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#but be cognizant of what you're looking at when you do.
eenochian · 8 months
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it’s very funny how this fandom suddenly cares so much about sensitivity, meanwhile no one was up in arms about folks calling valeria shit like “cartel mommy” and simping for her. and, if you point this out, you get told that it’s “less important” or incomparable. way to tell victims of cartel violence that they don’t matter. y’all can’t preach about sensitivity and mindfulness while doing the exact opposite of that.
sensitivity is something that needed to be brought up a long time ago. people need to be mindful about the content they’re engaging with and producing. COD and its characters are based on very real issues and very real situations, mindfulness is needed for every single character.
seeing this only be brought up in the context of makarov and graves is honestly so, so frustrating. they’re not the only problematic characters that you need to consider when making content. western militaries like the US and UK are incredibly controversial and have devastated vulnerable people and their countries. price, ghost, soap, gaz— any member of the military, especially the special forces, is problematic. they’re not good people and should not be treated like saints, nor should they be idolized for what they do.
that all being said, the concepts of “be mindful and sensitive when making content” and “let people enjoy problematic media” can absolutely, 100%, co-exist. art is not meant to be a paradigm of moral goodness, it has always been a medium for people to explore things that are considered "taboo" in a safe space. there's a reason why "dead dove: do not eat" exists as a genre – with proper warning and precautions put in place, people can explore darker topics. for some, it's morbid interest. for others, it's a way of coping with trauma and experiences they've had in real life.
i want to repeat this just to make it very clear: be mindful and sensitive with the content you're producing. do not romanticize topics that should not be painted in a good light. don't minimize the impact of characters' actions or act like people are in the wrong for being uncomfortable with them. in this fandom especially, people treat atrocities like jokes because we're becoming desensitized to them. it's up to every individual to ensure that they don't forget how impactful a lot of this stuff is in real life. war is not a joke. terrorism is not a joke. people dying is not a joke. do not romanticize any of these things in your content, even if you're exploring the different sides of the people behind these things.
humanize the characters all you want. horrible people are still people, after all. humans are not one-dimensional beings. humanize them, but do not romanticize them.
be kind to victims, be sensitive, and be mindful about what you engage with. no one is perfect, no thing is perfect, but we can always do better. we need to approach every topic through this lens instead of picking and choosing who to support. everyone is deserving of it, everyone is entitled to basic respect. we don't need to compete and argue over who has it worse, we just need to be better across the board. support real victims. don't let media warp your perceptions of reality. be conscious of the content you make and consume.
#call of duty#cod#cod mw2#mw2#modern warfare#putting it in very clear words because i'm scared people may misinterpret what i'm saying:#for the love of god— LISTEN when people tell you that you're doing something wrong.#especially if these are victims or people knowledgeable of the topics you're portraying.#do your research. learn about the things you're writing or reading about.#do not portray bad people or harmful things in a positive light.#it's completely possible to “simp” for villains without disregarding or defending their actions. these characters are fictional.#it's better to get your rocks off to a set of pixels modeled after a normal person than a REAL person that does harm.#but be cognizant of what you're looking at when you do.#if you can support real victims— please do.#donate to ukraine. educate yourself on the war. learn about the harsh reality of cartels. study the impact of colonization and racism.#not only is it good to be informed of things in the real world— but it allows you to better understand these topics in the media.#i'm FAR from perfect. i'm not immune to doing wrong. i'm no exception to this criticism.#also wanted to throw this into the post but i may make another to address this specifically:#it is VERY telling that this fandom only started talking about sensitivity once (predominantly) white folks started being impacted by it.#no one cared about valeria being called “cartel mommy” or the cartel being romanticized.#graves gets criticized for being racist. but even he's often given a “pass” by the fandom.
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terrainofheartfelt · 1 year
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FOR THE BIG MUSIC ASK GAME LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOO 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Artists: Joni Mitchell, Taylor Swift, Queen, Frank Turner
Albums: Pretty. Odd, evermore, Nebraska, Blonde on Blonde
this ask feels like a homework essay question but like, in a subject I'm passionate about. so it's okay. daunting, but.
Joni:
Do I know them already?: yes | no
Favourite Song: A Case of You, it has to be!!!!
(okay but also there's a recording of her playing Chelsea Morning live at Carnegie Hall and it is ~magical~)
Least Favourite Song: I mean there isn't a song by her that I dislike, but maybe one I know that I listen to the least....Big Yellow Taxi. because it makes me sad. she warned us about paving paradise and we didn't listen!!!!!!
Favourite Album: Blue 💙💙💙💙💙
Least Favourite Album: idk a lot of her discography (Blue the album of my heart) but uhhhhh the orchestral funky Both Sides Now (I just like her better when it's just her and her dulcimer <3)
Song that got me into them: oh geez my mother's always loved her. so maybe...my mom singing Both Sides Now in the car?
Seen Live?: i WISH (gimme a time machine and I will just take it to the '70s to see bands & artists play in their prime)
Rate: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
Taylor:
Do I know them already?: yes | no 
Favourite Song: legally I am required to say "ivy"
Least Favourite Song: Dancing with Our Hands Tied (because it was popular when I worked retail so I heard it wayyyyyyyyy too much and now I can't stand it. is it a good song? idk. because I have too much retail trauma to determine that.)
Favourite Album: right now, it's Reputation
Least Favourite Album: Speak Now, probably? It missed me, and I haven't sought it out on streaming bc Girl's pre-1989 singing voice just...doesn't do it for me.
Song that got me into them: pfffft probably "Our Song" in the year of our lord 2006. I remember logging onto the Yahoo music website in Internet Explorer to look up her music videos, because that's the only way I could listen to her music (without buying the cds, my allowance was designated to higher musical priorities back then.) but I didn't really consider myself a Fan until the Bad Blood music video.
Seen Live?: nope. I don't really want to either. I like her best in studio. or, ideal scenario, hearing her live in Long Pond Studio, but that seems a bit of a long shot
Rate: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 her songwriting is a ten her vocals are a 5
Queen:
Do I know them already?: yes | no 
Favourite Song: Somebody to Love!
Least Favourite Song: thee ummm. the bicycle one. ah damn, now it's in my head.
Favourite Album: okay so the thing about many of these bands that I grew up listening to is that I have like, a very limited concept of which albums are which, because I just absorbed them riding in the car with my dad or my mom. I'll say A Night at the Opera bc it's a great title :)
Least Favourite Album: uhhhhh anything they released after Freddie?
Song that got me into them: probably The Muppets music video of Bohemian Rhapsody?
Seen Live?: no, alas, but I have seen P!ATD cover Bohemian Rhapsody live
Rate: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 
Frank Turner:
Do I know them already?: yes | no 
Favourite Song: not a fair question. uhm mmmmmm...The Way I Tend to Be, Broken Piano, Isabel, Poetry of the Deed, To Take You Home, Josephine....I could go on
Least Favourite Song: motherfucker truly has soooo many songs and I know a lot of them but there are many I've haven't heard. maybe Common Ground. or Little Changes.
Favourite Album: England Keep My Bones
Least Favourite Album: Be More Kind
Song that got me into them: my big brother put Nashville Tennessee on a mix cd he made for my birthday when I was...13? and I've only become more and more obsessed.
Seen Live?: HELL YES. in college my brother and my x-tian sorority big (we're both atheists now lmao) and me roadtripped 3 hours to Dallas to see him on his tour for Tape Deck Heart. One of the best live shows I've seen. He just...comes ALIVE onstage. and we met him at stage door and I took a picture with him <3 I think (hope) I still have it somewhere. I was a music major and wanted to tell him how much his music meant to me but I think I was too starstruck to say anything other than "hiiiii" and "thank you!" also thee zaniest opening act I have ever seen I'll never forget it
Rate: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 
Pretty. Odd. it isn't my favorite album of theirs, but it is a masterpiece.
Opinion on cover design: LOVE. I really enjoy the old-timey circus van vibe, evocative of Magical Mystery Tour, which seems a heavy inspiration.
Favourite song: That Green Gentleman
Least favourite song: narrowwww question because I have a pretty equal fondness for all the songs. maybe, The Piano Knows Something I Don't
Underrated track: When the Day Met the Night & Folkin' Around
Overrated track: Nine in the Afternoon (even though I adore it but it gets much more hype than any other track)
Rate: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 
evermore undoubtedly her magnum opus. the best music she's ever written
Opinion on cover design: simple, effective, lovely, sets the mood and the tone of the album. and she has such a habit of...overdoing visuals? her last half dozen music videos or so have been like, baroque in how over the top their visual design. like, willow the video does not match how the song or the rest of the album feels. idk. the simplicity here works for me, but I think sometimes she can't let something Be.
Favourite song: I already said ivy above so....no body no crime
Least favourite song: cowboy like me (it's otherwise a great song, but i so dislike the opening stanza 'dancing is a dangerous game' mam. you can do better than that. you've a whole album of evidence.)
Underrated track: closure (a Banger)
Overrated track: champagne problems (not that it's not a good song but the way it's gotten so much love as the best song on the album when happiness is like literally right there) (happiness.mp3 & peace.mp3 supremacy)
Rate: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
Nebraska
Opinion on cover design: as someone who's driven through nebraska, it's very accurate. it looks how nebraska feels. like, you're only there when you're on your way to someplace else. if liminal space was a US state it'd be Nebraska
Favourite song: oh fuck Reason to Believe
Least favourite song: Highway Patrolman
Underrated track: I mean the whole thing is underrated tbh.
Overrated track: see above. <3
Rate: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 
Blonde on Blonde
Opinion on cover design: those pursed lips....so Serious. I love a scarf moment. that look really is my aesthetic
Favourite song: RAINY DAY WOMEN but I also have a soft spot for OH. MAMA. can this really be the end? to be Stuck? inside? a Mobile? with the MEMPHIS BLUES again??? and Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat <3
Least favourite song: Visions of johanna. he can go ON about a bitch. I love him tho
Underrated track: I Want You, & You Go Your Way I Go Mine
Overrated track: is it possible to overrated a track on this album???
Rate: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 
#I do love tswift but i am also v picky about how I like her. *shrugs*#my brother's gf is a swiftie (remind me to share a pic of her gift to me <3) and she asked me at xmas#so did you try to get tickets? and I was like lol nope and I think I hurt her feelings#but. listen. the thing about taylor is: i like her songs better when they're sung by other people.#which is also how I feel about Bob#kesha's cover of Don't think twice it's alright changed my life#as did sara bareilles cover of Clean#but she said early on 'i'm gonna sing my songs that I write' and I do respect that game#my big has a tattoo of the lyrics to 'i am disappeared'#'we are electric pulses in the pathways of the sleeping souls of the country'#you know I do wonder....how my dad might think.....of all of us...talking about how fucking queer bruce's music is#because. it IS. the more I think about it the more obvious it is. but like. growing up it wasn't?#but is that just because I didn't know how to look for it bc I didn't know what I was looking for?#in the aughts when gay and queer had such narrow definitions#but bruce does have a different take on masculinity that is inherent to his writing and performance#and whether or not my father is cognizant of that#I think it's shaped him. and his own masculinity. and that of my brother. the heterosexualest punk I know.#maybe that's why when someone's like 'not all men' I go. 'you're right. my father and brother would NEVER'#it all comes back to bruce#and bob#and clarence#and miami steve#asks#clarasamelia#okay but. blonde on blonde is soooooooooo dan-coded#just like a woman is about serena :)#pretty odd is full of bops tho don't get me wrong#i just have a more sentimental fondness for too young to live too rare to die#but hanif abdurraqib had said 'pretty odd is the only p!atd album'#which. i disagree but...
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peachesofteal · 5 months
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Light On - single mom/neighbors fic Simon Riley/female reader
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Amends, Simon learns, are harder to make than he thought. 
At first, he tries to catch you in the hallway, or in the lobby of the building. It’s started to get cold, and you’re not out on your balcony much, so he resorts to sulking around like building like a ghost, miserable and downright creepy, waiting. Watching. 
He begins to memorize your routine. It's not intentional, just a hazard of his profession, but he can't help but work everything you do into a schedule that looms at the back of his mind. What time Emma wakes up, what time you usually take her somewhere with you on your lunch, what time the sound of your dryer buzzes to signal it's cycle complete, what time you turn the TV off and the lights go out for bed. Knowing your schedule so well relaxes him, makes him feel reassured, and he waits for every part of it with bated breath, ensuring you're home and safe with each mental check in.
He tries to sync with you, run into you in the hall or outside the building somewhere, but you're elusive, and at night, before he falls asleep, he resorts to daydreaming about a future where he didn't screw everything up, and you already lived with him. Where you shared a bed with him, where Emmaline slept in her room down the hall. Where he has his girls under one roof with him, his roof, safe and tucked away from the rest of world. He can't fall asleep without it now, this daydream, and sometimes, if he's lucky, it stays, gracing his subconscious with beautiful false memories, the kind that linger a little, in the morning when he opens his eyes.
Still, he can't have any of it, dreams or reality, without making amends.
His first real try, after the initial failure, is when he manages to catch you in the lobby. It's right before your lunch is usually over, and he strategically positions himself to enter the building around the same time as you would. Emmaline is in your arms, and when she catches sight of him, she squeaks, swinging a chubby little fist in his direction. You look over your shoulder at whatever has caught her eye, and when you see him, your face twists, smile shifting into something full of apprehension and worry.
“Hi.” You say, when he gets close, inching towards you like you might run off. Emmaline coos, arms stretched out towards his body, and he lets his hand drift, pointer finger finding the grasp of all five hers, wrapped around him.
“Hey.” I miss you, he’s desperate to say, I’m so sorry. But nothing comes out, and something sad stretches across your face when Emma smiles so big at him.
His phone rings, loudly. Johnny. When he looks back up from the screen, you’re gone.
The next time he tries, is in the supermarket.
You’re pushing Emmaline in the buggy, leaning forward to talk to her in the soft little baby voice that you make, and he stops himself at the end of the aisle, just out of sight. You look exhausted, eyes tired, moving slowly, and his heart aches.
“What about some yogurt?” She bobs in the stroller, and you smile. “Yeah! Yogurt! It’s good huh?” You're not paying attention at all, not cognizant of your surroundings, or his proximity to you. If he was someone else, someone who wanted to hurt you, take you... it'd be a non issue. The back door less than ten meters from where your back is turned, someone could have you incapacitated and vanished before you even knew what was happening. His stomach flips uncomfortably just imagining it, anxiety tossing his breakfast around, everything in him screaming at him to wrap you up in his arms and never let you go again.
You turn the corner to his position, still focused on the baby, half paying attention to where you're walking. You manage to glance up once, right before you nearly run into him, and you jerk backwards in confusion, surprise. "Hey."
"Hey, sorry. I uh... wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"That's alright." He scrounges around in his empty fucking head for something else to say, before landing on: "How are you?"
"Oh, good. Alright, yeah. We're... we're alright."
"That's good." There's a beat of awkward silence, and you chew on your bottom lip for a second.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine." Just do it, he screams at himself. Just say it. "I've been thinkin' about you." Your eyebrows raise.
"You have?" What? Of course I have, sweetheart. You're all I ever think about now.
"Yeah. A lot, actually." He says softly, like you're not standing in the middle of a grocery store, in between the hustle and bustle of everyone else. "I ah... I know this really isn't the place but I wanted to talk to you. It's... I have something I need to tell you. Are you... free tonight? Can I make you dinner?" He practically rushes it out, like water from a spigot, flooding free, too fast and without aim. It's a cautious request, more of a hopeful thing than anything else, and when you take so, so long to respond, he prepares himself for the disappointment.
"Okay." You whisper, with a nod. "Yes. We... we're around tonight."
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bizbat · 3 months
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He Realizes He Loves You - JJK x Reader
~ Reader is implied to be under 6ft but appearance is otherwise not mentioned.
~ Reader is implied to be fem and is explicitly fem + afab in Toji's part.
~ Including: Toji Fushiguro, Megumi Fushiguro, Satoru Gojo, Kento Nanami, Suguru Geto, Choso Kamo, and Sukuna Ryomen (in order).
~ Feel free to request a character not included!
~ Smut included for multiple characters.
~ You can find more of my works here.
~ Thank you to (@starlight5cat, @s0ph1a7, @koiromii, @totallydestiny, @local-hopeless-romanic, @dalis-raines,@ryosuku, @liargh, @llotusfeet1, @crustychoco, @cult-of-norman, @broccolihater80, @bringmethewolves, @sohstayshawol, @therealisttheillest, @midnightxsecretary, @skullzgarden, @tiatasha-01, @sardonyx005, and @dimpled-peach) for all the characters they suggested!
~ Cw: Creampie (Toji), Slight Anal (also Toji), Pet Names (also also Toji) :( Mild Groping (Choso), Slight Yandere/obsessive behavior (Geto)
He realizes he loves you.
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Toji - Explicit Smut, Wc: 315
The way you're squeezing him like you don't want him to pull out, calling his name like a hymn, God he might just cum right then and there. He's losing his mind as his hips slam against your ass, his thumb in your other hole, gripping the fat of your cheek while using it as leverage to pull you pack onto him.
Fuck, have you always sounded so sweet? And have you always been this pretty? He can't remember. All he knows is that he's not sure he's ever felt this good. He knows he's not thinking straight when his hips stutter, his cock throbbing inside you, and instead of slowing down, he speeds up. If he was a bit more cognizant, he'd consider pulling out, but who is he kidding?
You're too sweet to him, he knew it from the day you met. If he was a less selfish man, he'd have walked out of your life the second he felt his pants tighten at the sound of your voice. But, he's thankful he's not less selfish. "Gonna let me cum inside ya, baby?"
But, at the end of the night, he can cum in any broad willing to spread her legs for him. The second he blows his load, he'll be heading out the door. He's done it a million times. Veni, vidi, veni. Sometimes he'll turn a one night stand to a two night stand, but he never does more than twice.
Wait, how many times has he been over to your place again? Nevermind, he's cumming now. He doesn't still his hips as the thick, creamy white substance spills out of your cute little cunt. But his brain is fried, so when your juices coat his thighs, and your fingers squeeze his forearms, all while pressing your glossy lips to his . . . How's he supposed to help himself?
"F-Fuck, love you baby."
~
Megumi - No Smut, Wc: 265
He's never been the type to "jolt" out of bed. He usually slowly comes to consciousness, his body acting as a natural clock. Tsumiki would always say he was the early bird of the two. It was always just his routine.
But today, for some reason, the second he wakes up he snaps up and out of bed, his back straight as an arrow. It takes a second for his brain to register why. It's you. Here you are, peacefully laying in his bed beside him, his sheets covering everything but your face. You must have fallen asleep here after you and the other first years had movie night.
His eye twitches as he considers what to do. He doesn't wanna wake you, you look like a little angel, granted, you have a bit of drool dripping out of the corner of your mouth, but an angel nonetheless! He doesn't wanna tell Gojo, lord knows he'd never let him live it down. He doesn't want the higher-ups to find out and get you in trouble.
His brain moves damn near a mile a minute as he thinks of possible solutions. If you were awake you'd probably tease him about the smoke coming out of his ears. His eyes anxiously dart across his room, as if something in there could possibly fix his problem-
Until you roll over, your arm limply draped across his lap. It's not really a problem, is it? Gojo can handle it, he thinks to himself as he slips back under the covers, letting you hold onto him as you sleep in.
~
Gojo - No Smut, Wc: 334
Satoru doesn't do it for praise. While the sound of his sweet girlfriend's voice thanking and complimenting him is practically music to his ears, it's not his sole motivation. He's not sure what it is.
Maybe it's the sparkle in your eyes when he gives you your favorite type of pastry, he went out of his way to visit your favorite bakery, even though it was out of his way. Or maybe it's how tightly you hold him when he brings you a new bottle of your favorite perfume, even though the manufacturer stopped selling it. Maybe it's the way you squeal his name with joy and surprise when he appears at your doorstep, a cute little kitten in his arms, a bright blue bow tied around its neck.
He's not sure. It could be all of them for all he knows. Don't get him wrong, it's more than enough to get him out of bed every day. But it might actually be the fact that you almost . . . disregard his gifts afterwards. Maybe that's not the right word, but you're so casual about everything (except the kitten ofc). The necklace he got you last month, the one with his and your initials inside of a gold heart? You wear it everyday. Never say a word about it.
The watch he dropped at least a band on, the one that has five sets of hands and tells the time in Japan and your home country? You keep that in its case next to your bed. In the entire time you've dated, he doesn't think you've ever asked him for anything material. Maybe to do the dishes or take out the trash
Maybe that's it, actually. The fact that you'd rather spend time with him. That you see him as the biggest gift of all, it plays into his ego, sure. But there's something different about the way you cherish him, versus how the world does. Regardless, the thought makes him smile, makes his heart swell.
~
Nanami - Mild Smut, Wc: 336
Nanami has a lot of regrets in life.
He regrets every missed opportunity, every untaken chance, every day he's taken for granted, when others have to struggle so much to get half as far. Sometimes, he worries the thing that will finally do him in is grief. He has nightmares about choking on all of his remorse, and his biggest fear is that the second he gets something good, he'll be too distracted to hold onto it. But he has no regrets about you. He can feel it, even when he was still a student. Nanami knows how special you are. He sees it in the way your soft hands hold his face every morning and every night. In the way your lips curl and your hips wiggle in a little dance when you eat your favorite food. In the way your voice always rasps a small "good morning, my love," even before your eyes have opened.
God, you're special to him. And he knows better than to let you get away without knowing that. So when he has you in his arms, naked as the day you were born, your eyes tired and your skin sticky, he lets you know. He leans down, his nose pressed into the crook of your neck, his lips just barely ghosting against your skin. He thrusts his hips gently, your soft smile and tiny moans encouraging him. He doesn't need to realize he loves you, he already knows that, but until now, right this very second, he didn't realize he was in love with you. And it hits him like a truck. He hadn't realized that your laugh is his favorite sound in the world, that he could eat your cooking until the day he dies, that you could scream at him for hours and hours, and he'd still think you had the voice of an angel.
But God, you're special. He mumbles into your collarbone, something he's always ment, but never fully grasped. "Ngh~ God, I love you."
~
Geto - Implied Smut, Wc: 352
You're so blessed. You have his head resting in your lap, his hair loose as your fingers card through it, his robes barely hanging onto his muscled form. He's so beautiful, you can't believe you're only getting to see him up close now. His dark eyes stare penetratingly into your soul, his soft smile making your heart feel like it's on fire.
He has invited you into his personal quarters, the familiar scent of sage, and oils wafting through the air. It wasn't uncommon for him to invite someone to his room, just to keep him warm or entertained, not that it was frequent, but it wasn't like it never happened. To say that this wasn't what you had expected upon first entering, would be an understatement.
You had introduced yourself to him, bowing at his feet as you began stating your name and how long you'd been a member, only for him to interrupt you, listing information you didn't even know he knew about you, information you didn't even know about you. You sat there on your hands and knees, mouth agape in surprise, until he placed a hand under your chin, gently closing your mouth and guiding you to your feet. You didn't think to question it, of course your lord and master knew everything about you.
He pulled you deeper into the room, going into detail about how you had caught his eye the moment you had begun worshiping him and his ideals. He explained his plan for you to lead alongside him, become his bride and second in command, only if you wanted to, of course. It was a big responsibility, hundreds of people suddenly bending to your every whim. Not to mention his two wonderful daughters.
But why would you ever say no? How could you possibly deny the prospect of being his wife- Geto-Sama's wife!? So here you are, your own robes just as loose as his as you carefully stroke his long, inky locks. You're so beautiful, he's truly blessed to have such an obedient, loving little lamb in his flock, finally, all to himself.
~
Choso - No Smut, Wc: 282
He's happy he has you here. Sat in his lap, the glow TV illuminating your pretty face, his hands up your shirt. The only thing that could make this better would be if his brothers were here, though, perhaps it's better if they aren't. He does appreciate the intimacy of it just being you and him.
He can't help himself from looking up at you, paying attention to the way you mindlessly chew on your lip. It makes his own lips part with desire. "Can-can you kiss me again?" He lightly squeezes your chest, his fingers tightening around the black lace bra under your shirt.
His curious, pleading eyes are too hard to ignore. He moans into your mouth, one hand groping your breast, the other gently holding your tummy. He rests his head on your shoulder when you finally pull away, a nervous smile on his face, he's still learning how to do it right, he hopes you don't mind. Actually, he knows you don't.
If anything, you love it. He can tell by the way you hold his cheeks when he does it, the way you giggle and kiss him more and more just to see it widen. He wants to do that for you. He wants to hold your cheeks and giggle when you smile and kiss you to see you do it more.
His heart erratically beats in his chest as he impulsively reaches out, turning your face and holding you still while he presses messy kisses to your lips. He doesn't stop the barrage of pecks when you ask him what he's doing. He just smiles. And that makes you smile. And that makes him smile more.
~
Sukuna - Implied Smut, Wc: 266
If you were to ask him about it, he'd laugh in your face. Sukana cares for no one, he does not love, he does not enjoy anyone's presence, he does not feel warmth in his chest when you kiss his cheek. Absolutely not. Never. You'd be foolish to think otherwise.
You may be his favorite concubine, who he always lets lay with him in bed after he's had his fill. Who he lets run her fingers through his hair during bathtime. Who he makes sure is seated on his lap at all times. But that does not mean he likes you. It just means he finds you tolerable. Yes, that's it.
He finds you tolerable, at most, and that's generous, even, so there you go, there's your answer. Only, you didn't even ask to begin with. You said "Good morning, my lord," and here he is, going on a rant in his head about how much he doesn't love you. Shit. He's in deep. Far too deep for anyone of his standing, and it's too late for him to pull himself out of this eternal abyss.
Curse you, wench, for having such control over him, unwittingly at that. Who do you think you are? With your adorable face, and your soft hair, and your nice smell-Wench! Mark his words, he may be steadfast in making you his bride, and disposing of any other concubines that expresses too much jealousy, and keeping his palace decorated in a way that you would find flattering, but he is not in love with you by any stretch of the imagination.
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lacollectionneuse1967 · 5 months
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slip of the tongue part 2 - jealous
Theseus Scamander x Reader
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“He was all over you,” he hisses. “I am not a possessive man, but I could’ve killed him then and there. He doesn’t know what’s mine.”
summary: after confessing your feelings for (and sleeping with) your boss, theseus, you join his brother newt's team of wizards attempting to thwart the notorious gellert grindelwald. when you're tasked with distracting and seducing a powerful dark wizard on your first mission, theseus gets uncharacteristically and fiercely jealous.
fem!reader. theseus scamander x reader.
category: smut with plot
warnings: 18+ smut, (light) mdom/femsub elements, unprotected penetration, semi-public sex, jealousy/possessive behavior, also the reader suffers brief unwanted sexual advances in a scene
part one / part two
Your dreams are uninventive. Your nightmares are even less so. 
Often you are hounded by dogs: drooling, snapping canines, bloodthirsty past the point of cognizance, they’re more open mouths than animals. Or, you’re standing on the hill where your old orphanage used to sit in North London, barefoot on the roof while the rest of London floods below, water rising, you know you’re going to drown. Or some other tired, boring allegory for your past catching up with you, at last, your blessings, your wand, crumbling to ash—you know what the dreams mean and they don’t scare you anymore. 
But tonight you are perfectly dreamless. The dream dogs, the wintry world outside, the sound of the wind whistling through the empty London streets, it cannot touch you now. The fireplace is crackling and warm orange light spills in beneath the door from the living room.
Theseus’s arm is draped over your body, your head is on his chest. Every part of your body where your bare skin meets his buzzes with contentment. His room is like a sanctuary, his arms a house that holds you. 
You don’t think you’ve slept for even a full hour. It’s still dark outside when you feel Theseus jostling your shoulder. 
“Y/N. Wake up, darling.” 
You sigh in response and are about to put up a fight, but when you meet his eyes they’re full of sore regret, apologetic. He wouldn’t ask you to leave his bed unless it was important.
You emerge from the covers and start to stretch. 
“What time is it?”
“I’m sorry, love, but it’s nearly four in the morning. We have to be going, it’s urgent.” 
You turn to look at him, he’s raking a hand through his hair, sitting up in bed.
“Did you sleep at all, Theseus?” You ask incredulously.
“No, too much to think about. And besides, I knew if I slept I wouldn’t be likely to wake. Better you sleep…”
Your heart wrenched. In a swell of affection, you went to him, crawling back over his body on the bed.
“No,” he groans, but his hands come around you, sliding down to your hips, anyway. You kiss his neck, raking your teeth over the skin there.
“Don’t do this to me,” he anguishes. His grip tightens on your hip, it’s meant to be chastising but it makes you want him more. “Please. We need to leave, Y/N.”
It wasn’t easy letting go of him. You know he would’ve given you what you wanted with enough persistence. 
“Okay, okay!” You relent, kissing his mouth with a smile. “I’ll stop terrorizing you now.” You leap out of bed again without complaint. 
When he stands he’s serious-Theseus again, your boss. And you love him still. 
For his sake, you pretend not to notice his erection in his boxer shorts. It looks painfully hard. 
“Get dressed,” he says to you before turning to the bathroom. “We need to get to Hogsmeade.”
It was wonderfully strange to see him like this—hair in wavy disarray, looking soft and subdued, barefoot and in his t-shirt. You want to appreciate the sight, you want to talk about what had happened between you and all that had been said. But his mind is elsewhere, preoccupied, and it seems you are both running late.
At your insistence, he lets you apparate to your apartment for a change of clothes, but then the two of you are off, running down the stairs of his building into the dark world below.
————— 
Hogsmeade is more of a detour. There is an incognito meet-up organized with none other than Professor Albus Dumbledore. You’d, mercifully, taken a train--the Hogwarts Express. Theseus mentioned that Dumbledore was being watched by the Ministry, and that there were anti-apparition charms put up around the village and the castle.
You were just grateful to see him sleeping, at last, on the way there. 
It was barely daylight when the two of you arrived, the sun bleak and pink over the Highlands, providing no warmth. You were grateful for the coffee you'd nursed on the train, as you were grateful to relieve yourself of the confidential documents from the Ministry. Their weight was an invisible one for you, evidence of your betrayal.
"Some aspiring Auror you are," you thought to yourself, bitterly.
“I tried to organize them for you. I started to, actually,” You supplied sheepishly when Dumbledore regarded the haphazard stacks of parchment, laid out on one of the tables in what you assumed was his brother's inn.
Dumbledore smiled warmly at you regardless and thanked you sincerely. 
When you step out of the inn, you look to Theseus just as he looks over his shoulder at you. You're both more or less sleepless, and cold, and it seems the both of you have betrayed the Ministry and embarked on a hopeless mission, without many allies in the world.
But you were a united front.
It surprises you when he says, so earnestly that the tension in his shoulders seems to deflate, “God, I missed you. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you.”
You blush, but don’t break his gaze. You’re not afraid to let him see you anymore. 
“Where to, Mr. Scamander?”
He flexes his jaw like he’s not thinking about the plan at all, like he’s thinking about last night. But then, with a sigh, the moment is broken. 
“Germany,” he says. “It’s time you meet my younger brother and the rest of the resistance.” 
He says ‘resistance’ like it's some inside joke, some funny jab. You don't understand it until you arrive at the hotel room in Berlin. 
-----------
Other than the hair, that uncommon shade of reddish, honey brown, and the apparent kindness and sense of humanity, Newt is nothing like Theseus. In fact, when he comes over to greet you he can hardly meet your eye, his head is half bowed in the other direction, his mouth a nervous, flat line.
"Pleasure to meet you, Y/N. I was sure that you'd do the right thing when Theseus sent you his letter. It was... very brave of you."
You look to Theseus in sharp amusement, eyes sparkling.
"Was there ever a question of whether or not I'd betray you? Did you really think there was a chance I'd turn you over to the authorities?"
Theseus places a reassuring hand on your shoulder.
"Come now, Y/N," he says. "You know if I were to die I'd prefer it to be at your hand anyway."
You want to roll your eyes, but you're not sure to what extent he's joking.
You shake Newt's hand. You're soon after introduced to a muggle baker named Jacob and an astute, somewhat brash Auror from America named Tina. You're not much of a people-person, but you find that you like them both, immensely. They feel genuine, the sort of strong, singular characters that couldn't deceive anyone if they tried. That is why Newt's explanation of your task for the night sends a bolt of dread down your spine.
"We need to need to retrieve a magical object from a German Minister's office. I-I can't say much, it's better you don't know, but it's safe to assume that a large portion of the German Ministry of Magic has already fallen. Helmut, Vogel--and who knows how many others are under the influence of Grindelwald."
"Which German Minister's office?" Theseus says. His hands are in his pockets, he's leaning against the windowsill, the picture of nonchalance, his hair swept back. He's so handsome you could cry.
Newt ignores him. "Now, tonight may be our only chance. There's a diplomatic gala at the ministry itself. I can get us all in, Pickett and I can handle sneaking into the office itself, but there are five people who know about the object being at the ministry, who will be on the lookout and who need to be distracted until we're out."
He doled out assignments swiftly. Theseus was to distract the head of security. Jacob, the two waitstaff who served as the Minister's private informants. For Tina, the German Auror, Helmut. And for you? The Minister himself.
"Which Minister, Newt?" Theseus asks again, the edge in his voice unmistakable, though you don't understand it.
"Baron Dietrich, the Minister of Finance," Newt says at last.
Dietrich. Most of your work for Theseus was domestic, but you try to remember what you can. Dietrich was some Bavarian-born descendent of the aristocracy. Hedonistic, high society. He fought in the war, but gained his reputation in the drinking clubs of Berlin. Even you knew he was ruthless, notorious. A brute of a man without much respect for the law. That was the extent of what you knew.
Newt is rushing to explain before you or Theseus can speak.
“Please, Y/N, Theseus." He looks between the two of you, trying to appeal to both. "Dietrich, h-he likes…he likes beautiful women and he-"
Theseus crosses the room to his brother in a single stride. "Yes, and do you have any idea what he likes to do to those beautiful women, Newt?” He's seething. “Even everyone at the British Ministry knows he brutalizes them."
“I-I wouldn’t ask her if it weren’t absolutely necessary. So long as she’s able to distract him at the party, keep him interested there, at the party, nothing will happen to her—to you!” Newt turns to you now, addressing you directly. “I’m sure of it…”
Theseus sucks his teeth and turns away from his brother, still fuming. “Absolutely not. You will not send her away from my side, that’s final. Not to that man.”
