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#finally the sun focus I promised <3
lavenoon · 1 year
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Accidentally Undercover - Post-reveal, Sun's getting bolder
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sunsetsimon · 5 months
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apology - simon ‘ghost’ riley x reader
thanks for requesting anon <3
nsfw ahead! mdni
also sorry i had to rush the end but i promise ill have something better out later!!! - sun
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the bed dips as simon lays next to you, finally coming to bed after avoiding you for the last 2 hours. he knew he fucked up earlier when he forgot the main thing you sent him to the store for. you'd been looking forward to trying out a new recipe you'd found online and knowing it'd take a while, you asked him to run to the store and grab some stock for the soup.
"in a bit, dove. 'm gonna finish this workout first," he said when you asked him. you nodded in agreeance, not realizing 'finishing his workout' meant taking an hour run around the neighborhood.
and of course you could've gone yourself, but simon always prefers you ask him to do things like that and you wanted to be patient. he gives you a quick call when he gets to the store, stopping there on his run, "stock, tomato paste, cream and rice. thas'it love?"
as he's on his way home he can't help but feel like he forgot something, it nags at him but he continues anyway. greeting him with a kiss at the door, you grab the bag from him and carry it to the kitchen so he can take off his shoes.
"ugh- simon! i told you to get stock!"
simon stares at you puzzled, but makes an 'oh shit' face when he realizes, "ah fuck! knew i forgot something, i'll go back now."
"it's fine, i'll just have something else," you sigh, leaving the items on the counter and walking away. he tries to stop you, saying he'll be quick but your mood has already been ruined, waving your hand in dismissal. you retreat to your room for a while, reading your book until simon decided to check on you.
"'m sorry about earlier. was being a dumbass and forgot."
"you could've just called me," you reply with a slight irritated tone in your voice, eyes not leaving the page of your book, though you weren't reading anymore.
"i know, i should've," he nods, pulling you to him on the bed, his arms wrapping around your body, his head on your stomach. "i can't make up for it now, but i am sorry."
you reread the page again, attempting to focus on the words. simon's fingers grab at the fabric of your sweatpants, pulling it down to reveal the skin of your stomach and hip. your legs twitch as his wet lips trail kisses along your tummy, his short blond hair tickling your skin. his touch is addicting, you instantly melt into him, a wanting ache growing in your pussy.
he works your pants off, throwing them to the side and pushing your legs open wide. leaning forward, he kisses the wet spot in the fabric, his nose bumping your clit. the muscles in your thighs ripple, flexing to keep them open while he teases you. sticking out his tongue, he flattens it against your clit, his hot breath only making you wetter.
dragging your panties down, he groans at the wet stickiness of your slick on the fabric. taking a deep breath as he holds them to his nose, "fuck, y' smell so good."
"simon..." you whine, feeling like you might die if he doesn't do something. anything.
"g'nna make you cum, dove. as an apology." simon leans down, his mouth latching onto your cunt. he moans against you, pulling you closer as if he could devour your entire pussy. his hips rut against the mattress, grinding down to ease some of the pressure.
he revels in the way you cry his name, desperately fucking yourself onto his tongue. two fingers slide into you easily, pushing deep and curling against that spongey spot that makes your eyes roll to the back of your head. you tug his hair, holding him close to you as he sucks your clit, flicking his tongue on it quickly.
“gonna cum-“ you barely make out, jaw clenching to hold back your moans.
simon only hums against you, raising onto his elbows, pulling your hips into the air. his tongue prods at your entrance, lapping at the sweet wetness thats dripping out of you. his fingers fuck you expertly, pulling you to orgasm quickly. you squeal as you cum, legs shaking and mind spinning as it washes over you. his dark eyes are on you, watching intensely as you writhe in his arms, whining ‘okay-okay’ until he finally stops.
“how was that?” he asks, finally pulling away with a smirk on his scarred lips. his chin glistens, your sweet wetness all over the bottom half of his face. of course he already knows the answer, he just wants to embarrass you.
“oh shut up and come here, simon.”
fuck he’s good at apologies.
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fluffyartbl0g · 1 year
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Redraw of the panels that SHATTERED MY HEART o(;△;)o!!! OG panels + Opinions on the Luffy separation arc under read more
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Okay let me just go on a tangent about my feelings about the post-series Luffy separation arc, cause I think it gets way too much hate when it’s such a heartbreaking and well executed deviation from oda’s standard formula!!! I know that we all love monkey d. luffy and he’s LITERALLY the main character of the series, but it was also really nice to get more time to focus on the rest of the crew. But here’s the thing, even when Luffy wasn’t here, he was still here. And I’m not talking about the so called ‘blessings’ or whatever that kept SUSPICIOUSLY popping up around the crew when Luffy disappeared, I’m talking about the consequences that arised from him disappearing. We truly got to see how grand the effect luffy has had on the world around him, and how many lives he was able to touch ; - ; So even though luffy physically wasn’t present (I mean KIND OF but you know what I mean), this was still VERY MUCH a luffy arc imo. 
Oh man but I think Oda wrote luffy’s disappearance so well,,, I was sobbing for like 80 percent of this arc. Like just gradually seeing the crew’s deterioration as time passes by,,, but everyone has such unwavering faith in their captain, he HAS to come back cause Luffy always comes back. But here’s the thing, Luffy didn’t know what was happening to him when he started disappearing. But what he DID know is that he wasn’t sure if he was gonna be able to come back or not. And Luffy hates breaking promises- he’d never make a promise if he didn’t plan to keep it, and he’s not an idiot either, so when he just felt himself disappearing and saw zoro nearby... Instead of saying something like “I’ll be back!” and potentially making his crewmates wait for him forever, he tells zoro to “take care of the crew”... SOBBING AND CRYING T - T. So YES. the crew has unwavering faith in their captain. But. Luffy didnt say that he’d be coming back or anything. So what are they supposed to do really.
And it’s really hard to read at some parts, like it never loses the goofy tone that has been there throughout all of one piece and it’s really sweet to see everyone rely on each other to keep one another afloat, but the slight tension that keeps building up over the months while they keep looking for clues and answers... And how each lead keeps becoming a dead end... When it builds up and Usopp finally voices the thing that’s on everyone’s mind.
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Oh man. I started crying so hard. It took 6 month for any one of them to say something. Like this is One piece. Of course Luffy is gonna come back eventually, it would be waay too dark otherwise... But Idk man, even I started to doubt that :((( But luckily. THIS IS ONE PIECE. So right after everyone started,,, well not exactly losing hope or anything (maybe a bit)? but going BATSHIT INSANE FROM THE REALITY THAT THEIR CAPTAIN MIGHT BE GONE FOR GOOD, they finally got a solid actual clue of what might’ve happened to luffy!!! And I’m SO GLADDDD!!!!
Omg and when they tracked down the pray-pray no mi user and finally got some answers out of him. OMG WAIT A MOMENT I REALLY LIKED IS WHEN PRIEST GUY IS LIKE “urerheg without luffy up there as a god the entire world may very well be destroyed cause the sun has been super unstable for centuries blah blah” and then Nami freaking PUMMELED THE GUY AND SHOVED HIM DOWN WITH HER STAFF AND
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SOBBING CRYING SOBBING. THEY WOULD POTENTIALLY BLOW UP THE ENTIRE WORLD IF IT MEANT THAT THEIR CAPTAIN WOULDNT HAVE TO BE LONELY ; - ; KILL ME.
URGH I was really hoping that Luffy would return right once they beat him up cause I really really missed my boy, but honestly I think the final method of getting Luffy to return was super clever and absolutely worth the extra 3 weeks of waiting!!! I know that it was foreshadowed across the whole West Blue Saga and everything but I honestly had no clue it would end like that, DONT MAKE FUN OF ME :(((
When the crew finally got their captain back after 8 months of waiting... I mean they’ve been separated before for even longer periods of time, but they always knew that they’d be back together. This time they didn’t know. BUT AREHAHRGE ALL THE PAIN AND SUFFERING WAS SO WORTHIT WHEN THEY ALL FINALLY REUNITED T - T!!!!!! UWAHHWHAHWUAAGGHA!!! AND SEEING ALL THEIR ALLIES AND FRIENDS THEYVE MADE JUST CHEER AND CRY WHEN THEY HEAR THE NEWS!!!! I WOULD CHUCK ALL THE PANELS HERE IF I COULD BUT ID JUS T REACH THE IMAGE LIMIT BECAUSE ALL OF THEM MADE ME CRY ; - ;!!! Literally just read those 5 chapters in the arc finale cause,,,, man so good T - T
Anyways TLDR: The post-series luffy seperation arc is NOT BAD and you guys are JUST COWARDS AND LIARS!!!!
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hotxcheeto · 1 year
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I loved your double trouble fic, could you make another ellie x reader x Abby? No specific plot, go crazy w it <33
━ 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌
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𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜(𝙨) - Ellie Williams x Fem!Reader x Abby Anderson
𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 - Cursing, SMUT, porn w/ no plot bro, vaginal fingering ( r! receiving ), strap on use ( r! receiving ), kissing, make outs, descriptions of c*m, oral ( r! receiving ), slight degradation, dom/sub mechanics, slightly mean ellie and abby, dom!ellie, dom!abby, sub!reader
𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 ? - Yeah/Nope
𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 - ooo bae I'm sorry this took so long but it was def fun to write!!! the title is based on the brittanny spears song "3" because for some reason threesomes always make me think of that song that I should not have been singing at such a young age LMFAO. I'm glad you liked double trouble, ily!!
PLEASE REBLOG MY WORK!! ITS APPRECIATED!!
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"Don't stop, please Abby–"
The room was dark besides the sun peeking in from the window, setting below a horizon none of you cared to see.
Instead all you could focus on was the girl between your legs.
Her fingers making an obnoxious sound as she fucked into you, kissing your knee before leaning back down to return to her assault on your clit and then tease the outside of your hole where her fingers were currently occupying.
Abby's palms pressed hard against the fat of your thighs keeping them almost impossibly far spread. Fingers keeping you so full and going so fast that it made your mind melt and mouth run dry as you struggled to catch your breath.
But you couldn't, no matter how hard you tried, clawing at her, leaving fresh marks on her skin for her to admire and tease you for later.
Your chest heaved heavily, your head absentmindedly turning to the face the other girl that leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed. Watching your body move and squirm with a smirk on her face.
"Ellie.. Ellie c'mere– please, please–"
It was pathetically adorable, she thought as she pushed herself from the wooden frame and took the few short steps towards your outstretched arm.
"Shit." Ellie whispered to herself but no longer was she looking at your face and was instead admiring the way your hips bucked up into Abby's mouth. The blonde not hesitating to slam you back down into the mattress with her free hand and getting you to whimper.
"Oh– m–m'gonna cum–mm–" You cried, Ellie's stare moving up your body that had been covered in your own perspiration. Shuddering and tensing all while holding back just for her.
Abby hadn't slowed nor stopped even in light of your efforts, fucking her hand knuckle deep into your cunt while her warm tongue circled your clit. Her eyes scanning your face as you gasped and choked at the feeling of the tips of her fingers running along your most sensitive spots.
"Gotta ask Abby nicely.." Ellie finally spoke as she kneeled onto the mattress beside your head, letting you grab out to her and squeeze as hard as you wanted in a desperate attempt to release some of the tension that had spread its way through your body.
"Please Abby– plea–" You continued on, babbling incoherent asks of your girlfriend which made her smile.
"You gonna be good? Can't give a brat a reward baby, y'know that."
You nodded quickly, still clutching onto Ellie.
"I'll be good, I promise– please.." Your voice died out, throat sore and scratchy, pleading eyes moving from the one laying down to the one hovering above you.
"I promise–"
"Up to you." Ellie tilted her head and shrugged at Abby, getting off the bed and disappearing towards the toy she'd been using earlier.
Barely a second passed that her words had left her lips that Abby began to fuck you with her tongue, thumb pressing down on your clit.
"Go on pretty girl.." Abby teased, continuing to play with your hole with her warm muscle. "You earned it."
You came against her mouth, legs shaking and mind becoming as heavy as a ball of cotton. Your screams and sobs like music to their ears as Abby fucked you through your orgasm.
Head digging back into the pillows, your entire body arching in a bad attempt at getting away from the overwhelming pleasure. It all became too much too quickly.
Your loud mouth, as Ellie called it, only becoming quieter when Abby pulled hers from your cunt.
She kept you on edge though, not wanting you to lose the feeling and instead slowly moving her fingers in and out of your pussy.
Just then, after a moment, she had sat up to look over at Ellie, letting out a puff of air while listening to you try your hardest to catch your breath.
The only thing you could feel though, in your dazed state, was her leaning on your knee and playing with you like you were just a toy for her. In and out, then she'd run her fingertip around your hole and circle your clit, all to keep you waiting.
You'd learned your lesson in complaining though.
"You ready?" Ellie rolled her eyes at the sound of the question.
"Is she?"
Abby wiped her mouth with her knuckle, glancing at your wet cheeks and then your watery, half lidded eyes. Chest moving up and down much slower now, glistening in the orange evening glow.
It reminded her of a painting.
"You ready for Ellie to fuck you?" She moved up, leaning down to you in order to give you a kiss. The interaction making you forget the fact that it wasn't over just yet.
"Huh babe?" She asked as she pulled back, holding your cheek in her palm. You nodded at her, leaning into her touch as you did so.
"Roll over for her then."
You did, whining at the feeling of being empty and sore but you continued moving to get onto your stomach without much of a fuss, Abby's hands gripping your hips to lift your ass up.
"Fuck." Ellie muttered as her eyes raked over your fucked out form. Doing so as she came over to kneel behind you, her strap bumping your thigh.
"Look at that pretty pussy, you're all wet for me." The fat tip pressed against you making you shove your face into the pillow that you'd gathered in your arms. "All ready to be full."
She watched in awe as you sucked her in, pushing the silicone cock into your cunt with ease at how horny you still were. Quickly bottoming out and grinning at how your ass looked pressed against the plastic harness.
Abby watched just the same, only from her spot against the headboard where she got to admire how your whole body jerked forward with each of Ellie's thrusts.
Going from slow to quick before your mind had a second to catch up with the rest of you. Squeezing your eyes shut while her movements got deeper and faster while you could only gasp and choke on your own air.
It was their favorite sight. Tits bouncing, skin slapping, the sweat forming on your forehead reminding both of them how long you three had been at this. The room hot and stuffy, thick with the smell of sex.
Your cries and moans were swept away soon after when Ellie grabbed your neck and then your face, squishing your cheeks.
"Look at Abby, look at Abby baby." You met the blondes eyes, her expression blank but her eyes told another story. "What do you say to her for letting you cum?"
"Than–thank you Abby.." You dragged her name out, seeing a smile appear on her lips. "That's a good girl."
"You're taking Ellie so well baby." Abby then said, wiping away your tear stains from your cheeks, caressing your face in her palm. "Yeah? You like when she fucks you like this?"
You nodded exasperated, sniffling in but it was almost inaudible by the loud sounds of skin on skin bouncing off the walls. Filling the room to the brim making it the only thing you could really hear.
"Fuck, you're doing good." Ellie stared down at the fake cock disappearing in and out of you, a white ring forming around the base where your ass met her pelvis. Smearing up and down as you bounced on her.
The silicone bumping into your clit again and again bringing you closer and closer to your orgasm.
Abby's hand then grabbed your ass cheek making you turn to look back to see what they were doing. Barely able to though from how shaky your arms were, and how hard Ellie kept you pressed into the pillows
She was watching how Ellie's strap was being swallowed up by you, both girls smiling to themselves at the sight. Cum soaking your thighs and coating the fake cock.
"You're doing so good babe," "Fuck yeah she is." Abby's fingers then slipped underneath your body, toying with your clit. "She's taking it like a pro, right baby?" Ellie added, her hair sticking to her face.
You muttered an incoherent string of words that neither of them could understand, gripping the sheets until your knuckles went sore and your eyes rolled back
"What was that?" Abby asked, taking her hand away and moving to look at you again, lifting your head from the pillow with her hand.
"Think she's had enough?" Ellie mocked, Abby giving her a look. "Leave her alone, she's been good." But her voice lacked the sincerity that Ellie's lacked as well, but your mind was too far gone to realize it.
"Can–can I cu–cum now please. I'll b–e good, I promise, I promise.." You said it again and again, Abby only staring at your fucked out face and pleading eyes with no readable expression.
"Ellie?" The blonde raised her eyebrow, dropping your head.
"Go ahead pretty girl, but what do you say?"
"Thank you– oh– thank you, thank you–" You said it over and over like a mantra as you came, cum dripping from your cunt and onto the bed while your legs officially gave out.
But Ellie kept you up, shoving you back against the dick while staring forward at your face in Abby's grip. Feeding off of each reaction you had while trying to form sentences that only came out as noises.
Her green eyes then focused on the way you clenched around the toy and cried as you did so. Your entire form finally dropping when she let you go.
It was quiet for a moment, Abby pushing away your baby hairs while kissing your sweaty forehead. Comforting you and quieting your whimpers when Ellie slowly pulled the strap from your abused hole.
"You took that so well babe." Abby spoke as her thumb rubbed comforting circles on your cheek. "Of course she did, she's our good girl." Ellie's head appeared beside yours, her lips lightly kissing your forehead.
"Ain't that right?"
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PLEASE REBLOG!!! Liking does nothing to boost and I like when people actually get to read my stuff!!
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woozvc · 4 months
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promises.
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pt.2 of this fic - better left unsaid
synopsis - mingyu can't let you go.
pairing — mingyu x gn!reader
genre/s — hurt-comfort,minor fluff??
a/n - this isn't my best work but I had so many people asking for part 2 so I had to write it 😭😭 I'm not good at writing hurt comfort so pls forgive and focus on mingyu <3
w/c - 1k ish
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“y/n get up”
you groan and pull the blanket over your head, wanting to block the sunlight coming into the room. your best friend was kind enough to let you crash on her couch for the night, but you forgot she had a life, work in the morning.
“give me 5 more minutes” you snuggle into the warmth of the couch.
“y/n if you don't get up I swear I'll call up mingyu right now- oh okay damn that was fast”
she stares at you as u immediately get up and give her a annoyed look
“did he really hurt you that bad?”
did he? it's something you also didn't know the answer to. honestly speaking you were mad at mingyu but somewhere in your heart you wanted to forgive him. somewhere in your heart made you think that maybe he never meant it, maybe it was really the heat of the moment
“he hasn't called” you look over to your phone, staring at it. it's silent, no notifications from mingyu asking you where you where or anything. it was completely silent
“he's doing what you asked him to” your friend hands you a glass of water
“I have work but you can stay here as long as you want, don't think about the fight too much okay? from what you've told me, he seems like an amazing dude, maybe it really was a heat of the moment thing? anyway don't rot here all day, if you can go out get some sun” she gives you a small hug and a smile. you nod and say goodbye to her.
the rest of the day goes by quick. all you do is sit on her couch and watch some shows. you thought of cooking something but it kept reminding you of last night so you let it go
it's about 7pm when the door bell rings. you get up to open it, fully expecting your best friend to be standing on the other side. but its not. instead it's a man.
“oh”
oh.
you meet his eyes. he looks the same as he did last night. you don't look better yourself, messy hair and puffy face.
“can I come in?”
“this isn't my house”
“then can you come out?
“I don't know”
mingyu runs his hands through his hair and sighs. he looks at you one last time before sitting down right in front of you and looking up at you.
“mingyu what are you doing..”
“what I should've done yesterday” he looks directly at you, his eyes threatening with tears.
