#anyways!! happy mother's day to all mothers 💘💘 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lixzey · 3 months

Text

SERENDIPITY

a/n: there are scenes here from the demigod diaries, specifically the diary of luke castellan. credits to uncle rick for those scenes 💯 the characters and the pjo verse belongs to rick riordan except Amaya Williams and her father.

beta'd by the amazing @lilmaymayy 💘

If you guys wanna be added to the luke castellan taglist, just ask! Anyway, onto the story!

word count: 5.5k

luke and maya masterlist

CHAPTER ONE: THE YOUNG HALF BLOODS

LUKE CASTELLAN didn’t want to be a half-blood.

Who would want to be one? Luke had learned from a young age that he could not live a quiet and peaceful life. He was a demigod. If you think that sounds cool, think again. All those Greek monsters from the stories? They are real. Demigods are monster magnets. Monsters can sense them even from miles away.

Luke was nine when he ran away from home. His home life wasn’t exactly ideal. For as long as he could remember, he knew his mother wasn’t normal. Sure, some mothers had addictions, were abusive, and such, but his mother was on a whole new level. At the young age of three, Luke was terrified of his mother’s fits. Her stormy eyes would turn green and she would start screaming Danger! Terrible fate! in a deep, far away voice. Every time it happened, Luke would hide in the furthest corner of his closet, covering his ears while his mother screamed again and again as tears streamed down his face. He felt helpless that he couldn’t do anything for his mother. Luke prayed and prayed for someone to come and save him and his mother, but no one came. Not even his father.

Luke had known who his father was since he was four. His mother always muttered his name, how could he not understand that? Luke was a son of Hermes, he wasn't clueless like how the gods expected him to be. There was a photo at the top of the mantle of the once cozy house that Luke never got a chance to see: a photo of a happy couple with a squirming little baby, them, his once so perfect family.

Luke wondered why his father abandoned him and his mother if they were this perfect family when he was a baby? He prayed day and night to his father but as the days passed, Luke learned to resent his father—blaming him for all of his misery and for what had happened to his mother—if it wasn’t for him leaving maybe his mother wouldn’t be unstable, if it wasn’t for him he could’ve had a proper childhood, if it wasn’t for him he could’ve had a nurturing mother.

Luke would get extremely jealous of children with loving parents—the life he was deprived of—he would watch as mothers tended to their children in his neighborhood, he would watch fathers play with their children, while all he had was a broken mother and a deadbeat father.

Because of that, Luke packed up and ran away and didn’t look back. He’s come to understand that no one will ever rescue him; he has to take his fate into his own hands.

Living alone on the streets at the age of nine is harder than it looked. At first, Luke thought it would all be a great adventure, just like in the stories he heard before, but he eventually realized that living in that house—if you could even call that a house—even with his possessed mother, is safer than fending for himself.

Luke hadn’t brought a weapon with him when he left, not even one of those knives from the kitchen that had never been used and was only rusting in the kitchen drawer, and his carelessness had nearly killed him more than once. He resorted to diving in dumpsters to try to disguise his scent and never stayed in one place for long, always on the move with hardly enough time to steal a few hours—even minutes—of sleep using his backpack as a pillow.

By the second month, Luke nearly admitted defeat. He’d sell his soul to some dark god for a good night’s sleep and a hot meal. He’s exhausted and filthy, penniless and constantly on the run from monsters and well-meaning mortals alike. His backpack felt far heavier than it should and he found himself running out of breath almost every time. His clothes, which had once been bordering on too small thanks to a recent growth spurt, now hang off his thin frame, the cuffs frayed and stained beyond recognition.

Luke imagined all the normal families living in those cozy houses he once passed. He wondered what it would be like to have a home—a proper home—to know where his next meal was coming from, and not have to worry about getting eaten by monsters every day. He barely remembered what it was like to sleep in a real bed. Luke was tired of fending for his life, but eventually he managed to get the hang of living day to day with a promise to himself that he will never be like his father.

He traveled on foot, to state by state, lonely and miserable. Once, when he stopped by in a town for a while, Luke tried to befriend a mortal, but whenever he told them the truth about himself, they didn’t understand. He’d confess that he was the son of Hermes, the immortal messenger dude with the winged sandals. He’d explain that monsters and Greek gods were real and very much alive in the modern world. His mortal friends would say, “That is so cool! I wish I was a demigod!” Like it’s some sort of game and he’d always ended up leaving.

For five years Luke fought hard to survive. He shoplifted food from convenience stores and tried to fight off monsters with a pocket knife he had stolen from a family having a picnic at a park he once passed. Even though he’d never met his father and didn't really want to, he shared some of his talents. Along with being messenger of the gods, his father is also the god of merchants—which explains why he was good with money—and travelers, which explains why the so-called divine god left his mother without ever looking back at the family he supposedly built. Hermes is also the god of thieves, hence the shoplifting and stealing. It wasn’t an ideal life for a child. He was barely living, but eventually Luke just simply learned to live the life he was forced to.

When Luke was fourteen, he had met Thalia—the daughter of Zeus. The meeting had been an accident (it wasn’t). They had literally run into each other in a dragon’s cave outside Charleston and teamed up to stay alive. At first Luke was skeptical of trusting Thalia. No one else in his life had ever understood him, but she did. Thalia fighting off monsters should’ve been Luke’s first clue, that Thalia was like him—a demigod. But unlike him, Thalia had it worse. She was a forbidden kid, born out of a pact sworn on the River Styx. Luke eventually trusted Thalia and the two chose to team up to stay alive, subsequently traveling across the country while fending for themselves.

Being with Thalia made Luke feel less lonely. He finally had a friend, a friend who understood the struggles he had gone through his whole life. With her, battling monsters didn’t feel that scary anymore.

At some point, they arrived at Richmond, Virginia where Thalia followed a goat—Amaltheia. Luke didn’t understand why they were following a goat. Why were they following a goat? He didn’t know. Thalia then told Luke that it was Amaltheia who led her to him, that their meeting wasn’t by accident and decided to follow her thinking that Amaltheia was sent by her father, Zeus. Thalia could flash her blue eyes, give him one kind word, and she can get him to do pretty much anything—even though it was against his better judgment.

Amaltheia led Thalia and Luke to an old mansion. Once inside—thanks to Luke’s skills (which he isn’t proud of)—they realized that the mansion was a trap, a deadly one at that. As they were trying everything to escape, they met Halcyon Green, a demigod son of Apollo who was cursed by the gods for saving a girl’s life with his ability to see into the future. He had been imprisoned and unable to speak. A part of Halcyon’s curse was to lure demigods into being eaten by the three leucrotae—a terrifying monster that cannot be defeated by man nor god.

Luke already knew the gods could be cruel. His own father had ignored him for fourteen years. But Halcyon Green’s curse was just plain wrong. It was evil. Luke desperately wanted to find a way to rescue him and Thalia. But Hal told them that every demigod thought that at first, that they could escape, but soon realized it wasn't possible. Thalia was able to claim the Aegis—a bracelet that transforms into a replica of her father’s shield—a blessing from Zeus. After hours of searching, they discovered that the only way to defeat the leucrotae was making Greek fire.

In the end, Hal decided that he would sacrifice himself to give them time to escape. But before he did, Hal had predicted Luke's future but left him vague answers when asked about it. Hal later gave Luke his personal diary and a celestial bronze knife. Luke and Thalia successfully escaped, shaken, but nonetheless unscathed. Luke gripped his backpack close, the diary and the celestial bronze knife—the only remnants of Halcyon Green’s life—safe inside with the word Promise, that Hal had written.

I promise, Hal, Luke thought. I’ll learn from your mistakes. If the gods ever treat me that badly, I’ll fight back. Luke wouldn’t let him down like the gods damned them to be.

The two ran through the streets of Richmond until they found a small park where they cleaned themselves the best they could. Then they laid low until dark. The two didn’t bother to talk about what had happened while they wandered through neighborhoods and industrial areas. Luke and Thalia had no plan, no glowing goat to follow anymore. They were bone tired, but neither of them felt like sleeping or stopping. Luke wanted to get as far as possible from that burning mansion. It wasn’t the first time they’d barely escaped with our lives, but they had never succeeded at the expense of another demigod’s life.

Thalia suggested heading to their old camp on the James River as they shivered in the cold of the night. It would take at least a day to get there, but it was as good as a plan. The two demigods sat and split a ham sandwich as they ate in silence. The food tasted like cardboard, but they really didn’t have a choice. After the last bite, Luke heard a faint metal ping from a nearby alley. Someone was nearby.

Luke got up, pulling out the dagger Hal gave him as Thalia had her spear and shield at the ready. The two crept along the wall of the warehouse, turning into a dark alleyway that dead-ended at a loading dock piled with old scrap metal. Just then there was a loud clang, a sheet of corrugated tin quivered on the dock. Something—someone—was underneath. Luke crept toward the loading bay until we stood over the pile of metal, Thalia following closely behind. He gestured for her to hold back as he reached for the piece of corrugated metal and mouthed, One, two, three! As soon as he lifted the sheet of tin, something flew at him—a blur of flannel and dark hair. A hammer hurtled straight at his face.

Things could’ve gone very wrong. Fortunately his reflexes were good from years of fighting. Luke dodged the hammer, then grabbed the little girl’s wrist. The hammer went skidding across the pavement. The little girl struggled. She couldn’t have been more than seven years old.

“No more monsters!” she screamed, kicking Luke in the legs. “Go away!”

“It’s okay!” He tried his best to hold her, but it was like holding a wildcat. Thalia looked too stunned to move. She still had her spear and shield ready.

“Thalia,” Luke said. “put your shield away! You’re scaring her!”

Thalia unfroze. She touched the shield and it shrank back into a bracelet. She dropped her spear. “Hey, little girl,” she said, sounding more gentle than he’d ever heard. “It’s all right. We’re not going to hurt you. I’m Thalia. This is Luke.”

“Monsters!” the little girl wailed, tears staining her face.

“No,” Luke promised. The poor thing wasn’t fighting as hard, but she was shivering, terrified of them. “But we know about monsters,” Luke explained softly. “We fight them too.”

Luke held her, more to comfort than restrain now. Eventually she stopped kicking. She felt cold. Her ribs were bony under her flannel pajamas. He wondered how long this little girl had gone without eating. She was even younger than Luke had been when he ran away. Despite her fear, she looked at him with large eyes. They were startlingly gray, beautiful and intelligent. A demigod—no doubt about it. Luke got the feeling she was powerful—or she would be, if she survived.

“You’re like me?” she asked, still suspicious, but she sounded a little hopeful, too.

“Yeah,” Luke nodded. “We’re…” he hesitated, not sure if she understood what she was, or if she’d ever heard the word demigod. Luke didn’t want to scare her even worse. “Well, it’s hard to explain, but we’re monster fighters. Where’s your family?”

The little girl’s expression turned hard and angry. Her chin trembled. “My family hates me. They don’t want me. I ran away.”

Luke’s heart felt like it was cracking into a million pieces. She had such pain in her voice—familiar pain. Luke looked at Thalia, and made a silent decision right there that they would take care of this kid.

Thalia knelt next to him. She put her hand on the little girl’s shoulder. “What’s your name, kiddo?”

“Annabeth.”

Luke smiled. He’d never heard that name before, but it was pretty, and it seemed to fit her. “Nice name,” he told her. “I tell you what, Annabeth. You’re pretty fierce. We could use a fighter like you.”

Her eyes widened. “You could?”

“Oh, yeah,” Luke said earnestly. Then a sudden thought struck him. He reached for Hal’s dagger. It will protect its owner, Hal had said. He had gotten it from the little girl he had saved. Now fate had given them the chance to save another little girl.

“How’d you like a real monster-slaying weapon?” Luke asked her. “This is Celestial bronze. Works a lot better than a hammer.”

Annabeth took the dagger and studied it in awe. She was seven years old at most. What was he thinking giving her a weapon? But she was a demigod. They have to defend themselves. Hercules was only a baby when he strangled two snakes in his cradle. By the time Luke was nine, he’d fought for his life more than a dozen times. Annabeth could use a weapon.

“Knives are only for the bravest and quickest fighters,” Luke told her. His voice caught as he remembered Hal Green, and how he’d died to save them. “They don’t have the reach or power of a sword, but they’re easy to conceal and they can find weak spots in your enemy’s armor. It takes a clever warrior to use a knife. I have a feeling you’re pretty clever.”

Annabeth beamed at him, and for that, all his problems seemed to melt. Luke felt as if he’d done one thing right. He swore to himself that he would never let this girl come to harm. “I am clever!” she said.

Thalia laughed and tousled Annabeth’s hair. Just like that—they had a new companion. “We’d better get going, Annabeth,” Thalia said. “We have a safe house on the James River. We’ll get you some clothes and food.”

Annabeth’s smile wavered. For a moment, she had that wild look in her eyes again. “You’re…you’re not going to take me back to my family? Promise?”

Luke swallowed the lump out of his throat. Annabeth was so young, but she’d learned a hard lesson, just like he and Thalia had. Their parents had failed them. The gods were harsh and cruel and aloof. Demigods had only each other.

Luke put his hand on Annabeth’s shoulder.“You’re part of our family now. And I promise I’m not going to fail you like our families did us. Deal?”

“Deal!” Annabeth said happily, clutching her new dagger.

Thalia picked up her spear. She smiled at Luke with approval. “Now, come on. We can’t stay put for long!”

The trio left Richmond, headed to their safe house on the James River. The three of them fought for survival and avoided monsters together. It wasn’t much, but it was home for them—the family they built.

At some point, Thalia got injured by a monster and Luke and Annabeth wanted to rest. Given the situation, Luke decided to take the girls to his mother's house to treat Thalia’s wounds and to gather up a few supplies as Annabeth rested. There, Luke finally meets his father, Hermes, for the first time in thirteen years. Luke was angry and resented his father. He demanded to know why he had never shown up when Luke had desperately prayed while he hid from his mother when she had fits, or when he was on his own, running away from monsters. During this conversation, Hermes inadvertently revealed that he knew of Luke's fate. Luke asked about it since Hal had only given him vague answers, but Hermes refused to tell him as he had already said too much. Luke then told his father that he couldn't possibly love him if he wouldn't tell him and angrily left with Thalia and Annabeth.

Eventually they met Grover Underwood, a satyr tasked to bring them back to Camp Half Blood. A safe haven for demigods. A place where monsters and mortals can’t come. Grover led the three of them to camp, but it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Monsters attacked them from left to right. All three Furies and a pack of Hellhounds attacked, Cyclopes followed, and one thing led to another. Thalia sacrificed herself so Luke and Annabeth could get to camp safely. Luke thought she was stupid to sacrifice herself, he yelled at Thalia to not do it but she was as stubborn as her father. Luke held a crying Annabeth while fighting tears of his own as they entered the barrier between Camp Half Blood and the mortal world, where Thalia breathed her last breath as Zeus turned his daughter into a pine tree.

“Don’t worry, Annabeth. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Luke soothed the young girl in his arms, who mourned the loss of their friend—their sister. Luke vowed to himself that he won’t let the gods treat them horribly ever again.

MAYA WILLIAMS hated being a half-blood.

Why wouldn’t she? Maya grew up alone because she was one. Sure, she wasn’t chased by any monsters, but she lived with one. Her father—Oliver Williams—despised his daughter. Why? Her mother left when Maya was born, right after she was born. Oliver blamed his daughter for that. Maya had no clue on who her mother was, or why she left when she was born. When she would ask her father, he would get angry at her and hit her and yell at her to go to her room. There were times that Oliver would leave for days—weeks, even—leaving Maya with a nanny and the toys he had bought her just to leave him alone and the occasional visits from his secretary (who pitied the young girl). Maya didn’t understand why her father hated her when she only wanted to make her daddy happy.

When Maya was five, she started experiencing strange things. Like white doves flocking near her school that refused to leave how much the exterminators tried. Or that time when her grandparents brought her to the beach and dolphins started swimming towards her. Or that time when she was at the park and swans approached her as she fed the birds with her nanny. As a child, Maya didn’t pay it too much attention. She only thought that animals liked her so much that they couldn’t leave her alone. But when she turned eight, she knew she was different. Apart from having dyslexia and ADHD, she had this aura of beauty, causing everyone to like her, want her even. Aside from that, Maya could ask anyone for anything she wanted and she would get it. Like that time when her grandmother took her out to shop for clothes when she saw a pretty dollhouse that she wanted. It wasn’t because she was spoiled or anything, but when she would ask anyone out on the street for anything, they’d give it to her—no questions asked.

When Maya was six, she heard her father one night drunk in his room, crying over her mother. It was weird for Maya to see her father crying without any cameras because he was an actor, so as a curious little girl, Maya peeked into his room. She saw her father, a glass of amber liquid in his hand and a photo in the other, which Maya assumed was her mother.

“Oh, Aphrodite, why did you have to leave me?” Oliver sobbed, titling the glass to his lips. “You left me with nothing! You left me alone to raise—”

Maya ran to her room before she even heard the rest of what her father said. She packed a bag of clothes, grabbed food from the pantry, medical supplies in the bathroom, and money from her dad’s office before running away from home and never looking back. Maya wasn’t stupid. For six long years her father made it clear that he never loved her, therefore she was doing him a favor by leaving. But she understood something. Her mother’s name was Aphrodite. Her mother was the goddess of love. How did a six year old understand that? She didn’t know. It just clicked in Maya’s head—the doves, the dolphins, the swans, were somehow enough to prove that the goddess was her mother.

Maya ran through the streets of New Hampshire as fast as her little legs could carry her, determined to be as far as possible from the place she once called home. She thought it would be easy, like what she’d seen once on tv, but it wasn't—it was far worse than anything she had ever seen. Maya didn’t know what else to do. She didn’t have anywhere else to go. She couldn’t go to her grandparents, they were in Europe. Maya never felt so alone, living by herself in a world not built for little kids, especially a kid like her.

Eventually, Maya got the hang of being on the run. By the second month, she was living from state to state, asking for help—using her charm—to get by. From time to time, the thought of her father would cross her mind. Was he looking for her? Was he worried for her? Did he miss her? Maya wanted nothing more than to have her father’s love, she wanted him to find her—to wrap her in his arms and tell her he missed her and he was sorry for making her feel unloved, but she knew better than to expect that. Maya watched fathers with their little girls, wondering what she did to deserve a father like the one she had—a father so careless enough to let his own child believe that she wasn’t loved and run away from home at seven years old. She couldn’t understand how he hurt a little kid, his own kid.

