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peakyblindersxx · 3 years

Text

whiskey business - john x reader (part 3 of ?)

gif by @michaelgreys but i cropped it cause god daMn 👀

read part one and two! | my masterlist

a/n: this one goes out to all my john bitches!! i know it's hard out here, we get no new content but this part is steamy as hell. its not over yet, though! i'm a sucker for happy endings, ok? i hope you all like it, i'm still working on requests as i go :) much love to @stxdyblr-2k for ghostwriting on this series, she has the most amazing ideas in the world 🖤

love, abi xxx

tagging: @datewithgianni

prompt: john's been ignoring you and you want to know why.

warnings: fluff, angst, nsfw!! smut, cocky john, just straight up porn at the end but can you blame me

John hadn't spoken a word in your direction for a week. Despite constantly seeing you glued to Ada's hip, he’d barely acknowledged you since the wedding. He didn’t even bother looking up. Instead his jaw tensed, taking longer inhales of smoke, constantly examining the pocket watch dangling from his right hip. You were the last person John wanted to see right now. He couldn’t get you out of his head, the flush of your cheeks as you had moaned for him imprinted in his memory. You were fucking picturesque writhing around in his lap, a mess for him, and only him. He’d never felt like this; never wanted someone so badly it hurt. Usually, he drowned what little emotions he had in the nearest bottle of whiskey. You, however, were igniting something inside him he’d never felt. Lust, yes, but it was more. A yearning, a need, to see you smile at his crap jokes for the rest of his fucking life. God, you were getting to him.

His coldness and distance towards you hadn't gone unnoticed. To John’s embarrassment, his brothers regularly referred to it as "a little tiff", usually when you were within earshot, as they loved embarrassing his brother. They were blissfully unaware of the full story, assuming his cockiness had put you off him. He sometimes wondered the same; even though you remained polite by greeting him despite the minimal nod he responded with, you seemed ashamed. John only hoped it wasn't because you were ashamed of him. The truth was, he couldn't get the intensity between the two of you off his mind. Whenever he so much as caught a glimpse of you, he remembered how pretty you looked begging for him, then the embarrassment of having to reject you out of family loyalty. You admitting you wanted to have sex with him, him getting fucked off at you because you were off your face, complicating everything. Yet, every night, he held your words close to him, trying to decipher them.

He knew his brothers wouldn't get it. They wouldn't understand how tragic it was; they'd think it was funny that Ada's best friend wanted to fuck him. Either way, John would always rather put himself in the firing line of his brother's jokes than risk your reputation being blemished. He just couldn't look at you without a wave of guilt and sexual attraction flowing through his veins, causing his jaw to clench and his shoulders to stiffen, his suit jacket expertly covering strain on the crotch of his trousers.

A full week had passed since the wedding, of a man Tommy had recruited in an assassination effort. It was embarrassing how his family used money to attempt to push the trauma they created under the carpet. He knew he didn't have room to talk, but fuckin’ hell, a wedding? Maybe Tommy should've just not hired him to blow the brains out of his own father. Well, it was one way to get rid of the police commissioner who got too nosey, John guessed.

He had hoped that you were a passing phase of infatuation. He’d had many before; he’d been notorious around Birmingham for his conquests. Sure, it was possible he had just gotten overly excited and intoxicated around a beautiful girl. Yet, in the quiet moments of his life, in between his kids and business, his mind was only on you. You, straddling him in that booth, the way you grinned at him as he approached you at the wedding party. Sometimes when he was driving home, his mind would drift off thinking of the feeling of your figure pressed against him, the feel of your lips, your laugh, the sound of your heaving breaths against his ear. You haunted him the most at night, visions of you with his name on your lips in his silk sheets. You were his forbidden fruit, dangling barely out of reach.

***

John was at his desk, paperwork long abandoned in favour of whiskey and a cigar, lost in his own thoughts. The loud tapping of rain and the wind of the storm outside shook the windows, yet John felt somewhat at peace; a temporary peace, but he could unwind. Just his desk, the moonlight, the gas lamp illuminating his empty glass and the heavy English rain for company. He found far more joy in the simplicity of life than his brothers, who reeked of new money. He liked his things the way they were, it all worked, but he had to admit he was a sucker for a good suit. The kids were long in bed, the nanny to comfort their nightmares. It made him feel like a shit father, and he didn't want to be like his useless dad. He had started resenting the life Thomas was forcing him to live; the booze, the partying, the Tokyo, the fighting. It was wearing on him. He needed a break from everyone in this town, he reckoned.

However, a certain unexpected guest was always welcome to him. You had just drifted across his mind when a firm knock at the door caught his attention. He straightened his tie, leaving his legs outstretched and crossed on the dark oak desk, calling for the visitor to enter.

There you were. Dripping from head to toe, but still as beautiful as ever to him, despite your damp hair and slightly smudged makeup. You had caught him off guard, and in his surprise, he couldn't suppress the cheeky grin which spread across his face.

"Got caught in the storm, eh? I'll put the fire on and pour you a drink yeah? Warm you up." He slurred slightly, springing into action, lighting the fire and going to fill two glasses with whiskey, which you politely refused.

"I'm not drinking tonight, Mr. Shelby."

He decides he won't either. He tried to ignore your piercing gaze, motioning you to sit across his desk from him, reaching to put the whiskey in his drawer. "That's not like you. Where you headed, love? That lecture with Ada?"

"I came to see you."

He noted your firm tone, the flirty smile, the coy eye contact.

"What's the occasion?"

"You've been avoiding me." You told him bluntly, his cheeks reddening, eye contact breaking momentarily.

"Yeah, I know." He took a draw from his cigar, rolling the smoke from between his lips on the exhale. "M’sorry."

You watched him for a moment and he met your eyes, suddenly softened from his usual icey blue inquisitive stare. To shame, he looked so vulnerable right now. You could feel yourself falling for him again. This is what you hung around for, the fleeting glimpses of the authentic John Shelby. The lad you'd first giggled about in the girl's bathroom at lunch, barely knowing what sex was. Barely understanding power and politics. Unaware of who you'd both end up as.

"You're fucking soaked to the bone. Come on, I'll put your clothes to dry by the fire. And don't give me that look, I'll give you my coat to save your modesty, lass." He teased. You ignored the way his muscles flexed as he reached for his woolen jacket, some outrageously expensive tailored affair from some London boutique, his large rough hands brushing your fingers. "I'll turn around."

You grasped the coat, heading to the fireplace and warming up for a moment, checking that you were far from his line of sight. This was a dangerous game for you both. You wished he'd grab you, take you on his desk and finish what he started, but the way he absentmindedly drummed his fingers on the desk as he waited indicated that he was restraining himself.

You'd rid yourself of your thin jacket, bought from the market stall last week, effortlessly trendy but an imitation of the pricey stuff Ada and the blinder wives and girlfriends you knew. You were jealous of their fur coats, they were always warm and glamorous looking even on the coldest winter night in Birmingham.

You glanced across the room to John. He was staring intently at the wall lost in thought, teeth gritted.

"John? Could you unzip me?" You asked, purposefully making your voice sound as neutral as possible, looking at him over your shoulder.

He paused, bringing his fingers to rub circles against his jaw. You caught a glimpse of white teeth and dimples as he glanced at you out the corner of his eye and you can't help but match his coy grin. He pushed himself off the desk and quickly closed the small distance towards you, his hand finding first your shoulder then the zip at the nape of your neck, your breath hitching as he pulled the zip to your waist. You could feel his eyes tracing the curvature of your spine and hips. You both hesitated for a moment, before John’s warm fingertips grazed your waist, lips pressing into your hair affectionately. His mouth found his way to your ear, cheekbone, jaw and then neck, encouraged by the way your left hand cradled his head as you pressed your body back into his and how your eyes drifted shut at his touch.

"Sweetheart, why did you come here?" He muttered into your ear, his words and casual affection causing your core to swell in response.

"Couldn't stop thinking about you. I've barely slept in a week, feel terrible. Then you've been ignoring me-"

"It isn't personal, Y/N. You know this isn’t how I want it to be." His hands found their way to your waist, gripping lightly at your hip bones, sending a shiver down your back.

"Well this is how it is, John. It's never going to be any different. So, what are you going to do about it?"

"What are you fucking on about, love?"

"I reckon that just once can't hurt, nobody would know but us. Then we can both move on with our lives..."

John hesitated, "What about Ada?" His head rested on your shoulder, the scent of your sweet perfume causing him to want you even more. Jesus, he was too far gone.

"We were so close the first night I got here and we didn't. No one caught on then, why would it be different now?"

He wanted to trust you so badly, it ached inside of him. He wanted to feel you around him, make you cum for him again and again, for you to be breathless and shaking under him. He wanted to give you everything he could, even if just once. But he couldn't.

"She's my sister. Family is everything; if I don't have them, I’ve got nothin’." He stated firmly, yet his palms lingered on your hips, the liquor destroying his perception of the distinction between friendly touching and actions that made you swallow deeply and pray for relief.

"You have me for tonight." You pulled away from him, ignoring the groan that escaped from his lips at the loss of contact. You locked your eyes with his blue ones and pushed the straps of your dress from your shoulders, allowing the damp material to pool around your feet, standing in front of the man you'd wanted for years. It was now or never.

He stayed silent, watching you, eyes not leaving yours, challenging you for a brief moment before his eyes flickered over your figure.

"Is it such a crime to want to fuck you?" You asked, the silk of your skimpy underwear forcing John to wipe the corner of his mouth absentmindedly as he drank you in, mumbling profanities under his breath. Yet, despite the glances and his sudden frustration, you could tell you had him. His eyes were feral and hungry, daring you to keep pushing him. His shoulders were squared, he was ready for action. The crackling firelight illuminated you beautifully; you were irresistible to him.

"It's not a crime. Where'd you get this backbone from?" He asked, reaching for you but you stepped away, teasing him.

"University up north does sommet to a woman."

"You can fuck off or fuck me with that attitude."

"The latter if you behave yourself, Mr Shelby."

He smirked at you, holding his hands up in mock surrender, before wrapping his coat around your shoulders, pulling you towards him by the back of the collar. "You've got a mouth on you, love. You gonna put it to good use?"

"I was told months ago that you'd sort me out, John-" Your speech was interrupted by a small squealing giggle as he tugged at your hair lightly for mocking his voice, his eyes bright and crinkled at the edges due to his grin. "I'm disappointed with these delays, especially from the Shelby Company."

"Well, as the boss, I'll sort it for you, personally and immediately. Let me make it up to you, lass," John crooned, his lips meeting yours once again, fingers pushing your thighs apart, still clad in your black stockings and garter belt. "This is where we got up to last time, yes?"

"Yes Mr. Shelby, I believe so."

He pressed his lips and teeth against where your jaw met your neck, tracing his index and middle fingers over the silk of your underwear which covered your slit. You couldn’t help but lean into him, a slight hiss escaping your teeth.

"You like that, huh? You're fuckin’ soaked for me already, love," John muttered against your neck, lifting your left leg to hook around his waist, easily lifting you onto his desk, scattering loose papers and heavy accounting books onto the floor in his urgency to feel your bare skin on his. "They teach you how to push a bloke over the edge at that fancy university?"

"No, I figured that out on my own actually."

"Always knew you were bright," He smirked, quickly ridding you of your flimsy panties, the pads of his fingertips hot against your thighs. "Always going for the ones smarter than me, Tommy reckons it's not difficult."

"Your brother's chatting shit, he's not the one ‘bout to fuck me on his desk, yeah?" You shot back, opening your thighs to encourage him, your cunt exposed, cutting off John’s laugh. He couldn’t help but stare, eyes glued to your dripping cunt. "You're my favourite brother, always have been. If you tell Finn, I'll kill you," You teased.

"Come off it," John grunted in reply, unable to restrain pressing kisses to your inner thighs, your head tilting back, fingers desperately clutching at his hair. “Need t’get a proper taste of you, yeah? Look so fuckin’ sweet for me.” His mouth reached your core, slowly dipping his tongue into you, causing your mouth to fall open in ecstasy. God, his lips were even softer than they looked. His movements switched from light and teasing to purposeful and focused, his fingers curled and pumping inside you, tongue and thumb attacking your clit. He'd gotten on his knees, your legs wrapped around his neck as he groaned into your cunt, causing you to buck your hips wildly at the sensation, moans falling out of your mouth.

“Fuckin’ christ, John,” You swore, feeling yourself pulsate and twitch around his nimble fingers, crying out into the empty office building. You were getting so close, your hips jerking independently, chest heaving as you gasped for air. You were quickly getting overstimulated, you were so close. Before you could finish, John raised his head back to yours, letting you taste yourself on his mouth, his hands moving from your cunt to your tits, finger tips tracing the outline of your nipples through your silk bra.

"If we get to do this once, I want to feel you finish on my cock, doll," John grunted in a hushed tone, pointedly moving his lips to your collarbone when you opened your mouth to argue back to him.

"Then I get to ride you." Your statement took him by surprise; most women he'd slept with seemed fairly passive in bed. Sure they enjoyed themselves, but they never took control. He could feel himself swell in response to your words. He'd never been put in this position; he was a stranger to it, but the idea was thrilling and wickedly seductive. Especially from someone who was the epitome of "girl-next-door" as they were growing up.

"Polly reckoned you'd be trouble since Ada told us you'd returned. Don't mind getting into trouble with you, though," He teased, his plump mouth dipping to your cleavage, unclasping your bra, tongue circling your hardening nipples.

"John, fuckin’ christ, need you to finish me off, yeah?" You begged, voice shaking, much to his amusement, his fingers re-entering you roughly. John pressed open-mouthed kisses to your neck, soothing your body from the sharp sensation, the slight pain exacerbating the pleasure arising from his mouth and fingers.

"I've barely started with you, and already you're begging for me to fuck you." He muttered into your skin, as he watched you writhe and lift your hips, reacting beautifully to the feelings he was reawakening within you.

"John, m’not fucking about, yeah? I need you," You whined, hand resting on his inner thigh, fingers grazing the fastenings across his groin, gazing up at him from your seat on his desk. John hated waiting for relief, he had very little patience, and almost immediately he gave in and collapsed into his large armchair, pulling you on top of him, letting you pin his wrists to the chair and grind against him as your mouth found his, then his neck, removing his waistcoat, shirt and tie, revealing his muscular chest. The bruising kisses you pressed to his skin left him breathless and needing more, helping you unbuckle his belt and push his suit trousers down his legs. You couldn’t help but take him into your hand, moving it up and down his sensitive shaft.

“Christ, you’re too fuckin’ good at this,” John groaned as you spit on your palm to better move your hand up and down his cock, teasing the sensitive tip with your fingers and tongue. He couldn’t help but watch you, keeping eye contact as you toyed with him, blue eyes heavy with pleasure and lust for more.

You angled your hips above him and he adjusted himself, using his hand to better push himself inside you. You yelped lightly as you adjusted to his girth, his mouth distracting you by pressing kisses on your shoulder and tangling his hands through your hair, trying to control his breaths as you adjusted to him, soft moans falling from your mouth, your tight cunt gripping his cock.

“S’fuckin’ perfect, like your pussy was made for me,” he groaned, breath growing heavier with the sensation of you grinding against him. Pushing his hips up into you, he couldn’t help but grab at your hip bones, grip burning into your skin, bouncing you on his cock, mouth slightly slack, groaning as he grasped at your flesh. You’d imagined hundreds of times how fucking irresistible John would look underneath you, but it was nothing compared to the real thing.

The thrill of having John Shelby with his trousers down in his office, quickly dissolving into a moaning and grunting mess with every rotation or twist of your hips, in the midst of a stormy night while the thunder echoed around the empty streets below was almost too much to take. You should be home right now, curled up in that empty unheated flat, behaving yourself. Even on a date or fucking someone else. But instead you'd gone to him and now you were riding him. You wanted the moment to last forever, right now everything felt so right, you knew when it was over the guilt would hit. But you couldn't avoid it, you could feel your legs start to shake.

“Look so god damn pretty ridin’ me, love. Makin’ me wanna cum inside you.” John growled, panting, struggling to keep pace as you moaned on top of him. Your fingers found his jawline and guided him to look up at you, craving to see how his face looked when he finally came undone. He reached between your legs, torturing your clit with his fingers while he slammed into you a few extra times, using up the rest of his energy. The extra stimulation pushed you over the edge, crying out John’s name as you felt yourself release. Watching you whine his name was the last straw for him, spilling into you as your dripping cunt squeezed him, reveling in the image of you a mess for him.

***

You finally came back to your senses, catching your breath, John clutching you to his chest protectively for a minute or two, enjoying the tranquility and post-sex clarity. He checked his clock, sighing and lifting you from his lap to his desk, running a towel under the sink in the corner of his room and passing it to you to clean up between your legs with.

"Charming," You smirked, tired but satisfied. "No wonder the ladies always come back for more."

"Not you though, aye? One night only exclusive, this." He matched your playful tone, but his eyes were dull with exhaustion and he looked almost upset. He was probably just knackered after working all day and then going overtime just to please you.

"Make yourself useful and grab my clothes for me John-lad." You teased, thankfully changing the subject. He rolled his eyes in the waning firelight, locating the clothes the two of you had left scattered around the room. You quickly dressed, not caring how he watched you silently, as though trying to memorize the image of you. Your clothes were far drier than earlier, the last remaining remnants of damp clutching to the fibers and freezing you all over again. Yet before you could even comment, John's wool coat was wrapped back around your shoulders.

"Because you're cold, not because you look fuckable in it." He said pointedly, smirking slightly, the edges seeming artificial.

"Remind me not to fall madly in love with you. Won't be able to help myself if you keep talking like that, Mr. Shelby." You retorted sarcastically with a grin, earning a gentle dig to the ribs.

"It's Mr. Shelby if you're trying to fuck me. John is between friends and family, right?"

"Someone better inform Mr. Solomons of that distinction, then," You paused, "Mr. Shelby."

"Don't be a fucking cocktease." He scolded with a small grin, grabbing his car keys and hat from the door. "You want a lift then? Don't dick about being polite, Y/N, it's fucking midnight, just accept it."

"Since you asked so nicely."

"You know you've got worse since you've been at uni? Too fast for us lot now." He teased, half serious, as he led you to his car. He couldn't believe the beautiful woman in his passenger seat was the girl with pigtails who'd chase Ada around the canal with their girl gang for hours, the pretty teen who read for hours in his sister's bedroom, comparing notes together. No one was surprised you got a scholarship to university, despite your gender and class. You'd been incredibly lucky. Yet, you'd seen the world and had come back to Birmingham and picked him.

Shame you could only pick him once.

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skellebonez · 3 years

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Because you are a fantastic writer, and because I simply adore what you write, how about a continuation to the "Wukong is once again being an idiot and lying to everyone" prompt? And this is an open prompt! You can take this and go absolutely bonkers with it!

THE POWER YOU HAVE GIVEN ME SHALL NOT GO UNDERUTILIZED. This is a follow up to these two previous fills and I am just going off about what I think would be an interesting way to continue into season 3 at this point.

Warning: UH... Sun Wukong is not doing too great. Mild descriptions of his hidden injuries, Wukong is still immortal but what he hid would be very bad for people who are not.

"He's burning up," Pigsy said with a hiss as he pulled his hand away from Wukong's forehead. "Why is he burning up? What even happened to him!? He didn't look like this an hours ago, ain't he immortal-"

"Yeah, but not invincible," MK interrupted with a shake in his voice, watching as Sandy checked on his mentor's newly revealed injuries. "Not entirely anymore. He-he'll probably be fine! No, he will be fine, but he's-shit." He took in a shaky breath, trying to stand on legs that had long since fallen asleep in their awkward position holding his mentor's head off the hard floor. "I'll explain later, we need to see how bad he is now!"

He jumped, feeling a soft touch against his shoulder. Mei had knelt beside him at some point and it wasn't until she reached over to brush her thumb against his cheek that he realized he had started crying at some point.

The chef looked at him with an odd expression at MK's revelations, almost looking like he wanted to say something in anger before shaking his head and standing instead.

"You're right," he said as he turned to Sandy. He didn't need to ask the largest of the group anything, watching as he carefully scooped the Monkey King into his arms and headed off into what they had designated as "the med bay" with Tang following close by. "But you're gonna tell us exactly what that you mean by 'not entirely invincible' on the way, no more of this waitin to talk business! And we're going to walk there calmly."

MK couldn't find it in himself to argue.

"Well, shit," Pigsy sighed after MK rushed through the conversation he had shared with his mentor, pinching the bridge of his snout with a sigh. "That's... bad. That explains a whole lot about a lot of stuff, like how he managed to get himself caught on New Years, at least... You're sure he's still immortal?"

"Yeah," MK nodded, leaning into the grip Mei had on his shoulder as they walked. "Yeah, he made it a point to insist he still couldn't die."

"That's... good, right?" Mei offered with a chuckle, her usual exuberance seeming shaken up after seeing the state of the immortal monkey. "That means he'll get better!"

They paused at the entrance to the med bay, really more a spare bedroom they had stocked all the medical supplies Sandy apparently hoarded into, and MK gulped. He thought over Wukong's words, trying to find any piece he could to pick it apart. See exactly what, if anything, may have been just more half truths... he didn't want to believe he was still hiding things, not after that display of dropping the glamor. But MK himself had claimed he would explain everything to the others before... and lied still... and he was more like Sun Wukong than he first realized.

