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#fluff abounds
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The Hate That You Carry
She was scared of him. And who could blame her? Worst thing was, he knew the look on her face, had seen that look countless times before. On his mother’s face. On Lenny's face. Had even felt it on his own face. Every time his father had taken out his anger on them.
Part 3 of Always One Bad Day Away (Part 2 of the series Billy Butcher - A Prequel)
Word count: ~5k
Rating: Mature
A/N: It's me again! Feedback is always greatly appreciated ;D
Tag list: @amethystpagan
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"You know you really didn’t have to do all this, right? There’s no need to impress me.” 
Becca entwined their fingers as they left the restaurant, happily smiling up at Billy. Her cheeks had a pink tinge to them, but it was only partly due to the wine she’d had. 
“Whatever do you mean?” Billy smirked back cheekily.
“Well, we don’t usually go out like this. And you know I don’t need fancy dates, either.”
“Oh, but this is a special occasion, innit? One-year anniversary and all?”
“One-year… What? Billy, that’s not for another six days,” she laughed softly and tilted her head in question. 
“No, it’s not.”
“No, I’m pretty sure we had our first date on the 7th of September. We rented that stupid action flick, got Chinese take-out, and spent the night not watching it.” 
Keep Reading on AO3
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mamamittens · 2 years
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Trick or Treat
Day #14 of Spooktober (no, you're not missing a post, I've just delayed #13 for a few days)
Fandom: One Piece (Everyone is young and nothing hurts AU)
Ship: None
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1,039
Bit of a weak end but I deeply underestimated how much work would ride my ass this month, and I need to shower and go to bed like... now lol. So this is mostly just for cuteness and to 'finish' on Halloween, don't look too deep into it.
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Ace tightened the bow under Luffy’s chin, the seven-year-old bouncing on his heels with excitement, dark eyes wide and gleaming. Despite his best efforts, Ace couldn’t help but smirk.
“Think you can keep your costume on all night, Luffy?” Ace asked, stepping away to admire the completed look. Makino did good work putting together the patchwork cloak for Luffy’s ‘ghost’ costume, tied securely with a bright red ribbon around his neck that matched the straw hat he refused to go without. She was also the one who made the gloves and wolf ears for Ace himself, along with helping Sabo apply the vampire makeup. Out of the three of them, Sabo had the least amount of work to do, having plenty of spare fancy clothes to work with.
“Yeah! You wait and see, I’ll have my costume on all night!” Luffy reassured him. Ace snorted, rolling his eyes. He refused to believe he was so childish at that age.
Obviously, at the much wiser age of twelve, Ace knew more than Luffy did. Which is why he agreed to dress up with his baby brother to begin with. Knowing Luffy as he did, he would probably follow some random stranger around for extra candy if he thought he could get away with it. Sabo rolled his eyes and smiled.
“Sure you will, Luffy. Remember to thank Makino before we go!” Sabo reminded him. Luffy froze in shock, horrified suddenly.
“Oh no! I almost forgot! Thank you, Sabo!” Luffy cried out, racing back to the house where Makino stood with a bowl of candy and a patient smile. Luffy leapt up, latching his arms around her neck as she laughed, trying not to drop Luffy or the candy. “Thank you Makino-nee! Mwah!” Luffy pressed a messy, childish kiss to her cheek before dropping back down and rushing back to their side.
“Are you going to thank Makino too, Ace?” Sabo asked with a sly grin, plastic fangs poking out from his lips. Ace sputtered and hissed.
“Shut. Up!” Ace bristled at the reminder of his crush, but otherwise ignored the comment. He’d thank Makino by giving her some of his candy later. Huffing, he stormed away, not waiting for his dumb brother to catch up as he laughed.
“Hey! Hey! Where are we going first, Ace? Can we go to Gramp’s house? Last year he gave out whole rotisserie chickens!” Luffy cheered. Ace shuddered at the reminder.
“Uh—absolutely not.” Ace muttered nervously, mind viciously flashing back to the running they had to do to keep the chicken. “H-Hey! How about we see if Law will join us?” Ace distracted his little brother. Sabo cocked a brow and smirked again.
“Traffy! Yeah! Let’s get him! C’mon Ace! C’mon Sabo!” Luffy cheered, dashing ahead of them to the fancy house at the end of the street.
Law was dressed up as a mad scientist, white lab coat splattered with fake blood and black gloves on his hands. Ridiculous hat still in place as he glared Kid, who was dressed in an excessive amount of leather alongside his friend Killer, like they belonged in a biker gang.
“Ah. Luffy. Are we going together?” Law sighed. Luffy, quite naturally, exploded with excitement.
“Yeah! We’re going to Gramp’s house last to see if he gives us meat again!” Luffy cheered.
“The hell we are!” Ace bit out reflexively, heart shuddering. Knowing their luck, they’d have to navigate a haunted maze to ‘earn’ anything. And trying to bully Luffy through a scary event was well past what Ace wanted to do with his time tonight.
“Tsk, let’s just get this show on the road, losers.” Kid snarled. And so, three became six.
Later, if he was asked, he would claim to not know when the hell their small group became a small army of children. Ussop joined with Sanji and Chopper—a knight, prince, and magician respectively—followed by Nami dressed as a witch dragging a samurai Zoro. Brook snuck in somehow with Franky, Robin, and his own friend Deuce. All four dressed as ‘tourists’ in Hawaiian shirts with a large, white cardboard frame for a ‘picture’.
Their first victim was, also naturally, Shanks. Dressed as Freddy Krueger, he laughed loudly and passed them each king-sized chocolate bars with a wink. Buggy scoffed, business suit with devil horns and wings downright subdued to his normal attire. Naturally, he handed out small packets of cotton candy when asked politely. All the while acting as though he had no idea why anyone was bothering him so late at all.
Crocodile didn’t have any costume at all and gave them a single snack size snickers bar, a trend that followed with all of Gramp’s colleagues.
“Well, look what we have here! Fine, well-behaved children ready to pay the toll!” Doflamingo crowed, looming over them from behind his gate.
Ace hissed at him alongside Law.
“The hell we are!” Ace shoved Luffy behind him.
“Hello uncle.” Law muttered in disdain. “Does dad know you’re trying to bully kids for candy again?” Law asked with a sneer.
Doflamingo sniffed, head jerking away at the implication.
“Your candy haul sucks anyway.” Doflamingo clicked his tongue and stalked away without another word.
“Ah! Luffy! Look who I brought!” Ace’s head snapped in the direction of Jinbe’s voice. The fishman was dressed up as a ghost too, a sheet with holes covering almost his entire body. Behind him was a familiar group of older kids.
“Pineapple!” Luffy cheered, bounding up the street to tackle Marco’s leg. He was, in fact, dressed up as a pineapple. How literally anyone managed that, Ace had no idea. Thatch snickered beside him, dressed as a cowboy alongside Izo, who made a very convincing naval captain (Gramps was going to lose it if he sees the costume and the last thing Ace wanted was to sit around while Gramps and Pops argued for three hours about them joining the Marines again).
“Alright! Looks like the party’s really getting started!” Thatch cackled, ruffling Ace’s hair as he dutifully inspected everyone’s costumes. “Hey, I hear there’s a corn maze and hay rides on the other side of town. Pops agreed to give us a lift if you wanna try it out!” Thatch grinned, winking at Ace.
Ace could feel his face flush in embarrassment despite nodding.
His family was large, noisy, and ridiculously everywhere he turned but… he really wouldn’t have it any other way.
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ironstrangle · 2 years
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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange Additional Tags: Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Whipped Cream Summary:
Tony realizes he's in love with Stephen Strange over breakfast, with a little bit of whipped cream.
(In spite of being for the kink bingo, this is a very fluffy, innocent tale.)
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snowbellewells · 2 years
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Self-Promo Sunday: “Looking for a Heart (that’s not walking away)”
Good Morning All!! It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done a Self-Promo Sunday post, but I’ve got a favorite this morning. For my birthday this year, the lovely @motherkatereloyshipper created a fic cover for one of my favorites MCs that I have written. It isn’t strictly CS (which may make it not as interesting to some) but CS are supporting characters in it. It’s a LiamxBelle fic, which diverges from canon at about 5x14/5x15. I wanted to properly thank her for the kind gift and show of her pretty cover, and also to maybe draw a few more eyes to a story I’ve always been pretty pleased with...
Thank you so much @motherkatereloyshipper​ for the lovely gift and a chance to revisit this particular story!! <3
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Summary: When Belle returns from the Underworld with the rest of the hero crew, her life and future in Storybrooke are changed forever. Comfort and understanding come from an incredibly surprising source...
A/N: (Okay friends…This one is a completely new and different fic attempt for me. It’s canon divergent from about the middle of 5b, and it changes a lot of what happened with Liam in 5x15, and while some of 5x16 and 5x17 happened, some of it didn’t. Beyond all that, it’s putting a large focus on characters I haven’t written much before, and one that we really haven’t seen a lot of to characterize in the same way that I can work with say Emma and Killian. Still, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head, and finally found that I had to give this a try. It doesn’t explain how everything happened right away, but events will be filled in as the story progresses. Slow burn friendship/relationship for Belle and Liam; sideline CS and others. Ten chapters with the epilogue.
** Available from the beginning on AO3 or ff.net as well **
** This also had lovely art made for it once upon a time by @hollyethecurious (It’s the banner of my Tumblr page! :)
“Looking for a Heart (that’s not walking away)”
by: @snowbellewells
chapter one: like ships in the night
         In the wee, cold hours of the morning, anyone walking Storybrooke’s town square would have seen only peaceful, vacant storefronts and the dim stillness of a little hamlet still fast asleep; or they would until they reached the library and found one solitary light burning stubbornly in the back of the building.  Most residents and visitors knew the building and the sweet, brunette librarian who kept the place with pride, but even without the whole story, they also knew she had not been the same since her return from the Underworld with the rest of the heroes.  The light burning in the middle of the night, and the large, dark circles under the clearly sleepless woman’s eyes when one saw her in Granny’s Diner the next morning picking listlessly at her pancakes and syrup, were only outward signs of her inner turmoil and pain. 
         This particular night turned earliest bit of morning, Belle Gold sat at the circulation desk, a cup of lavender tea, which she had hoped would soothe her and induce sleep, long gone cold at her elbow, and a large, gilt-edged book open before her.  In her insomnolent state, she had returned to this once-favorite story for help, but instead she found herself wishing to violently rip the pages from its spine, more troubled than ever as she huddled on the high stool pulled up to the counter to perch on as she read and wrapped her dressing gown more tightly around herself against the now-familiar questions swirling in her mind: ‘What did I ever see in this story?’ ‘How stupid could I have been?’ ‘What ever made me think I could influence anyone or be a hero?’ ‘Every attempt I’ve ever made went wrong and only made things worse…’
         Shivering against the drafts of a still-chilly April night and the cold certainty that she was nothing but a fraud; so naively convinced of her pretty ideals but completely ineffectual at doing anything with them when the moment of truth had come, Belle knew rest and peace were far from coming.  A tear ran silently down her pale cheek as she thought of all that had happened – the tangled, progressively darker events which made up her own story – and she sucked in a ragged breath, trying to keep it from turning into the wrenching full-bodied sob she felt rising within her.  Though she had fought so valiantly hard, it would seem her tale could not possibly end in happily ever after now.  All her efforts at love and bravery – at goodness – had turned to dust in her hands, crumbling like the shriveled brown flower Hades had used to taunt her after Gaston’s fall into the River of Lost Souls. 
         The only thing keeping her from falling apart completely, she thought ruefully as one small, graceful hand lowered to rest protectively on her slightly protruding belly was the tiny being she had wished for so long.  This baby should have been a lovely, innocent symbol of her and Rumple’s love, a living hope and second chance – for her husband, and for herself – and now Rumple would never even know his second born child.  Though Belle was not sure what she had left to give this unborn babe, her hope and belief nearly dried up and vanished forever, its growth inside her was what kept her from lying down on the floor of her precious library and never rising again.  All of her gumption, her resolve, her joy, were gone, deserting her as completely as they had ever filled her before, and the fact that her child would need her was all to which she could truly cling.
         Eventually, just as the dark night turned early morning and lightened to grey, and the faintest traces of sunrise began to streak the sky, Belle’s head lowered, the side of her face coming to rest on the printed page of the book she had so loved once upon a time, her impossible, idealized version of a hero pressed to the soft, pale skin of her cheek as she slumped over the counter in a restless sleep…
         As she dreams, she is once more in the Underworld, brought by the man she has tried so hard to win back from the Beast within – the pressing roar in his ear of magic and power – the man who, despite it all, she has never ceased loving, to the very throne of the Lord of the Dead.  Rumple’s hand clenches her forearm so tightly it hurts, and she realizes with stark clarity that even the Dark One is no match for a deity.  Rumple is sorely afraid, though he doesn’t let his outward appearance show it.
         From there, the moments progress like an inexorable nightmare.  So soon after her inadvertent actions against Gaston, things already seem hazy and unreal; she can barely comprehend the showdown forming between her husband and Hades.  Fire and light shoot back and forth, crashing against one another in the middle and neither attack striking its intended target.
         Winded, panting, nearly falling to his knees with exhaustion, Rumple finally raises a hand in surrender, as she runs to support him and help him back up, seeing the drained former spinner without his precious might and the upper hand.  Putting a bracing hand beneath his elbow, she steadies Rumple as he stands once more and intends to do so as he moves forward, until he turns to her, bringing them to a halt.
         Meeting Belle’s eyes in that moment, Rumplestiltskin’s gaze shows pain and infinite regret; only somewhere beneath those emotions is the love lingering for her, love that she had always wanted to believe would triumph over the Dark One’s lies.  “I am so sorry, Belle.  For so many things…” he whispers brokenly, the back of his hand stroking her cheek as lightly as the mere brush of air in a breath, as if hesitant to hurt her more than he has already. “I have put you through more pain than any love should have to bear…only to have it all come to this in the end.”
         Pulling his gaze away from her face, Belle sees her husband’s eyes slide back to meet the god’s controlled, implacable stare and subtly shifts forward to stand in front of her, partially shielding her from Hades’ view.  Her heart is swept up in pride for him at this moment of real, selfless bravery, even as it then breaks when his next words sink in. “Very well, Hades,” Rumplestiltskin hisses, sounding as reptilian and menacing as Killian has always insisted, his sharp eyes flashing even as he concedes.  “You know that I cannot best you, but with the powers of the Dark One and its immortality, you cannot end me either.  Let Belle and our child go, and I will serve you by finding you a replacement soul, one that will prove much more satisfactory than a mere infant.”
         The silent air crackles around them, and Belle opens her mouth to cry out, “Rumple, no!” and pull him back, both terrified at what the Lord of the Underworld might do, and horrified anew that Rumple could once more offer up another person’s soul as if it were his to barter, even as she had thought for once he was making a heroic sacrifice.  But she feels his fingers curl around her even more firmly, and a tingle runs up her whole arm, holding her in place, words bottled in her throat no matter how she tries to force them out, until she realizes that Rumple is using his magic to hold her back and keep her silent.  Emotions rise in a confusing swirl, and Belle is not sure if she is moved by his desperate bid to protect her or impotently furious at his overriding her free will.
         Hades tilts his head to the side, coming closer as he studies his nemesis calculatingly.  “Let me see,” he mused, wearing a face that gives the sense of bored unconcern, even Belle with no magic or powers beyond human intuition knows the god is toying with his prey – if pressed, she has seen much the same look on Rumple’s face too many times as the Dark One.  “An intriguing proposition,” he drawls out the words slowly, as if tasting the flavor of some delicacy on his tongue, “…but do I believe you?”
         “You would do well to take me seriously,” Rumple vows, iron in his voice and threat on his tongue.  “I may not win, but you will be battling me until the judgment day, neither of us able either to triumph or to pass on.”  He steps forward as well, standing taller with a hint of the malice that shows at the heights of his power, limp nearly unnoticeable as he meets Hades and reaches out his hand.  “You want to take this deal, trust me,” Rumplestiltskin asserts, nearly baring his teeth as he does so.  “I will be your right hand, Hades – if you spare my wife and my unborn child, never to trouble them again.”
         Hades tilts his head, studying the Dark One with amused curiosity as if he is some new species the deity has never seen before.  “I’d be a fool to trust you for even a moment,” he replies coolly, “and I know you will only serve me as long as it takes you to find an escape.  Yet…” he takes a moment to muse as if there is no trouble or threat at all, Belle resenting all the while that he can balance all their lives in his hands while appearing not to have a care in the world.  Finally, he gives a quick, decisive nod, his pondering resolved.  “If I’ve already gotten what I need from you by then, why shouldn’t I be free of your tiresome, disloyal presence?”
         Belle is sure there is some horrible drawback, some hideous fine print somewhere which has been missed – added to the fact that Rumple is bartering someone else’s soul for their safety – and she hates being forced to stand idly by, no one paying her any mind.  Her husband moves to shake the god’s hand, and she begs silently, regardless of whether either of them can hear, “No, Rumple, please don’t do this!  There must be a better way!”
         Without deviating from his original intent, Rumplestiltskin leans even more toward the Lord of the Dead, not allowing himself so much as a glance at her, solely focusing on Hades, alert for any move or threat from his dangerous adversary.  Their hands meet in between, as if to shake on the arrangement, and a burst of magical power so ground shaking shoots out sparks, tossing both Hades and Rumple apart.  It topples Belle to the ground, momentarily blinded by the white hot flash and breathless from the impact, her awareness shattered.  For a time, she knows no more, and when she comes back to herself, she is lying on the moving floor of the library elevator they had taken down to Hades’ inner sanctum, and the door is sliding open to reveal the Underworld’s version of her beloved haunt.  As the lift reaches the top and halts, Belle sees that she is also utterly alone…
         A few scratching sounds and a thump against the outer door of the Storybrooke Library, followed by the sound of something metal picking at the lock, the doorknob rattling, and an accented male voice calling her name hopefully, before the tell-tale sound of the lock clicking free, awakens her just a couple of hours later, still early morning, but light now.  She hears the sound of more than one pair of booted feet striding toward her as she blinks dazedly and surfaces from the flashback-dream and her tormented rest.  Shooting upright quickly, hoping they haven’t seen her pathetically asleep where she fell, Belle nearly loses her balance and topples off the stool she’d been perched on.  Wincing at the pain in her lower back from sleeping in such an awkward position, Belle tiredly rubs her eyes and tries to focus on her early visitors.
         Only a second later, she registers Killian Jones’ voice jovially greeting her as he walks toward her across the open entryway and also hears the low, warm chuckle behind him from Liam, his revived older brother.  She had been introduced to him as they were all working together to leave the Underworld, but she has not had much occasion to be around him since, and so she is surprised by his seemingly easy good humor, and the sparkle in his eyes that much resembles the one she’s often seen in Killian as they’ve researched some Big Bad threatening the town or discussed favorite books over lunch.
         Startled, she lets hesitant brown eyes come to meet his friendly, open gaze and gives what she hopes is a welcoming smile as she teases Killian in hopes of keeping his usual perceptiveness from picking up on her disheveled, unhappy state.  “What brings the Jones brothers to my library at the crack of dawn?”
         Killian flashes her a devious wink, before nodding his head to her briefly in a playfully slight bow, “Ah, but wouldn’t you like to know, Lass?” he teases.  His voice is bright and jovial, and there is a happy twinkle in his ocean-blue gaze that has been absent in many instances where she has seen him appear dazed or haunted since his return to life and the world above.  She simply has to return the mischievous grin – happy for this former enemy who has become a true friend, proud of him (though it may not be her place) that he has found the strength Rumple never quite mustered to change for the better, make right the wrongs within his power to mend, and became the man he was always meant to be.
         Tilting her head to study both of the men before her with friendly curiosity, she begins checking in the small stack of books Killian has carried in with him to return.  Liam meets her eyes but doesn’t speak, his smile warm and friendly, but his general bearing more restrained than his younger brother’s.  They certainly resemble each other – well-formed, strong features, straight noses and piercing eyes – but Liam is a bit taller, slightly broader of shoulder, and with fairer hair beginning to grow out enough to show curls that Killian’s straight, dark, shaggy locks don’t possess.
