#lingered affection

[cellophaine]

Lingered Affection (Chapter XV)

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader

Word Count: 4865.

Series Summary: You thought breaking up with Matt was the right thing to do. For his sake and yours. Life went on as you navigated through it with the lingered love and affection you still had for each other, neither of you could let go.

Chapter Warnings: 18+ only. Smut. Fluff. A little angst.

Author's Note: I'm finally back to this wasteland that I call home. I've missed this, but it's hard to get back to it since I put too much pressure on myself to make it good when I could've had a silly good time with a silly goofy plot. But no, I had to suffer instead 🥲

I hope you will enjoy this chapter :)

GIF is not mine

The car ride home was cast in a glowering silence with your unwillingness to talk as the instigator. It wasn't that you didn't want to. You didn't know how to explain yourself, where to start. An apology was redundant if not too little too late, and what was the point of apologizing if you kept committing the offence over and over again?

After the swift escape, you made your way to the alley behind the building to retrieve the sealed document lying on the empty spot, usually occupied by an industrial waste container. Once it was secured in your hands, you jogged to the main street with Matt's sullen silence glued to your side, uncomfortable like the lump in your throat you couldn't get rid of, and wordlessly flagged down a cab.

And now, in the suffocating, borderline blistering warmth of the taxi and the moody crooning of an old jazz classic crackled through the old radio, you found yourself unable to open the conversation. It was like an old diary of your worst mistakes sealed shut, and you knew once you pried it open, nothing good would come out. Still, the anticipation of the inevitable confrontation felt worse, somehow. It seemed harmless at first, like a small but smouldering flame that built up until every inch of you was covered in the tiny blazes, pricking at you from the inside. Your body knew the price of keeping secrets, and you were reminded every time.

You glanced at Matt, who angled his face toward the window as if his city, which always moved in blurry shapes and danced in transient flames, suddenly came to him in every little detail so sharp that he could touch it with his unsighted eyes, and he couldn't help but marvel.

You took a steady inhale, then exhaled softly through your lips. The easiest thing you could do for yourself right now was to say what was perching on your lips the moment Matt pulled you to the side at the fundraiser.

"I wanted to tell you. I really wanted to."

But you couldn't, not after everything that happened between the two of you. If your self-sabotage tendencies were like headaches, your family and everything that came with them were like migraines that only intensified, never relented. You thought you could spare Matt from descending downward into the neverending pit. It was a gateway that, once you opened, would never shut.

Your parents' maltreatment was like a program ingrained in your mind, impossible to unlearn, much less remove entirely. But it seemed like no matter what you did, Matt would end up in the midst of it. The only thing you could do was to be honest. But it was hard, and you couldn't help the way you were. The way you had always been. Your secrecy was your way of protecting yourself, looking out for your sanity because who else would?

"I'm really sorry. The last thing I want for you is to be involved with my family's… drama."

Such a trivial word for an intricate situation. It couldn't encapsulate the scope of virulency your parents were capable of. You knew that, and Matt had started to grasp the weight of your situation, too. It wasn't a walk in the park. It was a run for your life through the woods on injured ankles with bloodhounds chasing after you, their mouths foaming, their teeth snapping at your heels. And you couldn't outrun them.

Matt sighed and turned to your side of the cab. You couldn't gauge his emotions in the dark of the taxi. His face was cut with sharp angles by the shadows, but there was a softened edge of defeat in his voice.

"All I ask is for you to be honest with me."

When you were lost in your own turmoil with your parents, you neglected Matt. You forgot that he, just like you, also had a hard time getting close to others, especially when it came to his Daredevil identity. It took time, patience, and so much commitment for the two of you to reach this point where you could trust each other completely and wholly. You messed it up more than once, but here he was, still giving you his all. For as long as you thought you were protecting him by keeping him at arm's length, it only hurt both of you in the long run. You had to learn how to balance. Allowing Matt to know more about what was going on between you and your parents seemed like a fair trade for the time being.

"I know."

You allowed the rumble of the car and the low jazz to take over again. In the back of the cab, your hand found Matt's on the worn-out leather seat. At first, it was a barely-there contact; your skin grazed his. You drew on your courage to move atop his hand, feeling the small raises of his scars underneath your palm. For a moment, he didn't move. You breathed a relieved sigh as Matt responded to your touch, turning his palm upward to enclose your hand, your fingers wove tightly. Those were the last words exchanged for the rest of the ride.

–

Matt's home granted you great relief from the outside world, but his persistent silence did not. After closing the door behind you, he walked ahead while you lingered at the console table. You understood the gust of indifference he left behind was for you. Like a moth to the flame, he could never truly stay away, yet, for tonight, it didn't keep him from trying.

You followed Matt into the living room, where he had stopped to tug on his tie. He pulled it loose, draping it over the back of the sofa before working to discard his suit jacket. You tossed your purse along with the sealed file on the dining table, allowing the important document to be nothing but a scrap of paper and made your way to him, stepping into his space with so much uncertainty.

You reached out to him with your hands curled on his wrists, silently asking. After a moment, Matt let his arms fall to the sides, allowing you to help him. You felt the tension in your body wane with every button unfastened, slowly and languidly, until you reached the bottom that disappeared into the waist of his pressed slacks. You tugged slightly on the soft material, freeing the rest of the white shirt. Once all the buttons were undone, Matt's chest was bare to you, naked and moving steadily with every breath he took.

You couldn't help but risk a touch below his belly button, feeling the faint dust of fine hair tickle your fingertips. Your brief contact raised goosebumps on his skin, and Matt drew in a soft breath, held it there and waited for your next move. He looked beautiful like this, patient, yet his longing was palpable to your eyes, and you wanted nothing more than indulge. You missed this, the intimacy you shared, the deliberateness as you really took your time with each other until the need you built was so unbearable that you gave in. You dragged your fingers up, barely touching him, and the hitch in his throat was so quiet that you almost missed it. It gave you a small boost forward as you grew bolder; your hand ghosted over his abs, the hard planes on his chest, and only stopped to stroke teasingly at the column of his throat, feeling him swallow hard. You dared a look at his face to see his unsighted eyes settled on you, his lips parted and quivered in soft, careful exhales. Your eyes fluttered, and your heart skipped a beat as you took his slightly dishevelled self in, reading the barely hidden yet, still restrained desire written all over his glossy eyes, his parted lips and the way his breaths seemed to grow even quieter at his control.

You leaned in, only paused when there was barely any distance in between so he could end this if he wished to. But Matt made no move to push you away. So you followed the natural course laid out before you; your fingers were replaced with your lips on the delicate flesh with a light-as-feather touch. The small caresses were careful, experimental as you were unsure of your place until they became insistent as you pressed harder, wanting to feel more of him. Your lips parted to suck on his skin; your tongue darted out to taste it. You felt Matt's arm close around the small of your back, pulling you closer like an invitation for you to continue. Your teeth closed around his skin and tugged, drawing a deep groan from his throat. Matt's hands grasped you through the material of your dress; the low resonant of his whine urged you to continue. Your arms wrapped around his neck, one hand found its home in his hair, carding through the soft strands and tugging as your mouth moved to nip at his jaw. Matt liked that, his grunt of approval and the tightening of his arms around you, pressing you against him even more, was an obvious indication.

His hand grasped your chin and tilted your face to meet his. He caught your lips with such urgency as if he couldn't do it soon enough. A dam broke inside you when your lips connected; a swirl of relief and exhilaration winded deep in the pit of your stomach. His hand banded around your throat, his fingers brushed against your pounding pulse, holding you still but not restricting your movement. Your kiss was unrestrained and desperate, releasing all the bottled frustration from your earlier exchange in the closet. It was also a physical proof made of skin, bones, and the thundering of your hearts that you were here together, that this was real. Matt had longed to hold you like this, to have you like this, and you had yearned to feel once again the home you made in his arms. In this sacred moment, you didn't need words. You had already said so much in so little time and trusted that your action was enough to show him how much you wanted him. Matt crushed you to him, making your dress bunch and wrinkle, and you groaned at the barrier in between. You pushed at the shirt on his shoulders with impatience, and Matt helped you get rid of it. You sighed as your hands met his bare skin, warm, alive, and taut over the expanse of muscles.

You barely parted. You couldn't, even when the air in your lungs wane. When you were desperate for it, you would pull back slightly only to gravitate toward Matt again. Your teeth clashed, your tongues intertwined. You needed the lack of distance, the growing intensity, and the impatience you shared. Matt found the zipper of your dress and tugged on it harshly, eager to free you of your confinement. He pulled on it several times, but the creased garment refused to give. You felt his grunt of frustration before his withdrawal from your lips, felt his hands hold the fabric in place so he could slide the zipper down while you peppered kisses all over his neck and collarbone, licking and nipping at his skin like it was a drug.