“Theseus, please-"
“She’s muggleborn, Newt! Do you know what men like Baron Dietrich do to wizards like her? If he found out, if any one of Grindelwald's followers did, she'd be killed.” Theseus is speaking with such firm authority, but you know him well enough to detect the barely concealed panic in his eyes, the fracture just beneath the fortress. “Send Tina instead, she’s an Auror.”
“But Y/N is exactly the sort of girl that Dietrich would be-"
“I want to be an Auror too,” your voice sounds strange to your ears when you find it. It has a clear, confident quality, musical and lucid.
Theseus looks to you in shock. You wonder if he knew about the promotion you’d been offered at all, if he knew all you’d sacrificed to stay close to him—your very dreams dashed to pieces. From his expression, naked and open as day, he did not. 
“I can do it,” you make an effort to sound settled. Unshaken.
Being a young, vulnerable girl in the streets of East London, at the orphanage after, and then being a woman at the British Ministry as an adult, you’d dealt with plenty of over-friendly and entitled men. Boorish men were everywhere and were not uniquely monstrous. You hoped Baron Dietrich wasn’t either. 
"It's settled then," Jacob claps his hands together, seeming relieved that the tension between the two brothers has evaporated. Theseus is slumped over, leaning back on the nightstand in apparent defeat. "We're going to a party!"
Tina places her hand on your arm, leading you towards the closet. She doesn't seem to be terribly affectionate, so you're grateful to her for extending you this small kindness now.
"Here, Y/N," She says. "Let's get you dressed. We have plenty of time to go over the plan. It'll be okay."
------------------
Your outfit, "disguise" you suppose, is nothing like the subdued robes of your companions. You don't know why you're surprised when they ask you to enter the ministry ten minutes after them, alone.
The skirt of your dress is flowy and short, like a dancer's, ending just above your knee, something that might've been acceptable a decade prior, given the fashion trends. It's made of delicate petals of off-white fabric, adorn with tiny silver and pearlescent beads, glittering. Meant to draw attention. It's sleeveless and the top is breathtakingly form-fitting, pinching in your waist and hugging every curve of your body, but you are gratefully afforded an elegant high neckline. Silk, ivory-colored, wrist-length gloves that do nothing for the cold cover your hands and a fur half-coat is draped over your shoulders. Your lipstick is a deep red.
You understand what it means, these luxury items, your styling, the fact that you were instructed to enter alone. By no design of your own, the implication was that you were an escort, a madame of the night. No wonder Newt had Theseus leave the hotel first, before he could catch a glimpse of you. You didn't dare imagine his reaction.
As you enter the gala, handing the doorman your fabricated invitation without a glance, every head turns to you. Chatter stills as you pass, the women gawk and the men look stricken, hungry as the pack dogs in your dreams. Plates and trays sail overhead and the instruments play on, unattended. The German Ministry of Magic has spared no expense.
Patrons lean in close and speak hushed and anxiously. You assume the upcoming election for the highest office of the International Confederation of Wizards is on everyone's mind.
You head for the bar with your head held high, hoping it doesn't show on your face, your discomfort at being so seen. You were told Baron Dietrich would be at the bar with some of his men. With a trembling, gloved hand you motion the barman over and order a drink.
You don’t dare look for your friends. You assume things are going swimmingly for them, but for you? You are drowning in your finery.
You’re not even alone for a moment before the wolves descend. You should've known a man like Dietrich would come find you.
"Mädchen!" He approaches you partially, but expects you to come the rest of the way, waves you over with a meaty hand. When you raise an eyebrow, haughtily, he switches to English.
"Girl, come here." The timber of his voice is low, gravelly. He has a heavy brow, his hair is thick and peppered with gray. The gray does nothing to diminish the impression of his strength. In a fight without your wand, he could have your neck snapped, broken and rolling around its stem, in a heartbeat.
You walk over, leaving your drink at the bar, untouched.
The gala is housed in a mammoth, marble room, twenty foot ceilings held up by smooth columns, something that reminds you of Gringott's. But around the massive bar at the room's center are half-circle booths and tables, spiraling out like lily pads. You slide into Dietrich's booth and his arm goes around you immeditely.
He smells chokingly of cigars, a perfumey, sickly sweet smell. He is a bloated, thick-limbed man. No, you couldn't have fought him off. There are so many uniformed men at his table that some of the younger ones have to stand. With a sting of shock, you don't see how you could be of any influence on these men at all, they hardly see you as a person, aren't speaking to you. You hope Newt and Pickett work quickly.
Another young man, dressed in what looks like a soldier's uniform, slides into the booth after you, sandwiching you in next to Dietrich. You let out of noise of shock and begin to push him off you when Dietrich grabs both your wrists.
"Don't be fussy. This is my young friend, newly recruited. I plan to make him my protégé."
The other men slap the boy over the shoulder, jostling him in congratulations. He smiles meekly. You could hate him for that meekness. That pathetic deference to power.
"We'll share you tonight, of course." Dietrich is looking at the boy, not you. "In my office."
Dietrich's hand clamps over your exposed thigh and his fingernails jab into the fat of your thigh. You don't react to the bright bite of pain. The other boy begins to lean into you, breath hot over your neck.
Whatever small bird lives in your ribs begins to beat itself against that cage, flailing and thrashing.
"No!" You can't help the edge of panic in your voice. Dietrich is too strong, so you don't bother, but you shove the boy off of you and out of the booth without much effort. The boy stumbles out, dumbfounded.
Dietrich snatches your wrist with real fury, bruisingly.
"What?! You're for sale, aren't you?" He won't hurt you in front of his men, not at the gala, but his face is so colored with anger that it's nearly purple.
"Please," there's a real plea in your voice when you say it, you try to cover it up with a hurried smile, you try to look charming. "Dance with me, sir?"
That seems to sedate him. He looks irritated, but pleased by your attention. At least he won't be able to molest you in front of all his colleagues and superiors.
He leads you to the dance floor and the entire way your mind is racing, scrambling for purchase, trying to figure out how you're going to keep him out of his office. He made it clear he had plans to go there later tonight with his men. With you.
And he was an even cruder man than you'd thought, he'd made no attempt to even flirt with or seduce you. His interest in you was moreso entitlement, the same interest a predator has for a slab of meat.
Your wand, concealed on your person, gave you little comfort. Newt had asked that you did not reveal yourself, didn't make a scene. But if it came down to it, you would fight Dietrich rather than submit to him. He was more than repulsive. He wanted to hurt you.
"Please," you think to yourself. "Please, God, don't make me-"
You startle at the large hand that grips your waist and spins you away, just before you reach the dance floor.
Dietrich, abandoned, turns in flustered outrage and is swallowed by the crowd. You're being whisked away before he can fully react, Theseus guiding you deftly out of the overfull room of diplomats.
You sob with relief. "Theseus-" you start, but he's leading you deeper, still, away from the gala.
It's not until you're in some pitch-dark, gaping mausoleum of a hallway that Theseus finally stops, pressing you delicately against the wall, holding your face in his hands like water, like something precious. He examines your body.
"Are you okay?" He asks, pressingly.
You could cry out in joy, the sight of his face is balm-like, giving you a familiar relief.
"Yes, yes!" You reassure him. "Is it done? Did we do it?"
Theseus nods in confirmation, still looking over you for injuries, turning over your wrists in his hands.
"The others are already out. It was quick. No one noticed a thing, we probably took too many precautions this time around..." He finally meets your eyes. The look in his is dark and indecipherable. When he swallows, it's raggedly. "You're really okay, Y/N?"
"Yes," you answer, hesitant at the intensity of his look. "Why?"
Theseus presses his body against yours harshly, you don't even have time to moan before he's swallowing it with his mouth. Your hands are all over him, but he gives you no room to move, it's as if he doesn't notice, the way he's pushing you up against the wall, kissing you like he wants to consume you.
"You're so damn beautiful," he mutters. "When you walked in I almost blew my cover just to go to you."
"Theseus," you pant. You're needy, you want him to keep kissing you but he's leaning his neck back, pinning you against the wall but holding himself away so he can look at you when he runs his warm hands from the backs of your thighs up to your ass. He hooks his fingers around the waistline of your panties and pulls them down so they're only hanging onto you by one of your ankles.
He leans in for another kiss, just as deep and wretched as the last, just as maddening.
He pulls away again with a pant.
"Your dress is too damn short," he curses under his breath.
"Are you angry at me?" You ask quietly, still writhing against him, desperate for friction, but suddenly self-conscious.
"No, no sweetheart," he soothes. "Not at you. You did so good. Such a good job." His praise has you leaning into his palm, which is cupping the side of your face.
You whimper, "I want you." You realize it's true as you're saying it. You can't ever lie to him. "I want you," you repeat, more insistently.
“He was all over you,” he hisses against your ear. “I am not a possessive man, but I could’ve killed him then and there. He doesn’t know what’s mine.” He punctuates the last word with a squeeze to your backside. 
"Theseus," you breathe out, helplessly. You can't believe this is happening. The wing of the German Ministry that you're in is completely dark, you can barely make out the tapestries and curtains hanging loose from the walls. But there's distant light at the end of the hall, and dim voices and music filter in and out from the gala a few rooms over.
But you want him to keep touching you more than you know better, know you should stop. More than anything.
He starts to hike your dress up, his movements urgent, when he stops abruptly. The spot where Dietrich's nails dug into your upper thigh is small, but he drew blood.
Theseus pauses, loosens his grip and lets you slide down the wall. With a slow-thudding heart you briefly fear he'll be so furious he'll run back to the gala, to find Dietrich, but he only bends down and kisses the wound, just barely, lips ghosting over skin, so gently you could cry. Kneeling before you, he looks like a prince, a knight. He's careful to avoid the wound when he lifts you back up against the wall.
You can't help but stare down at it, in awe, when he takes his dick out. Your body still thrills at the sight of it, there, huge, resting at your entrance. Theseus grinds a slow circle, sliding it against your wet folds, against your clit. You just stare.
He flashes you a lazy smile.
“What? You want me to help you put it in?” 
You moan, audibly. You're not doing a very good job at being discreet, but how can you when he says things like that to you and expects you to answer?
"Yes, please," you close your eyes, too flustered to meet his burning gaze when you say the words.
He grips the base of his cock and guides it into your pussy. Clamps a hand over your mouth to muffle the noises you're making, you whimper dumbly against his palm. Only releases his hand from your mouth once he's fully seated inside of you. The stretch is so big you know it would hardly take any movement at all for him to break that tension and make you come, drive you mad, unravel you completely. Just a few rocks against the wall, a few rolls of his hips and you'd be brainless and spent, crying out his name. You're already dripping around him. But you want to last longer for him this time.
He's looking directly into your eyes.
“You’re taking it, Y/N. You can choose where—in your mouth, on your face, inside. But you’re taking it all.” 
You nod. Then once again he's fucking you dumb, you don't even care that anyone could walk by, you're just thinking about how big he is, how good it feels. He's fucking your body slack now, you don't even have to do anything, he’s holding you up, lifting you onto and off of his cock roughly, debasingly.
His hands nearly circle your waist completely, they’re so large. Your mouth is stuck open, making stupid, feeble noises and he’s grunting small words of encouragement.
"Say my name," he says.
When you don't respond immediately, too blissed out to think, he slams your body down harder onto him and you nearly yelp.
"Hngh, Theseus. Theseus, please-"
You can feel him get almost unbearably hard inside of you, then he’s heaving you up and flipping you around, manhandling you, so your back is his against his torso, his right arm a bar across your chest, still inside. He brings a hand down roughly to your clit to touch you through it, and then you're both coming hard, your loud, jagged breaths echoing through the empty hall.
Your head spins, you're seeing stars.
"Baby," he says, when you don't come back to yourself immediately. "Was I too rough? Are you okay?"
You nod, breathlessly, but stumble when he finally stops supporting your weight. Your body is still juddering with pleasure, your fingertips quiver and feel numb as you smooth down your dress.
He's right, you think with a laugh. My dress is too damn short.
Theseus has the decency to look around the hall to make sure no one was watching, and to help you fix your hair and what's left of your lipstick. Your lips are pink and bitten now, swollen.
"They're probably wondering where we are. We should go." His voice is serious, unemotive, but there's something like devotion in the way he looks over you from head to toe, just one last time, to make sure you're beyond reproach. He hands you his jacket, which is huge on you, and slings your fur cape over his arm, bearing the cold himself like a gentleman.
A flurry of snow has begun to spiral down in the streets of Berlin, white particles curling and dancing in the wind. You've always found this type of snowfall to be so fanciful, the closest thing to magic in the muggle world. You walk back to the meeting point in comfortable silence, Theseus's hand clasped firmly around yours.
"He doesn't know what's mine," he'd said about Dietrich, about you. And last night, not that long ago, he'd said, "I love you."
Albeit, after you said it first. You look over to his oblivious face, checking both sides for cars before leading you across the busy street. His kind eyes, the line of his jaw..
You wonder how he could mean it... You'd so meticulously tried to conceal from him all the ugly parts of your life, your past, your fears, even your wants when they seemed to inconvenience him.
Could he love me? Could I let him?
"I want you," you'd said to him in the hall of the German Ministry. You realize now that you meant more than his body. For so long even just a look from him, just a word, was enough to sustain you.
But now you wanted more. Maybe it was selfish, undeserved, that the magical world was giving way to crisis, the dark forces were closing in around hope, and yet here you were, wanting to ask him for more...
part three here
author's note: hiiiiii! YES i switched to present tense from past tense in the last part, and no i'm not sorry... please let me know if you'd like me to continue this fic! i have a third & final chapter in mind. or i can take other theseus requests. the theseus brainrot is real... some AUs would be fun too! as always, feedback is welcome &lt;3 taglist: @mystic-mara
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Coming Out
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Emily Prentiss x fem!reader Warnings: some explicit language, mention of an unsub hurting Emily 😱, vague insinuations of homophobia, mostly fluff on fluff, feat. loyal himbo Derek Morgan Word Count: 2k
Summary: Emily gets injured on the job, and all she really wants is you, her girlfriend. But she's not out to the rest of the team yet. Can she be vulnerable enough to share that part of herself with the team? Can she be vulnerable enough to let you take care of her? Takes place at the end of S3.E2.
Emily dabbed at her head and winced, checking her watch to see if it had been long enough to take more pain medication. But despite getting clocked with a plank of wood, she was glad to be on the jet, glad to be back with her team because they really were starting to feel like her team. Who was she kidding? She loved her job.
According to the pilot, the team would be landing at Quantico in a little over an hour. Emily grabbed her phone, discreetly shoving it into her pocket, before heading to the back of the plane. She needed to call you, but the rest of the team didn't know about you yet. Hell, the rest of the team didn't even know she was gay. It felt too personal, and she'd been hurt by people's reactions–people she loved and trusted deeply–too many times. She played her relationships and her sexuality close to the vest.
Reid tapped Emily's arm as she passed by.
"Oh! Are you going all the way to the back?"
Emily tensed. "Yep."
"Could you bring me a Sprite?"
She felt her shoulders relax, and she patted Reid on the arm. "Sure."
After knocking on the bathroom door to make sure that truly no one was around, she called you, her voice hushed as she rifled through tiny airplane soda cans, looking for Reid's Sprite.
"Hey, Em," you said, your voice bright.
"Hey," she said, a goofy smile spreading across her face. "What are you up to?"
"Nothing much. Saw a street rat earlier. I named him Guillermo. I think he's on the prowl for a girlfriend."
Emily laughed, covering her mouth.
"How was Milwaukee?" you asked.
"Good. Really good. We got the guy. We're on the plane now."
She could nearly hear how smug you were through the phone.
"You're glad you went back," you snickered, relishing in being right. She'd sworn that it wasn't a big deal, that it'd be easy to get another good job, but you knew her heart was with the BAU.
Emily sighed. "I am. You were right."
"You're gonna stay?"
"Looks that way."
"I knew it!" you crowed. "I'm glad. You're too good at your job to quit it."
"Thanks, love. Listen, Y/N, can I ask you a favor?"
"Of course! Anything."
Emily winced, touching the swollen bump on her head. "We land in about an hour. Can you pick me up and stay at my place tonight?"
"Wow." You drew out the vowel, milking the fact that Emily needed you for once. "You missed me that much, huh?"
"Well, yes, of course, but... I, uh... I kind of have a concussion?"
Your tone shifted immediately from smug to concerned. "What?! Why?! What happened!?"
"Unsub hit me with a plank of wood," she admitted reluctantly.
"Jesus Christ, Em! Are you okay!?"
"I'm fine, baby, I promise," she reassured you. "I just got a little banged up, that's all. But I'll need you to wake me up every few hours and make sure I'm cognizant."
"I think I have some soup in the freezer," you observed, your voice far away. You'd put her on speakerphone to rifle through the cabinets. "And I have a thermometer. I don't know, do concussions cause fevers? I've never had one."
Emily shook her head, smiling. She loved that your first response, always, was to take care of her. Emily was not used to being taken care of, and she didn't let many people do it. She certainly wouldn't let many people see it either. But she let you.
"No thermometers needed. Just you and your car and more you when we get home."
"You got it. When did you say you land?"
"In about an hour."
"Okay. I'll leave in a few."
"Oh," Emily added quickly. "And you're cleared to drive into Quantico. They know the car you drive and they've got your ID on file. Just show it to them at the gate."
You paused. "Well, that's a little Big Brother of them."
"I gave it to them a few months ago. Just in case you ever needed to come by. Sorry, I should've told you."
"It's okay," you decided, pulling on a jacket and a beanie. "It feels kind of badass to be on Quantico's list."
Emily laughed, almost excited to have a concussion because it meant you'd be snuggled right up to next to her for however long it took to get better. 48 hours at least.
"Alright, baby," she finished, Reid's Sprite in hand. "I'll see you in a bit."
"Bye, love."
Emily wiped the grin off her face before returning to the cabin with Reid's Sprite–it'd look suspicious if she was too happy coming back.
An hour later, the team was going their separate ways in the parking lot, waving goodbyes and slamming car doors under the buzzing lights.
Emily leaned on the wall outside the building entrance, relishing the crisp night air.
"You need a ride, Prentiss?" Morgan asked as he walked out, used go-bag slung over his shoulder. "You shouldn't be driving" He pointed to her head.
"No, that's okay," Emily waved him off. "I've got– uh... someone's... picking me up."
Fuck, she thought. The concussion was not helping her ability to lie well.
Morgan stared at her suspiciously.
"What?" Emily laughed, trying to act normal.
"Why are you acting shifty?"
"I'm not!" she protested.
Morgan smirked and waggled his eyebrows. "Do you have a secret boyfriend?"
"What?" Emily said, laughing a little too forcefully. "No!"
He crossed his arms and waited. "You're seriously not gonna tell me?"
Emily leaned against the brick wall, rubbing her forehead. On the one hand, she was tired of keeping you–and herself–a secret. And if anyone was going to be supportive of someone on the team getting laid, it would be Morgan. But on the other, did she really know that much about him? She didn't know his religious background. Sure, he'd defend a gay victim, but that was his job. This was personal.
Emily sighed before replying. "I have... I have a secret girlfriend."
The silence felt like it lasted hours, stretching between them until Emily was sure the chasm would never close again, and that with just a few words, just by being herself, she'd ruined any chance of a friendship with Derek Morgan. It wouldn't be the first time. It probably wouldn't be the last.
Morgan seemed to think deeply before leaning against the wall next to Emily, turning to look her in the eye.
"Prentiss, why didn't you tell us you were gay?"
Emily was afraid to look at him, but when she did, her heart soared. He looked at her with nothing but love and respect and appreciation, no hint of hatred or disgust. If anything, he looked sad that she'd waited so long to tell him.
"I don't know," she shrugged. "I don't always get a good reaction."
"Well, you know nobody on this team would have a problem with that, right? Hell, Garcia'd probably hang pride flags everywhere."
"I know," Emily nodded. "I just... I don't think I'm ready yet. For everyone to know. Soon, though."
Morgan nodded, then thought for a few minutes before asking, "Is it serious?"
Emily chuckled. "Being gay? Yeah, I'd say so."
Morgan shoved her shoulder gently, mindful of the day's injuries. "No! The girl! How long have you been seeing her?"
"A little over six months."
"So, it's serious."
Emily grinned. She was glad to have someone to talk to about this. She'd held it so close for so long. She wasn't used to having anyone to tell about you. Maybe Morgan could be that person.
"Promise not to tell the others?"
Morgan put his hand over his heart. "Promise."
"I'd marry her tomorrow if she'd let me."
"Wow." Morgan raised his eyebrows, smiling lightly. "Prentiss is in love," he said, teasing her.
Emily fought a wide smile, but lost in the end. "Oh, shut up. And don't tell anyone. Especially her."
"Your secret's safe with me," Morgan reassured her. And she could tell he meant it. Emily trusted him, she realized. She trusted him to be a good friend, to keep her secrets. She trusted him not to out her to the rest of the team. He'd let her go at her own pace when it came to telling the others.
"She better be amazing," Morgan added. "I don't know how anyone could be good enough for you."
Just at that moment, a pair of headlights crept slowly into the parking lot, hesitant and unsure. It had to be you. Emily stepped forward and waved a bit, then turned to Morgan.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow?" she said.
"Not with that head, you won't," Morgan observed.
You put the car in park next to the curb and leapt out of the driver's seat, hurrying over to Emily.
"Oh my god!" you exclaimed, anger and concern washing over you. "I thought you you said you were fine!"
You gingerly touched Emily's face and pulled her head down to examine the butterfly bandage above her eyebrow.
"Look at this," you grumbled, more to yourself than anyone else. "It's already bruising." You glared at the butterfly bandage. "Did a doctor do this or you? If it was you, I think we should clean it with rubbing alcohol at home."
Morgan looked absolutely delighted, both because you seemed like a delightful person and because Emily was beet red at being observed with you.
"Y/N, I'm fine," Emily said firmly, grasping your fingers in hers and removing them from her face. "This is my colleague Derek Morgan. Morgan, my girlfriend, Y/N."
You looked Morgan over and immediately decided you liked him. Mostly because you could tell that he really cared about Emily. But also because he looked mischievous, like he'd tease her. And if there was anything you loved, it was teasing Emily. You shook his hand enthusiastically. "It's really nice to meet you," you said. And you meant it.
But you didn't have time to chat with Morgan tonight. You were too worried about Emily.
"You don't look fine," you argued, looking to Morgan for backup. "Does she look fine to you?"
Morgan grinned at Emily, raising his eyebrows. "She definitely looks like she could use some TLC."
"Oh, and she'll get it alright," you assured him, opening the passenger door for Emily. "Shall we?"
Emily bent gingerly to get into the car, and you were careful to guard her head from the ceiling.
"Derek, it was really nice to meet you," you said, shaking his hand one more time for good measure as Emily rolled down the window, staring bullets at Morgan.
"You too, Y/N," he said, looking over your shoulder at Emily. "I hope you all have a very marry evening."
Emily pointed at him aggressively behind your back, mouthing, "SHUT. UP."
"See you, Prentiss," he called as you pulled away. He laughed and called out, "I hope it's a real honeymoon from work!"
Emily's hand shot out the window, flipping him off.
Later that night, your alarm buzzed and you blinked awake. You forgot for a moment that you were at Emily's, but her strong arms wrapped protectively around your waist were enough to remind you where you were.
You turned slowly to face a sleeping Emily, brushing her hair out of her face.
"Em. Hey. You gotta wake up, honey."
She groaned, placing a hand on her head.
"Sorry," you grimaced. "Gotta make sure your brain's alright."
"My brain is fine," she growled.
"Oh, yeah?" you joked, checking the time before shaking a few pills into your hand from the pill bottle on the nightstand. "Who am I, then?"
"The love of my life, Whitney Houston."
You laughed, which made Emily laugh, too. But she quickly doubled over in pain, groaning.
"Here, take these," you said gently, handing her the pills and a glass of water. "It'll help."
She took the pills obediently and lay back down.
"You know," you said, pulling up the blankets to make sure they covered Emily's shoulders. "I may not be Whitney Houston..." You wrapped your arms around her and drew her to you, and she burrowed her head into the space between your neck and your collarbone.
"But I think I'm a close second," you finished, running your fingers rhythmically through Emily's hair.
She sighed contentedly, pressing into you, then moving one of your arms to wrap it more tightly around her.
"Why are you so good to me?" she asked, quiet. You couldn't quite tell if it was a joke or serious, but you'd reply the same either way.
"Because I love you, you nerd."
She leaned up, planting a kiss underneath your chin. "I love you, too."
Within minutes she was conked out again, and you were setting another alarm, ready to do it all over again in a few hours.
293 notes · View notes
charmandabear · 2 months
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Office Hours - Chapter Four
Summary:
The next morning you wake up with a bang - literally. But something feels off about last night, and you can't quite put your finger on what exactly.
Pairing: Astarion/F!Reader Rating: E Word Count: 3.3k Tags/Warnings: dom!Astarion, praise kink, hair pulling, cunnilingus, shower sex, vampire bites, blood drinking, Astarion pulls some shady shit ngl
Listen. Listen. I'm taking your face in both of my hands and planting a little smooch on your forehead. This has been very light and silly up to this point, but it's going to start to get a little darker. Nothing major, and nothing that will go unresolved, I promise. But I want you to take care of yourselves and your hearts. If you'd like a warning more specific than what I've already provided, message me (not on anon, I won't publish it) and I'll be happy to tell you. [EDIT: I think I unintentionally evoked a darker image in this chapter than I wanted to, here's a little more context for it.)
In better news, can we TALK ABOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL RENDER THAT BEAKER MADE? I said the words "I wonder if anyone has rendered Astarion in a towel" and Beaker goes "I gotchu fam." Beautiful. Brilliant. Wonderful. Go follow her this INSTANT. And as always, Zaria for the betaing and the feedback 💖
Read on AO3 ~ Masterlist
You're barely awake when you feel Astarion’s hand resting on the bare skin of your hip. You sleepily snuggle back into him, and already he’s half hard. A barely voiced breath escapes your throat as he presses into you and plants a sultry kiss on your back. You squirm with the overwhelm of sensations before you've had a single cognizant thought. He continues peppering your back in sloppy kisses as you grind against him wantonly. His fingers dig into your waist and he pulls you into him hard, his now fully erect dick pressing into the dip of your lower back.
Good morning indeed.
You roll over and crush your lips into his, fingers tangling in his messy hair as you desperately try to taste him. He pulls your leg over his hip and you arch your back into his touch. He slips his tongue between your lips and you groan into his mouth, hungry for more.
You pull him so that he’s fully on top of you, his weight pressing down between your legs. He pushes the length of his cock up against your folds and you groan into his mouth, your pussy clenching in anticipation.
His lips leave yours and he plants a trail of kisses down your chest, pausing only briefly to suck on your nipple. Your hands grab at the satin sheets as he swirls his tongue around the sensitive bud and you cry out when he uses his dull front teeth to bite down lightly.
You slide your hands back into his curls, crushed and limp from the pillow, his usually neatly coiffed hair falling onto his brow. He looks up at you as he continues down your body, his eyes even more red and piercing when not obscured by his frames.
He reaches his destination between your legs and you whine, hips bucking into him as his cool breath tickles your folds. He parts them lightly with two fingers and flicks the tip of his tongue against the hood of your clit, pulling a deep moan out of you.
He reaches under you and pulls your legs up over his shoulders so he can get a better angle on your cunt. He licks a fat stripe up your slit and the sound of your needy keening curls his lips into a smile.
“Ggnn, ‘star-” you mumble incoherently, mouth still sticky from sleep. He slides a single slender finger into you and your ankles dig into his back.
“Mmm, so wet, and just for me?” he hums contentedly, and all you can do is mewl in response. He pumps his finger agonizingly slowly while his tongue lazily laps at your clit.
You fold your arms over your eyes, even the dim light in the room proving to be too much for your senses. Your hips instinctually roll into him, aching for more, but his touch remains frustratingly light.
“‘Starion, please,” you whine, and he rewards your neediness with a second digit. You groan around the stretch, pushing down on his hand up to his knuckles. The throbbing of your neglected clit is borderline overwhelming. You slide a hand to touch yourself but he smacks the back of it.
“Naughty,” he warns lightly and you growl at his continued teasing.
“Then fucking do your job,” you snap, and his fingers still. 
“Sorry, that was mean,” you say quietly, chagrin keeping you from looking at him. He huffs out a quiet laugh.
“Yes ma’am I will,” he purrs and dives into your cunt. Whereas his previous ministrations were slow almost to the point of painful, he now devours you like a starving man having his first meal in days. You cry out with the sudden change in pace and slap a hand over your mouth to muffle the sound. Astarion pulls away and in an instant his lips are next to your ear.
“But I want to hear every sound that comes out of that pretty little mouth of yours, darling,” he says in a low and dangerous voice. “I want my name dancing on your tongue when you come.” He grabs your chin and turns your head to face him. “Understood?”
You nod, your breath caught in your throat. His fingers tighten slightly and you know he wants a real answer.
“Yes,” you manage to squeak out in a small voice, your pussy aching to be touched again.
“Yes what?” he growls, and his tone sends a jolt of lightning directly to your core.
“Y-yes sir,” you stammer, and his lips stretch into a devilish grin.
“Good girl,” he coos and he finally releases your face from his tight grip. This is a new dynamic, but you're not complaining. If anything, his vaguely threatening tone is turning you on more.
He returns to his spot between your legs and continues to lasciviously lick you up like you're his little treat. He twists sounds out of you that are completely unfamiliar to your own ears. His fingers sliding in and out of your cunt, the feel of his tongue teasing your clit, the ever so faint scrape of his fangs along your inner lips, it's quickly proving to almost be too much.
“Astarion, ah-” you pant, and you're rewarded with a growl of approval from him. He increases the pace of his fingers, causing your toes to curl and your thighs to begin to squeeze around his ears.
“Look at me,” he snarls and your gaze snaps to his, his red eyes nearly black from lust. He curls his fingers just right and you crash over the edge, a string of swears and praises jumbled up with his name tumbling out of your mouth. 
He continues licking you through the waves of aftershock and you almost fear disintegrating on the spot. When you've finally made it to the other side, Astarion sits up and licks his fingers with a smug look on his face.
“Shut up,” you mumble and cover your face with your hands, embarrassed by just how hard he made you come.
“I haven't said a damn thing,” he says with a satisfied grin. He extends his hand to you to help you off the bed.
“Come shower with me,” he says, and you look at him skeptically.
“I don't think I have another one in me,” you admit sheepishly, and he barks out a surprised laugh.
“I had no expectations, although now that you mention it,” he says, giving you a salacious once-over that brings color into your cheeks, “I'm sure you do.” The way his voice drops immediately makes your pussy tingle, and you almost want to stubbornly say no. But your eyes trail down his lean body and onto his cock, which is starting to twitch lightly.
Gods, it's pathetic how down bad you are for him.
He returns to where you are on the bed and captures your lips in a soft but heated kiss. You melt into his arms and allow him to lead you to the bathroom. He breaks away from you to turn the water on and you need to grab the sink to steady yourself. 
He pulls you into the glass and porcelain box and kisses you deeply as the water soaks through to your scalp and runs down your back. He grabs what looks like a bottle of homemade shampoo from the shelf and squeezes some into his hand. It smells like him, the scent you associate so thoroughly with him. You shiver as he lathers it into your hair.
He massages your scalp and you close your eyes, leaning in to the gentle touch. You rest your hands on his hips, still dry, and lightly run your nails along the dip in his back. He shudders in response, and you open your eyes to see him looking down at you with a soft smile. You tilt your head back, letting the water rinse the suds out of your hair as you lean up to kiss him.
He repeats the process with conditioner, his touch impossibly gentle. Your hair slides through his fingers like silk and you practically nuzzle into his hands like a purring cat.
“Do you like that?” he hums under his breath. You can only answer with a pleased and sedated nod. He slides his hand down the side of your face and to your neck.
“How about… this?”
His hand suddenly tightens around your throat, not hard enough to constrict your breathing, but definitely enough to make you stand at attention. Your eyes snap open and his heated gaze boring into you causes an involuntary moan to slip through your lips. He pulls your face forward and presses his cheek to your temple. 
“You like it when I tell you what to do, don't you?” he hisses into your ear. You dig your nails into his hips as you make an incoherent noise of assent.
“Good girl. Open.”
Your mouth pops open obediently, and he roughly shoves his thumb between your lips, the rest of his hand cupping your face. You suck on it greedily, eager to please. Desperate for more praise.
What has this man done to you?
His eyes flutter closed momentarily while you work his thumb with your tongue. You claw at his lower back, pulling his hips into yours so you can feel his hardening cock, groaning when it makes contact with your thigh.
“Turn around,” he snarls and you comply, the water from the shower head splattering down your back. He grabs your waist and presses his erection into your crack, pulling a stuttered breath from your lungs.
He slides a hand up your back and into your hair, pulling your head back roughly. He lines himself up with your entrance which is already dripping for him again. He slides in easily, pushing your chest and cheek against the cool tile. You groan as he bottoms out and you push your hips back into his.
He bends over your back and lightly nips at the crook of your neck.
“Yes?” His voice is hoarse as he asks for permission. Your lips can't form words, so you pant out something in the vague shape of “uh-huh.”
The slicing pain of his fangs mingling with the sharp sting of his hand still pulling on your hair and the stretch of his cock inside you is deliciously torturous. You reach a hand up behind you and twist your fingers into his curls, keeping him latched to your neck as he drinks. He pumps in and out of you, each thrust timed with another swallow of your blood.
Your grip loosens as your life force ebbs away just a little too much and he pulls off you with a frustrated growl. He picks up his pace and takes your cries of pleasure with him.
“Say my name,” he says in a husky voice that absolutely sends you.
“Ah-starion,” you pant, the sound of your voice bouncing back to you off the tile. The grip on your hair tightens.
“Say you're mine.” His voice is starting to take on a note of hungry desperation.
“Nngh I’m- ah- I'm yours,” you manage to stammer out through your building climax and his driving pace. He pulls your head back and bites your shoulder roughly, licking the puncture wounds that form. You push against the tile into him, chasing your second orgasm of the morning.
His breathing grows ragged as his pace falters, and the throbbing of his cock as he comes brings you to your own finish.
“Fuck, Astarion!” You call out his name in the clearest voice you've been able to conjure since he woke you with tender kisses on your back. His hand tightens at the sound before his whole body relaxes around you and pulls out, lightly massaging your scalp where he had been tugging.
You're both panting as you turn around and rest your head against his chest, and he plants an exhausted kiss on the top of your head. You look up at him through hazy eyes and suddenly realize with a laugh that his hair is still dry.
“Do you want some help-” You begin to reach up to touch his white curls but he catches your hand midair.