And then there was the thought of her mother. It was ironic, how Maya was a daughter of the goddess of love and a man who’s incapable of loving. Maya wondered if it was some sort of joke, that she’d been born to parents who didn’t care about her. Or maybe her mother just didn’t think she was pretty enough to be worthy of being her child. It didn’t matter, because she was all alone—her mother never answered her prayers and pleas, proving all of her points. Maya was all on her own, she always had been. The happy little girl was gone, replaced by a little girl terrified by everything the cruel world tossed at her.

At seven years old, Maya has told a million lies—that came from her mother, probably—just to survive. Her clothes were tattered, flaming locks of auburn hair were matted and dirty, and skin bruised like violets from tripping as she ran away from creepy older men who tried to follow her. Maya had been on the run for two years, she had everything under control. She shoplifted from convenience stores and whenever she was caught, Maya would tell them that she lost her parents (which was true, in a sense) and had nowhere else to go. It worked like a charm each and every time, well except for that one time she ran into the police. Maya dreamed of living in peace, a place where she could be just a kid and not having to think where she’d sleep for the night or where she’d get her next meal. Given the state of how she was living, Maya knew it was impossible and maybe she had to learn to live with the miserable life she had. It was then that she held a grudge at her parents. Maya was tired of believing her parents ever loved her, because someone who loves you wouldn’t do any of this. They’re just the ones who gave her life, nothing more.

Maya promised to herself that she wouldn’t let anyone hurt her again, that she’d never be naive enough to believe that anyone could ever love her.

At eight years old, Maya met Ferdinand—a satyr who had sensed that Maya was a half blood. At first, Maya was scared. Of course she’d be scared, she was still a little girl and Ferdinand looked a lot older than her—she didn’t have great experiences with people older than her—and he had goat horns and legs.

“Don’t be scared, little one. I am a friend,” Ferdinand had explained to Maya, who hid behind a large trash can in an alley.

“Go away! I don’t wanna be friends!” Maya screamed, clutching her fraying backpack close to her chest.

“I can take you to a safer place, little one. A place where no one could hurt you.” Ferdinand explained, taking a step closer to the crying young girl. “I sense that you have been hurt before, am I right?”

Maya didn’t want to believe him. He was a stranger and strangers meant trouble. But something about the goat man felt safe. “I don’t wanna go to your stupid place! Leave me alone!”

“What’s your name?” Ferdinand asked, peering over the trash can.

Maya hesitated, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Not telling.”

“Alright, I’ll go first,” Ferdinand took the risk of walking to Maya’s side. “I’m Ferdinand. I am a satyr, protector of young demigods, or half bloods as they call children of the gods. And you are?”

Maya looked at him, eyes still glazed over with fresh tears. “Maya.”

“Well, young Maya, are you hungry?”

Maya shook her head no, but the grumble of stomach betrayed her. “Hungry,” she mumbled.

“If you’d like, you can come with me to that convenience store just ‘round the corner.” Ferdinand smiled at her, a kind genuine smile that Maya had never seen before in any other person she’s met. Reluctantly, she agreed, keeping her distance as Ferdinand led the way. Maya looked around, wondering how people are not looking at Ferdinand. He literally had goat legs and horns yet no one’s looking at him like an animal.

As soon as Maya was settled with a sandwich and juice box, she asked Ferdinand. “Why aren’t people scared of you, Mr. Ferdinand?”

Ferdinand chuckled. “It’s because of the Mist, young Maya.”

Maya raised a brow. “The Mist? Like perfume?”

“The Mist is what separates the mortal world from our world.”

Maya looked at him as if he was crazy. “What do you mean? Don’t we have one world?”

“Let me take you to Camp Half Blood, little one. Everything will make sense once you arrive.”

“Why should I go with you?” Maya asked, gripping the straps of her backpack, ready to run at any second.

“Because,” Ferdinand chuckled, acknowledging Maya’s skepticism. “There are kids like you at Camp Half Blood. It is a safe haven for young half-bloods like you. It is where the gods claim their children, young Maya.”

“You’re not lying?” Maya asked, big green eyes searching for any malice in the satyr’s eyes. She has had enough from malicious men who wanted to do unspeakable things to her. There was once this man who tried to lure her in with a good meal. When Maya declined, he tried to grab her, luckily Maya escaped—with the help of a little foot stomping and biting. It only fueled her hatred of men.

“I’m not, young Maya.” Ferdinand smiled at her. “It is our duty to protect. I promise I will not let any harm come to you as we travel to camp.”

“You promise?” Promises were never good, Maya hated promises. Promises were always meant to be broken. But this one felt like a tug in her heart, like a way to find who she was.

“On the River Styx, young one.”

Maya didn’t understand what the River Styx meant. Was it a river full of sticks? Despite her worries, Maya trusted him. The two then traveled to Long Island on foot from Massachusetts. Maya learned to trust Ferdinand, who kept her safe no matter what.

“You know, I have a nephew that’s around your age. His name is Grover, a fine protector in the making. He could be your friend once you arrive at camp.” Ferdinand mused as he and Maya—aboard his shoulders—trudged up the highway nearing Half Blood Hill.

“Really? You think he’s gonna play with me? An orphan-”

“You are not an orphan, Maya. You have a mother. I’m sure she’d claim you as soon as you step through the barrier.” Ferdinand insisted. Maya doubted that, but decided against voicing out her thoughts. She had prayed and prayed for so long, but her mother never answered, so why would she? Now that Maya was finally at camp?

As soon as Maya arrived at Camp Half Blood, she was in awe—giddy, almost. It wasn’t what Maya expected it to be. Camp was beautiful, far from the dumpster Maya had thought it to be. Every camper had necklaces, with beads indicating the years they’ve been at camp—Maya wanted one so badly and tried asking Ferdinand to make her one. There was a strawberry patch—much to Maya’s excitement, she loves strawberries and wanted to go straight to the patches. And for the main attraction, the twelve cabins, which Maya assumed one was her mother’s since Ferdinand had explained it was for each of the Olympian gods.

Maya was then welcomed by a crowd—campers of all ages, a grumbling man in a Hawaiian shirt, and half horse, half man.

“Welcome, young demigod,” Chiron greeted the young girl who was looking up at him with wide eyes. It’s not everyday that she sees another half human animal.

“Uh, what are you?” Maya asked, her hand immediately went flying to her mouth. “Sorry, I-”

Chiron laughed. “It’s alright, I apologize for not introducing myself properly. I’m Chiron, a centaur and the activities director of camp. And you are, young lady?”

“Maya,” she squeaked, eyes still wide. “Maya Williams.”

“Welcome to Camp, Maya. You’ll do great things, I know it.”

Suddenly, there was a collective gasp. Everyone stared at Maya like she’d just done something wrong.

“What did I do?” Maya asked, her lower lip trembling. She had been at camp barely a day, and she had already done something wrong. Was everything in her life always going to go wrong?

“Look down,” One of the campers said, pointing to Maya’s clothes.

Maya looked down and her eyes widened once more, she looked different. Her clothes weren't tattered and filthy anymore. Now, she was wearing a beautiful white sleeveless gown that went down to her ankles. Delicate gold armbands circled her biceps. An intricate necklace of amber, coral, and gold flowers glittered on her chest, and her hair was perfect: lush and long and flaming locks of auburn hair, braided to the side with gold ribbons. The filthy child, gone—as if she never was. Her mother had claimed her, just like that. Maya had been expecting that her mother would personally come and claim her, but she didn’t. Maya should’ve known better than to expect a literal goddess to come down and meet her child.

Chiron folded his front legs and bowed to her, and all the campers followed his example. “Hail, Amaya Williams,” Chiron announced proudly, as if she did something honorable. “Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love!”

friendly reminder: this is how small maya was when she ran away 🤭

taglist:

@mischiefmoons (special mention to jo cuz i love love love trouble!verse 💯💘) @iliketopgun @pleasingregulus

90 notes · View notes

hyunpic · 5 months

Text

HAIIIIII HAIIIII HAIIIII II III II i hit a big milestone on skz comeback day so i decided to do a lil thank u post or whatever idk. ive never done one of these in my tumblr career . As u can see ….. and the quality of the banner is trash just like where hyunjin almost fell. Can u just think of it as 5 minutes of crafts and like this is sooo five years old child making a Mother’s Day card to her mom. It’s full of love anyway 😻 i was writing this post while taking hits of my vanilla vape and it ran out of nicotine juice so im struggling and can’t focuse anymore 👍 pls forgive me this is gonna be very messy 😄

anyway these are no in particular order and sorry if i forgot someone 😔😔😔😔 this is what makes me so nervy that i have never made a post like this before like 😔 i don’t want to forget anyoneeeeeee also tumblr wouldn’t let me add more so blame them and not me DUMBLR 😡🍅🍅🍅🍅 thank u so much for sticking around and u are all so very dear to me in all of your unique ways:

@woozis @woodziecup @christakisbang @y-eontan @hyuncheols @ughbehavior @londonsboy @minchanz @minhosblr @morgoth @leenope @theboytatu @shnryjn @yang-innie @snug-gyu @jinniebit @ttathinker @digitalgirls @agibbangs @haenglixie @bangzchan @megaversed @yangjeongin @hyunchanz @seungminhos @chanstopher @chanrizard @djxiao @possession1981 @yunwooz @hyunjinz @exocean @onedoors @seungmoes @geniaparadox @kimtaegis @hyunjinz @cowboybin @farascha @wooobinz @taedongz

@strayklds: em i love to see u in my notifications and in my dms and perceiving u content and and and and etc. seeing u here always feels like the biggest warmest and welcoming hug. you are simply just like jisung - the best friend shaped guy and ilu so much for that 💖

@hanarchy: WAAAAAAA my chris.. this is so different cause we have actually met. thank y for always taking care of me… u are so so dear to me. like i will never forget the feeling of breaking down in tears when we got to lolla area and i realized i will see skz and u made sure i was okay. it will be my core memory till im in my death bed. i love u and your company and that we can bitch to each other about stuff and u just get me and i get u… i hope we can keep holding hands and making many more memories together 💘

@wantbytaemin: MY FUCKING MAIN SLAYEEEEEER it’s no joke that u stan taemin and u are a queen yourself as well… like greatness recognizes greatness. a piece of my heart is still in that weird little airbnb i shared with you in paris and whenever im sad i wish i could be there with you. my forever destined roommate or whatever idek. but i love u with all of my heart. The way we clicked right away when we met is crazy to me like i felt like i had known u forever. U are just soooOoooo amazing words can’t even describe 💘 ilyilymwahhhh

@izayaki MYYYYYY CARLYBEANNNNNNN MY CARLYBEANNNNNNNN MY CARLYBEANNN I FUCKING LOVE U U ARE EVERYTHING TO ME!!!! you could only treat me as your local sandman if u wished but i wouldn’t care like i love u so much!!!! i know i can always count u to be so crazy with me when it comes to hyunjin. also i feel like it’s worth mentioning that u make me feel so comfortable around u. i feel like i can finally be like myself whenever i talk with you :(( like u accept me just how i am and it means so much to me… idk i just feel like i will love u unconditionally and 4ever or whatever katy perry said in that one hit song of hers.

@sunmisbf we will one day smoke together. like idec how many years it will take. we will sit at that porch when we are 80 years old grandmas and we will share a joint and talk about our good old kpop days. u are a delight here and i would feel so empty if i didn’t follow u.

@dowoonyoon: my favoritest penpal.. the way u are engraved in my heart forever. u are just as lovely as taylor swift love songs, i hope u know that. im so happy to scream about anything and whatever with u. WE WILL GET MORE OF THOSE TAYLOR AND SKZ CRUMBS NEXT YEAR 🕯️🕯️🕯️

@yonglixx my sun sunny sunshine!!!! you might be one of the most supportive people on tumblr and i think we as a community need more people like u around. your light and positivity doesn’t go unnoticed. im glad to call u my friend 🌞

@ortali my cutie ortal… my favorite hyunie stan ever. me and u are the same and i miss u so dearly everyday whenever u aren’t here. tumblr isn’t the same without your presence. you bring me so much comfort and serenity and im so thankful that the world brought you to me 😣💘

@seungs: ik u hate sappy things but i will still shamelessly admit you are one of my favorite people ever here. im always here for your thoughts like i neEEED to hear them u know. you are so wise and collected and talented (ggoat = greatest gif maker of all time) that i aspire to be like u in so many ways like i just adore u so much hehe. i hope to be like u or whatever woodz said. i hope we get to meet once skz all around the world drags their booties to here mwah 💋

@seo-changbinnies: my trusted pc trader like trust all of my bin pcs will come to your way every comeback. it’s a tradition atp to stress over the international mail but i wouldn’t change a thing. u are a joy to be around and a blessing to this hellsite. so much happiness and joy radiating your tags that i couldn’t imagine tumblr without your presence. love u sososoo much 💖

@hyunsung: hello HELLOOOOO reach out to me im one of your biggest fans. i see a gifset of yours and i will be getting that thing to at least 1k notes like that’s the minimum they all deserve. you make art here and i think everyone should acknowledge it and appreciate it!!!!!!!! your name is mona just like one of the most famous art pieces of this whole world. i think it tells so much ‼️‼️

@chrisbangs my liiii my little moon… u are one of my first stayblr friends and i love u to the moon and back. whenever we catch up it’s like catching up with an old childhood bestie. nothing changed and the connection and love is always there. u mean so much to me than words could ever describe. i will forever be here rooting for you thousands miles away but our hearts will stay always connected 💘

@young-jae my forever only love sohvi. u have been here for me since the day one like im not even kidding… u know me through and through and i consider u my family at this point. i know if i fall to a dark place, i got your shoulder to lean on and that means the world to me. and same with you. you own my heart forever and always. i need to hug u so badly, i know i have the bestest hug in the world stored for u that i have been holding bag just to save it for u 💘 esc2024 here we come

@ye-xiu i feel like me and u are a married couple at this point like we have been through so much together and separately too like WOWIUUEEEEEE u are like a solid rock to me. a constant force that i can count on and i value it so much. i feel like i have told u this before but i love when u write.. u have a way with your words that always seem to touch places in my heart that i didn’t even know were there. hmm.. whatever does it ever drive u crazy how fast the night changes but it will never change me and u (that’s literally 1d lyrics but it just fits us)

@huiracha omg i adore u so much like 😭😭😭😭😭 IM SIMPLY A PEASANT WHILE PERCEIVING UR CONTENT. the way i have like actually kicked my feet few times in my bed when u rebloged something from me.. idk u are like my tumblr crush marie.. i just had to let u know here publicly!!!!!

@mybodyfails my sweetest oli with sososooooo much love to give…. u are sooooooo special. always rooting for me and hyping me up like half of my self confidence comes from your kindness. i hope you that passionate love you give out to the world will find you eventually. im glad to act as a cupid in your life too like that’s one of my greatest accomplishments and i will be mentioning it in my next job interview 😼

@hyumjim my funny guy Emily… u are like one of the funniest and craziest (in a good day at) people i have ever met. your energy irl also is just so joyful like i for real feel like i would never be depressed if i could spend at least few days a week with you (maybe that’s why u are a therapist… woah 🫨)

#vilmas follow forever

91 notes · View notes

divine-donna · 1 year

Text

in the mood for love

pairing: aemond targaryen x gender neutral! reader

word count: 3,866 words

ao3 link: 💘💘💘

summary: you learn that your husband has been having an affair with the wife of your neighbor. so the two of you find comfort within each other.

for vibes: yumeji’s theme from in the mood for love

warning(s): affairs, infidelity, cheating, drinking, smoking (cigarettes)

notes: this takes place in a modern au (somewhat). aemond has a prosthetic eye. based on wong kar-wai’s film, in the mood for love (2000) which stars the beautiful maggie cheung and handsome tony leung. anyways happy valentine’s day!

“Be careful! Be careful! That was my mother’s!” You exclaim, watching the movers carry the couch up the stairs. A small sigh of relief leaves you when they manage to get through the door. You follow after them, entering the place. A new place, a change of scenery. It would be good for you and your husband. You were starting to get a bit stir crazy back in your old home as a house spouse. You left your career for him, gave up a lot for him. It’s upsetting that he was on a business trip, but it wasn’t like you couldn’t handle yourself. You were perfectly capable.

You leave the apartment for a second, almost running into a man. “Oh. I’m so sorry. Excuse me.” You say, but you don’t move upon seeing other people carrying boxes up.

“My apologies. I’m moving in today.” He says.

You take in his appearance: silver hair, light eyes, lips that curl delicately, a gorgeous nose. You also notice how one of his eyes is entirely blue. “You are? What a coincidence. Me too.” You smile.

“Well, me and my wife. If she was here. But she is on a girls’ trip.” The handsome man leans against the wall, watching the people take his boxes inside.

“I guess since you are moving into this apartment, then we are neighbors.” You fiddle with your fingers. “I’m (Y/N).”

“Aemond. Aemond Targaryen.”

You set your pen down and remove your glasses from your face. Your eyes were beginning to be strained and it was an indicator that you should stop working on the letter in front of you. A state of purpose was so…annoying. You were thinking about going back to school to get a PhD. But you forgot how frustrating it was to write a statement of purpose. Setting your glasses down, you grab your things and leave the apartment. There were a lot of local food spots where you were, so you had trouble picking one. But eventually, you settled on what looked like a decent Mediterranean spot. Walking in, you take a look at the menu and order your food to go. As you are waiting, however, the door opens and the bell rings. “It is quite late to eat.”

You turn your head. “I was…busy. Time flew by. It happens when we move.” You smile.

“You are not wrong. I even forgot to eat lunch. And dinner.” Aemond looks at his watch. “Though I guess this can count as my dinner.”

“It is quite late.” You brighten up when the hostess returns with your food and hands you the bag. “Thank you so much.”

“Are you not staying here to eat?”

“I…I prefer the home, is all.” You brush past him and he watches you leave the restaurant.

You turn your head. “I was…busy. Time flew by. It happens when we move.” You smile.

“You are not wrong. I even forgot to eat lunch. And dinner.” Aemond looks at his watch. “Though I guess this can count as my dinner.”