"I-I think so," he finally settled on an answer as they walked in, Sandy's back being the first sight they were greeted with. He could see the bottom half of Wukong's legs and feet, and Tang standing on the opposite side of the bed, as they were doing... something. "He said I was half invincible so... maybe he's still half himself? But he said they'd 'probably heal eventually' so..."

"Maybe he just meant they wouldn't scar!" Mei offered with a smile, moving to grip MK's hand. "Come on... we can't stop thinking about the good outcomes now..."

He turned, looking at his best friend. Her smile was off, uncertain, dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. None of them had slept well the last two nights. But her eyes, despite the uncertainty they shared with her smile, were as bright and hopeful as ever.

"Yeah..." MK said with a small smile.

"As much as we'd appreciate the help," Tang said suddenly, moving from behind the bed to stand before them. He had removed his scarf and robe, something that looked bizarre and wrong outside of seeing him in his sleep wear, and instead wore a simple tank top and his regular pants. He had gloves on... already spotted in red. "This room is a little cramped with all five of us and a bed."

"I'll go make us food," Pigsy said immediately, laying a hand on MK's back as he addressed Tang. "We don't gotta eat it when it's finished it's just... gonna be ready for when you're done, ok?"

MK couldn't help but smile a bit. Pigsy didn't just make food and let it sit, not normally. The only other time he could ever remember him doing that was after... DBK. After they volunteered to help clean up the city from the damage his possession caused. He'd made pots and pots of noodles and soup and plates of side dishes and buns and just kept them warm for when anyone came by to eat them. He stayed in his shop, waiting and handing out what he could.

He never once complained about the excess from the last batches, offering them for free to the first few customers the next day if they wanted it.

"Thanks, Pigsy," Tang said with a tired smile. "I think everyone is going to appreciate that."

"I'll finish the ship upkeep Sandy and I were doing," Mei offered, smiling at Sandy when he looked over his shoulder. "I've got a pretty good handle on the specifics by now."

"I trust you," Sandy said with a smile, the first thing he had said the entire time he'd joined them in the kitchen, and turned back to what he was doing.

There was an awkward silence as Tang started grabbing supplies from a cabinet to deposit on a nearby table and Pigsy and Mei turned to MK.

"I'm staying," he said firmly, but nothing could hide the shaking in his hands. "Just... I have to know how bad he is."

"OK," Pigsy said, and they made their way out before Mei turned back inside.

"When he wakes up? Give him one of these for me," she said before making a face and leaving in the opposite direction.

There was just enough of a chuckle that escaped him that MK thought he would be able to do that.

"Are you sure you want to see this?" Tang asked, far softer in tone than he had been before. "Sandy and I were already taking stock of his injuries and... MK, they're not good."

"Yeah, I'm sure," he insisted, taking in a calming breath. "I need to know exactly how angry I need to be at him."

His father figure didn't laugh, but there was amusement in his eyes as he returned back to where he was. "Alright, then you're going to need to help by handing me everything I ask for."

They settled into silence after that, and MK watched and Tang and Sandy worked to check on the unconscious immortal in the bed.

They had stripped off his robe, leaving him only in the pants he wore underneath it. He looked... he looked much worse without it on.

In addition to his eye (which seemed to have been the only hidden injury to have already healed as much as it may have) and the tear in his ear (which seemed to have at least been partly treated by himself already) his torso was littered with little cuts and scrapes. Sandy had rolled up the legs on his pants, one remaining upright and MK could see the slight swell of his knee from some kind of internal injury (probably muscular). His tail and arms were also similarly injured, one nasty gash in particular close to the end of the tail that had gotten almost as much treatment as his ear.

But on his side... there was sloppy bandaging slowly growing redder.

"Sandy, help me get this off him," Tang said, holding out his hand. "Scissors, please."

MK jolted, getting what Tang requested from the pile of stuff, watching as he carefully cut away the wrapping.

Tang winced as he finally lifted the dressing from Wukong's side, but did his model best to look as impassive as possible. There was a sizeable gash on it, large enough that Tang's entire hand barely covered it lengthwise, that had poorly treated with the lopsided gauze and bandages (probably stolen from this very room after he allowed them to treat his visible injuries). Blood had seeped through it, all fresh, and it was most likely reopened upon his fall. It looked... wrong. Not the way it should. The fur around it had been either ripped out or had fallen out and the skin was inflamed and angry.

"... no wonder he's burning up, this is becoming infected," he said evenly, detected, leaning over to look at the supplies he took from the medicine cabinet. "Sandy, I'm going to need your help moving him. MK?" He turned to the young man, face softening as he saw how pale his face had gotten at the revelations before him. "MK, I heard what you were telling Mei and Pigsy earlier. Mei's probably right, he'll be ok. OK?"

MK wanted to believe he had been, he'd been so honest after he told him to stop lying, but... but he still couldn't help but worry his mentor was still hiding more. And he felt so guilty thinking that. But he shook his head, dispelling the thoughts in his head.

"OK... what do you need?"

"Let's start with antiseptic. We need to clean this as quickly as possible."

It took longer than MK had hoped. And Sun Wukong had only barely stirred the entire time. Whether it was from the infectious fever or from exhaustion from using his remaining powers while sick he didn't know, but the most of a reaction they got him from was a sharp gasp and a twitch while cleaning the worst of his wounds.

Aside from that... nothing. He remained still, even as Sandy moved him without any effort and guided Tang through the medical stuff he wasn't sure how to handle.

MK knew Tang had some first aid training but this was much more than he expected him to pull off... he supposed he was learning a lot.

After a while Tang didn't need Sandy's help to move him anymore and the massive man shot MK an apologetic look before leaving. MK assumed he had left to wash up, and he did, but he eventually returned completely cleaned up with a hot cup of tea. It was the same flavor as the one he never got to finish during his conversation earlier.

He ruffled MK's hair after the young man gratefully took it, making Wukong more comfortable on Tang's instruction and pulling the covers over everything but one arm before saying something about needing to give Mei some tea as well, before leaving the three of them alone again. MK thought that, maybe, the sight of the Monkey King as he was was somehow making him... uncomfortable. No, not uncomfortable.

Sad.

He didn't say anything.

"He looked... almost fine when he saved me..." MK said after a long sip of his tea and a long silence of watching Tang handle everything else on his own, trying to squeeze his cup. Just like when he had tried before, it stayed firm. "He wasn't hurt then, not by LBD, so... he'd been keeping up those illusions since before he came. How long was he hurt?"

"There isn't really a way for us to know," Tang admitted, wrapping the fresh gauze around the king's arm as carefully as he could manage. It wouldn't have mattered if he wasn't careful, Wukong didn’t stir a bit. "It could have been hours... could have been days. With how quickly his eye healed vs his gash it's hard to tell. But my guess would be hours, given when you... when..." He trailed off, a shudder running through him. "He was actively giving you his powers, yeah? Maybe... he was giving you some of his healing abilities. Or maybe something else hurt his eye long before everything else. We just don't know."

"I think that was from Macaque," MK said with a wince, knowing he was going to have to explain more about who Macaque was eventually. "He said LBD has him under her control and he has the same injury on the opposite eye."

Tang froze for a half a second, the shine of the overhead lights on his glasses keeping Mk from seeing just what kind of expression he had. But he simply nodded, finishing up his work.

"We'll just... have to hope he'll be able to give us some better information when he wakes up," Tang said with a shrug as he removed his gloves. "This is all probably a mystery even to him... I'm going to wash up... will you be alright alone?"

"Yeah."

That was a lie, but he felt at least this one was warranted.

Because even if he wouldn't be fine he didn't want to leave.

It was nearly 11 hours before Sun Wukong opened his eyes again, though he didn't realize that at the time.

The morning sunlight was just barely shining through the window to the med bay, and he wondered for a moment why one of his eyes seemed to ache at the light and a tear rolled down his cheek from the strain at trying to see.

Then he remembered that he couldn't see out of it anymore. And the conversation with MK. And... passing out. In the kitchen.

This was definitely not the kitchen floor, which was bad. What he was laying on was soft and had something else laying on top of him. Which meant he had been moved to a bed.

Which meant he had been unconscious for more than a minute, which was the exact opposite of what he wanted.

He tried to move his left arm to cover his eye, but found something... holding it down. And with a little effort he moved his head, looking over to the side.

MK was slouched over on a chair, nearly face down on the blanket that covered him and holding his hand. In his other hand there was a comic book of some kind, horribly bent by his own face.

He had dark circles, much darker than he had the night before, under his eyes and there was a dried wetness on his cheeks that made Wukong's chest hurt at the sight.

He'd messed up... again. He shouldn't have held up the illusion, not for that long. He should have let it fall the moment they hit the drone and been honest instead of insisting that he go on his new Journey to the West on his own. Or at least let it fall the next day, when they questioned why he was so tired. So quiet. Why he was so still and wasn't running around the ship like they expected (the pulled muscle in his knee, which he very much noticed was tightly compressed by either a sleeve or a wrap, being the main culprit along side... that injury).

He sighed, doing his best to remove his hand from his student's carefully before gently resting it on his head and ruffling the hair there.

"...'m sorry, MK," He said tiredly. "No more secrets, I promise."

"You better mean that promise you asshole."

Wukong yelped and jumped, yelping again when it sent a jolt of pain down his side. "YOu're AwAKe!?"

MK sat up, almost smiling at the way his mentor sounded but holding it back. "Yeah... I kinda passed out after a while, but I woke up like... an hour ago? I've just been trying to get as much rest as I can, even if I'm not actually sleeping."

"That's... good," Wukong said with a nod, the way MK described the time frame feeling familiar. "So you saw... everything?"

"Everything."

"Well, shit."

"That's exactly what Pigsy said when I told him what happened," Mk said with a chuckle, reading over to grab a packet of some kind and a glass of water. "Tang gave me very specific instructions to make you take all of this. Or else."

"Or else... what?" Wukong chanced, raising an eyebrow.

"I dunno, I always took the medicine he gives me with that threat so I never got to find out," MK shrugged. "Pigsy says it's not worth finding out."

"I'll take his word for it," Wukong said with a sigh. It was probably best to take whatever it was regardless of threats, he could feel his fever still and he did not want to keep having to fight that off. So he took the medicine, a mixture of pills and some kind of powder MK mixed into his drink that made it taste oddly way too sweet and sour at the same time, and sighed as he closed his eyes again for a moment.

They sat in silence for only a minute before he spoke again.

"Your friends... did all this?" He gestured to himself, reaching up to feel the odd dressing on his ear.

"Tang and Sandy did," MK explained, and went on to tell him what happened. How they treated him. How Pigsy had food waiting for him now that he was awake. How MK stayed by his side just in case.

"Oh, and Mei wanted me to give you this," MK said before pausing, glowering at him in a way that looked odd on his student's face but probably would have looked horrifying on Mei.

"Oh... I made her that mad huh?"

"I think everyone is kinda angry at you to some degree," MK admitted before holding his mentor's hand again. "But... mostly we were worried. You're my mentor, and a part of our little group now. That's what we do. Worry about each other."

Sun Wukong felt another tear slip out of his injured eye, but not from strain.

It had been so long since anyone... worried about him.

He didn't know how much he missed knowing he was cared about like that.

#monkie kid #lego monkie kid #gen fic #warning: blood and injury #sun wukong #monkey king #mk #qi xiaotian #tang #sandy #pigsy #mei #long xiaojiao #Tang knows way more than he lets on #dunno if it's because he's just super smart or what but he does #lmk spoilers

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the-wintershade · 4 years

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sleeping in waking | rain (1)

pairing: connor (rk800) x reader summary: Connor couldn't figure you out and that bothered him, more than he was willing to admit. Usually, he didn't care whether he was close to someone or not, but then, they weren't you and they weren't working with him all the time. Every time you were near, he would ache to hear you open up to him, to give a few details of your personal life that he knew nothing about, but you gave away nothing - nothing - and he failed to compute why. Now, there was only one thing to do. He would do whatever he had to to get to know you - that was his mission and he always completed his mission. wc: 4.6k+ genre: fluff, a splash of angst

Rain: series — 01 | 02 | 03

The pitter patter of the heavy raindrops hitting the pavement was like music to your ears as you waited under the awning of your house before you left for work. You reached out and let the drops cool your skin. The weather forecast included warm days; unseasonably warm days that consisted of melting ice and snow and road flooding. Not the prettiest or most glamorous, but a bit of an adventure to drive through and that it made it even more fun.

The rain was a welcome companion for you, a sort of home you could feel in every drop on the ground, on every streak of water crawling down your windows, on every blob that crashed into your face as it fell. You breathed in before starting a countdown in your head, 3….2….1….Go! and suddenly you were off, a giggling mess as you rushed to pry your car door open before the rain could permeate the thin material of your windbreaker. Throwing yourself into the safety of your vehicle - a smile still lingering on your face - you sat and listened to the cacophony of raindrops pound on the roof of your metal transport.

You shook the water off your clothes like a dog shaking the mud off of its coat. Letting out a sigh, you felt around the ignition with your key before it sank into its spot with a slight dip. Turning it all the way forward, you felt your car rumble to life beneath you, a few beeps being emitted in the process. You watched the dashboard light up with a few blinks and then a steady stream of faint light, the windshield fogging up with your warm exhales against the coolness of the car.

With a tap of the finger, you heard the fan kick on in an attempt to warm the glass enough to get the condensation to disappear. You rubbed your balmy hands together to give them a chance to get fully heated before you placed them on the cold steering wheel and drove yourself to work through the torrential downpour.

...

“All this damn rain is giving me a headache. I can’t even let Sumo out of the house without him bringing back a fucking lake.” Hank sat nursing a cup of lukewarm coffee and trying to expel his frustrations with the sky, with you, the least helpful person to talk to. So instead of turning the conversation to your pluviophile like habits, you turned it to your favorite furball.

You loved his little - or not so little - dog. That little ball of fur always managed to bring a smile to your face no matter what you were going through. He would come and lick your face eagerly or jump on your leg until you would sink down to a height in which he could. A small smile spread on your face thinking of your special guy.

“How is my handsome man doing?” You grinned plopping into your chair, booting up your computer in the process.

“Spoiled as ever, especially since he has Connor around all the time.” He brought his gaze up to the android absentmindedly throwing a quarter between his hands. The coin managed to cast a glint everytime the fluorescent lights caught it, visible through your peripheral vision and distracting.

You looked up to see Connor’s LED a bright shade of yellow as his eyes lingered on the linoleum tile underneath him, the quarter whizzing through the air as it sank into the palm of his left hand. He tucked it into his pocket and moved to look back at Hank as he realized he had quickly become a focus of your conversation.

“Sorry, Lieutenant, I was thinking.” He blinked and looked at you, giving you the smallest resemblance of a smile that he could manage as his LED returned to blue. Connor was trying, you’d give him that.

“No shit,” Hank grumbled, standing and sauntering his way over to the break room. “I’ll grab you a cup.” He titled his own paper cup and gave it a slight wave.

“Thanks.” You moved your attention on Connor whose eyes were already on you, a pleasant expression on his face. You and Connor had become good friends in the short time you’ve worked at the department, a nice reprieve from dealing with the likes of the other officers. Connor was kind and gentle yet determined and focused, you admired his work ethic as he tirelessly tracked down the purp and apprehended him with little difficulty. How such a benevolent face was capable of such vigor and robustness shocked you, but in a good way. It was good to see the contrasting qualities being balanced.

“How are you doing, Connor?” You shook your hair a bit, a few droplets ringing down from the crown of your hair. He watched these drops with interest before responding to you.

“I’m fine. How are you, Officer (y/l/n)?” He looked back at your eyes, the moment of distraction over.

“Great. The rain is fun to drive in.” You smiled as you clicked on a few files on your computer bring them closer to your attention. Connor’s LED swam to yellow again and a frown took to his face.

“I don’t understand, isn’t it hazardous? I’m not sure how something like that can be entertaining for you.” A grin crept its way to the corner of your mouth as you found his lack of understanding funny and a little bit adorable. You looked over the top of your monitor to find him looking at you expectantly.

“Well, it’s fun because you can watch the pools of water fly away from your wheels like you’re parting the red sea. It’s kind of like when you’re a kid and you jump into all the puddles while walking with your parents to the car because you're fascinated with the way it shoots away from you and…” The words died on your lips as you saw Connor’s face contort in a deeper state of confusion.

Of course, he had no idea about the kind of things like a childhood. The rambling you were doing was essentially pointless, he’d never experienced any types of those things first hand. You stopped trying to explain it and instead settled for a more simple response.

“I just enjoy it, that’s all.” Your eyes moved back to scanning over a report filed a few days ago, adding your own information to it. Little did you know, Connor wanted to hear you speak of your childhood memories more. He had only known the little details that you let slip in your conversations with Lieutenant Anderson, but when it came to speaking with him, your responses were more withdrawn and simple, not as complex as he was sure your mind was.

He wanted to be able to communicate with you more effectively and get more interesting answers. The way your eyes narrowed in concentration, the way you smiled when Lieutenant Anderson made what he came to know as a “snarky” comment, the ways your eyes lit up when explaining something that you found captivating, all proved to him that there were more going on your mind then what you verbally conveyed. If only he could find some way for you to open up to him, to trust that he was going to understand and that you could tell him anything your heart desired, to trust that he would never look at you any differently.

Connor had been running different ways he could accomplish his mission and all involved spending more time with you, preferably without Lieutenant Anderson. He would get to know more about your background and the kind of things you enjoyed, then maybe you would open up to him at some point. The same logic and reasoning helped when trying to figure out the Lieutenant, plus it would help strengthen the “bond” within your group.

It was decided.

“Here you are, a steaming cup of bland flavors and unmet expectations.” A giggle left your mouth as you nodded your head in appreciation.

“Seems like you’re a big fan of such high-grade coffee.” You tipped your cup up.

“Oh shut up.” He smirked, sinking down in his seat. You looked over to see that little LED flash yellow for the third time in the time you’d been in the office of the DPD. Connor didn’t say anything for a minute, his eyes fluttered shut and it worried you that there might be something amiss. Hank didn’t hear a response and looked over to you, only to find you concentrating on the android in the chair. He too saw the behavior of Connor and groaned before the android had a chance to speak.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I just sat down for -”

“Lieutenant Anderson, I’ve just got a report of a suspected deviant. We should go take a look.” He blinked back at him - his LED becoming blue again - as he didn’t hear the words that he uttered before. Connor only heard your laughter and saw your eyes crinkle on the corners and that was enough for the LED to blink yellow before reverting back to the familiar blue hue it normally held. He blinked once more before returning his focus back to Lieutenant Anderson, but his jaded blue eyes were already looking at him, tapering in thought. He saw that tiny circle on his forehead flash yellow for a split second.

“Everything alright, Connor?” Connor head cocked to the side and scrunched his forehead slightly.

“Everything is fine, Lieutenant.” He looked concerned but Hank knew better. He was sure he saw that little light wink into yellow.

Meanwhile, you had watched the whole exchange go down as your laughter died. They looked as if they were sizing each other up and if you hadn’t known the two, you might have thought that they were butting heads. You threw your jacket over your shoulders, slinging your arms through the sleeves. Letting out a light sigh and picked up your keys. “Well, if you two are done staring at each other, I believe that we have a crime scene to investigate.”

Software Instability ^

...

The ground was sopping wet and the smell of rain clouded all your senses as you hopped out of your car. The water droplets falling from the sky had lessened in their frequency but hadn’t stopped completely, creating a weirdly eerie mood. Your feet squished under the wet gravel as you made your way towards the house in front of you.

“Afternoon, Officer.” A detective said to you as you nodded and ducked underneath the yellow police tape.

“Afternoon.” You took in the scene in front of you, a broken glass window and some spatters of blue on its shards leaving a trail leading towards the back of the house. The wet grass scrunched underneath your feet as you made your way around to the back of the house, following the blue drops. When you arrived at the back of the home, the little bits of blue could no longer be found, the rain washed the trail away.

You stood at a loss. There could only be two possible places of where this android could be; inside this house or out on the streets somewhere. You didn’t think it would harm anyone without good reason, none of these androids did. Every case you had been on involved abuse, stress, or some sort of mistreatment that had resulted in such a dramatic and significant outburst of emotions. Just as humans had reasons behind their actions, so did deviants, in fact, you thought what they went through was worse. They endured for so long and what happened to them had to be astronomically terrible for a sudden break to even occur. They are strong, stronger than the will of most humans before they fall apart.

But all this rambling wouldn’t solve the problem staring you dead in your face. Connor and Hank hadn’t arrived yet and it was dark enough outside and in the house that nothing would be completely visible to you when you entered. If you tried tracking the android, you’d be walking aimlessly with nothing to indicate you were getting any warmer. The longer you waited, the further away the deviant could be and the longer it would take to track them down.

You were going in.

The wind picked up, throwing your hair around and shaking the dead tree on the lawn. As you moved closer to the back door, the wood creaked underneath your feet. Mentally, you cursed, they would definitely know someone was here now. Slipping the gun out of the waistband of your pants, you held it tautly in your hand, adjusting your grip as you pressed your ear to the door.

