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vrishchikawrites · 3 years

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Could I have a prompt? 🥺🥺 So WWX is taking bath in the Cold Pond to heal from the wounds by the discipline paddle (which I assume he was punished being clothed in his Black robe or in his Gusu Lan disciple robes or Head disciple Jiangs robes whichever fits). Before going to CR, wwx is whipped by mdm yu and LWJ notices wwx’s raw red scars and many scars across his back kinda overlapping and not yet being healed because maybe MDM yu sealed his core or something. LWJ, or with LXC saw WWX’s many crisscrossing scars and realize they’re still raw and kinda risking for infection because when mdm yu unseals his spiritual energy before going to CR, WWX never thought of healing it. Cue LWJ and LXC gets horrified and ask WWX why he had many scars on his back (or other parts of his body can also be included!) no pressure 💕 I love your writing! ❤️❤️

Anyway, it is set during the period in which WWX studies at CR. Lån Qiren, who is obviously not eyeing Wei Wuxian just in case the boy creates some trouble ends up realizing that he is too non chalant about not eating (because the food there is for rabbits) and WWX is like "Oh, yeah. Nah its fine, I've been worse".

This one has trigger warnings for child abuse, negligence, and issues related to eating habits. Keep that in mind before proceeding. Nothing graphic, but I wanted to warn nonetheless.

I've merged two prompts here.

Please remember that prompts are closed. Also, remember I do not write self-deprication. All prompts that require WWX to have low self-esteem are not going to be written, apologies but the subject is very uncomfortable for me and I don't believe it is canon accurate anyways.

On to the prompt fill.

"That Wei child is entirely too careless."

Lan Qiren closes his eyes and prays for patience. That boy has been a menace ever since he stepped into Cloud Recesses. Brilliant but wily and mischievous with absolutely no regard for rules.

"What has he done?" He asks gruffly, reading over the reports from the kitchen staff. Cloud Recesses always monitors the food intake of their guests to make sure everyone is well-fed and no one is consuming more than their due. It wouldn't do for young cultivators to fall ill in their care, after all.

The primary healer, a matron of some age, had brought the reports instead of the kitchen manager, which was quite unusual, "He forgets meals. Goes without food for days. Survives on small bits of fruit."

Xichen, who has been working on his own reports, raises his head and looks concerned.

Lan Qiren crosses his arms, feeling a growing sense of ire, "He dislikes our meals." He's not the first one to skip meals because he considers them 'bland' and 'boring'. It's likely the child has been sneaking down to Caiyi town to have more extravagant meals.

"I checked with our ward team. When he goes days without eating, he doesn't make any trips to Caiyi town either."

Lan Qiren pauses and studies her. Lan Mingyun nods curtly, "When I first noticed this behavior, I immediately put him on my list." Her list of children with food-related issues, he assumes, "His eating habits are very erratic, erratic enough that I wish to assign one of our senior disciples to keep an eye on him."

"You're that worried?" Lan Xichen asks in surprise while Lan Qiren frowns. It isn't unusual to do so but he wonders if it is really necessary.

"As far as I know, the child lived on the streets for quite a few years," She says and Lan Qiren narrows his eyes, inwardly reprimanding himself. He had forgotten about that aspect of Wei Wuxian's history, "The link between early childhood trauma and behavioural problems are well known to us."

Lan Xichen frowns, "I'll ask Wangji to keep an eye on him."

He glances at his nephew sharply, "Why Wangji?" He demands because surely someone else would be better.

"From what I understand, Wei-gongzi will not welcome an assigned senior. He seems to be someone who brushes injuries or illnesses off. He likes Wangji and will be more willing to accept his company."

While the argument is reasonable, Lan Qiren is loath to involve his precious nephew in this. He's already so bothered by the boy.

But.

He thinks of Wei Wuxian with his sharp eyes and lingering smile and nods.

---

Wangji listens to Xichen patiently even as his fingers curl into fists under his sleeves.

He doesn't like Wei Wuxian. The boy is too disruptive, too bold, too distracting-

Too beautiful.

He doesn't like him, but that doesn't mean he's content to ignore his well-being. When Xichen asks him to keep an eye on Wei Ying's eating habits and general behavior, Wangji agrees.

It will be taxing for him, but he agrees.

What he doesn't anticipate is… everything that follows. When he starts consciously looking for them, the signs are alarming. Wei Ying doesn't just skip meals whenever he gets too distracted, he picks at the food even when he is eating. While Wangji is comforted to know the boy frequently seeks something richly flavored at Caiyi Town, he doesn't do it often enough to compensate.

There are also some concerning behaviors in the Jiang contingent. Upon closer inspection, it is clear that while Wei Ying does break the rules, the other Jiang Sect disciples are often complicit. Including Jiang Wanyin.

They not only let their da-shixiong take the blame for all of their actions, but also encourage it. Wei Ying seems disconcertingly accustomed to it. He makes a scene while being punished but seems alright within an hour.

Jiang Wanyin encourages mischief and reprimands him in turns.

Wangji doesn't understand this.

"Xiongzhang, I am concerned," Xichen looks up from his tea, his attention immediately on Wangji, unwavering and comforting, "Wei Ying," He takes a moment to form his thoughts, "I am uncertain. I believe he is in an unsafe environment."

Xichen sets his tea aside, "How so?"

"I happened upon a conversation," He grimaces because it is eavesdropping even if his intentions are noble, "Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang requested and encouraged him to get alcohol into Cloud Recesses. When he complained about the punishment, Jiang Wanyin said 'at least, it wasn't Zidian'."

His brother sucks in a sharp breath, "Zidian? Madam Yu? Spiritual weapon? A high-grade weapon typically used against enemies?"

Wangji dips his head.

"I'll ask uncle to stop assigning corporal punishments." Lan Xichen says, "They won't have the desired effect in any case and we don't want to damage him permanently. Tomorrow, ask him to practice Cultivation in the Cold Pond as punishment."

Wangji nods, "I'll assign Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang proper punishment as well."

"Wait until we have a better grasp on the situation." Xichen says solemnly, "If we act too quickly, things will escalate and may cause more harm to Wei-gongzi."

Wangji is reluctant because his sense of justice is not satisfied. He remembers how the Jiang disciples encouraged Wei Ying to accept punishment on their behalf. And then to know Jiang Wanyin was also complicit…

"We must approach this cautiously, Wangji."

He nods.

---

Red, irritated, scarred.

Wangji swallows as he sees the state of Wei Ying's back as the Jiang disciple steps into the Cold Pond. There are so many whip scars on his back, so many that have barely begun to heal, that he feels nauseous.

"Wei Ying," He struggles to keep his tone neutral, "Your back." He cannot imagine the agony that Wei Ying would've suffered when he took more punishment on it the other day.

Wei Ying glances at him and grins, "Aiya, Lan Zhan, is that concern I see on your pretty face?" He asks, spinning around eagerly, "Concern for little old me?"

His back is out of sight and the way Wei Wuxian is leaning towards him is meant to distract and fluster.

Wangji… suddenly understands. Wei Ying is naturally playful and mischievous, but he uses his personality for disguise and manipulation as well. Not maliciously, but in a way that harms him.

"Wei Ying," Wangji refuses to be moved. There is a significant shift in his mind. He no longer feels annoyed by the person before him. If anything, he feels furious.

He feels protective.

"Wei Ying, your back."

The Jiang disciple shrugs, "Punishment, you know how it is."

"For what?" He demands, catching Wei Ying's elbow and turning him around. The willingness to touch him stuns Wei Ying momentarily, enough for Wangji to get a good look at the brutal devastation written on Wei Ying's back.

Wei Ying clears his throat and shrugs, "It's more of a preemptive punishment? Madam Yu knew I would cause trouble here, of course." He chuckles.

"Preemptive punishment?" He asks softly, the very notion troubling him.

Wei Ying shrugs again but doesn't attempt to explain when it is clear Wangji isn't willing to indulge him.

"Wei Ying,"

"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying starts to move towards the shore, "Don't worry about things that don't concern you. Your head will forever be burdened if you do."

Wangji feels something in him recoil at such a blunt dismissal.

"Doesn't concern me? How can it not concern me?" He wants to ask but is unable to.

Wei Ying has made him very uncomfortable with his forward personality and near constant teasing, but Wangji has seen the genuine offer of friendship underneath it all.

He has always spurned it.

As Wei Ying climbs onto the shore, his wounds red against his naturally pale skin, Wangji makes a decision, "Would you not feel concerned if it were me?" He asks but he already knows the answer.

He already knows this man enough.

"Of course," Wei Ying says and shrugs on his robes, hiding a wince but unable to help his body's reaction to pain, "But you and I are different." He glances over his shoulder at Wangji, "I consider you my friend," He says, "But you don't consider me yours."

His breath stills at the acceptance in Wei Ying's tone.

"And that's alright." The Jiang disciple waves and walks away, "Don't worry too much, Lan Zhan. This one isn't weak. The wounds will heal within a few days."

---

"The facts are these - Wei-gongzi is punished preemptively with Zidian, often enough that there are deep scars on his back," Lan Xichen explains, "I assume it is his Golden Core keeping him from sustaining permanent damage."

Lan Qiren is still bristling at the very thought of preemptive punishment. What a ridiculous notion! Of course, the child doesn't care about rules and upsetting people! He has already been punished enough to excuse everything but outright treason.

How is such a method effective? How does it correct a child's misbehavior?

"The Jiang Sect disciples are accustomed to their da-shixiong being punished in their stead. They actively encourage it. Jiang Wanyin has asked Wei-gongzi to sneak in alcohol. And he refused to come forward when Wei-gongzi was punished." Xichen takes a deep breath, "I believe any lingering issues he may have because of his early days as a street orphan-"

"Are ignored," Lan Qiren concludes grimly, "It is no wonder the child has such strong cultivation. He is facing strife constantly."

"Is there a way to rescue him?" Wangji asks after being grimly silent for the entire meeting, "Get him away from the Jiang Sect?"

Lan Qiren eyes him, "Wangji, the situation is complicated. He's still the Jiang Head Disciple and sects don't just part with their high ranking disciples."

Xichen smiles sympathetically, "We'll find a way to pressure Jiang-zongzhu into taking action. He'll lose face if the other Sects know how his lady is treating their Head Disciple." He shakes his head at Wangji's expression, "Let us think about it. Meanwhile, you just need to be there for your friend, Wangji."

Lan Qiren arches a brow, "Friend? Wangji, I thought you disliked the boy."

Wangji purses his lips, a stubborn light entering his eyes, "Wei Ying is my friend." He insists, resolve lining his every word.

He looks at Xichen, who just looked amused, "According to Wei-gongzi, he considers Wangji a friend and will be very concerned if Wangji was in a similar situation," He huffs, "But Wangji doesn't consider Wei-gongzi his friend, so there's no need for Wangji to worry."

Lan Qiren closes his eyes and rubs his forehead in an uncharacteristic display of frustration, "That boy is a singular menace."

---

Wangji pursues friendship with all the dedication in his being. He learns to cook savory dishes and gives them to Wei Ying every day. Wei Ying, unable and utterly unwilling to deny, eats it all.

He glares the Jiang disciples into submission whenever they attempt to draw Wei Ying into mischief. The Jiang Head Disciple is fully exempt from corporal punishment. Instead, he spends hours in the library either copying rules, rewriting classics, or transcribing Buddhist texts.

All of these activities prove to be much more effective punishments.

Meanwhile, Lan Qiren attends a Discussion Conference and has word with Jiang Fengmian.

The response is a gentle order from the Jiang-zongzhu for Wei Ying. He asks his disciple to remain in Cloud Recesses for Musical Cultivation training. He also mentions it is time for Jiang Wanyin to take up Head Disciple responsibilities and learn true leadership.

Wei Ying eyes the smiling Lan Xichen and impassive Lan Qiren sharply but doesn't say anything.

In two years time, the distance between Wei Ying and the Jiang Sect grows. The distance between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan ceases to exist.

Just like that, Wei Wuxian's destiny changes.

#short prompts #wei wuxian #lan wangji #anti jiang sect #anti madam yu #anti jiang wanyin

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themagnuswriters · 4 years

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Asexuality in Fic Roundtable - What We Like

How do I write a convincing asexual character in a fic? Is there a way to address a character’s sexuality outside the context of sex or coming out? Can a story feature a character's asexuality aside from exploring the negative aspects of the asexual experience? It’s usually not too hard to find lists of what not to do when writing asexual characters, but much more difficult to find the opposite.

The asexual members of The Magnus Writers discord gathered to discuss their favorite ways to incorporate the day-to-day details of asexual peoples’ experiences into fiction. We also discussed depictions that we’ve enjoyed in the past, or would love to see more of. Note that this isn’t an Asexuality 101 resource, so if you don’t feel familiar with the basics, feel free to check out the resources we will link in the reblog of this post.

This conversation included a variety of ace-spectrum people from multiple countries, including both arospec and non-aro people, various genders, and varying relationships to sex and sexual content. Just like all asexual people are different, the things that we enjoy reading are far from universal. Some tropes/details brought up as favorites can vary widely--for example, “innuendo completely flies over their head” vs. “they understand but are completely unfazed by innuendo.” Additionally, some aces love tropes that others would prefer to avoid: for instance some enjoy discussions of physical boundaries to be included in the fic, and some prefer that to be established as happening in the past.

The examples brought up in our discussion are also far from comprehensive, and can be seen as the beginning of an endless list of possible ways to write asexual characters. Some examples given are specific to the Magnus Archives, but can apply to any writing. Take these as inspiration and a way to broaden your understanding of who we are and what we like to see!

ASEXUALITY IN YOUR SETTING

When writing a story including asexual characters, one of your first considerations may be for how asexuality is contextualized within your setting: Is it fully normalized and accepted? Does it reflect real-world stigmas? How is asexuality treated by the narrative and the other characters? Contributors showed interest in a variety of approaches on this front, with no single approach being worth more than other:

Fics including negative real-world experiences

These would include fics in a realistic setting, where characters may struggle with internalized acephobia, stigma, social pressure, microaggressions, dysphoria, and so on. This isn’t limited to just “issue fic,” where the focus of the fic is about examining and confronting a struggle, but rather encompasses anything that includes this consideration in its worldbuilding and characterization. While brighter settings can be refreshing, contributors described reasons why this kind of fic appeals to them:

Feeling seen: Reading about ace characters whose experiences reflect their own

Feeling validated: Being exposed to only stories where there are no issues on this front can feel like we’re the only one facing these struggles. It can be extremely cathartic to read something and think “I thought I was the only person who went through this.”

Exploring improvement/hope: From ace characters learning to accept themselves or other characters making mistakes and accepting correction, these can be validating and encouraging.

On top of ace readers finding worth in these fics, the act of writing the fic can also be very cathartic for many ace authors.

There is a lot of variety for how these fics can be written, such as:

Stories that focus on the negative experience

Stories where that experience is just part of the setting or characterization

The character(s) getting external support and validation

The character facing mixed dismissiveness, acceptance, prejudice, etc. from different people

The story resolving in a way where the situation is resolved: for instance, cutting off an acephobic relationship, or someone apologizing for a microaggression.

Stories where well-meaning characters are accidentally insensitive about asexuality, but learn better and change their behavior

The character confronting or overcoming an internal struggle

Stories where the issues aren’t fully resolved by the end, such as an insecurity not fully going away.

Negative asexual experiences don’t have to be the focus of a fic to be acknowledged. While “issue fics” that closely examine and explore these experiences are valuable, contributors also described enjoying stories that included them as simply an element of the worldbuilding or characterization. For instance, a story may reference Jon having bad past relationship experiences; facing assumptions that he’s having sex if he’s in a relationship; having moments of insecurities about his sexuality; etc.

Please note that writing negative ace experiences needs to be handled sensitively; fics of this type should definitely be tagged appropriately. For brief references, consider including author’s note warnings on the appropriate chapter (e.g. “asexual character assumed to be having sex”). Having an asexual sensitivity reader--particularly one of a type that corresponds with what you’re writing (i.e. sex-neutral, gray-ace, sex-repulsed, etc)--is very much encouraged.

Fics where asexuality is normalized

In contrast, there is just as much interest in stories that avoid all of these issues, and fully normalize asexuality. Contributors described how they enjoy stories where ace characters are allowed to just exist, without big important conversations or small othering details that depict asexual identities as less than fully accepted.

These can be included in any type of fic, but a few of the suggested details for how to normalize asexuality in a setting include:

A character being already out and accepted: For instance, Martin already knowing about Jon’s asexuality from early seasons.

Characters in the fic already knowing what asexuality is without needing it explained to them

Having more than one character be asexual: We aren’t confined to writing only canon characters as ace! This not only goes the extra mile in normalizing asexuality, but it gives the chance to include more of the ace spectrum.

If you’re aiming for asexuality to be normalized, please consider whether it makes sense for your asexual character to be anxious about coming out or discussing boundaries. There is a world of difference between someone responding to an ace character coming out with “I fully support you” and responding with “you’re an idiot for thinking we wouldn’t support you.” This is a common and easy pitfall to fall into, but the result is often less escapism and more a message of “your struggles aren’t real, and you’re stupid for thinking they are.”

Asexuality in Metaphor

Some contributors mentioned wanting to read settings where asexuality itself is normalized, but the issues facing aces could be explored on a metaphorical level. This falls somewhere in between the ideas of realistic or idealized settings as regards the ace experience, and could allow that exploration with a layer of distance. Ideas relating to this included fantasy settings with different kinds of magic.

PERSONALITY AND CHARACTERIZATION

The experience of being asexual isn’t something just limited to a relationship with sex: it can be shown in many ways, such as how a character relates to themselves, other people, media, and society. Like any other queer identity, it affects many aspects of our lives and informs a great deal about us as people. These little details don’t even need to be presented in a blunt “this is because this character is asexual” way--they can be little relatable notes for your ace readers, while not coming across in a “this is how all ace people are” way.

We’ve seen the question “how do I write a character as asexual, if I’m not planning on having someone ask them for sex or writing a coming-out scene?” many times. Our contributors were excited to share a wide variety of ideas for this from things they’ve read, written, or experienced:

Ace confusion

Not to be confused with the infantilizing “doesn’t know what sex is” approach, this could involve things like:

Being confused over what sexual attraction is: difficulty defining what they don’t experience.

Difficulty describing to others what lack of sexual attraction is: this is their default, and it can be difficult to contrast it to what they don’t experience.

Thinking that others describing sexual attraction or interest is just exaggeration

“Wait, that’s what you mean when you say ‘hot’? I just thought it meant they’re gorgeous.”

“You mean meeting someone and being instantly sexually interested in them is a real thing, and not just a movie trope?”

The Absurdity of How Society Views Sex

The jarring dissonance between asexual experiences and the norms in society and media can cause a lot of alienation and dysphoria in aces, but often it hits a point of feeling like a joke is being played on you. Contributors offered ideas for how this could be illustrated through a character:

Reading “How to Spice Up Your Love Life” articles out of pure morbid curiosity

Taking the most ridiculous Cosmo sex life article as How Everyone Thinks (and being concerned)

Having an allo friend or partner they can ask about whether any of it is legitimate advice (this one was brought up by a lot of people as a common ace experience)

An ADHD/autistic character getting a special interest or hyperfixation on societal views on sex or sexual practices, and pursuing it as purely a matter of research with no interest in participating

“Why do they keep bringing up ice cubes? Georgie, stop laughing, I am a researcher and a scholar.”

Needing to teleport out of the room if a sex scene comes up in a movie

Not minding the sex scenes, but needing to make fun of them or point out impracticalities

“On the beach? But sand is everywhere? Wait, they think getting sand everywhere is hot??”

Being baffled at what’s considered sexy: for example, Jon being baffled at “wet clothes are sexy,” having grown up by the beach and associating them with being terribly uncomfortable

Of course, asexual characters don’t need to be framed like they constantly need to learn about things from allo people--sometimes the reverse can be a fun twist. One reversal, for example, could be an ace person helping their allo friend parse whether their attraction to someone is simply sexual or also romantic.

Aces vs. flirting

While not specifically connected to sexual attraction, how a character interacts with flirting can very much demonstrate the asexual experience. Contributors discussed a variety of their own experiences, and details they’ve enjoyed reading for ace characters:

Having difficulty distinguishing between different kinds of draws to people--is it romance? Friendship?

Having difficulty picking up on whether or not someone is interested in them

Failing to realize they’re flirting or being flirted with

Enjoying flirting as just a fun thing to do without any particular goal (a popular suggestion for a Tim ace headcanon)

Casually flirting but then backing off if it becomes “real”

Several examples were given of scenarios these could be used for Jon:

Jon’s dry prickliness stemming from wanting to avoid people thinking he’s flirting or showing interest in them, not being sure where others judge the line between “flirting” or “being nice.”

Jon deciding he is going to make an effort to be more friendly to people, and awkwardly starts showering others with compliments; some of them interpret it as flirting and it’s very confusing.

Jon (or Martin) being overly dramatic or romantic when purposefully showing interest in someone, drawing from a basis of books or media rather than social experience.

Aces vs. hotness

We might use the word “hot” excessively, but ace people often have their own understanding of the word (and are often surprised to learn what others mean by it). Contributors brought up the following ideas for this area:

Using “hot” as an expression of “gorgeous to look at,” and being confused to learn that others use it as a sexual expression.

Engaging with “are they hot” conversations based purely on aesthetics, or other impressions like “would they give good hugs.”

Focusing on seemingly random physical details, like wrists or eyebrow shape, over more commonly sexualized ones.

Being confused over the criteria others use for hotness. Example: Jon’s reaction to “the hot one” comment.

Finding fictional characters not represented by a real person “hot” (e.g. from books, podcasts, video games with bad graphics, etc)

Using the words “hot” and sexy” for completely nonsexual things. Several contributors described being told they couldn’t be ace if they called anything hot/sexy, and then doing it more out of spite.

Being completely unfazed by innuendo or sex/nudity: For example, Jon’s calm response vs. Martin being flustered at Tim stripping

This is also an area where a story can establish the nature of their relationship with those around them: if a character is comfortably out as not being interested in sex, for instance, you can show that others around them support that by making their conversations more inclusive. For example, a “fuck, marry, kill” game with modified categories, or a “who would you have sex with” conversation changed to a “who would you have dinner with” one once the ace character enters.

Aces vs. sexual humor

Ace people’s reactions to sexual humor can vary as much as the reactions to flirting. Contributors described enjoying a broad range of these:

Aces who love sexual humor (not limited to sex-favorable aces)

Humor taking an angle of “sex is so strange, glad it isn’t real.”

Aces who are bored with or exhausted by sexual humor

Not finding sexual humor funny unless it’s also clever. “Yes I know that’s a sexual reference...wait, it was meant to be funny? Because it’s connected to sex? ....I see. Anyway.”

Bonus points if the “is that supposed to be funny because it’s sexual?” ace and the filthy humor ace are friends

It can even vary for the same person from setting to setting: someone may find making dirty jokes with a group of ace friends might be fun (see the “Absurdity of Sex” section above), but be very uncomfortable with someone else trying to twist something they said into something sexual. There’s also the nature of the joke itself: a silly pun may be fine, but a joke implying the ace person is interested in sex or said something sexual without meaning to may be alienating.

For TMA, the general interpretation of Jon is that he’d be uncomfortable with sexual humor, which is relatable to a lot of asexual people, but contributors brought up other possibilities as well: for example, the idea of Jon liking clever wordplay so much that if it just so happens to include something sexual, it doesn’t feel odd to him--why do the others look so shocked?

Note: A lot of asexual awareness posts insensitively treat the concept of aces who love filthy humor as more mature, more easygoing, less stereotypical, or otherwise superior to aces who are uncomfortable with sexual humor. This is a very harmful attitude that looks down on a lot of asexual people, and adds a pressure to push past comfort levels to fit in and “avoid being a stereotype.” Contributors loved reading stories that include flirty or filthy aces, but not when they take this tone. A favorite suggestion was to include more than one ace character to depict a variety, while treating them as equally valid.

Somewhat related to this is ace people’s relationship to sexual euphemisms. Contributors described their experiences or how they might write an ace character responding to these:

Being exhausted by how so many terms are considered euphemisms, or how any comment could be reframed as sexual.

Having a special annoyance when they accidentally stumble into or misunderstand a euphemism

Wanting to decouple euphemisms from their literal meaning: why does “spending the night” or “going home with someone” have to mean “having sex”?

In the same line, being very blunt and straightforward about making sexual references, because why dance around it?

Characterization Considerations

One discussion that is particularly relevant to The Magnus Archives is the idea of the “uptight nerd” ace persona. It may sound strange to say, but there is some legitimacy in this characterization, but for different reasons than is stereotyped. Many of us build up this persona while growing up--particularly in adolescence and early adulthood--to fend off uncomfortable social pressure, self-examination, or external criticism for why we relate to sex differently than our peers. This often involves playing up certain defenses for discomfort for sex or dating: “I don’t have time for any of that, I only have time for books and knowledge!” Or, the adult version: “I don’t have time for relationships, I’m married to my job!”

Where this departs from the stereotype is that these are generally coping mechanisms or facades rather than the truth. Asexuality isn’t “of course they don’t have time for sex, they’re obsessed with this or that”--but an asexual person who doesn’t feel comfortable in their environment, such as around work, school, or family, may deflect judgment with similar excuses. Similar to this, some find it tempting to be antisocial or hostile on purpose to fend off interest in them or avoid sexual expectations.

This is, of course, far from the only way an ace character could be written. For instance, if you wanted to write a setting where asexuality is more accepted, you could write Jon’s antisocial and closed-off tendencies as a result of being bullied from a very young age, while he is confident and secure in his asexuality. Or for other characters: you could write Tim as someone who has enjoyed sexual relationships, but just thought everyone was exaggerating on the attraction side of things.

Intersection of Asexuality with Other Identities

Another characterization consideration is how asexuality intersects with other identities and experiences included in the fic. Below are a few examples of many:

Asexuality and masculinity: Social expectations of masculinity place a high emphasis on sexuality, particularly heterosexuality, treating sexual activity as a commodity or prize. One possible reading of The Magnus Archives is Jon’s tendency to have closer and more numerous friendships with women connects to this.

Asexuality and trans identities: There is a significant overlap between aspec and trans identities, particularly nonbinary identities. Based on an October 2020 study by the Trevor Project (see link in reblog), ace respondents were roughly 50% more likely to be trans (including nonbinary) than allo respondents. Contributors described how they’ve felt things like “is this dysphoria I’m feeling a gender thing or an asexuality thing,” or how figuring out their asexuality helped them explore their gender.

Asexuality and race: In combination with LGBTQ+ spaces often being white-dominated, people of color often face stereotypes that hypersexualize or desexualize them. This can have a strong impact on people of color’s experience and self-perception as asexual. For instance, if you are writing Jon as Indian, you could consider how this may have impacted his experiences in LGBTQ spaces in university. As there is no ‘one size fits all’ experience for aces of color, we strongly recommend researching for the particular background you have in mind. We will be adding resource links to our main page shortly, but in the meantime check out the links in the reblog of this post!

INTIMACY AND RELATIONSHIPS

One of the topics addressed in our discussion was how a character’s asexuality may impact their experiences with intimacy and romantic relationships. Contributors discussed ways to portray this in fic, whether or not it includes sex or even mentions it.

Physical Intimacy

Intimacy, sensuality, and sex are separate things that may or may not overlap depending on the individual. Contributors discussed how, for people across the ace spectrum, the relationship between these three tends to differ from common societal frameworks or depictions of intimacy in fiction.

Enjoying physical intimacy without the expectation that it will become sexual: massages, falling asleep on top of each other, bathing together, etc.

This includes acts that would often be expected to “lead somewhere” but don’t, such as lots of touching or nude cuddling.

Craving closeness/touch completely outside of sexual drive

One scenario suggested for this topic is an asexual character discovering that without the worry that an act of intimacy will ‘lead somewhere,’ they enjoy something they used to get anxious about, such as sharing a bed or showering together.

Boundaries & Communication

Stories with an asexual character in a relationship often address physical boundaries within that relationship. The below are some of the scenarios contributors have enjoyed:

People communicating over their sexual boundaries, rather than assuming what these are as soon as they hear the word “asexual.”

The boundaries discussion being framed as something that any couple in a fictional relationship should have, not just because one is asexual.

In relationships between allo and ace characters, the allo character having boundaries of their own, rather than just the ace character.

Normalizing boundaries discussions for allo couples as well.

