer look. It looks like the most beautiful forest scene with a archway in the distance. Every line so intricate and detailed. He carefully sets the sketchbook back down where it was before and looks up to the tv.

The movie you had chosen right before he got here was The Breakfast Club. He turns around, arms crossed, leaning on the back of the couch as you approach. He takes in your appearance and your cheeks flush. You wave the wallet between your fingers. "Found it! It was under the bed, must have gotten kicked under there when- uhh-" you trail off and hand it to him.

He plucks the leather from your hand and tucks it into his back pocket. "Thank you!" You both stand in silence for a few moments before he breaks the silence. "Well, I better let you get back to your night. You are a very skilled artist by the way. I hope you don't mind me snooping a little." He smiles bashfully.

"Oh, um, thank you! I just draw for fun! I actually love literature!" You bounce onto the balls of your feet nervously.

His eyes light up when you say that. "We all have our own creative outlets! Have a good night, Y/n." He says with a soft smile as he makes his way to your door.

.....

You wake up early the next day, wanting to gather everything around for your last first day of classes. After throwing everything into your bag, you decide to throw your sketchbook in as well in case you have any down time between classes. Most of your first day would be spent going over the syllabus and layout of the class moving forward anyways. You were already prepared. You had started on most of the online assignments weeks ago.

After driving to your favorite coffee shop, you order your favorite, an iced pumpkin cream chai tea latte. The first sip is just what you needed to get you through the rest of the day!

You decide that the walk to your first class isn't super far and head towards the direction of the North side of campus where most of your classes were held.

You threw your headphones in and started the trek, humming along to all of your favorite songs.

You pull open the doors to the lecture hall and find a seat right in the middle of the tiered rows. You set your coffee down and begin pulling out anything you think you may need for the morning. Your first two classes were back to back in the same room so that made it easy!

Your first class was rather boring, spent writing down a few notes and went by fairly quickly. You felt like you could actually get through this semester with very little hiccups.

.....

A few of your friends piled into the seats next to you for your second class. You all chatted mindlessly while discussing your class schedules. As the rest of the class shuffled into the room, your eyes looked around to see new and old faces.

Your gaze landed on a figure with his back to you. He had shoulder length brown hair that was ever so slightly naturally curled. A black velvet jacket hugged his top half with dark jeans and black boots to match on the bottom. He was having a conversation with the professor from your first class. You figured maybe it was a student that had some questions and you turned back to your laptop in front of you.

A loud clap from the front of the room made you jump and look to find the source. As you sipped your coffee, you inhaled a gasp and started coughing. Your eyes were wide as you made eye contact with the man that stood in your home just last night. Jacob.

His expression, however, remained calm and he smiled as he introduced himself. "Welcome, welcome. If you don't know me, I am Professor Oliver Reed. Those that know me well call me Jacob." His eyes dart up to you quickly before scanning the rest of the room. "But you may call me Professor. Welcome to-" he turns to write on the board behind him, "'Ancient Greek Mythology and Religion'."

You didn't take any notes during his entire lecture. You couldn't move other than following him as he walked around the room, wildly gesturing with his hands when he talked about what projects you would be working on.

Befofe you knew it, you were mindlessly packing up the rest of your belongings. The rest of your friends hurrying off to their next lectures. You had a few hours until your next set of classes. You glanced down to the front of the room and he had a book open with one of the students, pointing to specific points to note.

You noticed that you were the last one in the room to leave and you made your way down towards him at the podium. Just get this over with.

"Professor Reed," you cleared your throat. His focus is pulled to you as he tucks his hair behind his ear.

"Y/n," he whispers out in a breath. "I- I- didn't know that you were a student. My apologies. I understand if this is an uncomfortable situation for you."

"Jacob," you slip out before correcting yourself. "Sorry, Professor- Sir." You stammer. Your cheeks blushing at the name. "I, want to succeed in this class. I don't want our, um- I don't want that to affect my scores in this class."

He gives you a soft smile, "Y/n, I assure you that I will have an astute level of professionalism. My office hours are daily at 12-2pm. Unfortunately I have to run to my next lecture. We can continue this conversation with any concerns that you may have then. Again, my apologies." This side of him takes you back a little. A man living nearly two separate lives.

"Absolutely, thank you, Professor." You nod your understanding and turn to leave. Your breath is shakey and your legs feels wobbly under his gaze as you ascend the stairs.

The next few hours are a blur. You are jumping from class to class and finally feel like you have a moment to breathe by the time it hits 12pm. Shit. You haul yourself back to to the North side of campus in search for his office.

.....

Three quick knocks on his door. He stands up from his large desk that goes all the way to the floor and strides over to open the door wide. "Y/n, come in!" He closes the door lightly behind you after putting a sign on his door that says 'In a meeting'. You take a seat and he rounds his desk, quickly minimizing a few screens and pulling up a fresh blank document to type any notes on. Your eyes are glued to his open button up; the same necklaces around his neck. Your mind races back to two nights ago, his necklaces tickling your chest as he thrust into you.

"What can I help you with?" His voice cuts through your thoughts.

"Oh- I-," you sit there flustered. "I guess I'm a little confused. Oliver?" You question.

He sees that this is not about the first day of classes but more of clearing the air between the two of you. "Ahh, yes. Jacob is my first name, but professionally, I thought Oliver was a much better fit. Jacob Oliver Reed." He folds his hands on the desk in front of him.

You nod, pursing your lips and thinking. "Jacob, sorry, Professor-" he holds up a finger to stop you mid sentence.

"Y/n, I had an amazing night with you. Truly. Hell I would probably keep whatever this is...." he pauses, "-whatever this was going if you weren't a student. But for the sake of my job and professionalism, it cannot continue. I hope you understand that. I can assure you that you will be graded just as any of my other students. This won't affect you or your grade at all. But," he pauses, "you are more than welcome to call me Jacob outside of class. You did know me prior to this as Jacob." 

You feel hurt. You knew this was bound to happen. You honestly couldn't think that he would want to still see you after realizing you were his student, right?

"Thank you, for the reassurance. I didn't know. I wouldn't have- I don't normally-" you fumble over your words. You want to smack your forehead with how he already has you flustered.

His smile makes you huff out a nervous laugh. "Y/n, I didn't think you were that type either. It was....a night of revelry."

.....

After about an hour of discussion and airing it all out, you announce that you have to head to your next class. You both stand and he follows you to the door. He places a hand on the doorknob, but before you leave, he is grabbing the back of your neck, smashing his lips against yours. You moan into his mouth. Grabbing his velvety black jacket, you pull him into you, feeling his hard cock against his jeans. His firm hands grab your waist tightly. Your hands wander to his throbbing length and stroke it a few times over his jeans. A breathy moan flowing from his mouth.

He breaks away from the kiss. "Fuck, sorry, I just can't get enough of you, Y/n. You're going to be trouble. Gonna send me straight to Hell." You are both panting. You place one small kiss on his lips with a wicked smile before grabbing the doorknob and pulling the door open. Leaving him hot and bothered in his doorway.

"Thank you, Professor." You shoot him a wink and are out of his sight in a moment.

He shuts the door behind him and braces himself against the wall. Pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. Palming his hard cock through his jeans he grabs his phone out of his back pocket.

Jacob:

I just need to know if it's mutual.

You:

You can stop by tonight. Bring me dinner. And we can discuss more.

............

Author's note: this is exactly how I evision Professor Jake to look

............

Part 4

☆♡□ Message me to be added to the taglist: @vanfleeter @em-gvf01 @gvfpal @mama-likes72 @gvfmarge @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @lyndz2names @sanguinebats @ignite-my-fire @sparrowofrhiannon

#greta van fleet #gvf fanfiction #gvf #jake kiszka #greta van fleet smut #jake kiszka fanfic #jake kiszka smut

[joshlmbrt]

☽｡⋆ THERE IS SOMETHING I SEE IN YOU, IT MIGHT KILL ME | c. walker x reader

cw; slightly follows scream 4, , a switched killer, no happy ending ( i apologize 😔) , death.

an; first oneshot for charlie - super excited to write more for him!! <3 hope you all enjoy.

Your hands are still slightly shaky by the time you all arrive at Kirby's - the sounds of the gun echoing out through the old abandoned barn, then watching the Gale Weathers fall onto the wooden floor, ruined any fun you believed you were going to have. 

There’s a clinking in the kitchen that catches your attention, eyes darting towards Robbie who stands and grabs a bottle of amber liquid. Kirby makes her way over, plopping in the middle of you and Jill. 

“Stop fidgeting,” The blonde nudges your foot with hers. “You’re making me nervous.” 

“What even happened?” Jill shakes her head. 

“Chaos! Utter chaos.” Kirby reaches over and grabs a few pieces of popcorn. 

“The sheriff's wife, man. She told us to cancel and we didn’t,” Robbie looks like he’s about to have a breakdown. “And now this? What are we supposed to do?” 

“Robbie, calm down. It makes sense.” Charlie steps into the living room. Your brows pinch together. 

“Makes se… How would this make any sense? Enlighten us.” Your eyes narrow at the boy. You curse him for being pretty - because then you can’t stay mad at him too long. 

He paces as he starts to ramble. “This is what the reboots do. T-they one up the original ending.” 

“The Woodsboro Murders ended at a party. So, in the remake-” Kirby starts before Charlie finishes for her, feeding off of her own knowledge. 

“So the party is the false ending,” He points at her, Red Bull in hand. “New rules.” 

Kirby brings the glass towards her lips, brows lifting as her green eyes travel around the room, smirking. “Exactly.” 

You sigh a bit, shaking your head. “Okay, no offense, guys, but I’m gonna put in Stab 7. No one cancels my film festival.”

“Are you serious?” Your brows lift slightly, watching as he turns and grabs the case that was resting on the cabinet. 

“I-I don’t know if I wanna watch that. Especially after what happened to Olivia.” 

“Oh, come on! It was her favorite.” Kirby points towards the television. 

“I think I have to agree with Jill on this one,” You scratch at your neck. “It just… it seems a little too soon to be watching this movie.” 

Kirby opens her mouth but Charlie is cutting her off before she can say anything more, eyes cutting over. “Oh, wow, Kirby. You got some classics here.” 

“Yup.” She smiles. You shift in your seat, eyes cutting between the two. Kirby had been your best friend since middle school. She had known all your little secrets and you knew all of hers. 

Except, there was one secret you hadn’t quite told her. 

Your very hidden feelings about Charlie Walker - a boy who has been awkward since he’d moved and went to Woodsboro Middle. 

You knew she wouldn’t try to do anything with Charlie if she knew - she’d even encourage you to shoot your shot. 

And if you shoot that shot, you’d be let down. Because Charlie is head over heels for your friend. 

“‘Suspiria’. ‘Don’t look now’.” 

“You know it,” She smiles. “I could answer any question you ask me, cinema boy.” 

“Oh, yeah?” He turns and steps a bit closer towards the open chair on your right side. “Who played leatherface first?” 

“Gunnar Hansen.” She shrugs. 

“Wow,” He plops down. “Did…did you just feel that? That charge that went between us just then?” 

You look down at your fidgety hands, browns pinching together slightly. You felt like you were intruding. 

“Oh, that was just me,” Her voice lowers slightly, a smirk on her face. “I have powers.” 

“So sexy.” 

“Alright,” You stand from your seat, clearing your throat. You suddenly wished you’d just stood without saying a word, because then no one would’ve acknowledged you. “I… I’m gonna go lie down. Or use the bathroom. Or something.” Your hands slide down the sides of your jeans, feet marching towards the archway. 

You flinch when you see Trevor, humming softly as you turn and look at Jill. “Your little boyfriend is here,” You then glance at him. “You're lucky she doesn’t get a restraining order on you. I would.” 

You walk past him, jogging up the steps. Your eyes catch Charlie’s, frowning at the forlorn look on his face and the downturn of his plush lips. You shake your head, looking away as you walk into Kirby’s bedroom, shutting the door and taking a small breather to yourself. 

🔪

You feel like you’ve had enough time to take a breather - almost an hour and you still haven't left your spot on Kirby’s bed. 

You stand from the soft comforter, slowly making your way down the steps, careful not to go over any creaky steps. You stop when you hear a conversation. 

“Couldn’t you make a move?” It’s soft and slightly whispered, but you know it’s Charlie. 

“I just did,” It’s Kirby. They’re alone. You peek out quietly, watching as she scoots closer, her finger pinching at the sleeve of his shirt. “‘Cause you’re actually really cute. Especially when I’m scared… lonely… and drunk.” 

You want to look away, but it's like a train wreck honestly. You just can’t. 

They flinch apart when Trevor walks in and you have to force yourself to stop thanking him - because, well, he’s Trevor. A little parasite that can’t seem to go away. 

So you thank him in your head. Especially when he gets sidetracked, eyes catching a scene from Stab.

“Oh, dude, I love this part of the movie.” He chuckles, sliding between Kirby’s legs and the coffee table, plopping down. You're quick to hide yourself when Charlie gets up, walking down the small hallway. 

You frown, following after him quietly. “Charlie?” He stumbles in his steps, turning towards you. “You okay?” 

“Uh, yeah… Terrific.” He nods. You glance over your shoulder, before looking back at him. 

“She’s playing you.” You blurt. 

“What?” 

Your eyes close momentarily before you shake your head. “Kirby… She’s…” You step a bit closer. “I love her to death, but she’s not the type to just settle down,” Your eyes glance over towards the window, watching as the leaves rustle in the breeze. You smile a bit. 

“I am though.” 

His mouth parts slightly as he stares at you, your eyes finally darting back. “You…you never said anything.” 

“Yeah. Not even Kirby knows. I just… I knew how much you liked her. It kind of seems selfish for me to even be telling you after-” You’re cut off by a pair of lips and a hand cupping your jaw. Your hands lift slowly, palms resting on his chest as he tilts your head, thumb digging into the soft skin of your cheek. 

You didn’t want to pull away, but feeling slightly fuzzy and lightheaded makes you - lips still puckered slightly and slick. You laugh softly, eyes opening as you stare up at him, pushing some hair from his face. 

“Sorry, I should’ve-”

It’s your turn to stop him with a kiss, but it’s too quick and has him chasing your lips with his. “It’s okay,” You whisper, nodding against his forehead. “I've been waiting a long time for that.”

“How long?” There’s a small smirk on his lips that has your heart skipping a beat. 

Your teeth pull at your bottom lip before answering, his eyes watching the movement. “9th grade.” 

“That long?” 

“Mhm,” Your fingers mess with the button on his shirt. This is almost silly - you're finally having your moment while there was a killer running loose. 

Better late than never. 

“That l-” You wince feeling a sudden sharp pain through your back. There’s a sharp sound that makes your knees buckle, hands gripping onto Charlie's arms. 

“Hey… Hey, what’s-” His hand lands on something wet, a gasping breath makes his eyes shoot behind you. His eyes widened at the sight - the signature ghost mask and the knife which was coated in blood. He watches as a drop falls to the wooden floor before he hears a light swoosh of the knife, which he narrowly misses, pulling you into him. 

He drags you towards a door, opening it and pulling you inside. He slams it in time, dodging in time as the knife stabs through the door. 

He locks the door and turns around, his stained hair running through his hair. His eyes track the blood that stains the painting on the wall from your back, your eyes dropping shut. 

He falls to his knees quickly, holding your face. “Hey…Hey, no. Come on, stay awake. Stay awake for me.” 

You choke on the metallic taste, the room growing fuzzier. Your pinky twitches, blinks heavy with tiredness that you never knew you could have. 

He watches as your eyes close, head lolling in his bloody palms. He quickly shakes his head, muttering to himself as he pulls you close, your limp arms by his side, head leaning on his shoulder as his hand holds the wound punctured into your back. 

The door finally bursts open, a scream erupting from his throat as his hair gets snatched into a ponytail, yanking him backwards and into the ground. 

There’s a ringing in his ears and his vision blurry with spots. His hand slowly lifts, pressing against his forehead as his face screws up. 

“You want me to make my move?” His eyes snap open, eyes meeting green ones as Kirby kneels over him, bloody knife trailing under his chin. There’s a smile that slowly creeps onto her face. She lifts up, arms lifting over her head. 

“No… No, no, please, no.” It’s whimpered and his feet kicked from under her weight, head shaking. 

“Here’s my move, cinema boy.” He gasps when the sharp end penetrates into his chest. 

rory culkin tags — @icarus-star ; @ithinkitstimetonap ; @smelliewilliams

— @joshlmbrt 2024

☽｡⋆ thank you for reading. reblogs, comments, likes, requests, & feedback is welcomed & deeply appreciated.

#charlie walker x fem!reader #charlie walker x reader #charlie walker x you #rory culkin x fem!reader #rory culkin x reader

[strangeshoepatrolbandit]

Sunshine follows with Sunfall PT.8

Warnings: Talks of birth and pregnancy, alcohol(whiskey), suggestive content, lots of timeskips.

Series Masterlist

Today is Judith's birthday!!!

~☆~

It's October 27th, Judith's seventh birthday.

Seven years ago, you went into labor at 1:23AM and finally delivered her at 3:07AM.

You silently made your way into her room, flicking off the projector nightlight. You turn towards her small bed, smiling to yourself as you sit on the side, leaning behind her. You smoothed your hand over her dark hair. "Judy Jayne," you sang her nickname softly. "Time to wake up, birthday girl."

She stirred, pouting since she's not a morning person, but a smile grew on her face when she opened her eyes and looked at you, excited because of her birthday.

"Good morning!" You grinned.

"Good morning, Mommy." Her voice wasn't as upbeat as yours, but that was just the morning grogginess.

You hummed a soft tune to her and smoothed down her hair one last time before helping her out of bed, not caring about tidying the orange sheets. The two of you walked into the kitchen, and you helped her up onto the elevated seats that go to the breakfast bar. You then put a plate in front of her, French toast strips with some orange slices, and sausage.

"Thank you, Mommy!" She squeals, watching you put syrup and powdered sugar on her cut-up French toast.

"You are so very welcome." You rounded the counter and kissed her head. "I have some gifts."

"Really?!" Judith asked excitedly, acting as if she didn't get gifts every year on her birthday.

"Yes." You laughed slightly, walking into the living room, only to come back with some gifts in your arms. Periwinkle scurried into the kitchen after you, almost as if he wanted to see Judith's gifts as well.

You placed a Hello Kitty stuffed animal on the bar, watching as Judith smiled widely. Then you placed a bracelet making kit down.

"Thank you, Mommy!" Judith thanked you again, reaching her arms out for a hug.

You wrapped your arms around her smaller body. "Of course, my girl!"

"Hurry up and eat! We're gonna have a big party with all of your uncles, grandpa, and all your friends, remember?"

Judith nodded and quickly went back to her breakfast, eyeing her gifts with a smile as she ate.

×××

Your keys jiggled in door to your apartment, opening up easily. Judith sang loudly to herself as she carried a gift bag over to the couch. You yourself carried a two more.

You locked the front door behind the two of you, placing two bigger bags on the floor next to the couch. You walked over to the archway to the kitchen, going to turn on the light, but you jump as soon as your eyes land on a large body. "Oh my God!"

The person laughed, causing Judith to run in, instantly hearing the sound of her father's laughter. "Daddy!"

"Hey, Sunshine." He groaned a little as he bent to pick her up. Her little arms and legs went around him as she clung to him. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you, Daddy!" She smiled.

"I made the two of you dinner." He looked at you. "Hopefully, you guys aren't too full from your party."

You smiled and shook your head. "Don't worry."

Jason nodded and looked back at the girl in his arms. "It's your favorite."

"Chicken Alfred!" Both Jason and you laugh from her mispronunciation of 'Chicken Alfredo'.

Jason carried her back into the living room to set her down, and you took it upon yourself to plate the alfred he had in a tupperware container. It's still warm.

You grab three plates and three forks, one of them being a children's fork.

Just as you're pouring some drinks, Jason comes back into the kitchen. "Actually, I have a little something for you and I.... you know, to celebrate the fact that we made a life."

"Oh no." You laughed a little, wondering what Jason could have brought.

He stands next to you, reaching into the bag he brought as it sits on the counter. He looks at you and raises his eyebrows, smirking before pulling out what he had. An expensive bottle of whiskey.

"I don't know if you drink or not... but..."

You roll your eyes and smile, picking up Judith's plate and drink. "Go grab some whiskey glasses."

And with that, you walk back into the living room.

You could indulge tonight.

×××

After Judith went to bed, Jason and you stood in the kitchen, talking about anything really.

The two of you had drinks in your hands, both of you honestly a little tipsy.

"There's a dollhouse in my car that I need help with getting out." You tell him about one of Judith's gifts and he offers to help you out with it tomorrow night, meaning he'll come back soon.

The two of you fall into a comfortable silence, no longer awkward for some reason. Maybe it's the alcohol?

"Remember when you outgrew your clothes and had to wear mine until we bought you some more?" Jason asks, chuckling as he holds his glass to his lips.

You laugh and nod. "Yeah, I was so big."

Jason looks at you wistfully, speaking with a newfound softness in his voice. "You were really cute with the belly."

You stare back at him and smile slightly. "Thank you. Thank you for Judith."

Jason's gaze is so intense. He was hanging on to every word you spoke, listening to you like you're guiding him to the garden of Eden. "No. Thank you for actually making and birthing her."

He was so close that you could smell the familiar scent that used to linger around your shared home, the scent you used to smell when you'd hug and cuddle up to him.

Tobacco, gunpowder, leather, something earthy, something sweet, and a spritz of a generic men's cologne.

But something was different.

He also smelled like your home. Fresh linen and lavender. Something so small, yet so big to you.

Maybe it's the familiarity. Maybe it's just him. But somehow, you ended up pressed against the counter, kissing him for the first time in years.

A part of you wanted to slap yourself for kissing the man who left you and your daughter for an entire year, yet another part of you could burst out crying from how much you've missed this. When Jason and you split, pieces of your hearts died. Now, it feels as if you are both healing each other.

He had set down his whiskey glass, now running his hands up and down your torso as the intensity grew with the passage kiss. Your arms made their way around his neck and you put your fingers in his hair, tugging on the dark strands.

Jason broke away from the kiss so that he could trail more down to your neck, getting a mixture of both of your spit onto your skin.

"Relax, we're not trying to make another kid." You pant, making Jason chuckle.

He trailed his kisses back up your neck, to your jaw, to your chin, but not to your lips.

The two of you looked into each other's eyes, sensing the yearning and desperation.

You both knew how this night would end.

~☆~

Taglist: @keira324 @dakotali @22nranjan @skepvids @harpy-space @godknows-shetried @mirrorball-6 @macncheese69420666 @parkjammys @yyxy27 @burningkidanchor @elleclairez @amecchii @chickennugghon @marvelworldlover @oakexists @p0tterhead934 @makhaia @cassini-among-the-stars @tsukishimarawr @flowestallen @attackonnat @90s-belladonna @sucker4seresin @riahpickle-blog

#jason todd x reader #jason todd x fem!reader #jason todd fanfiction #jason todd fanfic #jason todd #jason todd x y/n #jason todd x you #reader x jason todd #x reader #batfamily x reader #batfam x reader #dc x reader

[amournoir]

Wait are you really back?! Also, can I ask for fluff prompt, #3 for Clark Kent? I didn't know you wrote for HC characters??!

Fluff Prompt | C.K {request}

℘ prompt — listening to s.o rant/vent (#3)

℘ warning — none, just fluff

℘ pairing — clark kent x f!reader

℘ count — 1.1k

In the heart of Metropolis, his cozy apartment offered a refuge from the bustling city streets. Today, it served as a safe haven for Y/N, who had endured a particularly trying day. Tears welled up in her eyes as she slumped on the couch, seeking solace in the arms of her loving boyfriend, Clark. He came down the stairs and into the living room to find her brooding on the couch. Concern etched on his face, Clark made his way toward her and gently sat down as though the slightest movement would set her off.

He wrapped his arms around Y/N, pulling her close. "Hey, what's wrong, my love?" he asked, his voice filled with tenderness. "You can always talk to me about anything."

Sniffling, Y/N leaned into his comforting embrace. "It's just been a horrible day. Everything went wrong and I feel so overwhelmed."

Clark gently stroked her hair, his heart breaking for her. "I'm here for you, Y/N. You don't have to face this alone."

Y/N let out a huff then instantly got up and began pacing around the room. Her arms were folded then unfolded, they were on her hips then scratching her head, she was a mess to say the least. Still, the alien sat quietly and watched her closely.

“Don’t do that.” She suddenly said.

He cocked his head in confusion, “Do what?”

“Scan me.” She stopped and faced him, “Clark.”

“Honey I need to be sure you’re alright.”

“I will be.” Was all she said before swiftly turning on her heel towards the stairs.

He knew better than to follow so instead he figured he might as well ensure that the rest of her day went swimmingly. An hour and a half later, Y/N was back downstairs, freshly showered and dressed. Clark was nowhere to be seen or heard so she made her way to the kitchen and made tea for the both of them. Y/N sighed as she filled both mugs then took her seat on the island and quietly drank.

Almost half an hour had passed and right before she could reach for her phone to call him, the doorknob jingled. Her hand flew to her chest but a loud sigh escaped when she recognized the large figure. Leave it to Clark to fashion a distress alarm into her anniversary necklace. These were the rare moments that she was grateful to be dating a hero.

“I couldn’t find it at your usual place so I got it from our little spot.”

Y/N rose from her seat and leaned against the archway between the living room and kitchen. “Got what?”