Nothing, dead silent.

You tried your luck with the handle, it turned but you weren’t positive nothing was attached to it. Sliding over to the window, you peaked through the torn up blinds. Dust sparkled through the air and it looked well abandoned, but most importantly, you didn’t find any evidence of something attached to the doorknob. You moved back over to the older wooden door, gave it a couple of good shoves with your shoulder and nearly fell to the ground as it broke free of the hinges.

Planting your foot, you moved your handgun into the first corner you saw. Another spew of dust flew up as you disturbed its peace, blocking your full view of the place. You utter some words of warning into the home but you heard fast footsteps on the grass behind you. Slipping behind the door, you wait for the people to come up the porch. Once you heard the wood creak, you sprung out from your hiding spot, the muzzle of your handgun pointed at the dead center of the stranger’s forehead.

“Officer (y/l/n)!” His eyes widened as he took in the firearm pointed in his direction and the startling dark look your eyes slid into. “It’s me, Connor.” His tone slipped into a softer, gentler version, hands in the air in a show of peace.

Connor ran all the way around because he knew you were here already and he did not want you to be alone. He wanted to be with you when you went into the house, to accompany you, in case something were to go wrong. He wanted to be able to have his part to play in fate should the worst come to pass. He wanted to be by your side more than he knew he should. He wanted all these things, but that was not typical behavior. Connor the machine should not want things.

It took you exactly two blinks before you corrected the aim of your weapon and another two before your brain registered that this was not your enemy. Tightening your jaw, you nodded and stepped back enough to let him in.

Connor’s LED flared red as he saw your current state. Something was definitely wrong; he never witnessed this darkness in your eyes that he had just seen nor how fast your heart was beating. Your pulse still was not under control and your eyes remained on the wood floor in the time you had lowered your weapon.

Connor was not equipped with the knowledge of comforting people, but looking at you created a dull ache in his chest, a sudden thirst to know anyway possibility that would help. The little consolation Lieutenant Anderson had shown him had consisted on a small touch on the back and a gentle emotion coming over his greyish blue orbs. Connor was not convinced that doing something like that would help but he was willing to try, willing to do anything for that matter.

His fingers stretched out slowly, each reaching out on their own accord, begging to come in contact with your jacket. He hoped they would give you some relief, hoped that some pressure might bring you back to the now and not wherever your mind flew too. Just as the tip of his index finger came in contact with the micro polyester of your windbreaker, Lieutenant Anderson waltzed his way up the doorsteps.

“Connor, what did I tell you about -” Hank saw Connor’s reach and how your head was still down, a gun loosely held in your palm. Connor never stopped looking at you but his LED switched to yellow upon hearing the Lieutenant speak. “Jesus Christ, is everything okay?”

Hank’s raspy voice snapped you out of your daze as you quickly holstered your weapon and snapped your eyes up from the ground. “Yeah, everything’s fine.” You shook the memory away from your vision and stepped a few feet back, unknowingly, away from Connor’s attempt at solace. “Let’s go check the house.”

Software instability ^^

...

Connor could only concentrate part of the way on the rA9s etched into the wall or the knife coated with blue blood on the table, he was too concerned about you. Since the incident at the door, you had kept to yourself; hugging your arms, moving away from the space he or Lieutenant Anderson occupied, staring off into space. It was strange behavior, behavior he did not recognize from you.

“Well, did you find anything, Connor?” Lieutenant Anderson stepped in his line of sight, momentarily blocking his view of you. His light blinked blue as he thought back to all the evidence he collected; analysis of the blue blood (in his mouth much to Lieutenant Anderson’s dismay), the reconstruction of the broken chairs and the knife to know that the android escaped through the window, the convict’s body that would most likely be in the closet door right behind where you were standing.

You. His heartbeat sped up a bit at the knowledge you were close and he still was unable to fix your current condition. He could not get a clear sight of you now, but he was sure your eyes were on him.

“Yes. I believe the victim’s body is in the closet behind Officer (y/l/n) and the deviant has escaped through the window.” He made a glance at the shards laying on the floor. “It seems they were attacked.”

Connor rose to his feet and you looked back down, squeezing your arms tighter and shifting your weight to your other foot. In that brief moment, the light trickling in from the open window glinted off a small line strung behind the back of your feet. Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked for the beginning and end of this small line, but it wasn’t just a line, it was a piece of string, a piece of string held in an oddly perfect spot.

As you turned your head a little more, the device became clear. It was a trip mine and the floorboards creaking meant that Connor was coming over to open the closet, right into the path of an explosive, an explosive that would take down this whole house and the people inside with it. It only took you a split second to turn on your heel, only a split second to move away from the little ribbon, only a split second to look at him in fear.

“Connor, no!” You threw your body into him, your arms wrapping around his waist, and pulling back as hard as you could. His leg was suspended in mid-air as your weight around his middle prevented him from completing his step. His LED switched immediately to red by the tone of your voice and your actions.

His arms hung aloft by his side while you attached yourself to his back, gripping it with deadly force. “Officer (y/l/n), what’s wrong? Does the fact that there’s a body in the closet disturb you?” He tried to look down on you but you were wrapped at such an awkward angle, he couldn’t make out your face.

“No, there - there was a trip mine. You almost stepped on a trip mine.” You breathed out, slowing removing your arms from his body. Your heart was still racing a thousand miles a minute, but now the hard part was over. “Be careful where you step.” Your feet moved a few lengths away and you watched as Connor took a step back, his foot falling where it had previously been. He caught the glint of it now, but previously, he had not been aware of such a device in the vicinity. He made a mistake, partly due to not fully checking the surroundings, and party due to his constant worry for your health. Connor does not make mistakes.

Software Instability ^^^

You were scared. You knew the whole mission could have been blown if that mine had detonated, but more importantly, you were worried it could kill Connor. That it could kill the android who claimed to be just a machine, but you knew was much more than what he thought of himself. He felt things, he felt emotion even if he didn’t want to admit it. You’d seen that LED turn to yellow and red depending on his mood, you’d seen his eyes change from passive to filled with emotion, you’d seen his body language change. To you, he was as alive as you or Hank.

Hank watched the whole scene go down with a face of disbelief. You were keeping your distance, maintaining a bit of space from the focal point of the investigation, but he’d never seen you flip so quickly. He was thankful that you had stopped Connor from blowing the house and everything in it, but he also saw your concern. He saw Connor’s concern for you as well. Whatever was going on, it certainly left him speechless. He watched you untangle yourselves and move to your personal spheres. Oh boy. More mushy disgusting hormones.

...

The tension in the air diffused upon bringing the investigation to a close. The deviant was nowhere to be found but from the trip mine sitting in the house, it was safe to assume they were afraid and had an extensive knowledge of military tactics, most likely due to the ex-military officer dead in the closet. When he had the opportunity to demonstrate his knowledge, you had no idea.

The three of you walked out of the house and into the howling wind and rain. Your windbreaker could only do so much to protect you against the freezing water droplets, they punctured your skin, cold seeping into your bones and sending chills down your spine. Gritting your teeth, you pushed towards your car.

“Damn, who pissed off mother nature?” Hank shivered too and huddled over an attempt to bring his coat over his neck. His silver hair could only do so much to protect his exposed skin and sometimes it barely did that much.

You kept your mouth closed for fear that if you tried to say something, your teeth would chatter and interrupt your speech, but a smile crept onto your face. Connor watched with curiosity as your face lit up following Lieutenant Anderson’s comment and he felt his thirium pump speed up, a slight pounding behind his chest. A small smile mirroring your own took shape on his face, painting it in a warm, calm light despite the raging storm. However, he noticed the slight movements of your jaw as your teeth moved in order to bring some heat to your face.

An idea popped into his mechanical little brain.

You fished your keys out of your pocket with a satisfying jingle and went to put them into the lock to open your car door, but Connor beat you to it, his hand closing over yours. His chest was pressing into your back gently and if you turned your head, your cheek would touch his chin. Your heart slightly sped up.

“Connor, what are you doing?” You tried to turn to look at him but he was already putting his plan in motion.

“Lieutenant, would you mind if I escorted Officer (y/l/n) home? She doesn’t seem as if she’s in an adequate state to drive.” His brown eyes looked calm and concerned, but Hank knew better.

Hank opened his car door and draped an arm over it. “Bold words, coming from you. Have you even asked if she wanted any help getting home?” His arm gestured towards you. He sighed before stooping to lower himself into his Oldsmobile. “If she doesn’t oppose it, then do whatever.” He wasn’t about to get in the way of whatever Connor had in mind, that was one stubborn android.

Connor looked down at you, stepping back a bit so he could get an accurate reading of your face. “Would you mind if I accompanied you home?”

You didn’t know how to respond. You’d never seen Connor do something like this nor get this close to you without bringing something with him; a folder, a cup of coffee, a piece of evidence - this was completely out of the ordinary. You hoped he was feeling alright but looking at his warm brown eyes boring into yours, waiting for an answer, made you rethink your original thesis. Nothing seemed to be wrong with him, in fact, he had been acting fine during the whole day, you were the one exhibiting unordinary behavior. You almost shot him, Connor, the android you’ve known for months now.

Connor watched all the emotions you were feeling flicker across your face and something in the pit of his stomach fell. Of course, you would not feel comfortable with him, you barely knew anything about each other. His LED moved to yellow and he began to take a step back, but then he saw your face land in a small smirk.

“Sure, why not?” You spoke out. The LED moved back to blue and he tried to refrain himself from jumping up and down, so he compromised with a small grin. Moving his hand around, he gently slid the keys out of your hand and unlocked the car.

Software Instability ^^^^

You moved to the other side, giving Hank a small wave to let him know he could head for home and plopped yourself into the plush seats of your car. As soon as you sat, you felt a weight on your lap. Your hands brushed over the cotton fibers of Connor’s jacket, the blue triangle glowing in the upper right-hand corner.

Holding the jacket up a bit, you looked over at him as he put the key into the ignition. “Connor, why are you giving me your jacket?”

He put the car into drive and turned in the seat to look behind him, but his eyes stopped on you, a wholehearted look in his brown orbs. “You’re teeth are still chattering. Please, use it to get warm, at least until I get the heat on.”

That was the second time you’d been at a loss of words while dealing with Connor, but your heart warmed at the sight of how genuine Connor was being. You’re not saying that you agreed with him giving up his coat so willingly, but you certainly appreciated it. Letting your fingers ball around it, you pulled the jacket up so it covered your chest, thankful for the coverage to allow you to warm up.

Connor felt a surge of warmth through his veins as he saw you move the jacket to a more comfortable position through the corner of his eye. At least, you trusted him enough to accept his kindness, it was not a lot, but it was a start and that was all he needed. He kicked up the speed on the windshield wipers before backing up and turning into the street. The rain droplets struck the car with a loud thud, spreading out in all directions. Connor now wondered if he would finally understand what you meant by your joy of driving in the rain.

Software Instability ^^^^^

#connor x reader #rk800connor #connor fic #dbh connor #rk800 x reader #connor (rk800) x reader #rain series #rain #series: rain #already finished this a while ago #and uploaded on here #but I deleted everything #so I figured I should reupload it while you're waiting for the newer uploadas #cool little series #did really well on ao3 so #rain: rk800

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ruddcatha · 4 years

Text

Guardian Chapter 12

Thank you again to @heavenin–hell for your inspiration, I hope this story does your work justice.

posted on Ao3: Here

Posted on FFN: Here

Guardian has been Nominated for the Feudal Connection 2020 3rd Quarterly Inuyasha Fandom Awards! Thank you to all the supporters of this story!! Voting will begin on July 29 and run through August 12, 2020.

Nominated for: Best AU/AR

If you would like to be added to the tags please let me know!

@willowandfog @smmahamazing @clearwillow @sticky-llama-perfection @alannada @shinidamachu @cstormsinukagblog @superpixie42 @nartista @neutronstarchild @i-dream-of-soup @hnnwnchstr @fawn-eyed-girl @ all-my-cuffs-have-buttons @liz8080

Kagome quickly realized that the first months of training had been nothing but child’s play. The last few weeks were, quite frankly, kicking her ass, and kicking it hard.

Kagome was no longer learning pure defensive moves; she was being taught throws and holds and attacks… which usually meant she was the one getting tossed. She just… could not get it. She had never been very coordinated, and that was becoming a huge hinderance. Often, she would practice a move and trip over her own two feet. At least target practice had been going better, she was getting more consistent with a pistol, maybe she didn’t have perfect aim but at least the bullets were usually closer together than when she started.

But it was the training with Miroku that was really draining her. He was trying to train her to use spiritual energy that three months ago she hadn’t even known she had. And patience was not something she was entirely known for. Sesshomaru led the training sessions, demonstrating physical attacks to be practiced and drilled under Inuyasha. He had turned into an extremely strict task master, drilling yokai and humans alike

And then there was Inuyasha. Their first date had been special, magical. For the past three weeks he would do little things to make her feel special. He walked her to and from her from classes, often bringing her a Mocha Latte on her longer class days, hold her a little longer than was needed during training, or steal a kiss when he thought no one was looking. If she had to study for class, he would bring dinner over and sit with her in her room as she studied. She smiled, one evening she had turned to ask him a question and found him curled up on her bed, dead to the world asleep. The moment she had touched his shoulder to wake him up his arm had reached out to pull her close to him, his nose buried in her hair as he fell back into sleep. It was the first and so far, only night she had spent in his arms.

He was slowly driving her insane. He made her feel like she was the most precious object in the world to him yet backed away when things got too heated. He was content to hold her in his arms, to kiss her, but would go no further. A part of her appreciated the respect that it showed, the reverence, but at the same time…

Her boyfriend was fucking hot. And watching him on the training mat, demonstrating a hold, a throw, how to hold a sword… she wasn’t the only one who appreciated his form as she had seen more than a few admiring glances from some of the women… and a few of the men, who were with them for training. She had found out that this was one of seven training areas across Japan, and each facility could train up to 100 at a time.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had taken over leading the trainings as if they had been born for it, and in a way, she guessed they had been. They had certainly changed the focus of the trainings from what she had overheard others say, but it only made sense. Inuyasha, Toga and Sesshomaru were the ones most familiar with Ryukotsusei and his tactics, Koga had only gone against him a few times in the past.

Kagome was quickly learning the downside of having your boyfriend as one of your trainers. She couldn’t keep up with him. One moment his eyes were so heated on her that she felt her bones would melt, and the next he would snap out an order or a correction for the umpteenth time, and she would hear the obvious frustration in his voice. When a training session ended, and they were walking back to her apartment building he held her to him as if he wanted to protect her forever. In training though, when it didn’t go well, she couldn’t help but feel he was disappointed in her.

He never said anything, but she heard it in his tone, see the flash in his eyes that he would quickly ide.

That had been happening a lot in all her training sessions. She watched Kikyo excel in creating barriers and manifesting her spiritual powers into her hands, while Kagome could maybe, just maybe, get her skin to glow. Kikyo kept telling her she should not feel bad, Kikyo had been training ever since her spiritual powers had manifested and had been practicing for thirteen years, while Kagome’s had only appeared three months ago. Kagome heard the logic of that, but emotionally could not help feeling that she was disappointing her cousin and Miroku, who spent hours every week walking her through meditation and channeling just to watch her crumble.

Inuyasha watched Kagome going through the drills for the day’s session, they were working on how to roll the body out of a toss to reduce physical injuries. He had paired Kagome with Jaken, he knew they would both need to train with more advanced partners, but they needed to wait until they had mastered the moves. He winced and had to force himself to stay still and not run to Kagome every time she landed wrong, even though every muscle in his body was fighting to scoop her up and run from the room.

Kagome moved to toss Jaken, but her hand placement was wrong, instead of grabbing his arm and using her shoulder to force his momentum forward, she placed both hands on his chest, stopping his movement. Before she could try and correct it Jaken had used her own inertia against her and she went flying, landing flat on her back with a loud “oof.”

“ENOUGH.” He roared. He couldn’t watch any more. He didn’t want to indirectly be the cause of her pain and bruising, but he knew it was necessary.

He had been speaking with Sesshomaru and Toga, they had no clue when the actual fighting would begin, and that concerned him. But the thought that Kagome wouldn’t be ready, that she could be vulnerable? That fucking terrified him. He wasn’t sure when she had become so important to him, he had gone from wanting to spend time around her and get to know her to wanting to hold her in his arms and protect her from any possible danger, but he knew that he couldn’t.

The thought of her being hurt was bad enough, but the thought of her fucking dying? Of not being able to see her, smell her, hold her in his arms ever again? Kami, he had woken up in a cold sweat several nights at the thought. He closed his eyes, holding back a groan. He had seen the flash of hurt in her eyes when he had snapped before, but he could not coddle her, as much as he wanted to.

Toga stood at the edge of the training room next to Totosai and just watched his youngest son with a look of concern. Something was troubling him, and Toga had started to see signs of instability in his son’s yokai. That needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. He knew what was causing it, he had been the same when he met Izayoi.

Kagome was a puzzle to him. He had caught flashes of power from her, and if she had been able to break their seals she had to be very powerful, but it was untrained, and she did not know how to call it out. The brief flashes he had felt seemed… familiar… to him, he had felt that power for almost a thousand years, and if it was what he thought… no, he wouldn’t consider that without more than just an inkling of an idea.

Sesshomaru walked away from the floor to join Toga and Totosai.

“What do you think?” Toga asked.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at his father. “I think if we had more yokai to train, it would be much better.”

Toga saw Inuyasha finally move towards Kagome, reaching out a hand to help her up from the floor. Inuyasha tugged a little longer than he knew he needed to, just enough to throw Kagome off balance towards him, and his arms quickly closed around her, holding her tightly to him. Kagome stiffened for a moment before wrapping her hands around his waist with a sigh, nuzzling her cheek against his chest.

Toga watched the exchange, a haunted expression in his eyes.

“Kagome.” Inuyasha’s voice had deepened as he held her, sending shivers down her spine. “I … I have something I need to show you something tonight.”

“Tonight?” He nodded slightly.

“It... it has to be tonight Kagome, just… just come meet me here just before sundown.”

Kagome was surprised, he seemed almost nervous. When she nodded, she watched his face visibly relax. She reached up to touch his cheek, a soft smile forming when he nuzzled her hand before placing a kiss into her palm.

She felt the tension that had formed around her heart ease a little.

“How about I cook dinner for us?” She asked. “You’ve been bringing dinner to me, how about I make you one of my favorite dishes?” He had left his glamor ring off that morning, and she giggled as his ears perked straight up and started twitching with excitement. Her hand left his cheek to slide up and stroke the soft fur of his ear. He twitched it away from her hand as he pulled her closer.

“Not here woman.” He growled against her hair.

And just like that, all was right in her world. At least for a moment.

----------------------------

Later that day Kagome stepped out of the elevator to Inuyasha’s level to find him pacing anxiously. As soon as he saw her, he darted forward to take the bags she carried from her and grabbed her hand.

“Inu?” His behavior was confusing her.

“Keh.” Was the only response as he pulled her away from the elevator and towards the kitchen area, he seemed anxious to get away from an open area and towards the living quarters. She could feel the tension growing around him as they moved, even in trainings she had never seen him quite so agitated.

“Inuyasha stop.” She pulled back on her hand, forcing him to turn and look at her. “What is going on?”

He sighed. “I wan… gah… well, you are about to see anyway but I wanted to… keh.”

He let go of her hand and pulled away, standing in front of her. He looked at the clock on the wall then looked her square in the eye.

“I don’t understand Inuyasha, what is…oh… oh my…” As she watched Inuyasha’s hair began to darken, first to gray then deepening into black. His eyes began to swirl, a blend of gold and deep purple and his puppy ears seemed to shrink as human ears appeared. His eyes never left hers as he stood before her completely human, a look of worry in his now purple eyes.

Kagome stepped closer to him, her hand reaching out to trace the lobe of one ear. Inuyasha stilled, as if waiting for … something. She ran her hand through his raven locks before standing on her toes to press a soft kiss to the underside of his chin. With a release of his breath he grabbed her against him with arm not carrying a bag, holding her to him in a crushing grip. She pulled back slightly and pushed back his banges.

“Want to tell me about this while I make dinner?” He let out a choked laugh before releasing his hold on her waist to capture her hand in his and lead her to the kitchen. He watched as she rinsed vegetables and set them on the counter. He watched as she chopped ginger and garlic before adding them to a pot on the stove. As she stirred the mixture, she gave him a pointed look, smiling as he dodged her gaze.

“Sooooo. Is this what you wanted to show me?” She teased.

“Keh.” His soft grunt was answer enough. He watched her pour a mixture of chicken broth, mirin, and soy sauce into the pot before she lowered the temperature.

“How about you chop these for me and tell me about it?” She handed him a bunch of scallions, showing him how she wanted him to chop them before handing him the knife and pushing the cutting board towards him. As he chopped, she took out another pan and began to cook pieces of chicken.

“Well, I’m a half yokai, half human. So, one night a month, on the night of the new moon like tonight, I lose all my yokai and turn into a human.”

