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#romance and family prompts will come later
gglitch1dd · 6 months
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Sun of my life (Dragon Eijiro x Dragon Reader)
Day 6 of Breedingtober (HAPPY BIRTHDAY EIJIRO)
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You finally get married to the love of your life.
Warning: SMUT, SEX, Fire, (fake) religious ceremony, BLOOD, LIKE A LOT OF IT, not during sex though, dragon anatomy (Eijiro doesnt have 2 dicks mostly cause i didn't know how to write that yet, but mention of his wings and tail do appear), VOYEURISM, BREEDING,
Words: 8,2k
“You look so beautiful, Y/N.” You smiled as you looked up at Tamami as she carefully put the last ring around your horns.
You reached up and put a hand to her face. “Thank you, sweetheart.” You spoke genuinely before looking back at the mirror in front of you.
Behind you all over the room were draikanas of the Kirishima family, in laws or born into the family, that were helping you with your preparations for tonight. You were decorated in gold and jewels that matched the traditional draconic wedding attire you adorned on your figure. Your skin had been decorated in traditional wedding paint that would leave in three days but was done in the patterns of the family you were now marrying into. It had taken a good few hours yesterday to get it done with how intricate and detailed one had to be with such designs.
Today was a special day. It was one heavily awaited by you and the love of your life. It was your wedding day, a beautiful day meant to join the both of you together and the day you officially joined his family and became part of the royal family that led the dragons in Yuuie.
It was a special day and a closed affair. Dragons didn’t really like people from outside coming in when celebrating special occasions, royal weddings were one of them. However, there were exceptions, like the barbarians. The barbarians practically worshiped the dragons, believing them as being closer to their god, the Starry Flame, the god of stars and fire.
But you were just happy that today would be the day that you and Eijiro would finally be one. Husband and wife. Mates, with the stars and all of your family and friends as your witnesses. It was a day you dreamed of as a little hatchling and finally it was coming true.
The day you got to marry your biggest fancy and nestmate. You had known each other since you had both hatched and grew up along side one another, as well as other hatchlings. You weren’t anyone special like him, just a draikana that grew up to do her part in the community that was the left over dragons of Yuuie Island. There weren’t as many as you as there were a generation ago, according to your parents, but you were enough.
You were always friends with Eijiro but you never made an attempt at romance. He was the prince, after all. The crown prince, after his two eldest sisters unfortunately died due to humans when he was younger. You watched him. You watched him grow out of his black scales and reach his coming of age where he got the red scales of his mother. You watched as he left the community, to much worry of your community, to travel and represent the dragons in Yuuie with the rowdy barbarian prince that claimed to be his rider. You watched as he came back three years later, stronger, taller, wiser, with scars to tell tales of and just happy to be home.
That’s when you also noticed his eyes on you. You weren’t entirely sure what prompted him to be interested in you. Actually, you still weren’t sure about that to this day. All you knew was suddenly he was asking you to dance whenever the music played and drinks were being passed around. You were suddenly never found in your family den and was staring up at the stars outside the safe network of caves that kept your community safe, with Eijiro right by your side. Suddenly you found yourself staring into beautiful ruby eyes wondering how on earth you managed to fancy such a drake.
Eijiro was as large as his father, or any Kirishima male dragon. He had a loud laugh that would make you smile and the gentlest ruby eyes that made you feel like you were something special. He was constantly helping out in the community and you could find him doing all sorts of things at random. You always found him rather chivalrous with the way he treated others and loved the amount of respect he had for his elders. He was always willing to learn and teach what he has learnt in turn to those younger.
You, however, didn’t expect for him to ask to court you, a gem he had found himself, presented to you in offering. It was a shock to your system, and honestly you thought it was all some big joke. But he wasn’t joking and he was very persistent. Very persistent. He wouldn’t leave you alone about it. You didn’t think yourself worthy of him but he surely disagreed. He found you perfect for him in every way. He never stopped asking, and asking, and asking. It took his mother and father, Yua and Takeo, both to convince you that he indeed wasn’t joking and that they genuinely approved of you and their son, for you to realise how serious he was.
After that, the two of you were nearly inseparable and Eijiro was lovesick. More than just lovesick. He was head over tail in love with you. He followed you like a lost hatchling and honestly, you found it rather flattering. He spent every moment he could, trying to show you how much he appreciated you, from all the courting gifts, showing you just how great of a mate he was. He won every fight at every event he was in, he always brought back a kill for you, he got you gems and gold from his raids. He even brought you flowers (which you didn’t really understand why he would give you dead plants, but apparently it was a human thing so you found it cute).
Now it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows. There were certain times you and Eijiro fought, but it was mostly because he would do something stupid, or because of the raids. Dragons were still a hunted species because of the human kingdoms and him going out there with Bakugou Katsuki, the barbarian prince, always had you worried sick. Yes, he was a large dragon and he was still growing in fact, but he wasn’t impenetrable. He wasn’t immortal. It was something you tried convincing him again and again, but your stupid lovable Eijiro, always found himself at any aid that called upon him. He was just honourable like that.
You wanted to hate the aggressive blond that was Bakugou Katsuki for always dragging your drake into such dangerous situations, however, when you had the great and powerful Bakugou Katsuki on his knees before you, head bent down at your sovereignty just for being a dragon… it was hard to hate him. Katsuki was a hardass mean tyrannical fireborne man to everyone but the dragons (minus Eijiro on occasion). His devotion to the dragons and the protection was always appreciated. Especially when he ordered the barbarians, a nomadic species at heart, to move closer to the mountain (volcano in reality) that the dragons reside in, as an extra form of protection.
It was hard to hate him. Not impossible, but harder than you wanted it to be.
But all of your qualms didn’t matter as long as Eijiro came back to you. And he always did. And now, you were both finally going to get bonded to one another, claiming one another in front of everyone as a declaration of love to one another. It was finally the moment you had been dreaming for. And you couldn’t have been happier.
Yua walked up to stand behind you, a smile on her face as she looked at you. Her long red hair cascaded down one shoulder as she looked at you with a proud look on her face. “He’s going to fall to his knees at the sight of you.” She praised putting a kiss to the side of your head. With all the ornaments going on, on top of your head, that was the best way for her to show you affection.
You smiled up at her, turning to face her. “Thank you so much, Yua.”
“Don’t thank me sweetheart,” She shrugged it off as she moved out of the way. She beckoned you to stand up. “Now come on, let me see you.” She said.
You chuckled as you moved to stand up, you looked down at the white stained cloths and rare furs that adorned your body. You found yourself better than you had ever been. You straightened up as you put your hands together. You let out a shaky breath and looked to Yua. She smiled, tears in her eyes as she gave you a firm nod. She motioned for you forward.
Tamami, Narumi and Natsumi all walked behind you, receiving baskets of white pebbles that they would scatter behind you when you walked. The curtain was drawn away in the opening doorway that led to a tunnel. Standing outside ceremoniously dressed was Kirishima Takeo. He turned to look at you but paused at the sight of you.
The large King of Dragons, with horns of obsidian and hair just as dark as that was frozen as he looked at you. His ruby eyes wide as he took you in. The large behemoth of a man, identical in features to your own Eijiro, blinked before a shaky smile went to his face. Tears filled his red eyes as he looked at you. “Oh pumpkin…” He let out softly, moving towards you. He looked you over another time sniffing. Then suddenly you saw his jaw vibrate as he held back a sob. He turned to look away from you, putting a hand to the stone wall as he tried to hold it in.
You felt tears in your own eyes as you neared him. “Takeo…”
He shook his head as he looked up to the ceiling. “I promised Yua I wouldn’t cry.” He said. He glanced at you before crumbling. He pulled you into a tight hug, holding you up against him in his warm embrace. His large soft muscles cradled you against him, almost as if you were his own blood and he was trying to keep you safe. “Pumpkin, you’re so beautiful!” He cried out as he held you to his thick pecs, not bothered by the weight of you, your clothes or jewellery. “You look like a fluffy white cloud. You’re so gorgeous, oh my stars!”
“Takeo.” Yua walked over to her husband in amusement as hot tears ran down his face. She took out a handkerchief bringing it to wipe at his face. “Be careful, we just got her dressed.” She chastised her large husband.
Takeo nodded as he carefully sat you down, moving to wipe his eyes with the handkerchief Yua gave him. He sniffed. “Okay, okay. I’ll be careful.” He took a moment to take a deep breath. He blew his nose, lighting the handkerchief on fire. Your eyes widened at the sudden appearance of flames. He handed the handkerchief back to Yua. “Thank you, dear.” He nodded sincerely. Yua gave him a blunt look with her handkerchief now on fire.
Takeo then turned to you, offering his arm. You smiled up at him and took it. You put your hand to his arm and took a place beside him. He motioned forward. The two of you walked ahead, moving through the torch lit corridors that made up the deep network of tunnels and caves of the dragon community. You reached the common hall, a large cavern that was large and spacious. This was the place you ate with the community, where announcements were made and where you ran around bare naked with nothing but your scales as a small hatchling. The both of you continued onwards, moving with Eijiro’s younger sisters behind you as your pebble girls. Takeo finally led you to what was decorated in wreaths and silks from the barbarians. Everything beautiful and laid out just for you.
Everyone was already standing and waiting for you, and suddenly it felt like all eyes were on you. All eyes except Eijiro, who stood at the very end of the made isle, with his wings flexing every so often showing how nervous he was. You couldn’t help but let out soft giggles as you moved down the middle with Takeo at your side.
You smiled at everyone who looked at you, their happy faces reminding you how lucky you were to be in this situation right now, with everyone who loves you and cares for you all around you. It almost made you want to cry. But you had to hold back the tears. Today was a happy day.
Once you reached the front, you looked over to Takeo, who smiled down at you proudly, crows feet by his eyes so prominent. The older drake was like a father figure to you and he loved you as though he was your sire. Often you wondered if your Eijiro would grow up to look just as his father and every day they looked the same, despite Takeo’s soft grey streaks in dark inky black thick hair that cascaded down his back. He cupped your face in large warm hands and placed a kiss on your forehead. You squeezed his hands in gratitude for all he had done for you so far.
You turned to the front, where Elder Park stood with Eijiro. Eijiro’s tail was swishing left and right making you giggle. You moved to stand next to him. “Hi.” You spoke softly. You hadn’t seen him all day, the wedding happening at sunset with all the celebrations going far into the night.
Eijiro finally was allowed to look at you, dragon tradition stating that the drake wasn’t allowed to gaze upon you until spoken to. “Hey, I-” All words left him as he looked at you. Eijiro’s red eyes widened in shock as he stared down at you in surprise. You watched him as he squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back tears as he turned away from you as he covered his face.
You chuckled at the action along with others. You felt your own tears spring to your eyes. “Eijiro, you can’t turn away yet. We haven’t even gotten married.” You reasoned.
Eijiro sniffed as he tried rubbing the tears away, straightening up again. “I’m sorry.” He chuckled. “I’m sorry, it’s just…” He finally looked at you again, pupils big as he stared down at you like you were the sky and stars themselves. Love was so evident in his eyes it almost made you melt. He leaned forward and put his nose against yours with a loving rumble. “You’re so beautiful, my setting horizon.” He let out softly in a whisper, tears in his eyes.
Looking up at him now, you realised fully how handsome he was. His hair was done in ceremonial braids all for the occasion, golden rings decorated his obsidian horns as his bare skin that was not covered in scales had the tribal patterns of his family decorated on in white on thick hard-earned muscle. Your drake looked so handsome, and so perfectly and wonderfully yours.
Elder Park cleared his throat calling for attention. He looked at you and then at Eijiro. His face fell in annoyance as he rolled his eyes. “Great another Kirishima.” That brought a slight blush to Eijiro’s face as Elder Park started.
To be honest, you barely focused on the wedding when you had Eijiro staring at you as if you were gold itself. His eyes on you and only you. You were both too busy giggling every now and then, that Elder Park was growing more annoyed by your giggles.
Carefully the both of you moved closer together, Eijiro held you in his arms as he stared down at you. You knew the ceremony procedures and knew that now was time for you both to do as required. You bared your neck, exposing it to Eijiro.
Eijiro rubbed his thumb over the exposed skin that you showed him. Carefully he put a kiss to your neck, it was warm like everything about him, gentle and almost loving. A sort of apology, before he sunk his teeth into your neck. Sharp canines piercing your skin, tearing through flesh and muscle. You bit back a hiss, although painful there was a warm feeling that pulsated around the wound almost comfortingly.
He moved his mouth off of your neck. You carefully moved your fingers to the wound on your neck, covering your fingers in your own blood. Once you made sure that they were thoroughly dipped in deep dark crimson red blood you looked up at Eijiro with a happy smile. “I take you to be my drake, my rock and my foundation,” You moved your fingers to Eijiro’s face. His eyes closed as you carefully drew against his skin. “The other half of my heart’s flame and the one I return to. You, Kirishima Eijiro,” You drew two straight lines down the centre of his face, over his nose and lips till the very tip of his chin. He opened his eyes and smiled at you, making you pause as you took him in. You felt choked up a bit. You gave him a shaky tearful smile. “You are mine as I am yours. Till the world burns once more. My rising horizon and sun of my life.”
Eijiro let out a happy rumble making you giggle. Carefully, he bared his neck to you as well, exposing his neck for you to bite. You reached up, carefully kissing his skin, before trying to find a good place. It had to be perfect. Your bite wouldn’t be as big as Eijiro but you just needed to try harder in claiming. You moved your mouth over to the space between his neck and shoulder and bit down hard, the taste of his skin on your tongue as you broke skin. You tasted the metallic taste of blood in your mouth. You bit harder trying to make sure he bite would be deep enough. You let go of him. You looked down at the bite mark, proud of what you had done making Eijiro laugh lightly.
“I take you to be my draikana, my reason and determination,” He carefully dipped his fingers in his own blood, moving his thumbs over to the top of your hairline. You closed your eyes at the feeling of his warm thumbs on your face, trying to fight back tears at the overwhelming feeling in your chest. “The other half of my heart’s flame and the one I fight for. You, L/N Y/N,” Once you felt his fingers reach the bottom of your face, you opened your eyes to look at him. A lovestruck expression, his pupils big in adoration and hypnotised by your presence. “You are mine as I am yours. My future Queen as I am your future King. Till the world burns once more. My setting horizon and sun of my life.” He looked so undeniably soft and smitten with you and you couldn’t help but look up at him the same. His hands still cupped your face and you reached up and did the same.
He was yours. No one else’s, just yours.
You wanted him in mind body and soul.
A loving hot rumble came out of his chest, a dragon like purr, as his chest glowed red hot with the fire of his heart. You returned it with your foreheads pressed together, your own chest glowing with the fire inside you. A warm space only for the both of you as you stood together in each other’s arms.
“In fire and blood are they joined together, forever moving in that cycle as two halves that make a whole, that click together. With holy fire as their witness and in front of the eyes of all their family and loved ones, a drake and draikana become mates.”
You felt tears burn in your eyes with a soft giggle bubbling out of your chest. Eijiro couldn’t help but match your expression, too much emotions brimming in his chest as tears brimmed at his ruby eyes as he looked down at you. He swiped his thumb over your cheek. Not wasting a second longer, Eijiro kissed you. You kissed him back, the taste of blood and smoke on his lips only edging you for more as you held each other safely in each other’s arms.
Everyone was in great celebration as food was passed around in baskets and drinks were raised in cheers. Gifts of all sorts were brought forward to the new married couple as well as presented from the groom’s family to yours as gratitude for raising you and for giving you over to them. The celebrations had been moved to the main vent of the volcano, that was covered in igneous rock and a layer of soul and vegetation that almost made it hard to believe that this was indeed a volcano. The warm soil was a bit of an indicator, but dragons preferred their habitats hot anyways.
From the ceremony, immediately was food and there was almost too much to go around. Cows slaughtered galore, leaving a sent of beef and blood in the air. Cows were symbolically a sign of fertility and fruition, a symbol of the earth. That and the dragons really liked beef. The cups of sweet fruity wine made specially from the barbarians was in the cups of adults and elders old and newly coming of age scaled dragons as young as fourteen too. It was a joyous occasion, that would probably last the entire night. Music thrummed in the air from strong loud drums and string guitars and flutes. A heavy sound of constant dance and song.
Eijiro sat on a cushioned pillow, surrounded by more pillows and furs, with your place beside him empty. Much was happening but the main spectacle was you in front of everyone dancing like Eijiro had never seen you before. He was hypnotised and no one could blame him. His eyes only on you and the jingle of the bells around your feet that made noise with every step and the sway and shake of your hips that carried the heavy skirt that was made out of thick layers and jewels. Beads adorned your neck and head, a beautiful display as the only other thing that was covered about you was your chest by a cloth.
Katsuki sat next to Eijiro as his best man, the barbarian watched as you danced in the middle, the musicians playing an upbeat tune with the loud banging of drums and string instruments just for you alone. Your husband sat, hands on his knees, sitting up straight as he watched you with a smirk, a look of pure pride on his face with an upright posture.
The blond prince turned to look to Takeo who had a drink in hand as well as Mina who was talking to Yua. “Oi pink scales.” Katsuki whispered loudly, although there wasn’t much of a need to whisper at all. “This is the bridal dance, right?”
She nodded her head excitedly to tell him. “Yep.” She moved to kneel next to Bakugou’s pillow as she motioned over to you. “It’s one of the main events of weddings. The bride dances using a heavy skirt made by the groom’s family. The skirt is the same weight as an egg of the family. The bride being able to dance with the skirt so freely is a show of how she can carry the weight of the future of the family, and it shows her strength and agility. It also shows her devotion to her new family.” She informed him.
Katsuki’s crimson eyes moved to Eijiro, elevated above him for all to see, who watched you with a heated gaze. Katsuki knew what that look meant, and it was as plain as day what the redheaded dragon thought about your display. “So all that Eijiro has done during courting, the hunting and fighting and all that shit… that was his display of devotion to her?”
Mina nodded. “He proves it in action and she proves it now.”
Takeo let out a hum as he folded his arms over his chest. He looked like a proud father as he looked over at you. “And Y/N’s skirt is the same weight as Yua’s.” He stated confidently, before looking over to his much smaller wife. He put a kiss to her head making her smile up at him. Then he placed another one, and another one, littering her face in kisses making the draikana purr in happiness with giggles. “You were so gorgeous during your Bri’erdaral Drankerr’.” He whispered in a low growl, near her neck making her giggle with a blush.
Katsuki instantly translated the draconic to ‘bridal dance’ in the common tongue. Draconic was a rather confusing language if you couldn’t pick up the letters underneath the undertone of growls and rough speech, as well as the heavy impact that emotions had one the meaning of the sentence or words. Humans couldn’t speak the language often due to how rough it was.
Mina nodded her head before looking to you in awe. The brown skinned dragon with pink scales put her head in her hands with a proud smile. “Yua had a skirt double the weight of a Kirishima egg, around twenty pounds, and Y/N did the same. She practised so hard for this dance. You should have seen all the tape from Sero she had to use while practising. She danced everyday till her feet were raw and her scales were all stiff the following day.”
Katsuki raised his eyebrows looking over at you. You made it seem so seamless. Every step seemed precalculated and yet beautifully by chance and every wave of your arms was graceful and elegant. Like a dragon flying in the sky, you looked just like one. You held one side of your skirt as you moved around with sweeping yet hard planted steps, the jingle of your movements filling the air and matching the song being played.
Eijiro motioned to Katsuki, taking the blond’s attention. He pointed over to you with a proud smile. “That’s my wife.”
Katsuki chuckled. “I can see, buddy.”
Finally, your dance came to a stop instantly prompting cheers and applause. You wiped your forehead of sweat but a happy smile on your face at what you had done. You looked over to your new husband who had the biggest smile on his face as you neared him. You crouched down and carefully moved to the huge puffed out pillow that was set for you. Eijiro moved to put a hand to the side of your face and bring you in for a deep kiss. You chuckled against his lips, finding his need amusing.
You separated from him with a broad stupid smile on your face. You giggled. “Was it to your liking?”
A loud pleased rumble left his chest as he nodded his head, pulling you closer to him. “More than that, you were absolutely perfect, my love.” He praised, grabbing your wrist and bringing to his mouth for a kiss. You giggled at the gesture. A low rumble of draconic praise coming out of his mouth as he kissed your neck.
In the middle you watched as the young hatchlings had a time to have their own little dances in the middle. A display of the future of the community but also a hope for the both of you. Your husband had a broad smile on his face as one of his sisters waved over to him excitedly. He waved back with just was much excitement, motioning for her to follow the steps of the dance and not to get too distracted.
More dancing was in the middle now, a mixture of everyone enjoying their time as you got wine delivered to you to quench your thirst. The night was moving on with not a hint of tiredness from anyone. The moon was high in the sky almost directly above the main vent, a great big glowing circle in the sky despite the torches and fires.  
Eijiro motioned to his father, who nodded as he looked to Mina. Quickly, Mina, Yua, Denki and other members of the bridal party made quick discreet work of shooing away all the hatchlings and those who hadn’t got their coming-of-age scales yet.
“Abba, let me go!” Tamami said as she beat against his back as he picked her up effortlessly and shooed her away. “Why can’t I stay! I already have my coming-of-age scales and by dragon law, I can stay!” She protested, conjuring her wings to try and beat away Takeo so he can let go of her. “I’m already fifteen!”
Takeo shook his head. “Next year.” He placed her down near the corridor where all those on hatchling duty were leading the young ones away. Tamami frowned up at her father with furrowed eyebrows and a pout. “I need you to be a good girl and go look after the hatchlings and all the eggs, it won’t be long till the wedding is officially over.”
“This is unfair.” She protested with her arms folded. “I’m old enough to see.” She whined.
“I’m the king, everything I say is fair.” She frowned as she looked away from him stubbornly. Takeo let out a breath but put a kiss to her head, “I promise to give you all the mutton you want tomorrow.”, which seemed to work as she left along with everyone else. Takeo motioned to Pony giving her strict orders to keep an eye on her.
With all of them gone, the wine was still poured, and the festivities grew less fast and more languid. It took a good ten minutes before you noticed that Eijiro had been more than just kissing your neck. He had an ulterior motive that you quickly noticed. You ran a hand through his hair as you turned to look at him. “Eijiro…” your voice was soft as you spoke to him, feeling his hot tongue swipe against the bite mark he gave you earlier making you feel weak.
“It’s midnight.” He let out lowly, a low ache coming between your legs. “And I’ve been aching for you ever since you put on this skirt.” He growled as he put an arm around you, pulling you closer towards him, making you chuckle.
You felt his sharp teeth pierce your skin again, his hot tongue dragging over your sensitive flesh. You bit back a whimper as you turned to look at him. His heated red eyes on you and you alone, pupils big. “I see.” You cupped the side of his face. You nodded your head, answering his silent question.
Getting the go ahead from you, Eijiro kissed you, deeply. His tongue instantly infiltrating your mouth and you couldn’t help but fight back. You could taste the wine on his lips and the smokey undertone of the fire inside him. You wanted him to burn you so that you could burn together in holy fire. You wrapped your arms around his neck, allowing him to pull you closer, a hand to the side of your face.
Eijiro hummed at the taste of you on his own lips, moving one hand underneath your skirt, a hand feeling your thighs, feeling every scale and exposed skin that only got hotter and hotter the higher up your legs he went. He grabbed at your ass making you groan as you dragged a hand through his hair.
Katsuki sipped on his wine, happily glad for all the free food and fruity wine he could have. However, his blissfully ignorance left as he noticed moaning next to him. He turned his head to the right, looking to the raised stone above the rest just two feet off the ground where you and Eijiro were cushioned and seated. You and Eijiro were deeply intertwined in each other’s arms, Eijiro holding you as if he was afraid someone was going to steal you away from him, your mouths against each other as he shamelessly grabbed at your body. His hands up your skirt as a glimpse of your inner thighs was flashed to Katsuki.
Katsuki spat out his wine as he choked for a second. Takeo cautiously pat his back, in an effort to help the blond. Katsuki beat against his bare chest with his fist, clearing his throat before turning to look back at the both of you. You both clearly didn’t notice the temporarily close to death barbarian on the pillow.
Takeo tilted his head in confusion. “Are you okay, Katsuki?”
Katsuki looked to the giant dragon in surprise before looking to the both of you. He motioned to you and Eijiro. “Is no one else noticing that or have I had too much fucking wine?”
Takeo looked to you and Eijiro before chuckling. “Oh them? They’re just consummating their marriage.” He spoke nonchalantly as Eijiro carefully pushed you down onto the cushions.
Katsuki’s crimson eyes widened in disbelief. “In front of everyone?” He asked in shock.
Takeo nodded with a smile on his face. “Of course. Where else would they do it?” He shrugged as he moved to take another sip of wine. He noticed Katsuki’s still distraught face and heavy blush on his face as he tried to ignore you and the redheaded dragon. Takeo put an arm around the blond. “Don’t worry. It’s a very look forward to event of the wedding celebrations. Not to brag,” Takeo started as he put a hand to his chest. “But at my wedding, you could hear Yua’s screams from the top of the summit.” He claimed with a proud smile.
A swat came to his bicep from his wife. The chief of dragons let out a whine with a pout as he rubbed his arm. Yua pointed at him with a glare, a slight pink to her cheeks. “Now’s not about you.”
Eijiro moved his sharp nails to the cloth that covered your chest. Without much feat, he tore the tight piece of cloth in two, exposing your chest to the nighttime air and watchful eyes. Carefully, his mouth moved from your neck down to your chest, taking a nipple into his mouth. You let out a keen as you felt his hot tongue on a sensitive area. You had to hand it to Eijiro that if there was one thing, he always knew how to pleasure you.
You almost didn’t notice the way his fingers prodded and moved up and down your slit. You gripped him tighter, closer to you. You opened your eyes, looking past Eijiro for just a second, at everyone who was watching you. Your community, the people who you loved and cherished, all watching as your drake was about to claim you. You couldn’t help but spread your legs, signalling to Eijiro that you wanted his fingers already inside you.
A thick finger moved to push inside you making you gasp and arch your back temporarily. You sucked in a breath as a small whine left your mouth. Eijiro smirked at the feeling of your sex wrapped around his fingers. A deep chuckle rumbled out of his chest, as he let go of your nipple and smirked at you. “You stretched yourself out before hand?” He asked amusedly.
You shrugged with a smile. “I tried.” You spoke softly. “I don’t know if it did any good.”
“It did much good.” He added another one of his thick fingers inside you. This wouldn’t be the first time you and Eijiro had sex. Dragons were never much like human customs of waiting till marriage. On the contrary, dragons encouraged sex. It was a prolific act that showed the closeness you had to your partner and the bond the two of you shared. It was a display of affection and a show of two being becoming one. It was passionate and beautiful in its own way.
Like right now, with you and Eijiro peeling the clothes off one another. You were both careful of your wings and tails that you had left in your more human forms just for this occasion. Eijiro let your moans fill the air, opting to kiss your neck so that everyone could hear your voice. Your voice that now was his as he was yours. He shifted your skirt up to better stretch you out without the thing in the way.
“Eijiro take the skirt off!” Katsuki whipped his head to look at Takeo who had just blurted that out. “It’s not going to make your job any easier.” The statement brought chuckles all around. Shouts in support of Takeo’s statement and other’s in rebuttal filled the air.
Eijiro’s ruby eyes snapped over to his father with a growl. “I’m keeping it on.” He said insistently, making another round of chuckles fill the air at his tone. He liked you with the skirt. It was a symbol of your commitment to his family, a commitment to him. He couldn’t help but find it arousing.
You knew you didn’t need much stretching right now, mostly because a draikana was built to take a drake much easier than any other species. You whimpered looking up at Eijiro, trying to convince him to stop and just fuck you already.
Eijiro let out a low rumble out of his chest moving to rip off his pants as you moved on the cushions to lay on your stomach on your front, moving your hips up for better access for him.
Eijiro looked down at you, presenting all for him. All on display before him. Eijiro put a clawed hand on your ass allowing him access to see your sex. A growl out of his chest at the sight of you. You lowered yourself down on the pillows wiggling your ass as you lifted your tail up easier. A sort of low shuffle almost like dance to try and seduce the drake into fucking you.
You knew Eijiro was perfect for you. He was big and strong, and just looking at him bare and ready for you, with a large thick ribbed leaking cock, you couldn’t help but know it was true. Carefully Eijiro guided his cock inside you. You gasped as you felt him slide inside you. Nothing could beat a dragons cock. Thick and huge, a low red with ridges on the underside that caused more pleasure to the draikana and allowed the two of them to slot together almost perfectly.
You keened at the feeling of his cock pushed inside you. Eijiro closed his eyes with a groan at the feeling of your sex wrapped around him and massaging his cock. He hummed, a low growl out of the back of his throat, as he slowly opened his eyes to look back down at you. He put his hands on down on your ass as he slowly thrust back and forth. A filthy moan stumbled out of your mouth at the feeling of his cock grinding against the walls of your cunt.
It felt amazing having him inside you, and you couldn’t deny that once you had the feeling of pleasure rushing through your body, you couldn’t get enough of him. The slap of his pelvis against your ass urged you to try and match his thrusts as best as you could, a purr rumbling out of your chest in pure bliss. You buried your face in the pillows, your eyes closed in pleasure as you fucked yourself back on his cock.
Eijiro let out a low growl. His pupils slowly turned to slits as his only focus was on pounding into you. Low grunts and growl were the only thing leaving his mouth as the only instinctual purpose that went through him was breeding you. His pace fastened as he saw fit, grabbing at your head and forcing your face up off the pillows so that everyone could hear your moans. It didn’t help that the sharp thrust that went into you hit that spot inside you that had you trying to close your legs and mewling. Eijiro loved your sounds. Your sounds meant that everybody could hear you, could hear how well he was fucking you, how he was treating you.
The two of you were one. You were together, connected in such an intimate and innate way. Nothing could replace this. The joining of the both of you and the creation of something special.
“Come on, Eijiro!”
“You can go harder than that!”
“Y/N, you lucky girl!”
Cheers and shouts of encouragement reached your ears which only made your sex tighten around Eijiro as you felt heat travel up your neck. You whined in slight embarrassment, but Eijiro made sure that any time you tried to hide your moans, he pulled you up off the pillows.
Katsuki was frozen in his seat. Part of him was wondering what on earth he was doing there and why on earth he was subjected to such torture. Such torture of your whorish moans and Eijiro's grip on you. You were pressed down in front of him, your body was jostling, your breasts jiggling as your ass slapped against his pelvis as he fucked you. Katsuki wanted to look away, he wanted to save himself the boner and sexual frustration of having to endure all of this.
