#it's just such a human story. the tenderness of inviting old friends to breakfast--the same way you met them what feels like so long ago

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

Very emotional about the breakfast story in the Gospel of John. Simon, James and John, Thomas, Nathanael, and a few others are out together. Simon says he's going fishing, and the others say they're coming along. They spend all night trying to get a good haul, and they catch nothing. Dawn is breaking, and they see a man on the shore a long way off, but they can't tell who he is. He shouts to them, "You don't have any fish, do you?" They have to shout back a disgruntled, "No." The man replies, "Put the net on the other side and you'll catch some fish!" Maybe they roll their eyes a bit--they're the ones out on the water, and they have been all night, what would he know?--and the fish start flooding into the net.

And John looks at Simon and remembers: this has happened before. Three years ago, before everything changed--that voice had shouted to them the same instruction.

"Simon!!" he says, "It's the Lord!"

And it hits Simon like a thunderbolt. He frantically throws on his coat (he'd stripped for work) and plunges into the water. He'd walked on the water before to meet Jesus, what was swimming a hundred yards? So eager to reach Him he can't wait the few minutes for the boat to come in--and when it gets there, he has to go and help unload the fish anyway. But even those few moments with Jesus are worth the soaking wet robes and the exhaustion. And anyway, He already has a fire going--with some fish of His own. "Come and have breakfast!" He says.

And then they sit and eat together, just like they had done so many times over the past three years, and He's there with them, perhaps gently laughing at Simon, still dripping from his swim, and it's like He never left.

He never truly did.

#it's just such a human story. the tenderness of inviting old friends to breakfast--the same way you met them what feels like so long ago #the bolt of pure joy that streaks through them all as they realize. simon throwing himself overboard to reach yeshua sooner #(he's not losing to john again!) the fact that jesus is already cooking--waiting for them. providing for them. #just--the love in this story. the palpable and oh-so-human love and how it is also so very much the love the Father has for us. #and we'll find Him waiting for us too when we reach the shore #with a warm fire and a shout of 'come have breakfast!' #because we listened when He told us 'come follow Me.' #kay can i just catch my breath for a second #christianity #my christianity #yeshua #simon peter #'i will be with you always--even to the end of the age.' #and here's an extra tidbit: the first time this happened the nets tore. but this time the passage explicitly states that despite the fish #all 153 of them--the nets didn't tear. #yochanan bar zavdi

[sooghostwriter]

Only on the weekends

Member/Pairing: Do Kyung Soo x OC (Nameless)

Genre/Type: Mature, Romance, AU, smut.

Warnings: Full on sexy times, pegging (NOT daddy kink, NOT kink, just good old Christian pegging).

Word count: 11001 words (yikes, a third of the fic)

Notes: This story takes place wherever you want. You will see why it would be weird to center it in Korea.

Thank you to all of you who waited patiently for this last chapter. It was hard to focus on writing because of ADHD and life, but I'm glad I could finish it because I really wanted to write this scene. Scene that was the only reason why I started this fic, that then grew up a bit too much.

Also, thank you to my dear friend @thedeviousdo. Steph, thank you for answering whenever I asked you for your opinion and for fixing everything that needed to be fixed.

Summary: She is saved by a caring man from a little mishappening in the middle of the forest. A small act of kindness turns into seasons of laughs, food, fun, care, love, and sex.

Final Chapter

-Spring-

She was driving back home when she got a call from him. She pressed the answering button, and enjoyed how his voice filled her car “Hulder, I got good news”

“Are you getting a hot tub so we can have sex al fresco?” Kyung Soo snorted and told her he was still thinking about it “Anyway, as I was saying, I have good news, I got two weeks of vacations” Those were indeed good news “You got any plans, my man?”

“No, I want to stay one week at home, I have some things to do, but I don’t have plans for the other week” She offered him an idea. She told him that he could go to the city and stay with her. She had to work, but they could go out during the afternoon, and during the day he could meet his parents, friends, go to the cinema, shopping, etc. “I like it, I really like it, so this weekend, instead of you going to my place, I’m going to you”

“Sounds great, what about Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and the rest?”

“Chanyeol, the human, can stay at my house and take care of them, I need to buy food for him…so see you this Saturday morning?”

“Or Friday night” He agreed to Friday night. So instead of going home, she went to the supermarket.

Her home was clean, the heater was on, food ready to serve and Kyung Soo was parking in front of her building. She loved how he could make her feel butterflies all over her body just by smoothly getting his jeep between two city cars.

She greeted him with a long kiss. She was so happy to have him there, in her home, and for a week. This was going to be the longest they would spend together “What if this is some kind of test for our relationship and we end up hating each other?” She asked him as she served him a plate of creamy Ricotta Corn and Tomato Ziti. He grabbed a bite and took his time to praise her cooking before answering “I don’t think I could hate you, and I’m confident that this week is going to be me going out during the day, and us having sex during the night, there are a lot of surfaces we could try” He looked around nodding and took another big bite of food “Sir, I have to work, don’t forget that”

“I already thought about it, you finish work at six, I pick you up, we go out, we come back by nine, we fuck, and you are going to be sleeping by eleven” She was giggling uncontrollably “You have everything planned uh? I like it, probably I’m not going to function properly the next day, but who cares” He also shared with her his full schedule for that week. Visiting friends, going to the cinema, buying some clothes for the summer, it was a long list “It’s going to be fun” He commented cheerfully “Yeah I’m sure, you probably need to get your eyebrows done too”

“What?” He looked up from his plate, eyebrows up, eyes wide, completely lost. She kept quiet, controlling her smile “What? What do you mean? What’s wrong with my eyebrows?” He insisted, slightly annoyed, but still amused “Nothing, they are perfect, I’m sure you spend some time at the saloon fixing them”

“Are you making fun of me?” He was less annoyed now, smiling with her “A little bit, is cute” He rubbed his eyebrows, looking up “What’s with them, they are alright”

“They are perfect, I love them” He smiled and dropped the issue. But she kept giggling about it for a while.

She cleaned the table as Kyung Soo spoke with his parents, arranging breakfast and lunch with them. They knew about her, her parents knew about him, but none of their families were particularly nosy about their kid’s private life. And they weren’t in a hurry to introduce each other to their respective families.

She had just turned on the dishwasher when he walked behind her and captured her against his chest, dropping a kiss behind her ear “Wanna use one of your surfaces?” He asked, tightening his grip around her “We just ate, what about a nice walk around the neighborhood and then you fuck me”

“Sounds perfect” He dropped a kiss on her other ear and let her go so they could get ready.

As he promised. Kyung Soo picked her up at work every single day. They went on simple fun dates and then they arrived home so Kyung Soo could have his way with her. And she could have her way with him. Their time at her place made them very creative in the matters of sex. Slow, deep and messy or fast, hard and desperate. Sex where no words were needed. Sex where they kept making sure that the other was alright with what they were doing. Whenever they fucked at his place there was hunger in their movements. The first fuck of the weekend was always desperate, a bit harsh sometimes. Now it wasn't the complete opposite. It wasn't calmer, but the pace was different. They both knew that the next evening they were going to be at the same place. Time was different. Instead of enjoying the most from each other for two days, they had eight days to doing so. Although watching time pass was terrible.

By now she knew his body like hers. She could draw him by memory, with her eyes closed. She fell in love with waking up seeing his beautiful profile and going to sleep listening to his deep voice.

He left on Monday, and she felt incredibly sad to see him go. Instead of worrying about fighting with Kyung Soo after spending a week together, she should have worried about not wanting to let him go after spending a whole week with him. She got used to their casual intimacy too soon. She was missing his hand on her back as they walked inside a restaurant. His head on her shoulder when they were having breakfast.

She loved the small gestures and the soft displays of care. Always tender, always natural, and most of the time with a message of possession. And she didn’t care, because she was the same. She knew what her eyes said when she looked at him.

Mine.

---

She wasn't very fond nor connected with nature. But she felt like celebrating the official beginning of spring.

The weather in the city was still a bit cold, but the weather at the farm was already warmer. The threes were blooming, on their way to growing fruits during the summer. Baekhyun was shedding, and brushing his hair was one of her favorite parts of the weekend.

On Saturday, Kyung Soo had an emergency at work and left for the rest of the day. She was in charge of feeding the animal and making dinner. She fetched the veggies from his greenhouse all by herself, which later got her a congratulatory kiss from him.

They had dinner outside. It wasn’t warm, but nothing that a good poncho couldn’t fix. The sky was so clean that night, that they had to stay outside and enjoy the stars.

When they finished dinner, they sat outside, covered by a thick blanket and sharing a big cup of coffee “Love, I have an idea” He offered after sipping their coffee “Let’s go to the river for a night swim” She felt the excitement in her chest. Words weren’t needed, she stood up and Kyung Soo lead the way.

The flashlight they brought was unnecessary. The moon was bright enough to illuminate their path “Isn’t the water too cold to swim?”

“No, at night is always a bit…a tiny bit warmer, not super cold”

“Kyung Soo, just say is cold”

“It’s not! I swear is not as cold as during the day” She sank her hand on the water, and in fact, it wasn’t too cold, it was just cold. She turned around to mess with him but forgot her line of thought after catching him shirtless, pulling down his pants. The sight of his pretty butt covered in black boxer briefs was the only thing that mattered now. She felt like giving it a good bite. He folded his clothes and left them on top of a rock, away from the water “Are we skinny dipping?”

“That sounds fun, but I would rather not, I don’t want a river shrimp messing with my balls” She cackled, unable to continue taking off her shirt, so Kyung Soo helped her.

So, they got into the water on their underwear. And to her surprise, the water wasn’t very cold. Slightly lukewarm was probably the right way to describe it. And the outside was colder than the water, so it was a nice contrast. Still not better than a hot tub, which Kyung Soo still hadn’t bought “You will have your hot tub, I’m still thinking where can we install it so it looks good with the whole house, and we can also have privacy” He told her when she insisted “But babe, If you don’t want one don’t buy it, I just insist because I’m annoying like that”

“Nah, I want one too, Chanyeol’s mom got one and she always speaks wonders about it when I go visit her” She arranged her body against him, hugging his waist and resting her head on his shoulder “You go visit her often?”

“She is like a second mom”

“Invite her next week then, I will like to meet her” Some weeks ago she had met Kyung Soo’s friends. Finally, he decided to share his time with her, with his group of friends. It wasn’t something she would like to repeat too often though. It was a lot of work and energy. It was a group of four guys, but it felt like a village. They all had a lot of questions, a lot to share about Kyung Soo without his approval, a lot of stories. It was fun, messy, and heartwarming. Something that they could do once a month, not more than that. After all, their time was theirs and precious. She knew Kyung Soo was careful with how he shared his time. His work, his house, his farm, and his friends. At least that’s what she saw. She wondered if, in the past, a girlfriend was able to get into that schedule “Kyung Soo, You don't get lonely here?” She began building up her question “No, I spend a lot of time alone, which I like, but also I have my friends in town and I have you”

“What about before me, what about girls?” The building up kind of backfired on her, she wasn’t expecting the displeasure she felt the moment the word ‘girls’ left her mouth. She didn’t want to imagine girls, not in his present, not in his past “Girls?”

“Mmh, yes, girls, you didn't get lonely before?” She closed her eyes tightly, feeling stupid and hating where she was going with all this “No I didn't”

“That's good” Something in her voice made him search for her face, holding her chin softly “Is this jealousy?”

“No” She denied, poorly. He called her name followed by a chuckle, but she ignored him “Well, I must say, I like it, I like this jealousy quite a lot my love” She raised her right arm to slap his chest and make him stop, but he held her wrist and pulled her to his chest, capturing her between his strong arms. It was equally annoying and arousing “I knew who to call” He confessed, serious and honest “Good for you” He chuckled, caressing between her furrowed brows “But it's different with you”

“How?” She asked not sure of what kind of answer she was expecting “You don't shy away, you ask for more and I always want to give you more” He quickly clarified that he wasn’t comparing, but rather voicing out what he liked about her “I like some things, I enjoy doing some things and I know you can give them to me” She said through pouting lips. By now she kept acting like this because she knew Kyung Soo was enjoying it “I still don’t have enough of you, and I hope you are still excited about sharing time with me”

“I don’t think I’m ever going to feel less excited about sharing my time with you Hulder, ever”

“Are we talking sex-wise or love-wise?” She blurted out, not sure why she needed the clarification “Both” She sighed heavily, relieved and happy. Despite being surprised by her own questions, she knew that she could be this vulnerable with him. That he was going to answer, and maybe ask for clarifications later “I don’t want to make promises Kyung Soo, but you know that with me, you only need to ask and I will fulfill what you want” A smirk that she could only describe as dark arose in his lips “Are we talking sex-wise or love wise?” He threw it back at her “Both”

“Anything I want?” She nodded, her mouth replicating his smile. He called her with one finger. She moved her head closer to his, his warm lips brushing her ear. The noise of the river and the threes moving over them went mute and she could only hear his voice confessing what he wanted. She couldn’t believe how incredibly lucky she was, after hearing his whispered request. Later came the shock, after really processing what felt like a fantasy “You want me to peg you?” She asked in a soft whisper “I’m sure you are experienced” He commented offhandedly as he caressed her surprised face “How?”

“The way you touch me” He shrugged as his hand moved down her back, resting on her ass. Yes, she had played with his ass a couple of times, just because it was there and she knew it would feel great. She was surprised, and grateful when he accepted the touch “Are you sure?” She let herself show some of her excitement “I am” He answered amused “It could hurt”

“Not if you are careful”

“Have you done it before?”

“Not pegging, but I have done some things to myself” She closed her eyes, taking in his confession, imagining. And of course, getting aroused by it. The image of a Kyung Soo masturbating with some toy was something that never crossed her mind before, and now was everything she wanted to see. He looked gorgeous in her head.

He tapped her thigh and blew hair on her face “Stop imagining it”

“Can I see it?”

“No…well, we will see” That was enough for her “Can I see you?” He asked raising an eyebrow “Of course! I can do it now if you want, wanna watch me?” She started pulling down her underwear “Not now, just focus on the sky and the water” He stopped her hands and arranged her between his legs, hugging her against his chest.

---

She was out of the game one weekend because of her period. But at this point that was hardly something to lament. She still went to visit him, and still indulge with the pleasurable act of cuddle him and look at him. Caress his cute little head as he rested on her chest. Look into his magnificent wide eyes as he shared stories and sweet words with her. Kissing his button nose, caressing his soft cheeks, hear the prettiest laugh and his deep voice. At night she liked to play with his hair, rub his back and kiss the moles splattered over his body.

Those ways of intimacy, just whisper to each other at night, follow him around the kitchen just because she felt slightly cold and his back was always warm against her chest. Those moments made her see that all this was way deeper than any of them could imagine or recognize.

She knew his name and his smile will linger in her mind for a long time, even if everything ended at some point.

She used those previous days to prepare for Kyung Soo’s big night, as she liked to call it. He told her to order an extra bottle of lube because he was running out of it. Request that straight up turned her on. She had to do some shopping too. She had a harness that fit her perfectly and rubbed her in the right places, so she wasn’t planning on buying a new one. She did have to fish it from the bottom of her wardrobe since she hadn’t used it in years. But she did have to buy a new dildo. Hers was too big, and she didn’t feel like sharing it. So that night after work she went into her favorite sex shop website and bought what she needed. Next day delivery.

The moment she picked up her package she began feeling nervous. And that nervousness continued the following days. Kyung Soo noticed it over their video call and didn’t hesitate on making fun of her. But after he had his laugh, he made sure she was fine with all this “You want to talk about it?” He offered, sitting down at the table and resting the phone somewhere “Of course, I like talking about anything with you”

“What’s making you so nervous?” He asked calmly “Don’t laugh, but I started feeling a bit of pressure like you are losing your virginity and I have to make it unforgettable” He was quick to tell her how silly she was between giggles “Don’t laugh! I’m being serious, I’m preparing thoroughly” That caught his attention, his cute eyebrows showing his interest “What do you mean preparing? I’m the one that should prepare”

“Well sir, if you need to know, I just got in the mail the lube you asked for, and a new dildo”

“A new dildo?”

“Yeah, I could share mine, but it’s too big” He looked curious “How big?”

“As big as you, happy?” He chuckled again, shaking his head “I see, yeah, I think it could be too much for my first time…what else did you buy?” To his disappointment, there was nothing else to show. But the banter made her considerably less worried “I love that we can just talk about things like this”

“About you buying a dildo to fuck me this weekend?” He asked, looking serious but failing and breaking into a smile “Yeah, exactly that”

“Well, I love it too, I’m sorry it's making you anxious, but don’t overthink it and don’t worry, because I’m not, I can’t wait for this Friday” If Kyung Soo was there with her, she would be kissing him by now. They kept talking, with Kyung So throwing jokes at her nervous self until it was time to go to bed, and she excused herself saying she needed a shower “Take me with you then, leave the phone on the sink and keep the curtain open”

“Keep dreaming mister”

“I’m probably going to” She stuck her tongue at him and walked to the bathroom “Are you taking me with you?” He asked excitedly. She answered with an emphatic no “I know, I’m going to leave you then, have a good night of sleep and take care, I love you, beautiful”

“I love you too Kyung Soo, take care” She hung up after sending him a kiss and left her phone on top of the toilet.

She was exfoliating her elbows when it down on her. Kyung Soo said I love you and she said it back, as natural as when she cursed at her coworkers. Just coming from her heart.

She kept washing herself, not thinking too hard about it, only smiling the entire time.

She got ready for bed with the same smile, but this time wondering about things. Things related to Kyung Soo and their confession. She was sure she loved him. Whatever she was feeling could be easily described as love. He had become someone important to her. Probably one of the most important relationships in her life. And not only romantically speaking. She knew she loved him, maybe since a while ago. And now she knew he loved her, which was what was making her so happy. And she could only feel lucky by aiming her feelings and her dedication to him.

She was glad she said it back, like that, over the phone, after a fun, short talk. Easy going in comfortable, like everything between them.

Before falling asleep she stayed a long time staring at the ceiling. Covers up to her chin, feet moving under the covers, an incessant giggle rumbling in the back of her mouth. Pure bliss warming up her body as she thought about their first encounter and everything that followed. Spending almost a year with this beautiful man, which gave her butterflies in her chest and her pussy just by thinking about him. Who always gave it to her a little nasty and a little romantic.

----

She took the highway with a furrow on her face.

That Friday, work was horrible. She was tired, hungry, and slightly frustrated. It was 7 PM, the sun was still up and spring was already showing itself in each tree she passed by. Kyung Soo called her when she was halfway to his place. She put him on speaker and immediately relaxed a bit with his hello. She was sure Kyung Soo sensed something because instead of saying something about how excited he was, how he was waiting for her, he told her to drive carefully and that dinner was waiting for her.

After parking outside his house and pet Baekhyun, she went inside his house and greet him in the kitchen. He dried his hands and walked to her with a soft smile on his lips. He opened his arms wide and she felt something pulling her. With two quick steps, she reached for him and hugged him tightly, getting slightly emotional at the feeling of his arms enveloping her. She released a long sight and nestled her head on his shoulder, hiding on his neck “Long week?” He caressed her head and chuckled when she purred with his touch “Long and weird”

“Do you want to eat what I prepared for you and get drunk with wine?” She hugged him tighter, kissing his neck “That sounds amazing, but what about our night?”

“You mean you pegging me?”

“I have everything ready, but I’m so tired, and my head it’s just not here now” Kyung Soo grabbed her by the shoulders and made her look at him “Hulder, say what you need to say”

“You better offer it” He shook his head slowly, smiling warmly “You have to say it, you always have to tell me how you feel and what you need” She wanted to roll her eyes, but instead she hugged him tighter “Kyung Soo, can we leave the fun for tomorrow?”

“Of course we can, now go wash your hands, dinner is ready” She let go of him with a bit of resistance and kissed him on the cheek. Before going inside the bathroom, she called his name “Kyung Soo, what am I?” He put down the plates, chuckling. “You are such a good girl” She covered her mouth, shrieking, and went to wash her hands.

Kyung Soo prepared a delicious Cajun chicken with roasted potatoes and listened to her rant about work, the city, and the rude neighbor. They finished a bottle of wine over dinner and they opened another one to drink outside since the night was warm. In the beginning, they laid down in different deck chairs, but soon after Kyung Soo climbed on hers. Resting between her legs and laying his head on her chest. He dozed off a couple of times, but she didn’t. She was too focused on caressing his back and kissing his head “I like how warm you feel” He commented between yawns “Kyung Soo, when summer comes and it gets annoyingly hot, can I shave your head?” He knew how much she liked that look on him, so she was sure the proposal wasn’t strange for him “Sure... Are you planning on staying with me until summer?” His voice sounded playful, even confident. But the finger drawing circles in her waist betrayed him “I'm planning on staying with you until you get tired of me” He kept quiet. And he didn’t need to say anything. She could feel his response “Let’s go inside, it’s getting cold” He got up, rubbing his eyes, and helped her get up from the deck chair. She held his hand and didn’t let go as they got inside the house “Let’s go to the forest tomorrow” He offered as he locked the door, without letting go of her hand “Sure, I haven’t been there in months, but what if we met the real Hulder?” She covered her mouth in fake worry “If we encounter her, we share her” He giggled, like always, and walked her inside the house, turning off the light on his way “Ok, but you can’t fuck her, if you don’t satisfy her she could kill you” She teased “Why wouldn’t I satisfy her?!”

“I don’t know Kyung Soo, I’m not her, I don’t know what she likes” She let go of his hand as she got inside his room “I’m still not sure about that, I still have my suspicions about you being a Hulder”

“Well my love, I haven’t kill you yet, so If I am a Hulder, I’m satisfied” He gave her one of his goofy laughs, and held her face, kissing her cheek.

They chatted for a short while before going to sleep. As she cuddled in Kyung Soo’s chest, he kissed her ear and hugged her tighter “I love you” He whispered, “I love you too” The answer came as easily as before.

That Saturday was a slow one. They went out of bed late, she went to feed the chicken as Kyung Soo prepared brunch. Around five, they packed some water and food into a backpack and they went for their planned walk to the forest. Hansel and Gretel without the drama. This time Baekhyun went with them, but on a leash, his tail wagging in happiness.

The trees were bright green or deep dark. The smell of the leaves, the sun hitting the floor and the humble wildflowers hit her nose almost violently. Her senses were always invaded whenever she visited him. In the best way possible.

Kyung Soo held her hand, probably fearing another accident in the forest. In between comments about how beautiful that flower was, or gasps caused by wildlife passing by them, they held a light conversation. As always, the topics were diverse and flowed easily. Picking up where they left when necessary. When a bit of silence fell upon them, she asked what she had been wondering since the morning but needed some build-up to finally ask “Today we are doing it right?” She didn’t need to explain “Of course, did you change your mind?” He asked with his usual calm “No! Of course not, it's just I can't even imagine how to start” He stopped walking and turned around, grabbing her other hand and holding her stare “This is how we start, we take a bath, then you leave me there so I can prepare myself and you can go prepare too” She gasped “That sounds perfect, let's go then” She pulled him in the opposite direction, but he stopped her. He let go of her hand and passed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a kiss. After kissing her long and hard, he let go of her “Now we can go”. He grabbed her right hand tightly and pulled her with him, almost making her trip.