He lifted the silver bag with a beaming smile, utterly proud of himself. “Gelato.”

“Clark, tell me you didn’t.”

“Honey, when have I ever lied to you?” He replied as he walked past her.

Y/N scoffed and turned to the kitchen. “You flew to Italy for ice cream?” She asked incredulously.

“Of course not, that’d be a bit silly.” Clark placed the bag on the island then in long strides, he was standing in front of her. “I flew to Italy to make you happy.”

She stared at him surprisingly although she didn’t know why. She should be used to this by now but in all honesty, who would? All she could do was offer a small smile before pressing a soft kiss on his lips, tip toes and all. His arms circled around her waist and pulled her closer, his left hand cupping her neck gently. He could hear her heartbeat slowing, the energy within her calmed. Clark couldn’t lie that he enjoyed being the one to ground her as she often did him. Who knew all it took was Italian ice cream?

Eventually they both pulled away and sat next to each other. Clark drank his tea and Y/N happily ate her ice cream in silence. Peaceful, quiet, calming silence enveloped them whilst they stole a few glances between each other. Soon Y/N began to vent about her day, Clark listened intently. His super hearing allowed him to pick up on every nuance in her voice, every hint of sadness and frustration, making her feel truly heard and understood.

"I hate feeling like this," Y/N admitted, her voice shaky.

Clark kissed her forehead tenderly. "It's okay to feel that way sometimes," he reassured her. "You're human, and you're allowed to have bad days. I'm here to support you through it all."

Y/N's heart swelled with love for him, grateful to have him as her rock. "Thank you for being so understanding," she whispered.

He cupped her face, gazing into her eyes with affection. "You're my world, Y/N. I'd do anything to make you smile again."

With his encouragement, Y/N felt safe enough to share her vulnerabilities. She opened up about her fears and insecurities, knowing he would cherish her words and hold her feelings close to his heart. These are the moments that made her forget completely about his origin. She didn’t see him as this superhuman being that had the gift of flight, she saw him as the love of her life. In these moments, he was as human as human can be.

As the conversation continued, Clark offered words of comfort and love. "You're so strong, Y/N. I believe in you, and I know you'll get through this," he said, his voice filled with unwavering support.

Feeling the warmth of Clark's love enveloping her, Y/N's tears began to subside. His presence alone was a source of strength and solace.

With a gentle smile, Clark wiped away the remaining tears from Y/N's cheeks. "You're not alone on this journey. I'm right here by your side."

Y/N's heart fluttered with love for Clark, knowing she was truly blessed to have him in her life. "I love you," she whispered, her voice filled with sincerity.

"I love you too, Y/N," Clark replied, his eyes shining with adoration. "And I'll always be here to listen, to comfort, and to support you."

As the night unfolded, Y/N and Clark decided to spend the rest of the evening cherishing their love for each other. They shared tender moments, expressing their feelings and devotion, and basked in the comfort of their embrace. In the arms of her superhero, Y/N found solace not only in Clark's superpowers but also in his super love. Together, they knew they could conquer any obstacle life threw their way, because their love was as powerful and unyielding as any superhero's strength.

🏷️ taglist:

⤷ @mrs-maximoff-kenner @thatfanficstuff @elijahmikaelsontrash @mxacegrey @thatfictionalwh0re @catmikaelson20 @loverswillowed @sweetwrathoflilith @panic-at-the-fiction @iiskittles16ii @original-siphon @onlyfreds @onlyfredslibrary @imgoingtofreakoutnow @slinthoex @mikaelsonsdeservedbetter @i-love-nora @multiversediaries @decoffinated-vamps @hopester08 @aloneatpeace @hopes-wife @dreamingwithrafe @softcoremaybank @klaustopia  @sweetestdesire @cottontears @cottonreads @buckysbabydoll-x

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#request 💌 #aurora’s writing prompts #fluff #aurora.r fics #clark kent x reader #clark kent #superman #henry cavill & company

[itjazzbicch]

Best I Ever Had

Pairing: Toji Fushiguro x Fem Reader 

First time writing for Toji, so I hope I did well! 

Summary: When the reader's boyfriend leaves her for someone new, she's mentally in a dark place, going out to take her mind off things and failing, running into a close friend who takes her home and learns what's going on, making her forget all about her ex and giving her the best she's ever had...

Warnings:  SMUT! (18+ ONLY! MINORS & AGELESS BLOGS DNI! YOU WILL BE BLOCKED!) Swearing, mentions of drinking, foreplay, slight degradation at first, unprotected sex (wrap it before ya tap it), creampie, rough sex, dirty talk, hair-pulling, choking, p*ssy slap, slight praise, the reader is mentioned to be smaller than Toji (this is just sinful lmao)

Word Count: 1.5k 

"Finally going to tell me why you went out all dressed up like a slut?"

Just my luck, Toji was the one who had to find me walking home from the bar, barging right into my apartment. Heading inside, I explained:

"I needed a drink, but it didn't help, so I left."

Plopping on my couch and making himself right at home, his eyes wandered around, noticing something different and asking more questions:

"The drink didn't help with what?"

Stopping in the archway that connected my living room and kitchen, I gazed at the photo I had of me and my now ex-boyfriend, putting it face down and mumbling:

"I just don't want to feel like I did last night."

Watching me and realizing what was wrong, I ignored him as he got up, came to the kitchen to see me with a bottle, cracked it open, and went to take a swig till he took my hand, placing the bottle down.

"What?" I only glared at him, annoyed because I couldn't read his intentions, till he got close enough to whisper in my ear:

"You're that worked up over that boy?"

I had never felt so conflicted; I was a bit offended that he was belittling my feelings and turned on by the tone of his voice, able to feel specific intentions within it.

"He wasn't just some boy," I whispered, fighting tears as I recalled the night before, my ex telling me that he didn't want me anymore and found someone new.

"I'd say it's his loss," Standing behind me now and glancing at my cleavage, then down and looking at how short this dress was, how he could still tower over me even with the heels I was wearing, his thoughts leaking with a whisper, "Because damn."

"Didn't you just say I was dressed like a slut just a bit ago?" I scoffed, shaking my head at him, taking a deep breath from a slight rush in my blood as his hands found my hips:

"You just don't dress like this often. It's slutty but fucking hot."

Breathing deeper and deeper, he pushed me toward the counter, hips against my ass, putting up the bottle, hands trailing to my thighs and slithering up dress slowly:

"How about you give up the drinks, and I make you forget about that stupid boy?"

There was no denying that Toji was hot, a real piece of work, but a sexy one. Feeling his bulge hardening against me, I needed a distraction, and I had the opportunity right in front of me.

Turning around carefully, he had such a cocky smirk on his face, still toying with my thighs and dress:

"So?"

"Fuck it," I whispered, snatching him by the shirt and yanking his lips into mine, growling at him, "You better give me the best dick I've ever had."

A deep, devilish chuckle rumbled in his chest as his hands about tore my panties in two, tongues clashing and not wasting any time to pump a finger into my dripping cunt, quickly too, getting me soaked and prepped for what we both wanted to get straight to.

Adding a second finger made my kissing sloppy, moaning at a stretch, pumping two knuckles deep with his thumb antagonizing my clit, my knees starting to shake as I pressed my forehead against his, biting my lip hard.

"Cum, then I'll fuck you real good, alright?" Nudging my head up, it fell back with moans pouring out, gripping the edge of the counter hard and gasping:

"I'm cuming! I'm cuming!"

"Oh yeah," He hummed, still pumping as I clenched and pulsated around his fingers, pulling his hand up to see his fingers creamed, "Now, be a good girl and clean up your mess."

Holding up his fingers and heading for my lips, I opened wide and took them in, sucking hard as I tasted my mess and cleaned his fingers, his thumb caressing my lower lip as he commanded:

"Get rid of the dress, but leave the heels on."

Doing as told, his eyes slowly trailed up and down my body, taking in every curve and detail, fixed on how hard my nipples were, pulling down his pants to free his cock. My eyes immediately fixed and widened at his size, so focused that I squealed a little when he picked me up by the thighs, only having to glance to aim his cock straight into my throbbing cunt.

"Oh shit-" I gasped hard, clinging to his shoulders; I'd never had someone his size, jaw-dropping as he used his immaculate strength, holding the back of my thighs tight and keeping my legs spread, pulling his cock back to just his tip and slamming every inch back into me, "Shit!"

I never fell apart as quickly as I did then, moans pinging throughout my home, tears stinging in the corner of my eyes from how tight the friction was and how his hips pounded into mine so hard, his tip pummeling every sweet spot clear up to my cervix.

"Fuck," He smirked against my neck, chuckling and biting me, "Your tight little pussy can barely take all this."

"I want it!" I whined out, nails scratching at the back of his neck, all the dirty, invasive thoughts spitting out my mouth, "I want all of it. Ruin me."

"Better watch talking like that," Brushing his nose past mine, his eyes grew dark, but I could feel how he liked the mess he was turning me into, teasing, "Might lose feeling in your legs."

"I don't care-" Huffing for air, my muscles tensed up, head and jaw-dropping to see how I was gushing all over his cock, not putting even in a stutter in his tempo, dragging all he could out of my orgasm before pushing me down to his base.

I instantly collapsed against him, whining as he kept me on him, walking over to the couch, pulling out only to flip me over and bend me over the arm of the couch, stuffing me again.

"Still want me to ruin you?" He asked, hand trailing up my back and to the back of my head as I nodded softly, moaning at him pulling back to his tip slowly:

"Please, Toji."

"First, tell me," Humming as he tossed off his shirt, his nails grazed my scalp, he tangled a fist in my hair, yanking me back onto his cock, "Who's given you the best dick you've ever had?"

"You, Toji!" I screamed out, his balls slapping against my skin, creating a loud sound in the room, a hard spank from his hand echoing, leaving a sharp sting in my ass, truly meaning as I was babbling, whining mess, "You're the best I've ever had!"

"Damn right, baby," Growling and groaning in my ear, his hand switched from my hair to around my throat; the lack of air made me dizzy, but it felt so good with how I was burning up in pleasures' flames, his voice faint in my ear, "You'll never think about that stupid boy again. Just me."

Instinctively, I knew where to find his lips with my eyes closed, pressing my lips hard, his fingers squeezing my throat harder had me nearly passing out; noticing and holding my jaw, he shook me right back into reality, my clenching, juicing cunt keeping him bottomed out and ruining my insides.

"Keep being a good girl and cum again, hm?" He edged, a whisper sending me right off the edge, "Squirt all over my dick again, baby."

"T-Toji-i-ngh!" Biting his hand and taking two handfuls of the couch cushion, I couldn't believe I squirted not once but twice, this time soaking not just his cock and balls but his thighs.

"Good job, baby," Retaking my throat and pulling me up straight; his skin was so hot against my back, making me jolt and whine as he slapped my clit, cock burying into me, "This pussy's mine, got that?"

"Y-Yours," I panted, sweating and fucked out, "I'm all yours."

"Mhm, all mine," Nibbling on my ear, his cock throbbing was throbbing against my spasming walls, my mind in a different world, still in the 'fuck it' mentality, whispering to him:

"Fill me up and claim me."

"How sweet of you," Pulling me into a kiss, he went through a short series of hard quick thrusts, biting my lip as his cock throbbed even harder, "Better take every drop."

"Uh huh!" I was sore, the heat of his seed shooting and coating my walls, making my nerves wire up again and even more cock drunk; falling back to the couch, keeping my ass pinned to his hips, huffing out, "Oh my god, that was fucking incredible."

"Hell yeah," He breathed in deep, rubbing my back and grabbing my ass, making me look back to see him wink as he jiggled me, "Don't forget, this is mine, now."  

#jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x y/n #jujutsu kaisen imagine #jujutsu kaisen smut #jujustu kaisen oneshot #jjk #jjk x reader #jjk x y/n #jjk smut #jjk oneshot #jjk imagine #toji fushiguro #toji fushiguro x reader #toji fushiguro imagine #toji fushhiguro x y/n #toji fushiguro smut #toji fushiguro oneshot #read and enjoy

[hawkinsuniversity]

𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐭. 𝟐

series summary : when fionna brings you home one night the gallaghers are unsure of how to react, however, if there is one thing they are sure of, it is how much they each want a turn with you.

series warning : this series is going to contain extremely explicit and smutty content and is quite literally the most shameless thing you may ever read. this series is mainly going to consist of smut and content discussing poly relationships.

pairing : lip gallagher x fem!reader

warnings : swearing, arguing, mentions of prostitution, mentions of sex trafficking and sex slavery, mentions of drinking, mentions of homelessness, agression, smut, penetrative sex, degradation, physical violence, dumbification, dirty talk, praise kink, domination, spanking, and mocking.

12:05 pm (y/n’s perspective)

“fionna what the fuck!” a loud male voice boomed in my ears.

“would you please just let me explain!” another voice screamed back at the first. this one was female.

“no fionna! what the fuck is wrong with you! you can’t just be bringing illegal prostitutes home with you! ok? we barely have enough food to last us the rest of the week and now you wanna feed another person?!”

“what did you want me to do? did you want me to leave her to be sold into sex slavery!”

“i don’t know fionna, but it’s not my fucking problem, ok?! jesus christ.”

the two voices continued to yell back and forth at one another as the room slowly came into focus.

i was laying on an old beaten up sofa in a small living room that was filled with an assortment of loose papers, clothes, and junk.

“look, all i’m asking for is a few hours, ok? thats it! just stay with her until i get back from my shift, and then you don’t have to worry about it anymore.” the female voice stated calmly.

i looked to my left and saw a small entrance to what i assumed was the kitchen.

“fionna i have a quantum physics essay to write and i cant do that if i have to babysit a 19 year old prostitute that you brought home while drunk!” the male voice screamed.

“lip, we need the money from my shift at patsey’s. just work on your essay here. i seriously need to go.” the female voice hurriedly replied.

“make sure she doesn’t have anything else to drink!” the voice spoke up again, and within seconds the sound of a door slamming echoed throughout the house.

as i swung my legs over the side of the couch i felt the entire room slowly start to spin, and i grasped at my head in agony.

“fuck.” i murmered quietly under my breath.

i tried my best to stand up straight and slowly walked towards the kitchen.

as i reached the entrance to the kitchen i peered through the open archway to see a man who appeared to be around 19 or 20 years old sitting at a wooden dining table in front of an old laptop typing at a rapid rate.

“oh. you’re awake.” he said, and slowly turned to look up at me.

“where am i?” i asked quietly, with a slight shake to my voice.

“south side of chicago.” he stated plainly. “my idiot sister bought you off of your pimp last night so now she’s made you my problem.”

“oh.” i said softly. it was obvious he didn’t want me here and he continued to look up at me from his seat with a firm look of disapproval.

“why don’t you take a seat and sit tight while i finish this paper. once i’m done we can walk down to the nearest homeless shelter and get you some lunch before i take off to my advanced mathematics class.” he announced firmly. it was clear he wasn’t looking for any push back.

“ok.” i said quietly as i sat down in a wooden chair across from him.

i dreaded the thought of staying in a homeless shelter, but it was obvious i didn’t really have much of a choice.

“so whats your paper on?” i asked shyly, trying to start a conversation.

“nothing you’d understand.” he said without looking up.

“can you show me?” i replied, while standing up and slowly walking to the other side of the table.

“i don’t have time to show you! ok?! i told you to sit down and be quiet while i work on this. now if you could shut the fuck up that would be appreciated.” he lashed out aggressively.

“i’m sorry…” i whispered as i took a step forward and reached out to stroke his hair.

as my hand came in contact with the ends of his hair his right hand suddenly grasped mine and pulled mw towards him aggressively, causing my entire body to jolt.

“i told you to sit down and shut the fuck up.” he whispered harshly as he grabbed my waist and sat me on his lap.

“you cant even follow simple fucking instructions.” he hissed as he began to type on his computer again.

realising that i had pushed him far enough i decided to sit on his lap quietly as he finished his paper.

i watched as his long nimble fingers typed quickly on the keyboard and slowly let myself get distracted by his arms and his waist and how his body was incasing mine as he furiously typed.

slowly i shifted on his lap, attempting to get more comfortable, but immediately felt a slight buldge form quickly underneath me.

“you stupid slut.” he muttered under his breath.

my cheeks grew hot at his words as his hands flew to his belt and immediately started stripping his jeans off.

“i’m sorry… it was an accident.” i squeaked, trying to keep my composer.

“ohh i’m sure it was.” he said sarcastically before looking down at his lap and slowly started stroking himself.

“come here baby.” he said gently as he helped me up in order to hover over his erection.

only now did i realise that i didn’t have any panties on and was still wearing my short, black, strapless dress from the night club last night. the dress seemed to be covered in dried cum and stale beer, but still showcased my tits perfectly and was short enough to see the bottom half of my ass.

“its ok, i got you.” phillip coaxed soothingly as he started to gently lower me onto his dick.

“mhmm” i moaned as i felt him slip easily through my wet folds.

“this is how wet you are? huh? you’re this wet just from sitting here on my lap? holy fuck you’re a slut.” phillip whispered in my ear.

he slowly started to bounce me up and down while thrusting his hips into my ass, trying to get a rhythm started.

“your such a desperate whore. you couldn’t have just sat still.” he degraded as his hands found my breasts and quickly pulled them out of the top of my dress.

“uhh” i moaned as his big, veiny hands started to massage my chest in a circular motion.

“such a good girl for me.” he teased as my head flew backwards and landed on his chest.

“shhh, relax baby i got you” he praised quietly in my ear before gently picking me up and turning me around so that i was straddling him.

he slowly started to thrust his hips into mine and picked up the pace gradually.

i collapsed against his chest and immediately started moaning into his ear as he softly stroked my ass with his left hand while holding himself up with his right.

“are you gonna cum for me baby?” he mocked before sending 5 hard and quick thrusts straight into my g-spot.

“ye —“ i breathed out, exhausted.

“awww baby are you not able to speak properly? did i fuck you stupid sweetheart? come on and be a big girl and use your words.” he said cockily.

“i wanna cummm” i whined out desperately.

“don’t whine!” phillip scolded as his right hand quickly swatted my ass leaving a small red mark.

“please” i exhaled “let me cum daddy.”

“yea? go ahead and cum baby.” he said as he stood up and laid me on the kitchen table while continuing to thrust into me.

i felt the coil that had been building up in my stomach snap and i reached up and grasped onto his back before coming undone beneath him.

“hold on baby, let me get there.” phillip huffed as he kept thrusting into me.

“oh fuck” he breathed as he quickly pulled his dick out of me and came on my lower stomach.

as he laid me back down on the table and stood back to quickly scan my body.

my h/c hair was messily blown out around me and my tits had completely popped out of my dress. my ass and pussy were completely exposed and the bottom of my dress was pulled up around my stomach.

phillip looked at me stunned as i slowly tried to get up.

“come here” he said softly before wrapping his arms around my waist and carrying me upstairs to put me in the tub.

he ran the bath and filled it with hot water before carefully placing me in and stroking the back of my silky hair.

“its ok, you’re ok” phillip breathed as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

“you’re gonna stay with us for a while. and i’m gonna make sure you’re ok.” he whispered into my ear and kissed my forehead.

and with that i fell asleep immediately.

#shameless #shameless imagine #shameless one shot #lip gallagher #lipgallagher #lip gallagher x reader #phillip gallagher #phillip gallagher x reader smut #lip gallagher smut #lip gallagher imagine #gallagher #gallagher family #fiona gallagher x reader #fiona gallagher #fiona gallagher smut #ian gallagher #ian gallagher x reader #ian Gallagher smut #ian Gallagher imagine #debbiegallagher #debbie gallagher #debbie gallagher x reader #debbie gallagher imagine #debbie gallagher smut #carl gallagher #carlgallagher #carl gallagher x reader #carl gallagher imagine #carl Gallagher smut

[urhoneycombwitch]

foreword: intro to a new series Mayhaps! name pending… adoptive parents Eddie x reader, origin story of their girl <3

cw: rehab mention, au (in which Eddie lives and has a sister), brief insinuation of infidelity

___

You’ve been through so many huge, life-altering events with Eddie Munson.

You’d seen him nearly bleed out in the Upside Down, red rivulets streaming from his nose, his mouth, as you and Steve carried him back home. You’d helped him through all the physical therapy, all the nights he’d wake wild-eyed and sweaty, teeth gritted around your name.

And him, just as many, with you- buying your first house together, turning the corner into young adulthood at each other’s sides, turning 25 and then 30, every milestone more exciting than the last.

All that, and more. And here the more was, now- in the form of a toddler, standing with one sock foot behind the other on your front porch, holding out an envelope addressed to Eddie.

She’s got some wild, dark curls, twisting down past her small shoulders, framing a doll-like face; some familiar, chocolate-bambi eyes, lashes so dark and long it’s a wonder they don’t get tangled.

”Oh, shit.” Eddie stares at the envelope now in his hand- name reflected in scrawling black ink. “I- where’s your mom?”

The kid blinks up at him, shy but unwavering in her stance, posing as much braver than she probably feels, on a stranger’s doorstep all alone in the middle of the woods. (A touch dramatic, perhaps- it’s a lightly-wooded area, neighbors as near as two orchards away.)

On instinct, you reach for the girl, and she stretches her arms towards you. Your heart is pounding as you settle her onto your hip, as she rests the weight of her head against your collarbone.

She’s dressed in an oversized t-shirt that falls to her knees, worn purple socks that keep slipping down her legs- every so often, she reaches down absentmindedly to tug them back up.

”Am I crazy, or does this kid kind of look like you?” The half-chuckle sounds strained even to your own ears, trying to keep it light in front of the kid even as dread unfurls in your stomach. “How come she looks like you, Eddie?”

”Sweetheart, I-” Eddie gestures with the envelope between him and the girl in your arms, eyes going wide- “This kid looks, what- two ‘n a half? Three? I’ve been with you for more than triple that, now, right? She’s not mine, mine, I don’t-”

His face falls with realization, and you wait, anxious, as he rips open the envelope.

“Holy shit.”

He swears for the second time in front of the toddler, and you shush him while pressing a hand over her exposed ear- “Hey. Munson. Cool it with the cussing.”

”Sorry. I’m… it’s Lydia. My sister, Lydia- it’s her kid.”

The bile in your throat recedes, relief coming but leaving just as quick- “Where’s Lydia, then?”

Eddie shakes his head, reaches back to close the door behind the three of you, sealing off the cold spring air, eyes still scanning down the letter. “She’s in rehab. Geyser Springs, apparently- it’s a few hours away from here.”

You nod, slowly, starting up a rhythmic bounce with the baby on your hip, one hand still covering her ear as you whisper, “Aaaand… her kid is doing what on our porch, exactly?”

You’ve never seen Eddie so pale before. Not even when he was bleeding out in an alternate dimension.

“She says the kid’s turning three in July. And her name is Elsie.”

Elsie picks her head up from your neck when Eddie says her name, dimples in her fist as she jabs a finger at her own chest.

“Yeah?” Eddie asks, voice gentle in way you’ve never heard before. “That your name, princess?”

This gets a smile out of her, little foot kicking out in equal parts delight and bashfulness, a warbly hum in response to his question.

The phone, on the hook next room over, trills. You and Elsie watch from the archway of the kitchen as Eddie answers, pushing back into his splayed hand atop the counter. “Munson residence. Yeah, this is he.”

He’s quiet for a while, soft mm-hms punctuating the silence every few moments. The one-sided conversation continues for a minute, two- then rumble of a stomach catches your attention.

”Hungry?” You murmur to the girl, signing eat with your free arm and hand. When she nods, you slip past Eddie into the kitchen, moving as quietly as you can to get Elsie a snack.

The voice over the phone drones on- you’re dipping into the fruit bowl at the other end of the counter, out of range to do any effective eavesdropping. Hoping an apple is a neutral enough food to not be an allergen, you offer the kid a Red Delicious to munch on while you try and read Eddie’s facial expressions.

“Okay, thanks. Yeah, that’s our current address. Uh-huh- yeah, see her in the morning. Ten AM.”

Eddie answers the jump in your eyebrow, after hanging up the phone to face you both- “That was the social worker. Apparently, Lydia paid a trusted friend to drop princess here off-”

Elsie grins toothily around her bite of apple at Eddie’s acknowledgement of her, and he almost melts at the knees, you can just tell, but he recovers-

“-but she’d called social services to let them know about me ‘n you before turning herself in to rehab.”

”Why us? Why not- an orphanage, or something?” You hope the kid is young enough to not understand what you’re implying; you’re starting to feel a touch of true alarm at the thought of being tasked with looking after a whole human being. “Or, like, I dunno- a fire station…?”

Eddie collapses in the breakfast nook’s window seat, staring blankly at the wall behind you. “She said she always looked up to me. Thought since I have a girl and a house I’m the most responsible person she knows. Shoot, kid,” he laughs, suddenly, addressing Elsie- “we couldn’t even keep a garden alive in this house. You’re in for a ride, kiddo- sorry in advance.”

”Don’t you listen to him.” You bounce Elsie once with a playful little swoop and she giggles, the first time you’ve heard a glimpse of her voice- “We had some perfectly good green beans from that garden, and your uncle Eddie hand-built me those raised beds with scrap wood.”

“I digress.” The thing about Eddie is he’s great in front of an audience, knows just when to hamm it up for a laugh; palms spread in an appeasing gesture, he continues- “We got green beans out of the whole ordeal. Lucky us.”

Even if she doesn’t fully understand the joke, Elsie does read the laughing cue, another adorable giggling bubbling from her small frame.