Note: If a boundaries discussion involves a sex-favorable ace character, take caution at the risk of having them sound offended or derisive that the discussion is happening (e.g. “What, I’m not a child” or “Not all aces are like that.”). Enforcing the idea that people should assume their partner is sex-interested is extremely harmful to sex-disinterested aces.

Some contributors noted that they prefer fics where the boundaries discussion is something that has taken place in the past, rather than run through at the beginning of each fic they read. In these cases, this past discussion could be illustrated in the interaction itself: a character’s awareness of what lines not to cross, the other’s confidence and trust that those boundaries will be respected, and so on.

Issues of Intimacy Outside of Sex

While aversion to sex is the most well-known dimension of asexuality, there are other aversions and boundaries that could apply to either ace or allo characters:

Ace characters that are kiss-averse and/or touch-averse: This also works against the “They won’t have sex, but they’ll make up for that with kissing even more!” trope that implies asexual people have to compensate for a nonsexual relationship.

Allo characters with their own aversions or specific boundaries: suggestions included how this can apply to trans characters.

Fluctuations in levels of aversion (note: it is important to not treat increased aversion as “progress” or decreased aversion as “regression”)

In cases of fluctuating aversion, characters developing ways to communicate these levels, and responding appropriately. For example, “Kissing is not on the table right now, let’s move on to something more comfortable.”

Contributors were excited to discuss how this area could particularly be used for the allo partner of an ace character, such as an allo Martin having difficulties with touch post-Lonely, or discovering that he doesn’t enjoy kissing.

Relationships to Sex (or Lack Thereof)

Asexuality ‘subtypes’ are terms many aces describe their personal relationship with sex and/or sexual content. These are simplified self-descriptors rather than rigid categories or mini-sexualities, and the terms rarely encompass the full detail of that relationship. Please note that the below discussion assumes a general familiarity with ace subtypes.

Needless to say, aces across the spectrum and of every subtype want to see their identities represented in fic. The discussion focused on ways to illustrate those experiences, and details contributors would enjoy seeing:

Non-averse aces trying sex and deciding they have no interest in it: pushing back against the “if you’re not repulsed you’ll like and want sex” idea.

No expectation that “sex-favorable” means always interested in sex.

The pressure an ace person may face to oversimplify their relationship to sex or sexual content out of fear they’ll appear inconsistent or exaggerating: “If I’m okay with this now, what if I’m not later? Will I seem picky if I’m only comfortable with something in an extremely specific scenario?”

“Sex repulsion” and “sex aversion” generally are used to describe asexual people who don’t want sex, but are simplified terms for what can be immensely varied experiences. Someone could be repulsed by physical involvement in sex, repulsed by personally engaging in anything sexual, repulsed by sexual content, repulsed by just the idea of sex--or any variation or combination of these. There are even repulsions that could be part of more sex-interested subtypes: an ace who enjoys sex but is repulsed by nudity, or an ace who enjoys sexual activities with a partner but not being touched during them, etc.

Contributors discussed how much they enjoy reading simple “I just don’t want sex” approaches to aversion/repulsion, but also look forward to reading explorations such as:

Enjoying one specific type of engagement with sexual content or activity, but having an aversion to others.

Regularly varying levels of repulsion: Days of “please don’t remind me sex exists” to days of mild curiosity, for instance.

Aces with a relationship to sex that doesn’t involve another person, including if they’re in a relationship.

Fluidity between ace subtypes can fluctuate between sex-interested and sex-disinterested in both directions: it can be both “I said I wasn’t interested in this before, but let’s carefully revisit” and “I know we’ve been doing this, but I’m no longer comfortable with it.” Contributors mentioned never having seen fic with the latter, and expressed an interest in reading stories exploring this.

On this note, it is common for stories of fluidity between subtypes to be only moving in a more sex-interested direction. Many asexual people, particularly sex-averse aces, face immense pressure to ‘learn how to like sex,’ or have their sexuality erased by saying they’re a ‘late bloomer’ who will learn to like it later. Depicting this direction should be done with great care and nuance, and we strongly recommend getting feedback from a sex-disinterested sensitivity reader for stories of this type. It’s possible that an ace reader who isn’t sex-disinterested would miss or not be affected by something that is quite painful to sex-disinterested aces.

CONCLUSION

If you’ve stuck with us for this long, well done! We understand that such a long resource can be a bit overwhelming, but we hope it can show you the depth of variety and enthusiasm ace readers have for more ace content and inspire you further. One thing we all had in common during our discussion was how excited we were to have a canonically asexual protagonist, and how thrilled we were to see content that explored his asexuality. In putting together this resource, we hope that you are encouraged to write about characters whose asexuality impacts their experiences and the story in unique, thoughtful, and creative ways. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

#asexuality #asexuality in writing #ace week #the magnus archives #tma #writing resources #asexual characters #roundtables

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justreadingfics · 4 years

Text

It’s a Deal (Chapter 11)

Chapter Summary: Bucky is ready for commitment.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Words: 4.6k

Warnings: fluff. Bucky is so smitten.

A/N: It’s been 84 years, but I hope you have fun! Thank you, @lesqui, for reading it over and helping me out with English and everything. The link to my masterlist, where you can find the other chapters, is on my description. Feedback is highly appreciated.

Tag list for this story is closed.

Placing your hands on each side of your hips, you smirk at the popped-up screen in your office. Another project you just nailed. Ever since the promotion, your productivity has increased tenfold and you feel as motivated as ever, your creativity on a top level. Also, the last few weeks, after you decided you needed some time alone, you did set more focus on yourself and your own projects. Work being one of them.

It’s weird to say the least… you’ve been busier than ever and yet, it seems like you actually have much more time to yourself now. You’ve been reading books you’ve bought but never really got to read them, eating ice-cream at 3am as you watch The Return of the King for the millionth time, your drawers are finally organized and so is your precious DVD collection. You got to explore a great number of parks and spots you’ve never been before, even living in New York for so long. You’ve been going out a lot and catching up with friends and family.

It was a good decision. You remember in your relationship with Eddie there were always obstacles for you to hang out with people outside the small inner circle of you as a couple. Sometimes the obstacles were subtle, and not always brought solely by Eddie, but also by you who let yourself get involved in that dynamic. You had no idea how much you missed people that were yours only, and not yours and Eddie’s.

It’s been great to be single. Really, really single for the first time in your adult life. No boyfriends or fiancées, no booty-calls or deals. Completely single… A title and state of mind you didn’t really get to enjoy in the first months of being broken up, being too heartbroken to even think of everything you could do with your life then.

Deciding to be alone for a while…It was a great and reasonable decision.

You have to admit something to yourself, though.

Sometimes you just wanna throw “great” and “reasonable” out of the window. Because you do miss him… A lot.

Finding out how he’s changed his mind and predisposition towards your relationship has messed quite a bit with your mind… and heart. You weren’t expecting that at all and now you don’t really know what to do with the chaos that’s bringing upon your feelings. And what’s making it even messier is the other guy who also changed his mind and predisposition towards your relationship… you weren’t expecting that either… however, that particular change of heart hasn’t been making your own heart jump each time you think of it…

Squeaky little yells and an animated chattering sound of female voices catch your attention to outside your office. Your previous smirk turns into a smile while you shake your head to yourself. That type of commotion only ensues when a certain someone drops by the Tech Department.

With a wave of your hand, you shut down the screen you’ve been working on, before moving towards the sound. What you come to find a few stops outside your office, at the Department’s common area, is a little circle of your female coworkers around a Super Soldier. He’s always a hit among your coworkers, but today it seems like they’re even in a bigger frenzy, fussing around something that he seems to be holding in his arms. You attempt to catch an eye of it, but the bodies in front of you make it quite hard.

He spots you as you approach them and opens a huge grin at your sight.

You smile back at him just as widely and after you come closer and some of the girls make room, your eyes widen and a small little gasp slips out of you when you finally find out what the fuss is all about. They are all cooing and marveling at a beautiful cat on Bucky’s arms, white as snow on a mountain peak, standing there like royalty, staring back like they’re nothing but proud of being where they are.

“Hey,” Bucky greets, prompting your eyes to focus back on him.

“Hi, there,” you answer back while your gaze carries an amused question mark at him.

He lifts a hard drive with his free hand to your vision field, “We collected this last mission, it’s some alien stuff,” he offers you the drive, keeping his eyes on yours.

As you gaze at each other, you reach for the little device. His fingers brush against yours and that’s precisely when the chattering around both of you becomes nothing but a distant and vague noise that barely reaches your senses… until a loud clear of throat sound stands out.

“Alright, girls, let’s get back to our desks and let these two, ahm… work,” Camilla, your closest friend there, gives you a pointed look and a discrete curve curls the corner of her lips as she leads the group - which looks far from happy about it - away.

When your gaze meets Bucky again, he’s got that shit-eating grin of his that tells you the little interaction between you and your friend didn’t quite skip from his attention.

You bite your lip and are about to say something when he beats you to it, “Sorry, I had to bring her with me.” He looks down at the cat on his arm and gives it a gentle shake, grinning down at her while she looks up at him before her incredibly blue eyes shut in what looks like sheer contentment, “This little girl right here started whining at the door when I was leaving… she just can’t leave my side anymore.” Bucky shrugs and ticks his tongue, before winking at you.

You chuckle, finding the surprising scene before you nothing less than adorable. The fact that you enjoy being in the presence of his charm again doesn’t go unnoticed by you, but you say nothing about it, “It’s ok, of course. I love cats. What’s her name?”

“Y/N, this is Alpine. Alpine this is Y/N,” he introduces you two with pride lacing his voice.

“Oh, hello, Alp-” your attempt of petting the cat comes to an abrupt halt with you withdrawing your hand at the loud hiss the animal aims at you.

Your eyes snap at Bucky to see his jaw dropping and his eyes widening with a mix of shock and fluster, “Fucking Christ,” he gasps, before looking down at the cat who now licks its paws absentmindedly, “What the hell, missy? Apologize. Apologize now,” he scolds, gaining absolutely no reaction in response.

He scoffs, looking back at you with incredulous lifted eyebrows.

You laugh, mainly at his attempt of making Alpine apologize, “Don’t worry…” You wave him off, “How did that happen, though? I don’t remember you having a cat.” You narrow your eyes just when your head tilts.

He bites his lower lip before an almost cringing smile forms on his lips, “Oh well…”

A FEW WEEKS BEFORE…

“Weren’t the Skrulls, like, actually good guys?” Bucky frowns, shoving one of his post-missions Oreos in his mouth and crossing his ankles over the spaceship’s dash.

“Every bunch has its bad apple, I guess,” from the pilot’s seat Natasha shrugs, eyeing the apple in question from over her shoulder.

“You’ll regret this,” threatens the prisoner, who’s actually a Skrull slaver named Gragnon and has his hands and feet securely tied up, stuck on a sit at the back of the ship. Still, he tries to get up and advance towards the front, but a shield of red mist surges in front of him, making him fall back on the chair again with a growl.

Wanda, the third member of the party on that mission, smirks from her seat right behind Nat’s.

Nat rolls her eyes, “What a douche… Talos has been leading a search for him for years now, he’d be thankful we’re taking him to them. Feet off the dash, please.”

Bucky quickly obeys, pulling down his legs to the floor as Wanda snickers.

“In fact… we should thank the success of this mission to a certain someone, who came up with a device to break alien codes.” The cheeky smile on Wanda’s face as she started speaking only fades so she can shoot a glare back at the prisoner, who’s now revolved by a red mist dome.

“Damn right.” A dreamy little curl pulls Bucky’s lips as he swings on his seat and passes the bag of Oreos to Wanda.

“Jesus,” Nat scoffs, setting the ship on autopilot, before swirling her chair to see both Bucky and Wanda, “Could you ever imagine this could be possible? That this guy would someday be that smitten over someone?” she questions Wanda.

“Not in a million years. I don’t know Y/N that well, but I bow to her.” Wanda mimics the gesture before shoving a cookie in her mouth.

Bucky doesn’t even drop the dreaminess of his smile. He is smitten… completely… utterly… and fuck if that doesn’t feel damn good. He always thought that kind of feeling would be a pain in the ass, boring and painful. It is not. He feels like singing, dancing, hugging every human being and alien he comes across. Fuck, he would hug the Gragnon dude if it didn’t mean to get a kick in the ass from Natasha. It’s been ages that he doesn’t really get high on anything, but that feeling… he’s definitely hooked on it. There’s not a doubt inside him anymore and he’s in love with being in love with you.

“So, spill it,” Nat crosses her legs, swinging on her chair “You really went to her place and poured your heart out to her? Right after her ex proposed to her?” She questions, “What did she say?”

“Well, first she thought I was kidding and laughed her ass off…” He shakes his head with the same dreamy little smile on his lips, “Then, when she realized I was not, she started crying and, of course, so did I.” He shrugs, ignoring when Nat and Wanda exchange looks, “She wasn’t expecting that from me at all, and, we can’t really blame her can we?”

“Definitely not.”

“Nope.”

Bucky chuckles at the unison response from her friends before leaning over and snatching the bag of cookies from Wanda, before giving them the details of his talk with you, having their undivided attention. “And she said she needs some time alone, being single, I mean, to sort her feelings out… Also, it seems like she doesn’t think I can’t deal with the kind of commitment that being in love requires,” he says with a mouthful.

“Oh, honey…” Nat tilts her head.

He notices the sympathy on hers and Wanda’s expressions and waves his hand to brush her worries off, “No, no. None of that. All in all, it went pretty well. As much as I wished it would be different, I think her decision is fair. At least she didn’t say yes to the jackass with the ring,” he huffs, “I wasn’t really expecting her to throw herself in my arms. At least, not just yet.” He smirks.

“What?” Natasha shoots a look at Wanda before turning to him, “You’re not stepping aside?”

Bucky snorts at the question, “Are you kidding me? The first broad I ever fall in love with and you think I’ll leave the path free for that short little clown who thinks ten years matter?” He lets out an exaggeratedly loud laugh, “I’ve lived more than one hundred of them. Ten years mean nothing to me, and soon enough she’ll realize it doesn’t have to mean much to her, either.” A small smile rises on his face, “Of course she can have the time for herself she wants, find out what’s like being single. She deserves that. And she can think and figure out all she needs… have her fun... It’s all good…” He nods, “But in the meanwhile? I’ll be around romancing the shit out of that woman,” he states, right before tossing another cookie in his mouth.

“Holy shit,” Wanda addresses Natasha, with both eyebrows high on her forehead.

“I know…” Nat answers with an equally dumbfounded look on her face, before turning to Bucky, “Listen,” she sighs and tilts her head, “I hate to be such a killjoy here, but… I get you’re in love, and I know this is new and exciting for you.” She’s smiling before her lips tighten, “Having said that… I think she might have a point about you not being ready for commitment Bucky, you never wanted that. I’m gonna be honest here, I’m the one who set what you two had up because I thought it wouldn’t lead to this…” She waves all around him, “Feelings, I mean… and I would hate myself if you two ended up hurt because of it.” She focuses an apprehensive gaze on him while Wanda also rests her attention on him, looking like she agrees with her friend.

Bucky takes a good look between the two of them before putting into words the answer that’s so clear on his head now, “I know it may sound weird and uncharacteristic of me. Trust me, I know that.” He nods at Natasha, taking a moment to silently communicate with her in the way that has been always so easy for the two of them, “You’re right, I’ve never wanted that. Settling down to just one person, commit to a long term relationship…But with her,” he sighs and the corner of his lips curl up without further notice, “I want her and I want all of that with her, the whole package. I’m ready. I’m not afraid. I think the reason I didn’t want all of that before is because I hadn’t met her yet. That’s it. Simple as that. I know it’s not going to be easy, but to hell with easy. I want her. And I want her hard.”

Wanda already has a huge grin on her face when a satisfied little smirk twists Nat’s lips, “That’s what Amanda said.”

Bucky’s eyes widen before he squints at her, “What’ve you been up to?”

Nat puts on a nonchalant face and reaches forward to grab a cookie from the package. She takes a bite and shrugs, “Poor girl… needed some comfort after being let down by your buddy down there.”

Bucky lets out an outraged scoff and throws a cookie on her way, from which she dodges easily as she laughs, “I bet you were of great help in consoling her… Jesus… Amanda and you? The world isn’t ready.” He shakes his head.

Natasha sports a smug smile on her face when she nods her agreement, “You’re not wrong.”

“Alright, as much as I want to hear all about this Amanda girl, we’re getting close to the Skrull base now and we need you to land us, Nat,” Wanda nods towards the dash.

“Copy that,” Natasha makes a military salute at her, before shifting her seat and taking control of the ship again.

“And as for you,” Wanda turns to Bucky, “I don’t need to read what’s on your mind to know you’re telling us the truth. You’re ready for commitment,” she offers him a soft smile, which he reciprocates, “And if you really wanna show her that, I may have an idea.” Her smile turns into a devious little smirk and that’s enough to pique Bucky’s interest.

~~~

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Bucky asks, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walks alongside Wanda through the busy sidewalks of Manhattan, “I mean… I know I said yes, but it is one hell of a commitment, what if it’s not for me?”

“Don’t worry, Bucky,” she smiles, “We’re just gonna take a look around, feel the vibe, and then see what happens. You don’t have to decide anything just yet,” she assures, wrapping an arm around his elbow as he looks down at her, “I just think it’s a good idea for you to get to know a bit more of this sudden inclination to commit…to experiment, I guess,” Wanda shrugs, “Besides, a dear friend of mine runs the shelter and the girl knows her stuff. If she feels like you’re not ready, she won’t allow you to get out of there with one of her babies.”

Bucky lets out a laugh. Feeling a little lighter about the subject, he places his hand over the one Wanda has wrapped around his arm, “Alright… I’m not opposed to the idea of having a dog, I guess. I always loved Labradors…” he frowns, “I would have to switch apartments, though…”

“Look at you.” Wanda nudges her shoulder on him, “Already making plans for your child…”

“Child…” Bucky can’t help but snort. He had agreed to Wanda’s idea of going to an animal shelter because he thought it would be a good way to show you he’s ready for commitment and, like he said, he’s always been fond of dogs and he’s sure if he ends up taking one home he’ll treat them well. But he also never understood how some people could be so attached to an animal to the point of considering them a child, or family…“I don’t know… I’m definitely not taking a pet home today. I agree with you, I shouldn’t decide anything just yet.”

As they walk past a small alleyway, Wanda halts, forcing him to stop with her.

“What?” Bucky frowns down at her.

“Shhh,” she brings a finger to her lips, staring towards the alleyway, “Listen.”

That’s when Bucky’s enhanced hearing catches the thin and shaky little sound coming through the trash cans.

“Come on,” Wanda pulls him to the alley and towards the cans.

What they find behind one of the containers, among all the filth around is a ball of white fur. Curled up and shaking just like the meows they heard seconds ago. A cat, a young adult white cat looks up and a pair of baby blue eyes meets Bucky’s and he just can’t look away from the plea on them and it’s just when something clicks inside his chest.

“Oh, no, look,” Wanda points at the tail, that has an evident injury on it, but when she leans down to examine it further, the animal flinches and rushes towards Bucky’s legs, letting out another trembling and weak meow. Bucky freezes as it starts climbing up his calves.

Given the poor coordination on their back little legs – probably from the damage on the tail- it can go much higher, but keeps trying. After the initial surprise, Bucky can’t help but to smile at the little fighter, who seems to reach out at him for protection. Next thing he knows, he’s leaning down and picks it up with all the caution he can muster.

“Hello, little lady… what happened there, huh?” He coos, nodding towards the small injury, which looks like a bite, having the cat meowing while bumping and rubbing the head against his chest.

“Is it a female?” Wanda tilts her head, an amused and questioning expression on her face.

Bucky smirks, not taking his eyes away from the animal, who is now quiet and seems much calmer, but digging her little claws on Bucky’s shirt, “I know a beautiful lady when I see one. Don’t I, gorgeous?”

A purring sound comes out of the now contented animal, the small injury on her tail apparently not being a problem anymore while she climbs higher and practically hugs Bucky with her little paws, whose fur is smudged by dirt, making his heart take a flip in his chest. Damn his heart nowadays…

“Aww, Bucky…” Wanda smiles, placing her hand over her heart, “What are we going to do? Should we take her to the shelter?” Wanda offers, with a bit of tentativeness on her voice.

Bucky’s eyes widen largely, before they snap to her friend. A protective tightness laces his hold on Alpine, who lets out another weak meow. Shit… Alpine? When the hell did he even come up with a name? Fuck if he knows, all he knows he’s done for and can’t possibly think of parting from that white furry little thing, who seems to have gone through a lot in her life already and probably has never met with human kindness before.

He doesn’t need to say anything as understanding falls upon Wanda’s face. He would even guess there’s a bit of pride adorning the smile on her lips now, “Alright, alright… we do need to take Alpine to the vet, though, Mr. I’m not gonna take a pet home today.” She winks.

~~~

PRESENT DAY…

“Oh well…” Bucky scratches the back of his neck while you keep your beautiful interested eyes on him, “I found this beauty on the street… she had an injured tail, poor thing… probably bitten by a dog. But she’s fine now, aren’t you, sweetie?” He coos, putting on the new tone of voice that belongs to Alpine now and loving the sound of your chuckle, “You know… I’m fully committed to taking care of her. I’m a cat dad now.” He says, putting some effort to highlight the word “committed”.

“I can see that…” you comment, nodding with a glimmer of fondness in your gaze at where Alpine is cuddled against him with eyes closed, completely relaxed.

Bucky looks down and smiles. That one is too cute for her own good, but he’s definitely having a talk with her later, for hissing at you like that, like he hadn’t given her a lecture about good behavior and how incredible you were before they left home.

“So, it’s been a while, huh? How’re you doing?” He asks softly, boring his eyes on you and holding back every ounce of him to not pull you to his arms and shower you with all the intense love he’s gathering in his chest at your sight in front of him. If it was up to him, he wouldn’t have spent those long weeks apart from you, but he met with missions and an Alpine in the way. Also, as much as he’s resolved to show you he’s the one for you, he understands you needed time for yourself. But, hell, he missed you so much.

“Oh, I’m good, I’m good… pretty good,” you ramble, brushing a finger behind your ear, that thing you do when you become a bit self-conscious, which happens often when he places his gaze so intently on you.

He can’t help but smile, his chest impossibly swelled with his feelings for you, because that woman who becomes all flustered with his attention is the same woman who whined to suck his dick while shitfaced after a party. Damn, he’s so in love with you.

“That’s great...Are you free tonight?” He asks, smoothly, “Wanda and Sam will make hamburgers, they’re one hell of a team in the kitchen, you’ll be welcome to come if you want to.”

“Oh… I…” You falter.

“I’m not trying anything, I promise,” He’s quick to add with a chuckle and raises his free hand up, noticing the trepidation in your voice. “Everyone’s gonna be there. We’re just gonna eat and hangout.” He shrugs.

“Oh… no, it’s not that, it’s just…” You tighten your lips “I’ve got plans.” Something Bucky guesses to be disappointment or something like that sweeps into your voice. As for him, he holds his breath, bracing himself for the news that you’re going out with that douche of an ex, “I’m gonna meet some friends from college tonight. I got a reservation for us for dinner and then we’re gonna go dance…”

Bucky lets out a breath and the smile that grows in his face is wide when he says, “Oh, alright. That sounds like fun.” Really, really fun, especially if that jackass isn’t involved. He’s not disappointed. Far from it.

You smile back at him, matching his mood. It doesn’t slip from his attention that you seem a bit surprised by his reaction at you declining an invitation from him in favor to hang out with your friends, but he says nothing of it.

“Yeah… I’ve been getting reacquainted with them lately,” you say, excitement plastered on the little curve of your lips and the glint in your eyes, “It’s been fun. I’d love to get to know Wanda and Sam’s talent in the kitchen, though….Maybe some other time?” You offer.

“Sounds perfect, sweetheart.”

The term of endearment brings the effect he was aiming for when you promptly does that thing with your finger on your ear again, but it was also noticed by the other girl in the room and currently in his arm, who seems to wake up from her comfort slumber against his chest to hiss at you again.

You look at each other in widened eyes.

“What the hell,” Bucky scolds down at the cat, glancing at you briefly, catching your now amused expression, before addressing Alpine again in a whispery voice, “We’re gonna have a talk back home, young lady.”

~~~

“What a number you put out there, huh?” His voice is gentle despite the reprimanding intention in his words while Bucky crouches and fills her little plate with the special food the vet recommended.

With her crystal-clear eyes glued on the plate, Alpine doesn’t really acknowledge his half attempt of admonishing her before digging in.

Bucky chuckles, “She’s cute, isn’t she? But so are you,” He scratches the back of her ear and she stops eating for a moment to brush her head against his hand, “You don’t have to be jealous, doll. You’re so cute, you’re my girl, too, you know?” he coos, still petting her, “But you gotta help me out there buddy. Ok? She’s really special and I know you’ll love her, too.”

Alpine lets out a weak meow before getting back to her plate and Bucky swears to God he sometimes wonders if the cat is some sort of shapeshifter in disguise, understanding every little thing he says.

Letting her out to eat, he stands up, “Hey, Friday,” he calls.

“Yes, Bucky?”

“Could you search for a table reservation in the name of Y/N Y/L/N tonight? I need the address of the place.”

A small silence ensues before the A.I speaks again, “Isn’t it a bit creepy?”

He sighs, placing his hands on his hips, “Friday… babe…” He smiles at the giggles that resound in his kitchen, before bringing a hand to his heart, “I’m in love, ok? I’m not gonna ruin her night…If anything, I’m just going to make her night out with her friends more… interesting.”

“Alright, you know I can’t say no to you,” the A.I concedes, “You can find the address in your phone’s map. Good luck, handsome.”

“Thanks, babe,” Bucky grins, before turning to Alpine, who’s now about done with her food, sprawled on the floor busy with cleaning out her paws, “And you?” He calls, catching her attention before he points at her, “You’ll have burgers with your aunt Wanda. I have plans for tonight.”

~~~

To be continued...

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes series #bucky barnes fanfiction #it's a deal

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angryschnauzer · 4 years

Text

Waited So Long

Summary: As an actress in her mid 20′s you had been lucky enough to get the roles you pushed yourself for, but one role in particular needs a scene you have no experience with; a sex scene, and you co-star is surprised to discover you are still a virgin even though you are in your mid 20′s. But he’s willing to help with whatever you need.

Trope: Friends to Lovers, Co-stars to Lovers Pairing: Henry Cavill x Female Reader

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, loss of virginity, oral sex, fingering, vaginal sex, protection/condoms.

I no longer operate a tag list, but instead pop over and follow @angryschnauzerwrites and put that blog onto notifications. You’ll then get an alert each time i post a new story.

Masterlist got so long all the links broke, so you can now find all my previous stories on my AO3 LINK HERE

Waited So Long

Henry sat at the large table, grinning and laughing as the rest of the cast had finished reading through the latest episode’s script. Everyone was in a good mood and that was down to the fact that tomorrow’s shooting schedule required just you and Henry, meaning that everyone else got a three day weekend. But… but you were just staring at the script. You knew it had been coming, but to see the words in front of you, the stage descriptions, it was overwhelming.

The Netflix special was ten episodes of a sci-fi series, and you played an alien warrior. Henry was the plucky human astronaut that had been aboard the International Space Station when it had been sucked into a black hole and had ended up on the far side of the universe. Eight episodes into the filming schedule and the pivotal sex scene was about to be included, and that’s what was clouding every thought in your mind.

You were far from naive, you had no issue with your costume or even the nudity - you were after all painted purple with patches of ‘scales’ in strategic parts - but it was the fact you had a small secret that was making you so nervous; you hadn’t ever actually had sex.

You were already mid 20’s, you’d been through university and stage school, worked on broadway and the London west end, you’d modelled for artists and had always put your career first. Relationships had just fizzled away after the first couple of dates because of your acting schedule… and that is how you found yourself not only a virgin in her mid 20’s, but one that had never even laid in bed with a partner, been close, felt the weight of a lover on top of them… anything at all.

The producers called it a wrap for the read through, and the sounds of chairs scraping on the floor filled the room. As people shot their empty plastic bottles into the trash you felt your stomach lurch, quickly leaving the room, finding the disabled bathroom and running to the toilet, the contents of your stomach very quickly coming back up.

Finally empty, you sat on the floor and rested your head against the wall, your mind spinning. A quiet knock at the door made you open one eye, watching as the unlocked door swung open and a familiar face peered round;

“Are you ok?” Henry asked, his bulk almost filling the entire doorway; “You’re not coming down with something?”

You shook your head;

“No, just umm… nerves… haha…” you laughed rather awkwardly.