“Why is that?” She asked as she flipped the chicken over. Even with his dulled senses the combination of the cooking broth and chicken smelled amazing. He walked up behind her at the stove and wrapped his arms around her waist as he rested his chin on her shoulder and watched her movements.

“You would have to ask dad on that, I’m not quite sure. I am pretty sure it was a shock to him and mom the first time it happened, I don’t really like my human night now, I can’t even imagine how bad it must have been when I was a baby.”

He reluctantly loosened his hold when Kagome pushed back with a shoulder before taking the skillet of the chicken off the stove to it to the oven that she had pre-heated before adding a container of dried mushrooms and added it to the broth.

When she stopped adding spices to the broth, he gently pulled her into his embrace again, holding her against his chest, her head tucked under his chin. He told her stories of his human nights growing up, playing hide and seek with his mother and the other children when there were no features to distinguish him. One hand absentmindedly caressed her back as he told her about the first time he had disobeyed his parents and snuck out of the village on the night of a new moon, his terror when he realized he couldn’t fight back against a yokai that had stalked him. His hold on her tightened as he told her how Toga and Sesshomaru had found him backed against a rock formation, a snake yokai about to strike and how his father had physically shielded him with his body as Sesshomaru had removed the head of the snake mid strike.

Inuyasha was pulled out of his thoughts by Kagome’s thumb stroking his cheek.

“You are ok Yash.” She whispered. “You are safe.”

He looked down at her, his eyes intense.

“But you aren’t.” His voice trembled as he said it.

Inuyasha abruptly loosened his embrace and stepped away from her, his hands running though his hair before he turned and stalked away and towards the fridge. Kagome watched as he pulled out a bottle of water and drank half of it, never turning back around. A sizzling sound behind her pulled her attention to the stove, and she quickly added blocks of dried noodles to the broth and pulled the chicken out of the oven to cool.

“Yash.” She said softly, waiting for him to turn to her before she continued. “Do you want to help me get the food together?”

Inuyasha let out a shuddering breath before he nodded and moved to join her. Soon they were seated next to each other at the counter with steaming bowls of homemade ramen. The scent of the dish was amazing, even to his human senses, and he could only imagine how much better it would be on any other night. He tentatively took the first bite but knew that no matter what it would be amazing because Kagome had made it for him.

The first bite made his mouth sing.

“This is quite possibly the best thing I have ever tasted in my life!” Kagome’s cheeks flushed with pleasure at his words and she nudged him with her leg softly.

Inuyasha felt like he was in food heaven. The flavor of the chicken had seeped into the noodles with a salty broth that made him want to lick the bowl clean. Kagome giggled at his obvious enjoyment of the dish. She brought him a second helping and watched with a smile as he devoured that as well.

When he realized his bowl was empty a second time he looked to the stove and realized that there was no more available, he released a slight whimper. Kagome leaned over to nuzzle his shoulder and slid the rest of her bowl to him.

“Here, have the rest of mine.”

Inuyasha reached out to place his hand over hers, but she continued to offer him the bowl. Her eyes turned puzzled as he grabbed a piece of chicken out of the bowl and held it out to her.

“Keh, did you think I hadn’t noticed that you didn’t eat much today Kagome?” He gave her a soft smile as she opened her mouth and accepted the food. He seemed to get as much enjoyment out of feeding her the ramen as he had eating it, and who was she to tell him no. She knew he was right; she hadn’t been eating much lately, but she hadn’t realized he had noticed.

Inuyasha helped her clean the kitchen and place the dishes in the dishwasher after they had finished. Well, helped wasn’t exactly accurate as he was more distracting than helpful Kagome found. He seemed to find every reason to touch her hand, to kiss her head, to nuzzle her cheek. She didn’t mind, not in the slightest, but it made it harder to focus on cleaning when all she wanted to do was kiss him. It was strange, he looked so different, but his actions were purely her Inuyasha. It was one more layer to the hanyou she was quickly beginning to…

She shook her head; it was way too early to think that. ‘Wasn’t it?’

-----------------------

Kagome looked at the limited selection of movies in the living room, noting that clearly Miroku had been lacking in providing decent entertainment options. They were usually at her and Sango’s apartment, so she hadn’t realized just how few options they had. She finally settled on Robin Hood Men in Tights, one of her favorite comedy films. When she went to sit on the couch Inuyasha promptly snuck his arms around her and cuddled her close.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked softly halfway through the movie. “Why did you want to meet here instead of at my apartment tonight?”

He leaned his cheek against her head and thought for a minute before answering.

“I’m vulnerable on these nights. After the snake yokai I never left our house on my human night. So now it’s… I guess you would call it a safety measure. I don’t heal on these nights until the sun comes back up, so I stay home and don’t let myself sleep until the sun comes back up.”

He leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

“Other than dad and Sesshomaru, you are the only other to know about this.”

Her eyes went wide at the confession before filling with tears.

“Then… wh… why tell me?”

A single finger titled her face upwards towards his.

“You know why.” He said softly before he touched his lips to hers. He drew back and amethyst eyes met chocolate.

“Y..Yash.” she whispered as she raised her hand to his hair. She gently took a lock and pulled him back down towards her. His lips brushed hers softly once, twice. As he moved to place a third soft kiss, she captured his lower lip with her teeth and tugged it playfully. She giggled as she saw him raise an eyebrow in exacerbation as she waited for the smirk she knew was coming. She crinkled her nose at him before burrowing her face against his neck. His arms pulled her close as he lay back on the couch, Kagome tucked onto his chest above him.

“I... Wou…” She began, unsure how to ask. “Would you want me to keep you company tonight?”

He kissed her forehead as she looked up at him.

“I was hoping you would.”

Inuyasha held her close for the remainder of the night, as he told her stories of his childhood, pranks he had played on Sesshomaru, and how he felt when his mother passed. One of his hands stroked her hair as she snuggled against him, a loving smile teasing his lips as he watched her struggle to keep her eyes open. A quick glance at the clock told him there were still a few hours until dawn, she had surprised him, he had been positive she would have fallen asleep before then given how hard she had been training that day.

Kagome felt the comforting feeling of his hand on her hair luring her into sleep, she tried to fight it, but it was a losing battle. His arms felt like home, the sound of his voice, slightly softer than she was used to hearing, soothed her.

“It’s ok to sleep baby.” He whispered to her.

“Nnnn… I wanta stay up with you.” She murmured back. She could feel his chuckle before she heard it, and she shifted her head so she could hear his heartbeat.

“I get to hold you Kagome, that’s enough.”

She felt him place a series of kisses on her forehead as she drifted off. In the moment before she slid into slumber, she thought she heard a softly spoken vow.

“I promise I will protect you with my life.”

The smile on her lips faded as the world around her slipped away.

#inuyasha fanfiction #inuyasha #kagome #inukag #inukag fanfic #Guardian AU #inspired by Heavinin--hell #Ruddcatha #fcq32020 #fc nominations #feudalconnection

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heartofsnark · 5 years

Text

Black Market Wonderland (Chapter Five): Mischief In Your Eyes

Notes: Thanks everyone for the continued love and support for this fic, as well as Tsuneko. I read every comment and bit of feedback, it absolutely makes my day and keeps me motivated to keep writing. I hit a bit of a block during this chapter and the one after this. Also, had to rewrite bits because British food confused me.

Word Count: 7676

Warnings: Fat Shaming/Body Shaming (Eisuke and Soryu are dicks towards Carolina and I don’t approve), Some Petty Jealousy Stuff (Carolina is a dick towards Tsuneko and I don’t approve)

Missed the last chapter? Link Here!

Tsuneko really thought that the first limousine ride with Ichinomiya was as awkwardly tense as any car ride could be, apparently the missing ingredient to make it worse was Oh. The mobster is still glaring daggers at her as she tries to ignore him, tapping on her phone as she sits across from the pair of men.

Ichinomiya still won’t explain what they’re doing or why she’s being asked to tag along. She’s done her best to dress for an occasion she knows nothing about, it’s earlier and he didn’t call it an event, so she went safe and kept it more conservative, a simple blouse tucked into a pencil skirt.

She’s saving yorkshire pudding, apparently it’s English bread, and lemon chiffon pie recipes for The Mad Hatter’s next party. Tsuneko has never made either, so it will take some trial and error. Technically, she could just ask room service or pick them up elsewhere, but she offered to cook and those would be cheats. Any vegetable dishes she makes need to be hot, he liked the raspberry sauce, so some sweet fruity treats may be good? The limousine comes to a stop and Tsuneko peeks out the window.

“The airport?”

“We’re picking up the Buccis, Antonio and his daughter, Carolina.”

“They’re members of the Italian mob, so don’t mouth off to them,” Oh warns her as they start to get out of the limo. Tsuneko rolls her eyes and follows them. They slowly work their way through the crowd.

“Eisuke! I missed you so much!” A loud accented voice rings out above all other noise in the lobby. A woman comes rushing towards them, she’s a glamorous beauty. Her hair is golden blonde falling in curls, bright blue eyes, and bright red lipstick. She’s full figured with her dress showing off her ample chest. Tsuneko finds a spot on the ground to look at when she realizes she’s staring at the woman’s cleavage.

“She’s an intense woman,” Ichinomiya grumbles and Oh is scratching uncomfortably at the back of his neck. The woman, Carolina she assumes, opens her arm for a hug as she runs over to Ichinomiya.

“Is there something in your hair Tsuneko?” Ichinomiya moves towards her, one hand pushes her hair back behind her ear and the other holds her cheek to keep her face still. His eyes are intense but softer than usual as strokes through her hair. It’s weird, her face is hot and bile is rising in the back of her throat, she doesn’t like this. It’s like when he weirdly touched her hand at the event.

Carolina’s hug misses him when he moves towards Tsuneko and she stumbles to stop herself from running into a column. The foreign woman spins on her heels and levels a glare at Tsuneko. Oh, fuck no. Ichinomiya pulls away and Tsuneko glares at him, he’s smirking. He’s acting touchy-feely in order to dissuade Carolina.

“Eisuke!?” Carolina yells and pouts.

“Welcome to Japan, Carolina.”

“I just love how cold you are! It’s been a long time, Eisuke,” Carolina gushes, but Tsuneko doesn’t miss the hint of sadness in her eyes. No one likes being dismissed by someone they like.

“Eisuke!” A male voice yells out, it’s an older man with slicked back gray hair who’s puffing on a cigar.

“Mr. Bucci! It’s great to see you again.” Ichinomiya is putting on his fake smile, the same one she saw at the event, Tsuneko wants to knock it off his face.

“And who is this?” Mr. Bucci looks up at Oh, he’s fairly hard to miss given his height and intense expression.

“This is my friend, Oh Soryu, he’s with The Ice Dragons.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bucci.” Oh nods his head and Carolina seems to notice him for the first time, a sparkle in her eyes before she winks at him. Seems like he might have been Ichinomiya’s other plan for this.

“Oh,” Mr. Bucci’s eyes land on Tsuneko, “you didn’t need to bring arm candy just to meet little old me.”

“I’m Tomori Tsuneko, Mr. Ichinomiya’s assistant,” she tells him, holding back her annoyance at being called arm candy.

“She’s your assistant?!” Carolina brightens up like the sun.

“Ah, yes, she’s my assistant but she’s very important to me.” Ichinomiya makes a point of putting his hand on her shoulder and giving her another look, too love stricken to look natural on his face.

“Arggh,” Carolina lets out a loud groan.

“You look well,” Ichinomiya compliments her, finally giving his unwanted suitor a little attention.

“Yes, both Fang and I are just fine!”

“Fang?”

“Oh, haven’t you met him? I got a chihuahua, look!”

Carolina gets a small dog out of the arms of a man in a black suit, a hoard of which have been lingering behind the Buccis. The dog is adorable with fluffy black fur and starts yipping as soon as he’s held before Ichinomiya.

“Now, now, don’t bark at Eisuke, Fang,” Carolina scolds the squirmy dog, “you should bark at her instead!”

“Aww, he’s adorable.” Tsuneko ignores the comment, as everyone else seems to, and instead lets out a little coo as she watches the dog. She doubts Carolina would let her, but she really wants to pet him.

“Fang is very well trained, he hardly ever barks at people.”

“Maybe he’s just in a bad mood…” Ichinomiya stares at the ground like he’s been scolded and Fang continues to bark at him, “let’s go back to the hotel, you two must be exhausted.”

Tsuneko’s not sure of the exact time zone differences between Italy and Japan, but the Buccis definitely look more than a little jet-lagged. They all walk back to the limousine. She tries to sit as far away from everyone else, but Ichinomiya seems content to sit right next to her, so close she can feel the warmth of his body. He’s committing to this whole idea and it’s driving her crazy, all she wants to do is push him away. Part of the bet was her doing her job appropriately and not going to extremes to be useless, if she breaks it she’ll automatically lose.

“You’ve been very busy with the Tres Spades, your business always seems to be growing, if you ever lost your ambition I’m sure the Japanese economy would collapse,” Mr. Bucci praises Ichinomiya as he settles into his seat. Carolina sits next to her father and shoots daggers at Tsuneko, while Fang scurries out of her lap to curl up next to Oh.

“Yes, so that’s why you can rest assured leaving the matter we discussed earlier in my hands.”

“I’ll think about it. I’ll go with whatever gives me the most profits.”

“I can guarantee you won’t suffer any losses with me handling it.” Those pair talk business and Tsuneko only half listens as she’s watching Fang try to nuzzle his head under Oh’s hand, eager to get attention from the stoic mobster.

“Fang never warms up to someone this quickly. Looks like Fangy has great taste in men just like me!”

“Aren’t you lucky that Fang is so fond of you Soryu.” Eisuke jumps at the chance to tease Oh, a smirk across his face.

“I don’t really like dogs.”

“What? Who doesn’t like dogs?” Tsuneko looks at him confused and he glares at her, that’s like saying you don’t like sunshine or happiness. She ignores his look of disdain and calls Fang over to her, the dog scurries into her lap excitedly then barks at Ichinomiya one more time before snuggling up to her.

“Fang! Don’t be nice to her!” Carolina scolds, no one acknowledges the comment as Tsuneko scratches Fang’s ears and coos at the puppy.

Between Cheshire and now Fang, she’s in animal heaven lately. She feels eyes on her, from her peripheral she notices Ichinomiya and Oh looking at her like she’s grown another head. They probably think she looks stupid grinning over a dog, but she can’t be bothered to care.

“A girl who cares about animals is a keeper,” Mr. Bucci says with a big grin and Carolina pouts at him.

“Not you too, daddy,” she glares at Tsuneko, “I’m sure you’re pulling some kind of trick to make everyone like you!”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You’re going to talk back to me?! You’ve got guts.”

“Calm down. Tsuneko works as the penthouse maid at the Tres Spades, I saw what a dedicated worker she is and decided she’d make an excellent assistant for me as well.”

“She’s just a lowly little maid, nothing special.” Carolina sneer as Ichinomiya not too casually pulls Tsuneko closer, trying to paint the picture that his feelings for her are more than professional. Fang barks then runs off to avoid him and Tsuneko wishes she could do the same.

“Tsuneko is a hard worker who doesn’t give up on anything, she’s irreplaceable.” His words are going to make her vomit, even if she has to do her job, she doesn’t have to go along with this bullshit.

“Oh please, you’re too kind Mr. Ichinomiya,” she scoots away from him, “I’ve only been your assistant for two days, after all.”

“Yet, you’ve already made such a big difference in my life.” He’s smiling but his eyes are harsh, glaring at her.

“You know I’m determined too! I’m not giving up on you. I’ll just have to make you fall for me while I’m in Japan!”

The limousine pulls up to the hotel, the Bucci’s men and hotel workers start putting away their luggage. Takahiro is helping them pack thing and Tsuneko stares at the ground, hoping he won’t notice her. She doesn’t want any questions or more rumors flying around about how she’s being asked to do other work for Ichinomiya.

“We’re still jet-lagged, but if you’d like Eisuke we can still discuss some business over lunch,” Mr. Bucci offers after checking in.

“I wouldn’t mind getting something to eat.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t, but we can wait to discuss matter over dinner, once you’ve both rested up,” Ichinomiya explains to Carolina and Tsuneko glares, not missing the little snide dig he made at the mafia princess’s weight. He can’t be serious.

“You’re so sweet Eisuke!” Carolina beams, but she can’t be that oblivious, Tsuneko doesn’t buy it.

“You’ll be coming along with us too, Soryu and Tsuneko?”

“Of course.”

“I’m sure Mr. Ichinomiya will want me to tag along.” Tsuneko ignores Ichinomiya’s glare and smiles at Mr. Bucci, waving him and his daughter off as staff members show them to their room.

“See you tonight, Eisuke!”

“Do you get joy out of making my life more difficult?” Ichinomiya asks her, the moment the Buccis are gone.

“Considering who you are, yes.”

“You’re free until it’s time for the dinner, when I page you for it, I expect you to be here within five minutes. You will not embarrass me or jeopardize this deal.”

Ichinomiya and Oh leave to the elevator, not allowing her any opportunity to discuss everything that’s happened. As frustrating as it is and how much she’d like to explain every reason she’s upset, she also really wants to be far away from them. She pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs.

“Tomori, is everything okay?”

She turns to see Takahiro, looking at her concerned. He has such sweet looking warm brown eyes and right now she’s just excited seeing people who care about her, even if she’ll have to deal with rumors or bullshit.

“Yeah, just exhausted.”

“Kenzaki said you were doing assistant work for Mr. Ichinomiya, is he overworking you?”

“No, no. I’m just not use to it, I guess. I’ll manage, but I appreciate the worry, really.”

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Uh, no not yet.”

“Not even breakfast?”

“No, I don’t eat breakfast much.” She’s pretty sure the only time she eats in the mornings is when she’s had an orgasm the night before, then she’s starving, but usually she focuses on feeding Kiyo before she leaves.

“That’s not good, c’mon, it’s my lunch break we can get something together.”

“Yeah, that sounds nice, you wanted something in particular?”

“Anything is fine with me.” Takahiro gives her a bright smile, he must be excited to get away from work for a bit.

“Really? ‘Cause I’m honestly just craving garbage right now, like burgers or something?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Takahiro and Tsuneko find a nearby burger place, sliding into a booth before making their orders. The smell of the kitchen and the burgers being made is making her hungrier. A few people give them funny looks, Takahiro’s uniform consists of a suit with a tie and she’s still dressed in her assistant outfit, they’re extremely formal in a casual restaurant. But, Tsuneko’s growling stomach doesn’t let her care too much about the strange looks.

“So, how’s working with Mr. Ichinomiya going?”

“You really wanna spend your lunch break hearing me bitch?”

“Go for it,” he tells her as their drinks comes out, he’s entirely too nice.

“Well,” she takes a deep breath, “he’s the absolute worst and I’m losing my fucking mind dealing with his constant bullshit. He’s an entitled arrogant asshole who surrounds himself with other entitled arrogant assholes, and I wanna fucking kill him.”

“Pfft, is it really that bad? I haven’t see you this mad since the toilet paper lady.”

“He’s like the toilet paper lady times a thousand, I swear to fucking god. Literally, all he does is make unreasonable demands and piss me off.”

“Well, at least you’re getting bigger jobs, they recognize your hard work.”

“Pssh, yeah right, he just wants someone to boss around. Pure and simple.”

“You look nice in the outfits, at least…?”

“You’re really trying to find a bright side, aren’t you, the blouse is cute though,” Tsuneko admits, looking at the royal blue fabric.

“I think you look nicer in your uniform, though.”

“You’re only saying that ‘cause the top would bust open, aren’t you?”

Takahiro chokes on his drink and his face goes bright red, “No, no that’s not why I promise,” he manages to say between coughs.

“I know, I know you don’t look at me like that. I just wanted to tease you, not kill you.” She pats his back and gently rubs as he continues to cough.

“Uh, no, uh, you just caught me off guard.”

“Sorry, my brain to mouth filter is, well, I don’t have one.”

The red of his cheeks are just starting to fade when they get their burgers, Tsuneko takes a bite and a glob of barbecue immediately falls on her chest, that pretty blue material now made a mess.

“Oof, that looked expensive too.”

“I…should not be allowed out in public,” Tsuneko gasps annoyed with herself wipes the sauce off with a napkin, thankfully she has a little cleaner pen in her purse. She starts wiping it over the spot so it doesn’t stain.

“That’s handy.”

“I may be a disaster, but I am a prepared one.”

“I swear you carry everything with you, anytime anyone needs something they know to ask you.”

“My paranoia pays off, finally.”

“Y’know,” Takahiro starts after swallowing down a bite of food, “I’m honestly a little happy that you dislike Mr. Ichinomiya so much.”

“That sounds sadistic, but okay.”

“That’s not what I mean,” his cheeks are red again, “there’s been a lot of rumors floating around about him liking you or something. I’m not saying he’s a bad guy, I don’t really know him, but he seems to have a revolving door of women around him. I’d hate for you to get hurt by a guy like him.”

He’s talking about Ichinomiya, but she immediately thinks about Shinobu, “do you not like people who have casual sex?”

“Ah-uh, it’s not like that. I just, don’t women usually get hurt in that situation?”

“As long as everyone is a consenting adult and understands what it is then I don’t see the problem.” She knows she’s getting defensive, but she can’t help it.