“Well… just until tomorrow morning, right?” You ask, placing a warm hand between her shoulder blades as she snuggles back into you.

Eddie nods in confirmation. “Yeah. Just one night with us, princess. Wanna watch Muppets?”

One sock-covered foot kicks out in answer.

#eddie munson x reader #e.m. thots from lu #eddie munson #dad!eddie Munson #dad!eddie Munson x mom!reader #mom!reader

[drunkewok]

Tiger Inside Chapter Twenty-Eight

Stray Kids Mafia (ongoing)

Masterlist

Likes, reblogs and feedback always greatly appreciated

WC: 3.8k

Pairing: Lee Know x reader

Genre: Series, Enemies to lovers, non-idol AU, Mafia AU

Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, drinking, swearing, violence, weapons

Disclaimer: Any portrayal of Stray Kids or any other idols in this story is purely fiction and do not at all reflect their own personalities or how I view them as a person, it is purely for the sake of the story.

Please do not copy or repost my work

The fall of night came upon us quickly, the clock ticking closer to the beginning of my fake shift at Blossom. With the pull of a zipper, I flattened the fabric of my skirt down, studying my outfit in the mirror. 

It had definitely been a while since I adorned the stylistic choices of a cocktail waitress, a skirt a bit too short and tight for my liking and leaving little to the imagination, legs only covered by a pair of tights. Although the need to make some alterations to my normal top choice presented itself fairly quickly. While my choice commonly had been a snug tank top, I had made the decision to go for a well fitted v-neck t-shirt instead. The thought had crossed my mind that it might not be taken lightly by our regulars that I had vanished into thin air, only to return unexpectedly with a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

I ran my fingers through the curls in my hair, ensuring everything was laying flat and proper, and did a final check of my makeup. I was back to my masked character, and double checked in the mirror that I still possessed the ability to adorn a fake customer service smile. 

Grabbing a pair of heels, preferably one with a thicker heel to assist me in the snow, I pulled my purse from my bed and started my way out my bedroom door. 

Faint voices carried from downstairs, everyone having clearly started to congregate together before heading out. I pulled myself around the end of the bannister, starting down the hallway towards Seongho leaning in the archway into the living room. He slowly turned at the sound of my footsteps, his gaze traveling down my body before returning to my eyes.

“Well look at that, you can still clean up nice.” 

“Oh shove it.” I pushed past him as he snickered, making my way into the room and taking a seat at a stool before fastening my heels.

The majority of the group was already there stretching from the kitchen to the living room, only lacking the presence of Felix and Jeongin. 

I settled my feet back on the ground before placing my hands on my knees, staring at Chan.

“So what car am I supposed to be taking?” Before Chan had a moment to answer, a set of keys was tossed in my direction as I quickly caught them in my hands. My eyes followed where they came from, giving Jisung a quizzical stare.

“Figured since you’re already familiar with mine you should take it.” My head tilted as I tried to understand what he was implying, my mouth dropping before I had a chance to speak. “Your joyride?” My lips quickly snapped shut, ears burning as I felt blood rush to them.

“Jisung, I’m sorry, I didn’t know whose car I was taking I just-” He quickly waved me off, shushing me in the process.

“Nah, no need to apologize. Just take care of her.” I gripped his keys with a smile and nod, agreeing to his terms. 

“Well with that, we should probably get going.” I beckoned Seongho towards the door, the two of us heading out separately from the group. I stopped to give the boys a small wave of goodbye, only just now realizing Minho’s eyes drilling into the back of my head before I quickly pulled myself from his line of sight. 

I linked my arm in Seongho’s as we made our way down the front steps towards the car I recognized all too well, the lights flickering as I hit the unlock.

“Heading to work together, just like old times.” He chuckled, sliding into the passenger seat.

“Tell me about it, this feels really weird.” I made haste in turning on the engine, praying for a quick warm up to distract myself from my far too exposed skin in the winter weather. 

The radio was barely a quiet hum, the melody faint as I drove. I was losing myself in my thoughts with each passing streetlight, a tight knot in my throat making residence as I tried to ignore exactly what tonight would entail.

“I've been meaning to ask you-” Seongho’s voice broke the silence, only turning to me after I pulled my eyes from the road to glance over to him. “-how have the nightmares been lately?”

“Surprisingly, not too bad.” I focused back to the street in front of me, pulling the car around a corner. “They've been a lot less frequent.”

“That's good to hear.” He fell back into silence for a moment, hesitating on his next words. “When this is all over… Do you think you'll stay with them?”

My hands gripped the steering wheel as I realized the thought hadn't truly crossed my mind, having been too focused on the current situation to really think ahead.

“I… I'm not sure to be honest.”

“I think you should.” I glanced over to him, Seongho instead choosing to stare forward and avoid eye contact. “They're good people. I can see how much they all care for you, and you seem to be thriving with them. Much more than you did at home.”

“But what about you?”

“What about me? I'll be fine. Especially now that I'll know you'll be taken care of. Someone’s gotta be looking after your stubborn ass.”

I glanced at him with a soft smile and a chuckle, reaching over and taking his hand in mine with a squeeze. In that moment, the past and future didn’t matter. I had those who cared about me close, defending each other’s backs no matter what. 

With the car securely parked, we made our way to the front door together just as we had for so many years. Seongho jiggled the lock, trying to pull the door closer to him to work with the janky lock. The door finally swung open, I entered before him, switching on the lights and bringing the room to life.

Stepping into the break room, my eyes fell on the line of lockers on the far end, the one so familiar to me still with the name Siu written across the top of it. I turned to Seongho, my bottom lip jutting out in a subtle pout.

“You never took it off?”

“Of course not…” He stared forward to the locker, an emotional mask trying to hide the hurt behind his eyes. “I kept hoping you’d come back. Plus, I didn’t want any of the newbies to take it.”

I stepped forward and put in the code I remembered, swinging the door open to see it exactly as I had left it, except for a handwritten note sitting on the bottom as if it had been pushed through the vents at the top of the door.

“I slipped that in there…” Seongho spoke over my shoulder as I bent down to pick up the piece of folded paper. “Just in case you came by to clear out your locker when I wasn’t here.” 

“I’m so sorry Seongho.” With a pained groan I turned and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face into his chest. “I’m so sorry for how I left, you didn’t deserve that.” His hand settled on my back, rubbing gentle circles.

“There’s no need to be sorry, I understand.” His chin settled on the top of my head as I tried to fight off the tears of my heart shattering into a million pieces. “At least now I know what was going on, and I’ve got you back no matter what, that’s all that matters to me.”

“Stop, you're going to make me cry and this is fresh makeup.” I pulled back, playfully pushing him away by his chest and staring to the ceiling, trying to blink away the moisture building on my lash line as I fanned my face with my hands.

With a huff I reached into my purse, pulling out two small skin-toned earbuds before tucking the bag into the locker. I grabbed Seongho’s wrist, pulling his hand out and placing one into it.

“Felix gave me our earpieces, go ahead and put this in.”

“Ohhh how official.” He fumbled with it for a second, trying to get it to sit snugly in his ear before pulling his hair to the side to allow me to check it.  

“But can you hear me in it?” 

Seongho blinked for a second as my voice echoed from in front of him, to inside his ear, before giving me a nod and a thumbs up. 

“Fantastic. So let’s head out there and pretend it’s any old normal day.” As we headed out to the main room my body quickly turned on auto pilot, the strange feeling of recounting old steps quickly coming back to me. 

The mahogany gave its familiar response to my heels against the wood, the noise clear amongst the sea of empty tables. I checked each surface for the proper stocking to start the night, before pushing open the door to the VIP suite.  

I flipped the switch, bathing the room in light as I ensured all chairs were in place and ready for the two groups' arrival. I leaned against one of the chairs, surveying the room with a sigh. In such a short amount of time, negotiations would be taking place around this table. 

I left the light on behind me as I crossed back into the main room, watching Seongho assemble two shots on the bar in front of him before it was time to unlock the door.

“Don't tell Chan I'm taking a shot before this.” I said with a chuckle, grabbing the glass and clinking it against Seongho's.

“Your secret is safe with me.” 

With the doors finally open, the atmosphere within the lounge was warm, so many joyous smiles and cheers from regulars as they stepped in the door to notice me standing before them. 

I continued my routine as normal, the circling of the room, a balancing act with a tray of drinks, and conversations with our regulars as they updated me on how life had been treating them.

My muscle memory movements were halted as the door chimed, signaling an entry as I looked up. Chan was the first to come in, closely followed by Minho and Changbin. 

The three of them look crisp, and I couldn’t help freezing for just a moment. Their faces were stoic, standing tall and walking with confidence. I quickly swallowed the lump in my throat as they neared closer, trying to flash a smile as Chan came to a halt before me.

“What may I help you gentlemen out with today?” 

“We have a reservation for your VIP room” Chan let the smallest of smiles cross his cheeks before continuing “just waiting on the rest of our party.” 

“Yes, I’ll be glad to show you three back.” I promptly turned on my heels, leading them through the crowded room to the back hall before ushering them into the VIP room. 

Chan crossed to the opposite side of the table, taking his seat in the middle and letting the serious mask finally drop.

“I didn’t know you had the ability to be so polite.” Minho snickered as he crossed behind me, letting the door close behind us. 

“Oh please, not something you should be getting used to.” I gave him a side eye as I glanced over my shoulder before my gaze took on a mind of its own, scanning over his figure and only just now becoming aware of his appearance.

His clothes were a bit too perfectly tailored to his body. Dressed in strictly all black, the sleeves of his button up rolled to the elbow emphasizing the contrast of his skin as his arms crossed in front of him, his long black tie tucking behind them.

“You get a nice look? Or should I do a little turn for you?” My eyes darted to his, snapping me out of my daze as I found the smirk plastered across his face with head tilted. 

My mouth opened and closed for a moment as I tried to formulate a sentence, heat quickly growing in my ears as I felt the room closing in on me with his gaze. With a clear of the throat, I broke our eye contact as I quickly looked at Chan, choosing to ignore Minho entirely. 

“Are there any drinks or anything you’d like me to bring you guys?” Chan and Changbin both snickered as they tried to suppress their grins, eyes darting between Minho and I as they attempted to stay level.

“No, I think we’ll be alright, but thank you.” Chan smiled as he sat back in his chair, interlacing his fingers in his lap.

“Don’t think that just because I’m pretending to be on the clock means I’m not able to kick all of your asses.”

“Not with that shoulder you’re not!” Minho called out with a snicker as I quickly flipped him off before shutting the door behind me. 

Re-centering myself, I settled my skirt down and stepped back into the main room. My eyes fell on Seungmin, now tucked away in a booth in the back corner. He gave a subtle nod of acknowledgement before my feet took me on my rounds of the floor once more. 

I tried to keep my eyes from the door, a surprising level of nerves starting to settle in my stomach at the realization that Big Bang would be stepping into the building at any moment. 

Slipping over to the bar, I leaned against the counter and watched Seongho as he prepared a drink for the patron standing beside me. I turned and let my eyes scan the crowd while I waited, doing another visual check-in with Seungmin, before the guest beside me walked away with drink in hand.

“So help me god if people don’t stop ordering the most off the wall cocktails tonight..” Seongho mumbled as he tidied up his work space, leaning his hands onto the bar as he looked at me with an irritated stare.

“Oh god forbid people ask you to do your job, bartender.” I mocked with an exaggerated emphasis on his title.

“I’m about to put up a sign that says no obscure cocktails plastered directly above my head, you can’t stop me.” He flung his towel over his shoulder, attention quickly pulled to a new patron stepping up to the end of the bar.

“Excuse me, I was told to speak to a Siu in terms of a reservation.” A smile quickly spread across my cheeks as the voice came from behind me, my chest swelling before turning to see Jiyong standing behind me.

His cheeky grin in return warmed my heart, a familiar face bringing such joy after being separated by a painful stretch of time. My body moved before I had a chance to stop myself, quickly wrapping my arms around him with a squeal, all plans of acting professional promptly thrown from a window.

“Would you look at that, a dead girl walking.” Taeyang spoke from beside him, a chuckle leaving his lips as I pulled from Jiyong and gave Taeyang a swift punch to the arm.

“It's not my fault none of you thought to actually confirm if I was alive or not.” My eyes studied the men before me, my brows creasing in confusion as I counted them. “Wait… where's Seung-”

“We've got some things to catch you up to date on, Seungri being one of them. But this is not the place for that.” Jiyong's face quickly grew serious, the other three quickly avoiding my gaze. 

“Did he leave? What happened?”

“Like I said, this isn't the place to explain. We had a mission go south.”

My heart dropped into my stomach, the unexpected news feeling as though it was hitting me with the force of a fully loaded freight train. 

“We'll get you updated after tonight, okay?” His face softened as his hand rested on my arm. I swallowed the painful lump that was firmly lodged in my throat, before giving him a solemn nod in response. 

“Right, okay.” I attempted to shake off the painful feeling, squeezing my eyes shut before resuming my customer service smile. “Let me show you back to our VIP room.” 

The four followed closely behind me as I led them down the hall, giving two brief knocks to the door before poking my head in.

“They're here” 

“Ah, yes yes.” Chan ushered me in. I stepped to the side, holding the door open and beckoning the others inside. 

“Let me introduce you all” the door clicked shut behind us, my hand gesturing to each of the men standing before us. “G-Dragon, Taeyang, TOP and Daesung.” 

Chan rose from his seat, followed closely by Minho and Changbin, as he reached a hand out and shook each of their hands respectfully. 

“It's an honor to meet you all, the names Bang Chan, and these are my men Minho and Changbin.” 

“Please, now that we'll be working together I don’t see the need for our discreet names.” Jiyong was quick to brush him off, each of them properly introducing themselves with their birth names.

“It’s good to hear that you guys are already confident in the choice to work with us.” Chan smiled as he gestured to the seats in front of them, offering the others to sit.

“Well if y/n here hasn't driven you all to madness yet, clearly you’re a strong bunch.” Jiyong smiled back at me, chuckling as I returned a roll of the eyes. He turned back to Chan, a fake grimace crossing his face. “I hope she hasn’t given you all too difficult of a time.”

“She has her moments, but we’re glad to have her.”

“You guys do realize I’m still here, right?” The two leaders let out a laugh in unison, my lips pressing into a line at their immediate teaming up against me. “Right. Okay. That’s my cue to get back out to the floor. Let me know if there’s anything I can provide for you all.” 

With a subtle bow I excused myself from the room, trying to ignore the smile taking over my face, the effortless camaraderie between the two teams bringing a warmth to my heart.

Out on the main floor, things seemed to still be progressing as normal, nothing out of place and nothing out of the ordinary. Pacing the room, I continued making stops by each table, checking with each patron for any needs. I scanned around the lounge, making a mental note if I had checked in with everyone as my eyes landed on the bar.

Seongho was hunched forward, speaking to someone sitting across from him of much smaller stature. Seongho had a smile plastered across his face, the occasional laughter leaving him before looking up and making immediate eye contact with me. He motioned with his head for me to come closer, a grin as he nodded towards the gentleman in front of him. I scurried over, Seongho calling out just before I reached him and leaned onto the bar beside Hyunmin.

“Siu! Let me introduce you!” Seongho held his hand towards him. “Siu, this is Hyunmin, Hyunmin this is Siu.” Hyunmin held his hand out as he turned his head towards me, my stomach immediately dropping into my ass the moment our eyes made contact.

“Siu! What a pleasure to meet you, I’ve heard so much.” His smile stretched across his face, smug and cocky as my eyes scanned his. I should have expected this, Hyunmin didn’t exist. 

The person sat beside me was Wooyoung.

I forced a smile as I took his hand, worried that I had already let my face drop in an instant moment of panic. I had only seen his face in grainy photos, but there was no mistaking him. His tongue ran across the inside of his cheek as his smile faded into a subtle glare, the grin flashing back once turned to Seongho. 

“Took you a while to finally introduce me!” Wooyoung’s playful demeanor was quickly back,  head cocking to the side with a pouty lip. “Was starting to think you were trying to keep me a secret.” Seongho quickly shook his head, hand settling on top of Wooyoung’s.

“Not at all, Siu’s just had it a bit hectic lately and hasn’t had much time.”

“Oh I’m so sorry to hear that.” Wooyoung turned back to me with a vomit inducing excuse of fake empathy, my blood quickly starting to burn hot as I forced a smile.

“Well it was my pleasure to finally meet you Hyunmin, but I surely should be checking in with our guests. Please don’t let me intrude on you two.” I gave each of the boys a nod before stepping away from the bar, eyeing Seungmin in the back corner.

“Seongho. You’re going to listen to me very carefully.” Once toward the back hall and positive I was out of earshot, I turned on my heels and gazed back to the bar. Seongho tried to look like he was scanning the crowd, instead being a bit too obvious that he was focused on me. “Don’t look at me. As far as Hyunmin knows, I’m not speaking in your ear right now.”

Seongho smoothly broke his gaze toward me, instead giving Hyunmin a smile before collecting the glasses around him and attempting to appear busy.

“Hyunmin isn’t who he says he is.” Seongho continued a conversation with the man seated before him, his flirty smile returning in an instant as he tried to deflect. 

“Y/n. Is everything okay in there?” Minho’s voice cut through the radio quietly, right alongside the pounding of my heart in my ears.

“He’s a member of Ateez, Seongho. His name is actually Wooyoung.” I turned back to Seungmin, who’s sharp eyes cut through the crowd toward the bar in an instant. 

“Do we have eyes on anyone else?” Minho’s voice was slightly louder, clearly not trying to discreetly whisper in front of Big Bang anymore. 

“Dear patrons of Blossom!” A loud voice boomed from the doorway. My head snapped away from Seungmin, eyes quickly falling on the entrance where a dark figure in a long trench coat stood tall. Gun held firmly at his side, his head rose slowly to scan the room. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like we’ve got to close a little early today.” 

Song Mingi slowly stepped to the center of the room, brows raised in offense as he scanned through the patrons, all frozen to their seats in silence but all eyes fixed on him. In a split instant, a gunshot rang out with his gun pointed directly in the air, piercing a hole through the ceiling. “I SAID OUT!” 

The room delved into a moment of chaos as people quickly rose from their seats and ran for the exit, a sea of panic as they tried to funnel out the door to safety.

The wild card has arrived.

Next Chapter

Taglist:

@venusmoonxnight @leagreenly @moonlight-the-writer @jamlessstars @ishz @minbinboo

#stray kids mafia #stray kids #skz mafia #skz #lee know x reader #lee know enemies to lovers #bang chan #lee know #changbin #hyunjin #han #felix #seungmin #jeongin #fanfiction #stray kids freeze #lee know mafia #lee know mafia au #alternate universe #lee know fic #drunkewok #tiger inside

[worldserasingandcreatinginmymind]

Bloody Beetle | Part Three

Summary: a conversation with Harrow decides your fate

Pairing: this chapter is mostly Arthur Harrow x Reader

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: Manipulative Harrow/Lying Harrow. a LOT of artistic interpretation on Harrow’s abilities...

A/N: So sorry its been a year since I updated this story but im fully back on the Moon Knight hype right now and I actually have part four written, part five half written and the rest of this story *mostly* planned out! For the purposes of this story, lets just pretend Harrow has the ability to give people strength or make them need to sleep... As always, spelling and grammar are not my strongest skills so please be kind :)

Part Two | Series Masterlist 

- - - - -

Nothing.

The first thing you notice when you wake up is that you feel nothing. No aches, no pain, no shortness of breath. Before you fell asleep you felt so weak, you weren’t sure you would even make it thought the night. And now here you are feeling better than you did before Harrow made you ill.

You get out of bed and go straight to the door. To your surprise it opens. You half expected Harrow to have locked you in here. But then he probably thought you were still too ill to move.

This is your chance to escape.

You open the door as quietly as possible and try to remember the route back to the exit. The floorboards creak under your feet and you freeze, listening to hear if anyone is coming after you. You only hear silence so you continue.

Eventually you make it back to the communal area you had walked through yesterday, only now it is completely empty. It’s still night. Everyone must be asleep. You spot the exit ahead of you and your heart skips. This is it. You're free. Free to go to Steven.

But wait; Steven left you here.

Or did he? What if Harrow was lying? What if Steven is trapped here too?

You stare ahead at the exit, take a breath and turn away. Away from your chance at freedom.

Steven said he would find you. He promised. He wouldn’t just leave you here.

Which means he must be in trouble.

You have to find Steven.

You head back into the communal area, a huge stone walled courtyard with half crumbled arches and mismatched furniture. You pass the selection of random armchairs, all facing towards a giant screen. Past the shelves covered in various items, boxes and books. Past the tables and chairs and the small kitchen area. You reach the end of the room and as your about to start climbing up one of the sets of wooden stairs…

“You intrigue me, Y/N.” Harrows voice comes from the archway behind you. You turn around to see him step out into the light, his eyes fixed on you. “You could have left. The doors are open, there’s no one here to stop you and yet you didn’t leave. Why?”

“Did you want me to leave?”

“Oh no. Quite the opposite, I’m actually glad you decided to stay. What I do want is to know why?”

“Where’s Steven?” You ignore his question.

“Ah.” He says, nodding with understanding. “You believe he’s still here.”

“I know he’s here.”

“What makes you sure?”

“He wouldn’t abandon me.”

“No you're quite right. I can’t imagine Steven Grant would do such a thing.” He pauses. “But Marc Spector did.”

“I don’t know what you're getting at, but I already know all about Marc. Steven told me everything.”

“What exactly did he tell you?”

“The truth. He said he didn’t fully understand it himself but there’s this other person, Marc, living inside of him and that he is basically the reason Steven’s life has been falling apart. Sometimes Marc takes over the body and does things… are you saying that Marc took over and forced Steven to leave me here?”

“Let’s take a seat.” He moves over to the closest table, sitting down and gesturing for you to sit opposite him.

You stare at him for a moment, watching as he leans his cane against his chair and places his hands on the table in front of him. He looks back up at you again then back to the empty chair. You sigh as you pull out the chair and sit opposite him with your arms folded across your chest, leaning back away to create distance between the two of you.

“Steven Grant doesn’t exist.” He starts and you look at him confused. “Marc Spector created this Steven persona and ran away to England in an attempt to escape the many sins of his past. He is a very bad man Y/N, he has done some terrible things. He was a mercenary. He killed a lot of people and got in a lot of trouble. That is why he made up Steven. He pretended to be someone else just so he could hide. But it wasn’t real. His gentle personality. His job at the museum. His friendship with you-”

“No-”

“-It was all an act Y/N, and I am so very sorry to have to tell you that. Truly I am.”

“Just stop-”

“I know how much you cared for this Steven-”

“You're lying!”

“You're feeling better now, yes?”

“What?”

“You're alive, you feel no more pain. Why do you think that is?” He reaches into his pocket and pulls something out, placing on the table in the middle of you both. “He gave me this.”

It’s the scarab beetle.

“He gave me this and told me to keep it. And you.” Harrow explains, a false sympathetic look on his face. “He told me he has no use for either of you anymore.”

You can’t take your eyes off the golden beetle in front of you. Your heart sinking further and further with every second as you take in what Harrow is telling you.

“I know this is a lot to process Y/N but there is one more thing I must tell you. You are free to leave if that is what you wish-”

“Great!” You get up out your seat and start to walk away.

“But I really think you should stay.”

“Why the hell would I do that?!”

“Because if you leave you will become weak again and you will die.” He states, making you stop and turn back.

“What?! No, he gave you the scarab and now I’m okay, that was the deal.”

“An error on my part.” He stands, taking a step towards you. “I failed to mention that in order to keep you alive Ammit must restore your strength every day. Through direct contact with me.”

“You..? How?”

“A simple touch of my hand.”

You remember him last night, placing his hand on your head right before you fell asleep.

“You healed me last night?” More of a statement than a question.

“I did.” He takes another step closer to you.

“But you told me Steven had left with the scarab. Why did you lie to me?”

“I was trying to protect you, protect your feelings. I knew you weren’t strong enough for the hurt that the truth would cause.”

“And you think I’m strong enough for it now?” you scoff and he reaches his hand out to hold yours.

“You are stronger than you know Y/N.” He locks eyes with you, his bright blue eyes almost staring into your soul. “Ammit sees something special in you. That is why she’s allowing you to live.”

You shake him off, taking a step back as you gather yourself. You take a breath.

“So either I stay as a prisoner for the rest of my life or go out there and die? Are those really my only options?”

“You're not a prisoner, Y/N, there are no locked doors. No guards forcing you to stay. You could live a happy life with us.”

You think for a moment.

“Or option three; I leave, go live my own life in my own home and then I’ll just come back here every day so you can top up the life support.”

“That won’t work I’m afraid. I move around a lot from place to place, there is no way of knowing exactly where I will be from one day to the next. The safest option for you is to join me.” He pauses. “Join us.”

He raises his arms out to the side as small groups of disciples begin emerging from the doorways and shadows, all facing you. The way they’re all looking at you makes you feel uneasy.

“Just to be clear, if I agree to stay with you that does not mean I’m on your side. It’s purely self preservation, okay? I am not helping you find Ammit. I will not help you murder innocent people. Got that?” Arthur nods. “Good.”

“Good.” he echos, smiling.

“Okay. So what happens now?”

“Now, we go to Cairo.”