They still had some things to do around the house. But they both worked quickly.

The gate and doors of his house were locked and every single animal fed “I’m going to get the tub ready” She told him as he connected his phone to the charger “Call me when is ready then".

She filled the tub with hot water, spread some bath salts with citric scents, and only called him in when she was naked and submerged in the water. Kyung Soo came in shirtless and gasped stunned “It smells so good, and you look amazing in there”

“Come and join me” She purred, opening her legs to give him space as he pulled down his pants. He looked at her amused when she told him to sit between her legs and rest his back on her chest. He liked the idea. When she hugged him closer to her breast he sighed happily, sinking deeper in the water. She cupped some water on her hand and spilled it on his shoulders, nape, and neck. She poured some soap on her hand and started lapping his body. His muscles relaxed under her hand. His skin kept getting warmer, and he kept sighing in contentment “Are you feeling ok?” She asked him, whispering in his ear. He chuckled and laid back, pushing her to rest her back against the bathtub “Now is perfect” She began washing up his chest, rubbing his skin softly, slowly. She enjoyed that part way too much.

Kyung Soo spoke softly, chatting about small, unimportant things. His way to relax her, she was sure. But he didn’t have to. Not that she wasn’t nervous anymore. She was just growing more and more aroused. The hot water, his body against hers, touching him everywhere she wanted. His hands were exploring her thighs or grabbing hers to drop a kiss or guide them wherever he wanted them. It was impossible to be nervous or worried when distracted by him like that.

But she noticed how he started to grow a bit impatient. He was moving slightly restless, his grip on her thighs slightly tighter “I think we got you clean babe” She whispered in his ear. He straightened up in one sudden movement, almost comically, and patted her leg, hurrying her up. She went out, splashing his head with soapy water, and grabbed one of the towels “I’m going to leave you so you can prepare then”

“I will be there as soon as I can”

“No, don’t, I mean, take tour time” Kyung Soo gave her an exasperated look calling her name, elongating the last sound, provably seeing the worry in her face and voice “Don’t worry, go get dry” He splashed her some water and she finally walked out of the bathroom.

Trying to follow Kyung Soo’s advice to not to worry, she began preparing too. She brought the lube, harness, and dildo from her bag and toss them on the bed. Immediately, questions began flooding her head. Was it too soon to use a strap? Kyung Soo did tell her that he had used toys in the past. But what if the dildo was too big? What if he didn’t know how to prepare himself? Should she had brought poppers? Where poppers legal? What if she hurt him with her big dildo, not enough lube, and the lack of poppers? What if she traumatized him for not being able to fuck her boyfriend the right way?

She was pulled out of her panic when Kyung Soo grabbed her hips and pulled her to him. Capturing her by the waist and pressing his body to hers. He whispered her name on her ear and nuzzled her neck “What are you doing standing here?” She didn’t know what to answer. He moved his hands over her body “At least you are dry…is everything alright?” After a couple of seconds, she answered, or tried to “Is everything going to be alright?” She asked him trying to, as always, find some calm in him “Everything is going to be amazing, fucking amazing” He was able to pull a laugh out of her “Are those your implements?” He pointed at the bed where the three pieces rested “Yeah, lube, strap, and dildo, you like it?”

“It’s pretty, good size too, can’t wait to see you wearing it, why aren’t you wearing it?”

She turned around, hugging him by the shoulders pressing her chest against his. She always liked how his face changed whenever she did that “I was panicking a little bit, and forgot what I had to do” He kissed her nose and gave her a soft slap in her left thigh “Get on the bed and kneel over there” He ordered pointing at the edge of the bed. She took two steps back and climbed on the bed. She kneeled where he said and stretched her arms calling for him. He walked into her arms with a grin on his lips, holding her close, as he always did “Kiss me” He whispered, not that she needed the order, but she appreciated the low whisper. As soon as her lips grabbed onto his lower lip, something inside of her unleashed. Something between them began. Kyung Soo always deepened the kiss, sucking on her tongue and getting her first moan. She was so addicted to grabbing his hair as he sucked on her lips, stroking his shoulders as he rubbed her tongue with his. With one last lick to her lower lip, he moved along her jaw and down the slope of her neck. Their hasten breaths were synchronized, as their hands caressed each other’s skin. His lips were just a breath away from hers as he whispered beautiful things about her body, about his want. And she wanted, needed to give him everything he wanted. But his touch always overpowered hers. His hand moved with confidence and decision over her body. Knowing that he had complete freedom to do whatever he wanted. Confident that he knew just what she liked. She had that confidence too. But she was always so distracted by him.

He moved his hands down her waist, fondling her ass sweetly, making her giggle with the tickles. His hand kept moving down between her thighs until he reached her center moaning in triumph as he moved his fingers softly over her folds, spreading her wetness “You are already wet” He said, looking at her with wonder “I sure am…you get me like this so easily”

“Is it my touch or what is about to come?” He held her stare as he kept moving his fingers slow enough to drive her mad “It’s both, it’s everything, are you nervous?” She was acting a bit selfish worrying about her side of the story, of what she could do wrong, without checking on him first. Although he kept reassuring her how much he wanted this, she needed to check every step with him. His comfort, and his consent “A bit” He scrunched his nose, looking down “Relax” She whispered, caressing his ear “Touching you relaxes me” He rested his head on her hand “Then go ahead” A rumble of laughter in Kyung Soo’s throat made her sight, feeling completely taken by him “You are really looking forward to this” He joked “Really, really, really” She hid her face in his neck, already feeling a bit too much. Feeling like melting into his body. She grabbed his right hand, and he stopped moving immediately “Not yet?” He asked, voice soft and genuine. She only shook her head and with frenzy licked her way up to his neck, getting more moans and whispers in her ear. Although she wanted her pleasure, and she knew she was going to get it later, this was about Kyung Soo. And she wanted to make him lose his mind between her arms and legs.

She straightened her back, and whatever look she was giving him, he liked it. She could tell by the slight blushing and the cute smile on his lips. She reached for him with both hands, caressing his cheeks, feeling their warmth. She followed the path of his necks, shoulders, her fingers brushing his stiff nipples. With only her fingertips she caressed the soft lines of her stomach and kept moving down, inexorably towards his cock, but she passed it by and moved down his thighs, before going back upwards. This time she did what they both wanted and with one hand she began pumping his cock and held his waist with the other. She pushed down towards his pubic bone and then hard against the top of his dick. He was now fully erect, thrusting into her fingers.

Shame or even self-control were two concepts that weirdly applied to their relationship, so with that freedom falling upon them, she put her hands to work. One hand went to his balls, massaging and pulling, just hard enough, using the knowledge she has gathered over months of knowing him and touching him. Her other hand clasped around the base of his cock and squeezed. He choked out her name, and grabbed her face in his hands, bringing her lips to his, without kissing her. Just breathing and cursing on her mouth. She stayed like that, one hand around his balls, the other around his cock, swelling it. He got his pleasure, she got hers, and also an injection of confidence with every word of encouragement he roared in her lips. There was fire flowing through them, melting every cell of their bodies. She wanted him to go down on her, to ride his thigh, suck his dick. So many things. But above all that, she wanted to feel the strap around her hips. The power and unrestrained satisfaction that came from it.

Following a long, deep moan, he let go of her face and grabbed her wrists, stopping her hands from moving. He kept quiet, staring at her lips, frowning, a light sweat forming on his temples. Her body shivered with the tension he was forming. If he wanted her to beg she would do it happily “Kiss me, Kyung Soo, please” She felt his grip tightened, as he granted her wish, kissing her hard and fast. The kiss was short, as he began kissing across her chest, slowly, firmly. He traced along her collar bones, her nipples, lingering there, biting them, and pulling them. She was suddenly very aware of them as one of his hands let go of her and traced a line down her sternum, across her stomach, and in one swift move he cupped her pussy and inserted two fingers in. He did it in time to his lips pinching her nipples. She shouted in pleasure, throwing her head back, moving her hips as his fingers continued moving inside of her. His lips kissed their way to her ear and with a low whisper he asked her “Do you want me to make you come?” She shook her head, her mouth too busy moaning “You want to make me come?” She nodded, searching for his lips, but not succeeding. He was now away from her, his hand had moved from between her legs to her hips “Then put that on and do it” He pointed at the middle of the bed where the strap on was. She noticed how his fingers were still wet, so in an attempt to balance the power, she grabbed his hand at took it to her mouth, sucking him clean “Sit down and watch me get ready” He smiled as she gave his fingers a last suck. Kyung Soo sat at the edge of the bed and handed her the strap. She grabbed it and told him to pay attention “So next time you can put it on me, it’s not hard, but I’m particular about the tightness”

“I’m going to burn it in my memory”

“Very good” She slid the piece up her legs and arranged the straps over her hips and under her thighs. With clumsy fingers, due to the whole situation and a bit of rustiness from her side, she arranged the sliders, tightening them around her body. The dildo moved rather comically as she accommodated the strap, but it was part of the experience so she just giggled. Once she was done, Kyung Soo reached for her, so she took a step closer and let his hands wander over her strap “It doesn’t hurt, or scratch your skin?”

“No, this is good quality, no chafe, water-resistant, I can even wash it in the washing machine” He chuckled and with one finger followed the line of the purple dildo “Nice color” He commented, weighing it on the palm of his hand “You like it? Like how I look on it?” He stood up and pulled her to him by the straps of the harness “I like it, and you look beautiful, tell me what to do now” She took a deep breath, her heart racing “Get on the bed, to start, get on your hands and knees, I’m going to prepare you and then we can start, is that alright?” He took a deep breath, clearly feeling the same things she did, and nodded once “It’s alright, I’m a bit embarrassed, I’m not sure that’s the right word, maybe a bit self-conscious”

“I think that’s the right word, but don’t worry, you are going to start enjoying it soon” He nodded again and gave her a peck on the lips, turning around and climbing on the bed.

She had to slap herself to wake up from the daze of watching him just give himself to her, and to pump herself up. This was going to be unforgettable for both. And it was all in her hands. And she was going to do it perfectly. She was going to fuck the hell out of him.

She already knew how much experience he had. How much he could take, after speaking long and open about it over a couple of phone calls. She knew she didn’t need to explain too much to him either. But she knew she had to check on him in every step, after all, this wasn’t the same as using his fingers or a butt plug. Kyung Soo handed her the bottle of lube and arranged himself on the bed, as he told him, on his hands and knees.

She felt so lucky, so incredibly in love with him. Especially when he looked over his shoulder and asked her what she was waiting for “I’m sorry, I was just taking you in”

“Yeah? Looks good?”

“So incredibly good”

“I’m glad, so…I just have to stay here” She kneeled next to him and held his cheek, making him look at her “Stay here, relax, tell me if you feel any discomfort and if you like it…I want to hear that too” He nodded and patted her thigh, hurrying her. She went back to her previous position and squirted a good amount of lube in her fingers, spread it around her dildo, and then reached for his hole. At the first touch, he jolted, so she stopped immediately. He told her to go ahead, so she did. She moved the tip of her fingers in circles, covering the exterior with lube. Massaging to help him relax and stimulate him. With one long breath, he bent his elbows, resting his head on the bed, bringing his hips up. She smiled to herself and followed the need of her other hand. She grabbed his thigh, moving her hand up slowly until she reached his behind giving it a hard squeeze “Kyung Soo, babe, can I spank you later?” He released a breathy laugh “Sure you can, it’s only fair, I always spank you”

“Thank you” She whispered, vibrating with excitement. She kept moving her hand up, caressing the dimples on his back, staying there a bit longer as she kept massaging his entrance. Feeling it warmer, and definitely more relaxed. She looked at his body, feeling some appetite growing in her. A need to lick up his spine and taste the gold that came from the sun. She kissed his lower back and kept moving up. Kissing and licking each bump of his spine. Kyung Soo had his face hidden on his arms, she could hear low moans escaping his lips as he moved his hips, seeking more of her touch. Arching his back, begging her to enter. She positioned herself behind him and held to his hips, grinding the strap onto him slowly. He released a breathy laugh “What?” She asked surprised “I’m so turn on is stupid” He followed by a chuckle. She laughed with him, grinding again against him, turning his cute laugh into a moan “I need to prepare you some more though” She offered with a bit of worry “I’m fine, I already took care of it” She didn’t want to make him wait anymore, so she reapplied lubricant on him “Take a deep breath, relax and release as it goes in”

“Ok”

“And tell me if it hurts”

“I will” She kissed his right cheek and eased into him slowly. She saw in awe how he opened up for her. Slowly, with a slight resistance, but with a soft yet constant pressure, she was able to get half of the strap inside him. She listened closely to his sounds. Grunts mixed with soft moans, his shoulders looked tense, but the curve of his back told her that he wasn’t that bad. She had to ask anyway “Are you feeling alright?” She stopped moving before getting his answer “It feels weird, but no pain whatsoever”

“Want me to go on?”

“Yes please, I want it all in” She jolted as she felt his sentence hit her right on her clit. Excitement rumbled in her chest imagining how good it was going to get. Because it was never enough, she purred some more lube on her and kept pushing in, holding his hips with one hand and the base of the dildo with the other. Soon enough, she was all in.

Kyung Soo asked her to stay there, without moving so he could get used to the fullness. She caressed his thighs and back, looking at where they were connected with a big smile. She liked looking at his buff frame in the bed, under her. Because even if they were the same height, she always felt smaller in his arms. A sense of him covering her, embracing her. It wasn’t bad at all, but she always enjoyed being on the other side. Now she didn’t feel bigger, she wasn’t seeking that. But she felt him as something precious between her arms. Someone she needed to take care of, be very careful not to hurt him. Never to hurt him.

Kyung Soo’s shoulders were now fully relaxed and breathing more steadily. He reached behind with one hand and grabbed her hand that was resting in his left hip “I’m good now, move” She didn’t answer, only held onto his hand and began moving. Her hips backed up enough to leave only the tip of the strap in, and then with a slow motion, she went back in. He offered less resistance this time, but she was equally amazed and aroused by his body taking her in. He shivered, breathing faster. His hand let go of hers and went to his dick, pumping himself slowly. She moaned, lowering her chest, and hugging him from behind. Kyung Soo answered with a moan, lifting his head from the mattress and resting on his hands. She kissed his shoulders and neck, and he moaned, turning his face, searching for her lips. The cuteness and sexiness of it all made her buck her lips a bit harder, to which Kyung Soo answered with a louder moan. She was going to apologize for the sudden move, but he interrupted her “Like that, keep moving like that babe” She held his hips and straightened her back, arranging her angle. Now that she had his permission, she began experimenting with different speeds. Going in slowly, bucking her hips harder, in one swift move or faster, going in and out quickly. He was gasping with pleasure, getting out soft moans. Heat was unfurling in her core and she felt a quickening in her veins. She wasn’t going to come, neither Kyung Soo, but the sensation was close to that. The faster she moved her hips, the more she felt the strap rubbing her. There wasn’t a direct stimulation, but rather a constant pressure that kept her aroused. That and seeing her boyfriend enjoying this. Kyung Soo’s back was glistening, his muscles showing more due to the current workout.

She lowered her hips, trying a different angle, and started making small circles with them “Fuck, that feels amazing” He grunted, his mouth open and panting. She repeated the movement and grew a bit more confident, finally owning her role. She began pulling his ass into her as she pushed into him. Then slid out of him, and squeezed his ass, dropping the first slap. He jolted, releasing a gasp mixed with a moan “Do it again” She repeated her moves, getting another moan.

After a couple of times, Kyung Soo patted her thigh, calling for a time out “It's everything ok?”

“It is, it really is, I’m just a bit…overwhelmed” She used that time to reapply lube in their dildo, as Kyung Soo controlled his breathing. She massaged his thighs and butt cheeks, and despite how beautiful was her current view. She missed his face. She missed looking at him as they had sex, seeing his pleasure take over. His dark eyes and red, wet lips “Kyung Soo would you turn around so I can watch you” She asked softly, sweetly, knowing that it will take some convincing from her side. And his answer was what she expected “Is it really necessary?” Followed by a groan “Please, do it for me, I really want to see you, and also is going to feel great I promise”

“I know it will” He grunted again and slowly turned around, hissing as he sat on the bed “What? What is it? Does it hurt? Did I peg you wrong?” He started chuckling, covering his face with both hands “No you didn’t peg me wrong, I’m alright” He arranged his head on the pillows, dried his forehead with the back of his hand, and looked at her with hooded eyes “What?” She asked, fixing her hair, slightly self-conscious under his stare “You look gorgeous” He muttered, uncovering his face “I do?” Kyung Soo’s legs were slightly open, so she got in between them, hovering over him, one hand on each side of his head “You too, so beautiful” He gave her a beaming smile, turning his head to the side to drop a kiss on her wrist. The shine of his neck, covered in sweat, caught her attention. She lowered her body and dropped a kiss on his jaw. When Kyung Soo tried to turn around and kissed her, she grabbed his chin and held his head still, giving her better access to his neck “I’m all sweaty” He complained, but she ignored him, leaving a couple of love bites on her way. After showering his face with kisses, she pushed herself up, arranging herself between his legs. She took in his current estate. Messy hair, red lips, and shiny eyes, his neck now marked by her, sweaty chest, still breathing heavily. She could tell he was enjoying all this. Hopefully thanks to her. But what made her the proudest was the red, hot erection he was displaying “Look at you, so pretty” She simply observed, but still made Kyung Soo chuckle with a bit of embarrassment. She was hovering over him again, trying to go for another kiss, when her hair popped out the bobby pin she had put on. Locks of hair cascaded over her face, tickling his face, getting in the way. She lifted one hand from the mattress trying to fix it, but Kyung Soo bit her on it. He passed his fingers through her hair and then carefully placed it behind her ear. With soft fingers he caressed down the shell of her ear, rubbing her earlobe. She moaned with his touch, closing her eyes in pure pleasure “You liked that?” He asked amused “I like how soft you are”

“Soft?”

“Yes, soft, because even when you are rough with me, it’s rooted in your tenderness, the calm you share with me”

“So it’s a good thing” He wondered, fixing her hair on the other side “It’s a perfect thing” He grabbed her by the neck and pulled her down for a kiss. His tongue tracing over her lips, a possessive hand on her neck “You are not done with me right?” He whispered against her lips, low and fast. She answered with a smile, moving away from him, this time for good.

She arranged a pillow under his hips, caressing his thighs on her way. She repeated the process of lubing him up and her strap. There was always a hint of a smile whenever she looked at him, already relaxed and less worried about being exposed to her like this “Ready?” She asked him, kissing his right knee. He only nodded, taking a deep breath as she rubbed the tip of her dildo over his ass. She pushed inside slowly, noticing how easier it was to get in. Kyung Soo released a long moan, lifting his head from the bed, looking down at them.

This position was definitely better. Watching his expressions, seeing his chest move in compass with his heavy breathing. She moved her hips slowly, watching her strap going in and out of him, feeling extremely aroused by the scene. Doing this now, knowing that he was watching her, made her feel bolder. More sensual and definitely more resolved to give him the best night. Kyung Soo's hands wandered down his sides, locking his fingers with hers. He pulled her hands to his hips and held them to his hipbones “Go harder” He mumbled, moving his hands over his dick, grunting as she obeyed, pounding him harder. There was a short moment, just a couple of seconds where she felt like looking away. As if this was too intimate for her to watch. Too beautiful and bright. As if looking at the sun. But after those two seconds were gone, she reminded herself that this was for them to enjoy, for her to watch. Just for her. And she was going to make sure that she was the only one having him like this. The only one that he could come to when needing this kind of pleasure.

A pleasure that she knew she was going to need again someday. Because the power she felt, the constant rush of pleasure between her legs, the drops of sweat falling down her back, and their sounds were unique and addictive. It was driving her crazy, and she could tell Kyung Soo was on the edge too. She knew him good enough now, she knew every single one of his gestures. Kyung Soo bit down his lower lip, grabbing her hands and tightening his legs around her. She grinned in triumph before he said anything “I'm going to cum” He grunted, bucking his hips restlessly. Her dirty mind worked quickly. She stopped moving her hips and made him look at her “Where do you want to come?” He kept silent, his ears reddening adorably “Please say it” She pleaded, rubbing the back of his hands soothingly. He groaned, and then pulled himself up, letting go of her hands to grab her face. He pressed his forehead to hers, their mouth so close that when he finally answered her question, his lips were brushing hers “I want to come inside you”

“Fuck” She grunted against his lips, pulling out of him and getting on her back. Because she wanted the same. She began pulling the strap loose to take it off, but Kyung Soo stopped her “No, leave it there” She felt her eyes water. Too good to be true.

Kyung Soo helped her arrange herself on the bed and then tried to reach for a condom. But without second thoughts, she grabbed his wrist “Don’t… I want it all inside me” He whispered her name in shock and asked her twice if she was sure “I am, do you want it too?”