“Tomori, you and him aren’t-”

“Oh god, no, no, no,” she waves her hands frantically, “I wouldn’t touch Ichinomiya’s dick if I was sick and his cum was the cure.”

Takahiro chokes on his food and laughs, Tsuneko finds herself having to reach over to rub his back again. She might be the actual death of him.

“Well, that’s good to know I guess.”

“I just mean generally, I don’t see the big deal.”

“I guess, but guys like Mr. Ichinomiya tend to mistreat girls and lead them on for it, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“I understand, it’s really sweet of you to worry and listen to me complain.”

“It’s no problem, I hope you feel a little better.”

“I do, thanks.” The check comes and Tsuneko starts getting her money out.

“Oh, I can pay, don’t worry about it.”

“No, you’re already being too nice, I can pay for us both, if you want.”

“Uhh, no no, I’d rather split it than you pay it all.” He gives up, but he’s pouting a bit. It’s cute and she has to resist the urge to pinch his cheeks. Takahiro is really adorable, with slightly overgrown dark brown hair and warm umber eyes. She’s heard more than a few of her coworkers gush over him.

“Really, thanks for listening to me, Kuroba.”

“You can call me Takahiro, if you want.”

“Oh, um,” Tsuneko hesitates, while she doesn’t mind thinking of him as Takahiro in her head, she’s not comfortable yet calling him by his first name. She sees Sakiko and Chisato almost everyday, has for basically a year, and only recently started using their first names. It’s something that shows a closeness, that she doesn’t like.

“It just sounds less formal, can I call you Tsuneko?”

“Sure.” She shrugs her shoulders, she doesn’t mind having her own first name used, but she doesn’t like returning the gesture for some reason.

“I gotta go back to work, see you later Tsuneko.”

They wave each other off after paying their parts of the bill. It’s still fairly early and she figures she’ll have at least an hour or two if not longer before she’ll be paged for the dinner. Tsuneko goes back to her dorm first, changing into more casual clothes and tossing the assistant outfit in the washing machine. She lets Kiyo out and plays with him as she waits for the clothes, as well as saving a few more recipes for the Mad Hatter’s party. She’ll have to do some grocery shopping for everything she’ll need. Once the clothes are dry and Kiyo’s decided he’s done playing tag, she tucks him into his cage then heads out to the market.

It’s a farmers market she likes to frequent that has plenty of fresh produce and goodies. She’s made a list of what she needs and meanders through the little tables getting things. Her bag has started to get heavier and heavier with each new item, she also needs some other things. Once she’s made her way through the marketshe might have to go by a proper store, she still hasn’t restocked her booze supply.

“You making a feast or something?” A hand pulls just a bit at one of her bags and she can smell the stench of cigarettes.

“Hey!” She jolts and turns to sees Kishi peeking into one of her grocery bags.

“Don’t be so jumpy, kid.”

“Sorry, didn’t recognize you without the lounge couch under your ass.”

“Ha ha very funny, you little brat.” Kishi ruffles a large warm hand over her head and she squirms away from his touch.

“Stop that! You’re tangling my hair,” she swats away his hand and he chuckles, “why are you even here?”

“Work.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Hey, I can work when I feel like.”

“That’s not how jobs work.”

“Eh, what do you know? Shouldn’t you be helping out Ichinomiya today?”

“I got some free time before he drags me off to some bullshit dinner.”

“Sure, you aren’t slacking off?”

“I fucking wish, but no.”

“If he heard you say that he’d get real pissy.”

“He gets pissy if I breathe in a way he doesn’t like.”

“You really need to learn to watch your mouth, kid.”

“Why’s that?” She wrinkles her nose, his tone annoys her, like he’s scolding an actual child.

“You’re gonna get yourself seriously hurt if you don’t, that’s probably what got you in this mess in the first place.”

“Fuck off, all I did was break a damn statue, don’t act like I brought this bullshit on myself.”

“Ugh,” he puts his hand to head as he groans, “this is why I hate kids, too sensitive.”

“I think you’re just an old jackass.”

“Hey,” he follows after her as she tries to walk away, “so you didn’t talk much to the guys who sold you?”

“No, I was a too busy being in a blind panic to make small talk.”

“Nothing about them stood out to you, they didn’t mention working for anyone?”

She racks her brain for a moment, it almost feels like he’s interrogating her, is he actually doing his job? Kisaki did mention a human being sold at the auction is rare, even if Kishi’s a dirty cop, maybe that’s too far for even him? But, then why wouldn’t he have been doing this when it first happened? Something is off.

“No, they were just two goons,” she shrugs, “why do you ask?”

“No reason, just figured you would have mouthed off to ‘em.”

“You make me sound like some sorta reckless smart-ass.”

“’Cause that’s exactly what you are, funny as it was, you have to be pretty stupid to treat a mobster like that.”

“I’m not stupid.”

“You sure about that,” he teases and grins at her, like he’s the funniest person in the world.

“If you’re gonna harass me, can you at least make yourself fucking useful and help me carry stuff?” She shakes the stuffed grocery bags at Kishi.

“Yeah, I gotta get going, see you around, kid.”

“Seriously, are you that afraid of effort, you fuck,” she yells as he ruffles her hair a final time and walks away. What an asshole. She takes it back, he’s just as annoying as the rest of the penthouse guys, maybe worse. At least they don’t stink like cigarette smoke as they annoy her.

Tsuneko finishes buying everything she needs and goes back to her dorm. She’s putting things away in her cupboards and fridge when the penthouse pager buzzes. She lets out a load groan before answering it, already anticipating that irritating voice on the other end.

“Be ready and at the hotel in thirty minutes.”

“Oooh, thirty minutes, how generous.” She rolls her eyes, either he didn’t hear or he doesn’t care because she gets no response.

Tsuneko puts everything away and then goes to change, picking one of the dress out from the ones Ichinomiya bought. She fixes her hair up in a french twist and fixes up her makeup. It’s not as good as Kisaki’s but it gets the job done.

Once she’s got her appearance sorted she makes her way to the hotel, knowing they’re just going to leave, she doesn’t see much point in going up to the penthouse. His car is already pulled up to the front entrance, but neither him, Oh, or the Buccis are here. She fumbles to get the pager out of her purse and after a few moments finds how to send a message to them. It would be so much easier to just use their damn phones.

“Hey, I’m down here by the car when you’re ready.”

“...Fine.”

She groans at his attitude, like her being the one to page him and to be the one waiting on him. Tsuneko checks the time and begins to absent-mindedly play on her phone. She’s just won a plushie through the crane game app and the sun is starting to set when she sees Ichinomiya and Oh walking through the door. The Buccis are a few steps behind and she can’t resist.

“You’re late,” she mimics his tone of voice and can’t resist smirking when he scowls.

“Ahh Tsuneko, there you are!” Mr. Bucci greets before Ichinomiya can say anything.

“A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Bucci.” She takes it upon herself to open up the car door for them with a customer service smile.

“Oh, you’re too kind.” Mr. Bucci is the only one happy to see her, the other three giving her dirty looks to varying degrees. Should be a fun dinner. She slides in, making sure to roll a window down slightly because of Mr. Bucci’s love of cigars. The limousine starts moving and Ichinomiya hands off his tablet, he tells her to take notes and his hand once again drags purposefully slow across her skin, earning a glare from Carolina.

“So, have you been thinking my offer over?” Ichinomiya starts the business conversation as Mr. Bucci starts to puff on his cigar.

“I have and I’m still interested, I haven’t gotten the thought of opening a casino of my own since I visited the one at the Tres Spades.”

“Partnering with me would insure its success, under the Tres Spades name, your casino would be guaranteed easy press coverage which is invaluable with how much competition there is in Italy.”

“I don’t deny that, but having it within a Tres Spades would be giving you full control. Nikaido is offering me almost complete creative freedom and allowing me a larger percentage of profits, since I’d be the main force behind it.”

“That may be true, but I can guarantee you more profit. It’s better to get twenty percent of a billion than seventy percent of a million.”

“True, you know the business better, but that doesn’t always mean guaranteed profits and I’m not sure if I want to completely hand over the reigns to someone else.”

“You can rest assured, that the project would be safe with me and you’d be free to give input at any time.”

Tsuneko bites her lip and stifles a laugh, the idea of Ichinomiya considering someone else’s opinion seems like an absolute pipe dream. But, even with his unbearable personality, Bucci would be an idiot not to take the deal. Ichinomiya is an absolutely intolerable pain in the ass, but he’s a brilliant businessman, the Tres Spades is a monument to that fact. The limousine comes to a stop outside a restaurant, it looks fancy to say the least, a huge building that seems like entirely too much.

The sky has gone dark when they leave the limo and take an elevator up to the top level of the restaurant. City lights twinkle outside the windows, a beautiful view no matter where you sit. Sleek black chairs at tables with white tablecloths, candles as centerpieces at each one. Men in tailored suits and women in slinky gowns sip wine from crystal glasses.

Ichinomiya mentions a reservation and they’re shown to their seats. The atmosphere is so formal and uptight, Tsuneko feels the need to sit completely straight, like slouching would be a sin here. She’s not suppose to put her elbows on the table right? Oh god, is this one of those places where you have to use specific forks or spoons?

Menus are put in front of them and she only absently listens to the rest of them chatter, she doesn’t have to take notes at the moment. They all seem comfortable in this environment, she’s the only one who can’t relax. She looks over the menu and a noise catches in her throat, she didn’t know there was food this expensive.

“Are you still planning on showing Carolina around tomorrow?” Mr. Bucci asks once they’ve ordered wine and appetizers for the table, the price of both make Tsuneko’s mouth go dry.

“Of course, we’d all be happy to show her around tomorrow.”

“I’m so excited for you take me out Eisuke! I finally get to try out the shops here!”

“Is this your first time in Japan?” Tsuneko decides to try starting conversation, Carolina can’t hate her that much over Ichinomiya, he’s certainly not worth it.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”

“Your Japanese is really good, I assumed you visited regularly.”

“Well, of course, I’m exceptional when it comes to language.” Carolina bats her eyelashes at Ichinomiya and Tsuneko decides to just focus on finding the cheapest entree she can order.

She might just get some sort of side salad, the least expensive one costs more than twice what she paid for a burger earlier and from the description it’s literally just lettuce with cheese. What the hell is wrong with rich people? The menu is pulled from her hand and she pouts, seeing it now in Ichinomiya’s hand. He shoots her a glare that neither of the Buccis can see. She’d kick him under the table, but knowing her luck she’d end up hitting Carolina or her dad.

The waiter has returned, filling all of their wine glasses and placing the appetizers out, the smell makes her stomach growl. Everyone at the table prattles off orders and it comes to Tsuneko.

“I’ll-”

“She’ll take the sixteen ounce wagyu steak,” that over seventy-eight thousand yen and he’s starting to order sides with it.

“Uh, no, I’ll-”

“Don’t bother worrying about price,” he cuts her off with a small pointed glare.

“Well, you can’t expect much, girls like her aren’t use to luxury. Maybe ‘cause they know they don’t deserve it,” Carolina comments as she drinks from her wine glass.

“Maybe that’s why I like spoiling her so much.” Ichinomiya has the fake soft expression he been favoring during this entire ruse and Tsuneko clenches her jaw.

“Well, spoiling beautiful women is one of the greatest joys in life,” Mr. Bucci boasts as he puffs away on his cigar,

“That’s why Eisuke would be better off spoiling me, instead of her.”

Tsuneko takes a drink of wine, strong with hints of cedar and berries. She’s not a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, but too much of that and she’ll be shitfaced. She doesn’t mind during her alone time, but drunk her doesn’t mix well with others, a lesson she’s learned the hard way far too many times.

“Are you alright?” Ichinomiya asks and places a hand on her shoulder, she slides just a bit away, evading a lingering touch while still not making a show of avoiding him.

“Yeah, it was just a little stronger than I expected.”

“A girl like you just can’t appreciate fine wine like this,” Carolina scoffs.

“It’s a fantastic blend,” Mr. Bucci starts then prattles off details that go in one ear and out the other, some sort of Cabernet is all Tsuneko manages to grasp.

“All of that is absolutely lost on me, I’m sorry,” Tsuneko admits with a shrug and a laugh, lying or trying to act like she knows any of this will just make her look stupider.

Ichinomiya shoots another glare her way, Oh rolls his eyes, and Carolina scoffs. Maybe she was suppose to lie? But, that seems stupid. Mr. Bucci guffaws and bursts into laughter, like she’s cracking him up.

“At least you’re honest, if Eisuke ever brings you to Italy there’s a beautiful vineyard that does wine tastings, it’d give you a chance to learn more.”

“That does sound lovely, I’ll have to make a trip sometime.” Ichinomiya jumps at the chance to network, his smirk barely hidden by his glass of wine.

‘Oh, I’m sure by then, she won’t even be around.”

Tsuneko ignores Carolina’s comments and snacks on appetizers, a noise of content escaping as she eats a crab cake. It may be expensive, but at least it’s good.

“There’s a lot of things Tsuneko hasn’t experience, but it makes it more fun having her around.”

The appetizer tastes bitter now, hearing Ichinomiya’s saccharine tone as he plays up like he cares about her. It doesn’t count for the bet, though. She doesn’t even need to be an active participant, she’s not sure if he even realizes she’s caught on, so it’s not unique to her. Anyone could fulfill this duty and she’s confident she wasn’t even his first plan to deter Carolina. She can’t think of much reason to be bringing Oh along, other than to hope that Carolina’s affection would shift focus.

But, does he know that? IF he genuinely thinks this is his chance to win the bet, then he’d be wasting all of his time on it for no reason. So, it’d probably be best to play stupid, at least to an extent, as much as the idea pains her. If he focuses all of his attention on this plan, thinking it’s a guaranteed win, he won’t bother to think of another one.

She’s not even sure why he’s doing this though. Sucking up and kissing ass is a part of the business world, she gets that, but certainly not being interested with someone won’t completely compromise the deal. Maybe it’s because he’s the only one at this table who seems to even almost like her, but Mr. Bucci doesn’t seem so cruel that he’d terminate the entire deal because Ichinomiya won’t date his daughter. And Carolina isn’t daft, if he just told her no directly, she’d probably back off and it would be a lot easier than this whole hullabaloo.

The meal comes out while Tsuneko has her mouth full of crab cake, the fancy steak dinner is placed in front of her and her pride is wounded by how good it looks. She hates having people buy her things, but she knows how much she’s going to enjoy this. She takes her first bite of steak, careful not to spill food on herself, and lets out a noise. It’s tender and savory, she’s never had steak this good.

“I take it you like it,” Ichinomiya asks her with his stupid fucking smirk and her face flushes as she nods, she’s a glutton and it always seems to show. The dinner continues with Tsuneko remaining as quiet as possible while they prattle on about business and Carolina’s plans for the day out tomorrow.

Ichinomiya has made it clear that she’s going to be expected to tag along while they show Carolina around, but she’s hoping she won’t be forced out for too long since she has the Mad Hatter’s tea party to go to. If necessary she’ll have to find a way to weasel out of the entire thing early, which sounds enticing. Mr. Bucci mentions the I.V.C and auction briefly, but nothing else jumps out to her among their chatter.

The dinner winds down and the check comes, Ichinomiya shoots her a glare the second she reaches towards her purse, he’ll kill her if she even offers to pay in this situation. She puts her hand down with a pout, but she knows how much her meal costed and she’ll pay him back when the Buccis are out of sight. It will be a decent chunk of her savings, but she’ll do it. She’s still reeling from how much he spent on clothes, she can’t let him spend anymore on her.

The night drags on as they leave the restaurant and return to the hotel, Tsuneko only half listening through it all. She’s dropped below even half listening by the time they’ve reached the hotel and waved the Buccis off to their rooms.

Her attention drops still when Ichinomiya starts lecturing her about some sort of mistake she made during the dinner and how she better not make the same mistake during the day out with Carolina. Tsuneko considers telling him off for his whole scheme, just out of spite, but she knows still that it’s better to stay quiet on the matter. The only thing that matters is her winning the bet.

Her night is spent playing with Kiyo, taking care of little things around her dorm, and starts working on applying to colleges back in Kyushu, before finally finding sleep at a late hour.

The next morning she’s back in Ichinomiya’s limousine, in another tight dress, and praying for a quick death. Carolina is going between making heart eyes at the men and glaring at Tsuneko. The dog isn’t even here anymore, this is ridiculous. Tsuneko doesn’t even have a reason to be here, she’s not taking notes, this is just Ichinomiya dodging Carolina.

The streets of Ginza are filled with people all bustling around with arms full of shopping bags. Tsuneko hasn’t ventured into this area very much, she’s never had the time or energy for big shopping excursions. The limousine pulls up to a boutique, the clothes in the window look pricey and elaborate.

Carolina’s eyes go wide and sparkle as they enter the boutique, rushing towards a rack of dresses. She’s oohing and awing as she holds dresses up to herself, seeing how they look against her.

“Which dress looks better on me,” she turns to face Ichinomiya, “the dark red or the black lace?”

“Black is more slimming, so isn’t that the best one?”

Tsuneko bites her lip and glares at a sneering Ichinomiya, remembering his last snide remark about her weight. He’s being serious, he’s going out of his way to mock her size.

“Black, hmm? Well, if that’s what you like, that’s what I’ll get!” Carolina either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care about his insults, her face bright with excitement.

“Tsuneko, why don’t you try on this dress?” Ichinomiya asks her and gives her that fake doe eyed look as he shows her a blue lacy dress.

“No thank you, Mr. Ichinomiya, I have more than enough work clothes.” She turns him down flat and he glares at her, she can’t help but smile at his irritation.

“Oooh, don’t worry about her Eisuke, these kinds of clothes aren’t meant for a girl like her. It’s like putting lipstick on a pig.”

Tsuneko resists lashing out at Carolina and clenches her jaw. Carolina seems to believe putting other women down is the way to make herself look better, between her and Ichinomiya’s fat shaming Tsuneko feels like she’s back in high school. The only difference is this time she’s not the petty mean girl, whether that’s a step up or down is debatable.

An employee shows Carolina into the fitting rooms to try on the dresses she’s picked out and Tsuneko pulls out her phone to pass some of the time without having to bother talking to Ichinomiya or Oh.

“Ugh,” Ichinomiya scoffs, “she’s going to take forever.”

“It’ll be a miracle if any of those dresses even fit her.”

Tsuneko bites her tongue, heat under her skin, they’re back on their bullshit. Carolina hates her and is a bitch. Ichinomiya and Oh are jackasses who seem to think her size is the most pressing matter about her existence. She thinks back to the event she went to with Ichinomiya and the girl who called her a pig; she didn’t think much about if he was involved in insulting her, but now she has to wonder. If he’s willing to talk this way about Carolina, why wouldn’t he do the same to her? The circles he runs in are inherently superficial, an extra pound can make all the difference in someone’s worth.

Carolina is bigger than her, the blonde woman is plus sized by western standards, but Tsuneko is still chubby by Japanese standards. She’s gained around thirty pounds or so since high school and has definitely gone up at least two or three sizes. More polite people might call her a marshmallow girl, but assholes like Ichinomiya and Oh just see her or Carolina as targets for ridicule.

“Eisuke what do you think?!” Carolina emerges from the dressing room and the shopping trip continues. She goes through dress after dress, before unceremoniously deciding to order them all and has them sent to her hotel room.

Not five minutes later they’re in another boutique and the process begins again. Carolina looks over every item, trying them on and desperately trying to get Ichinomiya’s attention while him and Oh make snide comments. Tsuneko tries to stay calm, ignoring every attempt Ichinomiya makes to act as if he likes her, listening to Carolina’s insults, and playing on her phone to make the time pass quicker. Ultimately Carolina buys everything, again.

The third boutique Carolina tries on a tight crop top and Tsuneko gets to bite her tongue when Ichinomiya makes a comment about her stomach the second she’s gone.

Fourth boutique, Oh makes a comment about how shameful she looks in a tight skirt and Tsuneko has to refuse another attempt by Ichinomiya to buy her something with a clenched jaw.

Fifth boutique, comments about the cellulite on Carolina’s thighs when she comes on in a short dress and Tsuneko feels her face heat, anger burning a hole in her chest.

Sixth boutique, Carolina shows off a body con dress, proud of the way it hugs her curves and when she leaves the peanut gallery comments about how they’re amazed the fabric didn’t rip. Tsuneko’s lip breaks and bleeds under her bite, the force needed to hold back her response.

They arrive at the seventh boutique and Tsuneko’s feet are starting to ache. She leans against a wall as Carolina disappears into the changing room. Tsuneko glances around the new store, her phone is already running low on battery they’ve been doing this for hours. She’s confident this is actual hell on earth. Her eyes find a rack of accessories there’s a cute watch, it looks like a high end fancy version of a chunky digital watch she owns with it’s little cat ears.

A heavy sigh and groan escapes the dressing room, the noises make Tsuneko’s heart sink, the sounds of clothes not fitting. She’s experienced it more than a few times herself, trying to pull on something that should fit but it doesn’t, the feeling that there’s something wrong with you and your body.

The shopping attendant comes scurrying from the hall where the changing rooms are, looking through racks of where Carolina pulled clothes from.

“Is something wrong?”