After a final decisive pull and a satisfied groan, your dress came loose and pooled at your feet. Matt's warm hands raised goosebumps on your skin as he caressed your body, worshipping with every fervent touch. His hands moved and kneaded and groped as if you were to disappear any moment, and he needed to seize every moment, every second. Your bodies fused as one as you moved backward and bumped into the back of the couch. You felt his erection straining against his dress pants, pressing into your thighs. You felt lightheaded, not only from the onslaught of kisses, of the intoxicating air you breathed in but from the dizzying need to shed his clothes, to get him naked, to have nothing else in the way.

With shaky but determined hands, you reached for his belt, tugging it loose with Matt's help. You sighed breathily into his mouth as his pants fell, and the hard outline of his erection felt more noticeable now. You palmed it, and Matt moaned softly, his face contorted as if your touch was enough to make him lose it. He made his way to your throat, making you gasp and moan as you could tell his bites were hard enough to leave marks. You couldn't care less about how you would be perceived with Matt's love bites on your neck the next morning. You could only focus on how good he made you feel, how he lavished his attention on you. He settled on the point between your neck and shoulder, sucking on the delicate flesh. One hand guided your neck to arch into his mouth while the other reached for your bra and unfastened the hook. You tossed the garment over your shoulders, and Matt wasted no time attaching his skilled mouth to your breast. You felt your legs weakened as he worked you over relentlessly; his tongue swirled over your sensitive nipple, his teeth dug softly into the supple flesh, sucking and nipping and licking while his other tended to the other, groping and rolling your hardened nub between his forefingers. You threw your head back, letting your moans of ecstasy bounce freely off of the brick walls. Your hands grasped his shoulders; your nails dug into his skin to warn him of your urgency.

"Take me to bed, please. I need you."

Matt came back to you, so breathless and speechless that all he could do was nod, his breathing laboured. You were picked up in one swift movement; Matt's hands dug into your thighs. He laid you onto the bed gently, a contrary to the way he had been handling you. You crawled backward on your arms, watching as he followed. Your gaze roamed over the mushed-up hair on his head, his glossy unsighted eyes trained on you. You eyed the faint smear of your lipstick all over his lips; the clumsy imprint was blurry and only enhanced the irresistible dishevelled look on Matt's face. You caught a brief glimpse of the pigment before Matt brought you back to him by capturing your lips in a searing kiss, by the feel of his hand on your hip bone, his thumb delved under the lace of your underwear. You lifted your hips, and he worked quickly to rid of them. You went for his boxers, pulling the waistband down the globes of his ass until he was free from the containment. His cock was hot and heavy on your thigh, and you couldn't help but moan softly at the sheer anticipation.

Matt touched you where you needed him most, and you couldn't help the moan that escaped. His skilled fingers ran along your wet folds, grazing your sensitive clit. Your back arched off the silk sheet as his movement grew persistent, drawing needy whimpers from you as if he could feast on your pretty sound of pleasure. Your hips chased after his hand even after he pulled it away to retrieve a condom from the bedside table. A wave of relief washed over you as Matt returned. He braced himself above you, close enough for you to feel his warmth, yet not enough that he could crush you. You involuntarily tensed as he poised at your entrance; the tip of his aching cock caught on your folds. You hadn't been intimated with anyone else since your breakup, and you had the feeling that it was the same for him. Matt sensed your uneasiness and drew his hips back, giving you some space. His hands found yours; his thumbs drew soothing patterns on your palm. Even though there hadn't been a single word exchanged between you ever since you got back, you understood everything Matt had been telling you with his actions. His face softened, and his unseeing eyes settled on you with affection and love as he waited for your permission.

Your heart swelled in your chest at the tenderness evident in every fibre of Matt's being. You knew you were safe here and how much you had desperately wanted that safety net to catch you. All you had to do was to let yourself fall into his arms.

Your hand travelled along the side of his firm body to reach his back, relishing in the coiled muscles, feeling the divots of his waist, and urged him to move with a slight nudge. The other came to rest on the side of his face, softly caressing the stubble that tickled your fingertips. Matt understood your cues, pressing his lips into your palm before pushing in. You felt the slow and delicious stretch of his cock, your mouth fell open, and a moan parted your throat in a way that drove him mad. He took his time and moved slowly, and as impatient as you both were, you understood that Matt was careful not to break you. The world and your worries ceased to exist as you were wrapped in the enrapture of one another, lost at being so physically connected that the only person you knew of was him. The only thing you felt was him.

Matt increased the pace, jolting you with each hard thrust as he pulled out just to slam back in again. Euphoria filled your body and mind, inspiring your thought to spiral into something deeper you weren't even aware of. You missed this. You missed sex, but not as much in the act itself. You missed being intimate with Matt. The way he understood you, the way he knew what you needed in the heated moments. He listened, he obliged, and he cared more about your pleasure than his. Finally having him here, like this, despite the rift you caused just months ago, made your nose sting. You thought you had lost him for good, and that alone gave a final push to the salted tears gathered in your eyes. Matt's pace faltered, yet, he still kept a steady rhythm, only slower than before. He touched your cheek, feeling the wetness at the corner of your eye, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Am I hurting you? Should I stop?"

You shook your head and pulled him down to kiss you; your lips moved together in urgency. He felt your plea to be consumed wholly, so he kissed you just like how you needed. Deeply, thoroughly, wholeheartedly. Your mouth eagerly opened to his demanding tongue. Your hips arched to meet his, silently asking him to pick up the pace. And he did. You let go; your fervent moans materialized and molten together in a melody. A song of lovers found, of lost souls touched and intertwined. Your hands grasped his sweat-dotted skin; your thighs banded around his hips like a mark. You tried to hold on as you didn't want this to end already, but Matt gave your wrist a squeeze, promising you it was okay. The frantic drive of his hips made it harder and harder for you to hold off, so you conceded. You came with a loud cry, and Matt held you through the intense wave of ecstasy. You moved your hips to meet his stuttering thrusts before Matt came too. A broken moan enveloped your hearing and pounding heart in a warm embrace. You held him close as he lay on top of you, welcoming his weight like an anchor, binding you to him, to where you had always belonged.

Time slipped by your woven hands much too fast to your liking as you nestled in Matt's arms, with his hand covering yours on your chest. He lavished you with attention, adorning you with kisses to dry up the tears that poured moments before until the inevitable happened. When it did, Matt left the bed with much reluctance, leaving you in the remnant of his warmth on the sheet. You heard him putting on his Daredevil suit and watched as he made his way to you, giving you one last lingering kiss. He smoothed a hand over your hair before putting his gloves on, and then he was gone with a promise of returning soon.

You flopped back to the bed and sighed, relishing in the afterglow. A tiredness settled in your bones, a result of all the exhilaration and anxiety that happened in the span of one night. You buried your face in the pillow that smelled like Matt, wishing he was here with you.

You could feel the pull of fatigue in your body, but your mind insisted on staying awake no matter how much you willed yourself to fall asleep. You tossed and turned and eventually gave up when it was clear you were only wasting time.

You leaned against the kitchen counter while waiting for the water to boil. The aroma of dry tea leaves soothed your nerves as you zoned out, trying to clear your head. Your eyes roamed the room aimlessly until they fell on the sealed file perched atop the dining room table alongside your purse. Its whispered promises of secrets revealed drew on your interest, and you allowed your curiosity to win after debating whether you should open it. After all, you had time to spare. For once, maybe you could stay ahead of your father's game.

You sat down and flipped through the file; your eyes read and examined every word written on the pages. Your eyes read the names next to their black-and-white photos. Ethan F., Theodore K., Terry M., Minh T., Rob H. No last names. Nothing else that might give away too much, only short descriptions of their blood types, medical summaries and respective recordings of what you couldn't fully understand. Stabilized with Aconitine. Responded well to the insertion process. Metal compounds with complicated names were assigned to each man. In Terry M.'s report, the recording was only half as long. His page was crossed out in a red X. You skimmed through the paragraph, noting the small differences compared to other men, and at the very end of it: Subject responded negatively to graphene. Increased dose. Subject unresponsive. Your brows scrunched together, and your stomach churned at what you were reading. You shut the file and leaned back in the seat, taking a moment to process.

Just because you hated your father didn't mean whatever he was planning was illegal. Maybe your source was wrong. Perhaps you were the bad person in this situation. You were so desperately hoping for your father's life-long project to be malfeasance that you overlooked the good things that did come out of it. He saved a life. He might have hit you, injured you for a long stretch of your life, but he saved someone. That must make the scale balanced.

The thought grew ugly and vile as it twisted at your insides, knowing it had the upper hand already. Your eyes were pricked with fresh, frustrating tears, and you blinked slowly, willing them to not fall.

No matter how you looked at it, abuse was still abuse. You had to remind yourself. It was hard to remember and believe it on most days because who were you to say that you were innocent, that you didn't deserve your father's beatings? If only you were a better daughter, a better person–

You stood up abruptly, cutting off your train of thought forcefully. The chair scraped the hardwood floor, making an unpleasant sound that made you wince. You hunched over, forcing yourself to inhale and exhale slowly in an attempt to slow your heart rate and the growing anxiety. You did it until your pulse returned to normal, until the dread in your stomach wasn't as intimidating as before.