         Deciding to get to know the intriguing man before her a bit better, Belle chooses to ignore Killian’s baiting and glances at his older brother from beneath lowered lashes.  “And what about you?” she asks softly, “Do you enjoy reading as much as Killian does?” For some reason she has to fight a tremor in her voice as the words leave her mouth, and a thrill of nervous awareness racing up her spine as Liam Jones’ lips angle up into a fuller smile.
         “Aye, Mrs. Gold, I do indeed,” he replies, with a succinct, definite nod of his head as he steps closer, right up to the counter of the circulation desk between them, while Killian wanders away into the stacks to look for new volumes.  “We share our love of the written word, ever since I first taught him to read when we were boys, though Killian has always tended more toward daring adventure tales, epic fantasy and the like.  I’m a bit of a history buff myself – love learning how kingdoms rise and fall and how leaders are formed.  There is much to garner from such real events that have come before.”
         Belle bobs her head in an excited nod, warming to the topic as she leans over the counter, absorbed by his words in spite of herself and forgetting the pain and confusion of the dream vision to a more pleasant topic.  “I know exactly what you mean!  There are so many good records, biographies, accounts of battles, journeys, and expeditions – it’s amazing to learn what that must have been like, to imagine traveling alongside such great adventurers when such momentous enterprises were being undertaken.”  She pauses to draw in a breath, having begun to speak quickly in her excitement. Amusement shines in the look Liam Jones levels at her across the desk, but understanding and a sort of relief that intrigues her glows from his expression to warm her as well.
         Belle makes an impulsive decision in that moment, wanting to share something she still loves and finds joy in with someone else who has weathered and survived much and clearly loves it too.  Moving to stand quickly, with the intent to take Killian’s brother to their nonfiction section and show him some of her favorite tomes, Belle forgets for a moment how much her subtly widening stomach throws her off balance and pitches forward as she slips off the stool, then cries out softly as overcorrecting to catch herself pulls at her back painfully.
         Liam is around the counter and at her side in an instant, one hand on her arm to steady her, the other coming to rest at her waist.  “Steady on, Lass.  Easy there,” he murmurs with soothing concern.
         Killian darts back out form where he’d ventured, good arm full of novels and brows pinched together with worry.  “What is it?  What’s wrong?” he asks.
         Belle shakes her head, offering Liam a grateful smile, even as she blushes in embarrassment and also feels warmth flood her at his contact with her body.  She tries to calm both of them – conscientious, old-fashioned, chivalrous gentleman through and through – and step away.  “N-nothing.  I’m fine.  Just lost my balance is all.  …Th-thank you though, Captain Jones,” she adds sincerely to Liam.  Unthinkingly, she raises her hand to her neck which feels cramped and stiff as well, wincing slightly before she even realizes.
         Killian, observant as ever and an especially intuitive friend when it comes to her, notices her moving gingerly and guesses at her sleeplessness, speaking gently as he touches his metal appendage to her shoulder and impels her to look back up at him simultaneously.  “Still not resting, Love?” he asks, already seeming assured of the answer.  “You’ve been sitting at that counter all night, haven’t you?”
         Sheepishly, the tiny brunette dips her chin to her chest in the slightest of nods, feeling even smaller under the concerned scrutiny of these two tall, strong former naval officers.  It isn’t worth denying the fact; Killian already knows the truth.  She had confided in him long ago, even before their trip to Camelot, her sleeplessness from a broken heart.  He is certainly astute enough to realize that the organ is now only more broken.
         What startles her however, is his proper older brother’s reaction.  In interactions, Liam has always been friendly but reserved; now, he ushers her forward, an arm coming around her waist to guide her toward the reading lounge she has set up by the windows and into an overstuffed, comfortable chair.  “Milady Belle, sit, please.  You’re with child.  You must take care of yourself.”
         She doesn’t fight him, letting him lead her to the seat and settling into it with an actual sigh of relief.  And he surprises her again by kneeling before her and grasping her delicate hand in his much larger one, enveloping it completely.  There is an open, earnest look on his face that both soothes and puzzles her as he gazes up into her face and asks her if there is aught else they can do or fetch for her.
          Liam himself doesn’t understand what has come over him as he looks up into the weary, hurting face of this lovely but lonely young woman. All he is certain of – and he knows he will speak to Killian about why she isn’t sleeping, what she has been through – is the concern for her he feels. He wants to find out why she is so sad, and to find a way to make it better. His resolve is firm, even if not fully understood, and he senses the beginning of a new mission, a new adventure.
Tagging a few who might enjoy: @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @shireness-says @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi @spartanguard @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @therooksshiningknight @o-wild-west-wind @anmylica @xsajx @cosette141 @sotangledupinit @elizabeethan @thislassishooked @ilovemesomekillianjones @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @darkcolinodonorgasm @xhookswenchx @donteattheappleshook @the-darkdragonfly @justanother-unluckysoul @lfh1226-linda​ @scientificapricot​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​ @kday426​ @gingerchangeling​ @gingerpolyglot​ @teamhook​ @revanmeetra87​ @drowned-dreamer​ 
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Okay so thought would Astarion just be uber happy if tav is just clinging to him and is like let me stay here where it is safe for just a little longer pleaseee
I think I'm feeling the energy. And it's an actual drabble instead of a novel! Cw: In-game references, spoilers, but this is just some fluffy fluff fluff.
~
When Astarion made the decision to seduce you, it had been based in cold rationality. In the short time he had known you, you had proven to be intelligent, capable, attractive enough for sex to not feel like a total burden, and extremely hard to kill. Using a falsified relationship to wrap you around his finger was the easy choice for survival. And it did work, with varying results.
Because you provided many, many complications. Like the unfortunate reality that Astarion quickly had grown sincerely fond of you. Not only were you impressively competent, you were fun. Hilariously bitchy in a way that never failed to make him laugh. But you were still kind, kind in a meaningful way that Astarion was simply not used to.
It had felt like a shock when you were so adamant about his right to be his own person. When you didn't make him bite that drow cretin he was struck with the realization that you actually cared about him. What that thing had been offering in return would no doubt have been useful to your journey, but you didn't even give it a second thought. And Astarion wouldn't soon forget how you saying, "He said no," with so much conviction had sent a shiver up his spine.
Perhaps the whole event sent him into a tailspin that ended with him admitting his, in-hindsight, horrible plan, but it had been worth it in the end. Gods knows why, but you didn't abandon him when he revealed the truth. You just listened. You listened and opened up your mind for him to see just how much you cared for him. A care he perhaps didn't deserve, but one he would take. Even if he had no idea what the two of you were doing anymore.
But he did know that something shifted in your relationship after that, the birth of a new kind of trust. Apparently, Astarion hadn't been the only one holding back.
Because seemingly overnight, you got a lot more touchy. A facet of yourself that he really had not seen coming. Not sexually, no. You had been nothing but a dream when it came to understanding the hang-ups he had with that particular topic. But you did suddenly decide that you loved holding hands. You loved hugging him, for no reason at all. The two of you went from the occasional night together before parting ways to simply sharing a tent. And gods were you a cuddler. Every morning he would wake up with you wrapped around him, peaceful and at ease as you slept in his arms.
And... it was nice. Really, really nice. Astarion had always assumed that he would loathe being with someone who was so tactile. But it turned out when every little touch wasn't leading to mediocre and/or horrifying sex they were actually quite enjoyable. It felt good to have you so close, to know that you felt safe and comfortable with him of all people. Nice enough for Astarion to slowly get addicted to it. He wasn't quite sure when his favorite past time became reading while you laid on top of him, but he knew it claimed to top spot with startlingly speed.
Even now, with Cazador still looming, the tadpoles still squirming behind your eyes, worries and responsibilities abound, Astarion felt completely at peace. He was laying flat on his back on his bed roll, a book in one hand and the other carefully petting your hair as you dozed off; your body completely draped over him. He'd have to wake you sooner than later. Baldur's Gate was only a day's journey away now, and if you wanted to make it there before nightfall then everyone would have to get moving. He could already hear the sound of the others shuffling about.
He snapped his book shut, setting it to the side before he gently shook you, "It's time to rise and shine darling, Baldur's Gate won't be saving itself."
You mumbled as you buried your face into his chest, your words slurred, "Don't wanna. Too early."
That was another change with this newfound phase of trust. Astarion had become the only person who knew your little secret of not being a morning person. In the first few moments of wakefulness, you were at your clingiest, your whiniest, surprisingly your most honest, and arguably your most adorable state of the day. A fact that you actively hid from the rest of the group out of sheer embarrassment, but Astarion thought it was cute.
Not to mention that it made him feel special, oddly enough. That he was the only one who was allowed to see you like this; who could take care of you like this.
Astarion laughed at your response, "Tell that to the sun sweetheart. It's high-time we got going."
Despite his own words, he wasn't really doing much to move the process along. If anything he was hindering it when he wrapped his arms around you, only helping to make you more comfortable instead of less.
But then again, maybe he wasn't quite ready to let you go yet either.
You shook your head against him, your hands tightening on the fabric of his shirt, "Le'mme stay, just a little longer."
"That's easy for you to say when you're not the one to get Lae'zel's wrath," Astarion lightly argued, still making no moves to actually hurry this process along. But it was true, Lae'zel always blamed your lateness on him, her favoritism towards you blatantly obvious. The bitch. But at least she was a bitch with good taste, "I would prefer not to be murdered by a gith for being tardy."
But you were already back to being half-asleep, your internal filter completely disintegrated as you mumbled, "Feels safe here, with you. Don't wanna let it go yet. Please?"
Gods, how the in the nine hells was Astarion supposed to say no to that? He didn't. Instead the grip he had on you only tightened, the happy little sigh you let out at the movement striking him straight through the heart. He felt so... happy in that moment, through nothing more than the simplicity of holding you. Because you trusted him. You felt safe with him, which might as well have been a love confession in Astarion's world. It felt so good to have this, an intimacy that he'd been denied for centuries.
Astarion settled back, letting his own eyes close as he smiled. The others would get the two of you eventually, but until then he wasn't going anywhere. No, the two of you would be staying right here.
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moonchild1 · 3 months
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park jimin fic rec list (Ⅲ)
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woah it really has been a long time since i posted but i am so glad to be back and to get back into reading i saw so many of my favourite authors have updated and i am beyond excited to start this journey again but in the mean time here's jimin rec list as promised it was so exciting finishing this list cause i got so nostalgic making it and reading all the old fics i had on my reading list ughhh i just loved it so much and it got me back into the swing of things and i cant wait to make more lists, i do have another jjk list ready and i will post it the day after tomorrow so i hope you enjoy this one and don't forget to show all the love and support in the world to these amazing authors they work so hard to create these fics for us and they deserve endless praise and love for the commitment and generosity they have so please do leave them a comment, heart or reblog a small comment can go a long way here and can make someone smile even bigger so dont don't shy away from making someone happy... as usual you guys know this fics i recommend contain smut so minors don't interact you will be blocked... i really do love hearing from you guys so if you do have a little fic you are super into right now and you just want to rant about how amazing it is feel free to send me an ask 😊🖤
a- angst s- smut f- fluff
series
plot twist by @xpeachesncream f s a
↳ jimin isn’t interested in fake dating, but he’s definitely interested in getting to know someone the right way. after all, he feels like he’s ready to put himself out there and give it all he’s got. so, he takes a risk in trying something completely out of his comfort zone and hops on the new, popular dating app - only to come across and get to know someone he didn’t expect to meet.
a remedy for mondays by @dovechim s
↳ all you wanted was just one day off work. but for that to happen, you need to invent a plausible reason. and then somehow, somewhere along the way, things get out of hand, and now people think you’re having a baby with your co-worker Park Jimin after a one-night stand. confused? join the club.
it’s okay, that’s love by @/dovechim f s a deals with deep subjects
↳ People are constantly making some kind of connection with each other- be it friendship or romance. But human bonds always lead to messy complications; commitment, sharing, driving people to the airport, letting them get up close and personal with the darkest parts of ourselves. And sure- it’s scary as hell to watch them cross those boundaries you’ve so meticulously drawn, but it’s okay, because that’s love.
so it goes by @/dovechim f s
↳ Park Jimin knows a lot about humans. of course he does, he studies them for a living. he knows that they say hello by holding hands, and when they say goodbye, they put their arms around each other. but this particular human, he notes, is unlike the rest- stuck in a slump, going about your day praying for the Universe to stage an intervention in the form of an alien abduction. when he decides to finally fulfil your wishes, he finds that you have a little something to teach him about what it means to live life on Earth the way you do: ugly crying, underwear and all. in return, he shows you the possibilities that abound if you simply adopted their mantra: everything is beautiful, and nothing hurts.
love again by @taestefully-in-luv f s a
↳ A friend of yours is eager to introduce you to her new man but what happens when Park Jimin, the man who broke your heart 5 years ago walks in through the door?
the other woman: the seduction and the illusion by @namjooningelsewhere f s a
↳ No one told you being the other woman would never be easy, No one told you that his love would be two sides to a same coin. No one told you he came to you because you were his escape to his demons. No one told you he would always call you his, but he would never be yours. And most importantly no one told you, He never loved you because you dont destroy the people you love.
FUTURE HEARTS by @jungblue f s a ft. jjk
↳ It was everything, from his tattoos, to his touches, to the way sweat rolled down his neck as he strummed into his guitar on stage; everything about him completely enthralled you. So why are you now, two and a half years later, on a train to Seoul, telling a complete stranger the recollection of how you became fated to forever have scars on all of your future hearts due to the happiness, but most of all the pain, that came along with falling in love with Jeon Jungkook. 
after the applause by @foxymoxynoona
↳ Jimin doesn't know how he would have made it this far after the shattering of his world without the support of his thoughtful, generous, helpful neighbor. Hanbyul has lived next to hottie Jimin and his adorable daughter for years now, long enough to remember the wife he was so devoted to and lost far too young. With each safely ensconced on their side of the brick wall of the Parks' grief, it will take an enterprising little scientist to set the stage for a second chance at love.
saved by @to-star-lake s a
rockstar au deep subjects read warnings
midnight memories by @hobipaint f s a
↳ there's drunk habits, and then there's drunk mistakes. What do you call meeting your friend - no, ‘former friend’ - at a bar, getting drunk with him and sleeping- 'accidentally' - with him? especially when everyone already knows that you stay away from him as much as the day does from night?
Easy. You forget about it.
heartbreak chronicles by @sugaxjpg s
↳ Park Jimin had it all — good grades, a place as the soccer team’s captain and, more than that, the broken hearts of at least half the campus’ population. Though, one thing he did not have was someone willing to break his heart and, after you were dragged inside a miraculous plan to play that part, the last thing counted on was the preposterous idea that, perhaps, you could fall for him as well. 
drifting by@hongcherry f a
↳ After being assigned different partners for your midterm routine, your and Jimin’s relationship starts to deteriorate when you both begin spending more time away from each other and with your assigned partners instead.
growing pains by @taleasnewastime f s a
↳ Growing up the daughter of the boss of a gang is never easy, but normally the problems are around being given too many responsibilities, or the risk of being connected to a gang leader, or wanting to escape but not being able to. But you’ve got a different problem, you want more responsibility, want to be like your brother who’s been named heir, want a role in the family gang. Your whole life you’ve been denied what you want, being born a female seemingly your main issue; perceived as weak, naïve, trying to step above your station. But as unsupportive and dismissive as your family is, there is always the bright light that is Jimin; the boy you love but can never have.
tuqburni by @solastia f s a ft.myg
↳ You’ve spent two years building a life with Yoongi who you loved more than anything in the world. Now, his ex-boyfriend Jimin is back in the picture, and Yoongi begs you not to make him choose between the two of you, offering the choice of a polyamorous relationship. Though your heart is shattered, you agree.
stardust by @venusjeon f a
↳ struck by your beauty, Jimin begs to paint you naked behind the world's back so as not to stain your influential family—his patrons—with scandal.
drift by @snackhobi f s
↳ You used to think that there was nothing better than the sensation of coming first place. However, your rival- the talented, gorgeous, dangerous Park Jimin- is more than happy to prove you wrong.
the deli diaries by @jimlingss f
↳ Working at a grocery store deli is absolutely unbearable (and you’re also perfectly aware of how dramatic you are). But it seems like something, or rather, someone might make the job a bit more manageable.
best of me by @xotoosweet f a
↳ when he tells the story of how he met you in a few years, he'll claim that it was meant to be. you'll laugh and call it a coincidence. it was a coincidence that on the first day of summer semester, he decided to go on a run (though he claimed he always ran in the mornings). it was a coincidence that he chose a less traveled path in the university arboretum that morning. and it was definitely a coincidence that you were there, sitting on the rail of the river bridge.
the ten days of ex-mas by @kpopfanfictrash f s a
↳ Three months following the worst break-up of your life, you finally feel ready to start moving on. The world, it seems, has other ideas when you pick up the phone and find your ex-boyfriend calling.
strip by @yoonia f s a
↳ Summary | Everything you have done has always been about surviving life and raising your child on your own. Having someone else caring about you was the last thing you had expected. Especially when that someone is the same man you have watched performing every night on stage and secretly admired. But will he run the moment he finds out about your little secret waiting at home?
falling by @/yoonia s a
↳ For Park Jimin, you are everything he will ever need—his assistant, his housekeeper, his task runner, his fairy godmother. For you, he is more than everything. You have dedicated your life for him and, before you even realised it, your heart belongs to him alone. The only problem is that he is never yours, and you are living in a world that your love for him is nothing more than a fairytale ending. As you are suddenly given a chance to wake up and face the real world, will you be ready to embrace it? Will he be ready to deal with the world without you in it?
wrapped around by @jjkfire ft. kth f s a
↳ Freshman year was a mess and sophomore year doesn’t seem to be looking too good either. You know boys like them are no good for you but maybe they’re just your kind of type
baby, baby by @hobiwonder f s a
↳ When you’ve run out of savings to continue on to the last semester of your Bachelors - you take an unorthodox route. Helping a desperate couple have a child and getting paid for it? Heck yeah. But what do you know - it wasn’t as easy as it sounds.
love at first touch by bagelswrites (ao3)
↳ The first time you meet your soulmate, it leaves a bruise on both of you at the point of contact. From then on, your body begins rejecting any sustenance other than the touch of your soulmate. The trick is, the bruises take a few hours to appear, so you have to figure out who you've touched and find them before you starve to death. But once you do, all you ever need is them. So what happens if you're an idol and you meet your soulmate at a fan event?
our little family by @nightbts f a
↳ you were living a simple life filled with simple dreams; combining your two most loved things in life, children and teaching, you were starting out your career as a teacher at the local pre-school. but little did you know, how one child and her very special father, would change your simple life into something extraordinary
one-shot 35
brand new eyes by @missgeniality s
↳ Jimin’s eyes had potential to ruin you, and tonight you test the damage.
waves by @shina913 s
↳ It's Valentine's Day and your boyfriend decides to spice things up with a little surprise for you.
failure to communicate by @gukslut s
↳ Enemies to Lovers/ College AU
physical by @ppersonna f s
↳ you cant seem to escape the sexy fitness instructor that seemingly is everywhere you turn. it’s enough to make you irrational.
good for you by @candlewaxandp0lar0ids s
↳ Jimin can’t help the way he drowns himself in you. Why should he anyway?
ho-ho-home by @jjungkookislife s a
↳ Golden neighbor extraordinaire, Park Jimin, is (unintentionally) stealing your spotlight this holiday season. Despite your one sided rivalry with him, all Jimin wants is for you to remember him, to remember your past and hopefully create a future with you.