“Um, none of those fit,” the attendant frown as she searches the racks, “I don’t think we carry the size up.”

“I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner,” Ichinomiya comments with a roll of his eyes.

“It’s a disgrace to walk around Ginza with a woman like her.”

“This entire thing is a waste of time, she’s going to look the same no matter what she wears.”

“Dear god, do you two ever shut up!?” Tsuneko breaks, the heat of anger has been building under her skin all day and it’s like someone set a fire in her veins.

“Be quiet, woman!” Oh yells back and narrows his eyes at her.

“Seriously, you’re grown men acting like you’re in high school, it’s pathetic!”

“You’re the one making an idiot out of yourself right now,” Ichinomiya talks sharp and harsh under his breath. Shoppers are staring at them and the attendant looks like she hasn’t been paid enough for this.

Tsuneko rolls her eyes and spots a dress on the rack, the bottom flares out well and when she checks the waist has some stretch to it. She grabs the dress and throws an arm around the shoulders of the flustered attendant, pulling the woman closer.

“Try taking this to her and tell her Mr. Ichinomiya picked it out, okay,” Tsuneko whispers low in the attendant ear and sends her back to the changing room.

Grinning to herself, Tsuneko checks her phone, it’s about time to make her escape. If she wants to be able to make everything in time for the Hatter’s party she’ll have to be getting out of here. She gives Oh and Ichinomiya another pointed glare before tapping away at her phone.

“Oooh, it’s perfect,” Carolina gushes and spins around, the soft white fabric fluffing out around her thighs from the movement, “of course, you’d be able to find the one that suits me perfectly. You know me so well, Eisuke!”

“Yep,” Tsuneko interjects, watching Carolina attempt to hug Ichinomiya again, he simply steps aside and grimaces, “ Mr. Ichinomiya saw it and couldn’t wait to see you try it on.”

“I knew I could win you over.” Carolina’s cheeks are flushed pink, Ichinomiya is glaring at Tsuneko and all she can do is smirk.

“I’m happy you like it,” Ichinomiya comments but he’s still sneering, even Oh is grinning at the situation.

“I love it, I’m gonna wear this out, we should go out for something to eat so I can show it off!” Tsuneko’s phone buzzes and she checks it, smiling at the notification.

“Well, as much as I’d love to come along, I actually have to get going.”

“You mean it will just be me, Eisuke and Soryu! That’s wonderful!”

“What do you mean, you have to go?” Ichinomiya asks, his tone low and harsh.

“Didn’t Mr. Oh tell you? I have to help with the next auction, I’m meeting with the Hatter.”

“Is that so, well, we’ll end the day early. The driver will have to take you back, after all.”

“Don’t be silly, I couldn’t do that to you, I just requested a taxi. They’re already here too, see,” Tsuneko proudly shows the message on her phone, “hope you all have fun~!”

Ichinomiya’s hateful sneer and Oh’s glare makes pride bloom in her chest, pissing them off brings her a special kind of joy. Carolina is squealing, elated to have both the men to herself, as Tsuneko leaves the boutique. She slides into the back of her taxi and relaxes into the seat as it starts moving. The busy streets of Ginza pass by as she heads back to the hotel.

#kissed by the baddest bidder #kbtbb #eisuke ichinomiya #Soryu Oh #Mitsunari Baba #Ota Kisaki #mamoru kishi #rhion hatter #black market wonderland #kbtbb eisuke #kbtbb soryu #kbtbb baba #kbtbb ota #kbtbb mamoru #kbtbb rhion

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zoocross0vers · 5 years

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Raspberries Challenge #10: 101 Dalmatians

101 Funnies and Boxes

My story begins in Zootopia, not too long ago. And yet so much has happened since then that it feels more like an eternity, a bored male voice narrated as the sounds of uninspired romantic piano music came from the second floor window of a tall beige apartment complex. At that time, I lived alone in a bachelor pad just off of Cypress Grove Lane. It was a beautiful spring day. Real terrible time of the year for bachelors.

Oh! That’s me, said the internal voice as he sat at a piano. The narrator in question was a slender red fox with a black tail tip and the most handsome emerald green eyes. He wrote notes and tested new keys to try to get the right melody, Nick. Nick Wilde, he introduced himself, I’m a musician of sorts. Nick tried a new rhythm that he had written down. He smiled, believing it sounded good until he realized it was just the same uninspired, repetitive theme he had already been playing.

He groaned, dropping his forehead frustratingly over several keys on the piano, causing the large musical instrument to create a loud shrill sound. That’s it! He gives up.

Nick slumped on his swivel chair and turned to face away from his piano, feeling greatly uninspired to write or play anything. He miserably viewed his surroundings. His small apartment, a complete mess -- it screamed stereotypical messy, single male at every corner. Nick sighed at the mess, You know, as far as I could see the old notion that a bachelor’s life was so...glamorous and carefree was all one big fat lie. It was downright dull. Nick stretched and yawned, only to slump back on his seat.

Yeah...I’m pretty sure it was plain to see that I needed someone. I had been a bachelor for...well pretty much since forever at this point. I’d been married to my work and I wrote songs about romance, which to be fair was a subject I knew absolutely nothing about. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a few flings in my youth but never anything serious. Nick looked to a pile of entertainment and clothing store magazines next to him and picked one up. It depicted a pretty red vixen in a purple nightgown. He stared at it with a smile and opened it to the female clothing section to view other pictures of other gorgeous female mammals of varying species.

It was at that moment that I thought, ‘why don’t I just settle down?’ It’d be just the inspiration I need for my work. And besides, I’m a pretty good-looking guy. I’m a smart catch too. There’s no reason I can’t get a cute girl like the ones in these magazines. Nick shifted his gaze back down to the pile of magazines and noticed another magazine with a beautiful female rabbit in a pink and green teddy on the cover. He immediately picked it up with intrigue and gave the image a flirty growl. Plus, I’m not picky when it comes to species. I’m willing to marry outside my kind if it’s the right girl.

With a new rejuvenated sense of life, Nick jumped off his swivel chair and ran to peek out his apartment window. The question was, where to start looking? Nick gazed out the window, paying attention to every young female that walked down the street. At the moment, only a young eligible female elephant and mouse passed by his street. Nick grimaced, Hmm. I’m not picky with species, but I’m pretty sure she should at least be near my size in order to count. Don’t want her too small that I could crush her or too big that she’d crush me.

Nick shook his head, wanting to get that last image out of his head. Just then, a more appropriately sized female made her way around the corner. Ah, here comes a good one. Nick saw that it was a very lanky, very plain looking red vixen with a slouchy gait. She wore glasses and a black beret -- an artist of sorts -- a painter by the looks of it. Hmm, pretty unusual breed for a vixen. He chuckled as the more he watched her, the more he found her unique gait rather comical. Very unusual…...nah. He shook his head. Though her outward appearance said artist, she just didn’t seem like the type of artist that could inspire him.

He turned his attention to the next oncoming girl, a portly pig in a brown pencil skirt business suit and cap. She had golden locks of hair sticking out right from under her cap. Well, what’ve we here? Nick observed her as she walked swaying her all too large hips side to side, causing Nick to primarily lay his focus on her lower back and rump. Hmm...well I like big hips, but...maybe those are a little too big. Giving it another thought, he reached his conclusion, Nope.

Onto the next oncoming girl, Whoa! Nick gasped with wide eyes, his jaw falling at the sight of a gorgeous and voluptuous, fancy looking arctic vixen. By the looks of her expensive opaque lavender coat and matching puff of a hat, a financially well endowed vixen at that! Look at that knockout! Now that’s a fancy vixen if I ever saw one! he thought in excitement. At the moment he thought he had finally found the mate he was looking for, but...upon further inspection of the vixen and her high nose posture, the more he began to question exactly how good of a match they would be. Surely she would not want a struggling musician like himself for a husband, plus given her demeanor and pursed lips, she really didn’t look very approachable. In fact she looked pretty snobbish and like she’d very perfectly live up to the literal definition of a ‘vixen’.

Nick’s excitement died out as did his attraction toward the vixen. Hmm...maybe she’s a little too fancy. He gazed at the vixen once more to confirm, Yeah, too fancy for my taste.

Nick looked back down to the street, his tone somewhat defeated as if losing hope in his venture for a wife. His deflated mood only worsened when he saw the next two candidates passing by. The first one was an old jittery goat riding her bike down the street while the second was a small juvenile skunk in a yellow dress licking a large swirled lollipop. Too old, too young. Nick mumbled internally in defeat.

Nick sighed discouraged and slumped his cheek on the palm of his paw, This was going to be tougher than I thought. A lot tougher. Nick shifted his gaze back down, hopeless and with very little interest now.

Until...

His eyes caught view of something and he had to shake his head to do a double take to make sure he wasn’t dreaming -- as at that very moment, making her way around the corner was another candidate -- perhaps, the candidate! Nick’s ears stood on end with intrigue and he smiled wide just as his long canid tongue stuck out in joy -- reminiscent to a happy puppy. His tail wagged in excitement, Well, now that’s more like it! The most beautiful creature on two legs!! Nick exclaimed in his mind as he gazed in wonder and admiration at a lovely young female rabbit with beautiful gray and white fur and gorgeous decorative black tips atop her long soft ears that hung low behind her shoulders. From what he could see, she had just the cutest pink button nose he had ever seen -- though he’d never tell her that -- lest he’d risk making her, a rabbit, angry by calling her ‘cute’.

She wore a beige colored, flared skirt business suit and matching hat with a decorative yellow sunflower on the side of her hat. Her features fair and soft, telling him that she was of a very gentle nature. In her arms she carried a small book -- an interest in literature could be a sign of a smart, creative girl in his wake! She was almost too good to be true! I’d never find another girl like that even if I had to look for her for a hundred years!

Not wanting to lose sight of her, Nick ran to the other window at the top of his small stairway. He caught sight of her, Ah, she’s heading for the park! A perfect meeting place! Now if I could only find her there. Nick grabbed his coat and hat, ready to run out the door, but stopped short as he glanced at his clock. Uh-oh. I almost forgot, I can’t ruin my work schedule. I don’t stop playing ‘til after five. But then, that’ll be too late and I’ll lose her. Hustling himself, Nick readjusted the time on his clock from 4:34 to 5:13pm. He smiled proud, There we go. Problem solved! He chuckled and ran out, excited to reach the park and win the heart of his new fair bunny.

Nick sped walked through the park, practically jogging through it in search of the gray bunny. It almost seemed hopeless. The park was huge and full of mammals. She could’ve been anywhere!

Nick could somewhat see someone in the distance wearing a brownish-beige suit and hat. Could it be her?

He jogged over as fast as he could, but when he got close enough he sadly realized that it wasn’t her. It was the pig he had seen earlier in the brown business suit. She just sat there, knitting something and minding her own business.

Nick sighed disappointedly and continued on his way. He kept his eyes peeled and shifted his gaze every which way in search of the rabbit.

He crossed the park’s bridge hovering over a body of water and spotted another familiar face. It was the lanky red vixen from before. She sat by the lake shore just painting a canvas of the scenery before her.

Nick huffed, growing anxious. Where could she be?!

He hurried off the bridge and continued on his way, but was stopped in his tracks when some giggling children, two young lambs and a bunny, zipped right in front of him. Two girl lambs ran with a jump rope in their hooves and the young male bunny rolled on some four wheeled roller skates. Nick sighed in annoyance and continued on his way after they crossed his path.

His anxiousness was quickly turning into despair as there was still no sign of the bunny. At first I was afraid I’d missed her, he narrated in thought, Maybe she strolled right through the park.

Nick continued with his rushed pace, passing by a path between two bushes. He quickly peeked in and took a few more steps forward when he froze in his tracks -- his brain catching up with his sight. He peered back in to ensure he wasn’t seeing things. He smiled wide.

Then suddenly, I spotted her!

The gray bunny sat on a bench suited for a mammal of her size and with a perfect view of the lake -- a perfectly romantic view that is. Nick wagged his tail. He couldn’t have set this scene any better even if he tried!

Now the question was how to get her attention? She seemed awfully preoccupied with her book as she turned another page. He didn’t want to be rude and interrupt her, but he did want to find a way to start up a conversation with her. Whatever he did, he had to be smart in his approach. Polite. Smooth. Suave. Confident.

Alright Nick, Nick thought to himself as he took in a heavy gulp, You can do this! The bachelor fox took a deep breath and poised his nose up and strolled before the bunny with a confident gait.

As Nick passed her by, the bunny curiously lifted her gaze up from her book to him. She followed his every move as she saw him take a seat at the other end of the bench she was at. Nick kept his gaze forward for a few seconds, pretending to mind his own business.

He then glanced over to her -- curious if she had noticed him at all. The minute he looked toward her, their eyes met. It was only for a second however, as the bunny immediately blushed in embarrassment that she was caught staring at him and quickly buried her nose back into her book.

Nick looked away from her as well, but with a smile. She noticed him! And boy are her eyes just the most beautiful shade of amethyst purple he had ever seen! For a moment it seemed to have worked. At least she'd seen me. Now if I could only start up a conversation with her... Nick rubbed his neck and casually shifted his gaze toward her once more -- his focus landing on her book -- it was Jane Mouseten’s “Pride and Prejudice”. That’s it! He thought in excitement. He had his ice breaker! Plus it was a book he had read before and really liked! It was perfect!

Alright, it’s now or never Wilde. Nick shut his eyes and cleared his throat with a light tug at his shirt collar. He turned his body towards her, his eyes still shut as he opened his mouth to utter his first syllable. He had only managed a breath when he opened his eyes and realized -- She’s gone! Nick’s jaw dropped as he gazed at the now empty spot where the bunny sat. He looked up and saw that she was already a few feet away, walking along the path beside the lake.

No… Nick thought miserably. Had he really just lost his opportunity to talk to her? His ears fell in defeat until, out of fate or sheer luck, the bunny’s loosely placed book, plopped right out of her purse.

Nick smiled wide, “Thank you!” he whispered gratefully to the sky with his paws clasped together in a prayer position. Without a second thought, the fox quickly lept into action to retrieve her book from the ground. Once in his paws, he smiled confidently. There was no way he could mess this up now -- he’d give the book back to her and then segway into a conversation about it until he’d find the right moment to ask her out.

The fox adjusted his hat forward, determined. Nothing could stop him now! He cleared his throat and jogged forward, “Excuse me miss?” he called out to the bunny in the distance, “You forgot your book!” Lost in the bunny ahead and in his determination to reach her, the fox failed to notice an abandoned pair of roller skates in his path. “Miss? Mi--Aaaaahh!!!”

Accidentally stepping on one, Nick was propelled forward down the sloping path -- much, much faster than he had intended to move! Along the way he came across the children from before, playing jump rope right in the middle of the walkway. “Waaaahhhh!” Nick crashed right in the middle of their jump rope, yanking it right out of the hooves of the two little lambs and taking it along with him.

“Look out!” he called out as he realized he was about to crash into his lady bunny. The bunny turned just in time to see Nick crash right into her. She let out a loud yelp as before either of them knew it -- they were both entangled to one another with the jump rope.

“Oh! Sweet cheese and--!” the bunny cried out in shock as she found herself pressed up against the fox.

Nick blushed, both in embarrassment and of the fact that he was pressed up against her. “I-I’m really sorry! I-I didn’t mean to--”

“What on earth!” the bunny cried again as both she and the fox tried to pull themselves free from the rope’s grasp. Both mammals struggled and rocked back and forth, unaware that the more they moved, the more they began to move toward the lake.

Before they knew it, “Whoaa! Whoa, whoa! WHOAAAA!!!”

SPLASH!

The two fell into the lake, finally becoming untangled from one another, but both soaked to the bone!

They landed side by side -- Nick kicking his legs up in an attempt to sit up, while the drenched bunny sat and coughed.

Nick lifted the sopping wet brim of his hat from his eyes to see her. He watched as she shivered both in embarrassment and from the cold of the water. He placed an embarrassed paw over his snout, guilt drenching him more than the water, Oh boy, did I mess up big time, he groaned internally.

The trembling bunny looked down at herself, completely mortified and near the brink of tears in sheer embarrassment. “M-My new spring suit,” she stammered, “A-And m-my new hat!” She pointed to her hat that was slowly floating away from her with the water’s gentle current.

Overwhelmed with guilt and desperate to make things right, Nick stood up and quickly waddled over to fetch her hat. “D-Don’t worry I’ll get it for you!” In his rush and because he couldn’t see much given the brim of his soaked hat covering his eyes, he lost his footing, grabbing the bunny’s hat but landing belly and face first against the water.

SPLASH!

The gray bunny yelped and took cover behind her small arms as water splashed against her. She gasped, wiping the excess water from her face. Nick surfaced from beneath the water and instinctually shook himself to dry off some of the water. “H-Hey!” She took cover with her arms once more as some stray droplets flew her way.

Uh-oh, Nick thought, immediately seizing his actions. Way to go Wilde, if I wasn’t dead in her eyes before, then I really am now. “I’m sorry! I-I really didn’t mean to--It’s just my insti--Here, let me help you up.” Nick said as he gently placed his paws underneath her arms to stand her up and escort her off the lake and onto the dry bank. “I don’t know what happened back there,” he tried to explain as he placed her soaked hat over her head, accidently causing more water to stream down her face. “I-I was just walking along the path, and then there was this roller skate, and then there were these kids and a jump rope, a-and I-I…”

“Oh, nevermind, nevermind!” retorted the shivering bunny, not wanting to hear another word from him.

Watching her shiver, Nick chivalrously removed his red coat and placed it over her shoulders in an attempt to keep her warm -- not that it would do much good given the equally soaked state of the coat. The embarrassed bunny flinched from his touch, pulling away from him, the coat still on her shoulders, “Please just go away! You’ve done enough!”

Nick felt his heart in pain -- broken, before he could’ve even gotten the chance to know her. His normally bright emerald eyes dimmed in shame. His ears fell back. He blew it...

Despite not wanting anything more to do with him, the gray bunny still sought warmth from his coat, tugging at the lapel with one paw to better adjust it at her shoulders while her other paw brought her purse up to fish for something inside it.

Though the brim of his hat kept slouching over his eyes, Nick could still see how upset she was as she dug into her purse. “I...,” he spoke, compelled to say something to her, “I know you probably don’t want anything more to do with me, but...I’m really, really sorry--”

“Please...” groaned the bunny as she pulled out a hankie from her purse, hoping to use it to dry herself, “Please just--” she stopped in shock when she saw that her hankie was just as equally soaked as she was.

Ever the gentlemammal, Nick immediately dug into his back pocket and pulled out a red handkerchief. “Here, take mine.”

The gray bunny’s jaw dropped when she saw the state of his hankie. It too was drenched. She didn’t know why, but for some reason just seeing the state of his hankie brought a humored smile to her face. She stifled a breathy chuckle but then allowed herself to laugh wholeheartedly as she pointed at the soaked handkerchief.

Though at first in shock at hearing her laugh, Nick quickly followed suit and began to laugh as well. Perhaps it was simply because he was relieved that she was no longer sad but smiling. Perhaps she found his attempts to be a gentlemammal sweet and adorable. Or perhaps it was the humor of the the entire situation finally just hit them. After all, had they been on the outside looking in, everything that happened to them would’ve been pretty hilarious! Mostly given how silly they looked.

Whatever the reason, Nick was just happy to know that she was okay and no longer angry at him.

Their laughter began to die out after a while, but their smiles remained. Nick removed his hat to wring it dry. The gray bunny giggled at how much water poured out from it. Nick chuckled as well. “Hey, I--I really am sorry about everything. I didn't mean to knock you into the lake.”

“It's okay,” she said with a smile. “You're the fox from before, right? The one who was sitting next to me on the bench?”

“Yeah,” Nick said with light wag of his tail, delighted to hear that she did notice him!

The bunny giggled, noticing his tail. “So...does the fox responsible for tangling me up and knocking me into the lake have a name?”

“Indeed he does,” Nick offered her his paw, “Wilde. Nick Wilde.” The bunny took his paw and shook it in greeting. “And does the lovely bunny have a name?”

The bunny hummed happily with a blush. “Hopps. Judy Hopps,” she responded in kind.

“Judy,” Nick echoed her name. It was a name he never, ever wanted to forget. They smiled at one another just as Judy's book floated over and bumped against the bank where they stood. “Huh?” Nick looked down to it, “Oh! I almost forgot…” Nick reached down to fish the book out, “Here,” he said handing it to her. “You uh, you accidentally dropped it when you were walking on the path. I was actually trying to get it back to you in one piece until a lone roller skate decided I was in serious need of a bath.”

Judy couldn't help but giggle, admiring his sense of humor. “I guess you weren’t the only one in need of a bath seeing how I fell in too. But thank you for returning it, nonetheless. This is actually my favorite book.” Judy responded with a sweet and appreciative smile as she held the book close to her heart.

“Really? Well then you have good taste Judy. I remember back in high school I hated reading, but this was the first book I actually managed to read all the way through.”

“So I take it you liked it?” Judy asked with a curious interest.

“Believe it or not, it's what got me into composing romantic melodies.”

“You're a musician?” the bunny asked, her ears perked up with intrigue.