“I get you want to be left alone y/n but I can't do this. I need you to know I'm sorry. I can't let you go to bed mad at me. you don't have to speak to me but please just listen to me?” he looks at you pleading. if the atmosphere was different, you would've laughed at him, told him how he looks like a puppy sitting at the foot of the door.
you don't say anything though. you slowly slide down the door and sit next to him, looking away.
“y/n, you're the love of my life. I've never loved anyone like I love you. what I said yesterday…I regret it. I know that's not enough, I know you have every right to not believe me. but I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I wasn't thinking, I had too much anger and frustration which just burst on you and I'm sorry okay? you don't have to forgive me but please, please believe me when I say I'm sorry?” his voice was shaking. he was trying not to cry and speak as clear as he could but he was failing. he took a deep breath through his tears
“you don't have to contact me right now, talk to me when you want to, I'll leave you alone for now” he started getting up slowly when you grabbed his arm and made him sit down again. you finally look at him again.
“I'm still mad at you, but I'll let it go for now. I want you to promise me this won't happen again.”
mingyu smiles, wiping the tears off his face
“I promise, I swear on my life I'll never speak out of frustration again, I promise.”
you nod, holding your hand out to him “okay, let's go home.”
mingyu pulls you into a hug, buring his face in the crook of your neck and smiling. you hug him back, just enjoying his warmth for a while.
you hear footsteps and look up
“you guys are so cringe.. ugh you're going to let bugs into my appartment please leave or get in or do something so I can close my door”
you laugh, glad mingyu didn't leave this unsaid.
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headkiss · 1 year
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single thread (pt. 3)
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part 1, part 2, part 3
pairing: spiderman!steve harrington x fem!reader
summary: you know steve’s secret, but he has another; he loves you. of course, you love him, too, and things change.
word count: 9.3k
warnings: spiderman!steve au, fluff, smut (thigh riding and a hj), mentions of a car accident (nobody gets hurt), idiots in love!!!!!!
a/n: she’s here!!!! thank u guys so much for ur support on this mini series, i have loved writing it so so much <3 this will be the last long piece, but if you guys have requests for blurbs from this universe, i’d love to have them!!!
/ᐠ(๏‸๏)ᐟ\
You’d never been that great at puzzles, at figuring things out quickly without hints. But for some reason, this was something you’re pretty sure of.
Steve is Spider-man. He’s the one who saved you, who saves people every day, and he keeps it hidden. You understand why he does, and you’d never want to pressure him into telling you something he doesn’t want to, you only wish he knew you were ready to listen. Whenever.
You’re not that strong, but you’d take some of the weight off of his shoulders if you could.
The news plays on your TV now more than ever, as more than just background noise. Your eyes focused on the screen whenever Spider-man is mentioned, analyzing the way he moves, the familiarity of the hand gestures when he speaks, the gentleness when he makes sure someone’s okay.
It isn’t only on the news that you notice things, either. Seeing Steve as often as you’ve grown to, you seem to find more tells constantly. How he can catch a glass before it spills without even looking, the way he’s on edge sometimes, like he can’t focus on one single thing.
You see Steve often, and the clues are there, and he still hasn’t told you about it.
It’s not that you expect him to tell you, or that you’re angry he hasn’t. It’s just been hard to pretend like you don’t know why he’s limping or like you’re still clueless to it all. He’ll tell you on his own time, or maybe he won’t, but you’ll have to be okay with that.
You’ve convinced yourself it’d be best not to tell him you knew. He’s probably stressed out enough, and you didn’t want to add to that if you could avoid it. You’ll be there for him either way, that’s what’s important.
Besides, on top of you figuring out he’s Spider-man, you’ve finally acknowledged the feelings that have been there for a while. The serious ones, the four letter ones. They’ve been on your mind more than anything.
You’re in love with Steve, that’s something you could tell him, in theory, but you can’t bring yourself to. You’d hate to ruin the only real friendship you’ve managed to build since moving.
So, he’s not the only one with secrets after all. He’s Spider-man, you know that he’s Spider-man, and you’re in love with him.
Lately, you’ve actually been thankful for how quiet things have been at work. Your head’s been loud enough. The thoughts of Steve, of trying not to give anything away every time you look at him, of whether he might be going to patrol whenever he leaves.
It’s all-consuming. Pathetic, even.
And it’s what’s on your mind—once again—as you walk home from your morning shift at work. The sun’s out, your eyes squinted when it hits your face. The breeze around you is still chilly, but the promise of spring and warmth is nice.
You glance over to the newsstand you always pass going to and from work, checking the picture on the front page to look for a certain mask. Today, it’s there, and you pause to look at it.
‘Spider-man catches culprit behind string of armed robberies.’
Skimming the article, your heartbeat picks up. The danger this boy puts himself in for the sake of other people. The injuries you’ve seen him come home with. You shake your head and keep walking.
“Mom, look!” A little boy says, urging his mother towards the newsstand. “It’s Spider-man!”
You turn around, a small smile on your face as you see the mother buying her son a copy of the paper. You guess you’re not the only person who can’t keep away from that hero.
Then, there’s a little glow in your chest, the reminder that you’re lucky enough to know the person behind the mask, too.
-
Steve thinks that telling Robin about you might’ve been a bad idea, because she looks like she might slap him right now.
“You’re telling me you kissed her, then told her it couldn’t happen again, and yet you still have that look on your face when you talk about her?”
Robin makes it sound very simple. To him, it isn’t.
“Well, yeah, but it’s complicated, okay? And I don’t have a look on my face, Robs.”
“You absolutely do, all moony and shit. If I didn’t want you to find someone so badly, I’d say it’s kinda gross.”
Honestly, Steve can’t even tell her she’s wrong. If the way he thinks about you tells him anything, it’s that he probably can’t keep it off his face. At the very least, he hopes that Robin can only tell because she knows him so well, not because it’s insanely obvious.
“Thanks.”
“Steve, I know you like her,” she says, gentler than before, careful not to scare him from the conversation.
I more than like her, he thinks. There’s a better way to describe it and he knows that. He may not admit it, not even to himself, but he knows it all the same.
Robin continues before Steve can reply, “and I know you’re scared, I do, but we both know you’d regret it if you didn’t give this a shot.”
He shakes his head. Somehow, every time he sees Robin, the conversation always leads to this. To you.
“I’d regret it more if I got her hurt.”
“Steve, I’ve known about you since the beginning and look at me. I’m right here, perfectly fine,” she holds her arms out, like it’s some sort of proof that she’s okay. “The worst I’ve done lately is scrape my knee, and that’s just because I’m clumsy, not because I know about you being Spider-man.”
He supposes she’s right, that she has a point here, but it doesn’t stop him from being afraid, from feeling an uncomfortable clench in his chest when he thinks about even the slightest possibility of putting you in danger.
“It’s different with her, though,” he says.
“Come on! Remember in high school when you had like four different girlfriends in a month?”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
“Well, still. Where’s that part of you gone?”
“Um…”
“Shut up, I mean the part that was open to that. To trying to make connections.”
“Maybe the venom from the spider made it disappear.”
She huffs and sinks into the couch cushions. Steve’s always been stubborn, quick to deflect with humor or sarcasm when things get too intense. Too much.
Robin’s a good friend, the best one, and she can see him closing up, so she changes her approach.
“I just want you to be happy, you know?”
“Yeah, Robs, I know.”
“Can you just think about it?”
“About what?”
“Asking her out, telling her how you feel,” Robin lays a hand on Steve’s shoulder, gives it a small squeeze. “Don’t close yourself off to it completely.”
Steve’s hand lands on top of hers, squeezes it back before letting go. He may not have that many people in his life, but having a friend like Robin never makes him feel like he’s missing anything.
At least, he didn’t feel that way until he met you. Now, he thinks about what it’d feel like to fall asleep and wake up with his arms wrapped around you, to be able to kiss you and hold you. To have that intimacy that you can only have when you’re in love with someone.
Fuck. In love.
“Okay. I’ll think about it.”
-
The good thing about being lost in thought while you walk is that it makes time go by quickly. By the time you’re walking up the stairs to your apartment, you’re not even sure how you got there, your feet having been on autopilot.
Just as you’re fishing out your keys, there’s the sound of a door opening, a pair of voices following. One that’s practically engraved in your head. The other is of a girl, who seems to notice you standing by your door very quickly.
“Oh my gosh! Hi!”
You blink at her a couple of times, because she’s talking to you like she knows you, like you should know her. “Hi…?”
Steve’s leaning a shoulder against his door frame behind her, a scrunch in his brows and a shake of his head. It’s all you catch before she grabs your attention again.
“Sorry! I’m Robin, Steve’s totally, completely plantomic best friend-”
“Oh my god,” he mutters.
“You’re the neighbor,” she continues, saying your name to make sure she’s right, even though she seemed plenty sure of that already. “Steve talks about you all the time.”
“Really?” You can’t help but ask. You try to hide the hopefulness in your voice, the happiness at the idea of him talking about you. All the time.
“Oh, yeah. You have made quite the impact on this guy,” she points towards him with a thumb over her shoulder.
“Robs,” Steve gives her a stare, eyes wide and—if the hint of pink spreading over his cheeks says anything—probably telling her to stop embarrassing him.
“What?” She looks back at him, all innocent.
“Don’t you have to get to work?”
“Okay, okay,” Robin turns towards you again, gives you a toothy smile that’s wide enough to have you sending her a small grin in return. “It was so nice to finally meet you.”
“You, too,” you say, and though she surprised you with a whole bunch at once, you mean it.
She pulls you into a hug and says to you quietly, “thank you for taking care of him.”
And with that, she walks away, retreating down the hall. Steve hears her, Robin knows that. Hell, she probably wanted him to.
He scratches at the back of his neck (that habit of his) and huffs, “I’m sorry about her. She can be sort of a lot.”
“Don’t be,” you shake your head. “She seems great.”
“You’d like her, I think. If you got to know her.”
He still seems nervous, like you and Robin meeting was a really big thing for him. And it is. The two most important people in his life meeting. Of course he’d want that to go well.
“Steve, you don’t need to worry, or anything. I already like her, okay?”
Anyone who seems to make Steve happier is bound to win some points with you. He deserves friends like that, especially with everything he has to carry.
“Okay, yeah. That’s good.”
He still seems nervous, so you step over and place your hand on his arm, giving him the lightest squeeze. He probably wouldn’t have felt it if it weren’t for how focused he is on you.
“I was just surprised, that’s all. Promise.”
Steve’s hand finds yours, intertwining your fingers gently, as if he doesn’t even know he’s doing it.
“Thank you,” he speaks quietly. Two words he tries to tell you as often as he can.
-
Steve’s been visiting you at work often, sometimes with food, always with enough to brighten your day. Getting to spend that extra time with him is another perk of working when it’s not busy.
Today, he’s decided to surprise you rather than give you a heads-up over the phone. There’s a takeout bag clutched in his hand, and a little ball of nerves in his stomach. He shouldn’t be nervous, it’s only you. Then again, it’s you.
He opens the bookstore door, the small bell above it jingling. For once, there’s a customer at the register. You glance over at Steve from behind the counter, wiggling your hand in a quick wave before helping your customer again.
And just like that, there’s that feeling in his chest.
Steve waits by one of the displays as you finish up, trying not to make it obvious that he’s looking at you. There’s the soft smile on your face, the tone of your voice, the way the lighting hits your skin. It all has his heart going quicker.
“Hi, Steve,” you greet him once the customer leaves. “I didn’t know you were coming today.”
“Hi, honey. Kinda the point of surprising you with food.”
“Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Hopefully I picked something you like.”
From the packaging he’s seen before in your apartment, he’s pretty sure he did alright, but he waits for your confirmation all the same.
You open the bag he’d set on the counter, a small happy gasp that he likes way too much leaving your mouth, “yay! How’d you know I liked this place?”
He shrugs, “lucky guess.”
There’s a second stool behind the counter, and you pull it up for Steve without a word, patting the seat for him to sit down. He does, consumed by the brush of your arms as you unpack the food, the touch of your knees when you shift in your seat.
“Thanks again, Steve.”
“You already know I owe you for all the meals you’ve made me.”
“And you already know, you don’t owe me anything.”
You’re a kind person, Steve’s known that since he met you. So much so that you don’t even see the value in what you’ve done for him, like it’s the simplest thing for you. It’s the simplest thing to help him.
It makes him want to do things he said he wouldn’t. Things like kiss you.
“Anyway,” he shakes the thought away. “How’s your day been?”
You lift a shoulder as you finish your bite of food before replying, “been okay. I’ve had a couple more people come in than usual, which is good.”
“Yeah?”
“I mean, I love the quiet in here, love getting to just read behind the counter and call it work. But, it’s also nice to feel useful at least some of the time.”
“That’s good. What’ve you been reading?”
This is a question he loves to ask you, because you get excited to respond every time. He loves to watch you grab the book and show it to him, to see your hands flick through the pages as you tell him what it’s about, to watch the way your mouth forms the words you speak.
He loves to ask you, because he loves to listen to your voice when you answer. That word’s been in his head a lot lately. Love.
So much that he’s not sure it ever really leaves. It’s a lingering whisper, growing louder when he’s with you. Even after you eat, after the food’s been cleaned, as he walks out the door, the word stays.
“Bye, Steve, see you later!” You say as he reaches for the door handle.
He lets himself look at you again before leaving, his eyes lingering for a second too long. “Bye, honey.”
The bell above the door rings again as he leaves, but it isn’t loud enough to cover what’s rushing through Steve’s mind. I love her. I shouldn’t, I can't. I love her.
God, maybe he should talk to Robin again, he thinks. Or, maybe he could avoid the lecture he’s bound to get and take his mind off things the best way he can: putting on the suit.
-
Turns out that even when he should be focused on patrolling, his mind still likes to wander. That’s probably why he ends up stationed atop the building across from the bookstore, where your closing shift should be ending soon.
He ends up there most nights he knows you’re closing, really.
Before, when he couldn’t even let himself think about his feelings for you, he’d tell himself he stayed near the bookstore because it was a shadier area, more alleyways and all that. Now, though it sort of scares him, he’s able to acknowledge that it’s purely to make sure you’re safe.
He has a whole city to be protecting, but if his senses aren’t leading him anywhere else, he’ll always end up near you.
It’s sort of ironic. You, subconsciously looking for Spider-man everywhere you go, him being right there, and you don’t even know it. He’s so, so close.
Steve stationed himself across the street from you about twenty minutes before the shop was meant to close. His eyes squinted on his mask to see if there was anyone seemingly dangerous around, just in case.
Sometimes, when he does this, he can’t stop himself from thinking about that night when he found you in that alley. When his ears were filled with pure static until he knew you were safe. When he kneeled in front of you and brought you home. He doesn’t want you to go through something like that ever again.
The click of the bookshop door closing behind you has Steve’s heightened hearing turned on, knowing that you’re about to lock up and head home.
You feel like there are eyes on you as you walk. But, every time you look behind you, there’s nobody there. You’re just being paranoid, you tell yourself. You’re fine. And really, you are fine, because the eyes aren’t dangerous—though you don’t know it—they belong to Steve.
He hops across buildings as discreetly as he can while following your pace. Walking you home in his own, secret way.
The next thing happens in a complete blur.
You’re crossing at an intersection when a car runs a red light, speeding and crashing into another vehicle. You’re in the street, the two cars screeching on the pavement and heading straight for you. Even if you ran, you wouldn’t be quick enough.
But he was.
Steve jumped down before it even happened, his vision tunneling on that car, on you in its path. He just knew he needed to get to you first. He shot the web, swung down, and scooped you up right before the collision reached you. His heart pounding, his grip on you tight enough to knock the air from your lungs.
He lands and sets you down at the back of an alley, hidden from the bystanders that screamed at the sight of the crash, at the sight of him.
It takes you an entire minute of silence, of your chest heaving and your ears ringing to grasp what had just happened. How close of a call it was, how he was there to save you again.
Your vision is blurred by tears when you look up at him, at the red and blue suit, the mask. Your breathing is quick, panicked, but it slows the slightest bit when you look at him. Spider-man. Steve. The best boy ever.
When your eyes lock onto his face, Steve rushes forward, holding your face in a gentle grasp. It’s frantic, the way his hands shake when he reaches for you, the way his head tilts all over to make sure you’re okay. His thumbs brush away the tears that fall from your eyes, back and forth and back and forth.
“Hey, look at me,” he says, dipping his head down to make you focus on him. “Breathe.”
You shake your head, trying to calm down the best you can after coming so close. Fuck, it was so close. If Steve would’ve been a split-second later, you would’ve been hit. The thought doesn’t help you calm down one bit.
Steve can see the fear in your eyes, the quick rise and fall of your chest. It clenches his heart in a tight, uncomfortable fist, and all he wants to do is help you. So he lets it slip.
“Breathe, honey. Come on.”
Honey.
That’s all the confirmation you’d ever need. You were right. This is Steve. It’s Steve holding your face and saving your life.
You surge forward and wrap your arms around his neck, and his go around your waist instantly.
“Steve,” you breathe out so quietly, only he could have heard it.
His heart sinks and flips at the same time, if that’s even possible. It sinks because you know, somehow, and it terrifies him so much, he’s not sure what to say. But then, it flips, too, because there’s a relief that’s clear in your voice.
“How did you-” he starts, but you only squeeze him tighter.
“Steve,” this time, your voice breaks when you say it.
Now isn’t the time to talk about this. Not when you were almost hit, not in public. Not now and not like this, Steve knows that. The break in your voice tells him to push that back for now.
“I’m gonna take you home, okay?”
He can feel you nod against his neck, so he lets go of you with one hand and keeps the other wrapped around you and starts swinging.
Right now, at this second, he’s not worried about how you found out, how you know it’s him. No, he only cares that you’re alive, that he can feel your arms squeezing around his neck, that he can squeeze you back just as tight.
As he swings with you clutching onto him, the realization makes his breathing stutter.
You could’ve died just then. In that fraction of a moment, you could’ve been gone without Steve ever getting the chance to tell you he loves you. He can’t let that happen. He’s gotta tell you.
It scares the absolute shit out of him, but he has to do something. He can’t lose you before working up the courage to tell you how he feels, before having the slightest chance at kissing you again.
He won’t let that happen.
-
Steve’s very gentle with you, even when he’s swinging from building to building with you in his arms. The sure grip he has around your waist and the smell of his cologne buried under the suit help ground you as wind rushes by.
You’re alive, Steve’s got you, and he knows you know.
Your eyes are squeezed shut the entire way, and in only a couple of minutes, he’s hanging onto the side of his building by his window and thanking himself for (once again) not locking it.
“Hey, honey, can you open the window for me?”
You lift your face from his neck and nod, twisting to lift it open. Steve’s supporting you with one arm and holding the both of you up with the other. The strength he has is incredible, especially when you’re seeing it first hand.
He helps you get into his room with a hand on your lower back, and lifts himself in right after you. You watch Steve’s back beneath the suit as he shuts the window, watch his gloved hands remove the web-shooters from his wrists.
Then, slowly, watch those same hands lift up to the edge of his mask and tug it off.
Your breath catches. You knew it was him, but seeing Steve’s familiar face and its prettiest combination of features be revealed is different, it’s real.
“Wow,” you say, though you hadn’t really meant to. It slipped. “Hi.”
Steve’s had a twist in his gut ever since he found out that you knew about him, and it only tangles more now that you’re looking at him with widened eyes. He doesn’t want things to change with you, and he’s so scared that they will.
What if you don’t want to see him anymore because of this? What if you’re angry with him for keeping it from you? What if you end up hurt because someone wanted to get to him?
“Um, hi.”
You step closer to where he stands by his side table, your hands twisting in front of you like you’re nervous, too.
“You saved me.”
“Just, uh, doing my job,” he says, shrugging it off.
“Well, then, you’re really, really great at what you do.”