You eyed your purse on the table and realized you might have a better understanding if you knew at least some of the extent of your father's project. You reached for your phone and quickly looked up your father's name. You watched as the results showed within seconds and scrolled through the headlines. They were all praises dedicated to "the most innovative doctor of our time". You clicked on the link written by a reputable scientist who worked closely with your father throughout the early stages of development, the article cited. The details they shared were generic enough to give a normal person a good understanding but not in-depth enough to give away their life's work. You read on as they sang your father's praises on how he reconstructed Aaron's broken spine by providing support with an unnamed material that was flexible yet durable. The procedure was described as "delicate, one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art that will change the world for the better."

Before you could read further, the door to the roof opened, signalling Matt's return. You placed your phone on the table and watched him descend the stairs, gauging for any sign of injuries. He appeared unharmed, his steps light and quick as he approached you. You greeted him in the middle, your arms opened with a hug, and Matt returned your gesture of affection. You let him lift you off the ground, his face tilted up to find yours; his lips captured yours with urgency with his cowl still on. The hard material dug into your face, but you couldn't care less as you melted in his arms, grateful for his presence.

When you finally pulled away, Matt spoke, his voice deep and drunk from the kiss.

"What are you doing up?"

"I'm just looking over some stuff we took earlier tonight. I couldn't sleep."

You took hold of the helmet with one hand and tried to free Matt from it.

"Anything important?"

His hand moved to help you with the cowl as you responded distractedly at the sight of his face revealed.

"Oh, I'm sure everything in that file is important. I haven't figured it out yet though."

He went in for a peck, and your nose scrunched as it landed.

"I know you will. I'm here to help you as well."

"Thank you. I appreciate you."

You stroked the back of his neck, feeling the slightly damped hair there. Matt cleared his throat softly; a touch of tease edged in his voice.

"If you're still up, that means … I didn't do my job right."

Your smile widened at his meaning.

"You'll have to try harder then."

"Is that a challenge?"

He arched a brow, and you couldn't help but chuckle.

"It is if you want it to be. Do you … want it to be?"

"I think you know the answer to that already."

You threw your head back and laughed softly, exposing your throat to him. Matt caught the chance, dipping his head to kiss the sensitive skin. You squirmed in his hold and gasped softly when his grip on your thighs tightened as he carried you to the bedroom.

–

You pulled your bag closer to yourself as you stepped off of the subway, navigating the flow of pavement traffic. The weather had warmed up so much that you could ditch the scarf and heavy coat and opt for a light jacket instead. You checked your phone again to be safe and continued your route. Eventually, you stopped before your destination. The building looked decent from the outside as you took it in before checking the address one more time. Figuring you shouldn't stand in the middle of the sidewalk any longer, you walked in through the door. It opened even though it looked like you needed a key. You didn't question it as you took the elevator going up. The number ticked up slowly, and you felt your anxiety rise with it.

The elevator's doors opened, and you stepped out. At the end of the hall was where you saw it: the writing on the frosted glass pulled at your attention, indicating your stop. You closed the distance with assured steps and took a deep breath before you knocked. You waited patiently, listening as some dull sounds made it to your ears: a dull thud, a chair push, boots steps on the floor, and finally, the wooden door with glass pane revealed the person on the other side.

"You."

The woman levelled you with a cool gaze and an even colder tone, almost as if she was bored by your mere appearance.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. The one with mommy and daddy issues."

You gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Detective Jones."

She rolled her eyes; her annoyance was clear at the formal and false title.

"I'm not a detective."

She turned on her heels and walked over to her desk, not bothering to see if you would follow her.

"Come in. Whatever you found for me better be good."

*Likes, reblogs, and comments are greatly appreciated!* Follow my side blog to receive notifications whenever I post! @cellophaine-archives

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[angelizs]

[Octopus piercing - Jade Leech]

Summary: Hand slipping down from his cheek to his chin, you pull away to take in the whole picture. Jade, octopus piercing covering his whole ear, skin flushed a delightful shade of light pink, eyes looking at you the whole time, entranced. 

Notes: gn!reader, based on the early concept of punk Jade, in this household we like flustered Jade who's down bad while also being a tease, now I'm certain he had a punk phase at some point and still has the piercings!

"Oh? What's this?"

Your voice rings out in the otherwise silent room, being quickly replaced by the sound of clinking metal.

Jade turns his head around your direction, tilting it to the side in interest. If you had been looking at him, you might have noticed the ever so slight widening of his eyes as he realizes what you found (you always do, as attentive to his expressions as he is with yours), but alas, something else had caught your eye.

It's as if the air in his bedroom stilled and time had stopped for a moment as you lift up your hand to look closer at your finding. He watches attentively, wanting to drink in your reaction.

You don't disappoint (you never do). Your lips part as you let out a breath of amazement, your eyes shining as they reflect the light of the jewel. Something so simple managed to mesmerize you. Your fingers delicately, as if afraid they could break it, toy around it, spinning it from one side to the other, taking in the texture and the coldness.

Jade gets so deep in watching you he almost forgets his comeback. Almost.

"Prefect, you shouldn't mess with other people's things, it's not very polite."

You turn to him, making him feel exhiliration tickle down his spine from having your attention on him, your humorous smile directed at him and only him. 

"You didn't seem to share the sentiment a few months ago, huh?" You refer to the little... incident with Azul's contracts at the end of the year. It was all water under the bridge now, but you still liked to tease them about it.

"These were very different situations, wouldn't you say?" 

For emphasis, he lowers his voice and slides to the side you're seated on his bed, his leg touching yours and his face close enough you could count his eyelashes if you wanted to, but not enough for his nose to touch yours. 

There's a hitch in your breath, so quiet that if it was anyone else they would have missed it. Jade doesn't. His smile turns more genuine at the corners.

"No, I don't think so." 

Instead of trying to get away, you stay where you are, attracted like a moth to the flame. Your hand comes between your faces, putting the object of your fascination in display.

It was an octopus tentacle piercing, one that would curl around the top of the ear and pass through the earlobe. It was quite detailed, with all the suction cups carefully craved in silver.

"It's beautiful. I didn't know you had other earrings."

There it is, that curious look in your face, the one that promises to deliver endless entertainment. He decides to indulge you to see where you're heading with it, although he already has an inkling.

"That must be because I only use this one nowadays." He touches the signature scales earring he's using. "But there was a time I was still experimenting with my appearence. I suppose I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them."

"It's a bit hard to imagine you using anything other than this one, but..." Your gaze turns to the octopus earring, evaluating it, before sliding to his face again. Jade feels as if he was being examinated from the inside out, as if you could investigate his very soul from the intensity of your stare. "I think this one would look pretty good too."

"Shall we check?" 

His fingers do quick work of taking off the backing and pulling his current earring away from his ear, leaving it bare. He puts it on the nightstand and turns around, exposing his side to your ministrations.

You stare for a second, caught of guard. "May I?"

"Of course, go ahead."

You hesitate for a second longer, hearing him let out an amused huff of laughter, before your fingers approach him. You tuck the longer strand of black hair behind his ear to give you space to work. In the process, your warm hand brushes against it, making him shiver. 

Taking your time, you let your touch ghost his cold skin, captivated by such a rare chance to be so close to his space. You notice, for the first time, that there are more little holes alongside it, where other piercings might have been before. The image you conjure in your head is charming enough to make you smile.

The pad of your thumb strokes his earlobe before you insert the post and screw the back, holding it in place and sliding the cuff to hook it on his upper ear. 

Your hand stays in place as you admire your work, rubbing the helix absentmindedly. You hum, your other hand cupping his cheek to turn his head in your direction so you could see how it looked.

"Something's wrong?" You whisper, noticing how he feels warmer under your touch.

Jade's pupils look slightly blown when his eyes meets yours. "Go on." It comes out in a rushed breath. 

Humming once more, your smile widens. "As you wish." 

Hand slipping down from his cheek to his chin, you pull away to take in the whole picture. Jade, octopus piercing covering his whole ear, skin flushed a delightful shade of light pink, eyes looking at you the whole time, entranced. 

"What's the veredict?"

"I was right, you know. It does look good."

"Is that so?" There's something to his tone, something you can't quite name.

You turn his head around, enjoying the thrill you get when he complies and lets you do as you please.

"Actually, maybe I wasn't."

At this, he turns around by himself, a calculating look on his face, trying to guess what you where going to say. He catches up just before the words leave your mouth, but it doesn't make them any less enjoyable to say.

"It's more than good. You look lovely."

The sincerity in his answering laugh is elating.

"You flatter me, prefect. If this is the reaction I'll get, then I might change around my looks more often."

"There's more, right? I'd like to see them too!"

The pleased glint in Jade's expression turns into mischievousness as he pulls away from you, moving to get up.