“It is quite late.” You brighten up when the hostess returns with your food and hands you the bag. “Thank you so much.”

“Are you not staying here to eat?”

“I…I prefer the home, is all.” You brush past him and he watches you leave the restaurant.

The phone rings and you pick it up. “Hello?” You ask. You were expecting an interview today, but your heart fell slightly upon hearing the familiar voice of your husband.

“Darling?”

“Dear husband.” You say.

“You sound disappointed.”

“I was expecting something else today, is all. It must be serious since you’re calling me, instead of texting me.” You spin around in your chair, adjusting your glasses. “Although, let me guess: your boss extended your business trip. So you will be away for a few days?”

“How did you know?”

“It’s routine, at this point.” You hang up, setting your phone down. A disappointed sigh leaves your lips and you get out of your chair, heading immediately to the fridge. You pulled out a glass of non-alcoholic wine. You didn’t really like drinking but the sensation was somewhat fulfilled with non-alcoholic drinks. You also open your cabinet to grab a wine glass and open a drawer at your desk to take out a pack of herbal cigarettes and your lighter. No nicotine and flavored. This one was your favorite. You open the wine and pour yourself a glass before opening the window and sitting on a stool by it. Your fingers work to open the box and place a cigarette in your mouth, before flicking with the lighter and lighting said cigarette. You had already moved your ashtray to the window sill, considering how many times you have smoked in the past few days. Your husband promised to come home earlier. Alas, you knew better than to trust him. You take a long drag before letting it out slowly. “He’s such an asshole.”

In the apartment next to you, the man gets a call. “Hello?” He asks as he messes with the cuffs of his button down. He perks up upon hearing the voice of his wife.

“Why so formal Mondy?”

“I told you not to call me that.” Aemond frowns. “Anyways, do you need something? Did someone get hurt?”

“No one got hurt. Aside from Tesha. She got too drunk last night and is severely hungover.”

“Makes sure she eats something bland and hydrates.”

“I know, I know.”

“Is that all? I have to get to work.”

“I’m calling to let you know that the girls want to extend the trip. So we will be here a few more days.”

“Oh.” He says. “Well, have—” He’s interrupted by his wife ending the call. “Fun.”

You walk out of the convenience store, carrying a brown bag. You finished your non-alcoholic wine and wanted something alcoholic, so you bought yourself a bottle of red. When you approach the door to your complex, you see a man smoking outside. “Rough day?”

He looks at you, his blue eye glinting under the lamplight. “You could say that.” He tosses the butt of his cigarette into a nearby trash can.

“Have you eaten?”

“I have. I did not forget. Have you eaten?”

“I have. I also did not forget.” You observe his body language and notice how tense he was. You pull the bottle out of the bag slightly to show him. “Bought a new bottle. Want to open it with me?”

Aemond smiles. “It would be nice, yes.”

He follows you up to your apartment and you pull out your keys to unlock your door. You slide your shoes off and set them aside. He follows suit and watches as you take the bottle out of the brown bag and set it on your counter. You open your cabinet, pulling out two wine glasses, and a bottle opener. It was not your first time opening a corked bottle of wine but it did take a bit of strength on your part. That pop though was very satisfying. You pour the wine and walk over to your window sill, setting the glasses down on the ledge, opening said window, and dragging another stool over. Your neighbor joins you and you pull out a box of your herbals from your desk drawer. You sit down and open the box, pointing it towards him. “They’re better for you.” You say.

Aemond takes over and you feel his fingers brush against your own. It sends a small jolt throughout your body. A good kind of jolt. “Herbal?” He asks.

“Yes. This flavor is honey.” You pull one out.

He takes his lighter out of his pocket and lights his cigarette before presenting the flame to you. You light your own and take a long drag. The two of you let out smoke and bump the cigarette against the edge of the ashtray. You pick up your glass and take a sip. “How is it?”

“Sweet. Although I prefer a Sangria.”

“Sangrias are good.” He picks up his glass and gently swirls the liquid around. He lets the scent of the wine waft to him. He takes note of the small decorations around the apartment and how clean it was. “Were you expecting someone?”

“My husband.” You take another drag of your herbal. “He said his boss was extending his business trip. Nothing new.”

“Guess we are in the same boat.” He takes a long sip of the wine.

“Your wife?”

“Her girls’ trip is being extended. I want her to get out of the house anyways. She’s been spending a lot of time at her office recently, doing overtime, being stressed. Although, most nights, I am already asleep when she comes home. And she is asleep when I wake up. I try not to disturb her.”

“You are a good husband.”

“One can hope and try.”

The two of you sit in silence as you smoke your cigarettes and drink your glasses of sweet wine. You take in his presence and take note of how put together he looked. Or how much he was trying. His shirt was a little bit wrinkled and the top buttons were unbuttoned. His tie was loose and his cuffs were unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. You noticed a small stain on his pants despite the fact that his pants were dark. You both sit there for what feels like hours, having gone through many cigarettes and glasses of wine. Eventually, he puts out his last cigarette, drinks the last bit of his wine, and stands up. You know what he was going to do. So you follow him to your door where he puts his shoes back on and you open the door. “Do you want me to take care of that?” You ask.

“Take care of what?” Aemond tilts his head to the side.

“That stain on your pants.”

“Oh. This!” He smiles. “It’s nothing. I can take care of it. But it is very sweet of you.”

“Okay.” You watch him take a step out of your apartment. He looks at you with a gentle gaze and it makes your heart pound against your chest. You haven’t seen that kind of gaze in a long time. Your husband never really looked at you in that way.

“Let’s…do this again sometime.” He says.

“Let’s.” You close the door and lock it before turning around to lean your back against it. Your hand went up to grip at the fabric of your clothes, above your heart, as it pounded away at your ribcage.

Outside of your apartment, Aemond stood there for a good minute or so, looking at the door and the metal numbers. He could not stop thinking about the peace he felt when he was with you. He shakes his head before pulling his keys out.

“A pearl necklace?”

“Yes. A pearl necklace.”

“...I will ask my husband. Maybe he bought it. But thank you.”

“Of course.” You hang up and let out a sigh. You turn your tablet on and enter the passcode, before finding the banking app and entering your information. You just wanted to see what it would say on your statement. The necklace wasn’t too expensive but you didn’t really like pearls. They were not your favorite thing to wear. You found the charge and the name before typing it in your computer. You came across different variations of the design, but for the most part, they had a similar pendant attached to it. Not overly expensive but it would still be considered a nice gift. Your mind was poking you, poking you with the fact that this could mean a lot of things. But there was an obvious one. You didn’t want to think about that. Thankfully, a knock at your door distracts you. You stand from your desk and open the door.

“Have you eaten?” Aemond asks.

“No, I have not. It seems I have forgotten.”

He holds up a bag. “I bought you food.”

“How did you know I forgot to eat?”

“Instinct. Can I come in?”

“Of course.” You step aside to let him in and he removes his shoes. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet. I thought it may be less lonely if we ate together.”

“You would be correct. Shall we drink?”

“I will take water instead.”

You pour two glasses of water as he sets the food on the island and begins unpacking the food. He pushes a container towards you. “Got you your usual.”

“How did you know?”

“I noticed your receipts.”

“You are certainly observant.” You sit next to him as he gives you some plastic cutlery and napkins.

The two of you begin to eat, enjoying each other’s presence. It was hard to admit, but your husband not being with you made the apartment feel empty. You were getting lonely. So the presence of your neighbor made things feel a little bit more cozy. And perhaps he was feeling the same way because he kept returning to you, spending time with you. The both of you spent a lot of time smoking at the windowsill while drinking (wine, water, general alcohol. Whatever struck the fancy of the two of you). You contemplated life with him and talked about your days. He was very encouraging of your academic pursuit and took interest in your life and routine. You felt bad for talking so much while he listened but he always reassured you with a smile.

“Have you talked to your husband today?” Aemond asks.

“No. Instead, I got a call from the bank about my card about a charge for a pearl necklace.” You picked at your food. “Have you talked to your wife today?”

“I have, actually. She texted me to show me a necklace her friend got her.” He pulls out his phone. You notice that it’s a much older model. He shows you a picture and your heart sinks slightly upon seeing the necklace. He notices the change in your face. “Something on your mind?”

“That necklace…It’s a Valyrian Pearl Necklace with an engraved, porcelain pendant.”

“It is.”

“The charge on my card was for that.”

Aemond frowns upon hearing that. He notices the look on your face and it is as if he feels what is in your heart. “Where is your husband? For his business trip?” He asks after a moment of silence.

“He is in Milan. And your wife? For her girls’ trip?”

“...Milan.”

You look into his eyes and he looks into yours. The both of you say nothing as the reality dawns upon the both of you.

The two of you walk down the street and he opens the door for you, letting you in first. You ask for a seat for two people and sit down across from each other. It was a nice Italian restaurant and you take a look at the menu. The two of you sit and contemplate for a bit before ordering. Aemond orders two glasses of white wine for the two of you. You don’t talk much, just sit in each other’s presence. His hand twitches, tempted to touch yours. But if he did, other people may get different ideas. The food comes and the two of you begin eating. You look at his plate. “My husband does not eat much pasta. He watches his carbs.” You take a sip of your wine.

He looks at your plate. “My wife hates chicken. She thinks it makes her bloated. Her food is also less spicy.”

You look up at him and your lips curl into a small smile. He smiles in return and the two of you continue eating.

You pick at your food, staring at it with a longing look. “Do you have a mistress?” You ask. You don’t bother to look up and face the man sitting across from you. He doesn’t answer. “Do you have a mistress?”

Aemond swallows his food before speaking. “Yes.” You hit him in the arm lightly and he looks surprised. “What was that for?”

“My husband would not admit it so easily.” You scoff, taking a bite of your food. You let out a sigh. “I would think most husbands would not admit it so easily.”

“Maybe he feels guilty.”

“He does not feel guilty.” You sigh. “I would hope your wife feels guilty.”

“Maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t.” He takes a sip of his drink. He sets the container of food down and moves closer to you. You don’t know how to react, but you don’t mind. The two of you have grown considerably closer since you sat in your kitchen, thinking about how it was your spouses having an affair with each other. Certainly a strange turn of events. How many people would expect something like this to happen? When you turn to look at him, he is close. You like how close he is. You like your neighbor. He was a good husband. He was attentive, kind, helpful, encouraging. Everything your husband was not. He leans closer slightly and you pull yourself back.

“We cannot become them.” You whisper.

He purses his lips then nods. “We will not be them.”

You never really liked the rain. Or at least being outside. You liked being holed up in a car or in your home while it rained. Rain was nice as long as you were dry. But you were caught outside, having taken refuge under an awning to prevent yourself from being soaked to the bone. It rained down upon you hard, as if the skies were weeping for your predicament. You were cold, wrapping your arms around your body in an attempt to preserve your body heat. It seemed you would be stranded here for a bit. You were hoping you could wait out the storm, wait out the rain. But it didn’t let up, only rain harder. You turn your head upon hearing footsteps and see your savior emerge under the yellow lamp light. He holds an umbrella and he’s looking forward, looking away from you. But he turns his head and your body shivers, his gaze meeting yours. He walks over towards you, keeping the umbrella above him even under the awning. The umbrella even covers you. “Have you eaten?” Aemond asks.

“No. I forgot.” You say. “I was on my way to get myself something to eat actually.”

“What is stopping you?”

“I don’t like the rain.”

“It is when the sky weeps.” He scans your state. “Did you not bring an umbrella or a coat?”

“I do not look at the weather.”

“You can walk with me.”

His suggestion has you nearly melting. You could feel your heart quicken with anticipation. You shake your head. “People will see.”

“What will they see? A man protecting his neighbor from the rain so they can eat?”

“People talk.”

He lets out a sigh, looking around. It seems it is just the two of you together on this rainy night. He looks back at you. “You can take my umbrella then.”

“Then you will get wet.”

“That is fine with me.”

You look at his outfit. He seemed warm, comfortable. “Okay.”

Aemond gives you his umbrella. His fingers brush against yours and it sends that familiar feeling of electricity through your veins. You shiver but he doesn’t seem to notice. With the umbrella protecting you against the rain, you walk with your neighbor back to your apartment. When you get inside, you close said umbrella and give it back to him. His hair is wet, coat not as much, as is the awkward nature of rain. “Do you want a drink?” You ask.

“Something to warm the body.”

“Cabernet Sauvignon?”

“Cabernet Sauvignon.”

You unlock the door and let him in. He has been in this apartment many times and knows what to do. He removes his shoes and hangs up his coat while you put the wet umbrella in a plastic bag and set it aside. Once your shoes are off, you walk to the kitchen and pull out two glasses and the unopened wine bottle. You don’t really drink alcoholic wine, only when he is with you. And because the two of you spend time together, whether it’s just soaking in each other’s presence, talking briefly to each other, or rehearsing how you will confront your spouses, you drink wine. You’ve started buying it just for Aemond, for when he comes over. You unscrew the bottle, letting the wine breath for the first time, and pour it in the glasses. You observe him as he sits while you pour and watch as he plays with the golden band on his finger. He turns it, rubs it, and he contemplates something before pulling it off and setting it down on the counter.

“Why take it off?” You slide him his glass and set the bottle down.

“It is too heavy to carry.” He picks up the glass and sips the wine.

You look at your own ring and move your fingers. It does feel heavy. Not physically, but when you look at it, your hand is weighed down by the burdens of the ring. It’s almost too heavy for you. You struggled to lift up your ring finger. “You are right.” You take your ring off and set it next to his.

You fiddle with your fingers, looking up at him. The two of you were on your couch, your head on his lap. His eyes are on the television, watching the film. A romantic comedy. Your husband wouldn’t pick a romantic comedy. But he did. He asked you what you liked and you answered with A romantic comedy. He told you I like them too. He seems to notice your gaze, looking down at you. You smile and he smiles back. Looking at his face closer, you see his scar and the discoloration around his eye. You take note of his face, a face you immediately noticed the day the both of you moved in. “Your scar.”

“Normally, I cover it up.” Aemond answers.

“Not today?”

“I had to rush out of the apartment.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“My wife does not think so. She was the one who found a concealer and foundation that matched.”

“Then your wife does not know anything.”

He leans forward a bit towards you, hair brushing against your skin. It makes you shiver and his closeness makes your body hot. You lean towards him and your lips touch his gently. His kiss is gentle, soft, and his hand cups your face. You melt into his touch.

You take a long drag out of your cigarette, eyes glancing at the stack of papers next to you. The big bold letters stare back at you and the words dissolution of marriage stick out. Your husband’s name is on the paper. And your own name? The one asking to seek the dissolution. You contemplate to yourself in the silence, wondering if this was worth it. How much would you make? You haven’t been gone from the job market for that long. But two years was a long time. You take another drag just as a knock rings throughout the apartment. You leave your desk, placing the cigarette between your lips as you open the door. Aemond stands in front of you, scar visible and his blue eye glowing against the yellow light of the hallway. He speaks.

“Have you eaten?”

#happy valentine's day #house of the dragon #hotd #hotd fanfic #hotd fic #aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen x reader #x reader #gender neutral reader #male reader #female reader #slow burn #bittersweet #based on a movie

217 notes · View notes

luvvsoft · 3 months

Note

hi ml 💘 okay idk if ur requests are still open + this is my first time requesting but i’m dumping this here,, anyways

could u possibly do another connor lassiter x reader? preferably slow burn angst with a very fluffy ending but honestly idgaf atp i’m starving 🤧

notes: hi!! tysm for requesting and yes, my requests are always open at any time! i’m always open to suggestions from my readers, especially concerning unwind since i love it sm<3

ᰔᩚ connor lassiter x reader, angst with a fluff ending, slow burn!, insecurities, misunderstandings, love triangle, childhood friend reader, connor can’t choose lassiter, ooc connor probably, sweet confession near the end!!, some post undivided towards the end as well !

word count: 1.9k,, longest fic yet !!

I think I made this way too angsty and long, but bear with me guys :’) I also kind of switch a bit between POVs to include some of Connor’s thoughts, hope that’s fine! Honestly, I just wrote and let the ideas flow, but I hope this is what you wanted, dear anon<3

You’ve known Connor since you were little kids. You grew up together — as neighbors, always playing together. From all the time spent together you considered him your best friend, even if you knew he didn’t think much of you.

In your heart, you knew you were not enough to consider him your friend, but you were selfish. You wanted Connor to see you as more than the annoying neighbor who constantly wanted to hang out with him, more than someone who was just pleading for an ounce of attention in his eyes. You wished he was happier with you than he was with fighting his parents.

Maybe if you tried hard enough to keep him away from fights — from meaningless arguments with peers, with his mom and dad — you wouldn’t have to hear his parents talking about an unwind order. Maybe if you dragged him away whenever he caused trouble for no apparent reason, you wouldn’t have to watch as Connor did everything in his power to make his parents regret their decision.

You watched as Connor studied to get that B+ in his science exam, as he gave his mother flowers. You silently watched as he turned into a shadow of the person he used to be, but it wasn’t enough. When was it ever enough? When could parents ever change their mind after they signed off on their children’s lives?

You watched as the time neared for Connor to go. You watched as he grew fearful, as trepidation crawled up his spine as if it could happen at any moment. You watched as he made the plan to leave— as you never crossed his mind even once.

You watched, that was all you ever did. You watched as the one you loved pleaded for his love to run away with him. You watched as she agreed, and wondered would you? You were sure you would. You’d trade the world to have Connor in your arms.

Finally, you watched as Ariana told Connor she wouldn’t go with him— she had a life — he no longer did. You watched as Connor crumbled, as he fell into the deep ends of his pain: the pain inflicted by the very people he called “parents.” Then and there, you decided it was fine if Connor didn’t love you, as long as he was happy.

You came up to Connor after Ariana revealed she wouldn’t go with him.

“How about you and I?” you asked softly, kneeling down near him.

“What about that?” he answered, taking a moment to throw you a look before resuming what you assumed was his spiraling. You couldn’t blame him, you would react similarly.

“I’ll go with you, Connor; wherever you want to go,” You brushed a stray hair out of his eye. “Just say the word.”

“What if I say now?”

You didn’t lie to him when you said that, quite the opposite. You followed him, did as he wanted while trying your best to keep him out of trouble.