You’re trying to be light with the subject, to take it at his pace given it’s his secret, his life. Steve’s quiet for a few moments, a flicker of something you can’t distinguish crossing over his face.
“How’d you know?” Is all he says, but you know exactly what he means by it.
“Saw Spider-man with the exact same injuries as you on the news. I guess I just connected the dots from there.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
You reach for his hand and hold it lightly, hoping that maybe, just maybe, your touch can help to ground him as much as his does you.
“Don’t be, okay? I understand why you wouldn’t. I just want to be there for you.”
“I don’t tell anyone, really,” he starts, his grip on your hand tightening as he speaks. “Robin’s the only other person who knows. I don’t want to put anyone in danger so I… I just keep it to myself.”
You squeeze his fingers, trying to show him in any way you can that you aren’t going to run away from this.
“You don’t have to keep it all to yourself, Steve. You can talk to me or knock on my door whenever you’re hurt,” he shakes his head. “You can. I keep my first-aid kit stocked for you.”
“It doesn’t scare you? That you might get hurt because of me?”
“I’m not scared for myself. I’m scared for you. Going out every night and fighting the bad guys. I’m scared that you’ll get hurt, Steve. I’m not worried about me,” he glances down but you step even closer, making him look at you. “If tonight shows anything, it’s that you’ll save me from getting hurt either way.”
Steve’s hand that isn’t holding yours moves up, pushing your hair over your shoulder before landing on your face. The fabric of his glove rests against your jaw, his thumb running over your skin, his eyes searching yours for a single hint of insincerity.
He doesn’t find one.
“You’re really important to me, honey.”
“You’re important to me, too.”
You’re close enough that you can feel his breath on your lips, his forehead a whisper away from yours. Close enough that you catch the way his eyes flick down to your mouth and back up.
“I know I said we shouldn’t-”
“Kiss me, Steve.”
“Okay.”
The hand on your face tilts you upwards, and just like that, he catches your lips with his. You’ve kissed before and still, there’s a rush of butterflies in your stomach, a warmth spreading over your skin the way a blanket of sunlight feels.
It’s slow, it’s delicate, and it means something. There are a thousand words that neither of you can say buried in this kiss, in the gentle press of your lips. Words spoken with the tilt of his head to get closer, the squeeze of his fingers interlocked with yours.
Steve doesn’t ever want to not be able to kiss you again. Not when it feels like this. Acceptance and reassurance, softness and the sort of glowing feeling he’s only ever had around you.
When he pulls away, he doesn’t go far. Your breaths meet between your faces, mingling in the silence that follows. Steve rests his forehead against yours, your noses brushing.
“I don’t want to be alone tonight,” you say. Because you’re still shaken from earlier, because you need the comfort that Steve seems to provide simply by being next to you, because you’re afraid that if you let him out of your sight, he’ll pull away from you again.
“You want me to stay with you?”
You nod. “Please.”
“Okay, honey, I’ll stay.”
As long as you’ll have me, he thinks, I’ll stay.
-
Steve did stay that night. After you both showered and got ready for bed, there was a moment where he stood—almost nervous—in the doorway of your bedroom. You lifted the covers for him and patted the spot next to you, and that was it.
He stayed for breakfast, too. This time, it was him cooking for you, stood over the stove in your apartment. It’s a sight you could definitely get used to. Then, like he could get any sweeter, he even called into work for you, saying you should at least get a day after what happened the night before. What almost happened.
Really, as scary as the crash had been, what you’d been thinking about the most was the way he kissed you. The way you’d woken up in the middle of the night with his arm around your waist. The way you fell back asleep easily with him there.
It’s what you’ve been thinking about in the days since. What you’re thinking about even now.
You know that something shifted that night, with him finding out that you knew he’s Spider-man, with you being able to reassure him that it won’t push you away. You could feel that shift, like a tectonic plate.
Despite that, things have been quiet and relatively the same with Steve. You haven’t seen him all that much, but when you do it’s still friendly. Friendly with something lingering between you, unspoken and palpable.
It’s dark out now, the evening news playing on your TV the way it so often does. It’s static to you until you see footage of Spider-man from earlier, swinging around and fighting crime again.
Naturally, your first thought is Steve, and whether or not he’s okay. Before, when he didn’t know you knew, you’d keep all this worry to yourself, letting it build and build until you saw him again. Now, though, he knows you know and you can do something about that concern.
You push yourself up from your couch and head to your door. Knocking on his comes easy, and he opens it quickly, like he knew it was you.
“Hi,” he says. There’s a smile pulling at his mouth.
“Hi. Sorry for bothering you, I just- um. I saw the news and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Seeing you on the other side of his door already had Steve’s heart doing this silly flutter in his chest. Knowing you care enough to check on him this way does something else entirely. It floods from head to toe, the feelings he has for you. The ones he’s identified as love.
“I’m okay, promise. Not even a scratch this time.”
You nod, a pressure lifting from your lungs. You breathe a little easier seeing him unharmed. Seeing him in general.
“Okay. Good,” you should probably stop there, turn around and go back to yours, but you don’t. “I was just really worried, y’know, ‘cause I’ve seen you hurt and all, so I just wanted to see you and check-”
“Hey,” he grabs your hand gently, cutting off your rambling and tugging you into his apartment, pushing the door shut behind you. “I swear not every Spider-man thing I do is dangerous.”
“Yeah, okay, because swinging from buildings is super safe.”
“I’m a professional at that. Nothing to worry about.”
The wood of the front door is solid against your back, and Steve’s hand still in yours is the same. Solid, reassuring, sweet. Steve steps just a bit closer to you, so that you’re toe-to-toe and there’s nowhere for you to escape to.
His free hand reaches up to fiddle with the ends of your hair, gentle in a way that almost feels like you dreamt it.
“Did you really only come here to check on me?” He asks.
“Yeah, I did. Is that… okay?”
Steve wants to kiss you for that. He thinks you might want that, too. So, he dips his face closer to yours, lets go of your hand only to hold onto the nape of your neck instead. He hesitates, waits for you to push him away, but you never do.
Instead, you tilt your head and meet him in the middle.
You never knew that kissing someone could be so easy, that you could fit together so well that it just works. But that’s how it is with Steve, and you suppose that’s how it is when you’re in love. The pink haze and heart-shaped touches.
Steve doesn’t think he could ever get sick of kissing you, of feeling so light when things are often so heavy for him. When you pull away, he chases your mouth and steals two, three pecks from you.
Then, to answer your question, he says, “it’s more than okay.”
You only notice now that you aren’t distracted by his mouth on yours that your hands had found their way to his shoulders. It’s impossible not to notice the muscles under his skin, the clear evidence of his strength. Heat spreads through you, and you have to pull your hands away to speak properly.
“You sure?”
“I’m sure,” he tells you. His hand, still on your neck, squeezes so, so lightly. “I know I’ve said that we should only be friends, but that was before. Before you knew, and I was terrified of what could happen to you.”
“What about now?”
“Now…” He takes a deep breath, and focuses his eyes on yours. Whatever he’s about to say, he wants you to know he means it. “Now I can’t stop thinking about you and how it feels to kiss you.”
“I think about you, too.”
“Yeah?”
You nod, and though being honest makes you nervous, the smile that spreads over his face makes it worth it. So does the slight blush of his cheeks.
“I want to take you on a date. If that’s something you’d like.”
“I would really like that, Steve.”
Right then, there’s another shift, a bigger one. You both know there are feelings here. Big, scary feelings that you can’t say out loud yet.
-
Steve took care of planning the date. He wanted to surprise you, to impress you and do something for you this time. You do enough for him already.
Though Robin assured him—after all of her ‘finally’s and ‘I told you so’s—that it would be great, perfect, even, he’s still nervous when he knocks on your door. He’s shuffling on his feet, puffing out a breath as he waits, and then he sees you and the rest sort of melts away.
You open your door to find Steve with a picnic basket in hand and a slightly windswept bouquet of flowers in the other. You smile as he hands them to you and try to hide it by smelling the flowers.
“Thank you, these are beautiful.”
“‘Course.”
“I’ll just put them in water and then we can go.”
Your stomach is a mess of flutters and nerves as you fill up a vase with water and put the flowers in it. Sure, you’ve spent time with Steve alone time and time again, but never like this. It’s exciting and it’s scary, but the welcome kind of scary that comes with new things.
“You’re taking me on a picnic?” You ask, locking your apartment door behind you and then falling into step next to Steve.
“If that’s okay with you?”
“Sounds amazing.”
“My cooking isn’t as great as yours, I have to warn you,” Steve says, holding the door open to the stairwell.
“I’m sure I’ll love it.”
“It’s okay if you don’t, I’m just saying.”
He holds the door at the bottom of the stairs open for you, too. And then the one to exit the building.
As you walk along, Steve leading the way, your nerves fade, replaced with the familiarity and comfort of Steve’s company. Replaced with the feelings that sweep inside you like a huge bubble of pink bubblegum, so close to popping and spilling it all.
You talk aimlessly about anything and everything, and Steve does the same. You both try not to make the little catch in your breaths obvious when your hands brush.
He takes you to a park, one with big trees and a walking trail, with scattered flowers and the fresh smell of nature that makes you feel like you’re not even in the city anymore. He keeps going, and you keep following him, until he finds the spot he’d found before. A small clearing between trees, shaded by their leaves and just enough space for him to spread out the picnic blanket.
“Why have I never found this place myself?” You ask, looking up at the sky through the leaves.
“You like it?”
You nod, sitting down next to him on the blanket he brought. “Thank you for bringing me.”
He shrugs, “thank you for coming.”
You share a smile, a slow spread across your mouths as you look at each other for a moment. A smile saying this is real. Then, like it didn’t even happen, he starts to unpack the food.
Steve can’t even remember the last date he went on, but he knows that it wasn’t anything like this. He’s never felt this light around someone before. Somehow, you turn the bricks that weigh him down into feathers.
You’d thought it before, but you’re sure of it now; Steve is the absolute best boy you’ve ever known. The effort he put into making and packing up the food, the shyness he has about it all, like he should be embarrassed for being sweet to you. You feel unbelievably lucky that you moved into the apartment across from his.
The date goes by in a blink. You and Steve subconsciously moving closer and closer on the blanket, your thighs touching and your arms brushing. The food eaten between conversation and giggles. The picnic basket is now packed up again, the containers empty this time around.
You rest your head on Steve's shoulder and say, “thank you for this.”
Steve’s eyes close for a second, trying to memorize how this feels. He opens them and presses the gentlest kiss onto your head. “You’re welcome, honey.”
You stay that way and breathe each other in, once, then twice. That’s all you allow yourself before you stand and brush yourself off even though you weren’t dirty in the first place. Steve folds up the blanket and places it in the basket, and he stands, too.
This time, as you walk back to your apartment building, when your hands brush, you and Steve feel just a bit more confident, enough to reach your pinkies out to each other and lock them.
Steve’s the one who fully grabs onto your hand, letting your fingers intertwine. It’s how they’re meant to be, he thinks, two pieces of the same puzzle that just happen to fit together. You don’t let go for the entire walk.
Outside your building, neither of you really want to say goodbye, to end the date that feels like the beginning of something really, really good.
But, just as Steve lets go of your hand to reach for the door, he feels it. The tingling over his skin, the goosebumps, the static in his ears. He blinks and turns to you.
“I’m sorry-”
“Stop, it’s okay. Just be safe.”
He’ll never understand how you’re so understanding, how you accept it so quickly. All he knows is he loves you for it and so much more.
“Thank you, honey.”
He presses the quickest kiss to your cheek, sets down the picnic basket, and then runs into the alleyway on the side of the building. When he emerges, he’s in his suit and swinging off.
He’d been wearing it under his clothes. Always prepared.
You pick up the picnic basket and walk up to your apartment half convinced that the last few hours have been some sort of dream. Too good to be true.
-
The issue that had Steve’s senses coming alive didn’t take long to handle. Still, he stayed out to continue patrolling, worried that something else could happen. Worried that it might be too soon to go back and see you again.
Not seeing you didn’t erase you from his thoughts. Not one bit. He spent the hours in the suit waiting for the city to die down, waiting for the moment his senses would quiet down enough to let him know he was done for the night.
All because he wanted to see you, kiss you. God, he’s so fucked.
You were faring pretty much the same. Only, you’d changed into your pajamas rather than a superhero suit, laying around on your bed with a book in hand to hear knocks on your door. Or, at the very least, to hear him get home safe.
When the knock comes, it isn’t on your door. Instead, there’s a tapping on your bedroom window by the fire escape. As soon as you hear it, you shut your book and turn towards your window, and there he is.
Steve hangs upside down, his head level with yours when you open the window to talk to him. If you weren’t so busy being in love with him, the sight would be sort of funny.
“Well hello, Spider-man,” you say, leaning your hands against the windowsill.
“Hey, honey.”
“You aren’t hurt are you?” You ask, moving your hands to hold his face, because you’ve seen him injured enough times to be worried about that, to know it’s a possibility.
“I’m completely fine.”
“You’re really okay?”
“Nothing hurts, I promise,” he says, shaking his head. How could it when you’re holding him like that, looking at him like that. Pain isn’t what he’s feeling in the slightest.
You’re not really thinking when you lean in and peck his cheek over the mask, but it’s enough to scorch his skin, to leave an invisible mark.
And Steve isn’t really thinking when he speaks, “have I ever told you that I think you’re really pretty?”
“You’re upside down,” you tell him, fighting a stupid, lovesick smile. “You must be seeing wrong.”
He ignores that comment and twists himself upright, then climbs through your window into your apartment. You have to back up to make room for him, and when his feet hit the hardwood floors, he’s only inches away.
“I’m right side up now. Still think you’re pretty.”
You’ve never been good at taking compliments, never really thought that people meant them, only that they were trying to be kind. Steve is different. You still don’t believe it yourself, but you can tell that he does. His voice holds enough emotion to do that.
Bashful, you walk around him to shut your window and then lock it. You try to keep your feelings off of your face when you turn back around and find him already facing you, his mask now off and clutched in his hand.
His hair is a mess on his head, his cheeks flushed from being upside down and maybe, just maybe from being so close to you.
“So, what brought you to my window?” You ask.
“I wanted to say sorry,” he says, scratching at his neck. That habit of his. “For leaving the way I did earlier.”
It’s a half truth. He wanted to apologize for that. But, mostly, he wanted to tell you he loves you. He’d been thinking about it his whole patrol. Thinking about when the right time would be then remembering how quickly things can change, how you’d almost been hit not so long ago.
With that, he decided that there wasn’t a right time, that he could lose you just like that and he swore to himself that he wouldn’t let that happen. Especially not without telling you how he feels.
But, he’s always been more courageous with that mask on, and now, he just can’t get the words to leave his mouth. They hover on the top of his tongue, sticky and heavy.
“I told you it’s okay, Steve. I swear,” you step closer to him and reach for his hand, tugging the glove off before lacing your fingers with his. “I know that you had to, that this is a part of you and I’d never expect you to change or ignore it. I-“ love you, you almost say. But the words get stuck for you, too. “I care about you so much. Spider-man included.”
Every time Steve worries, even the slightest bit, that you’ll feel differently about him because of this, you prove him wrong. You say all the right things to make him feel better, to make him want to fall into you completely and never look back.
You’ve proven to him over and over that you’re in this, that you’re this dream of a girl that somehow ended up in his mess of a life. A mess you’re willing to join, helping him clean it without even trying.
You’re a dream, his dream, and he has to say it. He has to say it so he does, those sticky words forced off of his tongue in a breath.
“I love you.”
He squeezes your hand on the second word, like he’s emphasizing it. Love.
“I love you,” he says again, and you realize you’re not dreaming. He really said it, and he’s really looking at you that way with those soft, brown eyes. “You don’t have to say it, I just needed to tell you. I’ve never had someone make me feel the way you do. Never.”
“Steve?”
“Yeah?”
Your heart pounds, thumps.
“I love you, too.”
“Serious?” He checks, because he thinks he dreamt it just like you had.
So you repeat it for him, “I love you, Steve.”
He leans in, not so afraid anymore, and places a hand on your neck, his fingers in your hair. The other hand squeezes yours again before letting go to frame your jaw and tilt your mouth to his.
It’s an easy rhythm to fall into now. Kissing him. And you feel yourself melt into him, your muscles relaxing, your body pushing towards his. Your arms are thrown around his neck, and all you feel is him.
It’s a delicate push and pull, a kiss that’s familiar but now has something new behind it. That acknowledged emotion, the reality of it. It has his tongue sweeping against the seam of your lips and dipping in when they part.
His hand is tangled tighter in your hair, and you’re not sure how long it’s been before you both pull away, breathless, chests heaving, matching smiles on your lips. Your noses still brush, and still, it doesn’t feel close enough.
Steve’s hands shift to run down your shoulders, then your arms, and back and forth.
“Does this mean I’m your girlfriend?” You ask, still breathing heavy, still feeling his breath fan across your lips.
“I’d like to think so,” he says, his hands now settled around your forearms. “If that’s what you want.”
You nod, kiss him quick. “Does it also mean you’ll stay the night?”
“As long as I can use your shower first,” he says.
“Good idea.”
“You saying I smell?”
You shrug, shoulder to your cheek. He smiles, and in turn, so do you, and it feels like the closest thing to perfect there could ever be.
-
Steve emerges from your bathroom with damp hair falling over his forehead and your clothes on instead of his suit. You lent him a t-shirt and a baggy pair of sweats that are still a bit too short at his ankles. You grin when you notice that.
And Steve grins when he sees you. My girl, he thinks. And it’s for real this time.
You’re sitting with your back against your headboard, knees bent and your book in your hands yet again. You needed to occupy yourself while he was showering, after all. Otherwise, you’d just think and think and think about him in the next room, his mouth on yours. His voice saying the words ‘I love you.’
He walks over and sits on the bed by your feet, his side facing you, but his head turned to look at you. Seeing him in your clothes, in your space, you think it’s something you’d like to see forever. Seeing you waiting for him in bed, Steve’s thinking the exact same thing.
“Hi,” you say.
Steve wraps a hand around your bare ankle, his thumb smoothing back and forth. “Hi.”
Though everything’s out in the open now, there’s a shyness there. Like two kids with crushes wondering what to do next. You’ve never loved each other out loud before today. It’s brand new territory.
But with that shyness, there’s so much more. There’s the knowledge of how it feels to kiss each other, to hold each other. There’s want to do it all again.
Steve’s other hand reaches for your book and sets it open and face-down on your nightstand. Then, he pushes your knees over so that he can lean in. He’s not fully thinking about what he’s doing, he’s simply listening to this thread that pulls him closer and closer to you until he’s kissing you again.
It starts with a couple of pecks, innocent, soft, quick. It turns into more and somewhere along the way you’re tugged into Steve’s lap, your knees on either side of one of his thighs. And somewhere along the way Steve’s hands have ventured under your shirt, running across your waist and up and down your back. He groans into your mouth when he notices the lack of a bra.
Steve tugs you impossibly closer to him, tugs you down so that you’re straddling his thigh with all of your weight. You inhale sharp and quick through your nose when he does.
It’s not long after that before you’re panting, unable to keep up with his mouth, and though Steve’s chest heaves, too, he doesn’t take the break to breathe properly. Instead, he dips his head to kiss your jaw, then your neck.
Your head tilts for him easily, an arm wrapped around his shoulders and the other tangled in the hair at the bale of his neck. You gasp when his teeth scrape against the skin behind your ear, your hips hurting unconsciously to rut against his thigh.
“Sorry,” you say, worried it was too much. Still, it comes out breathily.
He pulls back from your neck, looks into your eyes, his brown ones just a bit darker than usual. “Did that feel good?”