“Yes, fuck, I want it too” She pulled him closer with her legs, and bucked her hips against him, desperate. He licked his lips in the most menacing yet sensual way. With a half-smile, Kyung Soo grabbed her by the strap pulling her closer. He caressed her pussy, up and down, slowly, covering his fingers with her cum “You are so wet, so hot, I can see you enjoyed fucking me”

“Kyung Soo, you can’t even imagine how amazing it was” He chuckled, grabbing his cock, teasing her entrance “If it felt half as amazing as it is to fuck you, then it was worth it”

“Did you enjoy it?” He chuckled again and began pushing inside her “Why don’t you feel how much I enjoyed it” He tried to do it slowly, but she felt how he began losing control, shoving his dick inside her in one rough push. She moaned loudly, arching her back, grabbing her breasts to enhance every sensation. Kyung Soo cursed again, bucking his hips slowly, his eyes tightly closed as he buried himself deep inside her. She sighed, feeling some sort of relief, surprised by how nice it felt to be stretched by him, skin to skin. She opened her eyes, looking over at him. He had his eyes closed, his long lashes fluttering, his nostrils flaring as he grunted long and low. He called her name a couple of times, a sharp inhale brimming with longing. He began moving his hips slowly, their moans harmonizing. She watched him struggle to keep his eyes open when she couldn’t close hers. Not wanting to miss any of his reactions, keeping all this in her memory. But her memory wasn’t enough. She wanted the feeling of his skin burned in hers, and the taste of his mouth in her tongue. She reached for him, stretching her arms, but only brushing his shoulders with the tip of her fingers. She called his name, a whisper that was barely audible between his grunts and her moans. She tried calling him louder, and he finally opened his eyes, an urgent look in his eyes. She moved her fingers, stretching her arms farther away trying to reach for him. Something close to a growl sounded in Kyung Soo’s chest, and he did what she was begging for. He dropped on top of her, taking her breath away. Their mouths, all thrashing lips and probing tongues, ravenous animals. His fingers rivaled to reach her ribcage and grab and squeeze her waist. He let go of her after giving a long deep suck to her lower lip and kissed his way down to her chest. Kyung Soo groaned, squeezing her breasts together, and sucking a nipple between his lips “Don’t stop, please don’t stop” Her fingers weaved through his thick, dark hair, holding him prisoner against her chest. His rhythm remained slow. He panted and groaned on every stroke. Her release was pooling, so close, but not there yet. The edging was maddening and addictive. With one of his thrust, she felt him deep inside, and he stopped moving. He stopped kissing her and just rested his forehead on her chest, breathing heavily. She rubbed his neck and caressed his shoulder blades, moving her hips to the side, just a small movement to gain some friction “You are so deep inside me baby” She purred, with a clear agenda. Kyung Soo bucked his hips, moaning and getting what she wanted. He lifted his head, locking eyes with her, his cheeks red and his eyes shining “You are so fucking hot, I’m going insane” He ended with a short laugh, giving a hard thrust. He pushed himself up, making her miss his chest against hers, but sure that it was about the get better. He lifted one of her legs up to his shoulder, opening her up even further for him. He pulled himself out of her, looking between her legs with wonder as he rubbed himself. She was shaking, breathing fast, her hands sliding down her body, wanting to touch herself, but the strap was still on her way. She tried to lose it, move it to the side, something. But Kyung Soo grabbed the dildo, and pulled her hips to him, ramming his cock deep into her. She moaned loudly, and lifted her back, propping herself up on her elbows. Kyung Soo’s pace took off at speed, each thrust more powerful than the last. He let go of her strap and grabbed her head, pulling her closer as he laid down on her, stretching her leg and moving deliciously inside her “I’m going to come” He whispered, looking her in the eye “Yes! Don’t stop and come with me, give it to me Kyung Soo, fill me up baby” Kyung Soo cursed loudly, giving short and quick thrusts, moaning against her mouth. One last curse came before he pushed hard, spilling inside her. In an attempt to shut his moans down, he sucked on her neck, making her see white, finally reaching her orgasm. She held to his shoulders as she could, moving her hips with

no control, moaning on his ear, feeling him all over her walls. His open mouth was panting against her neck, whispering her name as she was still moaning, moving her hips seeking for more, just a bit more. With a loud grunt, Kyung Soo pulled out until only the tip of his cock stayed inside her and then plunged back inside. She moaned again, as he gave her a breathy laugh. She laughed with him, her gaze fixed on his face, his pupils blown wide enough that his eyes looked black. His body undulated, rocking in and out for the last time. She could already feel him going soft inside her. The muscles of his shoulders and chest began to relax beneath his skin until he finally stopped moving, drying his forehead with the back of his hand. She felt the aftershocks of her orgasm ease down her body, making her stretch her limbs. There was a short silence after both of their moans ceased down and their breathing reached a normal rhythm “Are we going to need another bath?” He asked to break the melted ice. But she ignored him at first, focused on the way he was losing the sliders of her strap. She let him finish what he was doing, a small smile on his gorgeous lips as he pulled the piece down her legs and then tossed it somewhere in the room “A bath sounds good, but later, come here first” She laid on the bed next to him, her head on the fluffy pillows and grabbed his arm, pulling him to her. He laid next to her, passing an arm under her waist and a leg over her hips. She cuddled him closer, hugging him and pulling his face to hers, catching his lower lip with her needy mouth. As always, he responded with the same neediness. Kissing slow, nasty slow. His hand moved over her back with more gentleness, his breath and moans a soft whisper. She rubbed his left thigh, trying to ease some of the soreness he must have felt, and then over his lovely ass. Carefully, in case he was feeling any discomfort “I’m ok” He commented between kisses, reading her mind “You sure? It doesn’t hurt?”

“No, there is a ….sensation, but I wouldn’t call it pain” She sighed with relief. Kyung Soo opened his eyes, now less dark, but clearly a bit tired. He looked at her, making her feel flustered under his stare “What?” She felt her cheeks growing red and she loved that feeling "Stay, stay with me the rest of the week." He sounded so serious, she could almost feel the possessiveness in his hands that held her ribs. This was the first time he had ever said anything like this to her before. Not even as a joke. It was usually her that decided on the time they spent together, how long she would stay at his place. It was almost an order, he was taking control of their time. "I think your orgasm is talking." She tried to ease the intensity in his eyes, in his words. "No it's not, stay for the week, stay for the rest of your life with me." She giggled seeing his grin get larger, his tone softening to a light tease. She grabbed his face, squeezing his cute round cheeks before kissing him tenderly. "Let's talk about it over breakfast ok?" She asked, trying to appease his sudden need for her to stay. She wasn't trying to give herself time to think about it, she knew what she wanted. She only needed the time to make a few calls, move things around to free up her week. But there was a conversation they needed to have, needed him to hear. Because being with him for a week, at their beloved farm, will only make her wish for more. For more than a week here with him. And if she were honest, if that couldn't happen she'd just kidnap him and disappear in the forest. Away from work, away from weekdays, away from only weekends.

After all, maybe she was the Hulder he claimed her to be.

The End

#exosnet #exowritersnet #kyungsoo #d.o #do kyungsoo #exo fanfiction #exo smut #kyung soo

[awesomerextyphoon]

A Warrior’s Heart | Phase 1: Welcome – 3

A Hero’s Welcome?

Summary: When someone with a connection to Steve’s past dies, he’s reminded of the promise he made to Dr. Erskine and whether or not he’s failed. Can Ife help him see that he hasn’t?

Characters: Steve Rogers, Ifekerenma ‘Ife’, Abraham Erskine (mentioned), Marlene Erskine (mentioned), Nick Fury, Eliza Maza, Azeneth Ramirez

Main Pairing: Stucky x Black!OFC (Ifekerenma ‘Ife’)

Rating: 18+/Explicit

Word Count: 5,801

Warnings: Depression, Talk of Death, Slightly Cynical Steve, Politics, Smutty Thoughts

A/N: I’m sorry that this so long. I really wanted to try something different with Erskine and the time around CA:TFA. Also, I wanted to explore how Steve would be feeling right after AoU (little bit of a downer, but it will get better). Furthermore, this story will diverge a bit from MCU in terms of Steve’s and Bucky’s abilities. Feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated. Dividers were by the lovely @firefly-graphics​. Thanks to @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog​ for the beta!

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

<<Previous

Early June 2015

“What do you have to report, Ifekerenma?”

Ife pursed her lips together,”Wanda is doing well with her training. Djamila and Nazaret had some sung her praises during their first session.”

It took a few days to convince the team and Fury to let her friends train Wanda. Luckily Nat had her back and Wanda was able to show the compound how much she improved from what Ife was able to teach her. Unfortunately, Azeneth was unable to make it due to being tied up with a BNA mission and relocating to the NYC division.

“That’s good to hear. Have you made made any progress with the others?”

Ife’s eyes casted down in thought. Vision was a no-go for now. Pietro was warming up to her, but he thought she was still suspicious (wasn’t wrong). She didn’t want to try Rhodey yet (too close to Tony). Nat was..difficult; she’ll try again later.

“I’m going to try Steve next. He seems like a safe bet, even with the serum. Hopefully, he won’t catch before it’s time. I will need Erskine’s folder though.”

Eliza’s lips turned upward in a small smile, “Agreed. I’ll have it sent to you within the hour. Best of luck, Ife.”

And with that, Ife got dressed and headed towards the common room.

  Steve leaned back and clasped his hands together behind his head in thought and vexation.

The 21st century must be fucking with him.

Right after Operation ‘Captain Briar Rose’, Steve went to Brooklyn. He could barely find any trace of his old neighborhood. The apartment complex where he and his mother lived was now a ritzy condominium with a Starbucks on the ground level.

All of the places he’d go with Bucky were now soulless veneers filled with empty promises of ‘happiness’ or ‘self-esteem’.

He remembered the time Bucky bailed him out of yet another beating by Arnie and his gang back in 1928. His mother berated him for getting in yet another fight while Bucky’s mom laughed and treated them to ice cream from the local sweets parlor. Bucky’s sisters – Rebecca, Rose, and Annabelle – were making a fuss and bursted out in giggles when Annabelle got ice cream in Bucky’s hair. It was one of the best days that year.

A T-Mobile now stands in its place.

All of his friends and comrades save Bucky and Peggy are dead; he nearly bawled in the middle of briefing when found out that Timothy ‘Dum Dum’ Dugan died and had a cry alone in his quarters afterwards.

Felt shitty about the current state of the country. It seemed as though everything has gotten worse. He found out about the Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Wars. How income and wealth inequality has somehow gotten as bad as, if not worse, than the Gilded Age. Corruption has turned DC and NYC into dog and pony show.

He was furious at all of the politicians and corporations that wanted him to endorse them or their actions. They wanted Captain America’s helmet and shield to mask their heinous acts. They were the same if not worse than Senator Brandt.

Some days Steve wished SHIELD let him stay in the ice. Even worse, there were days he felt that Captain America was for an America that never was.

Nowadays, he felt even more like an anomaly.

It started when he got out of the ice. He felt a lot stronger and faster; only Thor knew the extent of it and he has to hold back a lot when fighting for fear of government asking for more of his blood. Though he suspected Ife and Natasha might be onto him.

He was a lot hungrier than before he went on ice as well. Often time, he would have late night ‘dinners’ (now it's every night), To be honest, he was a bit embarrassed at how much he ate, though the thought of pinning the blame on Ife did cross his mind. It wouldn’t work due to Ife almost never eating with the team and Sam said that he would know if Ife was the culprit. Steve suspected that Ife has been using her connections to restock the food between when he retired to his quarters and before the rest of the team came for breakfast. Also, she kept leaving him fun pop culture facts and media recommendations for the night.

Steve didn’t feel he could go to Dr. Cho since he doubted she had anything to go on in his case.

He did wonder if Ife could help him. She seemed to like helping the team and she was knowledgable about Non-Humans. Wanda’s rapid improvement in her powers and control bolstered his decision.

Sighing, Steve sat up straight in his chair and picked up the letter he received that morning. Marlene Philomena Erskine had passed away and he was invited to her funeral.

It was sad to have yet another link to his past slip from his grasp.

  Steve was finishing up another book to fight off his jitters. It was the night before the operation and he needed to have a few moments of respite from the war.

He was so engrossed in what he was reading that he failed to notice Dr. Erskine entering.

Erskine, for his part, was eyeing several books in Rogers’ makeshift bookshelf: They Odyssey, Of Mice and Men, Murder on the Orient Express, Tender is the Night, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Homage to Catalonia, and To Have and have Not.

“What do you think of the book?” Erskine asked as he sat across the startled recruit.

“Just finished. Y’think it wise to get buzzed before a major operation, sir?” Steve noted when he saw the bottle and two shot glasses on the bed.

Erskine chucked, “Calms my nerves a bit. What did you think of the book?”

Steve pressed his lips together for a moment, “It was a good read. The book had a lot of good points for something written eleven years ago.”

“What truths?”

“Well, for one thing, how technology is used to make the populace happy, but not better. The World Government found a way to get people to willingly trade self-expression, self-awareness, and their happiness for cheap happiness and comfort. Makes you wonder if the US was next, you know?”

Erskine was taken aback by his answer. It was much deeper than most of commanding officers gave if they even read the book.

Though that last sentence was interesting.

“What do you mean next?”

“Isn’t that what happened in Germany?”

Erskine sighed, “Yes and no. Most people here think Hitler came out of nowhere, but he didn’t. Not everyone in Germany was for WWI. There was a 100,000 person march in Berlin, but it didn’t matter since the Social Democratic Party failed to rise to the occasion and went along with war effort. Many were scapegoated for Germany failure, Matthias Erzberger for instance.”

“What about the Weimar Republic?”

Once again, Erskine was taken aback by Steve’s knowledge, “Weimar Germany was a great place to be creative, curious, and make new discoveries. I met my wife, Greta, in Berlin during that time. I made a lot of friends, friends I had to leave behind.”

Erskine frowned as his face darkened,”The terrible thing, my friend, was not that Hitler was dangerous, it was that either people didn’t take him as the threat he was or they wanted to use him for their own ends. The cops and judges sympathized with the Nazi Party to get one over the Socialists and Communists. Industrialists wanted to make money off of the Nazis getting into power. Even the German and International newspapers didn’t cover him with the urgency required.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Ja, and it almost happened here, didn’t it?”

Steve nodded in reference to the America First movement and the German American Bund. He still remembers getting the crap beaten out of him by the Silver Shirts when he spoke out against them a few years ago.

“So why did you choose me?”

“I suppose that is the best question.” Erskine admitted while glancing at Steve’s bookshelf, “What do you think of the Odyssey?”

Steve shrugged, “The adventures were fun, but they were just fantasy.”

“They may not be, Mein Freund. How old do you think I am?”

“Uh, mid sixties?”

Erskine laughed, “You’re too kind. I will be 94 this September,” he smiled noting Steve’s shock, “Things are not always as they seem. I come from a long line of ‘healers’ dating back to before Rome. One of them was able to ‘make a man more’. They inspired me to go into this profession.”

“Making super soldiers?”

“Medicine and bio-chemical engineering.”

“Oh”

“Did you know that you will not be first to undergo this?”

“Who was?”

“His name was Konrad Jager. He was a lot like you: small, frail, but had a great deal of courage and compassion. He was willing to fight Nazis in the streets knowing he’d lose. One day in 1930, his parents begged me to save him as the doctors had given up all hope.

I was woking on a serum that would make the body impervious to all diseases rather than wait for the next outbreak to occur. I thought it would propel the medical field.

The trial worked and he was healed. He became much taller and broader in size as a result.”

Erskine pulled out a picture of himself next to a tall, well-built young man.

“That’s Konrad isn’t it?”

“Yes. I was able to help eight more people through the earlier version of the serum. All but one turned out well.”

“What happened to the one?”

“Ah yes, Eren Kant. He was a shy young man before the serum, but then became more like Hodge: a philander, arrogant, and bit of a bully with a temper. He ‘grew too big for his britches’ as one would say and was arrested by the Munich police. He let his arrogance blind him and he escaped in a way that intrigued Der Fuhrer and was taken to Berlin soon after. By this time, rumors had spread of my work and the Nazis were anxious to be the ‘best of the Aryans’. They were able to get my whereabouts from Eren and sent Schmitt to fetch me, but I was already on my way to Switzerland when he reached my home.”

“How did he get you?”

Erskine slightly jerked his head to the side and back, “A year prior to my attempted escape, I met a man in Geneva who warned of the dangers that lied in Berlin. He gave me his card if I needed to escape. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have waited so long before I made the phone call. I was tipped off by an old colleague of Eren entering Nazi custody.

Everything was set. My family and I were to enter Switzerland by crossing Lake Constance. We made it to Meerburg and the lake was in sight when Schmitt and his agents cut us off.

Schmitt believed that there was a power left behind by the gods. He believed himself to be a leader of a new race of men. He wanted me to ‘perfect the serum’, make him stronger than Eren. He had my children, Klaus and Marlene, taken to the outskirts of town as insurance implying that they would be sent to Dachau if I should fail.

I stalled for as long as I could hoping Schmitt would forget about me, but it was not meant to be. A few years after I was taken hostage, Schmitt stormed into my lab and pointed a gun to Greta demanding I give him the serum.”

“Did it make him stronger than Eren?”

“It did, but it had...side effects. The serum was not ready. Schmitt’s skin turned red and his face became so disfigured that Hitler called him the Red Skull. He killed Greta with his bare hands,” Erskine wiped away a few tears, “and ordered Marlene and Klaus to be sent to Dachau while I was banished to the dungeons.

Fortunately, Agent Carter and the SOE were able to save Marlene and myself. Though Klaus sacrificed himself when the agents could only save one of them.”

“Your son is a hero.”

“I only wish I could’ve told him that myself. But, back to your original question. I chose you because, like Konrad, you are a weak man. You see, the serum amplifies everything; good becomes great and awe-inspiring, bad becomes worse and a nightmare. Men who are strong their entire lives often do not value strength and abuses it. However, a weak man who is compassionate and brave will use it to help others. You were chosen because you had the aforementioned virtues and because you use your mind.

The world does not need perfect soldiers, look where that has gotten us. No, what we need right now are good men.”

Erskine poured out two shots and gave a glass to Steve.

Steve raised his glass, “To the little guys.”

The liquor was just about to touch his lips when Erskine snatched the glass from him, “What are you doing? You have an operation tomorrow. No fluids.”

Steve chuckled as Erskine bid him farewell and good luck tomorrow.

  Ife found Steve in the Common Room hunched over a chair with a letter in his hands. Emotional echoes of gloom came off in waves as she approached him.

“Whatcha looking at, Steve?”

When Steve didn’t respond, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, “What’s wrong?”

Steve finally turned to Ife, “I received an invite to a funeral. It’s for Marlene Philomena Erskine, Dr. Abraham Erskine’s daughter.”

Ife nodded in understanding; he feels that he failed Marlene by not protecting Dr. Abraham Erskine.

But in fact, he didn’t fail her.

She lived quite the life for a human.

Not long after her father’s assassination, Marlene became a badass mechanical engineer and physicist. Her designs and schematics for transportation vehicles and energy storage/distribution gave the colonizer nations a fighting chance during the Wars Against Colonialism.

Though part of it was because the UA was a little cocky at that point. Marlene sure lit a fire under their ass! Ife can still hear her Aunt Eziamaka pouting at the news of one of UA bases nearly falling into their control.

Marlene’s assistance with the war effort didn’t last long as her gratitude towards the people who saved both her and her father wasn’t enough to overlook the Military’s treatment of some her colleagues.

Her life from there was pretty standard. She became a professor at MIT, got married and had a few kids.

BNA took her off the ‘humans of special interest’ list in 1971.

Thinking back on it, Marlene may have had a better life by her father not making it past WWII.

Though Ife thought it would be wise not to mention this to Steve.

“When is the funeral?”

Steve didn’t raise his head, “It’s in a week.”

“In that case, might I accompany you?”

“Yes...and thank you.”

“No Problem! See you later.” Ife wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug and went on her way leaving Steve slightly bewildered.

  Steve didn’t know what to make of Ifekerenma.

She was always asked the team how they were feeling at what seemed to be the right moment. Shoot, she even talked to custodial staff that few of ever acknowledge. Compassionate to nearly everyone, especially the child hostages during the last mission.

She’s nerdy to the point of Sam jokingly calling her a weeb (anime lover?) when she walked around in an oversized Cowboy Bebop t-shirt once. Wanda mentioned a ‘digital friend’ in her room and caught her mentioning how slow Stark’s tech was much to the amusement of team at Tony’s expense.

Steve’s certain Nat sent Clint a video of the whole thing.

Also, she was what Sam called a ‘Supreme Chef’. He contently patted his midsection remembering the feast she prepared for the team last night. Her cooking would’ve put some of Stark’s gourmet chefs to shame. She asked the team what they liked and she ended up having to create a dinner rotation. Steve was especially touched when she went to an antique bookstore for a recipe that was close to what his mother would’ve made for him.

Furthermore, she would leave out little homemade treats/ snacks at night. Pietro and Sam would sneak some when they thought no one was looking. She even giggled when he accidentally let out a huge belch after an amazing dinner a couple nights ago saying it’s a sign of thanks on her home planet, Avlenia.

Ife always called him Steve; not ‘Captain’ or ‘Cap’ or even ‘Good ol’Century Virgin’ (damn it, Tony!). She never made light of him ‘taking an ice nap’ or asking him about the 1940s in a demeaning way like some reporters and ‘little upstarts on social media’. Somehow, Ife found out about his love of drawing and got him art supplies with a list of recommended artists

She made him feel more like a person and not a symbol or a far off figure who’s emotionless.

Steve felt warm whenever he was around her in a way not unlike Bucky or Peggy though much more like Bucky. She seemed to sense that he was desperate to truly be seen in way that only Sam and sometimes Nat has.

It also didn’t hurt that she was a total knockout. He had the, ahem, pleasure of seeing her out of her uniform and training outfits a few times. She usually wore clothes that were more on the modest side...except for that one time when she wore a Sailor Moon crop top and high-waisted shorts as a dare from Nat. Half of the compound was staring and Steve spent most of the day in his quarters nursing a hard on he was so aroused.

And yet, Ife was one of the toughest women he knew; even Nat was a little scared of her (at least, he thinks). She might be the strongest person physically and she doesn’t take shit from people who badmouth her or the team; Agent Roussel learned that the hard way.

All in all, Ife was...something else, someone he wanted to get close to.

  The day of Marlene’s funeral started out well enough.

Ife spent the early morning making Sam’s request of cinnamon rolls, sausage, omelettes, waffles, and hash browns since he won the raffle of Vision’s turn as he doesn’t eat.

She was handing out everyone’s first servings (didn’t care what happened afterwards) when she felt Steve’s emotional echoes of depression, melancholy, and despair noting how his eyebrows furrowed and how tense his body language was.

She just hoped she could get to him.

  Steve was walking to garage hoping his outfit wasn’t too much.

Nat somehow convinced him into wearing a Highbridge Black Custom Suit with an Eastley Dobbey Blue Shirt, a Black Solid Tie, a Navy Blue Pocket Square, and Ink Black Dress Shoes.

He ‘upped the swoon dial’ as Nat put it. Could’ve sworn he heard Sam snickering.

Steve reached the entrance hoping not to keep Ife waiting when he heard clicking of heels behind him.

He turned around to find Ife looking almost unearthly.

She was wearing a black Ankara (?) dress with a cape that was black on the outside and golden on the inside with various blue, silver, and khaki rectangle clusters. Her hair was mostly contained in a wrap with a few strands framing her lovely face. Her full, plump lips were coated in a Light Plum (?) Matte Lipstick and she wore minimal gold eye shadow.

Her outfit did a splendid job of hinting at her voluptuous curves without needlessly flaunting them like the women who throw themselves at him at press tours.

Ife smiled at him and asked which car were they taking.

Steve motioned to one of the Black SUVs and the two of them strapped in for the three hour car ride.

  Ife sighed and gazed out the window at the scenery. Neither one of them had said anything in the past twenty minutes. Steve wasn’t a fan of most of the music that’s on the radio despite Sam’s best efforts. Ife had to break out her puppy dog eyes to get him to let them listen to some instrumental music from her favorite movies.

It seemed that they weren’t going to say anything until Steve cleared his throat.

Ife, not wanting to suffer in silence, decided break it, “How did you know Marlene?”

Steve raided his eyebrows for a split second, “I didn’t. I just feel like I should pay my respects, you know? I mean, I should attend the daughter of the man I failed’s funeral.”

The last sentence struck a chord with Ife. Emotional echoes of despair hit her like a tsunami.