You followed him as he got captured and tried to free himself. You followed as he met Risa, as he met Levi too.

Oh, how you hated the day Connor and Risa met. You hated it all: how she slowly started replacing you while he forgot you, how she became the glue that kept the group together, how she was, just to put it simply, better than you.

You slowly went from being part of his life to once again becoming a spectator. You were watching, again.

You saw how Connor looked at Risa. The softened eyes, the small tug at the lips you longed to kiss, the calmness and serenity that he exuded when she was around. You saw it all, of course you did, and you wished, oh you wished, you were her.

You wished just once he’d pick you. You were there since childhood, since you were kids. And yet, as soon as some other girl comes around, he’s interested.

Why? Why could he never see you? Why were you destined to yearn for a soul that did not reciprocate? Why was kismet so cruel? Why did it torture you so?

Why were you forced to watch as the one you loved fell for another? Why would your hearts never intertwine?

Even if you thought the opposite, Connor saw you. He’s always noticed you in his shadow, as if that was all you were meant to be.

Connor saw how you were always the first willing to help him— always willing to clean his bloody knuckles and nose after he just fought. You were the first one to actually try, and not give up on him after the first sign of him being, well, him. You were always there to help him study, to keep him out of trouble.

Connor liked you, he did. He just had no idea how to show you, not when you were always lingering, but never fully present. He had no idea how to take you out of your shell as a kid.

The brunette had been making progress to get to know you, even if most of it was just you scolding him. He used his fights as a way to push you towards him, to get you to open up when you were so mysterious.

Connor thought he liked you until he met his then girlfriend, Ariana.

After meeting her, all his feelings for you evaporated, never given a chance to come to light. He became fixated on her, just her, with no room for you. Soon, you reverted back to that shadow he worked so hard to get you out of. But he didn’t notice, not when all his attention was on her.

Following the fallout with Ariana, you two became close or as close as he would allow you. You became a constant in his life: a pillar of support. But that’s all you ever were, a continuance— never to become a change.

If only Connor noticed how you looked at him like he had crafted the skies, the earth, the stars, by hand. If only he realized his feelings weren’t unrequited — quite the opposite — you loved him. If only he realized the tightening of his throat and sweaty palms whenever you were around weren’t anxiety.

If only he gave you his focus once again. But he wouldn’t, not when Risa was in front of him, and all he could think about was her. Her pretty green eyes that reminded him of the grass blowing in the wind, her brown hair — almost like his, but not quite, her charming yet tough personality.

Everyone saw the signs: Connor was a fool in love. And you wished to be the one the fool loved.

They knew Connor was in love, but did they know it was two people? Did they know he laid awake at night wondering, questioning why his feelings came back for you?

Was it the sickly sweet domestic sight of you helping the kids in Sonia’s basement? Was it how kind and pure you remained despite the world you were dragged into? Was it that you were always there every step of the way for Connor, but he didn’t bother for you?

Maybe it was everything. Maybe it was the longing for someone who understood him. Risa understood Connor, but only to an extent, where as you, you knew Connor.

You knew who Connor was and what he stood for, even if those morals had been slightly fractured. You could recognize Connor amongst a sea of Connors. You, it was always you.

Connor couldn’t fool himself now. He understood the feelings that brewed inside him before. He understood what the tingle he got whenever you touched him was. He understood what the fastening of his heartbeat around you was.

Connor understood so much, yet so little at the same time. But, did it really matter when he knew he wanted you? Did anything when all he saw was you in his dreams? Laying there while he reached across to touch your hair and bring you close. While he inhaled your comforting scent. Waking only to find you across the room, leaving him with a soulful ache.

He came up to you while you were with the kids. “Can we talk?” he whispered into your ear, tickling it in the process and leading to goosebumps dotting across your skin.

You silently stood and nodded, promising the children vying for your attention you’d be back.

You both stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity before he spoke up. “I..I don’t know how to tell you, but I just wanted to say I’ve always noticed you. Despite what you think, I appreciate everything you’ve done, how nurturing you’ve been. How you still care for me even if I just toss you aside.”

“Connor, if this is you telling me you don’t want me around anymore, I get it. It’s fine, don’t drag it out,” You interrupted, your tearing heart begging you to put an early end to the conversation.

“What? No, no. Don’t think that. I would never want that from you, ever.”

“Then why did you bring me here? Please, tell me. The children want me back and I don’t think this is a good idea, your girlfriend is looking at us,” You tilted your head behind him, directing him to look at a staring Risa.

“Risa’s not my girlfriend, and why should I care who’s looking?” Connor stopped in the middle of his sentence, as if he was thinking before continuing on. “Let’s give them a reason to look.”

He then grabbed your head, pulling you closer to his body and crashing your lips together.

You were in shock, but soon melted into the kiss. It was slow, passionate, and full of hidden emotions, by both you and Connor. The kiss revealed things you wouldn’t dare say out loud before, until now.

As much as you wanted it to continue, as much as you wanted to indulge in your daydreams becoming true, you pulled away.

“Why..why would you do that?” you whispered out, watching the string of saliva that connected you both.

“I thought actions spoke louder than words.”

“You’ll be the death of me someday, Connor.”

“I just want you to know that I have loved you since we were kids, even if I didn’t show it,” Connor slowly said, like he was a sailor out in uncharted waters. Maybe this was uncharted waters, you’d never done anything of the sort with him.

┉┉┈◦ೋ•◦❥•

You heard the door close, signaling that Connor was home.

You heard his soft sigh next, with accompanied shuffling until he stepped foot into the living room. Connor laid down next to you, setting his face on your shoulder and his arms around your waist.

“Long day?” you whispered out before flipping the page of the book currently keeping you occupied.

“Mhm, so many things to do, yet so little time,” Connor responded before pressing a kiss into your shoulder.

You set your book down then looked at him, “How about I run you a bath?”

“Join me.”

You gave him one last kiss before getting up, “Come on then. I made your favorite.”

#x reader #unwind angst #unwind fluf #unwind x reader #unwholly #undivided #unwind series #unwind connor #unsouled #connor lassiter x reader #connor lassiter #unwind connor x reader

11 notes · View notes

possibleplatypus · 2 years

Note

For the fic ask game:

3. 😂 A fic that made you laugh out loud.

6. ☺️ A fic that made you smile on a bad day.

12.💘 A fic you couldn't stop reading once you started.

15.📚 A fic you wish you could display on your bookshelf.

3. My Big Fat Wolf Wedding by AggressiveWhenStartled, galwednesday, quietnight, silentwalrus, skellerbvvt “MARRIED?”

“Basically married. Permanently engaged anyway. Weres have their own deal.” Natasha sounds much, much too gleeful about Steve’s rapidly expanding personal hell. “So you better wake your blushing bride and tell him the happy news: that it was an accident and you had no idea what you were doing.”

“I,” Steve says, strangled. “I can’t do that!”

“You can’t?”

“He thought I was proposing! And he accepted!”

“Wow, maybe he’s just as dumb as you are,” Natasha says thoughtfully.

“I can’t just promise him a ring, take him home, drink from him three times in a row and then wake him up the next morning to say oops, just kidding!” Steve casts around, looking at his wreck of an apartment. “I don’t even have any good champagne!”

(Honestly could not stop laughing especially towards the end ;) )

6. a dream that feels so real to me by @greyhavensking “What I’m driving at,” Steve says, tightening his grip on Bucky’s hand the same time he presses into his shoulder, giving him something solid to lean against, “is that those aren’t my favorite memories of you.”

That gets Bucky’s mask to crack a little, curiosity bleeding through the fracture lines. “Really? ‘Cause I seem to recall you’ve got a strange fondness for that one time I let Becca mess with my hair and she stuck about a hundred different ribbons and bows in it. You drew it, just so you wouldn’t ever forget the look on my face when I caught sight of myself in a mirror.”

Steve snorts, very much ignoring the daggers Bucky glares at him for the response. It is a good memory, his or not, and he’s almost sad that that particular drawing didn’t make it into the exhibit. But, no, that’s not his favorite, not by a longshot.

“First time I kissed you,” is all he says, eager to watch the play of emotions over Bucky’s face as he processes that.

Because the first time they kissed? Happened right here in the museum.

(Super sweet Night at the Museum AU ;_; I encourage reading the whole series!)

12. An Appropriate Omega (WIP) by BeauRadley Steven Rogers, the Duke of Brooklyn, is in a bind. The provisions of his father's will mean he must marry before his thirty-fifth birthday or lose his mother's inheritance. The catch? He has to marry a suitable omega.

James Barnes is the third child of the impoverished Barnes family. If he or his sister don't marry before the season is out, their family will fall further into poverty. If he doesn't find someone else soon, he'll be forced to marry the sinister Lord Pierce.

The two men realize they can solve each other's problems, but will their marriage of convenience turn into something more?

(I just started reading this a few days ago and binged all of it. Now I am impatiently waiting for the next part lol)

15. This was the hardest one... If I had my way I’d print out all my favorite fics, bind them, and have a whole physical stucky library, sorted by author ;) alas...

The Hundred Year Playlist by girlbookwrm (stories are finished, series is ongoing, so far 300k+) Steve and Bucky, start to finish.

"Come on, pal, it's me. Take another hundred years if you want, I'll still be here.” (All these stories stand alone and are roughly canon compliant)

DREAMERS WITH EMPTY HANDS: Pre CATFA. Steve Rogers/Chronic Pain, with bonus Steve/Pining. 1924-1943

GOOD MORNING HEARTACHE, WHAT'S NEW?: CATFA. Steve/Emotional Pain, War Years Edition. 1943-1945/2011

THE TERROR OF KNOWING: Winter Soldier Years. Soldat/Fear, with bonus Baby Widows. 1945-2014.

FOOL FOR SACRIFICE: Avengers 1 - AoU. Steve/Losing Everything. 2011-2015

NO HOPE FOR THE WEARY: TWS-CACW. Bucky/Let Him Rest. The Big Recovery Fic, 2014-2016.

LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPON: Pre-IW. Steve/Bucky/their giant pile of Issues.

COMING SOON: Post EG and TFATWS season 1. Sam and Bucky's Multiverse Roadtrip (to get Steve back)

and

The Fray Will Well Become Me by mugwort and myrrh (almost 400k; stories are finished, series is ongoing) Also known as the Magic Pixie Dream Steve 'verse.

Steve Rogers' father is an immortal sorcerer from another world. This changes some things some things a Hell of a lot, and some things not at all.

Or: sorcery, sex, soldiering, spy craft and shapeshifting.

fic rec ask game!

#mcu #mcu fic #fic recs #stucky #steve rogers #bucky barnes #asks answered

6 notes · View notes

jamespottersdaisy · 2 months

Note

hello my girl, me again

how is your day going? I hope you're slaying as the queen that you are

I came back from my trip on Friday and I've been very busy cause i have three exams this week and one is physics so I'm procrastinating. also, I'm probably going to be a little mia cause from now on I have exams every week till may, when I finish and I have to study on my own for the university entry exam in june. but I wanted to update you a little bit

I have not read the caraval series nor once upon a broken heart, I have a friend who has but she didn't like them very much. nevertheless I do want to read them but I have some books on my tbr that I got for my birthday and Christmas that I haven't been able to read yet.

and no I have not heard of that brazilian soup opera, but thanks to where I'm from, I can pretty much understand portuguese which I think it's really cool although I think portuguese to be a very dramatic language which I cannot take serious

okay so now the tea, do you remember the boy who learnt lover on the drums? (I'm gonna refer to him as lover boy, a bit cheesy but suits him fine). so I've come to terms with my feelings and I do like him. a lot, when I'm with him I feel really at peace and he's so handsome and nice and such a good person.

but the funny part isn't that, remember the other guy, well I feel so stupid for trusting him. there were some things that I didn't like and they kept accumulating but the icing on the cake was that he referred to me to his friends (loverboy is in his group of friends and he told me cause he got mad too) in a disrespectful way that I told him countless times I do not enjoy.

so now I just feel dumb for trusting him and holding him in such high esteem. and I don't know if I should compare them, but with loverboy I've never felt a moment of doubt whether I was being a burden or if he would like me to shut up. i didn't really feel shame for the way I am cause sometimes I just start rambling and people look at me weird, but for some reason he likes it when I ramble.

and he doesn't hate taylor swift he lets me explain him all the things and is willing to see the eras tour with me because he said that if I'm happy he's happy. and like this there are a lot of other silly little things that make me spin on the ground giggling kicking my feet

TAYLOR SWIFT IS RELEASING A NEW ALBUM WHAT? LIKE LITERALLY WHAT I WOKE UP TODAY HALF ASLEEP THINKING OF HOW WAS I GOING TO MANAGE TO STUDY PHYSICS IN ONE DAY, I SAW THAT AND I STARTED SCREAMING AND MY MOTHER ASKED ME WHAT HAPPENED. SINCE THEN I HAVE NOT FELT A MOMENT OF SLEEPINESS

sending you lots of kisses and hugs and hoping that summer comes soon so we can talk more often <333

-🌕

hey my baby!!! happy valentine's day💘💘 how did it go?

it's probably late, but i hope you did well on the exams!!!! i know it's a busy time for ya

i actually finished all!! and i absolutely loved them i wish i could read them for the first time again😭

LOVER BOY HAD ME GIGGLING!!!! TELL ME MORE!!! I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HAPPY BABY. and screw the other one tbh he had that vibe anyways

NEW ALBUM IS 10 DAYS AFTER MY BD!!! AND THE ANNIVERSARY OF THIS ACCOUNT!!! I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE MY ALBUM!!!

i miss you and i love you babe

#(⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠✧⁠*⁠。#🌕 bby #ily ily ily #come back often

0 notes

lenteur · 1 year

Note

i missed you moooooooooost <33 thank u my darling 💗 i'm feeling good this week, hoping that feeling lasts :)) you're the sweetest :))

*squishes u* <33

i appreciate your puns always ;) they will always be met with me smiling <33 even if they're bad, i still love them 🌸 i am smh at ur pun but i will look past it bc ily 👀

i love my boo seungkwan 🌱🧡 i love that man a whole looooooot 🥰 nah i can't deal with scoups, he is ADORABLE </3 must......resist......and....not....squish.....his......cheeks..... aaaaaaaa 👀 OH MY GOD I LOVED THAT ONE <33

yes! it's about superman. i can't remember much of smallville but i used to love it :( the first four seasons are great but season five and season six, you're just like wtaf is happening (i still love it tho. it's chaotic) 🌸

yes! i'm halfway through now <33 OKAY SO the murderer is NOT who i think it is!! he is actually super innocent and sweet and i wanna protect him forever <33

my cats were on catnip this evening which was very, very funny <33 toffee was moody and was like um gimmie catnip, mother >.< and luna was practically throwing herself about 😭 we put the catnip inside an old sock and they both were crazy 🤪

lemme just love u forever <33 actually nvm, gonna love u anyway okay? 🥰🥰🥰 i'm so happy their faces make you smile <333 you deserve to be happy 💙🧡💖

hello my love 💖 i've missed you sososososososososo much you have no idea 😭 you're truly the highlight of my days whenever I see you interact with me 💗

you always say i'm the sweetest when i think you're a great competitor 💕 if there ever was a world's kindest sweetest person championship, you'd rank super high 🏆

see when i said you're the sweetest? you're even willing to smile at my worst puns 💞 if that is not a sign of love & friendship, i don't know what is 💓

the bias wreckage is very present in you 💔 i mean same :( scoups was the first svt member to catch my attention back when they debuted. he kind of holds a special place in my heart 💕 and, to be clear, I AM NOT SIMPING FOR THIS DUDE OK?! (why the sudden aggression? i have no idea. maybe i am a bit in denial... who knows?)

now that you said this, that's why i ended up not liking the show :/ the last seasons were too chaotic and nonsense for me lol

wait what?! first of all, i'm glad the m*rd*rer (keeping it pg just in case hehe) was not who you thought. but? super sweet and innocent? wanna protect him forever? i must be honest that shocked me a little when i read that. but then, i went back to our previous message and it helped me understand your feelings a little better.

ah yes catnip and cats are a match made in heather 🤪 (see what i did there? hehe) honestly i miss when i used to have a cat at home :( a lot of craziness but a lot of fun too 💖 so please let me know about your cats' lives 💘

awww :((( you're too sweet :((( you too deserve to be happy ok? you have no idea how bright you shine (like a diamond) (yes my music knowledge is so eclectic and i only listen to underrated artists 🙄)

anyway, as usual, i hope you're having the best day you can have and that you're taking care of both yourself and your cats 🐱🐱 (so sad there aren't customisable cat emojis because i would've created the most realistic toffee & luna emojis jsyk)

#lettre #lovely mutuals #heather 🪶#i always take a lot of time to answer you but that's only because i want to give you the best answer <3 #atp you can't escape me & my puns hehehe #you have unlocked the pun master *firework sounds heard in the background*

1 note · View note

neopuppy · 2 years

Text

Dumb Dumb (M)

Preview: Life had been moving smoothly. Managing to watch from afar as random people dealt with complications at your menacing hands. Disturbing their peace only to calm your crave for destruction.

That was until the day you met Johnny.

Johnny Suh. The first book cover you wished to not have judged so quickly. He would turn out to be your hardest lesson yet.

Pairing: single dad Johnny x female reader

Word Count: 15k+

Genre: dilf AU with a twist, daddy issues, pwp, aged up Johnny(35), reader is younger/legal, M/F, mild angst-happy ending, this gets very filthy

Smut Warning: dom/sub relationship(no negotiation), nicknames, daddy kink, size kink, strength kink, spanking, mild degradation, handcuffs, sex toy use, rough oral, fingering, biting, a lot of drool, rimming, anal, subspace, breeding, cock warming, aftercare, 💘johnny💘

Daddy ASF collaboration | masterlist

a/n: plot partially inspired by Ghost World, but this is really nothing similar to that story.

Whether it be pure boredom or depression, you had no excuse for your shit behavior. Ultimately being a ‘good’ person was opinion based. That’s what you repeated to yourself whenever your moral conscience kicked in. Shoving aside whatever common sense you should have by now.

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover either. You also shouldn’t base opinions off of anyone’s appearance. You should have some depth, a shallow inside will gain you nothing.

Not that you cared.

Advice heard from various lips throughout your life. Strangers, friends, family. Who cares what they think anyway.