Your eyes search his face for an ounce of discomfort, of uncertainty. All you see is the kind of warmth that spreads through you, the kind of intensity that only comes with lust.
“Yes.”
“Do it again,” he tells you, his hands slipping down to rest just above the waistband of your shorts. He encourages you to move, his hands pushing and pulling. You move with him, slowly at first, letting out the smallest whimper when the angle is just right. At the sound, Steve says, “keep doing it.”
“Steve.”
“You’re okay,” his hands urge you forward again, his thumbs running back and forth soothingly. “I wanna make you feel good. Okay?”
“Okay,” you agree, because how could you not when it already feels so good, when he’s looking at you with kiss-swollen lips, messy hair, and wide pupils. When he’s looking at you like it feels as good for him as it does for you.
You move quicker, his hands encouraging you still. He kisses you again, kisses you until you have to pull away, your mouth dropping open, a moan slipping out before you can stop it.
Steve wishes he could bottle up the sound and keep it, listen to it over and over. Because he’s the one who’s making you feel that way, he’s the one who has your hand tight in his hair. Because he’s thought about you before, and it’s nothing compared to the real thing.
The sweatpants you lent him grow a bit tighter, and his hands don’t stop guiding you over him. He wants to hear you make that noise again.
You drop your forehead to his shoulder, your thighs tightening around his, your clit catching on the fabric of your shorts and his (your) sweatpants enough to make you moan again.
“That’s it, baby. Doin’ so good.”
It’s the first time he’s ever called you ‘baby’ and you hope it won’t be the last.
“Steve.”
“I’ve got you.”
The hand that isn’t in his hair trails down his torso and rests above the waistband of his pants for a second. Your hand cups him over his pants, squeezing lightly and finding him hard. Watching you was enough to turn him on, and the thought makes you whimper again.
“Fuck. You don’t have to,” he says, taking a hand from your waist to pull your face from his shoulder, to look at you.
“Want you to feel good, too.”
There’s nothing but honesty in your words, want in your eyes.
“Shit, honey.”
“Will you let me?” You ask, your voice slightly strained from the stimulation you feel, your hips still moving.
“Yeah.”
Your hand slips under the waistband with his consent, and you wrap it around him, your thumb running over his tip. He groans and leans his forehead against yours.
You’re breathing the same air, moving at the same pace, and you don’t think it’s ever felt this right with anyone before. With Steve, you’re not thinking about how you might look and whether or not he’ll like it, you’re only thinking about being with him.
“I’ve thought about you before. Like this,” he says, a quiet confession broken up by heavy breaths.
“Me, too,” you reply in a gasp.
His hands are both on your waist again, squeezing your skin tighter because you have a hand wrapped around his cock and it has his head spinning.
“You getting close, baby?”
“Yeah, Steve. So good.”
“I know. Keep going. I wanna see you.”
His voice is tight, and he’s holding himself back though it hasn’t been long. Your hand is soft, running up and down and he hasn’t been with someone in so long. The fact that it’s you, right now, doesn’t help him last. Just kissing you would be enough, he thinks.
Your rhythm stutters, your eyes squeezing shut, and just like that, you’re tipping over the edge and coming on his thigh.
“That’s it, sweet girl,” he hums, low and scratchy. “That’s it. Look so pretty coming on me.”
Your hand pauses where it was jerking him off, too caught up in your orgasm to keep going. You say his name, say it again, and he keeps you moving over him through it all.
“Fuck,” you open your eyes when the last wave draws away, your legs shaking slightly.
It doesn’t take you long to start stroking him again, up and down and back again. Steve grunts and his hips stutter upwards, chasing your touch. It’s your turn to work him through it.
“Gonna come, honey,” he warns you. “I’ll ruin your sweats.”
“Don’t care,” you say, kissing his cheek, the corner of his mouth. “I want you to.”
You run your thumb across the tip again and then his fingers are digging into your skin. He’s groaning and you feel the warmth of his come spill onto your hand. Neither of you had taken any clothes off and still, it’s the best you’ve ever had.
“Shit, honey.” This time it’s his head that rests against your shoulder. “I’m gonna need another shower now.”
You laugh breathily and pull your hand from his pants, wiping it off on the thigh you’re not sitting on, ‘cause they’re already ruined, anyway.
“I’ll get you another pair,” you say.
“In a minute. Can’t move.”
A minute is closer to five, and eventually he lets you go. You hand him a new pair of sweatpants, then clean up in the bathroom and change into different shorts. When you come back, he’s laying down under the covers in your bed. Twin smiles spread on your faces.
“You’re cute,” you tell him.
“So are you.”
You shake your head and flick your light off, the street lights flooding through your window the only thing left illuminating your room. You join him under the covers, and he doesn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around you and pull you into his chest.
Your head rests by his shoulder, one of your legs thrown over his. Having him laying next to you is much more comfortable than being alone.
“I love you,” Steve says, his lips pushing a kiss into your hair.
“I love you,” you say right back.
And then, just like you’d imagined so many times before, you fall asleep cuddling Steve. And just like he’s imagined so many times before, you wake up that way, too.
/ᐠ(๏‸๏)ᐟ\
thank you guys so much for reading spidey!steve i hope u liked it!!!! pls pls consider reblogging and letting me know what you thought, i promise it makes a difference <333
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solarmorrigan · 3 months
Text
Hands Where I Can See Them, Part 12 (End!)
Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3 | Pt 4 | Pt 5 | Pt 6 | Pt 7 | Pt 8 | Pt 9 | Pt 10 | Pt 11 | Ao3
[Warning for brief references to sex; nothing explicit happens]
-
For the first time in a long time, Steve wakes slowly.
His alarm isn’t blaring at him and neither is his brain; it’s quiet, and the room is filled with morning sun, and Steve is warm, and comfortable, and still a little muzzy with the heavy sort of sleep that usually only comes to him when he’s physically exhausted or feeling safe (usually the former).
He blinks at the blurry mess of color that is his wallpaper and tries to remember what day it is, tries to will himself to get up, because he’s sure there’s something he’s supposed to be doing, but it’s hard. He’s so comfortable. He turns his face further into his pillow, pressing in where it’s warm and firm and– breathing.
Steve sits up.
Beside him, Eddie is still asleep, lying sprawled across the mattress with one arm flung half over the side and the other stretched out where it had been curled around Steve’s back before Steve pulled away. There’s a red mark on his chest where Steve’s head had been resting, and he’s sure there’s a corresponding splotch of red on his cheek.
As the sleepy fog finally lifts from his brain, the previous night filters back in, and Steve can’t help the smile that follows. He shifts a little just to feel the pleasurable ache in his muscles, to feel the warmth of the cocoon of sheets around them, to feel the way the mattress dips beneath the weight of a second body, and sighs contentedly.
He’s just considering lying back down when Eddie groans, a drowsy frown pulling at his face.
“Where’d you go?” he asks, eyes still closed (at least, Steve’s sure that’s what he means to ask; it comes out a little more like “Whrd y’go?”, and he’s pleased that his ability to decipher Eddie’s half-awake mumbling hasn’t suffered in its absence of use).
“I didn’t go anywhere, I’m right here,” Steve says, laying his palm over Eddie’s chest and running his thumb along the ridge of his collarbone.
Eddie hums, bringing his hand up from over the edge of the bed to place it over Steve’s. “‘s too early to be awake,” he mutters, a little more coherent this time. “Come back.”
“It’s not even that early. It’s…” Steve ducks and squints a little to bring his alarm clock into focus, everything still a little blurry without his contact lenses in. “Holy shit, it’s past ten.”
“See? Early.” Eddie reaches up with his free hand to pat around for a hold on Steve’s arm so he can tug at him. “Lay back down.”
“I never sleep this late, what the hell,” Steve mutters, and Eddie finally opens his eyes, giving Steve a grin that’s equal parts sleepy and self-satisfied.
“Wore you out, didn’t I?” he asks.
“Oh, yeah, I’m exhausted,” Steve deadpans, before proceeding to flop back down onto Eddie’s chest, smirking at the little ‘oof’ he earns. “I don’t know if I can even move. Hope you don’t have to pee anytime soon.”
Eddie shrugs. “Eh, if I do, it’s your bed, not mine.”
“Ew. Dude.” Steve props himself back up on his elbow in order to wrinkle his nose at Eddie.
“You’re the one who brought it up,” Eddie says with a smirk, and – shit, Steve’s really missed this.
Eddie is one of the only people in the world Steve feels like he can completely be himself around. He’s second only to Robin (everyone will always be second to Robin, that’s just a given), and that’s what had devastated Steve most when he’d heard what Eddie had to say about their relationship. He thought he’d let Eddie see all of him, and Eddie hadn’t seen anything worth wanting.
Worth loving.
But that, apparently, hadn’t quite been the case.
“Hey,” Eddie calls Steve’s attention back, picking his hand up off his chest to press a kiss to the back of it. “Where’d you go?”
No, that hadn’t been the case at all.
Steve shakes his head. “Nowhere,” he promises. “I’m right here.”
He leans down for a kiss, and Eddie pulls their combined hands aside to meet it, bringing his free hand up to curl into Steve’s hair, cradling the back of his head.
It isn’t as though all the hurt has healed – all of Steve’s doubts and insecurities haven’t magically disappeared. As much as Steve might wish, it isn’t as though the last several weeks never happened. They can’t change any of that now, but Eddie’s honesty, his openness– openness from them both will take them a long way forward.
The idea still sits as a bit new to Steve: honesty. He’s used to people saying one thing and doing another. He’s used to being expected to decipher convoluted social cues and having to intuit unspoken messages. He’s used to not being allowed to ask for what he wants and just accepting whatever he’s given.
This, he thinks, will be better.
The kiss doesn’t end so much as it slides into another, and another, until Eddie and Steve have rolled to their sides, legs tangled together beneath the blankets, mouths sliding against one another, lazy and unhurried. There’s a hint of heat beneath their movements, something that could spark into more if they let it, but Steve is content with just this for now. There will always be time for more later.
Eddie hums deep in his chest when the kisses trail to an end, voice still warm and sleep-rough, and Steve rests his forehead against Eddie’s, unwilling to go too far away just yet.
“Good morning,” Steve says when Eddie opens his eyes again, and he can feel the puff of Eddie’s sigh against his lips.
“Don’t say that,” Eddie whines. “If you say that, we have to get up.”
Steve gives a little laugh. “We can’t stay in bed all day, Eddie.”
“Sure we can,” Eddie drawls, pushing at Steve’s shoulder until he takes the hint and rolls onto his back, only to have Eddie lay down on top of him, pressing him into the mattress. “In fact, I think that’s a great idea.”
“Do you seriously have no other plans for the day?” Steve asks, as if he has any pressing engagements himself.
Eddie presses a kiss to the base of Steve’s throat, humming thoughtfully. “Maybe one or two,” he says, trailing a few more kisses up the side of Steve’s neck.
“Besides that,” Steve huffs, though he makes no move to stop Eddie when his hand comes to rest on the waist of Steve’s pajama pants.
“What am I, an event planner?” Eddie asks, but he does pull away from Steve’s neck with a petulant (and largely exaggerated) sigh. “Fine. How about we stay in bed most of the day and then… we can go back to mine for dinner?”
Steve looks up at Eddie, brows drawing together as he thinks. “What’s at yours that we’d need for dinner?”
Eddie shrugs. “Nothing, really. It’s just been a while,” he says quietly.
And– well, it has. Eddie’s trailer used to be one of the places Steve had felt most comfortable, but he hasn’t spent more than a few minutes there in passing since he’d emptied it of his things. He misses it there – how warm and welcoming it always was, how he’d felt like he belonged there.
What if he goes back now and it’s changed? What if he feels as out of place there now as he does in his own house?
He must spend a moment too long thinking about it, because Eddie begins to backpedal.
“But if you don’t want to, we totally don’t have to, we can just–”
“No,” Steve cuts in. “Let’s go to yours for dinner.”
A slow-growing smile pulls across Eddie’s face, and Steve can tell he’s fighting the urge to duck and hide it.
“Wayne misses you, y’know,” Eddie says, and now it’s Steve who’s ducking away from eye contact.
“Misses my cooking, I bet,” he jokes, but Eddie shakes his head.
“Misses you. He does like you, Steve. He asked where you were, after– after everything,” Eddie says, and Steve isn’t sure what the hell he’s supposed to say to that, or if he even can speak around the sudden, weird choke of emotion in his throat. Eddie, as if he can sense his dilemma, saves Steve from having to respond. “He misses your cooking too, though, let’s be real. He had the audacity to tell me the other day that my mac and cheese isn’t as good as yours. It was your recipe!”
Steve laughs, and Eddie really plays up the offense.
“And you know the worst part? He was right,” Eddie laments. “It’s the same recipe, how does that even work?”
“So, what I’m hearing is that you want me to come to your house and cook you dinner,” Steve teases, smirking up at Eddie.
Eddie subsides just a little, packing away his theatrical energy in order to smile back down at Steve. “I just want you to come over. I’ll order dinner if you want. Hell, I’ll submit myself to public ridicule and try cooking for you again.” He cups Steve’s cheek in one hand and leans in to kiss him gently. “Whatever you want, Steve, I’m there.”
“Yeah?” Steve asks, quiet, almost breathless with the depth of Eddie’s promise.
“Yeah,” Eddie answers, his smile as ridiculous and smitten as the look on Steve’s own face must be. “I’m right here with you.”
And Steve decides he likes the sound of that. He likes it very much.
-
Thank you to everyone who gently threatened me encouraged me to continue the first part of this story, it's been so fun to write and to see everyone interact with! You've all been very kind, and I hope the ending satisfies <3
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wolfpackss · 9 months
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OK ok! I loved the last request you fulfilled and I have this one I'd LOVE to see someone write out for me! I've requested it a few times in the past but no one's responded to it. No worries if it's not your cup of tea!
My idea is that Jacob imprints on a reader who is *drum roll* a single mama. But not in the traditional sense, nope. The little one she cares for was the child of her best friend and her boyfriend. They ended up in an accident and before they passed they had put it in their will that (reader) be the one to care for their child should something happen to them. So, thrust into this new life of being a mama(thinking the little is 6months to a year) she's had her life changed and isn't looking for romance but you know how fate works. I could see the child almost instantly bonding with Jacob too, just adoring him as much as his/her 'mama'. Please and thank you if you can do this! <3 <3
This is going to be a loooooong one! I am loving this request (secretly hoping I had this one in my head with Paul) but here you go! Hope you enjoy it ❤️!
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This was not the life you had imagined for yourself, not by a long shot but you wouldn’t trade it for the world. You made a promise, and it’s a promise you intended to keep. When your best friend asked you to be the godmother of her beautiful baby girl, you didn’t hesitate when it came to saying yes. It was an agreement you both made when you both started dating. If anything would happen to her or me, and there was another person involved, we would take care of that person, wether it was a partner or a child. Neither of you thinking you would make that agreement a reality so soon in life. On the way home from the hospital after giving birth their daughter, your best friend and her boyfriend got into a horrible car accident almost twelve months ago, taking both their lives, leaving you as their daughter’s legal guardian
“Sweetheart, do you have everything?” You turn your head to look at your mother holding Layla in her arms who smiles when she sees you. Her tiny hands making grabbing motions at you which makes you smile. You grab her from mother, still biting down on the pacifier while making sure you have everything in your bag. You decided to take Layla out to the beach since she loves the water so much and you finally got a day of from work so you thought today was the day. Layla grabs the pacifier from your mouth and giggles when she starts playing with it, slamming it in her one hand while holding on to it with the other. “I have everything, diapers, toys, floaters. I think that’s everything… by the way thanks mom, for coming over” your mom waves you away like it’s nothing. “I’d do anything for you girls, now go have fun and be safe!”
It’s a short walk from your house to the beach so you put Layla in her stroller and make your way down the road. As you get to the beach you notice some people already there, playing football and chilling in the sun. You let out a little sigh and stop near a spot with some shadow so Layla won’t be sitting in the blinding sun the entire time. You put out your beach towel and place Layla on top with her toys and floaters. You let yourself sit down next to her and look around the beach. Your sight immediately goes to the boys playing football. While you can’t deny their attractiveness or their glistening bodies in the sun, you don’t really have time for romance and boyfriends. Not only do you not have the time for it, you’re just not interested right now, all you want is to focus on Layla and make sure she’s healthy, safe and happy.
You hear giggling next to you and look over at Layla who happily slams her toys into the sand and then looks over at you. She gives you a big smile and puts the toy in her mouth including all the sand that came with it. “Layla no!” You hurry to get the toy out of her mouth and clean it. She spits out the remainder of the sand and gives you a toothy grin, making you laugh. Your moment is interrupted with a football flying into your skull. You yell and grab your head.
“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” You look up with one eye closed as you rub your head and notice it’s one of the guys playing football. “I didn’t mean to kick it so hard, does your head hurt? Can I take a look at it?” The guy takes your hand away from your head and you wince when he touches it. You look at Layla who’s now climbed into your lap with her head firmly pressed against your chest, she always does this when she’s shy. As you look into the guy’s eyes, you see his widen for a moment while his mouth falls slightly open. “I- I’m Jacob, Jacob Black. And I’m really, really sorry about your head.” he holds out his hand for you to shake as you see him bite his bottom lip. You reach out to shake his but you’re surprised as Layla turns her head and sneaks her little hand in Jacob’s. You see him give her a soft smile, as he slowly shakes her hand. “And who’s this pretty lady, you must be the most beautiful little girl I’ve ever seen” you can see Layla brighten up at his words and she turns around fully in your lap. She raises her hand to to give him a small wave and gets up to sit next to you. She pats the spot next to her and looks up at Jacob.
“I’m y/n, and this is Layla.” You brush some of her hair away from her face. Jacob nods as he slowly sinks down next to Layla and grabs one of her toys. “You have a beautiful kid” he smiles. You feel your cheeks burn up while trying to come up with an excuse for your story so you just mumble a thank you. You hear some shouting and look up to see some of his friends heading out. “So I have to go, but here’s my number. If you ever need anything or wanna hang out.. give me a call” you smile at him and thank him. He gets up and takes off but not before waving and smiling at Layla who happily smiles and waves back.
Two weeks later you find yourself sitting at your breakfast table looking at Layla brabble about something while the man of your dreams is listening intensely to every sound that’s coming out of her mouth. He nods and asks questions while giving her spoons of baby food. He looks up at you and winks before continuing the conversation he has with your baby girl. Jacob became a really good friend, these past two weeks. Making sure you could take a nap and get your social life back together as he introduced you to his friends. “I hope it’s okay i invited them, I mean they wanted to come” this afternoon is Layla’s first birthday party and while it’s a happy day, it takes you back to the memories of a year ago. It makes you think of her real parents. The one who should’ve been here celebrating her birthday and every milestone she made. Jacob didn’t want you to celebrate her birthday alone with her maternal and paternal grandparents, you always had them visiting her or the other way around as well as your parents who doted on her like she was their own. A couple of hours later everyone arrived and the party was in full swing. All of Jacob’s friends came and they brought food, presents and warmth. A warmth you haven’t felt in forever.
“It’s time for cake!” You bring out the cake that was made by Emily and light up the big candle that looks a one in the middle of it. Everybody starts singing happy birthday and Layla claps along smiling. You kneel down so you can help her blow out the candle. You remove the candle and she smashes both her hands into the cake. She laughs happily as everyone arounds her laughs. “Mama” a gasp escapes your mouth as you look over to the little girl you’ve called daughter for almost a year now. She holds her hands out towards you, saying that one word over and over while smiling at you. Her hands are full of cake and one sneaky little tooth shows itself through her smile. You lean down and kiss her forehead while catching the eyes of the one person you wanted to make eye contact with. He winks and turns away out of your sight.