 “Katsuki.” The blond nearly jumped out of his skin as Mina appeared behind him with a bowl. The barbarian looked down to the huge bowl that was filled with… blood? Katsuki sat up at the bowl he was being offered. Mina chuckled noticing his confusion. “This is the blood of the community. Everyone puts their blood in and at the end of the consummation its put over the newlywed couple as a form of solidarity to them.” Mina explained.
That's when he noticed the open cut on her thumb that was there. Katsuki wondered how heavy that bowl was, but then he noticed other dragons around the guests carrying other bowls as well, working in the shadows while everyone else seemed to enjoy the spectacle that was you and Eijiro’s erotic display.
Katsuki sat up as he took the knife and cut open his thumb with little hesitation. He put his hand over the bowl allowing blood to drip out of his thumb. He shook his head with a tsk. “Dragons and their obsession with blood.” He let out with a grunt. “You sure have such vivid traditions.”
Mina chuckled as she tilted her head to the side, curly pink hair moving to the side as she did so. Her golden eyes moved down to Katsuki's lap with an amused smirk before giggling. “You sure look like you’re enjoying them though, Katsuki.” She pointed out. Katsuki stiffened with a huff as his ears turned pink, his already flushed face formed a scowl making Mina giggle. Katsuki glared at her making Mina laugh. “Don't worry. Everyone gets riled up by these things, but once the bride and groom are gone, you're gonna love the after party.” She winked.
“And what makes you say that?” He asked not convinced.
She stood up with the bowl in her hands, finished with Katsuki. She winked down at him. “I'll make sure you do.”
You wailed as you came around Eijiro's cock. A shiver went through you as your eyes rolled back and you pushed back against him in eagerness. Eijiro was relentless and the humanity gone out of his eyes as the beast that raged in his heart and mind was in control. His grip on you was hard as he made fast pace in pounding into you, his strokes hitting that part inside you that had you squeezing him like your life depended on it.
Eijiro leaned forward, moving to put his hands to grip the pillows underneath you as he put his chest to your back. He caged you down underneath him, and you could feel the heat radiating off his skin and scales, a comforting feeling of your new husband. Smoke puffed out of his mouth as he tried to keep control of the fire inside him. You looked back at him with a keen, moving to nuzzle your head against his. He pressed down closer to you, his pace now sharp as you felt his heavy balls slap against your cunt. Cum and slick dripped down your thighs as you pressed yourself further down mewling and begging for his release.
Every thrust inside you beat against your cervix, the slightly pointed end of his cock pressing you open so that his seed could go straight inside of you. With a final thrust, a loud growl came out of him as you shivered in ecstasy, as his dick throbbed inside you. A sob escaped you at the pain and yet undeniable pleasure of feeling the head of his cock reach into depths you had never felt before. You felt his hot load of cum spill inside you making you hum in satisfaction. Eijiro let out heavy breaths as he clung to you in earnest.
You felt him nuzzle his head between the space of your neck and your shoulder. A loving rumble coming out of his chest as he held you, sweaty hot skin against your own as he appreciated you and tried his best to comfort you. You were in such a daze that you could barely notice that celebratory cheers around you.
Eijiro moved to sit down, being quick as to sit you on his lap with you on his cock so that none of his seed could find a way out of your fertile womb. You sat in his lap, facing him with your arms wrapped around his neck as you rested your head against his chest. Eijiro held you securely to his chest with one arm, holding you against him with pride brimming out of him.
You were his wife, his draikana, his future Queen and everyone had just seen how well you could take him and how hopefully the seed inside you would become the future heir of dragons. He put kisses to the top of your head, moving his lips to your ear with soft rumbled comforting words out of him. “You did so well, Y/N. Dear Starry flame, you're so beautiful. I'm so proud and grateful of you. My wife… only mine.” He rubbed your back soothingly as you got the pleasure to lay satisfied and satiated on his lap.
“Eijiro.” Your husband looked up at his father who had blushing draikanas behind him. He had his arms folded over his chest with a raised black eyebrow but a smirk on his face. “You really couldn't let go of the skirt?” Eijiro let out a low growl making Takeo laugh. The King of dragons motioned to the draikanas, Mina included, to spill the blood collected in the grooved drains around the two of you on the stone that you were on. Takeo crouched down. “I don't blame you, it looks good on her.” He praised as he put a hand to the side of your face, making your eyes open. You looked to Takeo with a tired smile making him chuckle. “You alright, pumpkin? Hope my son didn't break you.”
You smiled and nodded your head. “I'm alright, thank you. I'm more than perfect.” You moved your head up to kiss Eijiro's chin making him puff up in pride.
Takeo smiled. “Glad to hear it. You took that breeding perfectly. Hopefully you can make us even more proud by keeping all that seed inside you, yah?” He asked with a hand to the side of your face, his large hand caring and sweet as he caressed you, almost overshadowing the implications of his word. Your face burned but you nodded your head. He chuckled as he noticed all the blood filled around the two of you. You watched as light filled Takeo's chest and with a blow, blue hot flames fell onto the blood, running along the perimeter it formed around the two of you, a ring of fire and blood. Takeo stood up clearing his throat. He turned to the guests with a serious expression. He motioned to the two of you. “Your prince and princess!” He announced causing cheers of celebration to erupt.
You looked up at Eijiro as he looked down at you. You reached up and put your noses together, tears in your eyes as you held onto each other. Married and joined as one. Eijiro giggled softly, “Sun of my life.”
You couldn’t help but reciprocate, placing your head against his beating heart. “Sun of my life.”
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queers-gambit · 2 months
Text
Midsummer Night(mare)'s Dream
prompt: ( requested ) when Oliver's obsession reaches new heights, you fear Felix might return the affection - resulting in bloody flower petals suffocating you.
pairing: Felix Catton x female!reader
fandom masterlist: Saltburn
word count: 12.9k+
note: favorite trope here to stay
⚠️ you are responsible for the media you consume ⚠️
warnings: Hanahaki Disease AU: depiction of physical illness, medical phenomenon, blood, self-destruction; alcohol consumption, brief illicit material use and brief depiction of physical aggression, Lord's name in vain, cursing, angst, hurt and comfort, spoilers, AU timeline (obviously), "friends to 'strangers' to lovers", fix it Felix, "best friends" trope too, dead parents / family angst. requires maturity and caution.
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When the first semester at Oxford started, something in your gut twisted with an unknown anxiety. Something in the air churned, a tide was turning, and there was something deeply amiss that you just couldn't put your finger on.
Your roommate was kind, your grades average with those that took education seriously, and your professors were decently challenging but in a good way. You didn't know what was wrong, why you suddenly felt anxious, but then, after asking your best mate why he was late to class the day of his first tutorial, Felix answered, "Had a flat tire."
You nodded, handing him the joint as you sucked in a sharp breath to hold the smoke in your lungs, "So you booked it?"
"No, actually," he chuckled. "Nice bloke named Ollie stopped t'help, offered me his bike."
You laughed, smoke billowing out, "Yeah? Tellin' me he just stopped and gave you his bike? Come off it - nobody's that nice. You flirt with him or something, Fi?"
"No, no, I'm serious! That's literally what happened!" He nestled his arm around your waist, "No, seriously, listen, right, I was on my way t'class, on time and all, yeah? Got a flat tire on my way. This lad, Ollie - Oliver - comes down the path, stops, asks what's goin' on, said he was in my college, so, he offered his bike 'cause he'd get it later, said he'd wheel mine back and all."
"Fuck off!" You shoved your elbow into his ribs.
"You only think people are out to do the worst, darling," Felix chuckled, flashing you a blinding smile. Neither of you could anticipate the series of events that this interaction would kick off. "Besides, he saved my fuckin' arse, I got t'class with enough time, didn't I?"
"Hmm," you agreed, a knot forming in your stomach as he handed you the joint back; both stretched out in your dorm bed as the thunder storm raged just shortly after you got back from class.
Perhaps you were too much of a cynic. Perhaps you grew up in a rougher part of the city with considerably less money, being skeptical of gestures of kindness. Perhaps you only knew people to be disingenuous.
Maybe you were just used to hearing these incredible stories from Felix Catton - certified spoilt best friend.
You grew up together; meeting as young children because your parents worked for one of the Catton's companies, your fathers having been childhood best friends, joining you two at the hip. You and Felix were two halves of one whole, a single functioning organism; becoming inseparable. You were meant to be soulmates, you were so sure of it, but in reality, it felt reassuring to have such a strong friendship that you never entertained the idea of romance.
Felix's friendship was genuine. It was built-on everyday, growing, evolving, forever changing to accommodate both your changing personalities. He accepted you for who you are, and it felt like he chose you everyday. Where others came and went, you remained. Where others abandoned you, there he was. There was no you without Felix and no Felix without you, and when the time came, you chose to attend Oxford together.
You knew how easy life was for him. You knew the silver spoon he was fed from. You knew he was the flame moths were drawn to.
Knowing Felix Catton was power-by-association, and you watched an endless slew of people come and go with the snuffed-out dream of being in his inner circle. You protected Felix (and the Cattons) from leeches and Felix protected you from, well, everything else. You were meant to be soulmates, you were so sure of it, and then everything changed the summer before senior year of secondary school when you moved in with him permanently.
Summer had just started, you were only two months away from turning 18, and then, a drunk driver drove your mother and father into a tree on the side of a road. There was nothing to be done when your parents were finally found, the EMTs assuring you they were dead on impact and did not suffer. You had been at home with Felix, who let you paint his toenails, the house phone ringing shrilly.
"Hello?" He answered for you, reporting your family's surname's residence. He hummed, then paused, looking at you. "It's St. Luke's Hospital, love?" Felix handed you the phone with curiosity.
When you reached for the landline, the nurse reported you were needed and asked if you had the means to get to them. You begged to know what happened, but all she said was, "There was an accident."
Felix drove you to the hospital.
Felix held your hand when you were lead to a private room, meeting a set of police officers.
Felix held you when you stumbled in shock upon being shown your parent's demise and Felix held your hair when you threw up after identifying bodies.
And the Cattons stood with you when the man responsible was sentenced to life in prison. They stood in the rain when you tossed two stones in the stream.
You lived with him from that moment on and sometime after, you accepted how in-love with him you were. He had always taken care of you, but that summer, he took care of you; being the glue that kept you together, the binding force that brought you into being, the reason you didn't waste away, give up, or lose yourself entirely.
When your final year before university began, you had to stomach the idea of loving him at a distance. He'd always been popular, charismatic, the sun at the center of everyone's galaxy that pulled all towards his warmth and light. But after losing his virginity at age 15, Felix was constantly running through partners and you didn't want to interrupt his "sexual awakening" despite the knife to the gut each girl stabbed. So, you kept your feelings to yourself and tried your hardest to be a staple in his life, and when you chose to attend Oxford, you made peace with the idea that you'd go another 4 years in silent denial.
Something about Oliver's little act of kindness just made you uneasy.
And then, the following night, Felix spotted his new little friend when you were out at the local pub and invited Ollie to sit at the table with you lot. You sat between Felix and Farleigh, India on your friend's other side - his cousin something akin to your own flesh and blood. After all, you had known them all for two nearly decades; marking you as one of the very, very few who could put Farleigh in his place. Eerily, you both shared a look of mild distain, but for very different reasons.
You didn't think yourself a jealous woman, but after meeting Oliver Quick in person, hearing him speak, watching him watch Felix, and witnessing how he interacted with everyone else, you grew uneasy in his presence. The night you met him officially, there was a funny tickle in your chest, and after a few too many coughs escaped, Felix whipped around at you instantly. "You gettin' sick, darlin'?" He asked, words drenched in genuine concern.
Oliver thought it was curious to use a pet name for a pretty girl while a different one was sat on his lap.
"I'm good," you assured, thinking the rain caused this reaction.
But as the night wore on, you coughed more and more. When Oliver got up to get the next round of shots, Felix, ever the sweetheart who had money at his disposal, scolded Farleigh for instigating the poor boy and stood with a note in his hand. Only you saw the real interaction of Felix subtly paying for the drinks, and when he returned, he set a glass of water in front of you.
He made sure you didn't drink the rest of the night, but you didn't want to - starting to feel unwell. "Fi, I'm gonna go - "
"Oh, no, love, c'mon, an hour longer," he pleaded as you stood. But he paused, examined your face, then standing without another word and tossed his arm around you, announcing to the table, "Right, we're off."
He ignored the jeers and complaints because he was swiftly escorting you away, and only when Farleigh clocked this did he scold the table to shut the fuck up. When you stepped outside, Felix was turning to you instantly, holding your cheeks in hand and using his thumb to wipe at the corner of your mouth.
"You're bleedin', love," he muttered, showing you his hand. You frowned and wiped the area yourself, seeing the crimson stain on the pads of your fingers. "Fuck. All right. C'mon, we can get you to the infirmary - "
"No, I don't think it's - "
"You've been coughin' all night and now you're bleedin'," he snapped, shushing you, "we're goin'!" When you just stared at him for a moment, he sighed, "I-I'm sorry, that was a bit more aggressive than needed. I'm just worried, love, you shouldn't be coughing blood."
"Might've just been smoking too much, yeah?"
Felix spoke your name with a hardened edge, staring at you for a long moment as neither of you wanted to back down. Finally, he cracked, "You're not gonna go, are you?"
"Nope. C'mon, I'm tired."
"Well, I'm stayin' the night incase you throw up," he declared, giving in and leading you towards your dorm.
"No, go back - "
"Not leavin' yah, love," he refused. "So, c'mon, tell me," he changed the subject, "what'd you think of Ollie?"
You sighed, "Nice enough lad, I guess."
"Told you," he grinned, weighing your heart to your feet.
For nearly every instance there after, you dreaded hearing Ollie's name or seeing him pop up at events. But that first night, as Felix dozed off in your bed, you were set on your knees, dry heaving in vain to free your throat from whatever suffocated you internally. When you managed to trigger your gag reflex, a stream of alcohol came spewing out - dotted with long, pretty, bright yellow petals.
You stared into the toilet, blinking in shock.
You always thought Felix was the human equivalent to a golden retriever with the disposition of a sunflower. In fact, there grew a small patch of sunflowers at Saltburn just for you; you and Felix planting them one summer together, kept alive after your parents died to bring you a little sunshine when you felt overwhelmed with storm clouds. After all, they were your favorite flower... Now being hacked out of your lungs in a ghastly, tacky mixture of blood, clots, and mucus.
As the year went, you didn't have another episode, but still did any and all research you could on your current phenomenon, wanting to avoid the hospital if you could.
The year flew by without much of a hitch, outside of Felix snapping on Ollie and distancing the lad from the group. However, just before exams, Felix came to you in need of help; saying Ollie's dad died, and being as he had both parents, he wasn't sure how to comfort the lad. It struck a nerve deep within you, going with Felix to talk to Ollie, and by the end, your arm had slung around the scholarship boy in pity, trying to talk him through part of his grief.
You didn't know the lad did his research on you and discovered you lived with Felix in his grand fucking castle because you were orphaned just before turning 18. It was the perfect "in", in Ollie's mind; a way to weasel close to you, solidifying himself to Felix.
You didn't like Ollie, he still made you feel uneasy, but you did pity him enough that you tolerated him. Now more than ever. He was back in the group before the day was done.
However, when exams concluded, Ollie was acutely aware that Felix attended the celebration to your exams - dressing you, pinning you for your accomplishments. You dressed and pinned Felix after his. And you both showed up for Ollie's exams, though, you dressed and pinned Farleigh as Felix did Ollie. He supposed it counted, still having the object of his desire back in sight; within his reach; staring at him with pride and a hint of pity.
It was exactly what Oliver wanted.
"Well, aren't you gorgeous?" Felix complimented when you arrived in the courtyard, dressing for the end-of-year ball. He stooped down to wrap you in a hug, giving a spin, and setting you on your feet as you laughed at his usual antics. "Absolutely a vision, love, seriously," he praised. "And I have a li'l something for us, hey?" He held up the champagne bottle.
"Christ," you mused, "what's the occasion? They'll supply cocktails there, Fi - "
"We're going to a funeral."
"I'm sorry?"
He sighed, handing you the bottle to dig in his trouser pocket and revealed a stone painted with the word, 'Dad'. Felix looked sheepish, "I thought we could do it for Ollie, yeah? Lad's had a real rough go of it all - "
"I think that's a nice idea, Fi," you cut him off, smiling in assurance, opening the wire on the bottle. "But first, a toast," you proposed, "to the start of summer."
"And end of exams," he agreed, taking the bottle back when you handed it over and popping the cork. He cheered as you drank first, taking his own, wrapping you in a tight hug. "We survived," he laughed, sighing after. "Really glad you were here with me through it, love."
"Yeah, me, too," you whispered, holding back creeping bile when your heart began to pound with harrowing tension. "All right, pretty boy, c'mon, sun's setting."
"Right," he pulled back, "I told Ollie to meet us in the courtyard."
"Which one?"
"C'mon," he laughed, taking your hand and leading you after him. You danced after him on your tip-toes, avoiding using your whole shoe and the high heel that elevated you off the ground several inches. "Easy, watch it, careful now," he teased.
"Hey," Farleigh greeted, watching you two go with a smile.
He bet Venetia that this was the summer you two got together. Felix had confided in him that he was considering the idea of settling down, having sowed his wild oats and being tired of running through girls like he had this past year. Farleigh never thought he'd hear such words from Felix Catton, but after seeing you and his cousin running off, he knew, it was only a matter of time before confessions were made.
"There he is," You pointed.
"Ollie!" Felix called, both of you jogging up to him. "Hiya, mate."
"Hey," He greeted you both as Felix didn't stop.
"C'mon, then! Follow us!"
Upon arriving at a stone bridge that passed over a thin stream, you let Felix explain what you were doing and why you were there. "So, in my family, we have this tradition, right? When somebody dies, we write their name on a, er, on a stone," he showed Ollie the stone he made, "and we chuck it in the river. My great-grandfather started it when his son died in the war. We've only done it for Y/N's parents and my dog so far, but... You know, I don't know, I just..."
"It helped, a bit," you filled in when Felix looked at you. You took the stone from Fi's hand and handed it to Ollie, offering, "Felt like our own private goodbye."
When Oliver took the stone and looked it over, Felix anxiously excused, "This feels a bit fucking stupid now."
"No. It's not stupid," Ollie insisted sincerely - only looking at Felix, like the whole world did. "Thank you."
"It's something, right?"
This lead into Felix explaining "what to do", Ollie taking a moment after. When he looked over, he saw Felix had positioned you in front of him, arms wrapped around your neck to keep you close, both screwing your eyes shut in prayer. It would've been endearing had this been an honest memorial...
When the stone was throw, it clattering into the mud on the embankment... A foreshadow you should've paid more attention to. This lead into you three sitting on the stone bannister, skipping the ball, sharing the champagne, and after learning about Ollie's poor living arrangements, for Felix to invite him home with you two. To Saltburn, setting in motion a series of unfortunate events.
That night, you stayed in Felix's dorm, asking, "Are you sure about this?"
"Hmm?"
"Ollie - coming home with us?"
"Oh, yeah, love, it'll be fine," he promised. "Gives us one more person in the house, that's never bad, is it?"
You couldn't answer, you didn't know.
Your first night home was memorable in the sense that Venetia, Felix's older sister, insisted on 'girls night' and locked you both in her room. "So? Did you tell him yet?" She rushed with an excited grin, pouring you both a glass of wine. "Farleigh and I have a bet goin' - "
"Tell who, what?"
She glared, "Don't play coy. You're in love with Felix!"
"Venetia!"
"Oh, shove off, I won't tell him - but does that mean you haven't either?"
"If I did, you honestly think I'd be here?"
"Well, yes - "
"He doesn't feel the same," you insisted, "and if I tell him, he wouldn't want me here anymore, it'd be awkward."
"You're absolutely insane if you think any of that is true!"
"Ven."
"He's mad for you."
"He say that?"
"Well, no, but I can tell."
"It's not gonna happen," you sighed, shaking your head. "Not with all his interests, and those interested in him," you explained bitterly.
"I think you should tell him," she nodded. "It wouldn't hurt to tell the truth, but it might give you both some relief. I promise, he doesn't want you out of his life, so, even by the off chance he doesn't feel the same, he'd still want you around. Oh, know what would be romantic? Writing him a note! You've always been a talented writer."
By the end of the bottle, you and Venetia had started drafting a letter; confessing your feelings and coming up with the grand idea to ask him to meet you in the maze if he felt the same. It was where you both went when wanting solidarity, being a place of worship for you both. The center of the maze was remote, private, being where your tears could be shed and secrets shared.
It felt fitting to meet there.
Your letter wasn't perfected to your standards until Ollie arrived. His first night, you began to feel that tickle in your chest again, and for some reason, you mistook this for 'butterflies' and decided tonight was the night. So, you snuck into Felix's room before dinner, knowing he was already out, and left your note on his bed; unaware that Oliver was watching through the crack in the bathroom door.
He slithered in when you were done, slowly approaching the bed, and fingering the letter. He plucked it in hand, opened the unsealed envelope, and read your confessional; requesting, that if he even had an inkling of returned affection, he'd meet you after dinner, in the maze. At the center, beneath the Minotaur statue.
Ollie stared at your flourish of a signature and instantly crumpled the letter, surging back into his room and shredding it into bits. He swept them away into the waste bin and adjusted his jacket.
"There you are!" Felix smiled, finding you in the hall. "Don't you look nice, darlin'."
"You always say that."
"I always mean it," he grinned, escorting you to the dining room.
Dinner was... Interesting, to say the least.
You were distracted by nerves only Oliver clocked, Venetia giggling and Felix the center of attention - as usual. He reached out a few times to grab your thigh, asking muttered questions in your ear, making sure you were all right after he noticed you had barely eaten. Oliver had to hide his amusement as you just seemed anxious, and when dinner was ended, he watched you scurry from the room as if the Devil was at your heels.
"Oh, is my darling girl all right?" Elspeth asked in concern.
"She had a lot of wine," Farleigh smirked.
"Ah, yes," Mrs. Catton waved off, and Felix stood from the table shortly after.
Oliver stalked by the windows that evening, catching sight of you, still in your evening gown, cutting through the mist to head into the maze. He smirked, hearing Felix in his room - but then catching sight of Venetia through a different window. A different part of his plan roared to life that night; meeting the sultry sister under the moon, both knowing you were waiting in the dark for Felix.
You paced in the cold. Your dress drug through the grass, bare feet tickled.
The hour drug by slowly. You lit another cigarette, watching the mouth of the maze.
The second hour rushed by. Your stomach knotted.
Three, four hours ticked by. And you were left standing alone, in the middle of the maze, coughing and wheezing.
You dropped to your knees when your ailment turned physically violent; fingernails digging into the mud as you choked and heaved, trying in vain to clear your throat. When you stuck your fingers down your throat, you threw up bile, dirt, acid, wine, and long, bright yellow sunflower petals - sobs soon wracking your entire being.
He didn't come... He didn't come. He didn't come.
You threw up twice more, blood staining your chest and dress; teeth outlined in red, the dewy taste of pollen left on your tongue. You sobbed until your head hurt, and sobbed some more; confusion and heartache taking over. When you managed to find your feet, you felt lighter, thinner, smaller, less of yourself than you have ever before.
A piece of you had officially cracked away, being spewed into the mud and grass at the base of the Minotaur statue.
When venturing back to your room, you gasped when you nearly smacked into Duncan. You stared at one another in mild shock, his eyes taking in your state and you quietly begged, "Please... Don't say anything to Sir and Mrs. Catton. I don't want them t'worry until I know what's wrong. I-I'm going to the doctors, Duncan, please, give me time to figure this out."
He nodded sadly, shocked by the blood left behind. The following morning, he didn't wake you... He let you sleep, demanding you be left alone to the waitstaff. When Elspeth questioned your absence at breakfast as Ollie entered the dining room, Duncan was heard, "Miss L/N was up early this morning, went for a run. She went back to bed, said she didn't sleep well."
"Oh, the poor darling," Sir James Catton tutted.
"Morning," Ollie greeted, careful not to let his excitement show over your empty chair beside Felix. Venetia was staring at her brother in near anger, confusing him, but distracted instantly by Oliver's arrival. Sir James greeted him first, Venetia followed, and Felix invited the lad to help himself to a meal.
You had sobbed the whole night, puking bits of blood as the flower petals tightened your windpipe; the tackiness making them stick like glue. You didn't know what to do - there was no way you could face the Cattons now, not after Felix surely told them that you would leave Saltburn (for good) soon.
But sometime after breakfast, there was a knock at your door.
"Come in," you bid quietly, debating if you should start packing or not. When Felix entered, he was holding a bouquet of sunflowers, smiling softly.
"All right, love?"
"What?"
He chuckled, "I'm asking if you're all right, we missed you at breakfast."
You just blinked stupidly, "Uh, y-yeah, guess I am."
"Good," he chirped, approaching you and handing over the flowers. "Got these for you, thought maybe you could use a bit cheering up?"
"Why would I...? Felix, is there - is there anything you want to say to me?"
"Uh, no? Not really, I mean, I was gonna see if you fancied coming with us to the field?"
You stared at him in confusion. "You... Don't want me to go?"
"Go? Go where?" He laughed, "Cause yes, I'd like you to go with us... To the field? I just asked you - you sure you're feeling all right?"
"Um, y-yeah," you swallowed thickly, petals peeling back down your throat. "Thank you, for these," you accepted the flowers.
"Figured, with your parent's anniversary comin' up, should keep you close, you know?"
You shook your head, "Wasn't even on my mind, Fi..."
"And I just put it there, Christ, Felix, fantastic job," he cursed himself, hand through his hair in stress. "I'm sorry, love, I didn't mean - "
"You didn't, it's fine - I-I mean, I'm fine," you assured, trying to stave off tears. "Actually, Fi, I'm feeling a bit tired, think I'll nap."
"Duncan said you were?"
"No, no, I didn't get back t'sleep," you nearly whispered, needing to clear your throat again. "You lot have fun, I'll find you later."
"Sure? 'S Ollie's first time," he taunted. "Don't wanna miss that, do yah, love? And we're reading The Half-Blood Prince together, can't miss that."
"I'll catch up tonight, promise," you nodded, "just tell me what chapter you get through."
Felix stared at you, reaching to pinch your jaw and pet his thumb down your cheek. He whispered, "Sure you're all right?"
You nodded, shaking off his touch, hating how easy it was to fall in love with him. "Just tired, pretty boy. Promise."
"All right, well... Find us later, yeah?"
"'Course."
But you didn't leave your room for three days, unable to control the vomiting spells, the blood, the pain, the petals... The gutwrenching heartache. Venetia checked on you damn near every other hour, sitting, resting your head in her lap, stroking your locks in comfort as you sobbed.
"Tell me what's happening?" She begged, unable to get it out of you yet. But you felt another wave, jumping from her embrace to rush into the restroom; sliding on your bruised knees in front of the toilet. She followed, and like her brother's done many times, gathered your hair to hold back. "Jesus fucking Christ!" She gaped, seeing the blood and long, bright yellow petals. "Are those - what the fuck is that!?"
You heaved greatly, throat shredding as blooms and stubby stems cut up your esophagus. When you stared at the devastatingly beautiful blooms coated in your blood, floating atop of the water, you looked up at your friend and confessed, "I'm in love with your brother."
"I know, babe - "
"And he doesn't feel the same," you sobbed; breaking down, panting for breath, Venetia dropping to your level to pull you into her chest. "I-I-I left him the letter, Ven, I-I-I asked him to meet me..."
"He didn't show?"
"I waited hours!" You wailed, finally breaking down after the past couple of years caught up to you. "He never came! An-And then, he shows up with flowers - with fucking sunflowers! - acting as if he never saw my letter! Acting as if he didn't know! Like - Like it's easier to ignore than confront!"
"Oh, sweet girl," she whispered, gently rocking you both as you couldn't catch your breath.
Neither of you attended dinner that evening. Felix showed up again, like he had everyday, asking if you were hungry while holding a plate of toast and mug of tea. But you had passed out in Venetia's arms, the fake blonde waving her brother away, doing her best not to snap at him - remembering she made you a promise that she wouldn't interfere. You feared if she got involved, you really would be asked to leave Saltburn and you had nowhere else to go.
The following morning, you were up before Venetia.
"Hey," she grunted, stretching in your bed after spending the night. "You all right? What're you doing?"
"Goin' for a run," you answered, lacing your trainers.
"How do you feel?"
"Well," you sighed, "pretty fucking foolish, but it's summer. Yeah? Best not to dwell on what I can't have..."
"But it's killing you, love," she sat up.
"I'll get over it," you assured, not believing yourself. "If he can act as if nothing's happened, so can I. Do me a favor, though, love?"
"Anything."
"Sit between us?"
She frowned, watching you head out of the room. When she peered from the window, she saw you setting off around the ground and flopped back into bed for another hour.
"Oh, there you are!" Elspeth gasped when you entered the dining room that morning - jetting out of her chair. "Oh, darling, are you all right? Gave us a fright - thought you were sick or something!"
"Just a wee stomach bug, I promise," you accepted her embrace.
"I'm glad you've joined us," she whispered. "Felix has been dreadfully annoying."
"I can hear you, Mum," Felix groaned when you two pulled back. "Ven, hop down one," He told his sister.
"No, no, stay put, love, I can sit here," you assured the siblings, taking the seat on the other side of the sister.
Felix frowned instantly. "Don't think I've ever seen you two sit apart all these years," Sir James teased, reaching to pat your hand. "Good to have you join us, darling."
"Thank you," you whispered, Duncan placing a plate before you.
"How come she's served?" Ollie wondered without thinking.
"Miss Y/N has been unwell," Duncan replied stiffly.
"Oh, tell the truth, Duncan," you smirked, "I'm just your favorite."
It spurred the family on, Farleigh offering you a look of confusion from across the table. You waved him off, not once looking to your left at Felix - only ever answering Venetia by looking directly at her, avoiding her brother.
Felix felt something in his gut shift as you avoided him more and more. Venetia all but moved into your room, or you into hers - not wanting you alone in this time of duress. Meaning, each time Felix tried to get you alone for questioning, his sister was driving him away. When hanging out as a group, you no longer were at Felix's side, but opted for Venetia and Farleigh's.
It left a gaping hole for Ollie to fill - happily.
"Did I do something, you think?" He asked Oliver one day, floating in the lake, watching you braid Ven's hair as she read from her copy of The Half-Blood Prince.
"No, just maybe," Ollie shrugged, "it's, I don't know, girl stuff?"
"I'm her best mate, she never avoids me like this," Felix frowned. Oliver hated how genuinely hurt Felix sounded. "Seriously, what did I do?"
"I couldn't say, mate. Maybe just let her cool off, come to you when ready," he advised, watching Felix nod sadly and stare at you from behind his sunnies. He craved Felix's attention that you so effortlessly warranted.