“Yup! Er...well, sort of an up and coming piano composer,” he said with a twinge of embarrassment and a nervous rub to the back of his neck, “I haven't composed anything noteworthy yet. Guess I've just been waiting to find the right inspiration.” He gave the bunny a gentle smile.

“And have you found it yet?” the bunny asked curiously.

Nick met her eyes, as if searching for an answer within those gorgeous and sympathetic amethyst pools of hers. “Yeah…” he breathed with a mesmerized certainty, “I think I have.”

Judy smiled, bashfully lowering her gaze, as if somehow knowing that she was the newfound inspiration he was referring to.

Feeling emboldened, Nick decided to leap into the frey, “Hey listen Judy, I don't know if I’m being too forward but, seeing how we’re both soaked to the bone and very likely to catch colds if we don't warm up soon... would you...like to get a coffee with me?”

“I’d love to, Nick,” Judy said with a smile. Nick returned her sweet smile with one of his own. Both of them happy and aware that this was simply the beginning of something more growing between them.

#zootopia #wildehopps #fanfic #raspberries challenge #disney #101 dalmatians #crossover

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betweensceneswriter · 5 years

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Island Hopper-Chapter 25: Honeymoon Sweet

Previously on Island Hopper: Chapter 24: Stag Night Seth wants to give Jamie a stag night, and Joe and John have a bachelorette night with Claire.

The Sheraton was amazing, the lobby high-ceilinged and grand, with a chandelier in the entrance and checkerboard black and white marble flooring. Even in our fancy club wear I felt underdressed, and particularly foolish when the valet took the keys to my mom’s rusty Honda with a slight wrinkle to his nose and curl to his lip.

“John and Joe had my mom pack a bag for us,” I whispered to Jamie, cringing slightly as I brought the small backpack out of the car before the valet left us at the entrance. “I’m kind of dreading looking in it to see what she thought we would want.”

He grinned and shook his head, turning to open the entrance door for me.

“They canna truly have paid for us to stay here, Ri-pālle,” he said then, gazing with wide eyes at the spacious lobby. I felt nearly as awestruck as he appeared. I’d stayed in a few nice resorts through the years, but never anything as glamorous as this. Finally he shook off his awe and squared his shoulders, looking down at me with a sly smile.

“Come along, woman,” he said, taking me firmly by the hand and leading me to the check-in desk.

“Reservation for Fraser,” he said confidently to the suited concierge behind the desk, who, after tapping on his keyboard and asking twice how we spelled our last name, found the reservation.

“A gift, it seems,” the clerk said. “With an open tab for room service if desired.”

Jamie narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly—not so much that the suited gentleman noticed, but enough that I did. I squeezed his hand. This was quite decadent enough without taking undue advantage of John and Joe’s generosity.

The concierge signaled for a bellhop to come assist us, and after an awkward moment as the young man held out his hands before I surrendered the backpack, the two of us followed him from the lobby into a towering ten-story atrium. The hotel rooms opened out to balconies overlooking a geometric fountain surrounded by stately palm trees in pots. I tried to minimize my astonishment, gripping Jamie’s hand and trying to direct his gaze toward the stunning surroundings as we entered the elevator and waited in awkward silence as it climbed to the seventh floor, until the bellhop had opened our door and Jamie had scrabbled through his wallet for a wrinkled five-dollar bill, after which we entered the room and closed the door.

“So, this is what you would have preferred for our actual honeymoon?” Jamie asked, taking in the smooth white bed linens, the glossy furniture, the gentle glow of bedside lamps. He ran his fingers through his hair, then stepped hesitantly into the center of the room and looked back at me, eyebrows raised.

“It is pretty decadent,” I agreed. “But our wedding night and honeymoon were much more memorable. Anyone could have their wedding night in a hotel…”

“Aye,” Jamie agreed, moving over to the bed and untying his deck shoes, wiggling his toes gratefully once he had shoes and socks off. I kicked off my spangly heels, padding over to the sliding glass door that led out to a balcony. I opened the door and went out, stunned for a moment by the lights of the island and the view of the infinity pool eight stories down, lit up for nighttime swimming. It was surreal, to say the least. Jamie didn’t follow me, so I went back into the room to find him still sitting on the bed.

He was looking at me wistfully. “I do love your family, truly, Ri-pālle,” he said. “And this room is amazing… But somehow I canna wait until it is just you and I in our little apartment.”

“With the geckos and mosquitos?” I asked teasingly, shutting the door behind me.

“Them I could do wi’out,” he smiled, winking at me.

“I know what you mean, though,” I said, walking up to him and stepping between his knees, resting my arms on his shoulders. “Until now it's kind of been just the two of us.”

“Wi’ a little Rupert and Angus thrown in,” Jamie added, linking his hands behind my back and smiling up at me as he pulled me toward him.

“But not too much,” I mused, imagining our friends noisily tromping into our apartment.

Our apartment. I felt a pang in my stomach and as I realized what I was feeling, pushed away from Jamie and exclaimed in surprise, “Babe… I think I’m homesick!”

His look of discomfort softened, and I leaned forward to kiss him gently.

“I am as well, mo chridhe,” he whispered, drawing me down onto his lap. “Sit wi’ me for a bit, and I ken both of us will soon feel better.”

He drew my head to his shoulder, tucking it under his chin, wrapping his arms thoroughly around me. I breathed deeply and melted into him, slipping my shoulder under his arm, curling my body against his. I found myself humming contentedly and closed my eyes with a sigh.

“Dammit, Jamie,” I murmured. “I was yours from that very first day you held me in your arms.”

In response, he chuckled and tightened his arms around me. I felt the soft pressure of a kiss on my forehead.

“You looked alluring tonight.” He spoke slowly, his deep voice rumbling under my ear. “Dancing in your sparkly top and sandals,” he mused as his hand traced over the spaghetti straps of the tank and drifted down my back. “Wearing these jeans, tight as a second skin,” he added, the firm warmth of his palm moving lower until he stopped with it gripping the curve of my backside.

I’d wanted him earlier, but the extravagance of the hotel had stunned me out of it. Now I felt the glow begin again, warmth creeping from my abdomen outwards.

“I’m taking these foolish wee things off you,” he said, nudging me off his knee and into a standing position in front of him again. He reached for the button of my jeans, his forehead wrinkling in concentration as he undid it, a slow smile creeping over his face as he looked up at me and gripped the zipper.

There was something disconcerting about being undressed. My heart rate increased and I flushed as I watched him pull the zipper downwards and then slip his hands inside my jeans to spread the tight waistband and push it down over my hips.

He took his time drawing the jeans down to the floor, his hands tracing their way down my thighs. “You did indeed shave today,” he said. “Your skin is as soft as... a cat’s fur.”

“A cat?” I asked. “Did you have a cat growing up?”

“Aye, but we arna talking about Bòidheach right now,” Jamie said, returning to a sitting position after holding the jeans down as I stepped out of them. He ran his hands back up my legs, and the gentle touch stirred me so thoroughly I closed my eyes in response.

“Now these are even more foolish,” he murmured, his hands tracing over the sides of my lacy panties. “But I’ll leave them on you a wee bit longer.”

“Will you?” I asked, feeling breathless.

“This, now,” he mused, and I could feel his hands at my waist, slipping slowly under the tank top. “The way you moved in it! A Dhia, I felt as if every eye in the place was on ye.”

I backed away from him playfully, raising my arms up as if still at the club, dance moves somewhere between club Claire and dancing-with-the-Marshallese-kiddos Claire. I turned around, facing away from him, still swiveling my hips.

“Come here,” Jamie groaned. “Before ye kill me… Itōk, Ri-pālle.”

He reached his hand out to me and once again swept me into his lap as I approached him.

“I’m curious, Claire. Do ye like it here?” Jamie asked as I rested in his arms.

“I love my family,” I said. “But it’s so busy and chaotic.”

“I agree,” he responded. “It is so loud. So commercialized. It seems as if it is all about money and what ye have and drive. What you buy. What you accomplish.”

“Arno is such a simple place,” I said. “I’d forgotten the constant barrage of advertising and noise. The distraction of my silly cell phone dinging all the time.”

I could feel him nodding his head as he spoke gravely, “I havena seen the stars since I got here. Havena just sat alone in the silence. Haven't quietly watched the sun rise on the beach. I haven't read. And other than lighting the candles at midnight mass,” he confessed soberly, ”I havena prayed.”

I sighed. “I feel like we’ve lost something being here. Because I have felt jealous, petty, bitter, possessive--about you, I mean. I’ve seen all these gorgeous young girls, and unwittingly I've been calling myself ugly, old, frizzy...” At this, Jamie frowned and shook his head.

“Ye shouldna speak so to yerself,” he scolded. “I would never say such things. To me, you are the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“You’re sweet,” I said. “But here there is just too much to compare myself to. Magazine covers in the grocery store, billboards, petite Asians and tanned- skinned Chamorrans. I feel like I'm clinging to you just to try to feel valuable. This isn't working, and I’m so glad we will be going home soon.”

“Do you imagine we will ever be able to return to civilization?” Jamie asked earnestly. “I'm serious. Will we ever be able to tolerate the noise and chaos? The commercialism?”

“Sadly,” I said, “I think we could. I think if we move to the states or Scotland, we will easily forget simplicity. But for now, babe, there are far better things for us to focus on.”

“Ayet,” Jamie responded, with such enthusiasm that I sat up and looked at his face. “Such as to finally remove this top!” His smile was blinding, and the crinkle of affection at the corner of his eyes endearing. His arms around me tightened.

I closed my eyes as his lips met mine. Warm, strong hands on my body claimed familiar territory, and I felt firm flesh under my own hands, his skin smooth over the gentle ripple of muscles and occasional jut of bone. I let out a little sigh.

I could feel his lips pull back in a smile against mine, and then his warm breath and insistent lips on my neck and collar bone.

“Will ye have me, then?” he asked, his hand hesitating just under the hem of my tank top.

I pulled away from him for a second, meeting his eyes. “Seriously, Jamie…?”

“I’m no’ confused,” he explained. “I just want to hear it from your lips.”

“I love you, babe,” I said, punctuating the phrase with kisses. “And yes, of course I want you. Badly!”

“Good,” he said with a satisfied smile. “I believe I'll be able to accommodate ye.”

Sometime later the two of us were tousle-haired and sweaty in our gorgeous suite overlooking the moon-lit ocean. Jamie was stretched out on the bed looking satisfied and I felt flushed and a little stunned as well.

I looked at Jamie, shaking my head. “That girl at the club wanted you. And she wasn’t the only one.”

“What are you talking about?” Jamie asked skeptically.

“Seth’s friends were salivating all over you on Cocos Island. When I watch you walk around, you don’t know how many pairs of eyes are following you, how many girls stand up straighter, suck in their stomachs and stick out their chests when you walk by.”

Jamie shook his head sheepishly as if he didn’t believe me at all.

“When he visited, there was one thing that Frank said that did strike fear in my heart,” I said, taking a deep breath and continuing hesitantly. “I don’t remember his exact words, but what he said was that if you were this young and this physical, that you would get bored of sex with me, or feel like I was too old for you.”

“Oh, lass,” said Jamie empathetically. He reached out for my hand, pulling me into the bed to rest in his arms.

“Was Frank right?” I asked quietly. “How can I know you’ll always love me? That I’ll be enough for you?”

Jamie looked at me for a moment, brows furrowed. Finally he spoke. “Claire, what you are to me is more than sex. Which I do love, don’t mistake me. I love it now, and I’ll love it if you ever get lukkuun pregnant and bloated. I’ll love it if you get soft and round like a good Majel mama and even if you get skinny—though, ye shouldna ever get too skinny,” he commented, his hands straying down to my hips. I giggled and shook my head, but kept looking at him, waiting for him to continue.

“I hope we make our kids groan and plug their ears with the noises we make when they’re teenagers,” Jamie grinned. “And I hope I’m still taking you to bed when we’re old and gray in our flat in the retirement village.”

By then I was laughing through tears, and Jamie handed me tissues from the dispenser on the bedside table, then took me in his arms again. “And I’ll be creeping down the hall in the carehome even when I’m half senile, climbing into your bed because in your arms I can remember.”

“Are you serious?” I asked him. “But that’s still just sex.”

“That’s not all,” Jamie continued. “When I lost my ma and Willie, and then my da, when I left Scotland and Murtagh and Jenny and Ian, I lost my family. My home. My sense of belonging. And ye ken Dougal. He isna given to much affection.”

“You’re right,” I responded, nodding. “He’s not much of a hugger.”

“I traveled through school, and the first taste of being loved again was John,” Jamie murmured. “I couldna be what he wanted, but he still cared for me even after he knew that.”

I snuggled closer to him.

“And my students… they fill me. Rupert and Angus, the numpties, they’ve been friends to me. But then you arrived. And ye took care of me, Ri-pālle. You healed me, looked after me, fed me, enjoyed my company, hugged me.”

I squeezed him and closed my eyes.

“Ye felt comfortable, Claire, like family, even though I was also lusting after ye. You called me ‘mo chridhe’ by accident once, and my heart ached at the words. I hadna been called that in a long time.”

“I remember that,” I whispered back. “I remember the look on your face.”

“And then you wanted me too. You wanted to save me from being sent back home. But you wanted me. My company, my friendship, my body, my love. And when I met your parents, when your da called me ‘son,’ my heart felt like it was going to explode. I… I didna just marry you for your body, Claire. I married you for your company. I married you for your soul. I married you so you could always be my family.”

I pulled him down to me for a kiss.

“It doesna matter where we live, who we become.” Jamie said seriously, looking into my eyes. “Because Claire, you are my family.”

He placed his hand on my breast, over my heart. “And this right here?” He said. “This, Ri-pālle, this is home.”

Next Up: Chapter 26: Father, Forgive Me... Jamie’s got a lot of built up bitterness toward his father.

#I split & lengthened chapter 24 #More love scenes #Jamie x Claire #on Guam #Christmas gift #Outlander fan fic #outlander aesthetic #Marshall Islands #betweensceneswriter #island hopper #Chapter 25

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a-memory-of · 5 years

Text

Savir Anhsari sat on the bank of a small, shallow creek, a newly-refilled canteen at her side. She was struggling with something on her lap, occasionally giving a thoughtful hum but otherwise distracted.

Ariquette Wolfsdottir was careful today. She'd remembered the two ways she'd gotten lost before, and steered well clear. Her smile faltered a little, and then faded as she looked up at the walls surrounding this newly found dead end. She sighed to herself, and inhaled to whine to herself in annoyance, catching herself short as she noticed someone already here. It took a moment for her to sort which direction her breath was going, though she did manage a greeting through the resulting splutter. "Hfh-he-hello?"

Savir probably should have heard the approaching footfalls, but she had been far too lost in thought. But she did hear the voice, and with a panicked start, she dropped the item that had been in her lap: a little half-finished wood-carving. The Keeper hopped to her feet and turned around, "O-Oh, hi, um... was this your spot?"

"Oh! Um..." She seemed just as startled even still. "Um no, it's... not my spot, or nothin' I'm..." She looked away, letting out another deep sigh as she toed at the ground, her voice quieting. "...lost." She offered a shy smile. "I'm sorry for startlin' ya."

Savir relaxed a bit, though she still seemed a little flighty. Realizing she still had the carving knife in her hand, she blinked, quickly hiding it behind her back to appear less threatening. "It's alright... I guess I was just thinking a little too much. Are you... from the city then?"

Ariquette tilted her head as an ear flicked slightly. "Oh, um... yeah, kinda. I'm from Ul'dah, 's'long as I've known." She stood still for a moment, shifting from foot to foot, her tail curling around to her front, where she began to fidget with it. "D-do y'mind if I... sit, here, for a moment? 'v'been walkin' a while."

Savir blinked again, looking around, "O-Of course!" She bent to pick up her fallen carving and then settled back by the water herself. "Ul'dah is really far isn't it? My brother used to talk about it. How big it is."

Ariquette nodded as she sat, reaching down to rub her calves with a grimace. "Mhm, it's a pretty long ways, 'specially by foot." She dipped the end of her tail briefly in the water, before planting her face in the now cooled fur, relaxing. "An' it's pretty big, as well, I guess. Prob'ly seems a little smaller since I grew up there. It's all the trees here that have me half fallin' down tryin' t'see 'em."

Savir smiled a bit, giving a quiet laugh, "And I can't really imagine anything but the trees. I've been here my whole life. I've never really been to Gridania though... they um, don't care too much for me there, I think." She fidgeted slightly, biting her lip. "I'm really glad you weren't a Wailer that snuck up on me."

Ariquette startled slightly, her mind rapidly imagining what kind of horrid creature a 'wailer' must be before remembering the Gridanian use of the term. She tried to smooth herself out, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Yeah I've been a couple'a times, an'..." She shook her head. "There's a couple shops, what know me now, but... most people tend t'not be so nice." her eyes fell to the objects in the other girl's hands. "...y'carvin' somethin'?"

Savir nodded quietly, understanding. She looked down at her carving and held it up a bit, "Well, trying to. I am supposed to be out hunting, but I guess I have too much on my mind and I keep spooking the antelope... " The little piece of wood was nothing recognizable, at least not yet. "It's a bird. Or... um, well, it will be. Hopefully."

"Oh!" She visibly perked, looking more closely at the wood. "That sounds like it's gonna be lovely!" She looked back up, beaming, glancing away as she began to idly fidget with one of the steel plates she wore at her forearms. "I've... uh. Never been much for huntin'. Or with my hands, 'less it's sharpenin’ a sword. Or tyin' on silks."

Savir laughed again, though she seemed to visibly brighten that her little mess of wood earned a compliment. "My brother taught me, a long time ago. I'm usually okay at it but..." she let it trail off, the gave a small gasp, "Oh! I'm Savir by the way. I'm sorry, I'm not really used to company... or meeting people."

"I'm Ariquette! I'm... not really used to meetin' people neither, I'm uh... usually introduced." She wrinkled her nose and offered a sheepish giggle. "That uh... sounds really conceited, sayin' it out loud. 's'not so glamorous, I swear."

With @poetry-in-exile

Savir's eyes widened, "Introduced?" Her hands fisted excitedly on her lap and she smiled, "Are you like, one of those famous merchants from Ul'dah? Or um, an entertainer? You certainly don't get things like that out here in the woods. At least... I've never seen them."

Ariquette thought for a moment, pulling her tail closer to her chest. "Oh, y'could... call me an entertainer? I.... fight, in th'arena, mostly. Though most've what I earn comes from.... attendin' parties as..." She grimaced in distaste for the term she was about to speak. "Arm candy. For rich folk."

Savir deflated a little, frowning and worrying she had offended. "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you not like what you do?" She started using the tip of her carving blade to pick idly at bits of grass and stone stuck in the dirt.

"I.... it's not so bad?" She sighs, a soft smile on her features. "It's what my da' did, an it's better'n still bein' on th'streets, I jus... d'ya ever wish thing's could just be.... different? Maybe it's jus' that."

Savir's ears lower, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Yeah... I do a lot. But... it's really complicated." She hesitated a moment, but continues, "I guess that's why I'm sitting here instead of hunting... my brother he's... he's trying to change things so that I can be something different if I wanted to. But it's really dangerous."

Ariquette nodded hugging her tail yet closer. "It's... always dangerous, tryin' t'change somethin' big. Let alone trying to change folks what don't want to." Her head tilted slightly, one ear flicking. "...does carvin' make ya happy?"

Savir looked down at her little almost-bird, and shrugged, "I guess it does, a lot more than hunting and fighting do anyway. But I'm not allowed to back at the clan, since... well, hunting provides and all, this doesn't."

"O-oh..." She drooped slightly, and mumbled "'m'sorry." A few moments later she looked back up, brow creased slightly. "What's it like? A clan, I mean."

"Um..." she looked as though she struggled to find a word for it. "Well, I hear stories, of other ones. Family and helping each other. Mine isn't... it's not really like that. I mean, yes, there's some nice people. But," she fidgeted more with the pebbles in the dirt. "It's why it needs to be fixed."

"Oh. That... makes sense, then." She fidgeted again with her bracers idly, not fully meeting Savir's eyes. "At... least there's a few nice people. S'what keeps us goin' yeah? Th-the little things?"

Savir straightened up, looking back over to Ariquette and offering a smile, "Yes, of course. And it doesn't really do any good to dwell on things, right? At least the bad things. Maybe... going to fancy parties isn't all that fun, but, you get to travel?"

Ariquette nodded eagerly, looking back up to meet the other girl's smile with her own. "Mhm! When I don't... when I'm not havin' t'fight, I can go where I want to, but..." Her smile brightened a little more even as her head tilted, her arms releasing her tail finally. "I don't make any gil doin' it, but sometimes that don't matter, when I've got plenty at th' time. Never had much reason t'do so, 'til I started makin' friends, though."

"I think it's nice, being able to get lost in the woods, or sit by a stream a bit," she glanced to the water a moment. "As long as we can still do that, I think it's okay. I'd like to travel too, and maybe... well, maybe I could have friends then, as well."

Ariquette furrowed her brow, a brief frown of concern taking her features. "Well, y'can have friends now, can't ya? It- it don't even matter if y'can't see 'em so often, it don't mean y'can't have em!" She grabbed her tail, which was visibly poofed, using her hands to smooth it as she calmed slightly. "'M' sorry I just..." She sighed, smiling. "D'... d'ya want t'be friends, Savir?"