“I- no, it's fine. I'm very particular. Why don't you towel off while I finish up here?” His voice is gentle but it has an edge to it that you can't quite identify. He sees your concerned expression and lightly kisses your lips.
“I’ll be right out, I promise. There's an extra robe in the closet across the hall.” His disarming smile is comforting, mostly. Part of you wonders if he regrets opening up last night.
You pad into the kitchen looking for a remnant of something to eat. His Majesty is sitting on the counter and assesses you with disdain. Your barely touched plate of risotto is still sitting on the table. You open the fridge to find it
empty?
Completely bare, save a few bottles with a red sloshy liquid, without even leftover ingredients from the dish he made. You furrow your brow in confusion as you look for any physical proof that he cooked for you. You snoop around, opening drawers and cabinets as His Majesty watches you with careful judgment.
No cooking implements, no pots and pans, just a few dishes and glassware.
What?
You finally open up a cabinet that houses the trash and you find a used scroll of Create Food and Water. You blink, bewildered as to why he would feel the need to lie about his ability to cook. It's almost a little cute. 
You're about to close the cabinet door when something else catches your eye. A potion bottle. You still, trying to hear if Astarion is still in the shower. It seems like he is, so you reach into the trash to pull it out.
It's an empty potion of Charm Person.
Your face grows hot as you realize what happened. And your confusion only grows, because nothing about your behavior has indicated anything but being completely smitten with him.
You rewind the mental tape of last night, that the food tasted even better the second time you tried it. You squirm with the discomfort of the knowledge.
But you only had a few bites before the two of you moved on to other activities. Your education in potion use is fairly limited, especially with one of these newer ones, but you're pretty sure that you'd need to consume more for it to have made a significant change in your faculties. The wine probably clouded your head more than the potion.
You hear the shower shut off and you freeze. Are you going to confront him about this now? Should you just grab your clothes and go? You glance at His Majesty, hoping for some sort of answer, but he just stares back at you coldly.
Before you get a chance to decide, Astarion comes into the kitchen with a towel around his waist, gently drying his hair with a cotton tee shirt.
He sees you with the potion bottle in your hand and he stops. His expression is unreadable as he looks at you over his glasses. He’s wearing the round frames again.
“Uh. Hey. You don't need to do this,” you say awkwardly, holding up the bottle. “I came here on my own accord, I don't need convincing. Or, you know.. charming.”
“Sorry, I- I don't know why I did it. Old habits, I suppose.” He shrinks back, and you're reminded of his uncertainty and vulnerability from last night. Is this… somehow related?
“Well… don't do that shit again. You can just talk to me, you know,” you say icily. Then, to lighten the mood, you add, “I don't bite.”
That makes him smile and you feel a sense of satisfaction. He walks over to you, takes the bottle out of your hand and trashes it. He punctuates the gesture with a kiss to the top of your head.
“I am truly sorry. It was out of line and you don't deserve that. It won't happen again.” He tucks a damp lock behind your ear and cups your cheek adoringly.
“It better fucking not,” you scowl playfully. Then, to show there are no hard feelings, you stand on your toes to bring your lips to his. He returns the kiss and it quickly becomes heated, his hands tangling into your hair.
You manage to pull away, breathing heavily.
“Okay, I really don't have a third, so let’s cool it,” you tease, and he responds with a sheepish grin.
***
You text Shadowheart on your way home.
-Are you still in my apartment?
-Yeah, I said I would be. How did it go? Considering the hour I'd say pretty well.
-Yeah, it was nice. Well, mostly.
-MOSTLY??? What happened. Do I need to call on Selûne for some revenge?
-Lol no, nothing so dramatic. I'll fill you in when I get home.
-Hurryyyyyyyy, you can't keep me waiting.
You wave to the doorman on your way into the building. He makes a noise in his throat and you turn.
“Yes?”
“Thou hast taken up a bosom companion,” he says in his characteristically stilted way of speaking. Your jaw drops.
“Withers!” you scold, completely scandalized. 
“Tread carefully. I would not care to see you get hurt.” He nods at you solemnly and you give him a genial smile.
“Thank you, Withers. I'll be careful, I promise.”
He responds with a judgemental “hmm,” and you laugh.
Back in your apartment, you regale Shadowheart with the night’s - and more importantly, morning’s - events. When you get to the part with the potion, you need to pull her back to keep her from reigning down violence on him. 
“I’ll destroy him. Did you tell him that? That you have someone who will commit murder for you?” she seethes and her protectiveness makes you laugh.
“I didn’t have to, I told him not to pull that shit. He seemed genuinely contrite afterwards. I don’t think he put it together just how gross it really is.”
Shadowheart gives you a look that says, “oh, honey,” but chooses to remain silent. You take a deep breath, still a little lightheaded from the morning’s activities. 
“Are you alright? You look like you’re about to pass out.” She grabs your wrist and looks at you with concern. You wave her off and cross to the kitchen to get water.
“I’m fine. Just a bit woozy. I think he drank more than usual this morning,” you say nonchalantly as you fill up a glass. Shadowheart’s silence behind you is deafening.
“You think he… what?” she spits, and you choke on your drink. You may not have told Shadowheart about the blood drinking. She knows he’s a vampire, but… oops.
“Um… nothing. It’s… it’s nothing,” you stammer, grinning sheepishly.
“Tav!” she exclaims and stalks over to you. “Te absolvo,” she incants, bapping you on the head in the process. You’re pretty sure that isn’t part of the spell.
But suddenly you feel better. The lightheadedness is gone, and you think the wound on your neck has even closed up.
“Wait, you can do that?” You stare at her, shocked. You can’t believe you hadn’t thought of this before.
“Don’t take this as permission to get your kinks in whenever you want. I can only do that so many times,” she warns, and you beam at her.
“But your spell slots refresh when you sleep,” you remind her mischievously.
“You’re about to become an absolute menace, aren’t you?” she complains. Your smile widens and she groans.
281 notes · View notes
onlyseokmins · 1 year
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tipsy • l.s.m.
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Pairing: lee seokmin x afab!reader
Genres: smut (minors dni!), established relationship!au, drunk/tipsy (consexual) sex
Warnings: swearing, alcohol, oral (m&f receiving), multiple orgasms (reader), wee bit fingering, banter, unprotected sex and cumming inside, and them just being tipsy drunk and so sickeningly in love 🤢 as always pls lmk if i missed smth
WC: 3.5k
A/N: thank you for your utmost patience @katetattoolover 🥺❤️ I hope this finds you well and you enjoy this, I adore you <3 as this is a request, there isn't a taglist FYI my tagging lovelies 🫡 anyways I think I lost my touch but I hope y'all enjoy this after not posting for a hot second
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"What's two minus one?"
"… One?"
"Yeah, you're my number one and the love of my life."
Drying off your face, you sneak a peek at your boyfriend staring intently into the large mirror of your shared bathroom. "Are you flirting… with yourself?"
He gasps, affronted. "No! 'm in a very committed relationship with someone special, thank you very much. Can't you see?" 
When his arm waves vigorously to the side, all you can do is stick your tongue out at your own reflection he's gesturing toward. "Yep, that's me!"
"No, you're a figment of my imagination trying to seduce me. Kept staring at me all night, 'm not stupid."
"That's 'cause you're hot."
He was. Seokmin's best look was a white dress shirt and jeans. And the way he kept loosening the buttons as he relaxed further into the evening with more and more glasses of alcohol made him all the tastier. How could you not stare at the man that was all yours?
"You're a demon," your partner continues to grouch and then turns to face the real you with a very, very serious look on his face. He's lucky you're just starting to sober up enough so you won't accidentally burst into laughter, at least cognizant enough of his feelings that were extremely fragile at the moment. "Now this is the real thing." 
Brushing back dark wet bangs with your fingers, you can't help but smile when he leans into your touch. "I'm just a thing?"
"No! You're more than a thing… you're… you're…" 
You can practically see the gears struggling to turn in his brain. "This is why I told Jeonghan to stop topping off your glass 'cause look at you now, baby, you're so drunk."
"'m not drunk, 'm Seokmin."
"Yes, yes you are."
"And I was excited."
"You were."
"And I'm so so so so proud of you."
You gaze into his shiny brown irises that hold galaxies of love for you. The same ones you kept meeting as they followed you around the room after Joshua pulled you away so the group could congratulate you properly for all of your hard work. Looking at you with so much pride and adoration that you returned, causing your friends to jokingly gag at how in love you both were. The beautiful eyes that crinkle up in a gorgeous eye smile when you've had a long day, gauging your movements with concern to try and provide whatever comfort he can. 
Those lovely and familiar orbs now look like they might shed tears at any moment.
You pat his flushed cheek. "What's wrong?"
"I just love you lots."
"I love you too, Seok, so don't cry." You stagger back when he buries his face in your neck, thrown off by the sudden weight because you're still a little tipsy yourself.
"'m not crying."
"Maybe we should go lay down now?"
He nods and releases you from his grasp — thankfully — and you can't help but chuckle at the mixture of water and tears that shine on his skin. After wiping them away, you take his hand in yours and lead him into the bedroom.
"Why don't you seem drunk?"
"'Cause someone kept drinking from my glass."
"I'll beat their ass."
You quirk an eyebrow at him teasingly. "So you'll beat your own? Kinky, didn't know you were into that."
His mouth opens and closes like a fish before he shouts, "That's because!", before clearing his throat and repeating quieter. "That's because 'Han kept filling it up when you weren't looking."
"Yeah, he was a real gremlin tonight, probably had everyone drinking double what they should be while Cheol and Gyu only enabled it by splurging on a crap ton of alcohol."
In the end, no one really meant any malicious harm. They wanted to celebrate with you and Seokmin at your house, bringing over a truckload of food, drinks, and a vast amount of different shit only twelve men plus their partners managed to get their hands on. Still, over half of them had passed out before midnight and it took well until two in the morning for the entire crew to sober up safely and leave a little bit ago.
Even the waters you and Seokmin had been sipping on since didn't alleviate the buzz that still rang in your ears. However, that didn't really matter as you tumble into bed together. It was soon drowned out by muffled giggles and eventual light snores when you both dozed off.
You wake up not much later, feeling extra warm. The covers have all ended up wrapped and tangled around you. Seokmin must be feeling the same, the robe he'd had on earlier discarded on the floor. Shirtless, his bare back facing you is illuminated by the moonlight slipping through the curtains. As if under a spell, you can't help but reach out and trace light circles along his shoulder blades with your nails. 
"You up?" he asks and turns to sleepily smile at you when your movements halt, "hi."
"Hey, you."
"I'm hot."
"Yeah, you are."
"No," he pouts, "I'm like super warm." 
After placing a hand on his forehead, a frown slightly turns your lips downwards because he is heating up, sweat glistening at his hairline. "Are you feeling okay? Here, let me go get you — "
"Stay," a warm hand grabs at your arm before you can move away, "make it better."
"That's what I'm trying to do, doofus."
"Mhm, but you know how you can help me, right?" Seokmin brings your fingertips to graze along his chest with a lazy grin. "You'll make me feel alright again, yeah baby? Do it for me?"
He's released his grip but your fingers continue to trail downward, snorting as his smirk grows wider. "If you wanted to get sucked off so badly, all you had to do was ask."
"I did tho, didn't I?" His eyelashes flutter when you start to play with the waistband of his boxers. "I was a good boy, right? You always know what I need."
It's a little ironic, really. Although you're simply teasing each other, it's very rare for your boyfriend to give in to his own wants and needs, even during sex. He's a pleaser, a giver, and a dedicated lover. So, it's no surprise to feel an overwhelming ego boost when he's pliant beside you, asking sweetly for your touch with puppy dog eyes no one can resist.
"You're always so good to me," you assure and lean to peck at his lips, minty breaths mingling together. Then you're marking his jaw with kisses that trail down his neck, underneath his pecs, past his abs, and lower and lower until you're sliding off his boxers. "Gonna treat you like you deserve, baby."
His soft "thank you, love" melts into a desperate whine when you finally unclothe him and wrap your hands around his cock. It lies hot and heavy against your palm causing you to instinctively lick your lips, jaw already aching. Meeting his lidded gaze that's simply waiting for your next movement, you can't help but giggle when he raises an eyebrow at the mischievous way you smile before blowing lightly at his hardening length.
"Hey!" Seokmin yelps, hips jerking up in shock, "what was that for?"
"Just cooling you down, babe."
"Don't tease me," he huffs in indignation before lifting his pelvis up on purpose, brushing the head of his cock against your bottom lip. "Please."
When the love of your life begs so sweetly like that, who are you to resist? Licking the smear of precum left behind ignites a hungry spark that glints in your eyes — and you give into what you both want. 
Your tongue eagerly laps up the leaking salty excess as your lips wrap around his sizable girth. Alternating between sucking, licking, swirling, and even grazing your teeth carefully along the underside of his cock as you work him deeper and further into your mouth. It's sloppy and pornographically loud. No rhyme or reason with the way your brain is still muddled with the faint buzz of alcohol and sleep, mixed with a lot of good, horny feelings. 
Seokmin loves it best that way… if his whimpered praises are anything to go by. 
"God, baby, look how gorgeous you are like this. Treat me so well always, love you so much, shit… best thing that ever happened to me."
Head thrown back to display how his Adam's apple bobs when he feels the way your throat constricts around the tip before you pull off slightly. His hips unapologetically take on a mind of their own, gently thrusting back and forth to hear more of those pretty gagging sounds you make for him.
It feels too good and he's afraid he won't be able to stop. Seokmin knows you'll tap his thigh if you need a break but you're as far gone into it as he is. Moaning freely, pussy clenching painfully around nothing, and drooling saliva that leaks all the way down his balls. You don't want him to stop, crazed by how he's using you like his perfect little toy to get off.
But he pulls away all too suddenly — mainly to let you breathe — but before you can reach back out to take him into your mouth again, he's pulling you up by your shoulders. Stealing your breath again but this time with a kiss. Gently soothing your abused mouth with soft licks and pecks, humming in contemplation.
"This what I taste like?"
"Mhm, pretty yummy, huh?"
Your boyfriend thinks it's sexy that you like it but — there's something he obviously enjoys more. "It's alright, I guess… I prefer having you on my tongue instead, though."
You should've known what was coming next but you still squeal in surprise when he's urging you out of your sleep shorts and underwear. Muttering something about "gotta eat this pretty pussy out" before he's commanding you to sit on his face.
You're a little caught off guard by the delay of his pleasure but all you can do is obediently position your thighs around his head, slipping back into the standard mode of operation that Seokmin usually revels in anyways.
One of your hands flies out to support your weight, gripping onto the headboard while the other threads through his bangs because your man might be a little too excited to stick his tongue inside. 
"Aw baby," he practically growls, "look at how nice and wet you are from just a little sucking on my dick." The vibrations cause you to shiver and you feel his lips quirk up in a devious smirk at that. "Cute."
His tongue runs along your folds with little kitten licks paired with harsh sucks. He's awfully eager for someone who has eaten you out many times before but that's simply because he's addicted. The groans Seokmin makes put your earlier noises to shame. You might've been embarrassed if your own loud moans weren't drowning him out.
"Fuck, Seok… you're so good at this," you pant and rock your hips, grinding down just a little. 
He grunts in approval, appreciation, and acknowledgment. It's more than true. Even when he was new at giving oral, his efforts and features made up for whatever uncertainty he held. 
You would continue to suck him off while he ate you out if possible. But the way his nose brushes and nudges against your clit just right as it always does… you've never thought to switch up positions. What a shame, really.
It takes everything in you to lean back. Seokmin is none the wiser, thinking you're only shifting in the heat of the moment for more enjoyment until your hand fumbles for his cock behind you. He jolts at your touch, tapping your thigh. You struggle to lift up, barely any strength thanks to your trembling thighs. 
"What're you doing?"
"Wanna jerk you off."
"Yeah?" he snickers, naughty fingers stroking your outer pussy lips to gather up your wetness before slipping inside to replace his tongue for a bit. It's the absolute fear of potentially crushing his windpipe that prevents you from ultimately collapsing (and maybe the strong hand on your hip). "But I wanna feel you wrapped around me and I don't mean your hand."
"What are you gonna do about it then?" you challenge. As if the smirk on his face doesn't exist when you clench tightly around his three fingers at the mere mention of his cock inside you. They curl up to brush against the bundle of nerves that causes you to writhe in pleasure.
Seokmin watches you with a lazy grin. Although love always shines in his eyes, lust is overtaking that wholesome glimmer with a carnality that has you shaking without even reaching a climax yet. He knows this and relishes it.
"What am I doing about it? Hmm, I think I'll have to make sure you cum at least once so you can take my dick properly. Gotta loosen you up, like the loving boyfriend I am." His fingers begin moving at a rapid pace, taking you by surprise. With a squeal, you nearly drop right down on him. "Isn't that right, baby?"
"Ah…. yes!"
He nudges you forward a little bit, satisfied with your response. Pulling his hands away from your body completely, you feel the bundle of nerves snap just as he releases his grip. Your orgasm hits the minute Seokmin's lips meet your lower ones and you both moan in tandem. Loud enough to rival a porn star when he starts sucking like a heathen and laps up the wetness that spills out of your hole with your release.
You clamber off of him — very ungracefully — and flop down on your side, trying to catch your breath. "You're insane."
"You love it."
"Just because you think you're right, doesn't mean you have to say it."
Seokmin grins and licks his fingers clean before they softly cup your cheek. When he turns to face you, his cock slaps lightly against your thigh, reminding you he hasn't cum yet. But he's in no rush, leisurely kissing you before it deepens and you taste each other on both of your tongues.
"I'm always right," he mumbles, tongue brushing across your lips, "because you do taste the best between the two of us."
You slap his arm. "Stop!"
"You didn't deny it so I win."
"Do you want to fuck around and not have sex or would you rather I go to sleep?"
"Now, now," he chastises sweetly and nudges you so your back is pressed tightly against his firm, broad chest. "Be nice, sweetheart."
You roll your eyes. "I can't with you, oh my go — "
But your "Omigod" changes from annoyed to breathless when his large, warm hand fondles your chest while the other teasingly nudges the tip of his cock between your folds. 
"What were you saying?" Seokmin mocks in a sickeningly sweet voice but you can only moan in response. "Uh-huh, that's what I thought."
He's tortuously slow. Although, it's not entirely on purpose. He's still too out of it to have the energy to change positions and even as much as he enjoys watching you bounce yourself silly on top of him, he figures you don't have the strength to do so. 
But this is somehow even better. You gasp, feeling every single thick, long, big inch of him enter you while pressing hot kisses against the back of your neck. 
"You're so pretty," he murmurs once he's bottomed out. The two of you stay still like that, simply reeling in the emotional connection — emotionally and quite literally — wrapped in one another's warmth. "My love."
"I adore you. Sometimes. More often than not."
He chuckles. "Is that so?"
After a while, you're wiggling your hips and signaling to your boyfriend that he can move if he wants to. You're honestly impressed with his control, wondering how long he plans on prolonging his raging boner. Not that you're complaining. You're more than happy to cockwarm him at any time around the clock. But it has to be slightly painful to stay hard for that long.
Seokmin's thrusts aren't rushed but they're by no means set in a smooth, consistent rhythm, betraying his desperation. It might just be the alcohol canceling out any sharp movements and it makes you consider having sex a little bit more often this way. Indulging in an open-mouthed kiss that's equally as relaxed and sensual as his pace, you could almost fall asleep again in the most delicious way. 
But of course, Seokmin is having none of that.
"You can give me one more right, baby?"
"Mhm."
His hand leaves your breasts, easily finding your clit.  Playing with it languidly, just enough that you're buzzing with anticipation but not enough to tip you over that edge quite yet. Your partner likes to think that he knows your body extremely well by now. And he thinks he enjoys finding out how you respond in this position, pressed against him in such an intimate way.
He loves eye contact, the expressions you make on your pretty face, the way you grip and mark up his back and biceps with your nails. But now, Seokmin can feel how you tremble in his arms, the tiny shift in movements when you unconsciously grind your ass across his abs every time you take his cock deep inside your perfect pussy. Fingers tugging on the tiny hairs on his neck, encouraging him to nibble on the top of your shoulder.
And when — oh, god — when you release the grip on his strands of hair and place your hand over his that's remained stationary the whole time on your hip bone, interlocking your digits together — he thinks he might cum on the spot.
Both his balls and heart are heavy and full of an incredible amount of love for you. He admits it repeatedly in your ear, thrusts turning more into a sloppy, erratic mess as he gives into chasing his high.
"Adore you so much, god, you're everything to me. You know that right?"
You grip the bedsheets with your other hand when you feel yourself start to jostle and slide upwards at his movement. "Love you too. So much, baby."
"Can you cum for me one more time, my pretty love? Soak my dick so I can fill you up nicely?"
"Yeah, I can. I can do it."
Your tongues tangle again, this time with a bit more aggression as you both help each other reach that peak. You reach your second climax first, not as intense as before but enough that you're clenching so tight around Seokmin and dripping down his aching cock as asked that he has no choice but to finally snap and let go.
The sounds he makes are pussy-fluttering, a breathy, drawn out moan directly in your ear followed by a low, satisfied grunt. His hips never falter until every drop is spilled inside, filling you up just as he promised. It's as warm and thick as the alcohol working itself out. You feel drowsy and sated in the best way possible.
Your dedicated, hard working lover must feel the same because he hasn't moved. Of course, he hasn't let go of your hand, body clinging to yours, softening cock still inside you as he sighs in content and nuzzles your neck.
"Do you feel better?"
"Yeah."
You try to wiggle out of his grasp but he doesn't let go. "Seok, we need to clean up."
"'m tired."
"Well, Mr. Sleepyhead, we can rest after."
"We already showered, though."
"A cold one will make you feel good." Despite the way Seokmin still feels extremely hot to the touch, little goosebumps prickle along his skin at the mention of a cold shower. You pat his forearm. "I'll help you wash up."
"Okay." 
It's a relief he acquiesces, knowing it would be difficult to escape his grip if he decided not to budge. His cheeks are still flushed cutely but you have to snort at the way his skin manages to glow so handsome and perfectly with that after sex, post-orgasmic effect.
"No shower sex," you threaten.
He pouts. "I dunno what you're talking about. 'm literally too tired to even move. Who knows, you might be the one to jump me."
"I would never! Besides you're the one who's always surprising me but either way you're going to have to get up." You roll over and stand, pulling at his arm when he refuses to release his grasp on your hand. "C'mon, babe."
"Alright, alright." He's about to make a comment of how energetic you are until he sees you wince and limp a bit toward the bathroom. You know he knows but choose to ignore his smirk. "Does sex help prevent hangovers?"
"I have no idea but I've heard it's supposed to help with headaches."
"Let me know if you have one tomorrow."
"Seokmin!"
"'m just saying."
"You're gonna fuck me either way. But we're sleeping in, it's already like five in the morning."
"You're right. On both accounts."
You hand him a glass of water with a scowl. "You can be so annoying."
"But you love me."
"Lucky that I honestly really do. Now come here so I can wash your hair."
"Yes, yes right away, love."
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onlyseokmins: Novemeber 2022 ©
2K notes · View notes
honeyhotteoks · 1 year
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this night together - chapter four (j.yh + s.mg)
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chapter four: a funny little feeling
chapter summary: your heat finally breaks, leaving you to relive every moment and every touch with a clear head. but you're sure you'll be able to just stay friends.
warnings: smut, all the a/b/o/omegaverse warnings, extreme horniness, masturbation, fingering, nipple play, rough sex, knotting, serious aftercare, emotional rollercoaster of hormones
pairings: alpha!yunho x alpha!mingi x omega!reader
genre: smut, abo/omegaverse, angst, fluff, romance, polyamory
word count: 7.9K
previous chapter | next chapter | AO3
They’re dead asleep when the pain passes over you again, and after all the hours they had put in helping you come again and again, fucking and filling you over and over, you can’t bring yourself to wake them. Neither of them are in a rut, and this has to be getting tiring for them, even though they can share you, with a heat this hard you’re demanding constant attention and stimulation. There’s no way you won’t be feeling this for at least a week when it finally breaks. 
Yunho is laid out flat on his back, head turned away from you and his lips parted softly as he exhales little puffs of air. His upper arm is pressed along yours, but otherwise he isn’t touching you at all. Mingi on the other hand is curled over you, situated higher up on the bed than you, one broad hand resting between your breasts and a knee hitched up over your hips. 
No longer in the hazy space of peak heat, you’re able to breathe and take in the feeling of them so close. You can hear your own heartbeat, feel the thready hiss of your breath, but still they sleep on. 
Your nipples harden into painful peaks, a light sheen of sweat across your body once again, and your cunt pulsates with need. What you should do is wake them, beg them to knot you again until you can sleep a little longer in plump satisfaction, but you bite down and hold your tongue. 
It takes a moment to maneuver Mingi’s leg off you, his weight extra heavy while he’s deep in sleep, but you manage to push him off. That leaves you naked in the center of the bed, lying between both of them. 
You slip your fingers down your body and between your folds, finding your core wetter than you’ve ever been, so slick you can barely catch any friction where you need it. A soft whine bubbles from your lips, but it’s still almost a whisper and they don’t make a move. 
Steeling yourself, you arch your hips to give your hand better access, and wipe away as much excess slick onto your inner thigh as possible, returning your fingers to your swollen, throbbing clit and finding now, finally, you can feel something. At this stage of your heat it’s always harder to orgasm from manual stimulation alone, your body knowing intrinsically that what it needs is a knot, but you have to try. 
You circle your fingers, pressing firmly down over your clit and chasing as much feeling as possible, cupping your breast and tweaking your sensitive nipples to drive some additional sensation through your body. They sleep on beside you, and you bite down on your lip as you rock your hips up to meet your fingers a little better, trying all the while to keep quiet. Your legs widen on their own as you try to get what you need, but your thighs connect with each of them since they're crowded so close to you in the bed and you stutter to a stop to see if you’ve woken them. 
Yunho makes a heavy sigh but doesn't move and that’s all the permission you need to sink two fingers inside yourself and pick up the pace of your hips. A shuddering breath pushes out of you when you start hitting the tender point of your pleasure just inside your tight channel and your legs widen further. You’re losing yourself now, no longer cognizant of anything but your own need. 
Mingi’s hand shifts and cups your breast, but when you jerk your head to the side to look at him, he’s still fast asleep. 
Just a little more. All you need is just a little more. 
You’re caught looking at Mingi’s plush, parted lips. His forehead smooth and mind unbothered in sleep, and you admire his features. Masculine and sharp, with a softness to his eyes even when they’re closed. Heat pulses through you, and Yunho’s hand shifts. 
He sleeps on, his hand coming to rest on the juncture of your thigh and hip, and you whine softly as you continue thrusting your fingers into yourself, canting your hips up to meet every downward jut. 
Their hands on you feel electric, their scent filling you and making the atmosphere of the room heady. You’re so close, it’s right there for you. You widen your legs more, your thighs pressing further against them, but you don’t even care. Yunho shifts slightly, the sheet over his bottom half stretching taut and your mind buzzes - the hard line of his cock is suddenly clear and you stammer out a moan. 
Yunho inhales sharply, his fingers tightening on your thigh, and Mingi makes a small, sleepy noise next to you. When Mingi draws his hand back and inadvertently drags his palm over your nipple the sensation is just enough to finally push you over the edge. You moan as it crashes into you, your body locking up in pleasure and twisting in the sheets, and your breath is coming in short sharp pants as you ride out your sudden release. 
Your body shifts suddenly, and your eyes flutter open. In the dim light of the room you register quickly that Mingi has pushed you onto your side to face Yunho, who’s awake and looking at you with a blown out, flushed expression. 
“Ah, Mingi,” You stammer as he hikes up your leg to open you up to him. 
He doesn’t respond with words, but he crowds you with his body and aligns himself with your wet core, thrusting up inside you with one smooth stroke. You curse, gripping down on the sheets at the sudden sensation, but he pulls you closer still like he needs to touch every inch of your skin. His teeth close over your shoulder, far enough from your gland to be safe but still making you start in his arms and try to twist to find his eyes. Hot hunger strikes back up through your body at the sensation, but you know you don’t want him quite like this.
“Mingi, baby,” You reach for him, threading a hand into his hair, “l-let go,” 
His teeth sink into you a little more, not enough to break the skin but certainly enough to hurt and his hands tighten.
Your eyes flick to Yunho’s and you watch his face clear suddenly from the primal haze he woke up in, and he meets your eyes. He wets his lips and eases down in the bed a little more, “Mingi, stop,” 
Mingi breathes out heavily, a hot stream of air across your damp skin. 
“Mingi,” You murmur softly, knowing that he needs a little help snapping out of the haze, “alpha, please let me go,” 
His jaw relaxes and he pulls his mouth away from your shoulder. He’s still holding you tightly, but you feel him coming back to the surface, realizing that this isn't a dream. 
Yunho cups your cheek softly, “You okay?” 
You nod, shifting to kiss his palm gently before reaching back behind you for Mingi, “I’m good, I promise,”
“Jesus, did I hurt you?” Mingi’s grip softens as he finally realizes what’s going on around him. 
“No,” You answer clearly, no space for ambiguity with something like this, “I just knew you were still kind of out of it,” 
“I bit you,” He registers 
“And I liked it,” You squeeze his hip where you reach around, “just not while you were that out of it,” 
“What happened?” He manages. 
You blush scarlet, “I woke you up by accident,” 
Yunho smiles, a little amused at your choice of words. He had rocketed into consciousness and watched you finish the minute you moaned, fighting the urge to sink his own fingers inside you as you came apart in ecstatic pleasure right before his eyes. 
Mingi pushes up onto his elbow to see you better, his expression confused. 
“You were both asleep,” You explain softly, adverting your eyes from his, “and I didn’t want to wake you, but I needed to take the edge off,” 
He smirks when he realizes your euphemism, “Oh,” 
“It didn’t work out like I planned,” You duck your face into the mattress and sigh. 
“You missed out,” Yunho smiles at you, dragging the back of his knuckle down your chest and back up again, “she looked gorgeous,” 
If you could blush more, you do. 
“Mm,” Mingi nuzzles you, “why wouldn’t you just wake us? That’s what we’re here for,” 
“You’ve got to be exhausted by now,” You explain softly, “I thought I’d give you a break,” 
Mingi hums quietly, dropping his lips to your shoulder to kiss you tenderly, and then his hands tighten again and he snaps his hips, dragging his cock out of you and plunging it back in, “Do I feel exhausted to you?” 
You moan tightly, reaching out and gripping onto Yunho’s arm as you recover from the sudden sensation, “God, fuck,” 
“God, fuck?” He teases you, “Yeah?” 
“Oh, shut up,” You sigh, grinding your hips back a little to feel him deeper. 
He groans and gathers you close in his arms, “You’re so cute,” 
You want to make fun, but something inside you sings at his praise and you smile softly, “Yeah?” 
“Aw,” Yunho smiles, “you’re blushing,” 
“Mm,” Mingi kisses your head, “do you not hear that enough? Should I tell you more?” 
“Mingi,” You make an attempt at protesting but your body flutters around him and you’re acutely aware of the sweat trickling down your brow and the feeling of his heart pounding against your back. 
“Cutie,” Mingi nips at your ear, tugging softly on the lobe, “did you take the edge off or do you need me?” 
Orgasm aside, your body is starting to fall back into the needy, desperate tendencies of heat and all you can manage is a gentle whimper. 
“Oh, pretty girl,” Mingi sighs, dropping his hand over your belly and nuzzling your head, “you need my knot, precious?” 
“P-please,” You choke, and even though a few minutes ago you might have been sated enough for sleep, the idea of it is enough to rocket you right back into desperate wanting. 
“Can I help?” Yunho murmurs softly. 
“Anything,” You nod, a little breathless and frantic. 
Mingi groans as you press your hips back into his and reach for Yunho, connecting your lips to his in a hungry kiss. Mingi snaps his hips again and you gasp against Yunho’s mouth. 
“Harder,” You reach back for his hip, nails scraping along his soft skin to try and get him to respond the way you need. 
He says nothing, but his hands shift to hold you steady, one on your hip and the other on your shoulder and then he starts to thrust. He listened perfectly - not faster, but harder, deeper. Every sharp click of his hips up snaps your hips against each other and drives his aching cock so deep you can’t think straight. 
You want to come so badly, you want to spasm around him so hard you make him come inside and you want to take every bit of it. Your brain is still a little blurry and you let your eyes close as you focus on the sensations. Mingi stretching you wide, his tight grip, Yunho’s hands caressing you gently in a dizzying contrast to the way you’re being fucked open. 
You whine at a particularly hard thrust, the head of his cock connecting with your cervix and lighting a bubble of pain up inside you, but it’s no worse than your intense hot cramping. 
“God,” Mingi pants, his hips canting up a little faster, “you’re so fucking hot,” 
Yunho smiles, and then presses forward to catch your mouth again. His fingers trace down from your chest to your belly and back up, one hand cupping your breast and a thumb flicking across your nipple. 
You moan hard, breaking away from his mouth and dropping your face into the pillows, “Again,” 
He flicks again, and you bury your face deeper into the pillows as you moan. 
“No, no,” Mingi’s hand on your shoulder shifts up into your hair, pulling your head back slowly, “don’t hide,” 
Your muscles lock up around his cock and he hisses. 
“You like that?” He pulls your hair a little harder, yanking you against his shoulder so he can hold you still. 
You whine out an affirmative response, one hand reaching for something and finding Yunho’s chest. 
“I want to hear you come, beautiful,” Mingi’s breath is hot on your ear, and he adjusts his body slightly so he can drive his cock into you again and again at a punishing pace. 
“More,” You manage. 
“Y-Yunho,” Mingi groans, “play with her some more,” 
Yunho makes a hungry noise and then you feel his mouth close over your nipple. 
“Oh, god,” your body arches hard into them. 
You’re sandwiched tight between them, and then Yunho sucks hard and the sensations flowing through you double. 
“Do that again,” Mingi pants. 
Yunho obliges, sucking hard again and then flicking his tongue firmly over your pebbled nipple, his fingers coming up to tease the other. 
“I’m gonna fucking come,” You stammer, “I’m- I’m,”
“Taking your alpha’s cock so well,” Yunho bites at your breast, “our good, good, girl,” 
“The fucking best,” Mingi chokes. 
Good, the best. Theirs. Your brain bubbles over with the praise and you cup Yunho’s head in your palm, pressing him closer to your body and forcing more of his mouth over you. Your legs start to shake, and Mingi’s hand on your hip slips down and his fingers start to circle your clit. Frantic and fast. 