100km/hour by @chateautae s
↳ what exactly happens when you and your friends have to pile into one car for the ride home after an insane halloween party, and you find yourself sitting in park jimin’s lap? especially when he’s dressed as an angel, and you’re in the sluttiest devil costume ever?
what it's like by @jimilter s
↳ You’ve always heard great tales about how good the infamous fuckboy on campus, Park Jimin, is in bed, and wondered if there could be any truth behind these claims when the guy looks like an angel with his cheruby cheeks and precious smiles. So when a new gossip starts to circulate about how ‘hard he hits’, you have had enough of the suspense and decide to finally sample him yourself.
feel your touch by @/jimilter f s a
↳ You have always known yourself to be a sexual switch in bed, flipping between exercising and submitting control according to different situations and partners. And this camboy you are addicted to, one that seems to kinda reciprocate your interest, submits so beautifully that you just want to command him. But when things progress to levels you never anticipated, you end up discovering pleasant surprises that might just change your life.
the prince’s cinderella syndrome by @/jimilter f s a ft jjk
↳ He shows up at Halloween, every year, dressed the same, and leaves at midnight like some Cinderella. You would think he was a prankster if his eyes didn't look like they contained all the sadness in the world. You don't know him - no one on campus does. You don't know why he appears only once a year. You don't know why he never smiles. But you can't help falling in love with him. Even if he breaks your heart when he abandons you at midnight, again.
scream your panties by @opaljm s a
↳ As your midterms have ended and Halloween has arrived, you are looking forward to a pleasant time relaxing and enjoying the festivities at your sorority and Jimin’s frat houses. Luck is not in your favor, though, because things keep going wrong like a trail of dominoes falling – the only upside to your slowly deteriorating day being that you get to end it with your boyfriend’s delicious self between your legs.
first snow, last kiss by @taeshobipop f s a
↳ He broke your heart four years ago; the old loving memories of your time together now tainted by pure betrayal. Yet in the haze of new snow, after returning home for the first time, the moments you had once convinced yourself were nothing but a lie, reveal themselves to be otherwise.
antifreeze by @winetae s
↳ Jimin participates in the school’s adaption of The Nutcracker for extra credit but doesn’t expect his new dance partner to a) be this bad at dancing and b) be this fucking cute
what she likes by @untaemedqueen f s
idol au husband au marriage au
only you by @personasintro f s a
↳  you’ve been always there for your best friend, even when he became a single dad 
sucker by @/personasintro s a
↳ You wish you'd pay more attention to Jimin. Like, how his eyes kept changing color. How cold his skin was, too unrealistically to be natural. Or one second, he flashed you with his sharp canines and the next one he didn't have any. How much he craved for you, but not the way you thought he was.
please, lie to me by @ressjeon s a
↳ "centuries of loyalty vs. only months of fucking, how could you miscalculate?"
summer synchrony by @seokkgenie f s a
↳ childhood friends to lovers
neon seoul @readyplayerhobi f s a
↳ It the city of New Seoul, another homicide isn’t newsworthy but instead just a statistic. But when the son of the mayor is murdered in an alley in a shady part of the city? Then it’s important. You and your partner, Detective Park Jimin, are given the honour of investigating the crime. Will you find out who killed him? Or will you fail?
serendipity by @btsracket s a ao3
↳ It's serendipitous. Jimin braces for darkness but finds his light instead.
the boyfriend concept by @/kpopfanfictrash s
↳ Win a Date with a Porn Star! You saw the sign when you walked in, of course, but you had no idea your friend dropped your name into the raffle. Fast-forward to later that day, when you actually win. You are horrified, of course, with no intention of accepting and setting yourself up for embarrassment. But then you meet Jimin, and decide this might be worth a shot.
Lovely Demons by @/kpopfanfictrash s a
↳ As penance for a crime committed long, long ago, the Witch Council banished you to the feared Tholoss forest. Your sentence was one hundred thousand days of solitude – or death, whichever came first. Your only hope of salvation comes from the demon names routinely sent your way; creatures who escape the inner circles of Hell and pose a threat to the mortal realms. For each demon you kill, days are removed from your sentence. For years you’ve existed, biding your time, until one morning you receive a name which throws your entire world into chaos: the name of Park Jimin, High Prince of Hell himself.
blue blood by @joonbird s a
↳ “Prince Jimin was born with blue blood. His coronation is rapidly approaching, but there are two requirements he must fulfil before becoming a king. He must have the skills to fight in battle, and he must have a Queen with blood as blue as his. You, a member of the royal guard, are assigned to teach Jimin the ins and outs of combat. You are not scared of death, of blood, or of battle. What you are scared of however, is falling in love with Jimin, the one man your blood decrees you can never have.”
i want to be with you by @oddinary4bts f s a
↳ moving to Seoul has always seemed like a good idea, until the bubble bursts when you realize your new neighbor is Park Jimin, and he's not the sweet angel you've always imagined him to be. Will the reality of Park Jimin forever be a nightmare, or will he turn into a sweet dream?
locked in love by @parkmuse f s a
↳ Getting locked in the mall on Christmas eve isn’t ideal, but getting locked in the mall with your brothers best friend that you haven’t seen in a while? Well, it might have been alright if you didn’t have feelings for him.
peaches and cream by @snackhobi s
↳ you wouldn’t mind your cute neighbour being such a shameless fuckboy if a) the walls weren’t so thin and b) he didn’t seem intent on adding you as another notch in his bedpost. 
reset by @/dovechim s
↳ We are made of the pieces of what we remember, and we hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there are memories to call our own, there can be no true loss. But Park Jimin has no such privilege. 
the dark side of the moon by @/dovechim s
↳ falling in love at first sight is cliche, not until it happens to you on a dark night in a lonely alley. but you’re only human, while Park Jimin is Alpha of his pack; it could never work out. so you resort to pining for him like a wolf howling at the moon, but when Jimin goes feral, that’s when everything changes. 
Unconditionally by @kstopping s a
↳ Jimin constantly torments you. But you love it.
Instinct by @evangelene f a
↳ A lost child appears into your life only to bring you closer Jimin–a man that you’d thought you’d hated once upon a time. Now all you want is to be there for the child, and maybe his father–but only if his mother gets the hell out of the way.
eternal sunlight by @kidguk f s a
↳ “college and soulmate au where the first words your soulmate will say to you are tattooed on your wrist. jimin thinks he met his soulmate exactly four months after he met and fell in love with you. you can’t explain your attraction or your feelings toward him, even though technically you’re meant to be with other people. taehyung and jungkook helpfully suggest that the universe might be glitching.”
foul play by @kimvtae f s a
↳ Everyone loves a good rivalry, and the students at your university are no exception. Unluckily for you, the rivalry of the decade is between yourself and a furiously irritating Park Jimin. A top gymnast and a basketball star shouldn’t cross paths, but Jimin makes his way into your heart before you can put a stop to it.
lost and found by @/kimvtae s a
↳ The only thing bigger than Park Jimin’s ass is his ego. After one too many scandals, after one too many mornings stumbling back to the dorms drunk or ruining the reputations of other idols, Jimin is given an ultimatum: complete a rehabilitation program in America or leave Bangtan.
if we were a movie by @/kimvtae f s a
↳ Friends with benefits never worked in the movies, but you and Jimin had been friends for so long, it was bound to work for you. Until, of course, Jimin gets a girlfriend, and you fear you may lose your friendship with him for good.
the pull of the tides by @goldenscript f s
↳ The expanse of the deep blue sea has always drawn you in. Each ebb and flow of the tides never ceasing to take your breath away. And now, a boy with hair as light as the morning sun and a smile just as bright does too. 
hard to say by @floralseokjin f s a
↳you've had feelings for your best friend Jimin for as long as you can remember, but you always thought they were unreciprocated. What if it turned out they weren’t...?
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↬looking for pjm library or the other members check out my library
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darlingdekarios · 1 year
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hibernate.
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rating: explicit. 18+ only. length: 6,152 content: Arthur Morgan x f!reader, animal hunting mentions, cannon-accurate outlaw behavior, cowboy meet cute, Arthur Morgan is a simp, snowed in, fluff, smut [v fingering, unprotected p in v, creampie, cockwarming], kink(s) [spit as lube]
it was like fate insisted on the two of you colliding.
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The first time you’d met Arthur Morgan was a lovely March night in New Hanover, opportunities abound as the hustle and bustle of life was at its highest point of the year, the weather the most tolerable for moving about. Returning from an evening of fishing now that the water wasn’t frozen in some areas and sketching birds by the river when he stumbled across a lone figure boarding train – well after midnight. He followed on horseback under the cover of trees in anticipation, joined by your own horse shortly after. He followed alongside with a hold of the strange horse’s reins until the train came to a stop. 
He'd strained to hear you, considered boarding after you to clean up any straggling guards – it wasn’t his business, so he didn’t – but curiosity held him close. When the sound of police approaching quickly began you emerged to the top of the train, looking around desperately for your horse. Temporarily frozen when the moonlight caught your face and confirmed to the man that you were a woman, he recovered just in time to spring into action.
It had been Arthur who had led your horse to you and instructed you to follow. It was Arthur’s path that led you away from the law and eventually far enough away to be free of their hunting.
“Are you some kinda lunatic, lady?” he questioned when the two of you slowed side-by-side under the cover of thick trees, his face hard-set and stern. “You coulda gotten yourself tossed away for a long time back there.”
“I didn’t, though,” you laughed, and despite the feeling that burned in him that he couldn’t quite place as anger or worry Arthur’s stomach flipped at the sound and the way your laugh reached your eyes. You adjusted your hat with a playful smile on your lips, keeping the reins to your horse in one hand. 
“Thanks to me,” he asserted, the stress causing him to light up a cigarette and adjust his hat. His eyes caught your gaze and you held it, appreciating his handsome features for a moment as your smile twisted wider.
“I would’ve figured it out, cowboy – you can be sure of that.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ve seen your face on ‘wanted’ posters, Mr. Morgan,” you proclaimed, tone proud as you called him on his identity. He took another drag from his cigarette before leaning forward comfortably in his saddle, outstretching a hand toward you. 
“Arthur,” he offered, amusement flashing across his features when you shook his hand firmly. “And I’ve seen yours, too. What is it they call you…?”
“The Panther,” you replied, that proud tone ever-present in your voice. “A nice tribute to my best hunt.”
His poker face was too well-trained to reveal that he was impressed – that he was intrigued.
“Well next time you go thinkin’ of doing something so goddamn stupid like rob a train at midnight alone,” he began, gruff voice filled with frustration as he attempted to present his unamused façade. “You could invoke that particular nickname and be a little more subtle.”
The second time was just as circumstantial. It was July – the heat sweltering, the air sticky, the fireflies sparkling in fields at night. You’d been riding for days, hunting gators in the swamps for weeks and now headed back to a more familiar area where you felt more at home. Just past Emerald Ranch you’d spotted him on the road ahead – his hat unmistakable and burned into your mind, his horse giving away his identity to anyone who knew it. 
There was no questioning if he’d want your company – you didn’t even give it a thought. Instead, you’d hastened your own horse to catch up with him.
“Where ya headed, cowboy?” you questioned as you approached from behind, adjusting your hat back on your head to offer more of your face to him. Your voice immediately sent a shiver down his spine, the barely-there smile crossing his features unmissed by you.
Four months trying to remember your face and voice hadn’t done it any justice.
“Valentine,” he replied, slowing his horse’s stride to match yours. The two of you set a lazy pace, in no real hurry to get anywhere. “You following me now, cat?”
“Like I ain’t got better things to do, Mr. Morgan?” you joked, nose scrunching as you smiled. The Summer sun had done beautiful things for your color, he noted. “Give you $50 and shine your guns if you can beat me there.”
“Are you tryin’ to race me?” he questioned with a subtle laugh, raising an eyebrow in your direction.
“Won’t be much of a race, cowboy.”
He let out a real, genuine, albeit short laugh at that. The sound filled the air around you, made birds vacate trees. Your heart soared away alongside them.
“And what is it you want if you win?”
“A nice bottle of whisky,” you replied after a brief moment of thought, reaching your hand to rub your horse’s neck gently. Arthur had forgotten how gentle your hands were with everything they touched – the rediscovery lighting up his mind. “And a hot meal at your camp.”
“Can’t promise the gang’ll let you eat at camp without drinking, too.”
“Which is why I asked for a bottle of whisky,” you remarked, that shit-eating grin he was starting to love spreading on your face again. “Do we have a deal?”
“Hope your horse is fast enough to back up that mouth of yours,” he quipped back, intentionally antagonizing you as he started to pick up the speed slightly. “Or that you’ve got plenty of gun oil.”
You shot forward then, the dust of the road kicking up behind you as you left Arthur behind on a road you both knew well. In reality he could’ve caught you – could’ve even won if he’d pushed his horse hard enough – but the sound of your laughter in the cool evening air was reason enough to lose. 
It wasn’t a surprise when you crossed over into the town first.
“You cheated,” he argued as he approached, allowing his horse to slow to a reasonable speed for being around other people. “Got a head start. Doesn’t count.”
“You’re just a sore loser.”
“Maybe I am,” he replied, reaching up to remove his hat to resituate his wind-blown hair. You were momentarily transfixed on his fingers running through the strands that looked soft – maybe in need of a wash but soft nonetheless – but quickly wished he’d left it messy. “Weren’t mean you didn’t get a head start, cat.”
“Oh, like a couple steps mattered,” you entered an easy banter with him, just like the two of you had done in the Spring. He’d missed it – hadn’t realized how much he had until then. “Coulda given you a five-minute head start and still would’ve beat you and that slowpoke horse you ride.”
“Anybody ever tell you you’re difficult?” 
“Heard it a couple times,” there was that smile again – the nose crinkling one. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep his thoughts to himself with you smiling that way – at him. You jumped down from your stallion and hitched him with ease, feeding the massive animal a small snack in appreciation of his efforts. “I can compromise. I buy the whisky, but I still get a hot meal at your camp.”
He pondered your proposal only briefly before nodding, letting out an affirmative huff in agreeance. “I’ll meet you at the butcher when you’re done.”
You gave your horse a gentle pat and nodded, turning back to meet his gaze. “Sell that fox pelt I have up on Scratch, will ya?”
Easy. Simple. Honest. Sensible. Arthur loved having you around camp that night – and the night after when you’d been convinced to stay again by the women – though it was hardly just them that enjoyed your company. You’d made easy companions in the camp with your sharp tongue and ability to hold your alcohol. You had plenty of stories to share with Arthur’s chosen family – each one of them genuinely interesting to the gang.
Everyone knew the fact Arthur had brought you around meant you were a good person. The beauty was a bonus, he’d been informed in privacy. He’d only told Sean to shut his mouth in response. Arthur slept by the fire that night so you could sleep in his cot, and if anyone else in the gang saw the way he’d sat up for at least an hour with his eyes transfixed on your sleeping figure in his bed. 
It was Fall, October to be exact, the next time he heard from you – this time you had taken fate into your own hands to seek out his company. He was certain he’d never be able to dispose the letter you’d penned and sent to his camp.
Dear Arthur, Kinda strange to call you “dear”, huh?  Anyway, I have a job comin’ up in Saint Denis that involves me boarding a train quite late at night and remembering our conversation earlier this year I thought I may ask you to join.  Job is planned for the night of October 18, the Saturday after next. I’ll meet you the Friday before at the saloon in Van Horn if you plan on joining me.  I do hope you join me.  Hope that gang of yours isn’t being too rough on you. 
He arrived in Van Horn a day early and rented himself a room – and a bath – so he was prepared for the meeting. He was in the saloon before you, his chest clenching as you walked in through the swinging doors. 
You’d taken a page from his book and clearly bathed recently as well, and you were dressed for the first time in front of him in feminine attire. The sight of you in a skirt shouldn’t have affected him the way it did – it was embarrassing for a man his age. It didn’t prevent the pressure building at his waist, nor did it stop him from speaking his mind.
“You had to wear that damn skirt, didn’t ya?” he questioned when you joined him, a smile spreading across your face. It was hardly a gentlemanly way to greet you, but then again, he was hardly a gentleman. “Knew what you were doin’ puttin’ that on with me coming in today…”
“You complained so much about the pants last time I figured I’d save myself the headache,” you replied, sliding into a chair next to him and crossing your legs for emphasis. “You don’t like it?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, kitten,” he’d practically purred – a new tone between the two of you. There was no denying that you wanted to hear it more, and you nearly chose to forget the real reason you were now sitting beside him. 
“I need to look the part tomorrow for the job,” you replied quickly, eager to squash the tension now building between the two of you, unwilling to allow the job to go forgotten. There was too much money at stake. “Have to board a real nice train when it leaves out of Saint Denis tomorrow night. There’s a safe onboard I’d like to get my hands into.”
“Can’t just rob it the old-fashioned way?”
“Someone didn’t like the last time I did that,” you teased, feeling pleased with the smile it earned. “Figured I’d board and crack the safe.”
“Why you need me then?”
“Need someone to play my husband and keep watch while I’m workin’ on the safe.”
“Your husband,” he huffed out with another laugh, a brief shake to his head. The term had always been silly to him, just as silly as the idea of marriage was to you as a whole, really – and yet, there was no denying the clench in both of your chests at the mere thought. The imaginary suggestion manifested in brief images of domesticity, the vision of you sleeping in his cot in July flashing in his mind. 
You didn’t miss the slight redness to his cheeks, he didn’t miss how your smile fluttered into something laced with affection. For all your joking demeanor, it was still clear that there was some secretive sincerity beneath the surface – that you cared for Arthur. And on Arthur’s part, well…he wouldn’t ride across the country to work for just anyone.
“Yes,” you replied when you’d pulled yourself from the depths of his eyes. “A woman travelling with her husband is far less likely to draw attention than if I were alone.”
You thought there would be some protest, though if you’d seen even a fraction of the thoughts Arthur had conjured up in the preceding months you’d never have to question it. To you what seemed to be him conceding was actually the outlaw taking a step he’d long considered taking with you the next chance he got. 
Arthur just wanted to spend time with you – there were probably very few things he’d say no to right now in regard to you. He wouldn’t go admitting that out loud anytime soon either. 
“Fine, I’ll go along with your little plan. Only so you don’t go gettin’ yourself arrested.”
“Great!” you exclaimed, the brightness that covered your face blinding but serving as confirmation that he was making the right choice. The money he was sure to get would be a bonus, too. “I got you a wedding ring. Looks like it’ll fit. You can sell it when the job’s done, as a thank you.”
“You get it off a dead body?”
“He didn’t need it anymore.”
There was that goddamn feeling in his chest again. 
This was the fourth time destiny had crossed your path with Arthur Morgan’s. 
Now, the ring still lay in the outside pouch of his satchel, the cool metal brushing against the tips of his calloused fingers often daily in a physical reminder of you. Today, feeling the pull of being apart from you for four months now and into the new year, he’d been clutching the metal in his gloved hands as he led his horse through the far North. Seeking the solitary bliss of being alone in the mountains for the winter, he had opted to simply ride and camp, sketching in his journal and enjoying the snow dusted scenery. Arthur’s plan was soon thwarted as a snowstorm began to roll in.
He'd been riding along the same worn path to make his way down the mountain when he noticed horse tracks leading into the thick forest – a horse, by the look of it, with no reemergence to be seen. Opting to do the honorable thing, Arthur pursued the trail, weaving through trees atop his own horse until he came to a small clearing where you were setting predator bait.
He didn’t know the kind of words to describe the way he felt seeing you right in front of him.
“Are you some kinda lunatic, cat?” 
If he had a way with words, he’d tell you that your smile was brighter than the sun itself – fleeting shooting stars, the North Star when he’s lost. 
“That’s not the first time you’ve asked me that question, Mister Morgan,” you replied, standing up and patting your horse as your gaze remained transfixed on him now. Even at this distance you could see the blue in his coat had electrified his eyes, the tone a perfect match for the world around you. You found it hard to form any further rebuttal. 
“Won’t be the last either, given you’re doing something fucking crazy every time I see you,” he teased, finally giving into the natural ease he felt with you. The light air between the two of you had finally lulled him into a sense of comfort around you – he was willing to admit he was concerned, in his own way. “There’s a storm rollin’ in. You trying to freeze to death?”
“Trying to hunt a white wolf,” you replied, glancing back at the bait you’d just set and adjusting the bow you held in your hands, an arrow already grasped between two fingers. 
Fuckin’ hell, Arthur thought. ‘Course that’s what you’re out here doing.