Stepping into the room, he sat against the opposite wall, leaning forwards to hand you his half finished bottle of water;

“... about tomorrow?”

Taking a sip of water you nodded;

“Bit pathetic really, isn’t it?”

“Not at all. Is this your first onscreen love scene?”

“Yeah”

He sat forwards, resting his hands on his knees as he thought pensively for a moment;

“Are you going out with the crew tonight?”

“No. Can’t really face it”

“How about I drive us back to the house and order some chinese and talk things through? This isn’t my first love scene but I remember the nerves. We’ll get everything out in the open so the air is clear ready for tomorrow, yeah?”

Nodding, you watched as he stood, holding out his hand for you and helping you to your feet.

The drive back to the shared house that most of the main cast members were staying at was fun, Henry having linked his Spotify to the stereo, firing up a playlist of old school pop with an eclectic mix of metal. By the time he rolled into the large driveway that the rental house had, you were both yelling out the words, laughing and grinning.

Once inside you excused yourselves to go shower, twenty minutes later finding Henry in the kitchen. His hair was wet and he wore a t-shirt and pair of sweatpants as he looked over the chinese menu;

“What do you fancy?” he asked and you tried not to blurt out what you were thinking, because even though you may be a virgin, your thoughts were far from pure.

Looking over the list he had already scribbled down, you pointed to a couple of dishes, watching as he added them to the list before dialling for delivery.

Pushing your plate away you stretched out and groaned. Still shovelling egg fried rice into his mouth, Henry pointed his fork at your plate;

“Roo dun?” he asked, his cheeks full like a hamster.

“Help yourself!”

He eagerly dumped the rest of your lemon chicken on top of his rice, jabbing at the pieces;

“Hey, about tomorrow… you really don’t need to worry. It’s just going to be you and me, and three other people”

Taking a sip of your beer you quietly snorted;

“That’s still three more people that would ‘usually’ be there… and four more than i’ve ever experienced”

He paused, setting his fork down and you could see his mind working through what you said;

“So uhh, it's been a while…?”

“To be honest, it's been never”

It was like something short circuited in his brain;

“Never never? Like, never?”

Putting your beer down, you fiddled with the label;

“I’m a virgin. I’ve never had sex. I’ve never even slept with anyone”

There was an awkward silence, the air tense before Henry finally spoke;

“Is it a religious thing?”

You shook your head;

“No. I just have been so wrapped up in studying or working or being on stage… I would get two dates into a relationship and some big opportunity would come up. I would get blinkered and end up ghosting guys without even realising. Ambition got in the way of a love life…”

Henry took a deep breath;

“Ok. So you know i’ll be covered up… down there i mean… and so will you… so there won’t be any slips or anything. I won’t be inside you or anything…”

Cocking an eyebrow you scoffed;

“Henry… I know you won’t be inside me. We studied sex scenes at stage school. They gave us the practical run down of what happens. It's lots of rubbing and grunting. I just need to go watch some porn again to figure out what to grunt…” you took a sip of your beer; “... and you probably wouldn’t fit inside me anyway… it’s not like anything has ever breached that hole”

Henry sat with a wide eyed look on his face, his jaw hanging slack;

“So you… you’ve never even pleasured yourself?”

“Of course i have!” you threw a prawn cracker at him; “I’ve just never…. You know… had internal stimulation…”

“Wow” he muttered quietly, shifting in his seat; “So…” he started again but then stopped, his brain seemingly unable to string a coherent sentence together.

Finally he cleared his throat;

“So there’s never been any on set stuff?”

“Nope. Usually I run through my lines for the next day, check the schedule, the set and makeup call times. I guess the one bonus about all of this is that there aren’t any lines for tomorrow”

You both knew that the scene had been set up without dialogue, mostly from Netflix’s instruction because any erotic scenes can cause havoc with sensors in some countries when it comes to subtitles.

“What did you want to do now? Do you want an early night? Watch a movie? Talk? You want me to lay on top of you?” he asked, picking his now cold plate of food up and dumping the leftovers in the waste disposal.

“Yes” you replied far too quickly.

“Which part?”

“All of it”

With the TV in the main living area out of action thanks to a rather rambunctious game of ping pong a few weeks ago, the pair of you had moved to Henry’s room. An hour into the movie and it was far from your thoughts, instead you were in the bizarre situation where Henry was literally laying on top of you as you had a conversation. The feeling of his weight pressing against you was at first a surprise, he was thick with muscles for the role, and with probably 200lbs of human pressing you against the mattress you had found you would have to shift now and again. Finally you found a position that was comfortable, and as you chatted about life you found your legs had naturally parted to allow him to lay between them, his stomach pressing to yours, his face inches from your own;

“This is literally how we’ll be spending our day tomorrow you realise” he quietly pointed out

“But there will be grunting too… plus some thrusting… it’ll probably get your ass in the gossip magazines as best ass in hollywood again” you teased him, knowing that the nudity he’d done in previous shows and movies had earned him a lot of attention thanks to his rather peachy behind.

Henry pushed up a little, poking a finger to your breasts;

“Oh yeah? Well these will earn you a whole legion of fans, you have an awesome pair of tits”

“Pfft, they’re just average”

“They’re good enough to give me a semi” he countered with a crooked grin on his face, using his finger to just tug at your neckline, exposing a tiny bit more skin.

You shifted beneath him without even realising you were doing so and that’s when you felt it, a growing hardness pressing against your abdomen. Your eyes went wide as you stared up at him, the mix of emotions showing on his face;

“I’ll get off…”

“No!” you instinctively wrapped your legs around his, leaning your head up and pressed a kiss to his lips. He let out a grunt of surprise and you felt him tense, before he softened, his lips following yours as you pulled rested your head back on the duvet beneath you.

His lips were soft and plump, and as he rocked his hips against you again this time you felt he was getting harder. Instinctively you gasped, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth. You may not have had sex before but you had kissed, and your tongue danced with his as hands started to explore each others bodies, fingers seeking out skin as t-shirts were tugged up to expose heated skin.

Pulling your shirt over your head he admired your naked chest, the pattern on your top having hidden the fact you were without a bra;

“Oh yeah, even purple these’ll be popular”

With a smirk on his lips and a wicked grin on his face he lowered his mouth to your naked torso, taking one peaked nipple between his lips to suck on it, his hand cupping your other breast. As he worked his magic your body responded, the wetness between your thighs soaking through your clothing, the subtle movements of your bodies rubbing together making your arousal almost uncontrollable. Winding your hands into his dark locks, the soft hair curled around your fingers as he looked at you, pressing a trail of kisses down your sternum until he reached your leggings;

“Can i continue?” he asked quietly, watching as you nodded your head;

“Yes… please…”

As he pulled your leggings off he pressed kisses to the heated skin that he revealed, never breaking eye contact;

“So here’s what i’m going to do… first i’m going to get you to cum with my tongue, i’ll slip it just a little inside you so you can get used to the feeling, then i’ll gently tease you with my fingers; find that g-spot of yours as i’ve been assured a g-spot orgasm is completely different from a clitoral orgasm…

“Fuck…”

“Yes, that’s the third thing…” he grinned at you; “Once you’re nice and ready, and really really wet i’m going to make love to you… so you can practice your moans for tomorrow…”

He shed you of the rest of your clothing before softly grasping your legs and pulling them apart, revealing your virgin core. Tender fingers parted your petals before his tongue swiped a wide stripe through them, and the sound that emerged from your throat startled even you.

“You like that?”

“Yes… oh my god, please do that again!”

“With pleasure!”

“The pleasure is all mine…”

“Henry?”

“Yes?”

“Please shut up and get on with it” you grinned at him, before he dipped his face back between your legs and went to town. His tongue was seemingly everywhere, grunts and moans as he worked you open, and when he slipped his tongue into the ring of muscle at your entrance your eyes shot open and you giggle-moaned at the unfamiliar but not unpleasant experience. When a finger found your clit you relaxed again, laying back and enjoying the pleasure he was selflessly giving you.

Gripping at the bedcovers you found your hips started to move on their own, only for Henry to press a strong arm across your stomach to hold you in place, pushing you closer and closer to your orgasm. When it finally did hit your body reacted instinctively; your legs wrapping themselves around his head, your back arching and your fingers almost tearing through the fabric of the sheets, before you finally went limp. As your mind was nothing but stars a muffled voice came through the haze of your post orgasmic bliss;

“If i could get some oxygen…”

Not realising your legs were still firmly wrapped around Henry’s head, you quickly released him, his head popping up from beneath your thighs. His cheeks were flushed red and his chin was wet, and it took you a moment to realise you were the cause for the wetness. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand before standing and grabbing a bottle of water to pass to you;

“You’re gonna need to rehydrate after that…”

You went to take the bottle from him but the bulging tent in his sweatpants distracted you, your hand pausing mid air before Henry laughed;

“Drink first, then you can play with it”

“Oh… I… “

“Drink”

Taking the bottle you sipped at the tepid liquid as he lay on the bed beside you. When you’d finished he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you to his firm chest before kissing you softly;

“Are you ready for round two?”

“Can i touch you too?”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth before he nodded, watching as you eased the elastic of his sweats down and his heavy cock sprang free. Your jaw fell as you took in his size, but before you could overthink it he pressed a kiss to your lips as his hands wandered between your thighs.

Reaching out you wrapped your fingers around him as his own slid between your folds, dancing over your clit before he pressed a single digit inside you, your eyes going wide and your hand squeezing him involuntarily.

“Does that feel good?”

You nodded;

“Yes, a little strange that i’m not in control, but i think that’s what makes it even more exciting”

“That’s good… now, how about another finger?”

Nodding again you bit your lip as he slid a second finger in alongside the first, your eager hole stretching around his digits. Instinctively you had started to move your hand up and down his shaft, doing little more than gentle movements, but soon the pair of you got into a rhythm, working together to leave your breaths in time with the others.

“Doing so well for me… so wet. Shall we try a third?”

Nodding you let out a quiet ‘uh-huh’ as he repositioned his hand, carefully sliding three fingers into your soaked velvet channel, and the noise that came from your throat was base and full of sin. When his thumb started to rub against your clit while he continued to work three fingers inside you the spring in your belly snapped and you were coming hard, shaking around his hand.

As you came down from your high Henry carefully withdrew his fingers, salaciously licking them clean before he got off the bed and went to the drawer in the little cabinet, pulling out a condom.

“Oh… i’m on the pill…” you blurted out; “You don’t have to… In fact i’d really like to feel you, you know… bare…”

Tearing the packet open he grinned at you;

“I get that… but you’re gonna be in makeup in less than 12 hours” he knelt on the bed as he started to roll the latex down his angry dick.

“Umm yeah?”

“Well its something you’d only know from experience, but it can take up to 24 hours for a guys cum to fully leak out of you”

“Oh…”

“And your costume and makeup gets pretty intimate, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah…”

“So you want Iris in makeup to be able to smell my cum dripping out of you when she’s painting your snatch purple tomorrow?” he said with a grin on his face, rolling the condom down fully before positioning himself between your legs

“I gotta be honest, the idea that someone realises i’ve had sex is kinda kinky” you craned your neck up to kiss him as you felt his dick notch at the entrance to your cunt; “But you’re the expert here”

“That i am… Let me show you just how much of an expert…”

With a smooth roll of his hips he pushed into you and the feeling was indescribable, in fact it was so overwhelming you screwed your eyes shut, willing the tears not to fall, but Henry simply held still, kissing each one of your tears as they fell down your cheeks until you were ready.

“Breathe babe… just breathe… it’s overwhelming i know… i understand…”

Opening your eyes you gazed up at him, smiling as he leaned down and kissed you softly.

“Are you ok?”

“Y-yeah…”

“You want me to keep going?”

“Please… oh god please”

“Gonna make you feel so good”

He carefully pulled his hips back before pushing into you again, seemingly getting deeper before pulling out again. Soon you were lost in the moment, feelings both physical and emotionally almost overwhelming you again as your body was taken to new heights of pleasure, Henry seemingly knowing exactly how to make the moment special for you.

Your body reacted in the best way, the tight spring inside you curling ever tighter, until with just the right roll of his hips he tipped you over the edge and you were coming hard, your body squeezing him so tight he knew he’d found heaven whilst you saw stars.

Whilst you were in the haze of your orgasm you heard the most beautiful moans, and felt as Henry came deep within you. As soon as he stopped shaking he wrapped his arms around you tightly, pressing his face to your neck as he cradled the back of your head with his massive hand, pressing soft kisses to your heated skin as you both basked in the aftershocks of your intense orgasms.

Finally Henry pushed himself up to bear his weight on one arm, sliding his other hand between your bodies to hold the condom in place as he carefully pulled out of you;

“I’m just gonna get rid of this… stay here”

You watched his peachy ass as he quickly mad his way to the bathroom, hearing water running before he reappeared moments later with a damp washcloth. Sitting delicately beside you he carefully cleaned you up, and when he was finished he pulled the duvet over your naked body as he quickly got rid of the cloth and joined you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you to his chest;

“Are you ok?”

“I think so… Did i make a mess of your bed?”

“No. No blood”

“Really? I thought…”

“If you’re relaxed enough you may not bleed… or you may have simply ruptured your hymen just through every day life. A fall, tampons, strenuous exercise… didn’t you do a horseriding movie a couple of years back?”

“Y-yeah…” you cast your mind back; “Now you mention it, there was one really long day when i’d spent all day shooting a galloping scene with jumps… i just thought my period was coming early, and i had this really dull ache in my lower back… i guess that makes sense now…”

“So… you’re good? Feel ok about filming tomorrow?”

You nodded;

“Yeah, i’m good. Thank you” You looked up at him and saw he was chewing his lip nervously; “What?”

“I was wondering… you know… after we’ve finished filming tomorrow… did you want to go to dinner with me?”

“Like a date?”

“Yeah… hey i understand if you say no… that you want to concentrate on your role and acting…”

“No! I mean yes!” you took a deep breath; “I’d love to go to dinner with you”

He pressed a kiss to your cheek before you settled on his chest, his strong heartbeat beating beneath your ear as you let your eyelids drop and you fell asleep in his arms.

Iris tutted as you fidgeted;

“Will you stand still? I need to get these scales on!”

“Sorry Iris… just a little sore…”

The older woman looked up at you as she held the patch of purple scales prosthetic and grinned;

“Well its about time” she nodded to the various bottles and jars that were on the counter; “Make sure you take the coconut oil when you leave tonight, it’ll help get the adhesive off without pulling on any bruises”

You looked down at Iris and smiled;

“Thanks Iris”

“Was it worth it?”

“So worth it”

#henry cavill #henry cavill x reader #henry cavill x you #henry cavill smut #henry cavill fanfiction

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satingrove · 3 years

Text

repose

pairing: frankie morales x gn reader (no y/n, no pronouns)

summary: frankie is a soft lover — especially in the morning, when there’s no plans for the day.

word count: 1.6k of frankie, fluff, and feelings

warnings: none! (but he comes with his own warning)

Rolling in his sleep, Frankie wakes to the abrupt bumping of his nose against your shoulder. He winces and rubs it softly, eyes blurry as they take in the day’s first sight: you, laying on your belly, your side now pressed against him.

There’s hardly any natural light to see which shape you take under the covers — it must be earlier than usual, or enough clouds have formed outside to block the sun from seeping through the blinds — but he feels your knee press to the side of his thigh, at least.

He lets head fall back to the pillow with a thud and slides his arm over your back, pulling you snug to his bare skin. Now conscious, he’s able to press his nose and lips on your shoulder again gently, dragging his bottom lip a few inches toward your neck. He notes your smell, how it mixes with his, how it seems lighter the more time he spends with you, the more he’s used to it. He’d bottle it if he could.

For a moment more, he’s patient, watching you as his eyes adjust. By his hand, your shirt becomes considerably bunched up around your torso, left with the wet marks of his lips. Your cheek is pressed neatly into the pillow and he smiles at that — the squished softness of your face.

“Baby,” he whispers, shifting some of his weight onto your body, fingers tracing a mindless line down your back as his chest presses warm to it.

His radiating heat is enough to wake you up, his open-mouthed kisses only speeding up the process. You lift your face from the crook of your elbow, met with Frankie’s big brown eyes looming, the corners of his mouth curved upwards.

“Hmm?”

That hum is Frankie’s invitation to roll you onto your back. He’s sure and gentle, pushing his hands under your sides and letting his palms ride the movement of your body as you turn. The pillow, the mattress, Frankie — even the huff he gives when he settles his legs between your own — are all soft against you. The sudden feeling of waking doesn’t feel so scary when it’s Frankie’s doing; he’s slow, considerate.

Through a veil of devotion, he looks at you. Natural and messy, far from proper — you like him like that.

“Hi,” he breathes, tracing his nose down the side of your warm face, until his lips are level with yours for a sweet and drawn out kiss.

“Good morning,” you murmur, stretching your arms above your head. The extension is pleasant, your muscles doing their subtle shake of relief. Lacing your fingers together, you mean to catch Frankie in the loop of your arms, but he’s swiftly moving down your body on his palms. “Baby—”

He gets level with your middle, fingers lifting the hem of your shirt, and he gleams at you, ducking his head under the fabric to give your stomach feather-light kisses. His lips are firm and wet, gliding easily over you, leaving cool traces over the curves of your belly and hips. The scruff of his face tickles on your skin, your own laughter exceeding his in volume as you grab the fabric from his head. The rustling of your shirt has his hair frizzing up, and he looks at you sweetly, innocently, messy curls spilling over his forehead.

You lift a brow, “Do you like my tummy?”

“Yes.” He whispers lowly, dipping his head to hide his flushed face.

“Are you going to kiss me all over?” You ask, expecting him to collapse back onto your chest and fall back asleep with you, but he smiles, about to peck your cheek when you lay a finger over his mouth.

“Wait,” you tease, “I bet you wouldn’t kiss my feet.”

His brows furrow, considering a sudden challenge, “...I’d kiss your feet.”

A pout at your uncertainty in him turns to a wicked grin, his body sliding even further down the mattress until your ankle is firmly set in his grip.

“No… Frankie!”

He settles on his knees, bringing your foot up to his shoulder, “Don’t worry, baby,” he soothes your panicked giggles, his lips pressing to the inside of your ankle. “Is that better?”

“Mhm, yeah,” you relax, the air from your lungs passing through your wide smile.

He releases your ankle, your leg pliant in his hands as he bends it at the knee, kissing his way up there. Frankie takes his time — that’s the man he is — patient and giving in his ways of loving you. He rests his chin on your knee, with your foot resting flat on the mattress.

Your breaths settle down to a steady in and out, him watching you intently, lips swollen and pink. He blinks and presses his face into your skin — even now, your stare heats him up from the inside out, and he feels much younger than he is; a spark of energy fueled by affection flits through him. It seems he may even fall asleep right here on your leg, drowsy and untroubled, though he rises with time, body stretching until he can nip at your neck, a hand gently easing your leg back down.

“What do you want to do today, baby?” He asks between open-mouthed kisses that have your breath hitching considerably, unaware of his knowing smirk.

“I— shit, I have to do laundry today. I don’t wanna do it.”

“Then don’t,” he whispers matter-of-factly, “I don’t care if you walk around naked.”

He knows even better than you that there will never be much to do on a lazy morning, or rather, that nothing you should do will get done. You are lying beneath him with your hands caught in his hair, his chest pressed to yours, and there is nothing as or more important that can pull him from this spot. Nothing higher on his list of morning pleasures — for each day of the week — including the days where he almost has you running late, days when morning pleasures must be given up for work and obligations.

Today is not one of those days. He lets his weight keep you here in his bed.

You take his face in your hands and tug him from the crook of your neck until you can see him, in all his seriousness.

“I really don’t,” he adds, tracing a finger up your shoulder.

“I know, but I don’t think so. Too cold.”

“That’s it?” He laughs, settling back into you, supported by his elbows. “Too cold?”

“What else do you suggest?” You lean up into his face, lips moving pleasantly against his patchy stubble, peppered with new greys, his fading scar just above.

He makes an appreciative noise, dropping a kiss before your hairline, “You wear my clothes,” — another to your temple — “leave your laundry for another day, ignore putting away the dishes… something like that.”

Your thigh slides against his hip, his words halting.

The sheets are an overwhelming heat with the presence of your bodies, Frankie’s a little more feverish.

“Because, honey, we can do those boring things, if you want,” he taunts, gaining back his upper hand, pressing his fingertips to your sides, “the laundry, the dishes, the tidying,” he nips at your earlobe, taking it between his teeth, “I’ll make you watch me cut the grass, even…” He trails off into an open-mouthed glide down your neck, humming along to your sounds and subsequent squirming.

Gathering your breath, you tell him, “That last one doesn’t sound so bad.”

He huffs, shaking his head. He knew you’d say that.

“I like to watch you,” you continue, gripping his broad shoulders, and it’s nothing if not true. A soothing but wild fondness clouds you, thinking of Frankie doing these handy and domestic things, his cap thrown over his curls and his shirt a little damp.

The room has gotten lighter — you can see deeper into his wide eyes and he can see deeper into yours. “You want your coffee, baby? I’ll make some—”

Fingers curl tighter and arms flex around you, confirming that you’re not leaving this bed for another few hours, at least. These are the hands you feel safe in. The calloused and capable hands that gift you an undying sense of importance to him. He holds you like this when he’s needy, lifted against his whole front, and this is when he feels like they’re being put to good use, keeping you in close proximity.

He grumbles, muffled by your neck. “I haven’t slept in with you all week.”

The raspy edge to his voice has worn off and eased into its habitual velvet richness, and you don’t need to see his face to know those plush lips are in a pout, no matter how steady his words sound. But you need no more convincing than that, and the two of you are so tangled up in the sheets, you’re not sure you’d find a way out to make coffee anyway.

Frankie continues on, “There’s... nowhere else to be… today.”

He’s slipping back into a light doze, little puffs of air ghosting you, and you can feel the complete press of his soft belly against yours when he fully relaxes into you.

“And nothing to do,” you add, though still content to do these mundane tasks if Frankie is there, but only after you wake up the second time when it’s no longer morning, after coffee is made and his loose button up is haphazardly thrown on with his underwear — because he can’t be bothered to do it up all the way, and you don’t mind the view.

tags: @queenbbarnes @ayamenimthiriel @princessxkenobi @filthybookworm @mitchi-c @jettia @bookofbriar @nomanchesnoncreator @harrys-stan @meshlamando @jabbajambler @nakhudanyx @lycheemi @kj-holmes @goldengubs @mandoclan @lady-of-glass-and-bone @thehippiequilter

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#frankie morales x reader #frankie morales #pedro pascal #triple frontier #triple frontier fanfiction #frankie morales fluff #mediocre fluff let's GOOOOO

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ginanosakka · 3 years

Text

The War Has Begun

Masterlist

Mind of a Monster | Next

Katsuki had been quiet as a mouse since the meeting, and even as he handled the investigation and information he was being relayed by those part of the mission, he looked more in thought than exploding with anger at his current situation. Usually, he would be patrolling the streets, taking down any petty thug or idiotic villain that dared to cause a scene in his area, but he found himself patrolling for as long as many other heroes he knew that preferred to take this profession slow. It didn’t even matter to him that he was seeing icy-hot on the news more than him now when he sat in the living room with his son.

His son.

Those words felt so right now despite the fact that children were at the bottom of his list of things to deal with. Seeing that blonde boy with the same blown out ashy blonde hair as his, sharing the same eyes with that damn sparkle of the girl he was forever intertwined with, he felt nothing but pure satisfaction and peace. The same satisfaction and peace he believed he could only have by being the number one hero, which was the reason why he spent so much overtime as a hero to try and surpass Deku, and to never be lumped into the same category as Todoroki. When he thought of being number one now, he couldn’t find that same passion for it.

“You should feel honored that the future number one hero lets you talk to him.” Katsuki boasted, grinning like a maniac while you sat across from him at the mall food court.

“Being number one is a sham, you know. My dad said that all those heroes at the top do it for money and fame, with the only exception being All Might. I prefer heroes like Gang Orca, he’s super cool and he actually cares about the people he’s saving.” You mentioned casually, picking up another fry from your tray of food and chewing on it.

Katsuki simmered down enough to take in what you said, and felt the slight shade you threw at his goal. “What’s that supposed to mean?! You think I’m a bad hero or something?!” He shouted, and you shrugged while ignoring the stares that you two were getting.

“That isn’t my dream to pick at, but it’s not hard to see that Endeavor doesn’t save lives because he cares about people. . You said the reason you want to be a hero was to make a lot of money and show off that you were better than everyone else. Do you really think you’re an All Might and not an Endeavor?”

He stood up with his hair casting a shadow over his eyes, and before you could even say another word, he walked away from you. You stared after him in shock at such a negative reaction from the truth, but you knew that he wouldn’t take that well. It was the truth that he’d been facing since starting UA that he wasn’t like his classmates who all shared his goal, but you knew he didn’t understand what you truly meant. The heaviness of your words weighed Katsuki down as he walked away from, his insecurities that he’d hide from you shining through in that moment. You were right in that moment; Katsuki didn’t understand what you meant, but he can’t pretend like it didn’t hurt.

“Real heroes don’t care about being number one as long as they’re helping someone. . what a dumbass.” Katsuki mumbled the moral of your words as they hit him like a train wreck.

‘She’s always been that damn wise, huh?’ He thought as he turned away from watching the television with his son to you.

You sat not too far away from them on his recliner, your legs crossed and eyes intently focused on your phone as you typed away. All morning you had been like that when you weren’t talking or doing something with Ryu. The two of you had not moved forward since his apology, but there were no longer small acts of aggression towards him when you spoke, and in your constant teasing of his short temper, there was no longer any comments about the past riddled in your humor. Though that didn’t ease his mind about the unspoken rivalry that had sprung from your reappearance.

He refused to lose you again, and damn sure not to shitty hair.

Without warning, Katsuki stood up and stalked towards you. His sudden movements took your attention away from your emails with your assistant and you looked up at him as he towered over you, and you’d never admit that the butterflies in your stomach weren’t from fear. In a simple tank top and shorts standing above you was a man that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, but you’d much rather burn the image in the back of your mind and keep your hormones to yourself than embarrass yourself.

“We’re going out.” He said as if stating a fact, and in his mind, it very much was.

“. . . Who the fuck is we? Ryu, you didn’t hear me say that.” You blinked at Katsuki as if he had grown three heads, before looking to Ryu who’s attention had moved to the both of you when he heard the foul word fall from your mouth.

“When I burn stuff I’m bad, but you can say bad words,” you heard your five year old huff.

“I mean you and I,” Katsuki explained with slight irritation at you. “Pinky’s been bugging me anyway, so she can-“

You cut him off and turned your phone off, “there’s no need to call her. My assistant will watch him and I’ll babysit you.”

“Pain in my ass,” Katsuki mumbled just loud enough for you to hear as you stood up, and you smiled in return.

Being stuck in Katsuki’s house most of the time made you appreciate the outdoors more, and maybe a few weeks ago you’d complain about being in the park without Ryu, but it felt like a stilled moment in time now where you could pretend there was a sense of normalcy. You could pretend like you and Katsuki were just frenemies with complicated emotions, and he could take a breath from that world of constant ridicule and popularity contests. It was never spoken between you two, but it was clear that it wasn’t just you that was causing him to be stressed and consistently explosive; the hero community was wearing him down for a while now.

It only took finding out he had a child, rivaling the girl he lost, and having them both be targeted by her father, for him to realize being number one wasn’t that important.

“So, why did you want to take me to the park . without the child that loves the park?” You said with mild amusement, you two walking side by side in your hoodies and sweats to be at least slightly concealed in public.

Truthfully, in his moment of haste to get a leg up on his own friend, he hadn’t fully thought out an idea to get close to you. It wasn’t until he made it out of the apartment, after barely casting a glance at your assistant, Nanami, that you allowed into his home, that he realized this may not have been the smartest course of action. And he’d never admit that to you.

“You looked like you needed some time away, and I’m tired of looking at you working when you’re not even there.” He said gruffly, avoiding your face and doing his best to fight the small blush he could feel heat up his cheeks.

You chuckled lowly, “some things never change. . Speaking of that, how are things with Midoriya? I was surprised to hear that you didn’t full on murder him when he was announced the number one hero.” You said, giving him a sideways glance to gauge his reaction.

That was quite a blow to his ego. It took him a while to recover from losing to the boy he had looked down on his entire childhood, and then underestimated in his later years until he was forced to realize that Deku was his equal. What he lacked, Deku excelled, and there was nothing he could do about that other than to work harder. It took a long time for Katsuki to truly accept that there was something special about that nerd, and the world needed him.