“F-fuck,” You hold onto them for dear life, “I’m coming, I’m, ah, fuck,” 
“Shit,” Mingi thrusts up hard and you feel his swollen knot, “oh shit,” 
“Inside,” You beg, “alpha, please,” 
He all but growls, and it burns, but he pushes in. Your fluttering channel expands just enough to accept him inside and then you feel him swell properly to lock in place, spilling seed so deeply that for a hazy moment inside your orgasm you daydream that not even your implant could prevent that from taking root. 
You can barely feel your body, all of you shuddering and panting after the intensity, but slowly you feel Yunho kiss along your breasts and up your chest, and Mingi’s hands soften to smooth over your skin in a comforting pattern. 
“She asleep?” Yunho mumbles as he kisses more of your chest. 
“Maybe,” Mingi responds and then he squeezes your hip, “baby, you with us?” 
“Mm,” You manage. 
Mingi chuckles, “Does my knot feel good, tiny?” 
You sigh pleasantly. 
“I think that’s a yes,” You feel Yunho’s smile on your skin, “she’s practically glowing,” 
“Beautiful,” Mingi murmurs. 
Yunho’s gone suddenly though, and your eyes flutter open, “W-where?” 
“Getting you water,” He soothes, still on the bed just a little bit further from you than he was, “I need you to drink some of this and then we can cuddle all you want,” 
You take the glass, eagerly drinking as much of the water as you can at this odd, twisted angle and Mingi chuckles again behind you, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. 
“That’s good,” Yunho smiles when you pass the glass back. 
“Come back,” You reach out again, needing to feel him. 
He drops the glass on the side table and eases himself back over until you’re pressed front to back between them both. Every inch of your skin that can touch one of them does, and you finally feel at peace. Yunho wraps an arm around you both and kisses your hair, “Better?” 
“Don’t leave,” You mumble, sleep clinging to you once again. 
“We’ve got nowhere to be, jagiya,” Yunho soothes, kissing your lips softly. 
“Hmm,” You sigh, your tense muscles releasing one by one, the warm feeling of Mingi’s hard cock inside you washing over you like a salve. 
“Perfect,” Mingi murmurs, and then sleep takes you under. 
It continues like this for what feels like hours. You wake in needy desperation and one of them is suddenly inside you. You lose count, if you ever had count to begin with. They knot you over and over again, make you come over and over again. On their fingers, their tongues, dragging your slick aching cunt across their thighs if that’s what you need. You lose track of time, and if they’re being honest so do they. 
Nothing exists now but this bed and their bodies. 
Nothing until it all breaks. 
Coming out of heat is always stark and sudden. Where pre-heat lasts hours, sometimes days and you can feel your body changing and adjusting to accommodate the surge of hormones, when it ends it just ends. It feels final and stark, like you’ve been doused with a bucket of cold water, and all the aches and pains in your body that the endorphin surges drowned out come back tenfold. 
You know it the minute you open your eyes, no hazy feeling in your limbs or pulsing between your thighs. This time it’s all over, and with strange clarity you realize just how fucked you are. 
“Fuck,” You breathe softly, remembering every detail from the past few days and how stripped down and bare you were in front of two men that not only are you not involved with, you work with. 
A small groan to your side brings you out of your thoughts as Yunho wakes and registers your soft curse, “Shh, shh,” he hums, “I’m right here,” 
“Oh,” You open your mouth to tell him it’s over, but his hand is already pushing between your thighs. 
He pushes himself up onto his side, his hair messy and eyes bleary, “There we go,” he murmurs, hoarse and low as his fingers find your clit. 
The overstimulation is immediate and you hiss, pulling back with your hips, “Ah, ah, no,” 
His fingers raise, “Does that hurt?” 
“Yeah,” You manage, “Yunho, I’m,” 
“That’s okay,” He swiftly cuts off your words, still sunken into his soothing alpha tone, “I won’t hurt you, jagi,” 
“I know,” You manage, looking for the right words to tell him he doesn’t need to do anything more, but he smoothly finds your entrance with his fingers, still wet with leftover slick and cum, and pushes two inside you. He’s slow and deliberate, watching your face for any discomfort, and even though it burns a little it’s also a dizzying pressure that leaves you moaning softly in his arms. 
He drops his lips to your shoulder as he rhythmically pumps his hand and he sighs hot against your skin, “There’s my girl,” 
His girl. Your heat addled brain had been desperate and aching for it, ready to make them both your alphas for life in the thick of your delirium, but this… this would just be sex. It feels suddenly dishonest, uncomfortable and wrong. They had offered to help with your heat, but that part of whatever your relationship with them is, is now over. 
“Yunho,” You stutter out, and he hums, mistaking your sounds for pleasured whimpers. You blink hard and steel yourself, “Yunho, stop, please,” 
His fingers push forwards and then stop immediately and he adjusts quickly, pulling them out and turning to look up at you in the bed, “What’s wrong?”  
“Can I have that sheet?” You nod towards your legs where the sheet tangles up around your legs and he fishes it up immediately. Once it’s tucked around you, you feel a little better about meeting his eyes, “I’m sorry,” 
“Why?” He shuffles closer, wrapping an arm around you and you hear Mingi starting to stir to your other side, “Did I hurt you?” 
“No,” You assure him, “but it’s done,” 
“Done?” His eyebrows knit together and you remember he’s never done this before. 
“My heat broke over night,” You explain softly, “you don’t need to do anything else,” 
“Oh,” He blinks, “just like that?” 
“Mhm,” The intimacy of his arms around you feels so, so right, but you also know it’s part of this manufactured moment. You wouldn’t be here in bed with them both if it weren’t for a biological imperative that you can’t control by yourself, and a rational voice in the back of your brain is telling you to cut and run before this gets messier. 
“Are you okay?” He whispers. 
“I’m fine,” You nod, “a little sore.” 
“Can I get you anything?” He brushes your hair back from your cheek like a lover. 
“I think I just need,” Your voice cuts off as Mingi rolls towards you both, snuggling up to your opposite side and exhaling heavily against your hair. 
“What’s going on?” Mingi mumbles, sleep still clinging to him. 
“My heat’s over,” You rip the words off like a bandaid. 
“Shit,” He blinks, pushing himself up onto one arm, “I should have known, you smell different,” 
“Do I?” You glance between them. 
Yunho takes a deep breath, his eyes slipping closed and then he nods, “Milder,” he agrees, “chamomile and willow now, the honey is less pronounced,” 
“Give me a minute,” Mingi shakes his head, as if he’s willing sleep to stop clinging onto him, “I’ll get up and get you what you need,” 
“I’m fine,” You reiterate, and that’s mostly true, except for the thumping anxiety in your chest and the fact you’re desperate to not be naked in bed anymore. 
Mingi rolls his eyes, “You’re stubborn, I know you’re probably aching like hell,” 
“I really just need a shower,” You shake your head, “and then I can get out of your way,” 
“That’s not a great idea,” Mingi shakes his head, “you shouldn’t try and rush the comedown,” 
“Take it easy,” Yunho agrees, “there’s no work today anyways. Just relax, and I can drive you home this afternoon if that’s what you want,” 
What you want is to run. Your chest feels tight, and you’re so aware of their hands on you. Your brain gets stuck like a record skipping again and again, Yunho saying clearly that he can take you home. 
“If you need a couple more days,” Mingi jumps in and offers, “you should take them, I know this was a hard one,” 
“Really,” You need to move, so you start to sit up, “I’m okay,” 
You shimmy forwards and wrap the sheet around yourself as you slide out of Mingi’s bed. It’s not graceful and you’ve probably just flashed more skin than you want to, despite all the parts of you they’ve seen and touched the past few days, but you make it up to your feet. Pretty much immediately you feel like you might faint. 
“Whoa,” Mingi rolls out of bed fast, hands out and ready, “you okay?” 
“I’m good,” You brush him off, taking a step backwards, “just a little headrush.” 
Yunho looks nervous, watching you intently as he locates a pair of his sweats and pulls them on, “I think you should slow down, you’ve been here for days, what’s a few more hours?” 
You ignore him, “Do you mind if I use the shower?” 
Mingi’s lips press together hard in a line and you can tell he’s confused and not exactly happy with you, but he nods anyway. 
“Great,” You gather the end of the sheet so you can walk and then push yourself into the bathroom. Blissfully, they don’t follow you. 
Moving quickly you get the hot water going and lay out some towels, and while you wait for the temperature to adjust you collapse against the counter and take a deep inhale. Their apartment feels suddenly claustrophobic. You had really liked them, a tiny piece of you even day dreamed about dating Yunho when you first started. You shake those thoughts away and pull yourself into the warm spray, leaning hard against the tile wall. A flickering memory, Yunho holding you against his chest, Mingi cupping your cheek as they carried you out of the shower and back into bed. They took such good care of you, you can hardly believe they’re real. 
You shower until the water starts to run tepid, until you’re out of time again and need to go look them in the eyes. While you washed your skin again and again you thought about it all. Your stomach flips with nervousness, the idea of seeing them with your head clear alone making your palms clammy. 
The bedroom is empty when you get back, sheets stripped off the bed and piled high in the corner, the widow behind it pushed up and open. Your stomach twists painfully at the sight. They’re already airing out the nest and it makes you feel suddenly empty. You need to get home, wrap yourself in a tight cocoon of blankets and try not to think about what work tomorrow is going to look like. 
You dress quickly, pulling on your last pair of clean underwear and leggings, avoiding the sudden urge to wear Mingi’s hoodie again, and instead slip back into your sweater. You braid your wet hair back, pack up your things, and quietly order yourself an Uber. In ten minutes, you’ll be gone. 
You’ll have to see them one more time before you go, your stomach fluttering with sudden anxiety, but you brace yourself and head down the hall. 
“Um,” You clear your throat softly as you step into the living room, “hey,” 
“Hey,” Yunho smiles wide, “feeling okay?” 
“I’m good,” You assure him, watching as they both get to their feet, “but I really should get going,” you say it, but your stomach twists at the idea.
“Already?” Mingi says. 
“I can’t steal more of your time,” You adjust the strap of your bag on your shoulder, “I really can’t thank you both enough for helping me out of the office the other night… and, you know, everything else,” your cheeks heat with blush. 
“You don’t have to thank us,” Mingi steps towards you, as if to reach for you, but he stops himself. 
“Right,” You glance down at your phone, your car now six minutes away. 
“Let me drive you home,” Yunho reaches for his keys on the island. 
“No, no,” You wave him off, “I already have a ride,” 
“Oh,” He lets his hand fall away from his keys. 
A beat of silence stretches between you all and you swallow, “I’m sorry, this is awkward isn’t it?”
“It shouldn’t be,” Mingi says with ease, “we just spent four days naked and locked in a room together,” 
His blunt honesty makes you laugh and you clap a hand over your mouth, “Oh god, we did, didn’t we?” 
“Yeah,” Mingi smiles, “I don’t think we need to be shy now,” 
Your shoulders relax, the air clearing, “Everything just felt like a lot, but you’re right,” 
Mingi shakes his head, reaching for you without asking and pulling you into his chest, “Just because you’re not in heat anymore doesn’t mean we’re strangers now,” 
“I know,” You let his familiar warmth relax your body further. 
“So, let me ask again,” His hand smooths up and down your back, “how are you feeling?” 
The word ‘fine’ sits on your tongue but you bite it back and choose honesty instead, “Overwhelmed,” 
“I thought so,” He hums, “cancel your car,” 
“What?” You pull back slightly in his arms. 
“You can’t just run away the second we’re not having sex,” He calls you out so easily it flusters you and you duck your head into his chest, “we need to talk, and you need to sit down and rest. And I know you’re hurting, so just take a breath,” 
You nod into him and then lift up your phone, “Okay,” 
You feel it lift out of your hands and you don’t hesitate, you wrap your arms around his back and grip him tight, soaking up his warmth and the steadiness of his breath. 
“Yunho,” Mingi murmurs, his voice low and soft, “can you make some tea?” 
“Got it,” Yunho says softly. 
You don’t know why you suddenly feel like crying, but you do. The body remembers trauma, but it remembers tenderness too. His arms feel right, even without the needy cloying of your primal brain, his body so warm and so steady that it cracks your emotions wide open. 
At your first, sharp intake of breath, sounding wet and locked up with tears, Mingi moves. He scoops you up with ease, settling you both back down on the couch and tucking you into his broad chest, “Shh, shh,” he soothes, “I’m right here,” 
“I don’t know why I’m crying,” You hide your face in his shirt with a sob. 
“That’s okay,” He nods. 
“This is so embarrassing,” Your voice is strained and thick with tears. 
“Why?” He tuts, “You cry if you need to cry,” 
“Hey,” Yunho sounds worried immediately as he comes back into the room, “what’s going on, what’s wrong?” 
You sniffle and shake your head into Mingi’s shoulder, your head feeling floaty as you try to focus on getting your blurry emotions under control. 
“This is normal,” Mingi says to Yunho, his voice even and low, “just like how flattened out you feel after a rut. It’s a lot of hormones, a lot of emotions, that’s why I wanted her to stay. She shouldn’t be alone just yet, and it’s an alphas job to help ground their omega,” 
“I didn’t realize,” Yunho murmurs, and you feel the weight of the couch shift as he sits down with you both. 
“Nobody explains,” Mingi shakes his head as he strokes your back, “all they teach you in Secondary Gender Presentations is knotting and pups, but there’s a lot more than that,” 
Hot emotion courses through you, and you sob again, “Mingi,” 
“Come here,” He pushes your arms a little, prompting you to wrap them around his neck and burrow closer, “You can feel me, right? I’m holding you, I’m right here,” 
“Mhm,” You exhale, shaky and broken. 
“I’m not going anywhere,” He soothes you, “okay, omega? I’m not leaving, Yunho and I are not leaving you.” 
You didn’t even know that’s what you needed, but his words soothe you instantly, the hammering panic of your heart settling slower and slower in your chest. 
Mingi clears his throat softly and readdresses Yunho, “She needs to know she’s not alone, especially after a heat that intense. It hits some people really hard, my ex used to be inconsolable after,” 
“Jesus,” Yunho murmurs, “I’m really fucking glad you’ve done this before,” 
Mingi’s chest jerks as he huffs out a laugh, “There’s a lot more to it, isn’t there?” 
Yunho makes a small noise of acknowledgement and slowly you start to feel your emotions level out. 
“M-Mingi?” You murmur wetly into his neck. 
“Yeah?” He squeezes you. 
“Thank you,” You sigh. 
“Mhm,” he soothes, “are you still feeling overwhelmed?” 
While your tears have subsided, bubbling anxiety still crawls under your skin and you nod against him. 
“Are you afraid?” He murmurs, picking up on your trembling hands. 
“I don’t know why,” You wish you could articulate it, reach deep down inside yourself and pull free this thread of niggling panic to get to the root of it, but you simply can’t. 
“That’s okay,” He assures you, “how about you let me take care of things, hmm?” 
“What things?” 
“Today,” He explains, “I know you’re stressed and I know you want to go home, but right now I think we should all stick together a little longer. Would that be okay with you?” 
“Yeah,” You breathe. 
“Good,” Mingi murmurs, “y/n, can Yunho hold you for a little while? I need a few minutes,” 
You unwind yourself from him and nod, sitting back so you can see his face. He smiles softly, wiping away your tears with his warm, broad hand. A little piece of you wants to kiss him, settle your fluttering heart once and for all, but it’s probably just the lingering pull from your heat so you push it aside. 
Yunho shifts on the couch and positions himself next to Mingi properly, “Hey,”
“Hey,” You smile, sliding off Mingi’s lap and into his, “are you doing okay?” 
“Me?” Yunho’s brow raises, “I’m fine,”
“I’ll be right back,” Mingi murmurs, brushing a hand along your hair, and you watch as he disappears into the kitchen. 
“Don’t be worried about me,” Yunho says, bringing your eyes back to him. 
“You’ve been quiet,” You tell him, “I just… I’m really trying not to fuck everything up just because I couldn’t afford my stupid suppressants,” 
His face screws up in confusion, “Fuck what up?” 
“Our… friendship,” You manage, “and the studio, and everything,” 
Nervous panic strikes through you again and you take a deep breath, closing your hands into tight fists and focusing on the pin pricks of pain in your palm as your nails dig in. 
“y/n,” Yunho shakes his head, “not a chance.” 
“You say that, but I know how these things go,” 
“Why?” He brushes you off with an easy smile, “You think just because I saw you naked I’m going to fall in love with you or something? It doesn’t really work like that,” 
Blush flushes your cheeks, “Please, don’t,” 
“Fall in love with you?” He clarifies, still smiling. 
“Yunho,” 
“Why can’t you fall in love with me in this scenario?” He nudges you, trying to make you laugh and break the tense knot that’s been here since you woke up, “I selflessly took off work to have copious amounts of hot, hot sex with you. I made you food, cuddled you all night, basically gave you a sponge bath,” 
Your hands relax. “You did not give me a sponge bath, Yunho,” You roll your eyes, “god, you’re annoying,” 
“Annoyingly lovable,” He clarifies. 
“Fine,” You nod, “annoyingly lovable, but I’m not going to fall in love with you.” 
“Then I guess we’re good then,” He assures you. 
“And work won’t be weird?” You check. 
“Work won’t be weird,” He shakes his head, “is that what you’re worried about?” 
“I guess,” You press a hand over your chest, the nervous flutter of your heart still there, “I just… I love this job. I’m finally getting what I want, and I’m making friends, and I have a mentor,” 
“Am I your mentor?” He interrupts, eyes widening a little. 
“Shut up,” You dismiss him, “you know how much help you’ve been to me,” 
“Mentor,” He smiles, looking a little elated. 
“Yunho,” You sigh and he clicks back in to your words, “what I’m trying to say is that… sex complicates a workplace, especially heat sex. I don’t want this to…. Fuck, I don’t know what I’m trying to say,” 
Yunho catches your fluttering hand in one of his and cups your cheek with his other, “Sex can just be sex.” 
“Can it?” You chew the inside of your lip, “For us, can it?” 
“If that’s what,” He starts to say. 
“Okay,” Mingi returns with an armful of goodies and a warm smile, “I’ve decided it’s a Netflix and nap day,” 
“Wait, hang on,” Yunho shakes his head, getting you to face him again, “listen to me. You’re afraid that spending your heat with us is going to change things, affect our relationship and make work different.” You nod a little and he smiles, “I can’t tell you everything will be exactly the same because honestly, we just are closer now. It was intimate, and I don’t know about you but I feel closer to you, but that doesn’t mean it changes our friendship or fucks up our ability to work together. It means whatever we want it to mean,” 
Mingi drops the blankets and pillows in his arms and steps closer, “Yunho’s right, y/n,” he murmurs, “we’re adults, this isn’t going to ruin anything if we don’t let it.” 
“Friends, then?” You glance between them, “Sex can just be sex, like you said?” 
Yunho swallows hard and then nods. 
“Friends,” Mingi says. 
The panic in your chest starts to recede. “So, we’re okay?” You ask finally. 
“We’re okay,” Yunho nods, “we’re perfectly okay.” 
“We’re okay,” Mingi agrees. 
You nod, exhaling a long breath, “So,” You nod towards the steaming cup on the coffee table, “is that tea for me?” 
“Yeah,” Yunho gives you a soft squeeze, “here,” he shifts you off his lap and passes you the warm mug. 
“You really don’t mind if I stay a little longer?” You check. 
Yunho shakes his head immediately, “I would like it if you did,” 
“Okay,” You sigh, the knot inside you finally gone. 
“Great,” Mingi goes back to his project, “just hang on one sec,” 
You watch as he reaches inside the front lip of the side of the couch you’re not sitting on for a handle and then he pulls, the couch opening up and producing two more large sections of cushion that turns that half into almost a bed. 
“You do a lot of napping?” You tease him. 
“Ha, ha,” He shakes his head as he tosses out some blankets and pillows, “we have guests sometimes,” 
“Ah,” You nod. 
He disappears for another moment and when he returns he’s well equipped once again. He waves you over, “Okay,” he says, “tuck in, get cozy. I’ve got some pain killers for you, water, and snacks. I figured we could just hang out, watch something dumb on TV and then if you feel better later or like you want to head home, we’ll take you then.” 
You want to kiss him again, and when Yunho smooths a hand down your back and smiles brightly at you, you want to kiss him too. Whatever that means is too complicated to think about for the moment, so you don’t. 
When it’s all said and done, you’re sandwiched between them on the pull out, tucked under Yunho’s arm and falling into absolute hysterical laughter at the reality show Mingi threw on. He called it a guilty pleasure with a shrug despite your teasing, and fifteen minutes into the first episode you and Yunho both are ashamed to say you’re hooked. 
You can feel sloshing waves of emotion inside you as you let yourself relax, but their proximity keeps you calm and collected. It’s sometime after lunch when you finally take the opportunity to ask Yunho again, Mingi thankfully asleep to your left side. 
You prod his leg gently under the covers, “Hey,” 
“Hmm?” He glances down at you. 
“How are you doing?” You ask softly, prodding him again. 
“I’m fine,” His brows knit together in confusion, “why wouldn’t I be fine?” 
Using his chest for leverage you shift off him, turning towards him eye to eye now so you can actually have a conversation with him. “You still seem kind of quiet,” You explain, “and you’ve both been so fixated on me and what I need, but I’m just checking in. It was your first time going through someone’s heat, so, I don’t know what that’s like for you,” 
Your mind flicks back to the moment you begged him to claim you, desperate and clinging to him, the way his eyes blew wide with wanting and he almost, almost succumbed. His whisper on your throat as he held himself to his promise - Not like this, sweetheart, never like this. 
He hesitates, and quietly under the blankets you move your hand into his. 
“Yunho,” You prompt him, “it’s okay to tell me,” 
“I mean,” He studies your face and then sighs, “I am fine, really, I am, but do feel different.” 
“Different how?” You murmur. 
“Clingy, still?” He offers, but you can tell he doesn’t really know what to make of his own emotions, “When you said you were leaving I felt sick,” 
“Me too,” You nod, “but it makes sense,” 
“Does it?” 
You shift closer, your legs leaning on his now, “Mingi’s right, we spent four days locked in a room together. All we did was be intimate and share emotions…”
“Then why did you want to leave so quickly?” He asks, no judgment in his voice at all. 
“Yunho,” You smile, “I don’t know if you’ve picked up on it or not, but I’m not the best at sharing. Or admitting I need help.” 
“So you were running,” 
“I guess,” You nod, “I was just embarrassed and then before I knew it I had one foot out the door,” 
“I don’t want you to feel embarrassed about this,” He shakes his head, sliding his hand up your arm, “I don’t like that.” 
You sigh, “I know, but the idea of being back in the studio after this? I mean I’ve worked with you for what, two months? We really barely know each other, I’m the new girl. How am I not supposed to worry about us being too familiar after this?” 
“So we’ll be familiar,” He presses, “I promise, it really is okay. Mingi and I are not going to treat you any differently where the work is concerned, but we can be friends.” 
“Friends,” You repeat the sentiment with a nod, “you’re right, and these feelings will fade,” 
“Feelings?” He says softly. 
“Like Mingi said,” You tell him, “it keeps coming in waves, but the consistent thing is that I don’t want to be apart yet, even not touching feels wrong.”
“Exactly,” He nods enthusiastically, “every time you get up to pee I feel like I should follow you and guard the door it’s kind of ridiculous,” 
Laughter bubbles out of you and you cover your mouth, glancing over at a still sleeping Mingi, “The protective alpha instincts are really no joke, I guess,” 
“Mm,” He smiles, “Mingi has a handle on it, it was just so much more than I expected it to be,” 
“How long were he and his ex together?” You ask. 
“Two-ish years?” He says, “So yeah, he has a good handle on himself.” 
“Do you think he feels the same way as you do?” Your eyes dart back over to Mingi’s fully peaceful face as he sleeps. 
“Probably,” Yunho shrugs, “but he’s very good at only letting people see what he wants them to see,” 
“I’m getting that,” You murmur. 
There’s a long beat between you and finally you twist back to look at him, “I know it’s just the hormones,” you tell him, “but can we cuddle?” 
“Sure,” He scoots down on the couch, gathering you close, your head now resting on the crook of his arm, “This okay?” 
“Perfect,” 
Now that you’re not looking at him, the next thing you say feels so much easier, “I have to thank you for what you did,” you smile, “or didn’t do, I guess,” 
He’s quiet for a moment and then, “I almost did though,”
“I know,” You remember the sensation of his teeth dragging along your throat, “but you stopped,” 
“I didn’t realize how right it would feel in the moment,” He says softly, “and I just wanted to make you stop hurting,” 
You pat across his chest until you find his hand and you lace your fingers together, “You did,” you fight the urge to kiss him, “and for what it’s worth, Mingi was right. I don’t think I could have gotten through this at home by myself, I’ve never had a heat this hard,” 
“Now I’m really glad we brought you home,” 
“Mm,” You nod, “I don’t know what I would have done,” 
He hugs you a little more tightly, “I keep meaning to ask you something,” 
“Anything,” You shift to look up at him. 
“Suppressants,” He says, “when will insurance cover the ones you need?” 
“Nineteen days,” You recite, “nearly there.” 
“You’ll be alright until then?” He asks. 
“Should be,” You nod, “I’ll have time to onboard before my next heat so everything should be much more manageable,” 
“Good,” He brushes a hand along your hair and then settles it high on your back. 
You expect him to offer, to indicate a next time, but he doesn’t. Something distant in your gut twists and the thought that maybe this really is a one-time thing. You know it should be, you work too closely together to muddle it all up with all these emotions, especially when you can barely tell now if it’s your biological need for an alpha or if you really do just like them. But the thought of leaving and never being held by them like this again hurts a little, more than you thought that it would. 
When Mingi wakes a little later you all stay cuddled up a little longer. You eat dinner together and by the end of the meal, you’re all sitting a few feet apart. You still want to be here with them, but the desperate pull to touch them has faded almost completely by the time you’re done with your spicy noodles. 
The drive back to your apartment is quiet, and you’ve been away from work and insulated with them for so many days that you feel distantly like it’s the last day of summer and the night before school. You want to stretch out the seconds, avoid getting out of this car and going to bed at all costs, you know once you do life will be back to normal. Four days with them made you yearn a little for something more than normal. 
“Well,” You clear your throat softly and pull your bag up from the passenger side floor, “I guess that’s it,” 
“Take tomorrow,” Yunho says, twisting to the side from the driver’s seat to face you, “we’ll go back to work and you take one more day.” 
“Okay,” You nod, knowing that it’s the smartest way to not seem obvious about sharing your heat with them. 
“We had the flu,” Mingi offers, “and it’s just weird timing.” 
“Weird timing,” You nod, “okay,” 
“What will you tell your roommates?” Yunho asks. 
“I’ll think of something,” 
Your legs feel like lead as you swing open the door and start to climb out of their car. 
“You sure you’re alright?” Yunho leans over to catch your eyes. 
“Mhm,” You nod, but suddenly you don’t really trust your voice. 
“If you need anything,” Mingi says, practically hanging over the passenger seat from the back to see you too, “tonight, tomorrow, whatever,” 
“I know,” You manage, “I’m okay,” 
Mingi opens his mouth and closes it again. His hand tightens on the seat. You drag yourself back a few steps and nod, “Drive safe,” It feels like the stupidest, most empty thing to say after everything. 
Yunho smiles softly, “Always do,” 
“Good night,”
“Night,” Mingi says softly. 
“Night,” Yunho leans back in the driver’s seat again, returning his hands to the wheel. 
It’s time. You hate it.
You push the door shut, offering a wave, and you force your legs to move as you turn around and trudge up to the apartment building ahead. A nervous bubble blooms in your throat. You want to turn around, but you don’t. The steady sound of the car still idling behind you doesn’t change. When you make it inside, your apartment is blissfully quiet and you tuck yourself away in your room fast before anyone can come and check up on you. 
You want to go back, but you focus hard and try to shake it off. 
With a deep breath, you allow yourself one tiny moment of weakness and you pull your bedroom curtain aside. Their car is gone, not even the blue glow of their headlights left on the street ahead. They’re gone, and you’re alone again. You don’t even bother to take off the clothes you were wearing, you collapse into your bed and bite back the sudden rush of tears. 
All you can smell is stale lavender, and suddenly you wish more than anything for a thunderstorm. 
665 notes · View notes
roxygen22 · 8 days
Note
Timothee sickfic but you chose whatever sickness
With Female reader plz
Since I just posted a Timothée/Laurie sickfic yesterday, I switched to a sick reader instead.
Stay With Me
C/W: fever, fainting, hospitals
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I heard a muffled voice as I came to, like I was underwater. When did I fall asleep? I felt someone shaking my shoulders.
"[incoherent mumbling]...[y/n]...[Y/N]!" The voice became clearer. Timothée's voice. "There you are. Stay with me, baby. Stay with me," I heard him say in a panic. I felt him kiss my forehead. "Oh f*ck, you're burning up."
I blinked and looked around, confused. Why am I in my bedroom floor? When did Timothée get here? I saw the outline of Timothée's form, but I couldn't focus on it. I only knew it was him by the sound of his voice. It sounded like he was calling someone. I didn't want to sleep, but I couldn't stop my eyelids from closing again...so tired...
The next time I woke, I heard the distinct sound of a heart rate monitor. I could smell noxious aroma of disinfectant. Am I in the hospital? Why am I here? The beeping intensified as I became more cognizant - and fearful - of my surroundings. It took a lot of effort to finally get my eyes open. All I could see at first was the harsh fluorescent light above me.
Once I could focus, I looked over and spotted Timothée's head on the bed. His frame was slumped over from his seat next to me. His hand held mine as he slept using his forearm as a pillow. He jumped up from his seat when he felt me stir. I saw the look of sheer relief on his face when he locked eyes with me.
"Oh, [Y/N], baby, you're awake! Oh, thank God, you're awake." Timothée sandwiched my hand between his and kissed it repeatedly. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"What-" I tried to ask what happened, but my throat was too dry to make more than a raspy sound.
"Shh, shhh, don't strain your voice. Here, let's get you some water." He used one hand to support my head and the other to hold the cup as I took tiny sips from the straw. It felt like I hadn't drank anything in days.
"What happened?" I finally managed to get the words out.
"You didn't answer the door when I came by to pick you up for dinner. I got worried because I hadn't heard from you since we exchanged texts that morning, so I used my key to get in. I found you passed out in your bedroom floor. I have no idea how long you were like that. You-" his voice cracked. "You weren't responsive when I tried to wake you up. When you came to, it wasn't for long. You were feverish, too. I got scared and called 911. They brought you to the hospital."
"Do they know what's wrong with me? How long have I been here?" I had so many questions, but that was all I could muster.
"You've been in and out of consciousness for two days. But even when you were awake, you weren't lucid. They ran tests - you contracted West Nile Virus."
"Two days?! Have YOU been here for two days?" You dropped your head to the pillow. "All of those mosquito bites from the photography walk."
Timothée nodded. "That's what tipped them off to check for WNV first. They asked me about your travel history and habits. They wanted me to stay in the waiting room until they confirmed you didn't have anything contagious, but they relented if I agreed to mask and glove up after I kept bugging the nurses for updates. I didn't want you to wake up alone."
"You hate hospitals," I whimpered.
He half-smiled. "Not as much as I hated the thought of you being alone and scared." He kissed my hand again.
Timothée stayed with me until I was discharged days later, only leaving long enough to go shower and grab some clothes for both of us. He drove me home and helped me to my apartment. He cleaned out my fridge of any expired foods and went shopping to restock it. He waited on me hand and foot and even tucked me into bed. When he acted like he was about to leave, I asked:
"Stay with me, Timmy. Please."
"Always," Timothée whispered as he settled under the covers next to me.
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Stitches (Part One)
(Simon "Ghost" Riley x F!Medic "Fix" Reader)
Part Three of Snowblind
Rating: Mature Wordcount: 6.1k Tags: Slow Burn, Heavy Angst, Trauma, Found Family, Taskforce 141, Team Dynamics, Major Character Injury, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Unreliable Narrator, Self Esteem Issues, Referenced Familial abuse, Hospitalization, Self Sabotage Warnings: Explicit Injury mention, Forced sedation A/N: The needed, heavy, heavy chapter for Fix. Please head the warnings and read carefully, and practice self care if you need to
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The first time you need heli-evac, it's in Venezuela.
Tracking down a cartel supplier to AQ forces, Laswell tells you. International arms dealers. The mission is off the books, quiet. Clean house, harvest intel. Price and Gaz could have cleared it easily, but for some reason Laswell mandated the full task force. Something about the intel not adding up, too many loose ends. You know better than to question her, all of you do.
Unfortunately for you, Laswell's prophecy comes true.
You see the rug on the floor shift a moment too late. The trapdoor flies open out of the corner of your eyes as you spin, and there's yelling in Spanish just a split second before the bullet rips through your side. You fall backwards just in time to avoid the next hail of fire, and the motion throws off the aim of the attack long enough for you to squeeze off a round, the cartel member's figure jerking grotesquely as your aim rings true.
There's voices then, as your head falls back against the floor, cursing blindly at the pain. You'd been shot before, but this, the bullet inside you feeling for all the world like it was trying to twist inside you further, deeper, makes your voice crack hard and dry in your throat. There's iron in your lungs, breathed in with every staggered inhale, lancets of agony etched across your torso and spine. Something inside you feels wet and warm and abstractly wrong.
You press a hand to the center of the pain, and when it comes away red there's a cognizant dissonance to it, a small 'oh' that manages to filter through your thoughts as the stain blossoms scarlet against your side. It's the sight that manages to make the world begin to spin, hazy and unfocused even as there's shouts and it's Gaz's face that flickers into view, trembling like the hazy after effect of a poorly animated CGI movie.
He's talking, but with the blood rushing in your ears you barely hear him, blinking and trying to clear the strange filter that obscures the pure look of fear in his eyes.
"Stay with me, Fix. Gonna get you out of here."
You nod, and it's all you can really manage, heart pounding relentlessly, pain bubbling up your throat in a choked, pleading cry that has Gaz's face grow ashen with concern.
It's Price, then, who shoves the sergeant aside, and even in your dissociative, blank-minded state you see the tremble of his hands as he fumbles for the med pack strapped to your kit.
Oh. You think a bit groggily, blinking as you remember. I'm the medic.
That's probably bad.
There's no time to process it further, because suddenly Price is pressing down on your side and you yell, try and flail away from the pain. Gaz has to hold you down, face pinching with something that tears further at you, an emotion that feels far too concerned for what you're feeling. There's a distant part of your mind that runs through the possibilities, of the bullet lodged up against your diaphragm, through your spleen, or possibly even your lungs. You can breathe, you can kick your legs, but the dizzying rate of the spinning world around you does not bode well for your near and distant future.