Your mother was one of the first to call you an ‘ungrateful brat’ after you’d lovingly referred to her new boyfriend as a ‘fucking monster’. As much as it stung at first, words only made you grow hard with time. More difficult to deal with, losing the last bits of emotional depth you’d carried from naive childhood.

Life had become an empty journey. Waking up only to continue an act of survival. Amusing yourself with petty childish tricks and games. It had been a fine coping mechanism. Enough to get by, using new ways to pick on others to distract from any negative thoughts.

Life had been moving smoothly for the most part otherwise. Managing to watch from afar as random people dealt with complications at your menacing hands. Disturbing their peace only to calm your crave for destruction.

That was until the day you met Johnny.

Johnny Suh. A man who made you wish you had listened up whenever being scolded. He would turn out to be your hardest lesson yet.

Desperately seeking a connection: I can’t believe I am doing this right now but..yesterday I ran into you at the grocery store. I was the tall bookish fella wearing a knitted brown cardigan.

You were the beautiful striking brunette searching through a recipe on your phone. We bumped into each other and your jaw dropped in awe of my height. I could be all wrong but I felt something? Perhaps it was just me, but I would love to take you out sometime and get to know each other. Maybe we could cook up a new recipe together. If you happen to see this my phone number is xxx-xxx-xxxx

-Johnny, your aisle prince able to reach for ingredients on the top shelf.

“Aisle prince? More like a pathetic loser.” You laugh to your friend. Folding the newspaper in half after reciting the personal ads of the day. “A brown knit cardigan? The only connection she was probably feeling was static.”

“He sounds like a real winner.” Your friend rolls her eyes. Her fingers tap along the moist glass containing a half melted milkshake. Having forced her to try out a new diner in your small town. Grand openings are rare in a place full of mom and pop shops. She was annoyed enough as is, mentioning something about job applications.

“What if I…” you smile mischievously, swiping open your phone. Newspaper rustling in your other hand as you shake it open to find the ad again. Beginning to type the phone number this Johnny had added in all too excited. Phone snatched from your hold before you can finish.

“What are you doing?!” She gasps, locking the device. Her brows scrunching together half annoyed, half in disbelief.

“Calling this dude up.” You scoff as if it’s so obvious. Adding more feminine pitch to your voice. “Get this losers hopes up that his long lost soulmate somehow stumbled upon this pathetic ad. It’s me, your grocery aisle princess, come to claim my throne.”

“Why?” She rolls her eyes letting you steal your phone back with no fight.

“Can’t you tell?” You fake shock, deadpanning within a second. “I’m bored.”

“Great, that’s just great.” She scoffs. Snapping fingers at a waiter with a curly haired mullet. “Check! Please!”

“Shhh!” You shove her hand down, waving the waiter off. “It’s ringing!”

“Hang up!” She hisses. Swatting her grubby hands away, you take a deep breath preparing to pounce.

“Hello?” A gentle deep voice halts your tiff. Choking on a wad of saliva as you shoot up straight. Raising your index finger to shush your friend, you breathe out softly.

“Hello? My grocery aisle prince? Is that you my darling?” You respond with a honey laced tone. Wanting the man on the other end to picture a dainty brunette, twirling hair around a finger like some brainless bimbo.

“I— excuse me? Oh!” He sounds gleeful, full of life. Exuberant in comparison to the soft way he answered. “Oh gosh. My striking brunette?”

His laugh resounds throughout your phone's speaker. It’s silly, damn near pathetic. Pacing yourself to match his excitement, you compliment him for the ad.

“It must be fate, my prince charming finally found me.” You let out a dreamy sigh. Pinching your friend after she slaps at your arm, mouthing to ‘hang up’. “Gosh! I’d love to meet with you today. Are you perhaps free right now? Maybe we could catch a meal together. There’s a new diner just opened downtown, I'm dying to try!”

“I just received a flyer for that spot the other day. Hmm.” Rustling follows, he falls silent for a minute. “My daughters on a playdate for the evening. It must be fate, my schedule is even clear tonight. I’d too love to spend some time getting to know each other, maybe over a cup of coffee?”

“That sounds lovely Johnny. Meet you there in an hour?” You beam, rolling your eyes. He agrees, ending the call with a ‘can’t wait to see you’.

It takes no more than an hour for the bells above the entrance to chime. Having to double take when a man ducks his way inside.

“Oh my God, that must be him.” You whisper. Slinking lower into the booth as you peer at a tall man step inside with hesitation.

A brown cardigan hung lamely on his broad shoulders. Faded and tattered from years of wear. His hair is straight, stopping just mid-neck. He’s stood there awkwardly for a bit, glancing around the diner. Pushing at the center of the glasses perched low on the bridge of his nose.

He’s squinting for about a minute, pretending to focus on the menu between flittering his gaze around for a familiar face. Peeping at his watch, he walks to the counter.

“He looks..” you trail off. Strands of hair fall around his face as he reads over the menu up close. His mouth tweaks side to side hollowing out the skin under his cheekbones. Further jutted out pronouncing how angular his face is. He’s not what you would expect from the personal ad at all.

“He looks like any random desperate single dad.” Your friend continues for you. Her lips purse, nose scrunching as if she’s annoyed. Annoyed that you dragged her into another one of these immature ventures. “He could be your dad.”

“That’s not funny.” You hiss. Scooting near the edge of the booth to take in the rest of his appearance. Faded ill-fitting corduroy slacks, visible brown socks to match his cardigan…patterned with some orange and creme design, loafers scuffed up at the toe. This guys helpless..

“Stare any harder and he’ll get suspicious you know.” Your friend grips you elbow, hauling you closer to her side of the booth. Opening up a compact mirror to get a good sneaking visual on your target. “He’s ordering.”

“A vanilla milkshake..” you snort. The waiter sets down a foamy caloric sugary concoction before him. Johnny stirring the cream on top with the end of a straw. He looks around again, hunching down to lick it off. “Who in their right mind orders a vanilla milkshake?”

“This is so cruel.” Your friend pipes up after 40 minutes have gone by. Johnny never sips at his drink. He more so plays with it, scooping small bits to lick off the straw until it's melted too much.

“How long do you think he’ll sit there?” You ponder out loud. Grateful you’d remembered to block your number as he picks up his phone, more disappointed each time.

“Don’t know but I can’t hang around to find out.” Your friend moves to stand. Shoving the newspaper at your chest. “Promise me you’ll at least look at the job listings? We need to put down a deposit on a place before summer ends.”

“Yeah yeah.” You sigh tired of this subject, waving goodbye. Job this, job that. All this whining just to move 5 miles away, because ‘we’re adults now, you can’t seriously expect any privacy living with your mom still.’ Whatever.

You ask for another refill on your lemonade, the waiters brow growing heavy. Looking at you and then the giant clock hung on the wall. Your brow lifts his direction, sipping at your drink with a daring look. As if he’d say anything.

Johnny finally gives up by hour three. One long sip through his straw to finish off what his milkshake has become.

Standing up with a stretch, cracking his neck side to side. A wound tight fist clenched by his hip bounces off a pocket that jingles. Probably carrying car keys, change or something.

With your face ducked hiding half behind a row of empty glasses, you watch him walk out. Defeated in many ways. As if he just sat berating himself for the past few hours.

Broken people always intrigued you. Wondering to yourself how dedicated he could be to this facade. What made him tick, what hurt him the most. How he held out even longer than an hour, his pride had to be nonexistent.

You make your exit, glaring at the waiter who clearly just wanted this shift to end. Newspaper snuggly fitted under your arm.

—————————————————-

Johnny sitting alone at the diner counter weighed on your mind heavily the next day. Waking up, stirring honey in your tea as flashes of brown yarny fabric itched at the backs of your eyes.

It’s not that you felt bad, no not that..

Even after a long hot shower, spending extra time rinsing your skin until it feels tender and raw, the image of him sucking down the last bits of milkshake tapped at your skull.

Perhaps it was guilt more than anything? To witness the hope drain from his cheeks. Optimism crushed the longer he sat there. Neck craning toward the opening entrance less and less.

The clear grit of his teeth as he pushed away from the counter. Furiously filled out the receipt for the one vanilla milkshake he nursed over the span of three hours.

Cheeks twitched at the corners of his mouth, concealing a sigh. A painting of melancholy, yearning for more. The memory burrowed between your breasts, pestering you to rectify the situation you’d created.

Mumbling to yourself ‘I don’t care’, you reach for the paper. Curious to read his message again. Repeat the words over and over. Design a personality for this Johnny guy.

With a lick at your index finger, you flip open the paper, distracted by the job ads your friend had circled through. No doubt she intended for you to see them

Babysitter needed:

Summertime babysitter needed for my 7 year old daughter. Must be available to work Monday-Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Pay starting at $15 hourly but willing to negotiate.

Please reach me at xxx-xxx-xxxx if interested in applying -Johnny Suh

Johnny Suh? The phone number matches the one sitting in your recent call history. Man, this Johnny guy needs to meet the worldwide web.

Although, your friend was bitching about how you needed to look for a job if you planned to live with her next semester..

A dial tone blares from your phone before you realize, snapping you back to reality.

“Hello?”

It’s him. The same voice repeated in your mind for the past 24 hours, like a song you couldn’t find the will to skip. Each word engraving itself repeatedly. You’d recognize it by the sound of his breath alone.

Clearing your throat, you sit up pressing the phone to your ear. Remembering to not alter your voice in any way- “Hi! I..I saw your ad, for a babysitter! Johnny Suh?”

“Oh! Yes, that’s me. Hello! Perfect timing, I just began interviews today actually. I’m sort of in a crunch for time.”

“That’s great! I’d love to uhm, do that!” You smack your forehead too hard. Sounding over eager enough to feel queasy, maybe due to the mysterious voice passing through your phone line.

Johnny covered a few more questions, setting up a time for you to come by tomorrow along with his address. God, you’d be in his house…what the hell were you doing.

“Does that sound good?” He asks. Nodding your head until he hums, still waiting.

“No yea, that’s— that’s perfect.” You swallow dryly. Clenching your buttcheeks nervously. How stupid could you be? Very.

“Great! I will be seeing you then.” Johnny sounds pleasant. Wishing you a great day before hanging up.

Tomorrow..

Your eyes dart over the address scribbled on the notepad in front of you. Why wait for tomorrow? Would it be so wrong to go scope out where he lives ahead of time? Possibly catch a glimpse of him?

He’d be none the wiser..

—————————————————-

It’s not hard to spot Johnny once you’ve parked across the street from his house. Far enough to go unnoticed, just close enough to catch a glimpse of him stepping out in that same brown cardigan he’d worn to the diner. He’s not alone this time, slouching down on one side as he walks along the sidewalk to a small park nearby.

A little girl with two expertly braided pigtails skips next to him. Her small fingers intertwined around two of his, keeping up with the mans pace easily as she took two steps with each skip to avoid the cracks on the ground.

This close up everything about him screamed lonesome single dad as you watched him approach the park. His mouth moved instructing the child to stay within an area where he could see her. Taking a seat on an emptied bench nearby, he pulls out a book from his pocket. Ankle crossed over his thigh as he settles down.

Denial buzzed around your thoughts. Grasping at emptiness for a logical explanation as to why you sat here watching Johnny finishing off what looks like three chapters. Occasionally pausing to wave at his daughter and offer her water.

There was something to the way Johnny sat there hunched over. Removing his glasses and cleaning them off with his cardigan. Shaking his hair away whenever the light early summer breeze blew it to obscure his vision.

The longer you sat observing him, the more you imagined walking over to sit by his side. Silently enjoy his company as the sun goes down.

—————————————————-

The roots of Johnny’s medium toned brown hair show signs of greying. Shorter strands stand straight manipulated by static. Without his glasses on, the lines around the corners of his eyes are amplified. Creasing as he smiles at you from across. Folding his hands on the table, he speaks with a pacifying vocal tone. One you’d use to communicate with a child.

“So, why babysitting?” Johnny straightens up in the cushioned dining room seat. Beginning the interview in a minimalistic, yet expensive looking dining room. Your throat dried up from the moment he’d greeted you at the door and brought you inside to begin discussing the babysitting job.

“I love kids!” You lie a bit too enthusiastically, unfamiliar with how most children even behave. The last time you’d interacted with kids was middle school..when you were also a child. “and I need to save up some money before college starts back up. I’m moving out with a friend soon to live closer to campus. I think this could really be my calling..for now.”

Johnny snorts softly at your answer. Charmed by your honesty. Jotting down notes quietly, making your legs shake against each other nervously.

“I’m teaching summer classes. Typically my daughter, Aera, is in school while I work. I’m rushing around a bit right now to find her a sitter and most of the candidates haven’t had an open schedule. Everything seems to check out with you though.” He takes a look over the resume you spent last night typing up. Including the information of referrals he’d asked for.

Johnny nods scanning your accolades. “Would you be able to work Monday through Friday? Usually 8am until 4pm, but my days can turn hectic easily. You may need to stay longer hours.”

“I think that’s perfect actually!” You nod eagerly. Johnny standing up and asking you to come with him to the living room.

“Is this Aera?” You ask upon spotting the same little girl from the day prior. She couldn’t be any older than 7 years. Seated on the floor with her back against the couch paying the two of you no mind. Completely engulfed by the tv screen.

“That’s my little princess.” Johnny folds his arms. Teeth on full display with a large smile. The hollows of his cheeks wrinkling deeper with prideful emotion taking over.

Following the childs line of sight, you bounce up happily with surprise. “Oh wow, Sailor Moon? I had no idea kids still watched this. My favorite show of all time.”

“Oh really? Aera loves Sailor Moon, she had me scouring the internet for weeks in search of properly subbed DVDs.” Johnny says. Pointing at the organized stacked collection of each season.

“That’s it then!” You squat down to meet Johnny’s daughter's level. “Can you believe I have a big white ball of fur at home named Artemis?”

Aera gasps excitedly, finally distracted from the episode playing. Sitting up suddenly more interested in you than the show. “What, really? I want to see!”

Whipping your phone out, you quickly get comfortable next to her, opening up an album full of nothing but photos and videos of your cat. A white persian male kitten that indeed responds to the name Artemis in each video.

“Oooh you need to get a girl cat with black fur and name her Luna!” She squeals. Pouting a frown. “Dad won’t let me! I’m allergic.”

“Aw what? Well you’re right then. I do need to find his Luna.”

“Ah, Aera, where are your manners? Introduce yourself properly to our guest like I taught you.” Johnny reprimands sweetly. His daughter responds with a boxy smile and hushed apology. Turning back to face you with her hand outstretched in greeting.

The two of you exchange names briefly. Falling back into conversation swimmingly. Aera chatters on happily, asking if you’ve seen any of the Frozen movies yet. Picking up a freshly washed Olaf stuffy laying by her side that Johnny seemed to keep in tip-top shape for her.

“We have to watch them together!” She exclaims. “Elsa is the second prettiest of all the princesses.”

It goes on like this for the next hour or so. Aera informing you that her father spends hours on youtube watching hair braiding tutorials to make sure her french braid is exceptional- to the point that her fellow classmates envy her and ask for tips on how to improve theirs. She expects you to do the same in his absence, of course.

“I think Aera likes you.” Johnny hands over a contract he’s drawn up to work over the next 7 weeks as his daughter's babysitter. Without giving the pay much of a second thought, you sign without question. Ready to start as soon as he wishes.

“My summer school courses begin tomorrow.” Johnny lets you know. “This is really helping me more than you know. Aera’s grandmother lives over an hour away. I had already began packing an overnight bag to take her over lat—“

“I’ll be here at 8am sharp then.” You interrupt. Clasping your hands together after handing him back the contract.

“That’s wonderful, seriously I can’t thank you enough for doing this on such short notice.” He glows as he smiles down at you. Chin pointed ahead. “Follow me, I’ll walk you out.”

Johnny leads you to the front of the house. Going over how far you live, if you’d be needing any assistance getting home. Convincing him a 10 minute walk cut down when you take the bus to 5 minutes would be no hassle. You stop and face him before leaving.

“This is probably too personal, but you mentioned Aera’s grandmother?” You quietly ask. Stepping out onto the front porch. “Is her mother not around?”

Johnny sighs, rubbing his palms together. Anxiously tipping back on his heels. “We divorced after Aera was born. Her mother suffered from heavy postpartum depression. She didn’t find herself fit to raise a child.”

“Oh my God Mr. Suh, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” You apologize profusely. Johnny fast to reassure you with his hands held up to let him continue.

“It’s okay, because I couldn’t love Aera more. She’s my entire world. My little princess. I’m willing to sacrifice anything for her.” His eyes sparkle, comforting you as he speaks with pure love. Remembering just yesterday how he spent hours at the park with his daughter. Too exhausted yourself to wait for them to leave. Johnny didn’t even seem affected by the long evening.

“That’s really amazing.” You chime in, flitting a look past him inside the house where Aera sits enjoying her time. Living the life of a happy child all thanks to her father. “My dad was never in the picture, personally.” You share in return. Feeling the need to even out the personal information.

Johnny seems surprised by your admission. Apologizing under his breath.

“It’s nice to see a single dad taking care of his daughter like this.” You continue. Acknowledging Johnny with a finger in his direction. “I can tell you’re a good father.”

“Ah..I try to do my best.” he blushes, rubbing at his nape shyly. Waving you off as he reaches for the door handle. “See you tomorrow then?”

“Yup. First day!”

Johnny smiles widely again. Mid-day sun enhances his soft brown eyes. Sparkling vibrantly as he says goodbye and tells you to get home safe.

Resting butterfly wings come to life on your walk home. Crashing against your ribcage with visions of rosy cheeks and pools of honey passing through your mind.

—————————————————-

“I hope I’m just like Princess Serena when I grow up.” Aera twirls around. Following along with the same movements Sailor Moon displays on the tv. Her dress lifts magically, assisted by the powerful blow of air conditioning. Johnny blasting the A/C as you ran up to the house just in time with beads of sweat on your forehead.

“Of course you will be!” You perk up. Crawling around on your knees to gather all of her toys from the living room floor. “Princess Aera is destined to be even more beautiful, at least that's what my kitten Artemis told me last night.”

Aera lets out a cute gasp of shock, clasping her hands together as she continues to dance around lost in her daydream.