"Perhaps another time. This would take time I can't afford without risking running late to my shift at Mostro."

"C'mon! Just one more!" You hold his arm before he can move out of your reach, looking through your lashes at his towering form. "Please?"

Sighing, he concedes. "If you insist so much, I suppose we could look at another one." You cheer, pulling him back to where he was, already looking through his other piercings in the drawer. "For a price, naturally."

You only deadpan at him, earning an amused chuckle.

"My, my, what's with that face? Can you say you weren't expecting it?"

"Of course I was, it is you after all. What will it be then?"

A sharp grin exposing his teeth blooms. Most would be scared by it, but the only thing passing through your mind is how this expression goes quite well with this new piercing.

"Not backing down? Very well. How about you participate in this week's Mountain Lovers Club meeting?"

"Deal." There's not even a moment to blink before you agree. Truly, you didn't mind going on his club meetings. In fact, they were very enjoyable most of the time, and if that would make him happy you could sacrifice a few hours from your day. Besides, you were having a lot of fun with your new discovery. "Now, how about this one?" 

You show him the piercing you chose, a little fish skeleton that looked cheaper than the other one. You thought it would look quite cute.

"This was a gift from Floyd, so I'm rather fond of it." You can tell it's true from his softer tone. "We have a deal, you can go ahead."

Letting you have full access to his ear once more, you explore the options where you could put this new piercing. Since the other one covered a good part of the available space, you decided to insert it on the helix, where they wouldn't clash.

You carefully hold it on one hand while your other supports his ear. It's almost reverent the way you insert it, treating it like it was a precious jewel, watching intently as it pierces the skin and appears on the other side, nimble fingers screwing it in place.

Like before, you take his chin between your thumb and index finger, taking in the sight of him. Your lips pout as you think, his eyes darting to stare at them as if in a trance before quickly glancing back to meet yours.

"If feels like there's something missing..." You mumble, thinking out loud. "Oh! Maybe if I just..."

Without further explanation, your free hand combs his hair backwards, messing with it enough to get a spiky look that could rival his twin's. The strand of black hair you had tucked behind his ear gets loose, only half of it staying in the place you left.

Thumb gently rubbing his skin, you push his face away. The messy hair alongside the piercings made him resemble a delinquent. If it wasn't for his awestruck expression, Jade would look quite intimidating. 

"There you go! You look great!"

A second passes where he just stares at you, as if taking this moment in and commiting it to memory, before there's a signature smile adorning his face.

"I trust you did a good job then."

"Nah, you already did before, I just tweaked with a few things here and there."

The amused huff of breath he lets out warms your fingertip. You feel your cheeks getting hotter. 

"I see. In this case, thank you for your assistance. Hopefully Azul will be able to appreciate this new look as much as you do."

Imagining Azul's reaction to his usual put together employee going to work with such a carefree look makes you chuckle.

"I have no doubt that he'll love it. Not as much as I do, but close enough."

"That's a relief, seeing as I have to go now in order to not get late." 

He gets up again and extends his hand to you. You take it, letting him help pulling you up to your feet, standing so close you're pressed against his chest. You can feel his hum resonate through it. Your arms embrace his torso to keep you balanced.

Before you can make a comment, his hand holds your chin, mirroring the position you were in minutes ago, while his other tousles your hair.

"I enjoyed our time together, it's truly too bad it had to be cut short. Let's meet up another time for you to look at the other piercings, yes? There are quite a lot of them, after all."

"I'd like that." You close your eyes to enjoy his touch, leaning into it.

"I'm sure you do." Jade's teasing actions turn softer as he starts to stroke your hair affectionately. "I'll look forward to our next meeting, prefect." 

His tone makes you open your eyes to peek at him. It sounds far too tender, far too sincere. His smile betrays nothing of his thoughts, but you know he said the truth. 

"Me too. Make sure to prepare a special activity for the club meeting since you'll have a special guest!"

"I'll do my best to keep you entertained, don't you worry. I'm sure you'll enjoy what I have planned."

"You sure know how to make someone curious." You tease, hoping he'd give you a hint at what he had planned, but no luck.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait and see."

You sigh exaggeratedly. "That I'll do." 

"I promise it'll be worth the antecipation. Now, I truly must get going." 

Leaning down while his hand combs your hair backwards, his lips leave a fleeting touch on your forehead, an almost kiss that leaves you wanting more.

"Until we meet again, dear."

With that, he leaves the room in quick strides, leaving you alone to process what happened. Your hands shoot up to your forehead as you splutter, trying to get your thoughts in order. 

Just what was that?

Sighing, you decide you'll have to wait until the mountain lovers club meeting to confront him. It's shaping up to be quite an eventful day and you can feel your excitement bubbling up.

Jade sure knew how to keep someone on their toes.

Glancing one last time at the nightstand, the light catching on his scales earring laying there innocently, you leave to go to your dorm.

Your thoughts turn to the mental picture of Jade, flushed face and blown pupils, messy hair and piercings on his ear. Involuntarily, your lips shape into a giddy smile. 

There was a jewellery shop at the island's city, right? Maybe you'd take a look at which piercings they had next time you go run errands.

BONUS SCENE!

"Azul! Jade's here!" Floyd's excited giggle rings out in the otherwise silent office as he opens the door with a bang.

"Finally! I was starting to think he forgot about his shift..." Azul trails off as he takes in the sight before him.

Right next to a smiling Floyd was Jade. His outfit was in perfect condition and his posture was as formal as always. Still, Azul couldn't stop staring at the different hairstyle and piercings he was using.

There was a time when they were first years and very new to living on land in which Jade decided to experiment with his appearence. He got a lot of piercings and cut his hair in what could be known as a "punk hairstyle", contrasting terribly with his buttlerly personality. He seemed to find it very amusing, but after getting in trouble with the teachers for breaking the dress code and getting bored of the usual reactions he'd get from the other students, he decided to take them off and let his hair grow, going back to his usual look.

So it was quite a shock to see them making a comeback, although in a much tamer way than how he used to be.

"What... what has brought this back?" Truly, Azul thought he'd gotten used to the twin's antics by now and couldn't be surprised anymore, but they always found a way of surpassing expectations. 

"Yeah, I wanna know too! When I asked you to put them back you just ignored me." Floyd pouts, crossing his arms and slouching dejectedly.

"It's a long story, but it started when the prefect and I were studying in my room..."

"Wait, you know what? You can stop right there, I don't want to know. Please just get to work." Azul sighs, massaging his temples.

Whenever Ramshackle's prefect was involved, there surely was some crazy story following, and they were already behind schedule as it was.

"Of course, as you wish." Jade agrees with his usual polite smile, but no one in the room was fooled by it. They both knew he was extremely amused by their curiosity. 

"Awn, I wanted to know." Floyd complains, whining. 

"Perhaps I'll tell you another time. Right now, let's get to work, shall we?"

With a groaning Floyd in town, Jade walks out of the door as if nothing was amiss. Azul simply accepts that he'll have to deal with this new development and decides to have a talk with the prefect later. Not that it would change much of anything. When Jade had his mind set on something, he didn't stop until he was satisfied, and for some reason or other he seemed to be interested in experimenting again.

The Octavinelle dorm leader could only wonder what had caused this sudden interest.

Masterlist

#twst x reader #jade leech x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #jade leech #twisted wonderland #twst #azul ashengrotto #floyd leech #wonderland wonder #jade saying many times he has to leave but not wanting to part ways with you just yet... finding any excuse to linger for longer... #oh to express your affection by tenderly putting a piercing on his ears #fr when I read that Jade's early concept included a punk visual I became OBSESSED. #and thus this was made <3 #anyway on another note #THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON MY NEWER WRITINGS <333 IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY

[hoarder-of-dragons]

No but if, instead of this scene being Azirphale realizing his love for Crowley, it was him realizing Crowley loves him back Aziraphale's seen Crowley swoop in to rescue him tons of times throughout history. And he has known Crowley to "tempt" him several times, just as a pretext to spend time together. But this, saving his books outright with no other ulterior motive other than just to make Aziraphale happy, well obviously he would react like that when he finds out.

#we only know Crowley's love for Aziraphale because our outside view #imagine Azirphale who being in heaven and with people who always disregarded him as “soft” #well obviously he would be oblivious to Crowley's affection towards him #yes he might know Crowley cares for him but there is some lingering doubt that says what if it was all just because of the arrangement #you must remember that Aziraphale still doesn't understand sides currently as well #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens season 2 #neil gaiman #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #aziraphale #anthony j crowley #david tennant #michael sheen #good omens meta #good omens analysis

[y-rhywbeth2]

The Dark Urge: "For what it's worth, I think I always liked you, too. But this is how it must be." *There is hesitation in his eye for one moment. A passing thought of all times spent together you'll never remember.* [...] Lord Enver Gortash: "We could have moved mountains, we could have shaken the planes. And you chose imperfection. I think I will hang your corpse in the Wide - the Archduke's would-be assassin. The people will celebrate your fall, and my part in it. "Your bones will be a souvenir of what could've been."