“He’ll always be a loser to me. . but he’s a decent hero. I’d be a dumbass like the rest of you to kick his ass about it.” Katsuki said and looked you in the eyes, showing that he meant every word. “You know, I can’t tell if you hate me or care too damn much sometimes.”

You hummed with a smile creeping up on your face, “It’s a healthy balance of both. . I’m not ready

to overthink us right now when I can’t be completely open with you, or anyone else for that matter.” The smile that grew had withered near the end of your sentence, and you felt a flash of guilt in you for dragging him into a battle that had little to do with him. You dragged an entire army of heroes into this, and you couldn’t even guarantee they’d have their jobs. . without using them like pawns.

“I’m not letting you go through this alone. I don’t care how much you try to push me away, your shitty ass is stuck with me.” He said without missing a beat.

For a moment you smiled again, and Katsuki accepted the uncontrollable beating of his heart around you. Your bodies had inches closer during your walk, and though your hand never touched nor did your arms link, you felt close to another. It was possible that it was a toxic attachment neither of you should be so content within, neither of you wasted another breath to question it.

You both arrived back at the apartment a mere few hours later. Walking in public together in broad daylight wasn’t the safest idea at this time even in hoodies, so it wasn’t long before you both agreed to turn back. The sun was still shining outside when Katsuki opened the door, yet the eerie silence that welcomed him made a chill run down his spine and every alarm in his body went off at once.

His body reacted before his mind when he stalked towards the living room, then to the kitchen, and lastly to Ryu’s bedroom to find absolutely no one. There were things of Ryu’s missing — some clothes and toys that he took with him wherever he could. There were signs that a child had once been here still scattered around the house, but there wasn’t any sign that Nanami had ever been here.

Rage, fear, and sadness were running rampant in Bakugou’s mind as he frantically searched Ryu’s room for anything that would tell him where they went and that this was some misunderstanding. He was cursing himself for not taking a second look at that girl, and he cursed himself for leaving his only son with her when he knew nothing about her. Had he stopped and checked her out he might have been able to tell something was off — he might have been able to stop his son from going missing and be a good father like he should have.

His frantic thoughts stopped suddenly, along with his movements and time. He remembered who else was here and wasn’t making a sound while he tore the room apart. Who hadn’t made a single sound since leaving the park.

“Y/N.”

The way your name fell from his lips felt like venom being injected straight into your veins, but your face remained neural even as his manic eyes made contact with yours. You didn’t speak in fear that any response would cause him to spur completely out of control, and you knew that whatever response you gave him wouldn’t be good enough. This wasn’t a battle you’d win.

“Where. . Is he?” Katsuki asked slowly through gritted teeth.

“I think you need to-“ you attempted to reach out to him and de escalate this enough to explain, but he cut you off with more fury than a scorned man.

“Where is my son?!”

Before any answer could be given the front door was slammed opened with a deafening smack, sending you whirling around at the sudden action. Thundering footsteps came down the hall and before you could even let the anxiety consume you, men dressed in riot gear appeared in the doorway of the room with guns pointed in your direction. Your hands flew up automatically, and they wasted no time swarming you.

“Y/N L/N, you’re under arrest for conspiracy and premeditated murder.”

A/N: A missing mother, a missing son, and an arrest. What a wholesome story. Anyways, the angst never stops and the tables keep turning, LETS GET CRAZY!

Taglist (Closed) <3 : @fandomgirllover @cloudsgathering @that-bipolar-renegade-romantic @jazzylove @that-chick212 @bonbonthedragon @misssugarless @insomniac-nerd-posts-things @bakugous-bakahoe @pinkykookie17 @animexholic @arielting @samkysnks @simpforeveryone @damnirina @deneuves @tsumuuumiyaaaa @vintage-teddyxo @regalmigraine @samvmgh @iamagalaxy @officialtrashbusiness @xwackk @videogameboiwhowins @marajillana @ellasdilemma @plutoneu @saucey-kneecapzz42020 @thestarsanctuary @dewdropwifu @star-light-imagines @kritiiiii @bakugosbottombitch @the2ndl @candybabey @simply-not-the-same @sam-i-am-1025 @mes-bisous @eternallyvenus @peppytine @chaelysian @definitely-yours @oikawarc @suneaterofthebig3 @m0na-l0ver @nkb0048 @losertsukki @notyourfavorlte @caramelsquares @hikaru-mikazuki

#bakugou x reader #bnha bakugou #bnha #bakugo x reader #x reader #katsuki bakugo x y/n #bnha fanfiction #bnha x reader #bnha angst #anime x reader #bnha kirishima #kirishima x reader #kiri

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bluebellhairpin · 3 years

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( Notice: OKAY - The pic there says ‘The Hobbit/LOTR’ but for times sake, and my own sanity, there is none listed thus-far (same goes for the ‘other’ category’). Merci for understanding! )

So I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, and I already have a blog for it ( @nemosrepost ) but that doesn’t get too much attention. Thus, here we are!

(This was a nightmare to get done - it took weeks to get all the links and pics done up in my spare time - I hope you appreciate that.)

They’re all sorts here, from Medieval Marvel AU’S, to Modern Attack on Titan one shots. They’re all organised via fandom, and I’ve tried my best to link and tag everything properly, but that is a difficult feat, so beware - for some it may not have worked too well.

Like my *actual* masterlist, this will be updated regularly with new fic recs, and even new characters and fandoms as I read them. All fic’s currently listed (as of November 26, 2020) are found on my reblog account.

I’ve also tried to add in a ‘recommendation summary’ thing of each - so basically just my thoughts on the fic(s). But anyway, have fun browsing, and overall - enjoy!

(AND also - LMAOOOO - Have fun scrolling lololololol!) - Nemo

( Pre - Warning: I am not tagging anything as NSWF, 18+, or triggering content. However some fics listed do contain such material. Please refer to the warnings or Authors Notes on each Fic before reading. Stay safe guys! I love you! )

Bluebellhairpin’s Masterlist

Bucky Barnes

Knight in Rusty Armour - Medieval / A/B/O AU! Series - by @revengingbarnes Honestly I binged the first eight chapters (+ prologue) in close to one sitting. That was mostly because that was all that was published at the time. It is completed now. I love both these AU’s, and I love Bucky - win, win!

Flowers Bloom - Soulmate AU! Series - by revengingbarnes Another great series, and honestly I’m a slut for soulmate au’s, so this author might be coming after my heart - keep up that good work, if you know what I mean.

The Great Build Up - Modern / Firefighter Au! One Shot - by @thottybarnes This ones goes from cute, to hot and steamy, to angsty, and back to cute again. A one shot rollercoaster, and I thoroughly enjoyed every word of it.

Maybe This Time - Mob Au! One Shot - by @propertyofpoeandbucky Okay, so if there’s one thing I like more than an mobster au, it’s adding children into the mix. Something about big bad guys going all soft for this tiny human - and then making them - and that’s called perfection.

Whatever It Takes - Biker AU! One Shot - by @sgtjbuccky He like’s to be loud, so what. He rides a bike, so what. I what to ride him and his bike, so what.

(Un-Named) - One Shot - by @softlybarnes I’ve never liked Bucky’s metal arm more in my entire life. Using it for a baby going through teething? A+ idea.

Hero, Waiting - Medieval AU! One Shot - by captain-ariel-barnes Sadly, this fic is unavailable now, and that - obviously - makes me sad. But I’m adding it her anyway because of how much I adored it. The love triangle between Bucky, Reader, and Steve was amazing, and the feelings? Phenomenal.

Steve Rogers

If Walls Could Talk - One Shot - by propertyofpoeandbucky I’ll recreate my original comment on this fic - ‘Ouch’. And that’s all I have to say about that.

The End of the War - College AU! One Shot - by @redgillan There’s nothing quite like a enemies to lovers trope that’s well-written. But then throw in fight club, a jerk date, ice-cream and pizza - just read it. You’ll understand then.

The Edge of the Water - Mermaid AU! Series - @floatingpetals I have to admit now, I haven’t read all of this yet. But I also have to say, what I have read was fantastic. Mermaids - and Mermen - they just hit different, you know?

Pseudo Princess - Medieval AU! Series - by @shreddedparchment To date, it’s one of the best fics - nay - stories I’ve ever read. I’d dare to say it’s easily the length of a novel, so if you’re up for the long haul, I’d definitely recommend it. It’s worth the wait - trust me. Op obviously put a hella lot of work into it, and it shows.

Loki Laufeyson

Loki’s Happy Ending - Series (?) - by @gingerwritess Listen, I have been and forever will be a Loki girl. Nothing will change that. And every scrap of content Theo produces for Loki I will cradle in my palms and keep warm until they’re ready to go out into the world or whatever - point is, read this.

Just One Quick Glance - One Shot - by @imagines-trashcan After watching ‘Endgame’, and squealing at every moment Loki appeared on screen, only to not have him show up in the final battle - this was one of my comfort fics.

thunderstorms. - One Shot - by @tarynkauai Naturally, Loki’s child would inherit his unease of thunderstorms. And naturally, seeing Loki as a dad makes me happy.

Stitches - One Shot - by @lokibug Loki being nice. I like that. We stan.

Quentin Beck

The Curveball - One Shot - by @healingchurch Listen, this is on here for a reason. I didn’t really like Mysterio ‘cause of what he did to Peter, but hey, some people are good actors, and some write characters acting very well.

Stephen Strange

(Un-Named) - Imagine / One Shot - by @archieimagines A cocky bastard and a shy Reader, as far as I’m concerned that a one-way ticket straight to my heart. *wink wonk*.

(Un-Named) - One Shot - by @whirlybirbs Honestly, there are multiple fics of hers on this list, and that’s because she’s a damn fine writer, and her stories are just that addictive. This one is no different. I was preparing to read more and then it ended. But all good things, right?

Crash and Burn - One Shot - by @lilyswritings The angst, and the angst. I cry, you cry, everyone cries. Unfortunately there is only the one part, but much to my personal joy that means I can interpret the after-ending however I want!

Frank Castle

(Un-Named) - One Shot - by @alexsunmners This is just cute okay? I have no other words except this was plain and simply very, very, very nice to read, and that it makes me feel very soft right here on the inside.

Peter Parker

Super Smooth Genius - One Shot (?) - by whirlybirbs Back at it again with the cute, awkward, friendly, neighbourhood, Peter Parker.

Just Don’t - Soulmate AU! One Shot - by @papel-creativo What’d I tell you about soulmate au’s? I can’t resist them. And of course Pete being a caring bf with his hero s/o. So nice.

Ronan the Accuser

Make You Proud - One Shot - by @kayleighhalliday2203 This is justifiable because I was going through a Lee Pace faze and I found it and loved it immediately.

Ultron

(Un-Named) - One Shot / Series - by @snarky-badger This I can also justify having read, because (and if you know me then you know) the robot thing ... Doesn’t bother me as much as it should. And I binged all of it on ao3, so.

Poe Dameron

(Un-Named) - Masterlist - by propertyofpoeandbucky Okay, I know there’s a lot on this list, and it could take you a while to get through it all, but trust me - it’s worth it. Lani likes Poe, and it shows. He’s written so well.

Dashing - One Shot / Series ? - by whirlybirbs Birbs does it again. She’s got Punchy!Reader, and if there were a legal way to get all of this Poe thing down into a written book, I’d do it.

You Can See Me? - Modern / Ghost AU! One Shot - by @tintinwrites I just this this one’s really cool. And what Poe does for the reader at the end? So sweet! He would totally do that!

Across the Hall - Modern / Nurse AU! Series - by @starryeyedstories It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s got tension, and a little drama - plus a smidge of angst and Corgi!BB-8. If perfection were ever made into a Modern/Nurse au Poe fic - this would be it.

Deepest, Lightest Secrets - One Shot - by @writefightandflightclub It’s got the humour and overall feel you’d expect to come from something Star Wars related - honestly I had so much fun reading it, and I’ll happily do it again.

Levi Ackerman

Names for Him & You - One Shot - by @commanderserwin Again, op is one of my main sources for fic’s in this area - so there could be quite a few of them listed here. But this one? Cute as heck.

Levi’s Secret - Modern AU! One Shot - by @theamberwriter This one was damn funny in my opinion. Nothing can ever be hidden from Hange for long.

You Look So Beautiful In White - Modern AU! One Shot - by @alrightberries This fic, it carved out my heart, diced it, shoved it in a blender, then made it into an atomic bomb. I - I was not okay. That amount of angst shouldn’t be allowed. Read it.

Abeille - Modern / Mafia AU! Series - by @ackermans-freedom-inc Honestly, this isn’t finished yet but, honestly, I’m not ready for it to finish. The heartache. The betrayal. The child. I can’t even.

Lights - Modern AU! One Shot - by commanderserwin This was the first fic I ever read of op’s, and I couldn’t believe what I read so I went back and read it again. I can’t tell you how much I love it, or how I feel about it, so just go read for yourself and you’ll know.

To Build a Home - Modern AU! Series - by @vennilavee If you’re a fan of Levi, you must go read this. It’s so detailed, and just so perfect - whenever a new part comes out I have a quick reboot before going to read it.

Erwin Smith

One of Us - Modern AU! Miniseries - by commanderserwin I’m not going to lie, this one is here because I requested it, but also because I really liked it, and cried while reading it. So there.

Reiner Braun

Service to the Crown - Medieval AU! Miniseries - by @present-mel It should probably be illegal to write Reiner or Medieval au’s this well, and yet here op is writing both. Like, McScuse me, where do you acquire such talent and can I have some?

Toshinori Yagi

Flirting with All Might - One Shot - by @lemonlordleah-shinzawa-kitten Toshi. The great. The hero. The awkward. He’s a blond boy doing what blond boys do even if he’s a little older he’s still part of the crew.

Stitches - Villain AU / Mini Series - by @itsallmightbitch Okay, so I said above that I wouldn’t put warnings on these - but this time I have to. Nothing I’ve read in my whole life emmits such an amount of pure horniness - and I love it.

Godless - Fantasy AU / One Shot - by @pleasantanathema Another ‘All Smite’ fic, yes, I know. But god. They’re so good. This one is another real horny one, so if you can’t tell there is a slight theme running here. And - sksksksks - this is actually from the same ‘general area’ as the Reiner fic listed above (Service to the Crown). There was a event. I read everything.

Keigo Takami

Preening - One Shot - by @shoutaaizawas Literally the softest and cutest damned thing I’ve read for Keigo. No, I’m not just ‘saying’ that, it’s genuine. The feelings I get - or lack thereof due to them turning to mush - it too much for words. Honest.

Seasonal Special - One Shot - by @keiqos I’ll say this now and I’ll say it first - any Hawks fics written by op are *chefs kiss*. They’re amazing. Secondly, rut!Hawks is my weakness - this fic is one of such weaknesses.

Shouto Aizawa

(Un-Named) - Series - by @theamberwriter This is *technically* the second part in the series, but it’s the only part I’ve read and goddamnit, I’m in love. Hubby Aizawa. The disappearing Baby-Zawa.

I Miss You Texts - SMAU - Kuroo Tetsurou, Bokuto Koutarou, Nishinoya Yuu - by @briswriting I miss them too. They ain’t dead. I just feel like I haven’t seen them in so long.

Little Things - Headcanons - Karasuno - by @haikyuudreaming Every single one makes me feel so nostalgic, and I feel so much longing. I love. I loose. I pine. I want. And yet I cannot have. I only dream.

Cheerleader - Headcanons - Karasuno - by @imagine-101 I want to be their cheerleader. Now I am able to be. Op, many thanks for the feeding.

Tsukishima Kei

Cherry Wine - Single Parent AU! Series - by @bakugou-jpg I’m gonna head out and say that Tsukki was my first favourite Haikyuu character - then I ‘character developed’ but that only went so far as to give me more favorites. But deadass - read this and you won't regret it.

Ukai Keishin

(Un-Named) - Ballroom/Latin Dancer AU! Headcanons - by @imagine-that-haikyuu I know nothing about dancing. Or ballroom dancing. But I do know I’d love to dance with Ukai. So how’s that for ‘middle ground’?

#fic rec #masterlist #marvel x reader #bucky barnes x reader #steve rogers x reader #loki laufeyson x reader #quentin beck x reader #stephen strange x reader #frank castle x reader #peter parker x reader #ronan x reader #ultron x reader #poe dameron x reader #levi ackerman x reader #erwin smith x reader #reiner braun x reader #karasuno x reader #tsukishima kei x reader #ukai keishin x reader

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youvebeenlivingfictional · 4 years

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I Could Be Your Sometimes Part Four

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist Rating: Explicit - 18+ Only Notes: Set before the series Texts with times in front of them and no name or initials in front of them indicate reader’s texts

Warnings: Eventual infidelity and sexual content. If you dislike this, please don’t read. Thank you. Pairing: Andy Barber x Reader Summary: Laurie was where my communication with the Barber family started and stopped for about two weeks.

I learned that Laurie was one of those people that texted an upside-down smiley face to mean things like ‘no problem!’ and not ‘I’m dying inside!’ like the rest of the world. She and I had promised to keep in touch-- right before I’d had nearly forty uninterrupted minutes with Andy. Forty minutes that I had absolutely tried not to dwell on but had definitely spent way too much of my downtime dissecting. Laurie and I didn’t text one another constantly. Now and again she’d send me an article that she thought I might find interesting, or I’d link her to a podcast that I thought might suit her tastes. But Laurie was where my communication with the Barber family started and stopped for about two weeks. That is, until I got a call on my cell phone at 8:06 pm on Thursday from a number I didn’t know. I hesitated in picking it up -- it was rare that a client or a source called me that late unless it was an emergency. I was still at the office, and I was dreading the prospect of what had become a late night becoming an even later one. “Hello?” I answered it, grimacing. “You hungry?” Andy’s voice crackled over the line. My brow furrowed. “How did you get my number?” I asked. “From Laurie’s phone,” was his easy answer, “You hungry?” “Is this part of some kind of town-wide survey I don’t know about? Like is this where my tax-payer dollars are going?” “Yes or no, c’mon, I‘m getting cold out here.” I frowned, pushing myself up from my desk and walking over to the window. I looked outside to see Andy there, leaning against my car and looking up at the building. Why was he here this late? Shouldn’t he be getting home? Why was he even calling me-- “Give me five minutes,” I said. That talk that I’d given myself about boundaries hadn’t exactly sunk in.

-- “I don’t know,” Andy shook his head as he loosened his tie, “I mean on the one hand I’ve sort of mentored the guy, but... He’s been more outwardly ambitious lately. Not gunning for our boss’ job, but talking about what he’d do differently if he was in her position.” “I mean, that’s not the worst thing in the world. I don’t always agree with Nora, sometimes there are things that I think she could be doing differently.” “Yeah, but do you go around to your coworkers and discuss them?” Andy asked. I shook my head. “Exactly,” He muttered before he picked his water up for a drink. I considered this for a moment. “Well... I think you have to decide what’s more important to you: your interpersonal relationships or office politics. You say you’ve mentored the guy-- ‘sort of’ mentored the guy, but he’s been vocal about disagreeing with you boss. If you stick too close to him, that could signal to your boss that you’re not on her side, even if you are,” I offered, “And it doesn’t mean that you can’t be friends with the guy, but sometimes that bit of distance is important.” God, did I sound like a fucking hypocrite or what? Our conversation was interrupted by our food arriving. “Alright, the fact that you have a ‘late-night usual’ here is making me a little worried,” Andy commented, watching as I picked up one of my fries. We’d wound up at Harvey’s Diner around the corner from my office building - which was only a few blocks from the court house. “We’re a small firm, sometimes things are all-hands-deck. And sometimes it’s not even work related, sometimes I just want a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato and like, ten o’clock,” I shrugged, “I have to call to get it delivered, they’re not on Seamless or anything. They know me.” "Well, that only makes me slightly less worried,” Andy said. I snorted. “Which is pretty hypocritical, considering the fact that you’re here right now,” I pointed out. “I mean, yeah, but I at least had to look at the menu,” Andy argued. “Whatever,” I waved it off, “What’s got you here so late, anyway?” “I had a conference call with a witness that’s in LA right now. They had to take a trip, family business,” Andy said. We both went quiet as we tucked into our food, I into my grilled cheese, and Andy into his burger. “How often would you say you stay at work late?” He asked. I folded my arms on the table, raising a brow. “Why do you ask?” “Just...Ballpark, how often would you say you’ve stayed late over the last couple of weeks?” I narrowed my eyes at him. This felt like a trap. “Ballpark? Three times.” “Eight,” Andy corrected. “Have you been spying on me? Weirdo,” I accused, pointing at him with a fry. “I drive past your office on my way home. Once I realized it was your car...” He trailed off, “I’m just saying, if I’m heading home before you do that often, there might be a problem.” "We’ve been busy, is all. We’re in the process of hiring new people, but until we’re able to, the work still has to get done,” I excused. Andy’s leg brushed against mine under the table before it settled there, his foot hooking around the back of my ankle. I frowned at him, curious. “You’re too young to start burning out,” He chided softly. “I’m not burnt out yet. You can’t have this conversation with me for at least another week,” I teased, knocking my knee against his gently. He smiled, but he shook his head. "Yeah, well, I’d rather not worry about you the entire drive home for another week,” He said. I dropped my eyes to my plate, picking up another fry and swirling it around my little splodge of ketchup. “You don’t have to worry about me,” I absolved him. "Logically, no, I don’t. That doesn’t stop me from worrying, though,” He murmured. I chanced a glance at his face, and immediately realized I shouldn’t have - he was watching me with this almost nervous care, like he’d frighten me off if he spoke any louder or leaned in too close. And maybe he would. I was already alarmed by my rekindled interest in the guy. It was as hopeless as it was when I was younger. Nothing was going to happen between the two of us, no matter how much I thought about it. I shook my head. “You’ve got more important shit to worry about,” I passed it off before nodding to his burger, “Like your food getting cold.” “We need to have a serious talk about your self-esteem if you think you rank below a burger on my list of priorities,” Andy raised a brow. I shouldn’t even be on your list of priorities, I thought, and I was itching to say it, but instead I shrugged. “I just know my own worth and how good the burgers are here,” I said. Andy looked like he was preparing to wind up for another pass at whatever this conversation was. “What’d you wind up doing with that pro-bono case?” I asked, diverting him before he could say anything else. He cut me a look that told me that he knew exactly what I was doing, but he didn’t call me out on it. “I managed to talk my boss into taking the legalese case, backed it with the reasoning you and I talked about.” "Wow,” I said, brows raising, “She went for that?” "It was solid reasoning,” Andy defended, shifting in his seat and leaning back in the booth, “Besides, when we win, we can point back to the firm that gave us the defense.” “When, huh?” I repeated, “Someone’s feeling good about it.” ”Yeah, well, I know what I’m doing,” Andy said firmly. I shook my head at the cocky smile that had overtaken his face. “And that confidence, that’s never bitten you in the ass?” I asked. “Nope,” Andy said, popping the ‘p’ as he leaned forward, picking his water up. “Maybe I should’ve included the definition of ‘hubris’ somewhere in those slides,” I sighed, then gasped when Andy flicked the cold condensation from his glass at me. “Rude, Barber!” -- “What’d you forget?” Andy’s voice was close behind me as I pulled my ID badge out to swipe into my office building. I turned around to face him, frowning. “Ah...Nothing?” “Cause your car is right there,” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. I folded my arms over my chest, giving him a stern look. “I still have work to do,” I reminded him. Andy sighed, lowering his eyes and shaking his head. “You should go home,” He argued. "I will, yeah, once I’m finished,” I agreed. I took another step back toward my building, adding, “Thank you dinner.” I watched Andy lift his eyes to mine before he sucked that plush lower lip between his teeth, clearly wanting to say something else. “Sure,” He said finally. He stepped closer, arms open, and I let myself be drawn into a hug, my face pressed into the collar of his peacoat. "Please don’t stay too late,” He urged quietly, breath ruffling my hair. “I won’t,” I mumbled, “It’s just some finishing touches on a few slides-- But if I tell myself I’ll do it in the morning, I’ll be up all night thinking about it.” Andy stepped back, looking down at me. He gave my arm a light squeeze before letting go. “Text me when you get home,” He said. I nodded, watching him walk away and immediately missing his warmth. -- (6:21 AM) AB: I never got a text and I’m hoping that’s not because you slept at your office. I had woken up to that text and had been almost stunned by it. Some part of me had almost thought that the night before had been some kind of ridiculous daydream, but there was Andy’s text, on my screen, chastising me for not keeping my promise. (7:39 AM) My desk chair actually folds out.

I’d sent the text off and gotten up, going about my morning routine. When I picked my phone up, I saw that I’d gotten a response, but I put off reading it. I didn’t want to get too used to this, this contact. It was better if my Barber interactions went through Laurie. I had spent far too long at my office last night mulling over our dinner, over Andy’s comment about his priorities, over the feeling of his leg resting against mine. I waited until I was back at my desk at nearly 9 to see what he’d texted me. (8:02 AM) AB: You’re kidding, but I wouldn’t put it past you. (8:33 AM) AB: ... You are kidding, right?

I held off answering until I’d settled in, checked my emails, gotten a few things sorted. (9:34 AM) Thanks again for dinner.

(9:36 AM) AB: You didn’t answer about the desk chair and now I’m really worried that you weren’t kidding. (9:46 AM) Shouldn’t you be in court? (9:47 AM) AB: Who says I’m not? (9:59 AM) Common sense, mostly.

(10:04 AM) AB: I’m in my office. (10:39 AM) AB: Hungry? (10:52 AM) Is that all you think about? Food? (11:03 AM) AB: We could grab lunch. I bet you have a regular lunch order at Harvey’s that I don’t know about. What was he doing? There was no way he was this worried about whether or not I was taking care of myself. A moment later, my phone buzzed again with a text from Laurie - a link to an upcoming exhibit at the Gardner Museum. And then a far more logical Andy-related conclusion popped into my head: maybe Laurie had mentioned that I seemed lonely (not having plans on a Friday night, learning that I worked late most nights if Andy had mentioned it to her), or had voiced some other concern, and this way his way of assuaging that. It seemed like something he’d do to make her happy. I sent Laurie a quick ‘thanks’ before I opened Andy’s the text, finally answering: (11:18 AM) Slammed with meetings today, brought my own. Thanks, though

(11:19 AM) AB: Maybe next time. (11:19 AM) AB: Don’t work too hard. I scoffed, setting my phone down with a mumble of, “Don’t tell me what to do.”

#andy barber x reader #andy barber #andy barber imagine #andy barber x you #I Could Be Your Sometimes

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artificialqueens · 3 years

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Pros and Cons, 2/3 (Witney) - Marion

Summary: The wives of two conmen become fast friends (and maybe more) as their husbands plot an elaborate heist. As the planning progresses, Willam and Courtney grow closer and begin to think that maybe their husbands deserve a taste of their own medicine.

A/N:Thank you again to my lovely betas Freyja , Jazz, and Ortega for all of the help and encouragement! I’m going to try to get out another part of this and/or Academic Dishonesty in the next week or so, but I think that the next part of this might need a bit more editing than I anticipated. Thank you so much to everyone who liked the first part or said anything nice about it, I really appreciate it!

Courtney wasn’t sure when Willam became so thoroughly tied to happy in the time since they met, but the link was undeniable now. Her days were spent in near isolation and her nights were spent focusing on keeping her husband content, but her evenings? They were shopping and laughing and remembering the feeling of freedom from her youth, any time she could escape the watchful eyes of her parents.

Even her libido seemed to finally get that time with Willam was for basking in the feeling, not getting caught up in desire. It had gotten easier, somehow, to not stress about her attraction now that Willam had acknowledged it. She certainly still felt it, and even let herself indulge in thoughts about it on lonely afternoons with nothing to distract her from it, but the jokes and innuendos made it feel less like it was something she shouldn’t be feeling. It still was something she shouldn’t be feeling, she knew, but now it was merely a breach of a fidelity that she’d half-heartedly agreed to rather than an unwanted imposition on her only real friend.

All this time, her evenings had been for Willam and Willam alone, as their husbands had refused to let them sit in on any of their meetings. They’d arrive at the scheme spot du jour, she’d be handed off to Willam after a sloppy kiss or overly enthusiastic feel up to give the warning of mine to the other men on the team, and then the women would be on their own - so long as they didn’t bring along a chauffeur - to do as they pleased until the meeting’s end. For the most part, Courtney liked to think she was good with change - after all, she’d taken to this set of habits quite readily, hadn’t she?- but tonight’s change was an unwelcome one.