"...x...h-ey...Fix! Keep your eyes on me, mate."
You try to, from behind the veil of tears that clouds your vision as the hurt coats the underside of your tongue in an open, confused whimper. Price is yelling something you can't quite make out, and there's a tone to his voice you've never heard before. It cracks and makes you blink, forces you to try and raise your head at him, only to have Kyle's gentle, gloved hand resting you back down against the floorboards.
When you try to breathe you choke, feeling your chest compress down painfully. The air in your lungs stales, and with a wheeze you grasp blindly at Kyle, feeling panic race potent and toxic through your veins. You catch his eyes then, and the worry there has now transformed into something all consuming. Terror.
He snaps at Price, and though you can't hear the words you hear the tremble in his voice, and you realize at that moment just how terrible things must be, because suddenly Price is cutting the straps of your tac vest and shoving it rudely aside, ripping your jacket and shirt and placing an ear to your chest.
He pales.
It's that bad. Something in your thoughts whispers, and then, in a sudden, macabre burst of clarity. Try to say goodbye.
When you fumble for Price, however, he only snaps at you, tells you to stay still and stay awake. You try, you do, but the world is too bright, oversaturated, spinning like the lights of the county fair rides you saw once as a child from the window of a car. Fluorescent, vibrant, dizzying and enchanting. Glittering in the distance from beneath the grey haze of incoming mid-season thunderstorms. Now it's tinted with a putrid, vile taste of metal and bile and a sudden wave of nausea washes over you, as the skies grow green in your memory. You close your eyes against it, trying to find ground on which to retreat where there is none. Price says something about a helicopter, and whether it's moments or minutes later you feel the dull whump whump whump in the distance, beating the air around you slower than your stuttering heart rate.
Who's arms hoist you up, you aren't sure, but you can smell the scent of them. Charcoal. Gun oil. Sweat. Musk. It's familiar somehow, but it isn't until you see your blood seeping red over white skeletal gloves that you understand.
It's the last thing you see before the world goes dark.
---
You wake about eighteen hours later, and the first word out of your mouth startles Soap so much beside you he barks a laugh.
"Your mother teach you to curse like that?" He asks, but mercifully dims the overhead light when you whine at him. You ignore the fact that your mother would turn you over to your father if you ever spoke like that, deciding that such a tiny detail isn't really worth the time it would take to convey it to the Scot.
When you turn to him, Soap's brow is furrowed in a way you don't recognize. He sits in a chair at your bedside, hands clasped, shoulders hunched forwards, leg bouncing and fidgety. Wound too tight. Anxious. His blue grey eyes are drawn with concern, brow furrowed. He doesn't look at you.
"Scared us stiff, hen." He murmurs low, enough that you have to strain to hear it. "Nearly kicked the bucket- Christ on a cross, Fix. There was so much blood."
You don't reply. There's not much to say, really. You messed up, forgot to check a corner like a goddamn rookie, nearly bled out a result but you're here. Alive, mostly whole...minus the hole.
You tell him as much, but when Soap laughs it's a little mirthless, his head shaking as if he's deciding between disbelief or a reprimand.
It isn't long before Price appears, leaning on the door with a weary smile that betrays his concern. You wonder if he's slept recently, or if he's subsisting only on cigars and a gluttonous dose of black coffee. Cognac, if he found it.
The captain gives you the rundown of your injury. Gunshot to the left side of your ribs, nothing short of a bloody miracle it missed your major arteries. However, it managed to puncture your lung, collapsing it and forcing you to briefly asphyxiate on the helicopter. You were unconscious by the time you were handed off to the med-evac crew, flagging by the time you got to the hospital. Had there been a chopper unavailable, and had it not been for Gaz's quick attention to your labored breathing, it very well could have been your death would have been in a sticky, spider infested cartel hideout, far, far away from home.
That fact makes you feel your heart drop down to your stomach, and Soap sends the captain a look. Yet Price's eyes remain locked on you, arms crossed, head slightly bowed, gauging your reaction. He's waiting for you to say you want out, for you to quit, to go home.
Home, wherever that may be, to the waspish gaze of your father and the sad, docile eyes of your mother. To linen sheets and pristine, white French doors, a garden where you aren't allowed to dig your hands into the soil.
You refuse. You don't speak to Price, returning his gaze with your own. Silent, unwavering, a bough not bending to the howling gale of your thoughts.
He nods to himself, then nods to the nurse hovering by the door, and promptly vanishes.
Gaz comes to visit you, and in the days that pass between him and Soap you are hardly ever lonely. They brings cards, games, sneak you snacks past the nurses. Slowly, their laughter and banter eases the unspokenness between you, the 'What if?' that hangs as a constant reminder in the shape of your bandages. Yet you see it in their eyes, the way they glance at you when wince after laughing too hard, when your eyes grow distant in the silence.
Price floats by, brings with him a thermos of hot tea. It's unlike him, and when you question him on it he merely shrugs, tells you to drink up. Yorkshire gold, you recognize. The same kind you mother liked, with her British sensibilities.
You try to ignore the bitter ache of disappointment that settles inside you when Ghost doesn't visit, acrid like over-steeped tea.
It's on Price's third visit that he tells you you're cleared to head back to base with them. After that, however, you have a mandatory six week leave to fully recover.
It sinks your stomach.
Six weeks. Six weeks they'll be deployed without you, six weeks you'll be trapped at base, not knowing the details of their missions, not knowing if it's at that very moment that they need you. All because you got caught off-guard, because you didn't check your corners and nearly bled out in from of your team.
You swallow hard at the news, but know any protest on your part is futile. Price's orders, as per the doctor's, are absolute.
The next day, you find yourself being assisted down to the tarmac, Soap present at your side and offering little jabs that mask his worry. Price deposits your pack beside his, between the three others. You blink then, see in one of them the thermos he brought you, and wonder why it isn't stored with his own things.
Ghost watches you from where he sits, locks eyes with you when you glance from the thermos to his silent, piercing stare.
Ah.
Yorkshire Gold.
You settle in one of the seats, wave off Gaz's fussing as he checks with your pain. You'd been dosed shortly before the flight, and by the time the plane is in the air you find yourself drifting off to sleep, slouching uncomfortably as drowsiness takes you.
Strangely, when you wake shortly before your landing about eight hours later, it's not your seat you find yourself in. Instead, you lay on the floor of the cargo hold, head braced by a folded jacket. You can smell the scent on it. Charcoal. Musk. Gun oil. You have just enough time to turn and bury your face into it before Soap is shaking you awake and helping you back to your seat.
No sooner have you landed are you rushed off to medical once more, checking your stitches, rebandaging the gash in your side. The doctor frowns when he examines you, pushing his glasses up his nose and commenting within ear range of your captain to not undertake any strenuous activity, that you may require eight weeks instead of the six you've been issued with.
Eight weeks. Fifty six days. Two months without your team.
Stuck alone on base, in the dim light of your room, praying that somehow they return whole, unharmed.
Price must sense your thoughts, for he lays a heavy hand on your shoulder, offers you a conciliatory smile that you feel only deepen the wound in your chest.
"It seems like a long time." He tells you genuinely, voice dipping low, rusty with cigar smoke. "It'll be over before you know it."
You don't have time to reply, because to your horror there's another soldier at the door, saluting before conveying that the captain is needed in the briefing office. When you trail behind Price, he only turns, settles both his hands on your shoulders and gruffly tells you to rest.
When you watch his back vanish down the corridor, you try not to hear the sound of creaking bones and rifle bullets, of cataclysmic destruction that leaves behind only the aching void of loneliness in its wake.
You don't even have time to say goodbye.
You watch from the windows of the barracks as the plane lifts off to an unknown destination, vanishes behind the veil of clouds, and then there's just you.
Alone. Again.
Alone with your thoughts, with the embrace of rumination that feels like the whisper of the witching hours, desolate, dark, restless. You feel it wrap around you even in sunlight, and the ghost of solicitude loops her lithe arms around your neck like a lost lover, kisses the inside of your thoughts with the taste of temptation.
They aren't coming back. They don't need you. They've seen how weak you are now, they'll never return.
"They'll be back." You whisper aloud to yourself in response, placing a trembling hand against the glass pane. "They haven't given up on me yet."
---
You wander the base aimlessly for the next few days, haunting the mess hall and rec room, trying to find yourself in the silhouettes of others. Your small collection of paperback novels is polished off quickly, tiny notes scribbled  in the margins of 'Dante's Inferno' and 'Wuthering Heights'. Eventually they stack in a tiny tower at your bedside, spines creased gently and pages dog-eared.
You heal slowly. Far too slowly. The pain has become mostly manageable, but there are nights when you rise in your sleep with a wheeze, pace the dark confines of your room trying to escape the shadows there. It doesn't help that your dreams are plagued by them, your comrades, bloodied and broken, reaching out for hands that aren't there. Hands you cannot reach.
One night you wake in a cold sweat, gasping for air, the visage of a cracked, bone white skull mask haunting your innermost thoughts. The eyes blank, cold. Dead.
Laswell tells you little about the mission. You get bits and pieces, but every time you push all you receive on the other line is a disparaging sigh and "Fix, you need to rest. I'll keep you updated if anything goes wrong."
You hate it. You don't want to know when things go wrong. You want to be there when they do, to prove yourself to them, in hopes that maybe they'll keep you just a little longer.
Soon. You remind yourself by day five of the team's absence, constantly pacing the corridors, trying to find instances of them in your loneliness. Soon they'll be back. Soon they'll need me again. Soon, I'll know I can stay.
You wake on day six before dawn, gasping awake as you fall in your dream, endlessly into the chasm of failure, where the crippled bodies of your teammates reach out for you with emaciated, broken limbs.
The training grounds are still dark by the time you get to them. You run them, blasting music, circling the perimeter over and over again like you're trying to stay to the edge of a dark, endless whirlpool. Running so as to avoid the chasing, predatory self-doubt that nips at your heels with feral eyes and jagged teeth.
The sun rises, and soon it begins to bake the back of your neck, your shoulders. Eventually you stop, and the inertia of your motion threatens to drag you off your feet. Your chest aches, but you welcome the pain. It's a distraction, a reminder. An anchor against the fraught silence that plagues you more than any wound.
By the time dinner rolls around you're back again, circling the drain until well past sunset, after your playlist has looped for the third time that day. By the end of it you're bent over, breathless, shaking, and yet somehow there's triumph. Yet it tastes hollow, bitter like over-steeped tea, and you push down the part of you that offers a gentle respite, a reminder of self-preservation.
If you run, you can flee, can hide from the perilous self-doubt that threatens to haunt the shadows of your thoughts, spinning cobwebs of dismay that overtake the empty caverns you've long since carved out. Fight or flight fuels every waking moment, a spiral you mimic with your steps across the training field, running a rut in the grass so deep it resembles the abyss that haunts your dreams. Perilous failure, a chasm where the wind howls in your ears and bites across your skin. You feel like a doe in the twilight glade, heaving heavy breaths as the wolves of your ruminations bark and howl, nip at the hocks of your legs.
The entire time your mind flashes with visions of them. Of Gaz's grin, eyes hidden by his sunglasses that reflect the sibylline brightness of daytime. Of Soap's jovial laughter, the corners of his eyes scrunching and broad chest rising, a sound that feels like trumpets announcing victory. Of Price and the sulfurous mist exhaled like dragon's breath, floating up into the same sky where you silently offer wishes for his approval.
Of Ghost, of the stygian, merciless presence of him that feels less like the visitation of a reaper and more of shadows in which to shelter yourself from the dazzling brightness of all things blinding. You lean into him and wordlessly, he has you, watches you from afar and traces your steps that mimic the history of his, observes you ascend the precarious tower of expectations you've yet to dismantle inside your soul. He extends his arms, prepares to catch you if you fall.
You need them. More than they need you, and it's the realization of that which has you clawing your sheets in your dreams. You need them to keep you, here in the place where you've found a home, dangerous and fraught that it may be. There's nowhere else for you. Not with your parents, not with your former company. You need to not be alone. You need to prove to them you can stay. Even if you can just fool them, be selfish enough to trick them into keeping you, you need them to smile at you long enough for the smoke to clear in your hideous self-deprecation, to drink in the oxygen of them like it's your last breath.
If you can heal faster, can show them how resilient you are, then everything will be fine, everything will be-
Red. On your fingers.
Wet, warm, crimson as you delicately prop under your shirt, hissing at the feeling of something torn and damp against your skin. It shines rusty under the scant light of the dark training grounds, coats the pads of your fingers like scarlet ink with which to smear a forbidden oath.
You stare down at it mutely, realizing with a strange sort of distance that it's yours. Gingerly, your hand snakes under your shirt, reveals a torn gash in your side. When you press down your knees nearly buckle at the sudden wash of pain, dark and viscous and choking you. Your voice chokes in your throat and you hate the sound of it, hearing the useless whimper of agony that chases up your windpipe. How you didn't notice the tear before is beyond you, something about imbibing in the hurt, letting the ache fill the crevasses of your heart like liquid metal seeping into a fissure.
Your hand clings to the fence beside you, fingers tangling with the chain link as the distress of your injury washed over you all at once.
Fuck, it hurts.
You've done something, whatever that may be, and now your mistakes seeps over your fingers.
This is bad.
Bad not just for you, but for your recovery. Shit, the looming eight weeks ahead of you seems to stretch into infinity, into an inexhaustible leave where they leave you behind, dismiss you and curse you to roam the earth endlessly, looking for a place in which to rest.
The infirmary.
You have a key, of course, being one of the medics. It's probably empty at this hour save for the sergeant on attendance. You can probably sneak past them, grab enough supplies to see to this yourself without one of the nurses telling on you to Price or Laswell.
You stumble in the direction of the barracks to retrieve your key, shrugging on your jacket to hide the blossoming stain across your side.
You don't hear the plane land.
The barracks are quiet by the time you reach them, most of the officers and squaddies already tucked into their quarters, the commanding officers lounging in the rec room or officer's lounge. It makes your journey easier as you traverse the corridors, trying to avoid any questions lest someone see you even now, realize what a complete and utter wreck you are, dipping falsehoods onto your fingers. Your feet nearly trip over the stairs, hand clutching at the rail ad dragging yourself upwards despite the effort it takes to not think about your leaking wound.
Carnations, scarlet and blotted with vibrance, blossom where stitches meet skin, a grotesque bouquet of regrets with the scent only of iron to color your senses.
When you reach the third floor, and turn the corner, you feel a wave of nausea suddenly wash over you, green and viscous and sour. You have to brace on the wall for a moment, waiting for your stomach to settle before making your way down the hall.
Then you see him.
Tall, imposing, clad in black. He soaks up what little light there is in the dim hallway. The unshed tactical gear makes him look bigger than he is, looming like a phantom outside your door. His scarf trails behind his back, and for a moment it feels almost like the cowl of a specter, his bone white mask a flash of white before it all ends and you're sucked down into an obsidian infinitum.
His hand is raised to knock, hovering over the metal surface. You can smell the grenade smoke wafting off of him from where you stand, acrid, burnt, molten metal like the glint of his stare. You blink as you realize he must have come straight from the plane, not bothering to untack or store his gear before coming to see you.
You startle at the sight of him, and it's in the corner of his stained vision that somehow he sees you, turns with an alert gaze that's soon masked by an expression of disinterest.
"Ghost." You hoarse, and his eyes narrow at your tone, closing the last few steps between you, stopping just short of you. Not touching, not moving, not reaching for you. Contained in his own orbit that you're drawn to anyways, looking up into his eyes, where the ink of his paint has faded from his blonde lashes.
"Fix." He greets, hands loose at his sides, chin tucked to fully regard you. The strap of his helmet creaks as he does, and briefly your eyes dart up to the night-vision goggles still strapped to his head.
"Price sent me to check on you." He offers in the silence that follows, and there's enough clarity within you to note that it somehow feels rehearsed, too practiced.
"Well-" You huff an anxious laugh, try to not let your eyes dart to your door handle, mind running to your desk drawer, where you keep your clinic key stashed. "Consider me checked on."
There's a pause between you, and within it lies the heaviness of the unspoken, the unsaid. All the confessions inside of you threaten to bubble up like the last gap of air before drowning in the deep, dark ocean.
I'm glad you're safe. Where are the others? Are they hurt? Did you need me? Will you forgive me when I wasn't there?
"How's your injury?" He asks suddenly, voice flat, but beneath the feigned disinterest you see his eyes, framed by blonde lashes, dip to your side. Your heartbeat flutters -too loud- as you pray the blood has yet to seep through the fabric of your jacket.
"Fine." You answer, a little too quickly, and that dark gaze sweeps up to your face, pins you to the spot without a single touch. You feel your chest tighten now not with the constricting compression of pain, but with something more phantasmic, a byproduct of his very presence. A prickle of awareness that breathes across your neck every time he ventures close, a reminder of him where he smears his ink stained fingers on the inside of your skull.
Door. Desk. Drawer. Stairs. Five minute walk. Clinic. Back room. Supply closet. Third shelf.
Your mind runs the steps ahead of you, but you can't sidle past, not with Ghost's immense, towering form blocking the width of the hallway. His dark gaze stares down at you, scrutinizing you, and it feels somehow like you're being flayed open by his knife, skin parting from bone as he dares a glance at the hidden, duplicitous interior of you. You try to not meet his eyes, knowing that if you do he'll see it, he'll see all of you, with his gaze that feels like black holes, threatens to tear you asunder with the gravity inside them.
He says something else when your eyes again dart to your door. When you don't immediately, he tilts his head at you, eyes narrowing.
"Fix?"
"Sorry-" You supply immediately, eyes darting back to Ghost. Yet the world around you wavers then, and you frown, blink, trying once more to tether yourself firmly to gravity. Even as you focus, however, the room seems to tilt and sway under you, and you can't help but rock on your feet a little in a subtle but desperate bid to find balance. "W-what did you just say?"
Ghost stills suddenly, and his eyes narrow from behind his mask, form going rigid as he appraises you.
Don't. You think desperately, both to yourself and to him. Don't look.
The wound must be worse than you thought, because the sudden wash of dizziness makes you threaten to sway on your feet, lost in inertia. You can feel the tug of it, your feet carrying you in endless circles as you spiral down a familiar whirlpool, lost in despair.
"...You alright?" Ghost asks tentatively, as if not expecting you to give him a straight answer.
"Solid." You reply almost instantly, and even as you tilt your head up to regard his massive form the shape of him seems to shift before your eyes. Despite being pinned under his stare you try not to sway, not to buckle.
Just breathe. You remind yourself, forcing manual inhales and exhales in an attempt to remain composed. The warm wetness of your wound is already bleeding through your bandages, soaking the gauze packed against your side and dyeing it a rancid scarlet that reeks of failure. You know the longer you stay here, the longer he questions you that you run the risk of being discovered, of your ruse being revealed in horrific, dazzling color.
God, you wonder if he can smell it on you- the bitter, iron taste of blood.
"Don't lie." He states, stepping closer, and when you instinctively take a step back you nearly stumble, one arm dropping to your side in an attempt to find something to balance with. "You don't look fine."
"W-what do you mean?" You try, but your voice wavers when you speak- as unsteady as your form. A sapling in a thunderstorm. Lighting bursts across the darkened skies of your anxiety.
"Fix." Ghost states, and that sends a flash of panic through you, the way his voice evens with seriousness, eyes suddenly steely and trained completely on you. A hunter's scope, and you're caught in the snare.
"Don't." You manage, and take another step back, retreating-
The world shifts under you.
You have just enough time to blink, for your lips to part in an 'oh' of realization before the weakness in your legs finally gives. As they buckle your eyes dart to Ghost's, and you catch a single glimpse of shock that flashes plainly across his gaze before he's moving, reaching for you-
When the world stills again it's to the sensation of an arm under your back, the hand snaking around your side and pressing close to your raw, seeping wound hidden under your gear.
You choke on the pain, the sound a strangled gasp that bubbles up your throat and forces the air from your lungs.
When Ghost moves his hand you feel it, feel the crimson ooze soaking through your shirt and jacket against your side, and painting his glove in dark, glistening wetness.
"FUCKING hell." Ghost snarls when he realizes what it is, his eyes darting down to your side where red colors across the fabric of your white tee.
"G-Ghost-" You manage, even as the world spins around you, an abrupt kaleidoscope of shape and color. It's the white of his mask that grounds you, mirroring his wide, surprised gaze as it turns from his glove to your ashen, stricken expression. "LT, wait-"
"You stupid girl." Ghost snarls, and you flinch.
Before you can stop him, Ghost reaches for his radio, and when he presses down it leaves a bloody stain on the casing.
"Price." He barks, voice grating deep in his chest- the one he uses to issue orders, bring men back into line. "Fix is injured. Tore her stitches."
In a desperate bid you try to reach for him, face alight with pain and shock as you try to stop him, try to grapple the radio away. Yet Ghost merely knocks your hand aside and fixes you with a stare so harsh and cold it freezes you in place.
"How bad?" Price's voice crackles from the other end of the comm, and you swallow, try to answer.
"I-I'm okay." You supply, but Ghost snarls at you.
"She's not okay." He echoes over you. "She's fucking bleeding out."
"I'm...not-"
"Shut up." Ghost bites at you, but there's a waver in his voice you don't recognize as it harshes inside his chest, grinding and impatient and...somehow scared.
You hear Price curse on the other end of the radio.
"Where are you? I'm on my way and sending Gaz to find a medic."
"Southeast hallway. Third floor. Outside her bunk." Ghost replies sharply, and at once he's readjusting you, laying you down on your uninjured side. You curl into yourself, feeling tears threaten as he does so.
It hurts.
The pain itself, but the knowledge that with every stained drop you're exposing yourself, letting him know you failed, that you aren't fit to stand by him, that your injury is-
When Ghost's hand presses down against your wound you yell, the agony of his touch unexpected and horrific as he tries to stem the gush from your side. It blinds you, sends white shooting across your vision in brilliant white specks, blotting out the brightness of the humming fluorescent lights above you both. The aftertaste of it lingers in your mouth, like burnt pennies, thick and vile as it clogs your chest, grips your heart-
"Stay. Still." Ghost tells you on no uncertain terms even as you writhe, tears now spilling from your eyes and tracing down your cheeks in hot, furious trails.
"I'm sorry-" You try, but your voice is cracked, caught in your throat as a sob. "Ghost, I'm sorry-"
"Why did you do this?!" He hisses, as he uses one hand to press against your shoulder and anchor you. "Why didn't you say anything?!"
You swallow, but it does nothing to stop the ache in your throat, the pain that laces up your side and cross your spine, your hips, your heart.
"I-I didn't-" You hiccup, and the world is in chaos now, with your cries and your secrets exposed, with his gaze raking over your trembling, injured form. "Didn't want you to see, Ghost. I'm sorry-"
He stills.
Then, Ghost's eyes take on a light you've never seen before. Frustration, anger, disappointment, these things you've been witness to in your lieutenant. However now the color of Ghost's eyes is dark not with these things, but with fury.
"Have you gone bloody mental?!" He bellows at you, and the world feels like it's trembling with the volume of his voice alone, shaking at the foundations of the earth itself. "Do you have any idea the danger you put yourself in?!"
There's a note of his words that ring true in you, that cleave apart the shell of doubt and allow radiance to seep through. You hide from it, curl further into yourself on the cold linoleum of the hallway, a sob cracking your throat as the weight of the world comes crashing down around you.
They're going to leave you for this. You're going to be alone again, all because your life seems to be a litany of failures, an impossible grave to claw out of as dirt pours in from the top.
You're heaving now, breaths too uneven, too ragged, and when it presses down on your lung the hurt is enough to make you cry out a strangled yell, kick out your feet in an automatic reflex.
Ghost's voice sounds distant now as blood rushes in your ears, your heartbeat wild and banging against the inside of your chest like a frantic, trapped bird. His hands are on you but you hardly feel them as panic engulfs you, and the whirlpool roars as it drags you down, down, down.
"Hey! Calm down, Fix! Fuck, just breathe!"
It hurts. Everything hurts. Your chest, your side, your lungs, the pain feels like it's seeping into your bloodstream, blocking your airways, poison running through your veins.
Another set of hands. Cigar smoke, ash.
"Soldier! Fix! Look at me!"
You can't. You refuse. If you see Price's gaze now in the moment of your ruin the stitches that bind you together will come loose at the seam and you'll unspill, empty cotton falling over their fingers. Fluff where there's supposed to be iron.
"Where the fuck is the medical team?!"
"They're on their way. Keep pressure on the wound."
Hands on your face. Gloves that smell like gun smoke.
"Fix, darling. You're having a panic attack. You need to breathe, you're going to hurt yourself if you don't."
You shake your head, dislodging the captain's touch.
No. You think with a ragged heave of air. Don't look. Don't look don't look please don't look.
The ground trembles as footsteps draw closer, and there's voice you don't recognize, hands pawing at you, light in your eyes-
You flail blindly, confused, scared, and when a heavy pair of hands lands on your shoulders to pin you it only makes your voice choke out with a frantic cry.
"We need to put her under."
No, no, please don't. Not sleep, not the nightmares-
"Do it."
Price. Captain. No, please-
"It's alright, darling. We've got you. You're okay."
Don't-
A jab, a little pinch on the inside of your arm. You try to make a noise, a whimpering sound of protest. There's a sudden flash of clarity before the darkness, and you open your eyes (When did you start crying?) to Price above you, his face pinched, distraught. Ghost is holding down your legs, and as your eyes drift to him he becomes nothing more than a shimmering phantom, blurred dark at the edges, a void in contrast to the too bright world around you.
"Please-" You whisper, the word heavy on your lips, eyes blinking-
Then there's nothing.
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Tag List: (Reblog this post to be added to future fics from this series! If you'd like to be removed please DM me!)
@dankest-farrik @zwiiicnziiix @moondirti @sritashimada @ladiilokii @yeyinde @sandinthemachine @verdandis-blog @guyfieriiifierriii @fan-of-encouragement @starlitnotes
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ofoceansandtombsanew · 2 months
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I Cherish You, Halcyon Days: i.
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“You’re gonna die, kid. In the worst way possible.”
tags: afab!reader (she/her), angst, slow burn
pairing: gojou x reader + onesided!getou x reader
summary: You’re 15 years old when you’re told you’re going to die. You’re 17 years old when you realize who your killer will be. And you’re 17 years old when you make peace with the fact you wouldn’t want it any other way.
index | previous chapter | next chapter
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"[First]... [First]. Hey wake up!"
You blink blearily, just barely catching your chin with your palm. "Sorry," you mumble, closing your eyes once more. You open them once more when Shoko raps her knuckles against your desk again. "'m still kinda out of it."
Yours was the start to a very trying day.
First and foremost, you overslept and missed breakfast.
You were still tired.
And most irritating of all, you had a headache ー you forgot to drink water before and after going to bed, sue you.
While you're still cognizant, you whip out your phone to text your friends. What a waste, you sigh. There aren't any missions to go on today either. Originally your plan was to head out once classes were over for the day and meet up with your non-sorcerer friends in the city. Eat at Johnny's, maybe go to an arcade and watch a movie with the money you had leftover. With how you're feeling presently though, you much preferred laying down and immediately going to sleep. "This sucks," you fail to fight back on a yawn. "I wanted to see what's been going on with everybody from my old school too." You yawn again.
Me: I'm not gonna be able to make it, sorry. Can we meet up another time instead? Have fun without me (T^T)
Chinatsu: aww that sucks. Do you think you'll be free next weekend? We can do something for your birthday!
Your smile is small yet doubtful as you text back an 'I promised my aunt that I'd visit her next weekend to celebrate so it might be a while til then.'
If there's one simultaneous benefit and drawback to attending Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College, it's that your schedule is sporadic enough that you it's never consistent what you might be doing on a day-to-day basis let alone week-to-week. Some mornings you'll find out classes are canceled for the next few days and other times you think you're home free to bullshit for the weekend only for Fujioka-sensei to pop up and say you and Shoko have a mission that'll take up the entirety of your free time. As far as your old friends from Tsubame High were concerned though, you somehow got yourself a scholarship for a bigshot religious school with a limited number of students and hellish expectations for said students.
"Look at [First] getting herself into some fancy rich kid private school," Tooru said when you broke the news to your friends you'd known since middle school that you'd be transferring to Tokyo Jujutsu Tech.
Chinatsu: Look at [First], not having too much time for the little people!
"It's pretty unusual for you to sleep in," Shoko's comment brings you out of your nostalgic stupor.
Me: Yeah who are you again?
"Yeah, I know," once you quickly type in your reply, you finally shove your phone back into your pants pocket. If there's a definitive benefit to attending Tokyo Tech, it's the customizable uniforms. You went for the boys uniform at this particular school. It felt like it would be the most practical decision when you'd be running around fighting cursed spirits. And with it being fall, the winter solstice being a couple weeks away, wearing pants felt like the best long term investment you could have come up with. Not to mention, you looked good in it. "It's not like I had any trouble getting to sleep though."
"Bad dream?"
"I don't know I can't remember it," you shrugged trying to recall whatever it was you were dreaming about. It's all hazy, not even the most significant parts scratching at your brain coming through the fog. "I don't think it was bad though. Maybe it was about my husband. I'm still mad they killed off his character in Anaconda 2 last year, can you believe that shit? He was the finest dude in the movie!" When you hear a snicker coming from your right, you shoot a glare towards the culprit with snowy white hair. "Like Inoue Waka even knows who you are, please shut up."
"At least my celebrity crush lives in my country," Gojou snickers back with a shit-eating grin. "Running into Morris Chestnut in Japan? Doesn't seem all that likely. Ah the delusions of young children."
"You are literally only two days older than me, you are making this way too big a deal."
Although Suguru releases a breath of exasperation, there's a smile gracing his features. "Well you can't be that tired if the two of you can bicker like this. Just try not to tear each other apart next week when the party hits. It's your special day after all."
Ah yes, the party. The brilliant idea that the first and second year teachers, Fujioka and Yaga, came up with on the fly yesterday on December 1st.
When you were told that there was a small number of students at this school, you didn't realize how little there would be going in. Among the first year students, you're quite literally only one of four. The previous second year student, Okita, died two months ago leaving the current number of second year students at 0. There's quite literally only two third year students in Utahime and Mei Mei. And as for 4th year students, there is only one ー Yamada.
The ratio of non-jujutsu sorcerer to sorcerer was shockingly out of balanced if there were only seven students at your school. Because of that, the teachers made sure to celebrate every student's birthday. A party, cake, presents, the whole shebang. No class, no missions. Just a day of setting up the dorms for a party while the one turning a year older had to either leave campus and wander around until it was time for their party, or sit around doing nothing around campus until someone came to get them.
It wasn't too long ago when you were all celebrating Shoko's birthday on the 27th of last month.
It was her party with her cake and her presents.
But you? The teachers had a special idea in mind for you. Because in a school of seven students where two of them were born within days of each other, why have two separate parties when you could make it one and cheapen the cost?
One party with one cake and a mixture of presents for you both to tear open at the same time.
Gojou is December 7th.
You're December 9th.
They'll just celebrate both on the 8th and call it a day.
When it came down to it, you understood the principle behind the plan. You could even get behind it. It's just that if somewhere to ask if you liked Gojou Satoru, your answer would be an irrevocable 'no'.
Hell, you'd answer 'no' even if no one did ask.
Gojou Satoru is impossible for you to like from his stupid sunglasses to his shit-eating grins. Even worse is his arrogance. Because apparently, there's no one in the world of jujutsu you were scouted into that didn't know who Gojou Satoru is. Born merely two days before you, Gojou Satoru's birth changed the state of the jujutsu world. "He's basically like the jujutsu sorcerer version of Jesus," Shoko explained when you asked why everyone seemingly made a big deal over him.
I don't like him at all.
You're the odd man out in your class, though, you begrudgingly force yourself to accept all over again during lunch. Despite your less than stellar review of the boy, Suguru and Shoko got along just fine with him.
Gojou had always been obnoxious about the fact you were born a couple days after him when you found out you shared a month of birth. It is just that with your birthdays being right around the corner of next week, he is being especially intolerable. He even came to wake you up this morning when you overslept, forcing Gojou Satoru and his blue eyes that were partially obscured by his sunglasses to be the first thing you saw that morning. Clearly a premonition that today was going to be a mess when he all but sang "morning, junior, you're gonna be late to class at this rate!"
By the gods, I wanna punch him so much. I don't care if he's Jujutsu Jesus, he just thinks he's hot shit because he has blue eyes.
At the very least, you can rest easy in knowing the fact that the feelings of dislike are mutual.
Gojou Satoru is strong, it's an irrefutable fact no matter how much you'd like to deny it. He's strong and in turn, the strong are the only ones Gojou respects. You apparently don't make the cut.
And that's fine. Strength came in all sorts of ways. (An argument the two of you have already had with one another where Suguru said you both would just have to agree to disagree.) You disliked Gojou Satoru but you could live with the fact that, at the very least, you were going to be stuck together for four years. Because even if he was strong, life sometimes paid you back with small moments of grace where someone put the golden boy of the Gojou Clan in his place.
"Just so you know, Takamatsu Akira is visiting again," Shoko's voice pulls you back into the present.
You raise an eyebrow at the unfamiliar name, "never heard of 'em."
"He's a sorcerer that can see glimpses of a person's future when he looks at them," Suguru answers in her stead over a sip of his oi ocha. "He's apparently at the school today for some sort of meeting."
"Hands off the goods," your eyes widen in amazement as you quickly smack away Gojou's hand from your lunch. "Really? And it's all accurate too?"
"He's a major asshole, though," the white-haired boy hisses with a pout. You roll your eyes. I'm not sure how reliable your words are if you of all people are calling someone an asshole. Your incredulousness must show on your face because Gojou's next words are, "seriously! He only tells people he thinks have interesting futures anything about it."
"And?"
"Satoru's just mad because apparently his future isn't interesting," Suguru smirks, smugly welcoming his best friend's unamused side eye. "He told me about mine though."
You bite back a snort when your curiosity to know Suguru's fortune wins. "What did he say about it?"
Suguru touched his chin thoughtfully, recalling back the day he met the seer. "He said that one day I'll be stuck at a crossroads between two paths and make a life changing decision," he pauses dramatically and you lean forward in anticipation. "That's all he told me though."
Damn it.
The brown-eyed boy chuckles but he shoots you a look of amused sympathy, "he never really tells you too much about it apparently. I was disappointed too."
"Did he ever tell you anything about your future, Shoko?" You ask your class' resident slacker.
Shoko shook her head, bob gently moving with her. "I'm one of the boring ones too," she says with a lazy wave of her hand. "Like Gojou."