Part Four

Taglist : @sleepylunarwolf / @ahookedheroespureheart / @sleepyamaya / @spicydonut25 / @kult6 / @uncle-eggy / @malaanii / @toracainz / @pinkiestwinkie / @galacticstxrdust / @mateihavenoidea / @xmariakx / @oscarissac2099 / @whycantwebefriendz / @parkeepingparker

(If you want to be added/removed on the tag list please let me know, but note that I can’t reply to comments from this blog)

#moon knight #Steven Grant #Marc spector #layla el faouly #Arthur harrow #Steven Grant x reader #moon knight x reader #moon knight fanfiction #marc spector x reader #arthur harrow x reader #layla el faouly x reader #khonshu #marvel #marvel fanfic #moon knight fanfic #Ethan Hawke x reader #Oscar Isaac x reader

[runnning-outof-time]

A Bad Habit | Shelby Brothers x Reader

(Also wasn’t sure for this gif...so enjoy the Shelby bros again)

Request: yes by anonymous

Pairing: Shelby Brothers x reader-preference blurbs

Summary: How Arthur, John, and Tommy would react to their partner's habit of biting her lips when something's bothering her.

Warnings: blood, langauge, mentions of violence (typical to series)

Word Count: 2563

A/N: another one that I put myself into...as I realize that I bite my lip regardless if I’m worried or not haha. Enjoy! :)

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in stories similar to this!

———

-Arthur-

(Y/N) was sitting in the chair by the fireplace, bouncing her leg out of habit until the front door to her home opened. Her head snapped to the entryway and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Arthur who'd entered the house.

"Arthur," she said as she quickly stood from the chair to meet him halfway in the kitchen.

"There a fire or somethin', love?" he questioned with a grin, accepting the quick kiss that she gave him before he stepped back to look her up and down, "you alright?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he noticed her jittery nature.

"Yeah, yeah," she nodded her head as she took her bottom lip between her teeth and bit on it, "yeah, I'm alright."

"Then what's got you on edge?" he couldn't help but ask, turning his head slightly to show his inquisitive nature.

"I just, uh, had a rough day at work today," she said with a sigh, going back to biting her bottom lip when she finished speaking.

"You wanna talk about it?" Arthur asked then, finally removing his peaked cap and suit jacket so that he could hang them on the hooks next to the archway that connected the living room to the entryway.

"If you don't mind listening," she was hesitant to accept his offer as she placed her hand on the back of one of the dining chairs so that she'd be able to lean her weight on it.

"Not at all," Arthur smiled at her.

"I keep getting blamed for things that aren't my fault," she started, breathing out a sigh as she bit on her lip slightly, "and then I feel so underappreciated by my boss that whenever I do something, it's just kind of brushed over. And then today, Samantha pointed out that the lessons weren't fixed and everyone agreed that it was my turn to do them, but it wasn't I know it wasn't, and now my boss has got me in his sights for absolutely nothing," she finished off her rambling by biting on her bottom lip some more, her feet taking her back and forth in the same path a couple more times. "I just don't understand how they can be so rude to me over absolutely nothing. Like does it make sense to you that they would..."

"Your lip's bleeding, love," Arthur's voice cut off (Y/N)'s rambles, making her stop in her tracks and look towards her boyfriend with confusion on her features. "Your bottom lip," he gave some clarification, making her take her lip between her teeth yet again. This time, however, she noticed the metallic taste of blood.

"Shit," she muttered, as this was now another thing for her to worry about. She then moved over to the kitchen counters, where there was a rag sitting next to the sink. She wet it slightly before holding it against her lip, making sure that the bleeding would stop.

"You shouldn't let what those people say worry you so much, (Y/N)," Arthur said after a few moments of silence had passed.

(Y/N) sighed and shook her head before she removed the rag from her lips to check if the bleeding had stopped. "It's a bloody bad habit of mine," she said as she set the rag back onto the counter before turning and resting her back against it.

"A bloody bad habit for sure," Arthur cracked a joke, smiling with satisfaction when (Y/N)'s straight-faced expression melted away upon hearing his words. "And it's something those people aren't worthy of getting you to do," he continued as he stepped closer to her. "Tell ya what...we're working really hard at getting the tracks under our control, and once they are, you can quit that job of yours, yeah?" he reasoned with her, a grin on his face. "You'll have more money then all of those other teachers combined." (Y/N) couldn't help but smile as she rested her hands on top of Arthur's shoulders. "Things are gettin' better, my love," he promised her as he looked into her eyes.

"Thanks, Arthur," she smiled at him. She was unsure of what she was even thanking him for, but saying it just felt right in the moment.

"You've just gotta hold out at that place for a little longer," he continued on with his plan for her future; for their future. "Just until then we've gotta make sure that you don't get so worried about anything that you cause your lips to bleed."

(Y/N) only nodded at his statement and smiled as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. She then allowed him to take her hand and lead her over to the couch, where they sat and cuddled up by the fire. It was in his arms that the stresses of (Y/N)'s day slowly melted away

——

-John-

"Mummy, mummy! You're never gonna believe what happened to Max today!" Katie Shelby exclaimed as she ran into her home on Watery Lane.

(Y/N) and her husband, John, were both sitting at the table. She was drinking some tea and John was reading the newspaper, but when their eldest daughter ran into the house, they both sent each other a glance. "What happened?" (Y/N) asked after turning her attention to her daughter, who was now standing in the kitchen with her hands on her knees as she tried to steady her breathing. It was obvious that she’d ran all the way home.

"He...he got into a...fight with another boy...in our grade," she got out in between the panted breaths she was taking, but (Y/N) heard her message loud and clear. In a second, the older woman’s eyes were wide and her mouth was gaped.

"Where is Max, Katie?" she asked her daughter with raised eyebrows.

"He was with some boys. I told him that I was gonna come home and tell," Katie answered without a second's pause.

(Y/N) looked to John then, a glare on her face when she saw that he had his finger between his teeth; a tell-tale sign of him trying to hide his smile. John sent an innocent look to try and save face, and (Y/N) gave him the wide-eyed stare for a few more moments before turning back to Katie with a smile, "go up to your room and get started on your homework, dear," she said to the girl, who nodded and made her way to the stairs. "You're going to go find our son right now, John," (Y/N) then spoke to her husband in a tone that showed she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"He'll make his way home eventually," John still tried to brush her order off all while he kept his expression straight. He was trying so hard not to begin boasting about his oldest son getting into fights. He was able to see the torch being passed, but it was obvious that his wife wasn't too keen on the behavior, so he had to keep his excitement under wraps.

"John," she repeated, her eyebrows now raised.

Something in her expression evoked a slight tinge of fear within the Shelby man, and it made him stand from his chair and go to grab his coat from the hooks by the door. "I'll go get him," he told her as he made his way out the door.

By the time that John came back to the house with Max in tow, (Y/N) was pacing the length of the kitchen with her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. She couldn't even care about the slight amount of pain that she was feeling as a result of her worried habit; all that was on her mind at the moment was the well-being of her child.

It didn’t help when John proudly strode into the living area with Max behind him and a bright grin on his face. “Here he is with not a hair misplaced...did the Shelby name proud today,” he boasted as he moved aside so that (Y/N) could see the boy, who was cowering into himself because he knew what was coming from his mother.

(Y/N) couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief when she saw that her son was unharmed. Although she was unhappy about the fact that he’d got into a fight, she couldn’t help but feel proud that he managed to get through it unscathed. She did a surface level check of her own before she lowered herself slightly so that she was more on his level. The stern expression was back on her face as she spoke to him, “I’m very unhappy with you at the moment, young man. We are not supposed to be fighting at school. I want you to go up to your room and get started on your homework. I will be up to talk with you soon,” she told him and the boy nodded before he made his way to the stairs without saying a word.

(Y/N) stood straight again to look over at John, who had his eyebrows furrowed as he focused his gaze on her face. “What?” (Y/N) couldn’t help but ask with furrowed eyebrows.

“Is your lip bleeding?” he questioned, making her reach up to touch her lips before pulling her hand back to see that her fingers were now stained red.

She sighed and shook her head before bringing her bottom lip in between her teeth. She was able to taste the metallicity of the blood now, and it made her sigh again. “It’s a bad habit of mine. I do it without even thinking,” she said as she reached up to touch her lips again.

“You shouldn’t be doing that,” John stated in a matter-of-fact tone as he stepped closer to her, “I can’t have you damaging these precious lips,” he concluded his statement with a grin as he reached over to take her into his arms.

(Y/N) couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his second statement, a grin forming on her face as she then decided to play along with what he was proposing. “What do you reckon I do then?” she asked, her eyebrows raised slightly.

“Kiss me instead,” John answered simply, “give me a kiss every time you get worried,”

“You’ll be in store for a lot of kisses then, John...” she trailed off with a slight laugh, “there’s Shelby blood in them kids,” she reminded him, her words making his grin grow.

“Don’t think I’ll ever complain about that,” he told her, his smile widening still as he leaned in to kiss her lips.

——

-Tommy-

Tensions were high as Tommy stormed into the living quarters of 6 Watery Lane from the betting shop’s floor. He breathed a slight sigh of relief as he saw the person he was looking for. She was sitting on the couch and reading a book, completely oblivious to the storm that was making its way towards Small Heath. He wished that he could keep it that way, but she needed to know what was going on. She needed to know that there was a possibility that he could die today.

“Tommy?” her sweet voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and when he focused on her he saw that she was now looking in his direction with furrowed eyebrows.

“Come here, love,” he beckoned her over, unable to walk much further into the room because he knew that he needed to be going soon.

“What’s wrong?” (Y/N) inquired as she stood from the couch so that she’d be able to adhere to his directions. As she made her way over to him, she brought her bottom lip in between her teeth and bit on it slightly; something that she did whenever she sensed worry.

“There’s trouble comin’ into town. Kimber and his men are making their way here, and we’re outnumbered at the moment,” he began to explain to her, his hands falling onto her arms when she got in reach of him. He searched her eyes for a moment before continuing, “I don’t know what’s going to go on, but it may not be good, so I wanted to tell you before...”

“Before you get yourself killed, right?” (Y/N) filled in the blank before he was able to. Her words were spoken out of worry, and immediately her heart started racing at the thought of the worst possible thing happening to her partner. She took her bottom lip between her teeth and began biting on it again as a way to try and alleviate the anxiousness that she was feeling, but it wasn’t helping, so she kept biting harder.

“No,” Tommy shook his head slightly, “I won’t let that happen.”

“You can’t promise that,” she was quick to point out.

“I know that...” he trailed off, trying to think of a way to cover up his flawed statement; for her sake, “I’ve got a plan. Everything’s gonna be ok,” he spoke assuredly, his eyes not straying from hers.

(Y/N) couldn’t do anything other than blink rapidly in hopes to keep the tears at bay and bite on her lips in hopes that doing so would get rid of the worry that was filling up her body. “Your lip’s bleeding, love,” Tommy pointed out after a few moments had passed. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly then as he focused on her lips to make sure that he was seeing correctly.

“It’s what I do when I’m worried,” (Y/N) confirmed to him that her lip was indeed bleeding, “and I’m really, really worried right now, Tommy,” she stressed her statement as she glanced at him with widened eyes.

“There’s no need to be, (Y/N),” he again tried to put her fears to rest. “I’m going to be fine. I’m going to take down Kimber, finish this war, and then we’ll fucking celebrate, eh?” he laid out his plan, the grin on his face and his final statement doing the trick in making (Y/N) smile and laugh through her tears. His grin widened at the reaction he got from her, and he reached up then to take hold of her cheek. His thumb swiped across her bottom lip, effectively wiping away the blood that had risen from it. “Please don’t be doin’ this anymore...I don’t want your lips bein’ bloody when I come home and kiss you,” he said softly then, his eyes staying locked on his.

(Y/N) softly laughed again at his words before she brought her hand up to rest against his which was caressing her cheek. “I’ll try my best,” she told him, slightly leaning into the warmth that his hand was exuding.

“I’ve got to go,” he said after a few silent seconds.

“I’ll stay here,” she told him, mustering up the courage to continue thinking positive thoughts.

“Good,” he nodded, searching her eyes for a second, “I’ll be back soon,” he promised her, leaning in to kiss her lips before they broke their embrace so that he could leave and she could go find something to do to keep her mind off of what was about to happen.

———

Tagged: @alreadybroken-ts @magicalxdaydream @the-anxious-youth @look-at-the-soul @mrsalwayswrite @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @easilyobessedbutflighty @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole

MASTERLIST

#shelby brothers x reader #shelby brothers preferences #tommy shelby x reader #arthur shelby x reader #john shelby x reader #peaky blinders preference #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders #peaky blinders fanfiction #peaky blinders fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic

[mama-qwerty]

A Bad Idea Made Better

Okay, I'm done staring at this thing. Hopefully it came out better than I think it did, because it's bugging me for some reason.