She raised no complaint, though, as she double-checked herself in the mirror of the bathroom of their hotel suite. Her hair was curled and her lips were a bright red, matching her dress. Rick would like it, she was sure, but she couldn’t help but wonder what Willam would say when they arrived. Would she like the dress? Would she think Courtney was wearing too little make up? Showing too much skin? Not showing enough?

It didn’t matter, really. This evening was for Rick, even if Willam was there. After one final once over of her reflection, she nodded to herself. She could get through tonight’s dinner.

***************************************************

The restaurant was fancy, and Courtney had expected no less. Tonight was a big night, the celebration of finally having the plan prepared, of the final pieces coming into place.

Courtney felt her stomach drop.

What did that mean for her and Willam? The only reason that they’d spent all this time together was because of their husband’s partnership. Would they still see each other once this was all over? She couldn’t bear to think about that for very long.

Luckily, she didn’t have very long to worry about it. By the time she and Rick had settled into their seats at the table, Willam and her husband were on their way over to them.

It took all of her self control not to stare for too long at Willam. Her dress was blue - her favorite color, her mind reminded her - and had a plunging neckline and a hemline just long enough to be appropriate. She was wearing Louboutins, as Courtney had come to expect of her, which didn’t do anything to keep her legs from looking absolutely gorgeous. Her hair was in a half updo, a bit fancier than her usual loose waves or double French braids. If Courtney could get away with it, she’d spend the night just staring at Willam. She couldn’t, not here, not with their present company, so she did her best to be content with one sweeping glance.

“You clean up well,” Willam said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

“I could say the same about you,” Courtney responded.

Without warning, Willam pulled her into a quick hug. It wasn’t much, but she felt every nerve tingle at the touch. She did her best to conceal her surprise and pleasure. This was fine, right? Friends hugged, didn’t they? Certainly this didn’t look like it really meant anything to their husbands - it likely didn’t mean anything in the end, anyway. Still, the few seconds of contact meant a lot to her.

She wasn’t sure if this moment was going to make it easier or harder to spend the night across from Willam. She could look, but she couldn’t touch. No, that was a normal night. She couldn’t touch ever - for reasons she could spend hours listing. Tonight she couldn’t even look, not really.

As quickly as it had started, the hug was over. Courtney prayed that she didn’t look as flustered as she felt as they all took their seats and ordered their drinks. The men quickly started a conversation that they couldn’t be bothered to include their wives in.

When it came time to order, Rick - ever the gentleman - decided that he would order for his wife. Paying far more attention than Courtney had anticipated, Willam raised an eyebrow at her, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

The time between ordering and receiving their food seemed to drag on. Evidently, even in settings of two-on-two Willam and Courtney were expected to be seen and not heard.

When their food arrived, Courtney braced herself. She looked down at the plate in front of her. There were a few drops of sauce, a single piece of vegetable as garnish, and a chicken breast. She had been vegan since well before she met Rick, and he still couldn’t seem to remember that she didn’t eat meat. Should she just nibble on the garnish? Pretend that she wasn’t hungry? Sacrifice her morals and taste buds for a night to be sure that she’d eat before breakfast the next morning? Before she could make a decision, Willam interrupted her train of thought.

“Damn, I forgot to get this with no cheese,” she said, gesturing at her salad. There wasn’t much cheese on it to begin with, and Courtney wasn’t even sure it would be enough to upset the other woman’s lactose intolerance.

Jace took a moment to look at her plate and shrugged before turning back to his conversation with Rick, paying little mind to Willam’s apparent distress.

“Oooo yours looks so good, Court,” Willam continued, making pointed eye contact with Courtney as she spoke. “Do you think we could trade?”

Cheese, particularly parmesan, wasn’t exactly vegan either, but a salad with a bit of cheese on it wouldn’t be too bad, would it? It’s not like she didn’t give into her desire for a small piece of cheese every couple of months anyway. Besides, the thought didn’t make her as uncomfortable as what was sitting in front of her.

“Sure,” Courtney said, hoping that she had successfully masked the eagerness in her voice. Confronting Rick about it, or even making it too obvious that he had gotten it wrong, wasn’t going to end well, especially not in public.

She felt gratitude paired with something she couldn’t, or rather wouldn’t, identify flutter in her chest as she watched Willam switch their plates.

***************************************************

Willam slipped her hand into Courtney’s on the way to the bathroom as soon as they were far enough away from the table to be sure they wouldn’t be seen. It was a bit of a habit by now, and Courtney was sure that Willam had no other motive behind the action, but holding Willam’s hand as they walked away from their husbands felt like a grand gesture in her heart.

When they reached the bathrooms, Willam dropped her hand and Courtney felt the loss in her soul.

“So, is he that much of an asshole or just an idiot?” Willam said, pulling her lipstick out of her purse and turning towards the mirror to reapply.

Courtney leaned back against the counter next to her and let her head fall back with her eyes closed. “He doesn’t do it on purpose, he just….” she trailed off, knowing that there was little that she could say that would make the situation any better in Willam’s eyes.

“Girl, he hasn’t seen you eat meat like, ever. And he thought ‘oh I know what she likes, chicken kiev’. Like at this point it’s willful ignorance,” Willam said, not turning away from her reflection to look at her. “I’ve known you what, six months now? How come I know you’re a vegan and he doesn’t after… how many years have you been married?”

“Ten,” Courtney said, turning to look at the other woman. “And you’ve been lactose intolerant for how many years?”

Willam rolled her eyes. “You could just say thank you, ya know.” She paused for a second and finally turned to look at Courtney. “You got married that young? I thought you would’ve waited until after you got your degree or whatever. Especially since he’s so,” she gestured back towards the door they came in through.

Courtney shrugged. “It worked,” she said. “It wasn’t a money thing or whatever.” She bit her lip and looked away. “It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later. C’mon, they’re gonna wonder why we’re taking so long.”

Willam zipped her purse. “They don’t notice that we’re there, I doubt they’ll notice that we’re gone,” Willam said, but followed Courtney towards the door.

***************************************************

The next day came and went, and Courtney found that she couldn’t stop thinking of the ache of Willam’s absence. It wasn’t really an issue, not yet, but it would be. Just a few more months, probably three if she were lucky and her husband were not, and Willam would be lost to her forever. Her husband hadn’t let her have close friends before this heist, and she doubted that he’d let her have any after. Willam had just been for convenience, and once it stopped being beneficial to have the girls to keep each other occupied, he’d see no point to it. If only she could figure out how to make him think that their friendship would benefit him once this was over.

She spent the day absorbed in her thoughts, but Rick didn’t seem to notice. As long as she did what he asked and didn’t fuss, he wouldn’t notice that anything was off. Was that what she wanted for the rest of her life? Really, truly? It wasn’t like she had any other options, but Willam lingered at the edge of her consciousness, demanding she find something better. Something more enjoyable.

Even following that train of thought, she couldn’t keep Willam off of her mind. She could have something better, something more enjoyable, something that made her happy and safe and free with Willam, in another life. But not in this one. But oh, how sweet that could be.

“I’m going to meet up with Jace downtown,” Rick said, pulling her out of that dangerous thought process. “Don’t wait up.”

Courtney nodded. “Have a nice night.”

He grunted, grabbed his coat, and made his way out the door. The door clicked behind him, and Courtney felt a tension that she hadn’t realized that she was holding melt away. She could be alone with her thoughts, and maybe try to get her head back where it needs to be. Or maybe let herself explore where she really, really shouldn’t without fear of interruption.

Just as she settled into that thought, into her decision of letting her fantasies run wild until the hurt that they wouldn’t happen grew to be too much, there was a knock on the door. She groaned, but pushed herself off of the bed.

Rick hadn’t left his key, had he? He certainly wouldn’t have just turned around to decide that he’d rather spend a night with his wife than his favorite crime buddy. But, that wasn’t his knock, was it?

As she opened the door, she was met with Willam, holding a few styrofoam containers.

“They’re from the restaurant downstairs,” Willam said, lifting the containers a bit higher. “I got one of what I wanted, one of the vegan things the lady thought was the best, and an order of fries. Now are you gonna let me in, or what?”

Courtney stepped to the side. It made sense that Willam would’ve been able to ask Jace what room she and Rick had been staying in, but she really hadn’t been expecting the company.

“If the boys are having a night out, I thought we should have a night in,” Willam said, setting the food down on the coffee table.

“Sounds good to me,” Courtney said, all thoughts of alone time slipping her mind. Time with Willam was always better than being stuck with her thoughts, anyway.

The two took a seat on opposite ends of the couch, and Willam turned to face her. “What do you wanna watch? Nothing too sappy,” she said. Once they had turned on something to watch, they began to dig into their food.

Courtney knew this wasn’t a date. They were spending time together because their husbands were spending time together, for God’s sake. She shouldn’t even begin to entertain the thought. But when with Willam so near, making her laugh with her commentary and seeming to get closer the longer the movie wore on, she couldn’t help but let herself pretend. To pretend that Willam had come over for a date rather than to keep each other company while their husbands were gone, that she was sharing this suite with Willam instead of Rick, that she was sharing her life with Willam instead of Rick.

Courtney lost track of what was happening in the movie as she sat through a cycle of letting that thought consume her and trying to push it away. She was finally pulled out of it when Willam spoke to her.

“Hey Court,” Willam said, her face looking the closest to what you could call “hesitant” as Courtney had ever seen. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Courtney said. She hoped that whatever Willam had to say didn’t have to do with how quickly her thoughts were racing. She wasn’t sure that she had a way that she was willing to answer that.

“Why’d you marry Rick? You said it was a long story, but it looks like we’ve got time.”

Courtney bit her lip. It wasn’t a story she liked to think about, much less tell, but this was Willam. Willam, of all people, would understand. Besides, it wasn’t like Willam would get her in trouble for any part of it. “Alright,” she said, and turned to face Willam.

“My parents were involved in a crime ring around here before I was born,” she began. “They ran into some trouble after a con went south, and packed up to move to Australia to avoid getting caught. They kept it up while we were there, but decided they’d been away long enough to go back around my 17th birthday. They wanted to jump back in where they left off, but people thought coming back after all of that time was suspicious, so they started looking for ways to make connections to keep that from being a problem.”

She paused for a moment. When she glanced up, she could tell that Willam knew where this was going, and wasn’t happy about it.

“It’s not like it’s easy to argue with your parents when they say you’re engaged to a con artist that’s going to help them move up in the world, at least not when you’re the only one involved that wouldn’t have the resources to track you down if you decided to run.” A part of her wanted to find some way to make a joke out of it, but she couldn’t seem to think of what she’d say.

“So your parents essentially sold you to him to what? Increase their status? What is this, fucking feudal Europe? I know they’re con artists, but come on! They can’t be that fucking willing to make their daughter–”

“I’m fine,” Courtney said, cutting her off. “I wasn’t really happy about it at first, but I got to do what I wanted, more or less. Besides,” she slowly reached for WIllam’s hand and squeezed it gently, making eye contact. “If I hadn’t married Rick, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to meet you.”

Willam looked away, and Courtney didn’t try to stop her. “Knowing me isn’t worth ten years of being unhappily married to that asshole.”

“Maybe it is to me,” Courtney said. She could feel the weight of her words, passing between them. It was true. She hadn’t thought about it before, but now that she had said it, she knew that it was the truth. Truth or not, the silence stretched on between them. Maybe she should’ve kept it inside, quiet, where no one else would know to look.

As they sat in their silence, it dissipated into its normal self. The closeness. The comfort. The feeling that perhaps they both had more to say. But Courtney had already said too much.

***************************************************

A rom-com and a half later, Courtney was convinced that there wasn’t anything in the world she’d be willing to move for. She wasn’t cuddling with Willam, not really, but their feet were touching as they laid curled up on their own ends of the uncomfortable couch, and she wasn’t sure when she’d have a chance at this closeness with Willam again. She wasn’t sure if it would ever happen again. For all she knew, they’d part ways for good in under two months.

The thought made her heart clench. She didn’t want Willam to just be a memory, she wanted to live in this moment for the rest of her life. There was nothing she could do, not really. She could savor the moment, she could make the most of the time she had left with her, but she had no say in how this would end. She wished she did.

A phone vibrated, and she didn’t bother to check if it was hers. There was no one she wanted to hear from more than the woman at the other end of the couch.

To Courtney’s dismay, Willam shifted, reaching forward to grab her phone. After a moment, she huffed a sigh and settled back into her spot.

“Jace said that they’re gonna get a place to stay tonight on the other side of town. Something about planning to be at the casino all night anyway. Mind if I just crash here for the night?” she said.

Courtney perked up. “Of course not, I’d love to spend the rest of the night with you.” Did she sound too eager? But it was true, she wanted as much time as she could get with Willam, especially knowing that their time together might be limited.

Willam smiled at her. “Thanks, it’s such a long walk back to my room,” she joked.

Just down the hall is too far apart to me too, Courtney thought to herself, but she didn’t dare say it out loud. Besides, that’s almost certainly not what Willam meant.

After a moment, Willam frowned. “What do you think they’re doing, anyway?”

Courtney shrugged. “Gambling, I’d guess. Counting cards to make sure they come out on top. I know Rick likes to do smaller cons sometimes, just to do them. Something about proving himself, I guess.”

Willam nodded. She let the silence sit between them for a moment, before breaking it. “Do you think they’re gonna cheat? On us, I mean. Not the cards.”

The thought that Rick might cheat on her had crossed Courtney’s mind on occasion over the last decade, but after a while she couldn’t bring herself to be upset about it. It’d be one thing if her marriage had been anything other than an attempt at a power grab from her family, but the thought didn’t bother her. The more time he spent away from her, whatever he was doing, the less time she had to spend with him.

She shrugged. “If he is, then I’m not really mad about it, honestly. What can I do? It’s not like we’d be together if it were up to me. It’s not exactly breaking my trust if he never had it, you know?”

An expression that Courtney couldn’t quite read crossed Willam’s face. “Makes sense. I guess I feel the same. I can’t really object to him using his money to get laid since,” she gestured to herself. Not for the first time, Courtney wondered exactly how desperate Willam had been when she ended up with Jace. Where would she be if she hadn’t needed the money that much?

The ever present spark of humor in Willam’s eyes wasn’t there anymore, and Courtney’s heart ached, just a little. Willam deserved to be happy. There wasn’t much she could do in the long term, but she could cheer her up now. Sometimes it seemed that Willam lived for gossip, and that she could provide.

“Honestly,” she started, hoping she could manage to fully draw Willam back out of wherever she was in her head. “If Rick is planning on cheating on me tonight, I feel worse for whoever he’s doing it with than me.”

Willam perked up a bit, and Courtney felt almost giddy that she had managed that. Even if it had required talking about Rick.

“Why’s that?” Willam asked.

“There are so many better fucks out there,” Courtney said, and was rewarded with a snort from Willam. Not her signature laugh, but a good start.

“Aw, is Courtney sexually frustrated?” Willam asked in a faux-sympathetic tone.

“I’m home alone all day, I manage to take care of myself.”

Willam’s gaze darkened, and Courtney felt her heart rate pick up. She was trying to avoid thinking of Willam this way, so why did she feel like she could bring up this subject without it becoming dangerous?

“I bet you do,” Willam said. Courtney felt her chest constrict. She needed to change the subject before she did something she’d regret.

***************************************************

Willam hadn’t brought any pajamas with her when she had shown up earlier. Of course she hadn’t, she hadn’t been planning to stay the night.

It would be easy enough to go down the hall and get some from her room, but Willam didn’t seem to want to do so, and that suited Courtney just fine. As much as their conversation had left Courtney feeling like she was going to do something she’d regret, she didn’t want to be apart, even for a few minutes.

Lending Willam some of her clothes had seemed like a decent idea to begin with, but seeing Willam in her tank top that barely managed to cover her cleavage, Courtney was having second thoughts. This was going to be a long night.

***************************************************

Courtney blinked awake. It was still dark out, but she didn’t bother checking the time. She squinted at Willam in the light coming from the bathroom. She looked beautiful. She looked softer in her sleep, as if her ever present mask of hardness had fallen off. Courtney felt butterflies dancing around her stomach. They were close, mere inches apart despite the fact that they were sharing a queen sized bed. It wouldn’t be hard to close the gap. She just had to scoot a little closer, and she could put an arm around her waist. She’d wake her up and Willam would smile at her, that soft smile Courtney had only ever caught glimpses of. Then all she’d have to do was lean in….

Courtney shook herself out of that thought process. No, even if Willam felt that way about her, it was a bad idea. And that “if” wasn’t likely, anyway. It was better not to entertain the thought, even for a moment.

She turned away to face the wall. It was safer that way.

“Hey Court,” Willam said, her voice still filled with sleep.

Courtney tensed. Had she been caught staring? “Yeah?” she asked, hoping to keep her tone even.

She felt Willam shifting on the other side of the bed, as if she were sitting up. “I had an idea and I wanna know what you think about it.”

Courtney rolled over to face Willam she had been before, but ended up on her back, pinned to the bed. She stared up at Willam. The other woman didn’t move, though her eyes scanned Courtney’s face for any sign of disapproval. Slowly, she released one of Courtney’s wrists that she had pinned next to her head and brought her newly freed hand to Courtney’s chin, tilting her head ever so slightly.

For a moment, neither of them moved. There were a hundred reasons that this was a bad idea. She should tell Willam to get off of her, or push her off, or remind her of any of the dozens of reasons that this was a very, very bad idea. Instead, Courtney felt herself give a small nod.

None of her daydreams had prepared her for this. Courtney couldn’t remember the last time a kiss had felt this good, like it wasn’t a half-hearted obligation. Kissing Willam wasn’t something she had to do, it wasn’t an obligation that was going to be looming over her for the foreseeable future, but she almost wished it was. She could be happy kissing her every day.

For a second, Courtney wondered why Willam had done it. Why here, why now, why her? Could Willam feel the same about her? Or did this have to do with the conversation that they had had earlier? Did this mean something, or was it just two sexually frustrated friends doing each other a favor? Was either really a better option than the other?

Courtney was ripped out of that thought process when Willam pulled away and settled on her lap. With Willam looking down at her with mussed hair and and her too-tight tank top in the dim light, the only coherent thoughts Courtney could manage were that Willam looked even more gorgeous than ever and that she wished the light were on so she could see her better. Then Willam slid her hands up under Courtney’s own shirt, and she lost even those thoughts.

#rpdr fanfiction #willam belli #courtney act #witney #lesbian au #pros and cons #marion

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fallen-in-dreams · 4 years

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7 Signs of a Cheater

Links: FF.net & AO3. Pairing: Sakura/Gaara. Summary: When Sasuke cheats on her, Sakura returns the favour. It's not cheating if he did it first... right? A vignette of how GaaSaku happens when SasuSaku wasn't paying attention. AU Modern GaaSaku/SasuSaku. Status: Complete. Warning: Angst. Jealousy. Not a moral kind of story. Lemons. Bad sex. Good sex. Cheating. Also: if you do not like SasuSaku (can't stand it or just don't like reading it) I suggest you DON'T read this. It's not just GaaSaku in here. (But yes, this is ultimately GaaSaku. Disclaimer: I have enjoyed FANON SasuSaku in the past, so no character bashing was intended. Not sure that translates very well in THIS story, because of its premise, but whatever.Enjoy. ^_^

.:.

1) Mysterious phone calls or texts on his phone.

The ringing woke Sakura up and her eyes fluttered open. She didn't move, knowing before she looked at the clock that it was not light out yet and whomever was calling could just go to early morning hell. Besides, they had an answering machine and Sasuke was anal about letting it take over when his beauty sleep might be interrupted.

This was why she was surprised when the ringing stopped abruptly, and she heard Sasuke's baritone voice answer it. Sakura froze in place, hyper aware of how her breathing had stopped instinctively and closed her eyes quickly, heart racing. Forcing herself to breathe deeply, she imitated sleep. Why she felt the need to do this she didn't know, until his voice lowered to a whisper.

She strained to hear him.

"I told you not to call me at home … no, she's asleep. Just …what?"

Snippets of his conversation that made no sense whirled in her head.

"I said I'll see you later."

Whispering. She watched the minutes tick by on the clock.

"Don't call me at home."

More whispering. The clock beeped three times as it hit exactly 3am.

"Hn. I'll see you there."

Then silence. Like he was trying to make sure she was still asleep, Sasuke climbed back into bed and touched her shoulder. It took all her self-control not to respond. But he tugged a little harder and she could no longer hide behind the façade of sleep. Pretending she was just waking up, Sakura let out a soft yawn, rolled onto her back and looked over at Sasuke. She rubbed her eyes for good measure and kept them only half open. She noticed he still had the phone in his hand; her eyes dropped to it and his fingers twitched, like he'd been caught out, so she said the only thing she could think of.

"Sasuke, did someone call?

"Wrong number."

She frowned as he laid down and rolled away from her on the bed. If it was a wrong number, then why had the call lasted for almost five minutes?

.:.

Sakura was done feeling sorry for herself that her boyfriend was busy. Again. She took Naruto up on his invitation—one also extended to Sasuke, but the Uchiha had cited work to get out of it—and headed out to the club that the blond had organised to take over that night for his twenty-first birthday bash. Her name was on the list, so she waited impatiently for the bouncer to let her in, ignoring the way his eyes lingered on her tits. She wished she'd worn something more appropriate for the cool night. Her strapless dress was perfect for her because she could hardly call her chest endowed. It fitted her like a glove, too, and was made of a shimmery, black material.

Naruto was going to get a kick out of it.

Finally let inside, Sakura clutched her purse tightly, moving the strap over her head; it accentuated her non-existent assets, which she was just fine with. Sasuke hadn't been making an effort to make her feel sexy lately, so this would have to do.

Strangers, beware. You can look but not touch.

She giggled at herself, inwardly, then looked around for a blob of blond hair.

Found you.

He was talking animatedly with some guy with red hair. They both turned to look at her as she drew closer; the redhead caught her eye and she remembered him right away from a picture on Naruto's desk at his apartment. It was for the redhead's birthday the year before, apparently. Sakura rationalised her quick memory from a single photo because his unusual hair colour stood out. And now that she'd seen him in the flesh, she remarked internally just how good it complimented him. Gaara was an out of towner, only in Konoha because of the blond. He was also apparently some big shot in Suna.

She felt a thrill go through her body at he way he was blatantly ogling her.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled and hugged her. "You look amazing! That dress is awesome! Come, meet Gaara. He doesn't bite, I promise."

This Gaara smirked, taking her hand and kissing it gently; his fingers brushed over her skin, teasingly. She blushed. "Not unless you want me to," he said, and she felt her mouth go dry.

This is going to be a long night.

.:.

2) Unpredictable behaviour.

He'd been more quiet than usual the past few weeks. Sasuke was working so late his head had barely hit the pillow before her alarm went off; her shifts at the hospital were also starting earlier. Tsunade-sama was running her ragged, but Sakura enjoyed the challenge. It was a welcomed distraction from the nagging doubts that forced their way into her head when she was at home—alone and wondering where her boyfriend was this time.

But every so often she thought he might tell her; he opened his mouth when she asked him how his day was but then shut it just as quickly, murmuring, "hn" and then going back to whatever he was doing that was so damn important. Sakura would be more offended by his standoffish attitude if she too, hadn't been overworking herself lately.

But she missed her boyfriend. She missed his kisses, his caresses, and when she was able to get more than a monosyllabic response from him. Sakura saw him in the morning when he got up and she was almost out the door, as well as some nights when she'd woken up as he returned home. Then there were a few sporadic days—such as weekends and his normal day off—where she would wake to the smell of him cooking breakfast. Or to the feel of his fingers working their magic between her legs and his mouth leaving wet trails along her neck. But those days were few and far between and becoming a chore to wait for.

They'd talked about this.

And his behaviour became so unpredictable that Sakura—in her desperation for his attention—started a fight with him. She didn't want it to come out of nowhere and be about something stupid, but that's ultimately what their fights ended up being centred on. She wanted to get him to admit what was wrong with him, so she brought up his family. It wasn't a taboo topic, but he didn't like talking about them, either. Other times she'd mention them, he'd just go quiet and wait for her to give up on getting a reaction from him. But this time…

"Sakura, shut up!"

She recoiled as he stormed out of their apartment, grabbling his car keys and coat, and slamming the door behind himself. The minutes ticked by as she stood there, with her mouth hung open and the tears prickling at her eyes.

Sasuke didn't tell her to shut up and he certainly never yelled at her. Not even in his angriest moments.

What the hell is wrong with him?

And how the hell was she supposed to help him if he wouldn't talk about it?

.:.

Alone for her day off, Sakura contacted a few friends, bored out of her mind. But everyone seemed to be busy, so she decided to invade Naruto's space—he did it to her so often. Doing it back to him wouldn't bother him at all, she was sure. And as luck would have it, she ran into Gaara instead. Apparently, he was staying in Konoha for the week, on vacation and baka that he was, Naruto had forgotten to make time in his own schedule to hang with him. So that was how Sakura found herself, early Sunday morning, letting herself into Naruto's apartment, only to find out the blond had been called into work.

And his hot, new temporary roommate, was a master at Call of Duty. She'd never played this game before, and contemplated just turning around and leaving, but those jade eyes caught hers and she found herself completely unable to move. Away, that is. She was perfectly capable of sitting down next to him, putting her feet up, and watching him play.

They said nothing for two hours. Occasionally, Sakura would get up and grab a drink or bowl of chips—which he shared with her, without asking—but eventually found herself next to him again, in silence. But every time she sat down, she sat closer. He didn't seem to mind. The smirk on his face told her that her presence was welcome.

His eyes would dart to her bare legs when she shifted position next to him and occasionally watch her lick the salt of the chips from her lips. But she didn't find it perverted. It was flattering.

And surprisingly, the lack of chatter between them was never tense or annoying. He played the game with little interaction, not making use of the in-game chat other than to occasionally tell someone they're an idiot or grunt at them. She even heard someone—so loud—on the other end ask him if he was alone because they "could hear crunching so stop fucking eating chips" when Gaara wasn't the one eating. But she liked it. It meant she would be less distracted by his deep voice and could concentrate on the game. She often watched Naruto play and loved it. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop taking sneak peeks at the man next to her.

It was this way the first time she'd met Sasuke, but where the raven-haired man had called her annoying and told Naruto to stop inviting her over during their gaming hours, Gaara seemed content with her presence.

She had no idea how much Naruto had told him about her, but he didn't seem interested in asking her anything about herself.

Once he was done with the game however, Gaara carefully placed his controller and headset down on the coffee table and then turned to her, like she hadn't been sitting there for hours, and smirked at her.

"Do you play?"

"C.O.D?" She squeaked out her question and he started running a hand along her arm.

"Yes."

"No."

"You like watching, though."

That sounds like a dirty innuendo.

"N-Naruto's really into it and I-uh like watching."

Yee, gods.

Gaara shifted closer to her on the couch and started asking her questions about herself while making it clear he was interested in her, but not actually crossing any kind of line. Not really. He had to know who she was, who she was dating, and that both Sakura and Sasuke were friends of Naruto.

But as his fingers started massaging her skin, he clearly didn't care. (IF he knew; she still wasn't sure.) He didn't try anything else with her and she felt disappointed. Nights alone and unwanted like she was some kind of asexual decoration instead of Sasuke's very fuckable girlfriend would not excuse her if she decided to start something with Gaara first.

She wouldn't let anything happen between them, no matter how good his fingers felt along her bare arms. And… legs. She couldn't.

.:.

3) He hides his financial history from you.

The Uchiha family business was worth millions. Hundreds of millions. Maybe even billions. She wasn't sure. Sakura hadn't bothered googling them since she hadn't started dating Sasuke because he drove a car that probably cost hundreds of thousands of yen. Or a million. What did she know about sports cars?

But he didn't hide his expenses from her. Until now.

They used to go over their joint finances together. Now he suddenly didn't have enough time and she was left doing her own, by herself. He wouldn't even give her an estimate on his own expenditure. They had a joint account that he suddenly wasn't depositing anything into and her password for his account wasn't working anymore.

Sakura didn't like it. She needed to find something, anything, that hinted to what he was hiding.

So, she broke into the lock boxes he'd hidden in his study; that he didn't know she knew about. Well actually, she undid the screws holding the hinges in place—it was easier than trying to teach herself to pick the lock. She'd never been the patient type when angry or annoyed. The heavy lid came off easily and she placed it carefully on the floor before rummaging through the box. There were letters to and from his father and his older brother Itachi, but she reserved that for emergency suspicion and just focused on looking for anything financial.

There were a handful of blank cheques. The cheapest was in the hundreds of yen. She frowned. Sasuke hated blank cheques. If someone got their hands on them, he could be out thousands—or more—yen.