"Don't worry, my friends," Suguru places a hand over his chest and bows with far too much grace and humility. "I alone will shoulder the burden of having an interesting future. Unlike Satoru."
You choke, unable to stop yourself from chortling this time. Whatever Gojou sputters in his self-defense, you don't hear it over the sound of your own laughter. "Maybe he'll tell me about my future too," you sigh when your giggles subside. You sincerely doubt it, but it's fun to think about the possibilities. I want an interesting life plot twist, like the reveal I'm actually a long-lost member of some royal family he just won't tell me which one.
"He'll probably stop by because you're here," Shoko rests her chin on her palm. You were the newest in your class, starting a month later than the rest. "He likes seeing if new students will have interesting futures ahead of them."
"Don't get too excited, [First]," Gojou quickly rains on your parade with a lot of arrogance for someone whose future is apparently so boring a seer won't even talk to him about it. "I'm the most interesting person in this place and he won't even talk to me. So who knows what sort of reaction you'll get."
"Oh quit being bitter that your future is gonna be boring, asshole," before any other quips and gripes can be exchanged, the class door slides open abruptly. You look over with a start, wondering if it's your teacher when you see it isn't. The man is a bit younger than Yaga but his hair is already graying and his eyes are a deep green reminiscent of pine trees. You have a feeling you already know who it is and grin. "You wouldn't happen to be Takamatsu Akira, would you? Gojou here was telling me about his boring future soー" you stop yourself with a shudder when you blinked and realized that man was in front of your face and much too close for comfort.
"Now that is something," the man blinks owlishly, eyes almost glowing in his amazement.
Your discomfort flies away faster than a seagull with someone else's lunch, "really?"
The man leans back with a grin and a snap of his fingers, "really, really."
With that you look at Gojou and stick out your tongue and he sticks his tongue in return.
[First] 1, Gojou 0.
Suguru chuckles and Shoko grins and all the while, Gojou flicks your forehead too quickly for you to react. "Look, hater, it isn't my fault that your future's boring, quit trying to rain on my parade," you snicker, batting your eyelashes. "Mr. Takamatsu, I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me about my future if you don't mind. Before the naysayers get more butthurt than they already are."
"You're gonna die, kid."
With four words, your blood freezes and you find yourself blinking once, twice slowly. It's the matching looks of shock and surprise on your classmates' faces that tells you you heard Takamatsu correctly. Stiffly, you look back at the seer hoping for that revelation to be nothing but a joke, but instead you find yourself looking at a maniacal grin. That grin feels more like a knife in your gut. "In the worst way possible."
The knife sinks deeper into your flesh, twisting.
"Hey," out of the four of you, Gojou is the one who finds his voice first.
Takamatsu ignores the boy with snow white hair as if he's nothing but a minor breeze, "But," he beams like he's only told you that he found a discount at the convenience store. "Because I like you so much, I'll let you ask three questions about it."
"O-okay," you stammer almost instinctively. Like a zombie, you find yourself stumbling onto your feet and Takamatsu nods at the door. These answers will be for you and you alone. You aren't sure what expression you wear on your face as you exit, nor the expressions of your peers. You can't bring yourself to look at them as you follow the future-seeing sorcerer into the halls of your school.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
In the worst way possible.
It's only once you're relatively alone that the seer halts his walking in the middle of the hall to look at you. "Feel free to ask your questions," he tells you. "Your classmates shouldn't be able to hear, even if they keep looking out the door. So ask away," he reassures you, waving his hand nonchalantly.
You glance to your left and sure enough there are three heads leaning out of the door, staring straight at you both. You can't bring yourself to smile reassuringly before you return your gaze to the sorcerer in front of you.
Three questions.
Your first question can only be so obvious. "Howー how do I die?"
Takamatsu's amusement is sapped from his face at that question. "Really?" He yawns with a shake of his head. "That's what you're going to ask? That's quite boring."
Boring? Boring?! It's my life! "Yeah but-"
"You know what, fine," Takamatsu sighs, crossing his arms. He recalls his vision in his mind for a moment before he opens his lips. "You're going to be killed by someone precious to you. Ask me something more… riveting this time."
You blink slowly.
You're going to be killed by someone you care about.
When do I die?
Was it an accident?
On purpose?
Why would they want to kill me?
You don't think those are questions Takamatsu will find intriguing in the slightest. In a panic, you ask the most original question that enters your brain. "Do I die… angry at them?" No. Fucking. Shit, me. "Wait, that was dumb don't answer th-"
"Nope, it counts," Takamatsu clicks his tongue. Maybe it's payback for your first question being so predictable and unoriginal. "And my answer for that is no. Your heart will surprisingly bear no anger towards the person who kills you." A revelation that shakes you to the core. "Well, one question left to go, kid. No more mess ups, I'll take it even if it's something as a dumb as a repeat question."
"Okay, okay," you exhale nervously, biting your lip. I need to think.
You know yourself.
You're selfish at times, who isn't? If it really came down to it though, you know you'd always put someone else's life over your own. You can talk big, you can snort when you watch a movie and say 'yeah sorry, they'd be stuck on their own. I'm not dying in a situation like that, I'd wanna go home'. But you know yourself enough to know that despite thinking it, your feet would inevitably turn towards the other person. Maybe you'd die in the end but you know you'd try your damnedest to get them out.
Why else would you put yourself on the line fighting curses?
Curses were scary.
You'd seen them you're entire life, unable to explain why or what they are to the people around you. Some were tall, some were small and some were so grotesquely horrifying that it made Sadako and Freddy Kreuger look like kittens. Being able to literally shield yourself from them were a saving grace when Rejection came in. Those curses didn't attack often, no they mostly just hung about before choosing some random poor soul to haunt. You just didn't want one touching you or your parents.
Things got a bit better when they sent you to Japan for the summer with your aunt. Apparently that's what happens when you live in a country with a more stable and organized force of jujutsu sorcery. Or maybe it was, begrudgingly, because living in the home court of Jujutsu Jesus kept some curses from wilding out the way they did in your home country.
Either way, your parents relented when you begged for them to let you continue living in Japan with your aunt.
That's how you were prepared for the night your class' test of courage went to shit when a curse showed up and miraculously kept the list of mortal casualties at zero.
But I'd like to think that in a life or death fight where it's me or them, I'd choose me. You shake your head pushing the thought to the side. You almost forgot the most important detail. Your killer will be someone who matters to you. But I won't be mad about it. If it was life or death, I'd choose me. I know that. Stranger on the street or a lifelong sworn enemy. And I know if I was killed by someone I apparently care about, I'd definitely be bitter about it. I'm not that forgiving.
Future you isn't in agreement. Your eyes turn to the ground.
Is it a life or death fight situation or an accident? You open your mouth briefly before closing it again.
They're precious to me.
They're someone I care about.
But I won't be angry.
I mustn't have been trying that hard then, you wet your lips as a light bulb flickers deeply in the recesses of your mind. You couldn't have been. How else could your future self's lack of anger be justified? One day, there will be someone you care for so greatly that even in a life or death battle, you'd still choose them.
You raise your head to look into dark green eyes dancing with amusement, a grin accompanying them. The grin morphs from clear to distorted at the welling of tears in your eyes. I wasn't trying. "I must really love this person, don't I?"
Takamatsu's grin grows even wider, eyes flashing in pleasant surprise. "Yeah," he leans against the wall, crossing his arms. "It seems like you do."
Tears roll down your cheeks like streams into a river yet your arms hang loosely at your side. "That's three questions then," you murmur, throat constricting. You inhale slowly, hold your breath and release before wiping your eyes. "Thank you for answering my questions, Mr. Takamatsu. Lunch is gonna be over soon, so I'm gonna go finish eating now."
You bow before turning on your heel back to your class, your classmates are still there. You don't really care to receive their pity or empathy.
"I'm gonna die, it's gonna suck and that's all he really told me," you say before anyone can ask.
It's hours after classes have ended for the day and you're cooking in the communal kitchen when you see Gojou again.
"Hey," Gojou says and his tone is so serious it startles you. You set your knife down on the cutting board before looking at him. His face doesn't seem right to you and it dawns on you a second later it's because he's frowning and it's not the usual childish frown you're used to seeing. "Don't take what that guy said seriously. Like I said, he's an asshole. He was probably saying all of that to freak you out." There's a pause and Gojou scratches the back of his head, looking uncomfortable in his skin. "So don't, like, cry about it. Takamatsu's a prick."
"Are you," you squint, looking Gojou over suspiciously. "Trying to make me feel better or something in your own weird Gojou way?"
"Someone has to make sure you aren't drowning in their sorrows," Gojou returns to his usual brand of cocky, with a grin. His sunglasses slide down, revealing playful eyes.
"I don't want the comfort then," you roll your eyes and return to chopping your vegetables. "Besides, I don't need it anyways, I'm strong."
"Eeeeh."
Asshole.
"We had this argument before that there's different kinds of strong, you jackass," you argue for argument's sake knowing it's a moot point to argue with someone who vehemently believes otherwise. Apparently he thinks belief in philosophical kinds of strongs is how the weak comfort themselves.
You vaguely notice that in spite of your annoyance, your shoulders aren't stiff and your jaw is loose. Apparently Gojou is good for something, after all. "Strong looks different for different people. A kid is strong when they act tough after tripping. A grown man crying and being open with his emotions is strong," you recount some of the ways you've seen people be strong in your life. You've witnessed strength in various ways in your 15 years of living. "… Even just living despite how hard it can be is strong. But it's whatever, I already know you think that's a load of self-comforting weak crap, don't feel like arguing about it."
Save for the sound of you cutting green celery and the light simmer of the pan, silence falls over the two of you.
"What did you guys talk about when he said you could ask him questions?" Gojou finally asks.
"… nothing important," you mutter back.
When you wake up at 4:30 in the morning the next day, knowing full well there was going to be physical education that day, you decide to ditch class.
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index | previous chapter | next chapter
Extra
In the oneshot I somehow fucked up the timeline by one year. In reality, Gojou was a 1st year in 2005 not 2004.
Also, in the oneshot I said the reader was the baby of the class. I was wrong again. Suguru was actually born in '90, not '89, like I originally assumed. Thus, he's actually the baby of the class. So I removed all mentions of the reader being the class baby. Still, you're younger than Gojou by two days so he is still rather insufferable about that, much to your chagrin.
Compared to the oneshot, now that there is more extended time to look into such things, there will be dives into the reader's non-sorcerer origins, family and friends. I would like to note that the reader isn't from Japan originally in terms of her nationality, but that will be covered in future chapters. Regardless, the reader is ethnically ambiguous for the self-insert convenience!
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shybunnie20 · 1 year
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Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader x Bff!Robin Buckley
★My Masterlist
Summary: Your relationship with Eddie isn't what it used to be. Things take a turn for the worse and he faces the fragility of life when you're left at death's doorstep.
Author's Note: This is the longest one shot I've written so far. I worked on this for two months, so please let me know if you enjoy it! Be sure to reblog, follow, and show some love ♡
Author's Note Cont.: Established relationship. AU with no Upside Down. No use of Y/N. Predominantly angst but has fluffy moments. Bittersweet ending! PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS
Word count: 6.6k
Warnings: Descriptions of physical trauma (of the reader). Heartache, arguing, Eddie being a crybaby, includes swearing.
tags: @protecteddiemunson4vr
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Initially, you were on the fence about moving in with Eddie, it was his childhood home after all. You were worried about imposing and it’s nerve-wracking to officially combine your life with someone else’s.
Wayne assured you that he was happy to leave the trailer to the two of you so that you and Eddie could pursue your lives together. You were considered a part of his family and he knew you’d take good care of his nephew; he expected Eddie to look after you just the same.
Once you had agreed to make the transition, Eddie had to learn to accommodate your needs in the confined space he’d previously shared with his uncle.
You folded your arms and took in the cluttered bedroom. “Can we please take some of these posters down?”
Eddie feigned annoyance with a throaty groan, but beneath it, he was eager to appease you. “Fine, but the Corroded Coffin banner stays up.” With a devilish smile, he pulled you into his embrace.
The unnecessarily secure hug caused a strained giggle to escape you. “Eddieee! That’s too tight!”
He chuckled amusedly and loosened his grip. After nestling his nose into your hair, he hummed with contentment. “This is your castle now, princess.” He pressed a kiss to the crown of your head and sighed. “Someday I’m gonna get you a big house with a yard and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make it happen.”
You smiled and buried your face into his neck. “My home is wherever you are. If we grow old together in this tin can then so be it.”
That was well over a year ago and things are far from how they were. The air, once saccharine, has a sour aftertaste that has failed to melt away as you’d hoped.
Eddie is making every effort to juggle his responsibilities. He plays twice a week at The Hideout with his band, which means frequent late-night practice sessions. Despite being a Hawkins High alumnus, he remains the Hellfire Club Dungeon Master. In addition, he works extended shifts at the auto shop. More often than not, they need all hands on deck, being that it’s the only one in town.
Due to his demanding schedule, you don’t see him much anymore. There’s always something that he has to tend to. By telling yourself that his absence isn’t personal, you’re unknowingly making excuses for your boyfriend’s inability to make time for you.
Each day, Eddie wakes up at the crack of dawn to get ready for work. If you’re lucky, he’ll place a brief kiss on your forehead while you’re tucked under the shabby blankets; not even awake to savor the gesture of waning affection. Most nights, you’re exactly where he saw you last. Fast asleep and worn out from your own job and keeping the mobile home tidy.
The lack of physical intimacy has Eddie feeling rather unsatisfied. On a few occasions, he slipped into bed beside you and his hands searched your body in the dark. It was low to be copping a feel but his self-restraint had been whittled down from exhaustion. You’d pushed his hand away and mumbled in semi-cognizant disinterest. Left rejected and frustrated, Eddie’s hurt feelings have brought on a distant shift in his demeanor. His internal thunder matches the rumble of your own.
At this rate, you’re merely coexisting with one another. Hardly so, given that he’s rarely home. You’ve been nothing but patient and supportive of his copious passions. Truly, you’re glad that Eddie has these things in his life that make him feel fulfilled, you just wish that you were still one of them.
There’s a good chance that communicating will resolve the strain, but you can’t bring yourself to speak up. It’s pathetic to beg for his undivided attention. Thinking that you could tough it out, you’ve broken your own heart by waiting for him to realize how lonesome you’ve been.
Instead of counting sheep, you lay and wonder if it's fate that the two of you have grown apart. Regardless of kismet interpretations, it’s debilitating to continue a masquerade of pretending that this isn’t torturous. You’ve killed a part of yourself to keep this love afloat with no lifeboats in sight.
This relationship is more than its worst moments but you’ve exhausted the idea that this is simply a rough patch. A day where anything changes for the better remains a pipe dream.
You’ve bid farewell to the little moments that once meant so much. Light years ago, Eddie couldn’t bear to have you out of his arms for more than a few minutes. He'd wrap his arms around your waist and whisper sweet nothings in your ear while you washed dishes at the kitchen sink. He would pull you closer by the belt loops of your jeans to kiss you with fervor after just a few short hours apart. At the time, hours felt like an eternity.
It stings, feeling that you’re not missed. Or at least not missed enough for him to make an effort to be home more. You’ve stopped looking for reasons to stay because he hasn’t given you any. But for the sake of it, you give him one last chance.
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Eddie pinky promised he’d be home for dinner tonight. With renewed optimism, you whip up his favorite comfort foods. It feels odd to be cooking after countless weeks of takeout leftovers. You’ve gotten so used to gnawing on cold pizza that eating has lost its significance.
After swiping on a little makeup, you slip into an outfit that’s a step up from your usual sweatpants and t-shirt. The uneasy feeling in your gut bears a striking similarity to how you felt the night of your first date with Eddie. The inexplicable desire to impress him is undeniable. Maybe if you look pretty enough, he’ll remember that you still exist. Ultimately, how the evening goes will determine where you belong. Whether it be in his life or elsewhere. You’re sincerely coveting the former.
Eddie swore on being home by six sharp. Even so, the steam rising off of the hand-cooked meal dissipates as it grows cold. You take a final glance at your watch and concede defeat at the forty-five-minute mark of his tardiness. As much as you hate to admit it, you should’ve known better than to trust that he’d show.
Time has always had a way of throwing it all in your face, but it never fails to wreck you. Just like the days that led to this one, the sun came up and went down. You can’t discern whether it’s what Eddie did or didn’t do. If it was the lack of effort or the intentional cold shoulder. At the end of the day, all of the love is still there but it serves no purpose now.
The chair creaks as you get to your feet. You step into the kitchen and refill your drinking glass at the sink, promptly gulping down the milk-tinted water as a placeholder for the meal you didn’t have. Your skull acts as a cauldron for the boiling hurt and it bubbles to a feverish froth. Before you can stop yourself, you chuck the glass down onto the worn linoleum and jagged shards scatter across the floor. Along with it, you fall to pieces. Your back slams against the cupboard as you slide down until your tailbone meets the floor.
At fifteen minutes to ten, the trailer door slams closed with a thud. Eddie toes off his grimy work boots and notices the romantic setting for two, the plates entirely untouched. It’s immediately evident to him that you went out of your way to put together a special evening that is well past expired.
Eddie’s gaze then finds the broken glass. He inhales sharply and concern coats his lungs. He heads down the hall toward the light emitting from the bedroom and calls out. “My bad for being late, I was-” Eddie reaches the doorway and his sentence drops off when he sees you haphazardly shoving clothes into a duffel bag. “What’re you doing?” He asks, his voice sewn tightly with puzzlement.
Mutely tugging open the top drawer of the dresser, you grab a fistful of socks and underwear and tuck it into the bag. Eddie used to be able to finish your sentences, but tonight you’ll be finishing his. You’re already anticipating the bullshit justifications that you’ve heard time and time again.
Eddie becomes frustrated with being blatantly ignored. When you shift to step past him, he blocks the doorway by extending his arm. “I’m talking to you. Where are you going?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” You look into his hardened eyes, your own marbled with inflamed crimson veins. “But there’s no way I’m staying here.”
There’s a throbbing in his ribcage at the sight of how visibly saddened you are. Finally being confronted with the consequences of his actions, Eddie swallows hard. “You can’t be serious.” 
“Does it look like I’m joking?” Your icy stare falters with the release of a shaky exhale. “I'm done waiting around for you.” Eddie’s expression only adds insult to injury, the fucking nerve of him to play dumb right now.
He throws his head back and scoffs, “Give me a break, I didn’t mean to be late! I was the only one closing tonight.”
Unconvinced, you mutter, “Uh huh,” while ducking beneath his blockading limb.
Eddie scoffs louder this time. “Okay, I see how it is. You think I’m lying.”
You don’t care if he’s telling the truth or not. Even with all of the space that’s amassed between the two of you, there’s no room for honesty. Eddie continues to prod while you rummage through the bathroom drawers gathering necessities.
The beat of your heart thumps wildly in your ears. All the while, your bones have caught a fever, and the fire in your chest spreads, charring your throat as the flames continue to climb. The blistering smoke irritates the backs of your eyes, causing tears to reform and your nose to run.
Eddie makes a sound of artificial amusement and it reverberates off of the shallow walls as he follows you to the living room. “Convincing performance, babe. You’re really sellin’ it, but you can put the bag down now, alright? I get it. I learned my lesson.”
While putting on your shoes you swallow a whimper. Your backbone is coming apart at the seams, but you refuse to express how distraught you truly are.
Folding his arms across his chest, Eddie continues. “Are you seriously making this big of a deal over one missed dinner?”
You stand and take a step toward him, accusingly pressing your pointer finger to his chest. Applying enough pressure that your nail leaves an indentation. “If you think this is because of one dinner, you’re fucking delusional.”
The hinges on the front door squeal as you push it open and walk outside. For far too long all you’d wanted was him, but now being in the same room is unbearable.
Eddie treads on your heels, descending the concrete steps out into the ill-lit trailer park. “Can you not be so overdramatic for once in your life? This is ridiculous. C’mon, let’s just go back inside and talk it out.” 
“There’s nothing to talk about.” You growl while jamming the keys into the door of your car and tossing the duffel bag onto the passenger seat. It’s not improbable that if he begged you right now, you’d give in. Part of you is relieved that he isn’t on his knees because you’d never be able to walk away otherwise. Without sparing another glance in his direction, you reverse and steer out of the trailer park.
Cemented in place, Eddie’s socked feet press into the rocky gravel. The lights from the neighboring mobile homes flare like lasers as tears deluge his vision. The utter disbelief that you’re leaving him causes a surge of nausea to churn in his abdomen. What the hell just happened?
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As luck would have it, Robin answers when you ring her doorbell. “Hey! Oh- you look like shit.”
Your shoulders slump with the bow of your head, feeling just as shitty as you look. “Yeah, thanks.”
“Errr, sorry. Come on in.” Robin insists, stepping aside for you to enter her home.
The two of you plop down on her living room couch and share a short-lived silence before unpacking the evening’s sequence of events. To the best of her ability, Robin digests your nonsensical blubbering about how you didn’t want to ask Eddie to give up the things he loved.
Half a box of tissues later, you’ve calmed some. “I feel like such a fucking idiot.” You sniffle and fiddle with a loose thread on your sleeve. “Y’know, I can’t even remember the last time we showered together. He treats me like a roommate. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t in love with me anymore.”
Robin frowns. “I don’t blame you. I’m sorry that you’re going through this.” She takes your hand in hers and squeezes it reassuringly.
Shortly after you’d left Forest Hills, Eddie did the same. He figured taking a joy ride down the streets of Hawkins could help clear his conscience. With heavy metal crackling from the stereo, he drives down the sparsely illuminated avenues. In an attempt to escape from his bleeding reality, he focuses on the beat of the music; tapping the steering wheel with his sterling silver-adorned digits.
This is the worst fight you and Eddie have ever had. Sure, there have been trivial arguments over him leaving water on the bathroom floor after taking a shower. Not to mention, Eddie was particularly explosive about you misplacing his belongings while cleaning the trailer. However, it has never gotten heated to the extent that either of you stormed off.
As much as you appreciate Robin’s hospitality, you feel that you’ve overstayed your welcome. Especially since she has to work in the morning. On your way out, you hug her firmly to convey your gratitude. “Thanks for being such a good friend, Robin. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Robin rests her arms on the car door as you settle behind the wheel. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”
With a nod, you force a grin as a semblance of emotional stability. “I’m a big girl, I’ll be alright.”
“Yeah, but still. At least let me know when you get to the motel.” With a sympathetic expression, Robin pushes the door closed and watches as you back out of the driveway. 
Truthfully you would rather stay at Robin’s place than at a crusty motel, but you can’t bring yourself to burden her with your hardships. The radio hisses with a channel teasing to stick. A faint melody fades in and out of the static as you concentratedly twist the tuning dial to find the sweet spot. While preoccupied, you fail to notice that you’re driving through a four-way intersection.
Glass rains down like hail when the driver’s side door is struck. The echo of skidding tires halts as your vehicle comes to a complete stop, the passenger side crushed inward by the thick trunk of a tree. The other driver stumbles out into the street, disorientated by whiplash. They frantically shout for help and flag down a car that pulls up to the intersection.
It’s not long before the accident is encircled by emergency responders. Dismal gray columns of smoke lift into the air as the engine’s inferno heats the mangled steel frame that cages your scathed body.
Meanwhile, Eddie ventures to decompress at the private spot he used to frequent with his trusty lighter and a single lazily rolled joint. As he turns the corner of Highland and Chestnut, he’s taken aback by the twirling red and blue streams of light.
The firemen work skillfully to free you from the burning structure. Secured by your seatbelt, you’re slumped forward in your seat; your chin digging into your clavicle. The blaze roaring just inches away caresses you, leaving fiery kisses across your skin. Even so, the warmth gradually drains from your complexion as you begin to sink into the earth to lie forever. Death coaxes you with its enticingly bitter embrace and you're lured beyond control.
Eddie’s van slows as he drives past the scene. The catastrophic sight is unsettling but he can’t take his eyes off of the sparks from the jaws of life that cut the driver’s side door from the frame. It’s far too dark to make out what models of cars are involved.
By the looks of it, there’s a slim chance that whoever is being pulled from the vehicle will survive. There’s a morbid sense of comfort in knowing that he’s not the only one having an awful night. More than anything, he’s glad it’s not him who got into an accident.
Lakeside with the doors wide open, Eddie lies in the back of his van. He drags an ample hit from the joint, striving to cloud away the image of the ecstatic look you gave him when he’d assured you that he would be home on time. Eddie hasn’t seen you that excited in longer than he can remember. He wonders how this evening would’ve gone if he’d kept his word.
The argument replays, and it’s the frailty in your voice that’s penetrating deep into his memory. Eddie convinces himself that it was just a bad fight because that’s what couples do. You’ll come back in a day or so, you’ll hug and make up, and your lives will go back to normal.
Except that‘s exactly what got him into this situation. Things cannot go back to how they were, he has to do better. You deserve to be prioritized and he realizes that now.
Rattling fills the ambulance as it speeds over fragmented pavement caused by the most recent blackberry winter. Strapped on the gurney, you lie motionless. Catatonic, in essence, you're wading in and out of consciousness. Even though your eyes are practically swollen shut, you can see. Though, it’s like looking out of a frosted window. A pearlescent film alters the clarity and runs red due to the blood trickling down from the gash in your eyebrow.
The gurney wheels wobble as you’re rushed down the corridors of the hospital, lungs struggling for air as the bag valve mask offers little assistance to your labored breathing. Under the knife, the surgeons struggle to contain the internal bleeding and operate tirelessly to keep you alive.
After smoking himself as numb as physically possible, Eddie glances at his watch which indicates that it’s half past midnight. He zones out during the drive home and focuses on the painted white dashes that repeatedly disappear under his van. Once he stumbles back into the trailer, it feels exceptionally vacant and the silence is deafening.
Be that as it may, he’s bone-weary from the weed and the strenuous shift at work. Ultimately, he decides he’ll go to bed and deal with his emotions tomorrow. It’s probably for the best since he tends to make poor choices when he’s overtired.
Eddie shucks off the layers of denim and leaves them in a jumbled pile on the floor. His high has broken sooner than he preferred, which makes it difficult to doze off. For a while he tosses and turns on his side of the bed, respecting that the other side still belongs to you.
He listens to the sounds that he’d forgotten about. The crickets outside the window chirping like an off-tempo symphony, the buzzing of the outdated refrigerator in the kitchen, and dogs barking off in the distance. All of the sounds blend to create a foreign cradlesong, lulling him into the twilight of his mind. Your steady breathing is the lullaby he longs for. Shortly after his restless adjusting, exhaustion overtakes him.
Post-operation, the humming machine beside you controls respiration as you lie in the hospital bed. The cocktail of painkillers in your system has buried you into the bottomless oblivion of unconsciousness. Cessation of internal bleeding is a miracle in itself, but being put in a medically induced coma isn’t exactly a triumph.
Due to having broken ribs, the expansion of your chest is feeble. In order to ensure that you remain stable, the medical staff keeps a close eye.
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The sun has long since climbed the horizon. Eddie sleeps well past noon due to his body taking the time it required to achieve a relatively homeostatic state. Last night, he was supposed to have an intimate dinner, make love to you, and wake up with you wrapped in his arms. Instead, he was tormented by the fact that not only failed you but his uncle as well. He was raised better than to take your love for granted.
Eddie finds his hands searching for the comfort of your warmth, only to be met with chilled bedsheets. Given that you didn’t come home, he’s quick to remember the unsteadiness he saw in your eyes. Eddie caught a glimpse of the exposed nerve that was worn down to the point of you giving up on him, and he hates himself for it.
He feels vexed that you didn’t express how you’d been feeling. Regardless, he should’ve known damn well that he was running the risk of losing you. Eddie has to figure out where you wound up and think of a way to make things right. One thing is for sure, Eddie refuses to go a single day without you.
After getting out of bed, he pulls on a questionably clean outfit plucked from a heap on the floor. Hell, it passes the sniff test. Correctly assuming that you went to Robin’s after the fight, Eddie snags his keys off of the kitchen counter and sets out to locate you.
When he arrives at Robin’s place, he’s met with an empty driveway. A tinge of worry casts a shadow but Eddie fights off the pessimistic thoughts that pelt him like an air raid. Without stopping, he drives to Family Video. Eddie suspects that Robin is at work if her car isn’t at home, but that leaves your car unaccounted for.
Distracted by the cyclone of desperation stirring powerfully within him, Eddie nearly trips when he hops out of his van. He strides through the double doors and leans his forearms against the front counter.
Robin appears from the back room having been beckoned by the door chime. She stops in her tracks and a bewildered expression forms on her freckled face.
“What’s that look for?” Eddie asks regarding her strong reaction to his presence.
“Uh- nothing.” She resumes her path to the counter and sits in front of the computer. Her fingers clack away on the keyboard to log returns into the system.
Eddie rubs the back of his neck and shifts his focus to a scuff on the surface of the countertop. “I think it’s safe to assume you’re already aware of what went down.” He pauses to take a deep breath. “She stayed with you last night, right?” If Eddie knows anything about you, it's how much you confide in your best friend. It’s a fair assumption, given that’s precisely where you went.
“No, she didn’t,” Robin says snappily, baffled by how inappropriately relaxed he’s acting right now. What is he even doing here?
Eddie’s brows furrow and he raises his head to look at her. “What do you mean no? Where’d she go then?”
Robin stops typing to look at him. “Wh- Do you not know?” When she learned of your incapacitation, she thought that surely Eddie had already found out.
His posture goes rigid as he straightens from his leaning position. That’s not a sentence that ever leads to promising news.
Swiveling on the stool, Robin cocks her head in disbelief at the lost look on Eddie’s face. “She’s in the ICU.”
Blood rushes to Eddie's head and his ears begin to ring like a pipe bomb just went off in the video store. “What? Where’d you get that idea?”
“I guess she had me listed as her emergency contact, I got the call this morning.”
Eddie shouts vehemently, “And you didn’t think to tell me that?!”
Robin raises her hands defensively. “I thought you knew!”
Already having spun around, Eddie dashes through the doors and hops back into his van. Going twenty miles per hour over the legal limit, he speeds down the drabby roads of Hawkins. Luckily he finds an open parking spot in the crowded lot of the hospital.
Following the wall directory that indicates where the intensive care unit is located, Eddie runs faster than he thought he was capable of. He conquers the lengthy stairwells thanks to the adrenaline pumping through his veins. His eyes scan his surroundings while he blindly navigates the polished hallways.
Eddie fails to heed the “medical personnel only” sign and barges into the unit. A voice calls out for security and addresses his intrusion. “Young man, you can’t go in there!”
Frantically inspecting the area, he spots your name listed on a board. The sharp pang in his side from being out of shape isn’t phasing him in the slightest. When Eddie passes the threshold to the room you’re in, his heart is gouged from his chest; ripped clean from the cavity at the sight before him.
Wrapped in bloodied gauze, your complexion is hellishly bruised with raisin and rust-colored burns. The array of discolored hues makes you look like a well-loved doll that’s been drawn on with a permanent marker.
All Eddie can muster is an exasperated “Oh, sweetheart...” with a wobbly lower lip as tears well in his eyes. He reaches for your hand, but just as his fingertips are about to graze yours, he’s yanked backward by a security guard.
“Get your fucking hands off me!” Eddie wails. "Let me go!” His composure disintegrates as he tries to free himself from the guard’s unrelenting grip. The resistance only lasts a few seconds before Eddie’s muscles give out and he’s dragged away.
Astonishingly, Eddie respects the stern warning he receives. He knows that if he impedes, it’ll make things worse for you. He’s done enough damage as is.
In the third-floor waiting room, Eddie settles into the chair in the far corner. Sitting near the window would provide him with vitamin D, which would help him feel a little brighter, but he intentionally avoids it. He won’t allow himself to feel the glow of the sun when you’re clinging to life by the skin of your teeth.
The room is no larger than fifteen by eleven feet and has a sterile atmosphere that makes Eddie feel rather uneasy. The adrenaline dwindles from his system, allowing him to drift off while resting in the firm armchair. Understandably, considering he didn’t sleep well last night without you beside him.
Over the course of the day, the respiratory analysts run tests to determine whether you can be weaned off of the ventilator but you’re still unable to breathe unassisted.
“Mr. Munson?” A tall, older male doctor asks flatly.
Eddie stirs, his frizzy curls flying as he shakes away the drowsiness weighing on his eyelids. “Yeah, yes. That’s me.” He rubs his eyes with his fists and sits up. “How’s she doing, is she alright?”
“Well, the acute agonal respiration has…”
Eddie stares blankly as the medical jargon goes in one ear and out the other. It sounds like an entirely different language, he has no fucking clue what the doctor is talking about. Eddie is trying his best to comprehend the complex terminology.
“...a coma has been induced to allow her a better chance at healing. With that, we’re hoping to see a reduction in brain swelling. Though I do regret to inform you that the likelihood of her waking is a matter of if, not when.’
It feels like the roof is crashing down on Eddie, thrusting him through the layers of the earth until he reaches the molten outer core. Grief eats away at his sweat-slick skin, causing a loss of feeling in his fingertips as if the blood in his veins slows to a crawl.
“...If she does rouse, there’s a likelihood that she’ll experience anterograde amnesia.”
Eddie scoots to the edge of his seat and runs his palms roughly down his face. “Amnesia? Does that mean she won’t remember me?” He gulps sorely and his eyes form a glassy sheen at the notion of everything that the two of you shared being lost forever. He doesn’t even want to imagine what his life would be like without you.
The doctor opens and closes his hand as if to catch Eddie’s concern as it floats through the air. “No, no. She shouldn’t have difficulty with memory retrieval. Consolidation is what may be impacted. Only temporarily, we hope.”
With a disheartened “thank you” from Eddie, the doctor excuses himself. The strength that had kept Eddie’s tears at bay dwindles and he slumps back into the chair, sobbing noisily. He sinks his top teeth into his knuckles in an attempt to muffle the whimpers that tumble from his lips. What is he supposed to do now? Is he going to start praying to a god he doesn’t believe in?
With his optimism beyond pulverized, Eddie is overcome with the fear of losing you. How could he have let something like this happen? While managing the chaos of the present, Eddie lost sight of his future. You.
To say he’s regretful would be a substantial understatement. As Eddie realizes that you were in the burning car that he’d driven past, he feels like he’s going to be sick. The sensation is so strong that he keeps a small trash can nearby just in case. 
Beyond the thick panes of glass, the setting sun brushes the horizon and leaves the sky a flushed pink. Eddie attempts to talk some sense into himself. As difficult as it is, he takes on the responsibility of notifying your friends and family by phone call. Of the many, one call goes out to Robin.