Savir pursed her lips in thought, tilting her head with braided curls falling about her shoulders. The only real friend she had was her brother after all, and they did not see each other often either. "I suppose that is true..." Her ears twitched, perking up. "R-Really? Oh... I'd like that very much! M-Maybe, I can come see you in Ul'dah someday."

#ff14 #ffxiv #rp #roleplay #rp logs #Savir Anhsari #Ariquette Wolfsdottir #Memories of the Little Huntress

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kpopfanfixture-blog · 7 years

Text

The Vacation, Pt. I

Inspired by http://moonlightscenarios-blog.tumblr.com/post/96677179794/b-bomb-clubbing-smut one shot about B-Bomb of Block B. It has no smut so far, but I make no promises - and it does cover adult themes.

“Two years and not a single orgasm?!? Eunha exclaimed, blushing slightly when she remembered she was on a mildly busy train before lowering her voice to a whisper. “Why on earth did you stay with him all that time?”

You rolled your eyes, looking out the window at the sprawling landscapes passing you by. “Love, perhaps?” You offered sarcastically and she scoffed. Eunha had never much liked any of your past boyfriends, particularly the latest one.

“Ridiculous.” She muttered, unlocking her phone for the umpteenth time to scroll through her facebook feed which no doubt hadn’t changed in the two hours you had been on this train.

“Speaking of ridiculous - why on earth have you brought this much stuff with you?” You asked, gesturing towards her two extremely large and extremely pink suitcases. You were only supposed to be visiting Jihoon for a week and she’d packed enough for three people. According to Eunha, you should never pack light because you just don’t know what you might need. You glanced down at your own small suitcase tucked neatly between your legs and laughed. It was funny how different the two of you seemed at first glance.

Eunha was the glamorous type. She was only about 5 foot 4, but majority of that was leg that she liked to show off at every possible opportunity. With an hourglass figure and long, thick hair she styled into beach waves on a daily basis, she was basically the poster girl for every teenage boy’s wet dream. You on the other hand - well, you were by no means unattractive, but as opposed to Eunha who caught the attention of every room she went into, you were more of a girl-next door type. She would never be caught dead without putting a full face on, you were happy with a bit of concealer and some mascara. She was your happy-go-lucky, flirty and fun type - everyone wanted to go out and have fun with her. You were the quieter and arguably more rational one.

Perhaps it was your obvious differences that had made you the best of friends - you complimented each other. That was why when you decided to take a week’s vacation into Seoul, there was no one else you’d rather invite.

After your breakup, your mother had suggested a little get-away. Ideas were thrown about for days until she decided that it would be great for you to go and spend some time in the capital with your cousin, Jihoon. He was so often busy due to being an idol that you only really saw him at big family events or national holidays, but after a quick phone call from his favourite aunt, he had managed to squeeze some time in to spend with you. He lived in a dorm with the other members of his group, Block B, so you and Eunha had made the decision to spend the week in a hotel just around the corner from where they lived. Spending a week living with seven men was not your idea of a vacation.

“So which one of them was it you had a crush on?” Eunha asked, abruptly cutting through your daydreams.

You turned away from the window to look at her, pausing for a moment to think of who she could possibly be talking about. Then it hit you, and so you hit her. “It was not a crush! I had one sex dream.”

Eunha waved her hands nonchalantly. “Same difference, show me a picture of him.”

With a sigh you pulled out your phone and turned airplane mode off. You had been hoping to save your battery for when you got to the station incase something important happened - not wasting it on pointless gossip. Swiping through Jihoon’s photos, you stopped at one of the whole group and zoomed in on your target’s face. Minhyuk.

You had made the mistake of telling Eunha about the dream when it happened the night after you had first met him. In the dream you had gone to their practise room to meet Jihoon, but Minhyuk was the only one there and things got... a little heated. It was a great dream, but it really wasn’t a crush, despite Eunha’s wild ideas. Sure, you had met him a few times and noticed how good looking he was; but you thought yourself capable of being able to appreciate beauty without having a crush. Besides, the last time you had even seen him was four years ago - you doubted he would have felt anything towards a 17 year old girl when he was 22.

But of course, Eunha took one look at him and wiggled her eyebrows. “He is hot. You sure you don’t want him?” She looked up at you with those deep, almond eyes and you knew exactly what she was asking.

“He’s all yours.”

After finally arriving in Seoul and taking a taxi to your hotel, you lay flat on your bed. You hadn’t even done much moving during the day, but even so the journey had tired you out. “I could do with a nap,” you mentioned aloud, although you knew it wouldn’t really be possible if your plans with Jihoon to go out to eat still stood.

“Did you bring anything suitable for dinner?” Eunha asked as she started unpacking her suitcases after a short outburst of panic when she realised there wouldn’t be enough hangers for everything she had brought with her.

You shook your head and rolled over onto one side, propping yourself up with one arm. “I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere fancy, I was just going to freshen up and put some makeup on.” You laughed when she pulled out a fur coat - how had she even fit that in her suitcase? “Put that back and save it for another night.” She stuck her tongue out at you and hooked it back in the wardrobe.

Your phone buzzed from across the room and Eunha passed it over to you. It was Jihoon - he was taking you to one of his favourite korean barbeque places, so jeans and a tshirt would be fine. “We have to meet Jihoon at his dorm in about an hour,” you explain and Eunha picked up the pace, rushing into the bathroom before you could even fully finish your sentence.

Seeing your cousin for the first time in five months was like being blasted with fresh air. You had forgotten just how fun being around Jihoon was - he was a real ray of sunshine. As soon as the door was fully opened he had pulled you into a massive bear hug. “I’m so happy to see you!” He bellowed in his low, raspy voice. He stopped awkwardly when he saw Eunha, and he bowed politely. You snickered at the 360 in his behaviour. “You must be Eunha, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

Like it was automatic, Eunha giggled and flicked her long, brunette tresses behind her, and you got a waft of her signature coconut shampoo through your airways as she did so. “That’s me! I’ve heard so much about you!”

Jihoon laughed. “Oh no - I’m not as bad as she makes out, I swear.” He threw a wink your way and you rolled your eyes. This kind of reaction was exactly what you had expected. “Come in, both of you,” he shuffled you through the door quickly. “Jiho is going to come with us, we’re just getting our stuff together.”

You took off your shoes in the small space by the door, placing them neatly next to Eunha’s. You grimaced when you noticed your socks didn’t quite match. Typical. You looked up to see most of the Block B members sitting on the sofa and you couldn’t believe how good they all looked now. Four years ago they had all still looked a bit awkward, but now it was like being in the presence of real celebrities.

“Long time, no see!” Kyung yelled from the hallway, grinning from ear to ear as he walked into the living room. He, like everyone else already in the room, glanced over at Eunha and gave her a once-over with his eyes, but she didn’t seem to even notice. Kyung then pulled you straight into hug - even though it had been many years, it still felt comfortable. He was easy to get along with.

When you pulled apart you placed your hands on his shoulders and frowned playfully. “Insoles?”

He pretended to look hurt. “They’re a must!”

You looked over to the sofa where you saw that Eunha had sat down in the spare seat next to Minhyuk. She made it look so easy to introduce yourself. She waved you over and patted the small space next to her after she had shuffled up closer to Minhyuk to make room. He didn’t seem to mind although you still shot him an apologetic look.

Four years really had done him the world of good. He had matured in a good way - the boyishness had gone and had left behind a truly handsome man. Your mind flashed back to the dream, his toned arms pinning you against the mirror. It had occurred such a long time ago, and Minhyuk didn’t even know about it, but it still made you nervous, so you felt silly when suddenly eye-contact felt more difficult.

“How have you been?” He asked, leaning forward so he could see you properly. “You look so different!”

“Thank god! I made some strange style choices back then.” You laughed, remembering a time when you thought Disney-style layering was a good fashion choice, and that neon fingerless gloves were absolutely a thing.

“I think we all did.” He said and you shook your head, not being able to recall a time when you ever thought he didn’t look good.

“Are we all ready then?” Jihoon interrupted, shoving his wallet into his long coat pocket and grabbing his keys from the hook on the wall. Jiho followed behind, looking at his phone - he didn’t look up once. You didn’t think much of it as he always seemed quite busy even when he wasn’t doing anything. You were surprised he had time to be coming out to eat with you, really.

The restaurant that you went to had a lovely atmosphere. You were on a table outside, but the gazebo over your heads and the heaters all around you meant you couldn’t feel even the tiniest breeze.

Jihoon ordered for the whole group and gave the menus to the waitress before breaking the silence that lingered. “So how have you been?” He asked, smiling kindly. This wasn’t a generic question, he truly wanted to know. You glanced nervously over at Jiho, not wanting to go too in-depth with someone who was essentially a stranger to you listening in.

“So, Jiho - you do a lot of producing, right?” Eunha started, placing a hand delicately over his and leaning forward to bat her eyelashes at him prettily. His eyes widened when she didn’t break eye-contact with him when sucking the drink from her straw. She was absolutely shameless - and a great friend. He wouldn’t be listening to you all the while she was distracting him like that.

You took a quick sip of your own drink and brought your attention back to Jihoon, who was gawking slightly at Eunha’s little show. You coughed a little and his cheeks flushed a light pink when he realised you’d caught him staring. “I’m doing really well.”

Jihoon’s eyes narrowed. “He hasn’t bothered you any?”

“No of course not! He’s too busy trying to screw any other girl in town to contact me again.” You explained, a little bitterly when you thought about your ex flirting with someone else. The idea still made you feel sick.

“He’ll come back to you when he’s bored and realised what he’s lost.” Jihoon said seriously, but you shook your head. It was too late for any of that. The relationship had been over long before he had considered cheating on you, anyway. That’s probably why it didn’t hurt as much as everyone around you seemed to think it should. “You’ll find someone who’ll treat you right, don’t worry.”

He patted your arm gently and you smiled, glancing over at Eunha and Jiho who were talking away happily, before she looked over at you and brought you into the conversation they were having about the latest tv-drama they were both watching, and whether you thought the main female lead would really give up her fortune for the shoe-shine boy.

This was going to be a great vacation.

After Jihoon had dropped you both back off at your hotel, the two of you stopped at the downstairs bar to have a coffee before bed. You picked a nice spot by a fireplace that wasn’t lit, but did have candles all along the mantelpiece that made you feel relaxed and cosy.

“Jihoon is lovely, we’ll have to treat him some time in the week to say thank you for the meal.” Eunha said as she took a sip of her cappuccino, licking the foam from her top lip after. “They all seem really nice actually.”

You gestured to your own lip to let her know that she had missed a spot, and she wiped it quickly, checking in her phone camera for herself that it was all gone. “Any of them take your fancy?” You asked curiously. You loved when Eunha set her sights on someone - it was fascinating to watch her conquests.

Eunha tilted her head to the side for a moment, letting out a small hum while she thought about it. “It’s too soon to tell really - I’ve only really spoken to Jiho.” You raised an eyebrow suggestively and she giggled. “I do like him, but how do I know I won’t like the others? Jaehyo looks like he could be quite fun!”

“Jaehyo is so sweet, you leave him alone!” You joked.

“Just be grateful it’s not Jihoon I’ve got my sights set on.” She commented and you shuddered. After seeing her talk to him earlier, you were glad that he wasn’t her target - that was one conquest you wouldn’t feel comfortable watching.

“So you’re not interested in Minhyuk after all that on the train?” You asked, and she smirked, leaning back in her chair.

“Somehow I don’t think I’m the one he’s interested in.” She suggested, and you frowned. “Oh come on!” She raised her voice a little, “you must have seen how he looked at you?”

You shook your head. “I actually have no idea what you’re talking about - we made small talk for two minutes!” There was nothing to suggest that he might have any interest in you. The idea that someone so good looking could be interested pleased you more than you’d like to admit, however.

Eunha downed the last of her coffee, and shrugged. “We’ll see.”

#Block B #bbomb #B-Bomb #Fanfic #Romance

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rktaeyong · 5 years

Text

@yutark:

( sms » my everything ♡ ) → happy valentines day, baby~ → ( vid234_140219.mp4, press play! )

▶ ( ‘ – it’s late, darkness surrounding yuta as he closes the door to the bedroom behind him and huffs out a breath. his hair is still a mess from training, tiredness lingering in his gaze and the collar of his shirt crooked. a grin broadening on his lips as he adjusts the camera, flickering on the lights. ) “baby, i’m home.” ( ‘ – he knows it’s cheesy, but he might have missed coming home from training and finding taeyong there. waiting for him, sometimes half awake and sometimes asleep. the tiredness softening all of his features. the memory of eliciting a soft laugh, as he makes his way around the room. his bags dropped aside in one place, and averting his gaze as he nudges some dirty clothes out of the way on the floor. ) “it’s valentines day today, since…” ( ‘ – he squints at the phone, studying the time. ) “one hour, and… forty three minutes ago.” ( ‘ – the tip of his tongue runs over his bottom lip, and he hums. ) “the whole trip home. i was thinking of what i was going to say, or how i wanted to get home quickly to call you. but i thought this would make you weak for me more.” ( ‘ – even with exhaustion dampening his voice, yuta speaks with a teasing tone and combs his empty hand through his hair. the childish wiggle of his head as he moves to place the phone on the top of the dresser. a couple adjustments made to set it into place, and then he inches back. his fingers curled into the hem of his shirt, and it’s stripped over his head; the fabric straightened out then tossed aside and his fingers messily going through his hair again. ) “this is the part of my day where i think of you most..”

( ‘ – there’s another squint, checking the phone was still in place and then his chest deflating. the sudden confession made him miss his boyfriend more, and he brought his thumb up to his teeth, stepping nearly out of view to grab another shirt to sleep in his tugging that over his head. one hand flattening it out down his front as he centers himself back in the video. ) “i know this video isn’t, romantic. but, i thought you’d like it.” ( ‘ – he scratches the side of his neck. ) “you can watch this and pretend that you’re here with me, you’re watching me get ready for bed after training, and.. about to crawl into bed with you. i’m even going to sing you to sleep.” ( ‘ – the last part added with a grin, as if that were the selling point of this whole adventure. and he comes closer to the camera once more, lifting his hand up to cup it around his mouth and whisper. his voice lowering softly. ) “next time, i’ll do a dirty video for you. okay?” ( ‘ – a playfulness clicks in his tongue, inching back and then smiling once more. ) “no peeking while i change. i know how much you like to look at my body.” ( ‘ – there’s a shuffling noise, ending the video. )

( sms » my everything ♡ ) → ( vid235_140219.mp4, press play! )

▶ ( ‘ – this once starts in a dim glow, rested sideways, with yuta’s face looking more awake, but his eyes more tired. the pillow of the bed rested under him, and a smile rising on his lips as he adjusted the view to show the grey bundle of fur coiled up against his stomach. the cat purring loudly when he draws the camera closer and then lifts it back up again. ) “our baby is sleeping here. he has claimed this spot as his own. you’ll have to sleep around him. he won’t move, ever.” ( ‘ – he shifts his weight, already being clawed into by the cat and then chuckling to himself. slowly moving to settle the phone next to him. there’s was a twinge of embarrassment, and he knew he’d never want to watch this videos back. his head rested on his arm, extending it out. ) “i was trying to work out what song to sing you while i brushed my teeth. and i worked it out. but i’m going to turn off the lights. i don’t want you to see my face when i do it.” ( ‘ – there’s a shudder of laughter, yuta placing the phone down onto the pillow next to him and leaving it to stare up at the roof of his bed for seconds; until the light flickers off. the sound of shuffling increasing, until there’s the quiet sound of his breath and the dim glow of the phone light on some of his features appearing. ) “ready? are you listening? can you hear me?”

( ‘ – after one more chuckle, yuta exhales out loudly and even if taeyong can’t see it, his smile is resting on his lips. the english song is one he’d heard plenty, on advertisements and in movies, and he thought that it would be cheesy enough to make taeyong realise the effort he was putting in there. how deeply taeyong had a hold on him. ) “you are my sunshine. my only sunshine. you make me happy, when skies are grey – you know this song, right?” ( ‘ – he might have momentarily lost his nerve, knowing his singing voice was hardly on par with the other trainees or idols that were around his boyfriend. the soft drum of his fingers, the huff of a sigh and another shuffle as he moves. his voice lowering, the darkness making him more tired and part purposefully. he wanted taeyong to feel like he was there, he was whispering the lyrics into his ear as they cuddled in bed. ) “you are my sunshine, my only sunshine. you make me happy, when skies are grey. you never know dear, how much i love you. please, don’t take my sunshine away.” ( ‘ – it’s hard not to pause, to stifle the laugh into his hand. ) “that’s all i know, but i did sing. okay? i didn’t lie.” ( ‘ – the childish insistence is in his voice, rises and falls swiftly. yuta quiet for a moment, before he speaks again. )

“i love you, taeyongie. i’m right here. okay? always.”

it’s a rare moment that taeyong is actually awake at this hour -- normally, his night routine after coming home from a long and hard day of schedules is to wash his face, put on a face mask, text his boyfriend, and go to sleep, with small snacks and perhaps a movie or an episode of some variety show sprinkled in between. sometimes, he falls asleep on the couch in the living room, much to the amusement of some of the other members -- even his manager lets out a laugh with a wistful sigh sometimes when taeyong’s out there, knocked out with a bag of chips half-eaten laid across his lap and his mouth agape. when that happens, there’s usually a tap on his shoulder that lets him know that he should go to his bed instead.

and that all happens prior to 1am -- sometimes even midnight. but tonight is somehow different -- and when taeyong realizes the reason why he’s still up, he laughs at himself. perhaps it’s his body’s innate want to stay up until yuta does some crazy antic for valentine’s day.

he fondly remembers last valentine’s day -- and how much fun they had together. it brings a blush to his face as he stares at his phone screen vacantly, the bluish hue of the television screen illuminating the darkness of the living room. his legs are crossed on the cushions, and a blanket envelopes his frame around his lithe shoulders. just to make sure he’s not being watched from behind or anything, he decides to shield himself completely in the blanket, plugging in some earphones as he lays down just in case yuta decides to send some videos or something.

his phone stirs in his fingertips, and he immediately is taken out of space, reading the message and automatically typing back a sweet little response.

( sms _ 영원한 사랑 ❤︎ ) → happy valentine’s day to u too, yuta ❤︎ → hm? what are these videos?

and indeed, there are videos meant to be played. when he presses play, taeyong’s immediately taken aback at really how gorgeous yuta is just living his everyday life. he’s seen yuta at his most glamorous, all done up in a suit for formal events, his hair swept back cleanly. that’s all fine, but taeyong thinks he prefers this side -- the more natural side of yuta, the side where he’s a bit softer around the edges, where he looks like he can just envelope his arms around him and bask in how comforting being in his arms would be. his slightly messy locks look perfect in taeyong’s opinion -- everything about yuta looks perfect, seemingly always. it’s ethereal -- that’s the word he’s looking for.

taeyong hates how much he’s fallen for yuta. not at all hate in the normal sense of the word, but more in a figurative, sarcastic sense -- of course he doesn’t hate being in love. he just hates how he’s so affected by a simple drag of teeth across a bottom lip, how a low, teasing voice can make him shiver. he especially hates how yuta is so unabashedly bold, what with his shirt already off and speaking in such a suggestive tone that it drives taeyong mad. this part, he expects -- the sultry, sexy, overtly sexual yuta. he doesn’t mind it, of course, but he expects it.

what he doesn’t expect is the next video starting off with a view of both yuta and their kitten, which almost makes taeyong sob right then and there. he smiles as he listens to yuta talk -- he swears he can listen to him talk his sweet talk for ages. he raises his eyebrow up, waiting for yuta’s singing voice to come through -- with you are my sunshine, out of all the songs. his smile is immediately back on his face, and he doesn’t even realize that tears have fallen down his cheeks until he rubs at his face. his boyfriend’s voice sounds so soft and supple, in contrast to how rugged and rough he sounds when he raps. it’s something that taeyong’s never really heard from yuta, and it makes something inside of him pull and push at his heartstrings.

taeyong decides to send a video back -- it’s the least he could do for yuta. so he retreats into the bathroom, locks the door, and starts to record himself, perching his phone against where the sink meets the wall. “hi, yuta. i don’t know if you can tell, but the videos you sent me made me cry. well, more so the second one, because the first one was...” he trails off and smiles to himself, a red tinge on his cheeks, “i can’t believe how rude you are, that’s all i have to say about the first one -- anyways, i just wanted to send a video back saying... that i’m all yours. i’ve always been yours, and i always will be yours. i realized while watching that video how much i truly love you, and i just... i can’t stop thinking about you. all the time, everyday. i really, really love you, yuta nakamoto -- somehow you’ve stolen away with my heart, but i really don’t want it back, because it’s always been yours to keep.” he nods to himself, a sweet, soft smile on his face as his eyes glisten in the fluorescent lights.

“i love you -- you’ve really made me so happy. happy valentine’s day!”

#& VDAY2019 ;#yutark #( this a LONG BOI )#( but cries at the cute !!!! )#submission

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