Not long after you feel an arm wrap around your shoulder and your pulled into someone’s embrace. “You did good, mama” Jacob whispers in your ear and kisses your temple. You interlace your hand with the one hanging over your shoulder and smile up at him.
Yeah, Jacob Black is growing on you, and you don’t mind one bit.
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sweetiehyuka · 1 year
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Sweet Creature - Choi Yeonjun
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Warnings - sub!yeonjun, gn!reader, dom!reader, sex in the forest/in a field, reader misleads yeonjun a little, light degrading, dacryphillia, penetration without protection mentioned overstimulation, pet names, fluffy ending
wc - 2k
Note - i couldn't resist my beautiful pixie boy in the daydream teaser <3 listen to ceilings by beabadoobee whilst reading this i promise it will be even better if you do
This forest was like your home. Your feet knew this soil better than they knew any tile or carpet, and your skin knew this sunlight better than any artificial lamp or lightbulb. You were familiar with every tree, every flower, every little creature that lived here too.
As you wandered, the smell of dry grass filling your nostrils, you came across a creature that’s rare to spot here. Another human. A boy, to be exact.
When you found him, he was sitting in a patch of grass with his back turned away from you, eyes shut and head tilted up towards the sky. His torso was bare and his blue jeans sat low on his hips, allowing you to eye the curve of his hips and the line of his body perfectly. His skin was tan and looked impossibly soft. Maybe it was just beads of sweat, but you swear you could see specs of glitter sprinkles across his neck and back. He looked delectable.
This happens often. Pretty boys come wandering in here, not realising exactly how big the forest is, and not realising that there’s another, very hungry, person waiting to whisk them away and show them heaven.
As soon as you saw him, you wanted to have him. And have him you would.
When you step towards him, some leaves crunch beneath your feet, startling the boy. 
You just stand there, still, the sun washing over you like a spotlight. You attempt to look demure and innocent, hoping he would trust you enough to talk to you.
The boy stares right back at you, hair fluttering in the breeze, cat-like eyes narrowed and focused.
“Hello?”
So, he speaks. 
As his lips move, you swear you can see sunlight glide across them, the pink of their plush flesh matching the little spots of sunburn dotted around his t zone.
“Hi,” you reply, edging closer to him, smiling. As he watches your lips curl up into a smile, a hint of confusion flashes over his eyes, making him look even more delicious than before. “are you lost?”
You can see the cogs turning in his head as he decides what to say, and you assume he’s deciding whether to be truthful and say he is, or lie to protect himself. After a few seconds, he responds.
“Yeah, kinda…”
You smile softly, hiding your intentions.
“I know my way around here well. I live nearby, so if you’d like, I can help you get out.”
His eyes light up at your offer, and you have to stop yourself from giggling over how cute he is. You hold your hand out to him and he takes it, looking up at you with a sense of fondness. 
This was gonna be easier than you thought.
For about fourty minutes now, you have been leading Yeonjun through the forest. Unbeknownst to him, you had been leading him deeper and deeper inside rather than towards an exit like you had promised, as you had a certain spot in mind you wanted to take him to. It was a small field of daisies situated in a circle of willow trees ; the thought of him on his back beneath you, pretty face headed by a crown of daisies, blades of grass stuck to his soft skin, lit your stomach afire and made your desires grow stronger.
The journey had been mostly made in silence, only a few sentences of small talk and queries about directions struck up now and then. You tried to keep walking one or two steps behind him so you could admire him as he walked.
Finally, you arrive at the field. The boy gasps, tracing his fingers long the leaves of the willow trees as he walks through them, clearly not knowing whether to focus on the beautiful flowers he was walking through or the large, drooping trees that surrounded him.
“Pretty, right?”
He nods, still a little awestruck.
“We can rest here, if you want?” you propose, internally pleading that he’ll take you up on the idea. Without a second thought, he skips out of the shade of the trees and right into the middle of the small field, smiling back at you and holding his arms out . You have the urge to skip too, but you still want to keep up your facade of purity, so you decide to traipse over, wearing a shy smile on your face.
You both take a seat in the grass, and you can’t help but to stare at his lips, only now just noticing exactly how plush and kissable they look…
You can’t wait any longer.
You begin to lean in, parting your lips, but when he flinches away, you immediately pause.
"W-what are you doing?"
Feigning innocence, you shuffle back slightly.
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. You just look so pretty-"
"You don't even know my name..."
You cock your head back slightly.
"I don't need to know your name to want to kiss you, angel."
A blush creeps onto his face at your sudden shift in confidence. He can’t hide that you’re exciting him, so you take the hint that it’s most likely fine to continue trying to seduce him.
"Like it when I call you angel, huh?"
He nods, smiling sheepishly. You kiss him on his red cheek, causing him to hide his face in his hands. He's so cute, you feel like you're gonna explode. 
When he looks back up at you, something in the atmosphere shifts. The giddiness in his eyes turns into some kind of longing as they look up and down the line of your body, staying on your lips for a beat too long. This time, he moves in to kiss you, and you happily oblige.
For around fifteen minutes, you make out, and it only takes around two minutes until you start feeling at each others bodies. The boy’s desperation is very clear to you ; from his furrowed brows to his little whines to his growing hard on, his body is giving you many signs that he definitely wants you too. 
“Wanna take this a step further?” you whisper, lips brushing against his ear, his hair tickling your cheek. He nods.
“I-I’d like that…”
You giggle at his cuteness, then instruct him to take off his jeans, and that he does.
Nothing even has to be said to the boy ; he just lays down, already submitting to you before you have to instruct him to do anything. Gazing down at him warmly, you move to straddle his tummy, the squish of your thighs against his slender waist feeling heavenly. As you take in the sight beneath you, your breath hitches. This is exactly what you wanted. The dreamy boy’s skin glows in the sun, almost like a heavenly aura, and the daisies above his head are in the shape of a ring, almost like a halo. Angel really was the right nickname to choose for him, because that’s exactly what he is. A pretty little angel.
“You ready, sweetheart?”
The boy nods eagerly, eyes clouded with lust. You pet his soft hair then lift yourself up onto your knees, shuffling back a little bit in the grass so that you’re hovering over his pretty cock.
Of course, you weren’t going to give him what he wanted that easily.
You reach down and take his cock into your hand. You give it a firm squeeze and he whines, just like you wanted. You jerk it slowly, smirking as he babbles under his breath. 
“Don’ tease me, please…” he whispers, but you just shake your head - a wordless sign that you’re gonna do whatever you damn please, and he’s going to take it.
After a few minutes of teasing the boy with slow strokes and harsh squeezes, you finally lower yourself down onto his tip, grinning wickedly as he arches his back and cries out.
"P-please! More!" He yells, his nails digging into the flesh of your hips. You giggle, gaining great satisfaction when he pouts.
"Don' mock me..." he mumbles, blinking back tears.
"How could I resist?" you say, tone laced with venom. "You're too easy to mock."
Before he can open his mouth to retort, you slam down onto his dick with a feral groan, revelling in the way his eyes squeeze shut and his head curls away from you. You pay no mind to the stretch ; the heat of the sun mixed with the burn in your groin makes you even hornier than you were before. On top of that, the boy looks even prettier than before with tears clumping his long, pretty lashes together. Not hesitating for a second, you grab his face and turn it towards you.
"Look at me,"
The boy whines, not opening his eyes. You grip his cheeks tighter, pushing his lips out into a pout and bringing his blood to the surface of his skin.
"I said look at me, slut."
At the insult, his eyes fly open, and you feel his dick twitch inside you. Chuckling, you let his face go, and his mouth falls open in a silent gasp.
He's about to say something, but then, without warning, you start moving your hips. And fast, too. As expected, he mewls, arms spasming and legs kicking. Between moans, you laugh. He's so fucking pathetic, and pathetic boys are so damn hot. You grind faster, placing your hands on his torso, running them over the expanse of his chest and the pudge of his tummy. As expected, his skin is the softest you’ve ever touched ; you feel like if you prodded it hard enough it would just tear, and the thought of this beautiful boy bruised and broken through the means of your fingertips makes you rut harder, moaning deep and loud. 
Needless to say, you didn’t go easy on the poor boy. By the time you were done with him, he was panting on his back, near passing out from overstimulation and most likely also heat exhaustion.
Now, he was laying in your arms, cuddled into you. The two of you enjoyed your post-orgasm glow in silence, enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature, the heat of the sun, and the warmth of each other's bodies.
After fucking him, you had plucked a few daisies and woven them through his soft-but-sweaty locks, so now you were twirling the petals between your fingers, careful to be gentle so you didn’t accidentally pull a hair and hurt him.
“You’re not just gonna leave me here, are you?” he mumbles. He doesn’t sound too worried ; for some reason, he really does seem to trust you. How adorable.
Usually, you really would just… leave them there. Sometimes you wouldn’t even make the boys cum, you’d just chase your own high then leave them empty handed. But this boy was different. You couldn’t put your finger on why. He just was.
After kissing him on his forehead, you respond,
“No, little angel.” you press another kiss to his forehead. “I’ll take care of you, don’t worry.”
“Yay,” he whispers, a hint of giddiness in his voice. Smiling, you squish your cheek into his forehead, the sound of his lazy giggles making your heart warm. 
Maybe, just maybe, you wanna keep this one.
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lilacura · 3 months
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Halftime kisses | Nakamura Kazuha
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pairing: nakamura kazuha x reader
>wc: 500
sypnosis: just fluff :3
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Kazuha dribbled the football up and down the field, practicing her shots on goal as sweat poured down her face under the hot afternoon sun. Despite putting her all into practice, her mind kept drifting to the argument she had with Y/N earlier that day.
It had started off innocently enough, with Y/N reminding Kazuha that they had a big test coming up in their shared literature class. But when Kazuha mentioned she needed to stay late for football practice to prepare for their upcoming game, things quickly escalated.
"Your team isn't the only thing in your life, Kazuha!" Y/N had shouted accusingly. "We've barely seen each other this whole semester because you're always at practice. What about your studies? You're going to fail if you don't start focusing more on school."
Kazuha tried to defend herself, but her excuses just made Y/N more angry. In the end, Y/N stormed off without letting Kazuha get a word in edgewise. Now here she was at practice, mentally and physically kicking herself for prioritizing football over her girlfriend.
Just as she took another shot at the goal, Kazuha froze at the sound of upbeat cheering coming from the sidelines. She turned to see the cheerleading squad, including Y/N, running drills of their own at the far end of the field. Kazuha's heart sunk as she realized they must have accidentally double booked the field for practice.
With new determination, Kazuha resumed her drills with vigor, hoping to catch Y/N's attention. She dribbled at top speed, fired shots with laser precision, and showed off with fancier tricks than usual. But no matter how impressive her skills, Y/N refused to even look in her direction. It was clear Kazuha had some serious apologizing and making up to do.
When practice finally ended, Kazuha hurriedly chugged her water bottle before jogging over to the cheerleaders. "Y/N, can we talk?" she asked, slightly out of breath.
Y/N pretended not to hear, busying herself with rolling up her pom poms. Kazuha gently grabbed her arm. "Please, I'm sorry. You were right - I've been neglecting my studies to focus on football. But it's not because I don't care about you or our future together."
Slowly, Y/N turned to face Kazuha with a raised eyebrow, giving her a chance to explain. Kazuha took a deep breath. "Football is important to me, but so are you. I want to make you proud as much as I want to win games. Can you forgive me for losing sight of what really matters?"
For a long moment Y/N was silent, staring into Kazuha's earnest crimson eyes. Then finally, the ghost of a smile flickered on her lips. "I suppose I can find it in me to forgive you, on one condition."
"Anything," Kazuha said instantly.
"Study with me tonight. And no more late night practices without letting me know first, okay?"
Beaming, Kazuha nodded enthusiastically. "Deal! I promise, from now on you come first before any game.” She pulled Y/N into a hug, which was sweetly returned. All was forgiven between the star athlete and her cheerleader sweetheart, who both vowed to find a better balance going forward.
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a/n: this was SOOOO rushed im so sorry if it sucks ass
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pupkashi · 11 months
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migraine
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gojo helps ease the pain of your migraine
a/n: hi friends ! i hope you’re all well and this brings you a bit of comfort when you need it <3 love u all so much :] (also theoretically could he use rct on u and help u idk so let’s just act like he can’t)
wordcount: 695
masterlist
it’s been hours since you got back home, head throbbing and tears pricking at your eyes from the pain. you’d done everything you could to ease the migraine, yet nothing seemed to help you. your efforts to fall asleep were fruitless, with the pain being too much to let you sleep.
you’d wanted to get the migraine pills from the cabinet, but you feared moving even an inch would send your head spinning in more pain.
it’s not much later that satoru walks in, you can hear the door open and close, his usual loud greeting is quick to die on his lips as he realizes the dark state of your shared residence.
he’s frowning as he enters the room as quietly as he could, whispering so he doesn’t make your migraine worse.
“have you taken medicine?” the slight shake of your head has you screwing your eyes in pain, tears slipping out. satoru doesn’t say anything as he grabs the two pills from the cabinet and a cup of water, helping you up and handing you the medicine.
you mutter a small ‘thank you’ before you close your eyes again, sighing in pain.
“you ate?” another shake of your head. gojo doesn’t berate you, as much as he wants to scold you he knows now isn’t the time, and he isn’t one to talk about self care.
so wordlessly he leaves, making a quick meal for you paired with caffeinated green tea, bringing it back to you and quietly asking for you to eat before you try and sleep again.
you try to refuse, making some sort of hissing and groaning noise, telling him to leave you alone, but even then he doesn’t budge. he only politely asks for you to at least take one bite.
minutes later you’re eating the food, finishing everything and thanking him quietly. he only smiles at you, asking if you need anything else from him.
when you say no he’s heading out the bedroom door, ready to leave you by yourself in hopes your migraine would pass quickly.
“toru” it was barely above a whisper, but he stopped in his tracks, waiting for you to continue, “will you stay?”
the words make your lover smile, his heart growing warmer in his chest as he replies with an ‘of course i will,’ hurrying off and washing the dishes before changing and slipping into the bed next to you.
you don’t waste time burying yourself into his side, he’s holding you closely, massaging your scalp gently. it’s only the sounds of the world outside, the whistling of the wind and the occasional dog bark. you can hear gojo’s steady breathing, your mind clearing a bit as you focus on his every breath rather than your racing thoughts that seems to make the pain worse.
it’s been an hour or two when the pain subsides enough for you to fall asleep, satoru doesn’t mind that you’ve trapped him underneath you. he’s more than happy to wiggle a bit and make himself cozy next to you, falling asleep with you despite it only being 8 pm and the sun only barely setting.
satoru doesn’t mind taking care of you when you get migraines, he’s patient and understanding, doing everything in his power to help ease your pain as much as he could. it doesn’t matter to him if it’s only an hour long or if it persists for days, he’s there to make sure you eat, drink and rest enough.
satoru is grateful when you finally tell him you’re feeling better, he’s scolding you for pushing yourself too much, an angry pout on his face that’s quickly kissed away by you.
“promise me you’ll try and get more rest?” he’s asking, he knows you’ll pull another all nighter the moment you have too much work to do.
“I’ll try angel boy” you reply, pulling him into your arms and letting his head rest on your chest as you run your fingers through his hair.
you were grateful to know when you got a migraine, there was always gonna be a snowy haired sorcerer at your side doing his best to help you.
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dee-writes-smut · 10 days
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SUMMER
FEATURING Azriel x Illyrian!reader
SUMMARY healing is a long journey that can't be summed up in just four simple seasons, but it seems with the help of a certain shadowsinger at your side, you've seemed to do it.
CONTENT WARNINGS mentions of nightmares, apologies, scared reader, comforting Azriel, Cassian POV, and mentions of wingspans ;)
AUTHORS NOTE the finale you've all been waiting for is finally here as promised! Thank you all so much for your support during this series, I am excited to be back and writing for you all again! Love you all and I hope you enjoy! <3
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Summer arrives like a promise fulfilled, a canvas awash with vibrant hues of green and gold, as if nature herself has donned her finest attire. The air hums with the gentle whisper of transformation, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and the promise of new beginnings on its warm breeze.
As the sun stretches its golden fingers across the land, casting long shadows that dance in its radiant glow, there's a palpable sense of rejuvenation in the air. It's as if each dawn heralds a new chapter, a chance to shed the burdens of the past and embrace the endless possibilities of the present.
In this season of abundance, life bursts forth with an exuberance that is both intoxicating and invigorating. The world awakens from its slumber, blossoming with a riot of colors as flowers unfurl their petals in joyful defiance of the lingering chill of winter. Leaves rustle in the gentle caress of the wind, their verdant whispers carrying tales of resilience and growth.
Amidst this symphony of nature's symphony, there is a sense of newfound strength coursing through every living thing. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the warmth of the sun infuses each day with a sense of possibility, igniting a fire within the soul that refuses to be extinguished.
In the heart of summer, time seems to slow, allowing moments to linger like the last rays of sunlight on a balmy evening. It's a season of exploration and adventure, where every day holds the promise of discovery and every sunset marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
And as the days stretch languidly into twilight, there is a quiet resilience that takes root, a deep-seated belief in the power of new beginnings and the strength that comes from embracing change. For in the heart of summer, beneath the sweltering heat and the endless blue skies, lies the untold promise of tomorrow, waiting to be seized with both hands and forged into something beautiful.
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(Mid Summer, Velaris)
The afternoon sun poured into the training ring, casting long shadows of the figures sparring lightly within it. Cassian was across from me, a patient yet mischievous grin on his face, as he handed me a training sword. “Ready to get your ass kicked, or are you going to make me work for it today?”
I smirked, feeling the flutter of my old spirit stirring within. “Dream on, Cassian.”
The clash of our swords sang through the air, a melody of metal that resonated with the pounding of my heart. Each strike, each parry, felt like shedding layers of fear that had cocooned me since losing my wings.
“Focus,” Cassian said, his voice a mix of sternness and encouragement. “Remember, it’s not just about strength. It’s about knowing your opponent.”
I nodded, gripping my own wooden sword a little tighter. As I lunged forward, Cassian parried easily, countering with a swift movement that I barely blocked in time. We moved in a rhythm, the clack of our swords punctuating each maneuver. My muscles remembered the dance, even if they ached from disuse. Cassian’s style was a flurry of motion, designed to overwhelm, but today he tempered his usual ferocity, giving me room to find my footing again. The physical exertion was grounding, pulling me further away from my mental ghosts.
Laughter and shouts from Mor, watching from the sidelines, filled the arena, her cheers a buoyant soundtrack to our dance of blades and as we paused for a break, Mor jogged over with a waterskin and a smirk. She threw an arm around my shoulders, squeezing tightly. “Look at you! You’re almost back to your old self,” she beamed, her pride evident.
The warmth from her compliment soaked through me, loosening some of the tightness still lingering in my chest. “Feels good to move like that again,” I admitted, allowing the truth of my words to wash over me. It did feel good—like claiming back pieces of my soul, piece by piece.
“You two look like you’re having fun,” she smiled, squeezing me close again as she handed me the waterskin. After I took a long drink, she shot me a sly glance. “Speaking of fun, have you noticed how Azriel can't seem to stay away from your side?”
Mor’s eyebrows wiggled as I coughed on the water, wiping my mouth as I tried to compose myself. “He’s just being supportive,” I muttered, feeling my cheeks heat up.
Cassian chuckled, leaning on his sword. “Oh, he’s being supportive, all right. Haven’t seen him this glued to someone since… well, ever.”
I rolled my eyes, but the seed of awareness began to sprout in my mind. Azriel had indeed been a constant presence, his quiet strength a comfort I hadn’t realized I’d leaned on so much.
“Do you think it might be a mating bond?” Mor asked casually, too casually, as she inspected her nails.