As soon as she’s able, Robin arrives to provide Eddie with the emotional support he desperately needs. Few words are exchanged as Eddie drifts in and out of crying fits. She sits beside him and strokes his back reassuringly while he hiccups and coughs.
Robin hasn’t witnessed Eddie this perturbed before. It’s evident to her how sincerely in love he continues to be with you even though he neglected to express that when it mattered most.
A twister of bleak thoughts rips through Eddie’s mind, turning his mental state to rubble. It’s hard to process each emotion individually when they’re all equally loud. At this point, all he can think about is the little things that he may never get to do again. One particular memory stands out from the rest.
In the moments after Eddie made love to you for the first time, you laid in his bed on your stomach; naked, drowsy, and utterly satisfied. You looked ethereal to him. Eddie traced the contour of your spine with the tips of his fingers while you slept. He tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear to admire your sleepily blissed-out expression. Thereupon, Eddie knew that you were the most important aspect of his life and that wouldn’t change.
As much as she'd like to, Robin can't stay all night. After sacrificing her evening to console him, she has to go home. Which leaves Eddie by his lonesome once again. It’s a rough night but somehow he manages to catch some shut eye.
Come morning, the staff still won’t allow Eddie to visit you. He rings Robin and Wayne to update them when he receives the slightest bit of information. There’s no regression in your condition, but that offers little relief.
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In the following days, Eddie camps out in the waiting room. Forfeiting his comfort for the sake of being there for you. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he wasn’t there in the event that you needed him. After four days drag by, you’re finally capable of breathing without the assistance of the mechanical ventilator.
“Mr. Munson, would you like to see her now?” A nurse asks.
Eddie’s eyes widen with the desperate nod of his head. “Fucking finally.” He murmurs to himself.
Now that you’re no longer in critical condition, you’ve been situated in a room outside of the ICU. The nurse leads Eddie to the room and he hesitates outside the doorway. Up until now, he wanted to see you more than anything. But now that he can, he’s petrified. Taking the deepest breath he’s ever taken, he enters.
The blunt discomfort in his ribs is alleviated by how pretty you look. You’ve been cleaned up, which makes you appear less mangled than you did when he saw you last. Eddie's movement resembles a shuffle and his eyes switch between your face and his dirty sneakers. As if trying not to startle you, he carefully pulls up a seat at your bedside to absorb his new reality.
The steady beep of the heart rate monitor brings consolation because it reminds him that you are in fact still alive. Your unmoving hand is gently taken into his trembling palm. Eddie handles it delicately, knowing how fragile you must be.
He contemplates in silence, unsure if you would even be able to hear him if he did talk. Surely, you must be in there somewhere. In a circumstance like this, what would be the right thing for him to say?
The pad of Eddie’s thumb strokes your knuckles with a featherlight touch and his burnt caramel irises are downcast in chagrin. He can’t bring himself to look at you for very long, feeling that he doesn’t deserve to because he hurt you.
With his gaze remaining fixed downward, his other senses heighten in the hopes of detecting a subtle twitch or quiver. Any kind of indication that you know he’s there and that he promises to be by your side for as long as he lives.
Your motionlessness is killing him, but you look agonizingly peaceful. Beneath the plum-colored bruises, stitches, and scabs, you’re still the beautiful girl he treasures. Eddie whispers, “my sweet angel,” as he places a kiss on the back of your hand.
The tears that run astray trickle down his cheeks, each salty droplet holding a memory. Eddie isn’t ready for you to become a real angel. If you do, he’ll spend the rest of his life searching for white feathers and shapes in the clouds. Eddie will endlessly scour for signs that you’re watching over him.
Thirty minutes pass before he finally garners the courage to speak. “I don’t really know where to start, this feels kinda silly. But first and foremost, I owe you an apology.” Eddie tries to swallow the stale air that's making his throat feel brittle. “Sweetheart, I am so sorry. I know that probably doesn’t mean shit. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself, so I don’t expect you to.”
With his free hand, Eddie wipes his cheeks with the hem of his shirt. “If I’m being honest, I’m fucking terrified that you aren’t gonna wake up. I miss you so god damn much. I can’t imagine how tired you are, and if you wanna let go… It’s okay.”
Eddie can feel pressure building behind his eyes as the tears threaten to fall faster. He blinks them away and tries to stay focused. “But I want you to stay, baby. I’m not done being selfish yet, I need you to come back to me. Please come back. I promise I'll treat you better this time.”
It feels like he’s on a bullet train, the outside world soaring by at lightning speed while the hospital room is eerily stationary. “I swear to god, I’ll never make you feel alone like that again. No more broken promises either.” Eddie hooks his pinky finger with yours, solidifying his word.
There’s a knock at the door and Eddie peers over his shoulder. A nurse enters with a full rally bag and a roll of bandages. "You'll need to step out for a moment."
Eddie is unwilling to leave your side, but he knows he shouldn’t interfere. When he rises from his seat, he gives your hand a brief kiss. Eddie glances behind him before leaving and thinks as if saying to you, “I’ll be right back, princess. Don’t be scared.”
As the nurse is refreshing your bandages, Eddie wanders until he happens upon the gift shop. He purchases a wimpy bouquet with the pocket change he has on him. When he’s allowed to return to your room, he places the vase on the utility cart beside the bed. Even though you’re unable to see them, Eddie tells himself that you like them.
From thereon, Eddie never leaves your side. He doesn’t care about the awful nicotine withdrawal or how much he misses his mattress, there’s not a chance in hell that he’s going to be separated from you longer than absolutely necessary. Your hand never leaves his for as long as he's sitting at your bedside.
The staff takes pity on him and brings him ham and cheese sandwiches. Eddie struggles to eat one-handed but he makes it work. He wonders if you’re hungry, considering you’re surviving off of IV mixtures. He misses eating junk food with you and licking the cheese dust off of your fingers on movie nights.
Eddie’s sanity gradually slips due to being confined to the small room, but having visitors is keeping him relatively sane. Over the remainder of the week, the atmosphere vibrantly evolves. The gifts from Wayne, the Hellfire Club members, and your family bring a spiritedness similar to that of a blooming field of spring flowers. Themed balloons, greeting cards, and assorted floral arrangements line the windowsill.
Robin buys you a stuffed monkey that she names Bananas and it stays tucked under your arm. She stops in every other day, usually bringing Eddie clean clothes from home. Robin keeps you company while he takes brisk showers in the private bathroom. She even brings nail polish and paints your fingernails your favorite color.
Eddie wishes you could see how incredibly loved you are. In part, he's glad that you’re not awake because you don’t have to bear the damage your body has endured.
His thoughts continue to consume him. Eddie incessantly scolds himself for having ruined the best thing that's ever happened to him. He feels wholly responsible for you being in this state. If he hadn’t fucked up, there wouldn’t have been a fight, and you wouldn’t have left.
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Eddie is slouched in the same uncomfortable chair that he’s been glued to for two weeks. He’s currently zoned out while mindlessly drawing shapes on your wrist. His eyes are fixed on the western program playing on the outdated television across the room. Eddie is pulled back to reality by the twitch of your fingers in his grasp.
His heart leaps in his chest and his eyes switch to where his hand is joined with yours. Eddie holds his breath, sits up straight, and stares intensely. He’s convinced that he’s just imagining things until there’s another twitch. And another.
Eddie’s eyes dart between your hand and your face, whispering “C’mon, baby. You can do it.”
Your eyelashes flutter as your lids steadily retract, though they don’t open very much. It’s like the storm is dispersing and the sky is pulling itself together as you come to.
Eddie is elated, to say the least. He tries to stay calm because the last thing he wants is for you to be frightened.
“There’s my girl,” He says softly while stroking your arm. Tears of pure joy roll off his cheeks. “Hi, sweetheart.” Eddie sniffles, “I really missed you.”
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Reblogs are greatly appreciated! ♡
★My Masterlist
★Ko-fi ♡
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techhasmjolnir · 4 months
Text
Trivial Pursuit
Plot: It is a dark, stormy night... Wait, let's not use that trope for the millionth time, shall we?
You're home alone thinking your plans for the night are cancelled, but things change quickly when Tech comes home late and wants to pursue what the two of you originally planned...with a major twist neither of you envision.
Author's Notes:
This is my first time crafting a Bad Batch story, let alone a smutty one. I wrote this after receiving inspiration and encouragement from a friend of mine, and I'm quite proud of the final result. I usually don't write anything on a very short scale, so while this is a one-shot story, it is quite lengthy (word count is 12,450).
Some sections have notes in parentheses, listing names of songs and artists I paired with the scenes at hand. I strongly suggest looking them up as you read, in hopes you can make your own connections to the story that much stronger.
Important Notes:
This content is strictly for audiences 18+. The roles in this story assume female readers & Tech. Concepts introduced include: dirty talk, fingering, M & F masturbation, oral sex (giving & receiving), PiV, creampie, female ejaculation, and soft dom Tech.
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Summer nights on Coruscant bring one of two things – either endless, driving rain or nearly unbearable heat and humidity. Tonight is the former; the rain spatters angrily against the windows of your high-rise apartment in the Uscru District. Despite the inclement weather, the entertainment district still bustles with throngs of beings from every corner of the galaxy. You wisely choose to stay in tonight, knowing that you could have been out in any one of the district's numerous clubs, but then you remember that when it rains, the clubs become overwhelmingly claustrophobic with seas of bodies looking to stay dry.
Tech sent you a holo-message earlier in the afternoon, letting you know he wouldn't be home for dinner, as he and the rest of the guys were experiencing a few mechanical issues with the Marauder, and needed to stop for emergency repairs. You're disappointed, because it was supposed to be a stay home date night for the both of you, but you're pragmatic; machines are made to eventually break, and the Marauder is no exception.
Since you're already having dinner alone, you decide to load up your browser with half a dozen scientific journals you'd been meaning to catch up on. Pouring yourself a glass of desert wine (the real deal, too – you'd been lucky to exchange services with someone coming back from Tatooine who had a bottle directly from the Tuskens), you take your dinner and sit on the floor in the immense pile of thick, fluffy blankets you threw down to create a nest, of sorts. You know what will happen. You'll read one article. One becomes three. Three becomes six. Six becomes four hours later.
Who cares?, you think. Tech's not coming home tonight, the weather is shit, and I've nothing better to do than read and possibly get very drunk tonight. Sipping the desert wine slowly, you open the first journal, “Frontiers of Marine Science (Kamino).” You choose this one on purpose. You've been fascinated with Kamino for as long as you've been with Tech, hanging on his every word when he would tell you stories of when he and his brothers were young, and what the Kaminoans are like, although you suspect that there's a great deal he hasn't told you, and likely never will. Down the proverbial ash-rabbit hole you go...
You stare intently at the computer screen, not even cognizant of the last time you blinked. You sigh, and you realize it happened again. Glancing at the clock, you realize it's close to midnight. The wind has picked up even more, howling and threatening to drive the raindrops through the windows. You want to sleep, but without Tech by your side, it will likely be another restless night.
You get up painstakingly, stiff from sitting in one place too long, taking your dishes to the sink and washing them quickly before you turn off most of the lights, except the one that casts ambient blue-green light throughout the entire living room. The sound of the rain is spiking your anxiety and hurting your ears, so you put on some music to try and mask the sounds of the raging tempest outside.
“Much better,” you say to your empty apartment. “Now I can get back to more reading...and maybe I'll fall asleep before four? Fat chance,” you mutter.
Nestling back into your blankets, you pull your computer back in front of you and open the umpteenth article of the night. “Landscape and Urban Planning (Coruscant).” You laugh loudly at the title of this one, given the complete lack of any discernible “landscape” on Coruscant.
“Urban Planning? On THIS planet? Let's see what the so-called “experts” have to say on this topic.” As you delve into the article, you let the background music ease your mind to a more focused state. You'll never sleep if you can't quiet your mind. Tech...where are you? I need you...
(Peter Murphy – All Night Long)
You slip back into your reading easily, and it's not long before you're completely engrossed again. The state of hyperfocus takes over you so much, you don't even hear the tone of your security alarm chiming as it's being deactivated, and the front door sliding open with an audible hiss. Tech stands in the vestibule and reactivates the security alarm before removing his helmet and walking slowly into the living room, bathed in relaxing ambient light. He isn't surprised to see you're still awake; he knows when he isn't home, you rarely sleep more than a few hours.
He stops when he sees you bundled up in the middle of the floor, your computer on the coffee table, your eyes wide and glassy. He knows this look well, because as you're so fond of pointing out to him, he looks exactly the same way when he's working intensely on something. He smiles softly, and waits to see if you'll even look up and notice that he's there. When he notices you're pretty far gone, he chuckles quietly and puts his helmet down on a side table where you've got medical journals piled high. He knows better than to startle you, so he comes into the living room a little more and stops.
“Cyaré...I'm home...I am quite sorry about tonight, but we had a malfunction with the Marauder's hyperdrive and an unscheduled trip deviation was necessary. If it is quite all right with you, I would like to make it up to you...”
You don't acknowledge him and he sighs. He knows you heard him, but nothing has registered. It's been some time since you've been stuck in a hyperfocused state like this, but Tech feels like he's responsible for this one, and it's up to him to ease you out of it. “Cyaré, please...” he tries again. Nothing. His brow furrows and he walks over to the control panel that controls the audio system. The music isn't even loud, but he eases the volume down, and when the raging wind and rain outside is heard once more, it snaps you back to reality.
Blinking hard, you look up from your computer, and you see Tech standing there, arms crossed, looking down at you, and for a moment you could have sworn it was Crosshair in your living room. The switch flips in your mind and you finally realize it's Tech, and while he doesn't look exactly icy, he doesn't look at you with the warmth he normally does.
“Tech...?” you croak, your throat parched. You haven't even remembered to drink any water.
(Sundial Aeon – Iced Melancholy Spectacle)
“Mésh'la, have you been up all night waiting for me? For your sake, I hope you have not. You know how I feel when I find out that you have not been getting proper sleep. I ask you again, were you up all night waiting for me?”
Your pulse quickens as he speaks to you, for his tone is becoming increasingly frigid. You wonder if he's doing this to purposely get a rise out of you, because he knows you're incredibly easy to bait. Many times he uses this tone of voice with you before the two of you engage in sexual relations, because he learned early on in your relationship that he could send you into extended periods of arousal just through that alone.
“Yes...and no, Tech,” you reply meekly. “You know I have a hard time sleeping when you're not here, and the storm tonight has sent my anxiety into overdrive. I thought I could sit here and read until you got back...and with luck, maybe sleep a little before then.”
This answer appears to satisfy him, for he now walks over to you and sits on the couch just off to your side. You catch a bit of his scent as he sits down...metallic, earthy, sweat. Nothing you haven't smelled on him before, but longing for his presence and his touch all night turns those simple scents into potent triggers. Your pulse is still elevated from him speaking to you, and as you turn to look up at him, those beautiful golden brown eyes of his look down upon you, and his face softens with that little grin you've always found to be one of the sexiest things about him.
He leans forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees, and you can see that he's definitely tired. Tired, but not so tired that he isn't interested in spending any time with you now. As he glances at your computer screen, he can see what has to be at least a bare minimum of 30 open tabs in your browser. Moving over so he's behind you, he shifts his legs a little so you're sitting between his feet. His strong hands close on your shoulders, and before you know it, he's firmly massaging them. You've been sitting hunched over for so long, that everything feels taut and pinched.
“Y/N, please do not let this become a habit. I know your mind works very much like mine. But you need your rest.”
You can't help but groan softly as his long fingers manipulate your skin through the material of your light sweatshirt. It doesn't matter if his hands are under his work gloves, or if they're bare...there's something magical about the power of his touch that you can't get enough of. You let your head loll forward as his thumbs dig in around your shoulder blades, and this time you let something more akin to a pleasurable moan escape. Accidental, of course, but you feel like you could melt into a puddle under his ministrations.
“Mésh'la, was that what I think it was?” he asks, amused.
(EN Voice – Hold On)
“What was what?” you reply, confused.
“I think that was more than just a casual groan. Is this turning you on?”
One hand remains to work on your shoulder, but his other hand has now moved down your back slightly, and come around to the front, gently cupping your breast, then closing around it and squeezing lightly as his thumb traces across your nipple.
Your head snaps up as he does this, your back straightening up into his hand, and your eyes close, holding back the moan that desperately wants to leave your throat. This is what you've craved all night, and you bring your hand up over his, holding it lightly as he begins to flick his thumb over you, feeling the tissue grow firm under his touch. You feel a very gentle pulse in your clit, and a tiny contraction inside as he touches you, and this time you let him know how you feel, letting out a soft, feminine moan through parted lips.
“I will take that as a yes, cyaré... Don't hold back anything from me.”
This time he lets go of your shoulder, and his other hand comes around to take your other breast, repeating the process. As your drop the hand over his, you lean back against the couch, your head resting close to his groin. You look up and you can see eyes growing heavy with lust. As he catches your gaze, he takes each nipple and pinches them firmly. You gasp and feel the unmistakable heat beginning to pool between your legs. The first instinct is to reach down and lightly touch yourself, but as you move to do so, Tech takes your wrist firmly and holds it in place.
“I don't think so, mésh'la... Would you like to play a little game with me? It is something we haven't done before, but I have been thinking about it for awhile, and it would be fun for both of us.”
“What kind of game?” you ask dubiously.
“It is a game of intellect...however, there are several rules. The first is that I am the only one that may ask the questions. I know you are well versed in many disciplines, and in the interest of fairness, will keep them based in subjects you know well. The second rule is, you will only have a maximum of three minutes to answer me. The third rule is that if you answer correctly, you must remove an article of clothing. I will also remove something, starting with my armor and gear. When your clothing is gone, each successive correct answer will net you a physical action from me. The fourth rule is that if you are incorrect, or fail to answer at all, everything will stop and you receive nothing.”
“Oh, what?!” you fire back indignantly. “How is THAT fair, Tech?”
“I do believe this is called “being a tease, mésh'la... That is the correct phrase, is it not?”
You sigh a little huffily. “Yes, it is. But...you've piqued my curiosity, and more importantly, by the end of this I want both of us to be in post-orgasmic bliss. You got that?!”
His eyes widen a little at the slight aggression you fire back at him, but he can tell you've been worked up all day, and need some relief soon. He does too, because the thought of him buried to the hilt inside you by the end of the night has been on his mind all day. He feels his cock beginning to stir a little under his codpiece...no time to waste.
(Desert Dwellers & Phutureprimitive – Praise Her, the Fire Keeper (Phutureprimitive Remix))
“Move over a little, Y/N...let me sit next to you. It will be easier this way. Move the table out of the way, too. You know we're going to need the extra space.”
You smile at him cheekily as you shift the coffee table out of the way, leaving plenty of room for both of you. Those long legs of his have zero chance of having room with any furniture in the way. Images of you running your hands up the length of his body, stopping at his hips, pausing to lick and gently suckle on his cock flit through your mind and you feel your face grow briefly hot. We've never had sex in the living room yet... I wonder what kinds of questions he'll ask me?
Tech shifts the blankets around so that he can be next to you, and he stretches out his legs, letting out a groan of his own. Being cramped up in the cockpit of the Marauder all day left him just as stiff and sore as he was sure you were, being in front of your computer all night. You turn to look at him, and he smiles softly at you. What he's really thinking right now is beyond you, but you hope it's something incredibly wicked.
“Are you ready? I will set a timer for three minutes with each question. We will start with something easy, as a warm up. What is the definition of the “instar phase?””
“Tech, come on, this is super easy.” You look at his grinning face, eyes never leaving his as you give your answer: “this is the developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt, until they achieve sexual maturity.”
“Of course, you are correct. Take off your sweatshirt, cyaré...do you have anything else on underneath?”
Without hesitation, you skin off your sweatshirt, and you're wearing the sexy black and red lace bra that Tech would have seen much earlier in the night, had he come home on time. Normally you wouldn't have bothered with a bra if you were planning on being alone at night, but you know Tech is very much a visual creature when it comes to sexual endeavors. You hear him sigh softly as he catches sight of you, and you see him pull off his work gloves, casting them off to the side. All you can think about now is feeling his bare hands on your flesh...your face, your neck, spine, and especially between your legs.
“Have I told you lately how beautiful you are, Y/N? You truly are one of the most exceptional creatures I have encountered in all of my travels.”
You can feel the heat rising in your face, and you're thankful that the ambient light in the room can hide the fact you're beginning to flush, but you know how perceptive Tech is, and he will pick up easily on other visual cues.
“Tech, I...” you begin, but you can't think of anything meaningful to say. How do you follow up after such a grand statement?
He flashes you that sexy grin of his again and you're melting inside. “Next question, love. Are you ready? What are eubacteria?”
It's been awhile since you had to discuss microbiology with anyone, but this was another easy question, and you're wondering if Tech keeps planning on asking easy questions just to get you naked faster. Not like it would bother you if that's the case, but he has more things to take off than you do...
“Eubacteria are simple celled organisms, many with rigid cell walls, often needing a flagellum for movement. They are considered “true” bacteria, along with cyanobacteria. They are often found within the intestines of animals, and can also be found in soil.”
“Very good, love, although you took a little longer to answer this time, and I know you knew the answer easily. Stand up and slowly take your pants off for me.”
Slowly, you rise, and your first inclination is to deeply stretch, because of being on the floor too long. You are tempted to make him wait, but you're afraid if you do, he might stop the game just to make you wait for another time. You hook your thumbs into the waistband of the soft, loose pants you like to wear around the house, and as your eyes lock on his, you begin to sway your hips a little and laugh as you draw your pants down over your hips, then let them drop to the floor. You've got on the matching panties that go with your bra, and you watch Tech's eyes move down to look between your legs.
You know he's wondering if you're wet for him yet, and you watch as he takes off the breastplate of his armor, and everything else off his arms. You can see the musculature of his chest through his blacks, and this time there's no denying that you're aroused. Your clit pulses with heat and you can feel yourself starting to grow wet, as you think about skinning his shirt off, tracing every line of his flesh...burying your head into the crook of his neck and showering him with hot kisses...
(Nor Elle – Silent Storm)
“So much better,” he breathes, running a hand down his chest, letting it rest on his stomach. He looks up and you and his eyes almost seem to shimmer behind his lenses. Oh yes, he's turned on. “Turn around for me, mésh'la, I want to see that beautiful ass of yours.”
You can practically hear the lust dripping in his voice now, and you comply, turning around for him. You're not wearing a thong, but there's very little material, and to sweeten the pot for him, you decide to be a tease. Curling your finger into the material, you lean forward a little and pull your panties aside, so you're completely exposed for him...and now he can see glistening moisture, inviting him home.
Hearing him groan softly and shift around a little as his codpiece suddenly becomes much more restrictive makes you smile. You know what you're doing, and you're damn good at it. Letting the material go, you turn back around and look at him. You look down and see that he's slipped his fingertips just under the material of his blacks.
“Do you have another question for me, or are you in shock right now?” you tease gently.
He laughs and removes his hand from his blacks, letting it rest on his stomach again. The urge to start stroking himself is incredibly strong right now, but this needs to be a waiting game. If he's going to make you wait, he has to, as well. He brings his knees up and puts his other hand behind his head, leaning back against the couch, trying to think of a more difficult question for this round.
“All right, this one is a little more involved, and I do not want you answering in a simplistic fashion. Tell me what happens when an individual suffers a crush injury.”
While you have plenty of knowledge of anatomy and physiology, it's been quite awhile since you've had to draw from it. You're frantically thinking back to your university courses in medical terminology and A & P, trying to remember. You are drawing a serious blank, and you look over at Tech, who smirks at you a little because he can see the creeping panic in your face.
“Time's fleeting, cyaré...you have a minute and a half.”
Fuck, come on! I know this! Why can't I remember it?!
You're looking around the room, grasping at straws, mind racing as you try to give Tech something...anything. You shut your eyes and you're not even conscious of the fact you've slipped a hand between your legs, rubbing your clit through the gossamer fabric of your panties. Tech cocks an eyebrow when he sees you doing this.
“Fascinating, my love, but you're at 45 seconds. I need an answer.”
Your heart is up in your throat, robbing you of your breath, and your voice. Still touching yourself, and feeling your clit pulse beneath your frantic fingertips, the connection is made. You don't know how, but here it is. You have to be at somewhere under 20 seconds at this point, and the minute you open your mouth, it becomes a raging torrent of words. He's not going to rob you of pleasure tonight, and if he wants an answer, he's going to get one!
“It's a reperfusion injury that appears after the release of crushing pressure. The mechanism is believed to be the release into the bloodstream of muscle breakdown products – notably myoglobin, potassium and phosphorus – products of rhabodmyolysis, the breakdown of skeletal muscle damaged by ischemic conditions. Devastating systemic effects can occur when the crushing pressure is suddenly released, without proper preparation of the patient, causing reperfusion syndrome. In addition to tissue directly suffering the crush mechanism, tissue is then subjected to sudden reoxygenation in the limbs and extremities. Without proper preparation, the patient, with pain control, may be cheerful before recovery, but then may suddenly die shortly thereafter. This sudden failure is called the "smiling death." TECH, WHAT THE FUCK?!”
The sudden obscenity catches him off guard, and he can't help but laugh at you, standing there, looking so flushed, with wild eyes and heaving chest. Just to tease you even more, he does a slow clap before speaking.
“I am seriously impressed, mésh'la... Not only did that outburst have the correct answer in it, but you clocked in with just two seconds left. I will not apologize for the question, but I will apologize for inadvertently stressing you to the point where you felt it necessary to touch yourself for me, without me ordering you to do so.”
You feel your cheeks go hot, instantly embarrassed that you've now accidentally shown Tech something you've always done when pushed to your maximum stress levels. “Tech, I...fuck. This is embarrassing. I'm...”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Y/N. I have extensively studied what can happen to people with minds like ours, when we are pushed beyond our ability to cope with certain situations. You acted well within the parameters of normal behavior. That being said, I believe I owe you something now. I'm feeling generous, so for that answer, I'll take off more than one thing.”
He gets to his feet, and seemingly towering above you, he looks down at you as he unhooks his utility belt and drops it on the floor next to the rest of his gear. You can see that his breathing is becoming a little more shallow, and you wonder just how hard he is, hidden by that infernal codpiece. Off comes the armor on those lithe, muscular legs, along with the other utility pouches. Suddenly you don't feel so close to naked anymore, but now you wonder what he'll ask you to take off first. He sits back down next to you, looking up with eyes full of wonder.
“I can almost read your mind, Y/N. I will make it exceedingly easy for you. Take off your bra; it's beautiful, but those breasts of yours are so much more so. So much so, that once it's off, I want you to show me how you play with them when you're thinking about me.”
(Sister Machine Gun - Burn)
You almost let out a tiny squeak with his last sentence, but you find yourself actively wanting to show him. Besides, once you're done playing this game, you can always ask him to return the favor, and show you how he touches himself when he's fantasizing about you. Reaching behind you, you unhook the band and slide the straps down your shoulders, letting it fall into your hand, and holding it at arm's length, you wink at him, dropping it to the floor.
Swallowing hard, and trying to ignore the fact you've mostly soaked your panties through with your juices, your hands come to your chest, one hand squeezing, while the other pinches, rolls, and tugs at a nipple. You bite your lower lip and close your eyes, thinking about Tech pulling you down to the floor, unleashing his cock and taking you right then and there. Moaning softly, you show him just how much he affects you, and through doing this, show how much you adore him.
“That's it, cyar'ika, don't be shy...show me...teach me,” his voice getting husky with deep arousal now. “Please, baby, don't stop now...”
Breasts still in hand, you step in between his slightly parted legs, nudging his foot aside to make room for you between them. Tired of standing and feeling like you're a trophy upon a pedestal, you sink to the floor on your knees, sitting back on your feet. He has an overwhelming vision of grabbing and pulling you to his chest, sinking his tongue into your mouth for a deep kiss, bucking his hips up into you so you gasp at the sudden intrusion of his cock between your outer lips...
You flash a mischievous smile at him. He caves, as his hands come to rest on your hips, pulling you closer to him so quickly that you put your hands out in front of you to keep from falling. For a moment you hope you don't come crashing down face first on his codpiece, but you manage to get your hands on either side of him, your face a hair's breadth away from it.
A harsh gasp rises from you and you look up at him. He's unperturbed by your current position, and only wishes the codpiece was off so you could kiss him through the fabric of his blacks and feel how hard he is for you.
“I've got you, don't worry. Although I do believe it's prudent I ask the next question, don't you think? No, I won't ask another question like the last one...at least just yet. You look uncomfortable down there, love. Be a good girl, and sit in my lap. Here, let me help you.” Hands still on your hips, he pulls you toward him more so you can creep your way onto his lap. You don't want to sit down on him fully because you know he's hiding a massive erection under the codpiece, but you can still straddle him. You let your hands come to rest on his shoulders and he sighs contentedly, happy to finally have you in his arms after a particularly stressful day. Wanting to return the favor from earlier, your hands begin to gently massage his shoulders, and he's so tight and knotted up, he closes his eyes and lets out a soft moan.
“Mésh'la, please...you're distracting me!”
“Me? Distracting you? If that's not the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is!”
“All right, I concede...so here is your next question. What is a myelin sheath?”
Finally, an easy A & P question! “The myelin sheath forms around nerves, including those in the central nervous system. Composed of fatty substances and proteins, it allows electrical impulses to travel easily along nerve cells.”
A triumphant smile crosses your face and Tech's expression softens once again, his eyes smoldering with invisible fire. You know your panties are coming off next, but it's the manner in which they'll be removed that's in the front of your mind. His hands move down from your hips to your ass, squeezing your cheeks firmly, fanning the flames of desire ever higher within you.
Your hands move from his shoulders to rest on the back of his neck, stroking the soft flesh lightly and for a moment he lets out a brief moan. In return, his fingers sink just a little lower down your cheeks toward your outer lips, and you gasp as you feel him beginning to move your panties aside. A fingertip begins to draw its way over your lips, slick with moisture. You moan his name unbidden, wanting him to sink that finger deep inside you, but he knows the game you're playing, and he's not willing to play that hand just yet.
“Not just yet, Y/N. You should know better than that. Get those panties off, NOW.”
The razor sharp edge to that last word sends chills down your spine. He releases your ass and lets you climb off him, and as you stand between his knees, you look down upon him. He's got his hands behind his head now, looking up at you expectantly.
“Take them off now, cyaré, or I rip them off you, and I'm sure you'd like to keep them intact, yes?” “Yes, Tech,” you murmur, not exactly sure you still want to keep holding his gaze.
Hooking your thumbs under the waistband, you begin to roll your panties down, skinning them off slowly in a little bit of a striptease. You swirl your hips to and fro as you part your legs just a little bit as you get them all the way down, and as you step out them, you chuck them behind you, not really caring where they land.
You feel wetness beginning to seep from you freely now, and you shift your legs apart a little more so Tech can clearly see that there's a thin bead of your juices getting ready to drip on the floor. He's never seen this particular phenomenon up close before and you smile as you watch his eyes widen in surprise, and his lips part silently.
“This is what you do to me, Tech. You make me so fucking wet, my pussy weeps for joy. All for you, baby...all for you.”
You slip a hand between your legs and let your fingers pick up your wetness before it falls. Time to show him something else you do when he's not there, and you're thinking about him... You trail your fingertips through the cleft of your outer lips, picking up a great deal of moisture. As you bring your fingers back to your mouth to suck them clean, you see Tech activating the release for his codpiece in a big hurry, and he almost whips it off to the side as it lets go, and now you see what he's been trying carefully to keep under control.
Under his blacks, you see the prominent outline of his cock, fully hard, lying long and thick, begging to be released. You can't see anything because of the material, but you wonder if he's also wet for you; you've always loved seeing him ooze pre-cum for you, and as you've discovered, he loves it when you tell him you love how wet he is for you.
“Mésh'la, I need you to move out of the way. Let me get my boots off, and then you're going to come back and stand over my face. I must taste you, before your next question.”
(Asura – Crossroads Limiter)
You waste no time stepping back to let Tech ease himself back up onto the couch so he can get his boots off, which he does in what seems like record time, kicking them off to the side before sinking back to the floor and urging you to come forward with a few short waves of his hands. Carefully planting your legs on either side of him, he lets his head rest on the back of the couch cushion and puts a hand on your thigh. He's breathing hard now and his free hand has slipped down between his legs to start touching his cock through his blacks. He doesn't want to reveal himself to you just yet, but the mounting arousal can no longer be ignored.
You have a hand on the couch's armrest for a little stability as Tech bids you to lower yourself down within reach. Another bead of your juices threatens to fall, but this time Tech is ready with his dexterous and skilled tongue, ready to catch it. His cock twitches heavily under his hand, and you can feel the heat of his breath against your outer lips as his tongue traces its way through them, picking up every bit of wetness he can, as if he's starving.
“Let me feed you, Tech...you're so hungry... Eat your fill, my love...”
He moans deeply against you as you say this, the vibrations tickling you, making you twitch and squirm. The hand on your thigh begins to close down and squeeze as his tongue probes deeper now, slipping through your inner lips, very nearly to your entrance and now it's your turn to cry out sharply. Your clit begs and aches to have attention lavished upon it, but as you slip your free hand down to start touching it, your hand is pulled away.
“Not just yet...you don't get to play with yourself until I tell you, remember? As much as I'd love to eat you out right now, go sit back down. It's time for your next question. What are the four main components of physical science? I do not need any elaboration for this response.”
“Wow, this takes me back to my high school days,” you chuckle. “Let's see if I still remember all of them!”
“You'd better, because you know what will happen if you fail...and we're too far along for this to become a disappointment, cyaré...”
You swallow hard at his response, because you know he's serious. You're both too far along now to have this be a night of completely ruined edging and orgasms. You remember two of them immediately, but the other two are escaping you, and panic begins to set in once more. He's watching you intently as he continues to touch himself, letting out intermittent moans on purpose to help keep you focused.
“Uhh, well, I remember there's physics, chemistry...I'm having trouble with the other two.”
You look over at him and he just shakes his head at you, one eyebrow raised as if to say, “you're smarter than this, and you aren't getting my help.” He lets his head rest against the couch cushion again as he strokes himself through his blacks, and the hem of his shirt has ridden up his stomach just a little. Looking down, you can see the head of his cock peeking out of the waist of his pants and you suddenly get the chills, knowing that it's only a matter of time before he lets that beast out to play.
“Time's a-fleeting, honey. You'd better hurry up, because if you want any hope of riding my cock tonight, you will answer me.”