“You ain’t gonna be hunting much of anything when you turn into an icicle,” he replied, hopeful that you would understand his taunting was coming from a place of concern – not control. “You got Scratch nearby?”
“I suppose you’re right,” you smiled, slipping the arrow back into the quiver on your back and whistling to call your horse back to you. You mounted up on the animal easily, Arthur taking the moment to appreciate how languid your movements were – how graceful. His eyes lingered at your waist for a moment longer than was decent.
“If I remember right there’s a cabin just up the road. Been empty the last few times I rode by,” he explained, his words offering more than just a place to shield from the freeze. 
Arthur wanted to spend time with you. You’d truly have to be a lunatic to think otherwise.
“Lead the way, cowboy.”
The snow picked up as the two of you rode side-by-side, both of your horses slowing as the powder piled up, creating heavier footsteps. While Arthur spoke to his horse beside you to soothe her through the storm, you could feel his eyes consistently on you despite the painful whip of flakes against his unshielded cheeks.
What could have been a short ride in the summer extended in the weather, and by the time the cabin approached view you had begun to shiver – something Arthur took note of. When he climbed from his horse he unrolled the blanket on the back of his saddle, passing it up to you before grabbing his shotgun. 
“I’ll check inside, you try not to shiver s’much you fall off your horse.”
He disappeared into the cabin, your mind focusing on the sounds of him moving about rather the piling snow that was sure to trap you for days. Keeping yourself wrapped in his blanket provided the additional comfort of his lingering scent, and you found yourself clutching the fabric tighter and tighter as the moments passed.
“This’ll be fine ‘til the storm’s passed,” he announced as he exited through the doors, voice raised so you could hear him over the wind. “You go on in while I get some firewood and hitch the horses.”
“I can help, you know,” you offered, eyebrows pulling together to communicate your frustration. 
“Would you stop your arguing for once and go inside out of this shit?”
By the time Arthur made his way in from the storm you’d used what wood remained in the cabin to start a fire, the flames warming the air around it quickly. The mattress was considerably dirty and out of the question, so you were validated in the decision to carry in your bedrolls and blankets, having set them up comfortably in front of the fire. 
His heavy boots sounded on the floor as he approached where you sat on the floor from behind, and while you couldn’t see him, you could feel his eyes on you. 
“Already got a fire going?”
“Uh huh,” you replied, noting the subtle shake to his voice. Arthur was strong, but he was human, and he was cold. The fact that he not only was willing to but insisted on suffering for you caused a knot to form in your stomach. “Got some whisky if you need help warming up.”
He simply grunted affirmatively in reply, setting the stack of wood carefully to the side and picking out the driest pieces to tend the fire with now. You tempted to hand the bottle out to him, the liquid going ignored as he began to peel off layer by layer, tossing the soaked clothing to the side lazily with little regard for how they ended up. Normally you’d have stood to hang the clothes, but you found yourself spellbound by the way Arthur’s muscles flexed with each movement under the simple wet damp button up shirt – the last remaining layer.
When he was somewhat comfortable, he turned to face you, eyes flashing with amusement as he took the bottle from your fingers. You were certain your mouth was hanging open and he’d caught you. At the moment, you could hardly bring yourself to care.
Hours passed as the two of you got warm and caught up over the last few weeks. You sat opposite one another, both wrapped in your own blankets and full of enough whisky to ignore the storm outside – to ignore everything but one another. Arthur hadn’t missed that most of your clothes lie neatly folded atop the countertop. The thought was repeating in his mind – the heavy question of what exactly remained under the blanket haunting him. 
He couldn’t be blamed for not being a good listener. 
“Arthur, are you even listenin’ to me?”
“Not a fuckin’ word,” he replied with one more small swig of whisky from the bottle, setting it well out of the way to the side. “Stop fuckin’ doin’ that if you want me to listen.”
“Doing what?”
You knew damn well what.
“Lookin’ at me like you want me to come crawl on top of you.”
Why on Earth would you ever stop doing that? 
“No.”
Your mouth was going to drive him to insanity one day. He wasn’t going to do a single thing about it.
“Did you just tell me ‘No’?” 
“Yeah, Arthur, I surely did,” you replied, quick and agile as you were on your feet. He was beginning to think you may only talk to hm this way, and that thought alone was enough to make him want to reach out to you. “Hoping you take the hint.”
The blanket he’d been using for himself was discarded to the side, your words finally snapping the thin thread of control that remained in him. He extended one arm outward toward the floor to support himself, outstretching his legs to be situated in a more comfortable position before his eyes found yours again. 
“Come on over here,” his invitation came thick as molasses and dripping just as sweet, his free hand patting his right thigh to give his words deeper meaning. “Bring the blanket.”
Arthur had finally figured out how to get you to stop arguing and basked in the glory of the moment as you crawled to him carefully, finding a comfortable seat in his lap as you straddled his thighs. He savored the view as you wrapped your arms around his neck, encompassing you both with the blanket, your face illuminated by the golden glow of the well-tended fire – beautiful, warm, inviting. 
He was more than happy to finally accept. 
“Are you gonna kiss me, Arthur?”
He knew you were trying to sound resolute as you always did – firm and demanding and impossible to deny. While those things lingered – he doubted they could ever truly be gone from you – what really laced your words was the quietest of whines. He sat up fully, bringing his torso closer to yours and grasping your hips in both hands, all the while your heart beating faster and faster in anticipation.
When you opened your mouth to let your protest be known again, he took his opportunity to claim your lips in a long-awaited kiss, the feeling of his lips caressing yours sucking the air from your chest immediately. He opted to slide his hands to your lower back to bring you in closer, pressing your chests together as he kissed you hungrily. Touch starved and overwhelmed by the feeling of you returning his kiss with soft lips he sought more of your skin, sliding his hands up the back of the loose blouse you remained in. 
“Clothes are still wet,” he grumbled against your lips, displeased by the cool touch to your skin that remained. You scrambled to reinitiate the kiss, your lips catching his bottom lip as a whine slipped through your lips. A quiet chuckle rumbled through his chest as he nuzzled your cheek with his nose. 
“Take them off, then,” you breathed out, bowing your head to press a delicate kiss to his neck. His own breath caught, arms wrapping tighter around you – almost too tight, almost too crushing. You made no move to stop him as you began to test the best places to leave your kisses, spurring him to release his hold on you to start peeling the last layers from both of you. 
Your lips brushed against the shell of his ear when all that remained were intimate coverings, a shaky groan rolling through his chest. His hands engulfed you, sliding up your torso until he cupped your breasts, dipping his head to claim your lips again. 
That kiss was hungry – starved – clumsy in ways that screamed of desperation. His thumbs rubbed over your nipples lightly, a smile evident on his lips despite the fact he continued to kiss you as a moan slipped from your throat. It spiraled from there, both of your hands exploring, your fingers the best thing he’d felt against his skin in a long time. As the pressure built heavier at your waist his hands trailed lower, one stopping to grasp your waist, the other slipping into the waistband of your underwear. 
He'd never heard music that sounded as good as the sound of the moan that left you as his thick fingers swiped through your wet folds, an appreciative hum shaking in his throat as you burrowed your face in his neck. 
“You’re already soaked for me, darlin’,” he rasped, his voice getting lower and lower with each word. He began to sink his index finger into you, grasping your hip tighter in his other hand. “Fuckin’ tight, too. Hell.”
“Arthur…”
“Aw, hush,” he cooed, turning his head to press a kiss to your temple as he curled his finger inside you, pulling a quiet whimper from you. “No point tryin’ to talk right now, darlin’ – just lemme take care of ya.”
He could take his sweet time, Arthur Morgan. He was a patient man, especially when it came to you, and never more-so than now as he began to work his finger in and out of your clenching heat. He added a second finger soon, pressing the heel of his hand to your clit to give you more pressure, which you gladly accepted by rocking your hips into it. 
As he pumped his fingers into you he began to trail kisses lower, the kisses growing heavier and wetter the further down he went. By the time he nipped at your hip with his teeth lightly you were breathless, eyes squeezed shut as you lost yourself to pleasure. He kissed across your waistline as he pulled your underwear down, smiling against your skin lightly when you kicked them free with frustrated fervor. 
Nothing up to this point compared to the feeling of Arthur sliding his tongue from his fingers to your clit, giving the sensitive bundle of nerves a soft suck. He repeated the motion as you struggled to even moan, your hands grasping at the blankets now on the floor beneath you as you tried to rock your hips into his face desperately.
“Easy, now,” Arthur reprimanded with quiet reverence behind his words, turning his head to press a kiss to your inner thigh softly. “I’m takin’ my time with you, don’t rush me.”
You finally opened your eyes, ready to give him an earful about being a tease, only to be frozen once again faced with the sight of Arthur, golden illuminated by the fire and somehow still wearing his hat tipped back on his head. You maintained eye contact with him as you reached forward with your hands, removing the hat with one hand and placing it on your own head as your fingers ran through his hair, giving a soft tug at the end. 
The growl vibrated through him and you as he connected his lips to your clit, pumping his fingers into you and connecting the tips, curling them skillfully to rub against the sensitive patch deep within you as he sucked your clit. All the while he maintained eye contact, even when he removed his mouth from you with one final flick of his tongue, just as he removed his fingers from you. 
“Arthur…” you whimpered in protest, tugging his hair again to try to bring him back to your needy core.
“Hush,” he instructed tenderly, slipping his hands under your ass and grasping firmly to lift your waist from the floor. He soaked in the view of your glistening folds at this angle and tested how it looked to watch one of his fingers slip into you before removing it, licking his lips again. “You are a pretty little thing, ain’t ya?”
Your reply was sucked from your chest and altered into a cry of pleasure as he spit on your folds, smearing the liquid around before connecting his thumb to your clit, rubbing a figure eight. Supporting your raised hips still with one hand he continued to rub your clit, now using his tongue to fuck into you rather than his fingers, tasting you how he’d wanted to for nearly a year now.
The pressure continued to build and boil, eventually reaching a point of eruption – all the usual signs there with your shaking thighs, shorter and desperate breaths, your nails scratching against his temple as you gripped whatever you could. Arthur figured it was a previously unknown bonus to him keeping his hair a little on the longer side. He groaned to encourage you, switching his movements to pump his fingers into you again, circling your clit with his tongue until you became incendiary, your first orgasm washing through you with white hot heat.
He continued to lap at your folds as you came, removing his tongue from you occasionally only to kiss your thighs and mutter tender praises as you came back down to your body. When you had some sense about yourself, he was crawling back up you, pressing kisses to your stomach and breasts before he reached your lips, offering you a taste of your own honey sweet pleasure on his tongue.
When the adoration filled amorous kiss ended so Arthur could breathe you began to trail kisses down his neck again, following a trail to his chest before his index finger caught under your chin, lifting you back up to him, cerulean eyes questioning.
“Your turn,” you offered, slipping one of your hands into the waistband of his underwear and wrapping your fingers around his throbbing cock slowly. Running your finger over the velvet head you smeared the pre-spend leaking already, biting at your swollen bottom lip when he moaned. 
“Not tonight, sweet thing,” he declined, his hesitation clear in his voice. You began to rub him gently – slowly – too damn slow – causing his eyes to roll back briefly. “You wrap these lips around me, and I won’t last long enough t’ fuck you.”
“Please.”
You didn’t truly know what you were begging for – for him to test himself and allow you to take his already throbbing cock into your mouth or for him to follow through on that promise to fuck you. Luckily, Arthur seemed to know exactly what your words were asking for – what you needed. 
He reached to remove your hand from his cock gently, freeing himself of his underwear before he gently moved you to your side, lying beside you with his back to the fire to shield you from getting too much heat, to ensure you didn’t get hurt. One arm wrapped around your waist while the other slid to cup your cheek in his hand, bringing you in closer to him as he kissed you again. 
As much fun as he’d been having teasing, he was done with the games now, and could no longer find the patience. He reached to lift your leg around his waist before grasping his cock, rubbing against your still-soaked entrance for a moment to gather some lubrication before he sank into you. Inch by inch disappeared into your velvet channel, the kiss practically halting as you gasped. He leaned his forehead against yours instead, grasping your waist gently as he continued to slip into you.
“Atta fuckin’ girl,” he breathed out. The large hand that still cupped your cheek slipped downward to rest against your neck instead, his fingertips digging into your skin in attempt to steady himself, to savor your pulse beneath his touch. “Takin’ me so good. You doin’ okay?”
You nodded as you stared into his eyes, pupils blown wide and mouth hanging open already at the feeling of him stretching you, almost too full but not something you’d be willing to give up anytime soon. When he’d fully seated himself within you, his cock buried to the hilt he released a shaky groan of his own, his eyes briefly closing as he savored the feeling of being wrapped up in you.
“Goddamn you’re tight,” he groaned out, pressing several light kisses to your lips before grinding his hips into yours slightly. “Shoulda crawled ‘tween your legs months ago.”
“Would…ah…woulda let you,” you managed to reply, pressing your lips to his in an unabashedly salacious kiss, already perfecting how to slot your lips against his in a way that left him craving more. He couldn’t hold back his movements any longer and began to pump into you repeatedly, setting a wanton and quick pace that somehow managed to remain tender and reverent.
He could only be tender for so long, desperation and months of waiting and yearning building in him. His movements began to get sloppy sooner than he’d have liked, though he felt better when your walls began to flutter and clench around him, your thigh shaking around his hip slightly. He picked up his pace to a much more relentless one, driving his cock into you and into your spongy cervix repeatedly as his grunts became more frequent, pressing kisses to your neck now.
“Want you to finish while I’m inside you,” he instructed, though there was something so subtly desperate behind his words – a quiet beg that only someone who knew him would recognize. “Think you can do that for me, darlin’?”
You nodded before leaning your head back again, quiet cries leaving your lips as he connected his thumb to your clit again, immediately choosing a relentless pace to rub in circles. You were almost certain you’d do anything he asked and soon enough you were pushed over the edge again, your walls clenching him so tight he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to remove himself. He did his best to continue pumping into you roughly now as he sought his own release, certain you wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow. Like you’d need to, anyway. 
“F-fill me up, Arthur,” you begged unexpectedly through your euphoria, and he didn’t need anything else to convince him. With only a few more bruising thrusts he stilled inside you as he emptied his seed in hot ropes into you, groaning loudly as he lazily leaned his forehead to yours again, his own eyes screwed shut.
He didn’t remove himself from you when you’d both ridden your orgasms, instead holding you close and reaching to cover the two of you in one of the blankets that was on the floor. He wrapped his arms around you tightly to hold you closer to him, slipping one of his legs between yours for additional comfort and warmth. Still semi-hard with plenty of stamina to offer you couldn’t ignore the feeling of him seated in you still, buried as deep as possible as he brushed his nose against yours. 
“Be a whole lot warmer this way,” he offered, giving a subtle move of his hips to emphasize the meaning behind his words. He pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of your nose before reaching upward to kiss your forehead, leaving his lips resting there. He was right – you did finally feel warm.
“Mm,” was all you could reply, laying your head against his shoulders and closing your eyes, burrowing your face into his neck. He smiled as you managed to press lazy kisses into his neck before wrapping your arms around him as well. 
“Think I’ll keep you here all winter,” he offered after several blissful moments, his head leaning to rest on the top of yours as his own eyes closed. He pressed one final kiss to your temple before succumbing to the comfort of you fully.
“Always knew you were a big teddy bear, Arthur,” you teased. How you managed to run your mouth still after he’d fucked you right was beyond him – but it was also probably a reason he’d want to keep fucking you.
“We’ll call it hibernation, then.”
masterlist. red dead redemption masterlist.
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sonder-paradise · 1 year
Text
𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐞 — 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤
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◊ ft. isagi yoichi, bachira meguru, chigiri hyoma, nagi seishiro, reo mikage, gn!reader
◊ genre. fluffy fluff, potentially ooc, don't perceive me this is pretty on-brand
◊ shoutout to @planetxiao @starglow-xx @my-neighbor-todoro for enabling this 🤭
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— 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢 𝐘𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢
there's something about the way he hyper focuses on the screen in front of him. his lips purse in a sort of frustrated pout and his eyes analyze each and every one of the little players running back and forth on the laptop.
"isagi."
nothing. you repeat his name once more before he pries his eyes away. he blinks at you as if readjusting to the way you stood there.
but he flashes you this nervous, silly, little grin that has you filling with this horridly giddy feeling in the confines of your chest.
"sorry. what's up?"
"oh, you're so cute."
the words tumble from your lips just as quickly as you thought them and isagi stares at you, red-faced and unsure what exactly he did to illicit such a reply.
"w-wait, what??"
you scoop his face up in your hands which only makes his blush worsen. beaming at the poor boy, you give him a peck on the top of his head.
"nothing. what do you want for dinner?"
"no, no! let's go back!"
— 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐮
when he comes speeding back into the apartment with a wide grin on his face, you don't have a choice but to be the 'okokok' to his 'lalala.' if you get what i mean.
whatever it is he's found, he's bouncing and abound all while telling you about his little shopping trip.
"look, i found us matching cardigans!"
he puffs his chest, whipping out the two toffee-colored cardigan with pretty little stitches and flowers decorating the sleeves. you can practically see the stars in his eyes.
"do you like 'em?"
you laugh, "god, you're so cute."
without missing a beat, bachira smiles even more, offering one of the cardigans to you. "yeah, i know, but we could be cute together if you wear the cardigan!"
"alright, alright."
you take one off his arm and slip it on over your shoulders. the fabric eases onto your body and it envelops you in a plush hug. "how do i look?"
he nods, clinging onto you now. "see, now you look cute too."
— 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐢 𝐇𝐲𝐨𝐦𝐚
tumbling back into chigiri's arms, you drunkenly grin at the way he simply rolls his eyes at your behavior. after a splendorous night out, it seems you've come back a little more than tipsy.
"what did i tell you about pacing yourself?"
"pacing, smacing. i'm alive, that's what matters."
he sighs, smiling at you while you sunk down on the couch. bending down on one knee, he slips your shoes off one by one.
you find it a little amusing that the princess is the one taking off the shoes rather than trying them on.
at your giggling, he looks back up at you, reaching up to cusp your cheek gently.
"what?"
you take his hand in your own, smiling mischievously. "has anyone ever told you, you're the prettiest in the world?"
he pauses, turning as red as his hair. his eyes can no longer meet yours especially when you start peppering kisses on his fingertips.
"cause you are~"
"alright, alright, i get it! now let's get you some water...!"
he swears, you're going to be the death of him.
— 𝐍𝐚𝐠𝐢 𝐒𝐞𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨
his breath falls gently against your skin. his arms envelop you in this warm bubble. with his chin resting atop your head, he's watching some video just behind you.
you shift, squirming underneath his arms and readjusting yourself just a bit away from his chest. he takes note of your actions, pausing the video to look down at you.
"something wrong?"
shaking your head, you take his face into the palms of your hands. a serious look crosses your face and he raises an eyebrow at you.
"i just realized something."
"what?"
"you... are incredibly cute."
no reaction appears from his sleepy expression and simply he stares at you before plopping his chin back on your head and unpausing his video.
"sei!! you're suffocating me!"
of course, he'd rather have you buried away while the pink in his cheeks fades.
— 𝐑𝐞𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞
what a peculiar sight. you stand at the entrance of the doorway, blinking at the figure currently wrapped up in a frilly apron and leaning against the counter.
it seems there's something in the oven that's enraptured reo's attention since he doesn't even notice your arrival. but you slink towards him anyways.
"reeooo...!"
he jumps, backing up and immediately going into defense mode. but upon noticing your grinning expression, he flattens his own.
"why didn't you say you were home?"
"i did." he flushes a light pink upon hearing that.
"where'd you get the apron?"
he glances away, crossing his arms over his chest as if to cover the little cutesy logo printed across it. the pink and white apron somehow matches him rather... perfectly.
you lean closer to him, foreheads kissing as he avoids your line of sight.
"it's cute." and just as he spots the teasing look in your eyes reo immediately snatches the apron off him.
"aw, wait no! put it back on, please!"
"nope! nope!"