The question halted me, the weight of the implication settling in my stomach like a stone. The mating bond was sacred, profound—was I ready for something like that? The very thought made my heart race, not just with fear but with a blossoming hope I hadn’t acknowledged until now.
“Maybe he’s just being a good friend,” I countered, but my voice lacked conviction.
Cassian raised an eyebrow, giving me a knowing look. “When you know, you know,” he said simply. “And it looks like you’re starting to realize something there.”
We resumed training, but his words echoed in my mind with each strike and block. Azriel’s face appeared in my thoughts, his smiles, the gentle touch of his hands, the way his eyes lit up when he looked at me lately. My feelings for him, which I had shelved as mere gratitude or the simple need for companionship during recovery, seemed to be deepening into something richer, more profound.
As we finished and walked back towards the House of Wind, Mor looped her arm through mine. “You don’t have to figure it all out at once,” she whispered. “But don’t close your heart to the possibility of something beautiful. Azriel cares for you deeply, more than just as a friend or protector.”
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow that bathed the world in a soft, forgiving light. It felt symbolic, reflective of my own internal dawn. Maybe, just maybe, I was ready to consider that what lay between Azriel and me could be the kind of love that songs and tales were spun from. As fear and doubt receded, leaving room for this new, tender hope, I realized that my journey of healing was also leading me down a path of rediscovering my capacity to love—not just Azriel, but myself and this new life I was slowly, bravely building.
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(Mid Summer, The River House)
That evening, the dinner with the Inner Circle was held at the sprawling, candlelit table in the River House. The atmosphere was thick with laughter and the clinking of glasses, a symphony of friendship and familial bonds. The windows were thrown open, allowing the crisp, cool air of Velaris to sweep through the room, mixing with the scent of jasmine and roasted meats.
As I entered the dining room, a subtle change in my demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by the group. Rhysand was the first to catch my eye, giving me a nod of approval and a warm, welcoming smile. Amren, ever observant, watched me with her piercing gaze, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips, acknowledging the shift in my spirits.
Azriel, standing slightly apart, offered me a soft, encouraging smile as I took my place next to him. His quiet strength bolstered my newfound resolve to engage more fully with those around me.
Dinner began with a lively discussion led by Feyre about a recent exhibition at the art gallery in the city. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she described the vibrant colors and revolutionary techniques of the new artists showcased. I listened, chiming in with my thoughts on the integration of night and day themes, which earned an approving laugh from Rhys.
As the meal continued, Cassian, true to form, began recounting one of his training escapades, embellishing the details to make his tale more dramatic. “And then, just as I was about to execute my perfectly planned maneuver, an Illyrian baby sneezed on me. Totally threw off my game!”
Laughter erupted around the table, and I found myself genuinely chuckling, the sound surprising even to me. “Only you, Cassian, could be outmaneuvered by a baby’s sneeze,” I teased, earning a round of applause and a mock bow from Cassian.
“See, she’s got jokes now! Our girl’s coming back to us,” Mor exclaimed, her face alight with joy. She reached over to squeeze my hand, her gesture warm and reassuring.
As plates were cleared and desserts were served, the conversation shifted to lighter, more personal stories. Feyre shared anecdotes about her latest painting misadventures, while Mor detailed her plans for the upcoming festival in the city. Each story, each shared laugh, felt like a stitch mending the frayed edges of my soul.
As the dinner party began to wind down in the warm, laughter-filled hall, a soft coo from the corner caught my attention. Nyx, cradled gently in Feyre’s arms, was awake and curiously peeking over her shoulder with wide, starry eyes. I felt my heart tug softly. It had been too long since I had held him, too long since I’d allowed myself to be part of these simpler, beautiful family moments.
Feyre caught my gaze and smiled, understanding immediately. “Someone wants to say hello,” she said softly, walking over with Nyx. His small hand reached out, and I couldn’t help but smile as his fingers grasped at the air between us.
“May I?” I asked, my voice a whisper of excitement mixed with a hint of uncertainty.
“Of course,” Feyre replied, carefully transferring Nyx into my arms. The baby settled against me with ease, a soft sigh escaping him as if he found comfort in my embrace. His tiny hand reached up, touching my cheek gently, an innocent gesture that felt like a reassurance of missed affection. It was as if he was saying he remembered me, that he too had felt the absence of our connection.
The moment wasn’t lost on Azriel, who watched from a short distance. His shadows flickered subtly around him, a telltale sign of his emotions stirring beneath that calm exterior. Since the conversation with Cassian and Mor earlier today, every glance, every small interaction with him seemed charged with a new, silent tension. My newly admitted feelings for him amplified each shared look, adding weight to the air between us.
As I rocked Nyx gently, my thoughts drifted to Azriel again. His presence at my side had become a constant, his support unwavering. The depth of my affection for him had crept up silently, weaving itself into the fabric of my daily life until it was indistinguishable from my other truths. I found myself stealing glances at him, each look a quiet confession of the feelings I was only beginning to allow myself to acknowledge.
Azriel eventually made his way over, his gaze softening as he looked at Nyx in my arms. “He’s missed you,” Azriel murmured, his voice barely audible over the low hum of conversation around us.
I met his eyes, feeling a flush of warmth at the intimacy of the moment. “I’ve missed him, too. Missed all of this,” I admitted, my voice thick with emotion. The way Azriel looked at me then, with such warmth and depth, made my heart skip a beat.
“Looks good on you,” he said after a pause, nodding towards Nyx.
The comment, simple and offhand, thrummed with unspoken meanings. It was a nudge against the boundaries we had maintained, a gentle probing into the new spaces of my heart that had begun to open to him.
As I handed Nyx back to Feyre, I caught Azriel’s arm gently. “Stay for a moment?” I asked, my voice hopeful, laden with the weight of all the things I hadn’t yet said.
He nodded, his usual reserve melting away for a moment as he stayed by my side, his presence a silent promise of things perhaps soon to be explored. We both knew something unspoken was shifting between us, and while neither of us was ready to dive into those waters just yet, acknowledging it—even in silence—felt like the first step toward a new horizon.
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(Mid Summer, The House of Wind)
The following week, Feyre, Mor, Nesta, and I revived our "book club"—a ruse for nights filled with wine, wild discussions about our latest reads, and shared secrets under the cloak of night. As I sat curled up on a plush couch, a glass of wine in hand, surrounded by these incredible women, a profound sense of belonging enveloped me. Here, in these moments, I was safe to just be; to heal, to laugh, to grow.
The cozy nook tucked away in the House of Wind had become our sanctuary, a place where the Inner Circle’s book club convened to discuss literature, life, and everything in between. Tonight, as the flickering candlelight cast soft shadows across the room, I settled into my usual spot among the plush cushions, surrounded by my closest friends.
Feyre, Nesta, and Mor lounged around me, each with a book in hand, their faces alight with anticipation for our weekly gathering. The atmosphere was charged with excitement, the air buzzing with the promise of lively conversation and shared insights.
“So, what’s everyone reading this week?” Mor asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she glanced around the circle.
Feyre held up a worn copy of her latest find, a tale of forbidden love and political intrigue. “I’m revisiting an old favorite,” she said with a smile. “It’s like catching up with an old friend.”
Nesta, with a smirk playing on her lips, produced a rather scandalous-looking novel with a provocative cover. “I’m exploring the more… sensual side of literature,” she declared, her voice dripping with amusement.
As the conversation flowed around me, I couldn’t help but chuckle at Nesta’s choice. Leave it to her to bring a little spice to our book club discussions. I was hesitant to share tonight, scared to share my feelings so blatantly, to say them out loud in a space with women who would not so soon let me forget. Tonight felt different, though, I felt stronger, able to seize this chance to share with my friends the tumultuous emotions swirling inside me.
“I’ve been reading this collection of poetry,” I began, my voice tentative at first. “It’s funny how words can capture the complexity of human emotions so beautifully.”
Mor’s eyes gleamed with interest, her grin widening. “Ah, poetry—the language of the heart,” she said, her tone teasing yet tender. “Any particular poem speaking to you?”
I hesitated, my gaze flickering to the empty spot where Azriel usually sat. His absence was keenly felt, a reminder of the unresolved tension between us. “There’s one poem that resonates with me,” I admitted, my voice growing stronger with each word. “It’s about…” I faltered, the weight of my confession heavy on my tongue.
Feyre leaned forward, her eyes warm with understanding. “About love?” she prompted gently, her hand reaching out to squeeze mine in silent support.
I nodded, the words spilling forth in a rush. “About love, and fear, and the courage to open your heart to someone—even when it scares you.”
Nesta regarded me with a thoughtful expression, her gaze piercing yet compassionate. “Love is a battlefield,” she said, her voice soft yet firm. “But sometimes, the greatest victories come from facing our fears head-on.”
Mor chimed in with her trademark humor, lightening the mood with a well-timed joke. “Who knew our stoic Shadowsinger had a soft spot for you?”
Feyre smiled knowingly, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Maybe it’s time to confront the shadows and see what lies beneath.”
Nesta couldn’t resist adding her own brand of wit to the conversation. “Speaking of shadows,” she said with a sly grin, “has anyone else noticed Azriel’s wingspan lately?”
We all laughed at Nesta’s comment, the tension in the room dissipating as we embraced the camaraderie of our little gathering. Despite the challenges we faced, tonight was a reminder that with the support of friends, even the darkest shadows could be chased away.
As the evening wore on, our conversation drifted from books to more personal topics, each of us sharing snippets of our lives and experiences. It was a rare moment of vulnerability, a chance to peel back the layers and reveal the raw truths hidden beneath.
Nesta, ever the enigma, shared tales of her latest adventures in the human lands, her sharp wit and cunning intellect shining through with every word.
Mor, always the life of the party, regaled us with stories of her escapades in the Court of Nightmares, her laughter contagious as she recounted her misadventures.
And Feyre, with her quiet strength and unwavering compassion, offered words of wisdom and encouragement, her presence a soothing balm to our troubled souls.
As for me, I found solace in their company, the weight of my burdens eased by the warmth of their friendship. In their laughter and shared moments, I found the courage to confront my fears and embrace the possibility of a brighter future.
And as the candles burned low and the night grew late, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, I would face them with the unwavering support of my sisters by my side.
The support of the entire Inner Circle was a force as tangible as the magic that coursed through our veins—a constant, steadfast presence that fortified me against the darker moments. Their belief in me, their unyielding backing, gave me strength, and little by little, I began to feel not just the shadow of the person I once was, but someone stronger, resilient, reborn from adversity.
In these gatherings, these moments of shared vulnerability and joy, I was not just healing. I was transforming—emerging not how I was before the kidnapping, but perhaps even brighter, tempered by trials and warmed by the unwavering light of the family I chose and who had chosen me in return.
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(Late Summer, The House of Wind)
The night pressed heavily around the room, its silence a thick, oppressive blanket punctuated only by the soft, rhythmic breathing of Azriel beside me. In the comfort of his proximity, sleep had finally granted me a temporary reprieve from the relentless torment of my nightmares. Yet, the peace was fragile, vulnerable to the slightest disturbance—a reality proven as a sharp, inexplicable chill sliced through the room's stagnant warmth.
The temperature plummeted, wrapping its icy fingers around my spine, jolting me awake. My eyes flicked open, instantly scanning the familiar contours of the room bathed in the ethereal glow of moonlight. Shadows clung to the walls like dark, silent sentinels until one stirred coalescing into a form far too human, far too familiar.
Lyris emerged from the darkness as though materializing from my deepest fears, his presence a tangible echo of past horrors. His eyes, sharp and merciless, locked onto mine with the precision of a hunter sighting its prey. The sheer malevolence in his gaze sent a visceral shudder through me, yet it was no longer solely fear that stirred within my veins. Anger, raw and blazing, kindled within, fueling a burgeoning defiance I hadn't known I possessed.
"Thinking you could escape me?" Lyris's voice was a venomous hiss, his form inching closer with predatory grace. His smirk was twisted, a grotesque mask of sadistic anticipation.
But then, with the seamless reflexes honed by centuries of battle, Azriel was between us. His body moved with lethal precision, his hand snapping out to seize Lyris by the wrist, halting his advance with unyielding strength. "She's under my protection," Azriel snarled, his voice a dangerous, low rumble. His other hand flicked to his side, the sound of steel sliding from leather slicing through the tension as he brandished a dagger, its blade catching the moon's silver light.
Lyris recoiled slightly, his eyes darting to the blade then back to Azriel’s unwavering stare. "You think you can keep her from her fate?" he spat, struggling against Azriel's iron grip.
“Her fate is her own, and you have no part in it,” Azriel retorted, his wings unfurling menacingly. The air around us thickened with dark, swirling shadows, responding to the raw power emanating from him. In that moment, he was not just my protector but an avenging angel cloaked in night's embrace.
The room filled with a heavy, expectant silence, thick with the weight of unspoken threats. Breaking the tension, I found my voice, though it trembled with the force of my emotions. "Where are my wings, Lyris?" The question tore from me, a desperate plea tangled with a demand.
"Your wings?" he mused mockingly, his eyes glinting with cruelty. "Such a precious prize… Let's just say they're kept in a place where they await their true destiny—far from your reach.”
"Give them back," Azriel demanded, his tone lethal, a stark contrast to the deceptive calm of his posture.
Lyris's laugh was cold and chilling, like the howl of the wind outside. "You overestimate your power here, shadow singer. I could take her now, and you wouldn't be able to stop me."
Azriel's response was swift and deadly serious. "Try it, and it will be the last thing you do." His wings unfurled dramatically as he snatched Lyris’ wrist in a powerful grip, the span of dark membrane filling the room with a sense of otherworldly power. The shadows around him deepened, swirling in response to his anger and the protective fury that laced every syllable.
The standoff stretched, a moment suspended in time where every breath, every heartbeat was laden with potential violence. Then, with a jerk, Lyris wrenched free, stepping back into the protective shroud of darkness. “She will never be free from me," he hissed, his presence oppressive, suffocating. "And neither will you."
Then, as suddenly as he had appeared, he dissolved into shadows, leaving a cold void in his wake. His final words echoed ominously, a malevolent promise hanging in the air. As the immediate threat vanished, Azriel’s demeanor shifted, the lethal warrior receding to reveal his concern. He turned to me, his intense gaze softening. “Are you alright?” His voice was now a gentle whisper, a stark contrast to the deadly thunder from moments before.
I collapsed back against the pillows, my body trembling uncontrollably. The fear wasn't just about the physical presence of Lyris—it was the emotional and psychological terror, the deep scars he had left on my soul, that overwhelmed me.
Azriel sat beside me, enveloping me in his arms, his presence a solid, reassuring force against the lingering echoes of dread. "I'm here. You're safe," he murmured against my hair, his voice a soothing balm.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, sobs wracking my body as the terror slowly ebbed away, replaced by immense fatigue. "We have to get them back, Azriel. I need to feel whole again."
His embrace tightened, a silent promise of unyielding support. "We will," he assured me quietly. "No matter what it takes, we will bring them back.” He took a deep breath, his arms tightening around me as if he were scared that I might run from him. “Always, I will protect you. From him, from anyone who dares to threaten you,” he murmured into my hair, his breath warm against my scalp. His wings, now gently wrapped around us, formed a cocoon that felt impenetrable.
Settling back against him, I allowed the warmth of his embrace to seep deeper into my bones, expelling the lingering chill of Lyris's visit. His presence was a bastion, within which I found not only protection but a profound sense of belonging.
As we lay back down, the room once again shrouded in the soothing silence of night, a new resolve fortified my spirit. Lyris had found me, yes, but he had not found me alone, nor would he ever. Azriel’s vow to protect me was more than a promise—it was a declaration, a sentinel set against the darkness, both within and without. As sleep beckoned once more, the shadows no longer seemed an ominous threat lurking in the corners but allies, guardians cloaked in the same darkness that wrapped around us, a shield against all that would do harm.
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(Late Summer, Cassian)
The morning after Lyris's intrusion, the House of Wind seemed to hold its breath, an unspoken tension palpable in the air. Everyone had shared their worries for her, our friend who had clawed her way back from that bastard's torment. We all worried, we all loved her so greatly, enjoyed the way her presence warmed Azriel’s cold exterior and to see her fall back into that dark place she had fought her way out of, to take Azriel unknowingly with her again, it poured a dark sense of grief over the house.
But amidst the uncertainty, the deep seeded fear of losing our friend once more, there was a glimmer of light, a beacon of hope cutting through the darkness. Entering the kitchen, I was met with a scene that caught me off guard—our friend, her laughter ringing out like a bell as she shared a moment of levity with Azriel. It was a rare sight, one that stirred a mixture of surprise and quiet satisfaction within me.
Azriel, usually cloaked in shadows both literal and metaphorical, had a small, genuine smile playing at the corners of his lips. His usually guarded demeanor seemed to soften in her presence, and I couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in the air between them.
Their interaction spoke volumes, a silent language of understanding and companionship that transcended words. Despite the trials they had faced, there was a sense of comfort and familiarity in their shared laughter, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was still light to be found in the company of those we held dear.
As I joined them in the kitchen, a silent witness to their shared moment of joy, I couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude for the bond that had formed between them. Their friendship had weathered storms that would have broken lesser souls, and yet here they were, laughing together as if the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders.
And as I observed them, surrounded by the warmth of their laughter and the comfort of their companionship, I couldn't help but feel a surge of hope for the future. For in the bond between her and Azriel, I saw strength, resilience, and the promise of brighter days ahead.
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(Late Summer, The House of Wind)
The day had been long and daunting, with every passing moment feeling like a test of endurance. The worry from my friends was palpable, their concern etched into every glance and every word. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate their care—it was their hovering, their treating me like a fragile thing, that grated against my newfound sense of strength. But amidst it all, there was Azriel.
He stood as a steadfast anchor amidst the storm, a silent guardian who watched over me with unwavering determination. While others fretted and fussed, he remained at my side, a silent sentinel who seemed to understand without the need for words. His presence alone was enough to bolster my spirits, to remind me that I was not alone in this struggle.
Throughout the day, I found myself stealing glances at him, marveling at the depth of his care. How had I not noticed it before? His gaze lingered on me with a mixture of concern and understanding, his eyes a window to the depths of his soul. It was as if he saw straight through the facade I presented to the world, recognizing the strength within me even when I doubted it myself.
As evening descended and the weight of the day settled upon us, we retreated to the familiar sanctuary of my room. Azriel had made it his own, his presence a comforting presence in the darkness. The routine of preparing for bed had become second nature to us—changing into pajamas, brushing our teeth side by side, and slipping under the covers as Azriel performed his meticulous check of the room.
In the quiet moments before sleep claimed us, we lay in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for Azriel's unwavering support, for his steadfast presence that had seen me through the darkest of days. It was a bond forged in the crucible of adversity, a connection that defied explanation yet felt more real than anything I had ever known.
“Azriel?” I called softly into the night, my voice barely a whisper.
He turned to me, his eyes reflecting the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the window. For a moment, we simply gazed at each other, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. And then, with a small smile, he reached out, pulling me closer until I was nestled against his chest.
At that moment, as I lay nestled against Azriel's chest, something shifted between us—a subtle yet profound change that altered the very fabric of our connection. It was as if the air crackled with an invisible energy, a tangible tension that seemed to draw us closer together.
I felt it first, the unmistakable sensation of the mating bond snapping into place with a sudden clarity that took my breath away. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a truth that had always been there, hidden beneath the surface. The primal need to be close to him, to feel his presence as an extension of my own, suddenly made perfect sense.
And then, as if in response to my realization, Azriel let out a small gasp, his arms tightening around me with a fierce urgency that mirrored my own. It was a primal, instinctual reaction, as if some ancient part of him recognized the significance of this moment and refused to let me go.