What is he doing?

She double-checked the time (he wasn't due to return home for another two hours) and got to work on sorting out all the paperwork he didn't want her to see. If this was just a financial mix up, there'd be nothing in any of the rest of this stuff that should set off her suspicion, right?

Sakura resisted the urge to read the sealed envelopes, but noted they had no recipient name on the front. And strangely, when she rattled a few, they seemed to contain small bits of metal.

And there was a charge to a five-star hotel suite she didn't remember going to. The receipt clearly showed a single room for two occupants and many charges for room service. Things like oysters, chocolate, ice-cream, and champagne on the room service charge caught her eye. Gulping and wracked with sudden nerves, her eyes roved over the date. It was from a weekend she'd spent at a medical conference on the other side of the country.

And he'd (allegedly) been stuck at home with work.

.:.

Sakura declined all fourteen of Naruto's invites to go to some generic theme park place—she had no idea what it was because he was so excited over the phone, it came out as a ramble. He had finally gotten a day off to hang with Gaara and wanted Sakura to come with. She didn't.

Gaara was a red-hot temptation that she was determined to avoid until he went back home. Far, far, far away in the magical land of Suna. That weird city she'd never visited and was now off her bucket list. She just had to put more effort into her crumbling relationship, even if the idea of trying to pressure or trick a stubborn Uchiha into sex did make her cringe.

But when Sasuke stood her up, again, Sakura decided she wasn't going to wallow. She messaged Ino and met her at Hinata's place; they decided to go dancing. It was a place that Naruto frequented, but Sakura didn't bother worrying about it—he'd texted her shortly after their phone call to tell her he was going to take the redhead to some weird mini-golfing place. She'd sent him a few emojis and left it at that.

Imagine her surprise when, half an hour after dancing with her girls and turning down every guy that tried to come onto her, Sakura spotted a familiar redhead and blond in the crowd.

Not knowing about her predicament, Hinata welcomed Naruto happily, shyly accepting his arm as he insisted on dancing with her, and Ino raked Gaara with her eyes. Sakura was about to make an excuse to leave when he moved up beside her, ignoring Ino's pout and whispered in the pinkette's ear, "please don't make me have to dance with the other blonde tonight."

Sakura bit her lip and glanced at Naruto, who was spinning Hinata around happily, and decided not to question that comment. She sighed and let him wrap an arm around her waist (no inappropriate touching, she told him, and he smirked but nodded his head). Ino quickly decided not to be left out and immediately grinded against some dark-haired stranger, making Sakura roll her eyes. The girl loved competing for male attention with Sakura, back when the pinkette used to be single.

Gaara moved them in time with the music and kept his hands in appropriate places but she didn't trust him. Not for a moment. He took the opportunity to pull her closer when the song was slower and grind against her when the beat sped up—still nothing too bad but she was worried how it looked.

Sakura pulled away from him after the fifth song. It was late. She needed to get home.

He politely escorted her to the door of the club, and she fled.

.:.

4) Changes in tastes overnight, like music, etc.

Friday nights were their date night. Even when he was being distant and Sakura found her days spent alone in their apartment or working or calling up Ino to see if the blonde had the day off, they still went out at the end of the week. They took turns choosing what they'd be doing, and this time was Sasuke's.

He wanted to head to the cinema. But he didn't seem to care what movies were showing. So, Sakura chose a romantic time travel movie. The female protagonist was travelling backwards in time. Sakura loved it. Sasuke spent the whole time, his eyes glazed over or looking around the auditorium.

Sakura had fallen in love with Sasuke the day she realised he loved romantic movies. Even if he wasn't very good at being romantic, himself.

The soundtrack had her in tears, but he just sat there, stiff as a board and she wondered if maybe he was coming down with something. Sakura paid for their dinner later that night as they made their way to the beach. He was such an odd man, liking the sand between his toes more than she did. He was so weird, always on the look out for the latest rock metal music. She didn't share his tastes, for the most part. But it was never boring.

He must be coming down with something.

They ended the night in their apartment after the karaoke bar. Sakura was surprised by the intensity in which Sasuke took her clothes off, since he hadn't touched her in a while, but she wasn't going to complain. His hands were all over her suddenly, like he was trying too hard, but she let him have at it, afraid that any interruption from her might stop him altogether. She moaned in all the right places, touched him in all the ways he liked, and parted her legs when he nudged at her to do so.

And when he finally pushed inside her, Sakura tried to let herself go. For her mind to just disappear in the rocking and groaning and slapping of their bodies. But she couldn't. Something was different. Something was very wrong.

Unbidden and out of nowhere, images of their night out came to her and she wondered if this had something to do with his weird behaviour lately. He wasn't the most romantic person, but he did like romantic movies that actually contained plots. Like the one tonight. Everything about him felt off.

She wasn't enjoying herself. Sasuke didn't seem to be enjoying himself. Their sex wasn't normally the most adventurous, but Sakura didn't think she was doing anything wrong. She tried to mix it up, but he kept pushing her back down on the mattress, not even bothering with his signature "what are you doing" look as he continued thrusting. When he finally came, Sakura decided to worry about it later. Along with all the other sudden changes in his tastes. She ran a hand through his hair lovingly as he panted into her ear before rolling off and away to try to sleep. And she sighed heavily.

As far as she knew, he had no plans for Saturday, so she resolved to ask him about it in the morning.

But when her eyes fluttered open after a night of fitful sleep and she reached for Sasuke, happy and nervous at the same time, her hands hit empty, crumpled bed sheets instead. He'd left a note on his pillow, stating that he'd been called into work.

So much for my answers.

.:.

I'm a cheating bitch!

Sakura found herself thinking of Gaara when she was in the middle of writing out boring reports at work. Whenever something slowed down enough, she couldn't help it. Tsunade ran her ragged, as usual, and her home life was quiet and upsetting. So, in those moments when her focus slipped, her thoughts drifted to the newest man in her life.

Ugh.

Ino had talked her ear off on the phone after that night about "what were you doing?" and so forth, while simultaneously wondering out loud if this "redhead with the hots for you" would do her instead. Sakura gagged at that and told her off for it before making her promise to not tell Sasuke about Gaara.

"There's nothing going on," she rationalised it. "Sasuke's under a lot of stress at work so bugging him with this would just be unnecessary."

"Whatever forehead. But with the way you and Gaara were bumping against each other at the club, maybe you need to decide if you even want Sasuke to not know. Imagine being sandwiched between those two and—"

Sakura abruptly ended the call.

She was so not interested in having sex with Gaara. And Sasuke wouldn't go for it anyway…

Sakura felt her face flush as she stared at her phone. She didn't want to proposition Gaara or accept his advances, not really. Imagining him hot and bothered didn't mean she wanted to actually see him hot and bothered. She had a boyfriend. She had someone. Even if it didn't actually feel like she'd had Sasuke for a long time.

This was just lust. She'd get over it.

Sakura jumped as her phone rang in her hand, holding a hand to her heart to steady her breathing. She didn't recognise the number but decided a quick prank call might just be what she needed to keep her mind away from pretending she didn't want to jump Gaara's bones.

Crazy.

"Sakura."

Damn it.

"Gaara? How'd you get my number?"

"Naruto."

"Right. So, what's up?"

That was lame.

"I need a lift to the airport."

Right, he was going home. Her free hand shook slightly, and she clasped it to her chest as she tried to focus on the call. Sakura cleared her throat.

"Why can't Naruto pick you up?"

"He's inconveniently busy."

"Working, or Hinata?"

Gaara chuckled on the other end. "You don't want to know."

Enigmatic. Funny. So, fucking hot.

He's going to be the death of me.

Sakura thought about it, but then berated herself for being so rude. If she didn't get to sleep with him, then being his friend was the next best thing.

I SO don't want to sleep with him, she told herself staunchly.

Sakura forced a smile to her face. "Okay, when do you need to be there?"

"In ten minutes."

"Shit." She hadn't realised she's said that out loud until Gaara chuckled on the other end. She sighed. "I'll be right over."

.:.

5) Has new friends at work or responsibilities.

He'd been working a lot. That wasn't news. So, it was no surprise to Sakura when Sasuke was promoted. The success ladder of Investment Banking was now opened wide to him. He seemed proud of himself, so she was proud of him. Even if this wasn't a career that he'd ever seemed proud of before. Sasuke had told her once he just needed to get away from his father. It was a job he was good at. It bored her to tears, but whatever.

Sakura went to the company party to celebrate. Sasuke hadn't invited her but she pushed her way into it anyway. She made sure to know when and where it was going to be and talked so animatedly about it to him that he couldn't just say, "no, you can't come". He'd never stopped her from attending work functions with him before, but she was paranoid that this was going to be a first.

She'd rearranged her schedule at the hospital damn it. She was going to do this.

Sakura had gotten to know the names and faces of the people Sasuke worked with, but she didn't recognise any of the people at the party. They were all new co-workers, it seemed. He must've been transferred between departments for this promotion. She was very proud of him with that realisation. He was doing better. He was proving to his father that he didn't need to keep running to Fugaku every time he hit a bump in the road. She smiled up at him and he gave her a tentative one back.

But then, Sakura learned very quickly that the women her boyfriend was now working with had their eyes on him. She clung to him all night, glad she'd worn something sexy as well as expensive, and made sure to glare at any woman who got too close to him.

Why didn't he say anything about this?

Sasuke happily (for him) talked with every associate that came up to him, and even disappeared for about twenty minutes one time, citing a work emergency. Sakura spent that time receiving smug looks from his co-workers and trying and failing to feel welcomed.

When Sasuke returned, she reclaimed his arm and was happily surprised when his other hand came to rest on hers when a particularly beautiful woman came up to talk to him—while ignoring the pinkette.

How many beautiful people does he even work with?

Sasuke's main boss—a man with strange facial piercings and bright hair—was nice enough to address Sakura a few times and made a point of talking about Sasuke's new responsibilities. Sakura sighed internally, realising this was going to mean more work for him, and later nights. As if it wasn't bad enough.

There's goes my sex life.

.:.

The ride to the airport and Gaara's subsequent disappearance from her day to day was weighing down on her. A soft kiss to her cheek in thanks and she was blushing for hours afterward. He still hadn't touched her inappropriately.

Thank, kami.

But there was still an inappropriate nature to his treatment of her. She wasn't sure if he knew she was dating Sasuke as the raven-haired man was never mentioned, even during a Zoom session between Sakura, Gaara, and Naruto. Sasuke hadn't even "hn'd" at her in days and Gaara found time in his busy schedule to talk to her about nonsense and ask about her work and friends, while Naruto made faces at them both. He acted like a friend of a friend in front of Naruto but once the blond got off the line, Gaara asked her what time she had free for a one-on-one chat. She knew immediately it was a bad idea. But she sent him her schedule for the next week and he reciprocated.

They decided on Sunday night. She would be home alone and apparently, his siblings had families to tend to then. He was the only single person in his family. It was giving her bad thoughts. She distracted herself from that by telling him about a patient that threw up on her. Unsexy story, coming right up.

"Uh, Sakura?"

"Yes?" She sat up and self-consciously tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Have you ever been to Suna?"

Oh goodness, don't ask me to come to Suna.

"N-no."

He smirked at her. "Better not. It might ruin your perfect complexion."

She poked her tongue at him.

"Mature."

Sakura started at the sound of the front door of her apartment opening. Sasuke was home.

"I have to go," she said.

"I'll see you Sunday."

"Bye," she said hastily, and closed her laptop quickly, scared of what her boyfriend might think of this agreement.

Wait.

What am I feeling so guilty about?

Women and men could totally be non-fuck buddy friends. She didn't jump into Naruto's bed, so she wasn't going to jump into Gaara's. No matter how much she desperately wanted to.

Ugh.

.:.

6) He's changed his lifestyle suddenly (lost weight, more muscle, etc).

Sasuke had always been fit. He was lean but powerful, and always had a weekly schedule of fitness. He knew how to take care of himself.

But this was insane.

Sakura had been cataloguing the changes in her boyfriend and come to the logical conclusion that he'd morphed into a fully-fledged health and fitness fanatic while she wasn't looking. This was beyond OCD.

His food in their fridge changed from his usual leftover okaka to that green crap that health nuts whizzed out because they ate too much of it. Whenever she wanted to have sex, he made his excuses and either had a migraine or went for a jog, instead. When he wasn't working, of course.

She decided to get proactive after a particularly bad day at the hospital and set up a romantic dinner, knowing he was finishing work at six because of a closure of one of the bank's big clients. It wasn't that he was being laid off—just that he wouldn't be needed that night. The bosses were working with more senior representatives to resolve the issue.

So, she sat in her chair at the dining table, feeling sexy wearing Sasuke's favourite of her dark red lace lingerie under her sleek black dress, and waited for him to open their front door and be surprised. She wondered if maybe she should have just waited, naked, in their bedroom, but her boyfriend was always the horniest after a good, home cooked meal, so she waited.

And waited.

She waited for an hour before calling his mobile phone and got his message bank. A few minutes later she got a text; he'd decided to go a co-worker's house for a few hours and wouldn't be home until the usual time. Sakura sighed and blew out the candles she'd set up. This was getting her nowhere.

A week later, he finally came home on time and she was excited. Sakura hadn't decked out the dining room table again, but she'd made dinner and as he dug into his rice balls and tuna, she couldn't keep the grin off her face. He was here, he was listening to what she was saying—her day at work had been great—and she was feeling particularly randy every time he looked up at her because of something she'd said.

So, when the dishes were put away and they'd had their separate showers, Sakura pounced.

When he pinned her to their bed, holding himself up as he hovered over her, she couldn't help but notice his biceps were larger. She couldn't help but notice his lacklustre performance as he thrust in and out of her had not changed—just his physique. Sasuke had never been the sex god his fan girls had assumed from the moment he was old enough to have sex, but it wasn't for lack of trying. She didn't begrudge him that.

But now, he seemed to have completely given up.

They hadn't had sex in months, and he didn't seem as hungry for it as she'd been for him. Surely the extra stamina he'd gained from working out so much would transfer into every physical aspect of his life.

"Sasuke?"

He ignored her and rolled over, tucking his face into his bent arm. She knew that pose. He did this every time he was annoyed at himself. For someone who'd known him for years, it was obvious to Sakura that he was regretting giving into her.

Her heart couldn't take much more of this.

.:.

A few more months had passed since she saw Gaara off at the airport and Sakura was enjoying the Zoom calls with him more than any communication with Naruto. The redhead was quickly becoming one of her closest friends.

It helps that he's hundreds of miles away.

She couldn't bang someone she couldn't touch, no matter how many times Ino tried to convince her that virtual sex was a thing. It was fine for people in long distant relationships, but she was living with and dating Sasuke.

While wishing I was living with and dating Gaara.

Did it make it virtual sex if they talked about their favourite positions and what got them off? She talked to Ino about this stuff too, but Ino never looked at her like she wanted to devour Sakura when the pinkette admitted to preferring to be the dominant one, rather than submissive. And it wasn't Ino's eyes that dropped to her mouth when Sakura licked her lips in the middle of her confession that she liked the preamble of her lover slowly inserting their fingers into her. Teasing her before going all in.

It was Gaara who agreed that sex with strangers wasn't as hot as fucking someone you considered a friend.

Friend.

The night before Gaara had told her this, Sasuke had taken her quick and fast—and after his confession, it made her wonder if he was friends with Gaara. She imagined sex with the redhead would be less vanilla and more intense than the Uchiha. She often imagined what they'd look like taking their turns with her. After a few months of this virtual, sex confessions, and sick of hating herself for it, she no longer berated herself for these healthy fantasies and was happy enough to just keep this secret to herself. She wasn't going to lose her mind over this.

Their friendship was fine the way it was.

Right up until the moment that Naruto informed her Gaara was returning to Konoha again.

"He's looking for real estate for a client," the blond said, making himself at home in Sakura's kitchen. He was a great cook when he didn't make ramen. Sasuke had left for work but Naruto didn't seem bothered. When was the last time those two had even hung out together?

Gaara owned a business left to him by his father. He gave start-up capital to people and worked with them to turn their ideas into a thriving business—for a cut. This was the perk of being a rich kid with all the money in the family—he hadn't needed to work his way up that corporate ladder. Sakura didn't envy him anymore than she envied Sasuke, but sometimes she wondered what it would be like to make your own hours. She'd love that.

Maybe I should run my own surgery one day.

It sounded better the more she thought of it. She smiled at that as Naruto rambled on about how it would be so great to have Gaara back in his apartment. He'd insisted on taking him in again and inviting Sakura over.

Sakura agreed without thinking, lost in the reverie of her new inner revelation.

A few days later, she was making excuses to Sasuke, who didn't care anyway, and headed over to Naruto's. She didn't want to see Gaara. But she did. He was a good friend so why wouldn't she?

Her inner monologue continued on like this as she drove herself, oblivious to the edge she was teetering over.

Naruto answered the door when she knocked and quickly ushered her in. It turned out that he'd invited quite a number of people over to celebrate the redhead's return (any excuse for Naruto), and she suddenly felt underdressed. But when a certain set of jade eyes caught hers, she no longer cared. He was dressed casually as well and motioned for her to follow him as he left the crowd of boozing acquaintances of Naruto's and led her out onto the relatively quiet balcony.

"Hi," she breathed, when the door was closed behind her.

He smiled down at her, brushing hair out of her face and revelling in the fact that she was enjoying it. "Hi."

Inconsequential words were shared. A few lingering touches. Sakura kept her promise to herself to restrain from jumping him and he kept his promise to her to restrain from inappropriate touches.

But they so wanted to.

.:.

7) He suddenly needs a lot of privacy.

Sasuke spent more time alone than with Sakura. He had started answering his phone in the other room. He also closed his laptop when she came into his study to check on him. Even though he brought his work home, he still acted distant and secretive about what he was doing. She found herself confused by the hour long Zoom calls and his refusal to talk on the phone when she was in the room. It felt like she was living with a spy.

And after his promotion and strange changes in his behaviour, not to mention how his tastes had changed and their sex life had come to a standstill, Sakura was no longer going to ignore all the red flags.

This wasn't a relationship at all, and she was angry. Did he think she was stupid? Did he think she was so blind or in love with him that he could do anything to her, and she'd just happily go along with it?

Would I?

But the fear of losing him reined in her temper. She resorted to pretending to be asleep when the phone rang, and he waited for it to stop and then start again before climbing out of bed. He had been getting these calls on his mobile as well, but he didn't seem as annoyed by those ones.

Sakura waited for him to close the door and walk away from it before quietly getting out of bed.

She pressed her ear to the door and heard more snippets of a quick conversation before rushing back into bed to avoid getting caught. She was angrier than before and finally fed up with these games. Sakura intended to get to the bottom of this. But approaching Sasuke directly would accomplish nothing. He had a way of avoiding direct questions. She'd tried. And without hard evidence, he would just brush her aside.

She was tired of being brushed aside.

So, Sakura made a point of looking bored when he answered his phone. She made a point of lingering when he entered his pin to unlock said phone. She didn't look at him or it directly, just pretended to be dusting or talking with either Ino or Naruto on her phone to make Sasuke think she wasn't paying attention to him.

And the morning after she figured out his four-digit pin number, Sakura stole his mobile phone. She turned it off to keep him from using the landline to call it. He was in such a rush that he decided to just go the day without it—it wasn't his business phone, anyway. So, she accepted his cold lips against her cheek then called in sick to work to give herself some time to think and work this out.

Tentatively, she turned Sasuke's phone back on, knowing he would be too busy at work to bother calling it—and why would he? Her hand shook as she swiped at the screen and entered the pin number; her own smiling face stared up at her, alongside Sasuke's bored looking facade. They were his lock screen and wallpaper. It tugged at her heart and made her hesitate, but Sakura quickly pushed that aside and rifled through every text and call he'd had in the past months.

He got a lot of personal texts from women that Sakura recognised from that promotion party, but they seemed mostly one-sided. The contact that glared up at her was decidedly more intimate. She'd never seen the woman before, and the name was unfamiliar. But there she was, naked and winking at the camera; she'd sent a number of these texts to Sasuke and he'd replied… with similar images of himself. And both parties made promises to meet up. Texts marked after these dates talked about how much they enjoyed each other.

They were definitely having sex.

Sakura fought the tears but couldn't stop them. Her vision was slightly blurry as she read the sex texts and punished herself with every heart emoji and naked picture the two sent back and forth. Eventually, she threw the phone across the room where it broke against the wall and she struggled to get herself under control.

She'd been so subservient, a doormat; Sasuke could never have guessed she'd steal his phone and find the incriminating evidence of his cheating.

It didn't matter. The damage was done.

Sakura let out a sob and curled up on the bed. And for the first time in months, since she first suspected, Sakura finally broke down.

.:.

She had it out with him when he returned. What else was she going to do? But in the aftermath, there was suddenly only one thing that was clear: they were over. Sakura had done what she needed to do. She was devastated. But also relieved.

A deep, quiet rage had been building inside of her. But the dam wasn't broken, just cracked along the weak points, with water (tears) threatening to spill out from these spots. But she didn't want to break down. Not yet. Not until she was so far removed from her failed relationship that all she could see was black.

Sakura knew what she had to do. She was on a mission. After a few minutes of putting herself back together, she showered, dressed, and stormed out of the apartment. She remembered her anger and the conversation she'd had with Sasuke.

"What the hell is the matter with you, Sasuke?"

Sakura didn't trust herself to drive in this state, so she called a taxi and headed straight over to Naruto's. She stormed into the apartment; her eyes focused on her target. She didn't even notice the blond wasn't there. The hot, redhead sitting on the couch, headphones on and the C.O.D. controller in his hand stood and turned to face her entry. His jade eyes took in her form, the fierce look on her face, and blinked heavily. The door slammed behind her and Sakura stalked up to him.

"Sakura?"

He looked so concerned, so fearful, that she almost stopped. But it wasn't Gaara's feelings she'd come for.

Ignoring the light wetness on her cheeks, Sakura held a finger to his lips to stop him. His eyes widened and his Adam's apple bobbed. Her forwardness was turning him on.

"Shut up," she said. "Just shut up and fuck me."

His eyes searched hers and a quiet understanding passed between them. If he didn't fuck her now, he'd never get to. Something had happened to change things and she was determined to do this. Doing as she asked, Gaara kept his concerns to himself, ignored the complaints in chat, and met her halfway as she crashed her mouth against his.

He didn't have a chance to even turn the game off.

"I found your mobile," she'd said to Sasuke, throwing the broken phone at him.

Gaara moaned and wrapped his arms around her torso.

"What did you do to it?"

Sakura fumbled with his shirt before pushing her hands up under the hem and stroking his abdominal muscles.

"I broke it."

He trembled under her touch but eagerly responded by running his right hand along her hip before cupping her butt. His hardness pressed against her groin and they stood there, in the middle of the living room, just pressed against each other. Kissing. Groping. Moaning.

"You stole it."

A year of sexual tension came tumbling out of the secure hidey hole they'd both buried it in, for safe keeping.

"And you've been cheating on me." Sasuke fell silent at her accusation, the annoyed look on his face dropping when she let the cat out of the bag. He was busted.

Sakura tugged on Gaara's shirt and he followed her lead, moving to lie on the couch as she climbed on top of him; still kissing, still hungrily attached to each other. Now their hands moved to divest each other of their clothes. It wasn't slow or teasing. They didn't have the patience for that right now. Buttons broke, shirts ripped at the seams, and her knickers were torn beyond repair.

She gasped and pulled away long enough to give him an eyeful of her bare breasts; his eyes feasting on them as he cupped them, then trailed a hand down her flat stomach, and probing the soft curls between her legs. Still straddling him, Sakura dug her knees deeper into the couch and repositioned herself to get friction and heat between them.

There had always been heat between them.

There was a lot of screaming and she started throwing things at him. His things. Sasuke dodged them but said nothing, letting her anger roll over him and do what she'd intended. He looked devastated and lost.

Sakura swivelled her hips, sighing deeply as Gaara hardened under her ministrations. Not satisfied with the pace, she started stroking him, biting her lip when he threw his head back and let out a string of expletives before moaning out her name. She kept at it, not letting him get up when he clearly wanted to switch their positions and gripped him harder than necessary when his fingers found her sensitive spots in retaliation. He played with her body as she played with his, before, without an assent from him, Sakura held him in position before greedily lowering herself onto him.

She didn't hesitate to take what she wanted. And he didn't stop swearing as she engulfed him fully, moving above him immediately. She rose and fell, a little unbalanced until he gripped her hips to steady her. Sakura was trembling with excitement. This was really happening.

Her thoughts forgot her former lover as her new lover moved his body as best as he could, to keep in time with hers.

It was over. She wanted to forget him so desperately but couldn't stop the breaking of her heart and soul, even if she tried. Tears threatened to fall but she would not let him see her like that. There was one last thing she needed from him. The only question she wouldn't forgive him for not answering.

The redhead's hands moved from her hips when she had found and perfected her speed and movement, now tweaking one of her nipples and trying in vain to get her to lean forward so he could suckle the other. She kept her hands on his chest, using him for leverage; her eyes closed, her breathing deepening and becoming more ragged. If she opened her eyes for too long, the rise and fall obscured her vision; the tears had stopped a long time ago. She felt woozy. So much so, that when her energy started to wane, burning out her adrenaline, Sakura gave in and leaned forward, letting Gaara suckle away.

It sent a new fire through her body and she found herself riding him with renewed vigour. She couldn't hear her own screams, nor the cries of her breathless lover. The only thing that mattered was the feeling of their bodies pushing against each other. That all the tension from resisting him was melting away.

As Sakura lost track of how many times she's ground herself into him—of how many times he'd filled her so fucking fantastically before she rose and fell back down on him again—she also lost her mind.

She was coming. And she was coming hard.

"Why the fuck didn't you just tell me you wanted to be with someone else, Sasuke?"

She opened her eyes as her body convulsed; the coil curling and burning inside her. Jade eyes stared back at her, hungry and animalistic as he took her harder than she'd ever been taken before.

"Fuck!" Sasuke swore. "Because I still love you, god damn it!"

Sakura stilled as her body spasmed, coming around him. She couldn't maintain her equilibrium, falling forward to face plant onto Gaara's shoulder as he groaned into her ear, still thrusting. She didn't have long to dwell on the power behind her orgasm before the redhead was sweeping her into his own orgasmic euphoria.

Gaara.

It was always Gaara.

She was heading toward him the moment they'd met. The moment she'd seen his picture. Hell, probably the moment things were going wrong with Sasuke. She wasn't sure about the timeline, but it didn't matter.

Sasuke cheated first.

And according to Ino, virtual sex was still sex. So, nobody was innocent today. Except maybe Naruto—but only because he'd had no idea what was going on with his friends. Sakura sighed, trying to focus on the how Gaara felt inside of her as he started to soften. She didn't want to regret this, but there was still the matter of how they could even work together. She had a life here, in Konoha, and he was a big shot in Suna. But who's life would be upended by this, and was it even worth it to do so?

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Maybe Gaara had no intention of being anything other than fuck buddies. The thought made her heart clench and she had to remind herself of all the tender, thoughtful moments they'd shared over the past twelve months.

As she contemplated her future with this amazing man, his hand came up to languidly stroke her spine, his body trembling under hers as she shifted to look toward where he'd dropped his game controller and headset.

The game is still going.

The audio was still on.

.:.

#GaaSaku #Gaara x Sakura #Sakura x Gaara #fanfiction #my fanfiction

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tibbinswrites · 4 years

Note

Yi! I am the anon who requested 16 and 77. You could do angst but with a happy ending?

Hi Anon! I did it! Finally xD sorry you had to wait so long. I might have more time on my hands but that doesn’t mean I always spend it wisely, or that my brain wants to cooperate when I tell it to make a story.

Man, I really love this prompt. You picked a gooden. I won’t officially pair it with prompt 16 because I’ve already used that number (though I did add a kiss in it for you ;))

Warning for mentions of suicide (no one named, no details, just mentioned).

I hope you like it ^_^

I’ve now done prompts for: #1, #2, #4 and #16, #9, #10, #77, #78, #170 and #502

I also have 3 prompts waiting for: #20, #33 and an addition to #170 so if you send me a new one in be prepared to wait a while!

77. You just stood there and held me, then you started dancin’ slow. And as I pulled you tighter I swore I’d never let you go. (Point Blank)

Sam and Dean had been gone for almost two weeks now. Cas wasn’t worried, they checked in on a daily basis with updates and requests for lore and questions about how Jack was settling back in so he knew they were okay. They were hunting something with some kind of mind altering tendencies, whether a djinn, wraith, witch or something else was yet to be determined but it had killed six people. The victims had complained of nightmares a few days before their deaths. Suicides, all of them, and not clean. The thing was proving difficult to track down, it didn’t seem to have a preference of victims, man or woman, old or young. Different ethnicities and social circles, there didn’t seem to be anything that linked them. Cas could sense their frustration, but no, he wasn’t worried.