You didn't sit with Felix during movie nights anymore, opting for the furthest seat on the floor at Sir James' feet. You didn't spend the night in his room once, nor let him into yours. You weren't on his tennis team. You didn't share sunbeds.
You no longer met for midnight swims, something that made Felix explicitly sad. He waited with his feet in the water, but this time, you were the one who never showed up.
You didn't sit with him at meals, making his family acutely suspicious. Yet neither of you seemed at odds - so, what were the truly worried over? You acted as if there wasn't a thing wrong, but they all noticed the sickly state you took on.
You thinned out, you barely ate a fourth of your meals, you went on runs as often as you could - even in the sweltering heat. You barely slept, creating bags under your eyes, dull, lifeless hair, and a concerning docile attitude. It was as if you were haunting the castle, barely visible, making yourself into a shell of who you once were.
You simply weren't yourself and the Cattons had no idea how to help. Elspeth sent tea to your room. Sir James let you pick movies for family movie nights, but you never seemed interested. Farleigh tried to engage you on the daily, but nothing seemed to register. Even Oliver put on a show by approaching you at the lake, sitting beside you, trying to strike a conversation.
"Sorry, Ollie, I was about t'go for a run," you eased.
"Been goin' on a lot of those. Want company?"
"No," you refused.
"Sure it's a good idea?" He asked. "Been throwing up a lot, might make it worse."
This made you freeze from where you had stood, slowly turning to look down at him. "Excuse me?" You seethed. "You spying on me?"
"I can hear yah sometimes," he nodded. "You're hiding it from the others, aren't yah? The blood, the tears... The way you're wasting away?"
From a short distance, Felix recognized the angry look and body language you wore. Slowly lowering yourself, you hissed to Ollie, "You keep your fucking mouth shut or I'll make sure you're on the first train back to fucking nowhere tomorrow morning. Hear me? You don't know shit about a Goddamn thing, you don't fucking know me, and if you're smart, you'll shut the fuck up, Oliver."
He watched you with a small smirk; standing over him before vacating the lake's shore.
That night, Oliver heard moaning from the adjoining bathroom. Upon his 'investigation', he spied Felix in the clawed-foot bathtub; steam wafting from the water, sweat beading down his skin, and bicep pumping vigorously as he pleasured himself. But what infuriated Oliver was the subtle, nearly slurred and unintelligible moan of your name from Felix's mouth. It seems, despite his best effort to drive a wedge between you two, there was lingering emotion that neither knew what to do with.
You were withering away, and Felix was self pleasuring to you.
Oliver had to up the ante, but how? You avoided the Cattons on a rotating basis - not letting any of them too close to figure out you were devastatingly ill, except Venetia. And the sister wasn't about to spill this darkening secret of yours, she was loyal to a fault.
Only Oliver seemed to know this dark little tale, figuring Felix hadn't even admitted his feelings for you to himself. Perhaps why he found relief in the tub, releasing into the water with a tear falling from his eye over the idea that you no longer wanted to sustain a friendship. It was all terribly confusing for the summer residents at Saltburn. And yet, in an effort to feel closer to Felix than you ever had, Oliver climbed into the draining bathtub and slurped Felix's cum as if it were water from The Holy Grail.
It made him feel superior. It made him feel as if he were winning an endless race. Made him feel like he was validated in pushing you out in favor of himself - no matter the history between you and the Cattons. Made him feel like he was solidifying himself amongst the distant royalty and you were giving reason to be thrown out of Saltburn.
But he would underestimate the power of family.
He got a little too cocky the night he met Venetia outside, in the moonlight, with Farleigh watching from his window.
The following morning, there was a pounding at your door - a rare night Ven didn't sleep with you. When you opened the door, Felix came pushing in, looking purely distraught.
"Look, I know you're pissed at me for whatever reason - but I fucking need to talk to you, okay? Please - I-I feel like I'm about to lose my mind, Y/N, love, please - "
"What's happened?" You asked, shutting the door. "I was about to head out - "
"Please, love! Please!"
"Christ Almighty, all right, the fuck's goin' on with you? Hey? Looks like you're gonna give yourself a stroke," you approached him, caressing his bicep. "What happened?"
"He kissed her."
"Come again?"
"Fucking Ollie - Oliver! He fucking kissed Venetia!"
"When?"
"Last night, Farleigh saw them."
"Oh, love, c'mon, you know Farleigh doesn't like Ollie."
"So, he's lying? You think he's lying?"
"I didn't say that, but you're all worked up. C'mon, just breathe for a minute, gonna pass out from the way you're huffin' and puffin'."
"Please, be serious! This is serious!"
"I know it is, I'm just trying to be rational."
"So, Farleigh's lying."
"Well, I don't think so - kinda a huge lie t'tell, innit?"
"I thought so," he snapped, hand through his hair in anxiety. "I-I mean, how could he? How could Ollie do this - I-I mean, my sister? My fucking sister?"
"Love, if you're this worked up, just go talk to him," you tried. "Ask Ollie point-blank what happened."
"Would you ask Venetia?"
"No, darling, that's not how this works."
"Well, how will we know who's lying? Farleigh or Ollie?"
"I don't know - is this even something to lie about? What did Farleigh say?"
"He saw them - tonguing - practically eating each other!"
You sighed, "Love? You're not gonna want t'hear this."
"God, what?"
"Venetia's a big girl, she can tongue and eat who she pleases."
"It's bad form, though, innit? I mean - he's my friend, my guest, here under my invitation, and he gets with my sister?"
You shrugged slightly, "I don't know, Fi, but she's allowed to do as she pleases; Ollie, too. It's not like either are dating someone, hey? What? You jealous? Of your sister?"
"Fuck off with that, know that's not it," he snapped again.
"What is it, then?"
"It's another Eddie situation!"
You sighed, "Fi... You can't horde people, right? Ollie bein' here, he's free game to you, Farleigh, Ven."
"And you?"
"Fuck no, lad gives me the creeps," you blanched.
"Still?"
"Yeah, fuckin' still. Call it intuition, but there's something off, Felix. I know you don't want to hear it, but when I have ever been wrong? Huh? Tell me."
"You've not been."
"Exactly - I know a leech when I see one. So, you draw your assumptions, but perhaps what Farleigh saw is true, perhaps not - but you'll get more answers by confronting the truth than ignoring it."
He sighed, dropping to your bed, shaking his head. "Well..." He mumbled, "What do you think?"
You paused, "Doesn't matter."
"Does to me. Please, love, it's Eddie again and I don't - "
"All right," you relented, sitting beside him. "My money's on... Something happened, it's just a matter of what, exactly. How about we go to breakfast, see what the energy is there."
"Feels like I can't stomach anything."
"Your mother and father will be upset if we don't go down, c'mon," you whispered, standing, offering your hand. "I'll sit with you, and if you get upset, you can just lean into me, yeah?"
He took your hand, but didn't get up. He just stared at where you were conjoined, rubbing your hand with his thumb. "Does this mean we're fine? That things are... Are things okay between us?"
"Never not been fine, Fi."
"You've avoided me since we got here."
"I've been dealing with shit - "
"That you won't tell me about," he scoffed.
"Yeah," you agreed, his eyes shooting up to meet yours, "you're right, I won't tell you 'cause I can't yet. I want answers first... Then we can talk. I've gotta figure this out for myself, Fi."
"Well, I can help, you know?"
"No, you've helped plenty," you alluded. "C'mon, breakfast."
"Fuck's sake," he grumbled, finally standing, but tightening his grip on your hand. You lead the way to the terrace the Cattons decided to dine at that morning, being the last two to arrive.
There were two seats side-by-side.
"Good morning," you greeted the family that took you in, Felix silent and angry as he took his seat - but still pulled yours out.
"Morning."
"Good morning, darlings," Elspeth breathed from the head of the table.
"You sleep well?" Ollie asked as Felix whipped his cloth napkin to his lap.
"No, not really, mate," he grit, not looking at the boy and instead, reached for your hand. You handed him a cigarette, placing your own between your lips - both forgoing morning meals.
"We're 30 for dinner tomorrow night," Sir James informed the table. "Stopford Sackville has cried off."
"Oh, dear, that's a shame," Elspeth feigned sympathy.
"God, I forgot about fucking dinner," Felix tilted his head back, speaking between his stick as you lit the end of yours - then reaching for his after nudging his bulging bicep to warrant his immediate attention.
"Wait, who is coming to dinner, again?" Farleigh asked.
"The Henrys," Ven reminded.
"No, please!" Farleigh whined quietly.
"Who are the Henrys?" Ollie asked.
"Dad's friends," Ven filled in, Felix glaring at you as you laced your hand with his and squeezed in warning. "They're all called Henry."
"Not all of them," James corrected. "Just most."
"It'll be fun," Elspeth assured.
"It'll be being molested by Henry," Ven continued, swallowing a bite of croissant. "You know which one."
"Oh, I'll put you next to Oliver, then, he can molest you instead," Elspeth quipped, Felix strangling your hand.
"Don't," you whispered, Ollie's head cocking at Ven in an unspoken conversation. She hummed an amused chuckle. Felix glared at them both before looking back at you, silently begging you to let him snap. "Not right now, please, just breathe," you whispered in his ear, ensuring none others heard you.
"Oh, Oliver, I was going to say, we should do something fun for your birthday. Y/N's is at the end of the summer, we can combine efforts! A proper party! No Henrys, something actually fun. What do you think, darling?"
"Mum, you know Y/N doesn't celebrate anymore," Felix seethed with offense.
"Oh, I know, but it might be fun - a combination party?" She offered. "Darling?"
"If Oliver and Y/N would like it, I think it's a splendid idea," James agreed with his wife.
"I think Oliver looks like he'd rather throw himself out of a window," Farleigh chimed, everyone knowing to avoid asking you your thoughts since you couldn't celebrate without your parents - it just felt wrong. Like a betrayal. So, you no longer celebrated the day of your birth, but the Cattons looked for any reason to throw a party.
"What kind of party?" Oliver asked Elspeth.
"I don't know, whatever you want!" She insisted. "What do you think? About 100 people?"
"A hundred?"
"Or two! It invariably ends up being two, doesn't it, with this sort of thing?" She asked her husband, who hummed in amusement. She told Ollie, "Invite whoever you want. All your friends."
"What friends?" Farleigh leered.
"Oh! Oh!" James folded his paper messily in excitement, jumping to attention, "How about fancy dress?"
Ollie reached over and nudged Felix in curiosity, picking up on his angry demeanor. Your best mate looked down at you, making you lean your chin on his shoulder. "Oh, yes!" Mrs. Catton agreed.
"I can wear my suit of armor, Elspeth!" James giddily exclaimed with a childlike grin that made your heart weep gently.
"Good idea, darling," she agreed as Venetia stood hastily from the table; all knowing where she was going, and what she was going to do. "We could have a theme!" She distracted, you watching Venetia and knowing you needed to follow. She'd been caring for you in your illness, you could at least hold her hair back, too. "What about Midsummer Night's Dream?" Elspeth looked around for opinions.
"Lovely," James prasied.
"Bring on the slutty fairies," Farleigh mused.
"Awh, lovie, you'll still be the sluttiest fairy, don't worry," you teased, glancing back again and seeing Venetia escape inside.
"You wanna match my sluttiness?" He asked you.
"As if that was ever in question," you shot back, Felix offering you a small look. "I'll be right back," you excused yourself, standing from your seat but bending at the waist. You whispered in Felix's ear, "I've gotta go, 'M sorry, just keep calm, love. You're all right."
"Find me later," he requested, holding your hand a moment longer before letting you escape.
"So," James grinned as you walked away, leaning in towards his son, "how are things with you two?"
"Yes, darling, you two seem better! Did you finally tell her how you feel?" Elspeth asked.
If Felix was surprised by his parents knowledge, he didn't show; instead scoffing lightly, "Yeah, right..."
"Oh, darling - "
"She doesn't feel the same, Mum," he refused, sighing deeply - making Oliver's stomach coil. "Just leave it, all right? We're just friends, only ever gonna be just friends - she's part of the family. No need to mess all that up."
Farleigh smirked subtly and took a drag from his cigarette.
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While hosting the Henrys for dinner, you felt another tide turn while sitting amongst the rich and fabulous. You knew them all, of course, grew up knowing them and attending these dinners with your parents. But something was amiss, something churned your stomach and clenched your heart.
You felt your chest tickle and tighten, the desperate need to cough nearly strangling you; Oliver paying close attention to your struggle from beside Felix. You coughed unexpectedly, seeing blood splatter onto your plate and without a single person noticing, you got up, excused yourself, and rushed from the dinner table with a hand over your mouth. Duncan swiftly cleared your place setting.
"Hear that, love?" Felix turned to look at you, only finding an empty seat. He looked around in case you were mingling, not spying you, and slowly got to his feet.
"Where are you going, darling?" James asked, "Sit, sit - "
"I'm only going to check on Y/N," he explained.
"No, no, sit, sit, sit, we know she's been fighting her stomach all summer," James waved off, and slowly, Felix went against his instinct and sat down. Venetia felt her heart steel in annoyance, wishing her brother would just wake up and realize what was happening.
When Oliver caught Venetia's eye, she questioned, "Felix warned you off, then?"
"Well, maybe we just need to be a bit more careful," he hushed.
"No, thanks," Ven refused, not one to sneak around her own home to satisfy her brother's jealously and possessiveness. "It's just sooooo disappointing," she snipped. "You're just another one of his toys."
"Like Y/N?"
"Y/N's not a toy," she barked.
"You're upset," Oliver noted.
"Oh, don't worry, I'm used to it - honestly. I mean, he never liked sharing his toys. Even the ones he doesn't want to play with anymore."
Oliver cocked his head, wondering, "Well, he's kept Y/N around this long."
"Y/N isn't a toy, Oliver, not to Felix, not to this family," she sneered in anger. "And he won't ever grow tired of her, she doesn't hold a temporary position in his life - unlike most." She chuckled dryly, "Honestly, do you not get it by now? She's the gatekeeper, and you're just a passing interest. You won't ever truly be his because she already is, and there's no replacing Y/N L/N - not to Felix, not in this lifetime." She offered a fake smile and turned from him to face her left, distracted by one of the Henrys.
Oliver knew all that, and he was working on removing you from the portrait - but it seemed, maybe he didn't have to work too hard. A rare disease had infected you the moment Oliver Quick laid eyes on Felix Catton - eating away at you internally, making you lose interest in yourself, plaguing you with self doubt to the point you couldn't look in a mirror without seeing a stranger. When Oliver decided to act against the pretty, rich boy, he started a chain of events that lead here: him, in a tux, at a dinner party, and you, shattering the frail skin on your knees from how hard you dropped to them - spewing blood, wine, and sunflower blossoms.
You choked harshly, make up ruined from your blood, sweat, and tears; hacking out most of a put-together flower. Your throat was shredded, dripping blood down into your lungs to slowly fill them again - floral growth breaking the barrier of your organs, sending unimaginable pain through your body.
You heard the karaoke begin, heaving over the sounds of drunken antics. You slowly crawled out of the bathroom, sniffling as you used your bed to lift your fragile body to your feet only to strip from your gown and crash into bed. Weakness invaded your muscles, exhaustion coated your bones, and your eyes stung with the endless supply of tears that would stain your cheeks.
Morning came far too quickly, and with it, Farleigh's forced departure from Saltburn. You were all dreadfully confused, Venetia explaining he'd been caught nicking items from around the house to sell for a profit - perhaps feeling desperate, wanting to help his mother without needing to ask for the help.
You weren't sure what to say to the situation, so you said nothing, but felt desperate to scream for your own help at the top of your lungs. The closer Ollie's birthday drew, the more you bent over the toilet, the more blooms that tore from your lungs and esophagus. You were at a loss over what to do, fearing you were too late for a doctor, and on the hottest day of the year, while everyone was outside by the water, you were inside, scouring the vast and random library.
"Miss," Duncan leered from behind you, no longer causing fright. "Is there something I can help you locate?"
"No, I'm just doin' some more research, Duncan, thank you, though."
"On what's wrong, Miss?"
"Yeah," you frowned, storing another book. "Nothing answers my questions, nothing explains this condition."
"Hm," he considered, "may I?"
"Please," you gestured him forward, watching in mild curiosity as he moved the ladder, ascended, looked over the spines of the many books and then made his selection.
"I've read every book in this library, and think this might help," He explained, handing you the dark green book about Japanese lore and watching you instantly finger through it.
You eyed him for a moment, asking, "You haven't told them, have you?"
"I found your request for privacy reasonable," he nodded, "and have not told the masters of the house."
You nodded, breathing in relief. "I promise, I'll tell them soon - when I figure this out."
"I think you already have," he mentioned, glancing at the open book in your hands. When you looked down, you had paused on a page titled: Hanahaki Disease.
The chapter was filled with detailed accounts of previous patients and sufferers; all giving a recollection of their battle with the unknown illness. You looked up at Duncan in shock, rereading the passage that told you what you needed to know:
"Hanahaki Disease can be fatal by making the infected vomit flora; either just petals or full blooms. There are three known variations of the disease, but all are caused by unrequited love - making the process often long, drawn out, and incredibly painful. The first variation involves the infected confessing their love to their desired, and that love being returned. This is the cleanest way to cure Hanahaki Disease. The second variation includes the desired not returning the known affection, leaving the infected to undergo surgery, a viable but messy recovery. The operation removes the plants growing in the lungs, but in turn, also removes all known traces and memory of the desired - but it does result in the infected being cured. The third and final variation is the worst, where the infected confesses, the desired does not return any affection or want, and leaves them to suffer until the bitter, bloody end. Without care or caution, this disease can become unmanageable with common side effects including but not limited to: blood loss, weight loss, avoidance, isolation, fear of food, fear of living, fear of affection, miscommunication, blood from other bodily orifices, and uncontrollable depression, anxiety, and other mental afflictions. Most infected never fully recover from the aftermath of this disease, and even when their love is returned, they are often haunted by the damaging effects of unrequited love."
You stared at the passage in shock, looking up slowly to spy Duncan staring at you in pity.
"I had a companion like you are to Mr. Felix, once," he confessed. "I was dedicated to my job, loyal to the Cattons, and in turn, he suffered greatly because I couldn't love him how he deserved." Duncan blinked at you twice in the silence that stretched between you. "My advice, Miss? Do not wait - you should come clean to Mr. Felix, let him decide how he feels, and should he not return your affection, I will take you personally to the hospital, where you might choose to undergo the procedure."
"And lose all memory of Felix? Of the Cattons? Of Saltburn?" You asked in desperation, tears swelling in your sunken eyes. "Not likely, Duncan, they're my family. I couldn't bear to forget them, even if it means I should live - I wouldn't be alive anymore. Not without him, not without this family that took me in without a moment's hesitation. I'd lose myself."
"But you'd have the chance to discover something new," he argued gently. "You have your own decisions to make, Miss, but I can only tell you my deepest regret was being so far up Sir James' arse that I missed the life that passed me by. And now," he sighed, "I live with the fact that I condemned my beautiful Roger."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Duncan..."
"I do not wish to see you suffer more than you have been," he frowned. "But I understand the fear you have, emotions are terrifying, especially for the young. But love is not conditional, Miss... Remember that. And having only a part of Mr. Felix would result in losing yourself entirely, whereas losing a part of him would result in you rediscovering all you are. Just... Just something to think about."
"How did you find this?" You asked softly.
"After Roger, I had no reason to care for much else other than the written accounts of those who passed before me. It felt like I was given a life to live, if only vicariously. I've read them all," he reminded, gesturing to the grand library, "and when I found this, I knew I had my answers. That being afraid costs us more than being brave."
You read the book in its entirety. You soaked in every recorded account.
Duncan's words weighed on your heart, and the last few nights leading up to Oliver's party were spent on bruised knees. Venetia still slept in your room a few nights a week, begging you to seek medical attention, and you promised her, after the party, you'd take action. She didn't need to know you were lying just yet.
But as it seemed, your lies were minuscule in comparison to others.
The day of the party arrived, Felix taking Ollie out for a drive as a birthday present. Where their destination was, you didn't know, you couldn't care, because watching them drive off the property dropped you to the ground as your heart felt as if it were physically shattered. You couldn't breath, the sunflowers strangling you from the inside, and after watching the love of your life drive off with another lad, you felt as if your fate was sealed.
That was it.
He didn't love you, he had Ollie. There was only so much love to be given at a time, and Ollie soaked it all up. You didn't stand a chance, you knew Felix's infatuation was out of control with Ollie's pitiful background piquing his interest. You felt like old news, you felt abandoned, alone, cold, heartless...
"What're you wearing tonight?" Venetia asked, tossing pieces of clothing around. "Felix is wearing these sort of golden wings, want to match?"
"What are you wearing, love? Maybe I'll match with you?"
"No, no," she grinned, "I've just found the perfect outfit for you!"
She squealed in excitement, turning to show you the dress seemingly made out of strips of fabric and a corset; creating an ethereal look and design. The color was pale, moss green with shimmering pale golds and nudes paired amongst the fabric. It created an illusion that the mini dress moved and swished around your thighs, and when she handed you golden gladiator sandals, you were sold.
Venetia spent more time helping you get ready than she did herself. She ensured your hair was pinned off your neck, that your make-up was mystical and covered in glitter, corset cinched at the waist to show your figure, and that you had a smaller pair of golden wings to top off your slutty fairy look.
Farleigh would've been proud.
The dress showed off your back, only thin straps keeping it in place as the wings were small enough that you weren't hidden under them. You showed more skin in that dress than you had all summer, your thinning frame tailored under Venetia's talented fingers.
Her hands clapped when you showed her the final look.
"Love the spider web chain," you complimented, clipped her in.
"Sure?"
"It's a look, Ven, you're stunning," you complimented, smiling at your friend with genuine kindness. "C'mon, I think I can hear people arriving."
Once more, Venetia squealed and snatched your hand, racing from her room and leading you into the party on the grounds as the sun was beginning to set. After greeting Elspeth and Sir James, complimenting their chosen costumes, you were sucked into a night of young debauchery; Venetia pinned to your side.
And thankfully, she was there to witness the moment you gave up. Moving through one of the darkened rooms, you were mingling with old classmates, happy to see familiar, friendly faces, and just as you turned, your glass shattered to the floor with the last bit of your heart and composure.
You saw Felix, clear as day, dancing with none other then fucking India - the girl you felt most in competition with, besides Annabel. He was so close to her, they were practically fucking; seemingly distracted by one another, they didn't even notice the party.
"Oh, love," Ven turned to you, but you just gave her a pained look.
"I'm gonna go," you rushed.
"No, wait - "
"I need to be alone, Ven," you insisted, the tears starting as your chest felt too tight in the crowded room. "I told you, I fucking told you, he doesn't feel the same," you sniffled, her eyes widening as you felt a familiar metallic taste in your mouth.
When your hand lifted, you smeared blood from your lips and nostrils, blinking in recognition - knowing what was to come next.
"I-I-I have to go, 'M sorry," you rushed, blood oozing and dripping down your neck in artistic scribbles. You didn't bother hiding this time, turning from your fellow drunkards to escape outside - heading for the maze, like you always did when needing to be alone.
Your room wasn't safe, anyone could find you there. The entire home was overrun with party-goers. The grounds surrounding Saltburn unsafe for your breakdown, as well.
So, you raced to the one place you felt safe anymore: the maze.
Your blood stained the shrubbery as you stumbled through it, trying to hold together, but the moment you reached the Minotaur statue, your legs gave up, mud squishing to your knees, and instantly coughing, hacking, and heaving blood from your lungs.
Long, pretty bright yellow sunflower petals came out in an abundance, the most it's ever been, before you were vomiting full blooms again.
You felt woozy, dizzy... Less than human.
You just wanted it to stop.
When you left Venetia's side, she noted you beelining outside and knew immediately where you had run off to. In unfiltered anger, she turned and shoved through the crowd up to her brother, grabbed him by the strap of his wife beater, and yanked him after her.
"Oi! Hey, hey, hey, Venetia! What the fuck are you doing!?"
"You've fucked up!" She raged, ignoring the looks from others and lead him outside so they could hear each other.
"Are you out of your mind?" He demanded.
"Are you!?" She sneered. "The fuck are you doing!?"
"What?" He scoffed, "What am I doing wrong, dancing at our party? Hmm?"
"With that skank!?"
"Hey!" India barked, having followed them outside.
"This doesn't concern you!" Ven barked, Felix feeling on-edge with his sister so enraged.
"You're talkin' about me, I think it does!"
"Ven, what the hell's gotten into you - "
"It's about Y/N!"
Felix froze for a moment, then looked at India, "Go inside."
"What!?"
"Piss off, India! She's right, this doesn't concern you!" He snapped, the girl scurrying away with her tail tucked firmly between her legs. When Felix looked at his sister, he demanded in a rush, "What about Y/N? Where even is she - "
"I promised her I wouldn't intervene, I swore I wouldn't say anything - especially to you, but you're such a fucking idiot, if you're not fed anything, you don't get it!"
"Is this really the time to insult me?"
She glared, steeling her jaw and gritting, "Y/N's in the maze."
"Okay? She goes there - "
"No, listen to me," Ven sneered. "She's been in love with you, Farleigh and I both figured it out - but it was really fucking obvious."
Felix blanched in shock, "What?"
"She's in love with you, you fucking idiot! She's been sick the whole summer because you can't love her back!"
"How - what are you on about!?"
"She's been throwing up blood, you're honestly killing her by doing what you're doing with all these girls! By ignoring whatever you feel - by denying it repeatedly! It's not fair! All she's done is love and support you, care for you, protect you, and you're fucking killing her!"
He blinked, "She loves me?"
"Yes, you fucking imbecile! And tonight was her last straw, I fucking saw it! She lives here, you jagoff, and you're dancing with India - right in front of Y/N? In her own home? Where she's supposed to be safe!?"
"I-I didn't - I didn't know!"
"No shit, because you're both fucking idiots who talk about everything except your feelings! Do better, Felix! Now, go! She needs you to be a fucking man - go! She needs you, Felix, she's in the maze, don't fuck this up more than you have!"
He didn't hesitate to shoot off in the direction of the maze, Farleigh catching sight and pushing his brows together before realizing he was sprinting after you - I mean, who else would Felix move that fast for? Into the maze Felix went, and Farleigh knew, everything was about to change. Elspeth and Sir James didn't notice a thing, too distracted by their party, but there was another watching; a set of dead, ghostly blue eyes nearly glowing in the night as they locked onto their prey fleeing the party.
Felix sprinted his way through the maze, an expert at navigating, and when he made it to the center, his own heart constricted to a suffocating depth.
"Oh, my girl," he rushed to your side, getting on his knees and holding your weakening body as crimson dribbled from your mouth. The pool of blood was grand enough that he worried how you'd make it through the night; floating sunflowers a hauntingly beautiful sight in the dead of night. "Hey, hey, you're okay, you're all right, I got you - I'm here," he whispered, smoothing hair from your face. "It's me, it's your Felix, love, just focus on me, yeah?"
And finally, with a sniffle that did little to nothing, you looked into his eyes with yours rimmed in red. "Fi..."
"Don't talk, save your energy, I'm gonna get you somewhere safe - "
"I've gotta tell you something."
"Tell me after we get to your room, yeah?"
Your head shook, "If I wait longer, it'll get worse."
"Sweetheart, please - "
"I'm in love with you," you finally confessed to him, unable to look him in the eyes for a second longer. You stared at your demise, blood soaking into both your knees. "Have been, I think, since I moved in here," you whimpered, "and after my parents died, I fell so fucking in love with you that it hurt. But out of fear of losing this friendship, I couldn't - I couldn't tell you. And now, it's killing me, but you deserve to know: I'm so fucking in love with you, makes me physically ill. I-I can't do this anymore, Fi, I just can't - the pain is too much and I've already lost so much - "
"Felix?" Ollie called in a drunken whine, entering the center.
"Oh, Jesus Christ, man!" Felix snapped, whipping around to glare at Ollie as you folded into his chest out of sheer pain. Of course, in the midst of your confession, nobody but Oliver fucking Quick would show up. "Get out of here! Now, Ollie, I'm not fucking joking!"
"Is she all right?" He asked, stumbling a bit.
"What the fuck are you still doing here!? Get out, fucking go, this doesn't concern you!"
"We need to talk, I need to talk to you!"
"It's fine, talk t'him," you wheezed, trying to get to your feet, but failing out of sheer weakness.
"No, you need to fucking go, Ollie! Now! Y/N and I need to talk a helluva lot more than we do!"
You used his shoulders to stand, "Talk t'him, Fi, don't let this shit happen t'someone else." He glanced to your blood as you let go of him, stumbling just out of reach, towards one of the maze exits.
"We need to talk, Felix!" Ollie demanded as you slipped out of sight.
"No, you know what? Fuck you!" He barked. "You're not what's important right now, Ollie! For fuck's sake!"
"Don't go after her," Ollie sneered, stepping in Felix's way when he climbed to his feet and meant to go after you.
"Fuck is wrong with you, mate!?" Felix raged, shoving Ollie back several steps. "Hey? So fucked in the head, you think you take precedence over my girl?"
"Y-Your girl?"
"Fucking Y/N!" He shouted. "Yes! My fucking girl, that I was so blinded by you to fucking see what was wrong! Now fuck off!"
"She's nothing - "
"SHE'S FUCKING EVERYTHING!" Felix shouted, you pausing in the maze when you heard it. "You and I can talk later, if I even fucking want to, but right now, my girl needs me - not fucking you!"
"I see she's got you so blinded - "
"You think Y/N's the problem here?" Felix sneered, getting in Ollie's face; fisting the lapels of his blazer. "Huh? You blaming her?"
"No, just saying - "
"All the wrong fucking things," Felix shoved him back again. "She's all that fucking matters to me!" He shouted again, you slowly nearing the entrance into the center of the maze, remaining hidden behind a shrub. "Not you, not all your lies - but her! It's always been her, but you fucking knew that, didn't you!? You saw what we were, what we had, what we could've been, what we were dancing around, and just had to wedge yourself between us, yeah? I didn't see it before, but your fucking lies - all your fucking lies, you were trying to ruin the best thing in my life! And you might've just succeeded!"
"She doesn't deserve you! None of them do!"
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Oliver!?" Felix cried, "Leave me the fuck alone! Leave us the fuck alone! Leave my family the fuck alone! Christ! Please, stop!"
"We need to talk!" Ollie now approached Felix, making him back up into the statue.
"We can't - we can't, are you fucking crazy? Haven't you ruined enough!?"
"Me!?" He snarled. "I didn't ruin shit, it was her! It was all her, don't you see? You pitied us against each other, I had to do this! For you! You can't just throw me away!"