In that instant, all doubts and uncertainties melted away, replaced by a profound sense of clarity and understanding. We were bound together, our souls intertwined in a way that transcended the physical realm. And as I gazed into Azriel's eyes, I knew that no matter what trials lay ahead, we would face them together, united by the unbreakable bond that now bound us.
"I'll protect you, ensure you are safe and happy and loved," Azriel vowed, his voice a soothing melody that wrapped around me like a warm embrace, promising sanctuary in the depths of his love.
Tears welled in my eyes as his words washed over me, a flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm my fragile resolve. "As will I," I replied, my voice trembling with the weight of my own commitment, my heart laid bare before him in a moment of raw vulnerability.
His eyes, pools of darkness tinged with golden fire, bore into mine with a fierce intensity, piercing through the walls I had built around my heart. "Throughout all the seasons you will be mine, if that is what you want?" His voice was a whisper, yet it echoed through the chambers of my soul, stirring something deep within me that I could no longer deny.
With a trembling breath, I reached out to him, my fingers trembling as they traced the contours of his face, memorizing every line, every scar, every shadow that danced across his skin. "There is no one else I would rather share them with," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper, the truth of my words ringing out in the quiet room like a sacred vow.
And in that moment, as our souls intertwined in the golden threads of the mating bond, I felt a surge of emotion wash over me, overwhelming in its intensity. It was as if the weight of a thousand lifetimes had been lifted from my shoulders, replaced by a sense of peace and belonging that I had longed for all my life.
With tears streaming down my cheeks, I pressed my forehead against his, our breaths mingling in the space between us as we stood on the precipice of eternity. In that sacred embrace, we found refuge from the storms that had battered our souls, forging a connection that would endure the trials of time. And as we surrendered to the pull of the mating bond, our hearts beat as one, a symphony of love and devotion that echoed through the halls of the House of Wind.
Together, we would face the challenges that lay ahead, our bond a beacon of hope in the darkness, guiding us through the labyrinth of life with unwavering strength and unwavering love.
For in each other's arms, we had found our home, our sanctuary, our forever. And as the night enveloped us in its embrace, we knew that no matter what trials awaited us, we would face them together, united in a love that was destined to last for all eternity.
[PREVIOUS]
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baileypie-writes · 4 months
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I'm sorry for all the asks for family requests but can you please do some of Velvet and Veneer protecting their preteen sister? Maybe from a bully?
A/N ~ Sure! And don’t worry, I don’t mind the requests:) Hope you enjoy!
And remember: if you’re being bullied, please tell someone. I promise you, somebody cares. In fact, I’m one of those somebodys.
~You’re Safe Now~
Velvet and Veneer + Preteen!Sister!Reader
Fandom: Trolls 3: Band Together
Relationship: Familial
Synopsis: You’re being bullied, but thankfully, this time your sibling save you.
Warnings: Reader getting bullied(verbal and mentions of it being physical), minor violence, swearing, Reader crying.
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You let out a sigh of relief when you finally heard the school bell ring. Grabbing your backpack, you rushed out of the classroom. Your eyes darted around the halls as you made your way towards the front doors of the school.
When you were outside, you booked it to the side of the building. After confirming that you were alone, you finally let yourself calm down.
You can’t remember the last time you were able to peacefully make it through a school day. Each time, this group of boys would come and harass you. The’d say every insult under the sun, making fun of you for the smallest things. Things that you couldn’t control, like your looks.
You thought that telling your teacher would make it stop. You were unfortunately very wrong. After they got punished, that’s when the beatings started. You no longer felt safe at school, and you’re worried that they’ll follow you home one day.
Thankfully though, your siblings, Velvet and Veneer, were picking you up today. You haven’t seen them in a while, so they were going to take you out to eat and have fun. You were so excited, that you’d forgotten about your bullies. But all the memories came back once you saw them turn the corner.
Oh shit.
“There you are. We’ve been looking all over for you!” The leader, Jackson, called to you. His four other friends trailed behind him. You swear you’d rather have the devil himself appear in front of you than having to deal with these son of a bitches.
“What do you want?” You asked, trying to hide the fear in your voice. You failed miserably.
“Watch your tone, bitch.” Jackson pushed you, making you fall onto your back. You hit your head on the hard concrete, and you felt tears start to well up in your eyes. But you sucked them back in.
“My siblings will be here any second, so you better leave!” You yelled back at them. You were hoping that that’d scare them off, but that thought was shattered when you heard the boys snicker.
“Please, if they’re anything like you, we can beat both their asses no problem.” He grabbed you by your shirt, lifting your upper body off the ground. “Speaking of which…”
Jackson raised his fist, and you braced yourself for impact. You were already thinking of excuses to tell your parents. Maybe you should tell them you fell again. Or maybe that you got hit with a ball at P.E.
A loud honk snapped you out of your thoughts. You opened your eyes that were previously squeezed shut. All the boys’s attention were focused on a car that had just turned the corner towards the school. It was Velvet and Veneer’s car. If you weren’t being held, you’d probably jump for joy. You never thought you’d be so happy to see them in your life.
The car screeched to a stop, and your siblings hopped out of it. You’d never seen them so mad.
“Whoa. You guys are, like, those famous pop stars right?” One of the boys asked.
They didn’t respond. Their focus was solely on Jackson.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing to our sister?” Velvet asked. More like demanded.
Jackson let go of your shirt, making you fall back onto the concrete, and hit your head again. You let out a yelp of pain. The moment it fell from your lips, Veneer rushed over to you, leaving the yelling to Velvet.
“Are you okay?” He asked, looking more concerned than you’ve ever seen before.
“Yeah.” You said, barely audible. You looked back over to Velvet. She had her phone out, and a flash came from it.
“I just took your picture. If you ever do anything to (name) again, I’m posting this on all my social media accounts. Your asses will be finished.” She had the boys backed up against the wall. All of them looked ready to piss themselves. The moment she stepped back, they bolted away so fast, you swore you saw a cloud of dust form behind them.
Velvet scoffed, and looked over to you. You could tell she was trying to hide her concern, but she wasn’t doing a very good job. Veneer helped you to your feet.
“What was that? Are they bullies?” He asked. You just nodded. “How long has this been going on?”
You didn’t respond. You were so overwhelmed, that you began to uncontrollably sob. Your siblings were surprised by your sudden burst of emotion, but after a moment, Veneer gave you a gentle hug. Velvet, not knowing how to comfort people, just placed a hand on your back. They both let you cry it out.
~~~~
After the whole event, Velvet and Veneer took you out to eat at your favorite restaurant.
You ate your food slowly, being tired from all the stress and crying. Across the table, Veneer was trying to gather enough courage to bring up the whole bullying thing. Velvet, tired of waiting, spoke up for him.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” She sounded really upset.
“I tried telling people already. That just made them start hurting me.” You said, avoiding eye contact.
Veneer decided to speak as well, now that the subject was brought up. “But we’re your family. We can help you!”
“Look, I’m sorry okay? I was just so scared at what they would do next!” You raised your voice, making them jump a little.
“How bad was it?” Veneer asked after a moment of silence. You looked so traumatized, he almost didn’t want to know.
“They… beat me up a lot. And they make fun of me. I don’t feel safe at school.” Veneer felt his heart break for you. That’s when the anger caught up to him.
He turned to Velvet. “I want you to post those pictures.” His tone genuinely scared you.
“Oh, I already did.” She said, expression unchanging. Veneer gave her an almost menacing smile, and turned back to you. He placed a hand on your shoulder.
“Don’t worry sis, you’re safe now.”
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~~baileypie-writes
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atinylittlepain · 1 year
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Apothecary - Chapter Five
joel miller x witchy!reader
series masterlist
she and joel try to figure out their new normal. will her upside-down world be too much for him to handle?
warnings | 18+ smut-adjacent, significant angst, mentions of pregnancy (not what you think), feelings
word count (since someone asked lmao): 5.8K
a/n | we are entering turbulent waters, my darlings. but remember, i promised you a happy ending, and a happy ending you shall get. just, not yet. as always, i love to hear from you about what you think of the chapter, drop me a message and let's chat <3
.........................................
“Dead man walking at three o’clock, boys.” “Watch out, whatever she’s got working on Miller might rub off on you if you get too close to him.” 
“Just a matter of time now, don’t you think?” “Better him than me. I like coming home alive, thank you very much. Miller can have her.” 
The folks talking at the stables are lucky that Joel couldn’t give less of a fuck about what they have to say. He’s got better things to focus on. As the summer has slipped into those long languid days before the first snaps of fall, it’s become common knowledge around town that Joel Miller is the witch’s man. And he couldn’t be more pleased about it. 
The men place wagers on when he’ll wind up dead, and the women, well, they’ve got a different look in their eyes when he comes around now that he’s so clearly caught the attention of the resident witch. But it’s all just noise to Joel, who is completely and unequivocally wrapped up in his woman.  
Tommy has cut down his patrol shifts, and Joel knows it’s because of his brother’s own little superstitious streak, though he’d never admit it to him. But Joel doesn’t mind spending more time working the stables, not when she comes around at midday in between her rounds, sharing her lunch with him, and a little sweetness, before bounding off to wherever she’s needed next. 
He’s learning more about her everyday. What’s true, and what’s baseless rumor. Just the other day, he had witnessed for himself her strange communication with animals when she had calmed a bolting horse with a light palm and a few murmured words, the mare tilting its head at her like it was listening to what she had to say. When she had turned back around to Joel after leading the horse into the stables, she offered him a smile and a shrug. Another truth.
They’ve made a little routine around each other, something he didn’t think he’d ever get again in this world, and he fucking adores it. Today is no different, when the sun starts to drip low in the sky and he’s finally finished shoeing a particularly skittish horse, he heads off from the stables toward her shop to pick up his girls. That’s the other thing, she looks out for Ellie, and Ellie thinks she’s “the fucking coolest.” Joel can’t help but feel like he won the damn lottery every time he steps into her shop and finds them laughing and talking easily in the back.
“Wait, wait, I’ve got a good one for you today.”
“Alright, let’s hear it.”
“What do you call witches who live together?”
“I don’t know, tell me.”
“Broom-mates!” 
“Kid, that one is bad, even for you.” Both she and Ellie whip around from where they had been chatting in the backroom of her shop when they hear his grumbled words. Ellie scoffs.
“What? It’s topical.” She snorts at Ellie’s response, nudging her as she wipes her hands off on a rag.
“It was ok. A little culturally insensitive though. That whole riding around on brooms thing is a total myth.” Ellie’s eyebrows shoot up her forehead at that, and she laughs at the girl’s expression, stepping around her to pad over to Joel.
“Hey there, handsome. Quitting time?” It still catches him off guard sometimes, how easily she slips her arms over his shoulders, leaning in for a quick kiss, calling him handsome, though he can still hear Ellie making gagging noises over the ringing in his ears. 
“Mmhmm, yep, yes ma’am. You ready to go?” She smiles, getting ready to answer him and being abruptly cut off by a sharp mroowww. He’s already expecting it, little paws clawing up his pants leg, a less welcomed development that has recently emerged as Stevie seems to take every chance she gets to make Joel her human scratching post. With a laugh, she scoops the mewling cat up in her arms, holding her out to Joel, though he swerves away slightly.
“Oh c’mon, Joel. Just give her a little pet. She’s trying to show you that she likes you.” He begrudgingly gives Stevie two curt pats on her head to which she lets out an indignant mrrp in response, yellow eyes squinting at him. No matter how many times she’s tried to convince him that Stevie likes him, Joel is still not sure what the cat thinks of him, or more importantly, what he thinks of her. There’s been a few times now when he has stumbled down stairs in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, still rubbing sleep out of his eyes, and he’s found the cat, frozen midstep, going god knows where out the backdoor. How Stevie got the door open in the first place is beyond him…
Ellie huffs from behind them, shuffling over and taking Stevie out of her arms, the feline immediately nuzzling up to her and purring like the most content engine ever. 
“You can’t just bop her on the head like that, old man. Stevie likes a gentle touch.” She giggles at Ellie’s admonishment, her hand that had been resting on his chest coming up to scratch lightly at his scruff as he grumbles. 
“Jesus christ, are y’all ready to go or not?” 
They certainly make an odd little team walking down the main drag of Jackson, his arm slung over her shoulders, Ellie walking a bit ahead of them carrying Stevie like a baby. There are stares, of course, there always are, and even a loose whisper here and there as they make their way home. Or, he supposes, to his and Ellie’s home, though she spends most nights with him these days. 
Pieces of her life have become permanent fixtures at the Miller residence, her “sensitive plants,” as she had called them, lining the windowsills downstairs, a few thick books of hers stacked on his nightstand, her overalls hanging off the corner of his bathroom door. He’d never admit it to anyone, but it actually makes him quite sentimental, these tangible reminders that he gets to call her his. Though there are always a few nights a week that she slips off by herself, going back to the shop or her own place after dinner. He tries not to think too hard about those times, and what she might be up to. After all, there are still a whole lot of things about her that he can’t quite believe, his mind playing catch-up with the strangeness of it all. But he reckons it’s worth it to get to have her like he does right now, an easy hand on her hip as they get dinner ready, Ellie rambling at the kitchen table about something Dina said earlier at school.
And while it feels so good, this routine they’ve slipped into, there’s always a twinge of guilt laced through when his mind wanders to the world just outside of Jackson’s gates, to his past, and the harsh dissonance between this present sweetness and that old pain. He had once asked Tommy about it, how he lives in this strange sliver of normal after the life they’ve known, and his brother had just shrugged and said that maybe it was exactly because of their past that they deserve whatever respite they can find now. 
“Penny for your thoughts?” Her voice snaps him out of his mind, eyes focusing back on her sitting across from him at the table, dinner long finished and Ellie off wreaking havoc with the other Jackson teens.  Don’t tell anyone, but Joel Miller has traded in his usual nightcap at the Tipsy Bison for a warm cup of whatever she steeps in a kettle on the stove. He doesn’t mind the taste, and it saves him a headache in the morning, and right now, the warmth from his mug anchors him just enough to ask her what’s been on his mind.
“Y’know, you never did tell me how you knew– about Sarah.” Her eyes soften around the edges, smile drooping just slightly.
“Well, I told you that I see the world in threads. The thread between you and Sarah– your daughter– it’s a particularly strong one.” 
“Even though– even though she’s gone?”
“She isn’t gone, Joel, not really. I can feel her all around you.” His head spins with her words, tightness settling in his chest, and he doesn’t realize he had been clenching his fist until she reaches out for him, unfurling his fingers in her hand.
“Can you– could you– could you talk to her?” Her brows pinch, lips pressing into a thin frown at his question.
“I’m sorry, baby, I can’t. People– like me– we all have different talents. I had an aunt who’d have long conversations with her husband who had passed on– but that’s never been something I’m able to do.” He swallows hard, nodding, feeling a bit foolish for asking the question in the first place.
“But you said you can– feel her?” That brightens back her smile, and she squeezes his hand in hers.
“We’re all just energy. Even when we die, that can never be destroyed. So yes, I can feel her with you, and how much she loved– loves you.” It becomes too much for him all at once, the hot prick of tears behind his eyes spurring him to tug his hand out of hers. She says his name like a question, but he’s already stumbling out of his chair and toward the front door. 
“Wait, Joel– just– where are you going?” It breaks his heart, the concern laced through her words, and when he turns to give her a response, his hand still on the doorknob, he can barely look at her.
“I’m sorry– I can’t– it’s just– I can’t– it’s too much– it’s all too much.” Perfect silence, she offers no reply to his words, and he doesn’t wait around to hear one, slipping out the front door and stumbling into the quickening night.
She fucked up, it becoming clear to her with the slam of his front door behind him. All she wanted was for him to have the truth, hoping that it could be a comfort to him. But obviously she had been mistaken in thinking that. He said that it was too much, but the implication of those words was apparent, that she’s too much. She knows better than to follow him, having figured enough out about Joel Miller to understand that any prodding will be unwelcomed, so she stands, feeling a bit helpless, in the middle of his living room. But then she starts looking around, seeing her plants everywhere, a few of her bracelets on the coffee table along with one of her books, knowing there’s more where that came from up in his bedroom, and she starts to think that she had come on too strong, that she was too much. 
He was spooked by what she said, there were no two ways about it. She’d recognize that look in his eyes anywhere. She just hated that it had been in his eyes. Suddenly, she wants, needs, to get out of his house, and away from the deafening silence of being alone. She grabs her satchel, hastily shoving whatever odds and ends of herself strewn around his house that she can into her bag. She’s with it enough to lock the front door and slip out the back, figuring that wherever he went, he won’t be back for a while. The hot slip of tears comes before she can stop it, hurrying away from Joel’s house and toward her shop, intent on doing the one thing she knows will calm her mind.
He fucked up. He knew it the second he stepped out on his porch, and had even thought about turning back around right then, going back inside, trying to talk it out with her. But there was nothing to talk out, she’d done nothing wrong, he knew that. It had been such a jarring conversation for him, straddling the line between disbelief and something that touched a little too close to bone for his taste, and unable to stay up on the tightrope with her, he bolted. 
The Tipsy Bison is quieter tonight, it being the middle of the week, but that’s a blessing to him, not wanting to run into anyone he knows while he tries to fuzz out his thoughts with booze. It plays over and over again in his mind.
I can feel her all around you.
Joel reckons that more than anything else, the feeling that had propelled him out of his house and away from her had been anger, that she can feel something he would give anything to feel himself. Very early on, he’d talk to Sarah, every night, asking her for signs. It had been in a fit of frustration when no signs ever came that he had pointed a gun at his temple and missed. So for her to so easily say that, to bridge that gap he had been clawing at for twenty years, it had set loose a dark mix of emotions he had been trying to stifle for a long time. And he believes her too, no matter how fantastical it seems. He knows that whatever she does choose to tell him, it’s always the truth, which only makes it sting worse. 
He feels sick to his stomach after his first tumbler of whiskey, a gnawing pain he can’t shake, his mind replaying the glance he got of her face before he left, a crumpled look, something bordering on fear. And he suddenly has no interest in staying at the bar any longer, pushing away his glass and walking out onto the empty streets of Jackson, having stayed in there long enough for night to lay down heavy and cool over the town. 
A pause, trying to get his bearings, to get out of his head, his eyes wander over the storefronts outside the Tipsy Bison, though it’s a figure emerging from between the shops that catches his attention.
“What’re you doing out here, trouble?”
meooowww
He shuffles across the street over to Stevie, meeting her in the alleyway she just sauntered out of. Bending at the waist, he offers out his palm, Stevie rubbing her cheek up against his fingers with a satisfied purr.
“Think I messed up a little.” Stevie lets out a mrow at that, and if she hadn’t been nuzzling at his palm, he would’ve sworn that she nodded her head at his words. Joel sighs, standing back upright, Stevie’s yellow eyes looking up at him, unblinking.
“Better go talk to her, huh?” This time, there’s no other explanation for the little bob of the cat’s head, and Joel has to let out a laugh at the sheer absurdity of it. Whatever this new normal is, ain’t nothing normal about it.
“Alright, trouble, you coming?” He gets no response, because, hello, it’s a cat. But when he starts walking, Stevie falls into step next to him. 
The whole walk home, he’s so preoccupied with what he wants to say to her that he’s completely caught off guard when he goes to open the front door and finds it locked. Not a light is on inside, either, and he can’t help the frustration rising in his chest, Stevie starting to claw at his pants not helping one bit. She stops just as soon as she started, giving him an expectant look before turning around and padding down his porch steps. At his wit’s end, all Joel can think to do is follow the cat.