Keeping their bones as a memento was already basically flirting when it's aimed at Durge, but these lines - the bitterness of imperfection, what we could've been, the souvenir of what could've been - are so much better now with that moment of hesitation thrown in.

#I kind of want a bad end AU where Gortash keeps Durge's corpse around out of lingering affection not gonna lie #...what? #You know this is a freak blog #... #...also ignoring the fact that they should disintegrate but hush #/durge #/gortash #durgetash #the garbage men #villainous nonsense #edgelord hours #babbling

[my-cursed-brain]

Istg I'm getting my shit together and trying to write a fic. I'm being plagued by ideas but I haven't written for fun in almost a year and I'm terrified to write characters that aren't my own. How does a twst fic about Lilia and Malleus doing the "'Make it pink!' 'Make it blue!'" scene sound?

#I haven't attempted to write a fanfic since like 7th grade and trust me when I say it was Bad™ #I know that my writing has improved since 5 years ago but I still have that lingering fear of people yelling at me that I'm cringe #Also my writing always sounds like a Victorian because I grew up reading Edgar Allan Poe's stories as bedtime stories #So I feel like that side affect is good for writing Lilia and Malleus but no one else #twst #twisted wonderland #lilia vanrouge #malleus draconia #dahlia's rambling

[explodingstarlight]

I wonder how the rise boys would react to 2012 Mikey's pizza concoctions...like the pizza shake lol

something tells me rise!Mikey isn't pleased

#sorry this took so long to answer i forgot it was lingering in there aahshsh #i've never drawn the 2012 boys before and it shows gang gang #but yeah no #i see other bros ranging from disinterested and slightly repulsed (donnie) to curious (raph) to excited to try it for the hell of it (leo) #plus bragging rights for getting it down ofc #mikey??? now mikey would take it as an affront to food itself (mr i-watch-gourmet-tv and look up to a gordon ramsey wannabe) #a hopeful grain of me says well maybe he would be willing to teach them how to cook properly #but the bigger eviler side says that mikey would go dr delicate touch on them and ban them from the kitchen entirely #he would adore ice cream kitty tho <3 #i say all of this with nothing but love and affection in my heart for both iterations #but god help me the 2012 turtles wouldn't be allowed within 10 feet of my kitchen #ask #rottmnt #tmnt #e stars scribblez #stars speaks #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise mikey #2012 mikey #phone doodles

[movedtodykedvonte]

Wizards tend to have sharp/sharper teeth in Adventure Time along with anyone that gains magic from the crown.

It’s just very noticeably when their teeth are drawn in detail when wearing the crown Winter King, Farm Finn, Ice Queen and Ice King all have like super sharp pointed teeth. And claws seeing as their hands and feet are uniquely drawn as pointed. Other wizards also include the Sage of Life but that’s debatable cause he’s not like, a human, so he could just be like that.

This is just an observation cause it’s pretty darn consistent.

#also I like the idea and am planning a fic of Simon noticing his body still has lingering affects of ice king #like resistance to cold that isn’t humanly possible #his eyes are white and blank maybe only a pupil and I think the white streak isn’t just old age but a mix of greying and ice king #but his teeth and sharper nails by default would be the first he pics up in and hates #ice king #the ice king #simon petrikov #adventure time #fionna and cake

[yoroshiu]

It feels uncanny thinking about how KH2's final boss is technically Terra's body while the secret boss is Terra's will

#kingdom hearts #kh terra #xemnas #lingering will #i will never get over the breaking of terra into smaller pieces #and how the consequences of his mistakes caused by malicious manipulation end up affecting the series as a whole #terra doesn't forgive himself and that breaks my heart #terra deserves better #yoroshiu rambles

[rocketrot]

nothing else is happening in the last one, its literally only a kiss. archer is just such a freak that even that by its own is enough to break him. (to be fair, it's the first time gio had ever kissed him)

he's so delusional that he almost believes it was genuine reciprocation of his feelings instead of gio playing with his toy and seeing what fun new noises it can make :)

#subordinateshipping #deranged scribbles #i have. ea lot. of thoughts/feelings about gio #he's very particular about what kind of “”affection“” he allows #both for his “”“”“”“”partner“”“”“”“”“”“ and himself #he doesnt hug. he doesnt hold hands. and he definitely doesnt kiss #he can pet. caress. hand lingering for just a second. #just enough to tease; not enough to have it mistaken for actual affection. actions that still enforce his authority #but with archer? this man that knows his place and wont expect anything further from him? #for his entertainment he can spare a kiss. and the results did not disappoint #(i also hc this as gio's first kiss. he's never had the urge to do so until that moment #archer's soooo special :)) he should feel honored)

[resssistance]

Uno Shoma / EX 'Padam, padam' / GPF 2022

#shoma uno #figure skating #fskateedit #gpf 2022 #r:gif #damn #i thought these two deserve a separate place #and that i can die but have to fit that last slowmo entirely #motsly unrelated but at the time of men's short i had another migraine in full swing and was just trying to live until shoma's turn #and i could swear that in the replay after his SP there was this loong lingering slowmo shot very similar to the 2nd gif #thought it would make such a good gif but was in no shape for that #so when i rewatched the program the next day that shot was gone #like there was a shot of him after the skate but it wasn't a long one #i even checked the stream maybe they just cut it out for the video #but no. it's was just migraine playing my brain #i knew that it can affect your perception of the speed of things #but i never noticed it on myself before #fun #omg tags

[cellophaine]

Lingered Affection (Chapter XIV)

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader

Word Count: 5773.

Series Summary: You thought breaking up with Matt was the right thing to do. For his sake and yours. Life went on as you navigated through it with the lingered love and affection you still had for each other, neither of you could let go.

Chapter Warnings: Abusive parents.

Author's Note: Reupload since I added a few things to the "heist" which are important for future chapters!

GIF Credit

You had never felt a low like this, the kind of low that escaped your mind and seeped into your physical body, dragging you down and down to the point you felt like your body was filled with lead. Your eyes watched as the scenery went by from the other side of the tinted window, mind deep in thoughts. You felt like a muppet at the end of your father's strings, helpless to his machination. To be wounded up in his web again and to do nothing but follow. And right now, those strings were pulling you to your father's research lab, which served a different function tonight. 

The building looked somewhat newly renovated compared to other structures in Yorkville. Only five floors high, with glossy glass panes and a white brick exterior, the infrastructure still exuded that refinement that allowed it to bond well with the rest of the neighbourhood. You exited the car before the doorman could even offer assistance and observed your surroundings. Judging by the pressed suits and extravagant gowns pouring from expensive vehicles into the wide-open entrance, this fundraiser was indeed a big deal. 

You dropped off your modest coat at the front desk, hanging onto your small purse before joining a group of eager people in the elevator. You watched as the number went up until it reached the highest digit, listening to the conversations that arose in the small space. The door opened, welcoming you into the excitement lying ahead. Once again, you were surprised by how grand everything was. The room was fairly large, with a high ceiling. An impressive chandelier hung from it, lighting the room up from where you stood. Partygoers were in abundance, chatting amongst themselves or gathering in groups and couples, posing with their smiling faces for photographers. Servers weaved through that traffic with agility; trays of champagne flutes and hors d'oeuvres were never so much as falter on their course. You stood idly on the sideline, feeling out of place as you watched more guests arrive. They busied themselves with greetings, gossip, and those canapé pieces that never quite satisfied anyone.

Everything about it screamed old money, and even though your father was far from it, you hated how seamlessly he blended in. He was a fucking natural. A respectable man of his profession. But no one here knew who he really was, and if you had to be honest, they probably wouldn't care. 

You moved slowly, your eyes searching for your parents, when a person walked into your path. A man about your father's age gave you a look of acknowledgment and a smile that didn't reach his eyes. 

"Miss?"

"Yes?"

You answered, somewhat hesitant at his intense stare.

"My name is Andrew. Your father is requesting your presence at his office."

Your sardonic smile went unnoticed. 

"Why? He doesn't trust that I can be on my own?"

"He would like to go over a few things before the event with you."

You sighed, making a gesture for him to lead the way. Andrew only nodded before turning on his heels. He cut through the crowd of people to go down a hallway. You followed him until the sound of the party was only background noise, stopping in front of a large dark wood door with your father's nameplate. The older man opened the door, inviting you to step inside. The office was quite plain, which wasn't what you expected from your father. More dark wood, bookshelves, cabinets and a modern touch of black leather. One of the walls was decorated heavily with plaques bolted to the wood and awards on floating shelves. Of course, he brought all of his achievements to New York. The sight reminded you of his office back at home; the shiny plaques looked down on you when you bore his insults and beatings. A chill rose along your spine, making you shiver involuntarily. It was dead quiet here, save for the crackling of the fire, and that was when you realized you were left alone with your father.