Tentatively, Ife continued, “How did you fail Erskine?”

“I-I don’t think I’ve fulfilled my promise to him. The country has changed so much since I was on ice. It’s funny; I thought that Brave New World would only have a one of two aspects come to life, but I didn’t see nearly the whole book being right.”

Ife didn’t argue with the last two points. The US was nothing but a never-ending commercial sometimes. People were too busy being ‘happy’ or trying to get the newest thrill to realize that they were living in a sham of a republic.

Though she was concerned about the first sentence.

“What was the promise you made to Erskine? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Steve turned slightly, “To be true to who I am; a good man, not a perfect soldier. To be more like Konrad.”

Ife nodded musing on his answer. Erskine would want everyone he helped to be a good person considering the dangers of such power.

Though she wondered if she knew Dr Abraham’s full history.

Abraham Erskine came from a long line of Homo Magis who specialized in Alchemy . He turned to science when it was clear that his magical powers would never manifest (being only 1/16 Homo Magi). Erskine started working on what would become the Super Soldier Serum in 1920 after the witnessing the horrors of WWI firsthand as a medic.

He made a breakthrough in 1927 when he found what looked to be an old power cell in the attic of his childhood home. Turns out it was a modified Atlantean battery dating back to the 1600s, but whatever.

Konrad Jager was the first of nine volunteers; most of whom went on to fight in the Spanish Civil War with the International Brigades and be part of the German Resistance’s Special Forces during WWII.

Needless to say, they were recruited into BNA’s European Division.

Only Eren Kant was deemed a failure in the end.

Ife shook her head at the info in Erskine’s folder.

Eren was pompous dumbass who broke himself out jail by bending/breaking the bars of his cell after getting arrested for being a player and bully by the Munich Police in August of 1935. His show of superhuman strength got Erskine’s work onto the Hitler’s radar. BNA had to send a cleaner to ‘handle’ Eren before he could get everyone in even more trouble.

She wondered if Konrad and the others would make an appearance.

“What do mean by not staying true to yourself?”

Steve sighed, “It seemed a lot easier to do so in my time.”

Ife wanted to go further, but she couldn’t. Steve was punishing himself up for something he couldn't control and it was tragic.

She hoped that she could actually help him, not for the mission, but for himself.

  They arrived at the venue twenty minutes early. Steve was trying (failing) to fix his tie while Ife was looking as glamorous and poised as can be.

Sensing Steve’s unease, she gave his hand a comforting squeeze, “You’ll do fine,” she whispered as she fixed his tie while not trying inhale his delicious natural scent like a creep (again).

“Let’s go inside.”

  Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing when they entered the venue. Though Ife had to hand it to the guests; no one asked Steve for an autograph or a selfie. She noted several BNA officials and a couple of Earth-based Non-Human big wigs in attendance.

Guess Marlene was popular.

“Ife!” Azeneth shouted as she strode over to from a corner and enveloped her in a hug.

“Azeneth, how are you? I didn’t think you would be back from Mexico City so soon.”

“Well, the mission was short and they wanted me in New York to accompany Eliza here. Now, who is this fine gentleman, Ife?” Azeneth queried while Steve started shifting uncomfortably.

“This is Steve Rogers, one of my new teammates and Ca-”

“Captain America. I know, Ife. I was jesting.”

Ife sighed dramatically while rolling her eyes, “Steve, this is Azeneth. She’s one of my best Earth-based friends.”

“Kickass friend.” Azeneth corrected, “How are you liking Ife? She’s not too much trouble.”

“Stop it, ‘Aze!” Ife playfully hit Azeneth’s shoulder, “Feel free to ignore her, Steve.”

“Hmm, no. I don’t think I will, especially after the stunt you pulled on the first day at the compound.”

Azeneth burst out laughing at Ife’s shocked expression and Steve’s sly grin. She probably would’ve kept goin if not for Eliza cutting into their conversation.

“Excuse us, Mr. Rogers. I’ll have to speak with Ife for a moment. My name’s Eliza Maza, by the way.”

  Once they were out of Steve’s line of sight (Azeneth was keeping him busy), Eliza activated a noise canceller.

“So did anyone die in the attack on the Magic Council?” Ife asked as she made sure Steve wasn’t looking at them.

“No one was harmed, but several books are missing from the library.”

“Shit! Okay. Well, would Dr. Strange be available to assist Wanda with her training? Wong and Nazaret are at the Sanctum and he said that he knew of some spells that could help.”

“I’ll look into it. I should have an answer in a week”

“Okay.”

“Ife, please give me a call when you get back to the compound.”

Ife eyed Konrad Jager, Gregor Eisenberg, Sonje Decker, and Lukas Denhart making their way to Steve. She hoped they weren’t going to drop an info bomb on him today.

“I will.”

  The service was short and sweet as Marlene didn’t want everyone to be bored to tears on her behalf. The crowd got a laugh out that joke.

Afterwards, Marlene granddaughter, Zahara, requested if Steve could stay for a bit. She gave him a beautifully wrapped package.

“My grandmother wanted you to have this. She saw you fighting in the Battle of New York and knew you would know what to do with it.”

“It would be an honor, Miss.”

  Ife thought about her earlier conversation with Steve on the say back. She realized what’s happened to Steve was heartbreaking.

Here was a man who gave up everything for a country that only wants him as a cudgel for their heinous deeds. Someone who, if he hadn’t fallen into the ice, would’ve probably been ruined by the same country he swore to protect. They would’ve labeled him as a communist and destroyed his good name for not immediately getting on board with the next war.

To be honest, Ife didn’t think much of Steve before joining the team. She thought he was just the banner boy for colonizers to feel good; he was the reminder of that brief moment when the US was totally the bad guys (totally being the operative word).

But now?

She saw the toll the helmet and shield had on him. Ife doubted he knew that he was going to be alive for awhile judging how neither Konrad or the others aged a day since they received Serum 1.0 and Steve supposedly got one that was at least 3x as powerful.

She wanted to comfort him somehow, but she was lost on what to do.

When she got back to the compound, she gave Steve a hug and went straight to her quarters to call Eliza.

“Eliza. I can’t do this by myself, and if we’re going to pull this off, I’m going to need some serious backup because the Avengers need some serious help.”

  Fury was going through some mission reports when he heard a knock on his door.

“Come in.”

Oddly enough, Ife was the one to enter the room and not Maria Hill.

“Good Evening, Fury. I have someone who would like speak with you.”

“Well, give me a name and contact info and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Actually,” Ife reached in her pocket for a disc, “I can do you one better.”

Ife tossed the disc into the air and a moon-door portal formed from it. Out came Eliza, Azeneth, and Angela in her gargoyle form.

Eliza gave Ife a quick nod and turned to Fury, “Good Evening, Nicolas Fury. My name is Eliza Maza and we’re from the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs or BNA. I would advice that you lower your weapon. It won’t do you a lick of good,” Fury lowered his gun,” Good. Put Maria Rambeau on speaker, we need to talk.”

  -Somewhere in France-

 Maeve was enjoying her brunch while watching the footage of Eliza officially making contact with new SHIELD and SWORD.

“Well, it looks like it’s time to ‘get the band back together’ as the kids would say.” She chirped to the woman across the table.

“That expression pretty much died in the 90s. No ‘kid��� uses that phrase anymore.” Koronis deadpanned.

Maeve scoffed, “Anyone born after 1800 is a ‘child’ to me. This is what I get for trying not to sound like ‘an old hag’ as you put it.”

“Well, is everything on track?”

Koronis, or Carol, closed her eyes for few seconds, “I see nothing standing in our organization’s way. However, we should have the meeting sooner rather than later.”

“Duly noted. Anything else?”

“The new variable, Ifekerenma, will be more useful to our plans than I originally anticipated.”

“Oh, I do love surprises! I mean, I know how it will end, but I still like to be at least a little surprised. I knew it was a good idea to let Klaue be discovered by Ultron in Istanbul!”

Another woman walked up to the pair,”You wanted to see me, Mistress?”

“Yes. Svetlana, call the others. It’s time to put our plan into high gear. Hell’s Moon is upon us.”

  Steve was having a shitty birthday.

The press was pestering him about the presidential election. Several outlets have called him a sellout and a coward for not endorsing anyone.

He was figuring out the best way to take a shower and hit the hay in less than 30 minutes when he found a beautifully written note taped to his door.

It said to come to Ife room wearing his best dancing clothes.

Ten minutes later, Steve knocked on her door and it instantly opened to reveal a modest dancing hall not unlike the ones he went to with Bucky before the war.

He was so lost in thoughts admiring the place that he failed to notice Ife hovering a few feet from him.

“Happy Birthday, Steve! How do you like it?”

Steve turned to see Ife in a knee-length golden yellow African Wax Print Ankara dress with cold shoulders, ruffled sleeves, and a v-neckline. He didn’t miss the modest view of her cleavage or how her legs looked oh, so smooth in the dress.

Ife, for her part, was super nervous about this. Nat said that people went to dance halls all the time in the late 1930s and 1940s and it took her five days to get the architecture, the music, and the lighting just right.

She hoped that Steve wouldn’t be angry with her.

Steve looked incredibly handsome in his simple dress shirt and slacks. His powerful shoulders, thick biceps, trim waist, and beefy thighs were accentuated by the lighting which made him look like he was glowing.

Ife would’ve drooled if she knew that he didn’t like it when most women would throw themselves at him.

“It’s amazing. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry about the dress. I couldn-”

Steve raised a hand to stop her from going off on a tangent,”You look beautiful.”

Ife felt a flurry of warmth in her core at the compliment.

“So, what would like to do?”

Before Steve could answer, Duke Ellington’s Don’t Mean a Thing starting playing.

Steve stretched out his hand, “Would you like to dance?”

Ife took his had and they glided onto the dance floor.

“Where did you learn to dance?”

“Bucky’s mom made us learn when Bucky started getting attention from the girls at school. She thought it best that we knew how to treat them to a good time.”

“I see,” Ife giggled, “Then she was wise to make take the lessons. Though I’m more familiar with the jitterbug.”

Steve chuckled as they resumed swinging. He hummed a bit as they danced to Ella Fitzgerald, Caro Emerald, Jo Stafford, Billie Holiday, and Gene Krupa.

Ife was impressed with Steve’s dancing skills. What were those women thinking passing him up like that?!

After a couple more rounds of dancing, the music shifted to something more modern but not (it was Howl’s Moving Castle’s Main Theme) , the colors on the walls and ceiling brightened, and several chandeliers formed on the ceiling.

Steve gave Ife a slightly confused look and asked her if she would like to try a waltz this time.

The song lasted a little more than five minutes. Steve was somehow able to lead their movements in sync with the song.

Ife felt her body was aflame with gentle yet commanding touches Steve was giving her. He even lifted her a few times making her feel as though she was flying with how gently he held her.

They were absorbed in their own world they either failed to notice or ignored Nat and Wanda entering Ife room to see if they could have another spa day. Nat even got a few pictures of the two dancing.

Steve gave Ife one last life during the climax and pulled her in when the music came to a close. They were about to come in for a kiss when Ife pressed her lips together and back away.

“We should probably retire for evening. Goodnight, Steve.”

Steve’s shoulders slumped in defeat, but left Ife’s room with a simple goodnight with Nat and Wanda in tow.

Ife frowned. She knew Steve wasn’t in the best place for a relationship and her conscience wouldn’t let her take advantage of that.

#steve rogers #steve rogers x ofc #stucky #stucky x ofc #mcu imagine #avengers imagine #marvel fanfiction #steve rogers imagine #mcu smut #mcu fanfiction #black fanfiction #black fantasy #steve rogers angst #steve rogers fluff #marvel au #a warrior's heart #mcu #alternate history #captain america #captain america angst #captain america fluff #steve x black!reader #steve x ofc

[dirty-bitz]

This could not go on my main account with the rest of the short stories about these two for so many reasons...mostly the smut. Definitely the smut. And my main accounts are linked to some stuff that I know parents show their kids, so, dirty stuff here where it can’t be found by innocent eyes.

I wrote this for @inkly-heart, and did write a lot more interaction between these characters on my other account. The stories that are not sexy are here. Dit is hers, and so much fun to write about.

Warning: Below the tag is blood, sex, and other stuff. Don’t read if you’re not into that.

“I’m done with humans,” Nim grumbled as she sat with a beer, her other arm draped over the back of the sofa. “Men, women, both, I’m done with them. Just absolutely done.”

Dit looked over at her, one eyebrow raised. She was dressed up nice, in a lavender button-down shirt and black jeans. The woman had put bobby pins in her hair and combed it, wearing black high heels instead of her usual hiking boots. Nim looked like she was ready to hit the town when he arrived. There was even a tiny bit of glitter on her lips, a soft pink lip gloss. She had genuinely put some time into her appearance. It was a good look for her.

But when he had asked, the human had waved it off. She had ordered out delivery, instead of cooking, and had gotten some of his favorites. Now she was having a beer and looked absolutely frustrated with everything. The Ditto couldn’t figure out what was going on.

“Done with humans, huh?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yep, done with them. Completely done. Stupid idiot, cancelling on me because of the triplets.”

Dit stayed quiet, letting her rant. It seemed like the easiest way to figure out what was going. And rant Nim did, sitting up and waving one hand animatedly as she spoke. The Ditto had to lean away a bit when she got particularly annoyed at one point. His expression was one of bemused confusion as he started to work out what was on his friend’s mind.

“Let’s talk, let’s get to know each other. Hey, you’re great, you want to go on a date after a few weeks of talking? Oh, you’re perfect, I can’t wait to go to dinner with you! Wait, you call the Riolu pups your kids? Oh, you know, let’s cancel dinner, I think you’re a different sort of girl than I thought,” Nim growled, clearly imitating what someone else had said to her. “Screw that. Yes, the triplets are like kids to me, anyone who has got a problem with that is not going to work.”

Ah…so Nim had been ready to go on a date, and the guy had said something about the kids. Or girl, Dit wasn’t sure since Nim hadn’t said the gender of her cancelled date and it sounded like she was into both. But the woman had gotten her hopes up, gotten ready to do something for herself, and then had them dashed.

No wonder she was ranting and had gone for a beer.

The Ditto gave her a little smile. “Well, I think you’re a good mom,” he told her. “The triplets love you, and it’s cool that you treat them like your kids.”

“Thanks, Dit,” she said before taking a long swallow of her drink. “But yeah, no, humans suck.”

“Gonna try Pokémon?” he asked with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.

She snorted. “No, I’m not, no offense meant to you. I think I’m just…done with dating for a bit. Maybe I’ll just stick to hanging out with friends.”

“Oh yeah? Like who?”

Nim made a bemused sound. “Um…hmm…you’re here?” she said with a shrug. “I need to get out, but the last few times I’ve tried have not ended well. And it feels so strange being around my co-workers and stuff. They just…don’t get it.”

“The weird stuff you deal with?” Dit asked.

She nodded. “Yeah. The weird stuff. Having to round off my rough edges and be ‘normal’ around them.”

The Ditto had to laugh at that. Nim gave him a confused look until he explained. “You? Normal? Nah. Normal doesn’t work for you, lady, it really doesn’t.”

“Probably right,” Nim agreed.

Dit paused when he realized why she was so frustrated. It wasn’t just the date ditching her after Nim had gotten so into the idea of getting out for herself. The woman was still trying to cling to a sense of normalcy. She didn’t get much of that, not with who all she knew and what all the human did for them. What normal interaction Nim got from work just wasn’t enough.

“Where were you going tonight?” he asked after a moment.

Nim shrugged. “Does it matter? Plans got cancelled.”

“It does, where?” he repeated.

He listened as she said that it was <i>The Rayquaza</i>- a fancy club in the uptown area. That was a nice date indeed, no wonder she was bummed about missing that. It was definitely the sort of place the tattooed Pokémon trainer would go to from what little Dit knew of it. Not his sort of thing, he didn’t go for that, but he could see why Nim had gotten all dressed up. She could be classy at times, when she wanted to.

When the woman leaned her head back against the sofa again, he subtly shifted his clothes to black slacks and a pink button-down shirt, open to the second button. He decided to leave the cap on, and kept his shoes as they were. Then Dit elbowed Nim, who didn’t look up but did make a sound of protest. “Pinky, why are you elbowing me?” she grumbled.

“Because, we’re going out,” he said, prodding her again. “So set down that beer and call a taxi. The kids are out, you made plans, let’s get going.”

She blinked when she saw that he’d changed his clothes. “How did you- right, never mind, you’re a Ditto, I forgot that you can do that. Kind of late for the club…but the plan was to go see a movie after dinner and a bit of dancing. I still have the tickets.”

“Movie then, we already ate dinner,” Dit told the woman.

Nim smiled when he got up, offering her a hand. The Pokémon trainer easily helped her to her own feet, even with the heels. Dit then shook his head when she reached for her cane. Instead, he offered her his elbow. There was no need for that tonight, he was going to spoil his friend like her date should have.

“This is nice,” she told him as she leaned on him a bit. “Thank you, Dit.”

“So, what movie are we heading out to see?” he asked curiously.

“A midnight showing of an old classic,” she said. “It’s a silly monster movie, and I’m not even sure there will be many people. It was supposed to be…y’know…the sort of fun movie where you can laugh and whisper to the person beside you. Maybe even kiss a bit if your date is feeling naughty.”

Dit grinned. “And you’re still going to have some fun, lady,” the trainer promised. “We’re going to have a good time.”

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

The movie was as ridiculous as he thought it would be, and the theater was as dead as Nim had expected it to be. But it was nice to share popcorn and point out the obvious plot holes in the film. Dit hadn’t even known this old theater showed films like this late at night on the weekends.

When the ending credits rolled, he glanced over at Nim. She was relaxed and clearly having a great time with him. “This was fun,” he told her with a grin.

“It was, thanks for coming with me,” she replied. “Oof…how is it already two in the morning?”

Dit made sure that she got home alright, and was pleasantly surprised when Nim invited him to stay. The guest bedroom wasn’t made up, though, so she offered the Pokémon trainer her own room. “I’ll sleep on the couch,” she said with a shrug when he asked where she was planning on spending the night.

He gently caught her hand when Nim went to leave. “Hey, you should sleep in your own bed.”

Nim wrapped her fingers around his when he went to leave the room instead. “C’mon, it’s big enough for two if you don’t mind,” the woman told him with a smile.

The Ditto chuckled when Nim left to get changed into her pajamas. His was easier- he just shifted his clothes to a shirt and a pair of sweatpants. When Nim got back with extra pillows, dressed in her comfortable flannel pajamas, she found he’d already pulled the blankets back and closed the curtains so that the sun wouldn’t bother them in the morning.

“We are sleeping in a bit, lady, I know your Pokémon have everything they need to manage breakfast just fine,” he told her before sitting on the edge of the bed.

When Nim laid down, Dit tucked the blankets over both of them. He rubbed her shoulders and smiled when the human visibly relaxed. Dit scootched closer to use both hands, making Nim sigh. “Oooh that’s nice,” she told him. “Got shoulders as hard as a Graveler’s, lady, you need to take more time for yourself,” he teased.

“My bad,” Nim said sheepishly. He stopped after a few moments, rolling over so that his back was facing hers. “Sleep well, Nim. You definitely need it.”

“You too, Dit,” she murmured sleepily.

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

The Pokémon trainer woke up the next morning to find that he was the big spoon, one arm draped over the waist of the other warm body in the bed. His hand had found her chest in the night, cradling the woman in bed with him close against his own body. Pleasant curves were pressed alongside him, even if they were clothed. And he definitely liked where his hand was at the moment. He made a soft sound before nuzzling his face into the hair tucked beneath his chin. It smelled good.

Then he paused when he realized it was the tropical perfume she wore, mingled with the coconut shampoo that Nim liked so much. Dit understood very quickly what an awkward position he was in. Right, the Ditto had been beside his friend the night before, they fell asleep in the same bed. Now he was awake with his hand groping the tattooed trainer in a very inappropriate place. Nim had made it clear many times they were just friends. Did he pretend not to be awake, or did he dare try to move away without waking her up?

Nim made a soft, sleepy sound. “You awake?” she asked, moving one hand to cover his before he could try to get away.

Busted. He nodded, surprised at the tenderness of her gesture. It seemed someone had liked him getting handsy in his sleep. Dit paused only a moment before giving her breast a light squeeze, nuzzling his face into her hair again with a soft sound. Nim didn’t smack him away or protest. If anything, she snuggled a bit closer to his body. It felt like her hand over his was encouragement instead of to stop him.

“When was the last time anyone did this for you?” he asked softly, his other hand sliding under her side to wrap around her stomach. He was holding the woman close to him, still lightly massaging her chest since Nim wasn’t complaining or asking him to stop.

“Held me close first thing in the morning, treating me like I was someone precious and sexy?” Nim said with a snort. “Oh hell, it’s been a while, Dit.”

He made a sound of annoyance for her sake before letting his hand stray down. Nim arched against him when the Ditto’s fingers reached between her legs, gasping a bit. “Hmm! Hey, whoa,” she said with a shaky laugh.

“Want me to stop?” Dit whispered in her ear. “I would if you want me to. I respect you, and I respect your decisions for your body. But when was the last time someone made you feel special? Feel desired? When were you last treated like a queen?”

“It’s been years,” she confessed, still pressed against him as he used his fingers to rub her crotch through the fabric of her clothes. “Ah! Ohhh that’s nice…hmm…don’t stop?”

Dit placed a gentle kiss behind her ear before letting his hands and mouth wander. He soon had Nim purring and wriggling against him, clearly aroused. She made a plaintive sound when he got up to make sure the door was locked. Then he slipped back under the covers with her, smiling at the woman. “Don’t worry, I’m not getting out of this bed again until you’ve gotten your fill of attention or noon, whatever comes last. So what do you like, hmm?” he asked as one hand found its way under her shirt.

“That,” Nim agreed with a sigh, arching into his hand. “Definitely that.”

The Pokémon trainer chuckled as he undid the buttons of her flannel pajama top with his other hand. “How does such a great lady go so long without having some fun?”

“A trust thing, I suppose,” Nim replied as he regarded her exposed curves beneath his spread fingers. “I just…haven’t really found anybody. It’s weird to think of having sex with someone who doesn’t know whole parts of your life. Then after the accident…finding someone willing to be careful of a disabled partner during fun stuff.”

Dit smiled at her when she paused. He could tell what was on her mind as he gently lifted her left leg up to his hip, leaving her less flexible right leg lying flat on the bed still. It was an intimate position that pressed them together in all the right places without putting stress on her, and he shifted out of his clothes as he spoke. “I’m nothing if not gentle, unless you want rougher,” he purred as he leaned down to give her a kiss on the lips.

Nim made a startled sound before leaning into it. She even wrapped her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his thick hair. When his mouth moved from hers down to her throat and the sensitive crook of her neck, just above her shoulder, the woman pressed against him with a needy whine. Dit grinned when she felt just how much he was enjoying the moment, Nim giggling like a teenager. “Happy to see me?” she asked playfully.