“Goddamnit, Tech,” you mutter, trying to focus the incessant loud chatter in your brain. “Okay, it's physics, chemistry...” You look over at your bookshelves for answers, hoping there's something there that will jog your memory. Books on botany, biology, genetics...no, that's not it. Wait...biology? Terrestrial sciences...yes, that's it!
“One minute, my love. It'd be prudent if you stopped wasting time.”
Physics, chemistry, Earth sciences (like meteorology and geology), and...and...come the fuck on, I know this!
You look out the expanse of windows to see that the storm finally stopped, and the clouds are beginning to dissipate. The glittering lights of the Uscru District seem to twinkle like stars, and then the light went on. It's so simple, and it's been here the entire time! “30 seconds, mésh'la. You really like pushing your luck, don't you?”
“Tech!” You look over at him and he picks his head up, blinking a little owlishly as he refocuses on you. “It's physics, chemistry, Earth sciences, and astronomy! Told you I knew it...and you know I don't have the greatest long term memory.”
“I am aware of your memory capabilities, and know it is a limitation for you. You have done well, and you're one step closer to being fully rewarded.”
Sitting up, he pulls off his shirt, and that is a gift unto itself. You long to touch every single inch of his finely chiseled chest and abs, kiss your way from his mouth all the way down to his cock, taking him in hands free in a small display of dominance of your own. The vision is so real, you can almost taste him. He leans back against the couch and gives you that irresistible sexy grin, and one of his hands comes back down to touch himself, not caring that his cock is now peeking prominently out of his pants. He's content to stroke himself through his clothing for as long as it takes.
“Just one more question, and then the real fun can begin,” he says lowly, his voice reminding you of roiling smoke. “I've been thinking about coming home and fucking you senseless all day...so much so that Hunter asked me if something was amiss, because of how unfocused I was. You are my undoing, cyaré, but I would not trade it for anything in this galaxy, or any other.”
You feel a deep twinge of arousal deep in your chest as he tells you this, and you close your eyes and moan his name, making a conscientious effort to not reach down and touch your clit as you do so. At this point, all you want is Tech to be touching you, gently swirling his thumb on the underside of your clit as his fingers stroke your insides, bringing you to a juicy wet orgasm...
“Tech, I'm ready...what's the next question?” You reach out and gently touch his calf, stroking your fingers over the soft material of his blacks. “Please don't make this one that spikes my anxiety again, okay? I'm not sure I can handle much more of that...”
“I promise you, Y/N, it won't be a question that made you panic like that first one. I am still impressed with your response to that, by the way.” He grins at you and slowly closes his eyes, trying to think of a question that will yield a response that will tie in with all of this foreplay. You look over at him expectantly, wondering if he'll keep his word. Without opening his eyes, his silken voice flows with the query: “the arrector pili muscles are responsible for what phenomenon?”
“I think you've finally realized that the A&P questions are where I generally feel most comfortable, Tech,” you chuckle. Tapping a fingertip to your lip, you try not to glance over at Tech, who has slid one of his thumbs into the waist of his blacks, and is ever so slowly beginning to pull downwards. He's still not looking at you, but he knows that you're unable to stop watching him.
“Arrector pili...hm, arrector pili...pretty sure this one is a dermatological term, if I'm not mistaken,” you muse.
“Two minutes, love. You should be thinking much harder about the answer, than about me getting my pants off,” he fires back.
“I wasn't...! Tech, I wasn't even...”
He starts laughing at you and now he finally opens his eyes. “You're wasting time again, mésh'la! Must you always do this?”
You'd love to just say “fuck you, Tech,” right about now, but you know how well that would go over. Grasping your ankles, you rest your head on your knees as you look around the room again. There's definitely nothing here to give you any visual clues like last time. You look over at Tech, and your breath catches in your throat as you see that while you've not been focusing, he's gotten his pants down to his knees, and as you look up at him, he cocks an eyebrow and then winks as he's now got his cock in his hand, and he is fully primed. Sudden chills zip down your spine and you feel yourself breaking out in goosebumps. Wait a minute...
“Hey, Tech? The arrector pili muscles are responsible for goosebumps, also known as horripilation, piloerection, or the pilomotor reflex!”
“That's my girl...I knew you could do it. For your reference, you responded with approximately one minute left. You are going to come over here now and finish taking my pants off for me, and when you're done with that, my cock is going in your mouth. Is that acceptable?”
You know your face is flushed, and behind your eyes, you feel the strong heat of arousal burning. Tiny pulsations deep within you trigger wetness to begin flowing once more as you crawl over between his feet, and grab hold of his pants, skinning them off with ease.
Before you comply with his request to start sucking his cock, you do something that momentarily catches him off guard, as it's nothing you've ever done before. Since he's sitting with his knees propped up, you curl an arm around one of his legs and then lean against him, pressing your face to the hot flesh, closing your eyes and savoring the moment. It isn't just arousal devouring your mind and body now, it's the deep love you have for Tech.
“Cyaré, is everything all right? A note of concern is quite detectable in his voice, and he begins to reach for you. Are you feeling ill? What's the matter?”
You sigh happily. “Nothing is wrong, Tech...don't worry.” You open your eyes and look at him, smiling softly. “I love you, Tech. As you said to me earlier, you're the most beautiful creature I've ever encountered in all my travels. Now let me come and take care of you. I can't wait to have you in my mouth...taste your wetness...maybe even let you come there, too...”
He certainly wasn't expecting this reaction and for once, the chatterbox that is Tech, is silent. You giggle and then let go of his leg, moving on all fours until you're right up against him. “Let me help you, baby, please...”you plead quietly.
Guiding his cock into your mouth with one hand, you slowly ease him in. You hear his breath hitch for a moment and he moans quietly as you ease him a little farther in; your free hand knows just what it needs to be doing to make this even better for him, and as you take him in as far as you can, your other hand closes around his balls, slowly squeezing and massaging him.
“M...mésh'la, don't stop... Be a good girl and suck my cock...”
(Aquascape – Phoenix Dance) His head falls back against the couch cushion and his legs close around you just a little. One of his hands comes to rest on the back of your neck lightly, and as you begin to suck on him, you feel him stroking the flesh there, sending more chills shooting down your spine. You always love it when he touches your ears and your neck, because he knows how wet it can make you, and like clockwork, wetness begins to slowly seep from you again.
Closing your eyes to refocus, you begin to move your head to and fro, tongue gliding effortlessly along the underside of his cock, sucking hard as you reach the tip, pulling away to let the tip of your tongue flick rapidfire, eliciting a sharp cry from Tech, and the hand on your neck closes down suddenly, pushing your head back down as he bucks his hips, nestling himself back inside the safe, hot haven of your mouth.
You moan deeply as that incredible thickness fills up your mouth, the vibrations traveling all the way down his cock, earning you quick flexing and even more swelling. You'll have to be careful, or he'll come too soon, and you want to make this special night even more special for the both of you.
You release his balls from your grasp, and you pull your mouth off him, purposely leaving a long trail of saliva behind. You're going to need two hands to stroke him adequately. Inwardly, you can't help but laugh because although he's never directly come out and tell you, it drives him wild when you give him super sloppy blowjobs.
He looks down at you and your eyes meet, and when he sees your tongue connected to his cock only by saliva, he starts to breathe faster and shallower. He can't remember a time when your eyes have shone this brightly, consumed with both love and sheer primal lust. He brings a hand under your chin gently with his index finger, lifting your head up.
“Y/N, do you know how beautiful you are when you have my cock in your mouth?”
You shake your head slightly. “Tech, let me feed...I'm so hungry!”
He lets go of your chin and his hand comes to the back of your head again. He starts pushing you down and your hands guide him back in to your waiting mouth. “Eat your fill, cyar'ika, there's more than plenty...that's the way...”
Grasping his cock tightly, as you draw him farther back in your mouth, your hands corkscrew their way down his shaft, gliding easily as you purposely let saliva dribble out of your mouth. As your hands come up to meet the head of his cock, you pull your mouth away, letting one of your hands close over him, massaging and stroking the sensitive underside with your thumb.
Tech begins to slowly buck his hips, and you hold your hands still for him, closing firmly around him once more, letting him feel that indescribable tightness that mimics what it's going to feel like for him once he decides he wants to fuck you. His moans have become much more frequent and louder, and you know you're pleasing him exactly the way he wants.
“Your cock feels so good in my hands, Tech... So perfectly hot and hard... Do you want my mouth again, baby? I'll suck you dry, if you want me to... You're so fucking beautiful, Tech...I love you...”
“Mésh'la, let me go right now, I'm getting too close,” he chokes out.
Immediately, you release him and his breath comes hard and fast. You can see a light sheen of sweat building on his forehead from the strain of trying to remain totally in control and not lose himself. You scoot back on your heels a little, and put your hands on his knees. In a flash, his hands grab your hips and suddenly you're being picked up and heaved onto the couch, your legs spread wide open for him, glistening with wetness.
“Now it's my turn,” he growls, and he brings his mouth close to your entrance, giving pause to stop and smell you. His olfactory senses are not as acute as Hunter's, but he can still detect pheromones at moderate levels, and right now, the scent of your dripping pussy is almost enough to send him over the edge without even having to touch himself.
Hands gripping your thighs, he lets his tongue snake out and drag through the cleft of your outer lips, picking up the delectable salty and slightly sweet taste of your juices. You let out a gasp of surprise at the sudden intrusion of his tongue, and then you moan his name deeply when he slips his tongue farther in, letting it work its way just inside your entrance, greedy to consume everything you can give him.
You realize he never gave you permission to touch yourself, but the pulsing in your clit is driving you mad. Slipping your hand down just enough so your fingers can graze the slightly retracted hood and the lustrous pearl of your clit, you get no more than a few seconds of contact before Tech's hand comes up and seizes your wrist. He pulls his mouth away from you, your wetness smeared across his face.
“Cyar'ika, once AGAIN, you're not allowed to play with yourself unless I give you permission. Until I tell you otherwise, your pussy is mine do with what I please. Is that understood?”
You're so flustered and aching for release that hot tears begin to prick the corners of your eyes. Your voice wavers slightly as you plead with him, hoping that he'll either let you touch yourself while he works your insides, or hoping that he'll slide his cock in, filling you to your absolute limits, and bang you like a broken screen door.
“Tech, please let me touch myself, I wanna come for you so badly...”
“I'm not ready for you to come, my love. You will wait, and when it's time, you'll be given release...not a moment before. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, just about ready to slide my fingers into you. You've been such a good girl for me so far, Y/N. You will be rewarded soon, I promise.”
He lets go of your wrist and then turns to plant light kisses on your trembling thighs. His lips moving across your flesh feel like butterfly wings, and as he kisses his way down your thigh, he plants kisses on your pubic mound, before turning his attention to the treasure at the center of it all. You hold back a scream of pleasure as his mouth closes over your clit, and as he begins to suck on it, one of his fingers begins to push into you.
(Delerium - Serenity)
Your hands grope the couch cushion blindly, looking for something to hold onto as you watch him digitally penetrate you. No such luck, and you begin to swirl your hips gently in an attempt to get Tech to pick up the pace and start fucking you with those gorgeous long fingers of his. As you did to him, he now does to you, and pulls his mouth away to let his tongue flick effortlessly over your fully engorged clit, chuckling to himself as he pushes a second finger inside you.
Even now, you feel quite stuffed with just his fingers, and the thought of eventually taking his cock triggers another seep of wetness. He moans deeply as he feels the gush around them, and it doesn't take him long to find the tiny spot within your walls that when properly triggered, makes you come hard and productively.
Tech closes his mouth over your clit once again, swirling his tongue across it while alternating with sucking it like you would his cock, letting his head bob just a little bit as he does so. Your head falls back against the back of the couch as now he begins to move his fingers fore and aft within you, gently hooking the tips up so he can stroke that little sweet spot. He has no intentions of letting you come just yet, but he's more than content to edge you.
Deep seated groans of pleasure escape you as he continues his delicious torture. You feel yourself starting to grow close to orgasm, and as much as you want to come, you need him to fuck you good and hard first. “Tech, slow down, I'm getting close,” you nearly sob. You moan his name repeatedly in attempts to get him to stop, but he's purposely ignoring you.
“Cyaré, if you keep moaning any louder, what will the neighbors think?” he murmurs as he pulls his mouth away once more. He can feel your walls starting to constrict around his fingers, the telltale sign that your orgasm is getting ready to break.
The obscene squelching noises his fingers are making as he's stroking your insides is the other tell that you're ready to take him. He slows the gentle stroking and then carefully pulls his fingers out, reaching back down between his legs to start stroking himself once more, using your juices as lube.
“Fuck the neighbors, Tech, I don't care what they think!”
“I don't want to fuck the neighbors, love...I'm only interested in fucking you. Move forward just a little bit, please...” He shifts positions as you move yourself right to the edge of the couch, propping yourself up on your elbows. With cock in hand, he shows you exactly what he wants, stroking his thick length slowly, eyes locked on yours the entire time. “Tell me, Y/N, what shall I do with this, hm?”
You're trying to control your breathing, which has long since become erratic. Your face flushes with intense heat once again, and even though Tech is quite composed, it's taking every ounce of his being to stay in control. “Tech...please,” you whimper. You're not even sure how much you have left to beg him. “Fuck me, Tech, I can't wait anymore... Slide that big cock in me and fuck me senseless...”
“Are you sure, mésh'la? As much as I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your begging, there's one thing to which I cannot say no, when it comes to you.”
He doesn't wait for a reply from you asking what that one thing is, as he positions himself in line with your entrance, and slowly begins to push his way inside. This time that scream can't be held back, and your hands fly to his forearms, gripping them so hard your nails dig furrows in his flesh. He lets out a hiss of shock, rather than one of pain, and his eyes narrow. You've never been quite this way before with him, but as you pull his arms forward in an attempt to get him to push his cock in even deeper, he's more aroused than ever by this primal behavior.
His eyes close and his head falls back a little as he slides ever deeper into you, his girth stretching your inner walls to what feels like their maximum. You feel especially tight, and he can't help but let out a deep sigh, followed by an equally deep moan as you squeeze your walls around him, creating exquisite friction. It would be very easy to lose control and come inside you far too soon, but there's something he'd like to try with you tonight, that the two of you have never done before.
“Cyar'ika,” he groans, “take my cock...take all of it...you're so fucking wet for me...”
You begin to swirl your hips just as he finally parks himself inside you fully, the head of his cock lovingly kissing your sweet spot and your cervix. Letting go of the death grip you have on his arms, now you reach for his hands, closing yours around his as he begins to move. He rocks his hips slowly, watching himself move in and out of you, the sounds of your cries the finest music he's ever heard.
“Oh, Tech,” you moan airily as you squeeze his hands. “Harder...faster...this pussy's all yours, Tech. Ner cyaré...please, I love you...” You've never spoken a word of Mando'a before now, but you learned what some of the terms of endearment are, considering how frequently all of the guys used them with you.
Tech squeezes your hands hard and for a brief moment, you could swear he's getting misty eyed. “...Your accent is a touch peculiar, my love, but...it will suffice. Ni kar'taylír darásuum...”
He lets go of your hands, running his own from your hips down to your silky inner thighs. Closing his hands gently around them, he honors your request, and the lazy thrusting becomes faster and more insistent. Soon he finds a pleasant rhythm that sends you into a state of deep bliss, your moaning constant and deep.
Tech curls his arms under your legs near your hips, pulling you in closer to him as he begins to fuck you just a little harder, slipping over your sweet spot, teasing your walls to start constricting around him...calling for you to touch yourself and bring about the ultimate release... You bring your hand down between your legs one more time, giving pause before touching your hard, swollen clit.
“Tech, please...let me,” you nearly whimper. “Let me come for you...I want you to watch me come on your cock...”
He lets out a harsh groan as you squeeze him tightly, urging him to spill inside you. “Permission granted, mésh'la, but when you're at the eclipse, you must stop...” He slows his pace now, knowing that it can be difficult for you to get close to, or have an orgasm, if he's fucking you too fast. “It's all right, love, show me how you touch yourself when you're fantasizing about me...”
(Lords of Acid - Venus)
You pick up wetness on your fingertips by letting them run over his cock as he pulls back from you, stopping just before he's all the way out. He flexes hard under your touch, amazed by how sensuous you're being, moaning softly as you slowly retract the hood of your clit, the beautiful pink pearl underneath glistening with moisture. You close your eyes to help focus, as your fingertips begin to swirl over the hot nub of flesh; Tech slips his way back inside as you, exhaling sharply as he watches you touch yourself.
“That's it, Y/N, show me how...” he whispers hotly.
A deep sigh lets loose from you as your fingertips draw concentric circles around your clit, then along the sides, and finally underneath, flicking it gently like you would with your tongue on his cock. “Tech, you make me feel so fucking good...look how hard I am for you...” With each deep stroke from him gliding along your sweet spot, the pulsing in your clit continues to grow, and you know you're starting to get close. Everything pulling into a singularity, seemingly crackling with electricity...
As he watches you swirl your fingers a little harder over your clit, he instinctively knows that you're on your ascent. Your gaze meets with his once more, and his eyes are so full of love and deep desire as you share this level of intimacy with him. Faster you work yourself, and subconsciously your back begins to arch upward, your inner walls squeezing his cock like a vise.
“Cyar'ika, slow down, I can feel you getting too close,” he warns. “If it's all right with you, there's something I've always wanted to try with you...will you let me?” He starts pulling out of you as he makes sure you're not touching yourself anymore. As he does, you adopt a mock pouting expression. He's used to you doing this to him to be purposely annoying, but he's not having it now. “Don't be a little brat, Y/N, or I'll stop right now!”
You recoil slightly, and in a small voice, utter words you normally wouldn't for him: “I'll be a good girl, Tech, I promise. You can try anything with me, you know that. What do you have in mind?”
“Let me help you up, and I'll show you. I promise you, I think you will really enjoy this,” he says, getting to his feet, and taking your hands in his to pull you up off the couch. “Come on, mésh'la, follow me; we're not going far.”
He leads you around the back of the couch, then takes your hips in his hands as you wrap your arms around his shoulders. At long last, your lips finally connect in a deep, passionate kiss...his tongue slipping through your lips, moaning deeply into your mouth as your tongue collides with his. “You taste so good, my love...if I'm not mistaken, I do believe you've been drinking desert wine tonight, have you not?,” he murmurs, softly kissing the corners of your mouth, then your forehead.
You can't help but laugh at this. “Shit...you caught me, honey. But you know I can't help myself when it comes to desert wine!” Returning the favor, you cradle his face in your hands and bring your forehead to his, before kissing it gently. “So...what is it you wanted to try, Tech? The suspense is killing me,” you say, with a little bit of sass.
He returns to gently kiss you a few more times, his lips lingering just above yours as he whispers, “why don't you turn around, and I'll show you, hmm? Here, let me help you.” Suddenly, he spins you around and pushes you over the back of the couch. Yelping, you put your hands out to brace yourself as you're bent over, standing on tiptoes as Tech pushes your feet apart. You are fully exposed to him with no way to stop whatever he has in mind.
You hear him laugh softly as he drops to his knees, and then you feel his hands on your ass, kneading the flesh firmly before he begins to spread them apart. For a moment you think he's going to try and feed his cock into your ass, but instead, you feel his tongue plunge into your pussy, gathering every bit of your wetness. Back to your clit he goes, hungry mouth closing over it once more to suck and tease briefly, before pulling away and standing back up.
“I will never tire of seeing you spread open for me like this, cyar'ika... Now take my cock all the way, like a good girl!”
You moan loudly as you feel him press the thick head of his cock flush against your entrance once more. Taking your hips in his hands, he begins to push his way back in so slowly, it's agonizing. He groans deeply as your insides begin to swallow him whole, and once more, he looks down to watch himself disappearing inside you. As he buries himself all the way in, he flexes hard a few times, making you squirm and cry out as you try to get your feet on the floor.
“Don't fight me, baby... Relax, cyaré, I've got you,” he says reassuringly. You feel him pick you up by the hips just a little, relieving the stress in your legs, and now he begins to fuck you, slowly rocking his hips up against your ass, stretching your insides to the maximum. “Take my cock, Y/N, it's all yours,” he moans, as he feels you squeeze your walls against him once more, coaxing him to let go inside you.
“Tech, faster...harder...” you cry, eyes shut as he rocks you into a state of sheer bliss.
Something between a sigh and a deep moan rises from Tech as as he picks up the pace, hands gripping your hips tightly. As a moth is drawn to flame, his gaze can't be pulled from watching himself slip in and out of you effortlessly; it is an endless fascination. You hear his breathing becoming increasingly ragged the harder he fucks you, and you can feel him beginning to swell with each successive stroke. All you want him to do now is push forward with one final surge, lock himself in place, and come hard for you while moaning your name...
“You're so close, baby...come for me, please...fill me up!” you cry.
“Not...just...yet...” he groans, slowing his pace down yet again. He's panting heavily with exertion now, and his grip lessens on your hips. “There's just one more thing I want to experience with you before you and I both have our release...”
You want to scream in frustration as he pulls out of you, but you feel his chest pressing down on your back as his arms come underneath you to lift you up. Your legs feel like wet noodles, and you're afraid you'll fall to the floor, but Tech's strong hands hold you tight against him, his damp cock poking you in the back. Your heart is racing now, feeling slightly apprehensive over what he has in mind.
(Sundial Aeon – Our Eternity)
“Hold still, cyar'ika, I'm going to pick you up. Put your hands behind my neck and hold on. There's something I want you to see.” “See? Tech, what are you...agh, Tech!” you cry out as his hands come down between your legs, resting on your hamstrings as he begins to lift you up. You raise your arms and slip your hands behind his neck as he asks, your head resting against his shoulder. “Tech, this feels so strange,” you moan softly, eyes tightly shut.
“Bear with me, my love...this is new to me, too. Let us learn together,” he murmurs with his nose buried in your hair. Once he has you securely in position, he turns around and slowly moves toward the full-length mirror that is mounted on the closet. It doesn't dawn on you what he has in mind until he stops in front of it. “Look, ner cyaré...look at yourself with a set of fresh eyes.”
You open your eyes and see your reflections in the mirror, Tech looking at you with a serene, loving gaze, holding you perfectly steady, mere inches above the perfect curvature of his thick cock. The soothing blue-green light encompassing the living room serves to accentuate every curve and line of both your bodies. A small gasp of awe leaves you, as you're reeling from how beautiful both of you look.
“By the Maker, Tech...this is unreal,” you say quietly. “Look at us...”
“There are times when I feel like you do not appreciate yourself, mésh'la...as if you do not understand your importance or worth. I want you to see yourself the way I do...as a most resplendent star. With darkness spreading unchecked across the galaxy, I know your light will always guide me home.”
You feel a thick lump in your throat and you can feel yourself getting misty eyed. He's never spoken like this to you before, but you know every single last word is true. Tech is not one to mince words, nor speak half truths. Coming from the man who couldn't even hold your gaze for more than a few seconds at a time, and who was so shy that it took him months to gather the courage to ask if he could hold your hand... This is nothing but love of the highest order, girlie...if you needed any more proof of his devotion to you, this is it.
“Tech...” “Just breathe, baby. Here we go.”
With that, he lowers you down until you feel the head of his cock nudging against your entrance. Moaning lustily, your legs begin to tremble as he brings you down further on him, that beautiful heat and fullness taking over your senses once again. You watch your reflection as he fills you, clit pulsing wildly. You've never seen yourself being spread open like this and penetrated, and the enormity of how arousing this all is, is almost overwhelming.
“Fuuuuuuuck,” you moan deeply, “this pussy's all yours, Tech...”
He lets out a deep moan as he finishes lowering you into place, feeling you constrict your walls around him. “That's right, cyaré...it is!” Now you witness the extent of Tech's immense physical strength as he begins to lift you just a little so he can start fucking you. You watch the mirror transfixed, unable to tear your eyes away from watching him spear you; even in this light, you can see his cock glistening with wetness. Your clit peeks out from its hood, thick and swollen, begging to finally be caressed over the edge.
“Tech...let me come, please,” you manage to utter in between uncontrollable moaning.
“Move with me, mésh'la. I want to watch you come all over my cock... I won't let you go,” he replies gently.
With that, you start to bounce on his cock each time he thrusts upward, your eyes never leaving the mirror, watching Tech's musculature ripple as the two of you quickly find a common rhythm in your motions. You feel his chest heaving against you, breath coming hard and fast as he fucks you. It's when the low, ceaseless moaning starts that you know it's time for you to finish yourself off and give him the ultimate release.
Carefully you release one hand from his neck and bring it down between your legs. You've been edged so much tonight that an orgasm will not take very long, and you know Tech is well on his way to his, for you feel him beginning to swell just a little more inside you with each upward surge. Swirling your fingertips over your wet, hard pearl once more, the electricity returns quickly. Amplified by his cock sliding over your sweet spot, you let out a deep moan as you feel the tiny contractions beginning to swarm and intensify.
“Oh, Tech, I'm getting so close...” you groan as you tighten your grip on the back of his neck.
“I know, cyaré, don't hold back...let it all go,” he whispers. “Give me everything you have...I love you, baby.”
You feel everything beginning to pull inwards into that little singularity, every nerve ending in your clit ablaze, your very breath streaming fire. Tech slows his pace down just a little, moaning deeply as your fingers press into his neck. He can't tear his gaze away as you swirl your hips lightly, stroking your clit for all it's worth, just about at your peak. His cock swells yet tighter within you, and you know he's just about to come, too.
“Cyaré, please...”
“Tech, my good boy, I love you,” you gasp, before unleashing a near-scream as your orgasm breaks, writhing in his arms as the waves of pleasure flood your body.
His hands squeeze your thighs hard as he tries to get you under some semblance of control, before he bucks his hips up hard into you a few short times before you feel him swell to maximum within you. He buries his face against your hair as he exhales sharply, deep moans vibrating against you as he starts to come. Crying out his name as you feel him flex hard a few times, he finishes depositing the last of his seed, then immediately starts fucking you again, still riding the highs of his orgasm.
You're caught off guard by this, and your free hand comes back up around his neck to hold on for dear life. Each successive thrust means you're steadily dripping an admixture of fluids all over the floor, but you couldn't care less. Your gaze returns to the mirror, and you watch breathlessly as Tech runs blindly on sheer instinct. You're both bathed in sweat, your hair completely disheveled, and his lenses are starting to slide down his face a little... “Bear down, mésh'la,” Tech chokes out. “I want to see you push that load out.”
“Whatever you want, ner cyaré,” you reply. “Look up, baby, or you might miss it!”
Tech's attention returns to the mirror, a blissful smile on your face awaiting him. He buries his cock deep in you one last time, then quickly lifts you off him as you let your pelvic floor take over, pushing hard as his cock slips out of you. His eyes go wide in amazement as a gush of fluid comes out of you, spattering all over the floor, with some of it managing to hit the mirror, too.
You can't help but let out a gasp when you see what you've done, and then you start to laugh when you catch Tech's expression – he's completely dumbfounded. He starts to sink down to the floor, bringing you with him, carefully setting you down. Looking back at the mirror, you can see the wetness slowly rolling its way down, and you're feeling pretty proud of yourself for rendering Tech speechless. You look over at him and he pushes his lenses back into place, shaking his head a little.
“Cyar'ika... You are absolutely incredible. But I must ask...all of that...that wasn't all mine, was it?”
You grin and shake your head. “No, Tech, it wasn't. A good part of it was all mine. Pretty sure this is the first time you've ever made me do that, too.”
“Beyond fascinating,” he murmurs, tapping his index finger against his cheek. “I think I must explore this a lot more with you, if that's all right.”
You lean over and kiss the corner of his mouth softly, then slip your tongue in for a deep, loving kiss. “Anytime you'd like, Tech. I can't believe everything that's happened tonight, and I must admit, you are quite creative....”
He chuckles softly. “Contrary to popular belief, mésh'la, I do have good ideas from time to time.” Painstakingly, he gets to his feet and braces himself on the back of the couch, momentarily unsure of his ability to not collapse after all that. “Why don't you go fix up your...nest, and I'll clean all this up.”
You do as he asks, rearranging the giant pile of blankets before burying yourself within them. You feel like your entire body is glowing, radiating not just heat, but all of the love you have for Tech. Exhaustion finally sets in, and it's not long before Tech joins you in your nest, pulling you up on him so your head rests on his chest, his arm around you protectively.
“Tech? I want to do game night again some time, if you want,” you murmur sleepily.
“Oh, is that so? Even after all I subjected you to?”
“Mhmm...but next time, I get to pick the game.”
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This morning I picked up my paper copy of the New York Times and I was greeted by an extremely graphic article about rape as warfare in Israel/Palestine on the front page. I put the paper down, but it got me thinking about the value of reading about violence. When is reading these testimonies bearing witness to history, and when is it masochism? How do you discern between productive discomfort and unnecessary anguish?
I don't expect you to have the answer to these because they are such immense questions and also things vary from person to person, but I am interested to hear your thoughts on the issue as a historian who is outspoken about the effects of secondhand trauma through genocide research. My degree isn't in history, but I'm an aspiring museum professional (if the job market isn't too cruel, lol. I'm open to other careers but I'm passionate about weaving archival materials into public storytelling so *gestures vaguely*). I also have a really thin skin. I tend to avoid graphic depictions/descriptions of violence, but sometimes I wonder what I'm missing by avoiding that.
Anyway! Feel free to answer this privately, publicly, or not at all if you're swamped with other things. Thank you for running such an informative and interesting blog!
Hi! Sorry this was buried in my inbox.
It's a good question, and I'm not sure how to answer it in regard to contemporary, ongoing events, vs. history. I do think that the 24/7 news cycle has exposed us all to an amount of suffering and stressful information that we're not like...designed to be able to handle.
So I'm going to answer you like a museum professional, and use that shared language. Back in 2009/10 I was a Collections Management Intern at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. This was before it opened to the public. While I was mostly cataloging, the staff was great about letting us listen on on ongoing higher level conversations.
I'm putting the rest of this under a cut, for reason which will be clear when you read what's under said cut.
Now, two of the (imo) most traumatic aspects of the history of that day, is 1) the photographs and footage of people who jumped from above the impact zones; and 2) the audio from phone calls and voicemails made from inside the planes, inside the towers, etc.
The museum handled those by making them optional. You want to listen to the last thing a woman in an office above the impact zone will say to her child? Ok. You have to make the choice to pick up audio mechanism, and press play. You want to watch footage of people jumping to their deaths to avoid burning to death? You have to make the specific choice to walk into a cordoned off vestibule, and view that material.
If you choose not to listen, or watch, you're not ignoring those histories or refusing to bear witness. You're fully cognizant of the fact that they happened, and you're simply choosing not to expose yourself to traumatic content. Bearing witness doesn't mean traumatizing yourself for the sake of bearing witness, you know?
I think it's enough to know that certain horrific things happened. Going that next step, looking at them, that's not necessary, and can't be rushed. When I was in undergrad I chose to focus on Ancient Near Eastern History as opposed to WW2 and the Holocaust because I know I wasn't ready to look too closely. I wasn't even really ready in grad school. It's really in the last 5/6 years that I've been able to do it. And I still don't think I'll ever be able to engage with detailed material about medical experimentation. But I know it happened. I know it was horrifying, and that's enough.
So, back to news media. I didn't see/read that article, but what I can say is that I appreciate when newspapers decline to put certain kinds of images on the front pages, and give the reader the option to look or not to look. I also appreciate when you're reading articles online, and you have to click multiple times to explicitly consent to view disturbing images.
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cheetahing · 4 days
Text
fic meme fill for @orchisailsa for the prompt: Post-canon DFS being uncharacteristically sweet and trying to kiss LLH in the kitchen to distract him while FDB sneaks behind them to try to salvage whatever he's attempting to cook
*
di feisheng waves smoke out of his face, frowning into lotus tower's kitchen. he doesn't know what exactly li lianhua is cooking up, but he doubts it's anything good. while his regular fare has improved, regaining his sense of taste has, if anything, made him more enthusiastic about his culinary experiments. di feisheng has even deigned to subject himself to some of them, mostly due to li lianhua's increasingly outrageous flirtations. while his indifferent mask and iron stomach are basically invincible, di feisheng can't say he's enjoyed the experience.
fang duobing, on the other hand, in the event of his visits, has neither of di feisheng's advantages and therefore is reduced to begging him for help. more often than not he plays along, simply because he enjoys having something to hold over fang duobing's head. today, fang duobing looks at him with pleading eyes and a series of hand gestures that make di feisheng scoff. still, he wades into the smoking kitchen and draws li lianhua away from the stove by the hips.
"xiangyi," he says, pulling li lianhua far enough away from whatever he's cooking to give fang duobing space to doctor it as he sees fit, "do you really have to go through so much trouble just because the brat is here?" fang duobing makes a face at him over li lianhua's shoulder, but di feisheng ignores him in favor of the bright smile beaming up at him from li lianhua's face.
"a'fei," he says, practically glowing, "i've told you before you don't need to be jealous of xiaobao. this is simply what a teacher should do for his student."
di feisheng purses his lips, mainly to keep from smiling. while he can't deny occasionally being possessive of li lianhua's time and attention, these little shows of jealousy are, more often than not, simply because they make li lianhua happy. "you've been cooking more every night he's been here," he says, because that's probably why fang duobing has reached the end of his endurance.
"his wife keeps him on a tight leash, he doesn't get to come that often," li lianhua says in his most reasonable tone, "i should spoil him when i can."
"are you sure that's what you're doing," di feisheng can't help asking, cognizant of the offended pause in fang duobing's frantic flailing at the stove even without looking at him directly.
"of course," li lianhua says, entirely sincere, "my shifu cooked for me every time i visited after i left yunyin mountain."
"ah," di feisheng says, because there's not much he can say to that.
"now stop distracting me," li lianhua says, starting to turn back toward the stove, "dinner will burn." well, that won't do.
"xiangyi," di feisheng repeats, and reels him back in to kiss. li lianhua relaxes into it after almost immediately, arms coming up to wrap around di feisheng's neck. he lets di feisheng's tongue nudge past his lips, sighing and tilting his head cooperatively, and for a moment they both indulge in the contact.
"what's gotten into you," li lianhua says, looking quite thoroughly kissed when di feisheng finally pulls back. behind him, fang duobing gives di feisheng a thumbs up as he scuttles out of the kitchen.
"nothing," di feisheng, letting his hands skim up and then down li liannhua's side before he reluctantly lets go. "can't i be affectionate?"
li lianhua laughs, presses another quick kiss to the corner of di feisheng's mouth, and turns back to the stove. he picks up the wooden spoon, tasting the contents of a steaming pot. "oh," he says, smiling, "not bad at all."
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