Anyway, enjoy!

~~~~~

“You can’t be serious.”

Maddie and Callie were sitting at the counter in the ‘kitchen’ of the Sanctuary. A handful of Knuckles mingled in the various areas—the game corner, the sparring area, behind them rummaging through cupboards in search of snacks—and the moms were there in case anyone needed anything. The redhead cast a cocked eyebrow to her friend. “Tell me you’re not serious.”

Maddie shrugged. “He’s already started three fights in the last half hour,” she said, and a commotion drew their attention to another starting. “Make that four.”

Callie turned toward the noise with an annoyed sigh. “Dread, KNOCK IT OFF!”

“I be innocent as a newborn babe, lass! T’ain’t me fault that Rennie here be so easy to rile!”

“DON’T CALL ME RENNIE!”

The two continued to bicker as Callie rolled her eyes and turned back to Maddie. “And you want me to take him to my house? Why not just ship him back to No Place?”

Another shrug from the vet. “He came in today with a note pinned to his back from his crew.” She slid it toward Callie. ’Don’t let him come back until he’s less of an ass.’

The redhead snorted out a laugh. “He’d never go home, then.”

“Right?” Maddie sighed, rubbing her temple. “Look, I know it’s not ideal, but if he stays here, he’s gonna cause a multi-versal brawl. Just . . . take him for an hour. Two at most.”

“Have you forgotten I have my own gremlin at home? You think I can handle two of them?”

Maddie sat up straighter, clapping a hand on Callie’s shoulder. “I have the utmost faith in you, Madam MacPherson. Keeper of the Gremlins. Controller of the Most Troublesome.”

Callie heaved a defeated sigh. “Fine. I’ll take him. But if, no WHEN, this blows up in my face, you owe me.”

“I’ll make you a batch of my incredibly tantalizing lasagna. With extra ricotta.”

The redhead hissed in a breath. “Oh, you temptress.”

“I may even make it for you anyway. I know this is a big ask.”

“Yeah, but you’re right,” Callie said, glancing over to where Dread and Ren were starting to throw hands. “He’s in rare form today. Maybe a change of scenery will help.”

“Thanks, Cal.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She pushed herself away from the counter, clapping her hands as she walked closer to the two fighting echidna. “Break it up, boys! Dread, you’re coming with me. We’re going on a field trip.”

~X~X~X~

Silver sat on the couch with Eclipse, trying to catch up in Mario Kart. He’d gotten better over the last few months, but still had trouble with curves.

“I’m so gonna beat you!” the darkling laughed as he maneuvered his way around the track. “You’re so slow.”

The hedgehog didn’t answer. He focused on his car, moving his thumbs over the controls to try and gain some ground.

He’d just started the second lap when the portal that led to the Sanctuary opened. He didn’t quite understand everything about this magic place his mom went to. Something about it being another dimension, one that didn’t follow the normal rules of time. She would go through, and then come back a few seconds later, even though she would say she’d been there for a long time.

Silver kinda wanted to see what this place was like. Mom said there were a lot of different Knuckles there—like that one Spiderman movie with all the different versions—and they have fun sometimes, but sometimes there are fights, or it’s sad and she helps them not be sad. He didn’t doubt that—his mom was really good at helping people feel better.

He normally didn’t pay a whole lot of attention when she came back, but today she wasn’t alone. The portal opened in the archway between the living room and kitchen, and she walked out as usual, but someone followed. He looked a lot like the Knuckles they knew, but he was dressed in funny clothes.

He looked like a pirate!

“Cool!” Silver gasped, dropping his controller and rushing over to where his mom and this new Knuckles stood. “Hi! You look so cool!”

The echidna startled, his hand going to the hilt of his sword, when Callie reached down to grab his wrist.

“No swordplay,” she said, her voice stern. The Knuckles flicked his eyes to her, then back to Silver, a look of confusion on his muzzle. “These are my boys. My sons. Silver the Hedgehog, and Eclipse the Darkling.”

Silver gave a little wave at his name, and he heard Eclipse pause the game and wander over.

“Who’s that?” the darkling asked, crossing his arms. “Why’s he dressed so weird?”

“Eclipse, don’t be rude,” Callie sighed, and a frown passed over the echidna’s face.

“I be the legendary captain Knuckles the Dread.” He raised his hand in a flourish as he flashed a smile, the light shining off his gold tooth. “The strongest, most dangerous pirate on the seven seas of No Place.”

Silver’s ears flicked back slightly. A pirate? Weren’t pirates mean? His mom wouldn’t bring a mean pirate home, would she?

Beside him, Eclipse’s body language changed, and he wore an excited smile.

“A pirate??” he exclaimed, moving forward and bouncing on the balls of his feet. “That’s so cool! Do you attack other pirates? Do you swing on ropes around your ship? Do you have sword fights?” He gasped. “Can I see your sword??”

“Eclipse, pull it back, kiddo,” Callie said, moving to push the darkling back a little. “Dread is here as a guest for a few hours today. You will both be polite and not crowd him, or ask all sorts of nosy questions.”

“Nonsense!” the pirate cried, moving forward to pat Eclipse on the shoulder. “They be curious ‘bout the life and adventures of such a far-traveled pirate! Ye can’t begrudge them a few tales, can ye, lass?”

“Yeah, Mom!” Eclipse said, trying his best to give her puppy dog eyes. “C’mon! I wanna hear some pirate stories from a real life pirate!”

Silver flicked his eyes back and forth between his brother, the echidna, and his mom. She seemed pretty calm. If Dread was dangerous, he theorized, she wouldn’t have brought him here in the first place, and would be much more protective. He relaxed some, his ears returning to a more upright position.

Pirate stories did sound pretty cool.

“Did you ever find treasure?” he asked, and Dread smiled wide.

“Oh, lad,” he said, throwing an arm around each boy and bringing them close. “Ye have no idea.”

~X~X~X~

Dread was in his element. He stood before the boys, telling tales of his greatest adventures, gesturing and miming his actions as he spoke. They were enthralled—eyes wide and cheering in just the right places.

He flicked his eyes over to Callie, and the lass sat to the side, a small smile on her lips. She shook her head slightly occasionally. Okay, maybe he was . . . embellishing a bit. Just a bit. Just enough to keep the boys’ attention.

This felt good. Felt right. Having all eyes on him, admiring his feats. No one at the Sanctuary gave him this much attention. Not without ridiculing him, or doubting every word he said. There he felt as though he were constantly being judged, constantly dismissed. Tolerated at best.

But here? He felt welcomed. Valued. Appreciated.

And it made a warmth spread in his chest. It was a feeling he’d never really experienced before, and he liked it. He liked it a lot.

Yessir, this was a nice change of pace.

~X~X~X~

Callie gave a little eye roll as Dread continued his tales. She’d heard most of these before—Dread wasn’t shy about telling others of his deeds—but the details seemed to be a bit . . . stretchy. There were more foes than she remembered, the kraken was much bigger, (oh, and now there were two), and some of the timelines didn’t seem to add up.

But, whatever. He was having fun, no one was fighting, and the boys seemed completely spellbound by his stories. She was checking this as a win.

~X~X~X~

Eclipse leaned closer as Dread spoke of monsters and battles, treasure and triumph. He was so cool! Not like the Knuckles they knew. Knuckles Wachowski may have been the most dangerous warrior in the galaxy at one time, but now he was more interested in gardening and doing yoga. Always talking about how ‘fighting is only a last resort’ and ‘live a life of virtue’ and blah blah blah.

What a load of bunk. Eclipse was a weapon. A soldier built specifically to fight and win. Sure, he liked not having to fight now, and living with his mom and brother was a lot better than his life on the Black Comet, but that didn’t mean he was some weak pushover! Dread’s life sounded so fun!

The pirate finished up another story, and Eclipse cheered.

“That was awesome! I wanna be a pirate! Mom, can I be a pirate like Dread?”

“’Course ye can, lad!” Dread answered before Callie could open her mouth. “In fact, both ye and yer brother here c’n be honorary members of me crew!”

The two boys moved in sync, hopping to their feet and flashing him a salute. “Aye, aye, Captain!”

“Okay, let’s not get carried away,” Callie said, just as her phone rang. She pulled it from her back pocket, giving it a tap to answer. “Hello? Linda? What’s wrong?”

Eclipse sighed, rolling his eyes. Linda was one of the other ladies who worked at the library. She was nice and all, but kinda boring. She always seemed nervous around him. He didn’t know why—he’d only almost bit her that one time. Almost. Hardly something to hold a grudge about, really.

“Is he okay? Good. Come in? Oh, I can’t, I have . . .” She glanced at Dread. “Company. From out of town. Call Karen and see if she can . . . oh she can’t?” She sighed. “Okay. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

She hung up and turned to the three by the couch. “I have to head into work. Linda’s son broke his arm and they’ve gotta run him to the hospital.”

“Oh,” Silver said, his ears flicked back. “Is Jake okay?”

“Yeah, he’ll be fine. Just needs his arm set.” She chewed her lip slightly, her eyes on the echidna. “Dread, can I talk to you for a sec?”

“’Course, lass.”

He followed her to the kitchen, just as Eclipse turned to Silver.

“Remember when I said Knuckles wasn’t cool?” Silver nodded. “I take it back. This one is soooo cooool.”

~X~X~X~

Callie led Dread into the kitchen, around the island to speak quietly with him.

“I’ve gotta head into work, and can’t take the boys with me.” She paused, pulling her lips tight. These next words out of her mouth were really gonna hurt. “I need to know I can trust you to watch over them for an hour.”

Her voice was soft, but firm, her eyes locked with his. She didn’t want to do this. This wasn’t an ideal scenario. On any other day, she would have simply closed the library for emergency reasons, but there was a book club meeting there in 20 minutes and she couldn’t leave them in the lurch.

Dread looked back, a little scowl on his face.

“Lass, ye offend me,” he said, crossing his arms. “When have I ever shown meself as untrustworthy?”

She gave him a look. One that essentially said ‘Do you want that answer alphabetically, or in order of importance?’

He seemed to catch her meaning, and dropped the scowl with a guilty smile.

“Aye, that be a bit of bad phrasing on my part,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. He stood straighter, bringing his fist to his chest. “I give ye me word, lass. I’ll guard them with me life.”

A little smirk curled her lip, and she gave a slight chuckle. “Not sure that will be necessary, but I appreciate the thought.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a little squeeze. “God forgive me for what I’m about to say, but . . .”

She took a breath, pulling her lips tight.

“Dread, you’re in charge.”

~X~X~X~

Silver sat at the kitchen table, watching Eclipse and Dread rummage through the fridge. There were plenty of leftovers, and before his mom left she said they could have what they wanted if they were hungry.

“Blimey!” Dread had exclaimed when Eclipse opened the fridge door. He reached his hand inside with an expression of wonder. “It be colder than a witch’s—” He caught himself, flicking his eyes to the boys before clearing his throat. “I mean, heh, it be mighty cold in this cupboard.”

“It helps keep food fresh,” the hedgehog said as he moved closer to pull out some leftover macaroni and cheese. “The cold makes sure it doesn’t spoil as fast.”

“Bloomin’ brilliant,” the pirate muttered as he peered into the shelves.

Eclipse piled leftover spaghetti on his plate, shoving a forkful into his mouth before crinkling his nose. “Ugh, too cold.”

“I’ll warm it up,” Silver said, priming his power to move the plate to the microwave. Eclipse balked, waving him away as he carried the plate over himself.

“I can do it!”

“Mom says you’re not allowed to use the microwave. Not after what happened last time.”

Eclipse waved a dismissive hand, uttering an annoyed ‘tch’. “Mom’s not here, is she? And that was weeks ago. Ancient history.”

The darkling popped the plate into the microwave and pressed a few buttons. The machine hummed to life, but shortly thereafter it began to spark and issue loud snaps. Silver gasped.

“You forgot to take your fork off the plate again!”

“You distracted me!”

“Get it out!”

“I will, don’t rush me!”

Eclipse turned to reach for the microwave door, when Dread jumped in front of him, pushing the boy back and drawing his sword.

“Watch yerself, lad! That be dangerous!”

And with that, the pirate swung his sword, slashing the microwave and cleaving it in two. It fell to the counter with a mighty crash.

Silver’s eyes went wide. Oh. Ohhh no.

“You killed our microwave!” he yelled, his hands pressed to this cheeks. This was so bad. “Mom’s gonna kill us!”

Dread looked confused, snapping his head back and forth from Silver to the now greatly deceased machine. “I thought . . . it be sparkin’ like a lightning storm, and I didn’t . . .”

The cats’ automatic feeder kicked in then, startling Dread, who spun and hurled his sword toward the new sound. It struck the feeder, splitting the side and spilling dry food all over the floor. Much to Bloom’s delight.

Silver shrieked. “Stop breaking things!”

“It ain’t me fault!” Dread cried back, hurrying over to pull his sword free.

“What are we gonna do??” Silver cried, wringing one of his long head spikes. “Mom’s gonna be so mad when she sees this!”

“Calm down, we’ll just . . . fix it,” Eclipse shrugged, poking at the pieces of microwave littering the counter. “Think Tails could come over?”

Silver shook his head. “Tails can’t fix that! It’s destroyed!”

“Then we’ll just get a new one!” the darkling yelled, throwing his arms over his head. “How much could they cost? $20?”

“Do you have $20?”

“No!”

“THEN HOW ARE WE GONNA BUY A NEW ONE??”

“I DON’T HEAR ANY IDEAS FROM YOU!!”

“QUIET!!”

Dread’s shout snapped the two out of their argument, and they turned to him. He sheathed his sword, walking toward them with a contemplative expression.

“Yellin’ and fussin’ ain’t gonna solve nothin’,” he said, stopping with his hands on his hips. “We need a plan. Be there any shops in town that carry those warming box things?”

The boys exchanged a glance, and Silver nodded. “Charlie’s should. They have a bunch of stuff like fridges and washing machines and stuff.”

The echidna nodded. “Then we go to this Charlie’s and see what we can do to get a new one.”

“But we don’t have any money.”

Dread smiled, in a smirky, confident kind of way. “Ye leave that to me.”

~X~X~X~

Ten minutes later and they were walking into town. Most of the townspeople didn’t really bat an eye at them, but Dread’s outfit drew some double takes. Eclipse supposed they weren’t expecting to see the red echidna they were used to dressed up like a pirate.

“What’s it like being a pirate?” the darkling asked. All of Dread’s stories sounded so fun. “Is it hard?”

“Oh, the pirate life be full of danger and adventure,” Dread said, a fond smile on his face. “Sometimes more danger than adventure, and there be plenty o’ times I nearly got me head handed t’ me, but it be the only life I know.”

“Don’t you have to . . . hurt people, if you’re a pirate?”

Eclipse flicked his eyes to his brother. Part of him wanted to feel annoyed at the hedgehog’s sensitivity to things like this, but another part fully understood Silver’s point of view. The world Silver came from was hard and violent and scary. Not something he wanted to relive.

Dread seemed to sense the boy’s mood, and he curled an arm around Silver’s shoulders to pull him close.

“Aye, sometimes there be no avoidin’ a battle,” he said, his voice soft. “Sometimes fighting be all we can do to keep ourselves safe. We try not to seek out fights, but we deal with ‘em if they come to us.”

Silver seemed to think about this. “So you’re . . . defending yourselves.”

Dread nodded, that smirk on his face again. “Aye. We defend ourselves and what be ours.”

“I guess that’s okay.”

“It’s not just okay, it sounds awesome!” Eclipse said, moving to walk backward in front of them. “Think you could teach me to sword fight? Man, I wanna come to your world and fight a kraken! I bet I could take it!”

The echidna cocked an eyebrow at the boy. “Do ye even know what a kraken be?”

Eclipse felt his muzzle warm. “I dunno. Like a big turtle?”

“’Fraid not, me lad,” Dread said with a chuckle. “It be a giant leviathan from the depths of the ocean. A creature longer than most ships and bearin’ a grudge against anything that breathes the air. It wraps its thick tentacles ‘round yer boat and drags it below the waves, to drown everyone aboard and eat them at its leisure.”

A beat of silence. “I could still take it.”

Dread barked out a loud laugh. “I bet ye could, lad. I bet ye could. Ye have the soul of a pirate, ye do, with the bravery to match.” He leaned a bit closer, dropping his voice. “Though don’t tell yer mum I said such a thing. She’d box me ears somethin’ good.”

Eclipse nodded with a smile. He wasn’t exactly sure what ‘box me ears’ meant, but he got the gist of it. His mom could get a little scary when angry. And a little over protective when it came to him and Silver. If she found out Dread was encouraging any dangerous or risky behavior, he’d be on the receiving end of that anger.

And even a seasoned pirate didn’t want to face her wrath.

“There’s Charlie’s,” Silver said, pointing across the street.

Dread nodded. “Aye. Let’s get what we came for.”

~X~X~X~

The building was larger than any shop Dread had ever been in. It held many different machines, and he could only guess what they were made for. Since they were designed for humans, most were larger than him. This world made him feel so much smaller than his own. It was unnerving.

He let the boys take the lead, since this was their world, and they were more comfortable navigating it. He still kept a sharp eye and ear on their surroundings—he’d promised the lass he would care for them, and come hell or high water, he would. They would not be harmed under his watch.

“Over here,” Silver called as he headed down an aisle. Dread followed, and they soon found themselves before a row of boxes with a picture of a microwave on the front. “This one looks like ours.”

“Aye.”

Dread stepped forward, and pulled the box off the shelf. It was heavier than he expected, but nothing his strength couldn’t handle. He hoisted it over his head, turning to the boys.

“Now what?” Eclipse asked.

The echidna paused. He was at war with himself.

Part of him wanted to do this the right way. Callie had trusted him, and he wanted so badly to make her proud, to do right and prove her trust in him was well placed. That part said to go to the owners of the shop, discuss terms, and see if there was some deal they could make. He had some gold in his jacket pocket, but he didn’t know how it compared to the currency of this world.

“What be the price on this?”

Silver looked at a little tag on the shelf. His ears flicked backwards. “Two hundred dollars.”

Eclipse grimaced. “That’s . . . a lot more than $20.”

Dread gave a little hum as he thought. He had no idea what a ‘dollar’ was, but he didn’t have that many gold pieces on him. He supposed he could have gone back to No Place to get more, but honestly, that was a lot of hassle, and he was getting impatient. He didn’t know when Callie would return home, and wanted this solved quickly.

And the other part of him, the part that told him all that ‘do the right thing’ stuff was a load of bollocks, slowly got louder.

It looked like there was only one solution.

“Ye know, this Charlie be pretty selfish to keep all these to himself,” he said, keeping his voice casual. “Look how many be on the shelf. He won’t miss one.”

Silver turned to him, eyes wide. “What do you mean? Are you saying we should . . .” His voice dropped low, and he looked around. “Steal it??”

“It all be a matter of perspective, lad. If ye were really hungry, would ye steal a loaf of bread?”

The boys exchanged a glance. Eclipse shrugged.

“I guess,” Silver said, pulling his head spike around to squeeze and twist. “But this isn’t the same, is it? You can’t eat a microwave.”

“Nay, but ye can make food in the thing.” He shrugged. “It be a gray area.”

The hedgehog continued to worry at his head spike, and now pulled his lip in to chew on. Dread flicked his eyes to Eclipse, who seemed less bothered with the whole situation. “Ye understand, don’t ye, lad?”

Eclipse seemed to consider things for a moment, before turning to his brother.

“C’mon Silver,” the darkling said, his voice tinged with annoyance. “It’s not like he’s even gonna notice it missing.”

“Can I help you kids?”

The three froze, and slowly turned to see an older man standing at the end of the aisle. His eyes flicked up to the microwave over Dread’s head, and the echidna’s pirate instincts kicked in.

“RUN FOR IT, LADS!”

And without bothering to check on the boys, Dread sprinted toward the front door.

~X~X~X~

Eclipse’s tail went rigid when Dread took off. He left them?? He was this cool pirate and he left them??

Snapping his head back around, he saw the look on Mr. Charlie’s face. First he was confused, then shocked. Then he was mad.

Oh. Oh no.

“It’s not what you think!” Silver was saying, his hands held out in front of him. Eclipse lunged forward to grab his brother’s wrist, before teleporting them back to the front of the store.

~X~X~X~

The door was in sight. Dread ran for it, holding his prize high above his head. All he had to do was get through that door, and he’d be good as gold.

Right now he wasn’t thinking about Callie. He wasn’t thinking about the two boys he left back in that aisle. He was running on ‘pirate brain’, consumed with winning and doing what he wanted, what he needed, to get his mission accomplished.

And that’s when he was hit in the middle by a screeching darkling.

“You’re gonna get me in trouble!” Eclipse yelled as he wrestled with Dread. The microwave went flying, and the echidna was surprised at the strength and agility the boy possessed. He tried to grab him to pull him off, but the darkling was too quick.

“Get off me!” he bellowed, right before he suddenly realized he couldn’t move. Glancing to his left, he found Silver with his hands extended out. A strange cyan glow surrounded them, the same glow that held him and the microwave captive. “By Neptune’s beard . . .”

“I’m sorry!” Silver said, his voice shaky and high-pitched. “I’m sorry but you can’t steal!”

Dread tried to break free from this strange hold, but his muscles would not obey him. It was as if he were completely frozen. Paralyzed. He struggled for another moment, before uttering a frustrated growl and giving up.

“Aye, lad,” he said with a sigh. “Ye got me. I surrender.”

~X~X~X~

Callie sat at the red light, lips pulled tight and feeling like the top of her head was about to explode.

Dread sat beside her, in the passenger seat, and he kept his gaze out the window. Her boys were in the back seat, and the microwave she apparently had to buy because the one at her house had met with an unfortunate fate was tucked in the cargo area of her Subaru.

No one said anything. She wasn’t sure she would have been able to speak anyway, considering how angry she was. At least not without a lot of colorful words sprinkled into the mix.

When she got the call to come to Charlie’s, she’d just seen the last of the book club out and was about to lock up anyway. Good thing. Because apparently the supposed adult she put in charge of her children had thought it a good idea to take them to be accomplices to attempted larceny.

At least Charlie had been understanding. Well, as understanding as he could be in such a strange situation. Trying to explain to him that this was a Knuckles, but not the Knuckles he was familiar with had taken a few tries. But when it suddenly clicked—”Like that Spiderman movie?”—he’d been much more willing to just let everything go.

Which was more than she was willing to do.

The light turned green and she pulled away. The ride to her house was a quiet one. She flicked her eyes to the rearview mirror, and saw two guilty looking kids in the back. Well, one guilty, and one pretty pissed kid. Eclipse kept shooting Dread dirty looks. He’d really been enthralled by the pirate, and when Dread essentially ditched them in favor of saving his own skin, it apparently left a sour taste in the darkling’s mouth. She didn’t blame him, really.

And she honestly wasn’t mad at them. They had done the right thing in the end and stopped Dread from running out with the microwave. That made her pretty proud, actually.

She pulled into her driveway, killing the engine and turning in her seat to talk to her boys.

“You two head on inside. We’ll be in in a minute.”

They nodded quickly, and hurried into the house. Callie turned to Dread, a finger tapping on the steering wheel.

“An hour. I was barely gone for one freaking hour.”

Dread said nothing, his back still turned to her.

“I trusted you.”

A beat of silence. “Aye. I know.”

She sighed, sitting back in her seat, tilting her head back against the rest. “Suppose it’s not your fault. You are how you are. I knew that and trusted you anyway.”

Now he turned, his lip curled in a snarl. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What do you think it means?” she asked, turning to him with her own snarl. “You’re a pirate! Knuckles the Dread! I should’ve known you’d do something to try and warp my kids’ minds to your pirate ways.”

His snarl became more pronounced. “I did nothing to those lads. I would not hurt them.”

“No, instead you dragged them off to shoplift a microwave!”

“There be a problem, and I found a solution!”

“A problem YOU caused!”

“It weren’t me fault! I was tryin’ to make ye proud!”

Callie uttered a sharp laugh, her temper flaring. “Proud?? For making my boys accomplices to your crime?? I trusted you! THEY trusted you! Do you realize just how badly you messed up? Those boys come from really bad childhoods! They were both used and abused by someone they trusted, someone who should have taken care of them. They—”

“SO WAS I!” he shouted, his hands curled into fists. “Ye don’t know anything about me childhood. I be a child of five when taken by a cruel man. He . . . his crew . . . they did the most awful things to me. I be just a child and they hurt me. Tortured me. I had to turn into this to survive.”

Callie quieted, and just stared at him. She didn’t know that. She didn’t really know anything about his childhood. He had always acted like being a pirate was the only thing he’d ever wanted. But, now that she thought about it, he’d always said it was the only thing he’d ever known. That was different, wasn’t it?

“Yer boys be good lads,” he said, some of the anger fading from his tone. “And aye, I admit it made me feel good to see them look up to me. To see their excitement when I told me tales.” He sighed, sitting back in his seat. “And ye be right. I could’ve done things diff’rently. Seen if I had enough gold on me to cover the cost. But instead I let me pirate instincts kick in and caused ye all this trouble.”

Silence descended over them, and Callie’s anger dissipated. She saw Dread in a different light now, and recognized the hurt little boy he used to be. Yes, he was a gremlin. Yes, he caused trouble and poked at the others and started fights. Yes, he seemed to behave in ways that were almost self-destructive.

But she’d seen that before, hadn’t she? When Eclipse first came, he’d acted out very similarly before he acclimated to the family. (And honestly, even now he could devolve into gremlin mode every now and then.) It was all a cover for the hurt he still carried. The pain from a life of abuse.

And sometimes that pain caused anger, and selfishness, and violence born of fear. Fear of being loved. Fear of being hurt again.

She could have kicked herself. Dread was suffering from the same trauma her own children were. And she’d never seen it.

“Those pirate instincts are what kept you alive,” she said, her voice softer.

Dread stared at his feet. “Don’t make what I did right.”

“No, it doesn’t.” She quieted. “Dread, I didn’t know.”

He shrugged, letting out a tired sigh. “I didn’t want ye to. Didn’t want anyone to. Me childhood be something I try to forget. Try to ignore. Pretend it happened to someone else. ‘Cause if I think about it, remember it, it would drive me mad.”

A quiet moment passed. The familiarity of his past trauma was almost funny. She seemed to attract the aliens with the abusive childhoods, while the Wachowskis attracted the ones with the abandonment issues.

Considering her own past, she supposed it was a case of like attracting like, only on a much more universal scale.

Callie reached over to cup his muzzle and turn his face back toward her.

“Our pasts hurt us whether we want to remember them or not,” she said, a sad smile on her lips. “My boys . . . they remember their pasts. Still have nightmares about them. I can’t change their past, or take those memories away. But what I can do, is try really hard to make sure their present has as much love and happiness as I can possibly give them.”

He stared at her, and his eyes grew shiny.

“They be lucky to have ye,” he whispered.

Callie’s heart nearly broke in half. For all his bravado, all his boasting and confidence and arrogance, Dread was still a lost little boy, trying to find someone who would love him.

“Ya know,” she said, rubbing her thumb over his muzzle, where a tear may or may not have fallen. “The boys seem to be under this really weird impression that you’re cool. So, I guess, if you wanted to, you could hang out here whenever you wanted.” She gave him a more stern look. “So long as you keep the crime sprees to an absolute minimum. Like zero.”

His eyes grew wide. “Ye . . . ye still want me around?”

She shrugged. “What kind of person would I be if I let a little thing like microwave destruction and attempted theft push away someone whom I consider one of my best friends?”

He froze. “B-best . . . ?”

“One of,” she said, keeping her voice light. “In the top five. It varies. Sometimes minute-by-minute.”

Dread stared at her for another moment, before a smile spread across his muzzle. “Ye be an angel, lass,” he said, and he blinked quickly to hide his tears. “An absolute angel made flesh.”

Callie wrinkled her nose, uttering a little grunt. “Ugh, don’t get all mushy and make this weird. C’mere.”

She pulled him to her, and took his hat off to rest their foreheads together.

“You ever need anything,” she said, her voice soft, “you come to me. Understand? You ever feel like you’re gonna explode if you don’t talk about something, or if your past is poking at you more than usual, or just need someone to be there, you come to me. Anytime. No judgment. My home is your home now. And you are part of my family. Don’t argue with me, just accept it.”

At first Dread didn’t seem like he knew what to do, how to feel. But after a moment he relaxed against her, and brought his hand up to cup the back of her neck to hold her to him more firmly.

“Aye,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “It be an honor to join your family.”

They sat like that for a moment, before pulling away. Callie gave him a little smirk, and dropped his hat back in place as she turned for her door.

“C’mon. Let’s get the new microwave in and then you need to have a little chat with a couple of boys.”

“Aye. Yes, ma’am.”

~X~X~X~

Eclipse sat on the couch with Silver. He crossed his arms, trying not to look at the stupid pirate standing before them.

His mom seemed to have forgiven Dread. They’d sat out in the car for a while after getting home and he’d watched through the window. They seemed like they were yelling for a bit, which was good because he wanted Dread to get into trouble. He was supposed to be this cool guy, this much cooler version of the Knuckles they knew. But instead he was just some jerk who ran off to let him and Silver get in trouble for something that was his idea.

Dread stood with his hands behind his back, a serious expression on his face. After standing quietly for a moment, he coughed into his fist before speaking.

“Yargh, I suppose an apology be in order for the way I behaved back in the shop.”