Felix lost his temper, shoving Oliver again, "Get the fuck away from me! I can! I can and I will throw you away - for her! I'd do anything for her, don't you fucking get that!? I didn't see before, but now I do, the slimy, scum you are - and I'd throw you away a hundred times if it meant being with her! Fuck out of here, leave us alone!"
Oliver shouted as he grabbed Felix's shirt, "Look, I just gave you what you wanted!" His voice lowered to a quiver, "Like everyone else does. Everyone puts on a show for Felix! So, I'm sorry that my - m-m-my performance wasn't good enough, like Y/N's always is."
You crept from the shadows, neither lad noticing; intrigued by the words being slurred, shouted, and weaponized.
"I think... I think you need to see somebody," Felix whispered, not willing to admit aloud that Oliver was scaring him. "You need help, okay? Seriously."
"No. No, I don't," Ollie sneered - sounding almost sober. "I just need you to understand how much I fucking love you."
And there it was - another confession. Your heart (or whatever was left of it) felt heavy, like it was being constricted and anchored to your feet.
Felix whispered, "I love Y/N, mate, you have to know - wasn't exactly a huge secret, except to us. To her and I, not you and I, Ollie."
You felt something akin to shock spark in your gut, blooming an unknown warmth through your body.
Oliver begged, "You're the only friend I ever had, Felix." His thumbs pet Felix's face despite him trying to wriggle away; being touched by the psychotic liar terrifying him - but no more than the feeling of dread he had watching you stumble away. "Okay... I mean, doesn't this just prove how much - how much of a good friend I actually am? How well I actually know you? I'm still the same person! Yeah?" He whimpered, "I'm still the same person."
"I don't know what you are," Felix whispered in reply. "But I do know you," he paused, confessing, "you make my fucking blood run cold." His head shook, "I know friendship - and it's not this, Ollie, it's not built on lies and deception. Y/N? She's everything to me, mate, and you tried to ruin that. You're a fucking liar, Ollie."
He gagged a little, releasing Felix to stare at him with a sense of defeat. Oliver gagged again, shoving the opened champagne to Felix's chest, muttering, "Wait there a sec," before stepping away to throw up on the opposite side of the statue. He knew the other boy wouldn't be able to resist an open bottle of alcohol.
However, Felix felt it was his opening to escape, and when he looked up, he caught sight of you.
Your finger rose to your lips in a silencing motion, glancing at a puking Oliver, and Felix didn't hesitate to drop the bottle and race for you. When his hands smoothed over either of your cheeks, he checked behind him - seeing Ollie still at a distance - stooping to scoop you in his arms, whispering, "We have to go, love, fucking now."
You agreed and let him rush away into the maze, and before you could exit, Oliver was heard bellowing, "FELIX!"
"What the fuck was all that?" You asked, hiding yourself in his neck; neither caring for the blood being stained.
"I'll explain everything in a minute, love, let me get you somewhere safe," he rushed, the party sounding around you once more. He deflected anyone who got in the way, shoulders bullying past people, ignoring his name being cried out. Up the stairs, down a hall or two, and he was rounding into your room. "All right, hang on," he deposited you on your bed, rushing into your restroom and locking all the doors except the one connecting your room. The main door was also locked.
"What's going on?" You asked.
"He's a liar," Felix panted, wrangling from his wings as he approached you. "But it doesn't matter right now - what matters is our truth. You were interrupted before, but I have to tell you, sweetheart, that your affection isn't one-sided. Okay?" He knelt before you, taking both cheeks in hand. "You're not alone in this, I-I should've told you so much sooner, but I love you, too. No, no, I'm - I'm in love with you and I'm so sorry I didn't say it. Hear me? I'm in love with you, Y/N, I'm so sorry I was selfish, that I didn't see the pain you were in that I was causing."
"Wasn't your fault," you whispered.
"It's all my fault."
"I should've said something, too."
"You're the one who's been suffering all this time, this is on me. Okay?" His head shook, wiping the streams of blood from your nose and lips. "You're a fucking wreck, darling, should've said something so much sooner - saved you from all this pain."
"I was afraid, and didn't want you to know."
"I made you feel as if you couldn't talk to me," his head shook. "Listen to me, I-I have to go warn Mum and Dad about Oliver, but you stay here - "
"You're not leaving," you insisted. "Call Venetia's cell or Farleigh's, tell them whatever you're worried about, and stay here, with me, where you're safe. I don't know what I heard, but I don't think Ollie's well in the head and he's gonna gun for you."
He sighed, "They won't answer. The party's - "
"Just try..."
He agreed and grabbed his cell phone from his pocket, dialing his sister as he got you a wet cloth. She answered when he was knelt in front of you again, wiping the remnants of your near-death experience from your face as he explained at a rapid speed a condensed version of events.
When Venetia assured she would tell Elspeth and James, he hung up and brought you in for a tight hug. "Should've told you," he whispered, "I'm so sorry."
"I am, too," you whimpered, holding onto his neck tightly.
"C'mon," he sighed, pulling back to gaze at you, "let's get you changed and in bed - 's been a fucking nightmare tonight."
"How fitting."
"How so?"
You half-smirked, "A Midsummer Nightmare's Dream, innit?" He matched your fleeting amusement.
That night, you and Felix slept beside each other in a secure and locked room; both unconscious when Oliver approached your door and tried to get in before being apprehended by two footmen. He was locked in the basement for the night, given the chance to sober up before morning, when the police would be phoned.
When the sun broke the horizon, Felix woke with a start. You were already awake, looking up at his pale face, begging him to tell you the truth behind Oliver. He looked as if he would be sick, giving you a detailed summary of what happened the day before - all the lies Ollie told, how his parents were alive, well, and very kind. How nothing he's told Felix was true - all some form of fucked up lie to make him seem more broken for Felix's endearment.
"Am I that bad, love?" He asked in a hushed tone.
"No, you're just... You just have an affinity for broken things," you answered. "And he gave you what you wanted, tenfold."
"I feel so stupid."
"For being kind?" You shook your head, caressing his cheek.
"Not very kind t'let you suffer in silence, was it?"
"You couldn't have known how bad it all was, I wasn't exactly truthful either."
"You protected yourself, while Ollie... Ollie put on a fucking show to get attention, to seem so different, make me feel like I'd be a fool to ignore him," he scoffed. "I'm so sorry, love," he whispered, resting his forehead against yours. "But I meant what I said - you're fucking everything to me and I'd throw everyone away if it meant being with you - keeping you."
It felt so good to assure him, "You have me, Felix. 'M not goin' anywhere."
He smiled gently, sighing in relief, asking, "Can I kiss you now? Please, love, think we've waited plenty long enough."
You didn't answer, you only lifted you lips to his and sealed your fate - meshing into one heart, soul, and one being. Two halves, made whole; cut from the same cloth and stitched together. His tongue swept across the seam of your lips, mingling with yours and never knowing when he had felt so complete while kissing a woman.
Because he hadn't. Everyone else before you was a place holder, temporary, a fleeting interest. You were a part of him, never wanting to experience life without the other, but as the house slowly woke up, you were both reminded of reality...
There was still a madman to be dealt with, and Felix wanted a front row viewing to ensure Oliver Quick was truly gone and your lives in a relationship could finally start.
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requesting rules and masterlist
Saltburn masterlist
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other Hanahaki Disease fics:
featuring: Eddie Munson from Stranger Things
Cherry Blossom Colored Kisses
Tears in the Rain
Gone with the Sin
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235 notes · View notes
trashpandato · 7 months
Text
Romance
Earth customs are weird. 
Kara knows this; has known it for many years. And sure, she’s spent all those years trying to learn, trying to understand what makes humans tick so she could mimic it successfully enough to not stand out. 
“Fake it til you make it”, Alex used to say, implying that if Kara spent enough time pretending, human behaviour would eventually become second nature to her.
And fake it she did. Some Earth customs were easy enough to adopt. Like wide smiles that cover up her pain, the concept of comfort foods or all-you-can-eat buffets, or even humans’ tendency to find excuses to turn any random day into some kind of celebration - Hump Day, Tax Deadline Day, Polar Bear Plunge Day, National Frozen Yogurt Day. (She’s half-convinced that most of these are inventions by Alex to confuse her, but she celebrates National Gummy Worm Day on July 15th anyway.)
But if she’s honest, a lot of the things that humans do, their customs, their rituals, still seem a little strange to Kara. Even after years of trying to understand.
Chatting up strangers, for example. On Krypton, interactions with someone not known to a person would have required some sort of intermediary, an introduction through a trusted person. If Kara had even dared to walk up to a stranger to talk to them, she would have faced discipline not just from her family but also from the broader community. When she first landed on Earth, she relied on Eliza or Alex to make introductions and felt intensely uncomfortable when kids at school would randomly talk to her. It took her a long time to believably mimic these kinds of human interactions, and if she’s honest, she still prefers an official introduction over just chatting up people out of the blue. (It’s why she was happy to tag along with Clark for her first encounter with Lena.)
Or there’s the act of blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Extinguishing light instead of keeping it burning as a means of celebration. The first time Eliza prompted Kara to blow out her candles, Kara was horrified and it took a lot of gentle reassurances from her adoptive mother to even consider partaking in this peculiar human tradition. To this day, Kara prefers her candles away from her cake and to leave them burning for as long as safely possible.
And then there are all the gestures associated with romance. With Krypton’s system of arranged pairings based on compatibility across a number of important factors, there was no need to wine and dine anyone. She could remember her parents showing affection for each other, but there was never any ritualized approach to romantic moments. Humans, on the other hand, humans have rules about dates, about which flowers are appropriate to give to someone and when, about who pays the bill at the fancy restaurant, about slow-dancing and little gifts and how many feelings to reveal and when. 
It’s a lot to keep track of and confusing, and all the romance movies in the world cannot prepare Kara for her first official date with Lena.
She shows up with plumerias, because she knows Lena likes those and she knows, knows, that she’s supposed to bring flowers. But then Lena has tears in her eyes as soon as Kara hands them over, and she’s also wearing this dress that hugs her body in ways that make Kara’s higher brain function fizzle out. So she doesn’t protest when Lena pulls her inside with her hands fisted into the lapels of Kara’s suit jacket, follows Lena’s lead when she pushes her against the kitchen island and kisses her senseless, and finds herself naked and sweaty in Lena’s bed not long after that.
When Kara’s stomach rumbles a couple of hours later and Lena calls to have some food delivered, Lena chuckles.
“We kind of did this all backwards.”
Kara frowns. “How so?”
“Well,” Lena leans in and presses her lips close to Kara’s ear, making her shiver, “usually, the clothes come off after the fancy dinner.”
“You humans have a lot of rules about romance,” Kara huffs, and Lena laughs.
“I suppose we do. But I’m happy to break every single one of them with you, Kara Zor-El.”
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dearshelby · 22 days
Note
#2 from that romance prompt list with tommy please 🥺
Honestly, nonnie, idk why this landed so far from romance 😅 hope you enjoy anyway
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prompt 2. yearning for just one hug after being separated for so so long + Tommy Shelby
Logically, his presence didn't make any difference in the house. Your routine didn't change in any way and every single day, you were reminded your marriage was one of convenience.
You married Thomas Shelby in 1932, after your dad, who was running for mayor, thought it'd be a good idea to offer your hand to someone more powerful, such as a parliament member.
Although powerful, he did not have the best reputation, the rumors had he was a gangster, widowed and divorced for unfaithfulness and absence. You could get a better man, but surely not as rich.
So you accept it, days quickly went by while you took care of his son Charlie. You knew he had a daughter as well, who he let live with her mother and rarely visited.
Besides only marrying you to become respectful, Thomas was a decent husband. All special dates were celebrated with dinner at a fancy restaurant, he often gave you gifts and sex happened once a week. Although not bad, everything was scheduled, cold and impersonal.
Recently, he took a trip to America and as always, he called to check on Charlie (you wouldn't dare to assume on you too) every Wednesday at the same hour. You were waiting in his office, aware of how distressed he got when you didn't answer.
Fidgeting with your teacup, you observed the belongings on his desk, a horse wooden statue, glass bottles for whiskey, an expensive looking pen and many pictures.
Two of them always caught your attention, Grace and Lizzie, you knew who they were, the women who truly knew him, those who for the good or the bad, he let in. You'd never compete.
The phone ring interrupted your pondering, you jumped at the strident sound.
“Hello,” you heard his husky voice on the other side.
“Hello, how are you?”
“Fine,” he sighed, “how's Charlie?”
“He's alright, complained about homework today,”
“If he's struggling get him a tutor,”
“I don't think he is, just boyish laziness,”
“Hm,” he got quiet for a second, then finished, “I just called to say I'm in London, I'll be home soon,”
“What?” you got confused, “When did you leave America?”
“Few hours ago,”
“But are you coming home today?”
“...in a few hours,” his tone was patronizing, as if he was explaining something obvious.
“Oh, hm, okay,”
“Great, see you later,”
“Bye,” you whispered and he hung up.
You gulped, weirded out by Thomas calling to tell he's coming home. Usually, he just came back, no announcement or fuss. Whatever, you thought, leaving the office.
Sunset was coming soon when you told Charlie to bathe and get dressed, he didn't seem excited for his father's return and to be honest, neither did you. Nonetheless, you had to keep up appearances, a family you were and like a family you'd behave.
Waiting by the living room, you put on jazz to play low and asked Frances to serve dinner soon. Charles sat on the floor with a book. It was like you were normal.
The sound of a car parking in front of the house announced Tommy's arrival, you walked to the entry and his boy followed after. The man crossing the door looked exhausted, much more than he usually did.
“Hi, dad,” Charlie greeted.
“How are you, son?” Thomas messed up the kid's hair.
“Fine, I'm finishing a book,”
“Well, go on then,”
You were silent until the boy left the room, smiling politely to your husband, “How are you?”
When you leaned in to kiss his cheek, Tommy's arms wrapped around you. His chin rested on your shoulder while his hands pressed you against him. You were so surprised you didn't hug back.
You didn't know how long he held you, it was enough for you to breathe in and out three times until he let go.
“Thomas-”
“I'll go to my office,”
“But-”
“Yeah?"
"What about dinner?"
He looked away from you, as if he was about to make an important decision, "Let me know when it's served,"
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WEEWOO IM HERE FOR THE EVENT!! (also smth I noticed, you can't copy paste your moots @ from one post to another, bc they don't receive the notif;_; I checked my mentions for your @ and uh- nope)
ANYWAY "nights spent in" with Leona pls (or Ruggie or Kalim or Jack or Jamil 💀💀) I just want a lazy night with takeout and cuddles and looking at the city/town from the hotel or room balcony in peace but I also need this frigging degree-
Nights Spent In; Leona Kingscholar
Content; Fluff, so much fluff, gender-neutral reader, romance
Word Count; 650+
Author's Note; I came up with a whole meal for this and I want everything. All of the food mentioned is North Indian vegetarian food, except for Leona's. Best of luck with that degree, Soru!
As a reminder, do not put my work — or others for that matter — into AI as it steals. Link to Masterlist
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You were lounging on the sofa on the balcony, a light breeze coming off the waves helping cut most of the heat from the day as night slowly painted the sky in a deep navy. Honestly, you could fall asleep right here, since you were warm and very comfy. Count on the royal family of the Sunset Savannah to spare no expense, even when it came to their balcony furniture for the smallest of their vacation homes. 
Speaking of the Kingscholars, Leona had said that he was going out to grab you both dinner, which would have shocked anyone else, but he put in the work when it came to you. You were the exception. Of course, though, he expected something in return, which was usually either using you as his pillow or giving him a kiss… or several until he was satisfied with how fast he could make your heart flutter. Smug bastard…
“Hmm, I went through all the trouble of gettin’ you food and here you are nearly passed out,” he sighed, having sneaked up on you. But he sighed, putting the food down.
Leona leisurely walked over to you before promptly laying on top of you and resting his chin on your shoulder, trapping you. He let out a long sigh and bumped his head against yours.
Taking the message, you started scratching behind his ears and hummed. “I thought I had to pay you back after we ate,” you mused.
He chuffed, but his tail was slowly waving back and forth in a relaxed manner, he was only putting on a show. “You can pay me now and then,” he grumbled, looking up at you and raising a brow expectantly.
You knew that face, it was the face that he made when he wanted a kiss but didn’t want to say it. “You can get the rest of it, but after we eat-” your stomach made a low rumble underscoring your statement. “Before I decide to eat you instead,” you joked, and poked him in the ribs to prompt him to get off you.
Leona rolled his eyes, but yielded, he wanted his damn kisses sooner rather than later. Plus the last time he had decided to lay on you and prevent you from getting food, you had indeed bit him. Even though you didn’t really leave a mark, it still stung a bit, and he would rather not get teased by the others if they found out it had happened again.
“What did you get by the way,” you asked. Whatever it was smelled divine. Your stomach gurgled even louder, sounding more akin to some beast demanding food.
Leona chuckled a bit at the commotion, but brought the food out. “Went to a small place, family run and owned,” and he brought out several containers of food. He looked at his order, “Malai kofta, raita, paratha, mattar paneer-”
You saw one other container and raised a brow.
“Rogan josh,” he answered, swiping the container away from you.
You rolled your eyes at him, but you were more than happy at the food he had got, and knew that he left a hefty tip even though he would deny it. Not only had he made you, and your ravenous stomach’s, night, but also the restaurant owners’ as well. 
Now content and full of food, the both of you laid in bed, your legs intertwined. “Thanks for getting dinner,” you hummed, feeling the sleepiness from earlier returning.
Leona turned his head to you, and rubbed circles on your hip, slowly. He was wearing the same expectant look again. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” But there was no smugness, Leona was full and just as tired as you, so he was more like a tired kitty looking for some love.
You shuffled over and placed a gentle kiss to his lips, and he let out a tired sigh, pupils dilating into round saucers. “I love you,” you placed another kiss on his lips before placing one on his scar and lingering there.
He bumped his forehead to yours, closing his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know… I love you too.”
~~~~~~~
Tags; @eynnwwyjth, @inkybloom-luv, @savanaclaw1996, @twistwonderlanddevotee, @xxoomiii @leonistic
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the-cloudy-dreamer · 6 months
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“And here we are! Mister Gadling if I may introduce you to the owner of this estate, Lord Morpheus Endelas?'' The portrait of a severe looking man hangs at the top of the staircase, with an ornate golden frame. It is the only thing occupying that wall. 
It looks lonely. 
“Lord Morpheus? So, if he is the owner of this estate, why is his sister the one rushing to sell it? Where is he?” Hob asks, confused.  
“Nobody really knows. He was quite the renowned painter at the time but went missing at the peak of his career months after his only son died in a tragic accident,” Mister Edwards explains. 
Hob’s heart clenches in sympathy, as if to lose one’s child seems horrible enough, but to be expected to carry on after such a loss seems unthinkable to him.
“Hold on, missing? Missing implies that he is still out there! Doesn't he get a say in what happens to his state? He could come back and rightfully unleash his wrath upon us for going through with this! Sir, you have to understand that if I am to take up this job offer I need to know I’m not risking my entire career and reputation over it.”
He feels perplexed “Wasn't anyone else concerned about this? How is picking apart a missing man’s home and selling all his worldly possessions to the highest bidder even considered acceptable? What was the Endelas family even thinking? The man lost his only child, surely he just needed some time away?” It didn't seem unreasonable to Hob. 
He didn’t like it. Something about this felt wrong.
“It is believed even by his own remaining family, that Lord Endelas killed himself. Saying he is missing is the polite way to not address the fact that no body was ever found! Even before his son’s death he was infamous for his melancholic moods and tendencies towards neglecting himself to the point of damaging his own health significantly. So I’m hardly asking you to do anything immoral here! You are a good man Mister Gadling, and if the thought of taking this job distresses you so much I will accept that and find someone else to do it, but Lady Endelas wants this to be done sooner rather than later and I think you are the best choice for it.”
Hob turns his attention back to the portrait and contemplates for a moment.
He truly did look lonely up there.
“I will give you my answer tomorrow morning, Mister Edwards,” he concludes. 
“That’s all I ask for Mister Gadling, for you to consider it. Thank you.” Edwards inclines his head and promptly turns around, heading back downstairs.
Hob looks helplessly at the portrait of Lord Morpheus, already knowing he will take the job come morning. 
Damn him and his bleeding heart.
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Ta-dah! illustration that's part of my gothic romance dreamling AU for @dreamlingnation spooky event !! the prompt that inspired this was "cursed painting" the comic pages for the ficlet above are already in the works so stay tuned for that and more!
special thanks to @academicblorbo for helping me edit this, you are the best friend!
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the-offside-rule · 10 months
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Lando Norris (McLaren) - Daughter's Boyfriend
Requested: wattpad
Prompt: Lando freaks out about his young daughter having a "boyfriend"
Warnings: nope
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Lando let out a content sigh as he set his bag down in the hallway. He'd been away racing and just got back from a triple header and never had he been so happy to be home. "Babe? Where are you?" he asked, his voice bellowing around the house. "In the kitchen!" Lando smiled as he heard the squealing of your four year old daughter coming ever so closer to him and surely enough, she came pounding around the corner and up into his arms. "Heya baby! I missed you." he said pressing a kiss onto her cheek. "Daddy, daddy! I've got a boyfriend!" Lando blinked in disbelief a few times. "What? What do you mean you have a boyfriend?" Lando asked. "He's in the back garden with his mum! We're having a tea party!" Lando let her down and walked into the kitchen where you were just whipping up something for the tea party. "Did you get any food at the airport?" you asked. "Erm, no. Babe," you turned to look at Lando. "Boyfriend? She has a boyfriend?"
You nodded your head. "I guess she does. What can I say, she came back from school yesterday and said she had a boyfriend and that he wanted to come back to the house but I said no because of covid. Turns out, he lives right behind our house so we're having a little picnic out the back through the fence." You explained. Lando rubbed the back of his neck. "But she's so little." he mumbled. You grinned as it just registered what was going on. "I suppose they're going to be getting married next, huh?" Lando clenched his jaw. "Are you making fun of me?" You chuckled at his agitated state. "Lando, they're children! It's harmless fun."
"But if he breaks up with her, she'll get hurt and I don't want to boot a child." You ended up cackling at his words. "Babe! I'm serious! I don't want to have to hate a child!" You curled your arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. "Lando, it's a phase. She's just making a friend." Lando let out a huff. "Do I have to go along with it?" he asked slightly pained. "Lando, this isn't going to be the last boy your going to have to put up with from her. She's going to probably have more boyfriends and besides, he's a lovely little boy, he picked her flowers and handed them to her this morning." Lando sucked his lips in. He was starting to think it was a bit pointless to dislike a child for simply doing what kids do. "He's been raised well then." he chuckled. "Indeed he has, now go out and be with your daughter. She's missed you since you left." You watched as Lando walked out the back out to his daughter and just sat listening to everything going on.
He listened to the little childish babbling and giggles of them both which made him genuinely smile. His little girl had a friend, someone she could talk to about her age with the same interests and all. It was adorable  and he lost forgot how ridiculous children seemed to speak. He liked this little friendship and it wasn't until later that he realised why. He liked it so much because that's exactly how you and Lando ended up meeting; neighbours as kids. Who would have thought that the little boy intruding on his neighbours tea party with her dolls would have led to something much greater,
To a friendship
To a romance
To a marriage
To a family
To an always.
To a forever
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soapskneebrace · 1 month
Note
Do you have any recommendations for longer cod fics with plot?
Yeah, plenty!
A few from @391780 (and their ao3) (if you decide to explore their other fics PLEASE read the tags first, early writes some very dark work that may not suit you):
The Arrangement
The ad reads "Looking for a woman (25-45) to enter a discreet and unusual arrangement, with monetary compensation. Must fill out application and send photo.", and for some reason that you can't even fathom yourself, you apply. AKA John Price, who knows better than anyone what a liability having a spouse or partner is, decides that the only way he's going to find a beautiful soft woman to put up with his absurd schedule and dangerous job is to simply hire them.
the space in between
a shortcut through a construction site at night leads you to a run-in with john price, leader of the local crime family. (or, mafia Price romance with a desk jockey who didn't sign up to be a crime boss' obsession or sole confidant)
Into Your Veins
Ghost is a vampire during a zombie apocalypse, sent on a mission from Price to recruit you to join the little gated community of survivors that he's rounding up. You're a survivor who just wants to be left in peace to tend your garden and occasionally clear out your moat and booby traps of the undead. Neither of you gets what you'd planned on.
Then we have milk0 on ao3
Incompetent People
You share a group chat with your team and you sometimes wish you didn’t. (or, a very fun fic that started as a group chat piece and has evolved into a poly 141 romance. Otherwise known as my favorite fucking trope ever. The reader character has such a fun voice, I adore this fic.)
Next of course is @ceilidho (emphemeron on ao3) (same deal as with early—read their tags if you explore more of their fic, they also write darker work)
take me home, country road
You have nothing on your person apart from a hastily packed suitcase and the dress you came into town wearing, on the run from trouble back home. Too bad John's missing a bride that matches your description. Or: the 1800s (mistaken) mail order bride au
Following up with @alittleposhtoad (smoggyfogbottom on ao3)
"it's gonna get me by the end of the night"
A year after the attack on the Urzikstan embassy, Stacy Davidson struggles to move on. Whumptober Prompt: No. 23: “It’s gonna get me by the end of the night.” Shadows | Stalking | “Who’s there?” Note: I picked Gaz x OC because this ship doesn't exist on ao3, and I wasn't sure how to classify it for searching purposes. Stacy has a minor role in the game!
oh bury me not on the lone prairie
You are a doctor on the frontier, recently widowed and left to fend for yourself. You cope by keeping a strict routine, one that is threatened by the arrival of four strangers one hazy summer night. (141 western AU)
a handsome stranger on a cold autumn day
You work at a small-town library doing the same thing day in and day out, until a handsome captain approaches your desk.
rounding out this list is @lunarvicar who is on hiatus but still fully worth reading. (you can find them here on ao3)
exit row
ghost is that hot guy at the airport you wish you could talk to. good thing your seats are next to each other on the plane and you can fantasize alllll you want. (or, you hook up with Ghost in an airport and meet, months later, after you join the 141. he is not happy about it. or is he?)
to the flame
Moth has barely escaped her first captors, but tumbles headfirst into the care of the 141. She has to decide whether to trust them and their prickly leader, Captain Price - who also happens to be the sexiest motherfucker she's ever met.
a stranger at the table
tudor era AU. John Price is an old friend of your new husband's, come to help on the farm for a season. Your vows are tested in ways you could never have imagined.
All of these I've listed are multichapter fics, but every single author's one-shots are just as good. I highly recommend reading those too!
Now I'm just going to list a few writers who you really should just take the time to go through their masterlists, because you can't go wrong with anything they write.
@yeyinde
@peachesofteal
@moondirti
@charliemwrites (dark fiction, be aware)
@ohbo-ohno (also dark fiction)
honorary mention of @guyfieriii who has removed most of her cod fiction from tumblr due to a frankly disgusting amount of harassment, but I'm sure if you ask her very very nicely she'll send you where you need to go. (seriously. be nice. or you'll see me in your bedroom holding a knife at midnight)
P.S. if you're reading this, and i've expressed love for your work in the past, but you are not on this list, it is NOT intentional exclusion. It is my absolutely horrible memory. I love you and please link your own work if you'd like!
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thequietkid-moonie · 3 months
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Their child experience their first crush
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[ HEADCANONS ] [ Reaper & Aguri, Umi & Kousuke, Adam & Eve, Loid & Yor, Usagi & Mamoru ]
[ Assassination Classroom ] [ Gakuen Babysitters ] [ Shuumatsu no Valkyrie ] [ Spy x Family ] [ Sailor Moon ]
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What a cute prompt!!! I loved writing it!! Enjoyed a lot writing ever single word!!
I grew curious and ask my mother how she deal with this and even when my sister and I are so diferent the experience wasn't that diferent! Honestly was so interesting to heard her opinion!
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Reaper & Aguri
Reaper and Aguri are really loving parents, both of them want to show all their love and support and actually are a really close family, they balance each other, while Agury want to be clingy and totally affectionate, even babying you a little, Reaper takes a role to be a little stric and a good mentor in life
Both want to share a lot of moments, and, as much as they want to keep you as their baby both are well aware that you have to grow and do your own life, and even when they are looking forward to see you grow, you experiencing your first love will definetly hit them hard
Both are really smart, while Aguri may notice the hints because she is a teacher and has a little sister, Reaper is extremely observant and knows a lot about human behavior, but both will have really diferent reactions, while Aguri is incredibly happy and excited, wanting to show you all her support and want to know all the details, Reaper isn't happy at all! Not that he is mad at you, of course, is something completely normal and he had tell himself that he would happy when you find someone to love (just as he had done with Aguri), but the truth is that the moment he notices it all his maturity and role as a good father is throw away from the window, he only wants his little baby back
Reaper will be the kind of father that feels like your lover is trying to steal you away form him but at the same time he feels incredibly happy for seeing you so happy, is so contradictory that is giving him headache. However, he is smart enough to know that it isn't right for him to act from those feelings, he just puts a smile and acts as if it doesn't bother him all while Aguri is asking you for all the details
Even if you prefer to don't say anything about it there is no way to hide it because both will find out and both want to know about your crush! And at some point Kaede will get to know too and she will be the one to came and give you some peace, stoping Aguri and Reaper from asking (if they were being pushy, but if you were willing to share the information she will be there to heard you too)
All of them will make a big deal out of it, Aguri is incredibly happy for her baby and is wishing you the best (while giving you some weird advices about romance), Reaper says that is alright but deep down he is trying to judge the person you like to see if they are worthy of being your partner (don't be surprised if he comes to pick you up from school more often), Kaede acts as if this is one of the greatest events, as determinated as her more important works, and be the one who gave you an actual useful advice
It could be embarrasing and a complete mess, specially because is the first time you develop a crush in someone, but at the end they only want the best for you
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Umi & Kousuke
Umi and Kousuke Mamizuka are really loving and supporting parents, they may be busy most of the time but they always try to be there for you (specially in hard times, they are always there), the Mamizuka family is really close and loving
Umi is a teacher, she knows to identify when you need her and when you need time for yourself, so is more than obvious that she'll know when her precious child develop a crush for someone for the first time, she sees it all the time on school, and she couldn't be happier to see her baby grow up!