“Very,” he agreed, sliding one hand down to her waistband before slipping his fingers under it, easing the fabric down. “I’d love to see more of you.”

The Ditto had gotten her out of her pants and was using his fingers when Nim flinched slightly, sitting up a bit. “What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly, moving his hand back.

“A reminder of why I pretty much gave up on sex with others,” she said quietly.

“Talk to me, what’s up? Got problems down there, too?” Dit prompted as he sat beside her, cradling Nim on his lap. He genuinely wanted her to have a good time, he could tell his friend needed it. And he himself was also really getting into the idea of having some fun with her.

Nim nodded, explaining. She had several health problems even before being hit by a car- and one of them was an issue where she’d clench up painfully if she wasn’t extremely ready. The woman had partners leave in frustration because they didn’t have the patience for what some people dismissed as a fake issue entirely.

Dit thought it over for a moment before grinning. Well, she had a lot stacked against her, but that wasn’t a bad thing at all. The Ditto knew what he was doing and was genuinely interested in showing her how nice things could be. “I can be patient with you,” he reassured her, gently fondling the woman’s breasts and kissing her neck. “More foreplay is not a bad thing.”

The Pokémon knew what he was doing. He’d been told many times before that he was great in bed- as he should be, all things considered. Dit started with one finger, slowly and carefully prepping the woman with lube from her bedstand to make sure it didn’t hurt. His other hand was at her breasts and stomach, focusing the sensitive areas he had seen were good for her. Nim was all gasps and moans, tense against him as he focused on her pleasure. The Ditto loved hearing how she groaned his name. Seeing her toes curl in delight and knowing that was all because of him was nice, too.

When Nim was good and ready, he shifted their positions so that she was laying on the bed, her head and shoulders propped up with pillows. Dit used one other trick to make sure he didn’t hurt her- he was a Ditto masquerading as a human, he could change anything about himself. Normally folks wanted bigger, but in this instance, he started smaller as he slid between her thighs. They could work their way up to what was most comfortable for the woman. Nim whimpered his name as he pressed himself within her, nails scratching at his back. He was going to have some lovely reminders of this later.

“Is that good?” he whispered in her ear. “Still doing alright?”

She nodded, nuzzling his neck. “Very,” Nim murmured.

Patience was a virtue, and when it came to good sex, Dit had it. He was more than happy to go slow with Nim, being everything she needed. It amused him to see that she definitely liked a very decent size when it was done right and didn’t cause her pain. The Ditto was sensitive to where her body usually hurt, taking care not to put pressure on her right leg or move it in a way that would cause her distress. There were plenty of positions to try that didn’t need her to use that leg much. He was having fun with this go-slow method, too, it felt good. There was time to enjoy things as he made his friend shout his name. He liked being in charge in the bedroom, and Nim had definitely given control of the situation over to the Ditto when he proved he could be the lover she needed.

It was quite honestly a very good time indeed. Dit made certain that they both got what they needed, Nim coming before he did, before happily cuddling with her in the afterglow. The fun stuff didn’t stop just because they’d both gotten good sex- snuggling together afterward was almost as good as the main event. He drew a little scrolling symbol on her stomach below her chest as they nestled together in the rumpled sheets. Both of them were sweaty, tired, but very satisfied.

“Bloody hell,” Nim said with a chuckle. “That was…wow.”

Dit kissed her neck, smiling as he spoke against her skin. “Told you it’d be fun, Nim.”

She giggled, wriggling down further under the blankets with him. “You definitely did,” the human agreed. “I don’t think I’ve ever had sex that good. Did you enjoy that, too?” He nodded before peppering her shoulders with kisses. “I had fun, Nim, that was good.”

Nim made a happy little sound at that. Dit snuggled his face into her hair and exhaled deeply. The two of them soon were sound asleep once more, exhausted from such an intense romp together.

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

When Dit woke up again because Nim was stirring beside him, he saw that there was a tray with fast food bags and several bottled sodas on it. There was food he liked as well as things he knew Nim enjoyed. His best guess was that Lewis had been well aware of their activities, ordered food, and let himself into the room just long enough to drop it off before locking the door behind him again. Lots of protein and sugar, just what the two of them needed.

“How do you feel about lunch and round two?” the Ditto asked with a grin as he brought the tray over to the bed.

Nim sat up, her hair mussed and a big smile on her face. “How could I say no to that?” she asked playfully.

He grinned as he sat beside her once more. It was a bit odd to think that he and Nim had gotten so caught up in the moment like that. But at the same time…Dit liked it. The Pokémon had fun with his human body, while Nim had been in sore need of something good. “Where do we stand, lady?” he asked as he fondly brushed some of her hair away from her face.

The woman paused as she unwrapped her lunch. “You know, I was wondering the same thing,” she said softly. “Where are we at? I adore you, you’re an amazing friend, and what we did together was fantastic. But is dating really a thing either of us does seriously? And I wouldn’t call what we have love, not in a dating relationship sort of way. Not like…with the intent to marry.”

“Friends with benefits,” Dit offered, gesturing with his burger. “Our usual friendliness and stuff, but when you need some attention and we’re both in the mood…”

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Nim chuckled. She tilted her head and smiled fondly back at him. “You know? That’s not a bad idea at all, Pinky.”

The Ditto gave her a light kiss. “Less talking, more eating lunch.”

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

Round two had been just as much fun, though not nearly as intense. Afterwards they had cuddled together under the showerhead in the warm water. Dit liked the aftercare of washing with a partner. Both he and Nim were handsy under the pretense of soaping up, taking the time to explore the other’s body. The Ditto took note of every scar his hands found, his fingertips tracing them. Nim had a veritable constellation of healed wounds on her soft curves.

“That tickles,” she told him.

He wrapped both arms around the woman, drawing her close. “Be careful, alright?” Dit asked her softly.

Nim nodded as she leaned on him trustingly. The Ditto found it was so easy to kiss and let his hands roam even in the shower when she so willingly put herself in his arms. The tattooed woman made such lovely sounds when she was touched. Both were easily distracted when he started to show more interest than just light petting.

The water was almost cold by the time they were satisfied and had cleaned up again.

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

Dit smiled as they snuggled on the sofa for a movie after taking care of both their Pokémon teams. Nim leaned against him, while he had his arm around her shoulders. Lucas looked mildly unnerved at the change in their behavior. The Lucario was an empath and had been able to tell that something was going on when Lewis insisted he stay outside in the barn until Nim came to get them. Nim hadn’t felt distressed, though he could tell that there was a lot of emotion, so he had listened to the Haunter.

But now he had a good idea of what had been going on in that bedroom.

It became all the more apparent as the two trainers playfully fed each other popcorn and Dit leaned in to give Nim a kiss on the cheek. Lucas gave them a horrified look before turning to Lewis. What on earth had happened? Last he remembered, his mother had been getting ready for a date, been stood up, and had gone to the theater with Dit instead. That surely hadn’t become a genuine date?

“Relax, we’re still just friends,” Dit told Lucas when he realized that the Lucario had been staring. “…with benefits. Lots of benefits. Very nice benefits.”

Nim playfully smacked his stomach with her arm. “Dit!” she protested with a giggle.

“You have very nice benefits,” he told her with a grin.

She snorted with laughter at that as she leaned against his shoulder. The Ditto hadn’t realized just how much she needed positive interaction and good things like sensual touch. Lately, aside from her team and family, everyone had been trying to hurt her when it was contact. Well, aside from when he would do little things, like holding Nim’s hand for a few moments or getting cuddly when he was on pokénip.

That had to have been building up. A good tumble in the sheets had been exactly the sort of positive outlet the other Pokémon trainer had needed. Dit was perfectly fine with being the one to give it to her. She was a good friend and really fun in bed when her partner was aware of her problems. It had been a good time, getting creative.

Lucas just stared, not sure what to make of it. But even he could tell that Nim was in a much better mood. It was just weird to think that Nim and Dit had done…<i>that</i>…with each other. Lewis elbowed him lightly before gesturing that he should watch the movie instead of worrying about their friend and trainer. Nim was a big girl, she knew what choices to make for herself. And the Haunter got the feeling this one had actually been a very good decision, unlike constantly throwing herself in harm’s way.

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

Dit had come over for dinner and a good time when the male Mewtwo, who Nim and the others called MT, arrived in his preferred illusion of humanity. The big Pokémon looked perplexed at how bubbly and happy the tattooed trainer was as she worked in the kitchen. “What did you do?” he asked the Ditto slowly.

He grinned. “She’s doing better, isn’t that enough? Trust me, you probably don’t want to know more than that.”

MT raised one brow. He was about to ask just what the other Pokémon meant when Nim poked her head through the kitchen doorway. “Hey, dinner is almost ready- oh, hi, MT. How are you?”

“Good, you seem to be in high spirits,” he said after a moment.

“It’s a good day,” Nim agreed with a smile. “Here for a sparring match to clear your head a bit?”

He nodded, still looking very confused by the situation. Dit waited until he thought the Mewtwo was in the downstairs training room to catch Nim by the hips, pulling her close to him when she laughed. “And I’ll help you de-stress again later,” he promised, giving her rear a light smack. “Go take care of your friend.”

Nim made a delighted sound at that, perking up. She was about to respond when she realized that MT had come back upstairs for something and seen Dit flirt with her. The big Mewtwo had a very confused and semi-horrified look on his face when he realized what he had just witnessed.

“Are you two-” he started to ask.

“MT, you probably don’t want to know,” Nim said with an amused smile. “I’ll meet you downstairs, ok?”

The Mewtwo glanced at her, obviously having a mental conversation with Nim which Dit was not part of. The woman chuckled after a few moments and rolled her eyes, making a shooing gesture. MT gave Dit a little glare before going downstairs. Now he had a new string of concerns regarding the Ditto that he’d never thought would cross his mind.

“What was that about?” Dit asked Nim.

“Wanting to know if you were a gentleman and listened, yada yada,” Nim explained. “Protective family questions.”

“He’d gut me if I wasn’t,” the Pokémon trainer mused. “Not to mention anyone on your team, particularly Lewis.”

Nim made an amused sound as she gave him a kiss to the cheek. “You’re not wrong. See you in a bit, let me know when the timer goes off?”

He nodded, humming as he kept an eye on everything in the oven. The fixings were there for a lovely dinner- fries and a pan of berry bars in the oven, burger patties in the fridge to be cooked on the stove, and a really nice salad to go with everything. Nim had even gotten vanilla ice cream to make sundaes out of the berry bars.

...with pokénip, he could smell it from the baking treats already. Very naughty cuddles after dinner it was.

When Nim was done training with MT and working him through what was on his mind, she came back upstairs and sat down at the table with a tired sigh. “Lots of team family stuff?” Dit asked with a chuckle.

“Yup,” she agreed.

He waited until MT was gone to rub her shoulders, nuzzling her hair affectionately. “You didn’t tell me you put pokénip in the berry bars,” the Ditto said with a grin. “Naughty.”

“I know you like the stuff,” Nim replied, chuckling.

“I do, and you’re just going to have to sit and be cuddled until dinner is done because of it,” Dit told her.

The woman laughed out loud as Dit promptly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the back of her hair. “You know, Dit, I never took you for a flirty romantic.”

“I can be,” he purred.

“Get a room!” Lewis teased as he came through the wall. “Eeeew.” “No, that’s after dinner,” Dit managed to say with a straight face.

To be fair, they actually just ended up cuddling in Nim’s bed after dinner. Both of them were too relaxed and full from such a good meal to be properly horny. Kisses, snuggling, and back rubs was good enough to help them both wind down and fall asleep.

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

“So let me get this straight,” Lewis said. “Friends with benefits, but only when you guys both really could use it. Some days there’s not even any hugs or hand holding?”

“Yep,” Dit agreed as he ate his lunch.

The Haunter tilted his head, mulling it over. “That actually makes sense. Honestly, I’m surprised Nim didn’t go for it sooner, she really has had terrible luck with dating.”

“We didn’t exactly have many opportunities to end up sleeping in the same bed together for me to get unintentionally handsy,” the Ditto reminded Lewis. “Was not even my plan, I just like warm bodies and went for the nearest one in my sleep.”

Lewis lightly poked Dit in the shoulder. “Well, I never would have seen this one coming, but you know what? Nim is doing a helluva lot better. So…thanks. Whatever you’re doing, it’s appreciated.” “Human bodies are fun. Like others, people need affection. They’re not usually wired to be alone. Having a bunch of failed dates who didn’t understand her had to be hard,” Dit said. “And don’t get me started on how toys just don’t cut it. They’re fun, yeah, but it’s not the same as the warmth of a person who is enjoying what you’re doing together.”

“Makes sense,” Lewis said. “Just gotta remind ya, hurt her and I’ll gut ya, yada yada yada. Friend stuff.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less,” Dit reassured him.

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

Dit made an amused sound as he cuddled with his friend in the grass. They’d had a Pokémon battle under the stars, then found a quieter, more secluded place to enjoy the adrenaline rush of a good fight. He had one arm acting as a pillow for her head, allowing him to stroke her hair as well, and his other hand was just lightly running along her body.

“Did not expect we’d ever end up having fun like this when we met,” he said slowly. “But also not complaining.”

She giggled, and was about to say something when they heard voices. “I’m telling you, I saw a major Pokémon battle this way,” the first voice said.

“It had better be worth the trek out here,” the second replied.

Nim made a frustrated sound. “Team Rocket goons, you think?” she asked Dit. “Probably,” he grumbled, shifting into clothes as he rose to his feet.

The woman groaned, then frantically dove for her clothes when she heard the footsteps nearby. “Crap, I am not having a Pokémon battle starkers!” she muttered.

Dit snickered at that as Nim hid in a nearby bush to get dressed. “Cute, lady,” he called out to her before squaring off against the pair from Team Rocket.

Nim had managed to get shoddily dressed, joining him a few moments later. She then managed to distract one with her use of Aura as a weapon, allowing Dit to easily dispatch the other. When he realized that his partner had been killed, the second goon tried to run. But the Ditto was not having that. He easily killed the other of the duo, standing with his legs spread in an aggressive stance as blood dripped from his clawed hands. Then he tilted his head and gave Nim the grin that so many found disconcerting.

“Now, where were we?” he asked as he reached for her. The woman snorted, skipping back. “Eeew! Dit, you are not getting cuddles until you wash up, no blood cuddles for you.”

“Awww, am I not handsome?” he asked as he raised one bloody hand to his cheek, reaching out to her with his claws.

That made the trainer roll her eyes. “Dit, seriously, gross! No bloody sex.”

“No more sex?” he asked in mock horror.

“Not what I meant and you know it,” Nim told him, hands on her hips.

He smirked, giving her the once-over. She looked good with her shirt mostly un-buttoned and her pants barely on her hips. The Ditto then gave a fake sigh. “If you insist,” he said with a pout.

“I do, no blood,” she said firmly.

The Pokémon trainer chuckled and shrugged. “Come on, let’s clean up this mess. But I expect more cuddles later, lady.”

Nim gave him a smile at that. “Good, because I was enjoying cuddling under the stars. Eeew, this is a mess, alright. You must have hit a few main arteries here, my friend.”

Dit grinned, sneaking a playful kiss to her cheek when Nim turned away. She squeaked, then rolled her eyes. “Dit!” Nim protested. “How can you be horny after that?”

“Pretty easily,” he mused as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Gets the blood pumping and all.”

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

Nim and Dit squared off against each other, each holding a pokéball. It was to be a one-on-one stress relief match. They needed a good fight every once in a while as much as a romp in the sheets. The Ditto respected Nim as a trainer, loving the challenge she proved to be. Win or lose, it was always a fantastic fight.

“You ready for this?” he asked with a smirk.

“Bring it, Pinky,” the woman replied with a determined grin of her own.

The Ditto had never imagined when they first met that they’d become friends. He certainly would never have expected how their relationship had changed. But it was good. Neither of them expected anything of the other, just the friendship they had made. The sex was nice, but Nim never judged that he had other partners or expected him to be monogamous, just as he didn’t expect it from her. It was just nice to burn off some tension in a way aside from a Pokémon battle.

…not that he wasn’t looking forward to a good fight.

“I don’t think you’re ready,” Dit teased. “Prove it, lady.”

Nim chuckled. “Oh, you asked for it.”

Considering Dit had tried to kill her several times in the early days of their relationship, things were pretty good now. And Nim offered as much a challenge as she always did. They might have been having fun in bed, but neither was about to go easy on the other when it came to a good Pokémon battle.

Just the way he liked it.

[nerdypinupcrystal]

Every Breath You Take Chapter 9: Girls Night

I’m BAAAAACK! I’m so sorry for taking forever to update, guys. I had so much going on; school and work back to back, I seriously get no days off! My aunt was in the hospital for a month, but she’s okay now. And I was also hit with the dreaded writers block.  But I’m finally here with a new chapter, it’s a fun lengthy one, I hope you guys enjoy it!

Masterlist

Chapter 9: Girls Night

After our talk in Matt’s apartment, he walked me back to my place to rest, obviously noticing how drained the talk left me. With one more lingering, spine tingling kiss, he walked back to his apartment with the promise to see me later. 

I called Lucy to invite her to have a  sleepover with me. This day of honesty has encouraged me to want to open up to my new “best friend” as Lucy fondly titled herself. 

I slept the day away until a knock on the door woke me up. I reached for my phone to check the time. My eyes widened with disbelief at reading the large bright numbers on the screen. 6:15 PM 

Holy shit that talk really did drain me!

The knocking continued until I heard a familiar voice through the door. 

“Iris, open up! The strippers are getting restless!” Lucy yelled impatiently. 

I let out a snort of laughter as I made my way towards the door, opening it to reveal my quirky best friend wearing a yellow dress and carrying a green stuffed animal with little tentacles in its face. 

“Good evening, Miss. Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Cthulhu?” Lucy asked, sounding every bit like a missionary. 

“I was under the impression you brought strippers with you.” I replied, arching one brow up as I patiently waited for her response. 

“They got impatient and went back to Chippendales. Now you get Cthulhu.” She responded as she thrust the green stuffed Cthulhu doll into my hands. “He like praises, occasional human sacrifices, and cuddles.”

I giggled as I held the stuffed monster like a baby. “Thank you, I’ll do my best.” I opened the door wider for her, “You may enter if you dare.”

“Thank you, kind gentlewoman.” Lucy replied with a curtsy. She stepped inside carrying a medium sized overnight bag on her shoulder, but surprised me with the tall pink train case she rolled in behind her. 

“Please don’t tell me you have luggage for Cthulhu.” I pleaded, my brows furrowed in slight worry. 

Lucy was quick to respond. “Nope! I came prepared with some essentials.”

She unlocked each compartment of the large case and proceeded to open and separate the case. Each compartment, to my amazement, revealed an assortment of pastries and desserts from the bakery. The top compartment had a protective container filled with a variety of cupcakes; the second compartment held a wide selection of French macarons, truffles,and fruit tarts; and the third compartment held various cronuts, puff pastry treats, and dulce de leche cookies. 

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head at all the sweets. “Holy shit, Luce! There’s no way we’re gonna finish all of this tonight!”

“Oh don’t be silly!” She replied as she started handing me the desserts to put in the fridge. “Some of this can be our breakfast too. Maybe you can even take some over to Matt.” Lucy wiggled her eyebrows at me with a smirk. 

I blushed at the thought of Matt, my lips still tingling from our kiss this morning. 

“And besides,” Lucy continued, interrupting my thoughts. “You haven’t seen the best part. Guaranteed to hype up that appetite.”

With that, she opened the bottom largest compartment. Revealing six bottles of Stella Rosa wine. 

“Three for you, three for me!” Lucy exclaimed in excitement as she pulled out the bottles and set them on the counter. 

“Holy shit.” I said, too speechless to say anything else. But then I realized to my dismay, “I don’t have a corkscrew.” 

Lucy, being the ultimate problem solver replied. “No worries, I have one on my keychain.” She held up said keychain in all its pink bedazzled glory. 

“Always prepared.” I spoke with admiration. 

“Never know when you’re gonna need it. My sister and I learned that in Girl Scouts.” Lucy replied as she uncorked one of the bottles. 

My eyebrows raised in surprise, “They taught you about corkscrews?”

“My mom was our scout leader, she insisted. But enough about that,” She thrust the open bottle to my hands as she opened a second bottle. “Let’s drink.”

“Shouldn’t we get some wine glasses?” I asked perplexed. 

Lucy scoffed. “Sweetie, please. We’re ladies. We drink straight from the bottle.” I let out a laugh as I put the rest of the bottles in the fridge to chill. “Now let’s sit down, drink up, and talk about what’s going on with you.”

We got to the couch, I took a healthy gulp of the wine and told her everything. 

She took it pretty well. 

“I’m gonna fuckin kill him.” Lucy growled as we both wiped our tears. “I’m gonna fly out to Miami, and kill him to death!”

I let out a snort of laughter. “How do you kill someone to death?”

“Oh there are ways.” Lucy was quick to reply. “I can get quite creative when the inspiration hits me.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second,” I chuckled. “But I just got away from him and I hate the idea of you being in the same room as him. What he did to me was horrible enough. The thought of him doing anything to you or anyone else I care about terrifies me.” I felt a chill of fear go up my spine just saying it. 

Lucy frowned in sympathy and pulled me into a comforting embrace. “Hey now, get that thought out of your mind. He’s thousands of miles away back in Miami. We’re in New York. You changed your look, it’s a huge city, and he thinks you’re dead. And most importantly, you’re not alone anymore. You have me, and two adorable kick ass lawyers that will fight for you. Especially Matt.” Lucy finished with a wink. 

My cheeks reddened at the thought of my sweet, gorgeous neighbor. “That’s a pretty valid point.”

“Does he know?” Lucy asked. 

I nodded. “Yeah, I told him this morning before I called you.”

“How did he take it?”

I hesitated before I answered. “Better than I thought. At first, though, he was silent. I guess he was processing everything, but I was so sure he hated me.” Lucy looked confused before I elaborated. “For lying. For running away from my problems like a coward.”

“Oh sweetie, you’re not a coward!” Lucy exclaimed, her eyes meeting mine. “You were being abused, you were alone and scared! You said yourself that cops couldn’t help you. It would’ve gotten even worse the longer you stayed. You did what you had to do, and on top of that, you snuck out to move your mom and faked her death to protect her even though you knew that you were gonna get hurt for disappearing like that. That took a lot of guts, you must know that by now.”

I nodded shakily, fighting the tears threatening to shed. “I do now. Matt said as much himself.”

Lucy’s face brightened. “See? That man is as smart as he is gorgeous...”

“And kissable.” I muttered as I took a sip of my wine. 

Lucy continued, “Just like my Foggy- time the fuck out!” 

My eyes widened at the sudden outburst. “What?”

“You kissed Matt?!” She asked excitedly. 