He worked at the cuffs of his sleeves, looking at you through the mirror above the fireplace. You sucked in an unsteady breath, feeling exposed under his scrutinizing gaze. 

"Where's Clarice?"

"She's your mother and you will call her as such."

You scoffed bitterly.

"I'd rather not. I'm only here because you threatened me. Besides, she's made it clear that she hates me, so there's no need for pretense."

Your father's scowl told you he wasn't happy with your snide remark. 

"A lot of important people are here, and I would hate it if you ruined this for me. Be on your best behaviour tonight."

Having finished the final details on his attire, he crossed the room until he met you at a closer distance. One that you weren't comfortable with, but you stood your ground.

"Of course. Have I ever disappointed you?"

You replied with a sarcastic tone and a slight smile on your lips. With a sharp movement, your father's hand was on your jaw, gripping painfully. 

"Careful. Don't fuck around tonight. Am I clear?"

He enunciated each word with a warning echo, ensuring you didn't miss how much he meant it. You returned his scowl, glaring and resisting his display of power. Until he roared into your face. 

"Am I clear?"

Eventually, you nodded. Not satisfied with what you gave him, your father shook your jaw harder.

"Speak!"

"Yes. Yes!"

The second yes came out harsher than he would like, so he used his force to push you back, throwing you off balance. 

"Compose yourself."

Your hand came up to brush off the remnant of his grip as you loosened your jaw. No one was watching, but you felt the shame anyway. Your face burned with it, and you could feel the tears sting at the rims of your eyes. You willed yourself not to crumble in front of him, and you felt like you were doing a good job at it as you reached the entrance to the main room with your father only five steps ahead.

"Stay out of my sight, and don't embarrass me. Get on the stage when it's your cue."

You were relieved when he left you by yourself. You found a spot next to a long table decorated with trays of finger food, fruit and empty glasses. You could see your father heading towards your mother from where you were standing. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, proudly displaying his affection and brought her into his embrace. You could see it so clearly, too, the cold and uncaring gaze when your mother's eyes settled on you from over your father's shoulder. She gave you a warning look before hooking her arm through your father's inviting one. You were only at the back of their minds and the least of their concern as long as you did what they told you to. And for tonight, you didn't even care to make trouble. You just wanted it to be over with. You would get what you needed and get the hell out. 

A server walked by you, and with a sleight of hand, you plucked two fresh flutes of champagne out of her tray. You knocked them back before setting the empty glasses on the table. The bubbly finish coated your tongue and mind, taking the edge off your nerves. Warmth rushed through your body, and you were grateful for it. Anything that triumphed over the burn of embarrassment, humiliation, and shame you felt. Anything that didn't make you feel small and helpless.

You sucked on your teeth, momentarily distracted by how empty your stomach was. You hadn't eaten much due to nerves and were afraid the alcohol would get to your head too quickly. You glanced at the table to take in your options. Those pitiful pieces of lemon pie didn't look too terrible. You served yourself a good portion and gulped it down before checking your phone. Nothing yet. Before you could go back to sulking, a hand grabbed your arm, startling you. You whirled around; your eyes widened in alarm even when they settled on the sight of Matt standing so close to you. Your heartbeat picked up regardless, and for more than one reason, as he took your hand and pulled you towards the darkened hallway. His hold was firm despite your relentless effort to break free. He didn't stop until your back was against the wall, trapping you between his arms on either side of you. With your guard relaxed, still, you shoved him back, and you wouldn't disagree if someone said that push was personal. He barely budged.

"Matt?! What are you doing here?"

You hissed lowly.

"I could ask you the same thing."

He returned your fire. 

"Did you follow me here?"

You refused to let him turn the argument onto you. 

"That doesn't matter right now. Why are you here? I thought you didn't want to be anywhere near your father."

You knew that, and you had established as much, but–

"He … forced me."

Matt softened at that. The corner of his mouth formed a frown of empathy and understanding. You knew that even though he didn't know the full extent of it, he understood the complexity between you and your parents. Matt hesitantly caressed your arms, raising goosebumps along the patch of skin that his fingers touched.

"You could've come to me for help."

His voice was calm, hushed, in the way that urged you to be truthful with him. You bit your bottom lip to prevent the slight quiver and shook your head with a sense of finality.

"No, I couldn't."

You hated the weakness that you failed to mask. Wordlessly, you pulled yourself free from Matt's embrace and walked back to the party with him not too far behind. 

The sound of microphone feedback rang out loudly, drawing your and everyone else's attention to the man on the stage. The music faded, and the lights in the room dimmed, save for the elevated platform to reveal your parents. With a champagne glass in one hand, your father tapped the mic a few times, waiting for the room to quiet down. After a long moment, when the almost-silence finally satisfied him, he began with a broad smile.

"Thank you everyone for coming here tonight!"

That earned jarringly loud cheers and whoops as your father nodded at the crowd approvingly.

"It is my great honour to host this fundraiser where I have worked everyday for the past two months. The reason we hold it here is because this is where all the ideas and brainstorming come to fruition. This is where we make those ideas into reality, where we feel connected to what we strive for. So take a look around, because this is where miracles happen."

Your father took a deliberate pause for the expected rounds of applause. 

 "I would like to express my gratitude to many of you for being generous donors to a noble cause. I appreciate everyone just for being here tonight."

He took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, there was the slightest hint of tears in the purposeful tremor of his voice.

"There's another reason for my gratitude tonight. I'm only a man, and I could not have done this without my family. My daughter is the reason why I'm always inspired, why I always strive to be a better man, a better scientist, and most importantly, a better father. Come up here, sweetheart."

Your heart dropped at the nickname as the cheers rose once more. You stared wide-eyed at your father as he motioned for you to come forward. You felt like you were forced to move with all the eyes on you, watching, staring. Matt's warm hand on your wrist fell away when you gingerly made your way toward the stage, a bone-deep cold taking over your body. The overhead light found you, locking you in your path with its brightness. You felt like a deer in the headlights, alienated and afraid. The closer you were, the better you saw your father's beaming face and what looked like a genuine smile on your mother's. The sight looked surreal as if your mind had made it up. With final agonizing steps, you made it to your parents' side. They wounded their arms around you, tightening like a vice as if you were about to bolt at any moment. The stage light was so bright it hurt your eyes. You tried to loosen your parents' grip on you, but they locked you tightly in place.

"My daughter, in a rebellious fit, ran away from home. We poured our hearts, minds and best resources in finding her. And we did. Our family is reconciled, and I couldn't be happier that she's here with us tonight, as how it always should be. And along with the initial success of my project, this is truly a joyous occasion for our family and everyone who has invested in me."

When you looked at the crowd, that was when you saw it. Smiling faces with admiration, with approval, with adoration. And you understood your reason here tonight. Your family, once broken, was now whole and happy again. A sob story with a happy ending that would loosen the strings on the investors' pockets, pouring money into your father's project. This was a show. And your role was to smile, nod, and be the good daughter you were supposed to be. 

Your father raised his champagne glass. The crowd mirrored him.

"Let's raise a toast! To project Osiris!"

A loud cheer rang out, and you felt like you couldn't breathe. You took advantage of the moment the party continued in full swing, walking off the stage to find Matt at the back of the room. Your parents didn't let you off their hook that easily, and they followed you. Your father sized Matt up and down; his annoyance was barely disguised in a friendly manner.

"Matthew! What a surprise! I don't remember sending you an invitation."

Matt shrugged, brushing off your father's attempt to provoke him.

"I didn't realize that I needed one."

Your mother chimed in. 

"We don't let just anyone in."

You glared at your mom as a sarcastic frown pulled on Matt's lips. With so little civility on your mother's part, it was so effortless to aggravate her. Before she could say anything else, an unfamiliar person pulled the tension away like a loose thread. 

"Arthur! There you are!"

The newcomer set his eyes on you with a pique of interest. He was tall, with dirty blond hair framing his face. A friendly smile enhanced the mild lines around his eyes. With unmatched enthusiasm, he thrust a hand toward you.

"Aaron Pierce. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Taken aback by his friendliness, you uttered your name under your breath. He caught your whisper, and his smile widened. 

"I just have to get to know the daughter of the genius who saved my life."

"I'm glad that you could be here with us tonight. My father talked about you a lot. All good things, of course."

You didn't have to look, yet you could feel the nods of approval coming from your parents. You hooked your hand to the crook of Matt's elbow.

"And this is my boyfriend."

Matt offered his hand a little off to the left where Aaron was. Their hands met in a firm grip with a little more force from Matt's side.

"Matt Murdock."

"Murdock? Sounds familiar. Are you from Nelson and Murdock?"

"The one and only."

The conversation became one person too crowded when a guest chimed in with the recognition of Aaron. You detached yourself from Matt's arm with the excuse of touching up your lipstick. You needed a moment to yourself with preferably no one invading your space. Not even ten steps later, Matt caught up with you.

"There's something off about that guy." 