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sweetkpopmusings · 7 months
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heart-fluttering moments with stray kids <3
a/n: just a quick post to prove i'm still here! life is demanding, but i will always be on that sweet delulu agenda, so i hope this brings you some joy whenever you read it <3 these boys really do make my heart flutter regularly :,-) pics not mine~
content: fluff, can be read as nonidol!straykids | wc: 1.2 k | warnings: none really! | pairing: stray kids x gn!reader | requests: open
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˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
chan♡‧₊˚
when you make him laugh. 
chan loved acting childish with you. he could let his guard down; with you, he could always have fun. games were more enjoyable, conversations were more playful, and everything was brighter when you two were with each other. you both relished in the feeling of being childish together. the living room, coffee shop, sidewalk–these were all your playground. chan was extra certain of that when you cracked a particularly clever joke in response to his teasing comment. he laughed, eventually giggling with pure delight because it just kept getting funnier. you couldn’t explain why, but your heart soared every time the sound of his laugh met your ears, and it didn’t feel like this sensation would stop any time soon. that sound, you decided, was more enjoyable than any game of childhood makebelieve ever could be.
minho♡‧₊˚
when he protects you. 
minho viewed you as one of the most precious people in the world. sure, that meant that, at times, he got a little too doting, scolding you for minor injuries that normally wouldn’t bother him. it was annoying but still sweet, so your complaints were lighthearted whenever they came out. you were not complaining, however, as his arm gently guided you through jampacked downtown crosswalks. cars and pushy passersby abound, yet you only felt a rush from the rustle of his jacket against yours and the way his eyes checked on you every few seconds, ensuring you were still by his side in the mess of it all. he even pulled you out of the crowd to ask if you were okay. you thought you’d always be okay, as long as you could stay with him. so you said, yes, thank you, minho. if you weren’t too busy calming your own heartbeat, you might have caught a glimpse of minho’s pink-tinted ears.
changbin♡‧₊˚
when he buys you a gift. 
changbin felt so excited whenever he got to spend a day off with you. today, your schedules aligned well enough to take a day trip, and changbin never stopped smiling, giggling, or showcasing his joy in some way. you joked around with cheesy accessories in tourist shops, stared in awe at gorgeous antiques, and enjoyed each other’s company as though the day would last forever. changbin made sure it felt like that when he handed you a simple necklace, saying i bought this at that thrift store while you got us coffee. i thought you could have it as a reminder of a happy day we had together, whenever you’re down or i’m away. you accepted it, a soft thank you, changbin falling from your mouth as you latched the chain around your neck. he laughed his signature laugh, and you knew that, necklace or not, you’d never forget this day. 
hyunjin♡‧₊˚
when you tell him he’s beautiful. 
it wasn’t every day that you got to spend quiet time with hyunjin. that’s why every opportunity was special–well, more special, as any time with hyunjin was precious to you. you’re both relaxing, enjoying the soft sunlight that washes over your reclined bodies on the picnic blanket. you turn to look at him, and you’re struck by the beauty of the man beside you. he glows, all perfect angles and warm soul. when he asks why you’re staring, you reply because you are so beautiful. his eyes spin with wonder and gratitude when he looks at you, and you feel more beautiful than you ever have in your entire life. he smiles, pauses, and replies, so are you. only seven words were exchanged between you two, yet it felt as though you both had poured your hearts out over the remnants of your favorite snacks littered about the blanket beneath you.  
jisung♡‧₊˚
when he looks over at you. 
you’re about to watch a movie together for the first time. not just any movie, though. you’re about to watch jisung’s favorite because he has deemed you worthy of such an important endeavor. you two sit close to each other on the couch, not completely intertwined, but the space still a clear indication of how comfortable you are together. there’s a glint–excitement, mixed with fondness–in his eyes when you catch his gaze. the smile on his lips is sweeter than anything else you’ve ever seen. this moment, this fleeting exchange with jisung, is sweeter than anything else you’ve ever experienced. you’d refuse to admit it, but the way he looked at you is the reason your cheeks ached from smiling before the movie was halfway done. you had to admit you loved the movie, though, when he looked at you with his bright brown eyes, clearly grateful to have shared this experience with you.
felix♡‧₊˚
when you two make a promise. 
felix was out of town again, so your weekly hangout had to be over video. felix, being sunshine personified, still managed to warm you up through the screen. it was getting late for you, though, and felix noticed before you did that your eyelids were starting to get heavy. you protested against his you need sleep! i’ll be here when you wake up, so please go to bed! but felix knew how to coax you into listening. after all, he knew you better than most, and he cared about you even more. he said so, asking you to promise that you’ll call as soon as you wake up. the beaming smile on his face that appeared after your promise truly left you breathless, and all the more certain to call him every day, if that’s what he wanted. you could even hear that smile when he picked up the phone, and his signature warmth filled your chest as soon as he said you kept your promise!
seungmin♡‧₊˚
when he tells you the truth. 
seungmin wanted to take you to an arcade, so you both could let off some steam in a lighthearted, cost-effective way. while that sounded good in theory, you both realized that was impossible when the stress and cost of the claw machine overtook your night. it was still fun, and neither of you would give up until at least one plushie was in your arms. on your 23rd try, you couldn’t hide your furrowed brow or frustrated huff when the plushie slipped out of your claw fingers at the last second. seungmin laughed beside you, saying you look ridiculous right now. you frowned, and, still laughing but not wanting to kick you while you were down, seungmin clarified that it’s cute. you were grateful for the neon lights, hoping they blended with the blush on your skin to save your dignity, as the smile that grew on your face gave too much away. seungmin must not have noticed because he just slid into place in front of the claw machine. as you watched him focus, however, you noticed that a smile never left his face, despite failed attempt after failed attempt.
jeongin♡‧₊˚
when you confide in him. 
jeongin knew something was on your mind when you were less enthused than normal during his shopping haul. he made himself comfortable near your spot on his bed, saying you can tell me, you know? only if you want, though. you smiled, cherishing the ease with which jeongin pulled out your trusting side. without going too much into it–you still wanted to enjoy his fashion show–you admitted that you had been more stressed than normal lately, probably creeping your way toward burnout. he sighed, understanding completely and immediately, and asked what can i do to make you feel better? like magic, that alone made your world shine brighter, but you asked him to continue showing off his clothes, because that was as close as you could come to admitting how much better he made you feel just by being there. 
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
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Text
I Never Knew How to Save You
"So, you’re happy. [...] One year ago today, you got ten of our brother’s killed, and you’re happy."
Part 2 of Always One Bad Day Away (Part 2 of the series Billy Butcher - A Prequel)
Word count: ~8.5k Rating: Mature
A/N: It's me again! Feedback is always greatly appreciated ;D
Tag list: @amethystpagan
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“You want the garlic minced or pressed, luv?” 
“Definitely minced! I don’t think I even own a garlic press.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
Becca chuckled at Billy’s exhausted sigh as she bustled about the kitchen, always keeping an eye on the boiling pasta. She’d put him in charge of cutting vegetables, half of which he’d never even heard of before. It should have been at least a bit disconcerting how skilled he was with a knife while being all fingers and thumbs when it came to cooking. For some reason it wasn’t, though. Becca wasn’t the best of cooks, either, but at least she knew how to follow basic recipes. 
Keep reading on AO3.
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simp4pedropascal75 · 10 months
Text
bad guy (Joel Miller x Reader)
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summary: since joel came to jackson, you only had eyes for him. but he didn't had eyes for you.... well, he did. but he hid behind a facade of a cold, mean asshole.
trigger warnings: 18+, minors dni, mature content included, some angst, fluff, explicit language, mention of guns, smut (f!nger!ng, p in v, mention of daddy k!mk, praising, degrading), age gap (reader in his 20s, joel in his 50s)
words: 2k
a/n: hey guys, so, this is my first post after a long break now. this was my first time writing smut, i'm still learning yk, but I hope you like it! Please keep in my mind that english isn't my first language, so I'm sorry for spelling mistakes and stuff.
Also I wrote this while driving to Croatia and I'm still sitting in the car, so yeah. There'll be a part 2 of this ff:) now, I wish y'all a fun time reading<3
-------------------♡❀˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹❀♡--------------------
Why do girls always love the bad guy? Why can’t I just find normal people attractive? And especially men in my age, you think.
Obviously I can’t, because I love Joel fucking Miller.
Since he came with this girl Ellie to Jackson, you couldn’t get him out of your mind. You tried, you really tried. But no, Joel stayed in your mind. Every fucking time he walked past you, butterflies flew in your stomach like crazy. When he looked at you, your heartbeat speeded up. And god, when he talked to you, even for just 10 seconds, you needed to squeeze your legs together, because you couldn’t bear the ache between your legs.
But sadly, he didn’t talked to you often, he didn’t look at you, he just always walked past you. Sometimes you two had to go on patrol, but to be honest, he was an asshole. He didn’t talk much, and when he did, he was mean. He was so cold towards you. The only person where he softened up, was Ellie. You and her got along well, she is a smart girl, with a big mouth, but still smart.
But, what did you expect? He’s like doubled your age. But you always found men, who could be your dad, more attractive than boys in your age. Older men are more mature and… they have experience.
With every boy you slept in your age, has never made you cum, never.
Not to mention your daddy issues.
Actually, you’re on patrol with him right now. It was quiet, very quiet, while you walk through a abounded building with him. You’ve met some clickers on your way, but they were easy to kill. “So, was it already so quiet when Tommy was out on patrol?”, you ask him while you reload your gun. “‘haven’t talked to him”, he answers cold. You look at him confused, because they usually always exchange about their patrols.
“Why didn’t you?”, you ask curiously.
“Why would you care?”, he scoffs and doesn’t even look at you. He stands up and continues to walk.
Asshole.
“We have to move, come on”, he adds. You just roll your eyes at him, get up and follow him. “Well I care, because we have to know what we have to expect.”, you mumble pissed.
He turns around to look at you with a stern look. “If you would shut your fucking mouth, maybe we could hear what we have to expect”
Yeah, that’s it.
“You know what, I don’t fucking care. I understand that we’re definitely not friends, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like the arrogant bastard you are.”, you speak upset. “Guess what, I don’t like you either, but at least I try to be nice to you!”
“Shut up.”, he whispers harshly.
“You want me to shut up?! Did I hurt your ego because someone finally said how you really are, Joel Miller?! I swear I’ll soon kick you in your non-exciting balls-“ He suddenly slams you against the wall and covers your mouth with his hand. “I said, be. quiet.”, he growls quietly. You try to move and push him away, but he’s too strong.
As you give up and stare into his eyes, you hear it too, stalkers.
You feel how the speed of your heartbeat increases and feel the big ache between your legs again, but even stronger as the last time’s. His chest was pressed onto yours and you sense his hot breath on your neck. While Joel’s concentrated on the sound of the stalkers, you get a chance to admire his face closely. His hazel eyes, his lips… and his nose.
Fuck.
As the stalker noises get quiet and disappear, you gulp as he stares into your eyes. He releases your mouth from his hand and you take a deep breath. “s-so.. where was I-?”, he cuts you off.
“You really can’t shut up, can you?”, he raises an eyebrow at you as he asks.
“You fucking basta-“, suddenly he smashes his lips on yours. That’s when you get quiet. Your heart was beating out of your chest while you were melting under his touch. You can’t resist and wrap your arms around his neck while kissing him back.
Joel’s hands run up your curves while he’s pulling you even closer to his body. You feel how his dick begins to harden under the fabric of his jeans. He stops kissing your lips and continues to place kisses on your neck to leave you with his marks. You whimper softly as you feel how his hand glides down your stomach. As Joel slides his hand under your pants, he touches your already wet panties. “god, were you so desperate to be touched? you dirty little girl.”, he whispers in your ear and nibbles on it. “Fuck, Joel-“, you breathe. He pushes your panties aside and his thumb starts to rub your clit slightly.
“you need to be quiet, darling.”, he whispers again as you feel his hot breath on your neck again. As you nod and give him your permission he slides two of his fingers into your core. “Joel- I-“, you begin to breath heavy. You really tried to keep quiet, but as he starts to pump his fingers into you… “Joel, I can’t-“, you moan, that’s when he puts his hand over your mouth again.
“keep fucking quiet, you’re gonna’ get us killed..”, he growls as he stares into your eyes.
While he continues shoving his fingers inside you, your hands make your way to his belt. As you start to unbuckle it, he slaps your hands away. “not here.”, he whispers harshly.
“Please Joel-, I need you.”, you whine.
“No.”, he says with his deep voice, which even more aroused you. You start to feel your climax coming nearer, so does Joel as your inner walls squeeze his fingers gently. “Joel, I’m gonna-“, you cry out and he immediately covers your mouth again. “thats it, baby.. cum all over my fingers, darling…”, he whispers right into your ear and that’s when you reach your climax. He presses his hand onto your mouth to quiet down your moan and a slight smirk appears on his face. As your legs are still shaking, your hands try to unbuckle his belt again, but this time, he lets you do it.
“Fuck, y/n… you really want to get us killed, don’t you”, Joel groans quietly.
“Please Joel-, just-“, he cuts you off while slamming his lips onto yours again. He flicks his younger against yours and gasps as your hand touches his clothed dick. “Goddammit, y/n!”, he growls.
“Please Joel, I need you inside of me-“, that’s when he can’t resist your begging and he turns you around the wall and pushes you against it. “‘risking to get killed, just to be fucked by daddy’s cock”, he whispers and you hear how he pushes his pants down, which leaves a smile on your face. He takes his dick into his hand and rubs the tip at your wet pussy. His other hand glides to your mouth again, because he knows you definitely can’t keep quiet.
And he’s right.
You cry out loud as he pushes his shaft into your throbbing core.
God, he’s big.
“Fuck.”, he exhales. He begins to thrust into you while your moans get louder, he presses his hand harder on your mouth. “Such a good girl, taking my dick so fucking good”, Joel praises which makes you squirm under his grip. His other hand rests on your waist and his breath starts to get heavier. As he increases the speed, you feel how your legs begin to shake again. “how long have you been waiting for this, hm…?”, he breathes into your ear and wraps his arm around you to pull you closer. Joel begins to hit your g-spot and as your breath becomes heavier, your moans do too.
“Use your words, princess”, he groans into your ear.
“S-since you came here-“, you try to answer while he’s trying to muffle your moans again. You hear him chuckle. “‘never thought that you’re such a dirty girl”, he whispers. “‘squeezing my dick real good- you’re gonna’ cum?”. You nod.
“Words.”, he growls. “Y-yes, I’m gonna cum!”, you whine and you rech your climax. As your pussy tightens around his cock, you hear his groan and feel how he fills you up with his cum, leaving you two breathless.
.
.
.
As we walked back to Jackson, he was quiet, too quiet. “‘you’re okay?”, you ask concerned and also confused while he’s walking in front of you. “This was a mistake”, he growls and keeps walking. “What- I don’t understand-“, you mumble confused and grab after his hand so he stops walking. “What don’t you understand?”, he speaks louder and pulls his hand away. “This, was a mistake”, he points with his finger at you and himself. “A fucking big one.”, he growls and turns around to walk. “So, after you just fucked the shit out of me in a building full of zombies, you tell me that this was a mistake?!”, you almost shout and walk after him.
I can’t believe him, you think.
“yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”, he points out and it seems like he really doesn’t care. “Are you kidding me right now?! Don’t you notice how fucked up this is?! You fuck me and now tell me it was a mistake, and you don’t even feel bad!”, you shout after him upset and try not to tear up. “Exactly”, he just answers coldly.
“And now what huh?!”, you try to grab his hand again and finally get him stop walking. He turns around and just looks at you, his eyes were pitch black now. You don’t see any emotions in his face.
“Now, we’re going our separate ways”, he grumbles coldly.
.
.
.
Why do girls always love the bad guy?, you think.
It’s already been two months since it happens with Joel. And like he said, we’re going our separate ways. He didn’t look at you, he didn’t talked to you and he didn’t even went on patrols with you anymore. And you really tried to hate him, and did because of what he did, but you couldn’t get this night with him out of your mind anymore. Every time you close your eyes, you feel his lips on yours and his dick thrusting deep into you.
So, since he really didn’t felt bad and ignored you like you don’t exist, you tried to keep on with your life and tried dating again. You’ve met a really nice boy, Jack. He was two years older than you and he really was a gentleman. He was nice, kind and lovely. He made you laugh and feel safe. Since Joel didn’t go on patrols with you again, he did. And it was fun. Today you’ve had your third date already and as you walk into the bar, you see Joel sitting there.
Fuck.
And that’s when it hits your memory again. His hand pressed on your mouth, his hot breath on your neck and his dick pounding into you. You got pulled out of your mind, as you feel Jack’s hand on your waist. “Hey there, beautiful”, he says with his sweet smile. “Hey”, you smile back and go with him to your table. You thought Joel didn’t notice you, but he did. He saw you with this guy before, and god it has made him jealous. But Joel’s good at hiding his feelings, always hiding how he looks at you in secret.
You and Jack had a good time. Sometimes you took a glance at Joel, but his back was turned towards you. As you two finished eating, you stood up and wanted to look after Joel, but he wasn’t sitting there anymore. “I’ll pay real quick, you can wait outside”, Jack says and places a kiss on your cheek.
You nod and go outside. It’s already dark outside. A breeze of cold air flies against your body and you get goosebumps. That’s when you let your keys fall. “Fuck…”, you swear and try to see them in the dark. As you spot them, you bend down but suddenly someone else picks them up.
As you look up, you freeze:
“Joel.”
-> part 2
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justmeinadaze · 4 months
Text
Take It Out On Me Part 25 (Steddie X Plus Size Reader)
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A/N: Shhhhhhh a gift I bare to you :)
Warnings: Daddy Steve/Sir Eddie & Sub Fem Plus Size Reader (with a slight twist to the dynamic this time), SMUT, they are trying new things, Y/N gets to use a toy on Stevie, dirty talk ABOUND, overstimulation, FLUFF, they love each other, ANGST, cliffhanger ending because I can :).
I am just all kinds of naughty with these cliffhangers lately. Maybe I need a spanking. ;).
Word Count: 3667
Series here
The Italian sun just barely begins to peak through the curtains as you try to muffle your moans into Steve’s chest in front of you as both he and Eddie’s cock thrust harder inside of you.
As the semester ended and you graduated, summer finally arrived so you and the guys were able to utilize the tickets to Italy that your parents got for your honeymoon. It was honestly the best week of your life so far and you didn’t think it possible that you could be any happier. 
The three of you went to all the tourist attractions you could find and ate some of the tastiest food you had ever had in your entire life. More than anything, you enjoyed seeing their faces as you three toured different cities and took in the new environment. For the first time, in a long time, neither man seemed to carry heavy burdens that weighed them down but let go and genuinely enjoy every little moment. 
Of course, when you weren’t walking through museums or eating at a new restaurant, they were on you and vice versa. So far, this entire trip, you had been unable to keep your hands off each other especially when you were alone. 
Last night, Steve had asked if you guys could finally do what he promised during that phone call when you first started dating. 
“What promise?”
“I said that I wished you had a toy so you could fall asleep with it inside you and imagine its me.”
“Oof, Steve Harrington, you kinky bastard.”, Eddie teased as his palm softly rubbed up and down your body.
The other boy grinned, gripping your jaw lightly as he leaned forward to tenderly kiss your lips as he continued in a low, seductive tone that had you groaning.
“I told you how hard it was making me at the thought of me and Eddie falling asleep inside of you so we could take you whenever we wanted in the night.”
“Daddy…”
“Fuck me, you want that don’t you dirty girl?”
“Yes, Daddy. Please.”, you moan as your fingers glide up to tangle in his hair trying to bring his lips to yours and whining when he ever so slightly pulled away. 
“Say it, sweetheart. Say what you want.”, the metalhead whispered as his hips began to grind against your ass. 
“Daddy, I want you and Master to fuck me and then fall asleep inside me so you can use me whenever you want tonight.”
That night they made you cum so many times that the evening became a blur of moans and grunts. You did fall asleep full of them but they were always still the diligent boyfriends, constantly checking in to make sure you were alright or ask if you needed a break. 