“Oh, yeah, I did.” I replied with a timid smile, my cheeks flushing into a rosy pink. 

Lucy could barely contain her composure, her hands were flailing and her body jumping from excitement. She shot up off the couch and rushed to the fridge, returning with the container of cupcakes before going back to the fridge to grab two more bottles of wine. She gingerly sat back on the couch, her legs folded like a kid eager for story time. 

“Okay, I’m ready! Tell me everything.” She begged with glee. 

Exasperated, I shook my head and replied. “Luce, there isn’t that much to tell. It wasn’t hot and heavy, it was sweet and tender during a vulnerable moment.” 

“You say there isn’t much to tell, but I don’t care. Tell me about it anyway!” Lucy exclaimed impatiently. “Finish your first bottle and we can share all the dirty fantasies about our guys.” Her eyebrows wiggled suggestively as she nudged my open bottle towards me. 

“Luce!” I laughed out. “I don’t really talk about this kind of stuff.”

“Oh you will,” Lucy stated. “Now sip sip.”

30 minutes, one and a half bottles of wine later….

“Matt’s so fuckin beautiful, it’s unfair!” I cried out dramatically, fully feeling the effects of the sweet wine. Lucy giggling like a drunk hyena as I continued. 

“Like, he’s so sweet and precious with that smile made of sunshine, but he’s also sexy as fuck with that body- oh God, that body! I’ve bumped into him like a billion times, he even caught me in his arms once, and sweet baby Jesus that man is pure muscle! I wanna play with it like a jungle gym. Like every time I look at him...I feel it in my bones,” My eyes welled up with drunk tears, “I know his dick is big, I know it! I know it’s big! Oh God, my heart hurts!” 

I was full on sobbing as I bit into my fifth or tenth cupcake. 

Lucy was no better off than I was. She was on the brink of tears as she hugged me sympathetically. “My poor, sweet, thirsty flower child needs to get Murdocked so bad.”

“I really do!” I replied as I wiped my tears. “I’ve never had an orgasm and I really really wanna know what one feels like before I die of old age or something.”

“You what?!” Lucy exclaimed with and inhuman sounding gasp of breath. “How have you never had an orgasm?!”

I rolled my eyes and took a huge gulp of wine. “I was a virgin when I met Paul. He insisted we wait until after the wedding to make it more ‘special’. And the whole time during our honeymoon, it was uncomfortable and kinda hurt like hell, but he was a little gentle with me.” My mood began to dampen as I went on, “When he showed his true colors, he stopped being gentle. He took what he wanted and I just laid there and let him. It was better if I didn’t fight.”

I took another gulp of wine as Lucy processed everything. “Could he be any more of an asshole?!” She yelled in disgust. “If he has to be so controlling that he doesn’t care whether or not you cum, then he’s probably shit in bed anyway.” 

I nodded in agreement, “That actually makes so much sense. He’s…..” I hesitated for a second. 

Come on, girl. Say what you want about him. He’s not here to stop you. 

I stood up on the couch, holding my bottle up high and proudly cried out, “Paul Burney is a fuckin asshole! I hate him with every inch of my body, and I deserve a better man that will give me all the love and orgasms I want!”

“Fuckin A, babydoll!” Lucy cheered as she clumsily stood up on the couch alongside me, holding her own bottle up high as she pledged, “Love and orgasms for us! A lifetime of STDs and...um...unlubed anal for Paul!”

I laughed so hard, I couldn’t control the sudden spray of wine from my mouth. I collapsed onto the couch, struggling to breathe through my drunken laughter. 

“What the fuck?” I managed to ask. 

Lucy hopped off the couch to sit back down. “It’ll be my birthday present to you.”

“My birthday isn’t until October.” I replied. 

Lucy’s eyes widened in excitement. “Ooh only two months away then! What day? I wanna start planning now.”

I snorted in amusement as I replied. “The 31st. “

Lucy looked almost ready to have a heart attack. “NO WAY!!! Your birthday is on Halloween?!” She waved her hands ecstatically. “Halloween is my Christmas! And you get to have it for your birthday! That’s so cool!! It must’ve been so fun celebrating it.”

My smile dimmed. “It was when I was with my mom. When I got married, I didn’t get to celebrate either holiday anymore. Paul doesn’t like celebrating holidays, especially Halloween. He finds them childish.” 

I looked down at my feet in shame, hating myself for letting him control me for so long. Lucy’s smile dropped; her face turned red, either from anger or the wine, or possibly both. She shook her head in disgust, relaxing her face back into a smile. 

“Well he’s not here, and this is a new start for you, right?” I nodded for her to continue. “So it’s decided. I’m throwing you the spookiest, most epic Halloween birthday party ever! Costumes, Halloween themed birthday cake, booze, candy, the works! What do you say, birthday ghoul?”

Lucy wasn’t prepared for me to pounce onto her into an attack hug, she let out a yelp as the impact caused us to fall off the couch and onto the floor. She giggled hysterically as I peppered her face with drunken kisses. 

“I take that as a yes?” She asked with excitement. 

“Can we make jack-o-lanterns?” I asked, my eyes widened with childlike glee. 

“Are you kidding? That’s gonna be the first thing we do, of course we can make them!” Lucy replied happily. “We’ll have a day at the pumpkin patch, ooh and I’m sure there’s a corn maze out there too. This is gonna be so much fun!” She clapped with excitement. 

I was too drunk to keep any ounce of composure, l squealed and kicked my feet in the air like I just didn’t care. Then a thought occurred to me. 

“Do you think Matt and Foggy would wanna join us? Would they even be into that sort of thing?” I asked, starting to feel a smidge of doubt. 

Lucy gave my hair a gentle tug. “If they’re as into us as I’m pretty positive they are, then they’ll totally wanna join in. You can find out when you see Matt tomorrow.” She replied with a wink. “Besides, you pretty much have to be a soulless asshole to not wanna celebrate Halloween- let alone someone’s birthday!”

“Well, that explains Paul.”

Lucy scoffed. “Fuck that dumpster fire of a human being with something hard and sandpapery.”

I let out a snort of laughter, “Oh Luce, you have such a way with words.”

Lucy grinned with pride. “It’s a talent. However speaking of assholes…” 

I caught her finger before it had the chance to poke at my bruised cheek. 

“Who’s the asshole that hurt your cheek? What the Hell happened? Tell me everything!”

My clouded brain didn’t understand what she was talking about, until a certain sexy vigilante in black pajamas flashed through my mind. 

“Oh my god, I totally forgot about that!” I exclaimed. “I had a crazy night last night.” 

“Well don’t leave me in suspense, Woman! What happened???” Lucy asked impatiently. 

I sat up before I started my tale of the night before. “So, I didn’t go home after seeing you. I needed to go somewhere to breathe. And while I was out, I made some new friends. Like this nurse who I ended up spilling my guts to about my situation, and she gave me a checkup. Her name’s Claire, very cool chick, she gets a free treat from the bakery, I can’t wait for you to meet her. Oh and I met this super cool group of musicians and jammed with them at Guitar Center, they’re my own band of gypsies, you’ll love them!” Focus, girl. “Anywho, I was walking home and it was dark. Then this dirty creepy guy dragged me down an alley. My dumb ass thought it was Paul, but nope, I was just being mugged. I tried to get away, but he threw me against the wall, which caused this,” I gestured to the bruised scrape in my cheek. “He started groping me and wanted to do other stuff to me,” I shivered at the memory. “But then, out of nowhere, this guy shows up, throws the mugger off me, and beats the mad shit out of him!”

“No way!” Lucy exclaimed as she sat up facing me. “Who was it?! Ooh was it one of the Avengers?”

I shrugged, “I don’t think so. Do any of the Avengers dress in head to toe black and fight like some kind of sexy acrobatic ninja?” 

Lucy let out a dramatic gasp. “Oh my god, you lucky bitch! You got rescued by Daredevil!”

“Who?” I asked, not familiar with the name. 

“Oh that’s right, you haven’t lived here long enough to be familiar with him. He’s our local vigilante, also known as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. He’s been around for about a year now, I think, trying to clean the streets of criminals and scumbags with some epic ass kicking from what I’ve heard. And you got rescued by him!” Lucy finished excitedly. 

I sat there in disbelief. I couldn’t believe that not only did someone care enough to save my life, but that it was by an apparently famous crime fighter. 

“What happened after that?” Lucy asked. “Did he talk to you? Or did he disappear mysteriously into the night?” She finished with a dramatic whisper. 

I blushed as I remembered how close and intimate my moment with the masked man felt. 

“He spoke to me…” I trailed off. 

“And????” Lucy asked impatiently. 

She wasn’t going to let it go until I told her, so I let out a sigh and continued. “He asked me if I was okay. He got really close to me, he touched my cheek…” I felt my heart race remembering his touch. “It felt so intimate. Like he really genuinely cared about me. Like he wanted to hold me, you know?” Lucy dreamily nodded as I continued. “He told me to go home and be safe. I thanked him, and then he was gone.”

Lucy sighed. “That sounds so romantic. Having your own superhero to keep you safe. What a dream!”

I couldn’t help but agree. “He certainly got my heart racing, that’s for sure.”

“I heard he has a killer body under those black pajamas.” Lucy pointed out. “How did it look? And most importantly, did you check out his ass?” She asked, causing me to almost choke on my wine. 

“Oh my god, Luce, warn a girl next time!” She simply shrugged. “And seriously? I was in danger. I saw him beat up that creep who wanted to hurt me!”

Lucy’s excitement deflated , “You’re right, I’m sorry-”

“Of course I checked out his ass!” I cut her off. “I’m not stupid! If my life was about to end, I needed something good to look at.”

Lucy let out an excited giggle. “And how was it?”

“Round and juicy, like a perfect peach. If I were to rate it, I’d give it two palms up.” I replied, holding my hands palm side up with a grabbing motion; causing Lucy and I to burst into hysterical laughter. 

“You’ll have to get a good grip on that peach the next time you see him.” Lucy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. 

I snorted, “Groping a vigilante? Oh yeah, I see that working out well. He’ll probably have me arrested!”

Lucy shrugged, “You know a couple hot lawyers that’ll defend you.”

Matt. 

The thought of him instantly sobered me up. 

“Fuck, how could I have forgotten about Matt? I shouldn’t be thinking these things about some masked stranger! What’s wrong with me?” I asked, frustrated with myself. 

Lucy seemed unfazed by my thoughts. “Don’t worry about that. He won’t mind.”

“What makes you say that?” I looked at her in slight confusion. 

Lucy’s eyes widened as she took a huge gulp of wine. She hesitated for a second before replying. “Maybe...he’s into kinky shit and would be open to a sexy three way. Then you really would be the luckiest bitch in the world!”

I just barely swallowed my wine before cracking up. “I don’t think Matt and I are at that stage of our relationship to talk about that kind of stuff yet. We haven’t even really talked about what we are yet. And besides, I doubt he’s into threesomes and stuff like that anyway.”

Don’t act like the thought didn’t cross your mind. I shrugged at my thoughts. 

“Hey, don’t rule it out,” Lucy insisted. “Just because he’s blind and catholic, doesn’t mean he’s not kinky as hell. In fact, he’s probably very adventurous indeed.” She finished with a wink. 

I rolled my eyes and replied, “I’ll keep that in mind, you weirdo.”

“Dancing!” Lucy exclaimed out of nowhere, immediately changing the subject. “We have to have dancing at your party! Ooh the Time Warp is a must, remind me that we seriously need to go out for a Rocky Horror night, by the way. Ooh we can do the rockabilly stroll! That’ll be a fun and easy dance to do.”

“What’s the rockabilly stroll?” I asked once Luce stopped to take a breath. 

She immediately jumped up and ran for her bag. She pulled out a portable speaker and her phone. A moment later, rockabilly music filled the air. Lucy grabbed my hands, yanking me to my feet. 

“You’re gonna learn today.” She declared before my new dance lessons began. 

The rest of the night was spent dancing, eating, drinking, and leaving all my troubles behind. 

Next Morning 

I woke up the next morning expecting a killer hangover despite Lucy making me take some aspirin and orange juice before passing out, but no such hangover occurred. I wanted to go back to sleep, sure, but thankfully there was no splitting headache from all that wine. 

The smell of coffee brewing prevented me from falling back asleep. I slowly started to rise up from the scattered pillows and tangled blanket on the...floor?

I guess we were too tired or too hammered to make it to the bed. 

“Rise and shine, Ginger!” Lucy called out from the kitchen. 

I forced myself up and clumsily stumbled towards the kitchen. Lucy stood at the counter wide awake and perked full of energy. 

“How are you so full of energy?” I groggily asked her. 

“High metabolism and an iron liver. I get that from my mama.” Lucy replied with a cheeky grin. “How do you take your coffee, my sleepy ginger snap?”

“Sweeter than Matt’s smile.” I replied dreamily, still half asleep. 

“What was that?” Lucy replied with a chuckle. 

“More cream and sugar than coffee.” I clarified, blushing at the realization of what I said. 

Lucy complied, handing me my fresh cup. “One sweet ass coffee for one thirsty ass lady.”

“Thanks, darling.” I replied, drinking the coffee. “So what time are we opening the bakery today?”

“Well I think we can get away with opening up shop a little later today. The boss is pretty lenient.” She winked. “So we can take our time getting more awake and ready for the day.”

“Sounds like a great plan.” I readily agreed. “I love my boss.”

“Love ya too, doll.” Lucy replied with a wink. “But first thing’s first.” She made her way to the fridge. “You’re gonna brush your teeth, get dressed, and take some goodies over to the handsome Mr. Murdock.”

“You don’t mind if I leave you behind for a few minutes?” I asked, not wanting to be rude to my friend. 

Lucy put that worry to rest. “Don’t worry about me. I might take advantage of your shower if you don’t mind?”

“Knock yourself out. I’m just gonna freshen up real quick.” I replied as I raced to my room to change and brush my teeth as well as my birds nest-looking hair. 

I was ready in no time; I rushed over to the kitchen where Lucy had just finished putting together a container full of pastries for me to take. 

Lucy looked at me knowingly. “Wow, someone is eager to get Murdocked.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, you perv.” I replied innocently as I reached for the container. “Thanks for putting this together, Luce. I think I’ll bring him some coffee too. I think he’ll appreciate that.”

“Aww that’s so sweet!” Lucy gushed. She grabbed her overnight bag and pulled out a small stack of to-go coffee cups and lids. “Here, take one of these. Last thing we need is a coffee accident.”

“Thanks, Mary Poppins. You seem to carry everything!” I exclaimed. 

Lucy scoffed. “Sweetie, Mary Poppins has nothing on me. Now go get your Murdock fix!” She started nudging me out the door. “I want details!” She finished with a slam of the door. 

I shook my head with a giggle as I walked over next door. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach as I raised my hand to knock on Matt’s door. 

The door opened after the first knock, revealing Matt, who was looking absolutely sinful in a black suit and tie. His beautiful eyes were already covered by those familiar red sunglasses. 

“Morning, Matt!” I greeted cheerfully, feeling more awake in his presence. 

“Good morning to you too, Iris.” He replied, flashing that gorgeous smile I love so much. “You sound better today.”

“I feel better today.” I replied, the memory of our kiss causing me to blush. 

Matt opened the door wider. “Would you like to come in? I have to leave soon, but I can definitely spare a few minutes for you.” He finished with a wink, causing my organs to bounce. 

I cleared my throat before I could get lost in my dirty thoughts. 

“Why thank you, don’t mind if I do.” I replied with a slight curtsy before entering the apartment. Matt smirked as if he could see my gesture. 

“How are you?” He asked as he closed the door, moving towards me. “I know yesterday had taken a lot out of you. Are you okay?”

He lifted his hand to my shoulder, giving me instant warmth at his thoughtfulness. 

“I am.” I replied with a smile. “For the first time in a long time, I really am.” I leaned up to kiss those sweet lips of his, which he eagerly and gently gave back in kind. “Thank you for listening. And for accepting me and the truth.”

Matt smiled as he caressed my cheek. “Anytime. Thank you for trusting me. I know it wasn’t easy.”

“It wasn’t.” I agreed. “But it feels better to not have to keep this to myself anymore.  I even called Lucy over to tell her.” 

I looked down at the goodies in my hands and remembered the initial reason I was there. 

“And speaking of which, she brought over practically half the treats from the bakery, and I thought you might like some for breakfast. You can maybe share some with Foggy if you want.” I gently nudged the container into his hands. 

Matt’s smile was priceless. “Thank you so much, Iris. That’s so thoughtful of you. Foggy will appreciate this for sure.” He then sniffed the air. “Is that coffee I smell?”

“Yup!” I replied, carefully placing the hot cup in his hands. “I thought you could use a pick-me-up.”

“Wow, thank you! You’re a goddess.” He sighed appreciatively as he smelled the coffee. 

I blushed at the comment, “It’s no problem. I don’t remember how you take your coffee, so I left it black.”

“I actually do take it black, so you did perfectly.” He praised. He took a sip, letting out a soft moan, giving me goosebumps. “Thank you so much, you saved me from having to make some myself.”

“Anytime.” I replied. “I’m happy to help.”

Matt smiled back; he was about to speak, but he was cut off by a robotic voice calling out “Foggy. Foggy. Foggy.”

Letting out a huff he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m sorry, Iris, can you give me just a second?” 

“Of course, go ahead.” I assured him as he answered the phone. 

“Hey, Foggy.” Matt greeted. 

I couldn’t hear what Foggy was saying, but from Matt’s expression, I would guess Foggy was getting impatient. 

“I know, I’m sorry I’m running late. I overslept.” He explained. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He tightened his grip on the container of pastries in his hand. He continued with a smirk, “And I’m even bringing breakfast. Courtesy of our favorite ladies.”

I felt my face flush even redder at the comment. Matt had to have known how he was affecting me, his smirk grew with a chuckle. Either at me or at what Foggy was saying, I have no idea. 

“Okay. I’ll be there soon.” He finished before hanging up. 

“I take it this is your cue to go?” I asked, already knowing the answer. 

Matt nodded apologetically. “Yeah.  I’d rather stay, to be honest, but we’re meeting a client today, and we have to prepare for that.”

I immediately felt guilty. “Oh god, Matt, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you late.”

Matt tilted my chin up to look at him. “Hey, don’t ever apologize for coming by. You’re a very welcome distraction.” 

Our noses touched oh so softly, only a breath between our lips. My heart pounded in my ears, I think even Matt could hear it. 

This man will be the death of me. But what a way to go. 

The logical part of me should back away before we get carried away. But the aroused part of me wanted to keep going. 

I gave in and eagerly pressed my lips against his, feeling lighter than air. I could feel Matt’s hand lightly grasp the back of my neck, his fingers combed through my hair as he held me closer to him. My hands clawed at his back, trying to get him even closer. 

I felt the tip of Matt’s tongue at the seam of my lips, begging for entry. I let out an eager gasp in response, I softly began to greet his tongue with mine….

“Foggy. Foggy. Foggy. Fog-”

Letting out a groan of frustration, Matt broke apart from our kiss and answered the phone while still holding me close to him. 

“What, Foggy?” Matt asked through clenched teeth. 

The deep growl sent thrilling chills up my spine. Why does it sound so familiar?

“I knew it!” Foggy yelled on the other end, which I could hear loud and clear this time. “Get your tongue out of Iris’s throat, and get your ass over here!”

Foggy hung up before Matt could even respond. 

We both let out a sigh of disappointment, Matt leaning his forehead against mine. 

“I guess you really have to go this time, huh?” I asked dejectedly. 

“I don’t want to, but he’ll hunt me down if I don’t.” He replied with a half hearted chuckle. “May I walk you back to your door?”

I giggled back, “Of course. Don’t forget the container. You’re gonna need those pastries to calm him down.”

Matt chuckled again, “You might be right about that. Though I think we’ll have to stop by the bakery so he can see Lucy in order for him to forgive me.” 

“That can be arranged.” I replied as we made our way out the door. 

He locked the door just as I noticed something was missing. “Oh Matt, you forgot your coffee.”

He turned to me with a smirk. “It’s okay. I already had my pick-me-up.”

Damn he’s smooth. 

“You’re incorrigible.” I responded, flushing as red as a tomato. 

“And you’re irresistible.” Matt replied with a wink as he held my hand. 

“And you’re running late.” I replied back, trying to control my racing heart. 

Our short walk ended as we stopped in front of my door, our hands still clasped together. 

“You’re right,” He said, sounding disappointed once again about leaving. “Thank you for stopping by. It really made my morning.”

I grinned. “Anytime.” Then I decided to continue my bold streak. “In fact, would you like to come over for dinner tonight? We could whip something up in the kitchen together, it’ll be fun.”

I felt unreasonably nervous waiting for his answer. 

You just soft core made out with the man in his apartment. I don’t think he’s gonna say “no”.

Matt smiled sweetly and replied, “I’d love to. What time should I come over?”

“How about 6:00?” I asked. Lucy won’t mind letting me off before then. 

“Perfect.” He replied. “Want me to bring anything?”

“Just yourself.” I said, not wanting to let go of his hand. “Are you craving for anything in particular?”

I know what I’m craving for. 

Matt smirked as if he heard my thoughts and replied, “How about we bake some dessert for dinner?” His calloused fingers lightly caressed my hand. “I’m suddenly craving for something sweet.”

I suddenly felt hot enough to break a sweat, and my rapidly beating heart certainly didn’t help.  Keep it together. 

“Okay,” Why did I sound so breathless? I cleared my throat before continuing. “I’ll think of something for us to make. I’ll see you tonight?”

“Looking forward to it.” He said as he leaned down to leave a soft, lingering kiss on my lips. “See you tonight.”

“Bye.” I whispered, biting my lip to try to hold back my bashful grin. 

I could faintly hear Lucy’s footsteps shuffling quickly away from the other side of the door. Matt had an amused grin on his face as he turned away and walked towards the elevator. 

I drifted through the doorway of my apartment like I was floating on a cloud. Even Lucy’s knowing smirk couldn’t distract me from the excitement tonight will surely bring. 

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

A/N: And that was chapter 9!!! I hope it was worth the wait and that you loved the bonding between Iris and Lucy. I love them so much! And Matt...*sigh* he makes my heart sing! I hope y’all liked it, please be sure to follow me, reblog and leave a comment telling me what you think. Your comments truly make my day! Well that’s all for now and I’ll do my best not to take forever on the next chapter. Until next time...*kiss noise*

@jobean12-blog @cametobuyplums @tomhollandeu @writeyourmindaway @annavega333 @lullabylike @persephone-of-tartaros @emilymarie0422 @andrasta14

#Every Breath You Take #Daredevil #daredevil fanfiction #Matt Murdock #matt murdock x iris #matt murdock x oc #matt murdock x reader #daredevil au

[eottoghe]

Little Boxes - Twelve

A Jeonghceol Domestic AU where they live in suburbia with their six year old son Chan. Jeonghan is an active member of the PTA, a soccer dad and chauffeur, and a supportive parent all around. His loving husband cares deeply for his passions and will follow him to the end of the world if it keeps him and his family happy. Follow their journey as they get caught up in fun and zany adventures when they fall outside of the guide lines of your average neighbor. Don’t really know where I’m going with this, but I want to see how many different domestic prompts I can get out of this AU before I run out of steam.