You chuckled lightly.

"He's associated with my father, of course he's off. That doesn't matter. Did you follow me here?"

He nodded after a brief pause. 

"Why did you lie to me?"

There was sadness in his genuine inquiry. It seemed like Matt wouldn't give up on his pursuit of the truth tonight. You had a feeling he would pry it out of your mouth with his merciful force if he had to. 

"I had my reasons."

You sighed heavily, knowing what he was going to say to that. 

"No, no, you're not doing this again."

You sighed, lowering your head to compose yourself. 

"Look, I'll tell you everything when we get back. I promise."

"How do I know you won't lie again?"

The touch of earnestness in his questioning tugged on your heart. He deserved the truth way before this mess even happened. You knew that. You ceased your steps, turning to Matt to hold both of his hands in yours. Your thumbs caressed his knuckles gently, feeling the small ridges of scars, healed and unhealed. You hoped he could feel your honesty, your effort at being open to him. Being better.

"Trust me. I know that you have no reason to, but please, trust me."

You waited and waited. Matt gave you a slight nod, which was all you needed.

"Can we at least talk about what's just happened up there? Are you okay?"

You bit down on your bottom lip and sighed heavily, refusing to give in to the mortification. 

"I'm… not okay. Can we please talk about this later?"

Matt knew what it meant, and he nodded. He pulled you into his embrace with one arm wounded around you protectively, the other hand held onto yours tight. You laid your head on his shoulder, allowing yourself a moment of peace. You sniffled dryly before taking a small step back, bringing his hand to your lips. You lay kisses across his scarred hand, showing him how much you appreciated his loving gesture.

"Come on. If you're going to tag along, you'd better be helpful."

The women's washroom was unexpectedly empty, but you weren't complaining. Two women were sharing a smoke by the sink, and you thanked the stars that the stall you needed to get into was unoccupied. Closing the door behind you, you crouched down as low as the dress allowed, reaching for the back of the toilet. You searched with your hand, and when your fingers brushed against it, you pulled it off the cool surface. In your hand was a key, just like it should be. Slipping it into your purse, you flushed the toilet and opened the door. 

Matt was waiting for you patiently when you came out of the washroom. He walked with you side by side as you took a right turn, returning to the familiar route you had taken just about less than an hour ago.

"At least tell me what we're doing."

You whispered, feeling the rhythm of your heart pick up steadily. You didn't know if it was the alcohol, the nerves, or the combination of both. You felt audacious either way. 

"We're going to break into my father's office."

At this point in your plan, it should be safe for you to snoop around without the cameras recording your movement. You would have twelve minutes to get what you needed and get out. Even though you knew what you needed to find, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. 

"I can't even tell how the file actually looks like."

You squinted at the pixelated pictures taken of your father outside of his lab from a varied of the same angle. His arm covered most of the document, but there were a few details you could make out. White cover with a circle on the spine. You brought the photo to your eyes, zeroing in on the squiggly grey line woven around the solid black outline of the ring.

"It's the best I can do, okay? With your daddy's security swarming around him."

You felt the pointed implication and sighed. 

"It'll do."

You took another look at the blurry photo. 

"All you have to do is get in, take some pictures, and get out. Alright? I'll take care of the rest."

You nodded.

"Okay. How much should I take? What should I even take?"

"Unless you can make a trip to the photocopier and make a copy of everything in that binder, I suggest you take as much as you can."

Something was amiss about your father's project, and that was the only thing your trusted source could confidently disclose. They needed more information, and you were the only person who could get access to that without raising much suspicion. And here you were, playing a spy in your father's vicinity with your old new lover, a set of unimaginable circumstances and positions you thought you would never be in. You didn't have time to go further down that thought as your phone vibrated, signalling green light in the form of a text. You started the countdown on your phone and moved from your spot, gently pulling Matt by the cuff of his suit. 

Using the key from earlier, you unlocked the door to the office. You headed for the desk, which was spotless and organized methodically down to the pencil sharpener. Everything looked like it was taken out from an office supply and furniture showcase magazine, idealistic and too pristine. No white binder on the desk, only a pile of neatly stacked notebooks with hasty sketches and frantic writings that didn't bound to the ruled lines. You return the journals to their old order, ensuring not even an inch was off. The drawers were next, and you didn't have much luck with them either. They were either empty or filled with more paper scraps filed neatly. You rifled through the files, carefully not to disturb their order; your insides churned with urgency as the time ticked by.

Meanwhile, Matt ran a hand over the black cabinet against the wall. He followed the scent of bleach, which was dull now compared to the other night, and found himself stopping at the third compartment from the top down. Pulling it open, Matt settled his hand over the file and began flicking through them, feeling for the paper, each varied with different smells.

After giving up on the desk, you turned to the bookshelf against the wall. The folders and books on the mahogany wood were tightly packed together, and their spines told you nothing of their content. Blank and uncommunicative. You pulled at the only one that was white and a few that was almost white just to be throughout, only to turn up with nothing. You closed your eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. You needed to approach this from a different angle. 

Your father was nothing, if not the most particular asshole you had ever seen, and his desk was only one of many indications. The chance that he organized his bookshelf in order wouldn't be too far out of reach. But in what order? You wouldn't have enough time to go through every sequence unless–

You thought of the circle on the spine and came to a realization. 

O for Osiris. 

With each title you pulled, your heart hammered in your chest was an escalation of the alphabet. You skipped a few, took one out and repeat until you reached Os. No white binder there. You delved your hand in, taking out the first one and opening it only to see an ordinary book. Disappointed, you put it back before pulling on the next one and felt it shift slightly in your hand. It felt like it was rattling in its own casing like something didn't fit right. You tilted the book to examine it and found two hardcovers squeezing together by the bound of the leather material. You laid it out on the desk and turned on the expensive-looking reading light, carefully removing the leather and the stiff outer cover to reveal the white binder. Your heart pounded harder as you turned the file to the side, yet your body relaxed as your eyes detected the symbol on the spine. With steady hands, you flipped through the pages, capturing your father's classified research with your phone. Your father's handwriting and sloppy drawings didn't make sense before your eyes, and time wasn't a luxury you could afford, so you moved through them rapidly and were surprised when you reached the end. There wasn't as much to record as you initially thought. Matt called your name lowly in the quiet space as you closed the binder.

"There's something different in here. Something new."

You put the binder back into the book cover, made sure that the leather was fastened on like it was, and put it back before heading over to where Matt was standing.

"Do you think it's worth a look?"

Matt nodded, and you got to work immediately. You opened the first drawer, your hand flicking through the files quickly. Matt shook his head, and you moved on to the next one and repeated. The flutter of air from the files helped Matt distinguish the smell more easily, pinpointing what was out of place. He focused, recalling the potent smell of bleach, disinfectant, metal, and gunpowder. It was right there, so close, so familiar. And when his sensitive nose picked up on it, he touched your hand to cease your movement. You picked the file up and brought it closer to him. With a deep inhale, there it was. It smelled like the night he followed Arthur to Lower East Side. 

"This is it."

Matt's hand squeezed your wrist in assurance. You closed the cabinet, took the folder, and exited the room. You locked the door behind you, careful not to make a sound. You checked the timer and saw that you had three minutes and forty-eight seconds to spare. That wasn't too bad, considering this was your first time doing this. But your relief was short-lived as the echoes of footsteps from the end of the hallway headed toward where you were. Before you could register the slight creak of a door hinge, Matt pulled you into the welcoming embrace of darkness.

In an instant, you found yourself pressed to the door with Matt's hand muffling your startled gasp. Your heart thundered against your chest, and your body went stiff as the footsteps grew closer. Matt was still against you, and you could feel the tension running through his body in the way he held you. With one hand on your mouth and the other wrapped around your waist, there wasn't a part of you that wasn't touching him. You could feel the warmth seeping through the layers of his clothes. His hand on your waist was burning, and you felt like you were burning from the inside, too. At this proximity, the air you took in your lungs was all him. Leather, cinnamon and the slightest hint of sweat brought out his natural scent. It was all so very intoxicating and left you breathless. 

"What–"

"Quiet."

He shushed you, which annoyed the hell out of you. You heard muffled reverberation of a conversation drifting down the hallway from your father's office, but you couldn't decipher what they were saying. You held your breath low and steady, so Matt could listen to their conversation. His brows furrowed in concentration.

"He looks just fine to me. So what's the holdup?"

Matt didn't recognize this person, but he had no doubt when the next one spoke.

"He's not ready. There's still the migraine problem, I still need to run more tests."

Arthur. The other guy sighed heavily, seeming exasperated with your father's response.

"Look, it's not up to me. You have to hurry up."

There was a delay in response from your father, but eventually–

"I'll see what I can do."

That seemed to be the end of their exchange as their heartbeats gradually vacated the empty hallway. Matt felt a gentle tug on the lapel of his suit.

"What did they say?"

In the dark, his head lowered to seek yours. You could feel the fan of his breath on your forehead, warm and so intimate.