This morning, you woke up to the euphoria of them slowly pumping their cocks deep into you while trying not to wake you but failing miserably. 
“God damn it, Y/N, still so fucking tight.”, Steve groaned through gritted teeth as his fingers dug into the meat of your hips. 
“D-Daddy…I don’t—mmm—I don’t know how much more…I can take…”
They were both panting in your ears, all three of you trenched in sweat as you neared your climaxes. 
“It’s ok, baby girl. We just need you to—fuck—need you to cum one more time, honey.”
Eddie’s ring covered fingers looped around and took hold of your throat as they pounded into you. He was the first to find his release, clinging to you as he thrust his spend roughly into your ass. You shuddered, your nails digging into Steve’s back as you came making him follow you as your pussy clenched around him, warming your insides as your cunt milked him dry. 
“Slow, slow, baby please.”, you begged as each man pulled out as carefully as they could. 
“Princess, I’m going to lift you and bring you to the bath when Stevie finishes getting it ready, ok? Are you ok, Y/N?”, he asked as he delicately moved your hair out of the way so he could see your face as tears fell from your eyes.
“Yes, Sir. I’m just sore.”
“I know, sweetheart, but you did so good for us. Always such a good girl.”
You smiled as you pushed up onto your knees and wrapped your arms around his neck, inhaling everything that was Eddie as he kissed your cheek. 
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you to, Eddie.”
Smiling, he lifted you into his arms and brought you into the bathroom, trying his best not to jostle you to much as he placed you in the warm water. 
“So, what’s on the itinerary for today, honey?”, Steve asked as they both began cleaning you. 
“Can we do something new?”
“Define new, babe. I mean we’re in a new country exploring things that are new.”, the metalhead joked as you giggled. 
“I mean, I like the idea of us staying in this fancy hotel all day eating delicious Italian food while staying and playing in bed but… I want to try something new. It’s been a while since we’ve done that and the honeymoon is a perfect place to try, right?”
“Did you have something in mind, princess?”
“There’s a store we passed in the market the other day and I was thinking we could go take a look around. Maybe…I mean, if you’re comfortable…you can let me…take…control.”
Your eyes squeezed tightly shut as their hands stopped moving. It feels like ages before fingers grip your chin and turn your head slightly. 
“Open your eyes, baby girl.” 
Like a child, your hair smacks your cheeks as you aggressively shake your head. 
“Come on, sweetheart.”, Eddie cooed, wrapping his arms around you and bringing you to his chest. “We’re not upset. There’s nothing wrong with what you want to try.”
Your eyes slowly open meeting Steve’s soft ones in front of you as he smiles comfortingly. 
“We don’t have to do it for long. I was just wondering…what it was like…you know?”
“There’s something I read about once that has always kind of lingered in my head. I’d be willing to try it with you.”
“O-Ok, Daddy.”
###################
Once you three were clean and put together you did make a run to the market where not only did you grab all the food and alcohol you guys could carry but made a pit stop at the store you had mentioned to pick up the item you would need. 
“Steve, baby, are you sure about this? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“I’m sure. I trust you.”, he grins as he kisses your forehead. “Plus, Eddie will be there to guide you and watch out for me.”
When you got back to the hotel, you spent the rest of the evening relaxing and giggling with them on the floor of the hotel while you ate and talked. You made a little comfortable pillow area where the three of you could lay down even though you utilized them to lay your head throughout the evening. 
“Baby, no!”, you shout light-heartedly after the flash from Eddie’s disposable camera blinds you. You hold up your hand to block him as he moves around to try and capture another image as you pull your bare legs under his long heavy metal shirt you were wearing. 
“Oh, come on, princess. I’m going to put these in my private stash.”, he teases. 
“What private stash?!”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
Steve chuckles behind you, taking you in his arms, and pulling you flat against the floor making you laugh harder as the metalhead takes another picture of you both. 
“So, are we doing this thing or not. I’m kind of curious to see princess here use her big girl voice.”, Eddie jokes as you roll your eyes. 
“Honestly, that’s probably how it’s going to come out.”, you giggle as he lays on the other side of you. “Little girl pretending…”
“Eh, that just makes it cuter.”
“And hotter.”, Steve adds as his thumb caresses your cheek. Lying flat on his stomach, you had begun doing what you usually do which was running your fingers along his arm that was across your chest and down his back causing him to let out a little moan every now and then. 
Eddie was leaning his on his elbow, looking down at you with nothing but love as his own palm ran continuously along your thighs and up your tummy. 
“Try it, sweetheart. Try telling him what to do.”
Steve smirked as he opened his eyes, scooting closer to you till his nose was touching yours. 
“C-Can I still call you Daddy? Is that ok?”
“Yeah, baby. If that’s what you want.”, he whispers as his breath warms your lips. “Tell Daddy what you want me to do.”
“I want you to kiss me, please.”
“Please?”, the metalhead snickered. “Y/N, that first night do you remember us saying please?”
Steve’s soft gorgeous eyes met yours encouragingly waiting for the proper command.
“Kiss me, Daddy.”
Tilting forward, his lips tenderly kissed your lips before trailing down your cheek to your neck. A moan escaped your chest that even had Eddie licking his lips beside you as he watched your eyes flutter closed as you rubbed your thighs together to relieve the ach between them. 
“Fuck, sweetheart, you’re so fucking beautiful.”
Absently, your hand grabbed at the air, searching for the other man that you loved until you found what you were looking for, lightly yanking on his hair to bring him down to your neck. As they both kissed and sucked on your flesh, their hands roamed but Steve wanted to test you. His fingers drifted under your shirt between your legs and roughly cupped you sex making you groan loudly. 
You have no idea where the confidence came from but your palm abruptly grabbed his wrist pulling him back as your tone drops. 
“Did I tell you that you could do that?” Both their heads leaned up to look at your face as a little shudder ran through your body. “Whoa.”
“How did that feel?”, Eddie asked, a little quiver of his own shaking his voice. 
���Odd but… good. Did I go too far?”
“Baby, we just started.”, Steve groaned, biting his bottom lip before taking a hold of your hand and placing it on the bulge in his boxers. “Don’t be afraid, honey. You’re doing great. Do you feel what that did to me? That tone coming out of those sexy lips got Daddy so fucking hard. Let go, Y/N, and fully step into it. It’s ok.”, he whispered. 
Pushing him onto his back, you straddle him as your lips sloppily mingle with his while Eddie presses to your side and tosses away the shirt you’re wearing. 
“You have to get him ready, baby.” Both you and Steve had begun grinding against each other, your already soaking cunt trenching his underwear. “Come on, pretty girl.”
Groaning, you leaned down to kiss Steve’s lips, dragging them down his chest until he grunted in frustration as you moved your lower half away from his. 
“Aw, poor pathetic Daddy wants my wet pussy so bad, doesn’t he?”
“Fuck me… yeah, baby girl, I do.”
“What else do you want me to do, Daddy?”
“I-I-I want you to touch me, baby, please.”
“I am touching you, honey.”
You were in a complete state of bliss as you watched his breathing stutter at your words. Mimicking his own words back to him was making Steve practically feral as his large palms took hold of both sides of your face as his upper torso twisted up so he could press his forehead to yours. 
“Please, Y/N, Daddy needs to feel your hand around my dick. Please, baby. FUCK, you’re driving me crazy.”
Panting against your lips, he watched as you brought your palm to your tongue and licked along the skin, moaning as you did what he asked. 
“Like this, Daddy?”
“Just like that, baby. Shit.”
After he fell back against the floor, you smiled seductively at Eddie who wrapped his arms around you and adjusted you till you were on all fours hovering over Steve’s length. Placing his chest on your back, the metalhead reached underneath you and you both groaned as he slid his fingers through your folds. 
“Jesus, princess. You like having this control?”, he whispers in your ear. 
“I like watching you two—mmm—come undone.”
Your eyes rolled as he pushed two fingers inside of your core and Steve whimpered as you enveloped his cock into your mouth.
“There you go, princess. You always look so good with your mouth full of us, pretty girl.”, Eddie praises as he kisses your temple. “Are you ready, babe?”
A long line of drool dangles from your lips as you come off the man below you and nod your head. 
“Daddy, are you ready?”
“Fuck, yeah, baby, please.”
“Now, Steve, I’m not going to touch you or anything ok. It’s all going to be her but I am going to guide her so I may need to look.”
“It’s ok. I’m comfortable if you’re comfortable.”
“If at any point you do get uncomfortable…”
Steve grins as he tilts up and quickly captures your lips before lying back down. 
“I’ll say Vanilla. I promise, honey.”
Bringing you up to your knees, Eddie leans you into his lap as he reaches off to the side and grabs the bottle of lube.
“Focus, sweetheart.”, he teases when he feels you grind your ass against him.
Taking a hold of your hand, he squeezes just enough to coat your fingers before lightly walking you closer to the other man. 
“Ok, baby, you’re going to get him nice and wet so take your hand…”, Eddie instructs as you slide your digits between Steve’s ass. 
His stomach tightens when you graze his hole making you pause as your eyes meet his. 
“No, it’s alright. Keep going, baby.”
“You’re doing good, Y/N.”, the metalhead coos as he kisses your shoulder. “Whenever you both are ready, you’re going to want to slide those fingers into him so you can stretch him out just like we do with you, angel.”
Opening his legs wider to grant you more access, Steve gives you firm nod signaling he was ready when you were. Carefully, you pushed your middle finger into him, groaning when you noticed his cock twitch at the feeling. 
“Is this ok, Daddy?”, you breathily moan, completely turned on by the heavy breathing that was coming from his lips. 
“Yeah…yes…fuck…I’m ok.”
“How does it feel, baby?”
“Feels…feels good.”
“Yeah? You’re…you’re just sucking me in.”
Steve’s head fell back against the floor as you slowly began moving your finger faster inside him. 
“Fuck, pretty girl, I just want to fuck you so bad. Would it distract you if Master fucked you, sweetheart?”, Eddie asked, tone dripping with intense need.
“No, Sir. Please. I need you inside of me. Daddy, I’m going to use another finger, ok?” Steve didn’t respond verbally, his back arching as he reached down to stroke his cock. “Answer me, Steven.”, you growled.
All movement ceased again as his needy eyes met yours just as the boy behind you gathered his bearings and your mouth fell open as he guided his length inside of your cunt. 
“Ok, baby girl. Go ahead.”
As your ring finger joined your other, he mewled loudly as he continued to pump himself at your rhythm.
“Fuck, Daddy. You’re so tight and warm… like me.”
Eddie was thrusting into you at a pace and intensity that told you he wasn’t going to last long as he slammed into you like a man possessed. 
“Sir! I…I can’t breathe. Fuck! So…deep…”
The metalhead leaned against your back again, clinging to your body as he rolled his hips roughly. 
“You can breathe, baby. J-Just keep focusing on the moment. Goddamn… just hearing you talk so dirty like this… I feel like a fucking virgin… I’m gonna cum, sweetheart.”
“Fill me up, Sir, please!”
His ringed fingers travelled between your legs and rubbed your clit in fast circles, both of you moaning and panting as you came at the same time. Yanking back up on your knees, he hugged you to him as he did what you asked, placing open mouth kisses along your skin as he did. 
“I love you, Eddie.”
Chuckling softly, he kissed your lips before releasing you from his hold. 
“I love you to, Y/N. Here. Use this on the thing.”
As he lazy continued to stroke himself, Steve watched as you collected the dildo you guys bought today and lathered in a generous amount of lube before placing yourself between his legs again.
“I love you to, Steve. Are you ready?”
“I love you, Y/N. Yeah, just go slow at first.”
“Of course, baby.”, you coo as you position the head of the toy near his entrance. 
It was a modest size dildo, much smaller than the two of them but it still had Steve clenching as you gradually began pressing into him.
“Breathe, honey. You’re doing so good.”, you praise him the way they always praise you. “Taking me so well.” You smile when he gently laughs, smirking in your direction. “How does it feel, Daddy?”
“H-hurts a little but…good.”
“Do you need me to stop or anything?”
“No…fuck…I think…” As you push it a bit further in, you feel resistance as he tightens around it and his dick stiffens in his hand as a moan you had never heard from him before echoes through the room. “Oh my fucking GOD…”
“Is that the spot? Right here?”
“Ooooo! Yes, Y/N! Don’t fucking stop.”
Placing on of your arms down beside him, you tilt your face over his as you whisper against his lips. 
“Was this what it was like the first time, Steve? When you had me flat against the desk with my legs hanging off the side and you pounded your big cock into my tight little pussy?” You grinned as his free hand searched for you, gripping your bicep as he groans. “You felt so good, baby. When I went home, I could still feel you both.”
Eddie beamed up at you from his spot on the floor as he comfortingly rubbed your back. Steve abruptly opened his eyes, the dominate side reentering him as his palm took hold of your throat.
“I need to feel your cunt around my dick, honey. NOW.”
Nodding, you straddle him with your back facing his chest, mewling as you bring yourself down onto his extremely hard length. His fingers dig into your hips as you ride him hard while still thrusting the toy into his ass.
“Y-Yes, Daddy!”
Steve shudders underneath you as he tries to hold himself back desperate for you to cum first so he can feel you cling to him. 
“Come on, baby girl. Please…I need you to cum for me.”
Licking his fingers, Eddie helps you along, reaching between your legs and playing with your clit again. Right as your body trembles and you let go, Steve does the same, thrusting up into you hard as he fills you with his release. His hold on you remains steadfast till he’s completely emptied inside of you, making you groan in pleasure and exhaustion as you start to fall forward before the metalhead hastily catches you. 
“Whoa, baby. I got you. I gotcha, sweetheart.”
Leaning against his shoulder, you careful pull the toy from the man under you and Eddie gradually lifts you off his lap, lying you flat on the floor with your head on the pillow. 
“So…thoughts?”
“I like watching you both get riled up but I’m definitely not a dominate girl.”, you grin.
“Could have fooled me.”, Eddie teased. “Dirty girl with that sexy dirty mouth.”
“I think that toy we save special occasions but, Munson, you should let her finger you while sucking your dick. Oh my god.”, Steve playfully exhaled as he turned onto his side to face you. “You did good, honey.”
“Thank you for being patient with me and being willing to try something new.”
“Of course, sweetheart. You don’t have to thank us for that. You’re always so open with us when it comes to this stuff.  
You smile wide as you rub your face into the pillow. 
“Oh, I hate that we have to go home soon. I wish we could just stay here forever.”
“Well, when Ed becomes a famous rockstar, he can finally treat us like the king and queen we are.”
“Oh, really, Harrington? And what am I in this huh; the jester?”, he sasses as Steve laughs.
“No, baby. You’re a king to.”, you confirm as you turn your head to kiss his lips. 
################
“I’m coming! Hang on one damn second!”, Masie shouts as someone pounds loudly on her front door. As soon as she cracks it open you come barreling through, sobbing as you begin to pace in her living room. “Y/N? What’s wrong, honey?! What happened?!”
“I fucked up, Maze. They are going to hate me, I know it!”
“Who?”
“Eddie and Steve! And my parents are going to be so disappointed. I can’t lose them again! Fuck! What am I going to do?!”
“Y/N! Breathe!”, your best friend commands as she grabs your arms and forces you to stand still before cupping your face in her hands. “Now, those men love you. Nothing you could do would make them hate you. Y/N, stop.”, she tried to soothe as you shook your head. “Stop. Calm down and tell me what happened. You know I’m here for you no matter what. We can get through anything together.”
“I don’t know how you can fix this, Masie.”
“Not with that attitude, we can’t. Come on, honey. What’s going on?”
Wiping your eyes, you walk over to her couch as she follows to sit beside you.
“I’m pregnant.”
################
@manda-panda-monium @sherrylyn628 @eddiesguitarskills
@needylilgal022 @local-stoner-bitch @katethetank @nailbatanddungeon
@sidthedollface2 @justanotheryn @pedropascalslilbaby
@marsupiooo @mandyjo8719 @bexreadstoomuch
@chelebelletx @perdopascalslilbaby @shayeddie @anaibis
@wroteclassicaly @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes
@siriuslysmoking @raptorbait529 @miarosso @micheledawn1975
@paleidiot @mrsjellymunson @dashingdeb16
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atinylittlepain · 1 year
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Big Fan - Part Two
Joel Miller x actress!reader
joel miller masterlist
Joel is smitten. But he's having a hard time figuring out when she's being real and when she's just acting.
warnings | 18+ lil angst, mostly fluff, fun times abound
a/n | this is a continuation of a request that I was not expecting so many people to like lol, read the first part here!
........................
“Real or fake?”
“Oh, definitely fake. I still don’t think I know how to hold a gun right. Those were all just plasticky props.” Joel laughs with a shake of his head as she shrugs. They’re sitting in the spot they usually find themselves in as the sun starts to turn syrupy over the mountains, Joel’s arm draped across the back of the bench seat on her porch with her ever so slightly leaning into his side. By the time he says goodnight to her, he knows she’ll be melted right under his arm, pressed fully into his side, since that’s how these nights tend to unravel. 
It’s been entirely too sweet, all this time he’s been spending with her. They’ll talk for hours, well into the night, but not without a few interruptions. Word had spread fast around Jackson about the pre-apocalyptic starlet, and Ellie was right, it wasn’t just Joel who had been a big fan of hers before. It was typically women, recognizing her from some sappy movie he remembers Sarah liking, stopping by her porch to tell her that they loved her work and if she needed anything at all, to not hesitate to ask. Joel couldn’t help but roll his eyes at these displays, but she always handled it with an awkward grace, giving them a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Not like the smiles she gave to him.
The men that show up are a different story. Joel would like to do a bit more than roll his eyes at them, with the way they lean up against the railing, shooting her crooked grins and telling her how they just can’t believe there’s someone “so darn pretty” calling Jackson home. But she treats them just the same as the others that show up, a clean smile and a few polite words, a far cry from the sailor’s mouth Joel has found her to have around him. And he thought he couldn’t like her more than he already did. 
After a few of these visitors had come by, Joel had fixed her with a quirked look, asking her if she was “putting on a show for these folks.” She had shrugged with a grin, and that’s how this game they play came about of Joel asking her what was real, and what was fake.
“They didn’t have someone teaching you that?” She sighs, nudging a little closer into his side.
“Mm, no. Think they were a little more concerned with how my tits looked behind the machine gun than if I was holding it right.” Joel clears his throat, her crass language flustering him a bit, and she seems to know it, giggling lightly as she looks up at him.
“Well, you seem to be holding your own just fine. But I could, um, give you some pointers some time if you want. Check out your form.” He regrets those last words the instant they come out of his mouth while she throws her head back against his shoulder in a hard laugh. He grumbles, heat creeping up his neck as her cackling finally dies down. She sighs, craning her neck to catch his downturned gaze.
“You wanna check out my form, Joel?” He huffs as she dissolves back into laughter, leaning over her thighs with her elbows propping her up. This was also something that often happened during their time together. Joel would manage to put his foot in his mouth, looking like a “hopeless fool” as Ellie lovingly put it, and she’d start teasing him until he could barely stand it. They flirted like dumb teenagers with each other, Joel wasn’t so thick that he couldn’t see that. But it never went any further than her resting her cheek against his chest in the darkening night, his arm sliding to drape over her. He knows it's silly, but he'd really like for it to go further.
She glances over her shoulder at him, sighing as her laughter finally dies down.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. No more teasing, I promise.” She leans back into his side as he shakes his head.
“Have a hard time believing that, darlin.” He savors the effect that little name has on her, the melty smile she offers him whenever he calls her that. She smacks his knee before squeezing it lightly.
“Pfft, be nice, Miller. After all, you did have my poster in your bedroom.” She can barely get the words out behind her giggles. Joel tries to press a scowl across his face, but he dissolves too easily at her bright laughter, a defeated chuckle leaving his lips. 
“Alright, I couldn’t help myself. But I’m done now, I swear. In all seriousness, I’d appreciate that. You checking out my form. Could probably learn a thing or two from you.” She settles down into his side, the spot that Joel likes her in the most. He lets his arm slip down around her shoulder, hand brushing idly along her forearm.