He did miss them however, especially Dean. Jack was good company; they played board games and Cas taught him some of the basics of fighting with a blade, just in case he was ever faced with an enemy while he couldn’t use his powers. They watched Netflix together, the brightly-coloured modern cartoons that Sam and Dean scoffed at and Jack asked him questions about angels and monsters and lore of all kinds, but there was always a certain level of separation to it, in the way he understood that there had to be between parents and their children and there were less jokes than when the Winchesters were around, less laughter. Cas wasn’t very good at jokes. His dry humour would sometimes get a snort or a small chuckle, but that was the extent of it. He didn’t have Dean’s ability to goof around and act the fool, nor did he have Sam’s quick tact in knowing where to poke to cause a laugh rather than offence. Jack wasn’t very good at jokes either though, so they rubbed along quite well together.

It was on the twelfth morning that Sam called for the second time that day and when Cas looked at the phone he knew something had gone wrong.

“What happened?” He demanded without preamble.

“Dean had a nightmare.” Sam’s voice was tight and worried, “A bad one.”

Cas frowned. “That’s not too unusual. Unless you think…”

“The thing got him. Yeah.”

“So you have… what? Less than two days until he becomes a suicide risk?”

“Yeah.”

Cas clenched his jaw, reached his free hand up to rub at the bridge of his nose.

“You’re not far away, I can be there-”

“No,” Sam said firmly. “I don’t want Jack anywhere near this thing and you can’t leave him alone right now. You need to stay where you are. We’ll figure this out.”

“But-”

“I know,” Sam said, and he really did sound apologetic. “Trust me, I’d rather have you here too. But we have Jack to look after and I’m not actually sure you coming here would help Dean. I mentioned you before and he just kind of… froze up.”

“He did?” Cas frowned at the far wall, that didn’t make any sense.

“Yeah. And he got this look… I think his nightmare was about you, or had you in it or something. Of course, I don’t know because he won’t talk to me but… It might be best you stay away for now. I’ll keep you posted.”

Cas sighed, biting down on his instinct to run to the garage and grab a set of keys. With his failing grace there was no guarantee he’d be able to do something so complex as break a curse or purge a venom or completely undo a biological reaction#. There were certain intricacies involved and he wasn’t certain he had the strength. The brothers could still fix this on their own, they still had time.

“Alright.” He conceded. “I’ll give you forty-eight hours. But after that I’m coming to meet you. I can’t just sit here and wait for that call.” His voice wobbled a little at the end as his imagination ran wild. But it wasn’t just the thought of Dean taking his own life that terrified him… selfishly it was the idea that Cas needed to see him again, that he couldn’t let the last memory he had of Dean be one where he’d walked away.

“That’s fair.” Sam agreed, and Cas could picture him running a hand through his hair, the way he did when he was stressed and worried. “But it won’t be needed. We’ll fix this. We’ll kill the thing and it’ll be fine.”

“Get Dean to make a list of everyone he met or bumped into yesterday,” Cas said in lieu of something reassuring. He had complete faith in the brothers, knew that they were more than capable hunters, that Sam at least would do whatever it took to save Dean, but there was still a tiny kernel in his brain that whispered what if he can’t this time, and Cas knew that it wouldn’t go away until the danger had passed.

The rest of the phone call was tense and perfunctory, but once he hung up, not being able to hear Sam’s concern actually alleviated his own. The danger wasn’t immediate yet and he trusted them to find a solution fast.

Xxx

It took them until the next morning. Cas was sitting with Jack and they were talking over bowls of cereal with the kind of sugar content that always made Sam purse his lips. Jack hadn’t seemed overly concerned about Dean when Cas told him what had happened; apparently he had the same confidence in the Winchesters that Cas did, and his surety was comforting.

The phone rang and even though Cas was sure nothing was wrong, that this was just Sam’s daily update on the situation, his spoon went clattering back into the bowl, splattering milk everywhere as he jumped to answer it.

“Sam?” He said. His voice did not tremble.

“We got it.” Sam’s voice was pure relief. “Witch. We’ll be back in a couple hours.”

Cas sighed heavy and cleansing. The expression on his face must have told Jack everything he needed to know because he smiled, gave a thumbs up and went back to his cereal.

“I’m glad,” Cas said. “Dean’s alright?”

“Yeah, the curse has broken.” Sam hesitated then, and his voice dropped like Dean was close by and he didn’t want him to overhear. “But it was real tough on him. Sent him into some kind of waking nightmare. Screaming fit, something. So he might not want to celebrate or anything when we get back.”

Which was code for ‘don’t be offended if Dean locks himself in his room for the next three days.’

“Of course. It’ll just be good to have you home. See you soon, Sam.”

“Bye, Cas.”

Cas placed the phone down and smiled as Jack munched on his cereal.

“They’re heading back. They should be here by noon.”

“Cool,” Jack said around his spoon. “I’m glad Dean’s okay.”

“Me too,” Cas agreed.

“I mean… I wasn’t exactly worried,” Jack continued, a slight furrow in his brow. “Is that wrong? I don’t know if it’s because of my soul or if I just knew they’d make it back.”

“The Winchesters do have an excellent record for making it through these kinds of situations,” Cas said carefully. “It’s not wrong to expect them to always make it back. It’s easy to feel like the danger isn’t real when we have all faced so much worse than a rogue witch. But many experienced hunters get killed on routine cases. The danger is always real, sometimes it’s just a matter of luck.”

“Or a matter of having your lives written out by God,” Jack said, a slight quirk to his mouth that Cas couldn’t help but mirror.

“Yes. I suppose knowing that Chuck has a specific plan for them makes it easier,” he said. “Knowing Him, if Sam or Dean dies on an ordinary case He’ll just resurrect them until they can play out His story. Or at least, their own story. They’ve never been good at following rules.”

Xxx

It had just gone midday when the door of the bunker clanged loudly, indicating the return of the brothers. Cas hurried to the war room to meet them. It was silly perhaps but he wanted to see Dean for himself, to make sure that he was alright. Dean shuffled behind Sam, his head down. He looked pale and wan, like he often did after the kind of nightmare that drew Cas into his room to try and soothe away. Clearly, whatever the witch had done to him was going to take more than a gas station burrito and a drive in the impala to get over. Sam looked like he needed a hot shower and a long nap. He nodded to Cas as he passed, clapping him on the shoulder. When Dean caught sight of him though he stopped halfway through a step. He seemed to forget that he was walking and began to tip forwards. Concerned, Cas stepped in to catch him and found himself with Dean’s arms around his neck and Dean’s smell in his nose and Dean’s mouth on his and his whole existence narrowed to just Dean, Dean, Dean.

Thoroughly overwhelmed by the whole situation, Cas decided that his best course of action was not to move so he stood there stiffly until Dean pulled back, only to bury his face in Cas’ shoulder instead and, in a move more terrifying than the wrath of God, began to sob.

“I killed you.” Dean’s voice was tiny and broken, barely audible, even to his ears. “I killed you and you let me and I had to burn you all over again.”

Cas didn’t know what to say. What would be the point in telling Dean that it was just a bad dream brought on by a curse? That it wasn’t real? Dean knew that, just as Cas had known that the room full of Deans that Naomi had made him kill weren’t real. That didn’t make the guilt any easier to carry. So instead he said nothing, raising his arms to fold them around Dean’s back, pulling him closer.

“I felt it,” Dean muttered against his neck. “It was so real. I had to, I just knew that I had to. But I don’t know why, and it doesn’t matter. I don’t care what happens, I know that I can’t do that again. I don’t care if the world burns.”

“I love you.” Cas whispered back, because for the first time it needed to be said. It had existed in the in-between spaces of their lives, of course, their love. Cas knew that Dean felt it too, knew it probably before Dean himself had accepted it. But Cas had let it exist without acknowledgement. He didn’t need a declaration and Dean wasn’t ready to make one. The feeling was enough.

Dean didn’t say it back, but Cas felt it in the way he clung on tighter, his fingers digging into his shoulder blades even through his trenchcoat and shirt. So Cas said it again, and again, his words the song forever playing in his mind, a symphony of feeling. So he began to rock Dean along to the sound, soothing and slow, patient and endless, and it was almost dancing, he thought, tightening his own hold. And as he did so, he knew that be it forty more years or four more minutes, Castiel would be content if he got to spend them holding Dean.

#prompts #prompt #supernatural #Destiel fanfic #spn fanfic #suicide mention cw #writing #TibbinsWrites #fanfiction

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kpophours · 5 years

Text

A Splash of Love

➵ A.C.E: (warlock) Yuchan x fem. (witch) reader / one shot, warlock AU, college AU / fluff / REQUESTED

➵ warnings: one sexual innuendo, mentions of death (of a parent)

➵ word count: 2.6k

“Last one!”, with a heavy sigh, your best friend, partner in crime and new roommate aka Kang Yuchan sets down the big brown cardbox, dramatically wiping some non-existent sweat from his brow.

You snort, rolling your eyes. “We both know you charmed all of the boxes to be as light as a feather.”, you tease, poking his side and making him yelp.

“Still, those three flights of stairs are no joke.”, he whines, falling down on the sofa and closing his eyes. You sit down beside him, contently looking around the living room. It’s filled with boxes that just wait to be unpacked, but right now, you’re happy to rest for a few minutes. Even though Yuchan and you charmed all your things to be as light as possible, moving flats is still exhausting.

“How about a movie night? And pizza?”, your best friend asks and you grin.

“It’s like you read my mind.”

He giggles. “Nah, you know that’s Sehyoon’s thing. I can only make you wet.”

You blink a few times and watch how his face transforms from teasing to disbelief to panicked. That’s when you decide to break into loud laughter.

“I didn’t mean it that way! Oh my God, can we just forget that ever happened?!”, Yuchan whines, covering his face with both hands to try and hide his blush. You’re still giggling uncontrollably, but manage to say a short “Yeah, sure” in between your laughing fit.

He quickly gets up and grabs one of the boxes. “I’m just gonna unpack now!” With that, he practically flees the living room. When he’s gone, you quickly calm down and decide to unpack as well, the current untidy state of the flat already beginning to annoy you.

While you unpack box after box, your mind begins to wander. You and Yuchan have been friends since… forever. Being born into the same Coven thanks to both your parents being magically gifted, it had been natural to become friends, best friends even, especially as you’re both gifted with elemental magic. All witches and warlocks can learn spells and potion brewing, but some are gifted with their own, more natural magic. Yuchan is gifted with water magic, being able to summon, bend, shift and change all liquids. Donghun - one of the older warlocks - is gifted with premonition, one of the more… challenging powers that exist in this world. Same with Sehyoon, who is able to catch glimpses into the minds of others, especially when they’re distracted or don’t know how to protect their mind. You, on the other hand, are gifted with storm magic - able to control the winds as well as thunder and lightning. You and Yuchan - sometimes with the help of Byeongkwan, who’s gifted with fire magic - have often used your combined elemental magic powers to tease other witches and warlocks belonging to your Coven (Junhee often being on the receiving end of said pranks). Somehow, Donghun always managed to look the other way when you were planning something - always having had a soft spot for the both of you, especially for Yuchan.

While you think about your beloved Coven - more like a family, really - you sigh deeply. You already begin to miss them again. Like always, the Summer holidays had been way too short for your liking and having to go back to college doesn’t sound so appealing right now. The only bright spot upon returning is that you and Yuchan have actually managed to find an affordable apartment not too far from campus, finally moving in together after having spent the first year of college in different dorms.

“What’s up with that deep sigh? Don’t tell me you already miss the others.”

You whirl around, clutching your heart - you didn’t even hear Yuchan coming in. He grins his bright smile, leaning against the door frame and observing you. Your own lips curve into a small smile as well. “Only a bit. It’s always weird having to leave home again after spending so much time with them.”, you explain, shrugging and beginning to rearrange the picture frames on top of your dresser. Your gaze lingers on the picture with both your parents present without you noticing.

Yuchan steps into the room, gently laying one hand on your shoulder, squeezing it softly. “You’re okay?”, he murmurs and you take a deep breath, nodding shortly. After your parents died, the whole Coven had taken on the role of being your guardians. Especially Yuchan’s parents had begun to look after you, treating you like their own daughter. Yuchan and you had become even closer thanks to that. Even so, you still missed your own parents, every day.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Did you finish unpacking?”, you finally say, turning around and only now noticing how close you’re both standing. Looking up, his dark eyes are fixed on yours, gaze worried. “I am. I wanted to start with the living room now. Why don’t you begin unpacking the boxes in the kitchen?”, he proposes and you nod in confirmation.

“Let’s do this.”

Another hour later, you’re both exhausted, sweaty and dusty - but all boxes are unpacked and the flat looks more like an actual home.

“Dips on the first shower.”, you quickly say, before Yuchan even has the slightest chance to intercept. Crossing both arms in front of his chest, he pouts at you. “Unfair. Let’s do rocks, paper, scissors.”

You grin and shake your head. “Not a chance, I said dips! And you can always use your water magic to clean up.”, you counter, already making your way towards the bathroom.

“You know that’s not how my magic works!”, Yuchan whines, but you just shrug and continue on your way - that is, until something wet and cold hits your head, drenching you. Slowly, you turn around, face contorting in disbelief.

“You… you did not.”, you say, voice utterly calm.

Your best friend just grins at you, a second ball of water floating above his right hand. “Oh, I sure did.” And with that, the second ball of water hits you square in the face, leaving you speechless.

“Ok, now it’s on, Kang Yuchan.”, you hiss, electricity already crackling at your fingertips, wind picking up around you and whirling some stray strands of hair into your face. Yuchan just laughs, summoning another ball of water, but this time you deflect it and shoot a tiny bolt of lightning towards him, making him yelp when it hits home - aka his stomach. “Ouch, that hurt!”

“Nah, it was only strong enough to tickle you!”, you reply, making his hair stand on end with the help of a harsh gush of wind. He quickly flattens it again, shooting a jet of water towards you, which drenches your clothes even more. After sending another small bolt of lightning towards him, you’re both panting. Using your powers is always draining, especially if you don’t have the natural forces of your magic surrounding you - and Yuchan (stupidly) didn’t even bother to get himself a water bottle, so both your energies are quickly drained.

“Well, this was nice but my dips on the shower still stands.”, you finally say, sounding tired but breaking into a teasing smile nevertheless. With that, you basically sprint towards the bathroom, quickly locking the door behind you.

“UNFAIR!”, you hear Yuchan yell, before you quickly decide to drown out his voice with the help of some loud music.

After taking your sweet time in the shower, you towel yourself dry and - notice you forgot to bring a change of clothes. Eyeing your still drenched and sweaty old clothes, you sigh.

Definitely not an option, no.

So you tightly wrap a towel around your body, carefully opening the bathroom door. Looking into the hallway, you hear and see nothing of your roommate. Tiptoeing out of the bathroom, you shuffle as quietly as possible through the hallway and towards your room. You almost made it, when Yuchan’s door opens: “I see you’re finally finishe-”

While he halts mid-sentence, you halt midway towards your room, turning around and looking at him with big, round eyes. His mouth hangs open while he stares at you, eyes sliding from your face towards your bare shoulders and along your naked legs. You finally unfreeze and squeal, which makes him flush scarlet and cover his eyes while you quickly run into your room.

“SORRY!”, Yuchan yells, before you shut the door behind you.

You feel hot and flustered and weirdly giggly, pressing your back against the door and raising both hands to your flushed cheeks. It’s not like Yuchan hasn’t seen you in a bikini before, but somehow, this encounter just now feels way more intimate. Your heart pounds fast against your rib cage and you take a few deep breaths. “This means nothing.”, you whisper to yourself, determined to shush those dangerous feelings again. Wind brushes your ankles and you see tiny sparks of electricity crackling around your fingers. Magic and feelings are often closely linked, if you lose control over one, you lose control over the other.

And these feelings have been growing for quite a while now.

But these feelings are threatening your friendship with Yuchan.

And you’re definitely not ready to admit these feelings out loud - not even to yourself.

But both your magic and your feelings continue to surround you now, you’re unable to shut either of them out.

… oh, this is bad.

“I’M GONNA ORDER PIZZA NOW!”

You jump at Yuchan’s sudden yell and quickly decide to finally leave your room again - dressed this time (obviously). It’s almost been an hour and you’ve finally calmed down enough to face your best friend again.

“What topping do you want? Loads of cheese as always?”, your best friend asks, back turned towards you while he absentmindedly scrolls through the list of possible toppings.

“Yes, cheese me up.”, you answer, sliding onto the chair beside him and observing him out of the corner of your eye. “Cheese it is.”, he mumbles and with a few clicks, your dinner order is placed. With that, he closes the app and looks at you, dark eyes soft when he smiles at you. “Movie night?”

You nodd in confirmation. “Movie night!”

Huddled under a ridiculous amount of blankets, you press play and the opening music of the first movie begins booming through your flat. About 20 minutes later, your pizza arrives and Yuchan and you indulge yourself in the almost decadent amount of cheese.

… Another 20 minutes later, you’re both in deep regret, stuffed full to the brim.

“Do you think we’ll ever learn to eat the right amount of food without feeling like throwing up afterwards?”, Yuchan asks in an almost pained voice, patting his (still flat) stomach.

You decidedly shake your head. “If we haven’t learned until now, we’re probably hopeless. Let’s just never mention this to Donghun or he’ll hex us both.”

“Nah, he’s too whipped for us.”

“For you, you mean.”

“Yeah.” With that, Yuchan begins to giggle and you throw one of the many pillows surrounding you at him, hitting him square in the face.

“Hah.”, you make, satisfied with yourself and reach towards your glass of water - which is empty, all of the sudden. “Yuchan!”, you whine, turning around to glare at him.

He grins, wiggling his fingers and playing with several balls of water, making them circle his hand.

“I’m thirsty!”, you complain and he raises one eyebrow.

“Well, it wasn’t nice to hit me with that pillow, so consider this to be your punishment.”

You begin to pout, scooting even closer to him and making puppy eyes at him, batting your eyelashes. “Pretty please?”, you say, trying to sound extra cute.

He looks at you, gaze intense - until he yells in surprise. Having lost control, the four little balls of water have disappeared - and one of your blankets is completely drenched. “I- oh, that- should not have happened.”, Yuchan says, flustered and flushing a bit, averting his eyes and quickly shoving the wet blanket to the side.

You blink at him, surprised. You have never seen him lose control over his magic like this, always being perfectly in synch with his powers - unlike you.

“Are you okay?”, you ask, tilting your head and looking at him with a worried expression on your face.

He nods, shrugging. “Probably just tired.”, he answers, but it sounds forced - just like the smile he shoots your way.

“Mhmm.”, you just make, not completely convinced, but silently agreeing to just continue watching the movie.

That is, until he suddenly presses pause and shifts so he can fully face you. Your heart immediately begins to pound faster and you feel sparks at your fingertips, quickly shoving both hands deeper into the blanket to hide your reaction.

“I have a question.”, Yuchan finally asks, gaze serious while he begins gnawing on his lip.

“Uh, okay?”, you say, feeling way too nervous all of the sudden, “Shoot.”

“Have… have you ever thought about us as more than just friends?”, he says in a strained voice, actually holding his breath when he’s finished.

Out of the corner of your eye you see the water in his glass beginning to sizzle. Which confuses you for a second, before you think about your own magic - how it always acts up when you’re feeling too much or when you try to suppress some of your feelings. Apparently, your magic isn’t the only one doing that.

“I just - I mean, you know that our friendship is important to me, right? Like, the most important thing, actually. But… I just- I talked to Sehyoon and Byeongkwan about this and both said I should just tell you - get it out of the way, you know? But I didn’t know how or when and I really don’t want this to change anything between us, especially now that we’ve moved in together, but at the same time, I want to be honest with you and-”

Your lips begin to twitch and you can’t help it anymore, you lean forward and press your lips against his to stop the (adorable, yet slightly annoying) rambling. He actually lets out a tiny squeal of surprise and you pull back to look into his wide, disbelieving eyes.

For a split second, you think you might have made a huge mistake.

That is, until Yuchan unfreezes, gently cradling your cheeks between his long fingers and pressing his lips against yours again. You sigh which he immediately uses to slip his tongue inside your mouth, making you shiver and pull him even closer. He gently pushes you until you fall on your back with him on top of you. You can feel a gentle wind pick up inside the apartment while electricity sparks at your fingertips, but Yuchan doesn’t seem to mind - you hear the distant sizzling of water, so you know you’re not the only one losing control right now.

When you break apart, you’re both panting, looking at one another with wide eyes. Until one of your sparks gets out of hand and zaps Yuchan, who yells in surprise and jumps back. You can’t help but laugh at his slightly offended expression, quickly pressing one hand over your mouth to stifle your giggle.

“If this happens every time I kiss you, I’m probably going to die early.”, Yuchan teases, flicking one tiny drop of water towards you.

You giggle and shrug. “Well… What can I say? There’s a spark between us!”, you answer, lips twitching.

He groans, falling back into the pillows. “I swear, you spent too much time with Junhee during the Summer break.”, he complains and you laugh.

“I got another one, do you want to hear it?”

He lifts one eyebrow and sighs in mock defeat. “Shoot.”

“We’re a power couple.”

“I’m quitting.”

You’ve already opened your mouth, ready to reply with something witty, when he quickly pulls you on top of him and kisses you breathless again.

… Well, you guess all your other puns can wait for another time.

[masterlist] | [requests]

#A.C.E #A.C.E fanfic #A.C.E fanfiction #A.C.E one shot #A.C.E scenario #A.C.E imagine #A.C.E Chan #A.C.E Chan fanfic #A.C.E Chan fanfiction #A.C.E au #A.C.E Yuchan #Kang Yuchan #A.C.E warlock au #Kang Yuchan fanfic #Kang Yuchan fanfiction #A.C.E fluff #Chan fluff

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chaoticspacefam · 4 years

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OC Playlist Meme - Saarai (of course)

I was tagged by @thehighground (thank you! :D) this one was super fun!! I was caught between the twins of who I should do for this one, Saarai won because she is my favourite and her 70-song playlist was basically made for memes like this (yes, you heard me, 70. No it’s not a typo. Yes I have a slight, maybe, problem with her being my favourite LOL) 👍

I’ve shared all their playlists at various points, if you search up the “swtor oc theme songs” and “oc playlist” tag on the blog you should be able to find them! Or if you want links to the full playlists drop me a line and I can link you to them no problem! :D

Just the one this time cause this one’s pretty long, if I get tagged again tho I’ll do Ni’kasi next! :D

I shall tag (if you feel like it, no pressure as always!) @abyssal-space @stratosara @anchanted-one @pauletta-00 @hypnowinnermugpeach and anybody else who wants to have a go, this one’s super fun! Long post so under a cut! <3 gonna pop the content warning up here to: TW for mention of past abuse/manipulation and parental abuse in one of the songs in case ya wanna avoid it. there’s a warning above the specific section as well if you wanna read the rest and just skip that song, up to you!

♦️ Their intro theme: Up The Wolves - The Mountain Goats

“I’m gonna get myself in fighting trim, scope out every angle of unfair advantage. I’m gonna bribe the officials, I’m gonna kill all the judges! It’s gonna take you people years to recover from all of the damage!! Our mother has been absent, ever since we founded Rome. But there’s gonna be a party when the wolf comes home.”

♦️ Their own favorite song: DARKSIDE - Shinedown

(She has to set a good example with being one of the leaders of the Alliance (especially because her saying “don’t do that” is the only reason her sister and Aria don’t go for their new Jedi allies - at least to start with, before the Alliance y’know, bonds and becomes a proper coalition!). But learning to trust Jedi was still hard for her after what they did to her people, and I feel like if it existed in the verse she’d find it relatable and listen to it a lot.)

“Can you hear me, am I speaking clearly? Are you star-struck or just made of stone? Block out the actors, and all these bastards. That took all the fun out of rage and revenge.”

♦️ Their boss battle theme: Castle - Halsey

(it was difficult to pick one for this one, she has quite a few in her playlist that I consider her “boss battle” songs for various points in her life/the two different verses. But I think this one is the most universal! :D)

“I’m heading straight for the castle. They wanna make me their Queen. And there’s an old man sitting on the throne there sayin’ that I ‘probably shouldn’t be so mean.’ I’m heading straight for the castle...they got the kingdom locked up. And there’s an old man sitting on the throne there sayin’ ‘I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut!’.”

♦️ Their love song: (one for each of her main ships, but again, they have whole playlists because I use playlists to “set the mood” of the character/ship while I write. Pro writing tip, do it. It helps [nod nod] <3)

For Zephyrverse/Sash: Heaven’s Gate - Fall Out Boy

“And in the end if I don’t make it on the list, would you sneak me a wristband? Or would you give me, give me, give me a boost? Give me a boost over heaven’s gate. I’m gonna need a boost, cause everything else is a subtitute for your love. Give me a boost over heaven’s gate.”

For Subterfugeverse/Lana & Koth: The Last Of The Real Ones - Fall Out Boy

“I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you, but not as much as I do. As much as I do...Cause you’re the last of a dying breed, write our names on the wet concrete. I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me. I’m here in search of your glory, there’s been a million before me, that ultra-kind of love you never walk away from. ”

♦️ Their sad times song: Bruno Is Orange - Hop Along (tw: mention of abuse/manipulation, parental abuse)

“ ‘Bruno, what happened to your good sense?!’ I broke down ‘That man was good!!’ ‘I bet he works for the government!’ Did you hear about that mother, broke her daughter’s legs in two and said: ‘It’s too dangerous out there to walk so I have to save you!’ ”

♦️ A song that fits their aesthetic: Woman King - Iron & Wine

“Black hoof mare. Broken leg. Eye on the shotgun shell. Age old dog. Hornet’s nest. Built in the big church bell. Hundred years, hundred more. Someday we may see a woman king, sword in hand, swing at some evil and bleed.”

♦️ A song that reminds them of a better time: Downhill - Lincoln

(though most of this song has sad undertones to it, this part in particular would remind her of the short time she had with her father when he was alive, when he would take the twins outside and sit them on his lap to look at the stars <3)

“Cause you were the first one to show me the stars. And they don’t mean much to me, but I still wonder where you are. Some nights I still try to find you, relative to constellations. And all your relatives are still on vacation, or so I heard from a friend...”

♦️ A song that calms them down: 10,000 Enemies - Emeli Sandé

(headcanon that this is a song their mother D’leah used to sing to her and her twin, Ni’kasi, when they were children hiding out on Rishi and it stuck with her.)

“I hear the sweetest sound, blowing from the North. It says ‘don’t panic now, what’s mine is yours...’ I hope 10,000 times you tell me the truth. Cause now there’s much to do. I trust in you. I shall be free...I shall be free. We shall be free.”

♦️ A song that gets them hyped up: Young And Menace - Fall Out Boy

“We’ve gone way too fast for way too long. And we were never supposed to make it half this far. And I’ve lived so much life, lived so much life. I think that God is gonna have to kill me twice.”

I’m assuming this section is meant to mean a song the character would associate with each season? So I hope I’ve interpreted that correctly, I wasn’t really sure what else it was referring to. So that’s what I’m doing LOL

♦️ Spring: Thunder - Imagine Dragons

“Just a young gun with a quick fuse. I was uptight, wanna let loose. I was dreaming of bigger things and wanna leave my own life behind. Not a yes sir, not a follower, fit the box, fit the mold, have a seat in the foyer. Take a number, I was lightning, before the thunder.”

♦️ Summer: The Times They Are A’Changin’ - Fort Nowhere

(a.k.a the time of year where everything went to hell for her, though she uses it to remind her of how far she’s come once she’s older and more at peace with everything that happened so it’s positive in the end!)

“Come gather round people, wherever you roam. And admit that the waters around you have grown, and accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you is worth saving, well you better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone. For the times, they are a’changin’.”

♦️ Autumn: Dragon - Built By Titan feat. Skyborne

“When I was younger, I had a dragon. We would fly away to places you can’t imagine. And this is a story, of a lonely island. And a boy who found a way to become a lion.”

♦️ Winter: Youth - Glass Animals

(Winter is when Ty was born so it’s a mixed bag of trauma-induced depression (See “sad-times” song above), missing her twin and being sad about what happened but also wanting to make sure Ty never has to experience what she did and just wanting him to have a safe & happy life, so. This song kinda fits that.)