Choosing to tell them or not is up to you, but Umi soon or later will start to ask you about it, even if you decide to don't say anything she will start to ask indirectly, a little teasing honestly. Changes of your behavior like being more distracted or noticibly more happy or even blushy by school will be noticed by Takuma and Kazuma (they are rather clingy and affectionate with you, so if they will notice even if they don't understand it) and they will also start pointing it out and asking you with their innocent but cheerful expressions (Umi will just laugh at it, specially if you try to come up with a excuse)
Kousuke will be the last one to know because he is always busy, and is more likely that he will know by the others, even if you wanted to tell him is more likely that Umi will tell him that their precious child is in love once she is sure about it, and Kousuke will make a really big deal out of it! It isn't that he is overprotective, but he will be in tears while talking about how his precious little baby is growing so fast and soon you'll probably just go away and make your life (even if that is far from happening yet), honestly he is being a little over dramatic, acting as if you were about to get married soon
It could be embarrasing his behavior because even if you talk about it directly he may or may not try to sneak to see who is the one trying to steal his baby, and will end up envolving Takuma and Kazuma too because he wasn't able to shut up and end up telling them that you love someone, he end up explaining as if you were already in a relationship with that person, what will lead the twins to ask you if you are really in love, and if you go to the same school (that is probably, since Umi works there) they will sneak out of the nursery if they have the opportunity (or just see you around) and start asking you about your lover, what will lead the other kids to ask too (and Usaida will be teasing you, not even try to save you from the embarrasment)
If they actually make you pass an embarrassing moment or just upsed you they will deeply apologize (Kousuke wil be dramatic as always), at the end is Umi who will make everyone calm down and just wish you luck with your first love, willing to give you advice but telling you that you shouldn't feel frustrated if things doesn't work, just enjoy it! (and at the end, Kousuke, Takuma and Kazuma will show their support too, but they won't be as calm as Umi)
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Adam & Eve
Adam and Even loves their family dearly, they want to protect their kids but loves them in their freedom, both want for their precious childs to discover the world from themselfs but are always close to whenever they need them, honestly the entire family develop a really wholesome enviroment, united but still free
Honestly, the fact that you are experiencing your first love can easily go unnoticed for a while if you don't say anything, Adam and Even will notice the little changes on your behavior (like being flustered, more shy or even excited to be somewhere) but won't say anything, or at least not to you, they will talk about it and will be Adam who suggest to let you be for now and wait until you feel ready to talk about it, in the mean time they will just keep an eye on you in case is something bad
Soon or later Cain and Abel will notice the little changes too, but they won't be as discreet as their parents, asking you right away about it or probably at your parents, at first they will try to push you to talk about it in a joking manner, and maybe even teasing you about you probably having a crush on someone, it would depend on your reactions, but at the end they will get the answer they wanted and they won't be too happy about it
Is a big contrast because while Adam and Even are taking the news more calmly and just trying to calm your brothers, is Cain and Abel who are taking the news more dramatically, no matter if you are older or younger than them, even if you were the middle child they had grew quite atached at you, they consider you not only as a sibling but also as a best friend, it always had been only the three of you against the world and suddenly some stranger wants to take you away from them! (thats actually not true, is just them being overdramatic)
Adam and Eve will try to calm them down and stop them from making a scene by assuring them that all of you will always be a family no matter what happen, but what Cain and Abel said will end up bugging Eve a little, later she will try to talk about it with Adam, what if that person really tries to take you away form all of you
At the end Adam and Even will want to talk to you about it, wanting to know how the person you like is (and who is, if you are willing to tell them), they want to respect your privacy but they are also eager to know (you still are their baby after all), and even if they don't say it both want to make sure the person you like is someone good for you
Eve and Adam will try to give you advices about love and relasionships, about how it has to be give and recive equally, their advices are actually really good, Cain and Abel will promise to be some kind of bodyguards, promising to don't let that stranger breakeyou precious heart
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Loid & Yor
Even when the Forget seem like the perfect family is because Loid and Yor always tries their best to play as a family, and Anya helps a lot too to keep the family enviroment!
Even when both are always looking after the family is Loid the more self-aware of everything that happens with his family (or at least tries to, he just want to ensure the peace for all of you), so it won't take him much time to notice the little hints on your behavior that you had just developed a crush on someone, he may don't want to asume it is a crush right away because he is pretty much cluesest when it comes to it (or at least with more real and deep relasionships) or even nervously in denial, but as time pass the more obvious it becomes for him and he almost panics
As much as Loid wants to repeat himself that all of this is just for his mision is undeniable how much he cares for his family, he wants to ensure your peace and happiness and you having a crush in someone is something he can't control and that makes him nervous! It triggers a little bit his protective side
There is no way Anya will not know, it would be a little confusing for her since now your mind is plagged with thoughts of someone and nervousness, still it doesn't take her much time to undestand it and, honestly, she'll find this funny only because of the reaction of your parents, she isn't interested on any kind of romance right now but she cares for you and wants to support you (even when she doesn't know how to do it or how important this may be to you)
If you don't say anything it would take Yor a long time to realice it, and she is so naive at times that she may just asume that you are being bullied at school, what lead her to be worry about you, leaving her to choose between ask you right away or try to find out who is bothering you
At some point Yor will also tell Loid that you are being bullied, what will lead him to explain that you just have your first crush (a little awkward since he isn't used to things feel so personal), both will be awkward and nervous about it the whole thing, wanting to protect you and support you but not knowing how to do it, and if you decide to don't say anything about it it would make things even more difficult to them, leading them to try to make weird plans to get information about who is your crush and to see if is someone worthy. In the other hand, if you do say them they'll try to show your support and give some advices, Loid's advaces are the most useful only because he know all of that for his job, but deep down he is being extremely careful with what he says, wanting nothing but to ensure your safety
Honestly, Anya could be of a lot of help here, innocently trying to bring the topic somehow if you or your parents decide to don't say anything (because is had started to stress her a little)
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Usagi & Mamoru
Usagi and Mamoru tried to be good parents and be always there for you, but if they already lead Crystal Tokyo it would be a little more difficult for them to be always there, however they always tries their hardest to at least let you know they are there for you, as well the Sailor Scouts are always there for you and treat you as family
All of them are really caring and try to look after you and Chibi Usagi, so there are high chances that when you develop a crush for the first time you went to at least one of them for advice, or even for help to try to undestand your feelings, and even if you decide to don't to tell them anything at some point at least one of them will notice your strange behavior (probably Minako, Makoto or even Usagi)
It isn't that they want to embarrased you or anything but once one of them get to know then you having your first crush it quickly become the biggest ghossip among the sailor scouts, if one of the sailor scouts know first they will talk about it a lot before even telling Usagi, but if is Usagi or Mamoru who get to know first then Usagi will be ranting about it, between wanting to tease you and ask you all the details and crying because her little baby had grow so fast! In the mean time Mamoru is trying to calm her down, but he also think that it would be good to talk about it with you
All of the sailor scouts are debating about it, trying to come up with a plan with how to help you, well, half of them don't think is the best idea to intervene if you haven't asked for help
Soon or later Usagi, Makoto and Minako start trying to ask you about it with little discretion, they are usually protective and watch over you but now they are a little more clingly just in hopes to see who your crush is (and try to get a glance of how you act with them), at the end is Mamoru and the other senshi who are more respectful and does support you and give you advice in a more mature way, wishing you the best
As well, you'll have Chibi Usagi's support, no matter if you are older or younger is probably that she grows attached to you since in Crystal Tokyo she used to be more lonely, so, if you don't mind, she will grow a little clingy with you (just like she is with Plut), she will be bothered if you decided to don't tell her and gets to know because of the other sailor scouts, but at the end she will be the first one asking you about it, she will be really interested and will tell you her own veredict about your crush, telling you if is a good or bad person for you (she is being a little prideful and playful, but at the end she wants the best for you)
However, no matter if they all are pretty cheerful about this whole situation everyone wants the best for you and will cheerish for you, actually giving you some useful advices, however there are also high chances that they will end up embarrasing you by trying to help (hopefuly not in front of your crush), also, some of them will try to watch carefuly your crush to make sure they don't want to take advantage of you because of your title
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intplayboy · 1 year
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TOUCH - MAFIA! BTS OT7 X F! READER [ THREE ]
if you want to be part of the tag list, complete the form.
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summary: jin, with the assistance of 007 (you), performs a quick operation on the maknae as a result of his injury. jungkook tries to thank you, while jin spends some time to learn more about you better. yoongi gets frustrated with his members and takes it out on you.
pairings: mafia bts ot7 x experimented human female reader
genre: mafia au | moderate? angst | romance | sci-fi | action | fluff
warnings: implied drugging, mentions torture (no gore tho), medical extraction, gunshot wound, blood, violence, swearing. more fluff in this chapter! but also unfortunately yoongi being more of an asshole a little bit.
word count: 12,722 *prewritten & new chap but written longer, as an apology for the lateness :')*
also sorry i didn't post on the last two fridays, i had family from the philippines and then new year plans. anyways, better later than never, am i right? heheh... enjoy <3
ps. the second half of this isn't proofread 😭
masterpost | two | four
tag list: @juju-227592, @drunkzseok, @yourgirlcin, @babybunli, @xanny91, @bibetsa, @borahae-reads, @lalavione1309, @luvsbngtn, @tetehearts, @singukieee, @serendididy, @quixoticbittersweet, @iriaachan, @jksisbunntboy, @missseoulite, @xjiminsthighsx, @just-vaaalll, @chim-possible, @passionandsuga, @deadrose287, @kalala22, @bangtanxberm, @scuzmunkie, @sunoosult, @germ2001, @lovelgirl22, @thvkives, @kourtney-fairy-blog, @linlinlily, @getinthetardissammy-sh, @prakriti-j, @paramedicnerd004, @cuteipat, @iamkookiesforyou, @queen-in-the-shadows, @shadowyjellyfishfest, @fakedanger, @reallysparklychaos, @ghostlyworld, @whipwhoops, @knjsbae, @peebsvic, @bfxnmcgjc, @ghostkat23, @mpc1324, @yoongissmalltoe, @prettyling, @luna-astro, @hannahdinse8, @twentyninetyseven, @cryingpages, @ut-dixisti (the tags that are strikethrough could not be tagged)
copyright © 2022 by kumiko. all rights reserved. my works or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without express written permission from me except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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The maknae lies on his bed, as the others surround him with worried expressions. Their butler and Jin tend to him. "How's he hyung?"
"He didn't lose too much blood since the bullet is lodged in him. But we'll have to extract it or else it'll become infected and he won't heal properly." Jin explained.
The eldest brother casts a glance at his younger brother's pale face. "Jungkook, the bullet is stuck; we'll have to get it out. And it will hurt... a lot."
He blinks open his eyes, faintly nodding. "O-okay."
Hoseok enters the room with a metal cart and approaches Jin and Sun-woo from behind. "I brought the tools."
"Thanks."
Then a tiny figure emerged from the doorway. "I heard, hurt bad."
All eight pairs of eyes turned to gaze at you, but you avoided eye contact. "I want to help him."
"C-can I help him?" You asked softly.
Jin redirects his attention to Jungkook, who meets his stare and nods. "L-let her."
"Okay, come here. " Jin directs you, prompting you to move your feet toward the three men. "Get on the bed on the opposite side of him."
You climb onto the bed and sit next to the injured boy. You chew on your lip as you look at him, the sense of his injury being much stronger to you.
Jin then pressed the silvery blade against Jungkook's wound and gently slid it across, while you wrap your hands around Jungkook, and your eyes and the veins on your hands begin to illuminate purple.
When Sun-woo turns around to deliver Jin the next tool, his attention is drawn to you and your glowing appearance, causing him to yelp and drop the tool in surprise. "Oh goodness! That startled me."
"Yeah, that'll be with us for god knows how long, so get used to it." Yoongi scowls and Sun-woo nods slowly.
As Jin drags the blade against Jungkook, the younger groans and stiffens in pain, but thanks to your abilities, Jungkook gradually relaxes and falls quiet.
Jin continues to cut him open until eventually lifting the blade, causing you to let out a short, relieved gasp.
Jin sneaks a glimpse at you before checking on his injured dongsaeng. "How do you feel Kookie?"
"I-I'm fine. It doesn't hurt anymore, I don't feel anything. You can continue." He affirms.
"Okay, well, the bleeding is stable, and I will now extract the bullet, alright?" Jin makes an announcement, to which Jungkook nods.
Jin extended his other free hand behind him, signaling their butler to give out the next tool, a forceps. He quickly adjusted the metal tool in his hand and hovered it over the bullet wound once he could feel it in his hand.
He looks into the wound again, properly locating the bullet before inserting the tool into the open wound. He fishes for the bullet steadily but effectively, and once he clamps on to it, he expertly wiggles it upwards to remove it.
The soft audible whimpers coming from your petite form, however, do not go unnoticed by Jin and Jungkook, undoubtedly because they are the closest to you.
Still, Jin focused on extracting the bullet diligently, and once it emerges from the open wound, he instantly places it in the surgical metal basin beside him.
"All done." He begins removing his bloody gloves. "You can heal him now."
You flash Jin a brief glance before gently placing both of your hands above the wound. And, once again, not only do the veins on your hands glow but so do the veins around Jungkook's wound.
Meanwhile, Sun-woo marvels as you miraculously heal his youngest boss. "Amazing..."
You quickly retracted your hands while looking at Jungkook after the wound healed. "A-are you okay?"
The corners of the maknae's lips curved up slightly, keeping his gaze fixed on you. "Yes, thanks."
For what seemed like hours in their eyes, a sudden loud sigh interrupts their trance. "How come you didn't say anything, Jungkook?"
The addressed man swiveled his head, his eyes settled on his concerned leader. "I didn't want to worry you guys, and I figured I could treat it myself."
"If only the bullet wasn't stuck in there." He mutters quietly, but the oldest manages to hear him.
"You really think you could properly treat that wound yourself, are you crazy?" Jin exclaimed.
He puts his hands up defensively. "Okay! Okay, I'm sorry, I will make sure to tell you guys next time. Happy?"
While the boys cleaned up, you returned to your room as told and awaited further instructions.
Your head sprang up when you heard a knock at the door a little while later. You watch as a figure enters the room; it was the same broad-shouldered man who had tended to their youngest member and politely conversed with you the day before.
As he approaches you, he gives a faint smile. "Hi, I just wanted to come in here and thank you for helping Jungkook."
"Y-you welcome." You answer with your small voice.
He chuckles softly when the memory of your whimpering came to him. "By the way, I meant to ask you, why were you whimpering earlier?"
You give him a quizzical look, urging Jin to continue with his explanation. "You were making these sounds with your mouth while taking Jungkook's pain and healing him. It sounded like whimpering."
You pause for a few seconds. "Oh, y-your pain—" As you try to explain, you motion to him and then to yourself. "My pain."
The lens spectacle-wearing man scrunches his brows. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"I thought you already feel when someone is—" A voice disrupted him before he could complete his sentence. "Hyung! Are you making dinner tonight?"
Jin lets out an exasperated groan. "Of course!"
He sighed heavily, knowing he'd have to put that subject of discussion on hold for the time being. He then returns his attention to you."I know you've been cooped up in this boring room for hours, so would you like to join me in making dinner for everyone?"
"Y-you asking me?"
He nods. "Yeah, it'll be fun... I think?"
"Fun? What's fun?" You sway your head.
He rubs the back of his head, he did not expect that. "It's like— something you find enjoyable, yes. Something you'll like doing."
"Do you understand?"
"Enjoyable... Oh! Enjoyable, yes." You grin with your lips, exposing your adorable bread cheeks and deep dimples akin to Namjoon's.
That's cute. Wait what? What are you saying Jin? "Well, then, shall we go down?"
He offers his hand to you, which you immediately wrap your own around. He takes your hand in his and gently tugs you out of your bedroom.
When the two of you eventually made it into the kitchen, Jin automatically headed to where the apron with the white and blue stripes hung on a cabinet door. You, on the other hand, stayed still as the expert hacker moved about the kitchen retrieving all of the ingredients.
He didn't see you still awkwardly standing in the center of the kitchen until all the veggies and spices were spread out on the large island table. "O-oh sorry, I didn't realize..."
"I plan to make japchae and kimchi quesadillas. You can help by pouring all these contents for the quesadillas into the bowl like this." He demonstrates with empty dishes, making sure you pay attention. "Then mix it with the ground beef— Does this look easy enough?"
You hum and position yourself in front of the contents you were presented with. Jin attentively monitors you for a moment, ensuring you perform your job correctly. When he's satisfied, he turns around and starts chopping the veggies for the japchae.
He skillfully cuts and slices all of the peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and carrot. The same small voice rang out just as he was about to put a pot on the burner. "I-I finished."
He turns his head, and he finds the sight amusing. Splattered stains on his dongsaeng's sweatshirt and your hands drenched in the mixed spices and oil from the sauce that drips down your arms, staining the cuffs of her sleeves.
He chuckles lightly at your disarray. "Ah you're so clueless, but you're a cute kind of clueless."
As he approaches you with a smile, you pucker your lips in bewilderment. "Let me help you here."
He pulls a clean rag from the oven handle and drags her hands towards him. You squeak quietly at his abrupt actions, remembering Yoongi cleaning the food crumbs off your hands before. So you let him do what he did.
He adds as Jin keeps wiping your hands. "You should've rolled up your sleeves before mixing the ingredients together."
"It's okay, you didn't even know. Next time." He finally finishes drying your hands and lifts his eyes to meet your innocent, questioning gaze.
They exchanged stares for who knows how long until Jin noticed a smear of soy sauce on your cheek. His eyes narrowed on the spot, and his hand moved to your cheek without thinking as he came closer to your face. "You have something on your cheek."
You remained still, the close proximity quickening your heartbeat. Were you feeling fear, like your had with the angry man on the road? No. Then what was so different about how you felt when Jin is just inches from your face? That, you did not entirely understand.
This feeling of a new sort of pulse beating, the people, and even the environment itself were all foreign to you. Being outside the concrete walls that had imprisoned you had been a dream in the past, but it was now your new reality. You were finally experiencing it. Perhaps in an extremely bizarre way, as most people would put it, but anything had to be better than looking at those concrete walls and feeling trapped by your own father, right?
Jin came to a stop so near to your face that you could feel his breath tickling your nose. With his fingers hovering over your cheek, he wiped the sauce off your smooth skin with his thumb.
As he withdraws, a smirk appears on his face. "There you go, all done."
"Your hands could be sticky as well, so go wash your hands and we'll continue from here." You nod once again and do what you’re directed.
And for the remainder of the cooking time, you lingered behind Jin, a curious expression on your face, watching him work earnestly.
Jin eventually finishes their food after only an hour and a half. "Ya! I need one of you to help me in bringing out the food!"
Several footsteps can be heard before one individual enters from the kitchen entryway. "I'll help you hyung."
Jungkook walks over to the large island table and carries the other dish that his hyung had cooked. The meal is brought to their dining table by the two men. "Hey, erm, 007...?"
You glance up at Jin when you hear your name and wait for him to continue. "Could you please bring some plates and chopsticks?"
"Okay." You squeaked.
You looked inside the cupboards Jin had been rummaging through while cooking, searching for those white ceramic round circle plates. As you scanned the cupboard, you spotted the stacked plates. You stretched, nearly reaching for the plates with her fingertips.
As you ostensibly struggles to get the plates yourself, she huffs. After a prolonged strain, you felt your fingertips slightly contact the ceramics and instinctively sought to lean to get a proper grip. You were so focused on retrieving those dishes that you didn't notice the tall figure who walked back into the kitchen. "Ya, what are you doing?"
You flinch at his unexpected presence, startling you, and the plate you barely clutched slips from your loosened hands and smashes on the floor with a loud clatter. You released a small gasp, clearly alarmed by the abrupt predicament.
The said person scrambles forward instantly. "Ya, are you okay?!"
And as soon as you saw him, you identified the familiar face of the man you met in the alleyway who protected you without hesitation. "That was so sudden, I'm sorry."
He says tearing you out of you short daze, gazing at him a little stunned. "It's okay, it's my fault, I clean."
You then lowered your eyes, eventually frowning at the mess you had created. You crouched above the shattered fragments of the once-round porcelain dish without thinking. Upon seeing this, Jungkook scurried to your aid, shaking his head. "No- It's alright. I came up behind you without warning."
"I'll clean it up, you'll only hurt yourself—" The sound of glass thudding and a small yelp alerted him, and he noticed blood seeping out of your palm. "See, I told you. Let me do it."
"Let's wrap this up first." He grabs you injured hand, but you pull it back, shaking your head.
"I heal, remember?" Your eyes then turned purple, and the cut on your palm gradually closed, reverting your hand to normal.
Jungkook watches you as you heal yourself in front of him. That's right, I suppose that'll be the new normal now that she's here. Still, he will always remain awestruck by your abilities, although he doesn't look like he is. "Well, even if you can self-heal, that doesn't mean you put yourself in harm's way all the time."
"Let's get you off the floor for now." He wraps his arms around your slender frame and effortlessly scoops you up, eliciting a subtle squeal of surprise from you.
He then places you on the long island table and sweeps the broken ceramic off the floor. When he's finished, he approaches you again. "You know, there's no shame in asking for help. Especially if it keeps you away from harm's way."
You nod slowly, and Jungkook smirks. "Normally, I wouldn't be so courteous to a stranger I'd only met two days before. But you're different, which I like."
"You also helped me, so I guess my behavior right now is a way of expressing thank you for me." He explains himself sheepishly.
Why was he explaining so sheepishly? It wasn't like he was attempting to declare his love to his crush or ask a girl to a school dance. So why does the cute clueless stranger he encountered on the road who can magically heal people make him feel that way when he speaks to her? It seems like such a complicated question to answer.
When you returned his stare, you both fell quiet, unsure what to say next. After what seemed like many minutes of silence, Jungkook couldn't stand it any longer and cleared his throat. "I'll just grab the plates and you can grab the chopsticks."
"Does that sound good?"
You nod and look down from the counter as if you’re uncertain how you’ll get down from there. This does not go missed by him, and he almost laughs at the sight of your innocent concentrated face trying to figure out how to get off.
Without warning, he puts his hands around your waist, lifts you, and lowers you to the floor. "There you go."
"Let's join the rest for dinner, I'm sure we had them waiting quite long enough."
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For the following days, Namjoon summoned the gang for another brief meeting, this time to discuss future plans regarding the allegedly stolen medical equipment and the gang that was transporting it. Everyone agreed that it was necessary to begin investigating the truth behind the smuggling business that had been operating under their noses for nearly two decades.
So, since then, some members have kept holed up in the house, going through recent and archived files and phoning contacts, while others have gone in and out meeting other different 'acquaintances' who prefer the traditional way of discreet information dissemination. However, as the days turned into weeks, the group failed to find even a single lead. File after file, contact after contact, it seems that the so-called "smuggling firm" didn't exist.
No one had the slightest knowledge about it not even the whereabouts of that unidentified gang. And this increased Bangtan's suspicions. They all inherently congregated in the living room at the end of the day and sat drained along the couches.
Yoongi rubs his eyes, almost laughing. "This is like chasing after a ghost."
"What are we even doing?"
"Whoever put in this much effort to keep this thing running in such secrecy for so long must be in a higher status. So the real question is, what are they doing with all of these packages of supplies that would force them to conceal it so desperately?" Jin's brows furrows.
Jungkook cocks his brow while staring down. "Something illegal— extremely illegal."
"But we do illegal shit almost everyday." Taehyung responds bluntly.
The others threw him a deadpan expression. "What? It's true!"
Namjoon sighs. "But, Jungkook and Jin are right." He thinks for a moment. "Jin, do you think you could analyze the supplies within the cargo? Maybe we can start speculating from there once we understand exactly what's in there."
The eldest nods. "Yeah, I can do that. But as I said before with the whole military mainframe hacking, this will also take time."
"And, as I have mentioned, it's fine; what matters is that we get to the bottom of this."
"Should we ask our wonderful guest again?" Jimin advises as he cracks his knuckles.
Taehyung sighs. "That little shit refuses to speak. We've gone at him for hours on end."
"And at this point, he's pissed me."
Yoongi scoffs. "Maybe you need to try a different tactic—"
"What kind of tactic?" Taehyung huffs.
"The Oranyan tactic." He replies.
Jimin rolls his eyes. "Yeah, sure, good luck trying to get something out of him."
"Watch me." He flashes a sly grin.
With that, Yoongi heads to the basement himself, walking into the dim gray room. There, the surviving member of the cargo delivery they interfered in is now bound to a chair, blood trickling down his nose and purple bruising on his right eye and cheekbones. His head hangs as he was rendered unconscious by the constant pain from yesterday afternoon.
Yoongi approaches the poor man, kicking his foot, awakening him. "Ya, wake up dipshit."
The man groans, groggily lifting his head up. His swollen eyes fluttered open, finally landing on the master manipulator himself. He visibly gulps, this doesn't go missed by Yoongi, making him smirk cockily.
"Good, you already know who I am. No introductions needed, I like that." He tilts his head teasingly.
"Jesus fuck- how many there are of you guys?"
"Enough." Yoongi states bluntly.
"W-what do you want? Your friends already talked to me, and I ain't telling you shit."
Oranyan chuckles humorlessly. "Well good news for you, I don't need you to be talking for while—" The man's face twitches, making him continue. "Bad news, you're going to wish you had."
Two hours later...
The beaten man is no longer restricted to the chair but is suspended from the ceiling by his wrists. Yoongi's knuckles are red from the repeated strikes, but his patience is wearing thin. That's it, he tried to be kind.
He then opens a metal drawer and pulls out a syringe. He moves back up to the man, noticing his wary eye on the needle he's holding. "Oh, you must be wondering what this is?"
"Have you heard of opioids? The drug that supposes to relieve pain... Well, with the proper hazardous amount of an extra component, like fluoroquinolone, it will have the complete opposite effect."
"What does that mean for you? This means that the pain will intensify ten times worse than the minor pain you think you can handle. And well—" His lip rolls up. "You better hope your pain tolerance is immeasurable."
Yoongi had fulfilled his goal, the terror had settled in his eyes, and he was only going to touch the tip of the iceberg for the man. This satisfies him and simply pushes him to inject the drug, forcing the unfortunate man to scream. "NO! No, please!"
Yoongi removes the syringe and replaces it in the drawer. The tormented gang member cries out and squirms in his confinement. "Don't do this please!"
The second-oldest bangtan member ignores his screams by grabbing an empty bucket, placing it in a sink, and filling it with water. When the bucket is roughly one-third full, he takes it out and returns to his subject, drenching him with water.
"What are you doing?!"
Yoongi snaps his eyes up at him. "Can't a man have his fun?"
He then takes another gadget from the metal drawer. "Did I not warn you? Now you're pleading with me to stop, and I haven't even begun."
"Let me ask you a question. Do you want me to stop?"
He reluctantly nods. "Then tell me who that shipment was for."
Silence.
"All right, you asked for it." He sighs. The electric buzzing sounds as he switches on the gadget, and he immediately pins it on the lowly gang member, causing him to scream in agony. Thank goodness for Jungkook's idea to soundproof the room.
He lowers the electric device, allowing the man to breathe deeply... "Gonna talk now?"
He simply shakes his head, causing Yoongi to sigh in disappointment, before repeating his actions.
An hour later...
Shit, he looks like he might... No, he won't, he still needs to give some information. Yoongi groans, knowing what he needs to do now, but dreads it.
But he has to do it for the sake of his family. "You're lucky, you get a break. Because I'm not done with you yet."
As a response, he receives a pained moan, which causes his eyes to roll. He finally departs the basement, passing by the living room, where Hoseok and the maknae line were sitting with instant ramen bowls in their hands.
Jimin pauses in his chewing, making eye contact with his hyung. "So, did he talk?"
Jungkook giggles, attracting Yoongi's attention. "Something funny, Jeon?"
"No, no— uh, nothing." He coughs, continuing eating his noodles.
"Well, why are you here if you're getting close?" Jimin inquired.
"Because that fucker has a low toleration, he looks like his heart is ready to quit beating if I keep going."
Hoseok's pupils dilated. "What, why? What have you been doing?"
"Didn't you hear him earlier, he say his 'oranyan tactics'?" Taehyung nudges him.
"Seriously, Yoongi what did you do?"
"I might've given him the drug." He answers haphazardly.
All four of their faces drops. "You what?!"
"But Jin hyung said-"
"I know what Jin said. But it was the only thing that triggered that prick, okay? And if it works, it works, and I will continue to do so." He cuts off Hoseok. "Now tell me where that weird chick is."
"Where she's always been... Her room." Taehyung sighs.
Yoongi left the living room and proceeded to your room without saying any more.
Before leaving your room, Jimin and Jungkook assisted in keeping you entertained by setting up your television. You were so engrossed by the moving images and characters on the TV that you hadn't noticed Yoongi enter your room after two knocks that you ignored.
He came to a stop when he saw you were too absorbed in a... children's cartoon? His brow furrows at the scene, and he clears his throat loudly, capturing your attention.
Your head swings around at him, little startled by his presence. Your doe eyes reciprocate his gaze. When your eyes connect, he can't help but look away, trying to hide the sudden warmth that has crept up on his cheeks. "H-hey."
You cock your head. "Hi..."
"I need uh- I need you to do something for me." He starts. "There is someone here who is being questioned by me. But it looks like he might pass out from all blows he got."
"I also don't want to risk him dying before I have any information from him."
You keep staring at him, urging him to continue. "What I'm trying to say is, you need to heal this guy, or whatever."
At his remarks, your brows raise. "Okay."
"He hurt really bad?"
"I guess?" He shrugs.
You then hop off the bed and stand on your own two feet. "I will heal then."
Yoongi nods, mildly stunned by your instant obedience. "G-good, follow me."
He then walks you out of your room and down the stairs, passing through the living room, where the three youngest and Hoseok still stay. "Hey cutie~! Whatcha doing out?"
Taehyung greets you with the same boxy smile he had the first time you two met.
"Following him..." While glancing at Taehyung, you point at Yoongi. "He said someone hurt really bad, so I heal."
"Oh..." His lips curled slightly downward as he turned to look at his hyung.
"You're seriously going to bring her down there?"
"Yeah, so?" The latter replies dismissively.
"Hey, this is your problem, don't drag her into this. It's your fault for using that drug on him. I'm guessing you gave him more than the proper dose." Hoseok quickly intervenes.
Yoongi huffs. "Would you all stop ganging up on me. I'm trying all I can to acquire some sort of lead and help us all."
"May I remind you all that we've been running in circles with these detective games for weeks and haven't gotten far."
Hoseok's shoulders slump, Yoongi isn't wrong. If they had any suspicions about anybody or anything, they could usually track down the person's whereabouts, associates, background, and whole past in a matter of days. But not this time; the pending investigation has been prolonged for far too long already, and it's quite eerie for them to go this far without knowing who or what is involved in this whole quandary.
"Well, just know that if Jin finds the extent of your 'interrogation,' you will bear the consequences." Jungkook breaks the tension.