“You ditched us!” Eclipse snapped, his muzzle curled in a snarl. “You were gonna leave us to get into trouble!”

“Aye. I did.”

“The Knuckles we know wouldn’t do that,” Silver said, crossing his own arms. He wasn’t as angry as Eclipse, but wasn’t overly happy with Dread, either. “He’s a good friend and always does what he thinks is right.”

Dread shrugged. “I ain’t him.”

“No kidding,” Eclipse asked, jumping off the couch to get in Dread’s face. His arm spikes flared, tail flicking in angry whips. “I thought you were cool. You told such awesome stories. But you’re just a jerk and all those stories are probably lies, too!”

The echidna kept his composure, but a little smirk curled the corner of his lips. “Oh lad, they all be true. They be the more tame stories. There be many others, some would give ye nightmares for a week.”

Eclipse paused. More stories? With more danger?

He narrowed his eyes, casting a suspicious glance at the pirate. “Like what?”

A grin split Dread’s lips, and he tossed a glance over his shoulder. Callie was distracted in the kitchen, cleaning the messes from the old microwave and split cat feeder. The echidna turned back, leaning forward and speaking in a low, conspirator-like whisper.

“Like the time I single-handedly took down two pirate ships, while in the middle of a monsoon, and a kraken decided to have me for its lunch!”

Eclipse’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

“May lightning strike me down if I be lyin’.”

Silver took a moment to look to the skies outside, while Eclipse grabbed Dread’s wrist. He dragged the pirate behind him, heading for the kitchen door.

“We’re going outside, just to play and not to hear any more pirate stories that may be too scary for Silver!” he said, barely putting space between his words.

“Hey!” Silver whined, hurrying out after them. “I’m not scared!”

~X~X~X~

Callie smiled as she watched her boys through the window. Silver and Eclipse sat on the deck, watching as Dread gestured and mimed and told his grand—and in no way embellished—stories of his life as a pirate.

An eventful day, but everything worked out.

Her boys were happy. Dread was happy. She was happy.

Yep. She’ll call that a win.

#sonic fanfiction #sonic the hedgehog fanfiction #knucklesverse #knuckles the dread #eclipse the darkling #silver the hedgehog #callie macpherson #maddie wachowski

[samblackblog]

7. Tempest

⎔ MASTERLIST ⎔ REQUESTS ⎔ TWILIGHT ⎔ BOUNDARIES ⎔

Word Count: 6.5k

Warnings: angst, anger/fighting, kind of smutty but not really, slow burn

A/N: How long has it been? Honestly no clue. Thank you so much for the continued support, even in my absence. I don't want to make excuses for the lack of updates but, this story is far from over and I will be updating more regularly. I'm recently out of hospital after losing all mobility so I'm relearning to use my hands so typing is hard, due to this updates will be slow (although faster compared to the wait between this chapter and the previous!) There are likely to be grammatical errors to due to this. I've tried correcting them all - bare with me.

also couldn't decide on a GIF, send me a better one and I'll replace it but maybe also might give another reward.

I've created a TAGLIST add your name if you wish to get updates

← Chapter 6 ▪️ Chapter 8→

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His answer echoes through every corner of your brain, exciting your heart once again, as you walk hand in hand to the edge of the forest and stare out at the house. The feeling lasted but fleetingly as dread overwhelmed the senses. Paul staying for dinner would mean meeting the parents and you’re not entirely sure you’re mentally prepared for the event. Infact, you’re not sure you ever would be. A squeeze to your hand brings your attention back to the present moment. 

“I think I can handle parents” he teases with a second reassuring squeeze of the hand. You stare up at him, confusement present on your features. 

“How did you know I was thinking-”

“Call it an educated guess,” he laughs as light twinkles in his eye. “Besides, I wouldn’t have said yes if I wasn’t prepared for the inevitability of meeting family.” 

“At least one of us is prepared” you joke, exhaling deeply. Before another word could be spoken you started towards the house, giving him a small tug on the arm to follow so you couldn’t talk yourself out of it. Quick like a plaster was your mantra as you marched through the quagmire that had developed in the afternoon rain. Only briefly do you brace yourself for the onslaught of questions and then begrudgingly drag your feet up the stairs of the back porch. Relief washes over you at the sight of the empty kitchen as you push through the back door of the house, but it is short-lived as your mother makes an appearance in the archway that connects to the living room. 

“Thought I heard someone” she sounds cheery as she moves to give you a hug. She gives a tight squeeze and then takes your face in her hands and looks deep into your eyes “how are you feeling sweetie?” She continues to inspect your face, for any clues as to what's going on in your mind. 

“I’m good mum” you take her hands in yours and remove them from your face to give her a sweet smile. She accepts your answer, content that everything seemed well as she busies herself with the kettle on the stove as it starts to whistle. “In fact, I was wondering if perhaps… well, it’s just that…” the words start to stick in your throat as you realise this was the first time you were bringing a guy home. “Is it okay if I have a friend over to eat?”

“Honey, you know it is-”

“We don't even have to eat them.” Frank’s voice takes you by surprise as you turn to see him in the archway, his arms folded as he winks at you. 

“Frank!” Your mother scolds, earning a chuckle from him. “Is it Sarah?” Your mother looks up from pouring the boiling kettle water into her mug as she asks the question. 

“More likely to be the man who’s loitering outback” once again Frank surprises you as your mother’s face screws up into a questioning stare. You start to open your mouth to question him but Frank once again beats you to it “Who is the young man then?”. He’s got his official tough guy voice on, the one you’ve only heard a handful of times when he’s answered a work call. “Wouldn’t be the same one that brought you home unwell and drugged up from that party?” Your mother’s mouth drops open as you completely ignore Frank’s questioning and rush to the door as a feeling of loneliness spreads through your chest. Paul’s back disappears into the treeline you both had emerged from only minutes ago. The emptiness that engulfs you rips through painfully as it threatens never to be replaced by joy or happiness again. It commands your feet to run, splashing muddy water at your body as you slog through the mire. The shouts of Frank from the porch are nothing but white noise as the panic rises through you, cascading through your body in waves of numbness. 

“Don’t go!” you try to shout but it comes out as a croaky whisper. “Don’t go!” you find your voice and start yelling at the top of your lungs as you come to halt in the growing darkness of the forest. “Paul?” you cry out, desperate for his presence to return. The darkness inside is swallowing you whole, not even the rustle of the bushes and the pounding of feet is enough to drag you from its depths and make you run. Instead you watch, numb and unmoving as a beast charges you.  

You wake sitting bolt upright. Sweat beading across your forehead and running in rivulets down your temple. Hair sticks to the dampness created by the all to vivid dream. Your eyes scour your room searching for that beast in the morning light that creeps through the drawn curtains. After a few minutes you calm yourself and lay back down in the damp sheets, thinking over the events of the dream. Being in the forest, alone with Paul, the steamy kiss that felt so real you could almost feel it lingering on your lips; the echo of a ghost. You lay for a while trying to fall back asleep but feeling too deeply distracted. In a mood you force yourself up from bed, pulling yesterday’s clothes on which had been discarded in a heap on the floor. You make your way downstairs to grab some breakfast, knowing you should eat but finding the contents of the cupboard totally uninspiring so settle for a coffee. You lean against the kitchen counters sipping the hot brown liquid trying your hardest to fight the urge to get in the car and drive back to the reservation.

“What would you say you idiot?” You muse aloud, trying to convince yourself not to do it. “‘Oh, I’m back because I can’t stop thinking about you and a steamy kiss that never happened.’ no, I can’t…” you laugh at yourself while the memory of how close you’d come to kissing in the cabin pops up in your memory. You start busying yourself by washing up your mother and Frank’s breakfast dishes, looking out the kitchen window at the back yard, noting how unlike a quagmire it currently is and not at all like the dream when your eyes register a shape in the distant treeline. The breath in your lungs catches followed by a sharp inhale. The great beast is a dark grey brown in colour, blending in with the surroundings. You would have completely missed the creature if it wasn’t for the familiar feeling that licked at you and drew attention to its presence. Your view of the outside world is temporarily blocked by the kitchen wall as you move from the window to the door. Disappointment hits hard as you stand in the cold morning air on the porch, looking at nothing but trees. 

You jump, startled by the clear ringing of the doorbell as it sounds around the house. With a sense of elation and the sound of drumming feet you race through the house to swing the front door open, hoping it’s him. 

“Sarah?” You couldn’t hide the shock and annoyance at your friend being on the other side. 

“Could sound a little less displeased!” She jokes barging her way into the house. You shake your head, realising you’d been rude and try to clear all thoughts of Paul away. You can’t help but smile at your friend as she makes herself comfortable in the kitchen, readying two mugs for coffee. The idea of making the drink causes the realisation to hit that Sarah should be at work. “What’s up?” She questions after spotting the look on your face in the window reflection. 

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” You prop yourself against the door frame awaiting an answer. 

“You’re one to talk!” She glares in a half joking way but you detect an undertone of seriousness. “Not that you have a job anymore anyway…” she trails off leaving you straining to hear. 

“Sorry?” You squeak out. Sarah busies herself moving the drinks to the kitchen table with an awkwardness as if suddenly uncomfortable in her own skin. Her bum plonks down onto a chair and she forces herself to take a sip of the far too hot liquid, you know she’s burnt herself as her face screws up in pain. 

“Look,” she starts trying to piece together what to tell you. “It’s not for me to say” she tries to blow it off which earns her an eyebrow raise from you. “It’s really not my place-”

“Well you made it your place” you snap. “Tell me what happened to my job, please.” Your patience was running thin now. Sarah drums her fingers into the table top before finally speaking. 

“The diner is currently closed, so there’s that aspect” she looks up at you from beneath her lashes, resentment etching her features that she was finding hard to hide. The diner being closed answered why Sarah wasn’t at work today.

“I’m sensing there's more to this” you probe while taking the chair opposite. 

Sarah responds by ironically rolling her eyes “Well the only difference between our situations is mine’s temporary. Benny sees it as your fault, he’s mad-”

“At what?” You sit forward leaning on the table, eyes wide, wanting to know what your boss thought was your fault. “Why have I lost my job?” You start to shout.

“I totally agree that Benny deserved what he got, he was being a total ass, but Paul should have gone easy-” 

You didn’t wait to hear what Paul had done. The gnawing feeling in your gut was all you needed to send you flying through the room, wasting no time in grabbing your shoes and keys. Sarah grabs your shoulder as she turns you to face her. She can see the wildness tearing through your eyes as fury rises. “Confronting him isn’t a good idea, surely what happened to Benny is enough for you to see how dangerous his temper can be-”

“His temper?!” You almost laugh, “Maybe he should be afraid of mine,” you almost snarl “Mine most certainly is match for any mans and if he thinks i’m going to roll over and let him-” 

“Geeze okay, I’m coming. You’ll need all the backup you can get.” Sarah pushes aside her feeling of unease and the urge to say I told you so, wishing you’d left Paul alone when she warned you, and follows hot on your heels out the house. 

Sarah actually ends up driving as her head is much clearer than yours. You pay little attention to the journey, focusing only on what you’re going to say. The desire to hold your ground floods your veins and drives your instincts, so much so that when the car pulls up in front of the familiar cabin you immediately jump from the vehicle and head towards a track on the opposite side of the clearing. Sarah’s voice calls after you from the driver's side of the car but it goes unheard as you march to the thumping of your heart in your ears. Emily, who had been preoccupied inside the cabin, heard the commotion caused by Sarah and appeared in the entrance way in time to see you trudging off towards where she knew the boys to be. Sarah and Emily share a brief worried glance before rushing to follow. 

The sound of your feet slapping against the earth barely registers as you start running. Despite not knowing where you’re headed, you know it’s towards him. Explaining the feeling inside would be almost impossible; it’s deep, magnetic, instinctual. It’s like a moth to a flame, but also so much more than that. You’d have to experience it to know properly. A sweat starts to break out on your forehead or so you think, until the wetness starts feeling heavier and cold and realise it’s the start of rain. Not caring about getting wet, you carry on with your fast pace, putting some distance between you and the girls. Eventually the path you took emerges on the edge of a beach, the transition in terrain striking you as odd. The mud trail just stops and turns to sand, a few grass patches sporadically placed here and there. The sound of crashing waves dulls any other noise there might have been and for a brief moment you feel calm as you step out onto the beach and take a deep breath of sea air. If it wasn’t for the radar inside going off alerting you to his presence closing in, you would happily stay here and enjoy the scene. A familiar gnawing sets in as butterflies swim around your tummy. The ones you get every time he’s nearby, closing your eyes you can almost imagine the warmth of him as he wraps arms around you and the scent that sends heat rushing through your veins. It’s almost powerful enough to sweep aside the anger. 

Almost. 

You turn your attention to look up at the wide stretch of beach. Far off in the distance you believe you can make out shapes, or is it that feeling which confirms he’s there? One foot at a time you trudge through the sand that grows ever wetter by the second as the skies open even more. What was soft rain starts to pound down and run in rivlets down your face, soaking everything it touches. It drips from the tip of your nose and snakes its way down the neck of your top. Soon shivers set in so you wrap your arms around your torso to conserve heat. After five minutes the shapes in the distances have grown exponentially, you could make out their faces. It helped that they were moving towards you, probably heading to the cabin to seek sanctuary from the deluge. You stop moving since he’s coming towards you, not wanting to waste energy. A strong wind blows in off the sea and whips your hair around your face in a tangle of wet matts. Desperately you try to pull it off your damp skin and become increasingly frustrated. The frustration builds until it pushes you over the edge. It forces you to march up to the group, closing the last few metres. Paul stands in the middle, the smile that had etched his features dispurses as he registers your emotions. In hindsight this next move probably wasn’t the best decision, but you’re cold, soaked and quite frankly, fed up. Planting your feet into the sand you muster all the strength you can before shoving Paul in the chest. To say it catches him off guard is an understatement. It was so unpredictable it actually knocked him back a step or two. If he’d landed flat on his arse you’d have been happier but you think your point got across, loud and clear. To be extra sure, you allow yourself to shove him again, this time though he doesn’t budge. His hands shoot out to grab yours, stabilising your body, stopping any further movement to attack him. 

“What the hell were you thinking?” you shouted through gritted chattering teeth, rain flying as your hot breath steams against the cold air. Paul’s breaths come in ragged sharp inhalations as he tries to remain calm. He releases the pressure on your wrists but doesn’t let go. “Let go of me,” you try to wriggle free from his restraints. 

“What’s wrong with me?” he questions in response to the outburst, “What’s wrong with you?”. It wasn’t meant to sound harsh and judgemental, he really was concerned about you and whatever had caused this, but you took it the wrong way.

“You have no right, none whatsoever.” You hurl at him without actually knowing the full extent of the events. “Stay away from me.” This time he allows you to pull free from his grip, the force of which sends you stumbling. Quicker than what felt humanly possible he grabs your waist to stop you from falling. “Get off me!” Your voice grates hoarsely through your throat, as you give him one final shove. His silence irritates you, but perhaps it’s for the best. Walking away would be so much easier. Turning away from him sends pangs of guilt and hurt through your chest, as if you were physically tearing yourself apart. The feeling soon dissipates as he breaks silence.

“We’re not done here.” His voice bounces off the air sending waves of electricity over your skin. The hairs on your arm raise in response and the air in your lungs catches. It’s a tone of dominance hinting at a silent command to stay. Immediately you stop in your tracks. You should feel even more irate but the anger has been replaced by intrigue. Butterflies once again swarm your tummy as you bite back the lump in your throat. It’s the biggest betrayal, your heart beating your mind in this tug-of-war. Turning on your heel you catch the briefest of glances between the other guys as if they were sharing a silent conversation. Without giving you or Paul another glance they all carry on, their voices trail off into the distance but can be heard laughing and joking around for sometime. He waits, with the rain battering down on you both, until they’re out of earshot to speak again. You hadn’t noticed until now that he was once again shirtless, the rain running in perfect streams over his carved muscles. Despite the weather, heat rushes to your cheeks flushing them a pale pink colour as all kinds of thoughts sweep over your mind. You have to force yourself to look him in the eye to concentrate on the matter at hand. You see his mouth moving but struggle to hear the words over the sound of the rising winds. Forcefully you whip your head in an attempt to move hair off your face, the pressure of the wind growing stronger as it blasts you in the side. A glance at the sea reveals giant crashing waves pounding into the shoreline and despite being only the middle of the day, the sun hides behind sullen grey clouds, resembling late evening more than anything. You hug yourself as the cold really sets in, your bones feeling painful as they rattle inside. 

“Come with me” you hear him this time as he shouts from beside you, his face mere inches from your ear. Having not noticed him move closer, this takes you by surprise. He looks down at you with all traces of anger removed and his features once again soft. He unhooks your hand from your side causing a gasp to release from you at the contact. The heat that radiates from him brings you back to life, you move to cling onto his arm. He wastes no time in leading you off the beach. Instead of heading to the trail that leads to the cabin he takes one that crops up sooner. You enter denser woodland following a less used pathway, neither one of you uttering a word but you’re silently thankful as the tree canopy protects you from the worst of the rain. The wind follows you, creating eerie noises as the trees groan under the pressure. Paul leads the way, his hand still enclosed over yours. You watch his back, the way the muscles contract with use. You can tell from the way his neck is tense that he's clenching, the tension between you undeniable. Thinking it was best to talk before arriving back at the cabin you try to break the silence by speaking his name. Whether it went unheard or deliberately ignored you had no clue. Silently you both march on until the trees grow thinner and a clearing starts to form. Soon you realise it was more than that; a meadow, sodden and now very much boggy, with long grasses scattered here and there. Although the rain was at its thickest, you could just about make out a cabin at the far end. Unlike Emily’s this one was not lit up, making it feel cold and unloved. If it wasn’t for the fact Paul acknowledged your apprehension with a gentle reassuring hand squeeze, you may have run in the opposite direction. Squelching through the mud you soon find yourself looking up at the two story building as it grows closer. From afar it had appeared to be small in size, and despite being smaller than a house, was substantial in comparison to Emily’s. Paul wastes no time in pushing open the front door, which you noted had not been locked. Upon closer inspection you realise the door doesn’t even have a lock. You push the door shut behind you, fighting against the wind but eventually winning, and find yourself in gloom. Instinctively you reach for a lightswitch. Finding one and giving it a flick you discover it doesn’t work.

“The power lines need reconnecting,” his voice breaks through the silence of the house as he appears from a different room carrying an LED Lantern. It casts a small warm glow as he walks around the main room, turning on a few more lanterns which reveal a sparsely furnished lounge-diner. Dust sheets cover the sofas and remnants of kitchen counters cling to the far wall. Sadness fills your heart at the realisation of what you see. 

“Do you-” you bite back the lump that rises in your throat. “Do you live here?” you question.

“Sometimes” He shrugs, not wanting to open up. Who can blame him, not even an hour ago you’d hurled insults and physically attacked him. “You must be freezing” he changes subject and gestures for you to follow him through to the other room. Your surprise is evident at how different this room appeared to be. From the massive king sized bed standing in the centre and the chest of drawers, you knew it was a bedroom, but the cleanliness and orderly state didn’t match with the ramshackle, almost derelict appearance of the rest of the cabin. The walls had been freshly plastered and curtains hung from the windows. The bed had been left unmade which indicated he did live here. Another lantern turns on from within another doorway which reveals a large but plain bathroom. You stand dumbfounded in the middle of the room while Paul busies himself. You hear taps turning and the rushing of water before he comes back into view. 

“The water’s on and there’s a clean towel…” he trails off. 

Not knowing quite what to say and sensing the tension was still hanging thick, you thank him and enter the bathroom. Annoyingly you find there’s no door to the bathroom, but a quick peek showed that Paul was nowhere in sight. Stripping your wet clothes off seemed okay until it came to our trousers, which decided they wanted to cling to you. After wrestling with them for sometime you were finally free. The shower was fitted onto a tiled wall with a drain in the concrete floor, obviously the idea was for a wet room. Gingerly you turned the shower tap and jumped back as cold water hits you. With no sign of the water heating up you pluck up the courage to submerge yourself beneath it, managing to hold back the shriek that desperately tried clawing its way out. At least you could wash off the rain, somehow you always felt like rain was sticky. Soon you were exiting the cold water stream and wrapping a towel around your goosebump covered body. You quickly dried hoping that would warm you, but it didn’t. 

Oh.

It dawned on you that your clothes were soaking and wouldn’t easily go back on. Securing the towel tightly around your body you peer into the bedroom again not knowing what to do. Lightning crashes outside, temporarily casting the room in pale blue light and causing you to jump. The shriek you’d kept at bay earlier finally makes an appearance. Thunder rumbles in the distance confirming this storm was far from done. Footsteps entering the room brings your focus back to reality, your eyes travelling to find him. 

“You okay?” he eyes you worriedly.

“Lightning caught me by surprise,” your hands hold the towel with a white knuckle grip, afraid it would fall and expose everything. Sensing your awkwardness Paul diverts his gaze. 

“I got you some dry clothes, they’ll be big on you but they’ll be warm.” he explains, moving over to the bed where a folded pile waits for you. 

“Thank you.” It’s barely audible above the noises from outside but he manages to hear. 

“Yeah well, least I could do.” he tells you nonchalantly, as if it meant nothing. He leaves you alone as he heads into the bathroom. Instantly you hear the shower and a blush creeps to your cheeks at how he obviously doesn’t care if you see anything. Not wanting to be indecent you move further into the bedroom and grab the clothes, you sift your way through them finding a long sleeve top, sweater and a pair of his underwear. You feel embarrassed as you slide your legs through the boxer shorts but know it’s better than nothing and are reassured by the thought that they probably look like regular shorts as they’re so big on you. The shower shuts off in the bathroom alerting you that soon you’d have company. Quickly you pull the top over your head followed by the sweater, which honestly was long enough to be a dress - not to mention hide the boxers! Your hair was a matted mess half covering your face, you squeeze as much water out of it using the towel before trying to run your fingers through it not wanting to look like a mess, especially when you sensed the fight from earlier would resume at some point. Feeling as though you looked half decent you sat down on the edge of the bed facing away from the bathroom towards the window. It had grown increasingly dark outside, between that and the rain you couldn’t make out much so resorted to staring at your hands in your lap. 

Feet pad across the room behind you followed by the sound of drawers opening. For all you know he could be completely naked but you give in to temptation and glance. Your cheeks flush again as you take in the sight of Paul in nothing but boxers, an identical pair to those you have on. Feeling bad, you avert your eyes but not before he registered your gaze on his back and the change in your mood which floods his senses. As much as he’d kill to entertain the thoughts presently burrowing into your brain, he can’t ignore what happened earlier. Your words had stung. He leans back on the drawers, hands gripping the surface. He studies you for a second, watches as you bring your legs up towards your chest and plant your feet precariously on the bed frame. Protectively your arms wrap around your legs. He knows how vulnerable you feel right now so decides to take a gentle approach. 

“Talk to me” he prompts, trying to coax out of you what had happened. 

“Or you tell me” you throw back, sounding rather childish. Your chin comes to rest on your knees in defeat. You take a deep breath in, Paul’s scent overwhelms you as it lingers on the clothes, and you decide being angry is exhausting.  “Tell me why I lost my job.” You mumble. 

“Son of a bitch” you hear him sigh. Turning your head slightly, you see him rub his eyes in frustration. “I can’t believe…” Your eyes bore into him and in response his grip on the furniture tightens. There's a sound of creaking wood, aside from that of the wind on the building, your eyes widen in shock at the realisation. You jump up and find yourself walking towards him with your gaze fixated on his hand. He releases it as you grab his fingers, pulling them towards you for closer inspection. 

“What the hell… how?” you look at the wooden drawers and sure enough there’s a split running along the top. Surely his hand would be hurting. “I don’t understand-”

“Your boss needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.” If you were anyone else he’d have snatched his hand away, but he liked the softness of your skin on his. More importantly he liked your concern for him. He hadn’t exactly believed you wanted him to stay away but your words had caused a wound, which did seem to be healing itself in your presence. Despite wanting to know what had happened to your job, you didn't press for information. It appeared Paul was more than willing to share, perhaps it was the calming feeling you were flooding his senses with or the fact that your touch was bringing down his tough exterior, but right now he couldn’t refuse you anything. 

“He was going around saying you couldn’t handle your drink, that underage drinking should be punished and some bullshit about you getting off because of your stepfather.” The words start tumbling from his mouth as he becomes distracted with the hand on his. He flips the roles, taking yours in his gigantic palm, tracing circles over the back with his thumb. He won’t look you in the eyes as he continues. “Told him to mind his business, that he had no clue what was going on but he didn’t like that. He never really liked me but especially not after I punched him.”

“You what?” your mouth drops, “No wonder I’m fired!” Your voice rises as you realise this will get back to Frank and it sure as hell will look like it was done on your behalf. A groan escapes your lips. 

“He deserved it, that’s all you need to know.”

“All I need to know?” you scoff, “Don’t presume to know what I do or don’t need to know” you try to scold but it comes across too gently.

“Trust me,” he finally looks you in the eye, not once breaking the hand contact. “Don’t make me repeat some of the awful things that the bastard said '' his jaw clenched tightly whilst his eyes dilated, filling you with sadness. He’s hurting just as much as you and although you’re more than capable of handling your own battles, he doesn’t know that. “I feel very protective of you” he says softly, as if reading the thoughts you were having. His eyes are trained on your face, trying to read how you had taken that information but all of a sudden you have the best poker face anyone has ever had. For the first time, Paul couldn’t read the situation and it frustrated him to no end. 

You close off the last few inches that had separated you from each other. His grip on your hand tightens as he feels your body against his and the change in your scent, which suddenly gives your intentions away. You reach up on tiptoes in order to level the playing field, if Paul hadn’t been leaning on the drawers he’d be towering above you. Gingerly you bring your face to his, your breath hitching as excitement courses through you. You don’t hesitate too long, afraid the nerves will get the best of you. Quickly you place a chaste kiss upon his lips before retreating. You look up at him before bursting into laughter and bury your head in his chest. 

“Sorry, that was meant to be so much more but I… I’ve never… I don’t know… I just wanted that not to be lame and it so was…” you mumble against his chest, trying to hide the embarrassment you feel. The laughter had surprised him, temporarily making him think he’d missed the punchline of a joke, or that perhaps he was the joke. Within seconds it dawned on him and he finally understood. He knew you were different to any of the other girls he’d been with, the biggest of those differences being that you two were destined for each other; his mate, his imprint. The other, less noticeable, difference was in your scent. An undertone that was delicate yet addictive, which had been driving him crazy trying to work out. Finally he understands. It may have gone unspoken but you know he’s worked it out from the way he delicately holds you and pushes the hair from your face to how he lowers his face to the crook of your neck and takes a deep breath in. 