"I'll tell you once you tell me why we're here."

You rolled your eyes, knowing you deserved that. You looked around, squinting your eyes to better see the small room through the sliver of light underneath the threshold. Empty test tubes, large bottles with labels on them, … 

"A supply closet, really? You're so cliche."

You chuckled softly, and the moment made your chest press even closer to Matt's. At this distance, you could kiss him. You were only a breath away from kissing him. Your lips parted to embrace his hot and heavy breaths, and suddenly, you felt lightheaded. There was a tingly sensation on your lips and tongue, and it was as if Matt was feeding you the liquor of anticipation with his own device. You felt drunk on him all the same. Matt felt the change in the air, and you knew it by the way his throat moved when he swallowed hard, and by the way he licked his lips briefly. And when he spoke, his voice was deep, barely hiding the longing for you.

"If you think I dragged you in here to make out with you, you're wrong."

His tone betrayed his words. The air was heavy with a fog of need and tension. You would lie if you said this didn't turn you on. 

"I didn't say anything about making out, Matt. But you seem eager about it."

He swallowed hard again, and you could hear it clearly this time. You could help the grin that spread, knowing that you weren't the only one to feel this way. Matt dipped his head to meet yours, and you turned your head away at the last second, making his lips land on your jaw instead.

The hot contact of his lips took the breath out of you, making you gasp out loud. The file slipped slightly in your hand, and it took great effort from you to keep it from dropping to the floor. Even though what you did was intentional, you regretted it. Not that you didn't want to kiss him, for crying out loud. It was all you wanted to do. But you didn't want your first act of affection with him to be in a supply closet, especially when you hadn't been entirely truthful to him. Besides, you were on a mission, and you were running out of time. 

His fist clenched, creasing the fabric at your waist. It took all his self-control not to devour you right then. You cleared your throat, whispering. 

"Are they really gone?"

It took Matt a moment to compose himself before he nodded.

You slipped quietly out of the room with Matt right on your heels. You navigated through the dimly lit hallway, keeping your eyes out for the backup route in case you took something with you, which was only a few steps away. 

The garbage chute. 

The metal door was shiny and clean due to the renovation done just two weeks ago. You took out a creased plastic folder in your purse, shoved the file in, and zipped it up. Without a word, you pulled the door open and slipped it in, sending it down the chute. Besides you, Matt had a confused look on his face. An adorable expression, you had to admit, as you bit back a smile.

"Why?"

You brought a hand to his face, tenderly touching the curve of his jaw.

"It's garbage day."

You reached for him, and Matt let you wove your hand around his arm. You heaved a sigh of relief and pulled him with you, heading towards the main room where the party was. The adrenaline swirled in your blood, amplified by the champagne you took, making you feel giddy. Not even the scowling face of your mother could make you feel anything less, you thought as she made her way toward you.

"Where did the two of you go?"

Matt pulled you to him by your waistline, and you felt your cheeks get even hotter at his display of affection. His hand stroked your waist lazily, and with just one look, your mother came to a conclusion. She took in the flush on your cheeks, the crease on your dress from Matt's hold on you earlier, the crookedness of his tie, the bashful look you spared. Her look of disdain barely registered in your gleeful mood.

"Where's dad? Did he let you go off his leash?" 

Your mother's face reddened, her mouth opened and closed as she couldn't come up with a snarky and all the more insulting response. 

"Speak of the devil …."

You mumbled under your breath, which earned a chuckle from Matt as your father made his way towards you. An uneasiness crawled over your skin, and all you wanted to do was to leave. You cleared your throat, acknowledging your father as he neared.

"If my presence is not needed here anymore, I'm gonna go."

Your mother found her voice. 

"You can't go yet. You've barely introduced yourself to anyone. Arthur …"

Your mother looked to your father for support while he only looked at you. He studied you, and his gaze was very telling. Suspicion. Doubtful. Scrutinizing with a sense of entitlement as if he had the right to control your every move. For a moment, you were afraid he had caught onto what you had just done. Your spine stiffened in anticipation. 

Which made what he said next all the more surprising. 

"Go home. You did a fine job tonight. I'll see you soon, honey."

Your mother was baffled, to say the least. Her mouth dropped, glaring at your father like she couldn't believe his audacity. You gave both of them a tight smile, and Matt gave them a polite nod. Together, you headed towards the elevator and didn't look back. You slipped your hand down to slot against Matt's palm, grateful for his calming presence, even though it wasn't in your plan. 

Before the elevator closed, you watched him. Your father, with his eyes trained on you as if you had painted a target on yourself. For once in your life, you weren't afraid. You would bring him down to his knees, even if that was the last thing you ever do.

*Likes, reblogs, and comments are greatly appreciated!* Follow my side blog to receive notifications whenever I post! @cellophaine-archives

#lingered affection #matt murdock x reader #matt murdock x oc #matt murdock x y/n #matt murdock x you #matt murdock x fem!reader #matt murdock x f!reader #matt murdock fanfic #matt murdock fanfiction #matt murdock au #matt murdock imagine #matt murdock daredevil #daredevil x reader #daredevil x oc #daredevil x you #daredevil x y/n #daredevil x f!reader #daredevil x female reader #daredevil fanfiction #daredevil fic #marvel imagine

[partypacking]

Jol and I have both been heavily dissociative for a few days now, but not in the "blurring" way. We can very clearly feel the lines between each other. Instead we're dissociating in the "nothing feels real" way. Yippie!

#cookie.txt #txt #i had a mild psychotic episode the other day #and the derealization has very much lingered #it's affecting all of us in a way #jol said he feels hollow and yeah i feel that #dissociation tw #tw dissociation

[bernardisgross]

Terra Week 2k22 - Day 1 - Labradorite (Protection)

(There’s a next part to this)

#terra #aqua #ventus #eraqus #kingdom hearts #kh #do not tag as ship or i'll come for you #i'll come for you #anyways ^^ #i have this headcanon that eraqus is especially hard on terra bc he's his eldest #in terms of affection #oh and it's canon lol but i say hc to appease ppl #and it's so very obvious how conflicted he is about terra's sweet nature despite the lingering darkness that ven and aqua often #get frustrated with him but there's not much they can say bc he's their master and the respect they have for him is immense #but sometimes just sometimes they stand up for terra #bc of course he doesn't #you see #his father is right #terra should do better #that's the least he can do #take care of aqua and ven train harder make his master proud become a master #we don't mention the darkness #my art

[elizabethrobertajones]

You know, in hindsight, this is a callout post from Thancred:

#ffxiv #shadowbringers spoilers #optional dialogue after unlocking it but before fighting it #so neither of you know how much Thancred just roasted you :P #the writers do though #the fact he has a seduce mechanic might be part of this if you want to dig into the WoL psychology #if it affected you then deep down you know Ramuh is the hottest primal and you don't even fully rationally know why #you just KNOW it's correct and you've never interrogated that weird lingering feeling #and today you will confront the effect he's wrought on your psyche

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

A while back I ordered a medium pizza and had enough points to order a second medium pizza for free so I did that, but it was like 8PM (chain restaurant; I don't know what their closing time was) and apparently they only had one medium pizza left, so they gave me that and a large instead! That was really cool. Anyway that ended up being my lunch most of the week.

#hate being sick #even the lingering affects #like I can go to work and be functional there again #but I can't be productive at home #which is expensive when it comes to food #but bogos and points and such can be very very helpful

[designernishiki]

I never finished the telephone club stuff in 0 until today (currently replaying 0, trying to 100% the game) and like. actually. what the fuck was up with the bad-end telephone club dates. like. not even exaggerating, completely unironically, it is fully implied that kiryu got fucking raped. multiple times. as a joke. that’s absolutely fucking wild

#it’s so fucking jarring #I mean kiryu is sexually assaulted all the damn time (mostly by women #because he’s a man so it’s okay :) ) but this is like. full-on implied rape. #unclear what kind in particular but that’s really unimportant #it literally gets to the point where after one of them- a woman old enough to be his mom (mind you he is hardly even legal and definitely #not at the maturity of most 20 year olds in this area) forcibly takes him to a hotel and the next thing we see is him outside that hotel #with his health bar completely depleted keeled over like he’s exhausted and in physical pain/discomfort #muttering to himself ‘that didn’t happen. that didn’t happen.’ #like #this was?? played off like any other end-of-substory comedic moment #bitch that wasn’t funny at all that was actually the most disturbing non-storyline scene ive seen in this entire game #he is straight up traumatized from being physically and sexually assaulted by someone twice his age and just has to shove it in the back of #his head and hope he forgets about it somehow because. well. he’s a man. #like wow we’re really just. gonna glide over that one huh #fucking christ dude #I seriously wonder how much that shit has haunted him and damaged his perception of physical affection/etc #anyway this is gonna linger in my head for a while #kiryu #rambling #yakuza 0 #y0 #kazuma kiryu #cw sa mention #cw sa