One thing about Jungkook is that, despite being the youngest, the maknae of the gang, he can be pretty mature and frequently plays the part of the elder one or even the group leader when the circumstance calls for it. Perhaps it is because he tries his best to be the most level-headed member of the gang whenever there is a problem amongst the members, and the others are tremendously thankful to him for it, either indirectly or directly.
"I understand." He cuts the talk short, then turns to you, who is already staring at him, oh so innocently... "L-let's go."
You nod and continue to follow him, silently, to the interrogation basement.
When you both enter the room, your sight is drawn to the battered form of the guy that hangs from the ceiling. When you return your gaze, Yoongi turns to face you. "He's hurt really bad."
"Yep."
"Heal him, so I can question him more."
You again merely nod as you walk up to the gang member. When you come near to him, he opens his eyes and fixes them on you. You meet his glance with a blank face. "Hello."
He grimaces at you. "What do you want, bitch."
"Bitch?" Your brow furrows in perplexity.
"Yeah, you stupid bitch." He says it again, leaving you even more perplexed. "Did you come here to do your little boyfriend's dirty work?"
"Me heal you." You innocently gesture to him.
He chuckles dryly, then spits in your face. "I ain't falling for your tricks."
You take a step back from him, flinching and closing your eyes at the fluid contact. Yoongi's laughter interrupts the silence, surprising the guy who had missed Yoongi's presence. Oh, how he wishes he had noticed.
"I think you're the stupid one here." Yoongi then approaches you and hands you a white handkerchief while causing you to gaze up at him while still having the man's spit on your face. "Wipe your face with this."
"I was actually generous enough to bring her here to relieve you of your misery. But it seems that you desire to do more." He looks across at the battered prisoner.
"I-I'm sorry, I t-take it back." He splutters.
Yoongi picks up the water-filled bucket once more. "No, no, not again."
He splashes him with water before grabbing the stun baton. "I advise you turn away, kitten if you can't handle this part."
You tilt your head in confusion as he pushes the stun baton on the gang member, eliciting another agonizing cry from him. As the wailing continues, you cringe, shielding your ears.
Yoongi takes away the baton. "Who was the cargo intended for?"
"I-I can't t-tell you. T-they'll kill m-me." The man replies.
Yoongi exhales exasperatedly. "You'll die anyways if you don't tell me who that cargo was for."
The man clamps his lips together, terrified, he looks at the second-oldest member of the bangtan mafia group. "I-I c-can't."
"Then I'll continue." He then applies the stun baton to the prisoner's abdominal region.
The shrieks lasted for a bit longer, till Yoongi removed it again as the man struggled to take deep breaths. Yoongi was about to push the gadget against him again when the gang member stopped him. "Wait, wait!"
"I-I can't tell you w-who the shipment was for, b-because I don't know who it is."
"How can you negotiate a cargo agreement with someone you don't even know?" Yoongi asks, judgingly. "Are you telling me you don't know who this man is?"
He shows the image that was contained in the evidence package from their anonymous tip a few weeks ago. "Isn't this your little gang meeting up with a man who runs a medical facility?"
"Y-yes, but that wasn't who that supplies were for."
"B-but I don't make the deals, s-so I wouldn't know—" He explains.
"You're the one who does the dirty work, I know." Yoongi sighs and sets the photo down after finishing his sentence.
"But if you don't make the deals, surely you know who does." Yoongi arches his brow in expectancy.
The guy nods, gulping. "I-I do..."
"Tell me now."
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Jin was on his way to find Yoongi and remind him that it was his turn to make dinner. He enters his dongsaeng's bedroom, only to be met by the void of his presence. He furrows his brows and begins searching for him throughout the mansion until he comes upon their vast gym room, which Jungkook is occupying.
He walks in, quickly drawing the maknae's attention. "Hey, hyung."
"Hey, Jungkook, I'm looking for Yoongi. It's his turn to prepare dinner. Do you know where he is?"
With the white rag in his hand, the younger pats his forehead. "Yeah, he's in the interrogation room."
Jin's brow furrows in surprise. "He's still there?" He glances at his silver wristwatch. "It's almost six, that means he's been in there for hours."
"Yeah, he claimed he was close to getting the guy to talk." He nods.
"Okay, thank you. Remember to wash up before you come for dinner." The elder pivots, about to return to the entrance.
"Yes mom." Jungkook rolls his eyes. "By the way, that girl is with Yoongi as well."
Jin comes to a halt before grabbing the door handle and turning to face him. "The girl? She's in the interrogation room with Yoongi?"
"Yeah, he said he needed her before the guy passed out on him." Jungkook answers without making eye contact as he resumes his workout on the bench.
Jin pauses for a moment. "Why would— Oh, my god, that little... I'll go, see you later, Kook."
The latter simply grunts in response, as Jin walked out of the gym to the basement interrogation room.
As he descends the stairs, he strains his ears to hear something, anything, despite knowing that the room had been soundproofed courtesy of Jungkook's big brain.
He approaches the door and swings it open. "Min Yoongi, what do you think you—"
Jin stop mid-sentence as he registered the scene in front of him. Yoongi is stuck, staring at you with uncertainty as to what to do about the state you're in.
Earlier, before Jin arrived, the gang member finally told Yoongi what he needed to know, and everything he did know. Yoongi then ordered you to heal him in order to torture him again as retribution for the man's delay in providing the information and send a message to that gang. One that tells them explicitly that Bangtan always gets what they want and that no one can or will stop them from achieving their objective; if they do so, they should count themselves unlucky.
Of course, he didn't tell you that. You knew and were trained not to question commands, only to obey them. So you complied with his demands, but both of you didn't anticipate how severe the healing process would be on you, until now.
Like the previous times, your veins from your fingers to your elbow glow purple and match the veins of the man you are holding as your hands are gently squeezing his sides.
The pain was first somewhat more than you could handle, but the more you lingered with the man, the worse it became. You did your best to prevent the cries and whimpers that threatened to spill from your mouth. No, you can't take your hands off him just yet; he's not completely healed, and his pain hasn't gone away, you thought.
Back at the facility where you escaped, if the healing procedure wasn't fully completed and the subject's pain wasn't properly drained out, you were met with consequences. Consequences that ensured you never made the same mistake twice. You want to take your hands off the man, but if you do, you could suffer the same repercussions as before, which you don't want more than anything.
You don't notice it at first, but as the pain transferring grows increasingly intense, your veins and eyes begin to shine brighter and your head rolls back. You whimper softly as you take more, not only feeling the scorching pain in your abdomen but also in your head. You're not sure what's going on, maybe because you've never reduced pain like this before, causing your senses to surge into overdrive.
Blood begins to seep from your nostrils as your face glows brightly and your head lolls back. And it wasn't until you let out an audible whine that Jin breaks out of his trance on you and rushes up to you.
He grabs your shoulders and jerks you away from the man, interfering with the healing process. And as soon as you lost contact, the agonizing sensation subsided, but the aftereffects almost immediately caused you to become limp in Jin's arms.
Jin drops to the floor with you, softly cradling you. He attempts to wake you, but you don't respond. "Ya! Wake up!"
The elder shifts his gaze from you to Yoongi. "What did you do, Oranyan?"
Yoongi meets his gaze. "I didn't do anything. All I asked her was to heal him."
"And from there, I don't know what was happening. I thought she was just healing him."
Jin's lips pinched as he returned his attention to you, his gaze drawn to the blood gushing down your nose. "I-I think it was too much for her."
"Too much?" Yoongi questions.
"After all, she is still a human being, just like me, you, and that punk over there." Jin replies. "Everyone has a limit, I know you know that, otherwise you wouldn't have asked her for help."
Yoongi turns away as Jin rises up and lifts you in bridal style. "I'll have one of the maknaes take care of whatever happened here."
"I came to tell you that you need to make dinner. And you'd best be prepared to explain everything later." He exits the interrogation room, leaving his dongsaeng behind.
Jin walks across the living room to the front entrance as he emerges from the basement. Their medical clinic is separate from their mansion, but still on their property, so they would have to walk a short distance to the modest housing unit.
On the way to the clinic, he comes across Namjoon, who is reading a book on one of the white benches on their magnificent front yard. Jin's footsteps on the gravel draw the leader's attention away from his book.
When he sees your unconscious body in the arms of his hyung, his brow furrows. He stands from the bench and walks over to you both. "What happened?"
Jin sighs. "I'm not sure, I found her with Yoongi in the interrogation room."
"I guess he needed her to heal the guy since he went too far again." He elaborates. "I think she passed out because it was too much for her."
When the three of you arrive at the clinic, Namjoon goes ahead and holds the door open for Jin. Jin lays you on the automatic medical fowler bed before scurrying into the clinic's supply room to retrieve some tools to help you.
"She's bleeding." Namjoon points out, as the other moves about.
"Oh really Namjoon, I hadn't realized that. Thanks for pointing it out." Jin reacts sarcastically.
Namjoon pouts. "Geez, I didn't notice it until now, okay."
Jin finally returns to you with the appropriate equipments. He needs to check sure you're still alive, so he attaches the fingertip pulse oximeter to your index finger and connects it to the machine.
The machine then detects your heartbeat, allowing the elder to exhale a relieved sigh. "Well, she's alive—"
"What are you doing?" Namjoon observes Jin as he drags a machine close to your head.
"I'm going to scan for her brain activity and see what's going on in that little head of hers when this happens." Jin answers. "I had some suspicion when she helped Jungkook."
"And that is?"
"I'll try to explain it simply, you know when she takes away the pain—" Namjoon nods, encouraging him to go on. "I believe she achieves this by transferring the pain we feel to herself, which means she will experience all of our pain at the moment."
Namjoon's pupils constrict. "That's… That's pretty sensible."
"But, we'll conduct a test to further confirm it." Jin tells him. "You asked me to do some research on the girl, so here it is."
"Shouldn't we first wake her up?" Namjoon inquires.
He shook his head. "No, at least not yet. I'd want to compare the results. Right now, her brain activity should be fairly stable, but we'll see."
Jin surrounds your head with the swoop portable mri scanner. He types on the machine's screen, and the machine whirrs away, leaving the two men waiting for the results of the scan.
It isn't long until the device completes the process and emits an electronic beep. Jin moves to the display computer beside them and types briefly on the keyboard before the scan results appear. Namjoon approaches him from behind, peering over his shoulder.
"What do the results indicate?" Namjoon asks, his eyes never leaving the screen.
"These yellow-red patches in her frontal and parietal lobes are likely the stress-related aftereffects of the physical pain she suffered." Jin explains.
"It's almost mostly red on her parietal lobe, is that worse?" Namjoon inquires.
The master hacker nods. "Yes, the parietal lobe is in charge of sensory perception, such as taste, hearing, sight, smell, and… touch."
"You're right, then…" The leader concludes.
Jin snorts. "I'm always right."
Namjoon rolls his eyes. "Whatever."
Suddenly, the two men hear fabric ruffling, signifying that you are waking up.
They pivot, seeing your eyelids flutter open with a scrunch between your brows. When you fully wake, your face softens into a muddled look. You sat up hastily, swiveling your head in the strange room until you noticed the two familiar men alongside you.
Your wide doe-like eyes lock onto them. "W-where am I?"
"You're in our clinic house." The lens-spectacle man responds.
"A c-clinic ho-use…?" You stutter.
"Yeah, it's like going to a doctor's office to be healed and whatnot." Namjoon simply explains for you. "
"Healed…?" You tilt your head. "But I heal me."
"Well, it's also a place to find out whether there's something wrong with you." Jin adds.
Your eyes widen with a trace of panic, which the two men pick up on, only raising more questions about you in their minds. "I-Is something wrong in me?"
The oldest member shakes his head. "I wouldn't say bad, we're just doing tests to see what you do."
They test you; you must do well, you reason, thus you almost instantly sat up straight. "What do I do?"
"Huh?" Jin lifts his brows.
"You said, test me…" You started making that cute gesture you make when you're trying to explain yourself. Wait, cute? What on earth are they thinking?
"So 0-0-7, do what you say."
"Oh well, it's not much. It's a quick thing." Jin begins, then pats Namjoon on the shoulder. "Namjoon here is going to hurt himself, and you're going to heal him again."
Namjoon looks at Jin. "Excuse me? Since when have I-"
"Since now. Now go hurt yourself with something." Jin smiles tightly.
"With what exactly?" He narrows his eyes at his hyung.
The latter merely shrugs. "I don't know. You're the clumsy one."
"Fuck you. I'm NOT that clumsy." The younger scowls.
Jin's brow furrows. "No… You're quite clumsy at times, it's ridiculous."
"Am not." Namjoon groans.
"Remind me who packed the wrong explosive on the helicopter?" The broad-shouldered man crosses his arms and stares expectantly at the other.
"Hey-! It's not my fault they look the same to me!" Namjoon accusingly points at him.
"And neither is it my fault, you were too over-confident."
"Look, if you're not going to hurt yourself, I will." Jin says.
"Oh, really? And how are you—ah!" When Jin jabs a scalpel into his hand and swiftly retracts it, the tactical genius yelps loudly.
"YA! Are you crazy?!" Namjoon exclaims with disbelief.
"I did strap a missile to a tiny helicopter in order to blow up a moving truck… So, perhaps a little?" He replies condescendingly.
"Again, fuck you, that hurt."
"Well, of course, it hurts you pabo, I stabbed your hand."
Jin claps his hands. "Okay, now that he sustained an injury—" He turns to look at you, only to catch you looking at both of them, frightened. Jin's unexpected action may have scared you. The way he didn't think twice about hurting the mafia leader reminded you so much of your father, who didn't hesitate about punishing his scientists and workers if the drugs and experiments on you didn't work or went wrong, along with you, of course.
"Oh, I- um, it's for the test." Jin approaches, but you simply shrink back.
And Jin dislikes it. You and he may have just spent a short time together, but he preferred it when you didn't back away from him. "H-hey, I'm not going to hurt you like that... that, was just for the test."
You reluctantly nodded, then shifted your gaze to the leader, feeling a clear sensation in you that he's hurt. Namjoon meets your eyes, knowing exactly what you're about to ask him. He chuckles to himself, you're like an open book, so simple to read.
He approaches you and extends his hand to you. But Jin stops you before you can display your glowing visage again. "Wait, let me first put this on you."
He grabs a piece of the contraption and places it on your head, puzzling Namjoon. "What is that?"
"It's a neuro headset. It will read her brain activity and transmit it to us in real-time while she heals you." He answers.
As Jin finishes setting the headset on you, Namjoon's lips make an 'o' of understanding. "Okay, you're all set."
Then, he locks eye contact with you, with no animosity. "Don't worry, whether you heal him or not, you'll do well."
Your lips curl into a little grin at his remarks, now nodding with more confidence, which causes him to smile as well. You cover Namjoon's bleeding wound with your feathery touch. Your purple glow comes to life, illuminating your veins, around the wound, and your eyes.
You begin to close the cut on Namjoon's hand while also relieving his pain. And this time, Namjoon truly focusses on your face, attentively watching even the smallest twitches in your face as Jin keeps his attention, analyzing your brain waves. When you transfer the pain into yourself, you close your eyes and your face starts to contort in discomfort.
Jin is right; when you're healing someone, you experience all they feel. He leans back in shock, watching as the wavelengths on the screen bounce higher, indicating the severity of your discomfort. You slowly open your eyes again a few seconds later, and your purple light fades, indicating that the process was complete.
You let go of the dimpled man's hand, revealing it to be perfectly flawless, as if the injury had never occurred. He then pivots, waiting to hear from the master hacker about your brain activity.
Jin just nods his head, confirming Namjoon's thoughts. You're a true enigma to figure out. “How do you feel?”
Namjoon's question makes you blink. “Me?”
“Yes, how do you feel?”
“I feel… okay?” You say.
"007, what did you mean when I asked you how you take away our pain?" Jin asks.
You hum. “Your pain, my pain.”
"I should've known then, but now I know. This changes things a bit."
Namjoon nods. “It does. So we can’t entirely rely on her when it comes to the more severe injuries.”
“We have to tell the others about it.”
“Indeed, we do. We have a lot to talk about anyways, I assume Yoongi got the man to talk.”
Jin rolls his eyes. “Yeah.”
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By dinnertime, the seven members had gathered in the dining room, where the delicious food had been prepared by the scar-faced man.
The table was unusually quiet, which generally meant that something bad or novel would be spoken. In any case, the maknae line never enjoyed the tense atmosphere, at least not at the dinner table.
Jungkook uttered a whine. “Okay, what’s going on?”
“I have something to say…”
“I have some information…”
Yoongi and Jin spoke at the same time, causing the others to raise their brows and the two men to exchange glances.
“Well, since I’m the older one, you go first.” Jin crosses his arms.
Yoongi only huffs. “Sure… I got a name and location for the gang. The birdie informed me that their gang's leader conducts business in private. But he uses an alias. So it's pointless to try to check his background."
“And the location?” Namjoon inquires.
“Daegu. They had plans if they were compromised they’d lay low there.”
"It seems that their leader loves Golden Dragons. And, that he’s a person we don’t come to and demand of, he comes to you, or so he says.” He rolls his eyes.
“Then we’ll go to Daegu.” Namjoon declares.
Taehyung’s eyes widened. “Deagu?! That’s hours away. That’ll be—”
"Yes, it will be a full work day for us, maybe a couple of work days." Namjoon confirms.
"When are we leaving?" Hoseok questions, unfazed by the sudden plans.
"The sooner the better, therefore we'll leave tomorrow." The leader answers.
The maknae groans. “Aw man, that means we’re going to have to pack tonight.” Jimin scolds him quietly by pinching his leg.
“Then it’s settled, we’re going to Daegu tomorrow.”
Jimin looks at Jin. “Now, what was it you were going to share hyung?”
He exhales, his shoulders dropping. “It’s about the girl, 007.”
“What about her? Is she okay?” His face is filled with concern. “Actually, now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her since she went into the interrogation room with Yoongi.”
“Well, she’s alright now. But it’s about her… abilities, we could say…” He begins.
"We all know that one of her abilities is to heal wounds and relieve pain for all of us, or anybody, really—"
"You're rambling again, Jin hyung." Jimin puffs his cheeks.
He exhales forcefully. "Remember when she came to help you when I extracted the bullet from you, Jungkook?" Jungkook nods, and Jin resumes. "What she did when she numbed the pain was transfer the pain to herself."
"Meaning, she felt all the pain you were feeling at that moment—that's how she does that thing." He explains.
The table falls silent once more as everyone processes the new information.
"See, I had a feeling bringing her down there wasn't a smart idea." Taehyung frowns at Yoongi.
"Ya, none of us knew that until now. Don't blame me." The older glares back.
"How did you find out about this?" Asked Jungkook.
"Well, Namjoon and I went to the clinic to run some brief tests on her after she passed out in the interrogation room. Her brain scans reveal it all." Jin replies.
"Ah… I see…"
"Wait- Did you say she collapsed?!" Jimin's eyes widened as he turned to face the person who had prepared dinner.
"What do you want me to say— I didn't think that would happen." Yoongi shrugs.
"Alright, well, we all know now. We can't rely fully on her if one of us suffers a more severe injury." Namjoon breaks up the members' glares and looks.
"But she was fine when she was healing Jungkook," Jimin muses.
"The only difference is that he didn't have the drug put into him." Jin sneers.
Oranyan slams the table with his fist. "Can't you all be thankful that I got something from him to help us all?"
"Seriously, all I've been hearing at this table is how badly I screwed up. It's annoying." He clenches his teeth.
"You know what, whatever, I'm not hungry anymore." He abruptly rises from his seat, and all six of the remaining eyes follow him.
"Where are you going Yoongi?" Jin sighs.
"Room." He walks away without looking back.
They all looked at each other for a moment before Taehyung broke the quiet. "Shouldn't we—"
"No, just leave him alone for the time being. He needs his time to cool off." Namjoon replies.
"And speaking of the girl, since were going on our little business trip, we just can't leave her here the entire time."
"What do you suggest we do?" Hoseok cocks his head.
"We'll enroll her in school." Namjoon responds while slicing his steak.
"A school… You want to put her in school?" Hoseok repeats.
"Yes."
"I think she'll be alright with Sun-woo here." Jungkook insists.
"Yeah, but for a more than a day, busy with what? A children's cartoon?" Namjoon counteracts.
Jungkook raises his hands in surrender. "I'm simply looking at it logically. I mean, she has no social skills, rarely speaks, and doesn't even recognize half of the items in this house. You think she'll survive a day at a school?"
"While I understand your point of view, Jungkook, I think Namjoon's idea is good. How else could she learn those things—certainly not from us." Jin sips from his glass of wine. "And I believe that is also a logical viewpoint. She wouldn't gain from being cooped up in this mansion. And if she's going to stay with us, she might as well learn a thing or two."
"Are we even going to be able to have her registered so quickly? We leave tomorrow." Taehyung questions.
Jin smirks. "Look who you're talking to; what you're asking me is child's play."
"I mean, she's the one forced into a new environment after all." Jimin proposed.
Namjoon nods. "We will and we'll get her registered first thing tomorrow, and then leave later in the evening. Does that sound good?"
Everyone hums or nods in accordance to their leader's instructions.
"So… I think it's very clear we can't register with the number she gave us. She needs a name." Jungkook stuffs his mouth with food, ravenous after all that talking.
"Hmm, you're right… Maybe we can discuss that with her."
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Yoongi exits the dining area and ascends the stairs, walking idly along the corridor until he glances up and finds himself in front of your bedroom door.
Over the course of a few weeks, it appears that him bringing your food for dinner has become such a habit that even his body knows where to go and for what without even realizing it. He throws your door open, making you flinch at the door slamming as he strides in, still agitated by the dinner conversation.
“Your food.” He spits, roughly placing it on the bedside table in front of you.
With a little furrow between your brows, you gaze up at him silently. “Y-you… feel not good.”
“Yeah, and I wonder whose fault is that?” He sneers.
"Who?" Curiosity filled your eyes.
He scowls and mentally breathes, cool it Yoongi, one less thing for them to nag you about if you blow up in front of her. "It's none of your business."
You avert your eyes, now staring at the meal. You have a sense that if you make any abrupt moves, you'll set him off. But your inaction seemed to irritate him even more.
You can feel his frustration waves making you tense as he clicks his tongue. “Ya-! Are you gonna eat or what?”
You swallow, unsure where to look, but nod anyway. “I-I will.”
“Well, then…” He narrows his eyes at you.
You perceive this as a cue to start eating on your own. You assume he won't feed you tonight, so you'll have to help feed yourself. And, of course, you're still not sure how to use the utensils.
Your fingers tremble slightly as you reach for the food on the white porcelain plate, scooping up the rice and spicy red vegetable known as Kimichi, which you learned you really liked. Your other hand goes to rip a piece of meat jun that you also found you really liked the flavor of.
So you started stuffing the food into your mouth wordlessly, completely disregarding the silvery utensils on either side of the tray, just like the first time he served you dinner.
He catches your attention with an impatient sigh. "Weeks have passed, and you still can't manage something as basic as a spoon or chopsticks?"
"You see these things—" He motions with the spoon and chopsticks, causing you to nod while starring at him. "Use them. Now."
"O-okay." You squeak, clutching the spoon with your food-strewn hands, knowing that it was easier for you to use.
When you picked up the spoon, you tried to mimic what the man in front of you used to do when he fed you, scooping the rice and ready to rip a piece of meat jun again when Yoongi stopped you. "No, use the chopsticks. You've spent enough time watching to understand how to use it."
You hesitantly nod once more before taking the two silver sticks. However, you struggle to grasp it properly when you try to take a piece of the meat jun with the chopstick, holding the utensil awkwardly. You were able to rip a little bit, but as soon as you got a grip of it between the metal sticks, it fell instantly.
You puff softly, attempting it again—once… twice… three times—but it falls pitifully at each attempt. And this simply adds to the master manipulator's aggravation. "YA! Are you that helpless, or should I say useless?"
Your lips quiver faintly as you recoil at his outburst. You disliked it when people yelled at you. With the pathetic ratio of successes and failures you accumulated during your 'training' and testing, it always reminded you how much of a failure you are.
"Can't even use a simple object. I won't understand how any of them think any good of you when you can't even do this." He rants angrily, pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.
And you hadn't realized that when you finally looked up at him again, your eyes blazed purple, indicating that you were scared of him. He exhales deeply before opening his eyes and returning your gaze, noticing your vivid violet eyes.
He's quite taken aback by it, but he doesn't show it. This happened the last time he saw you for the first time. Why are your eyes so bright when you're just with him? He steps back. "I don't have time to deal with this; I'll have someone fetch the platter when you're done."
He quickly pivots, shrewdly speed-walking back to your door, leaving you in the tense atmosphere.
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The next day, the group convened once more to have you registered at one of the nearby schools, as planned. After dinner, Jin proceeded to forge various documents to formally enroll you, such as a paper proof of residency and emergency contact information, as well as fill out a general application form to prevent any suspicions and questioning.
To be totally honest, it'll still raise quite a few eyebrows for one of the country's most infamous mafia gangs to suddenly enroll a girl who hasn't seemed to exist for the previous nineteen years.
The final thing they needed to do was to create a birth certificate for you, but first they had to come up with a name for you. So, with the seven men in your room, they start to discuss the ideal name for you.
"Good morning 007." Jimin grins politely and joins the rest of you in the room, holding a platter of steaming tea in his hands.
With a little wave, you falteringly smile. "Hi…"
You gaze with curiosity as he sets the tray on your nightstand. "Is that my medicine?"
Jimin pauses, puzzledly glancing at you. "Medicine-? This? Oh, no, it's tea. Green tea."
"Tea? Will it make me caa-lm?" You queried.
"I guess…? It's healthy for you." Jimin responds hesitantly.
"007, did they give you something like this back where you're from?" Taehyung questions.
You nod truthfully. "They make me take to caa-lm me."
"And do you know what kind of medicine they give you?"
"Mister said P-pavulon… I t-take when they fix me." You stumble through your reply, trying your hardest to get the words out.
Jin's eyes widened in shock, but Hoseok, being the astute observer that he is, notices it. "I take it, it sounds familiar to you hyung?"
Everyone looks at Jin as he nods in affirmation. "Pavulon- or more precisely, pancuronium it's a neuromuscular blocker used as an adjunct to general anesthesia to facilitate tracheal intubation and to provide skeletal muscle relaxation for patients that undergoes mechanical ventilation or I assume, in her case, surgery."
"Maybe talk in dumb for people who don't understand science terminology you." Jungkook smiles sarcastically.
"It's a more targeted paralytic medicine used in conjunction with general anesthetic to induce skeletal muscular relaxation in the patient, which will require mechanical ventilation since they'll struggle to breathe on their own." Jin explains again.
"So they're practically paralyzed from the neck down?" Taehyung frowns.
"Yes, and in fact, seventy percent of the time, some people do not regain their sensation, resulting in death." Jin continues. "That's why several laws to ban the drug were almost passed."
"But I assume it's only after a certain number of times they've been drugged with it or how much they've been given in one dose, right?" Jimin's face is covered in worry.
"That is correct, and she is quite lucky to still be able to move or be alive."
"Wait a minute- why would they need to use such a strong drug to get her into that state?" The maknae wonders aloud.
Namjoon rubs his chin. "That's a good question, Jungkook."
"Well, given what we know, one thing is certain: whatever facility 007 came from isn't a regular facility."
"Jin, you were able to get any details on her?" Namjoon looks to the eldest.
The latter shakes his head. "No boss, absolutely no traces of her. When Jimin and Jungkook met her, she seemed to appear out of nowhere."
"Alright, it seems like we'll have to make do with what she can tell us about the institution where she was held."
"But for the time being, let's concentrate on the enrollment—So, 007…" The leader now turns his attention to you. "We talked last night, and we all agreed to send you to school because we'll be away on a… business trip."
Yoongi snorts, stifling a laugh, at the notion of you attending school during their time in Daegu. But the rest of them gave him a look that made him shrug. "What-? I thought it was funny, nothing wrong with that."
"What is school?" You tilt your head.
"Basically prison." Jungkook muttered, but loud enough for everyone to hear, and Hoseok chastised him by nonchalantly smacking the back of his head. "Ow- hey-!"
Your pupils dilated. "Prison? Did 007 do wrong?"
Jimin frantically shakes his head. "No, no, you did nothing wrong. And it's certainly NOT a prison." He then glares at his dongsaeng. "Jungkook has no idea what he's talking about."
"Oh… Then, what is it?" Your face regains its innocent expression.
"It's a place where young people like you go to learn all there is to know about the world." Jimin answers. "It… It can be enjoyable, and you'll meet a lot of other kids like you!"
"Actually, there are no other kids like her. At least a kid who can heal others and herself in seconds and has glowing eyes." Jungkook interrupts.
"Jungkook-! Seriously." Jimin gives him another scowl.
"Okay, I'll stop." He chuckles.
"You'll get used to it, I believe in you." Taehyung smiles at you.
You reciprocate his smile. "Okay, when I go?"
"Today, in a like two hours maybe." Jin checks his watch.
"However, before we can register you, we must first create a birth certificate for you. The only issue is that we need to give you a real name."
"Name…? 0-0-7—" You point to yourself. "Me- my n-name, 007."
Jin shakes his head. "No, that's a number. Those people in your facility didn't give you a name; they just gave you a number. A number makes you a subject, not a person."
"And you're a person, a human, not anything else."
"So, 007, what do you want to be called?" Taehyung lip-smiles.
With confusion, your eyes are blank. "I-I don't know."
"How about, Ae-Ri?" Jungkook suggests.
"Eh, that sounds too girly for her." Taehyung disagrees.
Jimin arches his brow. "Too girly? What makes it 'too girly', Taehyung?"
Taehyung pursed his lips. "Uh… no… Nevermind."
"What about, Eun-Ha?" Hoseok proposed.
"Oh hell no- that's my sister's name. Definitely not." Jin grimaces.
"Okay, not Eun-Ha, what do you suggest then?" The younger said.
"Let's do Min-Ah." He smirks.
Taehyung giggles. "Sounds like the a shorter girl version of Jimin-ah."
Jimin narrows his eyes on the later 95. "Fuck off, Taehyung."
"Hyung!" Jungkook whines as he notices your ears perk up at the swear word from Jimin.
Jimin looks at Jungkook then shifts his eyes to you, where you look at him with wonder. "Fuck?"
He nervously laughs. "Don't repeat that. Especially not in school, okay?"
"Fuck?"
"Yeah, don't say it okay?" And you nod in compliance, to which Jimin sighs in relief.
"Han-Byul, it's classic." Namjoon says.
"No offense Namjoon, but if I were you, I would sit this one out." Jin said.