This is when she feels closest to her mother. Sweat pricking along her hairline, the sleeves of an old work shirt hiked up to her armpits, the backdoor to the shop cracked open to air out the fumes, and a bandana tied over the bridge of her nose, covering the lower half of her face as she works. 
She’s had to make changes to the process in this new world. Where they used to buy lye from the local craft store, she now has to make it herself, leaching wood ash in barrels in the alley outside the shop. Where they used to use exotic oils like neem and jojoba, she now makes due with beeswax and sunflower seed oil. But she still stirs honey, mint, and lavender into the mix, the scent a pure dose of home for her. 
Her eyes burn as she stirs, the sharp sting of vapors from the lye a welcome distraction from all the thoughts still winding around her mind. She’s done this a thousand times, moving with measured precision, the mixture swirling thick and black as she carefully ladles it into the wooden mold. They used to make huge batches every spring, rectangular molds the size of garden beds, and once the soap was set and cured, they’d slice it up into small blocks, enough for the year and then some. Now she only makes a little at a time, when she wishes more than anything she still had her mother with her, telling her what the next right step is. 
She wipes away the cool drip of sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand, turning the stove off with a jerk of her chin. Some things never get old. But before she can take the now empty stock pot over to the sink, Stevie comes slinking in, nuzzling up against her ankles. She tugs her bandana down from her nose, letting it hang around her neck as she looks down at her girl.
“What’d you get into tonight, little miss?” 
“She talked some sense into me.” Her head whips up at the sound of his voice, seeing Joel leaning against the backdoor frame. She can’t help but feel a bit exposed in her ratty attire, and she wonders how much he had seen. She’s never had anyone around when she’s done this before, and it feels like a vulnerability she wasn’t ready to extend to him.
She sniffs, squaring her shoulders and trying to seem unphased by his presence, willing her voice to come out steady.
“Oh?” She feels like she needs to swallow around something thick in her throat, words getting stuck somewhere in her chest. 
“I’m sorry– that I just bolted. I wasn’t expecting that– what you said– and I reacted without much thought.” Her fingers itch with want, to reach for him, to thumb away the crease between his brows. But she resists it, staying where she is, her hands bunching into the fabric of her loose shirt instead.
“You don’t have to apologize, Joel. I’m the one who should be saying I’m sorry. You were right– it was too much, and I should have been able to see that. I’m sorry that I pressed too hard.” He kicks up off the doorframe, stepping into the shop, and immediately lets out a few harsh coughs, thumping his fist against his chest as he squints at her.
“Is there– a reason– my throat feels like– it’s on fire?” She curses low, quickly guiding him by the shoulders back out of the shop and into the alley.
“Fuck! I’m sorry! It’s the fumes from the lye. I guess I’m just used to it by now.” She rubs quick circles across his back as he continues to let out wheezy coughs, looking at her with wide eyes when he finally catches his breath.
“What the hell are you doing with lye, woman?” The harsh tone of his words makes her jerk back from him, stepping just out of reach as she crosses her arms over her chest.
“It’s for soap. That’s what I’m doing, making fucking soap. Not whatever all those people you talked to put into your head.” His face blanches in the moonlight, jaw slack at her words.
“That’s not– I didn’t mean it like that.” She scoffs, anger suddenly feeling like a really good idea as she takes another step back when he goes to reach for her.
“Oh really? Are you sure about that, Joel? Are you sure that this isn’t too much for you? That I’m not too much for you?” She regrets the words the instant they leave her mouth, her mounting insecurity a thick sludge in her throat as silence settles between them. 
“This ain’t about the soap, is it?” She has to laugh at his timid question, throwing her hands out in frustration.
“Yes– no– fuck, I don’t know. I just– the way you looked at me? When I told you about Sarah? I’ve seen that look before, and I know it well– it usually means that it’s time for me to go.” 
“Go? What do you mean go? I don’t want you to go anywhere, goddamnit!” The sharp raise of his voice catches her by surprise, his frustration clear in the long drag of his palm down his face, the sigh he lets out as he squints at her in the dim light.
“Then I need you to tell me right now if what I do, what I am, is going to be a problem for you. Because if it is, I can’t– can’t do this.” She can’t fight it down anymore, the hiccup in her voice, the warble that threatens tears, and Joel’s features soften at the little sniff she lets out.
“You know it’s not a problem for me, you know that. But– I ain’t gonna lie to you, this ain’t easy, darlin. All these things I sure as shit didn’t believe in until I met you. Sometimes I feel like my world’s been turned upside down trying to wrap my head around it all.” She doesn’t step away this time, when he gets closer to her, tentative hand reaching out and circling around her wrist before sliding down to tangle his fingers with hers.
“It’s a lot. But it’s not too much. I promise you.” Words she’s never heard before, and now she really can’t stop the tears muddling up her vision and slipping down her cheeks. He takes another step closer, his other hand coming up to brush away stray salt with the backs of his knuckles. And it finally clicks for her in that moment just how much she wants him to mean it, how much she wants him to stay, and it terrifies her. 
“I really am sorry, Joel– about what I said earlier. I should’ve been more careful.” He holds his palm steady against her cheek, dark eyes swimming in shadows.
“I was the one that asked, darlin. I just– I’m gonna need a little more time with– with that.” She sighs, having already reached a conclusion that she doesn’t like one bit, though she knows it’s for the best. She isn’t going to let this be like any of the times before.
“I think that maybe we should take things– slower.” She can tell that Joel doesn’t like that, his brow scrunching up, thumb stilling where it had been stroking along the arc of her cheek.
“S-slower?” She nods, squeezing his hand that’s still tangled up in hers.
“We rushed into this, didn’t we? I mean– it’s only been a few weeks since we really started seeing each other, and I’m already practically living with you.” His face really falls at that, a deep frown settling around his lips.
“You don’t wanna live with me, is that it?” She’d laugh if he wasn’t looking so pitiful about it, instead offering him her best smile as she brings her other hand up to brush his hair out of his face.
“That isn’t what this is about, Joel. I just think it might be good for us– for you– if you’re not in my– upside-down world– all the time, at least at first. Like getting acclimated to a new altitude, you gotta take it slow.” She knows it’s a weak explanation the minute the words leave her mouth, but she also knows she’s right. Joel, on the other hand, still has a displeased scrunch to his face, like someone just told him a tasteless joke. 
“Uh, well, ok– if that’s what you want then– I mean, I guess we can– we can do that– we can take things– slow.” He keeps clearing his throat between words, stop-starting himself like he’s trying to convince himself he means it as he’s saying it. And when he finally gets it all out, with a firm little nod of his head, she can’t help but reward him with a quick kiss.
“Thank you, baby. I really think this is important– I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t.” He nods again, his hand that had been cupping her cheek trailing down her shoulder, her arm, until he’s holding both her hands in his.
“So, what does this look like– us taking it slow?” 
“We can figure it out as we go. But for right now, I think we can say goodnight, and I’ll go back to my place, and you’ll go back to yours.” 
“Can I walk you home?” Her heart tugs at that, his question so earnestly asked, only making it harder for her to respond with a sigh.
“I kinda have to clean up the shop still. I can’t really leave that stuff out overnight, y’know? A-and I obviously don’t want you messing with it, so–”
“No, I-I get it, that’s alright. Um, so I guess, goodnight then.” She’s never seen him so flustered, having to stifle a giggle when he realizes he’s still holding her hands and lets go with a huff. He seems to think on it for a beat, quickly ducking in and pressing the most precious kiss to her cheek, muttering a quiet “goodnight, darlin” as he turns to head home, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and taking a few jerky looks over his shoulder at her before he rounds the corner of the alley. 
She turns back to the shop with a sigh, Stevie sitting in the back doorway, head tilted at her.
“What? It’s for the best, you’ll see.”
For the record, Joel doesn’t like this taking it slow business, at all. He’s not even sure how she got him to agree to it, he had been so turned around that night, and she had been giving him those eyes… But no, he doesn’t like it, not one bit. 
To start with, he doesn’t like that she no longer comes around to the stables at mid-day, no quick kisses, no easy smiles. Nothing. And he doesn’t like that she no longer comes over for dinner every night, and not just because she’s a better cook than him. He doesn’t like that his walk home from the stables no longer includes a regular stop by her shop. And he doesn’t like that he has to hear from Ellie what his woman was up to that day. He hates that they go on dates now, like normal fucking people, scheduling time to be together instead of just throwing out the clock and moving like magnets. But perhaps more than any of his other qualms, the thing he hates the most is that he doesn’t get her in his bed every night.
When he agreed to take things slow, he didn’t know it meant this slow. He didn’t know it meant goodnight kisses and holding hands but that’s it slow. Afterall, he’s only a man, and after getting to have her the way that he did, it feels damn near impossible not to crave that like a drug.
He’ll admit that she was right, taking it down a notch has made it easier to wrap his head around the things that she shares with him. But it’s been three weeks of this, and he’d turn himself upside-down, inside-out, and every which way around if it meant speeding things back the fuck up.
Laying in bed, his mind swirls with images of her. Is it gross that he hasn’t washed his sheets since the last time she stayed over? He doesn’t really care, not when there’s still a faint trace of incense and lavender on the pillow she slept on. 
His mind wanders to the last time he had her here. It was early in the morning, before either of them had to go to work, and she had lazily slung a bare thigh over his waist, perfect in the hazy morning light as she straddled him. It had been slow and sweet, taking time that they didn’t really have. She was so warm and soft for him, all gentle sighs, the mesmerizing curve of her hips and the sway of her breasts, an image that works him up now in the cool darkness of his empty bed. 
It’s not the same, of course it’s not the same. But it’ll have to do for now. He holds her steady in his mind, a dream, an idol, a fucking goddess, and he palms himself through his boxers, a damp spot already forming from just thinking about her. He kicks his sheets off, shrugging his boxers down just enough to let his cock spring out, pre-come smearing over his stomach where it now rests. Part of him can see how pathetic this looks, rubbing one out every night to the dream of his woman, but he wouldn’t have to if they weren’t taking things so goddamn slow. Now, a normal person would think that maybe he should just talk to her about picking up the pace. But he’s too stubborn for that, and he knows it, and it drives him crazy that he equates having that conversation with defeat. Joel tells himself that he can do this, he can give her what she wants, respect her boundaries, no matter how stupid he thinks they are. 
He doesn’t take his time with himself. This is purely about release for him, and he knows exactly how to get himself there, spitting harshly into his hand and wrapping his palm around the base of his cock, scrunching his eyes shut as he starts to work himself over. 
She’s all he thinks about in these moments, how her hands are so much different than his, still calloused from the work she does, but softer, and smaller. He thinks about the plush of her lips, and how they fall open when she comes, the little crease between her brow her other tell. He thinks about the way her spine curves and curls, and how his palms would run circuits around the arc as he took her from behind. His mind flashes with images of her, and it isn’t long before he’s coming with a low groan of her name, his spend smearing over his knuckles. 
Maybe it’s the fact that it’s been nearly a month now, or maybe he’s just more tired than usual, but Joel feels a particular pang of despair as he cleans himself up, and it’s enough to crack whatever resolve he had left. 
He sleeps better that night, having decided that first thing the next morning he’s going to stop by the apothecary and he’s going to tell her that he’s done taking it slow. 
That plan falls apart the moment he enters her shop. The first thing he notices is her bag, strewn out on the floor, a few jars and bottles spilling out of it, and his heart sinks. Next to Stevie, that bag is her baby, and Joel immediately knows that something isn’t right for it to be crumpled on the floor. 
He calls out her name, but gets no response, though Stevie comes skittering out of the back room, making a beeline for his legs, frantically mewling as she rubs up against his pants leg, insistent and loud, and that isn’t quite right to him either. 
Trying not to step on Stevie as she stays glued to his ankles, he shuffles into the back room, his brow scrunching up when he doesn’t see her, at least not right away.
“Joel?” That’s a voice he’s never heard from her before, barely there, hoarse, like she could only just get the word out. He steps further into the room, peering around the butcher’s block, and that’s when he finally sees her. 
She’s curled in on herself, knees up to her chin, sitting in the back corner of the room. Her eyes are red-rimmed and swimming, tears streaking down her cheeks, the sight all but taking his breath away. He moves fast, his mind screaming at him that he needs to fix it, to make it better, whatever it is. 
He’s quick to get down to her level, palms steadying her jaw as another resounding round of sobs rolls through her chest. 
“Hey, hey– it’s ok, I’m here, huh? I’m right here. What– what happened? What is it?” His questions only seem to make her cry harder, shaking her head in his hands. She brings her hands to clasp his wrists, and it’s then that he notices dried blood lining her fingernails.
“You’re scaring me here, darlin. I need you to tell me what happened, please.” 
“I lo-lost her– I lost her, I lost her, I can’t believe I lost her–” She breaks herself off with another sob, and Joel shifts to sit down next to her, wrapping his arms around her shuddering shoulders to coax her into his chest. 
“Who– who’d you lose, darlin?” She evens out her shuddering breaths with a hard sigh, her answer coming on a few disjointed exhales.
“Maura went into labor last night– and I– and I– it was a girl– she was a girl– and she wasn’t breathing– she wasn’t breathing, Joel. And I didn’t know what to do.” She dissolves into another sob, and Joel doesn’t know what to do besides hold her a little closer, shock and sadness simmering in his veins. He remembers her telling him about Maura, one of her regular house visits to check on the progress of her pregnancy. She always told him how excited the woman seemed to get to become a mother. 
“Is– is Maura ok?” He’s surprised by the bitter huff she lets out at that.
“I don’t kn-know. She kicked me out– told me it was my fault– she’s right– it’s all my– all my fault.” He’s quick to bring his palm to her jaw, coaxing her eyes up to meet his, gentle but firm pressure holding her there.
“Listen to me, it is not your fault. Not anyone’s fault, and it’s especially not yours. Whatever happened, I promise you, it is not your fault, do you understand?” She gives him no answer, just lets out another shaky sigh before burying her face back in his chest.
And all he can do is hold her as close as he can, and will some of her pain to seep into his skin, to make it even a little more bearable, to carry that for her. He reckons that he’d take it all away from her if he could.
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sugarygetoo · 27 days
Text
your warmth.
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-> cw/ tw. major character death.
-> wc: 569
-> an. hello and welcome to our blog's first drabble!!! hope you'll find yourself enjoying this tiny thing i made when i couldn't fall asleep last night <3
main masterlist. | jjk masterlist.
✎ xoxo, yena
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your existence were like that of a sun. always so bright and kind, willing to help even the smallest of things.
from helping a granny cross the dangerous roads of the shibuya crossing, to helping him buy his favorite kikufuku whenever he ever so kindly asked with a kiss on the cheek as a reward. gojo knew you were the sun that he needed in order to survive the darkness of the jujutsu world.
you were always so warm. your touch burned him in the loveliest ways possible, making him crave the lingering touches that you would leave in his most vulnerable state. 
your hot kisses often left him in a daze, your lips were warm and soft. your trail of kisses from his forehead to his cheeks then to the base of his neck, gojo loved every moment that you both shared and whenever he got the chance to kiss you, your lips always tasted like your favorite strawberry lip balm that he loves. 
you were the sun and warmth that gojo needed in his lonely life. the one that made him feel warm and loved in this cruel society of endless killings and curses. 
you were all that gojo needed.
and that’s why he can feel his entire body go cold. 
he stood frozen, unable to move. his blood felt cold, and his eyes go impossibly wide behind his blindfold. he couldn’t hear anything, everything was muffled. 
he could see nanami through the side of his eyes, trying to get him back to focus, but he can’t. 
not when he can see you laying face-first on the ground right in front of him.
though he wasn’t sure if it was really you at first since your body was faced down, but the moment he saw the dress you were wearing, dread fills him.
 it was a dress that he had someone custom made for you.
somehow, he was able to get his legs moving, albeit staggering and slow, he makes his way towards you.
“baby?” his voice not so much of a whisper. he felt like his head was spinning, he couldn’t hear anything other than the echoing sounds of his pounding heart. 
“babe?” gojo stands at your feet and finally takes a good look at you. 
your dress was in tatters and so was your hair, nevertheless gojo still found you ever so beautiful.
reaching out to turn you over to face him, he couldn’t help but hiss at the coldness of your skin.
your eyes were closed and it seems as though you were just asleep, but the lack of movement on your chest tells him otherwise. 
unable to believe what was happening, gojo pulls out a small box from his pants pocket, opening it up to reveal a beautiful diamond ring, made just the way he knew that you would’ve loved. 
“hey, stop playing with me,” he moves your limp body closer to his, desperately trying to use his own body heat to keep you warm. “you promised you’d marry me after this.” 
he slips the ring onto your finger.
“it looks so pretty on you.” he whispered into your deaf ears. 
he leans down towards your pretty face as he kisses you softly one last time, and he couldn’t help the sob that left his lips and his heart finally sunk into the pits of darkness.
for your lips were no longer warm.
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cyborg-franky · 15 days
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Hello franky san! Hope ur doing okay
Is it possible to ask for comfort hcs of thatch with a s/o who struggles to fall asleep? I’ve been having this problem where my breathing seems to stop when im dozing off, which I then have to get up in my place and gasp for air. It goes on and on like that the rest of the night till I somehow manage to finally sleep. Sometimes I never even go back to sleep coz im just scared it will happen again.
It’s kind of a personal thing and I apologize to you and everyone else if it’s not something that u can relate to.
I hope u having a great day🩷
First of all. I think you MIGHT have sleep apnea [spelling?] and should go to a sleep doctor. That sometimes happens to me and my wife shakes me awake. It's pretty common and I think in severe cases you need a machine to help you at night. I am not a doctor I just know a big bunch of people who have this issue! I would go and check it out ASAP <3
Thatch x GN Reader SFW
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Thatch was the type of person who would be fast asleep the moment his head touched the pillow. He was always out like a light, ready to rise with the sun.
But you were his complete opposite. You struggled to fall asleep and even struggled to stay asleep.
Every day, you wake up groggy and feeling unrested, yet you get ready for your job, doing your duties as a member of the 4th division. Thatch knew you had a hard time resting, so he would try to go easy on you in the kitchen, leaving you to simple chores that didn’t involve anything sharp or hot.
Thatch noticed you tried to avoid going back to sleep sometimes, too shaken up from gasping for air, much like a man who’d been drowning, breaking the surface of the waves to gulp in a breath.
He would comfort you as much as he could, and you’d feel a large, rough hand on your back, rubbing you gently and soothing you as your heart raced. You sighed and closed your eyes, trying to focus on his voice, trying to ground you.
“Shh, shhh, darlin’, it's okay.” he cooed and started to snuggle behind you when he was sure you wouldn’t mind his body against yours when your breathing normalized, and you didn’t seem to be in a state of panic.
“Ugh, I hate it, Thatch. I’m so worried I won’t wake up again,’” you confessed and turned to face him, your tired eyes meeting him as he hummed in thought. We should take you to talk to Birdbrain tomorrow. It’s not right to keep this to yourself. Ya never know. He might have the answers,” he said as he carried on rubbing your back. 
You nodded only half here as your eyes grew heavy. You kept trying to wake yourself each time you heard your breath deepening in a light snore. 
Thatch sat up, leaning against the headboard, his hand now running through your hair, fingers playing with the strands. 
“I’ll stay awake and make sure you're okay. How does that sound?” he offered, and you blinked.
“But won’t you be tired?” he shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. “I’ve already slept a near-full night. Let me stay up these last few hours, and if you stop breathing, I’ll be here to make sure you get up. How's that? My word!”
You felt warmth bloom in your chest. He was such a wonderful man, a perfect partner. “Really?” “Anything for you, darling. You just have to promise me you will see the doctor tomorrow.”
“I promise,” you sleepily mumbled and got comfy.
“Sleep tight,” he said, and you were already snoring softly, feeling safe with him.
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