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

NOTE: This is long af. My bad

Jeonghan, swathed in plum tinted sheets, sinks deep into his fort of pillows. He makes himself comfortable while waiting for Seungcheol to finish getting ready for bed. His husband takes his time washing his face in the bathroom, making light conversation about his day. Jeonghan starts dosing off every few sentences, startling awake with a distant uh-huh when Seungcheol calls his name.

When the familiar dip in the bed catches his attention, it takes all his strength to pry his heavy eyelids back open. Firm arms enclose around his waist and allow their bodies to curve around each other in a comfortable cradle. Jeonghan breathes in his body wash and nuzzles his face into Seungcheol’s shoulder.

Chan had fallen asleep almost immediately after dinner being absolutely exhausted by the day. Jeonghan made a point not to butt in too much when Chan was explaining the story of his battle wounds to Seungcheol. He wanted to hear his side and didn’t want the story to become about himself. That conversation would come when they’d had time to themselves.

And now was the time.

Jeonghan is the first to move, propping himself back up on his mountain of pillows. Seungcheol gives him some distance by retreating to his side of the bed (yes, they had designated sides although Jeonghan ventured into his territory religiously). Jeonghan breathes in a sharp breath before releasing it in a long, measured sigh. Seungcheol takes that as his cue to prompt him into telling what was on his mind.

“I didn’t want to say it when Chan was in the room, but what happened earlier really bothered me.”

“You know it isn’t your fault—”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. That’s not what I’m talking about.” Jeonghan huffs, with a wave of his hand. It was like the scene was playing in front of him all over again and just the thought of it made his anger bubble up, tension building like a migraine growing from the base of his head. Not meaning to have snapped, Jeonghan reaches out to take Seungcheol’s warm hand in his. “I mean… Yes, I’m upset I wasn’t there to prevent it, but I’m also aware that these things happen and that I should give Chan some breathing room. But there was something else…”

“Something else?” His husband raises a skeptical brow.

“I’m not surprised Chan didn’t mention it. He probably didn’t even understand what was really going on.”

“Jeonghan, what are you talking about?” Seungcheol knows his husband is notorious for hyping up his own stories, dragging them on longer than necessary just for the anticipa-

 tion.

  “There was this guy…”

“Can you just tell me what happened?”

“Indulge me a little! It’s no fun if I just tell you.”

“It’s no fun if you don’t.” Laughing, Seungcheol squeezes his husband’s hand to encourage him to go on. “I’m sorry. I’m listening.” His broad smile never leaves.

“I was going to say… there was this guy. The child that pushed Chan? Her parent. Or guardian or whatever the hell he was.”

“What about him?”

“He was unapologetically rude and I wanted to shove him face first into the dirt.”

“Oh?”

“The worst part? I know this person… Sort of.”

“Oh??”

“I’ve met him before and it was not a good encounter. He was an asshole then and is one now and it’s just mind blowing that this type of human can survive in a world like this.” Jeonghan lets the frustration in him grow and grow, remembering every little detail of every single time he felt wronged by the other. Just him breathing irks him.

Seungcheol’s poor hand is being squeezed within an inch of its life, but he tries his best to be the attentive, caring husband Jeonghan needs him to be. Although no words come to him but…

“That’s sucks, babe.” He likes digging his own graves apparently.

“You can sound a little more enthused. It won’t kill you.”

“It just might.” Seungcheol plays dead, sticking his tongue out and rolling his eyes to the back of his head. He should have expected the painful jab to his stomach in response. Jeonghan lets go of his hand (thankfully) and lets his arms cross tightly over his chest instead. “You should have sent him flying. If you run into him again, give me a call and we can take him on together.” Seungcheol sits up languidly, latching his arms back around his husband, leaving tender kisses along his nape, jaw and forehead.

“I love you, asshole.” Jeonghan rolls his eyes but leans into the touch further. “If Chan wasn’t watching, he definitely would have gotten his ass kicked.”

“Sure, babe.”

They turn out the lights and drift to sleep.

 __

 “Hey bud! We’re gonna be late for school!” Seungcheol packs his son’s backpack, only slightly annoyed Chan hadn’t done it the night before like he asked.

They are off to a rocky start this morning. Jeonghan, the true driving force of early morning school duty, is gone already. He’s a freelance photographer (had gotten fed up for paying an arm and a leg for shitty Christmas card photos and decided to do it himself) and booked with some hardass, rich couple to get the best sunrise shots for an engagement announcement.

So, Seungcheol is left with the tedious task of getting Chan up and ready for school. He slept through the alarm Jeonghan set for him being so used to ignoring it in the first place. And every other minute obstacle arises just to spite him. Thankfully Jeonghan had both packed lunch and made breakfast before he left so as soon as Chan is clothed, he scoops him up and tosses places him in the car.

All these streets look exactly the same. It’s a wonder Seungcheol doesn’t get lost more often. If it weren’t for muscle memory, he probably would be trapped in the suburban neighborhood for the rest of eternity.

Despite his best efforts, he still shows up ten minutes too late. The music teacher—the one Chan always says smells like bologna—flags him down to tell him he cannot pull into the drop off lane. He has to sign Chan in. Okay, fine.

It wasn’t fine.

There is a line of around 5-10 other students who need to be signed in and Seungcheol really can’t afford to be late to work. Again. He taps his foot impatiently, glancing at the clutter of people in front of him. How long does it take to write down a name and sign a damn sheet of paper?

“Daddy?” Chan, hand curved around his dad’s larger fingers, tugs him closer. “Are you okay?” He has this saccharine look with his eyes all wide and concerned.

Once Seungcheol realizes his frantic energy is rubbing off on him, he takes extra care to relax. His jittery foot stops tapping and he focuses his full attention on Chan, eyes no longer flitting around the room.

“I’m awesome! Just excited for another day.” And terrified I’ll get caught right in the thick of rush hour traffic. Chan nods, unconvinced.

“Okay.” They take a step forward each time a person disappears from the front of the line. As soon as he gets to the counter, he’s filling out Chan’s name, grade, and the time they got here with sonic speed. The pen markings are barely legible.

He swoops down, landing a quick kiss to Chan’s forehead and wishes him a great day. The child takes off, running to class as quickly as he can manage with his two-sizes-too-big backpack while Seungcheol rushes out the front office.

It’s just Seungcheol’s luck that he ends up running into someone on his way out. Like physically running into them. If the solid mass of a human he knocked into was smaller the force may have knocked them off their feet. But instead, he goes stumbling backward. How embarrassing.

He apologizes like crazy, bowing once and when he comes up, he’s staring into the shocked face of an old classmate.

 “Jang Doyoon?” He asks slightly in disbelief.

“Choi Seungcheol!” The other’s face lights up like he’s… well like he’s greeting a really old friend he hasn’t seen in years.

He sees him holding the hand of a little girl, couldn’t have been much older than his own kid. He gives an inviting wave to her, but she remains passive staring at him like the stranger he is.

“Sera, be nice.” Doyoon scolds the child and she concedes. Waves at Seungcheol, pouting still. “Sorry. She’s not much of a people person. It’s so good to see you though!”

“Definitely, you too. It’s been years! But I’m actually running late for work, so...” Seungcheol nearly forgets he’s trying to beat the traffic to get to his job at least within the grace period given. Seungcheol is doing everything he can to keep his feet planted, but he’s so close to his car, it’s pulling him in. Don’t get him wrong, he really would love to stay and chat, but one red light could lead to his ultimate downfall. In his mind, if he can beat it by one minute, he’s saved.

“I understand that.” He chuckles. “Hey, we should catch up sometime.” Doyoon’s reaching for his pocket, pulling out his phone. Sera is tugging on his hand, urging him to take her in the school.

“Yeah. Of course!” Seungcheol gives his number while the other types it in and with an energetic wave, they see each other off. Wow. What a morning.

 Seungcheol does end up late.

 __

 “How do you just make plans without asking me if I want plans? There was barely any time to get ready.” Of course, Jeonghan does have enough time to get ready, but only physically. Mentally he is still trying to build up the energy to face another human today. As soon as Seungcheol messaged, “Hey I know it’s last minute, but I met up with a friend and he invited us to dinner :D ”, Jeonghan felt his stomach lurch in panic. It catches him off guard and leaves him scrambling. Who is this person? What kind of outfits should they wear? First impressions are everything.

“I know, Hannie. I’m sorry, but he just seemed so excited to meet up and I wanted to show you off a little.” Seungcheol says the last part a little deeper, hushed and sultry like. God, he knows Jeonghan’s weaknesses like the back of his hand.

“I guess that makes it a little better.” Seungcheol’s hands travel to the small of Jeonghan’s back, pulling him in for a tender peck on the lips. “Okay, but next time please give us at least a few hours in advance. I don’t even know where we’re going. What if this person is a serial killer?”

“I can assure you he isn’t. We were actually—”

“I can’t find Bumblebee!” Chan shrieks like a crack of lightning, descending the stairs with thunderous footsteps. “I just had him!”

Seungcheol audibly groans, looking at his watch. “Do you really need him? We’re going to dinner, not a play date.”

“I need Bumblebee!”

“I’ll go help him look.” Jeonghan places a quick kiss to Seungcheol’s lips before allowing Chan to lead him to the last place he saw it.

“It’s gotta be quick bud, we’re running late. I’ll be in the car.” Seungcheol yells behind the crew, grabbing the keys. This whole day he felt like he was running behind. Tonight is no different.

 __

 Seungcheol rings the door bell then takes a polite step backwards. His husband and son are flanking him on either side, the picture-perfect family standing in a proper line.

They wait.

Then wait some more.

There’s no movement on the other side. No shuffling or dog bark or tell-tale sign of human life at all. Seungcheol checks his watch making sure the time is right. He steps forward once again. Rings the doorbell, holding down the button a little longer so the diiiing dooong rings out loud and slow. He steps back. He waits again.

“Are you sure this is the right house?” Jeonghan asks, looking around. They aren’t too far from their own neighborhood, yet somehow this one feels a world away.  For one, the houses have different layouts and designs from each other—completely contradicting the uniformness of his own. The streets don’t all form perfect blocks with perfect right angles. And when you ring the doorbell, people apparently don’t immediately answer. Yes, very different.

“Yeah… I mean unless the GPS was wrong.” Seungcheol scratches the back of his head. He reaches forward once more to try the doorbell again and to his surprise the door swings open. Doyoon is standing there catching his breath.

“Sorry. I was in the bathroom and Sera refused to get the door. I told her we were… having… guests…” Doyoon’s smile drops at the same rate his words peter out. He’s now staring agape at this odd turn of events. Jeonghan is startled as well, jaw slack, truly stunned.

“What are you doing here?” Jeonghan asks dumbly. He looks to Doyoon and then to Seungcheol and back to Doyoon. He’s feeling a strong sense of betrayal. He’d never really mentioned that Doyoon was the person he’d met at the park, nor had he mentioned them knowing each other in college. As far as he knew, Doyoon wasn’t on Seungcheol’s radar. But now he’s claiming to be old friends!

“I live here...” Is what Doyoon replies with. They fall into an intolerable silence shortly after. Jeonghan is looking down at the shoddy “Welcome” mat like it offends him. Doyoon is shifting his feet with an expression Seungcheol can’t really place. Awkward is an understatement.

But Seungcheol is determined to have his old best friend and life partner get along. Instead of plummeting face first into the bottom of a pit, Seungcheol tries to save their sinking ship by saying,

“So you two know each other already?” Though not even his sunshine smile can melt away the icy winter forming between the two.

It was going to be a long night.

 __

 Kids have this wonderful way of getting over grudges: apologizing once, hugging it out, bonding over some animated TV program they both adore. It’s precious how simple their problems seem, how easily they are resolved. Jeonghan is envious that his own life lacks that simplicity.

For the kids, it’s as easy as Sera saying sorry with a shy frown on bow shaped lips and hands clasped nervously behind her back. She is kinda cute when she’s not trying to look so mean. Jeonghan is happy that his kid made up with his bully and that she seems to feel remorse for her actions. Did he fully forgive her for hurting his baby? No. But he’s an adult so he has to be the bigger person.

Well… in that situation. But in facing his own bully, he wasn’t too keen on forgiving and forgetting.

Doyoon didn’t go into the specifics of their encounters, only briefly explaining that they had known each other vaguely during the year he left their university. He completely grazed over it in conversation and something about that irked Jeonghan more than he thought it would. Reading the vibe, Jeonghan was courteous enough not to reveal the extremes of their dynamic at the dinner table. Instead, he nodded and shrugged it off. Oh, he’d have a field day as soon as they made it home!

Seungcheol and Doyoon caught up over small things, big things, all things. Things Jeonghan didn’t understand nor really care to. And it became abundantly clear after the third time Jeonghan tried to add to the conversation that he was out of his element.

Each time he tried to interject, it would casually get cut off or the conversation would die shortly after. So, petty as it may be, Jeonghan decided to sit back with his arms crossed, trying his best to not let his dejection show.

Not that it really mattered. They didn’t seem to notice. Not when he slammed down his chopsticks a little too harshly after Seunghcheol incessantly complimented Doyoon on the delicious dinner, bragging on his cooking skills from “back in the day”. Not when Jeonghan huffed under his breath during a recanting of that one crazy professor they mutually hated their first year of uni together. The kids, oblivious as ever excuse themselves to play with some toys in Sera’s play room and now Jeonghan is alone. He feels like the third wheel even though he’s with HIS husband!

Jeonghan doesn’t understand why its so easy for Seungcheol to get along with him anyway. He can’t even stand to look at his face, let alone cordially communicate with him. Jeonghan leans back into his chair, a bored expression morphing his usually gentle features into a cold, distant glower. It’s not like he can just scream “Hey! Your friend’s an asshole and doesn’t deserve our time!”

Well…

He flicks the thought away no matter how tempting it is. He’s an adult now, not a haughty college student. He’s not that same impulsive 22-year-old, fishing for drama and seeking out spilled tea. He’s not that same kid that would have caused a huge scene and embarrassed Doyoon by calling him out in front of his daughter and throwing some underhand comment about how he’s a bad influence to his own damn kid.

“-han?”

“Huh?” Jeonghan is reeled back in feeling a bit guilty for his mean slew of thoughts.

“Are you okay?” Seungcheol asks. Jeonghan gives a lopsided shrug and tries to be responsive by bringing a bit of color back into his expression. But even he can tell its perceived as forced. He’s honestly never been that good at hiding his emotions.

“I think I know…” Doyoon begins and this does peak Jeonghan’s attention making him sit a little straighter and loosen the tightened cross of his arms. “I… I’ve been meaning to apologize actually.”

Seungcheol draws his thick brows together in a perplexed frown. He licks his lips trying to assess the situation, squinting slightly between the two to decipher whatever coded language they’ve been conversing in all night.

He can’t really be that dense, can he? Fuck, I married this idiot. Jeonghan thinks offhandedly.

Doyoon continues, “I will admit that we didn’t get off to a good start when we’d first met. We had our differences.” Differences my ass, Jeonghan thinks. You spilled hot coffee on me, stained my favorite shirt, and never said sorry. “I wasn’t in the right state of mind back then and was kind of bitter about the situation I was in. I guess it’s kind of obvious, but I never got my degree. Sera came and I had to put everything on hold to take care of her when her birth mother decided to run away.”

Aww boo hoo, Jeonghan thinks. Of course, he has some tragic sob story. And it’ll definitely work on Seungcheol. He’s always been the weak one. But as Jeonghan thinks more on it, it is a pretty unfortunate story. He couldn’t imagine being left to raise Chan on his own in the middle of thesis work. And although Jeonghan can sympathize, he doesn’t think people should use their shitty circumstances to justify their shitty behavior.

Seungcheol looks so invested, he can practically see the popcorn and Icee in his hands as the movie unfolds in front of him.

“So I guess it’s long overdue, but… I am sorry. For all the shitty things I’ve said or done to you.” Doyoon takes a big breath and lets it go, exhaling all of the pent-up negativity he’s harbored in his chest since what seems like forever.

“And the incident at the park?”

“YOU were the one Jeonghan wanted to slam in the dirt?” Seungcheol eggs on.

Jeonghan nervously chuckles and lands a sharp kick to Seungcheol’s shin.

“Right… It was an off day, but I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. After the fact, I realized it wasn’t the politest reaction, but I talked to her about it right after and explained that what she did wasn’t okay… And I’m sorry for that too.”

Jeonghan thinks it over for a second, expression unwavering for a while before saying, “Apology accepted.” He shrugs, “Our kids seem to be getting along well and I would hate for any grudges we have against each other to ruin what could be a nice friendship. Plus, you aren’t that bad, I guess.” His aloof words are betrayed by the growing smile teasing his lips. He hates now more than ever that he can’t hide his emotions better.

“Wow. I still feel like I’m missing so much.” Seungcheol chimes in cocking his head to the side.

Both Doyoon and Jeonghan simultaneously roll their eyes.

“Maybe we can set up a play date later and try this again?” Doyoon asks, unsure.

“I think that’s a good idea.”

__

“That did not go at all like I expected.” Seungcheol huffed, falling back onto their couch haphazardly. His arm instinctively found its way around his husband’s shoulders. What he didn’t expect was for him to shrug it off and stare cross armed at him. He’s been doing that a lot lately.

“Yeah. Same.” They’d put Chan to sleep and now were left to their own devices.

“Are you mad? I really didn’t know. I didn’t know he was the one.”

“I’m not mad. Anymore.” But the same indignant expression remained resolute.

“Then why are you scowling at me?”

“Oh please. I’m too handsome to scowl.” Seungcheol reaches out to poke his cheek and Jeonghan mocks biting his finger off.

“Looks like a scowl to me.” He drags Jeonghan into his arms even with the other still stubbornly closed in on himself. “Then what’s wrong? Didn’t you resolve everything?”

“He’s not the one I’m mad at!” Jeonghan whines into Seungcheol’s bicep, the strong hold around him smothering and comfortable.

“Ah! So you are mad?”

“Not necessarily. I just… you two got along really well and then Chan made up with Sera and then it was just me.”

“Babe,” Seungcheol has this big ass smile on his face when he pulls back enough to look at Jeonghan. “Were you… jealous?”

Jeonghan scoffs. What? Him? Choi Jeonghan jealous? Yeah right!

Well…

Yeah… right.

“Everyone was on his side and I was like the only one in the room that couldn’t relate to anything or add anything to the conversation. You have no idea how frustrating that is!”

“Hannie, you know I’m always on your side, right?” He places a soft kiss on his lips and Jeonghan’s solid resolve finally starts to crack. He nods.

“I know.” He snuggles closer, finally releasing his arms from their defensive position to wrap them around his husband. “But you should start complimenting my cooking like that!”

“Alright. Alright.” They laugh until it trickles off into calm sighs and spend the rest of their night giving cheesy compliments for the most mundane things.

A/N: I am so sorry that took so fucking long lmao. It’s DONE. HAppy Birhtday to meeee.

Next Chapter

#jeongcheol #jeongcheol fanfic #coupshan #seunghan #jeonghan #seungcheol #seventeen #baby chan gets hurt #doyoon

[ryewi]

Closed Distance - jjk

You appreciated him, so much, Jungkook was someone to rely on, trust, someone to love. If he got a dollar each time he heard you say “I love you”, Jungkook would’ve been a millionaire a long time ago. Yet, there always was that burden of physically not being next to each other. That feeling of loving but also not having their hand to hold, torso to hug or lips to kiss. Having, but also not having someone.

That was exactly why a white plane ticket rested between the grip of your fingers.  

Words: 1,6k

Genre: Long distance relationship!au, birthday scenario, F L U F F

Your eyes skimmed over the small colorful circular object above your TV. Two dark lines were positioned near each other as the third one, slightly thinner than others, ticked closer and closer towards its companions. Previously during the day, you made sure to check at least twelve times that the calculations you made were correct and ready. It took more time than you liked to admit to calculate the time difference and moment of calling you’ll be doing.

Currently, it was two minutes before midnight in a country that was a couple of hours ahead of you. Waiting patiently, with a phone in hand, you watched as that same thin line moved near the end of it’s journey, after which it’ll begin a new one. Seconds, minutes passed by like that and your mind was more than welcoming to home thoughts of your boyfriend inside.  

Jeon Jungkook, was a soon to be twenty-one-year-old boy that you met three years ago over an online game. Although you were only starting, Jungkook handled your inexperience well when the two of you were paired up as a team. He would explain things quick and well, occasionally sending healing packs when he noticed the hp of your character was low. Shortly after, with a lot of help from Jungkook, your now “battling buddy”, you were climbing up the charting board, joking how “you’re going to beat him if this continues”.

As time passed by, the two of you moved from gaming to social media and eventually, phone numbers. You’d face-time or send messages, trying hard to sneak pass the time difference and work/school hours. Whether it was an hour-long rant while you complained about people who made you feel uncomfortable, which he would gladly listen to, or a ten minute catch up, both of you enjoyed the calls. Jungkook was an extremely caring person, a friend which never missed sending a goodnight or good morning message, sometimes even delivering encouraging texts to boost your day.

Eventually, you started to date. Long-distance, as teenagers today would say. Something that should’ve made you feel special, when in reality, it was only a simple label on what the two of you already were.

You appreciated him, so much, Jungkook was someone to rely on, trust, someone to love. If he got a dollar each time he heard you say “I love you”, Jungkook would’ve been a millionaire a long time ago. Yet, there always was that burden of physically not being next to each other. That feeling of loving but also not having their hand to hold, torso to hug or lips to kiss. Having, but also not having someone.

That was exactly why a white plane ticket rested between the grip of your fingers.  

Your phone buzzed, reminding you that midnight has indeed struck in South Korea. Fingers moving in such rapid pace, they tenderly pressed on the call button, watching as the screen displayed a picture of a perfect human being.

“Hello? Y/N?” Jungkook replied, voice raspy and slow. He was most probably awoken from a deep sleep, considering that this week it was his turn to work the afternoon shift. The way your name left his lips in such tone, was tantalizing. You imagined his fluffy hair, closed eyes and puffy cheeks, body wrapped into a blanket, representing the whole sight as a human burrito.  

“Happy birthday, sleepyhead” You chimed in, speaking low and just as slow, fearing that if somehow changed, it would ruin the moment and scare him. Jungkook smiled and although you couldn’t see it, you could feel it through his next words.  

“Well thank you, what time is it?” Jungkook asked, more for himself. Before he could distance the small device from his ears, you already gave an answer. It was late, he probably arrived home two hours ago and although you wished to speak for another hour, you were ready hang up if he asked.