Johnny’s watching you two from the dining room with the most endearing smile. Having gotten out of classes earlier today, just in time to find his daughter coloring your eyelids with cheap non-toxic glitter glue. He huffs a light chuckle as you approach lugging a bag of Barbie dolls. Pointing to his head with a nod at yours.

“Princess play today?” He asks.

“Huh?” You scramble reaching for the plastic tiara tangled in your messy hair after hours of hanging out with Aera. Today had indeed been ‘the two princesses from other realms meeting for the first time only to discover they’re sisters’. She has quite the large imagination you’d learned within the first few hours alone.

“One of my Aera’s favorites. I’ve let her watch too many Barbie films. Now picture me prancing around with one arm in one of those plastic frilly pink dresses. I’m not allowed to play the prince, obviously. The prince must be handsome, is what Aera says.” Johny laughs. Gently sweeping the fallen strands away from your face once you finally manage to detangle the tiara trapped in the largest knot.

“But you are very handsome!” You blurt out. Mortification fills your chest, turning to look away only to nestle into Johnny’s palm. It’s soft and calloused, warm yet rough. Maintained with lotion to avoid cracking skin, but beat up from years of labor around the house. It feels like.. Johnny. What Johnny would feel like based on his looks. “I.. sorry.”

His thumb grazes your cheekbone before you make an attempt to move. “I suppose I’m not handsome enough to be a prince.”

“I..I don’t think so..” your throat quivers. Eyes snapping to look over Johnny’s relaxed face. Realizing you’ve been caressing his palm for far too long now. His thumb continues to stroke your cheekbone. Other hand reaching toward the plastic crown still caught up in a couple of tendrils.

Touch drifting away from your heated up skin to focus on detangling the rest of your hair without pulling. He hums, brushing the tips of his fingers through your strands to ebb away frizz. Clearly practiced as he barely tugs on your scalp.

“You’re both right. I am no fairytale prince.” Johnny nods. The corners of his eyelids drooped down a hint.

“Huh? No, that’s not what I meant, Mr. Suh! I mean, like you are handsome. You’re very attractive!” You splutter. Forcing your teeth to grit together and form a smile despite embarrassment draining down to your fingertips.

He grins, playing with loose strands of hair near your ear. Brushing them back to reveal more of your face.

“Thank You…princess.” Johnny blinks slowly, dropping his hand away as if you’ve just burned him. Taking a step back away from you. He picks up a book from the dining table, using it to point toward his home office. Clearing his throat, he moves to leave. “I’ll be reading for a bit while you’re still here.”

“Oh? What are you reading?” You ask curiously to deter from the awkward moment. Peaking at the hardcover in his hand as you chew your lower lip to suppress any wild reaction to the nickname.

“The Rules Of Attraction.” He taps the book. “I decided to take it upon myself to do a summer reading list with my class. While they’re stuck reading George Orwell and To Kill A Mockingbird again, I’m taking the Bret Easton Ellis route.”

“Oh!” Your fingers snap at the mention of the author. “Less Than Zero!”

Johnny seems taken aback. Cradling the novel to his chest to converse with you more comfortably. “You’ve read it?”

“One of my favorites.” You boast proudly. “His first published work I believe?”

“Now, I have to ask, why is that one of your favorites?”

“I guess the alienation from everything around him. The overall distraught, downward spiral, isolation..” you try to recall. Shrugging, nodding to the book he holds “Let me know how you like that one. I was planning on starting American Psycho next.”

Johnny smiles apprehensively, an intrigued gleam in his gaze as he watches you. “I bet your English teachers loved you.”

—————————————————-

It had become quite tiresome to even attempt flirting with Johnny. He knew how to shoot you down in the most asinine way. Too dumb to even realize what he was doing. You couldn’t feel offended by his lack of pursuit. Afterall, he never failed to remind you of your age difference. Treating you more like a second child than a potential love interest.

Grumbling to yourself, you clean up the mess you made with Aera today. Johnny prepares dinner for the two of them in the kitchen before you leave for the evening. The phone rings, pausing both of your ministrations.

“I’ll grab it!” You shout, popping up to scramble toward the houseline. Johnny jogs from the kitchen with a ‘got it!’. The two of you crash together before either of you reach the phone. Beeping as it goes to voicemail. Johnny’s arm loops around your waist to control the collision. The both of you watching the machine as a woman’s voice permeates.

‘I suppose I have called at a bad time. I happened to find an ad in the paper today. Maybe it was destiny.. my grocery aisle prince was looking for me afterall it se—‘

Johnny nearly topples you over as he reaches to shut off the device. Anger overtaking his features, scrambling to hit the delete button.

“What are you doing! Stop!” You panic. Wrapping around his large forearm with both of your hands in an attempt to make him move. Johnny hits to erase the message as you fail to even make him budge.

Lifting a brow, he eyes over the position you’ve landed in. Clinging onto him like a monkey hung on a tree branch.

“What’s going on?” He asks. Directed at the implication behind your actions.

“Why..” you stutter, licking at the roof of your mouth dryly. “Why did you delete that?!”

Johnny waves it off, removing you off his arm. He dusts off his shirt that wrinkled in the process. “It’s just some stupid kid looking for a laugh. Don’t worry about it.”

“But!” You stammer. Pointing at the machine. “Don’t you have caller ID?! You need to call her back! She sounded interested in.. I don’t know! A date?”

Johnny watches you try to come up with an explanation. Hands on his hips and brows twisted together confused.

“Trust me, it’s nothing serious.” He brushes it off again. “Some silly kids trying to get a rise out of an old man like me is all.”

Your shoulders fall, lost for words to come up with. Built up guilt clawing at your insides. Reminded of how you have only added to shattering Johnny’s confidence. May as well be carrying a hammer for him to know what type of awful person you are.

“You think I need to date that badly huh?” Johnny speaks up, breaking your inner turmoil eating away at you. He shrugs, a lackluster expression taking over his handsome face. “I can’t relate to 99% of humanity, honestly. Dating is hopeless for me.”

“I can’t relate to humanity much either..” you agree. Discouraged as you try to make him feel better. “But, I don’t think it’s completely hopeless?”

Johnny forces a smile, for your sake only. Patting your arm before returning to the kitchen.

“That makes one of us.”

—————————————————-

Johnny’s rushing home again. Meetings after class had ended up extending his stay to much later in the evening than usual. He texts you numerous apologies adding in that you deserve a bonus for putting up with him.

If only he knew the type of bonus you were determined to get.

“Thank you for staying late. I’m sorry about that, I didn’t realize this meeting would run so long.” Johnny says breathlessly. The front door slamming shut behind him as he rips off his coat. Handsome as ever wearing a tucked in collared button down. Tie hanging loose on his neck with the first few buttons undone while sitting in traffic. His spine cracking loudly with a stretch and slump.

“Oh, no worries. It happens.”

“You’re not walking home, right?” He asks, concerned. Giving the window a double take for you to see how dark it is.

“I just walk a couple of blocks to the station. My cars in the shop, a busted headlight.” You shrug. Gathering your belongings. Johnny’s tongue clicks soundly, his keys jingling.

“I can’t let you walk home this late, it’s way too dark outside. I won’t be able to rest peacefully.” Johnny retorts.

“Oh no worries Mr. Suh” you ward him off with a wave of your hand. “I walk home late all the time. This isn’t exactly an area known for high crime rate.”

“Nonsense. It’s not safe for a beautiful young girl to walk alone at night.” Johnny lifts his arms shooing you toward the front door to exit. “I won’t take no for an answer. You texted me that Aera’s all tuckered out and sleeping. I won’t be long, you live pretty close right?”

Coming to a halt near the door you cock a brow his way. Tuning out any words after the subtle compliment passed from his lips. Adjusting the strap of your bag nervously, you turn to face him- “..beautiful?”

Johnny stiffens a bit, now bypassing your question as he pulls on his coat again.

“Of course.” He forces a tight lipped smile. Shaking his keys out of habit with another nod toward the front door.

You follow after him, shuffling faster to catch up to his long stride. Johnny able to move faster on such long legs. He reaches to open the passenger door for you, stopped by the brush of your fingers along his wrist.

“You think..do you really think I’m beautiful?” You ask him with more confidence. Time is fleeting as days spent taking care of Aera lack Johnny’s presence. Leaving you craving for more time with him, coming up with excuses to clean or help him cook up dinner when he’s too tired after work. Confidence could quickly turn to desperation, with Johnny’s summer semester ending soon. What use would he have for you then?

With his lips pursed together, he opens the car door despite your figure blocking the way. Unlocking it, left only a crack open.

“Look at you.” Johnny trails off. Gaze darting over your face lit up by dim street lamps. Shadows of tree branches and leaves passing with the wind. His chest pounds, having to take deep breaths to cool the tingle traveling down to his guts. “You know you’re stunning. I’m sure your boyfriend reminds you every time he sees you.”

“I don’t..” you grimace, confessing something your best friend pestered you about enough. “I’ve never really had a boyfriend.”

“What?” He takes a step back. One foot on the sidewalk curb as the other sets down on the street near his car's tire. His face dawned an actual look of surprise. “Never?”

“I’m not..” you start, anxiously shifting foot to foot. “I’m not inexperienced. I just haven’t found someone who.. I feel a connection to… At least I hadn’t.”

Johnny averts his eyes, adamant to avoid addressing your last sentence. “It takes time. Don’t worry about it. You will find someone who..” he huffs, thinking over his advice. “There is someone out there for all of us. Figure out what you really want first. It all starts with you.. maybe you don’t know what you’re looking for yet?”

“I guess.. I want someone who sees my demons and plays with them instead of running away in fear.” You mutter, mostly under your breath. Blinking away the rush of moisture gathering at your lashes. “I’m tired of feeling like I’m stuck in some never ending horror movie with no hope to escape.”

“No one’s perfect.” Johnny speaks softly. His voice sounds fresh out of the dryer like a fuzzy blanket draped over your shoulders. Wrapping you with comfort, advice only one who has been through more than enough can provide. “You have to let people in. Maybe you’re the one running.”

Tilting your chin up, you take in Johnny’s creased skin. Lifting your thumb to smooth away the lines etched deeper than usual beneath the pools of honey permanently ingrained in your dreams these days. Evidence of how tired he is after hours spent with teenagers. He moves barely, just enough to let you know he likes it. Lazed eyelids falling shut for longer than a second to enjoy the full experience of your tracing thumb.

“Would you?“ You question wearily. Drawing a path down the bridge of his nose to the space just above the jut of his curved out upper lip.

Johnny swallows, long neck doing nothing to hide the bounce of his Adams apple. Flicking his gaze to lock on yours, he circles your wrist. Pausing you just as you’re about to stroke the ridge of his lip. “You shouldn’t do this. Not with me.”

“and why not?” You do your best to restrict the petulant whine wishing to escape. Jerking your gaze away from his mouth to scowl at him.

“You’re just so young..” Johnny hesitates. Having to bite down on the back sides of his tongue. He sets your arms down, letting out a tired sigh. “and I’m..an old man with a kid. You can do better than me.”

“I’m not! And I’m old enough to know what I want! I’m an adult!” You boldly state. Ripping free of his loose hold. “Johnny..I—“

“Mr. Suh.” Johnny is quick to correct you. Fitting you with a pointed stare, hard enough to weaken you on the spot. He shakes his head with a hard swallow. “Listen, it’s late. It’s been a long day for both of us I’m sure. Get in the car okay? Your mother is probably worried.”

Making the quick decision to not put up a fight you get in the car. The short ride home is stiff, silent. Distracted by picking at your nails to ignore the sense of crushing weight on your shoulders. Johnny seems no better, opening and shutting his mouth as if he has no clue what to say from here.

He parks nearby your apartment complex letting you direct him. Old car engine rumbling through the humid summer night air. Releasing your seatbelt, you angle your torso to face him.

“I’m sorry.” You grieve. Throat lodged tight with nerves as you go on. “I’m just so sick of everything and everyone lately. Most days, it feels like you’re the only person I look forward to seeing anymore.”

Johnny’s long fingers drum against the steering wheel. Gripping it before he turns to look at you. His drowsy features even more drained after the quiet awkward drive.

“This will pass. You’ve been around me more than you have been around guys your age these days. Once you start school again, you’ll see.” He explains. A glint of pain passing his pupils as they shake.

“Why can’t I just do what I want?” You ask him, defeated. Maybe Johnny had a point.

He seemingly struggles momentarily. Licking his lips as they part open once again, stopping himself from saying more. With a slump of his shoulders and his forehead wrinkling down the middle he answers you with another question- “What do you want?”

Leaning forward, you grab onto the divider between your seats. Cocking your head to the side almost submissively. Johnny’s breath audibly catching at the action. Watery eyes watching the nervous twitch his nose gives. “Don’t you like me?”

Johnny doesn’t make any moves to reply. Lost in a trance as he stares at you. Focused on the way your lips pout as you ask him something he can’t find in himself to answer.

The small voice willing you to do better in your mind kicks and screams. Breaking free of the binds keeping you in place shouting out ‘fuck it!’. You surge forward with a jolt of renewed motivation. Lips landing firmly on Johnny’s plump ones. Softer than a cloud, more of a dream than you’d even imagined.

His resistance melts faster than burning candle wax. Easing into the pillowy texture of your inviting mouth. He kisses like a man starved, deprived of this intimate touch for far too long. Front teeth clicking against yours at first as he practices to find a comfortable placement. The tip of his nose squished into the crevice of yours moving to deepen the kiss.

Sharing short breaths of air, you both attack each other's lips. Johnny effortlessly takes over control, maneuvering you to the way his neck leans in. Adjusting yours to arch back as you gasp, suffocating under his powerful lips. His bottom lip slips between yours. Too easy to nibble at the plump smooth flesh. A groan emitting from deep in his throat when you bite down.

He pulls away abruptly. Mouth reddened and swollen already from your passionate kissing. Lower lip hanging numbly as he catches his breath with a dazed wide-eyed look.

Focused on your hormones raging, you inch closer for more- “Johnn—“

“No!” He blows out fearfully. Interrupting you and dodging your touch with a swift turn of his upper half. Fast to grip onto the steering wheel again, his hands tremble. “Please. Please get out of the car.”

“It’s okay, Johnn—“

“Please.” His tone softens. Eyelashes fanning his cheeks staring down at his lap. Shame washing across him the more you make him ask.

As much as it hurts to open the car door and exit. You respect his wishes with a silent goodbye. Anticipating a call the next day that your services would no longer be needed.

It made no sense to you why Johnny refused to let you in. ‘Look at you.’ He said with such conviction, probably only to stop your delusions from creating fantasies that Johnny Suh could possibly find anything special about you.

—————————————————-

The call never came, not even a text message. Johnny continued to let you babysit. Aera none the wiser that you lusted after her father. He managed to avoid you over the next few weeks. Probably buying time until your contract ends with no plan to extend you for extra help.

While Aera napped you cleaned up around the dining room table. Collecting the mess of markers and colored pencils scattered everywhere after four hours of trying to replicate the Negaverse off stills from google image search.

With only 5 days left before Johnny’s last days of summer school you felt like a zombie. Neglecting your friends' messages and pestering phone calls. Turning your ringer off and swiping away any notifications. It’s not as if any of them would be from Johnny.

He wouldn’t be home for another hour. The only time you did happen to catch a glance of him as he spared you no more than a nod on your way out. Not even greeting you to open any potential conversation.

Other than watching over Aera, you only saved energy to recall details about this summer. From the first time you had seen Johnny at the diner, to watching him with his daughter at the park. All of it collected in your binder behind the personal ad and babysitting ad you had cut out to save along with your memories.

Even wandering throughout the upstairs as she napped somedays to end up inside of Johnny’s bedroom. As wrong as you knew it was, you couldn’t contain yourself. Snooping around through his drawers in hopes of finding something incriminating. He just seemed too perfect to be real. Even his dirty clothes hamper smelled amazing, because yes, of course you picked up his shirt from the day before to sniff while rolling around in his bed. The blankets and pillows crisp as if a hotel maid had come in and fixed up his entire bedroom every morning.

Nothing about this man signaled red flags. Even as you sat on your knees picking at a locked door in his bedroom with a bobby pin. It had to be an extra closet or something. Maybe a depraved sex dungeon to protect his wholesome image. Ever curious, you had to find out what was in there.

With a curse after your fifth failed attempt you leave the door alone. Escaping with a small rug burn on your cheek from trying to get a peek inside through the crack between the floor and door. It was no use, whatever that room led to was clearly none of your business.

That didn’t alter how perfect Johnny came off. Waking up at the crack of dawn while Aera visited lala land to get in an early workout. He was always scented of soap, fully dressed and nursing the last sips of morning coffee when you arrived to babysit. Beaming with white teeth and his hair slicked back, he levitated past you each morning like a vision straight out of a dream.

Johnny would be hard to move on from. It didn’t help that he only made it easier by doing everything to avoid further interactions with you. The message was loud and clear. That’s why they call it a crush, right? because it hurts like a bitch.

—————————————————-

Mr. Suh- ‘Aera’s friend is having a slumber party tonight for her Birthday and water park adventure tomorrow. I’ve left a key under the front doormat. I won’t be home until late due to final gradings. If you could please lock up on your way out and return the key where I’ve left it, much appreciated. Thank you.’

Johnny’s text message is straight to the point. No personalization behind it. Clear cut, if he wanted more, he’d do something about it.

Once Aera was all set in the backseat of her friend’s mother's van, you waved her goodbye from the sidewalk. Staring at the house you’d grown comfortable in over the last couple of months. It felt bittersweet as the imminent ending approached. Aera would go back to school soon, and Johnny’s schedule would return to normal without having to worry over who would watch his daughter while he worked.

With no rush to head home and return to your reality of a negligent mother harassing you to move out, you settle down on the couch. Flipping through the channels you didn’t have at home in search of something to watch for the next hour.

Johnny wouldn’t be home for some time. Figuring there was no point in not kicking off your shoes and relaxing for a bit. Finally spending your summer vacation doing what you should have been: absolutely nothing productive.

“Shit!” You shoot up from the couch. Scrambling to pick up wrappers of snacks you’d been munching on while catching up on Euphoria when you realized Johnny has an HBO subscription. The garage door shuts noisily, cursing under your breath as you trip over your discarded shoes. You shove the trash inside your purse. Sitting up and grabbing your belongings as fast as possible.