“Why don’t we go out tomorrow for a little target practice? You can show me what you got, hollywood.” She snorts at that, hand squeezing his knee again.
“Sounds good, Texas. I’m game.”
“Real or fake?” She stops walking for a moment, a shy grin crinkling up her face. Joel chuckles.
“No, really?” She shrugs, picking back up the pace. They’re hiking out to a clearing Joel had used a few times to help Ellie with her target practice, a bright spring day that has them both dressed down in t-shirts, packs loosely slung over their shoulders.
“It was just a publicity stunt. Two co-stars in love. Certainly sold movie tickets, I can tell you that. But no, it was very, very fake. Truthfully, I couldn’t stand the guy.” He can’t help but laugh at her admission, shaking his head as they keep moving.
“My daughter had the biggest crush on that guy. I can remember her telling me she thought you were the luckiest lady alive to be dating him.” He lets out a long sigh. It’s been getting easier, talking about Sarah. Less of a pain and more of a relief in getting to remember her and share it with people he cares about, but a twinge still runs through his heart when he talks about her. She has been easy to talk to about it, letting him share as much or as little as he wants to, in turn telling him about her own family that she had lost, a little sister that she never got to see again. He couldn’t help being surprised at how easily they both talked with each other, coming from two completely different worlds. Though he supposes they share a whole lot more in this world they live in now.
She hums, glancing over her shoulder at him.
“Yeah, her and everybody else thought that I’m pretty sure. Such a shame he was actually a total asshat.” He snorts at that, picking up his pace to walk alongside her.
“Asshat. That’s a new one. You’ll have to share that one with Ellie. Kid’s always looking to expand her, uh, vocabulary.” She grins at him, eyes crinkling up as she laughs.
“Oh, I know. I taught her “douchebag” last week.” Joel huffs as she giggles at his exasperated expression, muttering a low “was wondering where she picked that up.” 
They fall into a comfortable silence as they reach the clearing and Joel is quick to shrug off his pack and take out the old street signs he and Ellie had painted targets on, setting them up against a stand of trees. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she had been checking him out as he turned back around to her. But he knows better, right?
He sidles up next to her and hands her the pistol he had brought along. 
“Alright, show me how you’d normally stand.” She nods, staggering her feet slightly and cocking the gun up in one hand. Joel sighs, shaking his head as he comes up behind her.
“Almost as bad as Ellie, Jesus christ. Here–” He guides her one hand up to clasp over her other hand, bringing both his arms around her to firm up her grip with a light press of his palms. He can hear the clipped inhale she takes, can feel the stuttered rise of her shoulders from where his chest is hovering against her back. He clears his throat, leaving one more firm touch over her hands before stepping back.
“Thumb over thumb. Ain’t nobody gonna knock it out of your hands that way. And two hands are always steadier than one.” She hums in confirmation, glancing back over her shoulder at him. He nods toward the makeshift targets.
“Let’s see what kinda damage you can do, darlin.” It happens so quick, Joel can barely pick his jaw up off the ground as she turns around with a bright smile. She smoked it, hitting all three targets dead center without so much as a flinch. She saunters back over to him with a chuckle at his slack expression. 
“Where the hell did you learn how to do that?” She shrugs.
“What can I say? You learn early on as an actress to always hit your mark. Thanks for the tip though, definitely made it easier to stay steady.” She goes to hand him back the pistol and he clasps his hand around hers, pulling her a little closer.
“You didn’t need my help, not really.” She just shrugs, a crooked grin on her face as she looks at him. Joel huffs.
“So why exactly did you wanna do target practice with me?” She steps a little closer, bringing her hand that’s not clasped in his up to splay over his chest.
“Maybe I just wanted to spend a little more time with you, Miller. Is that so bad?” Joel sighs, shaking his head and letting go of her hand to drag his through his hair.
“Christ, you can’t just say shit like that. Not when–” Her brow is furrowed as she cuts him off.
“Not when what?” He huffs, keeping his eyes on his boots.
“Not when you don’t really mean it.” The laugh she lets out shocks him into meeting her gaze again. She shakes her head at him.
“Who says I don’t mean it?” His head is spinning at her words, at the warm look she’s giving him and he has to scrunch his eyes shut to refocus on reality. His eyes flicker back open when he feels her palm coming up to cup his jaw.
“Joel, if you don’t believe it, just ask me. I haven’t lied to you once.” At first, he’s not quite sure what she means, but when he finally gets it, he lets out a long sigh.
“Alright. Real or fake– you’ve been flirting with me.” She smiles, her fingers lightly drumming against his chest.
“Real.” 
“Real or fake– you flirt with everyone.” She scoffs, shaking her head.
“Fake, and I’m insulted too, geez.” It’s playful, but Joel is already posing his next question.
“Real or fake– you like flirting with me because you like messing with me.” She laughs at that.
“Hmm, fake. But also a little real.” His brow furrows, but she just smiles.
“Real or fake–” She cuts him off, bringing both her arms to wrap over his shoulders.
“Wait a minute. It’s my turn. I’m gonna do something, and you tell me if it’s real or fake.” Before he can ask her what she’s going to do, she’s leaning up and guiding him down with her hand at the nape of his neck, brushing a fluttering kiss to his lips. Joel’s mind goes blank, the only thing he can focus on are her eyes as she pulls back just slightly. She grins.
“Well, was that real or–” He cuts her off this time, dipping back down for a much more demanding kiss, bringing his hands to cup her face. They both pull away a bit breathless and Joel lets out a laugh, his thumb stroking the arc of her cheek.
“Real. That was very real.”
................................
taglist: @littleshadow17 @stevesdick @agent007knight @inanni
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zhongrin · 11 months
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| ◆ ch. vago mundo ⑊ zhongli
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--⟢ i. tales passed down for generations |   the people of liyue know of many tales…
𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡
◇ tags ◇ (all tags from the series masterlist), sagau, pure fluff, dragon!li
◇ a/n ◇ yk what i told myself i won't post this until after i wrote the liyue chapter but ✨i✨don't✨care✨anymore✨ hsdlkfjskldjf i have no idea when i'll update universe abound and this has been sitting on my drafts for FAR too long... besides, it can be read as a standalone anyway. now. once again i am here to tell you that dragon!zhongli is love, dragon!zhongli is life. thank you for attending my ted talk-
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you stare.
dark brown scales, decorated with shining gold lines seem to pulse under the sunlight filtering through the curtains.
you stare harder.
the long appendage twitches before it shifts to hide behind the man standing right in front of you.
"your grace," morax coughs awkwardly into his fist and upon being greeted with your silence, decides to go back to fiddle with the coat he was halfway putting on before you barged in, "i believe it is still… thirty minutes before our scheduled stroll. is something the matter?"
instead of answering, you blurt out in an amazed voice, like a young child that just spotted their favorite candy, "you have a tail!"
"i… yes, well, considering that i am a dragon, and they do have tails-"
"it's so pretty! why don't you have it out more often?"
the genuine enthusiasm in your voice makes him smile.
"it's- ah, it could be an inconvenience sometimes."
you blink, not understanding the meaning of his words. he gives you a bashful look and proceeds to focus on his garments instead. knowing that he's not going to elaborate anymore, you choose to study the scaly appendage - unlike morax's still body, it's twitching and swaying around where it rests on the floor, almost as if…
….. hmm?
"zhongli."
"yes?"
"i love you."
the sudden confession makes him go still, and you observe his reactions in interest.
"i love you too, dearest."
aside from the short pause and the elegant smile on his lips, the man looks as dignified and unaffected as ever. however, your impossibly wide grin strains your cheeks as you eye the rhythmic thumping of his tail against the floor.
"rex lapis," you gasp, "… are you wagging your tail???"
"ahem. c-certainly not, i don't-"
"oh. my. god. that is the cutest thing ever!"
"............ beloved….."
"no no no no no if you hide your tail then i'm revoking our daily walks and regular kisses!"
zhongli's tail perks up and begins to sway anxiously, and you feel like crying from how adorable this whole thing is.
"now, let us not take such drastic measures, darling. i believe this matter can be discussed, perhaps over some tea-"
"please please please let me pet your tail!"
your lover's cheeks flush pink, and you feel like the happiest deity in teyvat.
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people of liyue have heard of many tales. stories about adeptus protecting liyue behind the city itself, of fearsome plains drenched in monster dust as they were struck down by their god, of the stone gate collapsing and effectively cutting off supply routes from the city of freedom - not that it has been used for quite some time now….
people of liyue have seen many things. terrifying disasters almost sinking their whole city into oblivion, their beloved archon appearing once more and taking charge against vicious monsters overrunning teyvat's landscapes, their own creator coming into liyue after continuous years of prayers and offerings…
but never in their life they would have thought the day would come when they see the god of contracts himself - known for hurling stone pillars that now stand as guyun stone forest, vanquishing countless gods in the archon wars, and sealing many divine beasts who have run rampant across the land - stroll about the city arm-in-arm with the divine creator, his draconic tail proudly in full display and gently swaying side to side as the two converses softly, eyes staring deeply into each other's akin to lovers who hadn't seen each other in eons.
they see it, and they think: yes, this tale too, shall be passed down to the younger generations.
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© zhongrin | 2023 ◆ no repost. reblogs much appreciated. feel free to reach out to submit suggestions, feedback, comments, or if you just want to talk!
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◇ taglist ◇ @genshinparty | @abyssmal-skies | @hamdehlesmis | @depressivecomforts | @sophiethewitch1 | @why-am-i-here-someone-save-me | @sunnshineflxwer | @heartonthemoon | @yuutasbabe | @percyval-archives | @carbs-need-more-love | @rebeccka | @queen-belial | @stygianoir | @silentmoths | @niktwazny303 | @dustofthedailylife | @herdrops | @diebischesther | @marina-and-the-memes | @angryhope | @mixed-kester | @shuangxo | @fiannee | @lordbugs | @anonymousficreader | @shizunxie | @ladylofspades | @sup-zfam | @ansy-tea | @irethepotato | @nachotrash | @algrimmammon | @sassy-cat-in-town | @syrenkitsune | @smokipoki | @pvbbyb0y | @shipperxchaos
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Take Me Out
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Bad Batch x Reader Exchange 2024
Crosshair x fem!reader | 4.7k words
Content: drinking, light angst, introspection, fluff, light humor, crushes, relationships, friendship, mentions of war and death, weapons (practice setting)
Prompts: "What am I even looking for?" - "I don't know" & "Sometimes I think some work on your communication skills wouldn't be such a bad idea."
My gift is for the event host - @ghostofskywalker! I was so excited to draw your name and I really hope you enjoy the fic. You put so much work and care into hosting these events for the fandom, it really is appreciated 🤗
I've actually had this story concept in mind for quite a while. I love that pretty much all of your prompts/wish-list items were able to fit in! We've got some platonic Hunter, romantic Crosshair, a little angst, a bit of fluff... Perfect!
Oh, and to keep things spoiler free (on my blog and for the event), this takes place before Order 66 and Omega.
Please go check out the @cloneficgiftexchange blog for all the other contributions to this great event! Fics are being posted all throughout today (4/13/24). Spread the love for fandom writers/creators by reblogging!
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Vandor-3. Clone training facility: recreation sector. Winter.
You sat slumped over the bar, a drink cradled in your arms. You took lazy sips at the liquid, long past its effervescence, in between chewing on the straw. You could smell the evidence of your waning hygiene, being curled in on yourself like this. It disgusted you but not enough to do anything beyond self loathing. To say you were miserable was an understatement.
"Morning, Captain. A bit early for a drink, isn't it?"
The husky voice of the bar's newcomer was unmistakeable in who it belonged to. There were clones abound on this small moon, hundreds of identical-sounding men. But every once in a while you had the pleasure of hearing the one that was different.
You sluggishly swiveled your head and gave Sergeant Hunter a mock salute. He leaned against the bar beside you, seemingly torn between being amused and concerned by what he was seeing.
"Back so soon?" you asked, ignoring his own question. Though your speech wasn't slurred, your voice still betrayed some of the numbness you were working to surround yourself in. Which helped your friend make up his mind on how to feel.
"Easy mission," Hunter shrugged off the topic. "You okay? Did something happen?"
"No," you sighed and forced yourself to sit upright. Best to appear more in control and not give him reason to drag you to the med bay. "That's the problem. Nothing's happened."
Hunter frowned and slid onto the barstool next to you. You caught a whiff of soap as he did, a harsh contrast to your own odor that made you even more upset.
"I don't understand."
Your hands cupped around your glass, condensation pooling around your fingers, and you stared at the melting ice wishing to be as frozen and unfeeling.
"I don't understand, either," you whispered. "Why I'm still so... alone."
"Ah." Hunter placed a sympathetic hand on your shoulder. "That's right, you had that date you were going on. Another dud, then?"
You nodded, still refusing to look away from the ice cubes.
He hummed in thought. Your poor friend. How many times had he now had to come up with some sort of reassuring comment after another one of your failed attempts to find love? At least you were grateful you had such a friend, though. Where others would have made you feel guilty for admitting to loneliness, would have insisted they were company enough and all you had to do was ask for it, it's as simple as that, how dare you feel lonely when you aren't actually alone... Hunter was the one who always saw through to what you really meant. You were not what the other wanted, but you were both wanting, craving that kind of deep, romantic connection that seemed to allude you both. For Hunter, it was obviously his schedule that got in his way. For you... well, that was the mystery.
"You have to keep looking," was the sentiment Hunter settled on this time. He rubbed at your shoulder a bit, as if trying to smooth out your misery.
You huffed. His attempts to comfort were sweet, but not enough. You couldn't help but protest. "But with everyone I meet, I just find out what I don't want. What am I even looking for?"
"I don't know," Hunter shook his head sadly. "I don't know if anyone knows until they find it."
You groaned and slumped back forward, facepalming the bar top and wishing you could sink right into it. Sink down, down, down until you disappeared completely.
"Sorry, Cap," Hunter's now muffled voice attempted to chuckle, lighten the mood. "If I could track down your soul mate, I would. You know I would."
That comment was sweet enough. You forced yourself to stop sinking, lift yourself up again, and face your friend properly.
"I know. And I appreciate that. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be such a bummer today. It's just... it's been getting harder, is all."
He nodded and you nodded back and nothing further needed to be understood on the matter.
"Were you needing something from me?" you changed the subject. "Or did you come to day drink as well?"
"Ha, ha." Hunter started to get up. "Yeah no, I just wanted to let you know we were back for a few rotations, see if you'd have some time to finally come out and meet the boys."
You lifted up your glass and shook it a bit. "You're too late, I'm afraid. If I'd known you'd be back so soon, I wouldn't have started on this journey of self destruction."
Hunter titled his head at you, some of that trademark concern still showing. "This isn't going to be an all week thing, is it?"
You shrugged. Truthfully, you had no idea what to do with yourself. Making decisions even a day in advance seemed like too big of a commitment in your fragile state.
"I'd rather not meet any more new people right now, if it's all the same to you."
"I wouldn't consider them new. You've heard enough stories about each other by now. It's starting to get weird that you're not meeting, quite frankly."
You wanted to laugh, but the thought of introductions, stiff pleasantries, awkward small talk... It reminded you of every first date that never turned into a second, every dating app chat thread that went nowhere, every high hope you watched turn into disappointment. Even with a group like Hunter's brothers, the Bad Batch, with a reputation of being unconventional, who you'd only be making friends with just like you had with Hunter and every other clone on this moon... it was still too much for you to stomach.
"Sorry, maybe next time."
Hunter frowned, but he didn't overstep. "Suit yourself. Door's still open though. You know where to find us."
He made to walk out but paused to turn back to you for a moment.
"And hey, don't lose hope. We'll find our people soon enough. In the meantime, take care of yourself, alright?"
You waited until the bar doors closed behind him to let your tears fall.
* * *
Vandor-3. Woodland outskirts. Spring.
You were here. Finally.
You weren't able to pinpoint exactly where the turning point occurred, between crying yourself to sleep every night and being able to wake up with a smile on your face. A small one, of course, but a smile nonetheless. You weren't even sure it was something that had happened overnight. Slowly, eventually, the frost over your heart melted, the shadows in your thoughts grew thinner and lighter. Without even realizing you were drawing back the curtains and dusting off the shelves and each day being a little more open than you were the day before.
Your loneliness still existed. It came and went in waves, so while still devastating at times, you were at least afforded with periods of relief. Periods where you could smile again, find fulfillment in your work, and even dare to allow yourself to dream again. And not to mention taking more regular showers. It was always the little things that made the biggest difference, wasn't it?
And now here you were, standing in the early morning sun out in one of the training fields, the Havoc Marauder silhouetted against the sunrise as you shook hands with its crew in a meeting long overdue.
Hunter's stories had done the boys justice. Wrecker was just as larger than life as you'd pictured, aptly choosing to push past your outstretched hand and go in for a bone-crushing hug instead. Tech, who you'd come to know as the brains of the batch, only spared a second to be properly introduced before returning to fidget with some gadget. Echo was all politeness and disciplined respect, with his scomp-salute and ma'ams. And Crosshair... well, he was still on the ship asleep, which you supposed fit with the few facts you knew about him, too.
Hunter beamed beside them, clearly happy you had finally made the effort to meet his squad. His family, really. As a Captain overseeing drill training for the GAR, you knew better than anyone the close bonds these clones formed even before they stepped foot on a battlefield. This meant a lot to him, you being here. You felt awful for postponing so many times.
Once introductions were out of the way, and some pleasant conversation had passed, you eventually ventured out to the part of the training field that actually housed elements for training - your excuse for coming out here to meet everyone. A munitions crate full of shiny new blasters was carried between you and Wrecker while Hunter ran ahead to set up some targets. Tech and Echo went back to the ship to work on repairs.
"Aaaaugh. Only blasters?" Wrecker lamented upon opening the crate.
"Sorry, more budget cuts. This was all I could scrounge up for you guys."
Hunter was much more excited by the new weapons, though Wrecker still picked one up to try out. You held one as well but only used it to demonstrate different techniques. Just because you were good at training didn't mean you were the best at actually fighting.
The three of you picked off the various bottles, pots, and pans that Hunter had set up amongst the tree branches at the edge of the field for a short while. And on more than one occasion you found yourself pausing to breathe in the air and remind yourself that life was good. Maybe not how you wanted it, but it was still good and you'd need to continue to work on appreciating what you had.
After about an hour, there were only three bottles and a pan left, all proving tricky targets due to distance and angle. Hunter had even tried slinging a few knives to no avail.
"Okay I'm calling it," Wrecker announced with a huff. "One more missed shot and I'm blowing them up."
"I'll take that bet."
A new voice, one you'd never heard before, carried across the field. It was delicate and drawling and confident. Hunter chuckled and Wrecker rolled his eyes. And you... you had no idea that everything was about to change.
It was like he was moving in slow motion. Your surroundings blurred as the lanky figure caught the corner of your eye, your heart rate slowing as you turned and took him in. One confident step planted firmly in front of the other as he inched across the field. A sniper rifle perched on his shoulder. A toothpick between pursed lips. An eye surrounded by a reticle and narrowed in determination. He didn't even spare you a glance, and thank the gods, because if he had, you were sure your heart would've stopped beating altogether.
He squared off as soon as he reached the marks, bringing his rile forward to aim in a swift and careful motion. His head rested against the shaft, his tattooed eye squinted through the scope. You imagined him taking this stance a thousand times in his short life. It looked as natural a position as curling up on a couch might look for you.
You couldn't look away, not wanting to miss a single second of whatever this mesmerizing man was about to do. He was still for a moment, impressively so. You realized you were holding your breath as you watched, not wanting even your exhale to interfere with his process.
And then he fired. Once, twice, threefourfive times. Bang, bang, bang. Each in a different direction but no less precise than the one before. The first ricocheted off the pan and hit the green bottle, just as the second hit the red bottle. The three-shot volley was aimed at the branch the bottles sat on, causing it to crack and dangle even closer to the ground. And just when you thought the show couldn't be more over the top, the sniper swiveled his rifle toward the sky at a passing bird, clipped its wing with a shot, and then whipped out a pistol from his hip and fired at the remaining blue bottle just before the branch snapped and fell to the ground.