“Midnight for you” Jungkook sighed, shuffling on the bed while turning on his back. Checking the small analog clock on his brown bedside table and watching it pass from 00:01 to 00:02, he smiled. You really called at midnight. Noticing the silence that soon spread throughout the line, you asked if he was still awake to which your boyfriend only hummed along. It wouldn’t be humane to keep him awake for much longer.

“I have a gift for you” you began, listening to the calming breaths and what seemed the noise of heavy raindrops hitting a window. It was raining in Seoul, creating an amazing atmosphere for a nap or heavy sleep. Jungkook made a sound similar to a whine, probably curious but at the same time unsatisfied that you’d spend money on him. Looking at the paper in your hand and calculating the time of travelling to Jungkook’s doorstep, you continued, “It should arrive around 8am to your doorstep, sorry that it’s so early”. To your remark, he laughed, anticipation bubbling inside his chest.

“I’ll leave you to rest now, goodnight Jungoo”, “Goodnight, my love”.

»»————-　♡　————-««

Your flight went extremely well, considering this was the first time traveling alone, your experience was beyond great. No screaming kids, scary metalheads or boring elders who need a victim to choke with stories about their grandchildren. Well maybe you were slightly stereotyping.

As of right now, it was 7:27 and you patiently waited in a café across Jungkook’s apartment building, sipping on your favorite beverage. People have only now started to fill up the streets, entering random cafés, picking up coffee and a quick breakfast then leaving. Cars packed the streets, creating colorful lines, snakes that moved every now and then in a desired direction. You wondered, was Seoul always this packed?

7:50, you stood up, paying for the drink and getting ready for a surprise. Decorative metal cylinders began hitting against each other while the door ruined their perfect state of balance, creating an unexpected melody as you left.

7:56, there you were, on the 6th floor, trying not to let your lungs burst from the huge amounts of oxygen you gaped for. Apartment 602 under which laid a small plaque with cursive Jeon written on it.

You couldn’t believe it, after three years of friendship and a year of dating; after numerous I love you’s spoken in the air, imaginary hugs and hand holds. After all these tormenting emotions, you’ll finally be able to feel them. Feel his hands as they wrap around you, lips as they place on yours and warmth that’ll radiate between the two bodies.

8:00, you knocked. Hurried steps were heard somewhere on the other side, then a faint “fuck” followed by a thump. Trying to suppress the incoming laugh, you put a hand over your mouth. The anticipation of this moment finally happening was intriguing but also terrifying.

Once the door opened, it felt like time stopped. Not because you could move, it was obviously possible, but none of you did. Jungkook stood with an unreadable expression on his face, eyes slowly becoming glassy while his hand gripped the handle tighter. Knuckles on his right hand became white like paper, but your observations of it were swift, attention once again back on the beautiful face of your boyfriend.

With caution, his hand moved from the handle, only to be put on your shoulder. Both of you remained silent, staring into each other’s eyes, trying to make sure that the other person really was there. That this wasn’t one of the often-occurring lucid dreams.  

Then, with such force that would’ve hurt if you landed on any other surface, Jungkook pulled you towards him, hands wrapping around the soft being in a quick manner. Out of instinct, you did the same, drawing Jungkook in as tight as viable. Suddenly, the shoulder of your shirt began to damped and only then was it noticable that the tender boy, currently in your embrace, began tearing up. Pulling him in even closer you began to rock back and forth, creating a steady rhythm.

“Hey, cheer up, I’m here now?” You smiled, ending the sentence in a slightly higher tone, attempting to tease and cheer your bunny boy up. Jungkook let out of a puff of air but smiled, nodding into your shoulder and detaching himself from the hug for a quick moment.

“I know but you’re, you’re really here now and I can’t comprehend that, it’s unreal” he replied, eyes watery but still locked with yours. It was a sure fact that Jeon Jungkook, Y/N’s one and only, adored her eyes. Actually, everything about you but, the safety and happiness your eyes radiated, only for him, made Jungkook get addicted easily.  

“I’ll interpret that as you liking your gift” Smiling, you opened your arms once again, inviting the boy in once again. Walking into the cage with a wild heart, Jungkook cupped your face, gently rubbing his thumbs on the soft surface of smiley cheeks, before leaning in to kiss you. It was a slow, cute and full of emotions kiss. The first you two ever shared.

“I love the gift, I love you”, Jungkook said, leaning his forehead on yours, touching noses and just appreciating the beauty. He was so blessed to have someone like you, someone who made him feel loved, appreciated, happy. Who’d understand and offer reassurance in each and every moment. You too, could talk days on the topic of this man who owns your heart and not stop to take in a breath.

“And I my prince, love you too, more than I’ll ever be able to express”

AN: My heart is screaming because that last line is me @ Jungoo and I just love this baby boy so much it’s beyond the borders of description. Happy 21st (22nd) my dearest squishy, I appreciate you so much, for all the times you’ve made me happy and made my day better. For making me laugh and relaxing me with your voice whenever I was near a panic attack. Thank you. I wish you everything best, health, happiness, wealth, to always be satisfied with your work. I love you <3

masterlist

#jeon jungkook #jungkook #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook fluff #jungkook scenario #jungkook best friends #jungkook long distance relationship #jungkook imagine #jungkook birthday scenario #happy birthday baby #happy birthday jungoo #jungoo #bts #bts scenario #bts fanfiction #bts fluff #bts imagine #kpop #kpop fanfiction #kpop scenario #kpop fluff #namjoon #seokjin #yoongi #hoseok #jimin #taehyung

[jeremystrele]

Times Like These… With New York Times Food Columnist And Author Alison Roman

Times Like These… With New York Times Food Columnist And Author Alison Roman

Times Like These

by Sally Tabart

Spread from Alison Roman’s new cookbook Nothing Fancy, published in Australia by Hardie Grant and available now. Photo –Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

New York Times bestselling author Alison Roman. Photo –Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

Photo –Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

Alison Roman’s new cookbook Nothing Fancy, published in Australia by Hardie Grant and available now. Photo –Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

Photo –Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

Photo –Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

Left: some photos from ‘the commune’ with Alison’s self-isolation partners! Right: An image from ‘Nothing Fancy’. Photo –Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

Photo –Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

Alison Roman is a food columnist for The New York Times, and a contributor to Bon Appetit, who is beloved for her casual, just-throw-it-together approach to cooking.

I hadn’t even made any of Alison’s recipes before kind of falling in love with her. Visiting her Instagram or reading her cookbooks feels like dropping by a friend’s house, and being invited to share the dinner or lunch or breakfast they were already making (but your friend also happens to be an incredible chef and best-selling cookbook author). It’s Nothing Fancy. But it is something special. Thanks for letting me repurpose that title.

So many people were disappointed when Alison’s trip to Australia was cancelled – she’s amassed quite the cult following here – but I feel so grateful to have had this conversation with her about how life has changed for her lately.  Instead of the chat we likely would have had – one sandwiched between dozens of others I’m sure she had scheduled for her book tour – I spoke to Alison about feeling all the feelings, finding the motivation to work, and (of course) cooking as a tool for connection.

Hey Alison! How are you feeling today?

Today I’m good, yesterday I wasn’t so good. It’s a day-by-day situation for sure. I think the mentality of truly taking it one day at a time and allowing yourself to not feel good when you don’t feel good, and not feel inspired when you don’t feel inspired, is key to surviving this.

Totally. What’s the vibe like in New York?

I’m actually upstate in Hudson right now. I had gotten a house sitter for my apartment in New York because I was supposed to be in Australia. So I decided to get out of town for what I thought would be a week or so, and then as things progressed it kind of became like, oh shit, this might actually be a longer term living situation.

The vibe in Hudson in mellow. People are staying home, there’s no sense of panic necessarily but it’s definitely eerily quiet.

So you were supposed to be in Australia right now, I imagine you’ve got a lot of time on your hands at the moment now that’s obviously not happening. What are your days looking like?

I’m finishing up some stories for the New York Times, and trying to work on a book proposal. Well, I say I’m working on it, but it’s on my To Do list, I haven’t actually started it yet. But it’s on the docket.

Right now I’m just trying to finish this Passover article that I basically had to rewrite, because we kind of have to rethink and redo all the stuff we’ve been writing about to be sensitive and mindful of the situation at hand.

It’s the same for us, it’s been pretty crazy having to completely rethink our content for the next few months because nothing we had planned is relevant anymore. Are you finding yourself inspired or creative?

It’s a true ebb and flow, you know? I’m staying with two of my dear friends, and we all cook and talk about food, and being around them has helped me stay considerate and mindful. We’re all trying to figure out how we can all help people during this time. It’s nice to have that.

But there are times I sit in front of my computer and I stare at a blank word document and I just refresh Twitter repeatedly because that’s all I have the energy for. I feel a bit defeated, like what’s the point of writing any of this stuff? Which isn’t really the spirit.

It kind of is the spirit right now.

Yeah. There’s also a real insatiable appetite for people going live on Instagram and answering questions, being there for the general public, fielding troubleshooting tips and being a resource to people. But also if I do that then I’m not writing or doing other things, and it’s a fine line between how can I be helpful and how can I preserve an ounce of my own space, and not feel like I’m pedaling myself. I don’t want to be like, self-promoting.

I feel like watching people cook has always been very soothing, so I’m sure that a lot of people are turning to you for comfort in a way. What are you doing to feel comforted and normal?

Cooking! It’s just something that I really enjoy doing – even though I do it for work, it’s still enjoyable to me not doing it for work.

Something that’s been hard to watch is the decline of the restaurant and hospitality industry. It’s the lifeblood of cities like Melbourne and New York. What do you think it’s going to look like after this?

I don’t know. It’s really sad. I think the ones that have a lot of money behind them will figure out a way to survive, but I think that for the most part the whole landscape has changed. It’s going to continue to change because they don’t have any infrastructure in place to protect them against something like this happening.

The whole industry is so precarious, I don’t think people realise that if a restaurant doesn’t do well three months in a row then they’re going to close. There’s not a tonne of safety for small businesses in general, but the margins for restaurants especially are so, so small that every bit counts. Especially in cities like New York, Melbourne, San Francisco, London, where the rent is insanely high and you just can’t afford to stay open.

I was listening to a podcast you did with Hilary Kerr on Second Life where you said something that really resonated with me – ‘I genuinely appreciate the bad because it means I can feel the good’. I know that was pre-COVID-19, but are you still able to feel that? What good are you taking from this time?

I still maintain that. I’m staying with my friends, and I’m spending time with them that I don’t normally get to. We’re really taking our time cooking and taking care of each other, and everybody’s being really considerate in a way that we usually try to be, but it feels extra nice. I’m FaceTiming with people that I haven’t spoken to in a long time, which is awesome. I’ve spoken with my family more than I have probably ever in the 16 or so years I’ve lived away from home.

People are more tense and edgy in one way, but more tender and vulnerable and open in another. I think that’s a real sign of progress when we’re able to be more honest and open with each other, and kind of level with one another when things aren’t going well. Because we were spending so much of our time being like, ‘Everything’s great! This is my life! This is so cool!’ and I think we’re being forced to come down and admit that things aren’t.

I can’t help feeling like there is some sort of prophetic energy that counters this #blessed life we were starting to feel was inauthentic, and now we’ve been confronted with this total authenticity that you can’t escape from. I feel good about that stuff too. You said your quarantine group has been cooking for each other, what have you been making?

We’re pretty much really going for it every night! We did steak night, baked potato night, fried chicken night, we had leftovers night, last night we took a break and did a vegan vegetable soup with mushrooms and noodles and broth. Tonight Amiel is making Chile Colorado, which is probably very American. Lauren’s making rice and I’m making beans. So it’s a real family affair. It kind of feels like we’re living in a commune.

What is the biggest challenge for you personally right now?

I would say trying to stay focused, which is something that I struggle with anyway. But also purposeful, because it feels a little bit defeatist to be like, ‘Is this the most important thing? Does anybody care? Will this matter?’ when you’re trying to plan anything more than a week in advance because everything’s changing so quickly.

And just staying motivated with regards to work. The three of us in this house have kind of unconventional jobs and schedules anyway so we work from home a lot. Self-motivating is the name of the game. But now it just feels more intense.

What are people making from ‘Nothing Fancy’ right now?

Everything, it’s crazy. Stuff that they weren’t making before, that’s for sure. People have time on their hands and they are just making it all.

What are you hopeful for?

I’m hopeful that this is going to repair the planet. I’m hopeful that we’re going to emerge from this a lot more compassionate to one another, and excited to actually be with each other once we can. I hope that it ushers in a new era of how people treat and communicate with each other, and value actual human connection. And like, going outside and going to the store and taking pleasure in things that we aren’t able to do right now.

I just hope that it restores a bit more gratitude for the boring, everyday stuff that we can no longer participate in.

Are you Listening to, watching or reading anything good right now?

I’m not a podcast person. I brought five books to my friend’s place and I haven’t read one of them! We’re watching old movies that are reliable and not going to make us sad.

Nothing that involves dogs dying or anything.  

No. No dead animals, no romantic comedies that make me wish that I had a boyfriend.

The commune sounds pretty great though.

The commune is great. But I can’t wait to have sex with a person once this is over.

Nothing Fancy is the second cookbook from New York Times bestselling author Alison Roman. Find it here and keep up with Alison via her Instagram!

[alt-avengersfics-blog]

#TattooMe

Summary: Tony Stark runs the most successful tattoo shop and gallery in New York. What happens when he and his team of artists host a tattoo giveaway on Instagram? A/N: Heya guys, so this is my first ever fic posted on Tumblr and will be an AU mini series featuring different Avengers paired up with a tattooing style I think matches their characteristics. It’s going to be a reader insert fic with some potential reader x whoever. I have the first few characters stories developed in my head, they just need to be written. Any feedback is appreciated!

Word Count: 2115 (sorry I got carried away~!)

When it came to tattoo shops in America, the biggest name in the game that everyone knew was Stark Tower. The multi-floored, state of the art facility took nearly four years to construct and not only had earned a reputation for being a celebration of modern technology in its design, but the owner of the tower with his dazzling charisma was known to recruit only the best of the best artists in each of their stylized areas of tattooing. The shop itself was branded Avenging Tattoos, and the outside of the building built from vibranium reinforced concrete boasted a giant ‘A’ with a large swoosh through the center that lit up at nightfall brighter than the New Year’s Eve ball. Since the lavish grand opening of the facility thousands of adoring fans would flock in droves to this temple of the tattooing community to have prayers lined onto tender flesh in a wash of rainbows and blacks all while trading intimate moments of rare, raw human connection through conversation over the steady thrum needles driving home.

Stark Towers was home to much more than just tattooing though. Since its inception born from a crazy shower thought one night while Tony Stark stood under the warm stream blasting away at his tired skin he knew he wanted this dream to own his own shop to be something more than just another place to get tattooed. That’s why, even when his friends laughed in his face when he shared his hopes for a shrine to honor the history of the art of inking skin, Tony surged forward with the passion only a mad man could possess to make it all a reality. Countless hours and sleepless nights he poured into nurturing and growing this tiny seed until it blossomed into the most beautiful flower in Downtown Manhattan.

The first floor of the tower looked rather unassuming to the average individual. Some may even mistake it for a hotel lobby with the main wall lined with a large black marbled reception desk atop a delicately stained walnut wooden frame. The walls were awash with the color of storm clouds before a torrential storm and a modern chandelier that looked like the rings of Saturn stacked inside one another in three tiers provided enough light to illuminate the vast expanse of the room. Several couches and plush armchairs provided seating for those as they waited their turn to check in with the fashionably dressed receptionists with stunning smiles working behind the counter directing those to their destination within the upper floors of the tower.

The second floor of the tower was accessible by all members of the public after paying a small fee at the reception desk and functioned as a museum, packed full to the brim verging on the point of bubbling over of anything and everything a curious mind would need to feel satiated when it came to the topic of tattooing. Expertly designed and laid out by top architects and curated by a man simply known by the name Vision, guest could wander the winding halls of the second floors for hours gazing star-struck at old preserved skins inked with prison tattoos donated by Russian strong holds in Siberia, at primitive tattoo machines which often were just long sticks with a single needle at the end that were driven by hand into the wearer’s skin in a series on long painful taps, and infinitely more.

Above the museum the next three floors were entirely dedicated to the art inspired by Stark Tower’s resident tattoo artists and those that often guest spotted there. Hand drawn charcoal art framed in delicate frames, paintings lovingly brushed with tender hands upon canvas stretched on wood frames, and photographs of previous designs inked on human canvases lined the simple black walls illuminated by the soft glow of can lights wedged into the ceiling’s fixtures. Second only to the actual shop itself, this was Tony’s pride and joy and he wanted everyone to share in the passion that these artists poured tirelessly into their work. Those that couldn’t get worked into the books to get artwork permanently lined onto their skin often flocked to the gallery to admire the art and speak with the gallery’s manager, Pepper Potts. Word on the streets was if you expressed enough interest in a piece hanging in the halls of the gallery, you could become a proud owner of the artwork for a sizable donation to the charity the tower worked closely with.

After the gallery, there was a merchandise floor, mainly added to provide an additional layer between public access and the main hub of the tower, the shop where the artists worked. Here fans could purchase various items from shirts and hats, to keychains and bags, and all the profits made from the sales of the merchandise benefitted the charity known as SHIELD which Tony worked very closely with. This floor was managed by a perky brunette called Darcy, and thanks to her efforts the shop year after year could cut checks to SHIELD that totaled thousands.

At last there came the main floor where Avenging Tattoos resided and the artists practiced their trade. This floor only allowed access to those booked to get tattooed that day during specific time slots and individuals were required to check in with receptionists in the lobby. Once verified by the computer, they were issued wrist bands with scan codes that the elevators read through infrared scanners and whisked them off to the main floor. The sleek black elevator doors would slide open and instantly the air is electrified. Classic rock pumped through speakers lining the huge room and along the walls stations were strategically placed to allow each artist room to work and design. The hum of machines powered on as they danced across peoples’ skin buzzed in the air alongside laughter as everyone chatted while getting worked on.

The space felt intimate while remaining very spacious and smelled vaguely of disinfectant and incense. The room itself was round with the artists stations forming a U-shape starting at the front on either side and coming together at the back. The walls were bathed in a flashy red with trims of metal gold fixtures for lights and others for small detailed decoration. At the center of the room just outside the elevator doors sat a desk in the same red and gold with a circular design in the center illuminated by a soft blue glow. Seated behind the desk, often asleep leaned back in a comfortable chair with his feet propped up, was the shop’s manager affectionately nicknamed Old Man Nick.

No one knew what Nick Fury did in his past for a living, but rumor circulated that the man was ex-CIA or some secret spy that cost him one of his eyes. Retirement eventually found Nick and he returned to New York but quickly discovered how the drugs and violence pumped into the veins of his beloved hometown at the hands of the gang known as Hydra quickly wreaked havoc and devastated many areas of the community. No one knows how he came to know Tony Stark, but after pitching his idea of Stark Tower and the Avenging Tattoo shop, Nick agreed to back his endeavor and aid in the construction in exchange for a favor of his own. Together, Fury and a young ambitious district attorney name Peggy Carter founded SHIELD to take back the community from the clutches of Hydra.

On the date of the grand opening of Stark Towers, after much convincing from Nick, Tony agreed that he and his group of talented artists would tattoo that day for twenty-four hours straight the SHIELD insignia to those that wanted it for twenty-five dollars apiece and all proceed went straight to implementing the first item on the agency’s agenda: a youth outreach center for at risk kids where they could participate in activities and get mentored by prominent figures of the community and law enforcement and otherwise stay out of trouble. To say the plan exceeded expectations was the vast understatement of that year and the organization had enough funds to not only construct a beautiful facility for the youth of the community but they were able to move ahead schedule with their plans to build a women’s shelter and a learning center to help those finish their GEDs and even earn vocational degrees. Every year now on the anniversary date of their opening, Tony would host a lavish charity gala event and invite some of the biggest names in New York to attend and raise more funds for SHIELD.

All the success blew Tony’s mind, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there was more he could do. What was the next biggest trend? How could he attract more customers? Spread more knowledge about tattoos and get his and his artists’ work out there in to the world? Tony wracked his brain but came up empty handed every time and after several days spent flustered he invited the team out to breakfast to run through some ideas and pick their brains.

Now comfortably seated in a cozy downtown breakfast joint Tony forked another heaping helping on pancakes doused in house made blueberry syrup and shoveled the bite into his mouth, eyes briefly flashing up to meet those around him. Everyone agreed to come despite the early hour after the promise of free food and coffee and now papers scribbled in Tony’s messy scrawl passed between them in between bites of food.

“So, anything stand out?” the brunette questioned through the mouthful of pancakes, a bit of blueberry syrup running down his chin into meticulously manicured facial hair. Natasha grimaced next to him and forced a napkin into his hand which he quickly discarded onto the table and opted to take his thumb and swipe up the runaway drizzle before sucking the digit clean.

“I like this one”, Steve chimed in from opposite the round table, a cup of black coffee nestled in his right hand poised for a sip before his dusty pink lips while those baby blue hues gazed at the paper in his left. Messily scratched out on the leaf of lined paper torn from a spiral notebook with its frayed edges and coffee stains was a word that simply said ‘giveaway’. Tony furrowed his brows together but before he could begin bombarding him with questions Steve placed the paper back on the table and held his hand up to silence him.

“Hear me out”, he began after slurping some of the piping hot liquid and sighing with relief. “We all have Instagram accounts with thousands of followers, right?” The group around him all nodded in agreement which gave Steve the encouragement to continue. “So, what if we host a giveaway for our followers? I mean we are all booked out months in advance with chance openings if someone happens to cancel, so what if we give away tattoos so that maybe those people who can’t get on the books or can’t afford it have a fair shot?”

The group fell unusually silent, their utensils all resting on their napkins for the time being as they allowed the idea to sink in. “You know, that’s not half bad”, Bucky murmured first, the gears in his head clearly fast at work developing on the idea Steve suggested. “We could set the guidelines, say ‘no more than this size or this price’, yada yada, and do one for each of us. Then people can share a post we create for each of our personal accounts that way they can still choose who they want the chance to get tattooed by with the hashtag #tattoome-insertnamehere- and then we draw a winner randomly after a set date.” Again, the group fell silent, everyone thinking of the possibility and weighing the pros and cons.

“You know, I don’t see a downside to this”, Bruce quipped after biting into a bacon strip. If Bruce couldn’t find the any reason not to proceed with the idea, then it was a solid plan. Tony clapped his hands together win a grin and eagerly rubbed them together. “Then its settled, I’ll design an image you all can add text over and we’ll each post the original to our personal Instagram accounts then a month from today we will randomly draw a winner and invite them to the tower to get tattooed!” The group hummed their various forms of agreement then returned to eating. Tony in all his eagerness shoveled the rest of his pancakes into his mouth then scampered off to get to work. This was going to be a blast.

#avengers imagine #avengers imagines #avengers au #marvel au #avengers x reader