“It’s okay,” He whispers reassuringly, “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” The effect of his breath hitting your neck drives you crazy. Tingles traverse your spine and it takes every ounce of control not to let your knees buckle. Your fingers grip his thumb tightly in an attempt to keep you grounded but it doesn’t work. Short rapid breaths leave your mouth as you turn your face to his, causing his heart to thump in his chest as he tries to remain still. He gives in a little, moving just enough to allow him to see into your eyes. Your nose brushes his chin as you move up once more to tip toes, your hand which was free comes to rest on his abdomen for extra support. You become aware that his hand is on your hips to keep you flush to him, so that you can feel his rock hard muscles and the way they move. You only break eye contact briefly as you glance at his lips. You know he’s watching every move intently but this time it doesn’t bother you, doesn’t make you nervous or shy. Instead it boosts you, knowing he wants this just as much by the way you can feel the pound of his heart. You make the connection, your soft lips meeting his with the lightest of touches. It quickly deepens as you grow used to the feeling of Paul against you, leaving you craving more of him. Your mouth moves against his as your hand travels to his neck releasing his thumb, allowing him the use of that hand to steady you as you reach up higher on your toes. The grip on your waist tightens as pressure hits your hip bone which encourages you as it sends electricity raging through the nerves. If it wasn’t for your ribs, your heart may have broken free of your body due to the pace it was currently keeping. A pain enters your lungs as if they were on fire causing you to break the kiss. You suck air in greedily as you remember how vital it was for survival. 

“Don’t forget to breathe” he whispers, also breathless. Briefly he touches his forehead to yours as you sink back down onto your feet, fighting the lightheadedness. It doesn’t take long for his face to refind the crook of your neck and place a kiss on your collar bone. Behind his neck your fingers lace into his hair as he places kisses along your jaw before finding your lips once more. You're ready for his assault and welcome it as you suck in his lower lip, instincts taking over completely as your fingers grip tightly in his hair, eliciting a soft moan from him that resonates through you. His hands release themselves from your waist and find the hemline of the jumper on your thigh, his fingers graze over your skin and leave goosebumps in their wake as they travel higher. You move your thighs tighter together upon instinct, as pressure builds, but also as a silent warning for him to leave there well alone. Paul, being a decent guy, had other ideas anyway, his hands roamed further than your thighs and came to reside on your back, the skin on skin contact sending more shivers up your spine and a gasp from your mouth. His mouth once again travels back to the crook of your neck. Here your scent is sweetest and he can feel the beat of your pulse travelling your jugular. He smiles against your skin as he revels in the idea that he caused this effect on you. You hadn’t noticed the slight graze on your skin from stubble earlier but now, as you're left anticipating his next move, you’re aware of everything. His breath is hot and heavy like yours but perhaps better regulated and you can’t help but wonder why he’s smiling, all thoughts are soon banished as he plants a kiss, the graze of stubble making your eyes flutter at the sensation. You whisper his name and in response his hand moves to your waist, letting cold air touch your skin as the movement stirs the jumper. It all adds to the pleasure. You want his hands to travel further up, to feel his touch on your breasts, but he’s holding back. Instead he starts littering more kisses along your neck before sighing. 

Oh god. Why’s he sighing? What’s wrong? You start questioning everything, getting inside your own head. 

“Why did I give you a jumper?” He lets out a little chuckle as he leaves a kiss by the neckline of the fabric, unable to go any further. You respond with an involuntary whine at the thought of not feeling his mouth continuing it’s decent. Hearing the noise escape your lips stirs something in Paul that makes him grip your hips so tight it makes you gasp, which doesn’t help his control in this moment. He forces himself to go slowly as he once again goes back to that sweet spot, fueled by primal instinct. You’re his and he wants everyone to know it. He places one final gentle kiss before attaching his lips in a suction over your soft skin. To his delight you let out a moan as he continues to suck at the spot. After a minute he gives up his position and leans away from you, taking in your appearance. You're staring up at him with big doey eyes and lips swollen and parted. His hands slide out from the jumper and move to the neckline, pulling the material aside for optimal viewing. A wicked smile dances across his lips before his hands move to find yours and hold them, giving them a squeeze as a blush creeps onto your features. 

“You okay?” He asks, bringing one of your hands to his lips and placing a kiss on top. As you come back to reality the events flood back in and you start to over analyse, wondering how stupid you must have sounded moaning or if you did anything incorrectly. “Hey,” he snaps you away from your thoughts “Stop” he whispers and places a kiss on your forehead before asking “Do you overthink everything?” You feel his mouth move into a smile as he teases you. 

“Yes” you say through a shaky breath, not yet fully recovered. You swallow to regain yourself “something you’ll have to get used to” you try to match his joky tone but he manages to turn it serious once more. 

“I look forward to it.”

---

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Swap Across the CrystalVerse Chapter 9: Shadow City

Read Swapboys | Crystal’s AUs

Read SITCV | SATCV Masterpost | AO3 Link

Bro lands somewhere unfamiliar yet again. This time, it's the living room of a suburban house. There's a hallway extending to the left and an archway leading to a kitchen in front. Behind him is the front door, and a wide window showing a nighttime cityscape. The walls are covered in pale blue wallpaper and the furniture is all generic shades of brown. Something about it screams 'rented, not owned.' But there are little personal touches all over. There's a TV stand with a flatscreen TV and a couple video game consoles attached. An old-looking mirror in a coppery frame hangs on the wall. And there's a laptop on the coffee table, connected to a set of speakers. It's playing music. "🎵 Come and breathe the air into my lungs, I just wanna be your skeleton... 🎵"

Bro looks around and scratches at his head. "What the hell...? Again? Fuck... that doesn't look like Brighton at all..." He blinks at the music coming from the laptop and points at it. "OH! I know this song! Alt loves this band!"

As if responding to him, the music abruptly shuts off.

"Oh- well- oops?" Bro whispers, looking around the place some more. "Um... helllooo?"

Quiet for a moment. Then--it sounds like footsteps behind him. Close behind him. But there's nothing there. Even as a cold breeze passes right by him, like someone brushing past.

Bro whips around, trying to figure out where that breeze is coming from or the footsteps. "Um-! I-If someone's there I'm sorry for technically breaking in but if it helps I didn't mean to!"

The TV turns on, but it only shows static. And, directly in his ear, a voice whispers, "Get out."

Bro lets out a loud-pitched scream of terror and ducks down, covering his head.

And then the front door opens and a man walks in. "I'm home!" he announces. "What--" And then he notices Bro, ducking down in the middle of the floor. He blinks, clearly confused. "Uh..."

Bro comically peeks his head out from under his arms and then hops up to his feet. He waves stiffly to the man and smiles nervously. "Hiiii! Sorry uh- didn't mean to intrude just- ... bro i think your house is fucking haunted-!" 

The man laughs. "Uh--okay." He has brown hair pulled back in a small manbun and a thicker beard. Over his button-up shirt is a blue jacket with the letters SPDFI on the lapel. "Yeah, I know it's--hold on." He looks away from Bro and towards the TV--not at it, but at some point near it. Then back to Bro. "Um... so... that's a very impressive shapechange, but the guy you're pretending to be doesn't live here anymore, so it's kind of obvious you're not him. How'd you get in? I thought the place was warded." 

Bro blinks rapidly, "...those are a lot of words I'm only vaguely familiar with-" He says plainly. "I'm... not a shapeshifter though... but I'm guessing you know a Chase Brody? Cuz I'm him- but from another world." He grins nervously, "Tah-da?"

The man blinks. "Another world...? Well that would explain why I can't see through it. Yeah, I know a Chase, he's--" 

And then he abruptly stops, looking back towards that spot near the TV. "Well, it's not the craziest thing," he says. "Did you turn the TV on? Can you turn it off?" 

A pause. 

He chuckles. "Alright, I'll do it." And he walks over, picking up a remote from the coffee table and turning the television off. "Whatever's happening here, I think it'll help if he could see you, you know."

Bro looks back and forth over his shoulder and knits his eyebrows together in confusion. "Ummm.... who are you talking to??"

"Ya see?" the man says, glancing at that spot again. "I look like a fucking lunatic." 

Pause. 

"It'll be good practice, at least." 

Pause. 

"Okay." He looks back at Bro. "Something's about to happen. Promise not to freak out."

"I can try my hardest not to!" Bro laughs nervously. "As long as I don't get like- jumpscared again."

The man laughs. "Alright. Ready." 

And then someone... appears next to him. A man who's not entirely there. He's translucent and his coloring is pale, like someone put a layer of white over a digital drawing and then lowered the opacity. Parts of him are more transparent than the others, mostly parts of his stomach and upper arms, and his legs fade away entirely. But most startling is his head. His eyes are empty, black sockets, and dark near-black blood drips down one side of his head from a hole just under the cap he's wearing.

Bro can't help it- he screams and ends up hovering up in the air, hitting the ceiling in his attempt to get away. He curls up on it and then blinks comically at the man and the see-through man. "Ah... s-sorry- wasn't expecting the... the blood and eyes and- ... yeah-"

"Whoa!" The man jumps in surprise, looking up at Bro. "Um... okay, then?" He glances at the transparent man. 

"Chase, the eyes, you're forgetting the eyes again." 

"Sorry," the transparent man says. He blinks, and now there are normal gray-blue eyes where the empty sockets were. "Um... I can't do anything about the blood, though." His voice is quiet and whispery. It almost sounds like someone is repeating what he says a half second after he says it.

Bro's eyes widen. "Oh y-you're... you're..." 

It feels like his breath gets knocked out of him as he looks down and sees... a ghost of himself. He slowly floats back down but can't take his eyes off the ghost. "... t-that's what you meant by he doesn't live here anymore... huh-" He breathes, looking freaked out and pale.

The ghost him rubs the back of his neck. "This is probably pretty shocking for you, huh?" He laughs awkwardly. "I-it was shocking to me when it happened. Sorry for... trying to scare you off. You just... appeared. It freaked me out." 

The hero swallows shakily, trying to push back some hard hitting memories before they make him spiral. "I-It's fine I'm sorry for- f-freaking you out." 

A moment passes in silence.

"I'm Jack, by the way," the man says. "I see ghosts and stuff. And... you're not... a witch, are you? You're... really some other version of Chase?"

Bro looks back at Jack and slowly smiles. "Oh- hi, nice to meet you. No, not a witch. I'm... a super hero actually? But yeah I'm... Chase Brody. Even got my ID if that helps-"

Jack shakes his head. "No, that's fine. Just hearing you offer that, uh, helps. It's just... really weird." He laughs. "A superhero. Can't fucking believe it." 

"Can't believe it?" the ghost Chase repeats. "Magic is fucking real, and the superhero thing is what you can't believe?" 

"Well, it's a different kind of thing, y'know?" 

Bro laughs and shakes his head. "No I get it- far as I know in my world, ghosts don't exist so..." He glances at Ghost Chase and then quickly looks away again. 

Jack looks at Bro. "So, uh... what're you doing here, then? On some sort of hero mission across universes?"

"Um... no we just got... lost.” Bro says, “This was supposed to be a fun trip for our friend but now our device we use to travel is... broken, I guess. We were supposed to be home by now..."

"Oh. That... sucks." Chase says. "Sorry it's not working." He notices Bro avoiding looking in his direction and glances down at himself. He becomes just a bit more transparent. 

"Wait, 'we'?" Jack repeats. "There's more of you?" 

"Yeah... I got my little brother, Alt and my best mate, Jackie," Bro says, "And... a villain named Magnificent. God- I'm guessing there's magic again here... He's gonna be hot on the trail for that." The hero groans, rubbing at his head.

Chase blinks. "You have a brother? And a Jackie?" He smiles. "That's great." 

"Not so great about the, uh 'villain,'" Jack says. "Magnificent? Huh. I'm guessing he's a witch if he's going after magic, then. I can call some friends and ask them to keep an eye out for him. In the meantime, can you, like, call your friends? Or do you not have a phone? Or, uh, do they not work between dimensions?" 

"Didn't you say something about interference, Jack?" Chase asks. "Tell him about that." 

"...fuck, you're right." Jack sighs. "Ghosts and magic interfere with radio waves, including cell calls and WiFi. It's not normally that big a problem, but it might be worse for you? For some reason? I don't know, just thought I'd better warn you." 

Bro digs out his phone and then sighs, "Aw- we had such a good streak going of places with wifi... shit." He shakes his head. "But, don't worry. I can at least find my brother and Jackie. My brother is... a witch too. I guess that's what they're called here! But, he made us these tracking bracelets so we can find each other." He shows the bracelet off for them to see.

"Whoa, really?" Jack walks closer to see it, and Chase does too--though it's more like he glides along. "Weird runes. Then again, I don't really know much about magic in the first place. How does it work? D'you need to activate it?"

"Yeah, I just need to speak the phrase and it'll show me where to go!" Bro says proudly. He touches the gem on the bracelet and whispers 'loonu' to it. And soon enough will of the wisp type magic blossoms into the air. creating a trail. "Blue means they're close and green means they're farther away!"

Two trails drift diagonally across the room, heading out the front door. They're similar in shade, but one is a bit more blue. 

Jack walks across the room and looks out the window. "Huh. Looks like they're heading downtown." 

"Oh cool!" Bro says, looking like he's ready to follow after Jack.

Meanwhile, Chase stays where he is. "Um..." he says quietly to Bro. "Hey. I, uh, noticed you were uncomfortable earlier. Can I ask a, uh... blunt question? Does this... bother you?" He gestures to the blood. "I mean... the location?"

Bro stiffens ever so slightly as Chase speaks up. Bro is quiet for a second before he looks back towards Chase with a somewhat haunted expression. He meets Chase's eyes- looks at the wound and then quickly looks away, "um... y-yeah. Sorry I just..." He touches his own scar on his head quietly. 

Chase nods. "Yeah... if you're me, I thought it would be like that. I-if it makes you feel better... I didn't do it. I-I don't remember what really happened, but I know it wasn't me. Someone just... made it look that way."

Bro looks back towards Chase with a bit of surprise. "...o-oh." He pauses and then laughs a bit sheepishly, messing with his hair. "...that's... a bit of a relief. Still... hard to see a version of you that's... a ghost." 

"Yeah. I can imagine it would be really disturbing." Chase nods, and gives him a small smile. 

Bro looks at Chase with sympathy, "...I'm sorry that... that you died. I hope you can find out what happened..."

"Thanks. I-it's... very different, as a ghost. But I'm adjusting. And me and Jack are working on figuring that out." 

Bro nods with more of a smile, "Hey... at least you're still around somewhat. That's good- you can give whoever did this to you some hell." 

"Heh. Yeah." Chase grins. "I'm gonna stick around until I'm ready." 

Jack has been waiting quietly while the Chases talked. Then he clears his throat. "So. Uh. D'you need me to drive you after these trails? I mean, I know you can fly, but that's not normal here, so unless you can turn invisible now you might not want to attract attention."

Bro blinks back at Jack and then deflates with a slight pout, "Awww man, I can't fly again! This is bullshitttt." He playfully whines. Then he refluffs his hair and sighs but smiles at Jack gratefully. "If you wouldn't mind, that'd be great."

"Yeah, it's not a problem," Jack says. "I mean... gotta be honest, I'm new to driving, but not too new!" He looks at Chase. "Do you want to come, too? Could be good practice leaving the house." 

"Everything is practice for me with you," Chase says, rolling his eyes. 

"Well you need it." 

"Alright, if you and other-me are fine with me coming, I will. I want to meet this, uh, Alt? And the other Jackie."

Bro smiles, "Yeah, Alt. Also goes by Anti but- only I call him that." He shrugs, "I don't mind! We'll just- need to make sure to keep them informed about the ... head thing."

"Anti?" Jack frowns. "I think I've heard that name floating around somewhere... rumors or something." He shakes his head. "Well, I'm sure it's nothing." 

Chase self-consciously raises a hand to the side of his head. "Yeah... it tends to freak people out if you don't see a lot of ghosts around." 

"Which most people don't," Jack says. He grins. "I'm special. Anyway, we better head out fast, then." He takes off the jacket he's wearing and throws it over the back of the couch. "Out of my work clothes and ready to go. Let's find your friends." 

Bro laughs and nods, “Let’s go!”

----------- 

Alt appears on a strange city street. Tall, narrow buildings surround him, most of them shops of some kind. Street lights provide puddles of yellow light to see by. No cars are passing by. Next to him is a shop with a sign identifying it as 'Magnificent Magics'. And there's a man in the shop window staring at him.

Alt blinks as he appears in this new city. Then he curses loudly and takes out the TRVLR again, almost wanting to rip it apart as he whisper-shouts, “what is wrong with you, you piece of shit?!” He then realizes he’s being watched and he meets the man’s eyes with a bewildered expression. Especially once he sees the name of the shop.

The TRVLR briefly displays the universe as UA-1313025SC before the low battery icon appears. 

The man raises a hand in greeting. Then he walks over to the front door of the shop and opens it, still looking at Alt. His hair is chin-length in a half-up style, and he's wearing one of those sleeveless black turtlenecks underneath an open button-up shirt. The shirt has elaborate flower designs on it, like they're growing from the bottom upwards. What's the name of that style? Art noveau, right. "So... are you going to come in, or did you teleport directly outside my shop by coincidence?" he asks.

Alt freezes as the man approaches and almost starts to glitch away but stops himself. Even if pixels pop and fizzle around him. “Um… y-yeah sure…?” He says quietly as he approaches the door.

"Alright, come on in then." The man laughs a bit. "Cool magic. I haven't seen anything like that." He stands aside so Alt can walk into the shop. 

Inside is... a bit strange. It's like a bookstore, a witch's hut, and a cat cafe all got merged together. Bookcases line the walls, filled with all sorts of books. Paper cover, hard cover, leather cover. There are also various trinkets on the shelves. Candles and crystals and bottles and incense and more. There's a counter at the back of the room with more of these trinkets, and a cash register for purchases. Two doors behind it lead deeper into the building. Bundles of plants dangle from the ceiling. There's a cat tree in each corner of the room. The air smells like pine needles and mint. The main body of the shop is filled with small round tables, all covered with silky tablecloths in various jewel tones. Some of them have more books or trinkets, but some are empty. At the very back of the room, near the counter, a man sits at one of these tables. 

Alt looks around the shop with wide eyes and awe. This place is amazing- it almost puts Blaise’s shop to shame. 

As soon as Alt comes into the shop, he's swarmed by cats. Wow, that's a lot of them. A black-and-orange tortoiseshell cat, a white cat with gray patches, a fluffly black one and fluffy white one that look like a pair, a small black one, a ragdoll one, a fluffy brown one with only three legs, an off-white one with darker ears and tail and stripes on its legs and face--wait a minute. Some of these seem familiar. 

Alt’s eyes widen and sparkle as he bends down to look at the cats, looking beyond happy to see so many. “Oh!! Hello babies!!” He then blinks as he realizes. He’s… he’s seen cats like a lot of these before. That’s… weird. 

"Hey! Give him space!" the man nudges the cats out of the way with his foot. "Sorry about that. They're not usually that clingy... I think. Most of them aren't mine. But they are up for adoption, if you're looking. Except for Sam and Higgins." 

“It’s okay I don’t mind!” Alt laughs, “Unfortunately I don’t think our apartment, or my brother, can handle another cat. As much as I want one.”

"That's fair. They need a good, safe home," the man says. "Alright. Well, I'm Marvin, I'm the owner. What're you looking for? I have just about everything. Though, hmm, what are you, a chaos witch? You guys need some weird shit sometimes so that might be the exception. And if you're looking for a reading, I have to tell you I don't work with the French or Thoth arcana, only crystaleye and traditional cards." 

Back in the back of the room, the other man in the shop watches. Is he... staring at Alt? 

Alt gets to his feet after petting a couple cats. He blinks as Marvin explains about the shop- curious how he knew about Alt’s chaos magic. He seems excited about the tarot. “Oh! I was learning about those from my mentor! Still don’t really know how to do a reading but- god it’d be cool to get one…” He blinks and looks out at the other man. …why is he looking at him? He tilts his head slightly.

"Really? Were they teaching you traditional arcana? Because like I just said, I don't work with those decks..." Marvin trails off as he realizes where Alt is looking. "Oh. That's JJ, he's a friend of mine." 

JJ waves at Alt. Now that Alt is really looking, he can see the identifiers of Jamesons across universes. The mustache, the neat hair and clothes. This JJ is wearing a blue vest over a white button-up, the style old-fashioned, maybe from the early 1900s. He's also very pale, wit a slight gray tinge to his skin that looks kind of unhealthy. "We were hanging out, but don't worry, I'm still open," Marvin continues.

Alt blinks and then smiles and waves at JJ. “Oh no worries! Sorry get kinda- paranoid with stares.” 

Sorry, you just look like someone I know, JJ says, absentmindedly.

"Oh, JJ just said you remind him of someone," Marvin translates. 

Alt seems to freeze a bit at this- looking back at JJ. “…I look like someone you know?” He asks quietly. 

JJ blinks. That was my exact wording. Oh! Do you know sign language?! he asks, looking excited. "I guess he must, cause I didn't translate that directly." Marvin grins. 

Alt grins too, “Yeah I do! One of my friends is deaf.” 

Alt is practically buzzing with energy - this shop is like a candy store to him. “About the tarot though!! We do traditional like the standard 78 deck, but they were telling me about the variants! But god I also want to know what you have for Chaos magic! I haven’t met anyone who can just openly say they do chaos magic!”

"And what're you talking about? I mean, chaos magic is rare, but it's not like it's taboo or anything. I mean, some witches are gonna be assholes about it, but they're probably just jealous that they can't figure it out." Marvin chuckles. "As for what I have, there are some grimoires with chaos spells over here—usually the ones with bright covers—and I got some mantras and mandelas and dice, and of course the generic supplies like candles and shit."

Alt flushes at Marvin’s statement and he messes with his mask. “Oh well- it… kinda is where I’m from? But man… magic is so accepted here!” He beams.

Marvin leans back against one of the tables. "Well I mean... don't go doing magic out in front of the everydays, or the Night Council will have your head, but yeah. There are witches all over Scuabyrg. There are more vamps and wolves, though, I think. Where're you from, then? You don't sound like you're from too far away. Oh, uh... I'm also realizing I didn't get your name." 

Alt blinks at the new phrases but easy enough to gain the meaning… Everydays must be normal people and the Night Council must be like the magic circle back home. He can’t help but balk at the casual mention of vampires and werewolves though. But he tries to shake that off as he laughs nervously. “Oh! My name is Alt, Alt Brody. Umm I’m from a place called Brighton but… alsoimfromanotheruniverse?” He says really quickly, ears turning red.

"Brighton? I've never heard of--wait a minute." Marvin stares at him. "How'd you get here, then?" 

JJ, who had paused to take a drink from a glass sitting on the table, makes a choking sound. He sets the glass down again and quickly signs, You can't just take him at face value! That's ridiculous! 

"I mean, he could be fucking with me," Marvin says slowly. "But I prefer to be optimistic about people."

Alt laughs, “T-That’s a good trait to have- but um…” He takes out the TRVLR. “I have this device that I can power with my magic- and it can take us in between universes. Parallel ones, actually.” He looks down at some of the cats and laughs. “It’s funny- even some of the cats here look like ones I’ve seen in other worlds.”

JJ stares at him with obvious doubt, but Marvin's eyes light up excitedly. He grins. "I knew it. I knew someone would figure out a way to travel between worlds eventually. You know, I know there are other places beyond this one, but no one ever fucking believes me. Like, they think I believe in the theory of it, no, I know. I mean... I've never personally seen any, but I know. Cause of magic. Fuck yeah." He looks at the cats, who are all busy getting underfoot or climbing the cat trees. "Hmm... if these are cats who exist in other worlds too, maybe that's why they keep showing up here. Maybe they know a 'me' in these other worlds." 

Alt looks excited too, buzzing with glitches as he grins, “Fuck yes! Someone who believes us right away!” He looks down at the cats again and laughs, “Yeah maybe! Other yous had cats like these! Like- the white and gray striped one was called Draco and he lived in a fantasy world. And the 3 legged one is called Mister- well, Mr. Fluffington-“ 

"No way, that's what I called them!" Marvin laughs. "Okay, that has to be it, then. Fucking whims of the universe."

JJ sighs. He reaches over and grabs a bottle sitting on the table. A wine bottle, specifically. There are two on the table, the same brand of red wine, but one has the letter B written on it in red marker. JJ grabs that one, pours it into his cup, and takes a long drink.

Alt stops his recounting of cats to watch JJ take a drink. He sees the B written on the bottle and knits his eyebrows together- before his eyes slowly widen. …Marvin did mention there were vampires here.

JJ notices Alt's expression. He puts the cup down, looking almost embarrassed. 

Marvin looks back and forth between Alt and JJ. "Uh... something wrong?" 

I don't think Alt has... met... someone like me before, JJ says delicately. 

"Oh! Oh." Marvin inhales sharply. "Okay, Alt? Don't worry. Vampires don't hunt people down here. Well, most of them don't, the good ones don't, and JJ's one of those. We have blood banks and stuff and the Night Council makes sure no one dies. It's fine." 

People aren't going to just relax immediately when you say it's fine, JJ points out. Especially about something like this!

Alt is quick to raise his hands and shake his head, “H-Hey! It’s okay! The JJ I know wouldn’t hurt a fly… unless provoked so. I believe you. You don’t seem like a bad vampire. Just- something I’m not used to seeing.” Alt does look very excited though, “it’s fucking wicked… vampires! And werewolves! Fucking! Supernatural shit!” He pops and fizzles some more, hardly able to contain himself. “And all this magic!! So cool!!”

JJ sighs in relief--which does have the unfortunate side effect of drawing attention to the fact that he wasn't breathing until he took a breath to do that, but that uncanny fact is counterbalanced by his gentle smile. Thank you. I try to be as kind as I can. 

Marvin laughs. "Fucking great to see someone excited about this. You kinda get used to it over time. But yeah, we have all sorts of stuff in this universe. Scuabyrg--this city--is mostly home to vamps, wolves, and witches, with the occasional weirder creature. Oh, and ghosts, of course. There are ghosts wherever people die." 

We actually met a really nice ghost recently, JJ says. 

"Yep, you and him are the newest members of our little gang," Marvin says. "We also have another vamp in our circle, and a wolf, and a meddie--uh, that's a nickname for a human who can naturally see through illusions and talk to ghosts and stuff. Comes from the word 'medium.'"

“Ghosts huh? That’s… that’s wild.” Alt laughs, pushing back his hair. “This is stuff you always hear about and wish were real even if it’d be scary because like?? How cool would it be?? I- I wanna meet them maybe Chase or Jackie have-!” Then Alt stops himself and then curses. “Ah fuck right! I… I gotta go find my brother and Jackie…! And god if magic is here then Mag is gonna be even more desperate-!” He hisses to himself.

"Chase and Jackie? Heh,those are some of the 'gang' I was just talking about," Marvin says. "I guess you brought some alternate versions of them with you? And... Mag? Who's that?" 

Maybe it's short for Magnificent and that's an alternate you, JJ says, half-jokingly.

Alt makes a wide eyed tight lipped face and looks away for a second. “…you’re actually spot on. Except Mag is… bad news.”

JJ and Marvin stare at him, blinking. Then Marvin looks at JJ. "Are you fucking serious?" 

So I was right, JJ says. 

"Don't say that like you were making a serious claim!" 

I was. Don't get mad that you didn't put it together, maybe by the time you're my age you'll be just as smart. JJ smiles smugly, keeping his lips closed. 

"You were joking and we both know it you sack of--" Marvin clears his throat. "Anyway. Bad news, huh? I'm gonna guess he's a witch. And... I can imagine a lot of ways a 'bad news' witch could go. What's his deal?" 

Alt nods, “Basically… he’s a mental magician. He uses mental magic… mind control. Hypnotism- he makes people… puppets or pets. And he’s obsessed with getting new magic- and destroying alternative versions of himself. If he can kill two birds with one stone… he just might.” Alt hutches himself with his hands in his pockets. “But honestly? The last place we were in had no magic so.. he might be super desperate for the first source he can find.”

Marvin hisses. "Well... that sounds bad. Especially for me. I mean, I'm probably the strongest witch in the city." 

JJ rolls his eyes. Braggart. He spells out the word so there can be no mistaking it. 

"I brag because it's true." Now it's Marvin's turn to smile smugly, though it's quickly replaced by a serious expression. "Well, if he's already appeared, he's probably already caused disaster. Like I said, there are a lot of witches in the city. We can call our friends and see if any of them have seen anything. Meanwhile, can you contact your friends?"