“Boy, when I left you you were young. I was gone but not my love, you were clearly meant for more than a life lost in the war. Oh, I want you to be happy, free to run get dizzy on caffeine, funny friends that make you laugh and maybe you’re just a little bit dappy.”

♦️ The song that plays while they’re lying on the ground bleeding out in a Walmart: Everything You Ever - Neil Patrick Harris (from Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog)

“So your world’s benign. So you think justice has a voice? And we all have a choice? Well now, your world is mine.”

♦️ The song that would play each morning if they’re stuck in a time loop: Ends Of The Earth - Lord Huron

“ Oh, there's an island where all things are silent, I'm gonna whistle a tune. Oh, there's a desert that size can't be measured; I'm gonna count all the dunes.”

♦️ The song they’d listen to while robbing a Wendy’s: Pork Soda - Glass Animals

“Somebody said I’m a fucking slum, don’t know where I belong. Maybe you’re fucking dumb, maybe I’m just a bum. Maybe you’re fucking scum, don’t you go psycho chum.”

♦️ The song they’d accidentally introduce to people in medieval times if they were a time traveller: The Time Warp - Rocky Horror Picture Show.

(Also not accidentally, she has a silly side and she’d probably play this one for the LOL’s to see who got it or who got mad. She’d totally learn the dance moves and do those too XD)

“ The blackness would hit me And the void would be calling Let's do the Time Warp again Let's do the Time Warp again.”

♦️ The song they’d play in the middle of the night when their neighbors are being too loud: Blood // Water - grandson

("Do you think if I play a really loud, aggressively threatening song they’d shut the fuck up? I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna try it.” XD).

“You’ll never get free, lamb to the slaughter, what you gon’ do when there’s blood in the water?!”

♦️ The song that plays at their funeral: Sax Rohmer #1 - The Mountain Goats

“Ships loosed from their moorings capsize and then they're gone. Sailors with no captains watch a while and then move on. And an agent crests the shadows and I head in her direction. All roads lead toward the same blocked intersection. And I am coming home to you. With my own blood in my mouth...yes I am coming home, to you. If it’s the last thing that I do.”

♦️ The song that plays when it’s revealed that they faked their death: Joan of Arc - Arcade Fire

“You’re the one that they used to hate but they like you now. And everything that goes away will return somehow....first they love you, then they kill you, then they love you again...and then they love you, then they kill you, then they love you again.”

#swtor #star wars: the old republic #OC meme #tagged meme #swtor OC playlists #swtor oc theme songs #swtor oc: saarai ahaszaai #sith warrior #sith pureblood #[me cackling gleefully as i have yet another excuse to put my excessively-in-depth character playlists to good use]#except for the time warp obvs that's not in her playlist but c'mon what other song would you play to troll people when you time travel XD #let's face it saarai's basically taken over this blog #i should change my icon to one of my many screenshots of her really #tw: past trauma #tw: past abuse #tw: parental abuse #tw: manipulation

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hungline · 5 years

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pairing: vmonkook genre: fluff, smut, travel au, bookstore au, vampire au, rated xxx warnings: explicit sexual content, oral sex, anal sex, multiple smut scenes, mild swearing, mentions of blood, referenced nightmare a/n: as part of the #BSCproject held by @btssmutclub in collaboration with group4some. a HUGE thank you to @lovewyself for the beautiful banner and to group4some as a whole for hyping the hell out of this! please check the replies for the link to our collab masterlist and read my group members’ wonderful stories as well 💕💗 you’ll also be able to find the fic playlist linked in the replies as well! 🎶🎵 words: 5002

summary: When Namjoon and Jeongguk decide to travel to Transylvania, they end up staying long past the summer for one supernatural being with an obsession for strawberries.

+ tag list: @dimplemono @kirtikagarg @disrespectfulkookies @honeymoonjin @reeneryu ✨

When they step off the bus with their one piece of luggage and backpacks strapped to them, Jeongguk almost stumbles.

He wasn't expecting the wave of sinister heat that was lurking just outside the air-conditioned windows of the bus to strike him against the face so soon. He knows that in the summer, most places are high in regards to heat, but Namjoon had assured him that it would be tolerable here.

Either Namjoon was wrong, which Jeongguk very much doubts, or an unexpected heatwave struck this town.

Probably a heatwave since Namjoon looks confused about the heat as well. Oh, well. At least the town is pretty and their Airbnb has air conditioning.

Namjoon has an interview lined up at a nearby bookstore, so they pull their luggage between them and walk into town. Brașov has an old-time feel to it, from its swooping architecture and cobbled streets to its cheery air and lacking signs of technology around. Jeongguk doesn't understand much of the language spoken around them, but he's used to that by now.

They have spent the entire summer backpacking around the world. They stopped first in Japan and stayed there for two weeks before they moved on to China. Namjoon cut their stay there short, so they ended up in Europe only a week after that. London was pretty if you could get over the pollution and Paris was even better. But now they are on their last leg of their mini-tour around the world. Transylvania.

Namjoon is a Dracula fanatic and pouts whenever Jeongguk doesn't use Dracula's proper name, but Jeongguk isn't bothered enough to remember it, so. Dracula. Everyone knows who that is anyway.

They stop by the bookstore first. Namjoon follows one of the managers into the back of the shop while Jeongguk waits in the poetry section. The shop is filled to the brim with books; old, new, current, and historical. It isn't your typical Barnes & Nobles, but Jeongguk likes it. Namjoon would thrive here anyway.

Namjoon tends to thrive just about anywhere though.

Jeongguk kicks his feet against the plush red rug underneath his armchair and turns his gaze back towards the surrounding shelves. He can't read most of the titles, but a few are in English and he knows enough of that to understand them at least. In the five countries they visited, Jeongguk's limited knowledge of English came quite handy. Especially, in London.

They saved up as much money as they could which was actually quite plenty thanks to Namjoon's books selling off the shelves as soon as they were published, but Jeongguk insisted they take on jobs during their trip anyway. After all, he doesn't want to coast off Namjoon's money forever and he definitely doesn't want someone to mistake him as Namjoon's sugar baby instead of his long-term boyfriend.

He hums as he reaches out and picks up a tiny collection of poems, browsing through it quickly. Most of the pages have very short poems on them, sometimes with illustrations, but generally without. Jeongguk wonders why this kind of book is on the best-selling shelf and puts it back, staring down at his feet and keeping a steady hand on their suitcase.

There are a few customers walking around in the other shelves, but they don't stray towards the section he finds himself in and wonders if it's because they've read these books already or they find them as interesting as Jeongguk does, which is not at all.

Just as he's contemplating picking another random book off the shelf, Namjoon returns. A bright grin that shows off his dimples has Jeongguk smiling in return before his boyfriend has even uttered a word. He already knows it's good news.

Namjoon keeps a hold on their suitcase as they leave the shop, a skip in his step that wasn't there before. He starts humming a song that Jeongguk vaguely recognizes as Hoody's Sunshine and takes his boyfriend's hand as they continue to walk.

Soon enough, Namjoon is leading them into an apartment building where he spends a few moments talking to the owner before he comes back with a set of keys in hand. Namjoon hadn't blinked an eye at the cost of the apartment they would be staying in for the last month and a half of their vacation, but Jeongguk had later calculated the cost and almost had a heart attack. It was less than half a month's worth of the rent they pay back in Seoul and that was with the utilities they had to pay for on top of that as well.

The apartment is bigger than their own back at home with a washing machine in the kitchen that Jeongguk wants to get his hands on immediately. Namjoon pulls him away though and shows him the two bedrooms, repeating the fact that the manager wouldn't let them get a one-bedroom apartment if he revealed they were a couple. Jeongguk only shrugs, not caring too much since they are bound to end up in different rooms a few nights during their stay anyway.

Namjoon presses a kiss to his forehead then hefts their suitcase onto the bed and Jeongguk loses himself into dividing and organizing their clothes.

Bran Castle broods high up over its surrounding peaks and forests. Jeongguk has to tip his head back impossibly far before he's able to see the very top of the castle.

The bus ride to the castle had lasted far longer than it actually was and Jeongguk almost fell asleep plenty of times aboard. Namjoon had nudged and prodded him each time he began to nod off and Jeongguk world startle awake, leaning heavily onto Namjoon’s side so as to not disturb the other passengers. The dense forest they had driven past made Jeongguk itch to draw, but he had left his sketchbook back at their apartment so he left his head on Namjoon’s shoulder and watched the scenery pass by.

Now, they’re here and facing a mob of a crowd. Namjoon is vibrating with excitement beside him, a travel-sized dictionary held in one hand and one of his smaller backpacks clenched tight in the other. Jeongguk can admit that the castle is gorgeous, but that's mostly thanks to the scenery that he already had his fill of.

Either way, it'll be good to listen to his mother tongue for the next few hours. Namjoon signed them up for a Korean tour of the castle, which Jeongguk was surprised they had, but Namjoon's excited so he will behave.

Near the entrance is a booth. A crowd of people mingles about there, a mix of tour guides, janitors, and tourists. The clash of languages is harsh on Jeongguk's ears as they approach, but he heeds it no mind. Namjoon keeps shooting glances at him, a wide smile spread across his face as he tries to figure out if Jeongguk is actually enjoying himself or merely pretending for Namjoon's sake. But nothing much has happened as of yet, so he's pretending for now.

They get in line and once they reach the front, Namjoon pulls their tickets out of his special folder in his backpack and hands them to the woman behind the booth so she can scan them and wave them inside. Namjoon had printed their tickets out back when they were still in Seoul, vibrating with his excitement much the same way he was doing now. Jeongguk had agreed to the tour because it was the least he could do after Namjoon had insisted on paying for all of their plane tickets.

Once they have finished checking-in and sport new colorful bracelets, Jeongguk leans on Namjoon's shoulder and goes on tiptoe to look over the heads of the gathered crowd. He spots a handsome looking man holding up a sign in Korean that reads: BRAN CASTLE TOUR.

"Found it," Jeongguk says into Namjoon's ear as he drops back down to his regular height. "Follow me."

Namjoon grips onto the back of Jeongguk's shirt and trails after him as they push their way through the crowd. Jeongguk occasionally goes back on the tips of his toes to make sure they are going the right way then maneuvers them through the bodies pressed so closely together around them. It's not as hot today as it was yesterday when they arrived, but here in the thick of things, Jeongguk feels almost suffocated by the body heat.

He's relieved once they emerge from the crowd and find their tour guide. Until their tour guide smiles at them and Jeongguk's breath catches in his throat.

Holy shit.

The man's smile is rectangular in shape, but bright enough that Jeongguk's sure it could very well light up this entire castle at night. Namjoon freezes beside him in a similar fashion at the sight that greets them but he recovers much more quickly than Jeongguk.

"Hi! Are you the tour guide?" Namjoon asks while a hesitant smile of his own spreads across his lips.

"Yep! Hello. My name is Kim Taehyung and welcome to the Korean tour of Bran Castle," Taehyung greets them.

Jeongguk blinks, unsurprised by their tour guide's fluency. "Hello, Taehyung-ssi. Are we expecting anyone else?"

Taehyung shakes his head. "Not today! But yesterday, the tour was jam-packed full of people. I almost wish I wasn't the only one who speaks Korean here. It was difficult leading the tours by myself."

"How often does that usually happen?" Namjoon asks, instantly intrigued.

"Very often this summer actually! But it was rare to have a day like that the last couple of summers. Management is thinking of hiring someone else to help me out," Taehyung smiles at them. "But enough about that, let's start the tour!"

Jeongguk takes Namjoon's hand and follows after Taehyung, finding it hard not to stare at the tour guide's ass. It’s plump and round, which is only complimented by his jeans that are practically hugging his legs. Jeongguk laughs under his breath when he catches Namjoon blatantly staring though. The pervert. At least Jeongguk is making an effort not to look.

Namjoon frowns at him but doesn't stop staring at Taehyung's ass. Probably to spite him.

Once they've passed a few other tour groups and made their way into the courtyard, Taehyung stops and turns to face them. His smile is still as bright as ever and Jeongguk feels a strange stirring in his chest as Taehyung reveals a box of strawberries that he hadn't noticed before.

He feels hypnotized as he watches Taehyung raise a strawberry to his mouth and take a bite. A bit of the fruit's juice dribbles down his chin but is quickly wiped away by Taehyung's pink tongue. Namjoon shuffles beside him, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose in what Jeongguk knows is a nervous tic.

Seems like it isn't just Jeongguk who is very interested after all.

Taehyung finishes his strawberry in record time and smiles at them when he looks up to meet their gazes. Jeongguk can't fight the feeling that their tour guide did that on purpose, but he pushes it down and tries to give his most polite smile in return. Namjoon leans into his side and hides his face in Jeongguk's shoulder instead, the coward.

Jeongguk knows it isn't in his imagination when Taehyung smirks at that.

Namjoon looks up once Taehyung has resumed the tour, speaking of the queen whose artifacts are being showcased in the castle. How the castle is popular amongst Dracula fans, but that it is only ever spooky on Halloween when tourists are allowed to spend the night in the castle. Jeongguk does his best to nod along even though he doesn't actually care.

He lets Namjoon grip onto his arm and pinch him from time to time when something excites him, but Jeongguk can't help but think that they definitely could have been doing something a lot better than this.

Of course, that doesn't mean that watching the excitement and happiness on Namjoon's face (or watching Taehyung’s ass in those jeans) isn't worth his boredom though. Jeongguk would do just about anything for Namjoon and that includes walking through an old as shit castle listening to a hot as fuck tour guide talk about its history and architecture while torturing them with his strawberries and eating habits.

By the time the tour is over, Jeongguk is half hard in his pants. They thank Taehyung for the tour and Namjoon shoves a scrap of paper that has their numbers on it in Taehyung's hand before he forcibly drags them away to the bus stop.

Namjoon jumps him as soon as they have kicked off their shoes back at the apartment and Jeongguk responds happily. Namjoon is always so gentle with him, always keeping them face-to-face as he fucks into him. Sometimes his hands will frame Jeongguk's face as he murmurs praise into his skin, but this time Namjoon grips his hair and kisses him hard as he rides him. Jeongguk comes in Namjoon unexpectedly and feels utterly boneless after Namjoon has jerked himself off on Jeongguk’s stomach.

Namjoon is cleaning him up when he leans over and kisses Jeongguk tenderly, garnering his attention.

"Again?" Jeongguk asks, already beginning to turn over so Namjoon can have him this time.

"No, maybe later," Namjoon murmurs as he grabs his hips and turns Jeongguk on his back. "But we should talk about something before we get dressed though."

Jeongguk nods, tendrils of his hair sticking to his sweaty face. "Taehyung?"

Namjoon nods in return, an amused smile on his face. "You were hard by the time we got on the bus."

"You were too."

"We should sleep with him."

"Yeah, we should," Jeongguk sighs, closing his eyes as he relaxes into the pillows. "He has our numbers thanks to you."

Namjoon kisses him again, slower this time. "We just have to wait."

Jeongguk doesn't bother with a verbal reply. He's pretty sure that the kiss is enough of an answer for the both of them.

Jeongguk is visiting Namjoon in the bookstore when Taehyung texts them.

unknown: is this namjoon and jeongguk?

jeongguk: yep! namjoon is working right now so he can't answer messages for another hour this is taehyung, right?

unknown: yes. i thought a group chat would be a better idea than individual texts

jeongguk: well you were right

taehyung: i'm glad (:

Jeongguk looks up from his phone to shoot a cheeky grin at Namjoon. "Seduce Strawberry Man is a go."

Namjoon rolls his eyes. "I didn't agree to that name."

"Well, it's not like Wine-and-Dine Tae was any better!"

"So you say," Namjoon says with another roll of his eyes.

"Because I'm right!"

"Sure."

Jeongguk grabs the application Namjoon had been trying to convince him to take since he arrived and angrily starts to fill it out. "Just watch. I'm stealing your job to get back at you. This is Seokjin-level of petty right here, Joon."

Namjoon laughs and excuses himself as a customer comes up to him. Jeongguk doesn't understand most of what they're saying since the customer is most definitely a local, but Namjoon has always said that practice helps more than studying when it comes to languages.

And, well, Namjoon is always right.

Jeongguk continues to fill out the application, cringing at his mediocre writing in English. By the time he's done, Namjoon has returned and spares a quick glance at the paper before he goes behind the register and starts to rifle through things. Soon enough, he's holding up a few papers stapled together and hands it to Jeongguk with a triumphant look on his face.

It's his resume. Seems like Namjoon is always one step ahead of him after all. It's even been updated since they both worked in that coffee shop back in Paris. Jeongguk shakes his head fondly and staples his resume to the application. Namjoon takes it and drops it in a small in-and-out stand Jeongguk recognizes from countless office scenes in movies. Next to that is a box of new books Namjoon immediately starts to sort.

"I'll see you for dinner then?" Jeongguk asks.

Namjoon hums in response and Jeongguk smiles at him before he turns and leaves.

He has dinner to cook after all.

A few days after Jeongguk has gotten the job at the bookstore, Taehyung convinces Namjoon to apply for the new tour guide position up at the castle.

Jeongguk isn't surprised in the least when Namjoon does so immediately and hands in his twenty days at the bookshop right after. Once it's confirmed that Namjoon has gotten the tour guide job, Jeongguk and Taehyung take him out to celebrate. Jeongguk gets drunker than he can imagine and almost climbs onto Namjoon’s lap right there in the restaurant before a smirking Taehyung pulls him firmly back into his seat. He has to forcibly stop himself from leaning in and kissing Taehyung just to get rid of that irritating smirk on his face, but all in all, the night turns out to be pretty great.

Taehyung shows them his favorite haunts slowly after their first night out. His Romanian is perfect, much better than Namjoon's and leaves Jeongguk wondering just how long Taehyung has been living here. Namjoon quirks his eyebrows every time Taehyung easily switches between a variety of languages, all with the ease of someone who is fluent in them, but never verbally asks about it.

Well, not to Taehyung anyway. Jeongguk falls victim to his musings instead each time they return home after going out someplace new with the pretty tour guide.

"You know what's really weird though?" Namjoon asks when he comes to visit Jeongguk at the bookshop one morning.

Jeongguk looks up from the books he was registering on their system, a brow raised in silent question before he returns to the ancient computer.

"He never eats anything except those strawberries he carries around," Namjoon hums, fingers tapping against his chin as he leans on the counter. "I've never seen him eat anything else. He'll order food and stuff when we go out, but have you ever seen him actually chewing any of it?"

Jeongguk pauses then, shock overcoming his senses as he realizes that what Namjoon is saying is true. "Holy shit. You're right."

"Of course, I am," Namjoon replies with a frown, fingers moving through his hair now. "It's just really strange. Honestly, if I hadn't seen Taehyung in the sunlight multiple times, I would have thought he was some kind of vampire. You know, since they only feed on fruit and stuff."

"Maybe he's just following a new fad diet or something," Jeongguk theorizes. "You never know."

Namjoon's frown deepens. "I don't think that's it. Taehyung is very comfortable in his outward appearance. I can tell just by observing him at work. It's something else, I just don't know what."

Jeongguk turns back to the computer screen in front of him again. "Well, maybe we should leave it alone. It's not like it's any of our business."

"No," Namjoon agrees, before sighing, "but it could be. He's coming to our place for dinner again tomorrow. We should make our move soon, we only have two weeks before we go back to Seoul."

"Yeah, sure," Jeongguk says.

He ignores the yawning pit in his stomach that declares he doesn't want to leave Brașov just yet and leans in for the kiss Namjoon places on his cheek before leaving. Jeongguk watches him go, not knowing what he's going to do.

Jeongguk wakes up with his heart in shambles, breaths fighting to get past his lungs.

Namjoon lies beside him, curled into himself right on the edge of the bed. Jeongguk watches him, pressing a hand to his chest to calm himself. It works slowly, but Jeongguk is just glad that it works at all. He hopes it isn't one of those nights where it doesn't because those are the worst and they have a guest spending the night too. The relief he feels is tremendous once he has managed to calm himself down.

The clock on their bedside proclaims it as seven past three in the morning. Jeongguk sighs and gets out of bed, leaning down to kiss the back of Namjoon's head before he puts his slippers on and leaves the room.

Jeongguk slows down as he passes by the second bedroom, cocking an ear out in the hopes of hearing deep breaths. When silence is the only thing that greets him, however, Jeongguk frowns and makes his way down the hallway towards the kitchen.

There he finds what he was looking for.

"Oh, you're awake," Taehyung says in greeting.

Jeongguk nods as he gets a glass of water. "Yeah. I had a bad dream, so I decided to get some water and then try to get back to sleep."

Taehyung hums thoughtfully. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," Jeongguk murmurs. "Thank you though."

Once the glass is full, Jeongguk turns and leans on the counter. He takes a sip from his glass before he finds himself chugging the whole thing down, surprised by his own thirst.

"Thirsty?" Taehyung asks.

Jeongguk meets his eyes over the glass, setting it down once it is empty. Taehyung's eyes are dark with want and amusement, something Jeongguk has found himself getting used to after spending two weeks in his company. A box of strawberries stands on the island, open and nearly empty, but Jeongguk isn't worried. He knows that Taehyung has another one in his bag, completely filled to the brim with bright, blood-red strawberries.

"Yeah," Jeongguk manages to rasp after a while.

Taehyung smiles, the want in his gaze slowly ebbing away until amusement is the only thing left. "Think you can sleep now?"

Jeongguk shrugs. Taehyung takes it as a yes.

"Come on," Taehyung urges as he stands, flipping the lid on his strawberries closed before he holds his hand out in Jeongguk's direction. "I'll sit in the rocking chair until you fall back asleep."

Jeongguk takes his hand, surprised by the heat he can feel coming off the older man in waves. He remembers Namjoon's words in the bookshop yesterday as they echo in his head, but he follows Taehyung back down the hallway and lays down in bed beside his boyfriend.

The rocking chair creaks quietly as Taehyung settles down in it. Jeongguk can see him over Namjoon’s messy hair, but he closes his eyes anyway and throws an arm over his boyfriend's chest. He can feel Taehyung's gaze on them, branding them as his somehow and Jeongguk swallows.

Of course, they want Taehyung. Jeongguk knows that the what he and Namjoon feel isn't just sexual, but something more too. It's just hard to convince Namjoon of that when he's focusing on how long they have left here instead.

Jeongguk settles himself into his boyfriend's side and falls asleep quickly, the rocking chair's creaking sounding like a lullaby.

Jeongguk wants to get his shirt off already, but Namjoon gives him a look to slow him down. He pouts, but obeys it, and continues to kiss Namjoon languidly.

Taehyung watches from the rocking chair, one hand on his thigh as the other digs around in his box of strawberries. Jeongguk wants to watch him watch them, but Namjoon's mere presence demands most of his attention. Kissing Namjoon requires tact and all of his focus, something he learned easily and quickly after they first started dating.

Namjoon hums in the back of his throat and Jeongguk groans against his mouth, handing over the reins to his boyfriend as he closes his eyes. Hands grip his waist and clamber up underneath his shirt, barely-there fingertips grazing the bumps of his spine. Jeongguk shivers, leaning into Namjoon's embrace as his boyfriend takes his time picking him apart.

"Are you sure you want me to be here?" Taehyung asks quietly, his voice not more than a murmur.

Jeongguk glares at him. "Yes. Get over here."

Taehyung laughs, standing up from the rocking chair and approaching them. Jeongguk shivers in anticipation as he closes in, his eyes fluttering shut when Namjoon grabs the ends of his shirt and swiftly pulls it over his head. A new set of hands take claim to his torso then, pressing down on his stomach before moving upwards and rolling one of his nipples between nimble fingers.

A moan makes its way past his lips and Jeongguk loses himself in the motions. He's the first one to get naked, but then Namjoon and Taehyung follow quickly after. Namjoon ends up being laid out like a feast on the bed and Jeongguk takes him in his mouth as Taehyung works him open.

Namjoon groans underneath them, throwing an arm over his eyes as Jeongguk takes him all the way down to the base at the same time Taehyung manages to get three fingers into him. Watching his boyfriend of many years writhe under their mercy is more intoxicating than Jeongguk ever imagined actually. He almost doesn't know what to do next.

Taehyung taps his shoulder and asks him for a condom, drawing his attention away and forcing him back on planet Earth. Jeongguk grabs one of the condoms they set aside on the bedside and opens it, rolling it down Taehyung's already leaking cock before he moves back to observe what comes next.

He has to stop a moan of his own from mingling with the ones Namjoon and Taehyung let loose when Taehyung buries himself in Namjoon slowly. Namjoon is tense at first then relaxes soon after, focusing on his breathing as Taehyung and Jeongguk watch him. Jeongguk kisses him once Taehyung has started moving, the sounds of skin slapping against skin almost too loud to bear.

Jeongguk looks up when Taehyung taps his cheek though, immediately caught off guard at his closeness. Taehyung grins, gripping Jeongguk's chin as he tilts his face up towards his and kisses him.

His lips are softer than flower petals, but he tastes weirdly of strawberries and blood. Jeongguk feels his insides melt and turns towards Namjoon, starry-eyed after Taehyung has pulled away. "You were right."

"About what?" Namjoon gasps, raising the arm over his eyes so he can chance a glance at Jeongguk.

"He is a vampire," Jeongguk breathes, smiling when Taehyung pauses behind him.

Namjoon only smiles. "I told you."

Taehyung interrupts then, a frown marring his beautiful features. "Wait, you knew?"

"Of course. You're not really subtle," Namjoon tells him, gasping again as Taehyung leans over him while hitching his legs up over his waist. "You only eat strawberries."

Jeongguk watches the two older men stare at one another, not knowing if he should say something or stay quiet. Taehyung makes the decision for him though.

"Ah, so then you also know that I'm Dracula then?"

Namjoon sputters. "What?"

"Nevermind. We can talk about it later."

"You almost came just now, didn't you?" Jeongguk asks with a sly smile on his face.

Namjoon flushes. "Shut up."

Jeongguk smiles over his shoulder at Taehyung. "You don't know how many times I've dressed up as a vampire just to make him squirm during sex."

"Well, no need now. A real vampire is fucking your boyfriend. How does that make you feel?" Taehyung says, his eyes flashing before he starts to build up a rhythm again.

"Turned on," Jeongguk answers honestly.

Taehyung smirks, leaning down so he can press his nose into the hollow of Namjoon's throat, inhaling deeply. "Good. Because after I make our little vampire fucker here come, I'm fucking you, Jeongguk-ah."

Jeongguk shivers, not knowing at all what to do with himself. "Please."

His only answer is another smile before Taehyung lifts himself up and fucks Namjoon with vigor, looking from Jeongguk to Namjoon's cock. Jeongguk understands almost immediately and lays down sideways on the bed, taking Namjoon into his mouth again. Namjoon hisses loudly somewhere above him, but Jeongguk ignores it, focusing instead on getting his boyfriend to come.

It doesn't actually take a lot to get Namjoon to reach his orgasm after that. Namjoon is, of course, fulfilling his biggest fantasy after all.

Fucking Dracula himself.

Namjoon is never allowed to make fun of Jeongguk for his fantasies after this now, the vampire fucker.

It is embarrassing just how quickly Taehyung makes him come afterward. Jeongguk refuses to believe his endurance has really fallen that low to come apart after just a few minutes of getting fucked by the best cock he has ever had in his life.

Nope. Just not believable. At all.

After it is all said and done, Jeongguk lays himself on top of Namjoon and throws an arm over Taehyung beside them.

Namjoon is tapping away at his phone, a look of the most utmost concentration morphing his features. Jeongguk lazily glances at the screen before blinking himself into awareness.

"Are you canceling our plane back to Seoul?"

"Yep," Namjoon says without missing a beat. "You don't sound surprised though."

Jeongguk laughs in delight at the news and kisses Namjoon firmly on the mouth. He turns to Taehyung right after and kisses him hard, relishing in the taste of strawberries on his tongue. There's no trace of the blood he tasted earlier but Jeongguk decides to ask about that another time.

Because now they have time.

“You know as well as I do that we were gonna stay the second we laid eyes on Taehyung,” Jeongguk murmurs into Namjoon’s skin as he leans back into him once he remembers to answer the question Namjoon asked just moments before.

Namjoon rolls his eyes and runs a hand through Taehyung’s mussed hair. “Yeah. I guess I did.”

Jeongguk hums happily, leaning down to kiss his kiss lovers again. He lets the warm feeling in his heart tingle in his fingertips as he traces lines down their naked bodies and enjoys the blissfulness of this moment.

He’ll never have anything greater than these two, that Jeongguk is more than sure of.

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