“Hello?” It’s Johnny. Of course. Who else would it be. Footsteps make way inside, stopping as they enter the main entrance near the dining room. Planning your escape, you glance toward the backyard, patting your bag as you tiptoe over. The realization that you never grabbed your phone and binder from the dining table impales you like a high speed truck.

“Fuck!” You mentally hiss. Left with no choice but to reveal yourself to the owner of the house

Johnny’s scowling as you enter the room. Holding open your binder to the page that has his newspaper ad glued. Circled with red sharpie from the day you first read it and decided to prank him. He looks up, landing on your surprised face with fury overtaking him.

“What is this?” He sounds rageful, holding up the page to you. “Why do you have this? How..why! Why would you have this!?”

“Johnny, I can explain!” You fret, speeding to get closer to him. The binder gets torn away from your fingertips as you reach for it. Johnny ripping through the pages you’ve written your private thoughts in over the past 7 weeks. Darting over words confessing your unyielding crush, the mean joke that led you to him. The photo you snuck from an album of him for keepsake.

“Are you..” Johnny’s bewildered. Eyes bulging from his sockets, glaring at you with a hint of scare. “Are you stalking me?”

“Johnny, no! It’s not that..”

“Stop calling me that!” He yells deeply. Voice booming out hard enough to make you cower into yourself. Timidly finding purchase in the wall behind you. “What is this! Huh?! What type of sick fucking joke are you playing here? You think I didn’t see you lurking around in my bedroom?!”

Your jaw drops, confused. Mortified when his words piece together. Johnny nods. “I have hidden cameras all over. You really think I’d so easily trust a stranger to watch my child in my house?”

“I can explain, Mr. Suh!” You cry, tears rushing out uncontrollably. Displaying your palms in an act of surrender. Johnny’s head drops back from the disbelief, rubbing his face harshly. “Please please! Let me explain please!”

“Right now. Start talking.”

Taking a big round of sniffles you inhale to fill your lungs. Pressed to the wall as tremors roll up your limbs intensely. Digging the edge of your palms under your eyes, you cover your face, croaking as you begin. “I called you from the personal ad. To meet at the diner. I shouldn’t have done that, and I regret it! I was bored.. and stupid! So stupid! I wasn’t thinking about how much it could hurt you. I��m sorry, Mr. Suh! I’m so sorry.”

“Why would you do this?! and then apply to babysit my daughter? What’s wrong with you!” Johnny’s livid as he shouts. Every vein bulges out of his neck. The ones tracing up the sides of his forehead pulsating rapidly. He throws your binder aside, crashing as it lands hard enough for the spine to break.

“Because I like you!” You cry harder, an ugly cry at this point. Arms flailing as you raise your voice to get in a word. “I like you so much!”

Overwhelmed by the amount of emotions consuming you, your knees buckle. Collapsing forward until your nose smashes between Johnny’s chest. He stiffens, sighing. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he reaches his other arm around your waist to hold you in place.

“You like me?” Johnny scoffs. Upper lip curling in to quill his temper. “You like me.. so you made a plan to hurt me? For no reason?”

“I’m sorry.” You wail. Ruining Johnny’s work shirt with your damp cheeks. Swallowing down wads of snot clogging your nose with a cough. “I’m so sorry. I was wrong, I’m an idiot. I really just wanted to know you. I like you so much Johnny..”

He lets out a drawn out sigh. His arm drops from your waist making you fall to your knees. Standing straight, he looms large above you. Neck long, glaring down at you with hooded eyelids. The tip of his tongue drags between his lips. An annoyed sound clicking inside his throat.

He pinches your chin between thumb and index finger, jerking your neck to arch back and look up at him. Nostrils flared in outrage, he nods. Turning your face side to side taking in your pathetic distraught appearance.

“You like me, so you stalk me? Is that it?”

“No!” You cough, doing your best to sit up. Clutching at his thighs for assistance. “I started to like you! Once I saw you with Aera. After I got to know you more.. you’re such a good father. You make me feel..” you mumble off, embarrassed. Unsure how much more humiliating this entire ordeal could get. “Valued. Self worth. You’re..comforting.”

Johnny doesn’t seem to react. His mouth is tight, continuing to watch the quiver of your lower lip. “Why would you have any interest in me? Except as an amusing cranky curiosity.”

“I think..” you trail off. Recalling everything Johnny’s taught you in a short amount of time. New music, recipes, books.. that you had more reason to take care of yourself than you’d thought. “you’re really cool. I guess, I wish.. I wish I’d had a father like you growing up. You’re so understanding and protective, but willing to learn.”

Johnny cups your cheeks, his thumbs brushing away the tears that won’t stop. Pitifully analyzing your bloodshot swollen eyes. He scoops under your arms lifting you to stand, still only reaching him at chest level.

“You just want someone to understand you, don’t you?” Johnny sounds calmed. Brushing hair behind your ear as he has many times before. Comforting enough to dip your face into his palm seeking after more of his gentle touch. “For someone to play with your demons, not run away for once.”

You stare up amazed, grabbing onto his chest for more help to keep yourself steady. Johnny bends his knees to meet you at a closer eye level. His voice lowering to a whisper- “You think you can handle my demons? Will you run away from them like the others before?”

Before you can shake your head ‘no’, Johnny’s lifting you off your feet and making way to the couch. He spins you fast, almost tipping over if not for his sturdy arms snaking around your waist. Back flush against his chest as he sits you down on his lap.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” Johnny’s lips smear down your wet cheek. Licking up the tears that have tracked down past your collar, melting between your breasts. The dry tears staining your cheeks beneath fresh spills. His palms cup around your inner thighs spreading you open over his lap. Ass nestled right against his hardening groin. Gasping in his face as it nudges your bottom. Thick and heavy where it buries against your panty covered ass. “Just wanted someone to make you forget how fucked up you are.”

“N-no..” you stutter, turning to dig your nose into his cheek. Eyes falling shut blinking away another rush of hot tears. “You. Wanted you only. Wanted you to take everything away. To.. take care of me.”

“And what do you need me to take care of first?” Johnny queries. Angling his face to rub his nose along yours. One hand smoothing up to cup around your covered mound. His palm meeting moistened cotton, landing with a sound of wetness. A hot rush of embarrassment attempts to pry your legs shut. Johnny letting out a snarky sound of dismay, rolling tender skin at the top of your inner thigh between his thumb and index finger. Just enough to sting and threaten a harsher pinch with his short nails if you go against him.

“Joh—..” you hiss, trembling back into his chest. Pelvic pushing forward to meet the edge of his palm.

“Nuh-uh-uh.” He tuts. Burying his palm to your mound with more strength. His forearm flexes large, thick enough between your thighs to leave your mouth gaping in awe. “Answer me properly.”

Blinking up, you gaze at his glittering sleek eyes. A concentrated studying look staring down at you. Even seated Johnny’s neck craned high above yours. Engulfing your frame with his mass size to make you feel even smaller, helpless. Eager to give yourself over to him. Picturing Johnny lifting you up only to break you. Squeezing you down to a crumbled mess of dust between his long fingers. Make you forget pain that won’t disappear no matter how hard you try to erase it.

“Take care of me..all of me?” You whisper. Cheeks scorching as the question passes from your lips. Voice feeble and pathetic, clouded as it passes from one ear out of the other. Swallowing when Johnny leans in even closer. Licking up another batch of tears flowing freely.

“Will you be good for me, princess?” He lilts sweetly. Lips grazing yours as he uses the nickname. Capturing the gasped breath he knew you’d let out. “Will you be a good girl for daddy?”

His question slackens your jaw. The hinges deteriorate as your mouth hangs open. Johnny nudging your nose again with a ‘hmm?’

“Will you be the best girl for daddy?” He asks with more emphasis. Rubbing a firm circle over your panties. Clit trapped just underneath, swelling up needily.

“Yes..I’ll do anything.” You beg. Johnny clicking his tongue.

“Anything? Anything for who?”

Blinking your matted wet eyelashes, you swallow. Gulping loudly, vocal chords quivering- “Daddy. Anything for daddy.”

Johnny lets out a hushed satisfied sound. Ripping your drenched underwear to the side, you bite back a hiss. Skin cut by the elastic resisting his fierce pull. Sucking in his upper lip with concentration, he drags up and down your folds gathering the absurd amount of arousal. Loud squelch echoing when two fingers glide in past your entrance.

“Oh..you’re so tight.” He groans, dipping down to the first knuckle. Eyelashes fluttering against your cheek with an elated sigh. “How am I going to fit inside this little hole princess?”

His hips grind up beneath you. Cock swelling up as you roll down circling against him. Needy to feel him without layers separating you.

“Are you gonna fuck me?” You ask, hopeful. Sharing sloppy kisses between moans as Johnny’s digits scissor inside of you. Concerned you wouldn’t actually be able to fit his thick cock.

“Is that what you want?” He tuts, palming your clit for extra stimulation. Stretching your walls open with years of practice behind him.

“Please? Want you so much.” You keen. Flushing at how easily you’re willing to beg for it. At this point if Johnny asked you to get on your knees and pant like a dog, you would.

He nods against your nose, intent to make you cum before you move on to explore more. Rapidly speeding up the fingers spearing inside of you until you’re a trembling mess. The room filled by the sound of your wet cunt jerked around, splashing with each smack of his palm.

Arching against his chest, you huff noisily. A coil spiraling up from beneath your bellybutton to your chest until it spills over. Falling apart on Johnny’s hand, pulling out as you cum to watch the arousal dribble out of your clenching hole. Earning a slap over your mound as you soak through his trousers.

He sighs under you, having to stop himself from cumming in his pants to your cute whiny moans. Getting up, he pushes your underwear off to be forgotten in the living room.

“Come with me angel.” Johnny takes your hands gently. Stepping back until he notices your ankles wobbling.

“Daddy?” You question dumbly. Swooped off your feet for Johnny to carry you up the stairs. He kisses you in response, setting you down on your feet in the hallway with an arm secured around your hips.

Johnny tugs your garments off with ease. Left behind at the entrance of his bedroom as he proceeds to carry you further inside.

“You wanted to find out what was inside of here so badly didn’t you?” Johnny inquires cockily. Keeping a firm hold around your waist. He pushes in one of the keys he constantly seemed to have on hand jingling on him into the door's lock. Flicking on the lights upon entering with a kick to click the door shut behind you. The room fills with a low red light. Most still shadowed by black obscuring your sight further.

It’s another bedroom. Taking a quick confused glance, you spot a wall adorned with various whips and chains. Johnny’s lips press to your ear dragging you over to a bed placed in the middle. “Have you ever played with demons like this before?”

He sets you on the king size bed, knees sinking in as you stare up at him lost. Still reeling from your orgasm, you wobble having to hunch forward to grab onto the bedding. He stands tall and broad above you, keeping you placate with a fixated gaze. Untying the loop holding his tie together. He unbuttons his shirt with no urgency. Torturing you to watch him longer as saliva gathers around your tongue.

“Tell me what you want.” He commands, speaking to you with flattened demand. Overwhelmed by an urge to please him, you do your best to sit up on jittery knees grabbing his belt buckle.

“Can I, please? Pretty please?” You beg shamelessly. Looping his belt free like a gift you’re dying to unwrap.

“Didn’t you ask me— ‘why can’t I just do what I want?’” Johnny lilts. Nodding for you to continue. “When you ask nicely like that, how can I say no?”

Johnny appears blurred as you look up through your lashes. Blinking and turning away when his belt clatters to the floor. His large palm cups the back of your head, jerking your neck to face him.

“Don’t look away when I ask you a question.” He latches onto tufts of your hair, twisting your neck to bend back more. “Now, tell me what you want.”

“You..” gasping for air, your ears ring. The sound of your panting driving you mad. Chest heavy with desire to feel every dip and curve of Johnny’s figure.

“What was that now?”

He sounds cloudy, mixing with the heavy hard to swallow air clogging up the room. Suffocating you from inside out in a haze of lust. With another jerk of your head, his palm splays across the front of your neck, squeezing dangerously.

“Y-you..you daddy.” You choke, Johnny constricting your throat roughly making it more difficult to speak. “Want daddy’s cock. P-please.”

The hand cutting off your air flow loosens, fingers trailing to your shiny lower lip, tugging your mouth open hard. Tongue hanging out in reaction. Johnny shoves four fingers in abruptly, prompting you to gag around him. Thrusting back until he meets your tonsils. Drool dribbles out rapidly, coating his wrist.

“Where do you want daddy’s cock baby?” Johnny asks with a push on the back of your tongue. Coughing around his digits until your face heats up, pushing a new batch of tears to trickle down past your jaw. “Want it in your pretty little mouth? I don’t think you can handle it.”

Squirming your thighs together for some relief, you jolt up shaking your head. Gurgling around his long fingers filling your mouth. Clamping your lips around him with your best effort to suck, using your tongue as a form of pleading.

“Good girl.” Johnny hums. Slipping the spit covered digits free, he smears them around your face. The mascara you’ve half cried off fully destroyed as he sweeps across your eyelids. “I’ll give you what you want for being so obedient.”

Wiping the residue of your bodily fluids away on his slacks, Johnny straightens out. Long legs leading up to his hips right in front of your wrecked face. He nods down. “It’s all yours.”

Catching your breath, you suck down the drool permeating from the corners of your lips. Shaky hands reach for the button of his pants, mentally cursing over how unstable you feel. Biting down on your lip as Johnny’s black briefs come into view. This close he’s warm beneath your touch. Dick fully chubbed up stretching the material over him painfully.

Intimidated by his massive size, you reach inside timidly. The girth hot and wide in your hand, too thick for your fingers to even meet around. Johnny pushes his briefs lower, adjusting your head to watch. Cock and balls unveiled as he pulls down his boxers underneath.

“I-I..I..d-don’t know..” you stammer. Licking your dried lips nervously. Johnny’s size sits weighted in your palm, straining your wrist as you give him an experimental stroke. Precum globs out, coating the fat tip of his cock. Swiping a thumb across the slit to collect some for extra glide.

Johnny grunts with disappointment. “I told you that you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

With a huff you scoot closer until your knees meet the edge of the mattress. Tongue lolling out like a thirsty pet willing to lap up anything your owner gives you. Johnny encourages you with a gentle pat to your crown. His stance widened to give you more room.

Giving him a tentative lick, Johnny directs you to suck in the tip. Cockhead pushing past your lips enough to crack the skin more. Hollowing your cheeks, your lips curl in to not bite down. Rewarded with a pleased groan and tightened grip on your hair.

“That’s it, pretty baby.” Johnny breathes through his nose sliding in deeper. Satisfied by how stretched your lips look around him, reaching just down past half of his length. Gagging furiously as he sinks in further, cock nestling in near complete minus a couple of inches.

“Be a good girl, take all of daddy’s cock baby.” Johnny grits. Adding praises for how good you’re taking him. Your hands seek purchase on his hips struggling to breathe. “Relax for me princess. You’re doing so so good.”

Yanking your head back for a better glide, he fucks in and out starting to build up a good enough rhythm. Burying in until your nose is pressed to the smooth skin around the base of his length. A rumbled moan sores out of Johnny’s chest. Wet and filthy as he thrust in until you’re whining around his size. Thighs rubbing together the more drool spills down to your chest. Ready to cry for him to fuck your hole harder than this.

Pulling out abruptly to catch himself from cumming too fast, Johnny prods his length against the hollow of your cheek. Copious amounts of saliva trailing after him, strings of it still attached to his glistening spit coated cock.

“You wanna swallow baby?” He asks you, gripping your hair tighter. Scalp stinging from the hold now.

Your tongue drops out in reply. Johnny mutters a string of curses. Grabbing his shaft to smear the precum still leaking from the tip on your upper lip. All swollen and glossy now, filthy just how he likes it.

Opening your jaw up wider until it hurts, you still gag as he presses into the base. Balls land against your chin hot and sticky with your spit. Johnny moving to cradle the back of your skull with both hands. He fucks in faster. All sound except you choking around his cock muted as his pace quickens nearing release.

“Fuck baby, exactly like that. Yes fuck, mouth made to take my cock.” Pushing your head down, Johnny keeps you held in place. Screaming between clenched teeth as the first spurt of cum hits the back of your throat.

He pulls out to the tip giving himself one tug, spilling partially on your tongue. The excess drips down your chin and neck. Groaning as his stomach sucks in pulling out the rest of his climax. Swallowing down the extra curse words trying to pass from his lips. He chooses to regain his composure with deep breaths.

Licking over your lips, you think he even tastes perfect. Good enough to beg for seconds. Beginning to daydream of spending hours with his cock lodged down your throat unable to move. Maybe Johnny would even pinch your nose until you couldn’t breathe, if you asked nicely.

“Did I do a good job daddy?” You cough, searching for a compliment. Johnny’s lip curls up in a half-smile.

“Better than good, you’re perfection. Are you ready for more?” He questions, thumbing the rest of his cum off your chin inside of your mouth for you to swallow. You nod, throat too sore to reply.

Taking a step back, he unbuttons the rest of his shirt. Falling off with his shoved away bottoms. Johnny’s big, all over. Your eyes jump around taking him in, gulping in disbelief. Under those layers of stiff work attire he’d hidden a body trained daily. Muscles etched to perfection even with time. Only bulking up more over the years. Biceps flexing with a simple movement of his fingers.

“Like what you see?” He smirks, content with the hungry gaze fixated on him. Leaning down, he cups your thighs dropping you to lay flat on your back. Draping your calves on the expanse of his broad defined shoulders. Johnny’s size lays on your stomach. Balls pressed to your cunt as he admires your abdomen twitching in excitement under him. Dick capping just just above your navel. Petting the skin over it, he grins. Prepared to fill your insides up until your cervix recognizes him by shape.

“You’re..big. So big..” you shudder. Reaching to drag the tips of your fingers between the lines of his abdominal muscles. Swiping over defined pecs, Johnny trembles at the contact to his nipples.

“Look how wet you still are, after everything.” He claps a palm on your inner thigh. Booming loud and wet. Dripped down to the backs of your knees while you sucked him off. Johnny seems impressed, licking your arousal off. “Your pussy still needs more of me, right baby?”