Alt smiles nervously at Marvin. Maybe that confidence could help them with Mag. “Oh- lemme see.” Alt tries to turn on his phone and see if he can message the others.

The cell and WiFi is terrible here. On the verge of being nonexistent. 

Marvin leans over his shoulder. "Oh yeah... magic here tends to interfere with wireless stuff. But normally I get fine service. I guess being in a different universe makes it worse for you." 

But you're a witch, surely you have some other way, JJ says.

Alt makes a face but sighs. “Yeah felt like it was about time our phones wouldn’t be of use.” He shrugs then beams at JJ when he calls Alt a witch. He doesn’t know why- but it makes him feel proud almost. “Uh yeah actually! I made a tracking talisman- it can lead me to where they are.” He shows off his bracelet and then whispers to word to show the trails of magic.

The magic branches off to the left and the right, with the one to the right being definitely more blue than the other. 

"Niiiice," Marvin grins. "We have tracking spells here, too, but they usually need something of the person's. So. Which one are we heading after?"

“Blue mean they’re closer so let’s head to that one first!” Alt grins back. “Oh- if you want to come that is… if you guys want to stay away I.. I understand-“

"Of course we're coming!" Marvin says. "How often do you get the chance to talk with people from another world? Besides, you'll need help navigating the city." 

And if we're confronting mental magic eventually, I should come, JJ says. Vampires are immune to magical compulsion and hypnotism. He pauses. Except for the power of other vampires. 

"I mean, it's from a different world, but it's worth trying," Marvin adds. 

Alt brightens and can’t help but glitch in excitement as he nods. “That could very helpful! Alright then- let’s go!”

Marvin smiles excitedly. "Alright! Let's go." He stands up, grabbing some things from the counter. 

You're not bringing your cards, are you? JJ asks. 

"Just in case we have downtime. I'd love to do a reading for Alt. And of course, I need this." Marvin picks up a cat-shaped mask, white with black and green designs on it. "This focuses my power. Sounds like we'll need it." 

JJ nods and stands up. It's a good thing the sun just set. We'll have all night. 

"Mm-hmm." Marvin heads for the shop's front door, stopping only briefly to bet the tortoiseshell cat as he passes a table. "Now let's go."

Alt’s eyes glow green-blue as he glitches to the door with a determined smile.

----------- 

Jackie lands in a small hallway with wood-paneled walls. At one end of the hallway is a set of bathrooms, at the other is a T-intersection, with noise and chatter drifting in from the left branch. One of the wood panels has writing on it in various-colored markers. This is clearly some sort of public area. A restaurant? Or a pub? Unfortunately, he doesn't land alone. Magnificent appears nearby. And Jackie is blocking his way out of the hallway. 

Jackie blinks and looks around, trying to figure out where they are. 

Magnificent groans and then sees Jackie in front of him. Huh… and none of his friends are around…

In a flash, Mag is grabbing Jackie and slamming him into one of the walls of the hallway. 

Jackie screams in surprise and pain and scrambles to get Mag off him. “M-Mag-?!” 

Magnificent crackles, eyes alight with mad rage. “You didn’t think I’d let those comments about me go unnoticed, did you, old friend~?” He laughs and then takes one hand and grabs Jackie’s throat- choking him as he digs his nails into his flesh. 

Jackie gasps and flails desperately, trying to pry Mag’s hands off him.

And at that moment, a group of people comes in from the left branch of the T-intersection. Three college-age guys, who all stop and stare at Magnificent as he does this. 

"H-hey!" one shouts. "Hey!" he turns back to the branch. "Someone's attacking someone down here!" 

The other two go for their pockets, one grabbing a phone and another grabbing--what is that, a bottle of something? Its contents sparkle strangely.

Jackie looks towards the new guys with desperate eyes, trying to choke out a plea for help. 

Mag looks and glares at the newcomers, growling lowly. “This is a private matter, gentleman. You’ll leave if you know what’s good for you.” His eyes glow bright toxic green as he bares his fangs at them.

“Whoa, holy shit!” The shouting one backs away but the other two, though they look shocked, stand their ground. The one it’s the phone is clearly filming him now, and the other one—the other one’s eyes start to glow white. 

And that’s when Magnificent realizes it. These three are magic. It’s bright, like distilled starlight—definitely light magic so it’s of no use to him, but… is there more nearby? 

Magnificent's eyes lock onto the glowing hungrily but he quickly grows more angry as he senses the light polluting it. But, he's distracted enough for Jackie to at least gasp and get some more air, prying Mag's hand away from him slightly. 

“What’s going on down here?!” A man joins the group, around thirty, wearing a red hoodie and ripped jeans. He suddenly gags and covers his nose, like he smells something terrible. “Wh-what the fuck?!” 

And then someone else appears, too. He looks around the same age as the hoodie one, wearing a black coat over what looks like hospital scrubs. His skin is pale with a slight gray tint. His eyes land on the sight, confused. “Marvin?” 

“That’s not fucking Marvin!” The one in the hoodie says. “You kids get out of here!” He practically shoved the three college guys back down the hallway.

The mad magician growls and lets go of Jackie and then flares out green fire to cut him and Jackie off from the newcomers. "I said- Back off! This doesn't concern the likes of you-!"

The two men back away from the fire. “Jesus fucking hell, dude!” The hoodie one gasps. “Of course this concerns us you fucking idiot! You can’t kill someone! Especially not an every—” Then the hoodie one looks directly at Jackie, and stops, confused. “…huh?” 

Jackie crashes to the ground, coughing. He almost doesn’t see man in the hoodie but manages to look up in time, his eyes widening. 

“Fire!” The other one is shouting down the hallway. “Fire! Magical fire!” 

A woman runs down the hall, dark-skinned and with a head of curly hair. She grabs an amulet around her neck and flings out a hand. Water bursts forth, putting out the flames that had quickly attached to the wooden panels on the walls. 

Magnificent tumbles back and hisses at the magician. He teleports back and picks up Jackie by his hair then flares out his claws underneath his neck, causing him to freeze in fear. Magnificent snarls, “One more false move, magicians, and I spill this human’s blood- and you’ll be to blame for his death.”

The three of them back up. "Dolores, go call the police," the man in the coat whispers to the woman. She nods and hurries down the hallway. 

The man in the hoodie growls--and then laughs. "Magicians? What are you, a newb or an idiot?" And, surprisingly fast, he lunges forward-- --and halfway through the lunge, he turns into a massive wolf. 

“Wha- the fuck did you just call me?!” Magnificent hisses, bristling like a cat. His eyes widen as he sees the man turn into a wolf. He yells out and soon he’s being tackled to the floor, arms pinned by its claws, leaving Jackie heaving for breath, looking at the belly of the giant wild. 

“H-Holy shit…!” He breathes.

The other man hurriedly rushes forward, grabbing Jackie and pulling him out from under it. "Process all this later," he says. "We're getting out of here now!" 

And he runs down the hallway, dragging Jackie behind him. 

Jackie stumbles to his feet and hurries to catch up with the black coated man. “T-Thanks!” He calls as he nervously looks behind them. 

The wolf growls in Magnificent's face. 

Magnificent glares at the wolf and bares his teeth back, struggling underneath him. 

The wolf waits until Jackie and the man are out of sight before getting off Mag and running after them. 

The hallway joins up with a main dining area, taken up with long tables and a bar pressed up against the nearest wall. Directly across from the hallway is a glass door, through which is a stairway leading up. Weirdly enough, there are no windows in this pub area. There are about ten patrons scattered about, who are all looking towards the hallway in confusion and worry. 

"Everyone out!" the man in the coat snaps. "Black magic!" 

The reaction is instant. Anyone sitting down stands up. About three of them disappear into thin air. Half of the remaining ones turn into wolves and start sheparding people to the glass door.

Jackie’s eyes widen as he sees the pub erupt into activity and… wolves?! Are these-?? “W-Werewolves..???” 

"Yes, please process quickly," the man in the coat says, pushing Jackie over to the glass door. "They won't hurt you." 

Meanwhile, a white wolf gently nudges Jackie and the man in the coat out of the glass door. They are now in a stairwell, which leads up to another door, this one wood.

“R-Right- uh- okay!” Jackie squeaks and lets himself get nudged and pushed through the door and up the stairs. He rushes to the wooden door, pushing it open.

Outside is a city street at night, bright street lamps light it up as the occasional car passes by. The other patrons of the underground pub are scattering, many of them taking out phones to call people. The man in the coat turns around, staring back down the stairs they came from, worry drawing his features close.

Once he’s free, Magnificent pushes himself to his feet and then starts to laugh wildly. He grins and teleports to be in the pub area to hear the warning. He laughs even harder, building up black magic flames in his hands. “Oh? Are you all scared of black magic?! Good!” He looks around for that wolf and tries to send flames his way, snarling in crazed anger.

The wolf snarls and leaps out of the way of the fire and onto a table. It swipes one of the chairs with its paws, sending it towards Magnificent. Some of the wolves bark and snarl aggressively towards Mag, and a red one and a gray one run over from the rest of the group to give the other wolf--a brown one--protection. 

Magnificent laughs madly and burns the chair with his magic. “You really think you mutts can stand up against me?!” He blasts fire at the floor around them, the black magic fire burning hot but somehow seems to make the room darker- casting it in an eerie purple hue. 

“I’ve always wanted a nice fur coat~!” Magnificent giggles, opening up his hands and controlling the flames to close in on the wolves in a ring. 

The wolves all yelp in surprise, the fire getting close and burning some of their fur and skin. The red one nudges the brown and gray one towards the center, suffering the worst of the burns. 

Suddenly, the woman from before pops up from under the bar. "Hey!" She throws a bottle at the back of Mag's head. 

The bottle distracts Mag at the very least as he throws out more flames to crack the bottle before it reaches him. He grins, eyeing her down. Is she light based? These flames are not efficient enough to keep running when he was drained from the other world. He keeps one hand out to keep the wolves trapped.

The woman's magic is something heavy, deep and rich like freshly tilled earth. She grabs her amulet and another bottle, pouring out its contents on the ground. Instead of liquid, out comes a pale blue mist, cool to the touch, spreading across the floor and filling the room. 

And while Mag is distracted, the white wolf leaps forward onto his back. 

Magnificent doesn’t even pay attention to the mist- he stares at the magician like a predator stalking its prey. Moving like he’s possessed by his hunger. He seems to feel the rush of the wolf right before it pounces and he lashes to slam it into the flood by its neck. He grins wide, eyes sparking as he tries to drain magic from its body. “Aren’t you a pretty thing? Why don’t you just die for me? Hm?”

Though there's a hint of magic in the wolf, it's inaccessible. Like trying to pull a thread from the middle of a tapestry. 

Mag’s eyes widen, “What?!” He curses ready to tear his claws across this wolf’s throat for being useless to him. 

"Leave her alone!" the woman--Dolores, she was called earlier--shouts. She runs around the bar and flings out both hands. A bolt of sparkling green magic whizzes right by Magnificent's head, drawing his attention to her again. And drawing his attention away from the circle of flames, where the mist is gathering around it. The flames flicker, being smothered by the moisture and the magic in the mist. And the three wolves trapped inside lunge for Mag again.

Dolores’s magic draws Mag’s attention again and he teleports up to look at her, grinning wide. He giggles and tries to lash out to grab Dolores- But the flames die down and the red wolf breaks through and chomps down on his outstretched arm. Magnificent screams bloody murder and claws and pushes to try to get it off him. “Fucking-!! Unhand you fucking beast!!”

While Mag is distracted by the wolf, Dolores grabs the amulet around her neck and disappears in a shower of green sparkles. 

The red wolf lets go easily enough, running back to the white wolf, sniffing her and nudging her back to her feet. The white wolf shakes herself off and immediately starts herding the other wolves towards the door. They all run there. 

Magnificent staggers and grips at his arm, the limb shaking from the bite. He turns to see Dolores is gone and then screams in rage- fire rocketing out and eating up what’s left of the pub. He then snarls and teleports out of the pub, going to find a place to lick his wounds… and to begin his next hunt.

"Jackie?" The man in the coat runs over to the doorway. "Scarlet? Lily? Bryson? Jackie?! Get up here!" 

Jackieboy anxiously tries to get his phone to work outside and curses over and over as nothing connects. “C’mon!! The one time I need to call you guys!! God-!” He keeps anxiously watching the door, afraid Mag will be back out to kill him at any second.

The man in the coat is about to head down there after the people left in the pub, but then he sees the wolves running up the stairs and hurriedly moves to the side as they burst out onto the street. 

The white wolf quickly transforms, now suddenly a woman with long brown hair wearing a white scarf. "Lily!" the man gasps. "I-is everything alright?!" 

"H-he hit these guys with some fire," the woman--Lily--says in between panting breaths. Her voice sounds hoarse. "Smelled like black magic. Went after Dolores but she teleported away. Still a fire down there." 

The brown wolf shifts back to the man from before. Parts of his hoodie are burned through now. "I liked this hoodie," he mutters. 

The man in the coat laughs. "You have two others just like it, Jackie." Then he becomes serious again. "We must get those treated. And, ah..." He looks over at Jackieboy. "Do something about him." 

Jackieboy jumps and nearly drops his phone as the wolves burst through. He watches them change back with awe. Especially as he sees the other him. He waves timidly at the two men, “uh… hi-“

The man in the hoodie--clearly another Jackie--smiles. "Hi. You're... probably really freaking out, huh? Um... Well. Turns out, werewolves and magic and stuff are real... but that shit down there doesn't happen normally, I promise." He waves. "I'm Jackie. This is Henrik--" gesturing at the man in the coat. "--and these are Lily, Scarlet, and Bryson." 

The red and the gray wolf shift back, becoming a woman with a red pixie cut and a young man with long blonde hair. The redheaded woman stumbles, and Lily catches her. There's a resemblance between the two of them. Relatives? 

Jackie stares at the two of them, looking in between them while rapidly blinking. God- this Henrik looks nothing like Henny. It’s blowing his mind. He coughs to clear his throat. “I’m.. also Jackie. J-Jackie Mann. And uh- usually I’d be scared to say this for fear of looking insane but it… feels less crazy then the fact werewolves are here. I’m… a-actually… you. From another universe.”

The group just stares at him. 

Jackie grumbles wordlessly. "You're not on about that same shit Marvin's on about, are you?" He sniffs. "No, you don't have any magic." 

"He does look a lot like you, Jackie," Schneep says. "Don't say you didn't notice it." 

"Smells like you, too," Scarlet adds, a bit weakly. "Just human instead." 

Jackieboy blinks at himself and then while the others are talking, experimentally sniffs himself to see if he can smell what they can. …then he realizes that’s dumb they’re literally wolves and he quickly stops, looking embarrassed. 

"Save your strength, Scar," Lily says gently. "I'm taking you and Bryce to the hospital. Jackie? You too." 

Jackie hesitates. "Sorry, but... I-I think I need to wait a minute. To... talk about this." 

Lily raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You never know how black magic will react. We need to get it purified soon." 

"I'm fine for a little," Jackie says slowly. 

"Alright, if you're sure. Promise to call an ambulance if it gets too hard." 

"Yeah, of course." And then Lily and the other two walk off. 

Jackieboy watches Lily, Scarlet and Bryson walk off with concern. He then looks back at Jackie sheepishly and pats his legs, “I uh… d-dunno how else to prove it cuz I’m just… human. Can’t do anything cool like you do.”

"Well, uh... I guess we could go with this for a while," Jackie says slowly. "We have this friend, Marvin, he talks about how other universes exist all the time. It's actually kind of annoying. So... I guess it's possible?" 

"I mean... I'm one of those nerds I guess- but only cuz it's in comic books." Jackieboy mutters, ears turning red. 

"If you are from another world, what are you doing here?" Schneep asks. "Are you looking for something? Or are you lost?" 

"And how bad is your luck to get immediately attacked by a witch like that?" Jackie shudders. "His magic smelled... rotten."

Jackieboylooks at Schneep and messes with his hair. "...lost I guess is the right word? I still don't really get how it works- my friends are the experienced world hoppers- they keep saying we should be home by now so... I think our ride is broken." 

He laughs bitterly at Jackie's last question, "Unfortunately... me and him go wayyy back. He's from my universe. Goes back and forth between wanting to kill me and wanting to just.. torture me. It's... complicated. His name is Mar- ...Magnificent."

“So he’s ALSO from another world…” Schneep repeats, muttering. 

Jackie narrows his eyes. “Were you about to say Marvin? Is this Magnificent guy Marvin from another universe?” He suddenly barks out a laugh. “So he’s not perfect in every world.” 

Jackie sheepishly nods, "Yeah... he used to be Marvin... he's not anymore." He says with a slight tinge of sadness in his voice. Mixed with... anger. 

“This is not the time for your weird grudge against Marvin,” Schneep snaps. “No matter what you think about his magic, do you think he’s the type to torture and kill?” 

Jackie’s smile falls. “No. Of course I don’t.” 

Schneep shakes his head. “This Magnificent is clearly dangerous. What did you say, other Jackie? You have friends who are better at this? Are they here, too?”

Jackieboy nods to Schneep, "Yeah... my mates- Alt and Chase. I uh... I was trying to call them but the service here sucks ass."

Schneep takes his phone out. “My service is fine,” he says. “Something about you being from another world must be making it worse. Magic and ghost activity does tend to make it worse.”

“Chase…? Is he Chase Brody?” Jackie asks. 

Jackie nods, "Yeah! Chase Brody- better known in our world as Bro Fantastic!" His eyes sparkle with pride as he talks about his friend, "Back home, he's a superhero! Strongest one I've ever seen! And- Alt, he's a magician so... they're probably already looking for me... cuz you know- I can't do what they do. Alt can like- glitch and stuff. Oh and Chase can fly."

"Ooooo," Jackie says, grinning. "Superheroes are real in your world?!" He balls his hands into fists and shakes them, stimming excitedly. "And Chase is one?! And he can fly there?!" 

"Chase here can fly, too," Schneep points out. 

"He floats. It's not the same thing, especially since it's just cause he's a... uh..." Jackie looks a bit awkward for a moment. "W-well, uh, that's a natural part of being that." 

"What if I learn to fly one day?" Schneep asks. "Will you be just as excited?" 

"I'm excited about your Spiderman stuff now." 

"Wh--no, th-that's--I look ridiculous doing that," Schneep stammers.

Jackieboy's eyes sparkle with excitement, "Spiderman things?! Dude that's my favorite superhero! Don't tell Bro- but!! What!!"

Jackie grins. "Schneep here can walk on walls." 

"It is not wall walking, it is wall crawling, and I look ridiculous!" Schneep insists. 

"Oh come on, be proud of your ability!" Jackie says, nudging Schneep. 

"I would rather be proud of the skill I spent fifteen years perfecting instead of the random bullshit powers I suddenly had one day." Schneep folds his arms. "Do you know how few vampires can identify toxins and sicknesses in blood?" 

Jackieboy's eyes widen now, "Woahhh- You're a vampire, Hen??" He grins wide, "Dude what!! That's sick!!" He then laughs and grips at his arm, "Guess a lot of you here are... special, huh?"

Schneep blinks. Then he laughs, and Jackieboy can see the sharp edge of fangs. "People don't usually react that way! They are either scared or way too enthusiastic." 

Jackie nudges Jackieboy. "Hey. Don't let it get you down, other me. We may be 'special' here, but the shadow city couldn't run without the help of everydays--uh, normal people--who know the truth and help us out. People like us need to stay hidden. There are those out there who wouldn't react well if they knew werewolves and vampires and witches were out there."

Jackieboy blinks and then tries to smile and nods, "Heh... guess that's pretty cool then." He blinks and looks down at his wrist and then looks excited. "Oh! I forgot! Alt made us bracelets that can track each other! It won't help us find Mag but- it can find them! ...fuck though I.. I don't remember the word I'm supposed to use! Something with an L? Loooney… something-“ 

"Ah shit." Jackie mutters. "I'm not good with magic. Schneep?" 

Schneep leans forward. "I do not recognize these runes." 

And then, suddenly, a soundclip comes from Jackie's pocket. "Shadow Wizard Money Gang: we love casting spells..." He jumps. "Oh! Wait, hang on, this might be perfect!" He takes his phone out of the pocket. "Marvin just texted me asking me if he could call. Hang on." 

Schneep raises an eyebrow. "When did you change your text tone?" 

"It's a personalized one for Marv. I have one for you, too, and Jack and Lily." Jackie dials a number, putting the call on speakerphone. As soon as the other end picks up, Jackie starts talking. "Marvin, you're not gonna believe this. Or, you are, but you're gonna be so fucking insufferable about it." 

"Oh?" Marvin's voice comes from the other end. "Did you find someone from another universe?" 

Jackie blinks. "Y-yeah, actually. How the fuck did you guess?" 

"I have someone here who's exactly the same," Marvin says smugly. "Hang on, I'm putting this on speaker. Say hi, Alt." 

"Yoooo!" Alt's voice comes from the speaker. 

Jackieboy perks up and laughs, "Alt! Hey!" 

"Hey Jackie! Glad you're okay- ... you are okay right?" 

"Oh you know- Mag tried to kill me. Same ol' same ol'-" 

Alt hides a laugh, "Seems like you found your other you! We're hopefully on your trail- or Chase's... dunno really. Where are you guys?" 

Jackieboy looks to the other him and Schneep to explain.

"We are at the Harvest Moon," Schneep says. "Ah, I suppose that wouldn't mean anything to you, Alt." 

"It's a pub downtown," Jackie adds. "A secret one, for people like us. Your Magnificent guy set it on fire. I think. I dunno, that magic mist might've cooled it by now." 

"Ohhh, yeah, I think we are heading in that direction," Marvin says. "We're walking down Shelley, if you guys want to meet up with us. Oh, or JJ's with us, too, so we can all teleport there. I think. Alt, how far can you teleport?"

"Mmm a decent bit- especially if you guys are familiar with the location." Alt replies. 

"You doing okay on magic, dude?" Jackie asks. 

"I mean- I'm not a full power but I'm not like dangerously low either. Should be fine- especially if Mag is near..."

"I mean... he hasn't come out of the pub entrance, so I'm assuming he 'ported away," Jackie says. 

"Alright, that works out," Marvin says. "Alt, I'll help you along with your teleporting, JJ can meet us there. If you're drained after that I can transfer some of my magic to you for a boost." 

"So we just stay here?" Schneep asks. 

"Yeah, that'd be great. Once we're all together we need to find these guys's other friend. It's Chase, apparently." 

"Yes, the other Jackie told us," Schneep says. 

"He's a superhero!" Jackie adds excitedly.

Alt laughs, "I mean- thank god we don't need to hide his identity here, huh, Jackie?" 

Jackieboy flushes and laughs nervously. 

"We'll be there in a second then!" Alt says.

"And we mean that literally!" Marvin adds. 

"Alright, see you guys in a minute, then," Jackie says, and hangs up. 

And a few seconds later--

There's the smell of metal and the crackling of electricity as Marvin and Alt appear right next to the pub in a flurry of glitches. Alt looks a bit dizzy for a second but then shakes out of it grinning. "Hello!" 

Jackieboy grins and hurries over to Alt, giving him a big high five. "Wicked, dude!"

Jackie jumps slightly, then grins as well. "Nice, dude! I haven't seen magic with that effect before." 

Alt grins more and shakes himself out, letting himself glitch a bit more. "I'm called a glitch back home~ cuz that's what I do. Glitch!" 

"Whoo." Marvin shakes himself out. "That definitely felt different than normal teleporting." 

Alt looks at Marvin apologetically, "Yeah it takes a bit to get used to." 

"Feels like pop rocks in your blood, doesn't it?" Jackie laughs. 

"...huh- I guess that's a way to describe it-" Alt ponders.

"It is nice to meet you, Alt," Schneep says, giving him a decidedly closed-lip smile. 

"Oh, he knows, Schneep," Marvin says. "JJ was with us, remember?" 

"Ahhh." Schneep nods. "Where is he, by the way?" 

And perfectly on cue, JJ steps out of the shadows behind Schneep and taps him on the shoulder. 

Schneep yelps and spins around, then groans. "You need to stop scaring me like that!" 

But it's fun, JJ says. 

Jackieboy also jumps when JJ pops out but quickly waves, "Oh! Other Dr.J!" 

Alt's eyes light up as he watches JJ step from the shadows, "Woahhh! Shadow Travel! That's so cool!"

JJ waves, smiling. Sorry if I scared you. 

"Not sorry that you scared me, though," Schneep grumbles. 

"Vampires tend to develop a grab bag of powers," Jackie explains. "JJ's a shadow walker. They can move from one shadow to another. Can't you do something else, too, JJ?" 

They call it 'stillness,' which isn't the most interesting name, JJ says. It's basically the ability to go unnaturally still and quiet, to the point where sometimes people don't even know you're there. Everything seems like it fast forwards, from my perspective. 

Alt stims a bit, glitching a bit more, "That's so cool-" He whispers. 

Jackieboy laughs, "Dude- I hardly see you get this excited!" “There's so much cool magic shit here dude!! And powers and-!" Alt glitches from side to side and then breathes, "Okay okay I'm normal now-" 

Marvin is thinking to himself as JJ explains this. "Glitch... Y'know there's a crystaleye card like that." 

"Ah, your man's special interest has cropped up," Jackie says. "We can't get started on tarot arcana now, Marv. We have to find the last one of this group." 

Marvin stares at him. "Did you get... burned?" 

"Um... yeah, but it's fine."

Schneep shakes his head as Jackie says that. 

Alt does seem to calm down as Marvin mentions Jackie is burned. He glitches over and looks at him, "... was it green fire or... purple fire? Cuz the purple fire is... bad. Sometimes the effects don't show up right away- but it can leave behind something Mag calls corruption. It's like- a mark of black magic. It can mess with your magic or your body if you're not careful..."

"...purple..." Jackie admits. 

Marvin stands to attention. "Here, can I see?" 

"Fine," Jackie says reluctantly. 

Marvin joins Alt by Jackie's side. Jackie holds out an arm for him to look at, with a burn on it. Marvin carefully rolls up the sleeve to get a better look at it. "I'm not the best at purification, but I can try. Alt, do you know anything that can help?"

"Light magic is the best cure..." Alt mumbles. "... I'm not really good at purification spells either, though." 

"You should really start to learn those Alt, considering how often we face Mag." Jackie says with a raised eyebrow. 

"Healing spells are really hard for me! I don't know why!" Alt replies shortly, "Believe me I'd like to be able to use them more regularly! It's just... hard. I dunno..."

Marvin frowns. "My source isn't a light source, you'd need a celestial witch for that. But I can try a little bit. If Jackie's okay with that." 

"Better than being corrupted or shit," Jackie mutters. 

"Okay." Marvin pulls his mask down over his face. The markings on it start to glow green... and so do his hands? Yes, he has tattoos on his hands. On the back of his left is some sort of spell circle, on the back of his right is an eye surrounded by swirls, and around each wrist is a Celtic-knot-like design encircling it like a bracelet. All of this glows for a while, but then Marvin shakes his head. "Sorry." 

Alt looks hopeful for a second, especially at seeing Marvin's magic. Damn those tattoos were cool... But he deflates a bit and then shakes his head. "We can take a better look at it in a bit... I have a spellbook but I'd need to set up a spell circle or something to make sure it works. I can't do that out here... but maybe once we find Chase we can find a safer place for me to try."

"Right. Yeah." Jackie nods, giving Alt a smile. "Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure we can get this taken care of eventually. But finding the rest of your group and stopping this Magnificent guy seems more important." 

Alt gives Jackie a worried smile and nods, "Yeah... who knows- It could be okay..." 

"If you do anything that will make your health worse on purpose while we're doing this, I swear I will drink you like a Dr. Pepper," Schneep says threateningly. 

"Never heard a soda be used in a threat before-" Jackieboy comments with a laugh.

Jackie laughs. "Oh c'mon, you wouldn't do that. We both know you guys can't handle wolf blood." 

Well, Alt, can you use that magic bracelet to find your last friend? JJ asks.

Alt blinks at JJ and then nods, touching the gem and whispering 'loonu' again and a new trail of light appears. 

"Ohh right! That was the spell word!" Jackie points. 

Alt gives him a look, "You forgot the word?? ...you ADHD bastard I told you it before we left!” 

The trail points down the street, more blue than green. 

You said that more blue in the color meant they were close by, yes? JJ says. So this is good, then. 

"Alright, more walking," Marvin says. "Maybe running, if we can keep up with these guys." He gestures at Schneep, JJ, and Jackie. 

Jackie grins. "Better hurry up!" He starts running down the street after the trail, shifting shape--but it's strange, it's slower than it was the last two times he tried. And when he's fully turned into a wolf he stops for a moment, shaking himself like he's trying to shake off water. He looks back at the others. 

"For fuck's sake, Jackie," Schneep grumbles. "You better hope nobody sees you."

Alt still looks impressed and awed as he sees Jackie shift. "Awesome...!" Then, he smirks at Marvin and glitches ahead to be back Jackie. "I dunno about you! But I'm pretty speedy!" 

"You're such a show off cheater!" Jackieboy yells after him.

Marvin laughs. "Don't worry, other Jackie, you're not gonna be the last one. There's no magic for speeding up, and I don't exactly get out much." 

"We should hurry," Schneep says. "I hope your Chase has not gotten into trouble." 

Jackie the wolf is already running after the trail. The others have to hurry to keep up.

Jackieboy grumbles. “Fucking magic bullshit…” 

Alt laughs and hurriedly glitches after Jackie.

#SATCV #SATCV SC #Shadow City #alt anti #swap magnificent #bro fantastic #jackie mann #IM SO PUMPED FOR YALL TO READ THIS #this is an idea that cry wants to write in the future but hasnt yet and I LOVE IT SOOO MUCH #there's already so much fantastic world building GOD #i hope you guys enjoy!!