Namjoon looks at him, completely offended. "What, why? What's wrong with my name idea?"
"It sounds ancient, you're going to make her seem old." Jungkook pats his leader's shoulder.
"Exactly, took the words right out of my mouth." Jin concurs.
"It's not old, it's classic." Namjoon repeats.
"It's old, that's what it is." Taehyung comments.
Jimin then turns to look at you. "007, how do you like the name, Ji-Won?"
"Ji-Won?" You think audibly.
Jungkook snorts. "Are you sure you want to name her after one of your hookups?"
Jimin swivels his head to look at the maknae. "No...? Wait- How do you know her name?"
"You're telling me you didn't know? She's hundred sixty-two centimeters, smaller eyes, black to blonde ombre hair— that girl, does it ring a bell?" Jungkook looks at the older expectantly.
"Ohh- her... Why do you even remember her anyways?" The master seducer squints at him.
"She came crying to me when you broke the 'news' to her one day after your guys 'amazing' night." He answers.
"Oh- well, then I got nothin'." Jimin says.
The room eventually became silent as they all struggled to come up with a nice name for you, as you sat on your knees gazing at them on your bed.
"Y/N." A voice disrupts the silence.
All seven heads turned to look at the source of the voice, and all eyes were drawn to Yoongi. "What did you say?"
"Y/N, it's simple, and it matches her- I guess…" He mumbles, his eyes averted elsewhere, missing the way your eyes gleam at the mention of the name. Hearing it piques your interest.
Another beat goes by, and your sweet voice comes out. "Y/N…"
"I l-like Y/N." You say again.
Jungkook, Namjoon, and Hoseok's expressions gradually shift to one of slight surprise, while Jimin, Jin, and Taehyung's slowly smirk at your response before diverting their attention to the second-oldest member's reaction to your reaction.
Yoongi coughs, attempting to dismiss it; the bitterness from last night is still present. "Goo- Yeah, whatever."
"Alright, if 007 likes it, then we'll go with it." Namjoon claps his hands.
Everyone accepts with a nod, and Taehyung's boxy smile forms on his face. "It's nice to meet finally meet you, Y/N."
You grin, revealing your teeth. "T-thank you, Tae-tae…"
"D-did I say name r-right?"
Hoseok chuckles as he tries to correct you. "It's actually—"
But Taehyung interjects, waving his hand. "Yeah, you can call me Tae-Tae."
You giggle slightly in response to his pleasant remark.
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After a fifteen-minute drive, the eight of you arrived at Yonsei University. The chauffeur parks their black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Luxury van, and shortly after you all exited, eliciting numerous attention from students and a few from the school's bypassing staff.
Your eyes surveyed the magnificent architecture, which was partially covered by what appeared to be green moss. Jimin and Jungkook walked on each side of you, both staring at the structure. "From now on, this is where you'll spend the majority of your time."
You twist your head to look at the tattooed-sleeved man on your left. "I-It looks n-ice."
Jimin hums, looking at you. "I think so too."
"Let's go inside." Namjoon announces.
To say that everyone in the front office was surprised is an understatement. Everyone halted in their tracks to gawk at the mafia gang as they strolled in with you, nearing the front desk where the assistant head administrator stands.
She gulps visibly as you all approach, Namjoon in front. "We want to register a student here. Where is your head administrator?"
"H-quite he's busy at the moment, you might have to wait for about half an hour before he could meet with you." She answers.
"Well, tell him to cancel his plans right now because we're on a tight schedule." Namjoon smiles that didn't reach his eyes.
She timidly nods, reaching for the black phone beside her and dialing the number. "Hello, sir; there are people here who want to enroll a student right now."
"Didn't I say I had work to do? Tell them I decline to meet them, and do your job to set up another time."
"Besides, it's mid-year; they're crazy to register them now."
The assistant anxiously flickers her eyes at Bangtan, which catches Hoseok's attention. "Sir, you don't understand…"
Hoseok's face twitches with amusement as he approaches Namjoon from behind. "Boss, he's most likely refusing."
The woman hears Hoseok and glances at them both with fright. "Ah- no, he'll—"
Namjoon blinks, his face expressionless yet menacing to everyone else. "I'll talk to him."
She hands the phone to Bangtan's leader immediately. He then presses the phone against his ear. "Morning, Pang Chunso-ssi—"
"Who am I speaking to? Are you the one who wants to enroll a student in the middle of the school year? Are you insane?"
Namjoon chuckles dryly. "This is Black Mamba speaking, I'm sure you've heard of me."
The phone went silent.
"Good, you have. Then you should know that I wasn't asking when I said I wanted to register a student here."
The man suddenly clears his throat. "I apologize! O-of course, I'll have my schedule c-cleared out r-right now."
"Excellent. And one more thing Pang Chunso-ssi..."
"Yes... Sir?"
"Am I crazy?" He grinned evilly.
"N-No, o-of course n-not, sir."
"Right, because I'm not that crazy to know about the secret second family you've been hiding from your wife and two kids for the past three years." He replies.
"H-how…"
"Ah, ah, no questions, we'll be at your office in two minutes, and if you're not ready by then, all of those pictures will be sent in two minutes, understood?"
"Y-yes."
"See you soon, Chunso-ssi." He hangs up the phone and returns it to the woman. "Lead us to his office."
They entered the chief administrator's office two minutes later, exactly as Namjoon had stated, with the documents in Jin's hands. As Bangtan comes in, the man straightens up.
He greets Namjoon and the others with a 90-degree bow. "Please take a seat."
"To begin, I'll need the application form, birth certificate, past school records, and emergency contact documents." He begins.
Jin passes over the packet with all of the necessary documentation. "There aren't any school records."
"Pardon?" He raises his eyes to Jin.
"She's never been to school before; this is her first time." Jin responds.
The head administrator's face contorts in befuddlement. "And it's for…" He then takes a look at the application form and the birth certificate. "…Kim Y/N."
"Y/N, me." You smile as you talk, pulling the man's attention to yourself.
He smiles professionally. "That's the new student, I see. I see- well, unfortunately, without any school records, we won't be able to—"
"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear Pang Chunso-ssi... Should we find out how your wife and kids will react when they realize you—"
"Okay, okay!" He coughs, trying to keep his composure. "I'll get her registered, she'll start attending tomorrow."
"Today." Namjoon cuts in.
"I- Today..." Chunso glances at his assistant, calling her over. "Tell them to prepare her transcripts and class schedule."
The woman nods, taking the documents and hurriedly leaving the office. Chunso then claps his hands. "Well, you may wait outside, her papers will be ready in a few short minutes."
They all rise from their chairs, and the man bows ninety degrees again. You cock your head. "What are you doing?"
Everyone then looks at you. "I-I'm showing respect."
"Oh." You blankly look at him up and down then mirror his actions, bowing ninety degrees, making the old man's eyes widen. "Huh-?!"
Before you could say anything else, you're grabbed by the shoulder and led out of the office, leaving the headmaster stunned.
"Y/N, you don't have to do that." Jin tells you.
"Why?"
"You're with us, or at least closely associated with us now. And a thing about Bangtan, they don't bow down to anyone, so neither should you." Namjoon explains.
"So... no bow?"
"Yes."
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Once your papers were printed, indicating that you were an official student at the school, the assistant informed you that you would be given a tour of the school by another student, which meant that the seven men who accompanied you were no longer required to be present.
So they're back at the entryway, near their parked luxury vehicle, wishing you goodbye.
"I feel like a mother dropping her child off at college." Jin says this while smiling at you. "But aside from that, behave well and have fun, okay?"
He carefully extends his hand and softly pets your head, making you grin slightly as you hum in response.
Jin steps back, allowing the others their turn. Everyone except Yoongi, who is already grimacing in the van as his members say their goodbyes.
Hoseok and Namjoon finished their turn next, followed by Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung.
"Ya, don't do anything I wouldn't, alright?" Jungkook says, causing Taehyung and Jimin to nudge him roughly. "What-? I didn't say anything bad."
"Yeah but she doesn't understand that. And besides, the things you wouldn't do is socialize and be nice to others." Taehyung rolls his eyes.
"That's exactly my point." Jungkook responds, which makes the elder less amused.
He then looks at you. "Hope you have fun my cutie. We'll be back before you know it."
The two youngest then climbed in the vehicle with the others, leaving Jimin alone. "Also if anyone bothers you, tell us okay?"
You nod. "O-okay."
He ruffles your hair lightly. "Bye Y/N. We'll arrange for Sun-woo to pick you up after school."
"Just look for a car like this one, understood?"
"Yes."
Finally, all seven members piled into the vehicle and drove away.
"Y/N-ssi." Someone beckons to you, prompting you to turn around.
"Hello." You greet. "My name, Y/N."
"I know, I called you that." He rolls his eyes. "Anyway, I'm Young-Jae, I'm assigned to show you around the school, so keep up."
"Keep up?" You furrow your brows at the phrase.
"Yeah, it means don't be slow." He scoffs. "What are you five?"
"No, my name, Y/N." You gesture to yourself.
He irritably clicks his tongue. "Yeah, you said that twice, now come on."
After about a half-hour tour of the school, Young-Jae had bite his tongue every few seconds in answer to your absurd questions. Seriously, how do you not know any of the stuff here, like a water fountain. Were you born under a rock, or are you just dumb?
Then a bright bulb went out in his head, yeah, it will undoubtedly be a memorable first day of school for you. He comes to a halt in the middle of his stroll, which causes you to come to a halt as well. "Hey, wanna see a cool spot that no one else knows about?"
"Cool…?" Your brow furrows with interest.
"Yeah, you'll enjoy this." He lies.
"O-okay." You blithely agree. Too easy, he thought.
He snatches your wrist and drags you over campus, your small legs struggling to keep up with his speed. He then comes to a halt in the middle of the corridor, in front of an old, worn-out door. "We've arrived."
You peer around behind him, your gaze scanning the door. "What is it?"
"Oh, there are so many great things you could play with." He responds in a phony happy tone that you miss.
If there was anything nice that came out of the facility, it was the unlimited quantity of toys you were given to keep you entertained in the ten-by-ten-foot box room.
"I-I can g-o in-sside?" You questioned.
"Sure you can!" He opens the door and then shoves you inside. "Have fun!"
Then he shuts the door and doesn't bother to switch on the lights for you. You stare about in the darkness until you hear a click that causes your head to jerk up. "H-hello?"
But all you're met with is silence.
And suddenly, the darkness merely brings back the unpleasant memories you're trying to erase. You start grabbing your chest and squeezing it repeatedly, striving to keep your whimpers silent. Your eyes are closed as you strive to remain quiet; otherwise, someone could discover you and scold you for being so… weak…
"Hello, 007." An artificial voice interrupted your thoughts, forcing you to startle and open your eyes.
Your wide eyes landed on a purple three-dimensional holographic lady, and your eyes began to glow violet again as you stared at the unknown woman in front of you.
"Do not be afraid 007, I am only here to assist you." The woman speaks robotically.
"My name is Genesis, and I am a three-dimensional artificial intelligence. Dr. Hyon Kwan created me. Also known as for you, Mister."
masterpost | two | four
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trulybetty · 7 months
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oct x 11 - pumpkin spice
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Prompt: pumpkin spice Pairing: marcus pike x f!Reader Word Count: 3,366 Warnings: this is somewhat au? I don't know how to describe it - but honestly, outside the mentions of food, just introductions to our characters 💕 Summary: maplewood, a small town nestled in northern bc where people flock to see the changing blossom trees and celebrate the fall season. after losing your job you find yourself a part of the community which includes the towns baker who left a less than stellar impression on you. AO3: Linked
A/N: this is a departure for me, this is going to be all sickly sweet and sticky sweetness - made a teeny tiny dash of angst? This will be told in three parts through the month, no promise on when the next part will be posted - but keep an eye out. Please let me know what you think, I'd love to hear it!
x. masterlist
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Something Sweet, This Way Comes Part I | Pumpkin Spice
Maplewood was a small town nestled deep in the heart of British Columbia Canada, the crisp autumn air brought a sense of enchantment. The maple leaves painted the streets with vibrant shades of red and orange, and the town buzzed with anticipation for Halloween.
At the hub of it all was Maple Delights, a mainstay of the small town that had changed owners only three years ago. Before that Marcus Pike had left the FBI’s art division on the heels of lost love and disillusions for the career he once loved. Everyone always assumed he was a dab hand with creative pursuits when he would tell them he worked in the bureaus art department. And while he had studied art at college, it had been in art history. Truth was he couldn’t paint anything worth posting further than the front of the fridge, but baking on the other hand, was a hidden talent he’d always exceeded in.
So when a late night social media scroll after handing in his notice brought him to an article on the small town of Maplewood being a hidden gem in the Northern Canadian mountains. Over the following days he’d drifted back to the article several times before a Google search brought him to the small town’s website.
Then it wasn’t too much of a stretch to click on the link for the modest page of properties both for sale and rent, curiosity baiting him, only to find the town’s historic bakery up for sale.
Dashing any thoughts out of his head he’d closed his laptop with a shake of his head, it was an absurd idea. He was an early retiree of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he had no business entertaining the idea of purchasing a bakery, let alone one in seemingly the middle of nowhere Canada.
But between the calls from friends and family checking in on him with the news of his departure from the job he once dearly loved and the end of the whirlwind romance that he’d thought was the one, he found himself late each night scrolling mindlessly, glass of wine in one hand, phone in the other, back looking at the town of Maplewood.
He did have a sizable nest egg, he owned his apartment which was now in what was considered a trendy part of town and worth a lot more than when he first purchased it.
He wasn’t entirely sure what possessed him two nights later to email the town's realtor, but within the month he was the proud owner of Maple Delights and all its contents and was packing up the contents of his modest apartment and heading north.
The previous owner had passed, with adult grandchildren who lived far away in various places across the country, and who had no interest in a historic bakery in the middle of nowhere; it had been left with no choice to go up for sale by the estate.
It had taken some modernization, not so easy a feat in the far north of BC where the local hardware store was a mom and pops situation and the nearest Home Depot was three hours away, but Marcus had made it work with help from a local contractor who’d enjoyed the challenge.
The facade had undergone a drastic change too, much to the chagrin of some locals. But when it was revealed to be a homage to its original exterior, when it was first opened, there had been actual tears at the results.
The front of the store was made up of a large window and wooden framing. In cursive the bakeries name was painted across the glass. At the front were planters at the wooden windowsill, filled with roses of various shades of pinks and whites. The climbing ivy had been stripped away to allow the brick underneath to stand out, making the white frames pop all the more.
It truly was a delight to see.
Surprisingly it didn’t take long after that for Marcus to win over the town. With his natural ability for baking and his charm, he won over any naysayers to the outsider in their town quite quickly and was soon a beloved member of the community.
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Your journey to Maplewood however, was nearly not as charming.
It was a gloomy Tuesday morning when you received the email that would change the course of your life. As you sipped your coffee and stared at the screen, disbelief washed over you. The subject line was blunt and to the point: ‘Termination of Employment.’
You opened the email and read the cold, corporate language that informed you of the company's decision to downsize. Your position had been eliminated, effective immediately. There was no room for negotiation, no farewell party, just a stark message informing you that your services were no longer required.
You had worked at the job for who knows how long, because it felt like forever.
In the days that followed, you wrestled with the uncertainty of your future. You tried reaching out to your network, searching for new job opportunities in Toronto, but the job market was tough, and the competition was fierce. The bills kept piling up, and you felt the weight of financial insecurity pressing down on you.
It was one of those nights where you were texting with your friend Libby, a long time resident of Maplewood after she gave up the rat race to open a bookstore in the small town years ago. That she extended an offer that was too sweet to refuse. End your rental agreement and come up north and spend some time in the great outdoors and figure out what you want to do next.
With no other choices coming your way, you did just that.
That was three months ago.
As the days passed, you found yourself slowly adjusting to the laid-back lifestyle of Maplewood. Gone were the stresses of city life and the constant pressure to perform at your job. Instead, you spent your mornings sipping coffee in Libby's apartment above the bookstore and spent the rest of your day either helping out in the store or taking a stroll around town to take in all the unique sights that Maplewood had to offer.
Black Cat Books was wall to ceiling bookshelves and every manageable space was filled with books. It was a labyrinth, but Libby could stride through it like she was born into its midst. But ask Libby where any particular title resided? You'd find that she knew exactly how many steps it took to get there.  
Libby placed another book on the shelf behind her, “He’s really not all that bad.”
You sneered, “I don’t know why this whole town is obsessed with him.”
“Says the woman who is watching him from across the street and has been for the last hour.” Libby remarked, punctuated by a disbelieving look over the top of her glasses.
“I can’t help if the bakery is straight across the street,” she raised an equally disbelieving eyebrow at you, she didn't believe a word you were saying “and it’s his bakery, of course he’d be there.” you finished, crossing your arms across your chest refusing to make eye contact.
“Sure,” she dragged out her response, “whatever you say.”
You had been in Maplewood for a week when you'd run into Marcus, quite literally run into him. Crossing the main square, you may not have been paying attention, focusing on refreshing your email for leads on work as he had been stepping up onto the sidewalk, his arms full of bakery boxes obscuring his view.
“Watch where you're going much?!” You'd exclaimed, hands on your hips and glaring at him.
He'd looked up from the ground, his hands filled with ruined boxes, eyes narrowed. “Me? How could you miss me?”
“Well if you had been watching where you were going.” You countered.
He was about to launch into another tirade when he glanced at his watch. Stifling a curse he ran a hand through his hair before speaking, his voice low and gruff. “I haven't got time for this.”
With that he quickly gathered the last of the boxes and stomped off in the direction of the bakery. Your first encounter with the town's beloved baker had left nothing but a sour taste in your mouth.
Since then, you'd avoided any and all interactions with the man and fought rolling your eyes when people would speak so highly of the American who had made Maplewood his home. After all, he was the one responsible for bringing more business to Maplewood through word-of-mouth of his creations.
“Look,” Libby pointed at the sandwich board propped outside the shop, “today’s special is pumpkin spice scones, how about you go get us some and a couple of coffees?” she suggested as she pulled some money from her purse she kept under the counter.
You rolled your eyes but still took the money, guy was questionable, but his scones were to die for. Not that you would admit it to anyone.
A quick look both ways you dashed across the street. It was the start of October, a busy month for the town. Tourists would flock in to see the changing colours of the cherry blossom trees that lined both sides of the main street that led up to the town's main square outside city hall.
The weather was getting colder, and even though it was literally steps from Black Cat Books, you'd wished you'd grabbed your toque and scarf. But before you could think more about it you were outside the bakery.
The window took up most of the front of the store, vintage lettering spelling out the bakery's name Maple Delights painted across the pane. The roses that usually filled the planter boxes outside were filled with an abundance of pumpkins of various colours and sizes. Halloween decorations filled the spaces between cake stands and trays of seasonal goods punctuated by decadent cakes decorated with tiny ghosts and ghouls.
The shop bell rang as you opened the door, the bakery was cozy and inviting with its high ceilings and hardwood floors. The smell of freshly baked bread and sugar, mingled with the spiciness of cinnamon and pumpkin spice – classic scents of fall that permeated the air making your mouth water.
A bright eyed Sarah, with a book open in front of her behind the counter called out your name, “Hey there! What can I get for you today?”
You smiled and made your way to the counter eyeing the vintage blackboard that took up most of the wall behind it. The chalk sketch confirmed that today's special was pumpkin scones, “I'll take two pumpkin spice scones and two lattes, extra hot please.”
Sarah nodded as she began preparing the order. She had been working at the bakery after school and the weekends since she turned sixteen at the start of the summer. You knew this because she got paid every Friday and would dart straight across to Black Cat Books to pick a new book bringing with her treats from the bakery.
“You should try the apple cider doughnuts!” she exclaimed as she boxed up two large scones.
“That so?” You raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her recommendation.
“Uh huh,” Sarah replied with a grin, “Marcus dipped them in a cinnamon maple glaze this time,” she added with a little groan of appreciation, “they're so good, and there's only just a few left.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously as if she were tempting you.
You couldn't help but smile at her infectious enthusiasm. “Well, with that kind of endorsement, why not. Throw a couple in too.”
As you waited for your order and made small talk with Sarah, you took a moment to look around the store. It was late afternoon, and the warm, soft glow of the autumn sun streamed through the window, casting a gentle light on the displays. The shelves, while not as full as they might be in the morning, still held an array of intricate desserts. More decorations of fake cobwebs, pumpkins, and ghosts adorned the shelves and countertops, adding to the bakery's seasonal charm.
In the background, the back of the bakery was open to the kitchen out back. The stainless steel counters gleamed in the soft light, and the usual cacophony of mixers that lined the back wall was silent for the moment. It was a rare sight, given the bakery's reputation for bustling activity, especially in the weeks leading up to Halloween.
Just then, a door swung open at the back, and Marcus emerged, his presence commanding attention. He was dressed in a deep orange flannel shirt, which seemed to accentuate the rich colors of the fall season. His tousled curled hair always gave the impression that he had just woken up from a nap, yet it added an effortlessly charming quality to his appearance. His patchy facial hair, seemingly ever-present, only added to his rugged charm.
You couldn't help but curse silently under your breath. Despite having no time for the man, there was no denying he was just as attractive as the sweet treats he created. It seemed as though every time you crossed paths, he had a knack for appearing more alluring.
“Hey Sarah,” he greeted the teen, “I can finish this up for you, I don't want you to miss the committee meeting for the trick or treat parade.” he said, referencing the penultimate celebration of the town's October celebrations.
Sarah's face lit up as she started to untie her apron, “Thanks, Marcus. You're a lifesaver.”
As Marcus took over your order, Sarah excused herself, heading towards the exit. Her parting words were aimed at both you and Marcus. “See you later!”
With Sarah's departure, an awkward silence settled between you and Marcus. The air seemed to crackle with the unspoken tension that had been building for weeks.
“Looks like you're stuck with me for a while,” Marcus remarked, breaking the silence with a wry smile. His tone was light, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes, an undercurrent of amusement at the situation.
You nodded in reluctant agreement, realizing that there was no escape from this moment. “Seems that way,” you replied.
Marcus busied himself with finishing up your order, his hands deftly manoeuvring around cups and saucers. He poured the lattes into to-go cups before adding the last dollop of whipped cream to a pumpkin spice latte. The warm, spicy scent filled the air, mixing with the sweet aroma of freshly baked goods.
As he reached out to pass you the tray of drinks and the bag filled with baked treats, your hands brushed against each other. Time seemed to slow, the atmosphere tingling with a spark that neither of you had felt before. It was a fleeting touch, but it was enough to send a shiver down your spine, making you suddenly aware of the space between you.
Marcus cleared his throat. “I, uh, put a cranberry muffin in there. For Libby. I know they're her favourite.”
You blinked, a little thrown off by the unexpected kindness. “That's very thoughtful of you.” You reached for your purse, ready to pay for the order, “How much is it?” you asked, but Marcus waved you off.
Marcus shook his head, grinning slightly. “It's on the house. Consider it a thank-you to Libby for watching the store the other week.”
“Thank you,” you finally said, struggling to find the right words. “That's... that's very kind of you.”
Marcus shrugged, his gaze meeting yours for just a second longer than necessary. “It's what neighbours do, right?”
“Yeah,” you nodded, “I suppose it is.”
The bell above the door jingled, breaking the moment as more customers entered the bakery, kids trailing behind their parents, all excited for Halloween goodies. You picked up the tray and bag, suddenly aware that you had to leave, but not quite ready to break the newfound connection.
“I'll see you around?” Marcus asked, with maybe a note of hopeful uncertainty in his voice, you weren’t sure.
You smiled despite yourself, “Maybe,” you replied as you raised your now full hands in an attempt at a wave.
Marcus was about to answer when the bakery's new patrons diverted his attention and you took the opportunity to leave, your head suddenly full of conflicting feelings for the man.
Exiting out onto the street, you couldn't help but inhale deeply, letting the crisp, early October air fill your lungs in hope it would clear your head. The town's signature cherry blossom trees that lined each side of the street had traded their springtime pinks for shades of orange and yellow, a change of costume in tune with the season.
Libby looked up from the book she was reading when you stepped back into the store, “You were longer than I expected.”
You felt an unexpected heat spread up your chest to your cheeks, “Sarah was working,” you quickly threw out, “she was telling me about the book she got last week.”
Libby accepted the coffees and paper bag so you could shrug off your coat, “Ooo, cranberry muffin! My favourite!”
“Yeah, Marcus threw it in there for you.”
“So you spoke to Marcus?” she asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, an unmissable smirk on her face.
You narrowed your eyes in response, “Briefly.”
Libby took a bite of her scone, the noises she made boarded on the line of scandalous, “God, this is good.”
“Should I leave you and your scone alone?”
Libby grinned, crumbs of scone still clinging to the corners of her mouth. “If you leave me now, I'll name my first-born after this scone. It'll have a weird life, but at least it'll be delicious.”
You chuckled at her melodrama as you took your coffee out of its tray.
Libby grinned, “I swear to god, if I was remotely interested in men I'd be climbing him like a tree. Heck, I might just do it for the baked goods.”
You rolled your eyes, “Easy there tiger.”
“I really don't know how he's single, three years in this town and it's not like the women haven't been throwing themselves at him.”
“Well, maybe he is really too good to be true.” You countered, taking up your apparently one woman stance of your dislike of the man again as you took a sip of your coffee - biting your lip at your own groan at how a simple latte could taste so good.
Libby chuckled, “Or maybe you're too stubborn to see what's right in front of you.”
You sighed, unwilling to admit, even to Libby, that your stance on Marcus might be softening just a touch. “Let's agree to disagree, shall we?”
“Fine, fine,” Libby conceded, taking another heavenly bite of her scone. “But one day you'll see. Good things, and good people, might just come in unexpected packages.”
Your phone buzzed with a notification about a new job posting in Toronto. You glanced at it, suddenly feeling less of that earlier urgency to return to the hustle and bustle of city life. The idea of stepping back into the rat race seemed so detached from where you were now—surrounded by the rustic charm of Maplewood and its genuine, warm-hearted inhabitants.
You took another sip of your latte and stole one last look through the bookstore's window, back towards the bakery. Marcus was crouching down to hand a sugar cookie shaped like a pumpkin to one of the small kids in the bakery. The child's face lit up with joy, a mirror of the light that seemed to emanate from Marcus himself.
Maybe Libby had a point. Maybe good things did come in unexpected packages.
You put your phone down, screen facing the table, and looked back at Libby, who was now back engrossed in her book. But your thoughts weren't on job postings or the life you had in Toronto. They were here, on this little corner of Maplewood.
For the first time, in a long time, you weren’t thinking of ways to run back to your old life.
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imagines--galore · 1 month
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||Mind Over Matter|| Part Thirteen
Summary: Evelyn is Penelope Garcia’s protégé. She is a tech wiz, and knows her way around any kind of security and just like her mentor knows  how to dig deep and get into the past of anyone and has a knack for   anything with a chip in it. Including potato chips. The one thing she fails at is figuring out is the mind and how it works.
Pairing: Spencer Reid x Evelyn Richardson(OC)
Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure. Family. Some language, blood and violence in later installments.
Previously - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve
A/N: Well what do you know! Heres another chapter. Random moments happening in between episode really. And please lemme know what you think! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Takes place during Season 2 Episodes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8
A low humming sound filled the air as Evelyn put away the last of her files, having gone through them already. They were the files for the Team's most recent case. And Evelyn was of course, in charge of putting them away. One of her minor duties as part of the BAU Team along with being assistant techie. A position that hadn't been randomly made up by her mentor. Stepping out of the room and locking the door behind her, she very nearly bumped into the figure that was rushing by. Rather she did bump into them and instantly started to apologize.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see where I was-"
"Evelyn? What're you doing down here?" The red head blinked, finally catching on who she'd bumped into.
"Spencer?" Her instant reaction was curiosity as she stared at her team member, trying to figure out what was new with him. Spencer stared back at her quizzically and questioningly, raising an eyebrow at her. Realization dawned and the red head grinned.
"You got a hair cut!" Instantly his hand went up to run his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit, Evelyn had noted long ago. "Yeah, I figured it was time to get a new look." The genius replied with a shrug. "So what're you doing here?" He asked, coming back to his previous question.
"I had to box away a few files." She responded with a small smile. "It is part of my job to clean after you guys." She added with a teasing tone, prompting him to smile back at her. Blue eyes flickered to his newly cut hair.
And unable to resist Evelyn reached out to gently run her fingers through the ends of his hair, having pushed herself up to the toes of her shoes so she could reach easily. The position pressed her a little close to him, but neither of them seemed to notice as she smiled at him. "I like it. You look cute."
Cute.
She'd just called him cute!
As if the realization of her words just hit her, Evelyn stepped back, cheeks flushing, a nervous smile playing at her lips as she avoided Spencer's gaze who only looked back at her which she found more cuter then his haircut. Like that of a confused puppy. The red head however did make the mistake of looking at him, and instantly regretted it as her heart sped up and her voice reached new levels of high pitch as she quickly managed to squeak out a goodbye before dashing past him, leaving a slightly confused Spencer, who was confused by her behavior to say the least, yet none the less pleased at her words.
Evelyn for her part avoided Spencer for the entire day.
Of course they were both back to discussing(arguing) over a new theory the very next day.
Though Evelyn still felt that strange warmth in her cheeks any time their eyes would accidentally meet and she would be reminded of the little run in a few days ago.
So embarrassing!
                                              ————————–
JJ traced the tip of her finger along the rim of her coffee mug. She was sitting on a stool in a little café a few miles from the office and was waiting for Evelyn to show up. Said red head was making her way towards her friend, holding her own coffee mug and setting it on the small table between them, before hoping onto the stool as well. Outside rain splattered against the glass window of the café, the coldness of it seeping through the window, one that both women felt, yet neither minded. They had their coffees to help keep them warm.
"So how did the assignment go?" JJ asked, once she'd taken a small sip of her beverage.
Evelyn gave a small nod. "It went well. And that is all I can tell you." She said with a slightly pointed look to which JJ chuckled.
"Right! Top secret, I know." The red head gave a low chuckle, before taking a sip of her own drink, frowning as the steam from the coffee fogged up her glasses. Handing her friend a tissue with a smile of sympathy she watched as she wiped the glasses clean.
"So what was it you wanted to tell me?" JJ asked. Evelyn sighed before reaching into her bag and pulling out a magazine from her bag and placing it in front of the blonde. JJ pulled the magazine closer, frowning at the bold title that greeted her in big bold letters.
NEW YORK SOCIALITE EXPECTING.
"After five years of marriage." JJ glanced up at the red head sitting across from her, who had her lips pursed as she stared at the image of the smiling woman on the cover. Along with a man, who was obviously her husband, going by the way they had their arms wrapped around each other. JJ bit her bottom lip before she sighed and reached out to lay a hand atop Evelyn's in a gentle grip.