You nod too fast, neck cracking embarrassingly. Johnny’s grin never falters, knees bending as he pushes forward pressing the fronts of your thighs to your chest. Constricted under his mass size, folding you in half. His upper lip folds in, concentrated on his cock thrusting between your folds. Cursing under his breath at your wetness flowing down to his sack.

“Grab onto me.” Johnny grits out. His arms snake around your waist hauling you up with him as he stands. Sinking down on his length completely stuffed full. His hips circle letting you really feel his cock carving out a space inside of you.

“Fuck..” you whimper, obsessed with feeling up his contracting arm muscles. Shoulders too large to even grasp in your hands. Your head spins, Johnny setting a brutal pace. Thighs rippled from squatting and thrusting up. “S-so big..big big..”

“Go for it baby, Come on!” Johnny’s slamming your smaller body up and down on his length without slowing. Neck veins bursting as he shouts. Cunt squeezing out spurts of slick with each pointed delivered glide of his cock. With your fingers squeezing at his bicep you bite down. Sucking on the flexed pronounced muscle until it blossoms red inside your bites. Gnawing and lapping up the area between your choked moans.

Johnny’s sweat drips fast and heavy. Hair soaked falling around his face. His chest glistening like oils being rubbed in to enhance his hard work.

Growling through gritted teeth, his cock drills into faster. The room filled with sounds of skin slapping together incessantly. Johnny’s thighs burn, shouting as he drops on top of you back on the bed. Hips never stopping, he fucks with extra force. Cock twitching as another release steadily approaches.

Each thrust rearranges your insides, rolling your eyes to the backs of your sockets. You cum aggressively. Clutched around his length too hard, Johnny has to stutter to a stop. Whining as he tries to pull out, cock slapping over your mound shooting white ropes up to your breasts. His face contorting from the strong climax hitting him full force.

He falls to your side trying to catch his breath. Body unreal under the red lights and glow of sweat. Turning to your side you pinch at your markings left behind on his arm proudly. Fiending to leave more, on his thighs, hip indentations, the slender dip of his waist.

Calming down, Johnny turns to look at you. Tickling down your messy cum covered stomach to rub your clit. You hiss pushing back into the bed.

“Sensitive..”

He looks down, your eyes following to where he’s still hard. Lifting a brow blown away by the amount of stamina he has.

Biting your lip, you place his fingers lower. Tight hole fluttering on contact. His mouth parts with surprise, sitting up excited. He moves you into a more comfortable position. Avoiding the wet spots you’ve left behind on the bedding.

Johnny doesn’t hesitate to place your thighs on his shoulders. Laying on his stomach to tongue at your rim. He slurps and licks your hole urging it to open up for him. Tongue prodding and dipping in until you’ve relaxed enough to let him ease a way in.

Able to wiggle inside now he sounds obscene. Sucking up the saliva that pools down to your ass. Pulling out he spits, rubbing two fingers in a circle around your rim. Twitching as he teases you to relax and open up more for him.

“You sure about this?” He asks with a kiss to your rim. Lips gently pouting into it.

“Please, stop holding back.” You whine, grabbing your cheeks to hold yourself open more for him. Johnny groans diving back in, laving your hole until it’s pulsing. Body asking him to get inside. “God..please Joh—“

Johnny sits up, brow lifted clenching his jaw. “What was that?”

“I…” a finger shoves in before you can come up with an excuse. Johnny thrusting in and out of your tight hole watching as you contract around him, picturing his cock in place.

“Who are you asking to stop holding back now princess?” He asks again. A seriousness behind each word. Adding another finger to start stretching your rim open. You writhe down, staring at him apologetically.

“Daddy…I meant to say daddy.”

“Mmm, I’ll let it pass this time.” Johnny feigns annoyance. Brushing the tips of his fingers deep inside of you for a while until you look peaceful. Slowly drawing out, he climbs off the bed, returning with a clear small bottle of lube.

He could be mean and squeeze it directly into your hole, opting to warm up the liquid before pressing two fingers back inside of you. Stroking his cock with his other hand, making sure to evenly coat himself to make this less painful. Even if you’ve taken anyone before, there was no way they would compare to him.

Once you’re stretched out enough, seeming to enjoy the sensation. He spreads the excess lube between the crevice of your ass. Holding onto the base of his size as he positions you into a more fitting angle.

Letting your thighs rest on his hips, Johnny circles your rim. Cockhead pushing in and out experimentally. Mesmerized by the way you convulse trying to capture him with each pull out. Playing with your hole repeatedly until you make a sound, nudging his lower back with your foot. Throat rested and tired by now.

“Want me to fuck your ass full that badly don’t you?” He says, gliding in closer. Cockhead finally breaching further. Having to slow himself down to inch you lower onto his size.

It takes longer to fully accommodate him this time. Johnny having to take breaks whenever you whimper too loud. Rubbing circles on your thighs and hips with his thumbs until you relax enough to let him get in. Pelvic finally meeting your bottom after ten minutes of trying. He has to take longer breaths to cool the heat stirring in his stomach. Gripped too tight, ready to let go inside your ass before even moving.

“Calm down for me baby.” Bending over, Johnny kisses up your warm cheeks. Tired eyes admiring his patience with you. Shifting his hips slightly to give you some sense of what's to come. “The more you relax, the better it will feel.”

“I’m ready daddy.” You nod. The glisten returning to your eyes signifying more tears to come. Johnny continues to soothingly rub up and down your sides to distract you. Giving himself extra time to get used to how suffocatingly tight you feel.

Letting out a sharp exhale, Johnny eyebrows furrow. Chancing a thrust and rolling his hips down. Muscles maddeningly clench around his cock with each small movement. His teeth grind, having to pull on his hair to control himself from thrusting faster.

“Daddy please.. I can take it. I promise.” You beg him to unleash already. The familiar tears return, this time for your craving to be ruined.

Johnny can’t contain himself any longer. Bucking forward hard enough to jostle your body further up the bed. Your legs open up further to welcome him in. Pulling out longer with each thrust, he slams in harder until you’re finally loosened up. The unmistakable sound of pleasure bellows out in your long drawn out moans. Johnny takes it as a sign to move freely, holding onto your shoulders to not fuck you off the bed. His thrusts grow louder, hitting the backs of your thighs with impact.

“You’re so tight for me baby.” He pants. Thrusts picking up, lifting your lower half off the bed until he’s ramming inside your ass with nothing in the way. Johnny’s arms give out, thighs working extra hard to keep fucking you how you deserve. Toppling over he bites down on your neck with a muffled groan.

“Keep fucking me please, don’t stop. Don’t s-stop, don’t stop!” You beg suddenly. Blinking away the overwhelming high consuming you trying to focus on Johnny’s practiced thrusts. Losing the battle to a new high of pleasure, your mind blacks out. Scratching at his shoulders and chest. Another orgasm passes through you like white noise. Ears too fogged to even hear your desperate cries.

Johnny tries to hide his cry in the juncture of your neck. Unable to thrust anymore with your deadly grip on him. He finishes, cumming inside your ass, only just noticing how hard you’re tearing up. Slowly pulling out, he picks you up to sit in his lap.

“Shhh shh, calm down angel.” He luls, petting your sweat drenched hair back. “It’s okay. Daddy’s here, daddy’s going to take care of you.”

He cradles you like this for a while, losing track of the amount of time. Wiping away all the new tears that continue to river out.

“Can you talk to me baby?” He whispers. Kissing from the tip of your nose up to the space between your eyebrows. “You still with me?”

You nod silently. Mumbling apologies that Johnny shushes away. Tracing your lips with his thumb until you’re kissing back.

“Good girl. The best.”

“Want more daddy.. can you fuck me again?” You request shyly once you’ve calmed enough. Thirsting to feel Johnny splitting you open once more.

“Shh, don’t talk like that angel. Good girls only listen. Get on your knees for me.” Johnny directs you. Pointing to an area on the bed for your to move to

“Like this?” You ask with confusion. Looking at him over your shoulder as you turn to show him your backside.

“I told you to stay quiet.” He reprimands. Pushing your shoulders down until your breasts smash against the bed. With a scoff his palms smooth down your figure, tracing the dips of your waist, rounding out over your hips. Hand disappearing quickly, landing against your bottom with a snapping hit. Jostling your face deeper into the bed, you cry for more. Met with another succession of hits until your buttcheek stings. Ass rippling from the impact of each hit.

“You know what happens when you don’t listen to daddy?” Johnny asks, not expecting much of an answer. Pushing one of your wrists up closer to the headboard. Your shoulder aching under the stretch, the sound of metal clasps together around you. Tugging uselessly as he cuffs you to the bed.

Moving around behind you, he returns less than a minute later. Thin leather straps drag across your ass, tickling as they swipe between your thighs. Shining in the aftermath of your wetness and cum splattered on your thighs.

Your head shakes, unable to answer, that’s when the first hit lands. Streaking multiple shots of pain across your lower half. Johnny holds you down with one hand pushing between your shoulder blades. The flogger sounds like whips with each land on your skin. Angling it to smack right between your thighs until your cunt feels raw and swollen.

“Please daddy!”

“Please what baby?” Johnny taunts you with a coo. Focusing on bruising the backs of your thighs with hit after hit. “Hmm? Can you take more?“

“Yes yes..fuck, God yes.” You mumble brainlessly. Wrist limply jerking in the handcuffs. Johnny grunts satisfied, smoothing his cooled palms over your heated flesh. Pecking the perky rise of your ass before positioning behind you.

“Good girl. Pretty baby have one more for me?” He’s circling your sore entrance. Dipping just the tip in with the question. Nodding weakly, your hips canting back for more. “Just like that sweetie.”

Motivated by the praise, you sink back lower. Cock gliding in nearly to the brim from your overeagerness. Johnny taking the opportunity to fuck you until you’re bending hard enough for your ribs to stick out at the harsh angle. Having to bite back a shout at how deep he feels hitting you from the back like this.

“Wish you could see how pretty your pussy looks taking me princess.” Johnny sighs, rubbing your waist, shallowly thrusting. Completely open for the taking. He buries in only slowing down to drag out to the tip. Groaning as he watches his length disappear inside of you over and over again. “Everything about you is just so pretty.”

“D-don’t stop..make me c-cum again. Need y-your cum.” You think you ask, words jumbling together in your brain. Fucked out and fuzzy, unable to form coherent thoughts let alone words.

“Where do you need it baby?” Johnny grunts, cock stirring inside at a dizzying rhythmic pace. Filled to the brim by the entirety of his length making it harder to let him pull out with each inch just barely thrusting out. With your grasping at the ruined bedding, you roll your head back to gaze up. Reaching back with your free hand, you scratch at his muscles, flesh rising beneath your nails.

Johnny slaps your thigh with a held back hiss, pressing you down under his weight until the backs of your thighs ache and strain.

“Daddy please, please don’t stop..” you breathe out, lacking air under the weight locking you in position. Johnny looked more like a large blurred figure behind you now. His muscles bursting from his biceps caging your head as he leaned over you. His throatily growls, pummeling hips forward with a harsh snap.

“You gonna cum on this dick princess?“ Johnny asks, pelvic clapping against your ass hard enough to bruise.

“Yes yes yes!” You cry, kicking at the backs of his thighs. The soles of your feet clap against his skin noisily from the impact. Johnny rams into the brim with heavy pointed thrust. Pushing trapped air out of your lungs with each slam of his hips. Cunt milking at his length to get what you want. “Daddy, inside! Inside me please!”

“Come on pretty baby, need you to cum first.” Johnny orders, fingers brushing past your hip to massage your clit. Arching back to meet his thrusts wildly, you scream louder. Climax hitting you harder than the last few. It numbs your nerves, shooting through your spine. Last bits of energy you have left used to grip around the length continuing to push past your closing walls.

“God! Fuck!” Johnny growls. Forcing his engorged cock inside you to reach his release. His grunts play like music, throaty and deep, congested by his overexertion. He presses flush to your ass with one more deep thrust. Full balls snuggly locked against your sensitive clit. Shivering even more beneath him despite your orgasm passing. His weight rests over your back compressing your chest to the bed. Hips jerking as he fucks you full with another load.

You contract around him, begging for more in-spite of how exhausted you are. Johnny licking and biting over one of your shoulder bones. He hisses, finally softening inside of you. Palms pushing on the bed around your body to lift off. You reach back again, grasping at his hips with a broken ‘no!’. Throat hurting and sounding more like a worn down speaker. He stills, holding himself up behind you.

“What’s wrong baby?” Johnny coos. He sounds just as drained as you. Biceps shaking to keep his body from crushing you.

“D-don’t..” you whisper. Face turning to rest on the bed more comfortably. “Please.”

Johnny blinks, taking in your marked up flesh. The bites painted on your shoulders, on his biceps as well. He nods even though you can’t see.

“I got you angel.” He reassures with a gentle hold around your midsection. Turning your figure slowly without slipping out of your core. He adjusts the both of you onto your side. Littering kisses over the extra deep bite marks he’s left behind.

“Thank you..” you say, muffled against the bed. Johnny strokes up your side. Caccooning your frame with his legs and arms wrapped around you. Whispering praises for how good you did.

He pecks your cheek, catching the corner of your eye with another kiss. “Have to let me clean you up princess. I can’t let you fall asleep like this, okay?”

“I know daddy..” you sigh. Squirming against him. His cock twitching inside, biting back a moan behind you. “Don’t want you to move yet, please?”

“Of course angel, anything for you.”

Johnny lets you nap on his cock despite the desire to fuck you again while you’re passed out. Saving the idea for another day in favor of letting you rest. Today had been a lot for the both of you.

Even half asleep he made sure to run you a bath before you could fall asleep again. Gently cleaning all the residual spit and cum left behind before easing you into one of his t-shirts. Too drowsy to even realize he’d switched you to his actual bedroom, curled around your back. Softly rubbing your hip until you’ve fully knocked out.

—————————————————-

The sound of Johnny’s knuckles cracking echoes throughout his home office. Computer chair creaking with every spring as he leans back and forth. Keys tap away beneath the tips of his fingers. Mumbling to himself as he replies to messages.

“So many emails to get through today. So many test results to sort through.” Johnny sighs. Whipping off his glasses to massage the skin between his brows. It wrinkles together, gathering in folds. The tip of his tongue dragging along the bottoms of his top row of teeth. He clears his throat, settling back in the luxurious leather office chair he’s stuck to most weekends grading papers.

“Daddy?” Your tiny voice carries, buried beneath the large wooden desk before him. Dreamy eyes gaze up from between his firm spread apart thighs. Your cheek nuzzles against the slacks he’s wearing today. Snug fitting, showing off each of his leg muscles with every anxious bounce of his heel. Dressing up to entice you with professional attire. In reality he barely ever did, weekends were spent in old sweats, some even torn at the seams.

Johnny’s chin tucks in, a hint of deeper creasing in his smile lines at the sound of your raspy broken voice. The evidence of tired used vocal chords. His brow quirks enough to encourage you to continue on without having to tell you.

“I can help you?” You flash him a smile, sniffing along the inseam of his slacks. Nose creeping closer to his upper thigh. Eyes falling shut as you pick up on hints of faded fabric softener scent still clinging to the material. Johnny’s freshly washed body exuding a clean masculine scent beneath. Triggering a frenzy in your sore throat to find what he focused on cleansing the most this morning.

“and how exactly could you help me princess?” Johnny asks wolfishly. Head tilted to the side with a doting look. Swooping two fingers through your hair enough to reveal your facial profile. Finally ending to rest between his thighs where his bulge grows warm and hard under your cheek. Nestled against it as if you’re ready for bed. Cuddled up to a stuffed teddy bear, naively innocent and alluring.

“I can help you destress.” Planting a kiss on his thickening length, you blink up hopeful he’ll approve your suggestion. Lightly lapping up the shape of his girth over his crotch. Pants suffocating his dick the longer he allowed you to soak up the area.

Johnny directed you to sit on your knees while he worked. Good girls listen to their daddy, especially if they expected a reward later. He pets the top of your head lovingly. Chin perched on his knee as you studied his every move. With only 10 minutes gone by, you had already grown impatient. Denied showering together this morning in favor of checking his work email. Johnny insisted you would have time for fun after he completed a few tasks. Aera wouldn’t be home until later in the day anyway.

“You really think you’re ready to take me down your little throat again?” Johnny tsks. Neck bending to the side with a look of contemplation. “You cried so much yesterday baby. Had me worried sick.”

He lets out a dramatic disappointed sigh. Tapping the tip of your nose as you scrunch in dismay. Pushing his ass forward until your face is plastered against his groin. Cheek damp with your saliva drenching through the material. You let out a sound of puzzlement, ready to protest. Johnny’s palm encasing the back of your neck. Large enough to instill fear, igniting a shiver down your spine. A small motion to remind you of how easily he can handle you.

“It’s going to take more to get your throat trained for me. You can’t even take me halfway without gagging.” He continues. Long digits squeezing up the column of your neck. The tips pressing down on the center until you gasp. “I don’t want to hurt you angel. Maybe you aren’t ready to take daddy’s cock again.”

“I am!” You struggle to move. Blaring him with a look of sheer panic. Gripping around his upper thighs with insistence. “Please! Want to make daddy feel good. Please let me try again. I’ll do anything.”

Johnny coo’s, dragging his hand into the back of your hair. Threaded between chunks of strands to get a good hold on you. A small tug that lets your scalp feel tender for no more than a second. Your tongue hangs out thirsty, panting with a pleading gaze. Laving the sealed zipper that keeps you away from what you want, what you need.

Gnawing at his lower lip, Johnny sweeps the drool pooling down your chin with his other hand. Fingers lifting to your opened lips for you to clean it off.

“You will do anything, won’t you princess?” He questions seriously. Eyebrows lifted up as he awaits your response.

“Anything..anything for you daddy.”

Johnny’s chest rises fully satisfied by your demure wanton tone. Completely submitted to him. His thumb rubs at your bottom lip, still swollen from the abuse your mouth endured just hours ago. Reaching for his zipper handle, inching it lower with your gaze trained on each unveil of his briefs underneath.

“This is lesson one baby.”

a/n: need to add that this is not proofed, as usual.

@seuomo @unknown5tar @sunoosi @ahsshilee-me @jenoslutie @nc-teen @if-i-like-i-reblog @johnjaespeach @nohyuckieduckie @xxhoseoksie @kimsaerom @eleven23

@bbhentaisstuff @straykidsftnct

3K notes · View notes