A few seconds later, the bird tumbled on top of the pile of shattered glass and splintered wood.
"Aaaand training is now over," said Hunter with a nod of his head. He raised his voice as he called out to his brother. "You'd better clean that shit up!"
The sniper flipped him the bird before sauntering off to clean up.
"Uh, you alright?"
Hunter paused in his own packing of gear to give you a concerned look. You were still staring after the newcomer, undoubtedly the lone Batcher you had yet to meet. Crosshair. Your brain had short-circuited with what you had witnessed him do, yes. But it was more than that. There was something about him. Something intriguing and attractive. Different than anyone you had ever known, and yet, somehow feeling so real and comfortable at the same time.
After a few waves of your friend's hand in your face, you snapped back.
"That," you breathed.
Hunter cocked a confused eyebrow.
"That is what I'm looking for."
* * *
Vandor-3. Clone training facility: recreation sector. Summer.
You were insanely busy. Separatist activity was ramping up in almost every corner of the galaxy and the GAR was responding to each new threat with full force. Rotations of new clone units were frequently arriving at the facility, one after another. You'd cycle them through a few trainings to get them certified on whatever was needed and then ship them right back out. And in between were all the additional tasks that needed to be taken care of. Piles of paperwork and coordinating schedules and ship inspections and updated security debriefings.
And yet through it all, you still had time to entertain the one thought that buzzed in the background of your mind: Crosshair. Every meeting, every meal, every training sim, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. He was there. Crosshair, Crosshair, Crosshair. On your mind, in your heart, driving you absolutely mad.
In the beginning you'd pretended it wasn't about him, specifically. You were simply happy to know what you wanted now, that you had a type and it existed. That was all. Hunter had turned up his nose, completely bewildered as to why that would be your type. You hadn't been able to give him much at the time; it would take you many rotations more to start describing the details of your newly discovered attraction.
But over time, it became harder to push aside the nagging thought that you hadn't found what you were looking for, but rather who. Specifically. Exactly. Why try to find someone like him when you already liked... him?
Oh there were plenty of ways you could answer that question, all of them self-deprecating and none of them productive. You could count on one hand now the number of times you had been in the same room as him, let alone interacted with him. The Batch may be frequenting the place more often as the war picked up, but not nearly as often as you needed to gauge whether someone like Crosshair would, could, or honestly even should be as interested in you as you were in him.
Today they were back on the grounds so Hunter could fill out some paperwork, and your heart had not stopped racing all morning. It was practically threatening to punch right out of your chest and run away. You weren't sure why, considering you'd probably only end up seeing Hunter this time. The rest of the Batch usually didn't venture into the facility unless they were staying overnight. But it seemed even knowing Crosshair was on the same planet as you got you worked up these days.
You carried Hunter's stack of paperwork with you now, intending to drop it off to him in between some meetings you had. As you hustled down the halls, you rehearsed a few ways you could subtly ask him how Crosshair was doing.
But as it turned out, you would have the opportunity to ask him yourself. If you could get over your frazzled shock at finding him in the rec room instead of Hunter.
The room was conveniently empty, making the silence between you that much more potent. Crosshair was standing awkwardly to the side, just behind one of the battered sofas, as if he had already been confused about what he should be doing before you pushed through the door. He stared at you and you stared at him and the moment only lasted for a few seconds but it felt like an eternity.
"Oh, um. Hi. Crosshair." You averted your gaze, despite having prayed the past several nights that you could see his face again soon. "I was... expecting Hunter."
That didn't sound right. You hoped he didn't take that to mean that you'd prefer if Hunter was here now. Obviously you didn't.
"He stepped out," Crosshair responded in that cool, even tone of his. Your eyes couldn't help but snap back to his as he talked. You wanted him to say more but he never did.
"Oh, okay. I just had some paperwork to give him."
Crosshair only hummed at first. You shuffled your feet a bit, debating whether you should make an attempt at small talk, try to coax more out of him, maybe even hint that you were interested in him. The thought terrified you, but not as much as the thought of being alone. You couldn't complain about that if you continued to let these opportunities pass by without at least trying to make a connection.
You shifted your weight again, intending to keep your feet planted so you wouldn't make a run for it, and Crosshair uttered your name hurriedly.
"Wait," he said. He'd thought you were leaving. You widened your eyes at him, waiting to hear what he'd wanted to tell you first. He seemed to hesitate before finally saying, "I was wondering if you knew what soup they were serving today?"
"Oh. Uh, potato, I think."
"How boring."
You smirked. "I know, right? They could at least serve it with some hot sauce."
Crosshair hummed.
The silence settled back in, though now you felt better about things. You'd practically had a conversation. Learned a little more about each other. It was a good start. 
Your commlink suddenly beeped at your side and you blanched, remembering the meeting you were supposed to be heading to.
"I uh, I've got to go. It was nice talking to you."
It pained you to cut off your moment with him so quickly, but alas you were left with no choice. You shuffled back out into the corridor, though you only made it a few steps before realizing you still had Hunter's paperwork and could just leave it with Crosshair.
The rec room had an old school door that swung in and out on hinges. It was slightly ajar from when you passed through, and already in the few seconds since something was happening on the other side of it. You could hear more voices.
"...the kriff was that?" First, the deep tones of Hunter, equal parts annoyed and weary.
"That wasn't the plan." Then, the resolute voice of Echo, backing him up.
"What?" Crosshair bit back at them.
"You were supposed to ask her out," Hunter clarified.
"No, that was not the plan," Crosshair countered. "I needed to lay some groundwork first."
"You call that groundwork? You were talking about soup."
"And she agreed. No one ever agrees with me on the soup around here."
"What a special connection," Echo said.
Hunter sighed so hard you swore you could feel the breeze through the doorway. "You know, sometimes I think some work on your communication skills wouldn't be such a bad idea."
"What?"
"Never mind. Do what you like. Keep pushing away anyone who tries to love you and see where that gets you. Just know that it's exhausting, watching the two of you dance around each other like this."
"And kind of pathetic," added Echo.
You were against the wall by the door, holding in your breath for so long you were about to pass out. Or maybe it was the euphoria of knowing Crosshair was interested that made your head sway. Regardless, you had mere moments to make a move or let the opportunity pass. You dug into your pocket, fished out a pen, and scribbled a note on the top page of paperwork. Was it professional? Absolutely not. But the GAR would get over it. You left the papers by the door, making sure your note was turned to face it.
There's better soups on Coruscant. Let's go out sometime.
* * *
Vandor-3. Woodland outskirts. Autumn.
You were alone, standing in the middle of the training field, the early setting sun behind you casting a dim shadow across the remains of your latest training exercise. A chill was just starting to set in, causing you to tug at your jacket and pull it around you a bit tighter. You liked these moments, rare as they were recently. A quiet time to yourself. Not even to think, but simply to be. Present and comfortable. And you.
The wind picked up and sang through the taller blades of grass as a ship approached for landing. Your moment was over, but a new happiness settled in its place. Minutes later, the Havoc Marauder was opening its hatch and spitting out its soldiers.
"Captain," Hunter gave you a two-finger salute as he passed by.
"Sergeant," you returned with a smile.
Echo was close behind, giving you a respectful nod. Wrecker hauled a munitions crate in one hand and hit you up for a high five with the other. Tech was oblivious as he hunched over a data pad.
They filed by, one after the other, headed straight for the barracks, and what you hoped were the showers. They all knew not to linger, that you'd catch up with them later. This was your time with Crosshair.
The sniper was leaning up against the hatch opening, arms folded across a plastoid chest and a toothpick lazily perched between slightly curled lips. He took you in for a moment and you could feel yourself glowing in response to his soft gaze.
"Showing those clankers who's boss, I see," he said as he made his way down the gangway. He nodded his head toward the mess of scrap metal behind you.
You gave a half shrug. "My reaction time is getting better, but I still can't get the angles right with those pucks."
Crosshair inched up to you, gently resting his hands on either side of your waist. "Have you been doing the breathing exercises like I showed you?"
You nodded. Your hands instinctually came up to his run along his arms until they found the crook of his elbows, the only place not barring your touch by armor.
"And using the laser sight?"
You nodded a little slower and Crosshair tsked.
"I want to be good without it. Like you." You added a little extra honey to your words so he wouldn't reprimand you too much. It had been an adjustment for the two of you at first, he stepping into a training role and you stepping back to receive instruction for once. Thankfully the frustrations seemed to diminish the more your relationship progressed.
"You have to be patient," he said, giving your waist a slight squeeze to accentuate his point. "You aren't like the regs you train. You're building your skills, taking care of yourself."
You hummed, more in thought than agreement. "Will I ever have to use these skills someday, do you think? Is it really getting that bad out there?"
You tried not to think about how many soldiers you had trained only to be sent to a battlefield to die. How many of the shinies you were drilling right now would likely be killed soon. How many more would be brought in to take their place. You'd thought you'd known what you were getting yourself into with this job. But the relentless cycle of it all was getting to you more and more, especially as the Republic continued to be challenged in larger scales and higher stakes. It never seemed to end.
"It's hard to say," Crosshair responded. "We have to prepare for the worst."
You hated that answer, but you wouldn't let him see it. Not yet. Your fears and your displeasures, anger and sorrow, were things yet to be fully explored in this new relationship. All in due time. So you simply smiled, plucked the toothpick out of his mouth and tossed it aside. 
"And hope for the best, right?"
He smiled back, or at least moved his mouth in the direction of a smile, as much as you could usually get from the reserved man. "Yes, of course."
He leaned forward and rested his forehead against yours. You both closed your eyes and breathed each other in. There was warmth in his embrace. A promise in the steady hands he held you with. Vulnerability in the skin that gently touched yours. To have someone this close, someone who was still more stranger than friend, though no less beloved, was what you had always wanted. And for once, what you wanted was just as lovely and fulfilling as you'd hoped. No catch. No deals. No unintended consequences. Just you and him and happiness.
All too soon he pulled away. His hand sought yours as he turned in the direction of the barracks. The longer you stayed behind, the worse the teasing from the others would be. They were only respectful of your relationship to a point, and after that it was fair game for a laugh. So you willingly followed.
"Crosshair?"
"Hm?"
"I was thinking about Hunter...."
The sniper glanced at you suspiciously.
"Well, you know he and I have been friends for a while. And he's confided a few things in me before. About what he wants. Or thinks he wants. He's changed his mind a few times on the specifics. But all in the same gist."
"Where are you going with this?"
"I don't know, I just feel like I owe him for helping me get through a tough time. And if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have ever met you. So--"
Crosshair cut you off with a groan. "If you're trying to get me to play matchmaker..."
"It would get some of the attention off of us," you quickly offered. "If Hunter had someone he was bringing around, too. Or even just interested in."
Crosshair frowned in thought. "There was a bartender on Scarif he kept checking out..."
You grinned and squeezed his hand affectionately. "See? Just keep an eye out and nudge him a bit. Who knows what could happen."
You could tell he was trying not to roll his eyes for your sake. Instead he squeezed your hand in return. "Or you could come with us and nudge him yourself?"
Your walking slowed, right as you were about to cross the facility boundary line. You would have to let go of his hand once you crossed it, keep a professional distance, share your company with others. And once the Batch's business here concluded, then you would have to let him go and watch him disappear into the sky with all the prayers you could possibly send with him. And then you would be on your own. Waiting, waiting, always waiting. And maybe he would return, and maybe he wouldn't.
And heaven forbid you would ever end up alone again.
"Or you can stay," he said. The quietness of his voice betrayed what he really meant, what he really wanted. 
And you knew what you wanted, too. Without you realizing, it was getting easier and easier for you to define your desires. And not only that, but to pursue them, too. To know your happiness was worth the risk of disappointment. It was clear to you now that you were not only worthy, but also capable. The man standing before you, holding your hand, gazing at you like nothing else mattered, was proof enough.
And so you said, "Take me with you."
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myscenic · 5 days
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Pairing: haunted house actor!park jisung x male!reader
Genre: fluff, strangers to ??
Warnings: bad lol
Word Count: 1.6k+
Synopsis: y/n's friends wanted y/n to rest and stop studying so they took y/n to a haunted house. y/n carelessly got lost in the haunted house alone, he was very afraid of monsters and ghosts, so he didn't know what to do.
☠ Note: it's 2am and i can't sleep so i quickly wrote this to kill time, and its for something for yall to read while you wait for jeno's fic :) this is really short like a drabble, the plot is fast and not that detailed.
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y/n sighed as he looked over his notes one more time. finals were coming up and he wanted to make sure he was as prepared as possible. his friends often told him he studied too much, but school was important to him.
there was a knock at his door, pulling him from his thoughts. "come in," he called. the door burst open to reveal jaemin, mark, and haechan with wide grins on their faces. "we're taking you out today!" jaemin declared.
y/n raised an eyebrow. "out? i need to study-"
"nope, you study wayyyy too much!" haechan cut him off. "we're going to break you out of your bubble for a bit of fun."
"fun? what did you have in mind?" y/n asked warily. he trusted his friends but their ideas of fun rarely aligned with quiet studying.
mark smiled mischievously. "we're going to the haunted house at the amusement park!"
y/n blanched. "the haunted house? but it's supposed to be super scary..." he had never been a big fan of anything too frightening.
"exactly, that's why you need a break. it'll be a good way to take your mind off school for a while." jaemin gave him puppy dog eyes, knowing he'd have a hard time refusing.
y/n hesitated but eventually caved with a sigh. "alright fine, but if i have nightmares i’m blaming you guys." they whooped in victory, pulling him up from his desk.
as they walked up to the entrance of the haunted house, y/n gripped jaemin's shirt so tightly his knuckles turned white. jaemin laughed and pried y/n's fingers away gently.
as they drove to the haunted house, y/n felt his nervousness grow. what if it was too scary? he wasn't really one for jump scares. but he knew his friends meant well, thinking a change of pace could do him some good.
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"relax, it's just people dressed up. none of it is real, you know that," jaemin reassured him. mark rolled his eyes fondly. "and you call yourself a man of science, not believing in ghosts."
they made their way deeper into the haunted house, the rooms getting creepier with each turn. y/n was practically clinging to jaemin by this point, jumping at every small sound.
y/n took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "believing and not being scared are two different things. let's just get this over with." haechan cackled and slapped him on the back. "c'mon let's go!"
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around the next corner, a costumed actor with a chainsaw came roaring towards them. y/n screamed and scrambled behind jaemin, clutching his shirt so tight he worried it might tear. even jaemin seemed a bit startled by this one.
the actor chased them down the hallway for a bit, the chainsaw revving loudly, before disappearing around another corner with an evil laugh. y/n's heart was pounding so hard he thought it might burst out of his chest.
"you okay?" jaemin asked with a sympathetic smile, prying y/n's fingers loose again. he took a few deep breaths to calm down. "y-yeah, let's keep going."
they proceeded into a dark maze area next. eerie lighting and sound effects abounded as they tried to find their way through. but every twist and turn seemed to reveal another ghost or monster jumping out at them from the shadows.
the group continued cautiously making their way through the dark maze-like halls of the haunted house. y/n kept as close to jaemin as possible, not wanting to get separated from the others.
as they turned a corner, a hideous monster creature suddenly dropped down right in front of them from above with a roar. y/n let out a blood curdling scream and instinctively bolted away in fear, losing sight of his friends in the dim lighting.
"hey y/n, wait!" mark shouted after him but it was too late. panicked, y/n ran blindly down some twisting passageways, having no idea where he was going in the disorienting maze like structure.
his heart was racing a million miles an hour as he whipped his head around frantically, searching desperately for any sign of his friends or an exit. but there was nothing but darkness in every direction.
"mark? jaemin? haechan??" he called out, his voice shaking with terror. only his echo answered back mockingly. he began hyperventilating, the utter isolation and uncertainty spiking his fear to an all time high.
y/n stumbled blindly through the darkness, whimpering in terror as every small creak or groan threatened to stop his heart. he just wanted out, more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life.
how could he have let himself get separated? what if he was trapped in here forever, completely alone in the endless maze of horrors? y/n gripped his hair tightly, feeling completely overwhelmed with panic and dread.
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rounding another corner, a ghostly figure suddenly phased right through the wall with an eerie wail. y/n shrieked and fell backwards in terror, scrambling backwards until his back hit a solid surface. shaking violently, he curled up into a ball and broke down sobbing.
the actor paused, taken aback by such an extreme reaction. most people just jumped or screamed, not full on crying. feeling bad, they knelt down and gently touched y/n's shoulder. "h-hey, it's okay, it's not real."
y/n flinched at the touch, eyes squeezed shut. slowly opening them, he was met with a concerned face framed by fluffy black hair, mask in hand. "you're really scared, huh? i'm jisung, i work here. what's your name?"
as jisung led y/n through the remaining haunted areas, every sound and movement had y/n grasping onto jisung's hand even tighter. jisung gave it a reassuring squeeze. "it's okay, i've got you. just stay close to me."
trying to catch his breath, y/n shakily replied "y-y/n...i g-got separated from m-my friends..." jisung nodded in understanding. "well don't worry, we'll get you out of here. deep breaths, you're safe now."
they turned a corner and came face to face with a gruesome corpse prop. y/n yelped and buried his face against jisung's arm with a sob. jisung wrapped an arm comfortingly around his shoulders. "shh, it's okay. i'm right here with you."
he began gently rubbing y/n's arm in soothing strokes. "take some deep breaths. you're safe with me, i promise." his calming voice and tender touch slowly helped y/n's erratic breathing start to steady.
emerging from the darkness of the haunted house, y/n could finally see jisung clearly in the moonlight without his mask. and his breath caught in his throat - jisung was stunning, the most gorgeous face he had ever laid eyes on. plush pink lips, sparkling eyes, soft black hair that looked so touchable...y/n thought he must be dreaming to encounter an angel like this.
as they walked, jisung continued holding y/n protectively against his side, occasionally whispering gentle reassurances. the fear began to melt away under jisung's caring attentions. by the end, y/n was still alert but no longer trembling violently.
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"there, see? we made it through," jisung smiled as they exited. the ordeal had left y/n exhausted but also strangely comforted by this new presence. he felt a connection forming with the black haired boy who had saved him from his panic.
just then, jisung turned to him with a smile, opening his mouth to speak. but before he could get a word out, a familiar voice rang out: "y/n!!"
he turned to see jaemin, mark and haechan running towards them, relief and worry on their faces. "you made it out!" jaemin exclaimed, pulling him into a tight hug. "we were so scared when you took off like that."
y/n hugged them back, grateful but also a bit disappointed that the moment with jisung was interrupted. he glanced back to see the black haired boy watching with a shy smile, hands in his pockets.
"i, uh, actually ran into a person in there. he helped me find my way out, his name's jisung," y/n admitted sheepishly as his friends finally released him. jaemin turned to jisung with a grin. "thanks so much for saving our scaredy cat friend here!"
a light blush colored jisung's cheeks at the praise. y/n couldn't help but gaze at him softly, already smitten by this unexpected savior and his kindness.
y/n turned back to jisung, mustering up a shy smile of his own. "thank you...really, for everything. i don't know what i would've done without you in there," he said gratefully.
jisung rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks pinking up again. "it was no problem, really. i'm just glad you're feeling better." y/n was struck again by how kind and beautiful his savior's face was.
an idea came to him then. "at least let me treat you to dinner, to say thank you properly." jisung hesitated, not wanting to impose. but y/n insisted sweetly, "please? i’d really like to."
those soft brown eyes were impossible to say no to. jisung laughed softly. "alright." they shared a smile, something blossoming between them in that moment.
y/n turned back to his friends. "wanna hang out at the park until jisung's shift is over? then we can go get food." they all readily agreed, interested to get to know their new friend as well.
a couple hours passed in a flash of games, rides, dinner and jisung's delightful company. all too soon, it was time for them to go home. but y/n had other plans.
"you guys go on ahead, i’m gonna walk jisung home," he said simply. his friends shared knowing grins and catcalls as they departed, leaving the two boys blushing in the night. could this be the start of something truly special?
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