"I've tried everything I could JJ. But she still refuses to listen to me. Even Gideon has tried to help but she's just so stubborn." Evelyn sounded almost heartbroken as she spoke, finally raising her eyes to meet JJ's gaze.
"I don't know what I did to her JJ, but I wish there was some way I could find out." Her friend sighed.
"I know you're trying Evelyn, but sometimes one person's effort isn't enough. The other party has to put in some effort as well." The younger woman sighed before nodding. "I know, but I was just hoping if I did my best it would get something out of her."
Her gaze, which she now focused on JJ was desperate and hopeless. "Why are people so hard to figure out JJ?" The other woman sighed and shook her head, squeezing the hand she held.
"It's a good thing that we have the BAU then isn't it?" The small joke prompted a smile out of Evelyn. "I wish I could ask their help but I don't want this turning into a professional thing. Its why I've only ever talked to Gideon about it. Penelope doesn't know either, and she's my mentor."
JJ frowned. "Then why tell me?" Blue eyes blinked as they caught JJ's. "Because you asked." The response had a wry smile pulling at JJ's lips, which had Evelyn smiling back and shaking her head.
"I don't know JJ. I'm still surprised I even told you about all of it. But I'm glad I did. It doesn't seem as much of a burden as it did before." JJ smiled at the response. "And I will gladly help wherever and whenever I can."
The smile she was given, sent a surge of affection and protectiveness through the older woman. She understood what Morgan had meant when she spoke to him about Evelyn. There was something so….pure about the red head that a person wanted nothing more then to protect her. Or as Penelope said, wrap her up in a bubble sheet and store her away someplace safe.
"Now! On to other topics, is there anyone you're seeing these days?" The groan of dismal she was rewarded prompted her to laugh loudly, one which Evelyn joined in soon after.
                                              ————————–
Morgan suddenly slammed his file shut a thought occurring to him. The motion caused Penelope to look away from her screen and frown at him. "What?" The blonde asked. Though he turned his head towards her, his eyes were still trained towards the floor, though they were unseeing.
"Have you ever realized that Reid and Evelyn have the same glass frames?" Penelope looked taken aback at the question. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it as Morgan finally met her gaze and raised an eyebrow as if questioning her.
"Coincidence?" The blonde suggested, looking and feeling uncertain.
"More like unconscious retention?" The confused look had him explaining further. "Basically he picked them out unconsciously because he's seen Evelyn wear them all the time." Penelope frowned. "He sees me wearing glasses all the time." Her hand raised to touch the side of her own glasses which were a bright orange that day. Morgan nodded.
"Yeah, but you change them all the time. Evelyn never did." Penelope sighed before shrugging and turning back to her computers.
"Unconscious retention it is then." She muttered under her breath before starting to type away on her keyboard. Morgan went back to his own files, pushing the observation to the back of his head.
                                              ————————–
Cupping her hands around the paper cup she watched it scrunch between her fingers. It was more out of worry and sadness then anything else.
"I take it you heard." Evelyn glanced up just in time to see Gideon take Spencer's unaccompanied desk chair and turn it towards her. The red head shrugged.
"More like saw." Both their gaze turned towards the desk that had been previously taken by Elle. It was completely clear now.
"Its for the best." Evelyn's gaze snapped to look at Gideon. "She knew she couldn't handle the pressure any longer." She only nodded in agreement her face grim.
"Still, doesn't make it any easier does it?" Her superior shook his head at her question.
"Leaving is never easy. Neither is letting go." At that he gave her a slightly pointed look which she countered with a sad smile.
"No. Its never easy."
                                              ————————–
Hotch glanced up from where he had been signing up the last of his papers to see his wife enter the bullpen. Pushing Jack's pram in front of her. He frowned. Hailey was meant to take Jack to her mother's for the night so that the two of them could go on a date. Quickly standing up he met his wife midway as she walked to his office. "Hailey? Is everything alright?" He asked, once he'd greeted her hello and smiled at his son who made delighted sounds at the sight of his father.
His wife nodded. "Yes, only my mom won't be able to look after Jack for the night. She has a cold, and Jack might catch it." Hotch sighed at the news, looking disappointed. "Great, now what?" He grumbled to which his wife shrugged helplessly. "I called the babysitter, but she's out too." The night was getting better and better with each second.
"Agent Hotch! I managed to scrounge up those reports you asked for. Who in their right mind would file them under X instead of Y when clearly it's a Z and-oh hello Mrs Hotchner! I didn't see you there! Is everything alright?" The woman only ever came when there was something going on, and for a minute Evelyn's heart stopped out of terror. But then restarted once the older woman smiled at her.
"Everything is fine Evelyn. Aaron and I just hit a bit of a snag, since we can't go on our date." The red head frowned, even as Hotch pursed his lips, thinking of the reservations that he would have to cancel.
"Oh? Why is that?" Seemingly catching sight of Jack the red head was quick to move forward and wave at the baby, who seemed fixated on Evelyn's hair. "No babysitter." At the answer Evelyn shrugged.
"I can look after him for a few hours. I used to babysit around the neighborhood when I was a teen."
And that was how Evelyn found herself holding a baby in one arm, the other holding up two baby bags. She turned her head to look at Jack who was looking right back with a fistful of her hair in his chubby fingers.
"That went well didn't it?" The baby only responded with a giggle before proceeding to pull at her hair, making her wince.
                                              ————————–
For once the Team had the chance to eat together in their little conference room. Chinese take out boxes were set atop the table while they all assembled chairs around it. "I love take out with you guys. Its always so much fun." Penelope said with a grin as she settled into her chair and reached for her box.
"Hey, where're the other three?" Morgan asked, glancing up from his box of chicken. Spencer shrugged through his mouthful of rice. JJ answered for him.
"Gideon had someplace to go, Hotch had a dinner date with Hailey, and Evelyn is-"
"And this is where your Daddy and the rest of the Team are briefed about the cases." The four of them stared as Evelyn entered the room with an inquisitive baby Jack, staring around with wide eyes. The woman holding him looked as if she'd been through some kind of storm that had knocked her glasses askew and her hair to be completely frizzy and her pony tail lopsided and barely holding up.
"Look Jack! Dinner! Excellent! Because I am starving!" So saying she dropped into a chair, and started to drop the two baby bags that were weighing her down onto the floor.
"Jesus! How much stuff does one baby need?" She grumbled to herself as she held Jack around the waist, having set him down on her thigh. The baby had his head turned to look up at her. Evelyn met his gaze and the two had an intense stare down. Which was broken when Evelyn made a face and the baby giggled loudly.
Morgan smirked. "Pint-size? Mind explaining what you're doing with Hotch's kid?" He asked the question that was on everyone's mind. Evelyn grunted as she picked up one of the bags and placed it on the table, doing her best to use only one hand while her other was occupied with keeping Jack secure.
"Babysitting Morgan. Something I happen to be good at. And Spencer? Help a girl out. I can't make his formula without some help." She'd already taken out the thermos with the water and the bottle which already had the formula in it. Jack was starting to fuss so she quickly stood up and cradling the baby to her chest starting to walk around while bouncing him a little. Spencer quickly stood up to do Evelyn's bidding, pouring the water into the bottle. JJ met Penelope's gaze and the two of them smiled at the sight of Spencer standing in front of Evelyn with the bottle in hand. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Did you check the temperature of the bottle?" Spencer frowned. "No." The two of them were oblivious to the other three members of their team looking at them.
Evelyn sighed. "All those random facts and you didn't read about babies? Honestly Spence, what're you going to do when a case calls for a random baby fact?" She asked, her tone dry, wincing slightly as Jack pulled at her hair yet again.
"Just squeeze a bit out on your arm. If it burns, obviously we wouldn't give it to him." Rolling his eyes Spencer sighed before moving to unbutton his cuff and pulling up the sleeve. A few seconds later, little Jack was greedily drinking from his bottle while Evelyn cradled him, slowly walking around.
"Why don't you sit down honey?" Penelope said, pulling a chair next to her, if only to coo at the baby. Evelyn shook her head. "Can't. Hailey said he likes to drink while walking around."
"So much fuss over a baby." Spencer grumbled as he munched on a piece of carrot, prompting Evelyn to glare at him. "Oh, and aren't you particular about your eating habits Dr. Reid." She only ever called him that when she was especially ticked off. And Morgan had to say, seeing Evelyn jump to defend Jack was hilarious. Especially when Spencer pursed his lips in response, licking them before speaking.
"Aren't you?" The words had the red head glaring at him even more. "I'm not the one calling a baby out on his eating habits." Morgan laughed loudly. "Alright you two. Reid, leave them alone." The man chided earning a look of triumph from Evelyn who turned her attention back to the baby.
"Spencer is just being mean Jack, don't mind him." Of course, Spencer had to ruin her little bubble.
"I doubt he understands you Evelyn." This time it was JJ who chuckled reaching out to pat his shoulder in a reassuring manner. "Let it go Reid. I know you're jealous, but you'll have Evelyn's undivided attention soon enough." The words only reached Reid's ears who turned to stare at his friend, cheeks flushed and mouth agape.
"Why would I be jealous?" He managed to say quietly, despite having the urge to shout the words in surprise. JJ only gave him an amused look before she turned her attention back to her food. Reid glanced at Evelyn, who was now setting the baby on the floor after spreading a small blanket and placing his various toys around him to play with while sneaking in bites of food for herself here and there. "I was just teasing Spence." The blonde beside him spoke up, knowing he would most likely beat himself black and blue trying to find out why JJ would think he was jealous, when he wasn't.
After eating the four of them left to finish up their tasks for the night. While getting ready to go home, Spencer realized he'd forgotten his bag in the conference room. Quickly walking in he very nearly missed the sight of Evelyn and Jack on the floor. Jack was sound asleep, laid out on his back, one hand still clutching his toy. Evelyn was curled around the baby in what Spencer could only describe as a protective manner. She was asleep as well, her hair falling over her face, her glasses placed beside her head. She'd shed her cardigan to drape it over Jack so he wouldn't get cold and she was on the floor while Jack was on the blanket.
Spencer didn't know how long he stood there. Simply watching the two of them sleep. It was strange how the simple sight of Evelyn sleeping so peacefully had him feeling peaceful and somewhat calm. The notion had him frowning in confusion, yet he still didn't walk away. Not until Hotch arrived with his wife after their night out and the scene was disturbed by Hailey waking up Evelyn. At Hotch's questioning look he simply held up his bag and left without glancing at Evelyn, trying to ignore the flush on his cheeks and the calmness that stayed with him every time he'd think of his red haired friend.
                                              ————————–
Tag List - @cillsnostalgia @kathaaaaaaa @lovelyygirl8
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vodika-vibes · 1 month
Note
Can I ask for tech, opal, winter time and learning how to snowboard
Mountain Romance
Summary: You bring Tech on his very first vacation to a mountain cabin that you used to visit with your family. While there, you decide to teach him how to snowboard.
Pairing: TBB Tech x Reader
Word Count: 642
Prompts: Opal - Faithful Love
Warnings: None
Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly
A/N: Full disclosure, everything I know about snowboarding wouldn't even fill a thimble, lol. So I kind of skipped over the majority of that to focus on their relationship, I hope you don't mind?
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“Are you quite sure that this is safe?” Tech asks as he skeptically eyes the snowboard leaning against the cabin.
“Sure! I’ve been snowboarding since I was a child.”
He turns his skeptical gaze to you, “And you have never broken a bone while doing so?”
“I…er…I wouldn’t go quite that far-” You admit with a sheepish laugh.
He arches a single brow and pins you in place with a pointed look, “So you have.”
“Oh, come on.” You hurry over to him, and take both of his hands in yours, “You’re so talented at everything you do! I know you’ll be great at this. Do you trust me?”
He sighs, “You know that I do.” Tech squeezes your hands gently, “If you really want to teach me, then I will happily let you.”
You release a happy giggle and fling your arms around his neck, “You get to teach me so much that I don’t know, so this is exciting!”
Tech’s arms slide securely around your waist, and he presses a light kiss to your temple, seeming to relax against you the longer you hold him. 
“So,” You mumble after a few moments, “Are you ready?”
HIs arms tighten around you, “I suppose. Though, I have to admit that I had different ideas in mind when you said that you wanted to bring me to a cabin in the middle of nowhere.”
You giggle, “Oh, we can do that too!”
He shoots you a look, “I did not specify what I had in mind.”
At that, your grin widens and you poke his nose, “I know you and I know your brain, my clever handsome man.”
He doesn’t look the least bit sheepish, just amused. “So, how does this work?”
You beam at him and tug him over to the board, an explanation already on the tip of your tongue.
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Three hours later, the pair of you retire back to the cabin. 
True to your beliefs, as soon as Tech understood how to snowboard, he excelled at it. But you really didn’t expect anything different. He is skilled at just about everything he puts his mind to after all.
“I do not like that trainer you introduced me to.” Tech says as he holds open the door for you before following you into the warmth of the cabin. “To be more specific, I do not like how he looked at you.”
You pull your winter gear off, and shoot him an amused look, “He’s known me since I was a child, Tech.”
“That makes the way he looked at you even more inappropriate.” Tech grumbles.
You laugh and reach out to press your hand against his cheek, “Hey, you know that you don’t have to worry about him, right?”
Tech sighs and presses his hand over yours, “I am not worried about you. How could I be when I see how you look at me? That does not mean that I have to appreciate how he looks at you.”
“That’s true.” You stand on your toes to more easily slide your arms around his neck, “How’s this, then? I won’t interact with him anymore. It’s not like I’m friends with him.”
He slides his arms around your waist, “You do not have to do that. I just want you to be careful around him.” A small smile crosses his lips, “Afterall, I know that you are faithful to me. Just as faithful as I am to you.”
You feel warmth spread through your body, “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” You whisper to him. 
“I do. You show me every day.” He kisses the palm of your hand, and then pulls you into a proper kiss, “Tomorrow,” Tech murmurs, “I want to stay in with you. Can we do that?”
“Yes.” You say against his lips, “Absolutely.”
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miracleonice87 · 11 months
Note
#18 - Paris: Barzy
from m’s midnights prompt list
cw: 18+; gets just a lil spicyyyy at the end
a belated birthday treat for @kerwritesthings 🫶 enjoy!
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18. Paris: “Privacy sign on the door / and on my page and on the whole world / romance is not dead if you keep it just yours” 
---
“Wakey wakey, Sleeping Beauty.”
You woke to Mat’s gentle whispers and feathery kisses to your upper back and down your arm, sighing blissfully as your senses finally roused. You turned onto your back to find him resting on his side, freshly showered and donning the plush, white resort bathrobe. 
“Good morning, handsome,” you greeted him, your hand coming to rest on his stubbly cheek, thumb stroking his jaw.
He beamed, gathering your fingers in his and pressing kisses to each one. “Hated to wake you, but our brunch reservation is in about an hour,” he told you. 
You nodded, arching your back to stretch your sleepy muscles before sitting up in bed, tucking the covers around your bare chest. 
“What time is it?” you asked, rubbing your eyes as Mat chuckled, flopping onto his back. 
“Just after 10,” he answered. 
Your eyes went wide. “Jesus,” you muttered. You reached for your phone on the nightstand on your side of the bed, then snuggled back into Mat’s side as you turned off “Do Not Disturb” mode for the first time in 36 hours and scrolled the bevy of notifications that immediately appeared on your screen.
10 missed calls
4 missed FaceTime calls
13 iMessages
Bestie - iMessage: do you wanna grab drinks later?? 
Bestie - iMessage: bitch why tf is your do not disturb on in the middle of the day
Mom - iMessage: Hi! Just checking in because I haven’t heard from you today. Hope all is well! XOXO
Sis - iMessage: Did you watch Vanderpump tonight?
Sis - iMessage: HELLOOO
Sis - iMessage: I’m going to bed, better wake up to a text from you so I know you’re not dead in a ditch somewhere
Broski - iMessage: where tf are you, dude
Sis - iMessage: Guess not. Call meeee pls
Bestie - iMessage: your sister called me this morning, you better tell one of us you’re alive
Broski - iMessage: yooooooooo???
Bestie - iMessage: are you with your secret boyfriend? your sister just asked me and I’m pretty sure she’s onto something
Mom - iMessage: Your sister mentioned that you might be with a guy. If that is the case, PLEASE be careful!!! XOXO
Sis - iMessage: Oh you are SO completely with that dude
“Your family think I kidnapped you?” Mat asked behind you, ghosting his fingertips back and forth across your shoulders, sending a tingle down your spine. 
You breathed a laugh and locked your phone. “Little bit,” you answered, rolling over onto him, belly to belly. “Let ‘em,” you proclaimed, tossing your phone to the end of the bed.
“Whatever you say,” he said, allowing his hands to travel down your back and come to rest on the curve of your ass, giving each of them a hearty squeeze. 
“You left the privacy sign on the door, right?” you whispered, rolling your hips into his and combing your acrylic nails against his scalp slowly, suggestively. 
He swallowed hard, then let out a shaky breath through pursed lips. “Y-yeah.”
You gave a single nod, then lowered your head to whisper, “good,” in his ear before biting at the shell of it, causing him to shudder beneath you. 
You chuckled devilishly, starting to shimmy your way down the mattress, leaving kisses along his body in your wake. 
“Mmm, I think we’re gonna be late for brunch,” you told him softly, trailing your nails down his abs. 
The six-foot-tall, two-hundred-something hockey player beneath you whimpered like a newborn puppy as you toyed with the waistband of his briefs, smirking all the while.
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sotwk · 1 year
Text
Breathe (Boromir x femReader)
Summary: You have harbored a deep, secret crush on Boromir for years, and have now been asked by him to dance.
Word count: 1.5k
Content: Romance, pining, yearning, longing (you get the point) Regency-inspired dance, fluff, started as a drabble but got way out of hand
Warnings: None
To Read on AO3: Link
A/N: This was supposed to be a Dance of Romance + Scars from @fellowshipofthefics’s January Trope Roulette, but the “Scars” part just never came out. Whoopsie. I guess I can’t claim credit for fulfilling the challenge, but FotF can claim credit for providing the prompt!
Update: This one-shot has been formally upgraded to the prologue of a multi-chapter Boromir x OC fic. More to follow soon!
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Dedication: For @scyllas-revenge, a fellow Boromir stan whose talent I admire. My first ever Boromir fic is just a small thank you for being a cheerleader to me and other writers.
Divider credit: @firefly-graphicsphics
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Breathe
Third Age 3008
Minas Tirith, Gondor
“I cannot breathe,” you whimpered to Anarlas, grasping at the sleeve of his tunic as he guided you from the edges of the crowd towards the center of the Great Hall. 
But your brother knew you too well and merely chuckled at your dramatics. “That is a bit problematic, given that a good air supply is necessary for dancing." He felt you pull back in resistance and stopped to examine you closely. "Do you really not wish to do this?" he asked softly. "Should I not have accepted the invitation on your behalf?" 
You stared up at him, wide-eyed as you struggled to process the last two minutes. One moment you were puttering back and forth aimlessly behind the pillars, content at the fringes of all the merrymaking, with just a cup of wine and your daydreams for company. All of a sudden Anarlas appeared and asked you to come with him, which you did in full trust…until he started to lead you into the noise and commotion instead of saving you from it, dashing your hope that he had decided to go home early, as you had implored for from the start. 
"There must be some mistake," you stammered. "Perhaps you heard him incorrectly." 
"The Captain was clear about his request. He could not have spoken more plainly: ‘Might I ask your sister for a dance?’.” Anarlas squeezed your arm and grinned. “And since he knows well that I have only one sister, there can be no mistake.”
You bit your lip before you could blurt out a ridiculous argument, that you still believed it possible Lord Boromir had you confused with some other woman. What other explanation could there be for him asking for you? On the evening of a kingdom-wide celebration, when every fair lady in Gondor was clamoring to gain even just a few moments of his attention? Who were you? Just a produce vendor with your own little stall in the lower markets of the White City. 
Your family, at least, was worthier of note. Your brother served directly under the Captain of the White Tower, and your father had been an even closer friend to him. He had trained the Steward’s young son in swordsmanship before falling in battle almost twenty years ago. You had been a mere infant then, still nursing at your mother’s breast. Then a few short years later on a particularly harsh winter, your mother succumbed to consumption, leaving you with Anarlas. 
Perhaps that was the logical explanation. Lord Boromir was granting you, a poor Gondorian orphan, this kindness in honor of your gallant father. Why he chose this particular occasion to do so, that was the greater mystery. 
Anarlas chucked you under the chin to call back your wandering mind. “You look beautiful,” he said gently. “If you ever wonder what Mother looked like, just find yourself a mirror.”
Hope bloomed inside your heart at his words, hewing through the shadows of anxiety and doubt. You wore her dress that evening, the finest article of clothing in your wardrobe, and had been delighted to discover you had finally grown up enough to match her womanly form and fill out the bodice properly. 
“If you refuse to believe in yourself, then believe in me,” your brother added firmly. 
Confusion knotted your brow, but before you could ask his meaning, someone cleared their throat behind you. 
“Forgive my interruption…”
You froze at the arrival of this voice, one you knew intimately despite having had barely any conversations with it. It was the light in the sweetest of your dreams, a sound you committed to memory, plucked from many years of brief and often stolen encounters. Public speeches, overheard conversations, and precious greetings from the incidental crossings of your paths. 
“My lord Boromir." You dipped into a curtsy, tightly clutching the skirts of your mother’s dress as you willed yourself to channel her reputed grace and poise. 
“My lady…” He bowed to you and spoke your name, ending all doubt of his familiarity. As it rolled off his tongue, the joy that thrilled inside you bolstered your meager courage.
Your mind had already sailed to the clouds and did not register whatever he else might have said or asked. But when he stretched out his hand for yours, instinct and years of pining took the place of thought and good sense, and you slipped your fingers over his, giving your consent. 
The crowd parted to give respectful berth to the Son of the Steward as he led his chosen partner to the dance floor. Boromir released your hand to take his place on the side of the men, leaving you to stand with the rest of the women. Open stares of scorn and envy fell upon you, beating at you with silent hostility as you waited for the music to begin. 
You wrenched your tearing eyes off the ground, and in trying to force your chin up high, you caught sight of Anarlas standing down the line of men. The love and pride that shone on your brother’s face revitalized your shaky confidence. Believe in yourself, you could imagine him saying. He tilted his head in a pointed signal.
Your gaze shifted to the right and fell straight upon Boromir, and found him staring right back at you, lips slightly parted. The second your eyes locked, he startled, caught off guard. His stare collapsed to his feet in discomfort and, to your amazement, he appeared to blush.  
Your breath hitched and you pursed your lips to stifle a giggle that escaped your throat.
The music started. A slower tune, one familiar enough for you to coax the steps from your body’s memory. You loved to dance and did so as often as you could, but your shy nature limited your audience and partners to only Anarlas and yourself. 
As the two lines stepped forward to begin the dance, Boromir raised his eyes to you again, defiant of his own embarrassment. As you glided by him in the first pass, you offered him your soft smile. His features immediately relaxed, and his lips curled back upwards, making you shiver.
You twirled and turned back towards him, reaching out with both hands. As his thick, calloused fingers encased yours, you thought you heard him draw a tight breath. Your own heart thundered madly in your chest as his light grasp slipped away once more.
As the spinning and swaying carried on, every reunion of your hands dizzied you with tingling, while each departure from his touch struck in pangs of yearning. The bittersweet longing you had borne for him from afar and for so long now surged sinfully into profound craving. For his touch, for his gaze, for the very warmth of his body next to yours.
His eyes never strayed from you, even as the routine separated you over and over. They were storm-grey, you realized, confirming what you had always fantasized but never truly saw. After every turn they quickly sought out your face again, as though ravenous for the sight.  
When your hands joined for several prolonged beats of the song, you heard him murmur your name. In mindless insolence, you returned the favor and addressed him in kind. 
“Boromir…”
His fingers suddenly closed around your hand, trapping and enveloping it and preventing you from slipping away again. With a soft tug, he urged you close and cupped his other palm on your hip, stalling you both in the middle of the floor. 
“I…” You braced your hands against his chest, summoning the last dregs of strength in your legs to support yourself, when everything else within you begged to melt in his arms. 
His hold around you tightened in painstaking slowness, as he ascertained your approval, watching for signs of objection that you never showed. The only distance that now separated you was his towering height, which he breached by leaning down, closer, closer, until you were drowning in his nearness, and felt the sweep of his sigh on your brow, the graze of his nose on your temple. Long dark lashes fluttered over those keen grey eyes that now seemed dazed with the wonder of you, of this moment.
Valar, he was more beautiful than anything your imagination ever conjured over the years.
“I cannot breathe,” you finally whispered. 
A chuckle rumbled from his chest and his hands rose to cradle your face. "I know exactly how you feel.”  
His thumbs savored the soft skin of your cheekbones, his fingertips explored the delicate shells of your ear. His ministrations were almost enough to eliminate all awareness of your surroundings. While the music carried on, several other couples had finally stopped to gawp at the Captain of Gondor's scandalous display. But for once in your life, the unspeakable, glorious joy that overflowed in your heart simply left no room for concern of anything or anyone else in the world.
“Perhaps we should continue this outside," Boromir suggested, his voice heavy with a promise that ran goosebumps through you. "Where we can have all the air we shall need.”
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violetsaffron5 · 1 year
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12 Days of Christmas (2022)
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| Masterlist | Ao3 | Social Media | Discord 18+ | Chapter 3 |
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2 | Two Turtle Doves
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Pairing: Geto Suguru x f!Reader
Prompt: Your friend is having a Christmas wedding and you are the maid of honor. At the rehearsal, you hit it off with the best man and find your own holiday romance.
Words: 1.1k
CW: rough sex, vaginal sex, face-fucking, semi-public sex, deepthroating
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“Wanna fuck in the bathroom later?” You look at the best man, dressed in a black tux with a soft blue vest and tie. His long raven hair is pulled back, half into a bun that sits at the back of his head with a few tendrils left out to frame his face.
He raises his eyebrows at your bold, seemingly random question, golden eyes glimmered with amusement, he grins, wide as he answers, “absolutely.”
You grin back before taking a deep breath, hooking your arm through his and walk down the aisle, parting ways at the end to stand in your positions.
You’ve met Suguru Geto several times over the years, when Satoru and Utahime’s friends would get together for one reason or another. He’s always been kind, making conversation whenever everyone was awkwardly assembled. And attractive.
You silently watch, itching to get out of the heels you’ve been in all day as Utahime and Satoru recite their vows to one another. They chose a beautiful venue - unfortunately it’s on Christmas, leaving everyone who attends no time to spend with their family.
You watch through the window of the chapel as soft snow flutters down from the sky, coating everything it touches as you think about what an odd couple they are. So different from one another, you can’t recall how they ended up together in the first place.
But when he proposed, to your surprise, she was over the moon excited, ready to start planning the wedding immediately.
For a year and half, you dealt with Utahime’s nonsense as she worked on putting this wedding together. And you stayed diligently by her side during every breakdown when the venue she chose was booked for the date she wanted, how Satoru wanted to choose the cake because he has better tastes in sweets than she does. How she wanted to force Suguru to cut his hair because she didn’t think it would look good in photos. And how last month she decided to completely change the colors of her wedding, and worked tirelessly to help her order new vests, dresses and decorations.
All you want to do now is relieve some stress.
That time is coming close, and you can only hope Suguru is as serious about hooking up later as you are. As soon as dinner has finished, you excuse yourself to find the bar - though Satoru doesn’t drink, he still paid for an open bar, and you plan to take full advantage of it now that your maid of honor duties are officially over.
Most people are out on the balcony, watching the snow fall, taking photos of the happy couple, so it’s no surprise to find the bar empty at the moment.
Well, empty with the exception of one jet-black haired man leaned against the bar swirling whiskey around in his glass before drinking the final bits in one gulp.
“Fancy meeting you here,” you say, playfully elbowing him in the side as you walk up to the counter and order your drink.
“Mm. Glad this is finally over,” he sighs, leaning his back against the counter, watching as you pick up your glass from the corner of your eye, “so, still wanna fuck in the bathroom?”
You choke on your drink as he asks this, not having anticipated being asked the moment you walk up to him. He hands you a napkin to clean yourself off before you look up to him, “absolutely,” you grin, just as wide as he did this morning.
He motions for you to hook your arm through his, nodding his head to the side towards one of the bathrooms. Once inside, you don’t even have time to look around the space before his lips are on yours in a series of searing kisses pushing you back to the sinks and flipping you around.
He tangles his hand in your hair tilting your head to a better angle to kiss and nip down your neck - he doesn’t care if you spent hours on your hair and make up today, he’ll ruin them both.
You watch in the mirror, biting your lip as he flips up the back of your dress over your hips, kneading the plush skin of your ass with his large hands before grabbing your thong, moving it to the side.
He groans when he runs his fingers through your already soaking folds, avoiding your clit, he doesn’t press in, he just teases until you’re whimpering, rutting your ass back into him further, begging for more.
“Suguru, please,” you whine, “if you don’t hurry up I’m going to die.”
He chuckles, undoing his belt quickly, letting his cock spring free before running the blunt tip through your folds, “guess you’ll just have to die, baby.”
You glare at him through the mirror, hands on the sink with your ass pressed out towards him, he gives a salacious smile and wink before pushing in all the way, to the hilt.
Your knuckles are white, face pressed against the mirror as he thrusts into you hard a few times, allowing you to adjust to him.
“Look at me,” he commands, so you do, looking back at him through the mirror, his nails digging into the skin of your hip as he tangles his hand in your hair again, holding your head back, forcing you to watch as he relentlessly snaps his hips into you.
“You’re making such a mess, baby,” he purrs watching his slick coated cock disappear into you with each thrust, watching as your arousal drips down your thigh. Leaning forward, he licks and bites down your neck, eyes locked on one another, feeling your walls clenching around his length.
You’re chanting his name, all Suguru and yes as the heat in your core erupts and you’re convulsing and spasming around his cock, squeezing him like you want to keep him there forever.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he hisses, pulling out and dragging you down to your knees, and you open your mouth so wide, so pretty without having to be told. You do your best, hollowing your cheeks, licking his tip as he erratically thrusts to the back of your throat before holding your face to his groin, letting out the most sinful moan you’ve ever heard.
He’s panting, whispering sweet nothings about how good you were for him, how you’re his good girl. He helps you off your knees, pulling you into his chest as he pets your hair, kisses the top of your head.
“Merry Christmas,” you murmur against his chest, letting your arms wrap around him in a loose hug, unsure of where this leaves you two moving forward, if anywhere.
“Mm. Best one yet.” And he really means it.
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